Blah blah blah disclaimers Blah blah blah I do not own characters blah blah they are blah blah blah owned by their blah blah creators blah

Chapter 2

Chapter 2.1: Chisame and Chao

"Chisame..." Chao called from the bed in the most suggestive voice that she could muster. "Aren't you going to come to bed...?"

"I'll be there in a minute, okay!" Her voice was muffled as it came through the door, but the irritation was still plain. "Do I really have to wear this?"

"Of course." Chao rolled onto her side, putting her palm to her cheek and leaning on her elbow. She slowly began to rub her legs together. Hopefully Chisame would find the pose as alluring as Chao believed it was. Of course she will... I've always known the best way to do things... She licked her lips in expectation. "Hurry up, Chisame! I'm starting to get cold."

"Okay, fine!" Chisame kicked the door open and stomped into the room, clad in lingerie that somehow managed to cover absolutely nothing, despite being made out of frills, lace, and several dozen clasps and hooks. "Dammit Chao, I don't know why you insist on making me wear this ridiculous...uh..out..fit..." She trailed off as she saw Chao giving her a look dripping with so much lasciviousness that it was hard for her to think of anything else.

That's it...come closer... She had spent hours trying to perfect that expression. Figuring out that perfect blend of emotions had been a tremendous pain. Finding the right amount of prurient, carnal, sensuality and balancing it with subtle eroticism and pure affection. Chisame took another step towards the bed. Chao could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Just a little closer...just a little, and I'll finally be able to touch you...

This was not Chao's area of expertise. Desire wasn't a science, it was aesthetics. Normally, Chao wouldn't touch aesthetics with a 3.2004 meter pole. But something was driving her. Chisame had first come to her attention during the tournament. The hacker had been mucking around with her information dispersal system during the tournament, so Chao had begun surveillance on the girl. And at some point during her review of all of the footage, she had noticed an odd sensation in the back of her mind. That sensation nearly drove her insane.

I must be crazy...She had never though that she would find herself splayed out on a bed, wearing lingerie so sparse that she would have felt less exposed wearing nothing at all. It made no sense. Why were the ever present pink blushes on her cheeks spreading across her face as Chisame began to crawl onto the bed? Why had she sacrificed hours and hours for this girl?

"Okay, Chao. I'm here." Chao found herself staring into Chisame's eyes. "What...what would you like to do?"

For the first time in her life, Chao found herself at a loss for words. Why did I do this? Why did I spend so much time getting to know this girl? She's an enemy! She started to shiver as Chisame pressed a hand to her shoulder. Why am I losing it! There's no logical reason for me to be here! Why did I do all of this!

"Chao?"

Why...why do I love her?

"Chisame..." Chao could feel the tears welling up. No...I can't cry...I'm a scientist. I sold my soul to science! How could I let myself do this? "I..." The words were sticking in her throat. How can one phrase be so difficult...But I...I have to say it... "I..."

"You what?" Chisame's stare bored into Chao's eyes. "Just say it."

"I...I love you..."

"W...what?"

The world ground to a halt. What the hell did I just do! Chao's mind imploded on itself. Love...science...Chisame...all this time...wasted...but I love her...emotions...stupid...how could I? Why did I...love...now what? I don't know...I don't know what to do! She clamped her eyes shut to keep the tears from leaking out.

She inhaled sharply as she felt a warm touch on her cheek. She opened her eyes to see Chisame holding a trembling hand to her face.

"Chao..."

The Chinese girl could feel a lump growing in her throat. I...I ruined everything... She started to turn away. Chisame put her other hand against Chao's face, gently turning her head so that they were face to face. Her lips curved into a smile.

"I already knew that..."

Chisame softly pulled Chao's face closer. Their lips met, and they were lost in a brilliant glow.

Chapter 2.2: Chisame and Fumika

"Are we almost there?" Chisame stopped to take a deep breath. Her diminutive companion took hold of her arm and started tugging.

"Come on, Chisame!" Fumika started to tow Chisame further along the path towards the World Tree. "I really want to show you! It'll be dark soon!"

"Okay, okay..." Chisame staggered onward, wondering how the girl she was following managed to store so much energy in her little body.

