Disclaimer: None of the anime used in this story belong to the writer. This is a work of fiction done for fun, not money. Please do not sue. You won't get much anyway.

Chapter One: Race for the Sun

The day would be eventful…and the girls knew it. Mai, Kagome and Momo were all invited, along with Kain, to Jynx' 'tea party'…and there, too, would be Takamichi…finally, so much would be revealed….

And yet the preparations Momo was making seemed…different. Mai and Kagome turned their attention to her as she put her hair up behind her…nothing unusual about that, for she usually wore a ponytail. But this time she wrapped her hair into a ball…and then slipped a white piece of cloth over it. Momo turned her head from side to side, examining herself critically.

"Interesting," Kagome murmured in her ear, startling the girl. "But…why?"

"I-it just felt…appropriate…."

8-8-8

The author has thus far, following the major episodes and events at the school, wrapped them up (or recapped them at the beginning of the next episode) with a conversation between the principal and Kain.

This time, however, we will merely mention the meeting in passing. For the most part, everything had already been resolved—Sakura has gone back to her world and her family. Several of her allies were, perhaps, due punishment. In the end the school magnanimously and shrewdly told Kaya Sendô that, if she did not seek to punish her daughter at all, they would also overlook the Sendô family's responsibility over 'these recent troubles' (Kain did drop hints to the principal that allowed him to convey those words with a bit of extra weight). Erika thus avoided any terrible judgment, especially from her mother, which was fortunate—among other things, if Kaya punished Erika like she had a mind to, her classmates would likely get riled up enough to begin some kind of civil war, and while that would also make an interesting story, it is not an event concurrent with this tale.

Likewise, Miyu, as an android, was excused from responsibility, as was Alyssa, who had not actually gotten directly involved and thus could not be held responsible for anything. Caria, as Sakura's primary aide, was held most responsible for everything that went down, and was properly punished.

"We understand you would prefer to keep her in your class rather than expel or deport her," the principal noted. "We've forbidden her to have access to the engineering department—any part of it—for one month, as well as any personal shipments of MagiTech, and she also must turn all her weapons schematics over to the school. There's enough there to satisfy the most paranoid and vengeful members of our council, and one month of grounding from her primary source of fulfillment is enough of a punishment…it nearly falls under torture, for her."

And so the next scene shows Kain, Mai, Momo, and Kagome underneath Library Island, standing in front of the door guarded by the dragon…and the dragon descending to defend it. Kain held up an invitation with his name on it, and the dragon made a rather human gesture indicating 'Go ahead', and it flew off.

"Good thing we didn't have to fight it…" Kagome murmured.

"I think Kain-sensei could almost take it," Momo said almost teasingly, glancing at their teacher. "Still, I don't mind. I'd probably be in trouble, trying to fight something like that…."

The door opened as they approached and they passed through. On the second day after the end of the crazy, insane, taxing, tiring, and bewildering Festival, Kain entered into his father's lair….

It was somewhat similar to Alyssa's resort. They were on a road leading up to a great round tower…at its top, over one-hundred meters high, was a great dome, with two platforms jutting off from the top of it, with more domed buildings on them—one platform emerged immediately from one side, while the other was positioned near the end of a long suspension bridge that went literally nowhere. Sharp rocks lined the 'road' they traveled to the door, and around it was a great pool of water that was fed and ringed by a massive, nearly silent waterfall. Walls were not really visible around them, but the horizon was made up of trees just above the waterfall.

"What is this place…are we really under the school?" Mai wondered.

"It really does feel like a mage's residence," Kagome noted.

Kain, his heart quickening, strode up to the door.

They had been invited to a 'tea party' by Kalan Lockeheart's friend, Jynx Black. This place, Kalan's secret underneath the library, was currently his best friend's place of residence. What secrets awaited them inside? Kain could scarcely imagine, but he desired it so strongly….

He pushed open the door with purpose. His companions, with a little more concern and wariness, offered their apologies and called for the man, but only silence greeted them.

The tower seemed quite large, but the inside dwarfed what the dimensions should have been, and they gazed around the massive entry hall in shock. "Is it really okay if we just step inside?" Kagome asked.

