Chapter Thirty-Six

Fear and Attachment

There was darkness.

He glanced about nervously. The blackness surrounding him seemed to move with malevolent intent.

"Of your memory time only knows…" whispered a voice.

"Clockworks…" whispered another.

"Be on time…"

He spun around, his eyes scanning the inky blackness before him. The voices seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

"Who are you?" demanded the youth, his voice trembling slightly.

"We," replied the first voice, almost mechanical.

"Are," continued the second, a female.

"The," added a third in musical tones.

"DESTROYERS!" roared a million voices in unison.

Luke screamed and awoke. His breathing came in short, sharp gasps, and he was drenched in icy sweat. He lay on the couch, shivering slightly.

Not again. I was hoping for a peaceful night and off I go and have a nightmare.

The blonde sighed heavily and got up, stretching himself off. No point trying to go back to sleep, he wouldn't be able to close his eyes after that dream.

Strange though, it wasn't exactly scary and yet it feels as if I watched my own death!

He smiled wryly as he quickly dressed himself. He was probably the easiest person to scare in the whole world-

"Morning de gozaru."

"GAH!" Luke jumped in fright and spun around, only to end up face to face with Miss Nagase. She had her trademark smile on again. Perhaps. It was still dark.

"G-good m-morning Miss Nagase!" Luke stammered, feeling himself grow red. What the hell is wrong with me…?

"Sleep well?" she asked casually, sitting down on the couch he had so recently vacated.

"Not really. Been having some downright strange dreams lately, and I can't get a decent night's sleep."

"Maybe it's because you aren't sleeping on a proper bed?" suggested the girl. "As I said, you can always sleep in my bed."

"And what happened last time I did that?" countered Luke, crossing his arms and smirking.

Her brow furrowed in concentration. "Oh. Good point de gozaru."

He shook his head sadly and sat down next to her. "I prefer nightmares over a repeat of that incident."

"It wasn't that bad," replied Kaede, smiling at the memory.

Luke made a face. "Not for you maybe. You managed to escape, I didn't."

She laughed at that. "Well, yes, but we did have our moments."

The blonde youth spluttered slightly. "M-moments?!"

"Well, there was our first meeting, I'm sure you remember that," began Kaede, Luke's groan signifying that he indeed did remember. It had cost him. Literally.

"Then you got me those daggers as an apology," continued Kaede happily. "I never got to thank you for them actually de gozaru."

"It was nothing. An apology, as I said when I gave them to you," replied Luke, pretty sure his face was beginning to glow red.

"It was still nice of you."

Luke focused his attention on staring ahead.

Sheesh, why now? Of all the times to develop feelings of attachment…

"Then there was that talk we had by the World Tree."

"How is that a 'moment' to be remembered?"

That was the first time you opened up to me thought Kaede, her expression softening. Aloud, she replied, "It was one of the few talks we had."

"And I suppose the training is another fond little memory?" said Luke, face buried in his hands.

"Indeed. You did really well, I was impressed. Especially how you dodged my attack with the shurikens."

"That was a mere accident. If not for that branch I tripped over when I turned you definitely would have got me."

"You're too modest de gozaru."

They sat in silence for several seconds.

"Luke?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like me?"

EH?! thought the blonde youth, staring at the girl next to him. Her face was hidden in shadow. "Erm, well, I…that is…" he struggled to find the words.

He heard a soft chuckle. "I suppose that's a yes then?"

"…yes," he answered quietly. Honesty is a virtue after all. And-

His train of thought crashed rather spectacularly when Kaede leant over and kissed him.

"And that's all we have to say," finished Takahata.

"Hmmmm," replied the dean, studying the two teachers in front of him curiously.

Negi and Takahata exchanged a quick, nervous glance.

"Very well. I trust you both, as you fully well know, and I'm glad you managed to convince the intruder to repair the damage he caused," said dean Konoe eventually, smiling.

"It was no trouble dean," answered Negi quickly.

The old man set down his tea and nodded at the two of them. "Very well, return to your duties then."

The two teachers bowed and left. Outside, they exchanged another glance as Negi sighed in relief.

"Think we did the right thing?"

"What, about not telling him about how Luke tackled Herrmann? Yes, I do," replied Takahata.

"Well that's a relief!" sighed Negi, sliding down to the floor. The whole incident had left him a wreck. Paperwork was a killer too. Factor in planning lessons and managing a thirty girl class on his own…well, you get the idea.

"That reminds me, have you given Luke that letter yet?"

Negi looked up at the grizzled teacher. "Eh?"

"The one considering his punishment for gassing your class…"

The child prodigy's eyes went wide. He yelped in sudden memory, his hand diving into his pocket and drawing out an envelope. "I forgot!" wailed the ten year old, before spinning around and running as fast as possible to Luke's regular haunt.

Takahata watched the child speed off like a road runner on…erm, speed. He chuckled quietly before going the other way towards the teachers lounge to catch a quick rest before the day began proper.

"What do you want?"

"Seeker, Muse, and Maiden are out."

"…that's not good."

"You think?! They wrecked the lab and stole a chopper. From what we could tell, they were heading east."

"Any idea where they went?"

"…yes."

"You hesitated."

"You wouldn't like it if I told you."

"Be a man and tell me then."

"Groznyj Grad."

"Shit."

"It gets better."

"How?"

"Seeker fixed the Shagohod."

"He did, didn't he?"

"Surprisingly fast too. He obviously likes it."

"Anymore cheering news you'd care to share with me?"

"Yes. They're heading your way. We've identified Seeker's target. A school."

"What school?"

"Mahora."

"Is he serious?! Attacking a school? I mean, I know it's almost full of mages, but still!"

"That's why he has Muse, Maiden and the Shagohod with him. He's going in guns blazing."

"…what do we do?"

"We stop him before the Japanese factions interpret his attack as an act of war."

The machine growled like some primordial beast. Traveling fast over broken ground, its treads crushed rocks into dust, and the Archimedes screws on its front half spun furiously, dragging the unconventional tank onwards towards the east.

On the back, claws dug into the outer hull, stood Seeker. Arms crossed, he stood defiant of the world around him, of the immense winds tugging at him form as the vehicle traveled at over 300 km/hr. The backwash from the rocket boosters was intense even as far ahead of the actual engines as he was, yet he felt no discomfort. A smile, as cold as his blood, formed on Seeker's face. He had two mighty warriors with him, and a war machine of the Cold War. All were enhanced beyond their creators' dreams. They were techno-sorcery at its finest.

"Chisame Hasegawa. Luke Mason. You will pay for the insult you visited upon me!" he hissed coldly, as the icy blue slits he had for eyes blazed brightly through the tinted glass of his visor.