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 and
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
"Of course, all of this means nothing. If he begins to gain complete control, then we simply have to erase one of their souls and the other will follow. All in all it's almost like they are making this easier for us…" Avaritia mocked. He tossed back his silver hair and smirked, his cold gray eyes completely set on Superbia. He enjoyed being fruitlessly brought to counsel with him, he felt as though he was in control of Superbia's actions instead of Superbia being the self-declared head honcho. Power was sweet.
Superbia nodded, "Correct… but what if he completely awakens? What then? From our spies we know the Shade is beginning to take control, he is slowly waking up, and then… he'll try to put himself back together." The orb began to glow; he no longer kept the orb on the pillow, but held it. A sign of fear, if that's what you can call the emotion flooding his body. Invidia was wounded, she's been healed, but the actual attack came as a surprise and now she's almost completely useless.
Avaritia nodded, he too was slightly panicked when Invidia returned so horrible maimed, Gula reported a well done success, she was sent to simply deliver a message and strike fear into their enemies. However, Invidia was on her own, the three puppets that served as her guard failed, but because Superbia used so many souls to create them they weren't destroyed, Invidia's arm was completely gone, it took Superbia twelve seconds to heal her, but that wasn't what frightened the seven Shades, it was the magic that was used to harm her whole hand that scared them.
Superbia sighed, "Invidia is faring better, though, if worst comes to be, I'll use her a guard, shame… she was a strong willed ally." He reached into the orb and pulled out a smaller glowing substance, it floated into a little ball above his palm, "Now… what of our friendly Shade that has lost his way?"
Avaritia laughed, "You worry about the most foolhardy things…"
-------------------------------
"Hmm… little girl, why are you following me?" the old shade tipped his bowler hat up a bit so his crimson eyes could better examine the blonde woman before him.
Acedia put one of her locks of honey colored hair behind her ear, she didn't wear the hood over her head, and so her long hair spread and covered her shoulder, reaching her shoulder blades. She smiled, her eyes twinkling, "Sorry Jii-san, but I really need all of those souls you've acquired over the last…" she put her hands on her hips and rocked her body from side to side, bobbing her head, "Um… two hundred years? Wow, you sure are old aren't you!?"
Marcus Hahns laughed, pearly teeth showing, "Aren't you a lively one? Most of the people that have chased me are usually so angry or are out for revenge." He leaned heavily on his cane, smiling, "Surely a nice young missy such as yourself would let an old man such as myself go…" he cocked his head slightly.
Acedia smiled, but shook her head, "Unfortunately, no. My master really needs your souls, and he said if you were kept alive you'd be a problem later on." She snapped her fingers and smirked a bit more maliciously.
Marcus sighed, standing tall, "It is unfortunate. Am I allowed to try to retaliate at the very least? An old fellow like me should be given the choice to fight for his survival…" he smirked cunningly; it looked preposterous on such a feeble-looking man.
Acedia nodded and pointed at the old gentleman, "Suit yourself!" a black sphere appeared, about the size of a basketball. She cocked her head slightly, "Whenever you're ready."
Marcus raised a gloved hand towards the sky, "Sorry little girl, but when I say a fight for survival, I don't really mean fighting, I really meant running." A large magic circle surrounded him, with a triumphant smile he disappeared in a flash.
Acedia frowned, completely taken by surprise, "Wow… he's strong… I didn't even sense his intention of escaping… I really thought he was going to fight-" her eyes widened in horror, and then she groaned remorsefully, "I fell right into that one… phooey…" There was a tremendous sound and a shaking that if it wasn't for that thin line between reality and the surreal world, it would have been a giant earthquake on the small town's street, capable of tearing apart every living creature in the area. Acedia's body was immediately disintegrated, a blast of holy light, created by priests to rid a soul of a Shade's presence, destroyed her in a blink of an eye. There was nothing left of her.
A young boy slowly walked to where Acedia was standing, he sighed in impatience, "Damn. I thought both of them would've been caught… oh well… at least I got one of them…" Sho sneered, his gray eyes flashing menacingly, "I assure you, Marcus, you won't get away for long…"
-------------------------------
One of the seven flames surrounding Superbia's throne suddenly flickered out of existence. His eyes snapped open in anger, "I-Impossible…" he lifted up his head and stood up, "Acedia!" his mouth, the only thing visible under his hood, was formed into a grotesque snarl, "ACEDIA!"
