Me: YO! Hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. Sorry for the long wait for chapter 3, someone ruined my plans and it came out a little late. I made sure I'm getting this out on time. Chapter 4 is here!
Asuna: So are our end of term exams.
Ku Fei: Ahh, were gonna fail-aruka!!
Yue: Calm down, you just need to study (obviously has no plans to study)
Makie: We're all gonna fail!!
Kaede: Oh boy, this isn't good for Negi-dono...
Me: BAKA RANGERS! Say the disclaimer!
Asuna: BAKA RED! TS doesn't...
Ku Fei: BAKA YELLOW! own...
Yue: BAKA BLACK! Mahou...
Makie: BAKA PINK! Sensei...
Kaede: BAKA BLUE! Negima!!
Takamichi must have been away from his class longer then he thought. When he walked into class everyone seemed depressed. Except Asuna who was waving at him wildly. He walked over tot eh podium as Nodoka did her usual, except the normal gusto she had seemed to have dropped. As they all sat back down, they were unusually quiet.
"I can't tell whether I should be happy or jealous. They've really taken a liking to Negi-kun" he thought as he prepared for class.
"Alright, I'm sure you all know that Negi-ku- err, Negi-sensei is in his room with a cold. Just because he isn't here doesn't mean you can slack off with your studies. The end of term exams are coming up soon..." he started.
Everyone seemed to have his attention but he noticed more then half...well nearly the whole class seemed to have their minds elsewhere. Maybe he'll give them a little...motivation.
"I have some news to the class I probably shouldn't tell but if this class gets last place one more time...something bad will happen to make your lives much much worse" he said the last part with an eerie voice while lowering his head slightly so that his glasses shone in the light, hiding his eyes from view with a grin that would make the dead rise up and fall back down again. He suddenly had everyone's attention.
"Good. Now to call attendance" he said as he looked at the class portfolio.
He smiled when he saw a few comments next to the students. There was the first he made but a few more had shown up. He seemed intrigued that even Sayo had a comment next to her. Actually...he looked up to Sayo's seat and noticed that she wasn't there. He suddenly looked up into the morning sun out the window.
"Had she become a Buddha?" he said.
Had anyone heard him they probably would have fallen flat on their backs. Meanwhile, everyone in the class was whispering.
"Something bad?" said a freaked out Yuna.
"This is horrible. What could it be?" Sakurako said.
"Kazumi, what's our average scores in this class?" Misa asked.
"Lets see...umm...about 60 percent of the class is in the "Below Average" Range, 20 percent is in the "Excellent" Range, and the Baka Rangers are in the "Oh Damn You Should Give Up Now" Range" Kazumi said.
"Who named the the last one "Oh Damn You Should Give Up Now"?"Madoka.
"My grandfather" Konoka said.
"Kazumi, can you find out what that really bad thing is?" Ako asked.
"Yes, but it will take me a at least a day unless someone has a lead" the ace reporter of class 2-A declared.
At that moment, the bell rung. Kazumi went straight to Takamichi as everyone dispersed. Ku Fei, Kaede, Konoka, Asuna, Makie, Yue, Haruna, and Nodoka walked as a group to the dorms.
"H-Hey, why are you coming along?" Asuna said as she pointed out Makie and the Library Trio.
"Well as the Baka Rangers, we obviously need help from Negi-sensei" Yue said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I AM NOT A BAKA RANGER!" Asuna yelled.
Kaede pulled out Kazumi's report.
"Asuna-dono, your scores are the lowest in the whole class-de gozaru" Kaede had, much to her chagrin.
"Where the hell were YOU yesterday anyway?!" Asuna yelled.
"I was busy on Sunday" Kaede replied back.
"So Makie, have you been practicing your gymnastics" Konoka asked.
"Yeah! I'm sure I will get into the nationals!" she said confidently.
"When were they again?" Haruna asked.
"Oh, they are next year. It's a long way away" Makie said rubbing her head.
"Oh, here we are" Konoka said.
Ku Fei walked in first.
"Disciple! Are you better yet-aruka?" she ran in with a smile.
"Hey ya sick brat" Asuna said, obviously playing with him.
"Hiiii Negi-kun" Makie greeted.
"Negi-dono, good to see you again-de gozaru" Kaede waved.
"Good day Negi-sensei" Yue greeted.
"G-Good a-aftern-noon" Nodoka said with a low bow.
"Negi-kun! Are you okay?" Konoka asked.
"It's getting crowded in here" Haruna said as she closed the door.
"Uwaaah, why is there so many people" Negi asked.
"Other then the fact you were sick, we need tutoring on the end of term exams" Yue said.
"All of you?" Negi asked before stifling a sneeze, he's learned how to hold back a sneeze now.
"Well actually just us, the Baka Rangers" Yue said.
"...Baka Rangers?" Negi hadn't heard of them before.
"Baka Rangers, assemble!" Yue said.
"Baka Yellow!" Ku Fei said as she struck a pose.
"Baka Blue!" Kaede also struck a pose.
"Baka Pink!" Makie said although her pose was rather reluctant.
The others stared at Asuna.
