Magister Negi Magi is owned by Ken Akamatsu and Kodansha Ltd. Tokyo in Japan, and by Funimation and Ballantine - DelRey in the United States, NOT by me.
Yukimi is the future Oracle of the Kansai Magic Association. She was created by Kafka'sdragon, and is used here briefly with his permission.
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"Incomparable Doll Master that she was, The Dark Evangel was still no match for those of the Kagura Onmyouji."
-Amagi Ayanakoji. Author of: "Academy Diary."
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Not Always a Mage, and Other Stories of Mahora.
Chapter Six: Something Lost, Something Gained.
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"Miss Konoka! Where are you?"
Spread out over the entirety of the Kansai Magic Association compound, shine maidens and male security guards bent to the task of searching for their leader's daughter.
"Have you found any sign of where my daughter has gotten off to?"
Sighing and shaking her head, the leader of the shrine maidens turned to face Eishun Konoe as he came up behind her. "No Sir. We are positive Miss Konoka hasn't left the temple grounds, but we still have no idea where she is."
Exasperated and worried, Eishun glanced up and let his gaze wander across the many buildings of contained within the Kansai Magic Association grounds. ("I wish Yuki-chan had had the chance to develop more before the last oracle passed away. She's still so unstable we don't dare risk using her to locate my daughter!") Thinking about the frightened red-headed child, Eishun shook his head in sympathy. As a father, his own drifting thoughts about what might have happened to Konoka were bad enough. What Yukimi might see didn't bear considering.
A shrine maiden exited one of the nearby storage buildings. Looking up, Eishun caught her eye and received a negative shake of the head. ("Next time Konoka wants to play 'Hide and Seek,' I'm definitely going to pay more attention to her!") Giving a sigh, he turned back to face the leader of the male security guards. "It takes Konoe blood to pass through the wards on the storage building with all the things we inherited from the Kagura's. Have everyone else keep searching while I go look there."
As the guard made a slight bow, accepting his instructions, Eishun started to walk away. After a few steps, he turned to look back once more. "Should the representatives of the Shinmei-Ryu show up with the Sakurazaki girl, keep them entertained until I return."
As the leader of the Kansai Magic Association continued walking away, the guard bowed once more.
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Angrily fuming as she walked, Konoka Konoe wandered aimlessly through the dimly-lit aisles of a dusty storage building. Her normally cute face marred by a tremendous pout, she thought about being ignored by her father, and began to walk faster. ("Stupid Papa! Always doing things with HIS friends!")
Memories of her mother's kind smile and gentle touch halted Konoka's aggravated stride momentarily. Unfortunately, the intrusive image of the wizened old man with the top-knot and hoop ear-rings who had been visiting her father interrupted that pleasant reminiscing. Fuming, she started moving forward again. ("Stupid Papa! Maybe I should just run off somewhere and go make my own friends!")
Walking down a set of stairs without thinking, Konoka turned a corner and continued walking and mumbling to herself. When she finally noticed the increasing dimness of her surroundings, she stopped and turned back. Seeing multiple possible pathways between the piles of dust covered crates, she suddenly realized it was impossible to tell which one lead back to the stairs.
Such light as there was didn't illuminate anything beyond the next intersection. Quickly growing frightened by the darkness and suddenly oppressive silence, Konoka ran down the aisle until she came up against a blank wall. Without thinking, she turned and ran again until she came up against another blank wall. "Papa... help me..."
Running back to the next intersection, Konoka turned and ran down that until with a loud crack, the floor fell away, and she dropped screaming into the inky blackness below.
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Standing at the top of the stairs leading into the building's underground storage areas, Eishun paused as a barely heard scream echoed up from a part of the building he'd only entered once before. "Konoka? KONOKA! Are you down there?" Not hearing any response, he chanted a mantra that increased the lighting in the darkened area below. Quickly spotting tiny footprints in the fine dust that could only belong to his daughter, he descended the stairs and moved off carefully between the floor-to ceiling stacks of unmarked crates.
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Sitting up on a small pile of rotted and splintered wood, Konoka looked up at the brightly lit hole above and wondered what had caused the place she'd fallen from to suddenly get brighter. Standing, she brushed the moldy wood and dust off her kimono, then began looking for a way out. A looming presence of someone else in the dark room prompted a jump and a shout of fear, but as her eyesight adjusted to the lighting from above, she could see that the person had remained seated in a chair placed against the unlit room's wall.
