Negima Nex: The Negative Plane
Chapter 2: The Not So Friendly Visit
Back at the academy, Negi and the others stopped for a break under a tree nearby. Anya sighed with relief, slowly slinking down after leaning against the tree. Negi sipped from a water bottle before giving it to Asuna.
"Oh. Thanks." Asuna said. As she took a sip, Negi heard someone calling his voice. He looked down and saw Kotaro Inugami, waving at him with Gregor at his side.
"Yo! Negi! What's up?" Kotaro waved.
"Hey. It's Kotaro and Gregor." Fuka pointed out. Fumika chuckled and waved back.
"So...what have you been doing?" Gregor asked, looking on at everyone. Konoka giggled, mentioning their time walking. Gregor merely huffed and slightly turned, pointing behind him.
"Well, anyway, you'd better go and see the dean Negi. It seems like you've got bad news waiting for you." Gregor said. Negi lightly gasped, as did Asuna, before the two looked at each other.
"What do you think Negi? Anything big?" Asuna asked. Negi nodded.
"It might be. Let's be prepared for whatever the dean has to say." Negi said. Asuna and Negi stood up, thanking the Walking Club for letting them jog today and hurried back for the school. Gregor and Kotaro watched.
"Bad news? This can't be good." Setsuna thought, sitting next to Konoka.
Later, at the Dean's Office...
In the dean's office, Dean Konoe sat at his desk as Professor Takahata, Doctor Nim, Nagi, Evangeline, Nekane and Shizune stood alongside one another. The dean was quietly thinking before hearing a knock at the door.
"Excuse us, dean? You in?" Asuna asked.
"Yes Asuna. Come in." Konoe said. The door slowly opened as Negi and Asuna stepped inside. Negi was quick to notice everyone else in the room with him.
"Look. Professor Takahata, Evangeline and Shizune are here too." Negi muttered.
"Yeah. Not to mention Nim and Nekane. What's going on?" Asuna muttered. Negi and Asuna strolled up to the dean's desk.
"Negi, thank you for coming. I have something important to tell you." Konoe said. Negi nodded, saying he'd listen to anything the dean had to say. Konoe opened a drawer on his desk and fished out a newspaper page. He set it down on the table.
"Have you by any chance seen the headline of the Magic Academy's newspaper?" Konoe asked. Negi and Asuna glanced at the front page, gasping at the picture.
"Wh...What the...?" Asuna asked.
"No. It's...not possible." Negi muttered. In bold letters, the headline over the picture read "Negi Springfield Assaults Magic Academy". The picture was the same one Leonard was holding, the picture of Negi's dark silhouette.
"B...But dean! This can't be! I haven't left the school at all in the past couple of months! I would NEVER...!" Negi startled. But the dean raised his hand.
"Calm down Negi. No one here believes that article. We didn't call you here just so we could arrest you." Takahata explained. Nekane approached Negi.
"But Negi...what could this mean? According to the reports the dean received, you and Asuna were both seen attacking the Magic Academy. You slashed down many of the new students." Nekane asked.
"And on top of that, it would appear that "you" also made off with the Star Crystal. I would've congratulated you...but I know that it's not in your "goody good" nature to try something like that." Evangeline said. Negi and Asuna gasped.
"What? The Star Crystal was stolen? AGAIN?" Asuna cried.
"Take it easy Asuna. The Star Crystal might've been stolen, but there's no definite proof of any negative activity happening yet. So it's safe to say that whoever this imposter is has not yet figured out how to use the Star Crystal." Takahata said. Nim looked on.
"Still...who would want to pose as these two and cause so much havoc?" Nim asked. The others shrugged.
"Negi...I'm afraid that, until we get things figured out, you're being labeled as a wanted man now." Nagi said. Negi gasped. His eyes began filling with tears as Asuna watched.
"B...But I'm...I'm not a criminal. I'm not." Negi sniffled.
"Aw man. Poor Negi." Asuna thought.
"For now Negi, it may be in your best interests to stay here at Mahora until we can get things figured out. It would be dangerous to leave the school grounds with everyone after you." the dean explained. Negi and Asuna nodded.
"Don't worry dean. I'll stay with Negi, Konoka and Anya too, and make sure no one tries to harm Negi." Asuna said, patting the boy's shoulder. Negi lightly smiled as he looked up at Asuna.
"Thank you Asuna." Negi thought. But just then, there was a knock at the door. Everyone looked on curiously.
"Hmm? Who is it?" the dean asked.
"Pardon us. But we came to this academy to look for someone. Have you seen Negi Springfield?" a voice asked. Negi gasped, as did Takahata and Shizune.
"Wow. That didn't take very long for someone to track him down." Nim said. Negi lightly stepped back as the dean said he did not meet anyone by that name today. But suddenly, the door was blasted off its hinges by a magical blast. Everyone gasped.
"That's not what some of the OTHER teachers told us Konoe. We know you're lying." a voice said amidst the smoke. As it cleared, Negi and Asuna got a good look at who was at the door. It was Leonard and his group.
"Wh...What? Leonard?" Negi asked. Leonard glared on at Negi.
