A/N: I don't own Negima. The closest thing I have to it is the manga series in paperback. I also do not own 'Almost Unreal' by Roxette. I've heard rumors of a Negima video game in Japan, I may have to look around for an English version…
Chapter 11. Mana (Part 3)
"Dancers take your places. We're about to start. Remember if the judges tap you on the shoulder, make your way off the dance floor. One we get to the top three couples we'll end the contest and declare the winners." The announcer said happily before bounding off the stage.
The music started and Negi turned to his partner. "I'm sorry that I'm not that good of a dancer." The girl said shyly.
"That's okay." Negi said warmly. "Let's just do our best."
The girl seemed to like his response and Negi heard the music begin to play. He began leading the girl through some of the more simple, but romantic dance steps that kept her close to his body. Both of them were blushing as they swept across the dance floor.
Slowly, as the songs progressed fewer and fewer dancers remained. Negi noticed that they had remained probably only due to the cuteness of being the youngest couple on the floor. Mana and Serizawa were also in the running as they danced through a fiery and passionate number. Negi figured there'd be no need for her to be taking dance lessons, as she was already quite skilled. There were other dancers that were also doing well, but Negi was drawn to the girl who had been wearing the dress identical to Setsuna's. She and her partner had not been eliminated either. Neither of them were exceptionally skilled dancers, but it was quite obvious what they lacked in skill thy made up for in emotion as the two danced together staring into each others eyes. The fact they were hopelessly in love was obvious to everyone including the judges.
Negi looked down at the young girl he was dancing with and smiled. "Let's give them a big finish and really give it our all!"
"Anything you say sensei." The girl said breathlessly laying her head on Negi's shoulder. Negi nearly lost his footing, and then lost any chance to speak as the last song started in.
Babe, come in from the cold and put that coat to rest.
Step inside, take a deep breath, and do what you do best.
Yes, kick off them shoes and leave those city streets.
I do believe love came our way, and fate did arrange for us to meet.
The song was slow and Negi's partner nestled herself close to him. Thoughts were running through Negi's mind faster than quicksilver as it struck him. Who am I dancing with?
I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal.
It's almost unreal.
As the tempo increased, Negi tried desperately to figure out who had managed to find their way into his arms. He was sure of one thing though, it wasn't Setsuna, whoever this was had probably spoken with Setsuna and traded places with her.
Hey, we can't stop the rain, let's find a place by the fire.
Sometimes I feel, strange as it seems,
you've been in my dreams all my life.
As the tempo slowed again, Negi pulled the girl in his arms close. He was tempted to tear the disguise off immediately to find out who was responsible, but that would have meant embarrassing one of his students. Negi instead resolved to question her closely once they were eliminated.
I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal. It's almost unreal.
It's a crazy world out there. It's a crazy...
Let's hope our prayers are in good hands tonight.
Oh, I love when you do that hocus pocus to me.
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal.
You give me that look, it's almost unreal.
It's almost unreal, so unreal.
Negi waited for the tap on the shoulder to let him know the dance was over, but as the music died he looked around to find he was amongst the last three couples. Applause echoed through the park as the judges grabbed his arm and carried him and his partner to the stage. Mana and Serizawa had managed to be one of the last three as well as the couple Negi had spoken to earlier.
"Let's hear it for our finalists folks!" The cheesy announcer said over the microphone. The crowd applauded as the three couples stood up on stage uncomfortably.
Negi wanted to be anywhere but on that stage and he desperately wanted to know who he had been dancing with. He knew one thing though, Setsuna was quickly earning a place next to Mana in his lesson plans. He couldn't say that he was angry with this girl, but he didn't really like the idea of Setsuna setting him up.
"Our second runner-up, please give a warm round of applause to the team of Tatsumiya and Serizawa!" The announcer bellowed. Mana and Serizawa stepped forward to accept their trophy and bow as a photographer snapped a photo of the two. To her surprise, Serizawa leaned over and pecked Mana on the cheek as they snapped the photo. It was the first time that Negi had ever seen the girl blush.
"Our next couple, and our second runners-up the couple of Seitarou and Konomi!" The announcer shouted. The next couple stepped forward to receive their trophy and bow. They stood up for their photo and the photographer grinned at them. "Come on, give us a kiss for the photo."
At this point the young man looked really nervous until the girl Konomi grabbed him around the neck and planted her lips on his. Everyone cheered as the picture was taken and Negi noticed even Mana was smirking.
"Finally, folks for their unadulterated cuteness, the winners are the couple of Negi and Nina!" The announcer shouted.
