A/N: I don't own Negima, but in a different reality who's to say…
Chapter 27. Natsumi
All the girls were still in the room when Natsumi arrived. It was obvious the girl was getting ready to go out shopping, so Negi tried to keep the interview brief. She sat down and Negi quickly cast the spell before administering the questionnaire.
It came as no real surprise that Natsumi wanted to be an actress; after all she was in the drama club. Negi went through the interview and smiled as Natsumi left to go out for the day.
As soon as she was gone Nodoka, Yue, and Haruna gathered around the mirror. "This is weird." Nodoka commented. "Should we really be doing this?"
"We have to, we must find out Chao's objective." Chamo said hopping into her lap. Chamo liked Nodoka, because like most girls, when in possession of something small and furry she would pet him.
"I mean, should we be the ones looking at it." Nodoka said guiltily.
"It can't be helped." Haruna affirmed. "Natsumi doesn't know about magic so she can't watch it for herself and we promised to support Negi sensei."
"Surely not everyone's future is going to be so traumatic to watch." Yue said hopefully.
Negi kept silent but hoped that Yue was right. He'd had his fill of bleak futures. Now with some of the things he'd learned he could prepare to make things as bright as possible, but still he had a lot to face in the coming years.
Negi activated the mirror and sat down. Yue and Nodoka each took up positions next to him and Haruna stretched out in the floor in front of him. Negi watched as the mirror cleared to show a clean kitchen with Natsumi moving around preparing a meal.
Since she didn't make any motion to show that she recognized them, Negi assumed she must not be in tune with magic. Negi watched as she hummed to herself and prepared a bowl of ramen. She laid it out on the table and also set out rice balls and tea.
Negi watched as the door to the kitchen opened up and his older self walked in. "Hi honey, I'm home."
Negi started to say something, but noticed that his future self wasn't paying any attention to the four of them sitting there watching.
"I thought you said people in tune with magic could see us?" Haruna said in confusion.
"They can." Negi said, similarly mystified. "You don't suppose I've given up magic to be with Natsumi in this future do you?"
The four of them shrugged and went back to watching the mirror for clues. Natsumi smiled as Negi took a seat at the table and began to eat his dinner while Natsumi cleaned up the kitchen.
"The food is wonderful dear, what did you put in it." Negi asked.
Natsumi looked back from the sink as Negi polished off the ramen and downed the tea with a gulp. The smile on her face seemed to change somewhat. "Oh, tried a new spice I heard about. So, where were you last night?"
"What do you mean?" Negi said distractedly as he picked up another rice ball.
"You said you were working late, but when I called they said you left." Natsumi said nonchalantly.
"Oh, I had to leave and pick up something. You must have called while I was out." Negi replied calmly.
"That's strange; you didn't come back with anything." Natsumi pressed.
Negi stopped eating and turned to the woman at the sink. "How did you…"
"I followed you dear. I know about the affair you're having with Yumi." Natsumi accused the man as she turned to face him.
"Who's Yumi?" Nodoka and Yue said in unison as they turned to look at Negi dangerously. Chamo apparently decided it was safer to watch the mirror from his drawer at this point and excused himself.
Negi blinked in total shock and moved his mouth unsuccessfully trying to make something come out. Apparently it was an identical expression to the one his older self was wearing.
"I swear honey, there's nothing between me and Yumi." Negi explained to the increasingly angry looking Natsumi.
"Liar! I've been following you after work. You've been seeing her three times a week at least. And once, I even slipped up to the window and peeked in." Natsumi said shaking visibly with tears flowing from her eyes. "HOW COULD YOU?"
Negi turned away from her and seemed to get angry himself. "You want to know how; how about having to live here with you, giving up on all my dreams of glory just so we could have this 'perfect little life' together when I could be out seeing the world. What about my dreams and aspirations I had to give up on just so we could be together."
"You said you loved me and you'd rather be with me than to go gallivanting all over the globe!" Natsumi countered.
"Well I was wrong. I NEED more in my life than to just sit here and turn to dust by you're side. There's a great big world out there and I want to experience it to the fullest! Yumi understands that, and she's willing to go with me when you never would." Negi said shouting.
"You never asked me!" Natsumi screamed.
"I never had to!" Negi countered. "Even when you were in school, you were always wrapped up in what you were doing and never looked beyond that to anything anybody else cared about. Well, now you know and what's done is done. I was planning on telling you next month anyway. I'm leaving you."
Natsumi gritted her teeth and nearly growled. "You're not going anywhere!"
"You can't stop me! I've wasted too much time living here with you when I am capable of so much more." Negi said in triumph.
"I've already stopped you 'dear'." Natsumi spat.
Negi looked wary as he stepped back from her as she stepped closer. He then looked at the table and seized the ramen bowl smelling of it. "You poisoned me?" Already Negi had begun to sway as the poison began to work its way into his system.
"Yes, I did. How do you like the new 'spice' I found? I'll never let any other woman have you. You're mine now and forever, till 'death do us part' darling." Natsumi sneered. "Now the only place you're going is hell."
