Chapter 8
Negiand Co. managed to survive the harrowing nearly 12 hour flight from Wales to Japan. They even made it past customs and immigration, which was surprising to Anya, seeing as none of them had bothered to pack their passports. She did notice, however, that the immigration officer's eyes became glassy and unfocused when it was their turn, and immediately revert back to normal after they had left. It was all very strange.
When they finally left the confines of the airport, another trip had to be taken by train to Kyoto, as they had arrived in Japan. The train ride was short enough, but it was about 1 in the afternoon when they arrived at Negi's "furnished home" there.
For some reason, the bustling streets of Kyoto seemed so nostalgic to Asuna. The sights, the sounds and even the smell of the air struck a chord with her, but she couldn't actually explain it.
Finally, the group reached a larger three story house that vaguely resembled a hot springs in.
"This is it," Negi said, leading them inside.
"Whoa," Marty gasped. He knew that his master was famous all around the world, but he didn't know that he was this rich as well!
"It's so cool!" Asuna yelled, jumping up onto Anya's arms. The surrogate mother, despite that she was still awed by the wealth of the house, managed to drop everything and still catch her adoptive daughter.
"Yeah, yeah," Negi said dismissively, going to the door and opening it. "C'mon in. Don't forget to take your shoes off before you come inside the house, okay kids?"
"'Kay," Asuna replied, doing as she was asked. Marty was a little annoyed that he was being called a kid, but complied none the less. Anya, Nodoka, Setsuna, Konoka, and Kotaro, already knowing of the custom, merely chuckled at Asuna's enthusiasm.
Still, only Negi and Nodoka stayed behind in the doorway. "Nodoka and I have some business to attend to," Negi announced. "so why don't you guys just settle in? We'll be back in a few hours anyways."
"Can I come?" Marty and Asuna asked simultaneously.
If I didn't know better, Negi thought spoke to Nodoka. I would think that they're siblings or
something
I see what you mean, came Nodoka's reply. They act just the same. It's kinda cute when you think about it.
Negi just looked at the two children in front of him and sighed, "Well, you can come if you want, but I don't think you'll be able to understand Japanese very well. Besides, it's probably best that you stay here with Anya, right?"
Asuna literally deflated, and Marty looked down. Anya, on the other hand, seemed to actually favor Negi's choice for once.
"He's right you two," Anya spoke up, looking down at them. "Why don't you just watch TV? I hear that the shows are kind of nice here." When she looked up, Negi and Nodoka were already gone.
Kotaro sighed. "I need a drink. Anyone want to join me?""
I'll come," Setsuna said, walking over to him.
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"…and if I didn't know any better," Nodoka said while the train slowly stopped at the Mahora train station, "I'd say that Anya's trying to be the mother of both Asuna and Martin."
"True," Negi said.
After the pair had finally departed from the train, (it was about 4 or 5 in the afternoon) they decided to walk slowly into the lands where it all began for them.
Mahora Academy had not really changed that much. Its lush grounds were still well cared for and its students were treated the same way. Of course, in terms of administration, Konoka's grandfather, Konoemon Konoe, was still the Dean of the school, as well as the head of the Kantou Magic Association. The original teachers were still at their post, save for Takamichi, who took on his old job after Negi resigned.
"Just like old times, eh Nodoka?" Negi asked, looking over Mahora from the World Tree pavilion. The World Tree still seemed to be pulsing with magic, Library Island was as large as ever, and even the dormitories seemed to have expanded over the years they were gone.
Nodoka said nothing at first but smiled. Taking him by the hand, she led him up to the base of the World Tree itself, asking, "Remember that incident during the Mahora Festival? When I asked you to kiss me?"
Negi chuckled and replied, "Of course. How could I possibly forget that?" They both laughed at the absurdity of the event and continued their stroll through the Mahora's city-sized campus, recalling countless memories that they shared.
It was just about 6 in the evening when they arrived at the school building. Some students were just lounging around in the fading sunlight, gossiping, doing their homework, studying for tests, etc.
"Excuse me," Negi asked, walking up to them. "but could you please direct me to the Dean's office?" The girls on the steps looked up and a good number of them blushed.
However, one of them, a girl with long platinum blonde hair that reached to her ankles and piercing green eyes, ran down the steps and cried, "Daddy!" When the said girl ran into Negi's arms, she started bawling loudly. It took all of Negi's self-control not to lose it, and, swallowing his pride, embraced her to play along with the act.
