Disclaimer: I do not own Negima and co.
Author's note:
Thanks Higatsuku, Tikigod784, Higatsuku and thousand-mistress, who have reviewed my previous chapters! Thanks so much!
Also, I will try to reply to every single review!
for Nagi's character, considering the fact that he has just briefly appeared on the manga, I don't really have a lot to base his character upon, except I know that he was very powerful and yet has a very playful personality. I will try my best, and hope you'll find my portrayal of him acceptable in future chapters!
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Chapter 4 Captured or Rescued…?
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Negi took an aging pill as soon as he left the cave. With the hook of his robe up, he knew that from a distance, no one could tell whether he was a teenager or a full adult.
He had got to get as far away from his father as possible.
He knew he was nearly completely drained from releasing his father from the spell. So his only chance lay in evading the enemy. The moment the enemy cornered him would be the moment of his end.
Negi mounted his staff, and fled.
Less than a minute passed before Negi sense the pursuit hot on his trails.
Negi desperately hoped that he had succeeded in luring all of the enemies away.
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Moris Darkstar had waited for this day for what seemed like forever.
He was not a mage of great patience, unfortunately. So whoever had made him wait would pay dearly.
"The squad had located him, my Lord!" a demon flew near him and reported.
Darkstar's mouth curved up in satisfaction. Finally, the long wait would be over.
Nagi Springfield. The one man who had thwarted his plan over and over again. The man who made him lose the last war.
He would pay with his life.
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Negi dodged another round of attacks from the demons chasing him. Then he let loose a couple of wind magic archer blindly behind him, not really aiming at destroying his pursuers, but merely a weak attempt in deterring them.
How long he had flown at his top speed, Negi couldn't recall. But he did know that it would not be long that his magic would fail him. If his magic energy level was too low, he couldn't even hold up the effect of the aging pill. Then his cover would be blown…
"Enough of this chasing game!" a voice boomed over the area. "Shoot him down!"
"Flans Paries Venti Vertenis!" Negi barely had time to utter the spell before the hundred of attacks reached him. A wall of whirlwind erected around him for a few seconds, blocking the attacks centred on him.
As the whirlwind cleared, Negi knew his end had finally come.
As he stood up with the help of his staff, his body slightly unsteady from the last spell, he could see none of the demons. All he could visualize was the trees around him. However, he knew he was completely surrounded by them.
'Goodbye, father.' He thought to himself. He was so close. So close to knowing his father…
Negi was shocked out of his thought by the powerful magic presence that approached him from above.
It was a mage… whose menace and hatred was flooding out from his power. He landed on the ground slowly, about eight meters away from Negi.
"We finally meet again, Nagi Springfield. You've evaded me for years. But you'll escape me no longer. "
The man was tall… every step of the masculine body was so self-assured. He had long straight black hair… and piercing bright golden eyes.
There was something uncannily familiar in the way those eyes shone.
Negi could hardly move while under that intense gaze and the ridiculously strong magical aura that radiated from his body.
The mage walked until he was directly in front of Negi. Negi's face was still hidden in the shade of his hook.
A sudden doubt flashed through the mage's eyes. Then anger filled his eyes.
His powerful hand shot out and grabbed Negi's neck. Seemingly effortlessly, he lifted Negi's body up and shook him. Negi's staff fell to the ground, and his hook fell back, revealing his teenage face contorted by pain.
"Who the hell are you? You're not Nagi Springfield!" the dark deep voice roared.
All Negi could do was grasping for precious air. His hands snatched in vain at the iron grip at his neck, while his legs kicked feebly in the air.
"Tell me!" the mage squeezed his neck even harder. Negi let out a pained moan, but shook his head.
The mage unleashed a sudden bout of magic through Negi's body and then threw him heavily down the ground. The shock loosened Negi's hold on the effect of the aging pill.
Negi coughed and convulsed in pain on the ground. Every mouthful of precious air brought burning pain to his throat. He weakly registered the fact that his body had turned back to its ten-year-old self.
Amid the pain, Negi thought he could hear the cruel laughter of his tormentor.
"Negi Springfield! I told you to get Nagi Springfield, now see what you've got me!" He roared to his subordinates. "His son! Ha, his son!"
Negi felt a strong grip on his jaw, which lifted his head up from the ground forcefully. His vision was still blurred from the lack of oxygen, but he was forced to stare into the yellow gaze of the mage.
"I don't believe we've met each other formally. Forgive my rudeness. Let me introduce myself formally." The mage said mockingly, his hold on Negi shifted to his other hand tearing at Negi's hair, forcing his head up. Negi winced in pain, which seemed to please the mage. "I'm Moris Darkstar. People used to call me the Dark Mage. I guess you might have heard of that name."
Negi's mind was already numbed with fear. The Dark Mage… the Dark Mage who brought about the magical war.
"Now, be a good boy. Tell me where your father is."
"I don't know." Negi said, his voice barely above a whisper.
"You don't know?" Darkstar shook Negi's head roughly by his hair, provoking cries of pain from the boy.
Negi's hand tore uselessly at the hand gripping his hair.
