A/N: Another holiday season, another blizzard. Let it not be said that my cabin fever was unproductive. In my haste, I inadvertently forgot to thank Fionn the Otaku for his suggestion on Shirai. I hope this meets with your approval.
Ken Akamatsu owns Negima and its characters as well as Shirai from "Love Hina". Other characters mentioned are OC.
The following conventions are used: "words", 'thoughts' and "spells"
Under the Cherry Trees
Dead bodies are buried under the cherry trees – Kaji'i Motojiro
--
Tatsumiya Shrine, Mahora Japan
Asuna hurried through carved posts decorating the shrine's entry gate and stopped to glance about the carefully manicured grounds. Despite having lived in Mahora for eleven years, the girl had never stepped foot inside until last years' martial arts tournament. Entering that event had changed her life in so many unexpected ways.
Up until that tournament, Asuna had thought herself a normal, if not particularly bright, student. But Imma-san's touch had awoken memories of another Asuna, one who lived before coming to Mahora, who had travelled with the famed Ala Rubra, who had been the princess of fairy-tale kingdom in a world far from this one.
Ahead, Negi and Asakura-san stood outside a small building. The perverted ermine, Chamo-kun, was perched in his accustomed place on the boy's shoulder. "Asuna," her partner called out as she approached the group. "I'm so glad you could make it."
"Didn't you have afternoon study today?" the grinning reporter asked.
"I did," she answered as a frown of distaste tugged her mouth down. "But when I explained to Markham-sensei where I was going, he said I'd make it up tomorrow."
"No rest for the wicked," Kazumi remarked. "Still, another supporter will make it easier for Sayo-san."
"I really don't understand what's going on," Asuna said.
"Let's step inside," Negi said. As the group walked into the building, he tried to explain. "Sayo-san is going to transfer into another's body. This will allow Sayo-san to participate in exorcising the ghosts responsible for the barghest."
"I thought Setsuna-san dispelled the barghest."
"She did, however the spirits responsible for it are still trapped in the garden," he responded. "Unless they cross over to the next world, they could summon the barghest again."
"But why does Sayo-san have to face these ghosts?" Asuna asked. "Why doesn't Setsuna-san just get rid of them too?"
"The ghosts claimed to have a part of Sayo-san's father," Chamo interjected. "If she dispels them, his spirit may never find peace."
Doors at the far end slide open as a robed Mana stepped inside. "Please be seated," the tall mercenary announced.
They knelt on floor mats as Konoka entered the room with her bodyguard trailing woodenly behind. Asuna winced at the swordswoman's stiff carriage. The last few days had been extremely tense in their dorm room as Setsuna had acted with an excessively polite formality. Only during their morning training sessions did the other girl seem to relax.
'I'll talk to her about this,' Asuna promised herself. 'All three of us are going to start climbing the walls soon.'
A strange girl with light brown hair followed Setsuna. "Hey Negi, who's that?" she asked.
"That's Himeiko-san," he answered. "She's the new middle school teacher's maid."
'Must be pretty well off to afford a maid,' the teen thought as she recalled the Yukihiro mansion with its small army of servants.
As Sayo floated in last, Konoka instructed the ghost and Himeiko to face one another. The maid's form began to blur before astounded eyes. Features melted and flowed about the young woman's face, until an exact replica of the ghost's rose up in their place. Hair lengthened past shoulders and turned as white as new fallen snow, while eyes took on a fiery red color. Asuna gasped when the transformation completed, swearing that three images of the same girl were standing in front of her.
"Lay down," Konoka commanded with a tone that surprised Asuna. As the first words of the spell fell from the healer's mouth, the air seemed to thicken about Asuna and little pinpricks ran up and down her arms. Breathing became harder as the ritual progressed and she could see Kazumi was feeling it too as the reporter began to pant. Even Negi seemed aware of the growing pressure and started chanting under his breath. A moment later and her discomfort lessened.
"Thanks," she managed to whisper in relief.
