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 Three: Tales of Days Gone By
The raven-haired girl glanced about from under the locks hiding her face, coyly and coquettishly drifting about and talking up all present, flirting with the men, flattering the women, listening far more than she talked and learning what she could….
A pause in her travels brought an unusual salutation to her ears: "Luana-nee-chan!"
The older girl whirled around in surprise and stared at Erstin Ho. "Ers-chan!" Luana said in surprise. "Well, bless my soul! Little Ers-chan! Why, I haven't seen you in ages! But," she continued, pouting slightly, "how are you able to recognize me so easily when I'm like this?"
"Ah…I remember you always trying those out," Erstin giggled. "I used to play such games with you! I've been wondering what happened to you all…."
"We've been well, we've been well…but look at you! Little Ers-chan, all grown up…and what is this, a full-fledged HiME?"
"W-well…not a full-fledged, exactly…I'm still a Coral, but my friends and I are here as part of the HiME security detail…."
Luana raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Well, you have come along! Since we've just seen each other again, Ers-chan, we'll have to trade stories…you can tell me all about it, and about your friends…."
8-8-8
Kain took a break from the dancing to speak with Mai and Chisame when a sight startled him. Byakuya Kuchiki, dressed in the finest tuxedo Kain had ever seen, whirled by, dancing with Rukia. Kain stared after them. "Was that…Kuchiki-san…?"
"How sweet, treating his sister to a dance," Mai mused with a smile. "Like you, it seems he can be a gentleman. He was…always frightening, but at least he has mellowed a little…."
"Kalan-sama…."
Kain turned to the speaker…the young boy, the page, Kain supposed, that had accompanied Kurt Gödel back when they first met him in town. "Governor Kurt Gödel awaits you in his deluxe suite," the boy explained. "You are permitted to bring up to the three companions."
Kain stared carefully at the child. "…Very well," he acknowledged.
"Right!" Mai insisted. "Here we go! I'm going with you!"
Kain shook his head. "No. Not you, Mai." He glanced around, noticing that most of his party already had their eyes on him, and gestured them all in. The boy stepped back and waited patiently as the White Wings and their associates gathered in to hear the news.
"But, Kain…!" Mai began.
"No," Kain repeated. "Not this time, Mai. You heard Lina before, right? You're the one person I can't bring right now." He turned back to the boy. "Out of curiosity…why am I limited to three companions?"
"It is customary."
"And if I refuse?"
"You will be denied your audience."
Kain nodded. "Fair enough." He turned to another of the girls closest to him. "First, I will take Nodoka."
Nodoka started, but assumed her determined expression. "R-right!"
"Secondly…Miki."
"Hmm…me?" Miki demanded, only half-shrilly.
Kain leaned in and began to whisper in her ear. Finally Miki fully recovered her composure and nodded. "All right. I understand. I'm in your care, Kain-sensei."
"And third: Chisame."
Chisame started worse than the other two. "Wha...!?"
"Miki will help analyze this information," Kain explained. "And handle other things for us. Nodoka…just as we discussed earlier." Nodoka nodded enthusiastically. "I'm sorry for bringing you into danger this time…."
"N-no, I, uh…a-as long as I can be of help!"
"Thank you." He bowed to her.
Hinagiku sighed. "I'd like to come myself for additional protection, but I think I understand your reasoning. We'll take care of things on this end."
"And don't worry," Lina agreed. "Momo, Hinagiku and I will all make sure Mai and the rest of them are okay!"
"Whoa! Whoa! Hold it already!" Chisame insisted. "I can understand you taking them, but why me!? I don't want to end up in the center of all his fantasy stuff! There have to be better candidates!"
"What if I just need you by my side here?" Kain asked, completely straight-faced.
"Don't even joke with crap like that," Chisame seethed. "You'll get yourself stabbed by one of these girls. Even if that were the case, why does Hanabishi get an explanation, Miyazaki gets an apology, but I just get a 'because'?"
Kain laughed. "Well, in all seriousness…I need someone strong-willed to help me keep a level head, and since Mai can't come this time, I'll be relying on you. And…I think that your abilities might also be useful here. Just do what you can, all right?"
Chisame glowered at him, then turned away with a sigh. "Fine, whatever! I'll come!"
"Don't worry about those here," Kisuke said, appearing rather suddenly…dressed for the party, but still looking rather unkempt despite his best efforts. "We're all keeping an eye on them. Especially this one," he continued, laying a hand on Mai's head.
Mai glowered, but she then sighed and attempted a brave smile. "Fine. I understand. Just…don't do anything stupid, all right, Kain-sensei?"
Kain chuckled. "That's why I have Chisame." He turned to the boy, who was considering this all very carefully and passively, and nodded. "All right. Take us to the Governor-General…."
8-8-8
They followed the page through the halls and finally up to a pair of ornate, impressive double doors. They paused before it.
('On the other side of the door lie the secrets of Kain-sensei's father and mother…') Nodoka thought. ('…And of this whole world.')
"You have some lively companions there," the boy suddenly said to Kain.
"Hmm?"
"Ah, well…I was just thinking, considering the tragedy that began you on your journey, to have made friends as remarkable as those…I am actually a little envious. After all, no matter where you go, the world is full of tragedies, even now." He gestured, and the doors began to open. "New and old worlds alike."
At his gesture, they moved past him and into the room…and suddenly a chamber they had only just started to observe flashed out, transforming into a roiling inferno. Kain's eyes widened in shock, for he recognized it very well….
"Welcome to my deluxe suite, Kain Lockeheart-kun," Kurt said with apparent delight.
"T-this is…Kain-sensei's village…ten years ago!" Nodoka cried in alarm.
"W-what!?" Chisame gasped. "W-what's going on here!?"
"Nothing to get upset about, my dear ojô-chans," Kurt insisted. "This is merely a projection."
Miki observed the man carefully. Politics, born and bred in her, were one of her specialties. "…So, you're the Governor-General…quite a welcome you grace us with…."
Kain stared at the scene unfolding, his face a rigid mask. "How?" he demanded. "How…did you get a recording of this?"
"Well…how do you think…?" Kurt replied slyly, almost viciously.
The man threw his head back, cupping one hand to his forehead and laughing. "In truth, I merely thought it prudent to make the theme of our discussion quite clear from the outset!" he declared. "You have come here to find the answers you seek. However…which answers, precisely, do you wish to hear? A – The Secrets of the Magic World?" With this question he raised a hand, and a magical image of Arcanus Myrror, its globe, appeared above his cupped palm. Then he raised his other hand, and the red comet, the symbol that was upon Mai's breast, appeared above that palm. "B – The Goals of the Evil Society? Or perhaps C – How your mother lived?" He lowered his left hand, and the globe vanished, replaced by an image of Aeli Kanna at his side. He then lowered his right, replacing the Obsidian Star's symbol with an image of Kalan Lockeheart. "Or D – Your father's whereabouts?
