Muddled Up
Master Masa Random/Writer's Trinity
The characters and situations of Magister Negi Magi are the creation of and rightful property of Ken Akamatsu. They are used here without permission. This story may be freely redistributed, but it should not be altered substantially or used for profit in any way.Masayoshi belongs solely in the hands of one Master Masa Random of the Writer's Trinity. Connor belongs completely to X Serac of Howell J. Fitzwilliam belongs exclusively to Tsutomu Teruko of DA. If you read this and reviewed, I have deleted this chapter due to slight problems, however I now think it's fixed, so please re-review!
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A great room, no lights, no windows, nothing but a great inky blankness that encompassed the small room, there was only anger… but an old anger, an anger of one who felt much hardships and understood why it was to be, and has accepted the fate, yet hasn't released the hatred. The shadowy corners were home to no creature, and no creature was home here, this was a both malevolent and benevolent room, with terrible memories, but good ones too. However, the room's only living occupant felt only the cold caress of fear, Negi shivered almost nonstop.
An old man in a gray suit slowly manifested from the darkness… or… the darkness manifested into the old man… it was hard to tell. He walked slowly toward Negi, a slight smile playing about his lips, his ancient mustache quivering in anticipation, his slow, deliberate steps were similar to the footfalls of Death, and Negi found no comfort from that! Great… so this is how I die… in my pajamas to boot… he tried to wiggle off his invisible bonds, but to no avail, only death was to meet him.
The old man stopped, just a few steps from Negi and lifted his head, his red eyes gleaming with… some unholy power. The man's face began to change, it was slight at first, like the lightening of his face, but it soon became more and more apparent until the person in the gray gentleman's clothes and bowler hat wearing the white gloves and holding the walking stick with a metallic end wasn't an old man at all, instead it was a smirking Masayoshi, with eyes as red as hot embers. The red eyed Masayoshi stared apparently waiting for Negi to say anything, but before the ten-year old mage could even open is mouth, Masayoshi swung the walking staff like a golf club and hit the young boy so hard he flew up and hit the ceiling. Masayoshi, quick as lightning, struck out with a powerful kick and slammed Negi into the wall, which soon shattered as though made of glass.
Negi could feel his ribs splinter and break, he could feel his warm blood flow from his mouth and onto the cold, uncaring floor, but he paid no attention to this, as he stared out in horror at what lay pas the confines of the shadowed room. A slight gasp shook his entire frame and he buckled, but even as he closed his eyes he could still vividly see the horrors.
Outside the walls was all of Mahora, set aflame. Screams of agony could be heard even from this distance, flying… things could be seen in the air, standing out in the red billowing smoke. Grotesque monsters walked like armies marching across a bleeding field of battle, leaving nothing moving in their wake. He could see Evangeline, fighting desperately against things even she thought did not exist, but she suddenly stopped fighting, and with a final exasperated scream she fell to the ground… unmoving. Many of the teachers were huddled together in groups trying to fend off the abominations, but many fell as more and more of those things appeared and surrounded them. Even Konoemon Konoe was struck down, clutching his arm with one bloodied hand, he whispered, but Negi could hear him intensely, "How… could I have let this happen?" the he too collapsed, not moving any further. Connor and Howell, fighting back to back stopped their attack, and looked at their enemies, now amassed into a giant force; they grit their teeth and yelled out in rage, clutching weapons and dived into the great army, never to come out the other side.
Negi turned slightly to see Masayoshi again, who was staring sadly at the sight, "If only you could have done more… perhaps this wouldn't have happened… but nobody blames you son of the Thousand Master, you could not have beaten a Shade, you never seen an attack coming. Perhaps if you simply… knew a bit more about all of this… like I did, everyone might have been saved."
Negi whimpered, pulling at the bottom of Masayoshi pant leg, "Masayoshi… what… what do I do?"
