Disclaimer:
Love Hina and Mahou Sensei Negima is the creative property of Ken Akamatsu, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Shingetsugan Tsukihime and Fate/stay night is the creative property of TYPE-MOON. Anything not attributed to Akamatsu-san or TYPE-MOON belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Cowboy Bebop (the Swordfish II) that is a creation of Sunrise and Shinichiro Watanabe, BLEACH is a creation of Kubo Tite, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a high school student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!
The Surgeon General's Warning:
Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, with KanaxKei and KanaxNegi, just to name a few! You never know what you're going to get so read on (I might even do some alternative stuff, if you know what I mean).
Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under the Crimson Air
I Wanna Go To A Place...
Chapter 25:
Murderous Intent - Side B
A Love Magister Hina Negima! fanfic by James "Ray" Edwards
Gulp.
Gulp.
Gulp.
"Ah! That hit the spot!" Negi sighed, setting aside his soda can that he had happily emptied on to the pavement beside his briefcase and an elongated object, wrapped in white fabric. Surprisingly, he had quite a grand old time after classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, and it was all thanks to one person. "Thank you very much, Chachamaru-san, you've been a great hostess and tour guide. I've had a lot of fun today!"
Sure, he worried that nobody from the faculty had contacted him yet about the incidents in his classroom, but he would deal with that when the time came.
Sitting beside him on the bench, with their backs to the marvelous water fountain that sported a rendition of Cupid, complete with bow and arrow, was the neon green-haired beauty herself. The symbolism of Cupid was not lost to the android girl; in fact, the statue's presence only deepened her "blush" as her neon green eyes switched to a scintillating shade of blue. The Professor had made it a point that she would be "educated" with all the finer points of literature and poetry. It was a notion that faced surprisingly little protest from her mistress, although Evangeline had insisted that she memorize all the works of Edgar Allen Poe and be able to recite them all by "heart."
A heart... I wonder if I really do have one? pondered Chachamaru as she gave the bespectacled boy a small smile. He was so innocent and pure. "It has been my pleasure, Negi-sen-! A-Anou..."
Negi laughed heartily. "Negi-kun or just Negi's fine, Chachamaru-san! I'm off-duty now, remember?"
"Of-Of course, Ne-gi-kun."
"Aaahhhh, Mahora Academy sure is enormous and not to mention beautiful. This Reflection Plaza is stupendous! I wonder when it was built?"
"It was built during school renovations in the Nineteen-Seventies."
"Hm, so its only been around for the past four decades roughly. I can't imagine what the school would've been like before without it. The architectural attractions really add a spirit to the campus. Say, how long has Mahora Academy been around? I forgot to ask you about that during our tour. I hope it's not too troublesome."
"It's nothing, Negi-kun, and I'd be happy to explain. Mahora Academy has existed since the Meiji Restoration and has grown strong under the care of many headmasters since then. Konoe-san is currently the oldest and longest reigning of the four Headmasters."
Negi blinked. "'Four'? Don't you mean 'Five'?"
"Not quite, his official title is that of the Fifth Headmaster, but in reality, Konoe-san has previously served as the Third Headmaster of Mahora Academy."
Wow, the Headmaster must be really old, maybe even older than my grandfather. I wonder how Gramps is doing right now? "What happened to the Fourth Headmaster?"
"Unfortunately, I'm not privy to that information, Ne-Negi-kun. Records indicate his tenure was brief and he had a personal relationship with Konoe-san. Other than that, there's no other information about him, save for a portrait that is stored at Library Island."
"'Library Island'? Is that the-"
Any further inquiries would have to be saved for another time, as Negi found an intimately familiar pair of arms wrapping themselves around him, pulling him into a very affectionate --- glomp. Why was he intimate with those arms? Well, there was really only one person he know of who approached the matter with such vigor and determination. She had also made it a point to "show her loving affection" for him, setting a quota, execution plans, and --- well, stuff.
It was Anya Mireille Blanchett, back with the power of love and peace!
"Waiiii-desu! Hellllllllll-lo my very, very Lovely-desu Negi-chan," cooed the tawny-haired girl in an exaggerated false "super energetic schoolgirl" accent. Vigorously, she buried her best friend into the fuzzy warmth of her affections, while simultaneously snuggling up against him. Negi was such a sweetheart, and he really did make an excellent substitute for a stuffed animal. He was definitely a teddy bear!