"No! No, that's not it at all, is it!? The answer that you truly, truly desire to find is not any of these things! Rather, it is simply one thing—the identity of your 'True Enemy!'"
('T-this isn't good!') Chisame thought. ('He's completely controlling the situation…Sensei!')
A small Kain, clutching a tiny wand, ran by them and stopped at the top of the hill overlooking the burning buildings below. "Ten years ago! On that snowy day! This day, this moment! The event that irrevocably changed your entire existence! Who exactly was responsible for the destruction of your village!? That is the one answer you truly seek to find! Truly, your wish to find your father is profound, and your goals for the future, your desires, are genuine! But you, who mastered darker powers, taking chaos unto yourself, you must see the truth! Your true desire, your deepest desire, is to find the enemy behind this horrible scene…and get revenge!"
"Don't listen!" Chisame suddenly snapped. "He's toying with you!"
"Sensei! She's absolutely right!" Nodoka pressed, looking up from her Diarium Ejus.
"As long as this hunger goes unfulfilled, you cannot so much as truly enjoy a day of relaxation with your friends. You are a hollow soul!"
Kain still was unmoving, unchanging in his expression. "Nodoka…you read about this in your book once…Chisame, Miki…you may have heard of it…but this is the reality. Look at it. As he says…this was the first significant event in my life…when I lost my world, before I was even old enough to understand what that could ever mean…and found what I had sought." He glanced over at Kurt. "…You know, do you?"
"Who do you think the culprit might be?" Kurt countered. "You are an intelligent boy. You must have considered all the possibilities. You must have spent every day since that night, silently honing your blade of vengeance…."
"N-no!" Nodoka insisted. "Kain-sensei would never…!" Then she remembered the words of the corralled Graf, insisting that Kain's doom bolt was created with a single aim in mind….
"A – Pakrov Eminus. B – The Demons. C – The Obsidian Prince. Indeed, any of those would make a fine 'True Enemy!'" Kurt continued. "With any one of them as your target, your tale would actually have been a simple one. However…reality has the potential to be far more complicated than that…far less pleasant than a simple Evil Boss and Heroic Protagonist like in some video game. Allow me to tell you the truth. The responsibility for the deed back then…the true culprit is…us. That is to say, in particular, the Senate of the Halteese Republic."
The girls stared in shock. "W-what!?" Nodoka demanded, aghast. "B-but, the Republic is…."
"We are the ones behind it all," Kurt insisted. "As I say, you are an intelligent boy…you must have considered the possibility…."
It happened so fast, no one knew it had even happened. Suddenly Kain, fully empowered with his True Kanka, was holding Kurt Gödel in the air, his hand around his throat.
"K-Kain-sensei! No!" Chisame demanded.
"Those images…they're too much for such a trauma…" Miki muttered.
"Sensei!" Nodoka pleaded.
The scene had continued to play out around them. Now, while Kain held Kurt helpless in the air, demons suddenly settled around the tiny Kain as he cried over his fallen uncle.
Nodoka glanced at the diary she had been using to monitor Kain's thoughts. It was…blank. She stared back up at him in shock. "K-Kain-sensei!?"
"You talk a lot, Gödel," Kain said suddenly, quietly, almost robotically. "You are insisting I want nothing but revenge on the perpetrators of this deed…you're intentionally rousing my sense of hatred and vengeance…and then you're intentionally painting yourself as the villain? It's as if you want to die…."
Kurt managed to stare down at Kain, a smile on his twisted, breathless face. "M-magnificent…merely your presence in this enraged state completely paralyzes me…Kain-kun…the more I see you…the more I want you for my own…."
"K-Kain-sensei!" Nodoka insisted.
"Look," Kain replied. The demons were about to crush the little Kain.
"But, Kain-sensei…!" Chisame began.
"Look," Kain repeated, his voice inflected for the first time since he had entered the suite. Then, as they looked, Kalan appeared, vanquishing the demons assaulting Kain….
…And suddenly the image began to change….
There was the Graf, and Kain, and Kenjirô, and the captured girls. The Graf took off his hat and revealed his demonic face. "Your revenge, Kain-kun."
The image shifted again, finally showing the same scene, but shortly after this…Kain driving his sword into the Graf and pinning him into the ground, then raising his doom bolt over his head.
Wilhelm gasped and coughed, and then stared up at Kain, a satisfied smile on his face. "Well…nicely done. So? Why are you hesitating? Why don't you finish it?"
Kain didn't answer. Wilhelm gave a coughing laugh. "C'mon, now…I know just what that spell is…what it's for. Mazoku are difficult creatures to kill, and most spells don't work well on them. 'Holy' magic is about the only thing universally effective against them, but only casters with training in true white magic can use it reliably. Most other magics are elemental-based, and some mazoku are more one element or another, so you can't use them reliably; besides, even the most effective ones can only destroy a mazoku's physical form, not their true spiritual existence. So, in your finest moment at your university, you developed a spell of your own…a spell specifically for defeating any enemy, and most especially the demons that destroyed your village. The doom bolt, a ball of chaos-fire, a weapon that shows no remorse, pierces all defenses, and destroys everything. You made the spell yourself, just for this moment…for your revenge. Why don't you use it?"
Kain stared down, still unmoving, unanswering. Finally he closed his fist on the spell and it vanished. "I don't live for revenge," he said finally.
The image faded, Kain's power suddenly vanished, and he dropped Kurt roughly to the ground. "I don't live for revenge," he repeated quietly. "Once, it may have consumed me…but I am no child, Gödel. Yes, I considered all the possibilities. There are…many people I would make answer for my injustices. But there are worse injustices still out there…and before I worry about something as petty as revenge, I have to do my best to prevent or rectify the most important ones. My revenge is personal…but personal isn't the same as important."
Kurt laughed and clapped as he finally recovered and came to his feet. "Well done, Kain-kun. It's a shame, but I lose that round. I thought that your recent methods of power might make you somewhat unstable…more easily influenced. It's a pity…if you had gone just a bit further, and killed me, it would have been so much more convenient for my purposes…."
"Really?" Kain asked, still sounding far-away. "You really wanted me to kill you? How interesting…too bad for you, then, that you misjudged me. I feel somewhat insulted that you thought I was that easy to manipulate, but then again, you're not too far off. Yes…that event was my life. It was what pushed me, shaped me, and drove me through my formative years…not just for the thought of revenge, but for that guilty pleasure I took in it—that even if it cost my village, I finally met my father, even received his most precious gift. But since then…I've come to Mahora, started teaching a bunch of girls my own age (mostly), lived with them, laughed with them…we've been through so much. Mai, Nodoka, Chisame, the rest of them…I owe them all so much. I love all of them. And for their sakes, more than anything else…I can't allow myself to get bogged down by anything as useless as revenge."