Masayoshi peered inquisitively at the youth, then bent down and smiled warmly, "Pride blinds you Negi, to be a true Magister Magi you have to learn to know the limits of your abilities and learn to accept aid from those who can help you. Tomorrow, be prepared to make the right decisions, because if you don't…" he looked again as the monsters found the defenseless girls of Mahora, he shielded Negi's eyes, "Well, do you care enough for these girls to save them? Or will you try fighting all of these by yourself? Your choice."
Negi gasped, sitting up quickly, clutching his chest. He swiftly reached over to the little shelf and grabbed his glasses and put them on with shaking hands, he looked outside, the moon was still up, basking the grounds in a silvery white light. He grabbed a night robe and hastily put it on, "I have to find Masayoshi, he has to help me…" tears suddenly welled into his eyes as the memory of the nightmare swiftly returned, "He has… to help…"
Konoka got up slowly and rubbed her eyes, "Negi-kun? What are you doing up?" Negi was making only a little bit of noise, but it was enough to wake Konoka up, who was having some bad dreams about toads, Negi, and a chicken wing. The she noticed Negi was crying, she quickly got up and rushed to her favorite teacher's side, "Negi-kun! What's wrong?" she put her arms around him soothingly, hoping he would cheer up.
Negi shakily stood back up, "I need to find Masayoshi… do you know where he sleeps?" he looked bitterly at Konoka, thanking even the dream Masayoshi that he had enough mercy to not let Negi see… anything else.
Konoka put an index finger to her lips, "Masayoshi-sensei sleeps with the twins. Why? Is he in trouble? You're not going to send him away are you?" she felt oddly frightened for the odd teenage teacher.
Negi shook his head sideways, "No, I… need his help… thank you Konoka-san, but please go back to bed, I don't want to keep you up."
Konoka wasn't listening, she already threw a robe over her night gown and smiled calmly at Negi's tearstained face, "We'll help each other out! So let's go Negi, let's find Masayoshi to help make those bad dreams fly away!"
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Masayoshi, for one reason, or another, felt the strangest foreboding feeling that night, and it wasn't the two twins on either side of him this time, their breathing similar to purring as they curled around the teenage boy. Masayoshi sighed in happiness, petting one of the girl's heads, "I'm glad you two are around, you two always seem to make my problems go away…" he smiled, nodding as Fuka's bouncy hair seemed to spring back up after his hand left it.
Fuka, apparently dreaming, kissed Masayoshi's hand, "Masayoshi-kun…"
Masayoshi didn't expect that, and in his surprise he roughly sat up as quickly as he could, but hit his face on the low bunk of Kaede's bed. He fell back swearing softly as he reached over Fumika's body to reach his glasses, as though in sync his hand grasped his glasses at the same exact moment Fumika turned and grabbed Masayoshi's arm, caressing it lovingly. Masayoshi closed his eyes and whispered near-silently, "Please, would someone get me out of this mess?" Wow peaceful to horrible situation… that might be a record!
Someone up there really liked him, because the door opened and Negi and Konoka, crouched low for cover and beckoned him over, Masayoshi made a few gestures that would have roughly translated into, "I'm stuck Negi my boy, and I'm afraid that due to this fine predicament I will be unable to move for the time present, I would greatly appreciate any assistance you may be able to spare to aide me in this in this rather discomforting endeavor!" sure it was a bit of a mouthful, but Masayoshi got the sentence through as clear as daybreak.
Negi whispered something as he pulled out a little training wand, which Masayoshi rolled his eyes at, but that was before Fuka and Fumika laid straight, not touching Masayoshi and allowing him to have enough room to move around them. He got to the hall, but not before grabbing his pouch. He shut the door quietly and smiled, "Hey now, I don't think Takamichi would appreciate it if I helped you two lovebirds make a getaway in the moonlight, sure it's romantic, but don't you think you'd get caught?"
