Disclaimer: Hey! Guess what. I don't own Negima. Big shocker, eh? Well, until I hit it big with something and you all start writing fanfiction about my canon (never going to happen) I guess I'll hang around here. (I can hear the boos now.) So anyway, I own Reina Whitehall, Hisao, William Whitehall, The Ivory Knight, The Ebony Knight, and Kaminari Grand Industrial. They are available by request only, but how often are you going to need a 40ft tall mech? That's what I thought.
Authors Notes: Yes, the last chapter ran long, which they all will if I can muster it. But reading is what you are here to do, right? Besides reading is good, like towels. I would also like to apologize for the almost total lack of Mahora and almost anyone from there the entire first chapter. But when you go to a convention or away from home how many people do you meet there that you know personally? I'm betting there aren't many, unless you live in a town where everyone does the same thing, which would be weird. Anyway, I am wasting words here, so on with the story.
Negima: Femella Intra Machina
By: Dark Dragon Dave
Chapter 02: Blackout Training Session
Light pours into his eyes as Negi wakes up in a hospital bed. He lifts the sheets up and notices he only has his pants on.What the heck happened? First there was this girl and then… A sharp pain rips his head, like a train through a brick wall. There is a bandage around his head and it has blood on it. There is just enough to make a few red spots on his hand. The spot is a little tender yet as it pains him when he touches it. He inhales sharply in reaction.
"Ah, Springfield-san, you are awake." A female doctor walks over to him and pulls out a pen light from her white coat pocket. "I want you to follow the light." Negi does as he is instructed, looking left to right and back again. She observes his eyes as he looks. Afterwards, she turns the light off with a click and puts it back. "Good, there isn't any damage here. You're lucky, as you could have easily gotten a concussion."
"What happened?" Negi doesn't find anything in his memories right away. He must have been knocked in the head pretty hard or something similar. The doctor was right about the concussion.
The doctor asks, "You don't remember? It's probably just a case of minor disorientation. Your head should clear up in a few hours." She jots down a few notes on a clipboard she picked up from the foot of the bed.
Negi has a valid question. "Am I still at Kaminari?"
"I see you can remember that much. Yes, yes you are," she answers while jotting down some notes. "Your head should clear up soon." With a gentle clicking she places the clipboard on the hook she took it from.
Another question crosses his mind. "Where is Satomi?"
"Satomi Hakase? I am sure she's somewhere around here. I can make sure she is paged. Now make sure you take it easy." The door clicks shut on the cold, quiet room as the doctor leaves.
Left to himself for now, the boy lowers back down on to the bed. In the short time he is up the bed has gotten colder. The room is fairly basic hospital fair, save for the amount of high technology, all very sterile. Nothing less is to be expected from a hospital. "What happened out there? And what happened to Reina? My head really hurts…" he ponders to himself. Only things to be heard are his breath and the muted chatter of other people outside the room. After a few minutes of thinking, the door opens again.
Reina comes in and sees the boy with the bandages on his head. "Do you mind if I sit here?" she asks after she approaches the bed.
"Go right ahead."
Taking care not to jostle the blankets too much, she sits down on the corner of the bed after he gives her the go ahead. With her head held low, she looks at the floor. "I am so sorry. This is entirely my fault. I never should have taken you into a dangerous combat situation."
"It's okay; there is no way you could have known," assures bandaged boy.
Obviously depressed at what has happened to the young boy, Reina is looking down and away from him. "I had a feeling something was up. My radar didn't show anything. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken you along. I should have known. I am so very sorry. He was right… I am a hypocrite."
"No, no, no... It's okay. I did get injured but it was my fault." Small bits of memories restore themselves. Not enough for a full picture, but it was a start and the hypocrite bit was quite helpful, if not somewhat harsh. "You told me I should have buckled in."
"But still… I was reckless."
"You were trying to prevent people from getting hurt." He feels this is right.
"Exactly, you got hurt."
"Don't worry about it," Negi emphasizes and she agrees unwillingly. He can tell she's taking it hard on herself. A small, slightly uncomfortable, span of silence passes between the two. "I do have one question. Where is Satomi?"
Reina stands up, "They just paged her before I came in so it shouldn't be too long." Negi can feel the sheets and cushion adjust to her movement.
"So it really was you in The Ivory Knight? Your mind I mean."
Looking embarrassed, Reina replies, "Yes."
"I've got to ask… what is it like?"
Reina doesn't have an answer to that. Despite that, she's quite enthusiastic for a moment before hitting a snag. "Well, um…" She folds her arms, puckers her lips and looks up thoughtfully. Within a few moments, she begins tapping her foot. "It's a little like… Do you remember the screens in the Ivory Knight?"
This triggers the memory of the battle a little more. "Yes, I do. Is that what it's like?" Negi asks anxiously as his memories uncover themselves.
"Not really. I don't know where I was going with that." Reina looks confused. "I can't begin to describe it because I don't know how to relate it in words that would allow you to understand what it's like."
"How about controlling it?" Negi asks. Partly because he's trying to wake his memories of the last few hours or so, up. Mostly it is trying to understand the schism between the magic world and the mundane world. There's also a slight bit of actual curiosity in there too.
Reina doesn't even need to ponder this one. Quite happily, she answers, "It functions exactly like my own body. Only I have servos and various mechanical enhancements instead of muscles and nerves. Where I would have bone and flesh, I have metals when I am the Ivory Knight."
"So it's a strange experience?"
"Yes. Oh, how I wish I could show you. Ever since I was a kid I've actually kind of enjoyed it. I'd hate to think of what this says about me but the best way I could equate it is kind of like being a giant toy."
The door to the room opens, making a very sterile, very quiet, swooshing with Satomi on the other side, causing Reina to back out of the way nervously. "Oh, look at you. What did you do in there? Looks like she got a little rough with you… and here I thought you were riding her."