"Remarkable," Kurt commented, pushing at his glasses. "I never suspected such a thing. For mere little girls like those, with no real power, to have an influence over you…it was beyond my calculations."
Miki, who had largely remained silent and took in all these scenes, finally moved forward to address the man. "Governor Gödel…I realize that I am the least experienced here with this magical business, but still, I can't help wondering…what, exactly, is your aim in all of this? You're rather ambiguous, so tell us what you're really after."
Kurt chuckled. "Isn't that obvious? I'm trying to get Kain-kun to join our ranks." He snapped his fingers, and the world around them changed once again…becoming a starlit void, space, surrounding a world…Arcanus Myrror. "Behold…Arcanus Myrror, the paradise created for those humans gifted with the power of magic!"
The girls started at this scene change, and although they did not feel any physical weightlessness or other forces, it was quite disconcerting. "W-what is this!?" Chisame demanded.
"This is simply another illusionary projection," Kurt explained. "You shouldn't let it worry you. Now, I understand that the three of you are still quite novice in the secrets of magic, so I shall explain this as simply as I can.
"I was hoping to stimulate Kain-kun into succumbing to his chaos magic and taking the first step towards our side. After that, it would have been simple to win him over. However, that has failed, so I must resort to other means."
"You staged this whole crazy situation just for that?" Miki queried.
"I do whatever is necessary to achieve my goals." Kurt then snapped his fingers, and they were now floating over the landscape of the magical world.
"Quit it already, you stupid governor!" Chisame roared. "You still haven't even told us what those goals are! What do you need Sensei on your side for!?"
"Hahaha…I see the girl Aiden Rylack has taken a liking to is quite short-tempered. That is exactly what I am about to explain. I shall be frank and try to keep this as brief as possible.
"A population of one-hundred fifty million pure-blood mages, and the greatest military numbers in the Magical World: the Halteese Republic. Also, the council that directs it: the Senate of the Halteese Republic. These are our enemy." As Kurt spoke, the scenes continued changing, showing Ouritel, the capital of the Republic and its greatest city, along with said military, airships and landships, Battle Mages and HiME. It then showed the Obsidian Palace and a cruel-looking, dark-cloaked creature. "The Obsidian Prince, said to have been destroyed: he, too, is the sworn enemy we humans must fear.
"Dalkia, too, has conspired against our prosperity for many years, and even many leaders of the Grandall Empire are not innocent in this unheralded war. But our greatest enemy at present is likely the successor to the Obsidian Prince's will: the child-golem known as Pakrov Eminus. Put very simply…we must defeat every one of these powers. This, Kain-kun, is the reason I need your help. Furthermore, we intend to save our 115 million fellow humans from the fate of this dying world."
Kain considered Kurt silently, absorbing it all. ('…I knew it….')
Chisame was not so calm. "H-hold it! How many damn 'enemies' do you have!? Is the entire world your enemy or something!? Are you insane!? And talk about delusions of grandeur! Where the hell are you getting this crap from, Four-Eyes!?"
"A-and…" Nodoka added, "…you just said the Senate of the Halteese Republic is your enemy, but you, as Governor-General of the Halteese protectorate of New Orimus, are a member of them…correct…?"
Miki, like Kain, was calmly considering all of this. "You weren't involved with it, were you? Kain-sensei's tragedy…the destruction of that village…." Kain shot Miki an obscure glance.
"Well," Kurt replied gravely, "I have no intention of running from my sins. The responsibility of a body of government extends to each of its members for its actions. Besides, even if he is withholding his rage, I'm sure Kain-kun would not like to lose a target for his revenge…."
"Why, you…!" Chisame began.
Nodoka, however, cut the little girl off. "Governor Kurt Gödel. I trust there are neither lies nor deception in anything you have told us?"
Kurt didn't reply. Instead, he glanced at the book floating in front of Nodoka. ('So…that is the Diarium Ejus….')
Kain looked to Nodoka, who looked back his way as well. Then, turning her gaze back to the governor, she announced, "He is telling the truth. Also, this man had nothing to do with what happened to your village."
Kurt sighed. Kain nodded. "I suspected as much to begin with. But thank you, Nodoka, for your concern."
"T-then this is all for real!?" Chisame screeched. "B-but even so…!" And then she was brought up short by the changing scenes, as it began to settle upon a familiar image…one they had seen recently in a movie…the Obsidian Palace, and the battle between Kalan Lockeheart and the Obsidian Prince.
"Well," explained Kurt, "I did suppose that no matter how I presented my case, it might be difficult to take it all in. As such, I prepared this as well…a tale about two people I knew very well…your father and mother, Kain-kun."
8-8-8
The Obsidian Prince laughed even as he fell, mortally wounded. "So mighty you are…so you will kill this body, human? Well then! Go on! Become a hero, and give comfort to these sheep! But you still do not understand anything…of this world, or of the Obsidian Star. The nightmare of our presence will not fade with this…."
"Just shut up," Kalan replied, blasting him with a big spell for a finishing blow. "Don't look down on humans…whatever you are, you won't find us that easy to crush under your boot heel…."
The scene shifted to the next evening, where Kalan stood in the courtyard of the Orimus palace, looking up at the still-present celebrations erupting in the sky. "So this is where you were…."
Kalan turned to the girl as she approached. "Aeli…no, your Majesty. It seems that it's all over."
Aeli shrugged. "Yes…I guess so."
Kalan glanced askew at her. "Victory is ours…we've won our battles…is something still bothering you?" He smiled crookedly. "Don't want to take up your throne?"
Aeli smiled as well, a small, soft smile. "Perhaps…that sounds right. I spent my childhood locked away in cloisters, and my pubescent years as a vagabond, roaming the world…and I think I preferred being a vagabond. Now, this crown…seems like another prison…."
Kalan chuckled and turned away to look thoughtfully up at the sky, rather inviting Aeli to stand next to him. "Well, it's not like I haven't done maverick things before. Just say the word, and I'll 'kidnap' you again, and we can continue adventuring. We'll take Eishun, Jynx, maybe Saber if she isn't obsessed with her own throne…and of course we'll have to take little Mai…."
He was brought up short as Aeli embraced him from behind. "Yes…that sounds best. Kalan…will you take me away from all of this? Show me the rest of this world, and Mahora, and your home, and all the other wonderful things you've talked about…."
Kalan glanced back at her in surprise. Then he turned in her grip so that he could return her embrace. "Anything you want, Aeli…anywhere you wish. I will be your wings, and I will take you to the moon or retrieve the sun for you if it will make you happy."