"You don't know? Then what're you doing here in these mountains? Hiking?" Darkstar's eyes were lit with anger. "I'm not a patient man, my young Negi."
"I don't know!" Negi shouted, tears of pain already seeping out from his eyes. "Everyone knows that my father is already dead! I don't know what you're talking about."
"Are you sure that you don't know? " Darkstar said in a mockingly soft voice, his other hand caressing Negi's cheek. Negi shook uncontrollably at the cold touch and the sharp fingernails that scratched at his skin.
"I don't - " his sentence ended in a scream of pain as Darkstar sank his sharp nails into Negi's smooth skin at the base of his neck, drawing blood. His hand continued down, tearing apart Negi's clothes and his skin, leaving bloodied trails on his small chest.
"Now, tell me. Or the pain will never end." Darkstar licked at his bloodied fingers. "Not that I don't like your pain. I like it, and I've always loved the sweet sweet blood of youth. "
Negi's sense was engulfed by fear… he had never been as frightened before in his life, not even the time the demons attacked his village.
Negi just shook his head helplessly.
"You're a strong child, no thanks to you father, however." Darkstar tilted Negi's head up. "But you're still only a child."
Just before Darkstar sank his pointed teeth into Negi's neck, Negi suddenly realized what was so familiar about the gleam in his golden gaze – the gaze of a vampire.
Negi cried out in pain as teeth tore his skin part, and his precious blood – the blood given to him by his parents – flowed into the dark mage's mouth. His whole body convulsed with the all-consuming pain, his voice already hoarse from all the forced screaming.
He never imagined it would end like this. He had not yet said goodbye to so many people.
Negi's consciousness slipped away from him.
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Moris Darkstar licked at the boy's wound, effectively closing it with his vampire's saliva. It just wouldn't do to have the boy bleed to death just yet.
He stood up, the boy's limp body still clutched in his arms. He licked his lips in satisfaction. Such sweet blood… and such powerful blood. He could feel the strong, youthful power now pulsing through his vessels, strengthening his whole body. Perhaps he had never before tasted blood so delicious… the blood of the enemy's son, no less.
He looked down at the boy. Negi Springfield, with his porcelain skin pale from blood loss, delicately small frame that seemed so easy to crush with his strong grip…
"My Lord, a large group of mages are coming this way!" a demon just flew in said, panicked.
Moris Darkstar looked down at the child in his arms. Such a precious child… strong, brave, and yet so delicately and deliciously weak in his arms. What parents wouldn't sacrifice their lives for such a child?
"We're retreating. I've already got what I needed." Oh, yes. Nagi Springfield. You will pay dearly for all the wrongs you have done to me. You will pay… with your son's soul and body.
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When Asuna returned from her newspaper delivery part time job, a worried Konoka waited at the doorstep, telling her how Negi had left early that morning.
"He said there was some urgent business back at Wales… that we don't have to worry about it. But he was in such a rush - wouldn't have breakfast first before he left… he wouldn't wait till you're back either."
"What?" Asuna exclaimed in disbelief. "How could you let him leave like that?"
"But he said that I need not worry about him… he said he would be back soon. I believed him…"
"Konoka…" Asuna signed in exasperation, "Think about it… Negi chose the time when I was not here to leave, because he knew I would see through his lie and stopped him. The stupid kid!"
Anger rose in Asuna. But something even worse filled her heart – fear.
Negi must be doing something dangerous – knowing him, it must be something extremely dangerous. Damn him and his way of putting every single responsibility and worries onto his own shoulder!
"He has left a letter for Takahata-sensei. May be he wanted to tell him what's happening! Let's go and find him!"
Asuna nodded. Takahata-sensei would know what to do.
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Before they left to find Takahata-sensei, they first woke Chamo up from its sleep. The ermine was shocked at Negi's sudden departure, and hence could provide no useful information, perhaps except one thing.
"He received a lot of letters yesterday, didn't he? I thought he was very taken with one of them. But he wouldn't let me see it. Also, he stayed up till very late last night." The ermine said, also panicked about the whereabouts of the young mage.
After nearly a whole morning of searching, they finally cornered Minamoto-sensei on a corridor and knew from her that Takahata wouldn't be back till late Sunday evening.
"But… it's urgent! " Asuna said to Minamoto-sensei, "can't we contact him now? "
Minamoto-sensei looked uncertain. "but you know… he's out on a …. mission." She lowered her voice. "It might not be safe to contact him."
"But Negi might be in danger! " Konoka was nearly in tears with worries.
"What? What has he done? Where's he? "Minamoto-sensei asked, concerned.
"If that's the case, we had better go to the your grandfather now. "After hearing their story, Minamoto-sensei said, and lead the two worried teenagers to the headmaster office.
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Takahata had just finished his 'mission' when he received the emergent call from the headmaster. He travelled back Mahora as quickly as he could, and returned around midnight.
He heard Asuna and Konoka's account of Negi's disappearance in the headmaster's office. Setsuna was also there, and her presence seemed to calm the panicked Konoka a bit.
Takahata was really quite alarmed by the end of the account. Without further delay, he opened the letter Negi had written to him.