"I AM NOT A BAKA RANGER!!" she yelled.
They continued to stare...which finally broke her down. She got into position with tears in her eyes.
"Baka Red..."
"And Baka Black!" Yue said as she struck a pose as well.
Konoka, Haruna, and Nodoka clapped lightly, more from embarrassment from knowing those people then excitement.
"The Baka Rangers are the lowest scoring people in the class" Konoka explained.
"Actually it's the lowest in the school" Yue corrected.
Asuna felt like a giant weight fell on her head. An imaginary stone carving reading out "Dumbest Student In Whole Middle School" hung over her head. Negi remembered the assignment he had as well...it was NOT looking pretty.
"Alright, I'll tutor you as much as you can..." Negi said before stifling another sneeze.
5 hours later
"Alright, the tests are over. Remember, these are a maximum of 20 points. You need at least a 15 to pass. We have been doing this for the past 5 hours so lets see everyone's final score" Negi said as he picked up the papers.
Konoka...a 20. Nodoka...a 20. Haruna...a 16. Konoka and Nodoka are both in the top 100 smartest people in school. Haruna is around the middle. Now for the Rangers. Yue...14. Ku Fei...12. Kaede...10. Makie...9. Asuna...8. He handed them back their papers. Strangely enough, they looked happy.
"Wow! I got an 8!" Asuna yelled out.
"I did better then usual" Makie said gladly.
"I did as well-de gozaru" Kaede said.
Ku Fei was more in shock. She's never even seen a 12 before.
"I did a little better but I was sure I was going to pass" Yue said with a snap of her fingers.
Negi could tell whether to be happy or glad. At this rate, he's gonna get fired but on another hand, he was actually able to teach them. He sighed. Nodoka noticed this since she had been watching him for a while. Ever since he saved her, she's never been NEAR him. She avoided him at every turn. The only reason she was with them now was because she was there with Yue. She was too embarrassed to be around him but right now she suddenly remembered something that might help him.
"N...Ne...umm...Negi-sensei" she said shyly.
"Yes Nodoka-san" he said.
Nodoka barely spoke much so this got everyone's attention. As a matter of fact, some thought she was afraid of boys except Yue and Haruna who noticed her watching Negi many times.
"I...umm...I heard about a...umm...a book in the library" she started out shyly.
"Yes..." Negi listened.
"It's just a rumor...but...umm...I heard it was a...umm...magic book that can...umm...make people smarter...and...umm..." she just strayed off there.
Yue and Haruna remembered as well.
"Oh right!" Haruna yelled out, glad Nodoka thought of it.
"Legend has it that inside the school's Library, a magic book exists that can make the reader really smart" Yue said.
"That's impossible" Asuna said.
"Sounds mysterious" Kaede said with her hand on her chin in a thinking pose.
"If no one found it yet, it must be protected by something" Konoka said.
"Something strong?!" Ku Fei said hoping for a fight.
"Who knows. It still sounds stupid" Asuna continued.
"I...I probably...shouldn't have said anything" Nodoka said.
Negi had been thinking about it. A magic book that makes you smarter. That seems too good to be true but he's a mage and he's friends with a ghost. What's there to lose? Besides, if something bad happened, he can probably use magic to save them and erase their memories afterwards.
"Alright then, lets go!" he said.
"Your enthusiasm is great but your still sick" Makie said.
"I'm feeling a lot better now" Negi said as he hopped out of bed.
He was a little unbalanced but otherwise just fine. They still looked reluctant with Negi sick.
"I don't know, you look a little wobbly" Haruna said.
"The Library is a dangerous place" Yue warned.
"A library is dangerous?" he asked since he never went there.
"How about this, we will all go and let you see for yourself how dangerous it is. If we feel you can't come, then we will head right back. Understood" Asuna said, once more like a big sister.
Everyone agreed and went on their way. Negi was wearing a coat and scarf with a small hat. Haruna could barely restrain herself from picking him up and cuddling him. He looked like an adorable chibi doll. Negi had asked Ku Fei to bring him his staff. She had strapped his staff on her back along with the same naginata from before. She said that it's just in case something should happen and a weapon was needed.
"So Negi-dono learned the way of the spear. The Chinese King of Weapons-de gozaru. Good choice" Kaede said to Ku Fei.
Ku Fei nodded as she walked. She found it a little surprising that the staff weighed the same as the spear which was strange since it was made of wood as compared to the metal spear.
"Negi-kun, what is this staff made of?" she asked.
Negi remembered from an autobiography of his own dad that his staff was a gift to him from some emperor he saved. It was made from 5 different woods from the barks of 5 different holy trees. He thought better then to tell them that.
"I'm not quite sure" he answered although it was a little muffled from the scarf.
"OOOH! You are sooo cute! I just wanna hug you to death" Haruna said, only her willpower preventing her from performing her action.
"Are we there yet?" Asuna asked.
"No" Yue answered.
"Are we there now?" she asked again.
"No" Yue answered again.
"Are we there NOW" Asuna moaned.
The Library was very far away on campus and it took nearly an hour to get there. Negi still wondered why they walked instead of got a ride.
