Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).
Chapter One: Eye of the Tiger
"This is a nice place, Emi-kun," Kinue remarked with her usual cheerfulness. They were located in a large manor near one of the edges of the flying city.
"It was inherited," Eminus replied. "The Obsidian Star was insinuated into the kingdom of Kanev long before we were born…it is foolish to think that the nations of this world, even with the aid of the Red Wings, uncovered all of our secrets. At the very least, minor secrets like this slipped beneath their notice."
"Well, it's fortunate for us, really," Winfield agreed. "The accommodations here are much better than those of the Obsidian Palace…and it allows us to be much closer to the action."
"What 'action' are you talking about?" Ellis replied scathingly. "Further battles? Women…?"
"No, no, Ellis-chan! I'm merely talking about the tournament, the tournament! It should be a lot of fun to see. Even Eminus is interested in it, right?" Eminus didn't reply to the invitation.
Ellis pressed, "That kind of indolence is hardly becoming of someone who utterly failed to even slow down our enemies in the last battle…."
"You say that as if you accomplished anything on your own, but as memory serves, Ellis-chan, you were also ineffective at slowing down Aiden Rylack…."
Ellis cast her eyes down. "Y-yes, I know," she sighed. "We all failed, utterly, and so none of us are excusable…."
"No, do not worry about it, Ellis," Eminus replied. "It is true that none of our primary objectives were met, but it is through no fault of ours…neither yours, nor particularly Nagi's and his arrancar. We could not have foreseen the arrival of the Soul Society so quickly, nor could we have guessed that Kain Lockeheart had already acquired such a great number of competent allies. If anything, despite our failures, the experiment was very valuable—we gained quite an important bit of intelligence on the enemy. It's enough, for now. Nagi will be busy sulking for a while, and Van has taken the new Corai and gone off in search of the Replication secrets he acquired from Jade Curtis."
He glanced around at his assembled group—Ellis, Winfield and Kinue standing near Eminus, with Ryuryu and Kairen standing just behind them. Elaine, Valeria, Noah, Lavinia and Faina were sitting together off to the left, and Zerva, Luana, Fyuria, Sherufanir, Yayoi and Vira-Lorr stood not far on their right. "I truly do find myself interested in Kain Lockeheart's upcoming tournament…we do not have any particularly grand necessities during this time. For once, Winfield has the right idea. You've done hard work…everyone may relax until the end of the Festival. That is when the real work will need to be done."
8-8-8
'The rebuilt remnants of Orimus, sometimes called 'New Orimus', are bursting with celebrations of peace. Naturally, the biggest tourist attraction is the ruins of the old capital.
'However, coming in at second is the city's famous Onsen. Frequent travelers to Orimus, those who have attended multiple festivals or those who have taken up residence there, insist that you can't visit Orimus without attending its springs at least once. It is considered lucky to take a morning bath, and so even in the earliest hours of the day, the public baths attached to the great arena are bustling with devout old ladies and young men and women who drank the previous night away.'
—From 'The Magical World Journal', compiled by Jinnai Nanami.
And one little horde of tiny tots charged with great energy into the bathhouse. Lucy sighed as she and Erza followed along behind them. "I know that those disguises are all to avoid arrest," she muttered, "but still, I feel like I'm in charge of a primary school trip or something…."
"Lucy-san, Erza-san,thank you very much for taking care of us all!" Chibi Nodoka responded with heartfelt appreciation.
"It's nothing," Erza replied easily. "Still, it's a shame your other friends Tear, Rin, and Mei-chan couldn't accompany us. Things such as this are always more fun with more people…."
"I guess they didn't want to be in the company of so many kids," Chibi Kagome giggled. "Well, here it should be safe, right?" She popped a pill and returned to her usual age.
Most of the party was together in the baths—Mai, Momo, Kagome, Tokine, Nodoka, Ami, Lina, Chisame, Erika, Rei, Isumi, Hinagiku and Kazumi had all come together, and Rukia had decided to follow along, even partaking of the same age-changing pill so she could fit in with them during the travel. Most of them began to take this opportunity to change their forms.
"Are you sure we'll be okay changing back to our original forms in here…?" Nodoka asked carefully.
"You should be fine," Erza insisted. "Security is very lax in these places. There's even a saying in Orimus: 'The Bathhouse Is Asylum for One and All.'"
Lina stared at Nodoka as she settled into the water. "Are we sure that's your original form?" she muttered.
Hinagiku also noticed the difference in Nodoka—she was not yet the equivalent of Mai, Kazumi, or Erika, but the formerly flat-chested girl had filled out quite nicely in the past few months. "Is there something in the water at Fairy Tail?" she muttered darkly, glancing at Erza and Lucy.
"Hmm? Did you say something, Hinagiku?"
"No, nothing…."
There was also a party on the men's side—Kain, Kajirô, Yoshimori, Kenjirô, Delryn, Gourry, Zelgadis, Natsu, Grey, Happy, and even Aiden had deigned to join them, with Kamo hanging out. Kain was looking around nervously, not fully enjoying the matter as he could.
"You can calm down, Kiddo," Kamo advised him. "You're with all of us now, so there won't be any repeats of the last incident. And I can assure you that no females will come falling out of the sky and into this bath."
Kain sighed. "I know, but…there are some traumas you don't get over…."
"I'm not sure what I think of your new hairstyle," Mai remarked to Momo. "I was just getting used to that that coifed bun, and now this…."
"Ah, well…even here it stands out a bit too much," Momo offered. "I'm not otherwise that remarkable, and I'm a wanted fugitive too, so…cutting my hair like this should help me avoid attention…."
Momo had indeed cut her hair, leaving it in a bob-cut. She kept a few adornments in it, too, although of course she had removed them before going into the bath.
"Well, hair or whatever doesn't matter," Lina sighed. "You're just lucky you skipped so much crazy heartache and trouble in the Soul Society. I wish I could just forget about the last part of my trip…."
"What happened to you, anyway?" Ami asked. "The letters showed that you should have arrived fairly early, but…."
"It was pretty crazy. That damn mazoku, Xellos, was giving us directions. We foolishly followed them and ended up getting lost in some super labyrinth, something that must have been the world's largest dungeon or something. Some weird name, too, Rappanathak or something. We spent the time being chased by garbage monsters, fighting hordes of bestial humanoids, and finding what was virtually a city under there. It's amazing we got out of it to begin with…."