"We have to climb a little bit here..." Fumika started scampering up a section of the gnarled trunk. "Sorry about that. It isn't far, though."

"What? I don't want to climb!" Chisame stamped her foot. "You said you wanted to go on a walk, not tree climbing!"

"Pleeeaaasseeee?" The small girl looked down from the branch she was standing on. Her eyes seemed to have doubled in size, and her lip was quivering. "I just really wanted you to see this...I thought you would like it..."

"Alright, alright!" She started to crawl up the side of the tree. "Just stop doing that puppy dog eyes thing!"

"Come on, you'll miss it!" Fumika wrung her hand anxiously as she hopped from foot to foot.

"Ugggghhhh..." Chisame dragged herself onto the branch and slumped against the tree trunk. Fumika seized her hand and began trying to yank her into a standing position.

"Look!" Fumika pointed excitedly.

Chisame groaned as she forced herself upright. "This had better be spectacular after all the..." She stopped at the sight of the sunset pouring its golden light across Mahora's campus. "Wow..." The entire landscape burned with a bright glow.

"I knew you'd like it!" Fumika clapped her hands together. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Chisame leaned against the trunk. "I guess I should thank you for hauling me up here..."

"You're welcome." Fumika looked down and started nervously twiddling her fingers. "You know...there are a lot of legends about this tree..."

"I bet there are."

"Well...one of them is that if you confess your love for someone under this tree, they'll fall in love with you."

"Really." Chisame continued to survey the campus. "That's nice."

"Yeah..." Fumika stared at her shoes. "Um...Chisame?"

"Huh?" She turned to face the young looking girl.

"I'm really happy that you like the view..." She shuffled her feet. "..but that's not the only reason I wanted you to come up here."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the truth is..." Fumika swallowed and clenched her fists. "I like you!"

"Huh?" Chisame stared blankly.

"I mean, I really like you!" Fumika began twiddling her fingers again. "I know that it's kinda weird, because I just look like a little kid, but-"

"AHA!" Fumika was interrupted by her sister's rapid descent out of the branches above. As she dropped, her foot caught on a tree limb, spinning her around in the air. She landed with a splat on the wide branch where Fumika and Chisame were standing. She lay still for a few seconds.

"Are you alright!" Chisame started to take a step toward the prone girl, but she jumped to her feet and thrust her hand into the air.

"Fine! Never better!" She winced and put a hand to her side. "Owww..." She straightened up and pointed a finger at her sister. "I knew that you were going to confess to her!"

"You ruined the moment!" Fumika started spinning her arms at her sister. "It was supposed to be all romantic, and you screwed it up!"

"You're the one who was sneaking around my back to confess to her!" Fuuka retorted. "When was I supposed to get my chance!"

"Shut up!" Fumika charged forward and in a matter of seconds, the twins were engaged in a full-on catfight. "I confessed to her first!"

"So what? I like Chisame too! You can't have her all to yourself!"

"Nyaaaahhhhh!"

Chisame watched dumbfounded as the twins flailed their arms at each other. If they kept this up, one of them might fall off of the branch. At this height, there was a real chance of serious injury.

"Girls..." She started waving her arms at them. "Stop it! Come on, you don't want to get hurt!"

The twins stopped smacking at each other and turned to look at her.

"But we both want to be with you..." Fumika kicked at a knot on the branch.

"Yeah! I like you too!" Fuuka pointed at Chisame. "Why don't you pick one of us then?"

"Yeah, which one of us do you like more!" Both of the twins stared intently at her. She could see the nervousness in their faces.

"I...uh..." They slowly pressed in closer. "I don't know! I can't choose."

"Oh." Fuuka scratched her head for a second. "Oh well! I guess that means we'll have to share, then!"

"Alright!" Fumika rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Chisame's waist. Fuuka immediately followed, embracing the girl from the other side. They spoke together.

"We love you, Chisame!" They began to nuzzle their faces against her stomach.

"Uh, girls..." Chisame tried to move, but could not dislodge them. "Uh, it's going to get dark soon...we should probably head down..."

"Oh, it'll be fine." Fuuka held on tight.

"I don't know, maybe she's right." Fumika's grip relaxed a little. "It might be dangerous climbing down in the dark."