"No" Yue answered again.
"Asuna-san, I think you're annoying Yue-san" Negi said.
"Have you even been to the library before?" Haruna asked.
Ku Fei, Kaede, Makie, Asuna, and Negi all shook their heads. No wonder they were so dumb, excluding Negi.The finally entered the library a little later. Negi looked around with stars in his eyes. There were shelves as far as he could see and so many books, some were falling like waterfalls.
"Amazing!" he yelled out as he looked at one of the shelves.
"B-Be careful Negi-sensei...a lot of the book are-" Nodoka started.
"UWAAAH! That book there is really rare!" Negi yelled as he tried to grab it.
Kaede caught an arrow that nearly shot through his head. Negi immediately backed away from the shelves.
"Booby trapped" Haruna finished.
"Uwaaah! That book right there! Is rare too! And that one!" Negi said with wonder.
"What's wrong with this brat?" Asuna asked as he pulled him out of the way of the arrows.
"Sorry, I'm an antique collector and these books are centuries old" he said.
This place is too dangerous for you. You're so sick you can't even tell that those arrows can kill" she scolded him.
"I'm fine! I don't feel bad at all" he said.
Indeed, the excitement seemed to have blew his cold away. He was so interested in the books.
"So where is the magic book-aruyo?" Ku Fei asked.
"I heard it's on the lowest level of the library. No one has been down that far before" Haruna explained.
"Negi-sensei, you will come with me and the Baka Rangers. Nodoka and Haruna will be telling us the pathways via radio. Don't any of you leave my sight. As a veteran Library Expedition Club member, I know more about the traps then you do" Yue said.
"How will we stop them if we accidentally trip one?" Negi asked.
At that moment Makie stepped on a switch on the floor. A whole book shelf fell down over her. She quickly used her ribbon to grab onto another bookshelf and swing away. Ku Fei knocked the shelf away as Kaede used her quick reflexes to catch every single book that fell.
"Ahh, I see. You're all dumb but athletic...except Yue-san, no offense" Negi said.
"None taken" she said.
"HEY! Who are you calling dumb!" Asuna yelled at him.
"Ok, enough talking. We need to get going, are you ready Nodoka, Haruna?" Yue called.
"Y-Yes" Nodoka replied.
"We are good to go" Haruna said, a map in front of her with a radio.
Everyone was ready. Everyone went ahead as they left Nodoka and Haruna behind. Before Negi could get too far, he heard a voice. He turned around to see Sayo fly through the wall. She seems to have been looking for him.
"Negi-sensei!" Sayo said as she floated down.
"S-Sayo-san! How are you here?" Negi whispered so the others wouldn't hear.
"What do you mean, I followed you" she said.
"I mean a few months ago, you couldn't go further then halfway to the dorms" he said.
"Oh that. I found out if I stayed near you, I can go anywhere" she replied happily.
"That's strange, I thought you were a fixated ghost" Negi said.
"A what?" Sayo asked.
"A fixated ghost, you know like you can only stay in one place. They say if a person dies with really strong feelings for one place and had a regret as well, their ghost will haunt that place" Negi explained.
Sayo shrugged. She didn't know and Negi didn't know why she can stay near him. Negi and Sayo walked on behind the others. Everyone entered the lower levels of the library. The next area seemed to have no floors. Negi looked down.
"S-Sayo-san...if you were to try and float down there, how long would it take you?" Negi gulped.
"I don't wanna know" Sayo said as she also looked down, glad she couldn't fall.
"HELLO!" Asuna yelled into the abyss.
A series of echoes was heard. Kaede took a rock she happened to find and wrapped an air horn around it. Turning it on, she tossed it. They heard it blowing...he got fainter...and fainter...and fainter...they might have been listening to it's echoes for all they knew. What they did know was that those echoes stopped as well. They all gulped. That's one LOOOOOOOOOONG fall. Yue pointed out the bookcases that amazingly went from all the way down there.
"We need to walk over the bookcases" she explained.
"What?! Those narrow things?! If you take one wrong step you'll fall down to who knows where" Makie said.
"Just don't fall then" Yue said ominously.
They continued over the bookcases slowly. Ku Fei accidentally stepped on a switch that opened a trapdoor.
"AH!" she yelled.
Negi jumped and grabbed her hand right before she could fall. With a grunt he pulled her up.
"A-Are you okay, Master Ku?" he asked, adrenaline rushing through his body.
"Y-Yea. Thank you-aru. You sure have gotten strong" Ku Fei praised him.
It was then Negi noticed just what 3 months of training can do. He wasn't even using magic to strengthen his muscles. Ku Fei continued along, a little more cautious of traps but Negi was staying close to her just in case. Kaede chuckled at him. They continued on over the bookcases until they reached the next area. It was a giant lake of books!
"Be very careful. This is not as solid as it seems. We aren't sure how but this area is just like a small lake. We need to swim though these books. They hurt a little to swim in but it's not too bad" Yue explained.
Kaede just ran right over it with her ninja skills as everyone jumped in. Yue was right, it felt really weird swimming in books. Takes the expression "Swimming in Knowledge" to a whole new level.