Konoka's arms dropped to the girl's side and wind, no stronger than a dust devil, whirled about the room. "Aisaka Sayo," the healer's horse voice called out.
Himeiko groaned "Here," while lifting a hand into the air. Shoulders lifted a meter above the mat but fell heavily back with an "Oof!"
In an instant, they were gathered about the prostrate form. "Sayo," the red-headed paparazzi called out. "Is it you?"
A slight grin appeared across the prone girl's face as she nodded. Quickly they lifted her into a sitting position.
"How do you feel?" Kazumi asked.
Sayo took a deep breath in and held it moment before exhaling. Wearing a smile broader than the valley Mahora sat in, she answered, "I feel … alive."
--
Tokyo, Japan
Wood chips and withered cherry blossoms crunched underfoot as the couple walked by closely crowded monuments and headstones. Having to pass the Aoyama Reien twice a day on his commute to work, Shirai recognized the cemetery. A tug on the rope knotted about the computer programmer's neck brought him up short while a quick glance back revealed the deepening scowl on his captor's face.
"This should do," Homura remarked as the mage's hand gripped the other end of the rope tighter.
"Mind if I use that bush?" the young man asked, unwilling to relieve himself over a grave.
"Suit yourself," she answered.
He felt fortunate that the blind girl, Shirabi, appeared to be in charge. Homura didn't seem to give a damn about her captive's discomfort. "Would you give me a hand?"
Tiny veins started to pop out of the teen's forehead and Shirai swore he saw flames flicker about her head. Hastily raising his bound wrists he explained, "I can't do much tied up like this."
A casual motion of her hand and the rope uncoiled snakelike in response. "Thanks," he said and then stood for a moment.
"What now?"
"Are you going to watch me?"
"Do you want to take a leak or not?" the girl snapped back. Shirai turned his back and unzipped.
As the first trickle started, Shirai cautiously removed the cell phone from its belt pouch and flipped the lid open. Hoping there was enough light, he took a picture of a nearby grave and sent it to a preprogrammed number. 'Please understand,' the man silently prayed.
"You done yet?" a voice at his elbow asked. Shirai dropped the phone in a pile of leaves as he shoved back into Homura. The mage's eyes glittered dangerously while her lips pulled back into a snarl.
"Why you," she said as a hand clamped onto his arm. Heat soaked through the thin fabric as Shirai winced in pain and fell to his knees. Homura's foot smashed into the side of his face, knocking the young man to the ground. "Know your place worm!"
Gently probing with his tongue, the kidnapped Samaritan tasted blood. "Get up!" the girl commanded and he shakily rose to his feet. "Now move it!" Slowly they trudged back up the trail.
--
Tatsumiya Temple, Mahora Japan
As the robe clad trio started out the door, Konoka said something to the others and then ran back to Asuna.
"Will you please keep this for me," the healer asked while holding out a cell phone. "I left a message for Kimiaki-san that I'd be unavailable for awhile, but he might call anyway."
Quickly agreeing, Asuna watched as the group disappeared into the temple grounds to complete a purification ritual prior to exorcising the garden's ghosts. Noting Setsuna's hasty departure, she set off in pursuit of the swordswoman. "Hey! Wait a minute!"
The swordswoman stopped and stared back at her with a blank expression. "Just what's going on between you and Konoka?" she demanded to know.
"There's nothing …" the girl started to reply.
"Don't hand me a line about nothing being wrong," a scowling Asuna interrupted. "I'd have to be blind, deaf and dumb in order to believe that."
"This doesn't concern you."
"Like hell it doesn't," she angrily responded as hair bells clanged emphatically. "Konoka's my friend."
Nails drove into calloused flesh as the other girl's fists clenched. In a softer voice Asuna added, "And so is Setsuna."