She trailed off as a gaggle of voices came wafting their way. They turned and stared as a new collection of females came entering the bath. The distracted figures sensed the quiet, dropping their conversations and turning to stare at the collection.
Hinagiku jumped to her feet and pointed. "Y-you again! All of you…!"
Ellis dropped her head to her hand and sighed. There was a general cacophony as the two reunited groups reacted to each other….
"That's enough!" Erza suddenly snapped out, silencing her boisterous comrades. She glanced around at them all, standing there, arms crossed in front of her chest, looking quite threatening despite her nudity. She focused mostly on her own friends, but shot a stern glance over at the newcomers. "As I've already mentioned, these springs are a blessed treasure of Orimus, and a haven for all peoples seeking to rest and recuperate their spirits. We may be enemies, but as long as we are here with peaceable intentions, there is no reason we can't share a pleasant bath together at this time, in this holy place."
"Even if they're famous springs, since when is a bathhouse 'holy'?" Lucy muttered.
"W-we appreciate that," Ellis began, "but to avoid any problems, we should probably find a spot of our own…the baths are large, after all…."
"Sit down here with us and enjoy the baths," Erza insisted, cowing her.
And so the girls found themselves joined by the entire force of their enemy counterparts—Ellis, Vira-Lorr, Fyuria, Luana, Elaine, Yayoi, Sherufanir, Valeria, Lavinia, Faina, Noah, Ryuryu, and Kairen.
"Now, we're all enjoying the baths together…isn't this nice?" Erza remarked happily.
She seemed to be the only one to think so…uncomfortable silence greeted them at first, but Vira-Lorr seemed up to the task. Chuckling, she replied, "Yes, these are very fine baths, good for the skin and complexion…you young girls must benefit from this as much as you can, particularly if you want to keep looking your finest for your men. And, of course, a good bath must be accompanied by good sake." She produced a pitcher from…somewhere, and a small saucer (the traditional Japanese drinking vessel for sake) and poured herself some. "Would you like some too, Erza-san?" she offered.
"Oh, yes, please," Erza agreed. "I graciously accept your offer…."
Ellis stared at the pair, then sighed and began to sink into the water. "This joke is really starting to get old, though…."
"These are…I guess I do remember them from yesterday," Rukia murmured. "So, these are members of the Obsidian Star? Being here, enjoying these baths…they seem quite different from most of the ones in the last war, don't you think, Momo?"
"Eh? Ah, I guess so…I certainly don't remember anyone quite like them…."
"Yes, we've heard about that too much recently," Luana insisted. "As ironic as these meetings are, we should forget about them right now, yes? Here, we are all naked and exposed, all separated from the things that define us and set us apart. We are all just women here, and Erza-san is quite right…we should just take our opportunities to enjoy all this together. Besides which, here we are probably united against a common foe…."
"A-a common foe?" Nodoka asked shrilly.
8-8-8
Kain and the others also sat up and gazed out in surprise at the newcomers. "Oh, it's nice, for sure! But not the nicest…a perfect view has to be found…." The speaker stopped and stared in shock. "Ah...well, what do you know! Noble comrades-in-arms!"
The gathered friends stared at Winfield as he made this announcement upon his entrance to the baths. Zerva was behind him, and, upon spotting the group, he simply shook his head, muttered something to himself, and started off to another corner, apparently content to completely ignore them, leaving them to focus on Winfield's bizarre declaration.
Kenjirô turned to Kain and pointed at the man. "Oi, I don't think I've seen more than a glance of him, but isn't he supposed to be one of our enemies? What's this 'comrades' thing about?"
"An Obsidian guy!?" Natsu barked, rising excitedly. "He came here for a fight!? All right! I'm getting…!"
"Pipe down!" Grey snapped, shoving Natsu's head underwater. As Natsu came back up again, angrily, Grey continued, "This is a public onsen, a very famous and well-preserved site of peace and goodwill. Whatever, I don't care much myself, but I'd rather not fight when I'm trying to relax. He doesn't look hostile right now, anyway. If you cause a ruckus, Erza will probably have something to say to you about it."
This brought Natsu into cowed control, and Winfield chuckled approvingly. "That's right, that's right! You saw what Zerva did, did you not? Here, there is no Obsidian Star, there are no White Wings or Red Wings, there are only men! Men who share a common spirit, a common life, and, especially in this place, a common goal and quest that is their duty!"
Aiden was calmly drinking alcohol of his own that he had brought with him, ignoring all of this, but the younger men all exchanged glances. "What, exactly, are you talking about?" Kain finally asked this obviously loony person.
"Come now, you have to ask, dear Kain-kun? This is an onsen, after all…at this very moment, the women, yours and mine, are all bathing together!"
"Yes," Kain replied slowly. "And, we are also bathing together. It sounded like there might be trouble before, but it didn't last long…I think they might even be getting along, as weird as that idea seems sometimes…."
"Come now, do I have to spell it out for you? This is our mission as men! Let me explain slowly. Women. Comely. Baths. Now. Just on the other side of that wall."
Realization began to dawn over the faces of most of the young men. "Not that I am in any way condoning your proposed activity, nor condemning it," Kajirô said quite slowly. "But, I have to ask: isn't your proposed course of action…quite dangerous?"
"There is no joy without a little danger, and more than that, the most forbidden fruit is obviously the sweetest!" Winfield insisted. "So, then, comrades, brothers-in-arms! Who is with me, to partake of this most forbidden pleasure?"
Kain sighed, Kenjirô muttered something, and Kajirô just shook his head in disbelief. Aiden still sat, drinking and seemingly ignoring the whole situation, as did Zelgadis. Gourry simply seemed confused. But Yoshimori, Delryn, and even Natsu and Grey seemed rather taken with this idea.
"All those naked women…including Tokine…" Yoshimori muttered.
"A collection of beauties like that might be worth the risk," Delryn mused.
"Lucy…and to even see Erza like that!" Natsu said.
"I-it's a stupid idea," Grey insisted, but he was blushing.
Winfield led the group…not to a peephole, as they expected, but through the wall near the corner, where a few planks moved suspiciously easily aside and they slipped through.
