Negima Nex: The Negative Plane

Chapter 9: Tales from the Past

Negi and Asuna stepped out into the courtyard of the school with Shadrux as he was beginning to explain how it is they would be able to get stronger enough to take on Negor and Akusa and be able to defeat them.

"All right Shadrux. So how can we beat these two? Spill the beans." Asuna asked. Shadrux nodded and reached into his coat. He pulled out a small black cube shaped item and showed it to Negi and the others. Asuna didn't seem that impressed, neither did Anya.

"A toy block?" Anya asked.

"What? We gonna BORE them into submission?" Asuna asked, sounding rather displeased in her voice. Shadrux shook his head.

"This is no toy. This is the Different Dimension Training Space, or the D.D.T.S. for short." Shadrux said "It sends whomever wishes to use it into an alternate plane for a limited amount of time. During that time, those who use it can gain double the experience they would normally gain during training, making them twice more efficient come next battle." Nodoka was awestruck by its simple yet small design.

"Please. As if we're going to believe THAT." Anya said. Shadrux lightly smirked.

"Oh. Still don't believe this thing works hmm? Okay then. I think I know how to make you believe it." Shadrux said. He set the block down on the ground and slowly stepped back. He turned to Negi and Asuna.

"All right. Since you two are the only ones who could stand a chance against either of our two escape convicts, I'll ask that you two be the ones to enter the D.D.T.S." Shadrux said. Negi and Asuna glanced at one another.

"Just stand close to the D.D.T.S. and I'll take it from here." Shadrux said. Asuna glared down at the cube sitting on the ground.

"Heh. Yeah. Sure. Whatever." Asuna said. Both of them approached the black block and stood at its side, waiting to see how Shadrux would prove its worth to them.

"Get ready Negi. This ought to be good for a laugh or two." Asuna muttered.

"Huh? But Asuna, I trust Shadrux is right about this." Negi said. Asuna lightly snickered.

"I'm serious. Remember. He is from the same world as Negor. That should mean he knows what he's talking about when he knows a quick way for us to gain the power we need to fight back against them." Negi said. Asuna sighed.

"Negi...I know you mean well, but you gotta admit this sounds silly, even to YOU." Asuna muttered. Suddenly, Shadrux clapped both hands and began chanting a strange incantation. When his eyes opened, he aimed both hands at the cube and cried out. The block suddenly expanded, pulling Negi and Asuna in.

"WH...WHAT THE?" Asuna cried. In a flash, they were gone.

"G...Gah! Asuna! Negi!" Kotaro exclaimed. Chamo gawked in shock, watching from Anya's shoulder.

"Holy ermine cheese bits! Where are they?" Chamo cried. Shadrux glared at the others. By the look in his eyes, the others thought he tricked them so he could fight. But as Anya prepared to draw her wand, Shadrux raised his hand.

"Don't be alarmed. Negi and Asuna have gone inside the D.D.T.S. They will be back when their time is up. I suggest we wait until then." Shadrux said, taking a seat nearby. Anya and the others looked at each other, sitting down together in a group until Negi and Asuna would return. Shadrux took this time to meditate, thinking back on the first time he met Negor.

Meanwhile...

Across the planet, sitting in the quiet and serene landscape of the rainforest was Akusa and Negor. A sudden rain storm forced the two to hide out underneath a large tree. Akusa watched some of the local wildlife passing them by.

"Hmm. Somehow...this place is a lot more prettier than I thought. I never knew...this was the world parallel to our own." Akusa thought. She glanced over at Negor, seeing him quietly sleeping against the tree trunk. She sighed and set her sword on the ground.

"Wonder what you're dreaming about...boss." Akusa thought. Inside Negor's mind, he was having flashbacks of his life before coming to Earth.

:::

Negor grew up in the darkest parts of the Negative Plane and was ridiculed for being the "laughing stock of the neighborhood". Everywhere he went, Negor was laughed at and taunted.

"Hey! Look what the dust mites blew in. It's teeny tiny Negor!" some of the other kids laughed. It's true Negor was not very tall at the time, not even bigger than a full grown fifth grader. He remained Negi's miniature ten year old size for some strange reason.

"H...Hey! Take that back! I'll have my growth spurt! You'll see!" Negor cried. The bullies merely laughed and walked off, pushing Negor into a crater as they walked. And it was easy to tell that, inside this "menace to be" was a heart craving for the power to get back at the bullies. But all the time he was picked on, his father said the same.

"Listen son. You can't always let what they say get the better of you. You're special in your own way. So don't mind the fact that you're not exactly one of the tallest, strongest or even smartest there is. Okay?" he asked. Negor growled.