For two years Asuna had observed the shinmei-ryu's detached behavior and never gave it a second thought. Finding out that Setsuna and Konoka had been close growing up had been a shock, but worse was that the swordswoman's misguided belief that serving her "ojou-sama" required forfeiting friendship. She had hoped that was all in the past, but something had occurred to cool the girls' relationship again.
"I can't bear seeing you both acting this way," the bell-wearing teen concluded.
Before Setsuna could reply, a gentle chime sounded from Konoka's phone as an email icon flashed across the display screen. Recognizing Kimiaki-san's number, Asuna opened up the message and was bewildered to see a picture of a stone marker. "Huh?" Anger and concern vanished, replaced by puzzlement. "I don't get it."
"What's the matter?" Setsuna asked as the swordswoman moved to her side.
"Konoka's boyfriend sent her this photo," she replied while holding the phone up for the other to see. "And he didn't leave a word of explanation."
--
Sayo and Konoka filed past Mana; all three clad in temple maiden's robes of red and white. The tall mercenary's face seemed impassive, yet the ghost couldn't help but feel a little bit fearful at the other girl's presence. Ever since the time Mana had drawn a gun on her, intending to send the restless spirit on to the next world, the ghost would shudder whenever the exorcist for hire was nearby.
Wooden gates shut behind them as the trio continued walking down a gravel strewn path, passing the temple's landscaped grounds. Memories, dim and fragmented, tried to push through the haze of over sixty years. The feeling of sunlight on her face, the fragrance of pines that blanketed the mountain slopes and the sweet taste of warabimochi spooned from a cup vied with the scenery for the girl's attention.
Glancing at her two companions, Sayo couldn't help but feel her hopes rise; however, another thought kept nagging at her. Was this the task she needed to fulfill? Could this exorcism of the onryo be the reason why her spirit had remained at Mahora all of these years? And if successful, what would happen to her then? Would her soul be released and be sent on to the next world? Such a thought should have gladdened her; instead it felt as if something irreplaceable would be lost.
Certainly her new friends would be missed: Kazumi, Negi and the others as well as Markham-sensei and his mother Betty-san. An image of a young man with bushy eyebrows suddenly intruded and legs stopped moving as if held in place by an unseen force. That familiar face hovered before her, bringing pain that cut straight through a now rapidly beating heart. Sayo blinked and was surprised to feel a wetness run down both cheeks.
"Are you alright?" Konoka's concerned voice asked. "Do you need to sit down and rest?"
Recalling how disoriented she felt upon being in a body again, the question was understandable. Standing up had been a challenge and learning how to keep balanced while walking provided more than a few comical moments in hindsight. "I'll be okay," Sayo replied. "Do we need to walk much farther?"
"Our destination is just beyond those arched trees," Mana answered.
A few more meters and they entered an outdoor bath. "Why are we here?" Sayo asked.
"The first step in the ritual is to relax," the gunslinger explained.
In a flash, Konoka's robes slid to the paving stones and the chocolate-haired teen jumped into the pool in a less than decorous fashion. A geyser of water shot into the air and fell back to earth, drenching Sayo in the process. "Come on in," Konoka said as her head bobbed above the surface. "The water's fine."
Another splash and soaking interrupted Sayo before she could scold the girl's undignified behavior. Slack-jawed, she watched as Mana effortlessly glided through the water, light glistening on the mercenary's dark skin. "Mana-san," she sputtered. "Isn't this supposed to be a ritual?"
"Hand me one of those towels will you?" the gun totting miko asked while pointing to a nearby stack.
Dutifully, a bewildered Sayo retrieved a towel and handed it to Mana. A moment later, she soared over the pool crying "Whaaaa!" before raising a tremendous splash of her own. Two pairs of hands grabbed her by the arms and lifted.
"What …" she coughed, "what was that for?"
Grinning, Mana replied, "I did say the first step was to relax."
"You didn't say that meant drowning me."
"Sorry Sayo-san," Konoka giggled. "But …"
Without warning, both healer and gunslinger were jerked from their feet and pulled underwater as a victorious "Kiyaaa!" filled the air.