"Ahh, I think there's a book in my pants" Makie whined.
She pulled out a book labeled "Necronomicon" and tossed it to the side.
"Tell me about it" Asuna said as she tossed a book labeled "Mortis Contemplo".
"That's amazing Kaede-san! I wish I could do that" Negi said with stars in his eyes.
Kaede started cartwheeling and flipping around on the books like it was a solid floor. Ninjas were cool.
"I'll teach you if you want" Kaede said.
"H-Hey! Get your own disciple-aru" Ku Fei said, missing the slight tone of jealousy in her own voice.
"What's wrong with both of us having the same disciple. If he trained under me, he'll get strong and you can finally have a good opponent" Kaede said, a small smile playing on her lips.
They could tell Ku Fei was thinking that over. She's been hoping for a good opponent for years.
"Ok fine. Negi-kun, from today onward you will train with Kaede as well" Ku Fei commanded as his master.
Negi nodded since he didn't have much of a say in the matter. He inwardly groaned. That's twice as much training as before. Tears streamed down his eyes as he though of being worked to the bone by two people. Sadly, he won't know he will train with a 3rd person in the future. Poor Negi. They finally got through the books as Yue threw a book over her shoulder entitled "Ιερή Βίβλος". They entered the next room to find a GIANT shelf with no other way to go. They obviously needed to climb up. Negi wondered why they needed to go up when the book was said to be located at the bottom.
"Well, I guess it's kind of obvious we climb now" Yue said as she heard Haruna give instructions in her earphone.
Kaede started walking up diagonally.
"Aww c'mon! that's no fair! Climb up like the rest of us-aruyo!" Ku Fei yelled.
"Nin Nin" she nodded as she came back down.
Yue passed out some mountain climbing gear to the others. They all tied themselves to each other and prepared to climb. They had Ku Fei and Asuna in the lead since they were the strongest and could probably hold on if someone fell by accident. Sayo just floated near Negi.
"Alright then, don't look down" Yue said.
At that note, everyone looked down.
"I said not to look down!" Yue yelled.
"Negi-kun, can you handle this?" Ku Fei asked, a little concern showing since he was still a little sick.
"I'm fine Master-Ku" Negi called up.
"You're really surprising. You kept up with us the whole time so far. I'm impressed" Asuna praised.
"I agree. Your training with Ku Fei really shows right now" Kaede said.
"I don't want to be dead weight" he said, scratching the back of his head.
"Ku Fei, are you ok carrying that staff and spear-de gozaru" Kaede said.
"Yep, I'm just fine" she said.
Suddenly a pull was felt on everyone's ropes. Makie has placed her hand on a section of rotted wood.
"Yah!" she yelled as she whipped out her ribbon which caught a large amount of books but they fell out as well.
If Makie fell now, everyone would probably get pulled down as well. Negi was at the bottom since he was the smallest and weighed the least. He hoped Ku Fei and Asuna could hang on. He jumped off and swung using everyone else as a swing of sorts. He ran on the side and caught Makie before she dragged everyone down with her. He knocked away the falling books at the same time. He sighed as Makie grabbed a hold of the shelf again.
"Good job Negi-sensei!" Yue called out.
"T-thank you Negi-kun. You saved me" Makie praised him.
"Ahh, so this is what pride in a disciple feels like" Ku Fei said.
"Makes me wish I had gotten to teach him first" Kaede said.
"Good job Negi-sensei" Sayo said with a thumbs up sign.
"Ok ok, we need to keep climbing before anyone else falls!" Asuna yelled.
It took about half an hour to finally reach the top. They looked around on top a few few seconds as Yue received directions from Nodoka.
"Ok, got it. Ok guys, we need to go this way" she pointed to a certain direction.
They all came upon a set of slides, much to their horror. There were 5 silver slides going all the way down. Sayo flew down a little to see what they looked like. It was like the slide version of a roller coaster.
"W-W-We gotta go down THOSE?!" Asuna said, backing away slightly.
"How will we know if we don't fall off-de gozaru" Kaede said, a small trail of sweat rolling down her cheek.
"I-I'm pretty sure we will be safe" Yue said, albeit uncertainly.
"Hey, there are only 5 slides and 6 of us-aru" Ku Fei said as she pointed to the slides.
"I think it's safer if we all slide at once" Yue said.
"Does this mean I slide with 1 person" Negi said.
"...Yea, guess you do" Asuna said.
"Well? Who are you going to slide with?" Yue asked.
"Umm...I think I'll go with Master-Ku" he pointed at Ku Fei.
"Alright, everyone take a slide-de gozaru" Kaede said as she took the one to the far left.
Asuna went to the one to the center left. Yue took the far right. Makie took the center right. That left Ku Fei and Negi to the center since Sayo could fly down. Negi blushed furiously since he didn't quite think about what sliding with a person entailed. Negi sat between her legs as she wrapped her arms around him. Ku Fei was blushing a little as well. She probably would have felt better if it was him holding her since she kinda got used to it when sleeping with him. Everyone slid at once. It was the worst slide EVER. Negi didn't even know HOW but there were rises and falls, corkscrews, and even loops. How did anyone even stay on!? Sayo was following Negi when she noticed something.