"Dad...you have NO IDEA what they do to me." Negor thought. As Negor continued to grow older, he was slowly starting to grow in height as well. But he still remained the center point of taunts and teasings. When "short" jokes weren't cutting it anymore, they soon mocked the wolf like claws he had since he was born, calling him a freak show. Finally, one day, Negor had enough.

"All...All right! I've just about had it with you guys. Either you stop mocking me...or...or..." Negor said. One of the older kids smirked.

"Or WHAT?" one asked. Negor growled, feeling his head suddenly going hazy. His growls began sounding more ferocious, almost like a blood thirsty beast. The kids gasped as Negor's eyes turned to slits and his claws extended.

"Or else...you...DIE!" Negor exclaimed. With that loud yell, Negor had finally lost control of his temper. He turned into a full fledged monster, ravenging everything in sight with his claws. He made sure to get everyone who had ever picked on him, leaving them just hanging onto life. It wasn't until Negor almost destroyed half the Negative Plane when Shadrux stepped in.

"Oh man. What happened here?" Shadrux thought. He saw the sight of Negor, looking down on one of his terrified bullies. Negor roared loudly at the bully's face, soon turning attention to Shadrux when he was grabbed by the neck.

"All right you! You had your fun. Now comes what every piece of trash I have the glory of catching tastes next...the HARSH punishment they receive for their actions. And you've just earned yourself a nice LONG sentence behind bars!" Shadrux shouted. Negor growled and roared, biting Shadrux's arm with his teeth. Shadrux yelled and let go, allowing the monster Negor to escape.

"Grrr! You! Why I oughta...! Come back here troll!" Shadrux shouted, beginning to give chase. Negor was quick, almost impossible to catch up to. That started the long chase between Negor and Shadrux, eventually leading Negor to believe one thing. All that mattered to him was that he now had the power to make people respect him and not laugh.

But Negor's hate and spite for the torment he suffered drove him FAR away from trying to simply "forgive and forget" them. Eventually, he took Akusa at his side and together, they would soon become the Negative Plane's top wanted criminals.

:::

Negor suddenly awoke from his sleep, looking on at Akusa quietly snoozing nearby as well. He huffed and slowly began to close his eyes again. However, when he looked again, he saw he was being stared at by a somewhat miniature version of the monster that attacked Paris. It was about the size of a full grown tiger, sporting black and red stripes on its back. It growled at Negor.

"What? What's with that face? Don't tell me you actually wanna fight." Negor said. The beast snarled, seeping slobber between its teeth. Negor huffed and flashed his claw.

"BIG mistake freak." Negor said. The scene goes to black as a loud slash was heard, cutting down the creature in one swing.

An Hour Later...

Back at the Magic Academy, Anya and the others continued to wait with Shadrux for Negi and Asuna to return. An hour had passed since they first went inside.

"Ugh. How much longer do we have to wait?" Kotaro asked, scratching his claws on the ground. Nodoka lightly clapped her feet, glancing at the center of the ground.

"It's been an hour already. Maybe they'll be..." Nodoka said, stopping when there a sudden burst of light. As the light faded, Asuna and Negi were seen once again. Their clothes were roughed up and slightly torn as they themselves were covered with bruises. They were each holding their weapons in their hands.

"WOW! That is one heck of a trinket!" Asuna exclaimed. Negi quickly adjusted his glasses and hair.

"Y...Yes. I feel as if a whole day of training has gone by and we didn't even notice." Negi said. Anya and the others gawked in shock, leaving Shadrux to smirk.

"Excellent. So then it was a success." Shadrux said. Asuna laughed, clenching her fists tightly.

"Oh yeah! I can feel it! I can feel a new power surging within my veins! It's amazing! I feel like I'm invincible!" Asuna exclaimed, her hair fluxuating along with her attitude. Unseen to everyone else, Asuna felt herself enveloped by a flaming aura of power.

"YEAH! Look out Akusa and Negor! You two are HISTORY!" Asuna exclaimed, shooting her arms in the air. But just as she did, she froze up and fell over onto her back. The others gasped and hurried to Asuna's side. But they need not worry as the fatigue finally caught up to Asuna and she fell asleep.

"It's natural. Using this item sometimes makes its user wear out faster once they exit the D.D.T.S. But don't worry. A good night's rest and she'll be back to normal." Shadrux said, looking down at the loudly snoring Asuna. Negi lightly rubbed his eyes.

"Good. After...After all that, I...feel sleepy...too." Negi muttered. He yawned and sat down on the ground, plopping alongside Asuna and going into a snooze. Shadrux smirked, offering to help carry them to a nearby bed.

TO BE CONTINUED...