Negi's heartbeat increases in speed as his cheeks turn red. This can't be good for his wound. Negi sees Reina trying to hold back a small chuckle. "But I didn't-"
"And you," Satomi turns to Reina. The white haired girl changes from trying to hold back a laugh to hold back her nerves as she can feel the eyes of the bespectacled girl looking at her. "He's just a ten year old boy."
"I- I- I- di-didn't mean to… I- I- was trying and… he-" Her will fails under the gaze of this girl. With a wavering voice she says, "I'm sorry."
"Either way, I do have some questions for you about that whole set-up."
Reina can only manage a hesitant warble that sounds almost like speech. Getting really close to her target, Satomi tries to sneak a look at the connections behind the ears of the girl. However though, her snow white hair, even as short as it is, obscures any chance of looking at them from a low angle. With a thermostat in her back, Reina is now up against a wall and making it colder in the room.
"Satomi-san!" Negi reprimands.
Satomi backs up. "Right. Sorry."
"I- I- have to go," Reina says now that she has an opportunity to leave. "It was nice meeting you both." Before either of them can say anything she darts out the door.
"And I was going to ask her what it was like to be inside the machine. If I could simply get a few words about what it's like I could make some amazing leaps in my own work, I'm sure. Yes, Chachamaru is amazing in her own right, but her perspective is skewed in the fact that she's always been a machine." Satomi remains silent for a few moments, thinking to herself in the quiet of the room.
"If she would come to Mahora," she thought, "that would be a huge bit of luck on my part."
"Satomi-san?"
"Hm?" Satomi sounds as she turns to the boy.
"I'm ready to leave"
Negi and Satomi walk down a hallway and eventually exit the hospital building through self opening doors. As the late evening light shines bright orange in the sky, the scale of Kaminari Grand Industrial once again strikes the young teacher. Massive buildings rise from the ground living up to the name "skyscraper." The mix of darkened windows, reflected orange and the purple of the sky make for a striking mixture of colors for the day's end.
"They've gotten a taxi for us, sensei," Satomi says. "Whitehall-san said it was the least he could do for us. He is also quite worried about you as going with Reina was his idea."
Again, Negi lets it slide. "Well I'm fine now and it was kind of my fault for not buckling in."
"It seems Reina has taken it hard too."
As they proceed, they come to the battlefield from earlier that day. The devastation the area has experienced is obvious. This is the final thing to trigger the memories Negi has of the battle he was in. All of those memories flood back to him, which make him stop walking. The black mech, the screens… everything comes flooding back.
Surprised by the sudden stop, Satomi asks the seemingly spaced out teacher, "Negi-sensei?"
"Yo." The black mech raises the grenade launcher and fires.
Reina, in a blur, raises her hand up and grabs the incoming grenade. The white machine pitches the explosive to the sky. She aims her rifle at it and, with the aid of tracking software, shoots it in the air. It explodes harmlessly in the sky.
This gives Hisao a chance to boost his way around Reina, dropping the launcher as he does so, and he fires up his energy sword. She reacts quickly enough to spin around with a quick flare of her boosters and face the black mech. Reacting to the forward stab, the white mech moves to the side, drops the rifle, and wraps her left arm around his right. Ivory Knight Reina lifts her free fist up and slams his face with a volley of punches. Small bits of metal and high impact resistant glass shatter free. The black machines' left lens is now exposed to the elements. He adjusts his arm and tries to hip toss her on to the hard concrete below them. She balances out and lands safely on her feet, picking the rifle up when she does.
Inside, Negi is tossed around like a ragdoll. "I'm sorry Negi-san! Are you okay?!"
Negi gets up from the floor. "I'm fine. Who is that?"
"Long story," Reina replies. She runs forward and kicks the black machine in the chest, taking special care to not let Negi get tossed about too much, if at all if she can avoid it.
Hisao skids back, sparks issuing up from his metal feet scraping off the cement. "Damn you! After three years you still refuse to see the truth!"
In a cold tone that carries a lot of vitriol, Reina says, "I don't want your truth!" The thing on the back of her right arm flares up and an energy sword forms.
They both start chopping and dodging, boosters flaring as the two massive machines perform an intricate dance of combat. Both machines perform circles around one another, hoping to land in a slice but both parties being too quick for the other. Reina deftly moves her sword and connects at an odd angle on the back of Hisao's sword arm. The cut completes its path, cutting through the arm mounted sword's bracing, making it fall to the ground. The back of the black machine's arm sparks and the sword attachment explodes from the sudden uncontrolled energy. Reina boosts over to the grenade launcher and kicks it up into her hands like a skateboard, shutting off her sword before she catches it.
"It's over," Reina states.
Avoiding direct movement, Hisao slowly reaches to the upper section of his right leg. He deceptively makes it look like he's going to sit down. Seeing through it like a piece of cellophane, Reina already knows what he is up to. She aims the rifle and the grenade launcher at him. The strange looking pod along the right side of her back rises up and over her shoulder and the front of it opens up. The similar looking things on the Ivory Knight's shoulders do the same, aiming forward and opening.
"Don't move!" Reina commands. Hisao stops what he is doing, knowing when she means business.
Negi asks from inside, "What are those things?"
Reina replies, "Tracking missiles."
"Why didn't you use them to begin with?"
"Well, in this instance, they aren't going to be 100 percent accurate. With his speed, he could have dodged out of the way and then they'd go wherever because they no longer have a target."
"You have a passenger?" Hisao asks Reina with a slight change in his voice, almost like he takes offense that she would do such a thing. Flaps on his back open up and expose a large jet.
"Yes. What of it?"
"Oh, nothing. Bit reckless wouldn't you say? Here you are trying to save lives when you are clearly endangering one. Hypocrite!" Energy particles start to build up near the jet on his back. Soon there is enough energy built up for him to- "Endangering people like that!" he shouts as his jets suddenly thrust him forward in a massive burst of power. In a shower of sparks made as they collide, Hisao ends up knocking the white mech back.
