I'm early again. Joy. Still weird though. Maybe after this, the third time, I'll be back to normal?

I realize I am probably moving through events like a snail for some of you, but I believe it's important for me to do so at the moment. I tend to get all of the big events out in a rush and then...well, and then I don't know what to do with myself. Also, before any or you say anything, no I did not forget Library Island...I just like to switch around events. Originally, when I was introduced to this as a Manga, I read as I was given, which was book number 1, 3 then book number 2...and in my opinion, even though I read the Manga properly in order online later..((As a side note, it may be ironic to know that after reading past the Chao saga, I received for my birthday my first actual Manga book and number 11 in the series...part of the Chao sagas...))I still think the story makes more...sense....if I put Eva's introduction before Library Island...I'd also like to make a note...

The only reason Ku Fei and Negi tied was because of the large disadvantage Ku Fei had against Negi, If they had been on even footing the match would have been quite more...involved, and I do think Negi would have eventually lost, the way he is now...one also has to take into account no one used and chi/ki or magic based moves. If both were allowed to use chi, Negi would most likely have had a far harder time...there was no shundo usage here. So don't think Negi over powered just yet...

Any who...here we are, so let's get moving. I hope you all understand that I do not own Negima...

+---+

Chapter 5: Even Spring Onions can make you cry.

+----+

"Sensei, why...ehh...oh forget it."

The speaker, a student, wiggled her tongue around a bit before reverting to Japanese. English could be a real tongue twister, especially when their Sensei was holding a kind of immersion session, a real test of knowledge...

"Why does the English language have so many substitutes for one thing, and why do so many different words sound exactly the same?!?"

Negi smiled at that, and answered her in Japanese, as the period was truly over anyway.

"Ahh, English is a funny language. Cite, Site and Sight. Lye and Lie and Lie. Night and Knight, Indeed, many words sound exactly the same, but it is the context of where the word is that will tell you which meaning it has. If someone were to read the line "You are my knight in shining armor, surely they do not mean the word N-I-G-H-T, for that is the one for the dark time of day, the later hours. They are using the one with the "K" in front, for a gallant individual who has obtained recognition and thus received their title. Now, class, I expect that homework turned in by Friday,...today is Monday, so I'm giving you plenty of time, that's a heads up for your three over there, no excuses, in particular for you, Miss Lee. Now, I hope you practice at least a little bit tonight. You don't need to pour over any books, hold a simple conversation in English if you will, discuss a topic. You might be surprised how far you can go...Miss Xu, Lee, Sei and Tachibanuri, stay back, I need to discuss with you all about an afternoon session I hold after school...Miss Mai, you are forgetting your Algebra homework under your chair, not to mention your handbag..."

"Sensei!"

Negi turned around, trying to put on a happy face. Might as well try to preserve the strength ehh? Once he had completed the 180, he encountered a giddy face of whom could only be identified as Makie. While his class was filled with interesting people and it was, as he was quickly finding out, never a dull period with them in the room, he wished they would be able to hold an intelligent session for learn just long enough to get them through the exams...the fact that his students had personality only made him dread the time he had them more, for it actually pained him to see such people obviously fail at grasping the language he was trying so hard to frankly stuff into their heads. Yet, he had only been teaching them a day, today would make two. He still had hope...right?

"Yes, Makie-san?"

"I finished my homework Sensei! Check it please!"

Ehh? She finished it? That's a first...according to Takamitchi; she never finishes her homework...maybe I can actually hope?

Negi took the page as the rest of the class slowly filed in and placed their pages on the basket he had provided, Makie had come a little early to show him her work, so she got the privilege of an early review. It was also a sign that she really wanted him to look it over, so he had taken the message accordingly...His eyes zoomed over the page as he made a quick assessment, and when he was finished he was quite surprised. It took him but thirty seconds.