"Kalan…."
They shared a kiss. Then, when they finally broke off the happy moment, Aeli suddenly pushed out of Kalan's grip and turned away imperiously. "Thank you for that, Kalan Lockeheart. I appreciate your sentiments." Kalan stared after her in shock, and she continued, "I have a throne to assume now, and many duties to fulfill. I cannot impose upon the Red Wings any more. You are my knights no longer…go back to your own work. This kingdom is my responsibility now."
Kalan stared after her. "…Just like that? Why even ask if you weren't serious? I was serious. And I know you were, too…what secrets are you hiding?"
Aeli suddenly stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "And what about you? What secrets are you hiding in your heart?"
The scene shifted again, briefly showing subtitles indicating thirty-six hours earlier. It was back to the final battle again…only this time, outside, in the sky surrounding the palace. Voices shrilled out techno-babble about the anti-magic phenomenon emerging from the palace, a world-warping power whose purpose they could not even begin to comprehend. But the airships of the united armies moved to surround it, Aeli on the bridge of the Enterprise, which led the charge. Kurt Gödel, younger than the students that now watched, stood at Aeli's side.
Following Aeli's command, a spell was completed by the entirety of the force, all the mages contributing to it and channeling their power through every medium they had. Mashiro and Maria were also on the Enterprise with her, and, observing the spell's work in canceling the world-warping power, Maria asked, "Is this all right, your Majesty?"
Aeli sighed in grief and hung her head. "How…how can it possibly be 'all right'?"
Then the scene was back inside the palace, where the Prince whispered to Kalan, "It is impossible for a hero of war to change anything…even if you defeat us and stop our work, this world will destroy itself. And even so, at the end of it all, at the end of your despair, you will find us, waiting to finish our work…you have not stopped it…only delayed it…."
And then it returned to the conversation between hero and princess (rather, queen). "Maybe so," Kalan said. "I'll be blunt. You can't fool me, Princess. If you become queen and take this kingdom…things won't turn out well. I think I know what happened…why it was necessary…but still, to just fall on your sword…will that help anything…?"
"If you have time to worry about me, about one single woman, then use your time and your power to save other lives. There are plenty enough that need your help…and will need it in the future." And Aeli walked away, leaving Kalan behind.
The scene shifted to a view of the members of the Red Wings meeting again in town, exulting over their victory, teasing each other over the wounds they had received. "Speaking of wounds," Aiden continued, "What about our two princesses? They haven't been out of the palace since the awarding ceremony…."
"They have their own concerns," Kalan said simply. "Their own kingdoms to run, and such." Aiden looked at his friend in surprise, but elicited no further information.
Eventually they went their separate ways—Byakuya, Momo, and Rukia were the last hinigami to return to the Soul Society. Saber, now Queen Artoria Pendragon after her father perished fighting in the last days of the war, finally met with the group before heading for Avalon. Aiden, Kalan, Takamichi, Jynx, Eishun, and Mai remained for a small while longer while Gato and Kurt worked alongside the new young Queen….
And the scene shifted back to the palace of Orimus, where Aeli walked alone, remembering the times she'd had…particularly with Kalan. She remembered the sights they'd seen and experienced, how she'd had her first taste of ice cream at his side, much to his surprise….
"Your Majesty!"
She turned as Gato and Kurt came running up, each dropping to a knee and planting a fist into the ground. "It's time," Gato said. "The first state of the collapse has begun."
"How far has it progressed?" Aeli demanded almost harshly.
"Ever since the securing of Princess Mai, the fleet has been lending its whole power…but still it stands at 37%." Gato glanced up, a grim look upon his face. "Just as you have suggested, we've begun to persuade the citizens to gather to this island under the pretense of ceremonial celebrations. We have regulated the information channels and such in order to prevent a panic, but…once the collapse begins…it won't be enough. The evacuation of the entire population will be…nigh impossible…."
Aeli cast down her eyes and sighed deeply. "Understood…I will take direct command of this operation myself…."
8-8-8
The next day the collapse finally began.
Beginning with the outer islands, they began to fall from the sky. Some began to shake first, some crumbled into pieces a bit at a time, and some smaller ones simply dropped from the air. But the utter collapse of the flying city had begun.
The soldiers of Kanev and Halteese rushed through the streets, gathering up the panicking citizens and herding them to airships and anything else they could use to evacuate them.
Aeli took command of the operation aboard a flagship—not, this time, the Enterprise, for the ship had been placed once again in the hands of Kalan and his company. "Call on all of the fleet! All the ships still here, from all the nations! Do not abandon a single citizen of this country!"
"The evacuation of the slums is proceeding poorly!" announced one operator.
"The reason?" Aeli snapped automatically.
"Er…the structure of the area is unstable, and it is overpopulated…and with the high number of illegal immigrants, we can't even properly calculate the number of people there…."
Aeli sighed. "Very well. Take command of the fleet. I'll head down to that area and take care of things myself."
"B-but your Majesty…!"
"My magic is the core of this world, and those from which it was made—the summoning and controlling of spirits. My magic, at least, will be effective."
"B-but…!"
"Hey, Aeli!" Aeli turned as Kalan's face suddenly appeared on the viewscreen. "What the heck's going on!? This much, this fast…!"
"I thought you said you knew what had happened," Aeli replied. "Obviously, in order to save the world, I have sacrificed my own kingdom. Soon I will follow it to hell, just as you prophesied, so don't worry…."
"Why didn't you come to me for help!? We could have…!"
"It wouldn't have done any good, and there was no time," Aeli said, a calm opposite of Kalan's emotional tirade. "You were the only one able to defeat the Obsidian Prince and rescue Mai. Without that, nothing would have been able to save this world."
"Blast it…wait right there! I'll be down there…."
"I told you, I have no need of you! I'm done with you!" Aeli insisted. "If you have any spare time or power, then use it to save whatever citizens you can! Most of the city has lost all magic, but there are areas your powers alone can be trusted."
Kalan glared, and then sighed. "Fine. I'm on it. But remember…our contract isn't over yet!"
Aeli shook her head and turned away. "No. There is nothing left between us. After this is over, you should depart. Never come near here again. Your part in the affairs of this kingdom…this world…it is over. Your duty is to that child. Understand?"
As Kalan fought for a response, Kurt hurried to viewscreen. "Kalan! Please…listen to what her Majesty says! Once this is over, Halteese and Dalkia, and maybe even Grandall, too, will probably try to detain you and find a crime to hold you! Things will probably improve in time…but for now you should conceal yourselves!"
"I understand," Jynx suddenly said to the viewscreen. "We'll do that."
Kurt continued: "In any case, I believe that this is what Aeli-sama wishes."
Kalan stared at Aeli's back. "Is this really what you want, Aeli? This is the end?"