Satomi chooses the worst time to show up at the fight. The cart she is in comes to as much of a screeching halt as a golf cart can as the Ivory Knight goes sailing over head. The black mech stops just short of the cart being driven by the girl with the twin braids. "Wah!" Satomi exclaims as the giant metal foot stomps down nearby. Yes, she's been around machines of this scale but usually they were under some kind of control.
With almost no thought to it, she decides to drive away and find a better spot to observe from, driving the cart over to a nearby ruin and parking it behind a wall. After a few moments of hunting she finds a place to observe. "All of this here could help me in my research," thinks the hiding girl. "I just need to watch."
Reina slams back hard and hits the ground which is a bad thing to do if you are trying to protect your paintjob, fortunately that isn't her number one concern. Folding up everything, she takes precautions not to break any of the things along her back such as her missile pod, radar, and stabilizers. She closes up all missile launching devices. Before too much damage can be done, she uses her thrust jets to right herself. The mech flips up into a straight standing position and checks on her occupant.
He's got a cut on his head and the blood is running down his face while he tries to get out of the cockpit by pounding on the door. "Negi-san, you are hurt! I need to get you somewhere where they can help you."
"No way, Reina-san! I don't know how but I am going to help you. Open the hatch!" Negi protests.
"That hit to your head must have knocked you silly. There's a giant robot out there. You don't stand a chance." Reina counters. "I need to get you to our hospital."
"I'm fine really. Let me out."
"No!"
Negi looks around and finds something that will help his situation. A lever that is labeled, "Emergency Door Release."
Reina sees this and knows what Negi is thinking. "Please Negi-san, don't."
"I want to help!"
"Just strap yourself into that chair; otherwise I'm going to have to hold back."
Hisao decides he's going to use the distraction provided by this other boy to his advantage. A hatch in his leg opens and he draws a pistol like weapon as quick as an old west gunslinger. He uses his aiming software to aim at one of the Ivory Knight's eyes. Reina dodges in time to save the camera, but not some of the metal around it. Using the momentum of the dodge, she spins to the left and dashes in, firing off her rifle as she does. Hisao boosts to his right and ends up behind an undamaged building at the start of a cluster of buildings.
Reina stops short of entering the area. She lets out a small grunt of frustration.
"What's the matter Reina-san?" Negi asks, trying to get the switch to work.
"First off, I am not letting you out. You could get killed. And secondly, Hisao just ran off into hiding."
"Why not just go after him?" Negi asks.
Reina replies, "I know him too well. He was always better at combat than me. The tables turned on him. Hisao has none of his main weapons and there wasn't anything he could do except go hide. I know the way he thinks, he's trying to ambush me using The Shroud."
"How do you know that?" Negi asks, forgoing asking about 'The Shroud.' He has finally given up on the door and decides to sit down back in the chair. Begrudgingly, he straps himself in.
"I'm going to have to disengage. Negi-san you are hurt?"
Negi asks, "Can't your radar sense him?"
"No, The Ebony Knight is canceling his signal, which is another of his tricks. Now enough trying to distract me, we're getting you help."
"How come you know so much about him?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Let's get you some help." Reina steps backwards apprehensively and begins to turn around.
"I'm fine really."
"No you— oof!"
The Ebony Knight boosts back into combat and uses his momentum to throttle-punch Reina in her back, causing her to stumble forward. Immediately after, he kicks her in the back of her knee. She quickly drops down to a kneeling position; he moves and puts his foot on her back, shoving her to the ground. "You've always been weak!"
Negi gets jostled around. When he's done gathering himself, he asks, "You two have to know each other?"
"Ungh! Keep your focus," Ivory Knight Reina advises while getting stomped on.
Hisao leans down and grabs The Ivory Knight's right arm. With metal grinding and straining, he pulls the arm backwards. Reina rolls with it, folding up the wing-like stabilizers on her back to prevent damage to them. She wraps her legs around his arm and opens up her shoulder mounted missile pods and launches a single rocket. Thanks to the short range and targeting software of Reina's munitions, it hit its mark. Flames and force rip across the black metal machine.
The mech boy staggers back and is facing away from The Ivory Knight. Reina sees an opportunity and takes it. She wraps her arm around his neck and flares up her sword. Ripping a hole straight through, she buries the sword deep within the black robots abdomen. The machine screams as the blade tears through it. A few disconnected wires, cables, and some fluid issue forth from the newly created cavity.
Reina pleads, "It's over. Please stop."
"When will you see the truth?" Hisao asks as he breaks away from Reina's death grip, the sword sliding out of its metal sheath. Chunks of metal and errant wires fly out of the back of the gaping hole in the machine's torso. "We are superior to these scum. We are above humanity."
"Then why attack us?" Reina asks. "If we are superior, shouldn't we protect those who are underneath us?"
"You are being lied to and have been hearing lies your whole life." Hisao lifts up off the ground, his jets lifting him up off the ground. The leg mounted ones were giving him issues. "Someday you will hear the truth." He points forward at the white mech and declares, "Someday I will make you recognize it!" With some groaning issuing forth, he leans back and flies away, quickly becoming a speck on the horizon.
Reina watches him leave. "Now let's get you some help, Negi-san."
"It… is okay. I am… fine…" Negi says while passing out. His face quite red from his wound at this point. The last thing he hears before being swallowed by the darkness is, oddly enough, what sounds like rumbling.
"Are you coming?" Satomi asks.
Negi stands at the edge of the battlefield. The charred and scarred pavement stands as a reminder of the battle. He looks out into it, silent as a stone. Something is obviously on his mind.
"Negi-sensei?"
Negi pops back to reality. "Huh? Oh! Can I ask you something?"
"I guess so," agrees Satomi. "What is it?"
The boy teacher is quiet for a few moments before saying, "Nothing…" Negi looks away from Satomi with a solemn expression.
"Negi-sensei, is there something you want to talk about?" Satomi asks.
Negi remains silent for a few seconds. He gently shook his head. "Nevermind. It's nothing."