Moving forward, the first thing that drew Konoka's attention was the 'person's' shockingly pink hair. Moving closer still, she took another look and finally realized the 'person' was probably just a doll. Reaching out tentatively, she took hold of a gloved hand and found it to be very soft and life-like. Growing bolder, she moved up next to the maid-uniformed doll to look up at its amazingly life-like face. ("Wow... what a pretty doll... it almost looks like she's just asleep...")
Remembering the story in a fairy-tale she'd read, Konoka began looking around for something to stand on. Finding a small crate, she dragged it over to the doll's feet. Climbing up on the little platform, she reached out to brush a few strands of hair from the dolls face. ("A Prince woke up the sleeping Princess in my story-book... If I kiss this doll, I wonder if it will wake up?") Leaning forward, she pursued her lips, closed her eyes, and prepared to do the thing the prince had done in the story.
"KONOKA!"
Surprised to suddenly hear her name called, Konoka started to turn to look, tripped on the slat edging the crate, and fell off.
Hearing his daughter's yelp coming out of the splinter-lined hole, Eishun carefully lay down and moved up to its edge. "Konoka! Are you down there?"
Rolling over on her knees, Konoka rubbed her sore bottom. "Owie..." Looking up, she saw her father and quickly forgot the pain. "PAPA!"
Sighing with relief, Eishun extended his hand down towards Konoka. "Grab hold, and I'll pull you up."
Giddy with excitement, Konoka got up and dragged the crate over beneath the hole, then stood on it so she could reach up to take her father's hand. "Papa! You came to look for me after all!"
After letting Konoka wrap both hands around his own, Eishun focused his Ki energy and easily lifted her up and out and onto hopefully solid ground.
Before he could even move away from the hole, Konoka extended her arms up towards Eishun. "Papa! Pick me up!"
Doing as his daughter requested, Eishun deftly settled Konoka in the crook of his right arm. "That's not very nice Konoka, running off like that. Everyone was VERY worried about you!"
Pouting, Konoka turned away. "It's all your fault Papa! You wouldn't play with me!"
As Konoka turned slightly to see what his reaction would be, Eishun could only nod. "I'm sorry. As busy as I was, I shouldn't have ignored you like I did."
Showing yet another childish mood swing, Konoka turned back and hugged Eishun's neck for all she was worth. "That's okay Papa! You came and found me anyway!" Leaning back once more, she gave her father an excited look. "Hey Papa! Guess what I found!"
Even knowing what the answer might be, Eishun still showed genuine curiosity over how Konoka might describe what she'd seen. "What did you see?"
Raising her arms, Konoka spread them out as wide as she could. It was a BIG doll! She was sooo pretty! Her clothes were all blue and white and red! She had pink hair, was dressed like a maid, and looked so real it seemed like she might wake up with a kiss! Just like the princess in my story!"
Suddenly worried, Eishun tightened the grip he held on Konoka. "DID you kiss her?"
Looking a little sad, Konoka shook her head. "No, but maybe we can come back and get her later! It might be fun to have such a big doll as a friend!"
Smiling sympathetically, Eishun patted Konoka on the back. "Maybe that won't be necessary. The Aoyama's are coming by today to drop off a little girl names Setsuna who's just your age. Why don't you try being friends with her instead?"
Excited once more, Konoka hugged Eishun again. "A REAL friend? Thank you Papa!"
As he returned Konoka's hug, Eishun glanced back over his shoulder. ("What wonderful timing! I'm not sure the temple could have survived the excitement if that 'Doll' back there had become Konoka's 'friend!'")
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As Eishun and Konoka exited the storage building, the lights quickly dimmed to their former level.
Far below, in the renewed darkness, a heart that had begun to awaken slowed into dormancy once more. If this was not the time, that was fine. One day, a new Master would come, and the Angel of Steel would live again.
oware.
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Author's Notes:
Of course, the 'Angel of Steel' is Kurumi, from the anime and manga; 'Steel Angel Kurumi.'
'Steel Angel Kurumi,' both the anime and manga, are owned by Kaishaku, Kadokawa Shoten and Pony Canyon in Japan, and ADV in the United States, NOT by me.