"Should we just let them go?" Kajirô asked. "Shouldn't we…stop them?"
"I'd rather not get involved at all," Kain said. "I think, especially considering their intended victims, they will get what's coming to them."
The Obsidian ladies seemed to be loosening up more…of course, most of them were also able to partake of the alcohol, and several were doing so. "Ah, this is a fine morning activity," sighed Lavinia, a dark-skinned elf with wild red hair. "Even with the company, things aren't so bad here. These are very good springs."
"N-Nee-chan…" pleaded Faina, the very fine-skinned and –haired elf girl.
"Ah, sorry." She turned to the younger girls and saluted them. "I didn't mean anything by that. I get snappish at times because I get too many stares and looks like that, being a dark elf and all."
"It's all right, Nee-chan," Faina put in. "You are, after all…."
"Just forget about it, Faina. This is our rest time, after all."
"Well…are you really sisters, then?" Lina asked.
"We're both half-dark elf, half-high elf," replied Faina. "We are full-blooded sisters…but Nee-chan took after our mother, and I took after our father…."
"Yeah, sounds rough," Lina said sympathetically. "Well, it's not your appearance or parentage that matters to us, but let's forget about that."
"Yes, let's stop talking about us," Lavinia said. "I'm interested in your party's situation. So which of you lucky ladies is the beloved of that valiant gladiator of yours?"
This brought a very awkward silence to the group. Then a muted cacophony began to flow through the females, each offering reserved and reluctant denials and such that were hardly audible. "What? None of you? Well, well…should I feel sorry for you, or be disgusted with the uselessness of such a man? So many sheep bleating at his heels, and he hasn't even selected one from the flock? How pitiful…perhaps he is a eunuch…?"
"H-he's not a eunuch!" Hinagiku insisted. "K-Kain-sensei is…just…."
Suddenly Erza perked up and glanced back behind her. "This feeling…someone's stalking us! Is there someone trying to peep on us?"
This suddenly caught everyone's attention. "Of all the…it has to be Winfield," Ellis sighed. "Really, now…."
"There's more than just Winfield this time," Vira-Lorr murmured. "Perhaps he managed to convince some of these ladies' party to join them?"
"Hmm…perhaps Natsu and Grey joined in," Erza commented. "Well, that's fine…we used to bathe together all the time when we were kids. Perhaps we should just force these brazen peeps to join us?"
"Hell no!" Lucy screeched. "Not gonna happen!"
"Well, regardless, I think we should investigate over there," Ryuryu said. "Ellis, is Borgnine available?"
"Borgnine, capture those miscreants! Make them sorry for their misdeeds!"
Back on the men's side, the cacophony of violence began to break out as Borgnine (with assistance from Erza) began to conduct disciplinary lessons. "Well, I think it's about time to take our leave," Kain announced. Agreeing, the rest of the company rose and followed after him.
8-8-8
Fortunately for the criminals, there were no other circumstantial encounters with others in the baths…these springs were indeed quite large, and it was only the most blatant of Deus Ex Machina that had the White Wings and Obsidian Star encounter each other within. And yet they completely missed the young HiME who were availing themselves of the baths at the same time.
Arika leapt into the water with her usual energy and impulsiveness as Nina attempted to scold her for her impropriety. Arika, however, ignored Nina and focused on Yue. "Yue-chan! Are you sure you're okay!? Hurry on in! This should help fix you right up!"
"R-right," Yue murmured.
"These are good springs," Shiho said, touching the water. "They have a special spring created just for this house. We're also rather fortunate for being able to use them…they very well are probably used by Kalan-san himself, you know."
"Ah…really?" Irina said. "I…I guess so…he could be using them right now…."
"What does that matter?" Nina grumped.
"Oh?" Shiho said coyly. "You say that, Nina-chan, but you'd love to meet Kalan-san here in the bath, wouldn't you? Just give the order, oh chief, and we could all go sneaking over to spy him out…."
"I-isn't that…wrong…? And…reversed?" Erstin quavered.
"Would you stop talking about that stupidity!?" Nina began.
"Ah, c'mon, Nina-chan, just lighten up a little," Arika teased, stroking her on the side and eliciting a girlish squeal from her.
Nina turned her wrath fully on Arika, making the bath a little livelier than was proper.
This was fine for Yue, as it allowed her to escape unnoticed to a more secluded corner. There she withdrew her card from the towel she carried with her. ('Kain Lockeheart…the name on my contract card…not many people know it, but they say…Shiho-san said…the hero Kalan has a son back in the old world. That boy back then…could he really be connected somehow…with the name on the back of this card…?
('Contract cards allow the holder to communicate telepathically with the master…if that master is here in this city, then all I have to do is say his name and will it, and the magic should connect it….
('If…it actually connects to that boy….')
Yue raised the card to her head. "Kain Lockeheart…" she intoned.
Kain was emerging from the building alongside Kenjirô and Kajirô when a tremulous voice sounded inside his head: 'Um, h-hello…?'
Kain froze in place. Then, excusing himself, he vanished, teleporting back to his room so he could speak privately. 'Hello...is that you, Yue?'
Yue started as the target of her sending identified her so easily. She hesitated, but Kain seemed to sense the confirmation all the same. 'So, that was you I saw yesterday…that would partially explain why I didn't notice anyone in the area before I fled to the sky. Doesn't matter…anyway, are you all right, Yue? I'm sorry I had to attack you there…but….'
'N-no…it's…I did tell you to. I knew I didn't want you captured, but….'
'Haha…as if they could have…no, I still regret having to go that far. In any case, I'm so relieved to see and hear from you again. We were all so worried about you…even after Urahara-san gave us so many assurances, we couldn't help but fret. But you're alive, you're all right, and you're here at Orimus…Nodoka and Ami and the others will be so relieved once I tell them….'
'W-wait, Lockeheart-san, please…I-I…the truth is, I really don't have any idea what you're talking about.'
'…Eh?'
'The truth is, I suddenly showed up in Wind Bloom with amnesia. I don't remember anything about what happened before that, who I was, anything…it's all blank to me, nothing but feelings. The leaders of Garderobe Academy have been taking care of me, but…I still don't really know anything. So, although I figured out how to use this card, I…don't know you, or any of these other people you're talking about, or….'