The two walk in a strange silence on the way to the taxi. The taxi takes off toward Mahora after they enter. The ride, thanks to the silence, is relaxing and Negi soon falls asleep in the back.
"He is kind of a cute kid," Satomi thinks as she watches him sleep. "Sleeping like that and he will end up with a neck cramp." Several gentle bumps in the road make him lean over on her, thus solving that problem. Even with "cute" bit she just thought, the thought of shoving him back also crosses her mind. In the end, she decides against it. He is injured, after all and letting him rest was likely the best option at this point.
Rather than concern herself with Negi; her thoughts stray to the girl, Reina, and the fact she can download or whatever they call it, into a giant robot. How that is possible? Satomi wrestles with several theorems on the matter. Mostly, what must they have done to her brain to allow such a thing to happen? Reina obviously attached something behind her ears. If only she could have gotten some time alone with Reina but she seemed awfully nervous. There are so many questions she just has to ask. Maybe she can arrange some time with William-san. Then again, would he really be willing to part with such inside knowledge? Probably not to some upstart kid, at least. If the purpose of the convention was to pique her interest, they succeeded.
That's why she has to ask Reina directly. Though it is too late, she figures. If only she could have cornered the white haired girl. She is truly a strange person indeed. She'd fit right in with the vampire, the martial artist, the ninja… the girl who becomes a giant robot. Yeah, that's as logical as anything else. Enough of the rest of her class, she needs to plot out a way to get back here at some point and speak with Reina. But how will she do that? Reina didn't exactly seem to be the friendly type. No, she was the nervous and hesitant type, almost like Nodoka.
Reina sits alone in a room, her room. It's been her room for the… well for as long as she can remember. Ever since William Whitehall… No. It's only because of Hisao that she's thinking like this. She is leaning forward as she thinks, resting her head on her arms, which, in turn, are being supported by her desk. She is feeling awful for what happened today with the black mech and that other boy. With a heavy sigh, the white haired girl buries her head. The silence in her room is deafening. A knock on the door breaks it and Reina sits up. "Come in," she says.
Her father comes in. He's quiet for a few moments before asking, "You okay?"
Reina nods. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"You don't look it. I can tell when something is bothering you." He put his hand on her shoulder.
"It's just everything that happened today," Reina says, "that's all."
"I know," William states. He waits for a few seconds before saying, "I think it's about time for a change of pace, what do you think? Something to get your mind off of things."
"What do you mean?" Reina asks.
"Well, you've been here so long that you've developed that fear. Perhaps doing what we were talking about will be just what you need."
"I will then. I need to get over this fear… It's so stupid."
"No… You are who you are. I blame myself for it. There's so little female presence here."
After a good yawn, Reina says, "I'm going to bed a little early." She gets up from her chair.
"Okay. I'll say good night then and I'll get you set up there tomorrow that way you can start Monday. Okay?"
"That'll be fine. Good night, dad."
"Good night, sweetheart." William gives her a fatherly hug. He quietly left her room shortly after.
"Wake up, Negi-sensei," Satomi prods. "We've returned."
The cab stops somewhere within Mahora, not too far from the dorms. The cabbie says nothing as they come to a stop. Satomi nudges Negi awake and he wakes gently. The two eventually exit the cab from their respective sides. When they are clear of the cab, he drives away to parts unknown. Satomi is slow to walk in to the dorms and head to her room. She hasn't actually slept in her bed in quite some time. It'll be nice to get a comfortable place to sleep for once. Heavy desks can only provide so much cushioning… and by that I mean none at all.
Right after exiting, Negi yawns and stretches. He's been resting most of the late half of the day but still feels like he should get some sleep. Today was hectic even for a day with his class. Negi follows Satomi in.
"Negi-sensei…" Satomi says, "Thanks for coming with me."
"I rather enjoyed seeing those robots, mechs, and such," states Negi.
"Actually, I'm kind of jealous," the scientist admits, "I would have loved to ride inside one of those things."
This brings back the embarrassing thing Reina had said to him earlier and of course, with the way Satomi just phrased it… dirty Negi. He turns red at the thought. "Umm… yeah. Well, I need to get to bed. After today, I'm a little exhausted."
They both head in the dorm building and to their respective rooms.
Negi goes in to find a sleeping Asuna and Konoka, still up, dressed for bed and reading a book. "Hi, Negi. How did it…" she catches sight of her roommate's wrappings, "what happened to your head?"
"It's a long story that starts at the moment we arrived." Konoka listens intently as Negi relates a small version of the events of the day. "And I woke up in a hospital bed several hours later."
"Wow. Sounds like you had an exciting day. Except for the hit to the head, it seems like it all went well. Sounds like you also made a new friend."
"Maybe, but I highly doubt I'll see her again. From what I can tell, it seems like she has all she needs there."
"Who says you couldn't go back?"
"While you are right, it is a bit of a trip there. It's too much of a hassle, besides I have work here."
"Yeah. It's too bad though." she smiles, "A boy and his giant robot friend defeating the bad guys..." Konoka, after placing a bookmark in it, closes the book she has been reading. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. Good night Negi-kun."
"Good night, Konoka," Negi replies. With that, sleep calls for him to join its ranks and he gladly accepts.
Reina sleeps comfortably in her bed and dreams. She dreams of the events of the day and of times past.
Hisao's return is quite large in her mind. All the old memories come flooding back, especially that one training exercise in the desert. The day that seemed to start it all. She starts fidgeting as she dreams and soon wakes with a start. Looking at the clock reveals that it is nearly four in the morning. The red glow of the clock features the 24 hour standard of 0400. A light film of sweat covers her. "Must have been a bad one."
She climbs out of bed and walks to the nearby bathroom, turning the lights on when she gets there. With that out of the way, she goes to the sink and turns the water on, splashing it on her face. The knobs squeak as she turns them off. After she is done and then dries her face off with the nearby hand towel, she looks at herself briefly in the mirror and it reflects her image perfectly. "Why now?"
