Disclaimer- I don't own Negima.
Have you ever tried writing the word Chachamaru four billion times on a keyboard? I pity Chachamaru shippers, because even now I'm having trouble typing it. That is not a keyboard friendly word. Thank you to all my reviwers, especially Morlin! :)
Anyway, enjoy! :)
"Good morning, Colonel Sanders-dono." said a polite, slightly robotic voice. Chachamaru entered, looking pretty in a French maids' uniform.
"Isn't that uncomfortable? Did Kitty really force you to come here like that?" Al laughed gently, and gestured for her to sit.
"Master Evangeline requires the highest standard of dress. Is that unsatisfactory to you?"
"Trust me, it's no problem," chuckled Al. "If Kitty wants to provide fuel for my fire, she'd welcome to."
"Should I tell her you say so?"
"That's fine with me."
Chachamaru nodded towards the food. "It looks delicious."
"I'm sorry you can't have any. If it makes you feel better, there are many days when I can't either."
"That surprises me, Colonel Sanders-dono. You seem to be in perfect health."
He smiled. "You're quite wrong. I'm really quite a sickly person. But enough about me. I heard you managed a Pactio with Negi?"
Chachamaru blushed. "I didn't know you knew."
"A bird told me."
"Don't you mean an ermine?" asked Chachamaru knowingly.
"It was actually a marionette."
Chachamaru nodded. "Chachazero probably got it from him."
"That's quite a remarkable feat. I've always maintained that every creature has a soul, but some can be harder to access than others."
"Thank you."
"No thanks needed, I'm just stating a fact."
Chachamaru looked up in thought, examining the high ceilings of his home.
"Master says you're one of her two natural enemies. Why is that?"
"I may not be as strong as her in pure physical strength, but if we were to face each other in a full out battle, I would probably be able to hold my own, if not completely match her. That is, that's what happened the time we really did do battle."
"You've done battle with Master?"
Al smiled demurely. "A long time ago, when Kitty was much more vicious and soulless than she is now."
"I thought is was because you were so adept at annoying Master to the point of murder."
"Heh...well, both Nagi and I are her enemies, and we were both good at that."
"Was she ever in love with you?"
Al looked taken aback, and Chachamaru blushed, heat flooding her receptors.
"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."
"No, I'm curious, what led you to that conclusion?"
"From the signs, Master is in love with Nagi-dono, and he was the bane of her life. As far as I can tell, you are currently in the same position. You have known each other a long time, and she seems tense at the mention of your name."
"To my knowledge, the most we've ever felt for each other is affection. You see, I have the bad habit of falling for the wrong kind of women."
"What kind is that?"
"The mortal kind. Marriage seems much less binding when they will die long before you. Maybe I'm just afraid of commitment."
"You don't seem the type to be afraid of anything."
"Never assume, Chachamaru-chan," replied Al lightly. "It's awfully presumptuous."
"My apologies." said Chachamaru, embarrassed.
"Remember, abundant apologies can be a sign of weakness."
"My apologies...er, I mean...um..."
"Also, it's good to know that a woman that's easily flustered is usually an excellent wife."
Chachamaru met his eyes, and although she was still blushing, she looked hopeful. "Could that...is that...true?"
"I've never seen much evidence to the contrary." said Al, his teasing manner gone. He watched her with dark eyes, wondering what her future could have in store for her.
He neglected to tell her that most woman, as with most men, could be excellent spouses under the best circumstances. If she had the soul of a human she had the right to fight someone to make her happy. In his honest opinion, Negi wasn't the right, choice, only because he could never pay enough attention to a woman due to his plans to save the world.
"Colonel Sanders-dono?"
He hummed in response, and she said hesitantly, "I have to go...go tell N-Negi-sensei something...could I..."
"Don't worry, feel free. I'll be fine."
When she left, he put his tea down. He hadn't lied to her. He wasn't feeling so well, and tea might upset his stomach further. He picked up a book and did what he did best- reading.
Tell me what you think! :)