Little mistake there, but surprisingly small, just a confusion of tenses...This one's okay...this one too! Okay, so she forgot a period on this one, an unfortunately common and embarrassing mistake of a texting college student, but she forgot it due to forgetting the rule not being an avid thumb happy talker, the rest of the sentence if fine...ahh, this one should have a semi colon sign instead of just a comma, but that is an obscure rule I went over briefly, It still can work, I'll just explain that later...Not bad...not bad...ahh, that's the name of an established park, should be capital...pretty good overall though..If I tally it mentally...Over all, it's a 6.6...oh wait, she did the extra credit too! Hmm...this is correct...that one's wrong though...wrong verb tense and there shouldn't be a comma there...this one's a run on...this one's good...this last one is fine... over all, I said I'd give an extra .2 for each of the correct extras for a total of 1 whole if they got all five..she had three...7.2.

'Not bad Makie-san, not bad at all, you've been practicing I see...these little notes on the side to help you remember the rules are nice, if they help you I'm all for you to continue doing it. Seven point two out of ten. "

"Ehh!? Seven? I never get seven...is Sensei bending the rules for me?"

Negi pulled a falsely offended face.

"What?! I'm appalled! I'd never! Check it yourself, you earned the seven plus, you only made a couple mistake that brought you down...here, here and here. You see? The verb is past tense here, not future, and you forgot a period here...this is a semicolon, not a comma, but I only explained those briefly, so I wasn't too hard on you there. You did the extra credit too, which helped your grade quite a bit..."

A couple last stragglers walked in and Negi gave back Makie her paper, and stood on his chair.

"Someone shut the door please, if anyone's late, they'll have to knock-"

"Oh, Sensei, how nice, about to lock me out of the door? Here I thought we were starting to form a nice and solid teacher pupil relationship..."

Negi did not even need to turn around; he had heard enough of her voice the previous session to attach it to the face.

"Ahh, McDowell-san, a second late in hell is a lifetime early in death. This, as you were so kind to state this morning, is Hell. Shut the door will you, and would you be so kind as to tell me if you have your homework from Friday?"

He did not need to turn around to know the answer was no, even if she answered or not.

"Remind me to give you a slip for after school sessions Miss McDowell, you have earned the prize. We are going to have crumpets today, so you're extra lucky."

He heard a couple of suppressed snickers and a huff, followed by the subtle sound of hair against cloth and heel on floor.

"Please open your books to page 289 this time. This is your second session today, and the day is nearly over, so you should know the drill by now."

+---+

"Miss McDowell, I really feel hate to see such a brilliant individual such as yourself wasting yours and my time by sitting here. 9 points on the first try. I had a feeling that Japanese was not your first language. You only messed up here."

"So I screwed a conjunction, who cares? I'm outta here."

She turned around in a classic cold shoulder motion, but Negi stopped her with his voice.

"Miss McDowell"

I swear, he has all the annoying traits of an old and fat seasoned professor, but none of the bulk. Why does everything have to come mini now? Mini phones, Mini music players, Mini computers, mini professors. When did he go on the market?

"What?"

"You are not the only one with problems you know."

"What?!"

"You may leave."

Eva stared at him. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "You are not the only one with problems..." She knew that already...what was he implying...what the heck did he know about her? Dammit, she was tabbing him not the other way around...but nah, it just must be some friggin empty statement designed to shake her...She continued to gawk at him though...Negi looked up and raised an eyebrow at her when he had affirmed she was officially staring at him.

"What's the matter? You were itching to leave not even a minute ago, now you stare at me like a jeweler would a mythical gem they have just discovered exists. The only time I want to see shock like that is during an earthquake miss McDowell... Now please, you may take your leave, I have an after school session to run..."

"Oh, so now you think your funny?'

"Miss McDowell, spell that "you're""

"What the hell? Y-O-U-R, why?'

"Incorrect. The correct tense you should have used in that statement "Oh so now you think you're funny?" is spelled Y-O-U with an apostrophe, followed by R-E. Y-O-U-R-E. Good day Miss McDowell."

Good day my foot. Even though Negi turned his attention away from her and started another drill with his remaining students, she continued to stand there and stare knives at him. The only problem was that the knives were having no effect on the pocket-sized teacher...Yet, she still stared...

Eventually she'll have to give up...

Hopefully...

I am going to drain the boy of every last drop he had in the puny little form he calls a body.

+---+

Leaves swirled around two figures standing opposite each other, perfectly still. A soft wind, the same one that carried the leaves, played with their hair and the hems of their clothes. There were two other figures sitting on the ledge created by the nearby fountain the two standing had between them. One, the shorter one, raised a golden staff and spoke.