The mirror reflects her reaching up and turning out the lights. Having walked this path many times before, the white haired girl is able to walk back to bed with the lights off. Her eyes are still in a fair amount of shock from the short exposure to light they have just received. She makes it her to her bed and without much trouble, sleep takes her again.
She sleeps peacefully until she wakes again at roughly 0830 hours, ready to start a new day of testing mechs.
Sunday morning comes as it does every 7 days or so, depending on whether. Today was sunny and mild with temps quite pleasing. Negi decides to hit up the Nurses Office to have them look at the wound on his head. He emerges a little while later with a fresh bandage on his head. From the way it sounds, he should be able to have a standard adhesive bandage tomorrow.
Walking at a chipper pace, he heads to the exit, ready to go to Eva's to train. The warmth of the sun beams down on him as he walks along the sidewalk. After a short distance, he sees Ayaka coming from the other direction. The class rep looks happy to see her beloved sensei at first and then shock settles in on her face, her eyes bulging at the sight before her. Within a moment's notice she dashes up to her favorite little teacher.
"Negi-sensei, what happened?!" she asks, kneeling to match his height and jumping to a conclusion, which is a heck of a trick to watch. "Did Asuna do something to hurt you? I could easily have it arranged to have you moved to my room. Yes, it will be cramped but we will make due. I will make sure of it." She seems even more resolute than ever. "This is the last straw. Asuna has become too reckless. Come, let's go make those changes." She stands up and grabs the boy's hand, ready to drag him into her future.
"You're jumping to conclusions. It wasn't anything like that!" protests Negi. "It happened at the exposition Satomi and I visited yesterday."
"So that's where you were yesterday. Asuna didn't tell me anything. And now I find that Satomi was irresponsible with you." Ayaka shakes her head. "I am going to speak with Satomi then."
"Ayaka-san, wait," Negi says. "It was my fault. I got wrapped up in a demonstration and forgot to strap myself in."
"Then that company is at fault. They should have warned you. I can have them sued if you wish."
"There's no need for that. I ignored her. I was inside her and when we got into it I hit my head after getting tossed about because things started getting rough." Negi realizes he said something incredibly stupid with a slap to his forehead. Whether whatever he just let out of the bag was a cat or a lion is yet to be seen.
In response, Ayaka passes out, Negi catching her before she can meet the sidewalk face to pavement. "Ayaka-san! Wake up!" He tries his best to get air moving around her, flapping his hand and finally settling on reciting his release and a small little cantrip meant to flutter the curtain in a room. Great prank, but the spell can be useful in certain situations. Especially like this one.
"Come on…" Negi pleads as he controls the breeze to send it past the fainted blonde. It rustles her hair gently as it does so. Negi thinks she looks kind of… "No, no, no," he thinks, "those kinds of thought aren't proper."
After a few moments Ayaka wakes up and sees his face. "My dear sweet Negi-sensei is no longer the honorable gentleman I admired," she mutters weak and dejectedly.
"You've got it wrong. I phrased it in an incredibly stupid manner. You see she… how can I put this? Well, she can become a giant robot. And I got to ride in the machine she was. Understand?"
"Not really, but if you say that nothing happened between you two, then I trust you."
"No we didn't. Even she made light of the situation."
"I'm not sure how that would work but if that is what you say happened then I trust you."
"I hurt my head while riding in the mech. We got into a fight by surprise and during it we got thrown. I hit my head on some monitors I had asked to be dropped down so I could see. So you see it really was my fault."
Ayaka stands up and gives him a small hug. "As long as you are okay, that is what matters." She puts her hand gently on top of his head. "I have to go but if you wish to come with me I would be honored."
Negi explains, "Actually, I was on my way somewhere."
"Of course, Negi-sensei. I shall not keep you any longer." Ayaka tells him and bows.
They both part ways as they make their head to their respective places to go, Ayaka with a slightly elevated heart rate and a warm fuzzy feeling. Even after all of his convincing, Ayaka still feels that the best place for him would be with her.
Negi continues to walk to Evangeline's, hopefully without any more interruptions. He doesn't get very far before fate once again shoves someone he knows into his path. Makie Sasaki, the class' gymnast.
He tries to look as nonchalant and "blend in with the crowd" as possible which fails because there wasn't that many people around. Eva likely won't take him being late very well.
"Hey, Negi-kun!" Makie exclaims. "What happened to your head?!"
"It's not as bad as it looks. I was just careless is all," Negi states. "Let's just say I didn't buckle up."
"You were in a car accident?!"
"No! It is not that at all," Negi protests nicely. "I was at that robotics convention and I hit my head because I didn't buckle up during a demonstration." He hated to think of Reina as a demonstration because that made her sound like a thing.
"Clumsy Negi-kun," Makie giggles, "you need to be careful." She gives him a cute little hug.
"I know. Now—"
Makie cuts him off saying she needs to head to practice. It's a little late today because the coach is gone today and the substitute is late, or something. They amicably part ways and Negi continues on his way to Evangeline's. Fortune smiles on him during his travels and allows him to make it all the way to Evangeline's house without seeing anyone else. He steps up to the door and gives it a quick rapping.
Negi spends a couple of quiet moments outside before Chachamaru opens as always. The robot girl starts to say hello but she notices Negi's head. "Um, Negi-sensei, what happened to your head?"
Negi sighs. "I was at the… wait, I'd like to get Evangeline here as well."
"I'm already here boya," Eva answers. "What did you do to your head?"
Negi goes on to explain everything that happened to him yesterday. From 7:58 a.m. to when he woke up in a hospital bed. Or at least the details he can remember. Even though he seems to have done a good job remembering, he seems to think he is missing something. One thing he can think of that is missing is how he got to the hospital in the first place.
"You're telling me that they remove the mind from the body and place it in a machine?" The centuries old vampire asks, amazed at how much she has seen technology increase over her time.