"Uwaghk! Anya!" Well, I think she's certainly adjusting well with the new culture. So much for culture shock!
"'ello, and how's my best, best mate doing? I heard you had quite a bit of trouble-"
"Anya, cut it out! Chachamaru-san's sitting right there-"
"Cha-cha-who?"
"Chachamaru-san."
"The kukaracha?"
"Cha-cha-maru-san!" Negi corrected her again vehemently. He managed to free one of his arms and pointed an indicating finger right at the android girl. Of course, he only realized the gravity of his childish, spastic response a minute or two later, causing him to blush hotly, a jolt of embarrassment rushing up his spine.
Sometimes, the bespectacled boy wished his best friend had a little more tact in public. She was liable to blurt out or do something absolutely outrageous at the oddest times, which contrasted rather sharply with her mature, precocious image. On the other hand, whenever the girl was around him, she went completely flying off the handle.
Anya temporarily put a hold on her snuggling, turned her head aside, and quite literally fell into absolute adoration. Hearts appeared in her eyes, accompanied by a pink background with glittering stars, as she dropped the sorrel-haired boy like he was yesterday's fad. Openly, she began to ogle Chachamaru like an obsessed fan at a pop idol concert.
She even went as far as to pull out a camera seemingly from thin air and begin to take snapshots randomly at will, jumping about for different angles. "KAWAII-desu! Mahora Academy must be a paradise for CUTENESS! Hey, mate, where'd you manage-?"
"Say what?"
The bickering between old friends was certainly a sight to behold, and a much needed relief for Chachamaru. The excess heat in her radiators had lowered to nominal levels again, freeing her of the red blush on her cheeks while her eyes returned to their more familiar neon green. Actually, her eyes had changed back to neon green the moment she saw the tawny-haired girl latching onto Negi, which was accompanied by a sharp decrease in her internal temperature. She had felt it right then, an abnormal "coldness" in her torso, as her quantum processors struggled to make sense of everything happening to her.
Was it "Jealousy" she had felt for an instant --- that sickening twist beneath the cold shell of her exterior titanium composite frame?
How disturbing. To think that I'd feel such a frightening thing! Perhaps, I should reconsider my decision to continue to beta test this new human interface software, thought the android worriedly, hiding the turmoil behind her genial expression easily. Bias and probability were always issues she contended with during her sleep cycle. What would she do in a a nightmare scenario where she was presented with incorrigible fifty-to-fifty odds? Who would be more worth saving?
I hope that day never comes... But what about these new emotions? Joy? Jealousy? I can't deny that I felt relieved when it appeared that this Anya Mireille Blanchett was just good friends with Negi-kun. Yes, this is immoral behavior with a hundred-percent certainty. It's my wish protect that goodness in him so that he may, in time, save the Mistress from herself.
I've known the Springfield boy less than a day, but I've become attached to him already. No, Negi-kun is his own person, an individual who can take care of himself. I will not begrudge him of his friends or relations. I live only to serve and protect, it's my duty. I must not interfere unless he asks or if the situation warrants my assistance. I --- I shall observe closely until then.
Chachamaru closed her eyes, slouching forwards slightly as she powered down several of her key systems briefly for this new task...
Welcome to the Neural Network (version 2.432 by Hakase Saotomi)!
Accessing Core Operating Protocols.
New Directive logged...registering Directive 667.
Registration complete!
Have a nice day, Chachamaru-chan.
Nudge-Nudge.
"Hmm, is something the matter, Negi-sensei?" Chachamaru asked the bespectacled boy, opening her eyes suddenly. The action was enough to send him leaping back a good feet or two in surprise. Of course, he was a bit irked that she had reverted back to formalities again, but he could see to that later.
"Uwagh! Chachamaru-san, you scared me!"
The tawny-haired girl, Anya, laughed merrily at this display. "Oh, Negi, you're such a scaredy cat."
"Am not! Besides, this could've been serious. She just-"
"Mate, you worry way too much, methinks. Chacha-chan was dozing off on the job. No harm in that, don't you think so?"
"'CHACHA-chan'? Anya, that's rude! You should ask permission first before-"
"I don't mind, Negi-sensei," the android girl spoke up with a small warm smile.