"Sakurazaki-san, my blade is here...."

With a quick twist of the heart and practiced tug, the golden tube came free, and Negi, stuffing the tube into his belt, now held a winged rapier. The thing was about as longer, or perhaps longer, than he was tall, but, being a rapier, was light and perfect for a sword of one his size. Even though the blade was thin, one could see it was made with a good material, and was well taken care of; it was sturdy enough to clash with the opposite katana. What most did not know was that Negi held a second blade, shorter and stouter than his rapier, a short sword. It was normally hidden within his clothes, but he had taken it out, it now rested at his side in its sheath for all to see, and Setsuna gave it a quick glance before smiling.

"You never told me you handle two blades."

"I only do so when I need too. Are you ready today Sakurazaki?"

She narrowed her eyes. Yesterday had been...odd. Something had simply just...told her that she could not fight, no questions asked. It had been odd and even disturbing, but it was gone now...there were no foreboding feelings of crossing blades today... it was odd though, she had only just met this teacher and already, she wanted to spar him. That was an oddity she had no explanation for except that this teacher was quite a personality...Setsuna looked over at Konoka, who was fancying herself as Referee...she was still wearing her outfit from the omai however....

This was going to be distracting....

"Are you ready....set?"

"Konoka...this isn't a car race...you don't say ready set go..."

"Aww come on Asuna-san, where's your sense of creativity?"

I don't think saying Ready Set Go as being particularly creative...

"Go!"

Despite the awkward starting signals, the two took the signal immediately and closed the gap in nearly a blink of an eye to clash blades, causing sparks to fly. Unknown to the four people however, there were to extra spectators in the trees.

"Master...why are we spying on sensei in a sword fight? The chances of him incorporating swordplay as a manner of defense against us effectively are less than 0.9827502749571%..."

"I want to map this boy's skill out if you don't mind...and how many times have I told you to can the percentages?"

"Approximately seventy eight thousand nine hundred and-"

"Shut it! I'm trying to watch."

((I just realized I'm rusty with battle senses....Oh well.))

Setsuna brought her blade down to bear upon Negi's right shoulder, but found it blocked when Negi slashed his blade towards her neck, causing the two to meet and spark again. She slid hers down and tried to twist it upwards to get at the crook of his left armpit, but he twisted his blade and performed an unorthodox moved, swinging his blade like almost like a pendulum in his left and knocking hers out of range from him. He then grabbed it and snapped it up and out, aiming for her chin, but she twisted sideways away from that and tried a slash to the right kidney area. He spun so it came towards his left, where his blade was, and once again, the two knocked each other, in passing though, because Negi used the momentum from his spin to force himself out of her range. He spun to face her just as she had closed the gap and had a slash aimed towards his torso. He brought his blade out to stop that, making the two blades meet near, but not touching, his right kidney.

((I should do better than that..))

The two detached blades and stared at each other. Setsuna with her katana in her right, Negi with his rapier in his left. Negi gave a half smile. He raised his blade and swung it toward her left shoulder, but of course, this deliberate move was blocked. It was funny...if it were not for the fact of Setsuna being as short as she was, or Negi's blade as long, this battle might have had the same factors as the one against Ku Fei. Blades helped much...

+---+

"I'm tired of watching this...it's boring now...all they do is bang those thing pieces of metal against one another to create sparks. No blood, no matter what the other one does. The kid slides his blade up hers; she twists hers away and knocks his off course. She tries to feint a slash and bore through the resulting block, he dodges the feint and blocks the bore. It's like reading some fairy tale where both opponents are friends of equal strength and they wear each other out...I want some...ahh!"

The fight had Eva's attention now....Setsuna had slashed at Negi, and when he had blocked, she had sent a firm palm strike straight into his gut, and then, when he had been knocked back, slashed his upper right arm, near the triceps. Negi grimaced.

'First blood is mine Sensei!"

He closed an eye and raised his blade.

"Ha! So you want got tired of simply using your blade and resorted to really trying to fight now ehh? Fine, then I'll do that too! Watch yourself..."