'…I see. That would explain a few things. It's all right. It's just enough to know that you're doing well. From the looks of things, those other girls with you care a great deal about you. I'm so glad. I…don't know how things will proceed, but there's still plenty of time, and we'll all be here. For now I'll leave you alone, if that's what you prefer.'
'…Y-yes…that's probably for the best….'
'I'll take my leave, then. It was good to hear from you, Yue. Take care.'
The static-like silence that followed told Yue that the man had cut off the communication. Yue began to lower the card, shivering slightly. ('J-just from that…the sound of his voi—his thoughts was enough to shake my heart…he said that he had been worried, and my heart just seemed to clench…he must really be…someone….')
"Hey! Yue-chan! What are you doing over here!?" Arika demanded, bursting into Yue's world like the ordnance she could be.
"N-nothing!" Yue shrieked, trying to hide her card in her towel again.
"Come on! It's more fun bathing together! Let's work hard!"
"How do you work hard at taking a bath?" Shiho murmured, but she glanced at Yue out of the corner of her eye and smiled to herself. She didn't need to touch Yue to get a glimpse of what she had been doing, and what had happened to her.
Kain stood in his room, breathing slowly. He withdrew Yue's card and stared at it, then clenched it in his fist. "Amnesia, eh?" he murmured.
"That was Yuecchi?" Kamo asked, appearing on his shoulder again. "Amnesia…that does explain a few things. But, she's been under Garderobe's care, huh? Kisuke was right…in that situation, she was just fine being left alone. Of course, even if she doesn't get her memory back, we can't leave her here…."
"I know…but for now…it's enough. We'll leave it be for now. Anyway, were you listening in?"
"Hey, it's my ability and my privilege since I'm involved in this contract process. But in return, I'll tell you something good about Garderobe…."
8-8-8
"Kain-sensei!"
Kaoru attempted to tackle the teacher, but Riku knocked her down. "Be more polite to our sensei! Besides, don't you have something to say, first?"
Kaoru sobered quickly and bowed low, her face turning from relieved ecstasy to morose contrition (and quite honestly). "K-Kain-sensei…I'm so sorry…we're sorry we disobeyed you and came here…."
Kain waved the apology away. "It's nothing…I'm just glad you're all right…I'm sorry I got you involved in such troubling circumstances."
"No, we're the ones at fault," Riku insisted. "Kain-sensei, we really should have listened to you. We put ourselves in this mess. And we have no right to blame you, since…by comparison…we ended up in such fortunate circumstances." She glanced back at Izumi, Miki, Riza and Yukari, who were standing back watching.
"Yes, of course. That's why Kalan has to win this tournament. It'll be a little longer until we get back, but I promise you…we will all make it home."
"Ah, that's right!" Kaoru said, perking up. "K…Kalan-san's preliminary match is tomorrow, right? I've already got tickets for it!"
"Yes, we do," Riku corrected her. "And we know who to thank for it…."
Wein took his turn to wave off the niceties with a chuckle. "No, don't mention it. We're just glad we finally got you reunited with your friends." He focused on the young man. "Kain Lockeheart…it is an honor to meet the son of the legendary hero. Her Majesty sends her regards as well, and regrets that she cannot yet meet you, but she hopes to remedy that soon."
"Her Majesty…Queen Artoria Pendragon, eh?" Kain smiled slightly as the title brought images to his mind, visions of the great deeds and feats he had seen just yesterday. "Yes…I'm looking forward to meeting her myself…."
"Oh, I bet!" Kaoru announced. "Especially since she's…."
Riku clocked Kaoru, silencing her, but Kain didn't notice…or pretended not to. "In any case, my friend Delryn is up next, so why don't we go watch his preliminary match? I have special seating, courtesy of…Kalan, enough special executive seats for all of us…."
"Oh, yes!"
8-8-8
"That was…intense," Kaoru remarked. "He seemed…really aggressive…that Delryn-san…."
"He also seemed…rather already injured when he started that fight," Yukari mentioned.
"I'm sure that's just karma," Kain replied. "And…you should see the other guy." He allowed himself a small smirk.
"I saw that Kuchiki Byakuya guy earlier, too," Miki offered. "He was…frightening. He defeated his opponent with a single sword thrust…well, we guess, although it was so fast nobody could see it. One second the match started, the next he was past his opponent, who sprouted blood and fell over."
"Senka," Kain murmured. He remembered it well—the first attack Byakuya had used against him, and a maneuver he had also seen in the recent 'movie.' "Yes…he probably will be the biggest obstacle for Kalan."
8-8-8
Finally the third day of the preliminaries dawned. Kain and Kenjirô were absent, as their alter-egos prepared for their own battles.
Chibi Neko Nodoka, Chibi Neko Chisame, Chibi Neko Mai, and Chibi Neko Ami wandered outside of the arena in the company of Riku and Kaoru.
"I wonder how Kalan-san and Kôjirô-san are doing," Ami mused. "At least they aren't facing each other…."
"Well, they're pretty amazing, so I'm sure they're fine," Mai said.
"W-wait…" Riku began. "Wait a sec!"
"Hmm? What's the matter, Harada?" Chisame asked.
"What's the matter!? Are you four really my classmates!? You aren't some sort of…of magic illegitimate children, are you!?"
"We're the real thing," Chisame sighed. "Really."
"We are wanted criminals," Ami pointed out.
"Chibi plus Neko !" Mai explained. "It's a perfect disguise here."
"You're talking about disguises…but getting that short is over the top!" Riku insisted.
"Are you still not used to magic?" Mai asked.
Nodoka proffered a pair of the special pills to Riku and Kaoru. "P-please, try this…."
"Candy…?" The girls accepted and consumed the pills.
This produced a theatrical explosion sound and smoke. And then they emerged…seemingly about seven or eight years old.
As they gaped at their new forms, Nodoka explained, "These are highly advanced alchemical drugs created by Alyssa-san…they can't be detected by any kind of normal magic means."
"Really, I think I have better opinions about you two now," Chisame remarked to the newly-shortened group.
"Eh? Why's that?" Kaoru asked.
"Nothing…I'm just wondering how those who knew nothing about magic could get thrown into this world were able to escape unscathed up to now."