"I apologize for this, Kalan," Aeli whispered. "Please, forgive me. I am truly grateful for all that you have done for me. Farewell." She gestured.
The screen winked out. Aeli smiled slightly. She stood there for just a moment before her smile fled and she started with purpose towards the ship's exit. The ship itself settled at the borders of the slums….
8-8-8
Aiden drained his glass and set it down. "I hear the total losses ended up amounting to less than 3 percent of the population. Considering the kingdom disappeared, that's a virtual miracle. But even such an 'amazingly low figure' isn't going to be enough for her. Things are only going to get worse from here on out. All the survivors…with no home, with everything taken away…just what will happen to them…?"
Kalan considered the statement silently.
The camera shifted to the refugees, making their several journeys to Halteese to the east, to Avalon to the north, or to the uncontrolled lands to the west. Some of the watchers fancied that they might have even seen a Tôkasa youth telling his older bear-woman and violent fighter guardians about seeing the great Queen Aeli….
And so by sealing away the magic-binding force that threatened to rewrite the world, Queen Aeli had saved the entire world…at the cost of sacrificing her kingdom. All the land within 50 km of the capital became a desolate land stripped bare of all magic, for over fifteen years. As the refugees departed to their various destinations, the Halteese Republic, which had suffered the fewest losses during the war and emerged as the strongest nation, dispatched troops to seize control of the remnants of the kingdom of Kanev under the pretext of reconstruction, and soon were the de facto rulers of the area, annexing it to their own land.
Aiden finally bid his own farewell as Gato rejoined the group at Aeli's command to help take care of Mai. Aiden left his final warning to Kalan, that Aeli, if she stayed, was doomed to be martyred…and Kalan acknowledged his recognition of the fact….
8-8-8
And in fact, two months later Queen Aeli Kanna was in the Senate Hall of the Halteese Republic at Ouritel, making her appeal to the senators. "Don't you see!? The citizens of our country have completely fallen to poverty! Most of them are refugees, struggling just to survive! They have sacrificed so much for the greater peace of this world…surely they…."
Suddenly one of the senators began to laugh. "There is no disputing the truth of that…however…isn't it true that the individual most responsible for the state of those citizens is you, yourself? Queen Aeli Kanna…wouldn't it be the truth, in fact, to say that they are no longer your citizens?"
Aeli glared at the man, who snapped his fingers. Guards assembled swiftly and surrounded Aeli, entrapping her with their spears. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked quietly.
"I'm sorry to say, Queen Aeli Kanna…you are under arrest. You are charged with the murder of your father, the king. You are also suspected of ties to the evil society, the Obsidian Star, and even regarding the disaster that befell the Flying Capital of Orimus: there are suspicions the provided facts of the disaster, its cause, its implications, are all falsified."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the rest of the senators. "Patricide, is it…?"
"How frightful…but that would explain…."
"So, it is all this woman's…."
The cloaked lead speaker chuckled again. "You were foolish, your Majesty. You should not underestimate our sources."
"I see. Is that how it is?" Aeli continued, still low and quiet. "Very well, then. I suppose it's no less than I expected."
8-8-8
Not everyone believed the slander, of course. As Aeli was patrolled through the streets towards the maximum-security magical lockup, citizens lined the streets to gawk. Some jeered the queen, but most jeered the soldiers who were escorting her to her new home. In particular, we may note two young girls, one quiet, bespectacled, brown-haired and mousy, hiding behind a loud and rather violent blond-haired girl who was excitedly throwing stones at the soldiers.
"That isn't right!" insisted the blonde. "Aeli! Kalan! The rest! They saved my life! They saved my family! You can't take them away!"
"H-Haruka-chan…" murmured the brunette.
One guard, after being clocked quite nicely in the head by the little terror, decided to take the girl's discipline into his own hands. As he stalked towards her, however, a new shadow suddenly loomed up and blocked his path. He glanced up at him and started in fright. "G-General Ricardo! W-what are you…!?"
"You have your orders and duties, soldier," the sunburst-haired general replied. "Do you really need to raise a hand against a little girl? In this situation?"
"B-but…."
"Naturally, we can't allow people to assault our soldiers like this." Ricardo suddenly turned around and hefted up the child, who began to thrash and hurl epithets at the man. "I'll take care of this little trouble." Then he turned and disappeared with surprising speed into an alley.
"H-Haruka-chan!" the brunette wailed, hurrying after them.
After clearing the busy road, in a smaller back alley, Ricardo finally set the little girl down. "That's enough, little girl. I don't think you did anything wrong. It's fine." He glanced over as the little brunette came hurrying up. "I understand how you feel about Aeli's situation. I think of her as my friend, too…but there's nothing we can do about this right now. You are…Haruka-chan?" The girl stubbornly glared at him, refusing to answer, but he turned to the other girl. "And you, little one?"
"Y-Yukino…."
"Haruka-chan and Yukino-chan. Well, do you two love justice?" He kneeled down and looked between the two. "If you don't like what happened here…then if you work with your power, you might be able to change it. You're still very young. You can't do anything more now, but if you devote yourselves as you grow…maybe you can do something, right? Something more than a mere general like me can do." And with that, he took the pair back to their fretting parents, and took his leave.
8-8-8
Arrested and imprisoned, Aeli was scheduled to be executed two years later. The people the world over were weary of the war. They were ready for a sacrifice, someone they could see blamed and punished for their recent troubles, someone they could do away with and forget. Queen Aeli Kanna, last remnant of the family that once had 'enslaved the world', always flying above the world like arrogant masters in their floating city, now cast from her throne, was the perfect solution.
"Murdering her father and older brother in order to seize the throne…increasing social unrest by forcing many nations to take on an unreasonable number of refugees…encouraging the passing of international law that legalized slavery, a law that quickly became known as the infamous 'Death Collar Act'. Eventually, she became known as the Queen of Calamity, and in short order there was no one who would publicly take her side.
"Even though, in very fact, it was she who had saved the world," Kurt continued as the scenes showed the princess locked away in prison, the slaves, the refugees…all of the events following the war.
8-8-8
Again, the screen shifted…to two years later. A guard approached the dark cell where Aeli quietly sat. "What's this? You haven't touched your food again? You're an important criminal…we can't have you dying on us now. Or perhaps this 'common food' doesn't suit your taste? Heh. It's all you're fit for now. You, the woman who tried to destroy our world…there's not a single person in the whole world who would take your side now. Maybe we could drum up some loonies back in the old world who could do so, though…!"
He started and turned as the new figure came down the stairs. "S-Senator, sir! There's no need for you to come down here yourself…."
"Yes, yes. Very good. You may leave."
"But…!"