--
"Well if it isn't the boy wonder," a disembodied voice announced. With a spell upon his lips, Negi drew back and watched as a mist-like apparition materialized before his and Chamo's eyes.
"Sayo-san," he said upon recognizing the ghostly form. "No, it's Lili-san isn't it."
His former student's lips grinned in response. "You remembered."
"What do you … I mean what can I do for you?" the young mage asked.
"Oh, nothing much," the spirit replied. "I figured I'd just hang out with you for awhile."
"Don't listen to her big brother," Chamo warned. "She's still after your soul."
"I can hardly do anything with him like this," she laughed. To emphasize her point, Lili reached a transparent hand out to stroke the boy's cheek. Negi felt something like a cold breeze as spectral fingertips gently brushed his skin; heat rose in his face despite the chilling sensation.
"So what do you want?" the ermine asked.
"I want to get out of this place," the demon answered as Sayo's face assumed a pouting expression. "Won't you please take me somewhere, anywhere, far away from Mahora?"
Eyelashes batted several times as the succubus added, "Pretty pleeease?"
"Aren't you under the Domus Infernus curse?" Negi asked in a voice an octave higher than normal.
"My body is," she explained, "however, I'm not in it right now."
"Aisaka-san can't leave the school grounds either," Chamo pointed out.
"No, but wonder boy here could carry me around."
"You mean using a doll like the one Sayo-san travels in?" Negi asked.
"I was thinking of a more intimate arrangement."
Ermine eyes narrowed in suspicion at her reply. "What sort of 'intimate arrangement' do you have in mind?"
"It's simple," Lili answered. "We just merge together and …"
"Ah ha!" Chamo exclaimed. "Don't listen to her big brother; she's trying to possess you."
"Look here rodent," Lili said as the pout morphed into an angry scowl, "If I wanted to possess someone, I'd chose an easy target, like one of these empty headed students running about."
Unease gripped the young mage as Negi recalled the time he and Sayo had merged hands. By accident, the girl had stimulated one of his pleasure centers, a situation that could have led to a more than awkward result. Giving the lilim a chance to do the same was a risk he'd rather avoid. "Sorry Lili-san …"
"What if I make it worth your wild then?" the demon interjected. "You brought back a powerful artifact from Hawaii, right?"
"How did you know?" Chamo demanded.
"That's not something you can keep quiet," she answered in a conspiratorial whisper. "Do you know how to use it?"
Boy and ermine glanced at each other as the borrowed mouth stretched into a predatory smile. "You do this for me, and I'll tell you what I know about the Magatama."
--
From her vantage point on the trapeze platform, Zazie could view the crowded field where the circus practiced. Acrobats, jugglers, animal handlers and even a fire-eater worked hard to perfect their performances for the upcoming festival. Searching through a sea of faces, she smiled slightly upon spotting Yuna's.
Since Tatsumiya-san was busy at the temple, her classmate had a free afternoon so she had invited Yuna to watch the day's practice. Dressed in a pair of shorts and tee-shirt with the words "On Target" written across the front, the girl seemed blissfully unaware of the number of heads craned to get a better look at curves ill-concealed by such tight clothing.
Theirs was a strange friendship Zazie thought. Truthfully, the two girls were little alike other than each desired to improve her skills. Yuna was loud, brash and confident, at times, to the point of arrogance. On the other hand, the dark-haired girl possessed a boundless vitality and a dogged sense of determination. No matter how many times the other girl got discouraged and was on the edge of giving up, her classmate never failed to get back up and try once more. Even the clan elders could appreciate that.
As the catcher dropped down, with knees firmly hooked over the distant bar, Zazie blocked out other thoughts and began to count, 'jekh … du … trin …'
With a seeming effortlessness born of years of practice, she leapt from the platform and swung out into space. Back and forth she moved, seeking to match the catcher's rhythm. Forward, backwards, forward, backwards Zazie swung like the weighted end of a pendulum, altering her arc with subtle shifts of her body until the proper moment when she released the bar.