"Ah, that's just thanks to our good luck," Riku admitted. "We were picked up by some good, reliable people…."
Kaoru began to giggle mischievously. "Still, Chisame-chan…I'm more surprised at you, actually talking with us like this…you'd never do that before…."
"W-wha…that's not it, idiot! It's just our circumstances, so…."
"Well, anyway, even if you have these disguises, are you really safe…?" Riku asked, ignoring the comedy routine Chisame was playing.
"It's not a problem," Mai assured her. "We have plenty of people to help protect us right now. Hitsugaya-san is even watching us right now."
She pointed behind her, and Riku turned to stare at the short white-haired young man, currently dressed in a black collared shirt and white slacks. He had his usual dour expression, and was standing close enough to obviously belong to their group, although Riku had not really noticed him until this moment. "Ah…that kid…?"
"I'm not a kid!" insisted Tôshirô hotly. "I'm a hinigami captain of the Seireitei!"
"A-ah…sorry…d-did you take one of these pills, too…?"
"I did not!"
"He's a hinigami, like Momo," Mai explained quietly to Riku. "Shinigami live far longer than humans, and so even though he looks like that, he's far older than any of us, although he is young for a hinigami. He's also really sensitive about his height, so…."
"R-right, I apologize," Riku offered. Tôshirô grumped but accepted the apology.
8-8-8
Miki and the rest were back to work serving as Kalan made his match against a four-armed yôkai woman. Kain met her four swords with his own single blade. ('She's strong…as expected of those who have made it all the way to this championship. But still…compared to the likes of them….')
Kenjirô watched from the 'barracks' next door as he waited for his own turn to come soon. He watched Kain evade a masterful four-sword thrust by blocking two swords with his feet, grabbing one in his hand, and catching the other on his sword, then leap off and slam the woman away with a twisting double-footed jump kick. He landed on his feet and, as the demon-girl brought herself to a halt, he engulfed her in a surge of power with a snap of his fingers.
('He's just unbelievable,') Kenjirô thought. ('Of course, I noticed that at the end, too, when he came back from his training…he took those last few groups in the league down on his own, making me just watch. He has ascended to a new level, especially in his determination…it's got to be him. Not even Kuchiki Byakuya—Kain's looking past him towards Eminus….
('How much further will you go, Kain? Heh…I still have a ways to catch up…but I'm getting there. With luck, I'll get a chance to measure us at some point here….')
8-8-8
Up in a VIP box at the top of the stadium, Aiden stared down at the silently triumphant figure of old Kain. "Sheesh…at least show a smile when you win, Kid…."
A figure came walking up behind him. She chuckled. "Well…how rare to see one of the shadowy, secret investors of this tournament…here, of all places…."
Aiden turned around in surprise. "Saber! Ah, I'm sorry…Queen Artoria…how pleasing to see you, your Majesty." He gave a low bow. "It's been a long time." He rose and nodded to the swordsman flanking her. "And Cidolfus Orlandeau, Thunder God Cid, the First Knight of the Round himself. Not that I expected any less for the Twentieth Anniversary Memorial Festival…."
"Of course not…everyone is going all out for this."
All three figures turned to observe the newcomers…in the front a smiling but somewhat mousy-seeming woman in her late twenties, with short brown hair, freckles, and small oval glasses, in a white-dress suit. Flanking her was another woman, quite larger, with medium-length blond hair with long, straight bangs covering her forehead, dressed in a military uniform-like green dress. Next to her was a very large man with wild, sun-like black hair and a goatee, in a suit of his own. An assembly of the Halteese Republic: Yukino Chrysant, Haruka Armitage, and Jean-Luc Ricardo.
"Ricardo, you old dog! Ah, and milady…Yukino-chan, isn't it?"
"Hey!" the other woman roared, stalking forward and staring imperiously at Aiden, fists on her hips. "Who do you think you are to address Yukino like that? This is a senator of the Halteese Republic…!"
"And this is a hero of the entire world," Ricardo chuckled. "Take it easy, Haruka-chan. This is a festival of peace, after all…and in a clandestine meeting like this, I should think that we can really dispense with the formalities."
"That's right," agreed the next arrival as the tanned, blond-haired Emperor Peony Grandall entered, flanked by Jade Curtis. "If some of our generals and fellow politicians knew that the heads of three nations and such other important individuals were meeting in this manner, who knows what they'd think…?"
"That's very true. But under these circumstances, it's quite necessary." This newest speaker was Mashiro Kazahana, pushed along as usual by Fumi. Sargon was at her side.
"These are far away from any normal times," agreed the last to enter, Shunsui Kyôraku (with Jûshirô Ukitake at his side). "Miss Mashiro has set up a barrier, so we don't need to worry about anyone eavesdropping on us. We can do our secret plotting all we like…and drink, maybe?" He held up a jug of sake while his companion sighed.
"Ah, a drink sounds good," Ricardo sighed, twitching his head around and rubbing his shoulder. "That should help me loosen up. Really…being an authorized legislative councilor makes my shoulders stiff…."
"C'mon, old man, don't be so down," Peony laughed. "In any case, since we're here, let's drink and watch the rest of the preliminaries!"
Largely agreeing, they settled down and pulled up the large viewscreen. "Ah, yes, I remember this man," Orlandeau laughed as 'Kalan' spoke with Koto following his victory. "He's created quite a fuss, hasn't he…?"
"I don't really know the details, but he sure is powerful," Haruka commented. "It's far too suspicious…."
"Ahh, him, right," Aiden agreed. "He's really Kalan's actual son, isn't he?"
"WHAT!?" sputtered Ricardo and Haruka together in shock. The rest seemed rather amused by this…which only angered Haruka even more as she glanced around at the grinning faces. "What, everyone knew!?"
"Through various circumstances," agreed Sargon with a chuckle. "Kain Lockeheart, isn't he? Bold teacher of Mahora Academy?"
"But that doesn't make sense!" insisted Ricardo. "I mean, you mentioned Kain Lockeheart, but he couldn't possibly be that old…!"
"It's an alchemical technique developed by the Infernal Princess, Alysaser," Aiden explained. "No magic can penetrate it, from what I hear. A perfect aging disguise…to help him avoid the trouble caused by a certain 'Randis Helam' identity…."