"N-Negi-sensei! All the slides head to different places!!" Sayo yelled.
"WHAT!?" he yelled, much to Ku Fei's confusion.
"What is it Negi-kuuuuuuun" she said as they suddenly hit a loop.
"The slides! they go to different PLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACEEEEEEEES!" was all he got before they got flung into the air and fell down a large shaft.
Everything was dark as they fell. He could still see his master slightly in the dark while Sayo sort of glowed. Without warning, they hit a deep pool of water.
"Ugh, I'm NEVER doing that again" Negi yelled.
"Are you alright Negi-kun?" Ku Fei asked as she swam over.
"I-It's dark in here" Sayo said.
With Asuna and Makie
She went flying through a tunnel in the wall. She was seriously getting sick from the ride. Suddenly a large amount of light shined in her face as she was suddenly flung into the air. She shut her eyes from the sudden light before landing with a thud. She opened her eyes to see...A DESERT?! She heard a thump next to her. A second shaft was there and she saw Makie get flung out to meet a face full of sand. Makie spit it up.
"Ugh, I am NEVER doing that again" she whined.
"MAKIE! Where the heck are we?!" Asuna yelled as she ran up.
"Looks like all the slides headed to different places" Makie said as she looked around.
"It's a freaking desert in here" Asuna panted as she suddenly noticed the temperature.
"Ugh. We had better get out of here" Makie said as they headed off in some random direction.
With Yue and Kaede
"Whaaa!" Yue yelled as she was flung.
She landed with a thump on a large pile of books. She looked around to see a mountainous environment. A large gust of wind nearly knocked her off. She noticed a second slide nearby. True to it's nature, Kaede slid out as well. She landed gracefully.
"Yue-dono. It appears we have been separated from the others-de gozaru" Kaede said looking around.
"We had better be careful around here. It's like a real mountain, wind and all" Yue said.
"Any news from Nodoka-dono and Haruna-dono?" Kaede asked.
"Nope, it seems we are so far down they can't reach us" she answered.
"We had best move" Kaede said as another gust of wind picked up.
With a certain forgotten member
Konoka didn't know why but she had the sudden urge to yell out "I bet you all forgot about me". She shook herself to get rid of the urge. She had followed everyone else a couple hours ago but needed to use the restroom. She was sure they had heard her but it looks like she got left behind. She just spent the last two hours trying to find the library.
"Aww, I wanted to go with them" she pouted cutely.
She took a look at her map. She had NO idea where she was. It was then she noticed a sign in the middle of a plaza. It had a map and the usual "You are here" dot. She ran up to it happily. She was getting worried that instead of finding the library, she would get lost for the rest of the night. A crunching sound came from behind her.
"Konoka? Is that you?" came a voice.
Konoka turned around to see Yuna.
"Yuna! Hi! What are you doing around here so late at night?" Konoka asked.
"I should ask you the same. I couldn't sleep" she said.
Ever since yesterday, the dark FREAKED HER OUT. Ghosts might pop up or something. She took a walk around the campus instead. She mainly stayed near the light poles.
"Oh. I was headed tot he library but now I'm lost" Konoka said, looking back at the map.
"The Library, I know where it is. I can show you the way but you gotta tell me why your going there. Are you meeting someone? Going to the library late at night where no one can see you" Yuna taunted.
If Konoka was going to meet her boyfriend or something, Yuna HAD to know. A lot of girls just can't resist love stories. Konoka shook her head. She explained everything to the basketball player.
"Oh, so you all found out about the bad thing that was going to happen" Yuna said.
"Bad thing? No, we still don't know what's going to happen. What is the bad thing?" Konoka asked.
"You didn't know that if we get last place again, Negi-sensei will get fired?" she said.
"NEGI-KUN WILL GET FIRED?!" the girl looked horrified.
"You really didn't know after all huh?" Yna said before she was grabbed by Konoka.
"Tell me the way to the Library" she yelled.
Yuna pointed her out. She had no idea why she just went along with her but it's better then wandering around in the middle of the night. Konoka and Yuna finally made it to the Library. They both entered to find no one there. Nodoka and Haruna probably left.
"Whoa! That's a long way down!" Yuna yelled.
Konoka took a look over the edge as well. She whistled then heard her own echo.
"Don't wanna fall in there" she said.
"Look, I think you can walk over here!" Yuna beaconed Konoka over to the book shelves.
Konoka ran over and they started walking across. They walked for a few minutes until Yuna stepped on the same trap Ku Fei stepped on earlier. The trapdoor sprung open, this time claiming two victims.
"WAAAAH!" Yuna yelled as tears streamed down her eyes.
"AHHHHH!" Konoka screamed as well.
They both fell until they felt as though they were going through some kind of tunnel. They fell, and fell, and fell. Then at one point, they felt a HUGE gust of wind. It slowed them down from their decent. It pushed both of them into a 2nd shaft with a thud. Konoka got up first.
"W-where are we?" she said.
