A/N: Thanks to an ice storm, this has taken a little longer than I expected. I still have a roof over me, even if it looks thatched right now. I hope Mother (or Mutha if you wish) Nature has treated you at least as well if not better.

Italics are used to indicate singing this time around.

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Negima or its characters but enjoy writing about them and asking "what if?". The song 'Stand by Me' isn't mine either but was written by some supremely talented men named King, Leiber and Stroller.

Sunland Center Mall Los Angeles

Chachamaru examined her reflection in the dressing room's full length mirror. Her mistress had always told her what to wear before, so selecting clothing was a novelty for the robot. At the moment, she had on lacy, red undergarments including stockings and something the clerk called a "garter belt." They provided adequate cover, but the girl couldn't decide if they looked okay. She wished Chisame was here to advise her, as Chiu had a wonderful sense of fashion.

It struck her as odd the preoccupation with how what was worn below clothing appeared. Certainly, she would never wear something like this into class. Unexpectedly, the image of being dressed like this in front of Negi-sensei flitted across her circuitry, causing the gears in her chest cavity to rotate faster and the micro-filaments embedded in her epidermal layer to increase their heat output. She was familiar with both sensations in connection to her former instructor, but the tingling she felt below her pelvic joint was strange.

A series of binary numbers raced along transistors as processors analyzed the phenomena. It matched closest to what happened during last year's trip when sensei transferred his energy into her. That event had overwhelmed her neural emulation program and nearly brought her offline. Chachamaru decided that this was nothing more than residual data still resident in memory. She resolved to have Hakase-san purge her core dump files of these virtual sniglets at the first opportunity.

Sensors detected a pattern of vibrations that belonged to her current home room teacher. "Miss Greenwood," she heard him address Anya, "where are your partners?"

"Chachamaru-san is in the dressing room," the little mage answered.

"And Hasegawa-san?" he asked.

"She said she was checking out some fruit," came her reply.

"Chisame-san is in the computer store across from here," Chachamaru answered as she stepped out of the dressing room. They other two fell quiet as they stared at the robot in her lingerie. "Is something wrong?"

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she looked down to see what was amiss. Deciding that her brassier wasn't positioned correctly, she adjusted the cups, increasing her cleavage in the process. "Is that better?" she asked.

Phillip's face turned a deep crimson color and his breathing seemed oddly labored, meanwhile Anya's expression looked as if the girl had been drinking lemon floor polish. Chachamaru locked her sensors on sensei and initiated her medical diagnostic program. Data streamed across her circuit boards, his pulse was 122 beats per minute and rising, respiration and temperature were elevated as well. "Interesting, there's an increased flow of blood to a localized region," she observed. Aloud, the robot asked "Do you have any swelling sir?"

"Am I what," he cried in alarm. "I mean is there what?"

"I've noted an indication of possible infection," she calmly informed him. "I wanted to know if there is any associated swelling that would confirm its presence."

"I'm fine Miss Karakuri," Phillip answered as he hurriedly turned his back to the student. "I'm just feeling a trifle overheated."

"Shall I help you disrobe?" Chachamaru offered.

"Huh?"

"Common treatment for heat distress is to have the patient lie down and remove excess clothing."

"That won't be necessary," he replied. "I'll go see if I can roundup your missing partner."

As he walked away, Chachamaru saw Anya approach their teacher. "Take this," she said while holding out a tissue.

"What's this for?"

Anya answered by pointing to her nose.

"What?" Phillip asked as his hand went to his nose and came back with a smear of blood. "Oh, it must be the dry wind."

"Gee Mana-san, what were you and the ticket seller arguing about?" Yuna asked the tall girl who walked alongside her. The two had been going to watch a movie with the rest of their group, but the mercenary had gotten into a shouting match the woman behind the counter. As group leader, Yuna skipped the film to stay with Mana.

"I showed her my student id," her classmate answered, "and asked for the student admission."

"But our id is written in kanji?" the shorter girl pointed out.

"It's still a student id," Mana protested.

"Isn't that being kind of tightfisted?" Yuna asked. "I mean even a full price ticket here is less than a student priced one back home."