"But, if he's the son of Kalan Lockeheart, isn't it obvious that he'll win?" Haruka insisted. "I mean, even a Soul Reaper like Byakuya Kuchiki couldn't really defeat a man like that…."
Aiden chuckled. "Don't think it's a foregone conclusion. You can't count out Byakuya yet…I fought alongside him, and I can tell you that his strength is real. He's not going to roll over to that kid. But, more than that…I've taken a lot of interest in him myself, so I've already registered for the tournament." He drained his glass and rose. "And I think it'll be my preliminary bout soon, so I should head down there…."
"Ah…not pulling any punches, Aiden? That seems unfair," Shunsui remarked. "Besides, isn't your own son in the tournament as well…?"
Aiden waved negligently as he headed for the door. "That's Delryn's business. If we meet, it's just fate. My business is simply making sure that boy really is his father's son. Enjoy the rest of the matches in here…I've got work to do…."
8-8-8
Kain, Izumi and Yukari turned to greet Kenjirô as he returned from his successful preliminary bout.
"W-well done!" Yukari congratulated him.
Kenjirô accepted the praise nonchalantly. Kain turned a soft smile back on Izumi. "As I was saying, we'll have you freed in no time. You guys just hang in there, okay?"
"B-but are you sure you'll be okay in the tournament…?" Izumi asked. "I-I've heard…they say the guys who are competing in this tournament are on a whole different level…will you really be okay fighting people like that?"
Kenjirô chuckled. "Well, me aside…I can only think of one guy who can stand up to Kalan right now," he said, giving Kain a cheerful shove. "Somehow or other, we'll do it."
"That's exactly what I've been training for," Kain assured her. "I've been pushing myself hard to reach it…and I think that goal is in sight…."
8-8-8
Flashing back to that morning, pre-onsen….
["Now, Kiddo, it's certainly true that you've become stronger," Aiden remarked. "Incredibly so, considering how little time you've had. That said, I still think you're a ways from taking down someone like Eminus, if he's really serious…."
Kain recalled the figures he had seen in Aiden's video. "Right," he agreed seriously. "I saw that yesterday, what you're talking about. But…speaking of that movie…Mai is the key, here, right? Although it seems they had some other plan…."
"I know you've got questions, Kain, and I think that there are enough clues in everything everyone's seen to piece most of it together," Aiden replied. "But that's for another time. Even with your strength, winning the tournament at this stage is no guarantee. The Obsidian Star is preparing the culmination of their plot, and may still try for Mai. Fine. But you can't do much about that right now. With over a dozen captain-class Soul Reapers wandering around, not to mention the HiME and the Knights of the Round Artoria has here, Mai should be safe enough. We should be ready the minute they try anything, too. So you need to focus on what you can and need to do: win that tournament and save your other students, right? So let's focus on that."
"R-right. I can worry about the rest later, as you say. So…?"
"Well, apart from Byakuya, it should be easy as pie…well…no. I really think even he won't be a challenge for you anymore. Maybe I shouldn't have shown you the video…knowing you, with your talents, you've already starting coming up with ways to beat him and overcome all those powers of his, and with the power you've gained, you'll probably manage it without too much trouble."
"Really?" Kain offered, somewhat suspiciously.
"Really. Well, let's look at things with that 'Power Level' chart again." Chisame wheeled over a chalkboard, and he offered her thanks.
"Don't just use me for these kinds of things," Chisame muttered.
"Now," Aiden continued, scribbling out his board almost perfectly as it was originally, "before, you were somewhere down here. In direct physical and magical prowess, you haven't improved much comparatively…probably only 50% or so, not that that is really unimpressive or anything, but as you can see, still way below the level you need to be." He marked Kain at around 750. "Of course, that's very misleading, because right now you can probably jump 10 times that with your 'True Kanka' pretty much at will, so your effective strength would be around 7500. I said captain-class Soul Reapers are 3000, but Byakuya's a talented and powerful captain, so he's actually probably around 5000, shooting up to 6000 or so with his Bankai fully unleashed. And I may have underestimated Eminus…he's likely at least 8000, around Alysaser's level. So you should be able to beat Byakuya, but you're probably still short of that Eminus kid if he gets serious. But you did well against him yesterday, so…."
"So authoritative," Chisame muttered. "What makes you so sure about this, anyway…?"
"Just experience. In any case, Kain, you should be able to handle anything in the tournament. If you can't top at least Byakuya, you definitely need to step aside and let the old guard handle the Obsidian Star…more than rescuing those girls, this will be your real measuring stick. You got it?"
Kain nodded with determination. "Right."]
8-8-8
"Yeah," Kain told Izumi with a smile. "This will be no problem. I'll get you guys freed…after that, it's up to Kain and your classmates to get you home."
"R-right…thank you…."
Kenjirô, listening to the sounds of the crowd outside, went to investigate the latest match and started. "K-Kai…Kalan!" he roared. "You better come see this!"
Kain, surprised, hurried over…and gaped at the spectacle.
Rewinding slightly to catch the whole picture, we have Koto standing on stage announcing the next fighters. "From Avalon, we have a master swordsman, a warrior and crusader, a member of their very Knights of the Round! Trained as a true paladin, the yôkai Matta Monde-Paix!"
Koto let a good portion of the crowd roar in appreciation as Matta took his place in the arena…a large man, with a beard of tentacle-like appendages, a thick, reptilian tail, and cloven hooves for feet. He carried a sword nearly as big as he was in his hands. Finally Koto turned and made a sweeping gesture towards the other gate. "And now, we announce a very special new competitor who has been granted one of the final preliminary spots! A man who has avoided the public eye for the last ten years, but for a long time previously dominated the headlines! The one and only legendary mercenary gunman…the premier treasure-hunter, explorer, and adventurer…the ally of Kalan Lockeheart, a member of the Red Wings, the famed Mage-Killer…Aiden Rylack!"
This announcement, as Aiden came swaggering onto the stage, is what brought Kenjirô to summon Kain in panic. The pair gaped at the man. "N-no way…Aiden…really?"
"Matta, the only Knight of the Round competing, was a favorite to advance in the tournament, but now he has, quite frankly, become a heavy underdog to pass the preliminary! Nevertheless, proving his own fortitude, he seems undaunted by the fame of his opponent! As expected of a champion of Avalon!"