"Probably," Momo replied with a smile. "Jynx never worried about that when he expected people…his friends were more than welcome, almost expected, to just walk right in…he's probably busy anyway…."

At the back of the hall, to their surprise, they found Miyu serving tea to Alyssa and Takamichi. Alyssa smiled at them. "What took you?" she demanded. She pointed to a small staircase near the back which went a short distance up to a landing, and a half-open door behind it. "He's in there. You better go let him know you've arrived."

Bowing gratefully, Kain led the way up the stairs and to the door. He pushed it open lightly, tapping on it softly and poking his head inside. "Jynx…?"

There was the man, seated at a table. He didn't have his cloak on, and in fact his collared blue-and-black patterned shirt and black slacks created an image that was incongruous with that which had been presented at the festival. He was seated at a table with an assortment of paints around him. He held a miniature figure in his hand, about 1.5 inches tall, an almost classic battlesuit-armored space marine, and a thin paintbrush in the other, with which he applied careful coloring strokes to the soldier. To the bemusement of his guests, a collection of twenty more figurines floated in the air above the long table in one long line, with twenty paintbrushes with them and twenty identical collections of paints on the table. For every movement Jynx made, the figurines and brushes mimicked his actions perfectly, applying the exact same coloring and augmentation to the tiny models. They watched as each brush stroked in perfect harmony, dipped into a bit of water, wiped itself across a folded paper towel, then sought out a new identical color to apply next. They gazed briefly at the walls, lined with shelves that held, perhaps, thousands of similar figures, whole armies of varying colors, shades and shapes….

Kain coughed politely, and Jynx finally looked up. "Ah, you're here," he said cheerfully, setting down his tool and art. Simultaneously, all twenty sets of animated objects rested on the table in an identical fashion. "Sorry, I didn't hear you come in," he continued, rising. "Alyssa and Takamichi are already here, so we're all ready to begin."

He went to the door and motioned for them to go, and then followed them from his painting lair. "Takamichi said he'd promised to explain everything to you, Mai-san, so I invited him to come join us for this discussion. I can't tell you everything, but we can tell you now…about Mai-san's past, and I can mention a little of what I know about Kalan."

Alyssa, Miyu and Takamichi had risen, and Jynx motioned for them to follow him up the stairs. Surprisingly, they soon emerged at the top of the tower, on the platform to the left, which contained a small pavilion with tables and chairs and, like the rest of the 'chamber', artificial sunlight. He snapped his fingers, and the largest table generated placements and filled tea cups for each of them.

Alyssa snorted. "You've gotten better, to be sure…still too flashy, though." Jynx merely smiled.

"I'll begin, if you don't mind," Alyssa continued as they seated themselves around the table. She turned her almost-evil smile on Kain. "Well, boy? How did things go for you this time?" Kain looked up at her in surprise, and she continued, "Did you gain anything from it?"

Kain smiled back. "Yes. I now know exactly where I stand…and what I'm getting into." He nodded thoughtfully. "Well, in a way I understood it already…and I've already experienced a part of it…but Sakura helped me understand my place…and what's expected of me. Everything she did…I'm still not sure why she was so concerned about me, in particular, but she did everything to prepare me, so I would…be able to finish my father's work of destroying the Obsidian Star once and for all. It might be said I have a destiny…that's how she put it…I'm not predestined to do this, and I'm not required…but based on who I am, both my own self and my position in space-time, my choices will inevitably lead me to battle them…and unless I am fully prepared, in body, mind, and spirit, I will do no better than my father…I can only hope to defeat them for a time, and then vanish into legend. If the world could be saved by that, I would be satisfied…if I could see my father just once along the way as well, I would also be satisfied…but I want more than that. Hina once told me I have to be selfish sometimes…and I selfishly want to accomplish all of this, and do whatever I can to bring my father back, and return to this happy, mostly peaceful life with my students. I'll work as hard as I have to in order to accomplish that."

Alyssa smiled. "Well said. Sakura Johnson did her work well, to be sure. While I despise 'happily ever after' stories, as long as you're willing to work hard for that, not naïvely believe that it is your birthright, I'm satisfied."