Negi rushed her and swung his blade towards her torso with his left hand, while he did this, he simultaneously shot out his right elbow. When she blocked his slash and grabbed his elbow, he shot out his right foot and hooked hers, tripping her up. He then slashed downwards to try and get her knees, but she pulled them up and parried on the ground before jumping back up and away from him. He didn't let her rest though; he had rushed her again, swinging for her right with his left arm while reaching out to grab a strike she was sending his way with her own left. He managed to grab it and twisted the hand, making her let out a quick yell and providing enough distraction to let his own slash land. on her blade arm, unlike her, he had aimed for the lower arm below the elbow giving her a long slash from there to near the wrist (On the back, not the front, he didn't slash those veins..)

"Now we're even, pick up your pace Sakurazaki..."

Oh, she picked up the pace alright...and she never let him do that trick again.

+---+

((About an hour later...))

"Goddam..Aren't they tired yet?!"

"Set-chan's gonna win!"

"Ohh...i'm not so sure about that Konoka...ouch!"

"Set-chan! Sensei's mean!"

"Hey...that was perfectly legal...you do that to me in videogames..."

"That's a videogame, this is real-life!"

"Difference please? Same move, same result. Setsuna's up anyway...oh wait...spoke to soon...The kid's slammed her into the ground...that reminds me...where are the blades?!"

That was true. The blades had been all but forgotten. The fight had gotten to a point where the fierceness made the combatants forsake their blades and quite nearly wrestle on the floor for a bit. Still, they were not forgotten, as Setsuna had grabbed hers and tried to use it to bore Negi off her. It worked...minimally. Once on her feet again she had to contend with the fact she had given Negi time to pull out his short sword and rush her. His rapier was...well, who knew, she couldn't see it, and she was too busy parrying this demon. He was coming at her like a madman now, slashing in any possible frontal direction. His blows were making her blade vibrate...

How strong is he anyway!?

Her experience lent her leverage though, as he struck, she forced him away and back, making him slide and giving her an opportunity to return fire. She slashed at his shoulder, but in mid flight twisted her blade so it would fly directly upwards and down upon his noggin. He had fallen for it by trying to block the shoulder, but he realized the fault of his actions just in time to avoid getting sliced like a nice, crisp apple down the middle. Setsuna had expected this and tried to trip him up, but received a small cut on her knee and a scolding for trying.

"You should know better by now Sakurazaki!"

"So, he's enduring. Good. That will make taking him down ever so much more fun. He can have all the endurance he wants, all he'll be doing is running...or struggling...I can just feel him squirm...."

".....Master..."

"....Take out the blood, completely dry...maybe I'll spare the body...or no, I might like having fun making it a punching bag...I'd have to remove the innards though..I could just cut off the head and make a marter, but that would be pointless..."

".....Master...."

"Then again, I could just let him be my little minion...it would be fun, a little kiddie to do my bidding...not to mention a skilled one like that, completely under my control to bend at my will..."

"....Master...."

"Ohh, I wonder if Nagi is still alive out there...wouldn't this be a shock, me coming to him with his child as my slave...that might finally kill that ever-present annoying smirk on his face."

".....Master...."

"Hmm, but knowing him, he might not even recognize me...or remember he has a son, such a dolt he is..."

"....Master...."

"I think he is perhaps the only human being who carries around a book with his spells listed in them, but only knows about six of them by himself...I mean, he dropped out of flipping magic school, elementary! How much of a dunce can you be?"

".....Master...."

Ahh, the ever enduring patience of a robot. Chachamaru could probably sit there all day doing that...What is she trying to tell her beloved master? Ahh, but we have a fight to continue watching...don't we?

Speaking of which...

"Yay, Set-chan won..."

"It's not over yet."

"No? Set-chan has him in a full body lock, the only thing she didn't do is get her blade at his neck yet..."

"Something he's fighting like hell to prevent I see."

"Set-chan wins. I'm ref, so what I say goes!"

"When did anyone ever agree on that? Besides, he's loose...wait...HOW'D HE GET LOOSE?"