"Not undaunted," Matta chuckled to Aiden. "I didn't expect this…but at least I'll have a good fight to prove myself. May the best man win, eh, hero of the Red Wings?"
"I admire your courage, for sure," Aiden agreed. "Let's give 'em a good show."
"I-is that really Aiden?" Kain hissed.
"I-I'm pretty sure it is…."
"No, maybe it's a fake! Yeah, that would make perfect sense…since a 'Kalan Lockeheart' is in the tournament, somebody thought it would be good idea to get notoriety by impersonating another hero of the Red Wings…."
"Begin!" Koto shouted.
Matta began to charge, and Aiden sighed. "Well, I'd like to have a good brawl, but I can't waste time and energy against a foe as tough as you. Sorry, but…."
And he fired a shot. Kain gasped as he felt, largely just through his cloak and partially through the magical senses that had opened around him since his transformation, the very reality of the world bent by magical power. In one instant Aiden drew his pistol and fired a bullet, imbuing it with all the magic he could muster…including a full level of his Entropy magic. Matta had enough talent, wit and power to raise his sword to block the attack…but the bullet shattered his sword, blasted into him and shocked him right in his vitals, sending him instantly to unconsciousness. Aiden sheathed his gun, turned, and bowed to the roaring crowd as Koto, stammering, came forward to count.
"N-no way that's a fake," Kenjirô murmured. He, an expert at perceiving supernatural powers, felt the reality-warping entropy at work as much as Kain did. "T-that was…."
('The same attack he tried to use to snipe my father,') Kain thought. ('His ultimate Entropy attack, the Perfect Shot, pouring all his Entropy magic into a single attack to guarantee a kill or at least a critical shot, something guaranteed, in any case, to eliminate the foe. He won't be able to even use Entropy for some time, but it hardly matters…Aiden Rylack…is entering this tournament….')
8-8-8
They found that Aiden was relaxing in an upper office he had either commandeered or been granted, but even as they stomped up to confront him Delryn blew past them and assaulted the desk first. "What the hell is that, Dad!?" Delryn roared at the older man. "Out of nowhere, you're trying to enter this tournament!? What, are you intentionally trying to just keep me from winning!?"
"Oh, hey Del," Aiden replied conversationally as Kain and Kenjirô entered. "Really, I didn't enter with you in mind at all. Although that's fine, too…."
"Seriously…!"
"Fine, fine. Imagine what you want. I'm here as a stone in your path…if you really want to prove yourself, do it by going through me. You can't do better than that, right?" He turned to Kain and Kenjirô as they approached with Chisame (Chibi Neko) trailing after them, Kamo on her head. "And you guys, too. You're coming with that same question, right?"
"Well, this morning you did tell me to just go and take the tournament and prove myself," Kain noted. "You said I should be able to beat any of them, even Byakuya, without too much trouble…."
"Yes…yes I did. But I never said I was or wasn't entering, did I?"
"Oh, c'mon!" Kenjirô insisted. "You entering the tournament isn't just an extreme development, it's a super-mega-ultra-extreme development! This changes everything! Anyway you look at it, it seems like a deliberate attempt to keep any of us from winning!"
"Ah, c'mon," Aiden chuckled. "You guys are awful quick to give up. I'm disappointed in you…in all three of you."
"W-well, what then? Is this some sort of final exam from master to student or something?" Kain asked, but without much hope.
"Y-yeah, that makes sense! Like a final ceremony or initiation…" Chisame offered. "You entered the tournament just to see how they've grown…then, if you win the match, you can turn the winnings over to us…."
Aiden laughed. "What? No way! If I win that money, fair and square, then I'm keeping it!"
Kenjirô began to growl. "Don't screw with us, old man. Our main reason for entering this tournament is to rescue our friends from slavery! From slavery! Innocent, harmless teenage girls! I don't know what reason you might have to mess with that, but we need that money to set them free…."
"Well, then, I guess you'll have to beat me, won't you?" Aiden said. "Or come up with a backup plan. I'm sure there are any number of ways you can get them released, any number of people here who'd be willing to help you. This is the best way for you, but not the only way. No, this morning I said to use this as a measuring stick, right? I just decided on a whim to take this a step further. You wanted to settle things with Eminus, right? Eminus, Kalan, and I are all close to the same level…I won't say more than that, but it means that, if you really want to battle him…you'll need to be able to stand up to me, at least. If you say you don't have any chance of beating me, then how do you think you'll do against Eminus? Hell, what does that say about your chances of catching Kalan? Look at me, and look hard, Kain…Kenjirô…Delryn. You guys want strength…you want to prove yourselves. We, the old guard—me, and Byakuya too—we're the gateways to that grand stage. Come on over…if you can. Let's do this…and settle it like men."
Kain fell silent. Finally he glanced back at Delryn, then over at Kenjirô, then returned his look to Aiden. He steeled his resolve. "Fine, then. We'll settle this in the ring…Aiden."
8-8-8
Although Kain had finally accepted the matter calmly, certain of his party had not.
"Hopeless! Hopeless! Hopeless! Hopeless! It's all hopeless! It's impossible!" Chisame screeched.
"Aargh, that idiot, Aiden! Why'd he have to pull a stunt like this!? Ahh, what the hell does he think he's playing at!? It's things like this that make men such idiots!
"If that idiot hadn't gone and entered himself, this whole thing would've been a breeze, right!?" she finally demanded of Kain.
"Maybe." Kain shrugged. "I'm not guaranteed to win against Byakuya, either…."
"Ah, as if we didn't have enough to worry about already with Eminus, and that evil organization and all! Now he has to go and add to our problems…!"
"You're awfully bent out of shape about this," Kenjirô remarked, having also calmed down about the matter.
"And you're awfully damn calm! Don't you realize what we're talking about here!? Aiden Rylack was famous quite apart from his Red Wings career, you know…! Our whole plan is completely ruined…."
"Hmm, so it's impossible to earn the winnings now?" Kain asked her bluntly.
"Well, isn't that obvious!? You should know, first hand! Did you ever once get the better of him in all that training you did with him!? I was there, too, you know! I saw you fighting him! I know that I'm just a novice when it comes to fighting, and neither of you was serious, but even I could see that he had every advantage! And he hasn't once used that 'Entropy' stuff of his on you in training…so his real power is even greater! Do you really think you have a chance against him!?"