Konoka blushed a little from that teasing comment, "No, Negi-kun wants your help." She turned to Negi, "We should find a quiet place to talk, let's go to the library." She nodded and skipped a little down the hall. Negi, shrugged a little and followed her. Masayoshi, sighed a little than stared at the full moon, and he whimpered a little, "I have the worst feeling about this…"
As he left shadows overtook the doorway, where two eyes shone, then a sound of cold steel being drawn out from its sheath followed by an angry yet protective voice, "Ojou-sama…"
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Masayoshi paced by a shelf of books, frowning slightly as Negi recalled the dream from his memory. He didn't like the sound of this, not at all. Shades… demons… monsters, most likely golems… and… death…
Konoka didn't know what to say, she didn't even know Masayoshi was a mage, and obviously someone who knew bad things about magic as well! She simply sat shivering in her nightgown and robe, sitting by Negi as the young teacher began to whimper as he brought the retelling of the nightmare to a close.
Negi held his breath, then released slowly to try to calm himself, "And so… I want to know about Shades, and how to stop them from doing something like that."
Masayoshi absentmindedly fingered the top of the pouch, he uneasily removed the black book and set it in front of Negi, "Shades are technically really bad spirits that reside in human forms. A shade is… a bad spirit that enters a person's soul and erodes the actual soul from the inside, eventually taking complete control of the body. Then the destroyed soul itself will become a Shade, it's a vicious circle."
Negi swallowed all of his fears and spoke near silently, "Takahata-san said you were a Shade… are you?"
Masayoshi scowled, "Do I look like a Shade to you Negi?" then his expression softened to a happy smile, "I can do Shade magic though, and too much will turn me into a Shade if that's what you mean!"
Negi frowned, realizing the teacher really had little to worry about, so long as he didn't do any bad magic. Konoka sighed, coming to the same conclusion. Masayoshi smiled and patted them both on the shoulder, "If I ever get red eyes however, you just need to stab me where my magic flows from, which in my case is my hands. Unless I have pinkeye or maybe I have allergies, I actually mean you know maroon red eyes instead of these onyx ones."
"In which case I would get to cut your hands off Hell's Fire, what an amusing task…" the trio stared at the entrance with surprised eyes as a young lady wearing nothing but great billowing sheets of black velvet clinging around her slowly walked in. She was fair-haired and slim, the velvet revealing her complexion and her snide smile. A delicate hand was wrapped around a single orb, about the size of a basketball, which glowed and dimmed repeatedly, hundreds of little lights faded and appeared, there was probably a certain amount, but it was impossible to count them as one would slowly disappear at the same time one of the others reappeared back to existence. Her piercing red eyes were transfixed on Masayoshi, who simply gaped in horror as the shadows around them seemed to thicken and begin to be drawn towards the girl.
Konoka stood up quite abruptly and shielded Masayoshi and Negi's bodies with her own, "Don't come any closer! G-go away!" she would have stayed there and protected them both with strength she never knew she possessed, had not Masayoshi grabbed her wrist and run towards the back of the library, engulfed in darkness.
The girl did not follow; instead it was like she was waiting for something, then, as though darkness itself manifested into it, a boy appeared on her right side, holding an orb of comparable looks. A hood obscured the features of his face, except for a slight glinting in his eye that resembled molten gold, and his black robes concealed everything else other than rather narrow shoulders and a thin hand, he spoke slowly, "Those are the three we are after. The girl's guardian is coming, I will halt her progress. Don't kill them… but use force if necessary." With that cynical ending he disappeared with a swooshing noise. The girl clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes, "Of course not, why kill now while I can enjoy their misery of defeat?"
Negi slowed his pace and rested his hands on his knees, taking in deep breaths as his knees began to shake from the strain, that and a weird heavy feeling the shadows around them were beginning to give off… as though the darkness around them were solidifying and slowly closing in around them. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and jumped up in fright, but was immediately calmed with the coming of Konoka's panting and Masayoshi's coughing. He looked up in a panic, "W-who… was that?" he directed the question to Masayoshi.