Her partner swung away as she tucked her legs in and rotated once in place. He reached the apex and began swinging back on her second rotation. After the third she stretched out to grasp the approaching hands, but barely brushed the catcher's fingers as gravity pulled the girl down. Zazie bounced against the taut lines of a safety net and, with an expression of disgust on her face, slipped to the ground as both Yuna and the club president approached.
"Are you alright Zazie-san?" the president asked. She answered with a quick nod. Scanning her leotard-clad figure from top to bottom, lingering on her chest a little longer than necessary, the young man then asked, "Ready for another go?"
Again she replied with a single nod and after a grin to let Yuna know she was fine, headed back to the ladder. Japanese girls didn't have a monopoly on determination, or stubbornness for that matter.
After practice and changed back into street clothing, the tattooed teen mentally called out and a white bird darted to her. Perched upon a shoulder, it chattered so that she could barely keep up with its rapid speech.
"May I go play? May I go play?" the little bird twittered over and over like a child pleading for playground time.
"With whom?" she asked.
"With that one," came an answering chirp as a beak pointed to nearby tree limb where a bird with midnight black feathers was settled. Zazie recognized the raven as the one who was searching for his lost mate just last week. The black bird dipped in imitation of a bow while her feathered friend eagerly hopped from foot to foot waiting for permission. Lips turned upwards as she nodded and both birds were instantly aloft.
"What'cha doing?" a grinning Yuna asked.
Cocking her head to the side, she regarded the approaching girl. Since the night of the massacre, when everyone she had ever known was lost, Zazie had not called anyone a friend until Yuna and Asuna had both extended their hands during the class trip. Thinking back to previous card readings, she wondered again about the Knight of Cups and who that might be. The Knight was called the Romantic Dreamer, one whose ideas opened the heart and brought the deepest feelings into focus.
At first, Zazie had thought this might be Negi-san, and later perhaps that it was Markham-sensei who had so unexpectedly re-entered her life. Now she wondered if the card hadn't referred to Yuna all along.
"Nothing," she eloquently shrugged in response.
"How about coming with me to the video store?" Yuna asked. "I want to see if their copy of 'Ju-on' has been returned yet."
Yuna's route to the store meandered across the campus and nearby shopping district, but Zazie didn't mind. Thoughts seemed clearer whenever she walked; probably a holdover from her months of wandering in Kosovo.
"Hey," Yuna suddenly called out. "That's Negi-kun."
Sure enough, their pint-sized, former teacher was striding down the sidewalk with the panty-stealing ermine balanced on his shoulder. Agitated whispers from the shadowy creatures that followed her reached the girl's ears and Zazie examined the boy wizard closer. Gazing with her second sight, the edges of Negi's form were blurred, like ghostly images that sometimes surrounded characters on a television screen. "Come," she beckoned.
Chamo bent towards the youngster's ear and Negi's head snapped up in response. "Hello Yuna-san, Zazie-san."
As the boy's eyes swept their figures, much like the club president's had, the blurring intensified. Understanding came as Zazie recalled the incident when Aisaka-san temporary possessed Yuna in an attempt to communicate with the class. But Aisaka-san was at the temple with the others, so what spirit had possessed her mentor and for what purpose?
Yuna was inviting him to come along with them when Negi suddenly cut her off and pulled a card bearing Kagurazaka's picture out. Placing it against his forehead, he seemed to lapse into a trance. Zazie wasn't very familiar with pactio cards, however she knew enough to realize he was communicating with his first partner. "I'm sorry," he apologized, "but something's come up."
"I'll come with you," Zazie stated.
Before he could argue, Yuna added "Me too."
He tried to refuse but the acrobat stopped him with "Am I member of Team Negi or not?"
"I know I haven't done much to earn your trust," Yuna pleaded, "but I never will if you don't give me a chance."