The crowd shouted their approval as Negi stepped forward holding the hand of 'Nina'. He bowed and then looked at his dance partner. She was looking at him with an outrageous blush on her face. Negi was about to reassure her, when he felt the hand on the back of his head.
Before he knew what was happening, Negi was staring wide-eyed into the equally wide eyes of the girl he had been dancing with as their lips crashed together in a kiss. The hand was gone now, so Negi started to pull away as the girl closed her eyes and pressed forward. Negi closed his eyes as well as the young girl deepened the kiss and he found himself in one of the most passionate kisses he'd ever felt.
Negi snapped back into reality about the time he heard the shutter snap on the camera. This seemed to awaken the girl too and the two of them looked in horror at the grinning photographer. "That was great kids! Give me a minute and I'll have you a memento."
The girl flustered immediately. "I'm sorry sensei!" She said bowing before darting off through the crowd with her hands trying to cover the deep blush all over her face.
Negi tried to follow, but the announcer had his arm. "Well folks, it looks like we embarrassed the little lady. Well, young man, here's your trophies."
Negi stood there dumbly trying to accept the trophies and go after whoever it was that he had just danced with, but the press of people wanting to congratulate him was too much. The photographer came over and pressed an envelope into his hands. "Here son, you can give your girlfriend this picture later. Congratulations."
By the time Negi broke free, the crowd was dispersing for the night and Mana and Serizawa were waiting for him. Negi started to walk over to them when he looked down and saw a small bell lying on the dance floor. He reached down and picked it up and looked at it for a moment before going to rejoin the others.
Conversation on the way back to the dorms was pleasant, but Negi couldn't shake the question of which of his students had been able to not only find out about his date with Setsuna, but to also be able to get a dress and switch places with her on such short notice. Finally, they made it back to the dorms and they stopped in front of Negi's room. Negi was about to say goodnight when he heard Konoka coming down the hall.
"Hello everyone, did you have fun?" Konoka asked happily.
"Yes, lot's of fun." Mana said smiling.
"Won't you come in for some tea? I was just about to brew some. It helps me to rest easily at night." Konoka grinned.
"We'd love some!" Mana said enthusiastically. Serizawa didn't really look very enthusiastic about it, but he didn't look like he was going to object.
Negi was about to object, when he heard a shotgun somewhere being pumped. He looked warily at Mana and couldn't see either of her hands behind her back. She was also smiling too sweetly for his taste. Where in the world could she possibly be hiding…
"What was that?" Serizawa said looking around.
"Probably just the cooling system acting up again, it always sounds like that, right sensei?" Mana said staring at Negi.
"Uh, yeah right. I'll have to get building maintenance to look at it again." Negi said uncomfortably.
Everyone filed into the room and Negi was worried about waking Asuna, but the room was oddly empty. Asuna should have been in bed, but the place was deserted. Negi sat down at the table as Konoka ran off to get some tea for the guests.
"Nice mirror, sensei." Mana said bringing his attention back around. Negi looked up to see Mana standing in front of the mirror with Serizawa. She had an urgent look on her face and Negi was quick to realize what she wanted and the reason she had insisted on coming in. Negi quickly chanted the spell under his breath and then turned to accept tea as it was offered to him from Konoka. Suddenly everything began to make sense. Tonight had been so that Mana could get the man she had a crush on in front of the mirror.
Konoka was a pleasant hostess, and told Negi that Setsuna had fallen ill at the dance and had come back early. They talked for a few minutes before Serizawa stood reluctantly. "Well, I better get going. I have class in the morning."
"Thank you for a wonderful evening sempai." Mana said softly.
"No problem, I had hoped we could have some time alone to talk though." Serizawa said in disappointment.
"Don't worry, sempai. There are things I need to talk to you about too. I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk at the dance this Saturday." Mana said quietly.
"I'll see you then." Serizawa said tenderly before kissing Mana lightly on the cheek. Mana was blushing again as he left the room.
Negi let out an explosive sigh of relief and fell backwards. "Thank GOD that's over. Where is Asuna anyway?"
"I stashed her next door." Konoka said smiling. "Haruna and the other girls were still up."
"Is Setsuna over there?" Negi said hotly.
"Yes. She's there too." Konoka said nodding.
"I assume you want us to leave so you can watch the mirror?" Negi asked, turning to Mana. She nodded quietly and Negi stood and tossed his jacket aside. He had a few girls to sort out. "Good, be here when I get back, I paid for your help so I'm going to use it."
"Understood, sensei." Mana said crisply.
Konoka and Negi went next door, where they found Asuna sitting bleary eyed on the couch in her pajamas. Yue, Nodoka, Haruna, and Setsuna, were all dressed as if they'd just come in from being out. I should have known.