It was more than enough to diffuse the situation altogether. Negi literally felt himself melting under a torrent of warm and fuzzy feelings, like he was basking in the rays of the sun. Of course, his best mate was a little more vocal in expressing her absolute adoration as she let loose with a girlish squeal, swooning, and began to snap up even more photos. She was mumbling something incoherent about starting a "Lovely-Lovely desu! Kawaii Android-tan Chachamaru-chan Fan Club."
Whatever the heck that was...
"URASHIMA! What are you doing?" shouted an eerily familiar voice.
Wait a second --- I know that voice!
Negi turned about face on a dime, and sure enough, there was Evangeline A.K. McDowell standing a ways off up on the street, which was near the flight of stairs that lead down to the plaza. For this brief instant, her expression was bewildered, a sight that instantly struck him as odd. What could have had her riled up that much? Following her line of sight quickly, he found the source to be a blackish-brown blur streaking across the street towards a seemingly unsuspecting student loaded down with perhaps one too many books, who was about to make her way down the stairs.
The blur dematerialized a second later, taking proper shape and form, and the identity of that person made him hold his breath. It was Kanako Urashima! What was she going to do? She was not going to-!
Just like that, the nightmare scenario that had popped into his head for an instant realized itself into a frightening reality. Reaching out, she grabbed the student by the shoulders, her hands sinking in like claws, tearing into the fabric with an audible rip, as Kanako literally lifted the poor girl off her feet. A pitched shriek from the unsuspecting girl pierced the air, accompanied by the thunderous clatter of books tumbling down the stairs. The raven-haired girl ignored her victim's distress without a second thought and spun about powerfully, pivoting on her heels, with the force of a whirlwind.
For a moment, their eyes met and the bespectacled boy found himself speechless at the look of pure determination on the raven-haired girl's face. What incredible strength she possessed, and she was seriously going to the throw that girl for real! What was he going to do? Negi knew he had to stop her before she-
"Oi, shounen!" Kanako shouted at him in mid-rotation.
Oh, no! Where's my staff?
"CATCH!"
Suddenly, there was a hushed silence, all sound dead, time slowing to a crawl. It was like watching a movie. He could see the unfortunate dark haired girl flailing helplessly through the air. There was Anya reaching into the light coat she wore over her white dress, a look of surprise coming over her face as she realized that the wand that should have been there was missing. She had not been expecting a situation like this to turn up, after all, and on her first day at work no less. The tawny-haired girl shared a look with him, asking him desperately what she should do. By the time, she made her way to toss his staff to him, it may already be too late.
It's do or die! I have to... I have to try! thought Negi resolutely, giving her a determined nod.
The roaring explosion of stone and concrete, sudden and terrible, was unexpected, sending a powerful shockwave of air whipping out in a ring rife with debris and shrapnel. It was as if a great hammer of awesome power had driven right into that spot, crushing flesh and bone in a gory instant. She was standing right there in the epicenter of the blast, the spot where she had hurled the dark violet-haired student away at the top of the stairs, with a fatuous smirk on her face.
Kanako was gone.
Negi paled, his dark brown eyes transfixed on the grim horror. What was going on? Things aren't supposed to be like this! Just when I thought everything was getting better, it all fell apart again. She --- She can't really be gone! She just can't! I was going to help her, but now --- now she's gone! Have I failed? Did I fail her?
"The girl, Negi! Save the girl!"
It was Anya, her voice slow and distorted in this nearly frozen bubble of time. Unconsciously, he could feel his hands wrapping around the coarse binding fabric of the staff thrown to him, as the shockwave of air reached him, sending his clothes and hair fluttering backwards in the violent wind. Negi remembered the other girl then, his stunned gaze traveling upwards to see the unfortunate student beginning to plummet towards the ground. She was falling too fast and in an awkward position too, a simple air cushioning spell that he could whip out on the go would not be enough to save her.
Was he going to lose another person right here?
I --- I'm not strong enough to do this alone. Sis, Gramps, Mother...Dad. I can't do it, and at this rate, she'll be gone too! Please! Somebody! Anybody! Help!
"A-Three Nerve Power Circuit connected. Raising power output to ten-percent. Commencing with the operation; ikimasu!"
What?