The black haired teacher shook his head, "Powerful evil… trapped in a body… that's not normal… who in the world could have sealed something like that in a human body!?" he shook his head as though to try to get thoughts out of his mind, "To seal a Shade is one thing… but in a human form would take a thousand times more power than I've ever heard to even do that!"
Negi gaped, "Thousand?" then he slowly began to put all of this together, a Shade appearing and threatening to kill Masayoshi in Mahora, Masayoshi saying some with a thousand times magic power to seal any dark creature… and… "Thousand…?"
Konoka didn't know what was going on, it all just felt like a jumbled mess, but then she thought quite contently, at least I'll die in good company! She fondly gazed on both teachers, if only Se-
"Ojou-sama!"
Masayoshi, in a panic, pulled out his pen and shot a blast of molten rock towards the point where the voice came from, his bracelet glowing blue, but the attack never reached its target seeing as the actually missile was somehow split in two and the next instant Masayoshi, most likely from a miracle, caught a blade in mid-swing. And judging by the look on his face, he was most likely trying to cast another spell instead of saving his life.
Setsuna jumped back and in one fluid motion, brought Masayoshi toppling to the floor, his head thudding on the hard floor and completely sending him into a comatose state. Her dark hair was up on end from her anger, but before she could finish the death blow, Konoka hurried up and hugged her, restraining the movement of her sword arm.
Konoka held her dear friend tightly, not quite understanding why she was attacking Masayoshi, but not really caring, "Oh Setchan! I haven't seen you in weeks! How are you!?"
Setsuna faltered, her sword hanging limp in her hand, unsure of really what to do, "I'm… fine Ojou-sama… do not worry about me."
Negi looked at her inquiringly, "Where have you been these last few weeks?"
Setsuna heaved a sigh and stared solemnly at her feet, "Ojou-sama believed that stress was getting to me and requested that perhaps I go to the beach and relax there for a time…"
Masayoshi, conscious but still dizzy, sat up in an upright position and held his forehead in his hands, "Urgh… well you have a rather pleasant tan Setchan…" he blanched slightly, "Wait, we have more important matters to deal with!"
Setsuna jumped at the black-haired teacher with a look of fury, and the boy survived only because Konoka and Negi fiercely held on to her, she was almost at the point of foaming at the mouth, sputtering out incoherent words, but Masayoshi caught a few in the end, "…traitor! On the other side! Attacked me!"
Negi, as well as Masayoshi and Konoka, soon began to understand why Setsuna was so angry, using all of his strength to hold back Setsuna, he was able to gasp out his fears, "Are… you saying Masayoshi… attacked you!?"
Masayoshi looked dumbfounded, and quickly held his hands out in front of them in a "I didn't do it" pose, he began to stammer ever so slightly, "I don't know what you're talking about!" he regained his posture and scowled at Setsuna, "Look here miss! I haven't even seen you before! How could you say I attacked you?"
Before Setsuna answered the shadows behind her seemed to condense, and the girl from before slowly walked in clear view of the others, a single thin eyebrow raised in amusement, that mocking smirk still on her lips, "I suppose I needn't kill you, you seem to be doing quite nicely on your own."
Before Masayoshi could even blink he was blown back by some sort of gust of wind and he hit one of the bookshelves violently, falling to the floor his eyes widened, "Ow…" and the second time in a matter of seconds, Masayoshi lapsed into unconsciousness.
Negi, however, seen such an attack coming, he reached for his staff, but to his despair, he forgot to bring it! Instead his hand wrapped around the thin handle of his practice wand, he held it towards the girl, hoping his timing was good. When the attack came, it was as though Negi's wand pierced through it harmlessly, protecting Setsuna and Konoka who were directly behind him, unfortunately Masayoshi must have been out of the safe area Negi created and felt the took the full force of the attack. Only thinking of protecting everyone, Negi raised his hand in the air, "Konoka!"