"Yes," replies Negi.
"Huh… anyway, there is no slacking off where I am concerned, especially when we've just started, so let's get to it." The two leave for her resort and begin their secondary day training.
"Yes… Of course… We will be sure to take good care of her. We can't wait to have her as a student… I'm sure she will have a wonderful time here… We will make sure she won't have to worry about that… Yes. Goodbye." Konoemon Konoe; often just called Dean Konoe, or just Dean, sometimes Old Man, hangs up the phone. "Well, that went quite well."
"Sir?" Takahata asks.
"We will be getting a new student. She is the daughter of the owner of Kaminari Grand Industrial."
"That robotics company?"
"Yes. Reina Whitehall is her name and apparently she's already meet Negi during their expo yesterday. So I thought of placing her in that class since she has already met him."
"Well that's nice I guess. I'm sure she'll fit in just fine and Negi is a good teacher."
"Perhaps she will fit in. I hope this will be an experience for the both of them." The elderly gentleman opens a drawer in his desk and removes a notebook. He takes a pencil and scribbles down a note which he tears off, stuffs it in an envelope and licks the glue. "Why do they make this stuff taste so horrible?" he asks with a grimace on his face. After sealing it shut he hands to Takahata. "Make sure this gets to him."
"Of course." Takahata stands up with letter in hand and takes his leave, slipping it in his jacket pocket.
Konoe leans back in his chair. "He seems to gather friends easily… He will make a great mage some day." He then clicks his tongue in dissatisfaction of the glue's aftertaste. "Nasty stuff. Tastes like toad mucus."
"Come on. We've only just begun training. You can't be worn out now," Evangeline tells her recently taken on disciple. "You'll never get anywhere with that kind of stamina." Grabbing his breath, Negi comments that it has been well over an hour. "Fine. We'll break for now."
Negi takes this moment to sit down and relax. Chachamaru brings him a glass of water. "Here, you look like you could use this."
"Thank you very much Chachamaru." Negi foregoes any manners in favor of quenching his thirst. He gulps the water down. When finished he lets out a big exhale. The gynoid offers to take the glass back and Negi hands it to her.
"You are welcome, sensei." Chachamaru comments before leaving to make the glass ready for another use.
Evangeline approaches Negi and gets real close to him. It is almost like she is going to snuggle up with him. "I believe you owe me something." She moves her hand down from his face, down his chest, and a little lower. "You're heart is beating quite fast so, naturally, blood flow will be quite strong…" She quickly moves her hand down his waist and…
"E- E- Eva-sama, I—"
The petite vampire deftly moves her hand to the boy's wrist. She twists his arm and plunges her fangs ever so lightly into a vessel. The warm crimson fluid flows into her mouth as she lets it slide over her tongue, thoroughly tasting it before swallowing it. She takes several more sips before letting his arm go. With a lick of her lips she asks, "Was it as good for you as it was for me?"
Negi is a little lightheaded from the workout and then being drained. With a shake of his head, he comments, "Whoa… I'm a bit dizzy."
"So it is safe to say I rocked your world?" Eva asks with a devious smile.
After an hour long break, the teacher, the vampire, and the gynoid get back to training. Eva and Chachamaru put the boy through his paces again. When that is out of the way, it is class time for the boy. "A good workout energizes the mind for you living types," Eva told him.
After a full day of training and learning, Negi is worn out. Evangeline directs him to the baths and lets him to it. "He has had enough for now," she figures. There is always later for such things. She has already cleaned up and is getting ready to sleep while her protégé is enjoying his bath.
Taking special care of the wound on his head the whole time, Negi finishes up and dries himself off, and uses bandages Evangeline gave him. He changes into a set of clothes Eva had set aside, which is something else. The last thing he wants to know why she has boy's pajamas readily available. The whole process has only just begun, so the young mage hopes he'll be able to make a lot of progress. She's so powerful; there is no way he could not get stronger. After climbing into the bed she let him use, he welcomes sleep as it settles in.
To think, less than an hour has passed on the outside world.
Takahata opens the door to the dormitory where Negi is rooming with Asuna and Konoka. Several girls open the other door and head out. He has the note tucked away safely in his inside pocket. Creaking issues forth from the stairs as he climbs them. Eventually he comes to the door of Konoka, Asuna, and Negi's room. Shoving the note in the slot would be irresponsible, so he decideds to knock on the door instead.
Asuna answers the door and immediately blushes. "Takahata-sensei!" His presence has taken her by surprise. This is so sudden! What could have brought him here, to her, at this moment?!
"Hello, Asuna. Would you be willing to do something for me?" Takahata asks the enraptured girl.
"Yes. A- anything you need."
"Could you make sure Negi-kun gets this note?" In response, he removes the note from his pocket. Its once squared corners now ever so slightly crumpled. "It's about a new student transfer and she's getting placed in your class."
Asuna, while still happy to be in the presence Takahata, is let down by the reason he has visited. "I will." With a defeated feeling, she takes the note.
"Thanks Asuna. See you around." Takahata holds up his hand in a gesture that says goodbye and takes his leave.
"Goodbye, Takahata-sensei." Asuna tells him as he is leaving. Many other things want to be said but she can't bring herself to say them at the moment… maybe at some other time she will be able to tell him her true feelings. For now, she closes the door and lets the words die.
Konoka is behind her when she turns around. "Whatcha get?"
"Oh, this is for Negi," Asuna replies. "It's about a new student."
Konoka got one of her usual smiles on her face. "Yay! A new classmate. I wonder what she looks like?"
Asuna looks at the letter, then at Konoka. "We could open it."
"It's Negi-kun's letter though," Konoka advises.
Asuna seems to be weighing the options before she comes up with an excuse for the ages. "You are the granddaughter of the one who wrote this so technically it would be like you are opening your own letter."
Konoka gives her red-headed friend a look on her face that is a strange combination of this is wrong, it wouldn't be all that bad I suppose, and that's completely unrelated. With no other apparent choices, she resolves herself with a sigh and an, "I can always talk to grandfather if need be."