She turned to Jynx. "Well, the Festival with all of its insanity is behind us. Now, most of us come here with questions. I was able to learn a few answers to my own while my power was at its peak there, but some still remain. Our two main questions are about the identity of Tokiha Mai…and the location and current condition of Kalan Lockeheart. Let's begin with Miss Tokiha, since it seems that she figures into these explanations first chronologically…right, Takamichi? Momo-chan?"

Takamichi smiled. "That's right." He set down his teacup and glanced up at Mai. "Are you ready to hear about it, Mai-kun? Your real past…your secret history?"

Mai hesitated only slightly before nodding. "Y-yes…tell me…about the Crystal Princess…."

Takamichi chuckled at hearing her utter the name herself. "Very well. Since I promised it, I'll go ahead and tell you…at least what I know." He leaned back and looked up. "Hinamori-kun has probably already told you about her part in Kalan's campaign to save the magical world from the Obsidian Star. To briefly recap: he entered the war under the service of the Grandall Empire, since his ancestors migrated to Earth from that nation a few generations before. He eventually found that something had replaced one of the councilors of the emperor and was fomenting unrest and driving Grandall's part in the war…but Kalan was forced to kill the man before he could expose him and was branded a traitor. He eventually fled to the Soul Society to escape the bounty hunters, armies, and everyone else—nearly the whole magical world was against him—and then, after another great adventure, saved it from the machinations of its own traitor captain. Aizen Sôsuke's personal writings implicated the 'Obsidian Star' and made mention how they had made their headquarters within the kingdom of Kanev, a small but fairly powerful kingdom that was all that remained of the Takiva Empire, the nation that once ruled all of Arcanus Myrror. Once Kalan started to move against them, they realized they had been exposed and began to unleash their ultimate weapon—a magic-erasing power, some kind of superweapon that could defeat whole armies of mages. Kalan fought his way to its location and found it…a tiny girl, overflowing with strange magical powers, and being forced to use them." Takamichi looked at Mai. "That was you, Mai-kun."

Mai blinked in unbelief, but as the audience stirred, Takamichi continued, not allowing them to interrupt, "Although some of his companions objected, Kalan would not kill an innocent little girl, and instead took her under his wing, treating her like an orphan he had found on the battlefield and revealing the truth of her origin to no one outside the immediate party. The long campaign continued after that for nearly two years, and at one point near the end the enemy managed to recapture you, but again Kalan rescued you. After the war, some of our group separated, but Kalan, Jynx, Eishun, Gato, and I all journeyed with you for several more years, until the former three moved on to their own lives, and you were left in Gato's care, and it was just the three of us. All this time, Gato continued to be your guardian, even as we went about as part of the 'Scarlet Crusade', fighting magical threats and saving people.

"And after these many years, you were still a little girl, about six years of age…apparently, something had been done to you in order to keep you from aging, so you would be a perfect, eternal weapon for them. Finally, Gato got himself into a fight that was too great for him, and he was killed. His last wish was that you finally be taken to a peaceful land, a peaceful place, and allowed to grow up as a normal girl. I finally brought you here, and worked with the principal to honor that wish…which had honestly been Kalan's fondest desire as well. The magic council was able to erase your memories of your terrible, painful past, and to finally reverse the condition you had that kept you from aging. And so you were raised here, at Mahora, as the school's ward…."

"The school watched you carefully," Momo continued. "All of them…all of us who knew you…we wanted you to have a normal, happy, peaceful life. Eventually, when my new captain, Hirako Shinji-taichô, couldn't stand my sulking any more, he arranged for a special assignment. One of our captains had been Kalan's constant companion after he left the Soul Society, and so they knew exactly what you were, and so you were of interest to them as well. There wasn't a particular reason for it, but…Eishun-san felt that a new situation could help his daughter, Kagome, and so he decided to send her here as well as she started middle school. And so I was given the mission to be her bodyguard, and to watch over the Crystal Princess—the girl the Obsidian Star had tried to use to conquer the magical world. It's…well, in my case, it was probably mostly for my benefit, to finally give me something to take my mind off of my negative thoughts that still burdened me after so many years. But I wasn't the only one at the school with the purpose of watching Mai…."