"She won't answer you." Avaritia stood near a doorway; leaning on the wall directly adjacent to the large double doors, "She's gone…" he held his hand out in front of his face, looking at it, "Incredible… to think I thought myself invincible! Poor Acedia… she was a close friend of yours right? Even before the transformation you knew her… well cheer up, she's free now right?" he leered at Superbia, "That is just one less person we need to help."
Superbia bowed his head, the hand that didn't hold the orb was shaking, "I… have started this project for all of us… for those who weren't given a second chance… and what use is it if we die…" he laughed, cruel and uncaring, "But… you're right Avaritia, Acedia's death simply helped speed up the process," he sat back down and stared at the now extinguished candle, "… Elia…"
Avritia closed his eyes, whispering under his breath, "I think… that in truth… we're all already dead…" he laughed a bit, then clenched his fist, sneering, "But we've just found out even the most powerful Shades can be killed… which means…" he turned and looked up at the throne, then smiled again.
-------------------------------
Takamichi's eyes opened a bit, so they were two slits behind his glasses, "Did you feel that? Just then?"
Connor nodded, he was leaning on the door, his arms crossed over his chest, he had one eye open, the other still remained closed, he too just woke up. A strong sense of dark energy just disappeared, it was there for a moment, joined up with another huge source of energy, then the big one vanished and the weaker one got obliterated. It was strange, like watching a cat chase a huge mouse, and then a dog suddenly appears and takes out the cat, leaving the mouse to scamper off and escape yet again.
Takamichi shivered, "Something wrong is going on… I can't quite explain it, but something that shouldn't happen is actually happening…" he reached for a cigarette, but a pale hand quickly snatched the cigarette pack away.
Howell sat back, closing his eyes, "Smoking is bad for you, and it'll make me and Connor sick! I think all we really need is another nap…" he nodded, smiling.
Connor stared at him in mortified surprise, "Nap!? We're mediating the powers in the surrounding area, moron!" he gawked and turned to look outside, apparently not wanting to face the albino boy.
The door slammed open, all three teachers jumped, but only one made a motion to try to halt the intruder, it came in the form of a giant black sword. Negi, who just entered immediately blanched as the sword imbedded itself into the door, narrowly missing his head by only a few inches.
Connor laughed tiredly and retrieved his sword with a muffled grunt as he ripped the bulky sword from the door. He smiled at Negi with a weary expression, and then went back to his seat, sitting silently, staring at the young teacher in silence.
Howell opened his mouth gleefully to say something, but Takamichi decisively shoved the pack of smokes into his mouth, muffling the incoherent sounds of the young teacher.
Negi looked at everyone worriedly, "I-is everyone OK?" he smiled slightly, "It seems so tense in here…" he slowly walked over to his desk and pulled out a small file, tucking it under his arms he bowed slightly and quickly ran out of the teacher's lounge.
Howell spat the container out of his mouth, his jaw hanging open with absolute disdain; he somberly stuck his tongue out, his face contorted in disgust, "Why… why did you do this to me? Ugh… it tastes like smoke and… ugh…"
Connor rolled his eyes, "Of course, you being you, Negi would have found out everything we've been working on for the last few weeks. We don't tell him anything. Not a freaking word."
Takamichi slipped a thin cigarette from his pocket and stuck it between his lips, unlit, "Though Negi is part of this, I'd prefer it if he didn't know about it… I don't want to endanger him, or the classes. Same goes for Masayoshi, as far as those two know, the problem has been handled and is currently being cleaned up."
The young adult in the shadowy corner sighed bitterly, "This is bad… Masayoshi already has been attacked… multiple times now. And that one girl I stabbed in the chest was obviously after Negi and that Konoka girl."
The pale albino smiled, "Well at least we're all together on this! So who else has been targeted by these shadowy people?" he tapped on the cigarette pack, playing the beat to… a song, bobbing his head along with it.
The gray-haired teacher held his face in his hands, "Negi, Konoka, Masayoshi, myself, Evangeline… isn't it obvious who they are after?" he looked at his two accomplices in wonder, when they didn't answer he quietly bowed his head again, "It's a small organization, and they're after mages…"
Connor laughed, actually laughed, the tip of his sword digging deeper into the floor as he leaned on it, but he suddenly came to, standing tall and with an angry scowl on his face, "Of course they're after mages! Think! This school has so many mages I can't even count them up!"
