A/N: Zazie-san hasn't gotten much attention in the story up to chapter 154 (as far as I've gotten.). I hope this is rectified soon, but it's nice to have a character who still remains a mystery. Think of all the possible plots you can have involving her. Once again, I do not own "Negima" but I enjoy the stories.
If any of them thought Evangeline would go easy on them today, they were sadly mistaken. She had them working on three on three battles. Negi would be supported by two partners and have to utilize their strength. The battles tended to end quickly, but after several hours, Negi was finding combinations that worked better than others. Of course, he was exhausted by then.
"Give it a rest Boya," Evangeline told him. "You're nearly asleep out there."
Negi sat down where he was at. "I don't get it Master," he said. "Why are you still standing while I'm ready to collapse?"
"Because Boya, you're giving it your all every time out," she grinned down at her apprentice. "You haven't learned to conserve yourself for the long haul. Even a relatively weak opponent could defeat you now, as weak as you are."
"By the way, where's Kagurazaka-san?" Evangeline asked. "Not that I care mind you."
"She's serving detention for fighting in class," Negi answered.
"Ha, that's a first." Evangeline laughed. "I put up with her antics for three years and neither you nor Takahata did anything about it."
"So which teacher has enough backbone to keep a pack of brats from running roughshod over him?" she asked.
"Markham-sensei," Negi answered.
"Figures," she smirked. "Some discipline in the classroom ought to be a nice change of pace."
Negi took a few minutes to summon his courage before speaking again. "Master?"
"What is it now?" Evangeline asked.
"I understand that you're going on a date with Markham-sensei."
If Evangeline was surprised, she didn't show it. "So what?"
"Is that wise Master?" Negi asked. "Considering . . .."
Evangeline whirled on him before he could finish. Her face was contorted by rage. "Let's get a couple of things clear here Boya!" she shouted. "First, I'm the Master, and you don't question the Master! Second, what I do is my business and nobody else's!" Her voice became shrill. "Do you understand me?"
Throughout her tirade, Negi sat without flinching. "Yes Master," he told her. "I understand."
Something in his manner made her pause. It might have been the set of his chin. "So like Nagi," she thought. Maybe it was the look of determination in his eyes. "Good!" she said.
"This boy amazes me at the oddest moments," she thought.
"I'll tell you why Boya," she finally said. "But only because I choose to."
Evangeline gazed out over the artificial sea of her resort. "Ever since my change, men have either seen me as a blood-thirsty monster, or the object of some perverted fantasy."
"It's a rare man who sees me as a woman." She stopped speaking long enough that Negi wondered if she had finished. She then faced Negi. In her expression, he saw what he could only describe as a look of desperate longing. "And I intend to enjoy this for as long as I can."
Madoka sat in her room, typing on her laptop. "Misa," she called. "Where's the English character set?"
Her roommate walked over. "Go here," she moved the mouse, "and then here."
"Thanks Misa."
"English word search," Misa read off the screen. "What are you looking up?"
"I used a word today," Madoka replied. "But I don't think it meant what I intended."
Madoka typed in a word and pressed enter.
"Quickie," Misa said. "Is that even a word?"
"Well, I heard a couple use it at the train station during break," Madoka answered.
Both girls read the first definition. "That's what I meant," Madoka said.
"I don't see a problem with the second one either," Misa told her.
They read the third definition and both girls went "Oh." Madoka laid her head on the table and groaned.
"Who?" Misa asked.
"I asked sensei for a quickie in the music room," she answered.
"I thought it meant he could teach me a song quickly," she said, her face still buried in her sleeves. "I didn't know it meant that."
"I feel so," Madoka faltered. "So . . .."
"Perverted," Misa suggested.
"Shoot me now," Madoka replied.
"Thanks for the suggestions Takahata-sensei," Phillip said.
"It's my pleasure Markham-sensei," Takamichi replied. "I'm happy to know McDowell-san is getting out. She spends too much time shut in her home."
"Because of her niece?" Phillip asked.
"Not really," Takamichi answered. "I attended school here at the same time as McDowell-san. She was a foreign student with no family nearby. She wasn't good at making friends either. She always struck me as being very lonely."
"If it wasn't for the Go tournaments," Takamichi reminisced, "I don't think I would ever have met her."
"Go tournaments," Phillip asked. "Is she a fan?"
"No," Takamichi replied. "She's a player. And good enough to be a professional too."
"McDowell-san not only won the middle school championship," he continued, "she was the all-Mahora champion for three straight years."
"Maybe she could teach me," Phillip mused.
"She's highly competitive," Takamichi warned him. "Learning Go from her would be like learning combat in the middle of a battle."
Phillip's attention was caught by a sketch of Takamichi hanging on the wall. "Say, who did that one?" he pointed.
"Asuna-san," Takamichi said beaming with pride. "I may be a bit prejudiced, but I think she did a good job on it."
Phillip agreed. "Speaking of Asuna-san, I noticed that she has the worst marks for the entire grade. Her records indicate that she's been at or near the bottom for the entire time she's been at Mahora."
"That's true," Takamichi told him.
"Has she ever been tested for a learning disability?" Phillip asked.