Takahata-san,
By the time you read this letter, I will already be in Europe. I cannot disclose my exact location to you, but I have brought with me the magical tracer device for the teacher of Mahora. So you'll know how to find me.
On Friday night, I received a letter from a friend of my father. From it I got the clues to the whereabouts of my father. According to the letter, he was indeed still alive. He was injured and still sought after by the people who started the last war.
Please forgive me for my rash decision to go there just like that. But I think perhaps you of all people might understand – why I can wait no longer to go. I have waited for my whole life for this opportunity. I'll try to stay safe. But I know I'll need your help.
I'm really sorry to have to ask this of you. But I can trust no one else with this.
Again, my deepest apologies for the troubles that I've caused. But I hope that this time, I'll really find him
Negi.
Many different emotion fought to dominate inside Takahata – disbelief on Negi's rashness, fear for Negi's safety, hope for Nagi's return…
He shook his head slightly. He had to get a grip on himself and analyze the situation at hand calmly. Both Nagi and his son's lives were at stake, now.
"So, what do you think of the situation? " headmaster Konoe asked him.
"I think… I think that it is a grave situation, " he said, trying to ignore the pained gasp from the girls. "It's possibly a trap."
But Takahata knew that even if Negi had known that it had been a trap, he would still walk straight in. It really pained him to think of how desparate the child was.
"We need to assemble a large team of experienced mage. There's a great potential of engagement in magical combat. We've got no time to lose. Also, I need a portable tracker to the tracer system for teachers."
Asuna stepped towards him. "Can we - "
Takahata placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, stopping her request. "No, you can't. Not this time. Let us adults do the job. "
Asuna lowered her head, her shoulders slightly shaking. It was as if she just suddenly realized the gravity of the situation.
"You'll bring him back, won't you? " She looked at him with those big, tear-filled eyes.
"I'll try my best. "
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When the group of mages arrived the mountain area, all those demons had retreated. Takahata was surprised that they just retreated without a putting up a fight.
May be it was because their leader – the Dark Mage – had not been here? Or… had they already got what they're here for?
While the other mages searched the area for residual demons, Takahata followed the tracker in his hand. It led him to a shallow cave in one of the mountains.
As his ran his hand over the back wall of the cave, he felt something sticky – it was dried blood.
Takahata's heart beat so furiously, almost threatening to jump out of his throat. His intuition told him that the man he had searching for for years was inside that cave.
The wall that separated him with his friend shook and shuttered under the power of his 'Kanka'.
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Nagi Springfield opened his eyes. He felt relieved to be awake at last, as he felt that he had been having a long long bad dream.
He looked around himself. He was in a white hospital room. The morning sunlight drifted softly through the linen curtain. He moved his arms, and found out that indeed one of his arms was attached to a drip stand besides his bed.
With the free arm, Nagi covered his eyes, and thought hard. What had happened?
No… it was not a nightmare after all. Unfortunately for him, there really had been a war… then the endless, lonely search for the Tree… and ambush… he nearly died.
His memory suddenly jumped to the last thing it remembered. The blurred back of his son, and his plea for him to not do something extremely foolish…
And then he remembered.
"No… no. It can't have happened. No…"
"Nagi." A familiar voice. Takahata.
"Where's him? " Nagi looked at his long time friend. He knew it was harsh of him, greeting him with this question after all those years.
Takahata just stared at him with those sad eyes. No. Nagi didn't want to believe what those eyes were telling him.
"You've rescued me. So you must have rescued him. Please, just tell me so." Nagi knew the answer even before Takahata had answered.
"Sorry…. Nagi… I'm so sorry."
"Was it him?"
"Please, Nagi. You've to let yourself rest first. Don't do this to yourself - "
"Has Darkstar taken him?" Never before had Nagi felt so hopeless, so despaired. Never.
"Yes."
He could tell that Takahata blamed himself for what happened to Negi. But the blame lay on no one else but him, Nagi Springfield.
What sort of father he was, anyway? He failed to fulfill his duty as a father… he had not been there when he grew up. He had failed to protect his son. Now, his son had sacrificed himself in order to save him.
And now… his son… the son that he had barely met for a few minutes in his life, was in the hands of the cruelest black mage to have walked the earth.
"Takahata… what am I to do? Maybe I have made a mistake by having a son." Once again, he covered his eyes with his hand. "I have let him suffer so much, haven't I?"
"Nagi, stop your nonsense already." Takahata took hold of Nagi's other hand and tried to squeeze reassuringly. "I thought that after all those years, you'd have grown up a bit. Guess I'm wrong."
Nagi smiled, or rather grimaced bitterly at his friend.
"We'll get him back. I promise you." Takahata said.
"Yes. We will. There's no other option." Nagi said aloud.
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When Negi returned to the world of consciousness, he wondered where he was – was he dead?
Then he realized that he was somehow still alive.
He was in a large, elaborately decorated room, lying on a big four poster bed. There was a large, tightly closed window on one side of the room.
Looking down on himself, Negi discovered that his hands were chained together.
And the truth finally hit him hard – he had been captured.
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AN: and so Negi's 'nightmare' will begin…
Please review!