In a matter of seconds Konoka was by his side, wielding a pair of whip-like weapons and wearing an old sort of Kimono, designed for priestesses. The two worked well together, Negi took a few careful shots of magic towards their assaulter as Konoka stayed back and slashed back and forth gracefully with her whips. Setsuna charged forward attacking with trained speed, her sword moving faster than Negi's eyes could follow.
Yet all seemed pathetic to the girl, who for now we shall call Luxuria, she almost sighed at the feeble attempts to defeat her. But she enjoyed toying with her enemy, so instead of just destroying them with one breath, a skill she has mastered, she decided to simply dodge and avoid their attacks while they tire themselves down. However she felt that they wouldn't tire immediately, they were fighting boldly, and without concern of themselves… it is the weakened trapped animals that fight the hardest…
Negi felt the pull of physical strength and could feel his two companions tire as well… he began to mutter his spells instead of yelling them out exuberantly, his wand seemed to move slower, it felt so much heavier. He could see Setsuna hesitate for a moment, her sword tip clattering on the floor, her face red with weariness, she did all she could. Konoka fell on her bottom, unable to fight anymore, her clothes resumed the appearance of a schoolgirl and she closed her eyes, ashamed of her own weakness. Negi called them back, noticing their enemy was never even fighting back, he was too tired to fight anymore, but he had one more plan up his sleeve.
Luxuria stopped her own movement as the three stopped their own. They're tired, she mused, humans are so weak… pitiful really. She looked at her hands and grimaced, human hands… I too am pitiful… but not for long. She smirked, a lustful gleam in her eyes, "Ready to die everyone? It was fun I admit, but I think it's about time I finish this." she took a step closer to the companions, enjoying their tired looks and their hopeless faces. She felt the feeling warm her blood, a strong lusty emotion overtook her and she simply bathed in the glory that it imbued her with. She was soon overcome within her ecstasy, fueling herself with their misery
Masayoshi tapped on Konoka's shoulder, who looked up at him weakly. Masayoshi felt a wrenching in his chest as he soaked in her misery, her hopelessness, her fragility… I must do something… he held a hand out, which she gratefully took and pulled her upright in a standing position. He turned to the exhausted Negi and the undermined sword girl, "I'm taking Konoka and am going to retreat! I'll find Takamichi! Please hang on!"
Setsuna's eyes widened in anger and distrust, but Negi smiled, "Thanks…" he turned back to the floating girl, who sneered viciously at the four. Konoka nodded at Setsuna, once, and then the sword user bitterly returned the gesture and turned away.
Masayoshi, as fast as he could move while dragging Konoka, quickly ran to the shadowy corridors that riddled the Library like veins. Konoka was slowly beginning to regain her strength as they entered the main lobby. However, Masayoshi, his eyes straight on the door, but his mind on Konoka's weakened state, didn't notice the strange massing of dark outlines in the far corners, thus when a shrill unearthly scream shattered his eardrums, well, he wasn't too prepared for it.
Masayoshi clutched his ears and fell on his knees, taken by surprise by the sudden ambush. Konoka toppled over him, her face full of surprise and some fear. The two landed with a painful thud and Masayoshi already had in his hand his black book and his silver pen. Six shadowy figures emerged from the shadows, surrounding Masayoshi and Konoka, they all wore the same type of clothing, a black velvet-like robe. However each article of clothing was altered substantially for every person. Three of the six had large hoods that concealed their faces, but the other three had their own faces revealed, with enough moonlight, Masayoshi could see them quite clearly.
The first was male, of strange build. He wore a headband of peculiar design; a metal band of silver was wrapped around his arm, a cruel smirk on his face. His eyes were sunken and dark, seeming to be like the eye sockets of a skull. A large knife was protruding from his waist, wearing it like a sword, a very sick smile soon appeared as he noticed that both of them were too weak to resist, "Hey… can I kill them?" without any reply he drew his blade so quickly Masayoshi didn't notice until the man's red hair was reflected off of the blade.
Masayoshi was taken aback; he stood up quite suddenly, despite his headache, "I daresay not!"
