-----Author's note: I do not own Negima, but any other characters and ideas are my own. Enjoy...-----

Establishing com link... ... ... ... ...

Com link established

Mission Briefing...

- - -Objective 01 - Create a depressing Negima story in under 1,000 words.

- - -Objective 02 - Craft the story in the genres of mystery and drama, optional romance.

- - -Objective 03 - Utilize ground support from Miyazaki Nodoka and Ayase Yue.

- - -Objective 04 - No flashback scenes permitted.

- - -Objective 05 - Unable to make even one joke.

Information acquired; Commence mission. - - -Contact Terminated- - -

It smelled like rain. That was the most pleasant thought in his mind, then. As much as he wanted to focus on that singular detail, that little fleck of normalcy in the weather, his weary mind would not have it. Hardly anything seemed normal anymore. He both loved and hated the sky above him for trying to give him that bit of normalcy; It was almost like an insult to her memory. Nothing should feel normal, without her.

"Negi-sensei..." Nodoka whispered. She reached out to touch her teacher's arm.

At the sound of footsteps coming from behind him, Negi turned to find Yue Ayase approaching, her face set in stone, though that wasn't unusual. "Yue-san, what are you doing here?" The boy asked. No sooner than had the words left his mouth did he realize what a stupid question that was, but the girl didn't seem to take offense.

Nodoka gave a forced smile and bow of welcome to her friend, which went unreturned.

"She was my friend, too, Negi-sensei," Yue replied.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it...quite like that. I just thought we'd have some time alone," The boy cast a glance down at the tombstone before him, and all of the flowers that covered it, "It's been rather crowded. It's always been rather crowded."

Now beside Negi, the diminutive girl replied, "I know. I've been wanting some time alone here, myself."

"It's not going to help anyone to be sad by yourself..." Nodoka stated from Negi's left.

Yue, on his right, finished, "I suppose we'll just have to be sad together."

The mourners fell silent, the solemnity of the graveyard enveloping them. She had died over a month ago, but they all remembered it as though it were happening, right then. Negi couldn't even close his eyes without seeing it happen again and again in his mind. He couldn't touch anyone for fear of reliving the last time he touched her. In every smile he saw her face, in every eye he saw her looking at him, in every voice he heard her laugh. He often wondered if she was haunting him, or if he was going crazy.

"It's my fault," He whispered. Part of him hoped even Yue didn't hear, the other part of him wanted to scream it so everyone could hear.

"That's not true!" Nodoka exclaimed, "What happened was not-"

"It is your fault," Yue interrupted.

"Y-Yue!" The sheepish librarian couldn't help but gasp at such terrible words.

"She's gone because you introduced her to a dangerous world. She's gone because you let her stand beside you in this dangerous world. She's gone because you let her fight your enemies in this dangerous world." Several seconds went by before Yue added, "She's gone because she loved you."

Nodoka turned red at this statement. She wanted to look away more than anything, but she was also curious to see her true love's reaction to this declaration, so kept staring.

"Thank you, Yue-san," Negi used his sleeve to brush the forming tears out of his eyes, "Thank you for agreeing with me. I'm so tired of hearing how it wasn't my fault...when I know it was."

"There's some truth to what the others have been saying, too. Negi-sensei, it's your fault that she's dead, but she made her own decisions, so it's her fault, too. It goes both ways, so try and understand how she must have felt. If you died, it would have been her fault."

"I don't want to put a pressure like that on my students...on my friends." Negi wished he had realized earlier just how big of a deal a partner really was, probationary or not. It wasn't a game at all.

"If...If you died, then that would be my fault," Yue stated, no longer looking at the grave but at the boy beside her.

Negi returned the look, "Please don't say that. I don't want to think that you might end up the same way as...as...please don't say that. I can't do this again."

"Neither can I. I'm never going to bury someone I love ever again," Yue lowered her eyes back to the grave, resolve building in her voice, "I'm going to protect you with my life so that I don't have to."

Nodoka suddenly felt very apart from the conversation. She almost wished she wasn't there at all. There were no words for this situation. Not for her, anyway.

"I think...I understand Setsuna-san better, now." Negi broke the short silence. The girls on either side of him nodded their own understanding.

The scent of rain in the air finally evolved into a light drizzle, though it took them a while to notice. Negi turned, sullen at the untimely descent of the rain but ready to leave nonetheless, "I'm never going to bury someone I love again, either," He set a hand on Yue's shoulder, giving her the strongest smile he could muster, "We'll protect each other."

She returned the smile with her own, letting Negi leave the grave without her so she could say a private goodbye. She brought a hand up to her thumping heart, whispering, "I really am a bad friend, aren't I?"

"Of course not..." The quietest librarian replied.

"Goodbye, Nodoka," Yue said as firmly, but gently, as she could. She turned and followed her teacher.

Nodoka, alone, watched as Yue and Negi strode through the gravestones together, slowly growing smaller. The rain picked up as she knelt down beside the grave, covering her face with her hands as she began to weep for her loss. The flowers shifted in the wind to uncover the name of the buried; Nodoka Miyazaki.

Mission Analysis...

- - -Objective 01 - Completed

- - -Objective 02 - Completed

- - -Objective 03 - Completed

- - -Objective 04 - Completed

- - -Objective 05 - Completed

Mission status - Completed; Darkside awaiting further orders...