"Big brother." Conflicting emotions appeared on the eleven year old boy's face as the ermine leaned in closer. "Big brother, extra help might come in handy."
"But Yuna," he started to argue.
"I've been training really hard with Mana-san ever since we got back from the class trip," the dark-haired girl interrupted. "And the headmaster told us we all have something to contribute."
"This isn't a game Yuna," Negi replied. "These are dangerous people we're fighting. I wouldn't want to see you hurt or worse."
"I'm already involved in this no matter what any of us want professor." Having so rarely addressed Negi by his title, all could tell how serious Yuna was. "Please let me prove myself worthy."
Worthy of whom, Negi undoubtedly knew. Yuna's mother had been an agent of Everlasting Wind alongside her partner and husband. Her quest to emulate the woman mirrored the boy's own attempts to follow in his father's footsteps. "Very well," he conceded. "We need to hurry to the train station."
--
"I'd like to speak with you Miss Kugimiya, but I'll be busy with the after school study group this afternoon," Markham-sensei had told her at the end of class. "Could you meet me at the World Tree later? Say about six?"
In the years she had been at Mahora, Madoka had heard any number of tales about the World Tree. Stories of couples that pledged their love beneath the tree were a staple around the dormitory, but if she was certain of anything, it was that sensei wasn't about to confess his undying devotion today. Yet what did he want to speak about? He wouldn't chose there to discuss school work.
Although her watch showed ten minutes before six, the girl hurried along the path. Up ahead, she saw sensei pacing beneath the tree. As an elementary student, Madoka had once visited a small zoo and remembered how the lion paced back and forth within its tiny cage like that. Halting, the girl stood a moment and gathered her thoughts. Ishikawa-sensei had said she should tell Mister Markham about her feelings, explaining that even rejection was preferable to the uncertainty she was experiencing. 'Easy for her to say,' the teen thought.
"Markham-sensei," she called out.
At first the man seemed relieved, but then his expression turned anxious. "I'm glad you could make it Madoka-san," Phillip said. "I have something very important to discuss with you."
Hesitantly, she walked over. "What would that be?"
"I was speaking with Ishikawa-sensei this morning," the man explained. "She informed me that one of my students had, in her words, 'developed strong feelings' for me."
Her world ground to a halt at his words. "I think you understand the importance of maintaining proper discipline in class," he continued, "and how student-teacher relationships contribute to that discipline."
"Yes," she replied with downcast eyes.
"You also no doubt appreciate why this has to be resolved quickly," Phillip commented. "That's why I've asked you here."
Knowing what would come next, Madoka couldn't force her gaze upwards.
"I need your advice Madoka-san."
Her eyes snapped up instantly and in a confused voice she asked, "Excuse me? My advice?"
"Yes," her teacher replied. "You're her classmate after all."
"My classmate? Who are we talking about sensei?"
"Sakurazaki-san," the man answered.
Sakurazaki-san? She knew, along with the rest of the high school, that Markham had gone to Kyoto with Setsuna and the others; however, no one could have guessed this outcome. 'This is too crazy,' she thought while glancing around for a momentary respite. The teen's eyes were drawn to the great tree and its lower branches.
"You haven't been up the tree yet have you?" the girl asked and then headed for the trunk. "C'mon. You've got to see the view."
"Madoka-san," he called out. "Isn't your outfit a little inappropriate for tree climbing?"
Glancing done at her short hemline, she smiled. "Don't worry sensei," Madoka said while lifting the hem up a few, revealing centimeters. "These shorts are designed to look like a skirt."
Minutes later, she strode along one of the wider limbs. "When I was younger, I heard there was a spirit that lived in this tree," the teen said as she stopped and gracefully spun about. "I must have spent that whole school year trying to catch a glimpse."
Sitting down, she watched as her teacher carefully edged his way towards her. "So Ishikawa-sensei told you that Sakurazaki-san has feelings for you?" Madoka asked as Phillip sat next to her.
"She didn't mention any names," he answered. "But I don't know who else she could have meant."