"Go. I've made prior arrangements." The guard finally departed, leaving the senator alone. He approached his prize prisoner, opening the door of the cell and stepping inside. "My, my, my…just look at the state of you. It is almost painful to see. To think that this is how the oldest royal family of Arcanus Myrror meets its end…truly, it saddens my heart."
He began to pace around the cell. "The execution will take place in ten days' time. However…before that, there is one thing I must know. The location of the source of the Obsidian Star's power…the Crystal Princess…what have you done with her?"
Still Aeli said nothing, did not move, did not react. Suddenly the man stalked forward and grabbed her hair, then hauled her up so that he could hiss at her more directly. "You will tell me! It is for the sake of saving this world…and your beloved little Princess Mai! Don't you realize!?"
Aeli finally turned her eyes to the man, but still said nothing. Finally, the senator grunted and dropped her. "Hmph. Useless woman." He turned to go. "But no…that's not correct. Through your death in ten days' time, you will be of more than sufficient use to our world. A cornerstone of world peace…."
8-8-8
The land was devastated. Something had passed through, destroying the whole town. There seemed to be nothing left. But one figure in a brilliant white cloak carried a small child in his arms, a horned yôkai girl, bleeding and injured, to an area he had cleared for what survivors he could find. The child looked blearily up at him and murmured, "Thank you…Archmage Kalan…."
"Is that true!?" Kalan rose and turned to the outburst. Takamichi, Eishun, and Jynx were all gathered around a viewscreen, and Kurt's face was on the other side of it. "Aeli will be executed in ten days' time!?" Jynx continued.
"Y-yes…I daresay, even now, Aeli-sama is regretting her decision and suffering in solitude and despair…."
He briefly recalled the regal young woman speaking to him: "If by taking the hatred of the masses upon myself and going to my death, the suffering of this world can ease just a little, then that's enough…I could ask for nothing more. My life was all I could have hoped for. Please, abandon me to my fate, Kurt…."
"Aeli…" Eishun muttered.
"I see," Kalan said wistfully. "Sounds like that idiot princess, all right."
"W-what…just 'I see!?'" Kurt cried. "Kalan…aren't you going to save her!?"
"She told me once…that if I had the time to worry about saving a single woman…I should instead use it to save as many people as I can."'
"And that woman who told you that is even now suffering the regret and burden of sins she never committed!" Kurt insisted. "Even she is filled with despair and has lost all sight of hope! If you do not go to her, who will protect her honor!? If you cannot even save the woman you love, how can you call yourself a hero!? You, who saved Kuchiki Rukia and the Soul Society…you told that man that you would fight the law and the entire world to save your family or friends! But what are you doing right now!? You have to save her, and bring the knowledge of this injustice, of these terrors, to the entire world! Kalan!"
Kalan remained silent. "I misjudged you, Kalan! With the power and reputation you hold, you could make a difference in this world! Why do you waste it performing these inconsequential tasks day in and day out!? Is any of this going to change the world in the slightest!?"
"Who knows?" Kalan suddenly replied, still softly. Then he turned an angry, indignant face back to the boy in the screen. "But who knows how anything I do will change anything!? If I broke the walls of that prison down, would I bring justice to the world, or start another war!? I don't know if what I do will change the world or not…but this I know…." He turned back to the now-sleeping demon child. "Today…I saved another life. If I don't make any other difference today…I made a difference to her. And Aeli would be proud of that."
8-8-8
Ten days later…the execution date of the war criminal, Aeli Valencia Kanna. The site: the Kalthules Canyon, a gorge filled with terrible beasts and an even more terrible condition.
"Filled with these horrific monsters, there is no more fitting place for the title 'Valley of Death'," narrated the senator, on hand for this execution. "Here, in this valley, it is also a no-mana zone, a void of mana where neither magic nor ki can be accessed."
A long but supremely narrow walkway led out over the depths, leaving Aeli, her hands bound behind her, to literally 'walk the plank'. She stared into the darkness, seeing vague shapes and occasional yawning mouths. ('I feel no fear…just a certain…emptiness. Was this…what you felt, Rukia, before Kalan came and saved you? I wonder…I cannot hope for a similar storybook ending….
('My entire life…I have lived as a caged bird…save those few brief moments I was able to fly freely in the sky at Kalan's side. I should be grateful for those moments…yet…as I think about those fleeting times of happiness…I sometimes think it would have been better to never have known them….')
A spear prodded her back. "Touch me not, knave," she cursed him, expending the last remaining shred of her royal pride. "I can walk without your interference."
And so she started across, her thoughts still churning. ('Well, if this is the end of that tale of sadness, so be it. If my death will bring some measure of peace and order to this world, then that is enough. If I truly regret anything…it is only that I cannot see your face just one more time…Kalan….')
Kurt Gödel, Aeli's last unwavering retainer, who had vowed to stay by her side regardless of the circumstance, could do nothing but watch in impotent fury and despair. "Aeli…."
Her footsteps neared the edge. ('One of the few things my father ever told me was that this life is but a transient and ephemeral dream…if that's true, then this, too, is a dream, from which I will shortly awaken.')
And she stepped off into space and fell down into the certain death waiting below. ('Farewell, Kalan…farewell…my beloved….')
"Aeli!" Kurt cried.
The guards and authorities watched her disappear. The senator laughed. "I daresay her royal flesh and blood must be quite the delicacy to those beasts below. The most wonderful thing about this method of execution is that recovery is nigh impossible. Thrust into a land absolutely barren of magic, torn into shreds and devoured by the most vicious and deadly of monsters…even a shinsô vampire would be unlikely to survive this."
"Man…and you just execute a girl like that without a second thought? That's really cold. Look at poor Kurt crying his eyes out!"
The senator turned in shock to the armored soldier who had the temerity to speak thusly to him. The man rubbed the back of his helmet and continued, "Ah…my bad. Maybe I should have made sure we were clear first. This isn't going out live, right? I mean, you recorded this on time-delay, or whatever, just in case, right? Because if what happens next were actually broadcast, it would be bad…for both of us."
"Such insolence!" roared the senator. "Who are you!? Identify yourself!"
Suddenly another guard clapped the senator on the back of his shoulder. "Well, you got too excited, Jynx, but I think it's good. Listen, old man…this is where the film ends, regardless…got it?"
The senator looked over his shoulder in shock…which only increased when the guard pulled off his helmet, revealing the face underneath. "Y-you…Aiden Rylack!?"
Aiden snapped his fingers, causing his armor to disappear, and then swept his familiar fedora onto his head. Several more of the guards were tossing aside their armored uniforms, revealing their true identities. "Jynx Black…Higurashi Eishun…Gato Kagura Vandenberg…Kuchiki Byakuya…even Artoria Pendragon!? The Red Wings!? All of them!?"