Takamichi, with one desperate look at their faces shook his head in reply, "No, Connor. There are only seven left."
Howell and Connor's eyes flashed.
"Myself," Takamichi stood up, staring outside, it was still dark out, but one could see the barely visible horizon peeking out from out afar.
"Negi," Negi was briskly walking down the corridor, but slowed his pace until he finally came to a halt, enthralled by the rising sun Japan is so famous for, peaking through the windows.
"Evangeline," The vampire girl was sitting in bed, staring at the red streaks across the sky with a look of sheer irritation, her mouth twitched slightly. She sighed as she reached for a cu of water next to her bed, then brought it to her lips and drank.
"Konoka," The young mistress lay on her bed, her head drifting slightly off the bed, a smile always on her lips, she apparently didn't mind her dear friend Asuna's hand smacking her with every snore.
"Connor," The young male teacher closed his eyes, trying to let the information and knowledge set in, storing it for future uses. The sword felt too heavy in his hand, his body felt too tired, the weight and pressure of two worlds were pressing down on his shoulders.
"Howell," The albino teacher smiled, not a wisp of worry flitted through his mind, though even deeper than that there was a slight flit of fear and anxiety, not sure of what to expect, and thus something to be wary of.
"And lastly, Masayoshi." The young raven-haired teacher was currently sprawled on the twins' bed his face covered in numerous marker slashes and little pictures, the said twins were smiling broadly a marker in hand, trying to suppress a giggle or two, the two just finished their last masterpiece, "The Doodle of Man".
-------------------------------
"Eh? Why aren't we attacking?" the red-haired man looked at the council of seven in irritation, once again Superbia, the prideful fool, has called back an attack. To Ira, death is death, you kill to live, then you kill again to show that you can live while others can't. You beat them to a pulp until their will to survive was crushed, then you happily rid them of their souls and finish them, to him, there was no better pleasure.
"Yeah… explain yourself Superbia; while we sit here and aimlessly chat, there is a divine fortune just across the river, a river you seem to fear to cross." Avaritia crossed his arms, he no longer donned the black robes, and instead he wore a black school uniform, as he was instructed to seek out not two days ago. He looked strange in it, but he refused to cut his long hair, which reached down to his shoulder blades.
Invidia scowled angrily, since her failed attack she desperately wanted to go and find the girl that wounded her. She flexed her left hand, the hand that she lost, luckily Superbia had a vast amount of pure souls in his collection, just a fragment of those easily replaced her hand, but to Invidia it was worse, she was depending on souls now, using them to strengthen herself… she closed her eyes, trying to let her anger build. Ira, beside her, shuffled slightly.
From the far shadows, decked out in the full attire of robes and even a scarf, Gula sneered, "Let Superbia speak, he always has a reason, and he's always ready to defend his ground…" she sunk further into the shadows, her mouth was concealed behind her scarf, her black robes were completely hiding her body, the only thing visible was her eyes, two gleaming molten gold orbs that spoke centuries of undying hunger.
Superbia laughed, "Fine, if it a fight you wish, then we must first defeat the guardian of Mahora. Do any of you wish to try to force her to succumb to our will?"
The other six knew of who he spoke of, and they all quickly shut their mouths, Avaritia reluctantly quieted and stared sullenly at their self-proclaimed leader.
"Of course, I expected no less." Superbia slowly walked down from the steps of his throne, "You fools have all failed in your missions. I understand why, for you've let those brats overwhelm you! Strike when they don't expect you to strike! And when you do, hit hard, hit fast." With a fluttering sound he vanished.
Avaritia scoffed, "That idiot! Does he think he can take them all?"
"No…"
"…Acedia?" Avaritia looked up at the blonde girl in slight panic, what!? That's impossible… she's dead… this is just a puppet…
"Master… he plans to go to his death…"
In a flash Invidia and Avaritia were at her throat, grabbing her and forcing her to speak, "What!? What is he planning!?"
A single tear dropped from Acedia's eyes, "…death…"
From the shadowy corner one could catch the gleam of a single fang, realizing that their undying hunger may one day very well be quenched.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-