"You did notice how strangely she acted in class this morning?" the man asked. "Something is definitely bothering her. And then we … uh … sort of … went out together."
"You went on a date with her?"
"It wasn't a date exactly," he quickly replied. "Konoka-san was on an o-miai and Setsuna-san went with her. I tagged along so she wouldn't be unescorted. It was more like being a chaperon."
Remembering Konoka's words during the card reading, Madoka took a deep breath before plunging into the murky depths. "Ishikawa-sensei wasn't talking about Sakurazaki-san," the girl admitted. "She was talking about me."
Phillip stared at her in shock. He tried to speak a couple of times, but close his mouth each time, unable to voice his thoughts. Finally, he turned away. "I'm sorry Madoka-san," the man said. A self-depreciating chuckle escaped his mouth before he added, "I must have seemed a total ass just now."
They sat for moment, silently gazing at branches swayed by an errant breeze.
"Sensei, I do understand about us being student and teacher," she told him. "I also realize that you're my parents' age, but knowing that hasn't stopped me from liking you."
"Those are important points to keep in mind," Phillip replied, "but they're not the most important one."
"What is?"
"Sixteen years ago, while I was stationed in Texas, I met a very nice woman named Jessica," he explained. "We married the following year."
"Jessica was a wonderful person; however, she never understood the military and how I could be ordered to move halfway around the world at a moment's notice. When I was transferred to Oklahoma that summer, she could handle that. But six years later, when I was transferred to Europe, she didn't like the idea of living in a foreign country."
"I thought it was all a great adventure, so I didn't understand how it felt for her to give up her job and leave everything she knew to live in some place where they didn't speak a language she could understand. Then when we got to Brussels, we found out she was pregnant. She miscarried two months later."
He fell silent for so long, Madoka was about to say something when Phillip started speaking again. "I was devastated after that, but I tried to be strong thinking that would help Jessica. One night she snapped at me, accusing me of not caring one bit about our baby. I didn't know what to say or do … I walked out of our flat and didn't come back till the next day. She was gone by then."
"I guess if I had gone after her right then she might have come back, but I didn't. Maybe it was the only way I could cope with the pain, but I threw myself into the job, taking every project that came my way just to give me an excuse not to go back to the apartment. The divorce papers arrived six months later."
"Mister Markham … I"
"She should have been the most important person in my life," Phillip quietly declared, "and I let her go without so much as a whimper of protest. This was the one relationship I should have succeeded at … and I failed … miserably. "
"I think you're being too hard on yourself sensei."
"You don't understand Madoka-san."
"No, I don't" she agreed as the pair faced each other.
"Maybe it's a selfish viewpoint, but I believe that the most important person in your life," the girl said as she placed a palm against the man's chest, "is right here."
Without further thought, Madoka continued to lean into her teacher until their lips met. No heavenly choir broke into chorus at their kiss, and if they had, the girl would have begrudged the interruption. Several heartbeats later, they parted, neither paying attention as branches rustled again.
"Madoka-san I … I like you as well," Phillip confessed, "but our relationship can't go any farther in this direction. I was brought to Mahora to help prepare you girls. I won't be able to meet my responsibility to you all if …"
"I understand," Madoka replied as her throat tightened. "I guess it's time to go down now."
The anxious look returned to the man's face prompting her to ask what the problem was.
"Have I ever mentioned that heights make me uncomfortable?"
--
Tokyo, Japan
"See!" Yuna triumphantly pointed to the matched grave markers. "I told you that picture was of Hachiko's grave."
"There are no useless pieces of data," her father had informed Yuna at the end of a juvenile tirade against the evils of mathematics homework. "The most trivial seeming fact can be the final piece needed to solve a complex problem." While she had to agree with his statement, it did little to explain why she had to factor polynomials in algebra class.