One of the hooded fellows came forward, a radiant orb in his hand, just like the girl from before, he spoke softly, yet the words were as sharp as any sword, "Death is not suitable for them, for it would be too swift and painless. There are fates worse than death Ira…" he seemed to be speaking from a leader's view. A shimmer of reflective light could be seen from this distance, and a cunning smile.
A hooded female came to the hooded one's side, she seemed tipsy, yet she held that stance in such a way to appear graceful. Her long blonde hair jutted from the folds of her hood, her voice was like hissing from a deadly snake, soft, frightening, and like the dropping of poison itself, "Death…? Let them run, it would be good sport to catch them… I suppose I, at the very least, would let them go… for now…" she added quietly.
Another woman appeared, a rich cape covered her body, but her piercing blue eyes stared at Masayoshi with a strong wanting feeling, she smiled, "Let them go… that way it will be fair game for whoever finds them!" she added huskily, eyeing her companions suspiciously. Her brown hair was short and touched off with a hairpiece of gaudy rubies, with a slight flick of her wrist she made her opinion known. She smiled a little, and Masayoshi took note of two fangs just barely visible from under her upper lip.
A man appeared beside her, his silvery hair untouched by his hood, he stared at Konoka amusingly, then made a "Tch" sound as he cocked his head to the side, appearing to have made his vote, he took a hand and flicked his hair out of his silver eyes, "Kill them now, best to get this waste done with!"
A female appeared beside him, seeming to be very young, looking upset, staring at Konoka's lovely black hair as she touched her won coarse short hair. Her red eyes pierced Konoka with such velocity that the fourteen-year-old flinched when the strange girl grit her teeth, "Kill them! They'll become a problem if left alive!"
The hooded male with the orb nodded once, "A tie. Luxuria is still fighting, so I will call her vote. I vote life. Let's go for now."
The angry girl ran up to him and grabbed his sleeve, "You'll let them live!? Just like that!?"
The seemingly bloodthirsty man exhaled silently, "If Superbia says it, nothing will alter his decision." Then he smiled at the two teenagers on the ground, "But next time you better pray he's still in the merciful mood!"
One at a time they all faded back into the shadows.
Konoka moaned and rested her head on Masayoshi's shoulder, which flinched a little, but didn't try to push her off. She sighed and weakly spoke, "I'm scared…"
Masayoshi didn't like to hear her say this, he didn't like hearing anyone to say those words, because to say it, means now instead of just letting your mind think this, you've voiced it and now have let your body know you fear as well. Even as he thought of this he felt her body shake.
Konoka felt a tear roll down her face, "Will Setsuna and Negi be OK?" she knew the young teacher wouldn't know, but if he just said…
"Dead and gone!"
Konoka looked up at him in horror, only to find him looking behind them with the same expression o his face. She turned and nearly fainted. Behind them was that Luxuria person, holding a blood-stained orb and smiling madly at the two, "Now I just finish you-" her eyes opened in shock, same as Masayoshi and Konoka, most likely due to a great black tip of a sword sticking out of her chest. She screeched and exploded in a puff of smoke.
Connor walked towards the two, carrying a half-asleep Negi on one shoulder and hoisting the great black sword on the other. Howell followed close behind holding an unconscious Setsuna newly-wed style, both Connor and Howell were grinning… for different reasons.
There was a loud thud echoing in the halls as Masayoshi's head collided with the ground as overwhelming surprise completely engulfed his brain with randomness.
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Sorry for the abrupt ending, but I liked it, changing the pace quickly is one of my forte's and if you have no love for it leave if you must! And hey, with Howell and Connor saving the day at the end, what's not to love!? Oh and did you guess what the seven antagonists are yet? I revealed a lot and I mean a lot about them. Just take a guess! I apologize for not making myself known these last few days, I sort of fell into a depression and thought ill of writing while I'm in that mood, but I'm smiling again so that means my progress should resume!