"No," the other teacher replied. "And if she had, it wouldn't have changed anything. Special programs exists for those with handicaps so severe, there's no way they could function in a regular classroom. Asuna struggles, but she's not in that category."
Negi led a group of weary students back to the dorm. Although Evangeline had cut down on the number of days they trained, she crammed more work into each session. Negi suspected that this was in part to keep them too exhausted to get into any trouble. Judging from the way several of the girls were drooping, it worked.
"So remind me again," Kazumi spoke, "why were busting our butts like this."
From his perch on Negi's shoulder, Chamo replied, "It's so you can learn to work together as a team, Anesan."
"How silly of me to forget," Kazumi replied. "And when did I sign up for boot camp with Eva-san?"
"At the end of term party," Haruna cut in. "When you and Negi-sensei sucked face."
Kazumi flushed a bit at that. "So why isn't Chisame-san with us?"
"She's upgrading the school's network," Negi answered. "We don't want a repeat of what Chao did at last year's festival."
"This is still more than I bargained for," Kazumi replied. "Maybe I can have Markham-sensei put me on detention for a couple of weeks."
"You should complain," Haruna said. "I'm so far behind my deadlines; I'll need to stay up all night to finish them."
"Don't forget you have patrol tonight." Yue reminded her.
"So much for sleep," Haruna lamented. "I hope sensei doesn't mind if I doze in class."
"Maybe you could hire an assistant," Nadoka suggested.
Haruna laughed. "I'd have to be as rich as Ken Akamatsu to do that."
They were passing by the world tree plaza when Sayo rushed up to them. "Kazumi-chan! Negi-sensei!" she shouted. "Someone's in the trees ahead."
"Where Sayo-chan?" Negi asked.
Sayo pointed to a clump of trees. A dark figure dropped from the branches to the ground. The group automatically assumed the defensive positions that long hours of drill had ingrained in them. No longer needing the concealment, the figure stepped out from the darkness. "Rainyday-san?" they said in unison.
"May I speak with you in private sensei?" she asked.
Negi dismissed the others. "What do you want Rainyday-san?"
"I know about magic," she stated flatly. "And I know you are a wizard."
Negi kept silent, waiting for her to continue.
"I need you to teach me magic," she said.
"No," Negi replied.
"No?" Zazie looked surprised by his refusal.
"No," Negi said firmly. "I've involved too many of my students in my affairs. I refuse to involve any more."
"Is that your final answer?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"Then you leave me no choice," she said.
Zazie ran towards him and leapt. Negi hastily erected a barrier, but her foot struck him squarely in the chest, knocking him back several feet. Zazie landed in a crouch. She reminded Negi of a big cat, ready to pounce. She sprang towards him, but suddenly, Ku Fei was in her path. Ku knocked the other girl aside. Zazie hit the ground, rolled, and was back on her feet.
Ku took a defensive stance. "Not good to hit apprentice," she said in her broken Japanese. "Now you face the master."
Zazie executed a series of handsprings and vaulted over Ku. As she landed, the young acrobat aimed a kick at what had been the back of Ku's head. But Ku had already pivoted and easily blocked the attack.
Negi watched as the two girls battled. Both were smiling. Zazie seemed to come at Ku from every angle, launching a series of kicks at head and torso. Ku expertly blocked or avoided each one. "Rastel maskil magister," Negi chanted.
Zazie launched another kick at Ku's chest. The all-Mahora martial arts champion caught her ankle. "You good," Ku said as she moved in quickly with an elbow strike. She followed with an open palm strike that sent her opponent hurtling back. "But you no that good." Zazie somersaulted backwards and regained her feet.
"Sagitta magica," Negi cried. "Series lucis." A bolt of magical energy struck the ground between the two combatants.
Zazie looked at the boy wizard and saw several more balls of energy floating in the air around him. She also noticed that the other girls had returned and spread themselves around the plaza.
"Are you okay Master Ku?" Negi asked.
"I fine," Ku replied. She continued to smile, but still maintained her stance. "Better to ask her."
"What is the meaning of this Rainyday-san?" Negi demanded.
"I wanted to prove to you I can be an asset to Team Negi," she replied.
"Team Negi?" he repeated. "Where did you hear that?"
"From him," Zazie said while pointing at Chamo.
The ermine began to protest his innocence. "He didn't tell me," Zazie said. "I can hear the thoughts of animals, even magical ones."
"He was thinking about Team Negi while he was stealing underwear from my room," she explained.
"Stealing underwear?" Ku said. "So you the one."
"Now Master Ku," the ermine started to say.
"Enough!" Negi's command silenced them. "As I said, I don't want to involve anyone else. I've already exposed too many to danger."
"Just being at Mahora means we are exposed to danger sensei," Zazie told him. "When trouble comes, you will need all of the help you can get."
"She has a point big brother," Chamo said.
"I have a vow to fulfill too sensei, and I need to be stronger to do it," she said. "You help me to get stronger, and I'll help you in your battles."
"I can't accept your bargain," Negi replied. "There's too much I don't know about you to risk everybody else."
"I understand sensei," she said. "Come to my room tomorrow evening. Bring as many," she motioned towards the other girls, "as you need. Ask your questions. If you still have reservations, I'll withdraw my request."