"Eva, this is your dad?" one of the girls said, with long black hair and purple eyes who looked vaguely familiar to Nodoka, in confusion. Negi could somewhat comprehend the confusion; he and the child hugging his waist looked nothing alike.
"Yes," Evangeline McDowell sniffed, looking back at them. Nodoka was trying her best not to laugh, but the look on Negi's face was priceless.
Forcing himself to smile, Negi patted Evangeline on the head and said, "Long time no see, eh, Evangeline? Your mother and I have missed you, kiddo." He smirked as he heard Nodoka gasp.
Hey, if I have to do this, then so do you. Negi thought spoke to her. Nodoka didn't reply, and that was enough for him. Evangeline looked up at him, and although her face looked angelic enough, Negi could tell she was enjoying making him squirm.
Then the idea came to him.
Taking both of her arms, Negi hoisted Evangeline on his shoulders, which made some of the girls laugh a bit. Looking back at her, he asked, "So mind telling your mother and me why the Dean told us to pick you up from campus? I'm under the impression that you caused another lab explosion."
The other girls perked up in alarm, and Evangeline sent her 'father' a glaring look. In a sense, it was true. Evangeline was starting to go a bit crazy, not being able to leave the grounds even on school trips, and she openly stated that she missed the 'ditzy teenage girls' of class 2-A. In a chemistry class, when they were all working with various chemicals in a lab, Evangeline had brought one of her magical catalysts and mixed them with mercury. The resulted was a large explosion that, while there were only minor injuries, caused the class's gender to switch from female to male (Evangeline excluded). The Kantou Magic Association was furious at such reckless use of magical catalysts (A/N: Sound familiar?) that they decided to reinstate her bounty but Negi, Konoka and the Dean managed to smooth things over by "curing" the poor "victims" and wiping their memories of the event.
After that, she was refused to take any chemistry course.
Evangeline looked down at him, and forcing a smile of her own, said, "What are you talking about Dad? I haven't done anything like that."
"Are you sure?" Nodoka said, getting into the conversation. "The headmaster was quite distressed when we talked to him on the phone."
"We might as well sort things out then," Negi sighed, walking up the steps, still with Evangeline on his shoulders. The girl who had spoken up just waved to her and said, "Bye Eva. I'll set dinner aside for you, okay?"
"Alright," Evangeline called back, watching her friend go. "Thanks Megumi."
When they were inside, Evangeline jumped off Negi's shoulders and smirked at them. "I'm a good actress, don't you think?" she asked the two of them.
"Yeah, sure," Negi sighed, rolling his eyes. "but 'Daddy'? Wow, you must've really missed me to do that. And since when did you start bunking with the other students? You've always preferred that little cottage somewhere in the forest."
"I don't want to talk about it," Evangeline said.
"Then where's Chachamaru?" Nodoka asked. "She's usually with you wherever you go."
"She's," Evangeline said, "with Chisame and Hakase, getting a check up on her systems." She then jumped up and tried to punch him, but he just caught her little fist, but she just smacked him with her other hand. "Stupid boya!" she growled. "What happened to that promise that you would break the seal that your stupid father placed on me!?"
"Why do you think I'm here?" Negi asked, not turning to face her. When Evangeline couldn't reply, he looked at her and said, "If you can beat me in a fight right here and now, then I'll break the seal. If not, then, sorry, break it yourself."
"You're on!" Evangeline yelled. Nodoka just sighed and walked away to find the dean.
"But since we obviously can't fight here," Negi said, pulling out four card shaped items from his cloak, "pick a card."
"Um, the one on the far left." Evangeline said.
"As you wish," Negi replied, pocketing the others. Raising the only one above his head, whispering, "Permissum fervens sol solise xuro ex divum quod nosutsuu signeus regnum! Estas compositio!" (Translation: Let the hot sun burn from the sky, and take us in to its fiery realm! Arrangement of Summer!) The card began to glow with a bright red light, and then it its light formed a pentagram beneath them, and transported them into a volcanic wasteland, with several bush fires surrounding them.
"Where are we?" Evangeline asked, looking a bit nervous as she glanced at her surroundings.
"This is a pocket dimension that I've created a long time ago," Negi explained. "These areas, as well as the other three, are based off the four seasons. This Season, Summer, enhances all fire magic and lowers the strength of all water and earth spells. Light and darkness spells are only affected by the time. And speaking of which," Negi looked up, grimaced at the sight of the sun, and pulled out a golden pocket watch. He spun the tip a few times, and the sun fell and the moon rose. "you really wouldn't be much of an opponent if it was during the day. Right?"