"Sendô Iori-senpai said that he had four reasons for attending this school," Kain remarked, finally voicing his own thoughts. "Erika-san was one…now, after seeing everything I have, I guess the other three would be Rei-san, myself, and Mai…."

Alyssa smiled. "I guess so. The Crystal Princess, eh...?"

"Yes…I see," Mai murmured. "And…I think I remember…just impressions, mostly. Feelings. Now that you're telling me this…it's odd…it's not coming back in a rush or anything, like I thought it would, but…the dream-memories I've been having…are coming back…just drifting to the surface. I can remember…names…voices…faces. But it's almost like they all belong to someone else." She shook her head and frowned. "But…what about…Kagutsuchi? I have…that spirit…he's…my friend, almost…that's the impression I get. He didn't come because of my contract with Kain…what is he…? And, what, really, am I…?"

Takamichi and Jynx shared a glance that neither Mai nor Kain could read. "We can't really say more than that…not right now," Jynx said finally. "If…you get your full memories back, they'll tell you much better than we can." He smiled at her. "In any case, it's good to see you again, Mai-san. I hope the memories you have of me are pleasant, at least…."

"Well, I think you've answered enough of our questions about her for now," Alyssa interrupted. "So, let's move on to the next part: what happened to Kalan Lockeheart, that caused him to disappear fourteen years ago, and, for that matter, what about you?"

Jynx sighed. "Right…well, as I said, I can't tell you everything…but here's what I can tell you….

"At the end of the war, Kalan finally defeated the Obsidian Prince, the leader of the Obsidian Star. We thought we put an end to everything, that it was totally gone. Of course, it didn't result in 'happily-ever-after'…even before the Obsidian Star went all-out on its own, it had manipulated the other kingdoms into a massive war that was greater than anything the magical world had seen in generations…probably worse than World War II was over here. There was a lot to do, a lot to clean up…a lot of people who still needed saving. That occupied a lot of our time for years. We spent a lot of time back on Earth, too, with Mai, and most especially we were cleaning up remnants of war criminals that had fled to Earth at some point during the war, or right after it. Then, right about the time of Kain's birth, there were rumors of dark mages rising up back in Arcanus Myrror…rumors that sounded suspiciously like the old Obsidian Star. We realized that, if any part of them had survived, they could very quickly return to threaten Arcanus Myrror again…and maybe Earth, too, if it came to that. We left the newborn Kain with Mira Talin and headed off to find the source of the rumors. It was almost certain that the Obsidian Star was involved…before we even found our target, we met their preliminary guards. Although they were new constructs, and didn't have anything about them that could really distinguish their source, they were too powerful to be anything but servants of the Obsidian Star. We had grown a little lax from a few years of peace, but we were still the magical world's most powerful fighters and mages. And yet, in that initial battle, I was wounded…fatally."

Jynx gestured around him. "Kalan had…all sorts of interests, and was a natural at almost everything…it really seems like Kain has taken right after him. He built this place under this school using his knowledge of demons and other 'planar outsiders'. Powerful beings can bind their souls to their 'home', and if their physical body is destroyed their spiritual essence will return to that home and regenerate them completely, so they cannot be killed outside of their home. Most powerful mazoku bind themselves to their abyssal plane so that they can freely assault mortal realms in this manner. There are drawbacks to it, but I won't go into that here. Kalan used that knowledge to make this, a kind of 'mini-world' half-a-step removed from Earth, and made it the home for…several of us, so that if we were fatally wounded, we could return here." He turned to Takamichi, who was listening with rapt attention—apparently this was news to him as well. "I'm sorry, but he never managed to contact Gato so he could get him sealed here as well, before he disappeared…so when Gato was killed…."

"It's all right…I understand. I'm not sure Gato was the sort who would have wanted to cheat death that way…."