Negi knocked over the table and the plates as he staggered. He then looked up at Natsumi with a wild look in his eyes. "Then I have enough strength left that I won't be going alone!"
Natsumi screamed as Negi surged forward and seized Natsumi by the neck, dragging her to the floor. The four youngsters watched in horror as he strangled her, her legs kicking out until finally they were stilled in death. The last thing they saw as the mirror went dark was Negi trying to stand, but instead falling across Natsumi's corpse. "I guess we die together…"
Negi blinked and didn't realize he had his arms around Yue and Nodoka until Haruna finally looked back at the three of them clustered together in a group hug for comfort and safety.
"You just HAD to say it didn't you Yue!" Haruna said irately.
"Well, I guess we can mark her off the list." Negi said, severely shaken. How could he become a murderer?
XXXXXXXX
"AAAAAAAAAAND CUT!" The director shouted from off the set.
"Honey, you're heavy, please get off." Natsumi said smirking.
"That's not what you said last night." Negi said playfully before stealing a kiss from the young actress he had pinned beneath him before sitting up.
"That was just great kids. This will really be a great death scene for the movie. You two should take a vacation after this, you've earned it." The director said happily.
"We plan on it." Negi said, then seeing at Natsumi's questioning look, "If you want to of course".
"I'd go with you anywhere love." Natsumi said happily.
"Well, we're going to the wrap up party. Are you two coming?" The director asked.
"Maybe in a little while, there's something I have to do first." Negi said offhandedly. "I'll lock up when I leave."
"Suit yourself." The director said setting off for the door and turning off all the lights except those on the set.
"What do you have to do?" Natsumi asked.
"Come on, I'll show you." Negi said impishly.
Negi grabbed Natsumi and headed for his special surprise. "I wonder who that scrying portal came from." Natsumi asked from behind him as Negi pulled her along.
"No telling. We've got a few fans in the magic world, even though some of them are pretty sore that I quit magic." Negi said dismissively.
Natsumi stopped and pulled him into an embrace with a giggle. "Do you miss it?"
"Sometimes." Negi confessed. "But I'd rather play the part of a man fighting for his life rather than always having to do it for real."
"Do you regret leaving it for me?" Natsumi asked.
"Not for a moment." Negi reassured her. "Now come see the surprise I have for you."
Negi led Natsumi to a little set he'd had brought in for the occasion. Being an 'A' list leading man had its advantages.
Natsumi suddenly sucked in an elated breath. "It's the same set!" Natsumi cried as she raced forward.
Negi smiled and followed after her slowly as she reached the short stone wall with vines and a balcony that was only waist level. "I thought it might be appropriate."
Natsumi looked down at him from the balcony. "This was our first play together. I still remember it like it was yesterday."
"You were Juliet in the school play, and they needed a stand in for Romeo at the last minute." Negi said remembering.
"That scene was our fist kiss." Natsumi said leaning down from the balcony to trace her hand along the cheek of her lover.
"I feel in love with the stage." Negi said nodding. "And I fell in love with you."
Natsumi was blushing now as she remembered the moments they shared after that. Negi knew what she must be remembering, those days held special meaning for him too.
"So why did you have this all set up?" Natsumi asked looking around nostalgically. She then turned to find Negi kneeling down on one knee.
"This time I'm not acting Natsumi. Will you marry me?" Negi said holding up a ring that shone in the spotlight of the stage.
Negi was totally unprepared for the tackle he got from Natsumi. He was knocked onto his back as she landed on top of him and kissed him passionately. For several minutes the two of them simply held each other in their arms drinking in each others kisses. When finally they separated, Negi looked at the love of his life and grinned. "Can I take that as a 'yes'?"
Natsumi smiled shyly and placed her forehead against his heart. "Of course I'll marry you. Why did you wait so long to ask?"
"I wanted to be certain that no more enemies would ever show up to threaten our happiness." Negi said seriously. "I'm tired of all the killing. The constant war between mage and demon begins to wear on you. I don't want to ever be forced to kill again."
Natsumi cradled his face and kissed him again. "Chao wasn't your fault, it was an accident."
"I know." Negi said sadly. "But she was still my student and apparently my descendant. I guess, when I accidentally killed her in our last battle it was what pushed me to leave magic behind."
"What's done is done love. Besides, if it weren't for you turning your back on magic, we might have never been together." Natsumi said gently.
"I guess you're right." Negi said seriously, gazing into the eyes of his fiancée. "I guess we better head to the party."
"Just a moment, there's something I wanted to tell you too." Natsumi said holding down her leading man.
"What is it?" Negi asked gently.
"Honey, I'm pregnant." Natsumi said sweetly.
A/N: The name of the soap opera they were doing: 'As The Stomach Turns'. Anyway, next week I am going to be presenting Zazie Rainyday and Kasuga Misora. These two characters haven't gotten a lot of press in the manga, though Misora-chan seems to be picking up speed, pardon the pun.