"Ugh, I don't know" Yuna rubbed her sore bottom.
"I guess we keep going though the tunnel" Konoka pointed out.
Yuna nodded as they walked along. They had no idea where they were going but they followed the trail anyway.
Back with Negi, Ku Fei, and Sayo
Negi and Ku Fei swam along the dark waterway. There didn't seem to be any land so all the could do was swim through the dark. A couple times, he hit a wall indicating a corner but other then that, they didn't feel much for see much. It was strange but there didn't appear to be any books at all. Sayo was casting an eerie light only he could see and it helped him tremendously. She was guiding the way since apparently, ghosts can see in the dark. She indicated a left turn.
"Go left" Negi said.
Ku Fei didn't question him. They were on high alert. Being in the darkness so long with no sign of life anywhere was suspicious. It felt like any minute, something would just pop out of the darkness. Negi had taken back his staff to lessen the weight on Ku Fei and to stay armed. Negi wasn't feeling as good as before either. His cold which was disappearing had returned slightly with all the moisture and cold. Sayo indicated a right turn.
"To the right" he said aloud.
Ku Fei just nodded. They swam for what seemed like hours. They're splashing was the only noise they heard aside from the occasional "drip drip" from the ceiling. Negi couldn't even see the ceiling for that matter. It was pretty high up in the dark. Suddenly Ku Fei whispered to him in the dark. He and Sayo stopped.
"I think I heard something" she said.
He hadn't heard anything. He stopped for a minute. There was absolute silence. Ku Fei shrugged. She was sure she heard something. They swam along until...Negi thinks he knew what Ku Fei was thinking of. He stopped as well. The other two stopped. He made a splash on the water but...he didn't hear anything. There was NO other sound aside from each other talking. He didn't hear the water as he swam or splashed.
"Master-Ku. Do you hear that?" he asked.
"I don't hear anything-aru" she said.
"Exactly. There is no sound" he said.
Ku Fei took out the spear and tapped the wall. There should have been a metallic sound as it hit. Everyone looked a little stunned.
"You said you heard something a few minutes ago, right Master-Ku?" Negi asked.
"Yeah. I thought I heard some funny noise" she said.
"You heard a funny noise and suddenly the only thing we can hear is our own voices. That's not good" he said.
He motioned for Sayo to stick close to him and he and Ku Fei took out their weapons. Fighting in water would be difficult. Someone or some THING was purposely blocking out the sound. What he wanted to know was why. He motioned for Ku Fei to start swimming as he made sure Sayo was always within arm's reach. They kept swimming in absolute silence. There was nothing but darkness as well. They could only see each other. They felt like they were floating. They swam until Negi noticed something. It felt like a breeze. Ku Fei must have noticed it too since she felt her face for a second. They started swimming some more. That was when Negi noticed their mistake. They didn't feel a breeze. The air wasn't moving, they were.
"I think we're in a current" Negi said.
"A current? In here?" she asked.
"Y-Yea, I think it's moving faster as we swim along" he said.
"Should we turn back?" she asked.
Without warning, the current got faster. Looks like it didn't allow them to turn back.
"Don't get separated!" Negi yelled as he reached out for Ku Fei.
They grabbed each others hands and pulled each other into an embrace. They didn't have time to worry about their close bodies. Sayo floated just far enough to not accidentally touch them. They still couldn't hear anything but they sure as hell felt everything. The water was moving faster and getting rougher. They felt each other bob up and down, possibly going near a whirlpool of sorts as they would suddenly spin around and around before moving on. A sudden burst of light caught their attention. Sound suddenly was restored. They heard it. They roar. A large waterfall was ahead and they had no way to avoid it.
With Asuna and Makie
"IT'S SOOOOO HOT!" Asuna yelled as she walked on.
"A-Asu-na! I-I don't think...I can...make it!" Makie said as she was crawling on the sand.
"Don't be stupid! You can't die in a place like this!" Asuna yelled but her anger seemed to make her hotter.
"We...need water..."Makie said, dehydrated.
"How the hell is there a desert in this damn library anyway?! Where are the others?!" Asuna moaned.
"I think I heard a splash before I ended up here" Makie moaned as well.
Asuna was hot. Makie was hot. EVERYTHING was HOT! They had been wandering around a seemingly endless desert for what felt to them, like months. They had fallen for a hallucination a while back and were seriously pissed off. Asuna thinks Makie might be starting to get delirious.
"Asuna! I think I see a RacDonalds! And next to it! It's a KingBurger! Maybe we can get some water at the Spendy's! Then we can eat at Floe's!" Makie yelled.
"Calm down! You are seeing things!" Asuna yelled as she shook her friend.
"Alright! They're gone! But...I think I see a water fountain" Makie said pointing at a spot.
"Don't be ridiculous. There is no...huh? There is! I see it too!" Asuna yelled.
They both ran to the fountain. Asuna kicked it. They heard the metal clang. Makie touched it, it felt HOT! It was definitely made of metal. Asuna pushed the little handle thing. Water spouted out. Makie touched it.
"I-IT'S REAL!" Makie yelled out.