Mana sighed. She put up with the comments about her miserly ways, but whenever she heard talk about pinching coins so hard they squeaked she wanted to yell back "Unlike you, I earn my money!" It was only natural to want the best value for it.

Of course the dark-haired gunslinger bit her tongue instead of indulging her sense of outrage. "That's not the point," she calmly insisted. "It's the principle that matters."

They managed only a few paces before the pig-tailed student broke the silence. "Can I ask you a question?"

"About what?" was the taciturn reply.

The question came hesitantly. "What can you tell me about partners?"

"Sorry," she answered without pause, "I can't help you."

"But you use to be one."

Mana halted in mid-stride and turned her gaze on the hapless girl. "Who told you that?"

"I have my sources," the trembling student responded.

Mentally, the mercenary tried to calculate how much material a skinned ermine would yield. No more than for a single glove she figured. "Why do you ask?"

"My Mom and Dad were partners," Yuna replied in a barely audible voice. "I'd like to know more about her, er, it."

Mana began walking as she tried figure out how to respond. She knew of Yuna's parents and while their exploits weren't the stuff of legends, unlike a certain boy teacher, they had an excellent reputation in the wizarding world. She heard the basketball player's shoes shuffle behind her as they passed the busy shops.

Coming to a pet store, Mana was distracted by a group of puppies cavorting in the display window. As she watched their antics, a grin spread across her face. "Being a partner is like a marriage," she suddenly said, "but with an important exception."

"In a marriage, both people are supposed to be equals working towards jointly arrived goals," Mana continued. "A partner is never the equal, has no goals, no hopes, no fears of their own."

"You stop being yourself," the girl commented as her hands reached out and pressed against the glass, "and become an extension of another person."

"It sounds terrible," Yuna replied. "How can anyone do that?"

"Because you believe in what you're doing with all your heart, mind and soul," the former partner answered.

The mercenary finally glanced at her classmate. "It can be different," she said smiling. "Your parents were proof of that."

Tatsumiya Mana was a priestess, an exorcist and a gun for hire, but being a mentor was uncharted territory. "Your mother was a woman worth admiring," she told Yuna. "But the path she followed is difficult and a partnership should not be entered into lightly."

At the moment, Yuna felt as if she was staring over a cliff and contemplating something reckless. She took a breath and stepped over the edge. "Will you teach me?"

The smile was still on her face, but Mana shook her head in response. "I'm too impatient to be a teacher," the girl answered. "However, if you come by the range, I might be able to give you a tip or two."

Yuna's shoulders slumped down with the release of tension. It wasn't the answer she hoped for, but it wasn't a complete refusal either. In the distance she noticed another classmate accompanied by a stranger. "Isn't that Misora-san up ahead?"

"So it would appear," her companion replied.

"I wonder who that girl with her is."

"As a group leader, maybe you should find out," the gunslinger suggested.

Their classmate and a girl dressed all in black disappeared down a service corridor, quickly followed by a janitor pushing a cleaning cart. The man wearing coveralls with the mall's logo on set a "Keep Out" sign on the floor and continued after the two girls.

As she entered the passageway, a sense of unease crept over Yuna. One step inside and a prickly sensation ran up and down her legs. A second step and it felt like she was wading through a swimming pool. On the third step the water had transformed into molasses and at the fourth step her body refused to budge an inch further. "What's happening?"

"At a guess," Mana answered, "I'd say it's some type of spell."

"Brilliant deduction there," Yuna responded sarcastically. "So what now Sherlock?"

"Now we bring out the heavy artillery," Mana told her.

At that point, they heard a familiar voice from inside the mall. "Hurry up guys," Asuna called. "I'm starving."

The two students from class 1A smiled at each other and rushed to find their bell-wearing classmate. In terms of artillery, Kagurazaki-san was easily the equivalent of a 155mm howitzer.

As he left the computer store, Phillip scolded the student at his side. "Miss Hasegawa, I don't believe you understand how serious this is."