Jynx nodded. "Yeah…he was too practical and, well, 'human', I guess. In any case, I've been here ever since, trying to recover from my wounds." He spread his hands out. "This is my real body, but it's still bound to this place…Kalan's work wasn't perfected, which is no surprise since it's a powerful magic required to give 'immortality', or virtual immortality, to mortal humans. After fourteen years, my body is still healing, and until it fully heals, I can't leave this place. During the Festival, when the mana's high, I can project myself into a solid illusion and walk around the Festival, but that's the limit of my contact with the outside world, so I know little else.

"Because of that, I don't know what happened to Kalan after he finished sending me back here, after our first fight. All I know is that he wasn't killed, and I have two proofs as to why." He held up his card. "With the contracts Kamo makes, if the master of the contract dies, the card changes its appearance and loses all its power. Since I still have access to it, we know he's alive, and he exists in this time period, somewhere, so we can rule out his disappearance as being sealed in stasis or moved in time. Also, if he were killed, he should have come back to this place to join me." Jynx shook his head. "I'm sorry. I'm as clueless as anybody as to where he could be now. I know that, from the moment he knew Kain would be born, he was obsessed with his son…of the idea of being with him, raising him. It's the real reason why he ended up finishing this monumental 'homeworld'—so that, no matter what challenges threatened him, he would be able to return and continue raising his son, return to his family. Disappearing for fourteen whole years…there must be some monumental task or problem still occupying his attention. It's the only explanation I have."

"You've explained plenty," Alyssa murmured. "I see…I even wondered why he suddenly returned here fifteen years ago. It must have been to finish this project of his…he started working on it while we were here together, before the war, but he would never tell me what it was. I had almost forgotten about it because of that…."

She glanced over at Kain, who was sitting silently, staring into his teacup. Finally he looked up. "Tear Grants asked me about…about my mother…and I must admit that, with all that I've heard about my father, no one has ever told me anything about her. And…even talking about my birth, about my father's disappearance, she's never been mentioned…."

Momo, Jynx and Takamichi all shared the look this time. As Kain mentioned the woman, images, voices, a face and a name rose to the back of Mai's memory. Finally Jynx said, "We haven't said everything about Mai's past…not everything we know…because we know she isn't ready for it. Right now…it's also for the best if we refrain from saying much more about your mother…."

"Have you ever wondered, Kain-kun," Takamichi continued, "about why you were raised in such tiny towns? About why, even though you were Kalan Lockeheart's son, the son of the Grand Archmage, you were never much bothered by fans and hero-worshippers, desperate to see your father's legacy? About why only very particular mages have ever had contact with you…and why, since your arrival at Mahora, you've been treated with very special care?" Kain hesitated, then nodded. "You're largely….a secret, Kain-kun, and the identity of your mother is a large part of that. Things…have happened…and so, all we can say is, for now, it's best if the identity of your mother remains a secret, for your own protection. I think…you're almost there…but for now, forgive us if we hold our peace a while longer. As you follow your father's trail, as you learn more about him, you'll certainly learn for yourself her identity, and when that time comes on its own, you should be ready, and more than ready, to receive the consequences of all that knowledge."

Kain stared at his predecessor and friend for several moments, his face a calm mask of serenity, and he finally nodded. "I understand. I'll trust you at your word. Already…you have all told me much. I'm grateful."

Alyssa snorted. "Yes…we've certainly learned a lot. I must admit, I'm growing ever more curious and excited about the prospect of your going out and searching for him, Kain. Well, after hearing all this…what will you do now?"

Kain looked around at the assembled group—Alyssa, Jynx, Takamichi, Miyu, Mai, Momo, and Kagome. He smiled again. "What I do after this…was already decided, even before I came down here. My father—the one I met thanks to Jynx' artifact—told me I should stop chasing him and be myself, seek my own happiness, but I realized, as I thought about it, that I can only seek my own happiness by chasing him. And from what Sakura said…and from what I've already seen myself…he still failed to completely destroy the Obsidian Star. Destiny or duty, I have to finish what he started, and I may be the only one who can…and while I follow that road, I'm likely to find my father anyway.

"I'm not rushing off right now, but I intend to go to the principal and request leave to finally journey to the magical world…I'm going to start my investigation in earnest."