The two fought over the water fountain, not caring why a water fountain was out in the middle of a desert. They both drank as much as they could.
"UWAAAAH!! I FEEL SO ALIVE!" Asuna yelled out.
"I'M STILL ALIVE! THANK YOU GOD!" Makie yelled out as well.
"Why do you think there is a fountain in the middle of a desert?" Asuna asked, wiping away some sweat.
"I have NO clue" Makie said.
"Should we just stay here or do we keep going?" Asuna asked, looking at the endless expanse.
"If we stay, we won't be getting out of here anytime soon" Makie said.
"Do you have a bottle or something to put water in?" Asuna asked.
Makie searched her explorer's backpack Yue gave them as part of the rock climbing gear. She found two empty canisters. Asuna laughed happily as she filled both of them up. They chose a direction and started walking again.
"I wonder how everyone else is" Makie said as she trekked.
"I think everyone can take care of themselves. Negi-bouzu seems like he's been getting good training and he's with Ku Fei so they should be in too much trouble. Yue's a veteran at this and Kaede probably can handle herself as well" Asuna said.
BOY was she wrong about Negi and Ku Fei. They walked along across the desert, over dunes, and fighting the wind. During one particular windstorm where they hid behind a particularly large sand dune. Asuna noticed something strange. There were no shadows. She looked over to Maki and noticed the same thing. As a matter of fact, there was no trace of shade ANYWHERE. That wasn't right. There's always shade somewhere. As the sandstorm ended she spoke up.
"Makie, where is all the shade?" she asked.
She looked around.
"I heard in some places that when the sun is directly overhead, shadows don't stretch or elongate but instead stay directly underneath a person" Makie said.
"...And you're a Baka Ranger because...?" Asuna said with a sweatdrop.
"I heard Takahata-sensei say it last year" Makie said.
"Oh. Well do you notice we have NO shadows?" Asuna said, pointing below Makie.
Makie looked down an gasped. She really had no shadow. That was strange. It was strange that while inside a building there was a sun in the first place but no shadows was pushing it a little.
"Where is the sunlight coming from anyway?" Makie asked as she looked around.
"From the sun, DUH!" Asna said as she pointed at the sun int he sky.
"Are you sure? for some reason, I feel as though the light is coming from somewhere else" she said.
At that exact moment, the sand suddenly shifted. Asuna and Makie fell down from the jolt. A large hole had appeared out of nowhere and all the sand was pouring down there with Asuna and Makie being dragged with it. They ran as fast as they could in the falling sand but even with their best efforts, they were slowly getting pulled further and further in.
With Yue and Kaede
"Are you alright Yue-dono?" Kaede called out over the giant mountain of books.
"I-I'm fine" Yue huffed as they reached the top.
They looked on. Everywhere they look, all they see are mountains. There were even birds and clouds. The only problem is that you can only keep going over them. You climb up one mountain, you go back down only to climb another one. there was no end in sight. Yue had never been to this area before. Normally, she's probably be happy reading all the books but at the moment...
"Looks like there are still more-de gozaru" Kaede said, sweating a little.
"Ugh, I am really starting to hate mountains" Yue complained.
"I think I should bring Negi-dono to train with me here" Kaede said.
"That's great for you but I am gettign thirsty and there's no vending machine in sight" she librarian complained.
Kaede sweatdropped. Her friend loved to taste weird drinks that for some odd reason, the library vending machines always sold. Getting down a mountain as easy. Climbing back up was hard. Kaede and Yue both took extremely large human-sized books from the mountain.
"Ready-de gozaru?" the ninja asked.
"As I'll ever be" Yue responded.
They hopped on top of the books and book-boarded down. Kaede launched into the air and did a front flip before landing back down. Yue got launched as well and spun 3 times before landing. Yue apparently learned to book-board a while back and Kaede had taken snowboarding lessons for training. It was the easiest way down the mountain. They sped up as though in a race. Yue smirked as the bottom became clear. Kaede sped up a little, Yue was a formidable opponent. They both hopped into the air and landed in a photo finish...or they would if they had cameras.
"Haa, looks like you won this time-de gozaru" Kaede said as she snapped her fingers.
"Been doing this since day one. Me, Nodoka, and Haruna "surfed" on the books many times" Yue said proudly.
"Despite looking un-athletic, the Library Expedition Club had it's own benefits" Kaede observed.
They turned to the next mountains. They picked which one they wanted to climb and took out the gear. Kaede would run up ninja style and stick the hook in as Yue climbed up. If Yue got tired, Kaede just carried her. After a while, they made it to the top once more. This time they took a rest.
"The view is great" Yue said.
"Nin Nin" the ninja agreed with her strange phrase.
"What does "Nin Nin" mean anyway?" Yue asked.
"I use it as a sign of approval. You know like when people say "yeah" or "yes"" Kaede said.
Yue looked around as Kaede admired the view. She looked at the birds for a bit. Why were birds in the library anyway? Yue took a closer look. She noticed something odd about them. They were standing on the mountain yet weren't on them. Upon closer inspection, she noticed they were actually floating. They didn't even have nests for that matter.They were just standing in mid-air. She picked up a book and tossed it in their direction. They didn't even try to fly away.