"You must stay with your partners at all times," the teacher insisted. "There are far too many people in the world who would prey on a lone girl."

"Yes sir," Chisame mumbled, resigned to yet another lecture. A reprieve suddenly appeared in the form of the cheerleading trio who called "Mr. Markham" in unison. They surrounded him and before he knew what happened, he was propelled forward

"Mr. Markham, you've got to see this place," Madoka told her confused teacher.

"It's really cool," Misa chimed in.

"Just a little further," Sakurako added.

They stopped in front of a huge store front and the cheer girls wore expressions of reverence on their faces as if they beheld the Holy Grail itself. Above the double, glass doors hung a sign that read 'Empyre Music, if you can't find it, they don't make it.'

Inside they found thousands of instruments. Madoka stood next to a wall covered with guitars, regretting the loss of hers during the previous school year. The store carried various shape, sizes and types. The short-haired student reached out and touched a red and blue guitar then she jumped when a clerk said "That's the Sonic edition Stratocaster."

Madoka found a young man wearing the yellow polo shirt of a store employee next to her. "Would you like to try it?" he asked then lifted the instrument off its hook and presented it to her. Lovingly she took the guitar, enjoying the feel of the varnished wood in her hands. She placed the strap over her shoulders and spent a few moments in tuning, before strumming out a melody.

"Hey, that sounds familiar," the salesman commented. "What song is that?"

"American Pie," she answered.

"By Madonna right?"

"Um, I was thinking of the Don McLean version," the girl answered.

The clerk looked puzzled. "Who's Don McLean?" he asked.

"Never mind," she responded. "How much does this one cost?"

"Normally it's $749," he replied beaming. "It's on clearance for $399."

"That's still more than I can afford," she replied, reluctantly handing the electric guitar back to him.

At the sales counter, Phillip watched their exchange. "Yes sir, you'll save $800 on that particular keyboard," his salesman said.

"Can I have that shipped," the teacher asked.

"Anywhere in the world," he was assured.

"How about Japan?"

A look of puzzlement appeared on the clerk's face. "Of course, but this is made in Japan," he replied. "Why would you ship it there?"

"Because it's cheaper to buy it here and ship it, than to buy it where I live," Phillip told him as he handed over his credit card.

"Will there be anything else?" the man behind the counter asked.

Phillip glanced once more at his student who was still looking covetously at guitars. "I do believe there is," he answered.

Asuna looked first at the 'Keep Out' sign then over at Mana. "So you want me to nullify the spell keeping you out?"

Her tall, dark-haired classmate nodded her head in response.

"Then we rush down the corridor, find Misora and beat the crap out of whoever is with her?"

Again Mana nodded.

Asuna looked askance at her fellow student. "And that's your plan?"

"More or less," the mercenary answered. "Unless you have a better idea."

"Uh …," Asuna replied looking somewhat like a deer caught in the headlights of an 18 wheel tractor trailer bearing down on her. "Okay guys, let's do it!"

"One thing first," Mana said as she opened her handbag and pulled a pistol out. She inspected it and held it out, handle first, to Yuna. "I understand you know how to use one."

Mana watched the girl's eyes as Yuna reached for the gun. She saw surprise, apprehension, and more than a trace of excitement reflected in them. "Don't worry, the rounds are non-lethal," she mentioned. "Here's an extra clip."

Yuna held the gun with more than passing familiarity. For a moment, it was last summer and she was staring down two thugs in a warehouse. She spared a glance over at Zazie, who smiled knowingly in return and mimicked the shape of a pistol with her hand. Yuna nodded her head in response and the knot in her stomach seemed to loosen a bit.

Asuna looked at Mana in amazement as the girl pulled a second pistol out. "How did you get those through customs?" she demanded to know.

"Like Setsuna's sword, they were shipped in a diplomatic pouch," the taller girl answered.

"You brought your sword?" Konoka asked her partner. At her friend's nod, she continued, "You should have told me. I could have stored it for you."

"Where could, er, don't answer that," the crow maid replied. "There is likely to be some danger Kono-chan, perhaps you should remain here."