Mai jumped to her feet, slamming her hands (still rather lightly) on the table. "Not alone, you're not! We've agreed to go with you, and we're going to see this through! Besides…after learning what I have…I…guess I have a score to settle with the Obsidian Star as well…."

"That's right!" Kagome agreed. "We're Kain Lockeheart's companions, just as you all were Kalan Lockeheart's companions! Kalan failed on his own, I guess, so we can't let Kain-sensei do anything without help!"

"I'm here to watch over all three of you anyway," Momo agreed with a smile. "I also have to see this through…and all your other comrades will certainly agree to that as well."

Jynx smiled at them all. "Very well. I'm glad to hear it. I wish I could go with you…but as I said, I'm still recovering, and can't leave this place yet. Still, I've seen what you all are capable of, and I'm quite interested in all of you…I'd like to help prepare you for your journey."

"Oho?" Alyssa asked him sweetly. "Are you trying to steal my disciple away, Jynx?"

"You know, I don't think I've ever stolen anything from you, Alyssa…but I think this might be a good way to start…."

"Tch." Alyssa still smiled as she set her teacup down. "Well, this just makes things more interesting. We might be able to make a way for you to join us inside my resort…we'll have to look into it…."

"In any case, you should start preparing to go to the magical world…the magic country…the home country…Arcanus Myrror. There you will find the clues you need." Jynx smiled at the younger man. "But you were right when you said you're not rushing off right now. Sakura's plot did a great job in building you up some, but you still have a ways to go before you'll be ready to face the Obsidian Star…and I don't know when they'll strike, or when you'll find them, but you need to be absolutely ready to fight them before you leave this school. So, we'll need to make preparations…."

"Oi! Kain-sensei! Minna!"

They turned and stared as the crowd wandered in…Kiami, Akari, Nanami, Nodoka, Yue, Ami, Kazumi, Rei, Erika, Hinagiku, Kenjirô, and Chisame.

"Eh…you all!?"

"Oh…I almost forgot I invited them too," Jynx chuckled. "Welcome, everyone." He snapped his fingers, and around them more tables and settings with tea appeared, enough for the whole party. "Sit down and drink, please. We've just finished the serious discussions, so…."

8-8-8

That night, Kagome lay in her bed, sleeping peacefully, but Mai was wide awake. The thoughts and images were in the back of her mind, those almost alien memories…she knew they hadn't told her everything, and she felt, most of all, that the little girl she had been was somehow different than she was…that is, almost an entirely separate person…but for the most part, she kept all those thoughts under control. Something more significant was on her mind.

"Hey, Momo," she whispered softly. The Soul Reaper stirred and finally turned fairly alert eyes on her.

"Hmm? Mai?"

"You…couldn't sleep either…?"

She smiled. "I've been waiting…I figured you'd want to talk about something…what is it?"

Mai hesitated. "…Kain's mother…Aeli…."

"So, you remember her…."

"Yeah…do you think…?"

Momo turned away and put her head on her pillow as she thought. "I…didn't know anything about Kalan's 'homeworld'. I believe he only told Jynx, and he almost certainly had to have told her…and I'm certain he would have bound her to the place as well. She would never have let Kalan go off on his own, even if she had a newborn child…she would have insisted on going with him. So, if she's never appeared since, then…."

"She's…probably just like Kalan," Mai finished. "She's…not dead, but…not able to return…."

"Yeah…maybe…one day….Kain-sensei will meet her, too…."

8-8-8

A few days later….

The post-Festival break had finally ended, and Kain hurried to class ahead of Mai, Momo and Kagome.

"Is it sad that I almost feel I'm glad to be going back to school?" Mai muttered. "I worry about being like Ami-chan, but…."

"I understand, I think," Kagome laughed. "For a while, at least, everything's back to normal, and it feels good!"

"Still," Momo noted, glancing around, "our surroundings are a little noisy…."

Indeed, the passersby and other milling students of the various grades and buildings that often ignored or didn't notice the middle-schoolers were now paying close attention. Some simply loudly announced their recognition of the 'hero unit' characters, while many others snapped photos with their phones.

And, next, Kain found himself confronted by another crowd.