"What are you doing-de gozaru?" Kaede asked.
"Look at those birds" she pointed out.
Kaede looked.
"They aren't standing on anything" she continued.
"Yes they are, they're standing on the moun-...wait..." Kaede's eyebrows showed their surprise as they rose up, her eyes always squinted.
"I even threw a book at them and they didn't move" Yue said.
Kaede took a book and threw it. she had better aim then Yue so she actually hit the bird. It didn't do anything. It just stood there. For a moment they wondered if it was real. It must have been since it didn't break or anything and it was moving and chirping...err...squawking. That was not normal. Suddenly, without warning, the mountain shook. It was so rough that they could even stand. Mountains started crumbling one by one. A large hole had been torn into the ground, by the earthquake which hadn't stopped. Kaede and Yue's mountain was crumbling as well. They were going to fall into the large gaping hole and couldn't avoid it.
With Konoka and Yuna
"This tunnel is creeping me out" Yuna said as she walked along.
"You sure seem to be frightful these days" Konoka observed.
"Wha-what are you talking about?" the basketball player said.
"You were never afraid of dark places before" Konoka said as she held up the candle she found a few minutes ago.
"I-I'm not afraid!" Yuna protested.
They had been wandering the tunnel for a while. Konoka found a wax candle and candle holder a while back and Yuna happened to have a lighter with her. They saw many split pathways. They felt kind of like ants in the ground. Every step they took could be heard echoing back at them. After Yuna's encounter with Sayo, she was sticking really close to the girl in front of her. She wonders how she got herself into the situation. If she hadn't decided a late night walk was a good thing she probably would be at home comfortably. Of course this adventure kept her excited and on her toes, she can't handle strange phenomenons two days in a row. Konoka was worried about the others. They hadn't seen one person or living creature for that matter since they got there.
"Ah. Another 3 way split" Konoka said as they approached one.
"Which way do we go this time?" Yuna said.
"This time I will use my divination to find the way!" Konoka said as she started concentrating.
Yuna looked at Konoka expectantly until...
"Eeny Meeny Miney Moe!" Konoka said with her usual happy-go-lucky expression.
Yuna fell flat on her back. Konoka was SUCH a great fortune teller. They followed the path she chose anyway.
"Say Konoka, I always thought you would be afraid to do these kinds of things" Yuna said.
"And I expected you to be running off leading the way" Konoka said "Really, is something bothering you Yuna?"
"I already said nothings wrong!" Yuna yelled.
Konoka stared at her with sad looking puppy eyes. (WARNING! BEWARE KONOKA'S SAD PUPPY EYES!)
"I...I can withstand it! I can endure! I will...not fall for it! NO! NO! NO!...NO...NO...no...no...n-no...GAHHHHH!" Yuna thought before she finally broke down.
"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! I'LL TELL YOU! Just enough with that face!" Yuna yelled covering her eyes.
Konoka held up a "V" for Victory sign with her fingers.
"Yesterday when I ran off to save Negi-sensei, the school was locked with a large bolt lock and I couldn't get in. I tired picking it but I couldn't. It suddenly got really cold and the lock just froze and broke!" Yuna said.
Konoka looked a little surprised but didn't see how that was scary.
"That's not all, when I got to the control room, the door was locked again and I couldn't get inside. I thought maybe a ghost opened the first door so I yelled out "Pull the switch" and a second later the switch in the room just started cranking down until it went all the way!" Yuna said, her eyes looking REALLY freaked out.
"A poltergeist!" Konoka gasped.
"THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT TOO!" Yuna yelled out.
That explained why Yuna was a little freaked out int he dark right now. I mean even with the candles, they still couldn't see the walls...wait...what?! Konoka looked at the walls. She went right up to them. She held the candle in front and looked for some shiny reflection indicating paint. She didn't see anything. Even though she had a candle, the light didn't reach the walls even when it was up close. That's impossible.
"What are you doing Konoka?" Yuna asked.
"Look, the wall!" Konoka pointed at it with the candle nearby.
"What about it? I can't even see it. Put the candle closer" she said.
"I'm putting the candle on the wall. It's can't get any closer" Konoka said creepily.
"Wha? I-Is it painted black?" Yuna asked.
"No" was all Konoka got to say before a rumbling was heard.
Yuna and Konoka looked ahead. The rumbling got closer until...A GIANT ROLLING BOULDER CAME DOWN! It was rolling right at them! They ran (Cue Indiana Jones Music) away from the giant stone that was about to crush them. They ran back but noticed something funny. The floor back was gone and there was only a large hole. They had to jump in before the boulder hit them.
"Jump?" Yuna asked.
"JUMP!" Konoka yelled as she hopped in, Yuna following close behind.
Me: Oooooooh! Cliffhanger! 4 of them! What will become of them all?! You have to find out on the next chapter!
Sayo: Awww! Tell me what happens!!
Asuna: I think I have sand in my panties!
Yuna: How did I end up in all of this?!
Me: Read and Review folks. Chapter 5 coming soon!