"Reunited for the first time in two years," Jynx said happily. "Feels good to get the old band back together!"
"Then…where is Kalan Lockeheart? And what of the queen in the valley!?" the senator demanded in wonder, tearing himself away from Aiden and behind the rest of his guards as they moved in to protect him.
8-8-8
('…Where am I? Is this…hell? It doesn't seem unpleasant enough for that. Is it heaven, then? I feel…some warm, comforting embrace….')
Aeli opened her eyes. She stared up into the slightly smiling face underneath that messy red hair. "K-Kalan…?"
"We meet again, your Majesty," the man murmured. "If you'll forgive me, the rest of our pleasantries will have to wait. There are a lot of people who want to meet us."
Aeli glanced around at the many beasts, most with more mouths than eyes or appendages, surrounding them, slavering over them. "B-but…why are you…how…?"
"Don't ask stupid questions," Kalan replied. "I'm here to rescue you, of course. Do you really think I'd let the woman I love be unjustly executed like that?"
8-8-8
Aiden jerked his thumb back towards the gorge. His implication was clear. "Impossible! Even the Grand Archmage could not survive a valley filled with monsters and antimagic!"
"How amusing," Byakuya murmured. "Your understanding of that man is so incomplete as to be laughable. You do not even know that he possesses mastery of a power beyond magic and ki? For him, surviving such a prison is child's play."
Down below, just as Byakuya predicted, Kalan, all while carrying Aeli, danced through the ravenous monsters, briefly muttering about how absurd it was that monsters like this could even survive a pit without magic, particularly without eating each other.
Aeli, however, demanded, "Why are you here!? Didn't I tell you to leave me be!? Didn't I say that I don't need you anymore!? You can't do this! I have to die for the peace of this world…it's the only way this chapter of history can end!"
"You're telling me most of the same garbage Rukia did," Kalan sighed. "I didn't abandon her, and I sure as hell am not abandoning you. History is what people write down about it. If they say you were the mastermind, a traitor who was executed here, then fine. But I won't let that be the truth."
Back up above, the senator was, quite naturally, growing incensed. "Seize these rebels!" he snapped. "And make sure the two in the valley do not escape! None of them can be allowed to leave here alive!"
"They really want to fight us," Jynx remarked as the guards readied themselves for battle. He turned back to the senator. "Do you really think you have enough forces to take us on?"
"Do I have the forces!? Heh…you fool. The guards for this event are far more numerous than this symbolic honor guard you snuck in with. There are two entire fleets stationed within ten kilometers of here, not to mention our BattleMage-led elite troops numbering over 3,000. You may be the famous Red Wings, but even you cannot…."
"Like he said," Aiden suddenly interrupted, "do you really think that's going to be enough?"
8-8-8
"Why?" Aeli sobbed in his embrace, even as Kalan danced and slashed his way through the beasts and began to climb rapidly out of the great crevice. "I never…I never…."
Kalan finally burst above the hole and climbed into the sky. As magic returned to him, he summoned a staff from its resting place at the edge of the hole up to him, and actually planted his feet atop it, riding it as it floated in the sky. "I told you, didn't I?" Kalan murmured softly. "I love you, Aeli. I'll do anything to save the world…but I'll do anything to save you, too. So this was the compromise I made. The 'Queen of Calamity' died back there. Now, we can live out the rest of our lives in peace, do whatever we want, go wherever we want…as long as we're together, that's all I want. Tell me…do you really think it's better if I just let you die? Is being with me so terrible?"
Aeli sobbed again. "No," she said. "No…the moments we were together, even when we were hunted…they were far and away the happiest of my life. Kalan…I love you…."
The two shared a kiss. Down below, devastation continued as the Red Wings gave a few lessons to the Halteese army.
8-8-8
But Kurt slammed a fist against the tree next to him as he watched from a safe distance, pulled aside by Takamichi, who stood next to him, holding little Mai by the hand. "I can't accept this!" Kurt insisted. "He saved her…but her reputation and honor are still tarnished! The deceptions and injustices of the Senate and the other kingdoms…they have not been brought to light!"
"But, Kurt," Takamichi pointed out, "if we had saved Aeli-sama before the execution date, we would have ended up right back where we started. Saving her this way was the only choice. Aeli-sama wouldn't have accepted it, either, if saving her had led to another war. Kalan, too, has been suffering so much for the last two years."
"That is not what I'm talking about, Takamichi…!"
"Let it go, Kurt. We can do the rest ourselves. So, for today, at least, why not drop it, and let this be a happy end…?"
8-8-8
And the next screen was 'The End' screen.
Kain stared at it, that inscrutable expression on his face. "Father…Mother…."
"T-thank goodness!" Nodoka exulted. "I was really worried there for a while! I'm glad Aeli-sama was saved and that they ended up together and…and that it all ended happily!"
"Uh, well, if they didn't survive, then Sensei wouldn't exactly have been born…" Chisame muttered.
"What a gold mine…a fantastic catch," Miki murmured gleefully, two of her surveillance bots floating around her head.
Suddenly a new sound caught the attention of the girls…and they turned to the host. "Ah…ah…no matter how many times I watch it, that part always gets me," he said happily, tears running down his cheeks.
('I-is he…crying!?')
"But yes, don't worry," Kurt continued, stifling his tears. "Just about everything in this film is accurate. Even the scenes with Kalan and Aeli alone together were constructed based on details given by both parties involved."
Nodoka stared at the man, realization dawning. ('This man….') "Kurt-san…you had feelings for Aeli-sama, didn't you?"
"Hm?" The man tried to look blank.
"Ah," Nodoka said rather happily, "I knew it…"
Kurt actually flushed. "That's quite enough of that…."
This revelation actually seemed to annoy Chisame. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa…don't tell me that's the real reason behind all the stuff you're up to…."
This accusation actually seemed to dispel Kurt's embarrassment, and he laughed out loud. "You certainly are attentive girls, I'll give you that. But we seem to be straying from the topic at hand, so we should ignore that. Now, then…how did you find it, Kain-kun? I hope this helped you to see the perfidy and the atrocious actions of the Halteese Senate. And perhaps what your father and mother did for this world…?"
"Still," Miki insisted, "this has been an interesting distraction, but it still doesn't explain what your point is."
"Well, naturally," Kurt sighed, "that would be to aid Kain-kun's search for his mother and father by revealing the truth to him. And now that he understands the situation, I wish to aid him in continuing where they left off." He turned his attention more fully to the young man. "Come, Kain-kun…fight together with us. Continue what your mother and father began, and save the world. This is the only logical conclusion to your journey here."
Kain considered this. "The conclusion to my journey?" he murmured. "Of all of it, that is the most pompous declaration of all…."