"Thanks Konoka." Asuna adroitly moves her thumb under the side of the flap and rips the envelope open and by that I mean she had it there before Konoka agreed. "Okay, let's see what we got…" Asuna looks the letter over. "Her name is Reina Whitehall. What kind of stupid name is that? Probably some half-breed like Ayaka."
A chime went off in Konoka's head. "That name sounds familiar," she says while trying to remember where she has heard that name before.
"Really?"
"Yeah," the brunette says. "I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I have heard that name. Maybe it says later on in the letter."
Asuna continues to scan it. "You already know her from the way it sounds… met at the convention… heard you had a good time with the exception of the accident… hope you will show her great courtesy… Oh!" Asuna exclaims as she finds what they are looking for. "As you already know she is the daughter of the owner of Kaminari Grand industrial."
"That's where I heard that name," Konoka says as it dawns on her. "Kaminari is the company that did that convention yesterday and we have a job placement program with them for university level robotics students."
A bad look crosses Asuna's face after hearing that. "Just what we need… another Ayaka," her voice thick with disgust.
"Come on, Asuna!" Konoka giggles lightly as she speaks. "It can't be all that bad. I mean, we haven't even met her."
"Yeah, I suppose you are right. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't give her a chance."
"Anything else?"
Asuna looks back down at the letter. "Uuh… Nothing at all about her appearance. That's pretty much everything."
Seemingly passing over it all, Konoka says, "I guess we'll find out Monday." Quickly changing the subject, "How about we go get something to eat?" she asks. "We can tell everybody about this too."
"Sounds like a plan."
Negi leaves Eva's place a day or hour later depending on how you view it. With a wobble in his step, he barely makes his way down her steps and out into the sun. While he was training, Reina was training too, though she doesn't have the luxury of an extra day. The white haired girl's training consists of virtual simulations and spending most of her time out of her body.
"Is everything okay?" asks a technician. He speaks into a microphone.
There is a slight pause before a voice comes out of the speakers. "Yes, everything is good. This machine's a bit slow though. I can feel it."
A number of technicians take note of what she said.
Several people were looking into monitors at what would look like, to an outside observer, a video game. It is even more complex than Steel Battalion with all those buttons and switches. A small replica of a large red and black mech, with a launcher in each hand and a salvo of missiles on its back and shoulders, is displayed on screen. As far as shape goes, the red mech is bulky and square on its upper half and its legs are bulky and rounded.
"How about if we do this?" asks the same guy from before as another one flipped some switches.
"Ooh… that's much better. If you can keep mobility at that level without sacrificing energy output to vital systems I could handle that much better," suggests Reina.
"We'll do our best. It's hard getting everything dialed in when you're starting out."
"I understand completely. Just be careful with me, okay?"
The technician blushes lightly. "Umm… I'll do my best. When you are ready, we can get the test started."
"Okay." The red virtual machine lifts off the ground slowly and starts moving around a little. "It's still a bit slow."
"There is nothing we can do about that. The jets are meant to keep that heavy thing in the air and drop your munitions down. That's the reason it's called the Red Dragon," explains the technician.
"I know Daiki-san. It's just weird to get used to this new body. It's a lot taller than I am used to. And did we have to go with explosive weapons? There's a high chance of someone getting injured that isn't involved."
Daiki answers, "What can I say, war is hell sometimes."
"I know but that is why I am more excited about the space travel part of these machines."
"I am too, but we are a company with military contracts, and you are the best test pilot around."
"I appreciate the compliment. So what do we need to do today?"
Flipping some switches while answering, Daiki says, "We've got a simulated ten on one fight. Think you can handle it?"
"This thing is all about fire power, yes?" After Daiki answers that it is, Reina laughs lightly, "Should be a cinch then."
"Don't get to over confident now," Daiki advises her with a smile.
"Well, I might as well push it to its limits since it is a simulation after all. No harm no foul." She heads into battle as fast as the bulky floating mech can handle. "For a dragon, this doesn't exactly command the skies…" Bullets rip through the air as she is suddenly fired upon by a group of 6 black machines that all take off and head in her direction, skating along the ground with their jets. In response, she levels her launcher at them and fires of a single round at the closest target. A concussive force shoved her around when she fires the launcher. The red mech flies around uncontrollably for a bit.
"Whoa! What the heck?" she asks as the kickback genuinely takes her by surprise, forcing her thought the air like a ragdoll.
Daiki chuckles a bit. "It's the gun, it's a top of the line when delivering maximum payload. So there's going to be some kick back. Just be glad you didn't fire off both at once. You'll have to get used to it."
All but one of the targets survived and somehow the other five found the original group and decided to join up, making it a nine on one fight. She is soon encircled by enemies, getting shot at. With the boosters all that's tactically viable is to shut her boosters off. As she plummets, she twists the bulk of her body to face the ring of enemies. Several volleys from her back mounted missile pods miss their mark, exploding far behind the ring of mechs, illuminating the virtual sky behind them.
"The aiming software is odd. It drags to the left for four seconds and then switches to dragging up," she says to the technicians.
Making a quick note, one of the technicians quietly comments, "One of the many problems found today."
A thunderously loud bang sounds out as she hits the ground, on her feet. With enemies on her tale she boosts over to and around a fake building. After placing her back against a wall, she opens up her shoulder mounted missile boxes. With an incredible amount of force she fires of her boosters for up and down movement, rising up against the side of the building. The swarms of enemies surround her last known position.
They quickly work out that up is the only direction she could go and follow their thoughts up with actions admitting the same. A small swarm of missiles hit several targets, not destroying them but seriously wounding them.
After a small grunt in frustration, she lifts up and fires the other launcher resulting in the same wobbly flight as before. "I won't lose to a bunch of simulated junk heaps!" Red Dragon Reina opens the missile racks along her back and shoulders. "I'm going to give it everything I've got!"