"Kain-kun! Do you have a moment?" asked a group of older high schoolers, barring his path. "We're with MNN! As a child teacher, you've always been a person of interest, but now, after the events of the Festival, between the tournament and the Final Event, your popularity has sky-rocketed! Therefore, as a strong candidate for becoming Mahora Academy's Top Person of the Year, we would like to give you a detailed interview!"

As this and other propositions were made to him, Kain fought to escape the attention. Several of his students watched from afar with mixed emotions.

Others of his students had also gathered a surprising amount of attention of their own…Riku, for instance, had become a person of interest after her strong showing on the final event's scoreboard, and the popularity of WHITE was quite surprising to Yukari.

Nevertheless, everyone eventually escaped the unwanted attention and made it to class.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good morning!" the class exulted, some of the students jumping out of their seats with energy.

('Nothing's changed at all,') Chisame thought dourly.

('Everyone's too energetic,') Yue thought next to her.

"It's good no one is absent," Kain noted. "Well, checking attendance first…."

He fell silent as his gaze fell on the empty seat in the middle of the class that had, until recently, been occupied by Sakura Sanada. "Ah…."

"That's right…" Risa noted. "Sakura-chan…has already left…."

"She really went out in a flashy way at the end there," Miki noted. "I guess she didn't want us forgetting her…but it is tragic she had to leave so suddenly…."

"We should have at least seen her one last time…off at the airport, right?" Izumi asked.

"No," Erika insisted, surprising everyone. "She's…awkward with those kinds of things, anyway. She hates goodbyes more than anything, I think. Which is why she was so troubled by the surprise farewell Caria-san arranged for her. She gave us her regards, at that point, and in those letters she wrote us…she gave us more than enough as she left. I'm sure she's doing fine on her side, too."

"Well, it's not our style to get all gloomy," Nanami said suddenly. "Sakura-chan wouldn't have wanted us to be like that…."

"Which means…" Kanade said with a smile, "…it's time for us to celebrate Saku's departure with a bang today, too!"

"You still want to party, you people!?" Chisame cursed loudly.

"Get out of that School Festival mood already!" Hinagiku scolded them.

Kain laughed lightly as the class carried on for a few minutes, and he opened his class role. He froze as his eyes fell on the pictures…and over on the side, above Takamichi's original salutation, in (mostly) English, was a new message written….

'Do not stop. Continue ahead with hope and faith and you will obtain what you desire. Adieu! Sakura'.

('Sakura….')

Kain turned and gazed out the window.

While several of the class members—most of them the more 'ignorant' ones—carried on in various ways, the gazes of several students swept around the room. Most were focused on Kain, but a few watched the faces watching Kain.

Rakasu smiled at Kain's melancholy expression. ('This time, you could say…regardless of Sakura's real intentions, Kain-sensei really saved the world…and now, he looks like this.') She gazed around at the others. ('Mai…seems upset, looking at him like that. Momo…looking even more like Sakura, seems more concerned about Mai…Chisame is trying to be indifferent…Nodoka…and Kazumi, too…they feel as strongly about him as ever, but they seem worried. Yue…she, too, looks worried, no matter how she tries to hide it…Kiami looks at him like a proud old man, and Akari…ah, well, clueless as ever….')

Izumi gave a sudden sigh, attracting Rakasu's attention…and Miki's. "Something the matter, Izumi? Don't tell me you're missing Sakura-chan that badly…."

"Eh? No! It's…it's not Sakura-chan…it's just…."

Rakasu smiled. "If you're troubled about something that happened at the Festival, you could go talk to the priest at the chapel. At the confessional, they hear and forgive sins, but he is a wise man who can also offer all sorts of guidance."

Miki glanced over at her. "That's an…interesting suggestion, Rakasu-chan. Why mention this now…?"

"I'm not sure. I just thought of it. Izumi-chan seems to need something like that…."

"N-no, I'm fine, I'm fine…."

"All right, let's begin the lesson," Kain sighed, but with a smile, turning his attention back to class. "Since Sakura-san can't be with us, we have to study twice as hard for her sake, right? We don't want to be left behind…!"

Some of the class groaned, but they dutifully began their lessons.