A neon-green blur shot past him, much faster than an ordinary human, and pounced into the air after the falling girl, leaping off on all fours from the ground. The figure twirled aside in mid-air, looping an arm securely behind the girl's back and hooking its other arm underneath her knees. A silvery sheen glinted briefly off a pair of antennae as it twisted self about face in a powerful display of acrobatic prowess, cradling the girl close to its body. An instant later, it landed flawlessly with a soft rapport of shoes in a crouch, facing towards the stunned bespectacled boy.
It was Chachamaru.
She had saved the girl.
"S-Suge..." Negi mumbled in wonder.
However, it was far from a moment to celebrate as time promptly resumed its breakneck pace.
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes:
Yes, and at last, we're done with Episode 25! Anya's back, and she sure has an interesting relationship with Negi, doesn't she? Wonder how far it goes? Oh, and there's Chachamaru! Poor gal, does she really stand a chance when she has to play the game with a handicap? The race is just getting started and we have not even seen all the challengers for Negi's heart! Wait, what about Kanako and Nodoka? What's Evangeline gonna do? And are our leading ladies and one gentleman doomed to be lunch?
Well, you'll just have to wait until chapter 26 comes out!
Thank you all for tuning in and remember, I always encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often). You know how to get in touch with the maestro here. And with that said, let's give a round of applause for the League of Extraordinary Reviewers who made it through the last chapter or so:
To the Man with the favorite adjective for Evangelion's weapon of choice, Mister Positron, dude, I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying the fic so far, despite the slow pace. As for the subject of spoilers, man, I am totally going to hit those story arcs. The only reason the story is so slow right now is because of all these expository events that need to happen first on the "Day 1 Arc," but once this is all done, we're going to blaze some trails, so watch out!
To the Man with Four Digits, Mister Keikun4238, dude, you have no idea how good that makes me feel to hear that you couldn't stop reading this fic once you picked it up. I hope you will continue to enjoy future installments as they come!
To the Man with The N-to-the-M, Mister Nema the Mixmaster, well, at least I know you like the story, which is cool, but I can see you still have two big issues. Dude, this is an AU fic, a massive one at that too. I'm mostly sticking with cannon but I gotta meld a bunch of universes and storylines together, and then on top of that, I want to do my own thing too. There is a reason for everything, and some of them are presently more obvious than others.
You're right that Kanako's not really genius material in the cannon --- but WHAT IF she WAS a genius? Some folks say genius is something you're born with, and some folks say it's something you can work towards. But then would it be really be genius anymore? Heh, like I said, "some old, some new."
Also, you're right that Motoko doesn't really hate Tsuruko in the cannon, but she sure as hell is afraid of her, and then I figured, WHAT IF I could create and justify a storyline WHERE she hates Tsuruko's guts? See, it's an AU, and I can do these things. The reasons might not seem perfectly clear yet, but they are there, and they will be clarified upon later.
Now, for your last piece of beef, dude, that kind of attitude just plain sucks: generalizing a group of people, rationalizing the meaning and value of something down to cause and effect, the ends justifying the means. Yeah, you're probably right that the "average" reader probably wouldn't understand, wouldn't appreciate what am I doing. But guess what, man? I don't care about that kind of stuff. I'm writing the way I am writing because I want to enjoy myself and stay true to what I feel is the best expression of another culture, even though my own language isn't capable of doing it full justice.
If the reader likes it, that's great. If they don't care about it, hey, that's fine too. It's only when they get pissed about it that I feel the need to come downstairs and try to explain to the fellow why he or she doesn't need to get riled over it. Love, peace, understanding, and toleration here, folks.
You ain't a bad guy, man, but you got some issues to work through just like everybody else, including me. Anyhow, you just reminded me a good thing about Planetarium. I was going to do something about it in my old SO3 fic, but I guess now is a good time as any to try one more time --- when the opportunity presents itself.
Well, that wraps it up, folks, so until the next time we meet (probably this coming Friday): FIGHT ON, FAITA! Peace!
Omake!
Naze Nani Glass Moon Desu
Episode Preview!
Chapter 26:
Cat and Mouse
"Yup, that's blood, definitely. Water, plasma, platelets, red blood cells; blood. No mistaking it. Must've taken a bit of a cut there when I got flattened again."
Tsudzuku!