"Sorry about all this Asuna, we'll be done in a moment and you can go back to bed." Negi said quietly. Asuna however just smiled and then slumped sideways on the couch, a blissful snore escaping her lips.
Negi then turned on Setsuna. "Thanks for leaving me high and dry back there." Negi said sarcastically.
"Sorry, sensei." Setsuna said hanging her head low.
"And can I also assume from the fact that the three of you are still dressed at this time of night, that I am addressing the people who were following us all night?" Negi asked sharply to the other four.
"Sorry, sensei." The other four whispered in unison.
"Zzzzzzzzz" Asuna replied from where she lay on the couch.
Negi shook his head sadly and then pulled the picture and the small bells out of his pocket. He looked up and noticed that one of Yue's forelocks was unraveled. Negi sighed and began to piece the events together in his mind. Apparently Nodoka wasn't the only member of the library exploration team that had a crush on him.
"Yue, you were supposed to meet me tonight were you not?" Negi asked.
Yue's eyes went wide as she looked at Nodoka who was looking back at her in confusion. "I don't know what you mean sensei."
"Your tutoring session, I'm sorry I missed it, but apparently you were too busy as well." Negi said gently holding up Yue's forelock. He then handed her the bells he had found along with photograph.
Yue was blushing deeply and was getting ready to start her usual bout of bowing and profusely saying how sorry she was, when Negi cut her off. "Girls, if there were any particular girl in my life I would have told you by now. I respect each of you too much to lead you on like that. You don't have to worry, and if you want to dance with me that badly I'll make sure to save at least one dance for each of you this Saturday, how does that sound. As for you tutoring session Yue, we'll do it tomorrow after the dancing lesson. I have your trophy in my room and I'll give it to you then."
Nodoka and Yue both smiled and nodded shyly when Negi was done. "Now, I need to finish this business with Mana so if you ladies will excuse me I'm ready to get this night of disasters over with and crawl into bed."
"Yes, sensei." The girls all agreed and Negi stepped out of the room to go knock on the door to his room.
Mana answered the door and Negi stepped inside. The mirror had grown dark again and Negi was ready to finish things up. "I take it you learned about the mirrors true nature from the other teachers."
"Yes, sensei." Mana said simply.
"Why go through so much just to get me to let you us the mirror?" Negi asked.
"Captain Serizawa knows nothing of magic and it would be better if he did not." Mana replied.
"I think I deserve the long explanation after tonight, Tatsumiya-san." Negi said sternly.
Mana sighed and looked back at the mirror. "After the festival, Serizawa-san looked very depressed, and I thought it was probably because he had failed to confess his feelings for me, so I decided that instead I was going to ask him to the Sadie Hawkins dance and I was going to confess my feelings for him instead since I had been forced to stop him at the festival. But when I asked him, he asked me out as well, wanting to know if I would be his dance partner tonight. I didn't want to reject him, but I also wanted to make it up to him by being the one to confess my feelings first. That's why I asked you and Setsuna to come along. I thought if there were other people around during the date he wouldn't get the chance to say anything."
"So you brought us along as chaperones to make sure you could go out with him without risking either hurting his feelings or having him confess to you, is that right." Negi said pondering.
"Yes, sensei." Mana affirmed.
"I thought you said that there wasn't room for men on your battlefield." Negi said wondering.
"Every warrior has to lay aside their weapons at some point sensei. I've saved a lot of money doing freelance jobs over the years, enough to retire to a quiet normal life. Serizawa knows nothing of magic, and if I go with him I will leave it all behind as well." Mana said seriously.
"I see, well let's get this out of the way then." Negi said as he stretched and joined Mana by the mirror. He quickly recited the spell, and waited. Darkness was all that he saw reflected in its surface, apparently the future had been decided.
"I don't understand." Mana said looking at the mirror.
"I'm not really surprised. You must have seen something worthwhile in your future with Serizawa. The mirror won't respond if the person I'm scrying upon has already made a decision that will change their life." Negi said canceling his spell and returning the reflective illusion to its surface.
"I'm sorry for all the trouble sensei." Mana told him.
"Don't be. You're one less girl I have to worry about and I only wish you and Serizawa the best. He seems like a fine young man." Negi said happily.
"Since you did pay for my services, is there anything else I can do for you?" Mana asked.
Negi sat down wearily and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, you can shoot me now and put me out of my misery."
Negi jumped when he heard an ominous click. "I was KIDDING!"
A/N: Well now that this is over I can get on with the dance lessons and the fates of the other girls. Next chapter: The Cheerleaders and the infamous dance lesson.