"That's right." Chisame made another attempt to pry them off. "I really should get down. We could...uh...go back to my room for some snacks..."

"Awesome!" Fuuka took a step back. "Let's go to Chisame's room!"

"Yay!" Fumika threw her hands in the air, and both girls clamored down the trunk. Chisame put a hand to her forehead as she watched the girls bouncing along the path toward the dorms. She muttered into the air.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

Chapter 2.3: Chisame and Zazie

What the hell? Seriously, what the hell is going on here? Chisame had been sleeping perfectly soundly when the shuttering of her bed shook her into a state of wakefulness. She had nearly screamed at the sight of a dark form crawling onto her bed. As she scrambled for her pactio card with one hand, she used to the other to flip the light on. As the room was illuminated, Chisame found herself staring at Zazie Rainyday.

"Z...Zazie! What are you doing here?"

The mysterious girl pointed at the bed.

"sleep" She started rubbing her hands together

"You came in here to sleep?" Chisame looked at her through half-closed eyes. "Why don't you sleep in your own room?"

"...dreams" The dark-skinned girl looked down at her hands.

"What?" Chisame blinked. What the hell is that supposed to mean? She squinted as she looked at the clock. 2:34 a.m. "Okay, you know what? Fine. You can sleep in Hakase's bed." She pointed to the bunk on the other side of the room. "She's never here anyway. Just try not to wake me up."

Zazie's stoic expression seemed to droop slightly, but she nodded and slowly made her way across the room to the other bed. She wrapped herself in Hakase's old neglected sheets, and curled up in the blankets.

Chisame flipped the light off and rolled over in her bed. Of all people to randomly show up. We've never even spoken before! This is just ridiculous... Under normal circumstances she would have kicked the girl out of her room, but right now she was too tired to care. She closed her eyes and the world faded around her.

Chisame squinted her eyes as she tried to read the clock. 3:09 a.m. Good, I don't have to get up yet...As she adjusted her position, she could make out a faint sound in the quiet. What is that..? Her fatigued brain spun for a few seconds before recalling that Zazie was still presumably still in the other bed. I should have known this would be a problem...

She fumbled around on her nightstand for her glasses, and slowly pried herself out of the covers. With a shiver, she slowly began to cross the room, feeling around with her toes to avoid all the random machine parts that Hakase always left everywhere. As she neared the bed, she began to make out Zazie's form in the darkness.

Zazie had scrunched herself into a tight ball, hugging her pillow to her chest, burying her face in it. Even through the thick down of the pillow, Chisame could make out a muffled whimper. As she stepped closer, Zazie's body trembled, and she let out a soft cry into the sheets.

So that's what she meant by "dreams"... Chisame lowered herself slowly onto the edge of the bed, and cautiously reached out toward the sleeping girl. As her hand touched Zazie's, the trembling stopped. Chisame took a deep breath, reached out her other hand, and began gently massaging the sleeper's back. Zazie slowly began to uncurl. As she stretched, she put one of her hands directly into the mess of computer parts on Hakase's nightstand.

There was a clatter as the debris fell to the floor. Zazie suddenly snatched the blanket and huddled herself in the corner of the bed, looking warily around the room. She relaxed once again as she saw Chisame sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Nightmares? Is that why you came down here?"

Zazie nodded silently.

"And you thought that if I was with you, you'd be able to sleep better?"

She nodded again. Chisame couldn't quite make it out in the darkness, but she was pretty sure that Zazie was blushing. What am I supposed to do now? She looked at the enigmatic girl sitting at the far end of the bed, hugging her blankets like a frightened child.

"Alright, I'll let you get in bed with me, if it'll help you stop rolling around so much."

She stood up and strode back to her own bed. As she turned back, she could see Zazie following slowly behind her with shaky legs. Chisame tossed her glasses back on the end table as Zazie began to slide herself under the sheets.

"Hurry up, I want to get some sleep tonight." Zazie eased herself next to Chisame, nestling her head against Chisame's chest, wrapping an arm around her. Chisame opened her mouth to protest, but stopped. She pressed a hand to Zazie's back. It was nearly damp with a cold sweat. I can't believe that of all people, this girl would have trouble with nightmares... She sighed and closed her eyes.