During one of Nitta-sensei's innumerable lectures, the Ogre had once trotted out the story of Hachiko, the faithful dog who continued to wait for his master's return even after the man had passed away years before. The school's chief disciplinarian had mentioned the little Akita to illustrate his point and even if she hadn't remembered what the man was talking about, Yuna recalled the dog who was buried next to his owner in the Aoyama Reien.
'Maybe I should thank the Ogre when we get back,' the ballplayer thought to herself. 'Naw, that would only get him started again.'
"Let's start searching for any sign of Kimiaki-san," Negi said as the group began to fan out.
"Not so fast Big Brother," Chamo warned. The ermine sniffed about the trail for a moment and then added, "One of Fate's ministra has been here recently."
"How can you tell?" Asuna asked as a dark scowl fixed itself to the girl's face.
"I have my ways."
"Never mind that," Negi quickly cut in. "Which one was it and how long ago?"
"It was the Fire Starter," Chamo answered.
"Homura-san?" Negi lapsed into thought and then faced Yuna. "This is too dangerous for you to be here if Fate is involved."
"Yuna-san proved capable during our battle in the mall," Zazie pointed out. "And Tatsumiya-san's training has been no less intense than Imma-san's."
"I mean no offense to either her or Tatsumiya-san," Negi responded, "but Yuna is the least capable of defending herself if this turns into a battle. We simply can't afford …"
"Is it any less dangerous for me to leave Professor?" she interrupted. "Who's to say that white-haired guy isn't watching right now, waiting for us to split up?"
"Yuna-san has a point," Setsuna agreed.
"And there is something you can do to help her Big Brother." The dollar signs flashing in Chamo's eyes were unmistakable. Also unmistakable was the crunch of Asuna's foot as it squashed the greedy ermine down into a pile of leaves.
"No time for that," the girl declared while fixing her gaze on Negi. "You still don't trust us do you bozu?"
"It's not a matter of trust."
"Then what is it?" Asuna challenged. "Do you believe we won't watch each other's backs?"
"Of course you will," Negi responded. "I'm concerned for Yuna's safety."
"There are times your 'concern' royally pisses me off," Asuna told him while ignoring the squirming beneath her sneaker. "Each of us knows the risk and still chose to be here with you baka. Deal with it."
"Ane-san … please," Chamo pleaded.
Finally released, the ermine dug into the leave and uncovered a cell phone. Asuna bent down to pick it up and both she and Setsuna recognized it as belonging to the missing man.
"Chamo-kun, can you follow Homura-san's scent?" Negi asked.
"There's a stronger one I think is Kimiaki-san's," the rodent answered. "It leads that way."
Following the scampering ermine led them to a marble tomb. Asuna and Zazie flanked the doors while Negi began a spell. Setsuna stood to the boy's side with her nodachi ready as Asuna grabbed the door handle and jerked it open. Light streamed into the opening revealing a gagged figure bound to a chair.
"There is a spell trigger set up around him," Negi told them. "Rainyday-san, I want you to cut him loose."
"Asuna," the boy continued as Zazie's fingernails grew into dagger-like talons, "try to nullify the spell before it activates."
Yuna stood just outside the mausoleum's doorway, trying to look over the boy wizard's shoulder. Kimiaki-san seemed agitated as the pair approached him and struggled against the ropes tying him down. "It's just us," Asuna tried to assure him.
"Aiyee!" Yuna yelped as the seat of her shorts exploded into flames. Lurching forward, she stumbled into Negi. Chamo leapt away from the falling boy and into Setsuna judging by the swordswoman's surprised oath. Light flared about them as magic circles materialized around the chair and in the doorway.
"Sensei," she cried before the world turned black.
--
A/N: The chapter heading comes from the opening sentence of "Under the Cherry Trees", a short story by Japanese author Kaji'I Motojiro.
The Aoyama Cemetery is real and is the final resting place for the faithful dog Hachiko as well as several Japanese and foreign notables.
I hope your New Year is a safe and enjoyable one. Mine will probably be spent playing the Beatles Rock Band.