Aiming down upon her enemies she fires off a swarm of missiles and a round from both launchers. Suddenly, the monitors in the testing room all turn white. Soon the light dies down and the virtual landscape is a smoldering crater. Dust kicks up from the force of her thrusters as she lands. The salvos close up and the launchers lower once her feet touch ground.
"Great job, Reina-sama," commends Daiki.
Reina admits, "I'd have a hard time coming to terms with having to do that in real life. I know it."
"That's a good thing. You don't want to enjoy senseless slaughter. Ready to come back?"
"The firepower of this thing…" muttering to herself, Reina is in awe. "It's amazing! It actually scares me a bit."
"Reina-sama?"
"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm ready to go back." The simulation blinks out of existence and Reina finds herself waking up back in her own body. Gently, she reaches up and removes the wires attached to her head. Daiki is there to watch, leaning against the metal doorframe. "So did you get any data worth it?"
"Quite a lot actually. The firepower of the Red Dragon is immense," Daiki admits. "I will bring up just how irresponsible it would be to start mass producing them. And I will suggest we keep the one we have locked away."
"Thanks. Maybe more than one voice expressing their concerns will be better than one." Reina smiles.
"Though I'm sure they value your voice over mine."
"That's only because of my father. Either way, it's nice to have some back-up."
Daiki stands up straight. He walks over to Reina and ruffles her short white hair. "You're a good kid."
"Kid?!" Reina seems to have taken a small bit of offense. "You're only ten years older than me."
Smiling, Daiki replies, "Yep. A kid."
Scoffing at him, Reina says, "That's unfair, I mean, look at me I could easily pass for older than 'kid.'"
"Fine then, I'll concede with 'teen.'"
They both share a laugh before Reina gets called away because she has received a package.
Reina hurries down the hall because she is sure she knows what it is. They sent it so she could put it on without having to worry about time constraints, even though she was planning on getting a room there to cut down on having to make such a long trip every day. She spots her father with a carrier bag.
"Is that it?" Reina asks eagerly.
"Yes it is," William tells her as he hands the bag, "direct from Mahora Academy… your very own uniform."
"I want to try it on," says the new Mahora student resolutely. She looks around and finds a unisex restroom. With a mighty swing open she asks loudly, "Anyone in here?" With no answer coming forth she assumes correctly that it is safe to go in.
Watching his daughter enter, William reaches into his right front pocket. He has something else for her trip to Mahora, something that she will hopefully never need to use the greatest function of. With a quiet plastic click, the cellphone he is holding opens. It looks like a standard ordinary cellphone of the day. It was a nice red color with a silver trim, a camera, and an outer screen that displayed the time. He looks it over for some time and gets wrapped up in some game that came with it. Anyway, what it can do, that no other mobile can is…
Reina pokes her head out of the restroom.
"Everything okay?" William asks as he looks up from the game.
Reina looks embarrassed. "Not really…"
"What's the matter?"
"Well, the uniform…" replies the girl peaking her head out of the door, "it… has a skirt."
"Is that it?"
"It's just that it's a bit… drafty."
William gets a supportive smile on his face. "Come on. It can't be all bad.
Reina laughs a sarcastic laugh as she steps out into the hallway. The red on her face told the story. "I don't see how this could get much worse."
"It's all part of the bigger plan," William says, "and if it's any consolidation, I think you look okay."
"I'm going to change back. I hope this will all be worth it."
"Why don't you try it wearing it around a bit first? They sent a rack of them so there isn't any worry about dirtying the ones you have on now. Also…" her father hands the phone over to her. "I want to present you with this."
"A mobile!" she squeals. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I know I never needed on here since there are phones everywhere, but this one is mine! And I love the color."
Before it can get any further, William interjects. "Now slow down a bit. We've modified this one."
"How so?"
"See that button next to the camera lens?"
"Yeah."
"When you press it, it activates a signal that will send you a mech you choose from an in phone menu."
Not believing her ears Reina asks, "Really?"
William nods. "Yes. It'll send out a signal that our satellites will locate and then a simple program will launch it and send it to your location, even if you are on the move. It's my hope that you'll never have to use it."
"Father… Thanks." Reina gives her father a big hug.
"You're welcome. And by the way, have you gotten used to wearing that skirt?"
Reina realizes something. "I forgot I had it on."
"All part of my plan. You were distracted by the phone and forgot about the skirt," he smiles as he tells her. "Just focus on other things and you'll never notice."
Negi comes wobbling into the shared room. The room is dark and empty when he arrives. Earlier, Chamo said he was going to go do "field research" which the ten year old boy was sure meant he was out stealing panties. And who knows where Asuna and Konoka went. Sluggishly, he sits down near the table. The ripped up envelope on it catches his eye. He picks it up and removes the letter, learning everything that Asuna and Konoka did before him as he reads the letter.
The first thing to cross his mind is what she said to him before they went into battle. He turns red again. "So she's going to be one of my students now. I wonder what is bringing her out here?" Negi smiles as he says, "another student to look out for and make sure I guide correctly. Just like the rest, I cannot fail her."
Negima: Femella Intra Machina Chapter 02: End
End of the Chapter Stuff: I know what you are thinking, and yes I just wrote a 10000 word transition. (Though the actual content is less than that. Stupid notes.) I wouldn't call this filler, just a transition. A segue into a better next chapter. So all in all, I just wrote a 20000 word intro before the story picks up at a point someone might actually recognize. I hope you are still with me after this chapter. (A low point this early in the game… I seem to do that a lot.)
I spent a lot of time this chapter listening to various SNES game soundtracks while writing this. Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars are two of my favorites.
I hope to have the next chapter out quicker than it took to get this one out. I only see one problem with that… This one was about 1/3 complete when the first chapter came out. Such bulky chapters, what a pressure I have placed, on one who's lazy. (Yay, haiku.)
Thanks for Reading! (Especially after this chapter.)