"Well, well...Negi Springfield. We meet again." he said. Asuna glanced at Negi.
"Hey Negi. You know these guys or what?" Asuna asked. Negi nodded.
"Yes. They were all classmates of mine when Anya and I were at the magical academy. They were some of the finest wizards of our class." Negi said. Asuna gasped. The red haired girl grinned.
"You sure didn't forget us Negi. That makes me happy to know. And as for your friend, my name's Flaira. This is Leonard, Sura and...the guy who just blasted the door down like a brainless monkey, Volt." the red haired girl said. Volt, the spiky haired boy, groaned.
"Hey! He was lying to keep Negi safe! If we were gonna get our answers, we can't just let him hide!" Volt shouted. Leonard and Sura groaned.
"So what brings you all here?" Takahata asked. Leonard adjusted his glasses.
"We came for answers. Negi Springfield, we've heard what you did to our academy. And we're here to bring you in." Leonard said. Negi gasped, but Asuna stepped in front of him.
"Hey. Wait. That wasn't the plan. Weren't we supposed to ask Negi if he did it or not?" Flaira asked. Leonard glanced at her.
"That was the plan at first. But on the way, I thought back to what people were saying about seeing Negi. It made it more clear to me that we had a traitorous magician on our hands. And it is Negi." Leonard said. Asuna growled.
"Oh. Sure. Nice to know his fellow classmates BELIEVE he's innocent!" Asuna shouted.
"Please. Listen to us. Negi is not the criminal that attacked the academy. Negi has never left this academy for a long time now. He couldn't have possibly..." Nekane said. Leonard merely huffed and started to approach Negi and Asuna.
"If that's the case, then why is there a silhouette who looks identical in every way to Negi in the news? Most likely a double he sent to steal the Star Crystal and amp up his own powers." Leonard said "I remember Negi not always doing his greatest at the academy. So he must've stolen the crystal to make himself a better wizard." Asuna groaned.
"Look pal. I don't care what you THINK Negi did, but I'm telling ya...he DIDN'T do it!" Asuna shouted. The others looked on as Leonard was now toe to toe with Asuna.
"Oh really? There's something you should know about me miss. Back at the Magic Academy, I was one of its top graduates. I never couldn't solve any problem, I always got my facts straight...so in other words, I'm never wrong." Leonard said. Asuna huffed.
"Takes more than brains to know when a person is guilty or not. Sometimes you just gotta get to know the person better, like being roommates for as long as you've known each other, to really see someone's true colors!" Asuna shouted. Leonard huffed.
"Look. Just hand over Negi Springfield and we'll leave." Leonard said.
"Wait. Leonard. On the plane ride, you seemed like you were on our side when we talked about whether Negi was innocent or not. I mean...I agree with the girl. We've known Negi our whole school year. And...I believe that Negi could never commit such an act." Sura said. Leonard glanced back at her.
"Sura...the words of the victims and the evidence itself is proof enough for me. I never did like Negi Springfield as much as you all did. Sure, he's a great wizard. But to be the son of the Thousand Master, now THAT I find hardly appropriate for someone like him." Leonard said. Suddenly, behind Asuna's back, Negi conjured up a spell and it caused a large vortex of wind to swirl around himself and Asuna, blowing Leonard back.
"Negi! What are you...?" Nagi gasped. Negi's staff suddenly appeared and he jumped on, pulling Asuna onboard with him.
"Wait! Negi!" Asuna yelled. With both on board, Negi flew straight down the hall and rocketed towards the school grounds.
"Hey! Where's he...?" Volt asked. Leonard glanced back.
"What other proof do we need that he's guilty? The little kid's trying to escape! After him!" Leonard shouted. Sura, Volt and Flaira suddenly began glowing and flew down after Negi. Leonard suddenly turned towards the windows behind the dean.
"Pardon me sir. But you may want to move." Leonard said. He began muttering a spell and pulled his arms back. Konoe quickly hurried out of the way as Leonard casted a giant surge of wind from his palm, shattering the window into shards. He then leapt off the desk and out the window, dashing straight down the grounds behind.
"Hey! That's school property buster! You'd better get back here and pay for that!" Nim exclaimed. Takahata rushed to the window and watched Leonard beginning to fly down the grounds, attempting to cut Negi off.
"Dean! I'm gonna try and help Negi. Everyone else make sure that none of the students get caught in the crossfire!" Takahata called. Everyone nodded and left Takahata to jump out the window and after Leonard. Negi suddenly came emerging from a doorway towards the west side of the school.
"Negi! Why are we running? This is making you seem more suspicious!" Asuna cried.
"I'm sorry Asuna! But I don't think they were liable to hear our side of things. Leonard was never one to argue." Negi said. Suddenly, another wind blast from behind threw Negi and Asuna to the ground. They groaned and turned around, quickly seeing Leonard and his group surrounding them.
"So...you ARE guilty Negi Springfield. Only a criminal would try and flee from questioning. And now...allow me to personally deal you the justice you deserve!" Leonard shouted. Negi and Asuna quickly stood back up, preparing for a fight against Negi's former classmates.
TO BE CONTINUED...