"Come now, Kain-kun, why do you hesitate?" Kurt insisted. "It is clear that your enemy is the Halteese Senate. They abused Aeli's power for their own purposes and used her as a pawn in their own games, all for the sake of obtaining the land of Kanev and the Crystal Princess for themselves. And once that attempt failed, they next targeted Aeli's orphan: you, Kain-kun. You understand what this means, I hope? Yes…by doing battle with them, you can regain and protect your mother's honor and accomplish your revenge at the same time! And you can also pave the way forward; create a new future. The ideals you pursue…the will you should succeed…to proceed along the same path as your mother and father. Come, fight together with me! For the sake of the world!"
Kain was still silent. "Your answer?" the older man pressed. "I see no reason remaining for you to hesitate."
8-8-8
While Kain and his three companions had gone in to see Kurt Gödel, the remainder of their party had followed Kisuke out to a villa on a northern balcony, far from the rest of the partiers. There they watched an image broadcast by one of Miki's surveillance bots…of everything happening in the room, particularly the movie.
The crowd watched Takamichi's final lines and the screen fade to 'The End', and then they (largely) burst into cheers.
"Wow!" said Kaoru. "That was just…wow! What a happy ending!"
"Ah, thank goodness…" Izumi breathed. "They got to be together in the end. I was really worried when she got captured…."
"Still…" mused Nanami, "a tale of love between the queen of a dead country and the hero of a great war…this stuff's almost too perfect. That's Kain-sensei's old man for ya…."
"Aeli-sama was so pretty…such a nice smile at the end," Kagome murmured.
"It's hard to believe that an epic story like that is actually connected to our Kain-sensei, you know?" Yukari asked.
"Uhn," agreed Kazumi. "It's like…I'd heard some of the stories, but even seeing a younger Takahata-sensei there…."
"Hey, you know," Riku mused, "this spot…this is where Aeli-sama was at when she shared that first kiss with Kalan-san…."
"Hey, you're right!" Riza shouted. "This is like…a historic spot! We should take a picture!"
Akari was staring at the screen. "Nanami-chan,I'm…not so sure I understand it…."
"Hmm?" replied Nanami. "What part?"
"Well…any of it…."
Kiami laughed. "Ah, Akari…master of fighting, but little else. It's actually rather simple. Although the Obsidian Star and their forces were all the enemy, after they were defeated things didn't end easily…because of politics. The Halteese Republic had the most power at the end of the war because they did the least fighting, and so they tried to seize power afterwards, through Orimus and the Crystal Princess. But Kalan-san and Aeli-sama were in their way. Because Aeli-sama stayed behind to try to take care of her kingdom in the aftermath of the war and the catastrophe, they were able to level false charges against her in order to seize those things. She has become known as one of the sources of evil in this world, despite everything, because of what they did. But Kalan-san waited for the moment she would be executed and rescued her then, so that she would be saved but that the history they wanted to make wouldn't be destroyed…because that would have caused even more problems. Anyway, they married, had Kain-sensei and…we don't know what happened to them after that, still. But it seems Kurt Gödel's whole purpose in becoming a part of the Halteese Senate and the Governor-General of Orimus was to destroy the nation from the inside in revenge for what they've done…."
"It's atrocious," Nina breathed. Her friends around her—Arika, Irina, Shiho, and Yue—stepped back in surprise. She often broke her icy calm to grow angry at Arika for her antics, but this smoldering, building fury was something else entirely. "That the Halteese Republic should be guilty of such crimes and lies…this is an outrage! We must reveal this to the world, bring these injustices to the light…!"
"I think you should just calm down, Nina-chan," Shiho sighed. "We'll figure this out, but for now…everything is too complicated…."
"Still," Yue murmured, "if all this true, then Kain Lockeheart-san is indeed a very important person to the magical world in many different ways…."
"Eh? What do you mean, Yue?" Ami queried.
"Simply being the son of the hero, the Grand Archmage Kalan Lockeheart, and the Queen of Kanev Aeli Kanna obviously gives him significance all his own…but more than that, it is the legacies of those two bloodlines that are significant. The Lockeheart family descends, not from great magical stock, but from the princes of the spiritual giants of the mortal world, the race known as Quincies. And Aeli Kanna, heir to the kingdom of Kanev, descends from an even greater bloodline. That statue in the city's square, of the first Archmage, Aeirla Lavertia Elodian Takiva…the most famous magician in the history of the magical world, the founder of the Takiva Empire. Many other famous Archmages, such as Merlin, were also descended from her. It is said that she is the daughter of this world's creator, and those who inherit her bloodline have the potential to wield the 'magic of the world's origin'. And the war confirmed the truth of the rumor: the power of the royal bloodline was used as a weapon."
Nina stared at her. "That's…of course Aeirla is well-known, but that's the first I've heard of any of the rest of that…."
Yue held up her book. "My artifact allows me access to even level-A top-secret classified information, if I know what to look for. But if Kain-san is the last living member of that royal line, then I think you should all be able to see how his very existence poses a critical significance."
"W-wow…Kain-sensei really is kind of incredible, isn't he?" murmured Yukari.
"So it would seem," agreed Rei in her neutral manner.
"But…he's not actually the last of that line, is he?" Erika murmured.
"Eh? What?" Riku demanded in surprise. Some of the party had carefully neutral expressions on their faces, but many, particularly the young HiME, had varying expressions of confusion and surprise.
"The Crystal Princess they mentioned time after time in that movie," Mai murmured. "The one created by the Obsidian Star to dominate this world. Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva." She turned to those who were now staring at her in shock. "The highest-level secret of the magical world. Me."
F I N
Author's Note: Kurt Gödel's Party
Kurt Gödel is quite a long-winded, twisted individual. He has his interesting views…but he's, yeah, somewhat twisted. This scenario has a lot left…we're barely scratching the surface. I had a few mini cameos and such in here…such as a minor but poignant scene showing why young, normally insignificant youths like Yukino and Haruka make a mark at all in the story. These characters, from My-HiME and My-Otome, here in their My-Otome form, make a few good allies on the otherwise evil Halteese Senate.
This Kurt Gödel moment is one of the fully Negima scenarios (both the character, and all he's done here). Queue the usual chorus: the only changes are due to my characters. Largely, as a more mature young man, Kain isn't as affected by Kurt's reveal as Negi was (of course, Negi also had the whole 'power of darkness' working on him, too). Negi went berserk and started beating on Kurt, and Nodoka and Kasumi Asakura (his third chosen companion) had to grab him and Chisame kicked him in the face. He's a brilliant young man, but very troubled, and, being ten years old, even someone as amazing as him has difficulty handling all this. Kain does better. Just a little.
Well, with so much more to do, we should move on…it's one of those moments where it needs to be brought out in print. Let's move on….