"chisame?" Zazie's voice floated out of the darkness.

"Yeah? What is it?"

"thank you"

Chisame wrapped her arm a bit further around her bedmate. It was the least she could do. She began to drift off, lulled to sleep by Zazie's warmth.

Chapter 2.4: Chisame and Chao 2

Chisame and Chao both stared at the the source of the flash, trying to look around the floating black spots that now dominated their vision.

As their eyes finally recovered from the light, Chisame and Chao found themselves staring at another Chao. From one hand hung a Cassiopeia on a length of cord. This Chao was wearing the same the undergarment as the first Chao, but it was much more disheveled; only about a third of it was still covering the places that it was supposed to. The rest of it hung loosely, barely attached by its numerous clasps and hooks.

"What the hell is going on!" Chisame pointed at the new arrival. "Who are you!"

"Oh, me?" The second Chao scratched her head and giggled. Her hair buns were completely loosed, releasing a cascade of dark hair that flowed down her neck, almost reaching her chest, which was heaving gently with every breath. Her body glistened with sweat. "I'm from the future. Not the far future. Just an hour or so."

"W..what?" Chisame stared dubiously.

"Well, I enjoyed the...uh... experience so much that I thought I'd do it again." She turned and smiled at the present Chao. "Yeah I know, you still don't understand how or why you feel like this. And as much as I hate to admit it, I still don't get it. But..." She took a deep breath. "..I don't care. If you really want to enjoy this, to enjoy her..." She pointed at Chisame. "...don't bother asking why you love her. Just love her."

Future Chao turned to Chisame. "I had a hard time with it before, but I just want to say it clearly, and without hesitation: I love you. I don't know why I love you, but I do." She stretched and began to climb onto the bed. She turned to the present Chao. "You're ready, aren't you?"

"Y..yes.." She nodded nervously.

"What about you?"

Chisame nodded, blushing so red that she was practically glowing. She reached out nervously and wrapped her arms around the present Chao, trailing her fingertips across the girl's back. Her voice wavered a little as she spoke.

"Well, I kissed you...are you going to kiss me or not?"

The present Chao put a hand to Chisame's face. Maybe I can't answer every question... She thrust herself forward, wrapping her arms around the hacker girl. Their lips met. But this is a question that I can.

.

Whoo yeah, part 2 is done.

2.1: I'm not sure exactly why I settled on Chao for this section, but in any case it was fun to get inside her head as she tried to reconcile her "purely rational scientist" side with her emotions. It was also interesting to tell the story from the other character's point of view rather than Chisame's.

2.2: The reason that I used Fumika for this section is because I used a random number generator to select which character to use. I wasn't sure about whether I wanted to incorporate both of the twins into the story; they're always together in the manga, but I felt like I wanted to make them more individualized. In the end, I just split the difference; Fumika gets a few moments on her own, and gets gatecrashed by her sister. I think it fits the characterization fairly well. The basic idea is obviously inspired by chapter 13 of the manga, only with one girl for most of the time, and Chisame instead of Negi.

2.3: Okay, for some reason any time the subject of a Chisame/Zazie pairing comes up, I have always imagined it starting with Zazie inexplicably trying to sneak into Chisame's bed. I have no idea why I always thought of it that way, but it made writing this section a bit easier. I also liked the irony of the idea that the most explicitly enigmatic girl in 3-A would have such a childlike and mundane problem to deal with. I have no idea why she settled on Chisame, but that isn't important.

2.4: This is a direct continuation of 2.1. I split them like this because the first half of the story was so emotionally driven that immediately switching from that to "Chao's future self appears, ready to get some action" would cause a bit too much emotional whiplash. At the same time, I liked the idea too much to throw it away, so I just split the story at an appropriate juncture and used it as bookends to this chapter.

Reviews are welcome; I always need feedback and suggestions for improvement. Also, I'm open to suggestions of who to include in the next chapter, so if you have any requests, feel free to put that in the review as well.

I don't know when the next chapter will be out; I'm focusing on another story after this and I'm getting a decent load of coursework this week, but hopefully it won't be too long.