Rakasu wasn't sure why she had placed that seed out there, but several people thought about it. And even wise Rakasu didn't realize what trouble would arise from the innocent suggestion….

F I N

Author's Note: History and Future

Mai's past has been partially revealed, as have some facts about Kalan. As I've mentioned, Asuna didn't find out anything about herself until much later…Takamichi decides against saying anything to her, perhaps regretfully. I, however, have had too many people aware, and have dropped too many hints. Mai's in the know. At least partially in the know. More and more will return to her over time. How many problems will this cause? Will it help or hinder? Time will tell….

Momo has decided to honor the memory of Sakura by adopting her hairstyle…which means, of course, that she's returning to the common Momo image. As I mentioned earlier, I had her adopt a more normal ponytail simply because I wanted to not have her look too closely like Sakura (her alternate dimension daughter…), and I was always planning to have her return to her 'normal' look after this…the memory of Sakura is a good excuse for it. Now, Tite Kubo actually has his characters change their hairstyles over time, sometimes drastically, particularly the girls, so the question is…did Momo keep her hair in a bun back in the past and then only later change it to a ponytail, but has now found reason to go back? Or is this a style she hasn't yet adopted in this universe? Hehe…I don't have an answer to that! Oh well.

We also learned a little about what happened to Kalan, and about his background a little, and even a bit about his wife, Aeli, although there is little more than her name given to us at this point. Since she was one of Kalan's companions, she is well-known to all those 'in the know', Jynx, Takamichi, Kamo, Momo, the past Mai….

Speaking of which, there are two undiscovered points never revealed in Negima that I touched on here. The first was what happened to Negi's mother…it's not first chronologically, in this chapter, but the first one I want to talk about. It is never revealed what happened to Negi's mother, and it takes the longest time for him to even learn who she was. He never seems to think about her, which bothers me. They just don't explain enough. Also related is that question—why so few recognize Negi and have heard about him, and they suggest it's related to his mother's identity, but they never go into details about it. I'm fixing both those here. Not yet, of course…we still have to wait for Aeli's past and true identity to be revealed…but at the very least I've addressed the matter and brought it into view.

…And I've also made a rather interesting suggestion. Negi never sees his mother, except in the fantasy illusion world he gets trapped in at one point. As I said, what happened to her—disappearance, death, whatever—is never revealed, not even in the conclusion of Negima. Just, here yesterday, gone today, kind of thing. Well, I know exactly what happened to Aeli, I've planned all that out, and Kain, too, will eventually learn everything about her. And…perhaps….

Oh, I would not give you false hopes, no! on a strange and mournful day, but a Mother and Child Reunion….

I won't give any more teasers than that, but my readers probably know that I'm a more 'happy ending' obsessed guy….

The other matter that was never addressed is what happened to Al, and why he was stuck underneath the library. A reason is never given, but the facts I kept are there…he has this place, guarded by this dragon, shown in Nagi's map of the underground library, and he can't leave, except by projecting his image during the days of the Festival. So, I invented reasons—good ones—for why all these things are. I've always liked the D&D concept of demons and devils and other outsiders existing in their 'home plane' and returning to their home plane if their physical form is destroyed on some other world. It helps in a lot of ways, for stories, games, and many uses—it's the kind of fantasy idea that logically explains respawning characters in MMORPGs or MOBAs and the like. And it makes a great excuse for Jynx' fourteen year imprisonment, why Kalan was in Japan at the time he met Alyssa, why he was doing all this to the school (BTW, obviously, part of the reason for its location is because he powers it at least partially via the World Tree), etc. etc.

Because of his more aware nature, they've had to give Kain a little more information about all of this, but it's still sparse enough, and there are good reasons for it. Mysteries are unveiled, oh so slowly.

And so with this soft bit we begin the preparation for the trip to the magical world. We're about to bring Iori into the story for some comic relief and mischief, and some emotional adjustment, good and bad…some of it will be adjusted from Negima, some taken from Fortune Arterial, and some my unique creation, but we still have some issues to resolve. Most particularly, of course, Erika's wounds that I've inflicted on her won't heal so easily….

Anyway, let's continue on…to Chapter 2!