"Are you mocking me?" Evangeline asked, seething.
"No," Negi said, crouching into a combat stance. "Just stating the obvious."
That comment pushed Evangeline over the edge as she charged and screamed, "Lic Lac La Lac Lilac! (Evangeline's Spell Key) Exorior phasmatis of atrum ventus! Efflectum meushostilis per vestri glacialis complexo! Atrum Glacies Tempestas! (Translation: Come forth, spirits of the dark winds! Obliterate my enemies with your icy embrace! Dark Ice Storm!) The winds began to blow with such intensity that Negi had to cover his face to shield it from the flying debris. The air around him became considerably cold, and soon a wall of ice surrounded him and when Evangeline snapped her fingers, the wall shattered into multiple ice shards. They aligned themselves to his body and flew towards him.
They would have caused some serious damage, had Negi not said a counter-spell, "Servo mihi ,Flamma contego!" (Translation: Protect me, Flaming shield!) A wall of flames appeared around him, melting all of the shards into mere harmless drops of water. As the wall died down, Evangeline just stared in shock.
"You…," Evangeline started. "How could you cast a spell without casting you Spell Key!?"
"A Spell Key?" Negi asked, amused. "I haven't used my old Spell Key for a while now. I've found other ways aside from the Cantus Bellax to cast magic normally." Grinning, he leapt up and yelled, "To sumbolaion diakonētō moi, o turanne phlogos Epigenēthētō, phlox katharseōs rhomphaia phloginē. Rheusantōn purkaitheion, ha pephlegon Sodom ahamartōlouseischounthanatou.Ourania Phlogōsis!" (Translation: Heed the pact and serve me, O Tyrant of Flame. Come, flame of purification, fiery broadsword. Fire and brimstone surging forth, Sodom was burning, turning the sinners into the dust of death. Blazing Heat In The Sky!) A massive firestorm was unleashed from Negi's palm, and with the assistance and boosting power of the Season card, incinerated everything in its path and flew towards Evangeline, who merely paled at the sight.
"Glacies Parietis, Vallo Mihi!" (Translation: Ice Wall, Defend Me!) Evangeline managed to yell out at the last minute, and a dense wall of ice emerged and took the brunt of the spell, but it was melted in the end. She screamed and fell over as the vast amount of flames nearly engulfed her, only to be saved by Negi, who pulled her out of the way in the nick of time.
"I win," Negi said cheerfully. Evangeline looked at him and noticed that his right palm was glowing white with magic, a series of Magical Arrows ready to be fired at any moment. Evangeline wouldn't have any time to defend herself.
"I yield," Evangeline sighed. Negi smirked and undid the dimension, returning them back to the corporeal world.
"I'm sorry I forgot to keep my promise, Evangeline," Negi said after a pause.
"Yeah, yeah," Evangeline sighed, walking away. "Whatever."
"But I can release you now," Negi said, smiling. "That is, if you agree to my terms."
"Oh sure," Evangeline scoffed. "What, do you want me to renounce evil forever and join the side of goodness? Give me a break."
"Well, that's part of it," Negi admitted. "but really, I need your expertise on some matters. You can join my group, The CrepusculumPennae and see the world. You would be free from my father's curse." After a pause, he asked, "Well?"
"Agreed," Evangeline said after a short pause.
"Then let's begin," Negi replied, putting his right hand on Evangeline's head. His hand began to glow with a soft white light as he chanted, "EGO hic effregovomicautlocus super thee. Permissum thy phasmatispolleoutrimor terra illaeuniversitas in pacisputusuteram quod usquequaqueexsisto. Vomica Effrego, Alica Effrego." (Translation: I hereby break the curse that placed upon thee. Let thy spirit be able to explore the lands of this world in peace, pure as it was and always be. Curse Breaker; Spell Break) The magic began to flow into Evangeline's very being, and immediately the seals that Nagi Springfield had placed on her, a series of pentagrams on her body when he cast the InfernusScholacticus spell, began to shatter from various places on her body. Evangeline couldn't take the pain too well; she ended up collapsing in Negi's arms,
Finally, when the horrid process was over, Evangeline slowly got up and hugged Negi (something that was highly unusual of her) and said, "Thank you," in a small voice before blacking out.
"You're welcome," Negi said, picking her up and carrying her to the Dean's office. There, the next part of the plan would be put into motion.