Instead of the expected pout, Konoka's face hardened into resolve. It was a look Setsuna saw several times when the girl stood in her grandfather's place as the head of the Kanto Magic Association. Knowing the futility of arguing with such determination, the swordswoman bowed her head in defeat. "As you wish ojou-sama." With that, the six students set off in search of their missing classmate.

The back of Misora's head throbbed as she floated in an inky-black sea. Confusion over her current situation overwhelmed the novice mage. The last thing she could remember clearly was pushing open the washroom door. Did she faint? A circle of yellow light shone overhead and she found herself drawing near it. A faint background murmur resolved into a conversation.

"She's not very strong Ute," a male voice said in English.

"The others weren't considerate enough to wander off by themselves," a female voice responded. Misora recognized it as belonging to her recent guide. "She'll do for our purposes."

The young student opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't. She was in a large, cement structure that judging from the diesel fumes may have been a garage. Her shoulders and backside were pressed against a table top while her legs hung over the edge. Both arms and legs had been secured with tape as was her mouth. Several figures wearing black, hooded robes gathered about her. A whole scene reminded her of a poorly written novel, but clichéd or not, she understood her peril.

The male voice spoke again, "Ah, awake are we?"

Misora glanced down at the hooded figure standing between her knees. The cowl left most of his face in shadow, but she could see a chin covered by a neatly trimmed beard. "A pity," he remarked as an ornamental dagger appeared from within the folds of his robe. He placed the knife's edge under her blouse and sliced the front of her shirt open. "You probably would have preferred to miss this."

Another cloaked figure produced a tin of paint and proceeded to mark her exposed flesh. She tried to twist away but hands reached out and held her still. As they finished drawing the symbols, the bearded man changed his grip on the hilt and lifted the dagger high above her. "It's nothing personal," he informed the now terrified student. "We just want your power."

Convinced she was about to die, Misora heard the sharp crackle of gun fire. The dagger spun away as the bearded man cried out and grasped his injured hand. With a shout Asuna landed among the figures on Misora's left and started swinging her harisen, swatting them to either side. A dark-haired girl fell among the group on the captive's right.

Setsuna's grasped a handful of fabric and flung one of the hooded figures over her shoulder, then spun and kicked another at the hip. The hood fell back on one member, revealing a girl with black-streaked blonde hair. She pulled a knife from her robe and thrust at the hanyo but her blow was blocked. Setsuna held her own tanto point down, stopping the other's blade. A quick flick of the shinmei-ryu's wrist disarmed her opponent and Setsuna followed with a punch boosted by her partner's power, sending the blonde reeling.

The bearded man whirled about and saw a flash of white hair as Zazie hurtled towards him. He thrust his uninjured hand forward and five razor-sharp shards of ice shot out towards the student. The acrobat dove forwards and rolled, letting the deadly missiles pass overhead. Ku Fei's words flashed through her mind as she continued tumbling, stopping at the surprised man's feet. Swiftly Zazie extended up, letting loose a series of punches to her target's stomach, chest and chin. As he crumpled to the floor, she reflected that it was a lesson well learned.

Mana watched as three of the captors rushed Yuna, who crouched and fired, dropping each with a single round. The mercenary saw one hooded figure run for the exit and noticed her classmate start to aim then pull her hand back. The gunslinger aimed, fired and brought the fleeing man down. She'd talk to the would-be-partner later about endangering her allies by letting enemies escape.

After watching their fellows be decimated by the rampaging typhoon otherwise known as Class 1A, the final group of four broke for the exit guarded by Konoka. The heir of two magic associations smiled as the remaining black-clad figures raced towards her, but it wasn't the girl's normal everything-is-right-with-the-world-so-be-happy smile. Rather it was a smile born of the power that billowed in waves around her. Too late did the four realize their mistake.

Konoka imagined a row of pencils in front of her and pushed out with her mind. She giggled as the energy surged forward, sweeping them up as if caught in an avalanche. Their bodies were flung away like windborne leaves and smashed against the far wall. The young wizard would later look back at this moment in regret, but now she exulted in controlling enough magic to have leveled the entire mall.