Negi wasn't fighting however. True he had broken the hold, and true Setsuna was still on the floor and he was standing, but he wasn't pressing the attack, and neither was she....she was laughing her head off at the show Konoka and Asuna were putting up, and Negi...well, he was just shaking his head at his opponent and just heaving.

"What are you...a delinquent?! Sitting there laughing your head off!"

"What's so funny...?"

'Setsuna's lost her mind, that's what. I've never seen her laugh like that. Sensei must have knocked a few screws loose on her."

Negi went down on one knee, propped up with his short sword. He was still silently heaving.

"Never had I expected to receive such a show from you Sensei, never! It was incredible!"

He looked up at her. His eyes looked glassy and dark, as if he were zombified.

"You...went easy on me. Don't lie...you won this one...but don't you ever insult me like that again Sakurazaki-san. Don't ever go easy on me."

Setsuna stopped laughing long enough to stare into those eyes. They really looked dead, but they had a kind of sinister calm to them. He seemed angry...no...disappointed...no...something else. That look he was giving her shut her down completely...Negi used his sword to push himself up off the ground and then, taking his staff out, leaned on that while he sheathed his weapon and walked away....this was also the time when, after calling her for the twelfth time, Eva finally answered her mechanical partner with the typical, if strained to reduce volume, "Whaat?!?"

"They are finished sparing Master. I am assuming Sakurazaki-san won the match, yet currently both combatants are on the floor and Sakurazaki's body language is starting to adapt something similar to fear."

"Fear? In the inscrutable body guard? Move over."

+----+

An attack on one of his students. How...disturbing.

Negi had visited the nurse's office to check up on the student in question, which turned out to be the ever bouncy and bubbly Makie-san.

Not so bouncy now, ehh?

Negi watched the window as he sat, looking at the other visitors Makie had. She was asleep, and according to the nurse, was completely fine except for a large amount of blood loss. The anemia made her sleepy, and while she slept, an I.V was being used to replenish her nutrients. She was perfectly healthy otherwise, so her body would produce more blood to replace the lost quantity quickly...she'd be out by tonight the latest...whenever she woke up...

What interested Negi though was the blood loss part. Where had she lost the blood? There were no injuries except a tiny double impression on the neck, a bite. It invited the imagination it did. In fact, it had captivated Negi's own mind, which had spun a tale of Evangeline A.K McDowell revealing her true malicious attitude, giving the excuse that, of course, she was a vampire. His mind envisioned a confrontation, a beat down, himself getting beat down of course, and the draining of his own vitality, down to the last drop and then that too. Evangeline nursed no soft spots for him as far as he knew...he pulled himself from that vision. Silly speculation and imaginative overdrive...he needed sleep...especially after yesterday's drain on his stores of energy. Setsuna had beaten him soundly after a long after school English 101... Then he went home and was confronted by hordes of students who had questions...about homework, about this topic or that...one student from Class 3-K had actually come with Math homework by mistake...but he helped her with that anyway...big mistake, as, from the looks some of the students gave each other, he now would most likely be serving the mathematically challenged with free in-dorm tutoring. By the time he had finished, the dinner made was finished too some of it from guests he had been helping... so Negi, beating off the apologies of Konoka and the offers of making something for him, he fixed himself something before heading for the bathhouse. He didn't have fun there either...he had gotten a little too relaxed in the place and nearly drowned himself in a pool of water. Then, he nearly got run over by some late night sauna goers and had to deal with their shrieks from discovering a tiny person of the opposite gender in the area. Oh the joys of life were endless. By the time he got to bed, it was nearly time to get up anyway, so, he forsook the warm and comfy couch for the hard floor and piles of homework in need of being checked for Wednesday afternoon...even though it was early Tuesday morning...

Now Negi found a student who had inexplicably lost a large quantity of blood and collapsed, a tired brain wrung from a day of classes, and a speculation of Evangeline that was only getting stronger...so strong in fact he felt he should forsake the laws of common sense and go and talk to her..he knew her address from the roster...but no. Normal people until proven otherwise. That was an unfortunate law he had to follow. He'd have to keep his magic and knowledge under lock and key for now..

+---+

After a long pause, I realize..I don't want to put any more in this chapter...So I will obey my feelings and close it. Next one coming soon...wait.....nevermind.