Kamo chuckled. "Well, it's not as if Aiden will be fighting full force against him in the tournament, either, although he'll test him thoroughly. I think he'll play at the same level Sakura did during the Festival's final event…enough to really test him, to punish him if he's not serious, but not with the intention of winning at any cost."
"Ah. Wonderful. We have to hope he's a villain of Sakura's caliber, you're saying?" Chisame muttered darkly.
"Wouldn't hurt. You really wouldn't want to see him serious, that's for sure."
Chisame sighed. "No, I wouldn't. I know that he's a bit of a blowhard, but I've seen enough of what he can do…from when he first entered that fight between Byakuya and Kain-sensei, canceling their powers simultaneously, practically without effort. And the truth is, purely out of curiosity, I asked him afterwards where exactly he would place himself on that 'power level chart' he was using to, uh, 'teach' Kain-sensei. What do you think his level was? Over nine thousand."
"Hmm." Kenjirô considered this. "Then, we'll have to appeal to his sensibilities, or exploit his weaknesses…although by now it seems that he's outgrown the same kind of lecherousness that his son exhibits, so it might be hard to do that. Maybe we can rig the match somehow…."
"How are we supposed to rig the match against someone who can control the power of chance?" Chisame grumbled.
Kain sighed. He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. We're jumping the gun. At the heart of it, Aiden is right—we might make all the plans in the world, but we can't guarantee victory against him, any more than we can guarantee victory against the Obsidian Star. All we can do is try our best. Kenjirô and I both need to." He smiled at his friend. "We still don't know who we'll be fighting and when, but we'll likely need to go through each other and Kuchiki Byakuya before we can take on Aiden. And when that time comes…my father's best friend has acknowledged me as a man. For that reason alone, I'm going to stop worrying about those kinds of futures until it happens. I'm going to face each opponent with my best…Aiden, or whoever, and I'm going to prove that I am worthy of being the victor of this tournament."
The group stared at him. Chisame finally sighed. "As you say," she said with a small smile. "When you talk like that, Kain-sensei…we have no choice but to believe in you, right?"
F I N
Author's Note: Onsen and Tournament
Another darn onsen episode! As I've mentioned, Mahou Sensei Negima was rife with fan service and onsen episodes, and one immediately followed Rakan's movie in the original story. This was largely an excuse for…no, not fan service…all right, all right, obviously fan service, it's the name of the manga, but also to reintroduce characters. In this case, the Canis Niger mercenary bounty hunters that attacked Nodoka and crew before. In particular, there was the 'Chichigami'—the God of Breasts—who is actually revealed to be a rather diminutive female demon. In the original this girl was a booby-obsessed freak who was salivating over the boobies of Nodoka, her friends, and Setsuna and Kaede and all, dressed in a suit of power armor obscuring her identity, and this girl, unleashed in the onsen, molested everyone for new fan service. Obviously, I had no intention of doing anything with her (and she never existed in the first place in my Nodoka attack). However, what I did decide was to use another onsen episode more appropriate to my cast…Winfield's peeping antics. As I've mentioned in his intro, every generation of RoAW has one onsen scene where Winfield always goes to peep and then gets caught and punished. So I wanted to have his game here, added the other boys in the party who have expressed peeping tendencies before (believe it or not, there is a mini-onsen episode in Fairy Tail where Natsu and Grey and a few other men do try to peek on the ladies), and sent them off to the slaughter. And so I threw in the usual conversations, a little more awkward 'Why the heck are we making peace with these obvious enemies!?' sentiment, and a bit more Fairy Tail bits (yes, Erza's reaction is actually pretty much as shown—remember, she, Grey, and Natsu did all grow up in the guild together).
The little blip highlighting Nodoka is actually a retcon…fixing something I observed later on. It also is not part of the original material, but I didn't add it because of my fondness for Nodoka. Nodoka is eventually revealed in epilogue moments to have blossomed into a well-endowed beauty, but she is not one of those noted in any of these points as a rapidly-maturing girl…although these certain later scenes nevertheless show that she is well on the way. Still, marking this moment makes it easier to present certain scenes later on without adding a burdensome, convoluted aside or just leaving it as an impossible-seeming moment.
Yue was also in the onsen, and she and her comrades eventually became victims to the Chichigami as well. She actually was interrupted by her friends, originally, before she called Negi…a bit of story Deus Ex Machina hanky-panky to keep Negi from talking to her and confirming her identity (remember, in the original Fate succeeded in capturing Asuna and swapping her for a fake, so they assume, when they find out a member of Ala Alba is captured, that it must be Yue, since they haven't seen her yet; had they known she was safe and in town, they would have proof that something else was up. There were some terrible loops flown to keep this in play—Negi tries to contact Yue after seeing her after the battle, but for some reason he 'can't get through' to her, no other explanation. Also, they should have noticed this, that Yue's badge was hanging out in town, but somehow it…well, it's never explained why they didn't track her separate badge. Maybe it just stopped working for no reason. Anyway, because I spared Mai this fate and already rescued Erika, there was no reason to keep Yue and Kain apart. The communications and interferences of my much more awesome Kisuke and Mashiro have kept her temporarily separated, but her safety is assured to the leader.
Then, of course, there are the tournament preliminaries. They didn't go into details, but there were more two-on-two battles, a kind of mini-tournament already, before the main tournament; I instead went, as mentioned, with a single-man tournament, and a single match preliminary to determine seeding by ranking. Kagetarô, the villain who attack Negi in town and severed his arm, leading to Negi getting taken in by Rakan, suddenly gets Rakan for a partner, and we learn they were friends and Rakan set the whole thing up from the beginning. I have a lot more complications in mine—Delryn, Kain vs. Kenjirô potential, a separate Byakuya, and even Natsu…so it'll be more fun. But the gist is there…Kain thinks he has an easy victory (not as easy as it would have been for Negi, because Byakuya is obviously stronger than Kagetarô), until Aiden suddenly decides to enter and gives that ultimatum—you want to be one of the top, prove it by topping me. Or whatever.
Well, it's time to begin…the real tournament….