Thirteen people dressed in robes lay scattered about the maintenance garage. Zazie and Asuna had each grabbed a dagger and worked to release Misora. "Kono-chan," Setsuna called as she ran towards her partner. "Are you alright?"

Seeing no more enemies, Konoka released the magic and let it seep away. "I'm fine Se-chan," she answered then fell face forward on the floor.

"Kono-chan!"

Phillip left the music store, still captive to his three students. "I'm not very good at karaoke," he protested.

"That's okay," Misa assured him. "We'll make up for you."

Two more students appeared and when Hakase and Yotsuba called his name, it was all Phillip could do not thank both on the spot. Relief was short lived as the girls informed him about their missing partner. Before anyone could act further, Misora arrived, accompanied by several classmates.

"Miss Kasuga," her teacher looked sternly at her, "where have you been?"

"I'm embarrassed to admit it but I snagged my shirt and managed to rip it getting loose," she responded. The red-haired girl pointed at the picture of Chiu on her shirt and continued, "Konoka-san was kind enough to get a replacement for me."

"I see," Phillip replied, nodding his head in agreement, then turned to Misa. "Why don't you take Miss Kasuga's group to the karaoke bar and wait for me there? I'd like to talk with the other two group leaders."

Phillip gathered the six recent combatants around him. "Your friend left some details out of her explanation," the former sergeant said to them. "Why don't you start filling them in for me Miss Akashi?"

"Me?" Yuna answered in a panicked tone. Glancing at her fellow students, only Zazie didn't look as stunned as she felt.

A short while later, they returned to a garage that showed no sign of Misora's kidnappers or their battle with them. "This is the place," Mana said in her professional voice.

"I believe you," Phillip responded as he inspected the area. "It's time to regroup forces and mass our firepower for an optimal defense."

Yuna turned to a grinning Mana and asked "What did he say?"

"Get everyone together and watch our backs."

Eleven students had gone to watch a movie, so if fell to Mana and Yuna to stake out the theater and direct their classmates to the rendezvous point. As the pair approached the 18 screen multiplex, the pistol packing Mana noticed a familiar figure seated outside the ticket windows.

Mr. Torres, their bus driver, was seated at a bench across from the theater, taking an occasional sip from a soft drink cup. The bench was the only one nearby and it afforded a view of all the exits from the cinema.

Walking over, she asked "May we join you?"

"Si senorita," he answered.

"Gracias," she replied as she took a seat. "Unfortunately my friend doesn't speak Spanish."

"What do you girls think of LA so far?"

"It's been quit an adventure," Mana said.

"Have you traveled outside of Japan much?" the driver asked.

"Here and there," she answered. "And you?"

"I joined the Marine Corp out of high school," the burly man responded. "Within six months I was with the force that went to Panama to capture Norriega."

"A few years later, my group stormed the beaches of Kuwait to liberate it from the Iraqi's," he continued. "I went to Bosnia next, then finally got out."

He lapsed into silence for a minute then said, "I've even been to Grozny."

"Grozny?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's the capitol of Chechnya," he answered. "What's left of it anyway."

"The Chechen government hired me as an advisor to their military," Mr. Torres continued.

"They had a pretty sweet setup then got greedy." He shook his head sadly at the recollection. "They invaded the neighboring republic in August of '99, and had the Russian Army laying siege to the capitol by October. When December came, the city had been reduced to rubble, and except for the diehards, anyone who could escape the city had."

The driver's eyes never left the theater, but Mana could tell his gaze was far away as he spoke. "That left 40,000 people too ill, too old, or too stupid to leave."

"The Russian commander decided to give non-combatants a chance to flee before they leveled Grozny and I thought it was a good time to go," the one time advisor told her. "It was the third of December and I straggled out of the city with the others. I found an old woman sitting by the side of the road with her grandchild. The babushka couldn't walk anymore, so I hoisted her on my on my back, took the child's hand and continued walking."

He lifted the cup up for a drink, stopping when only air came up through the straw. "It was a safe corridor, or so they said, but about two clicks outside, we were fired upon by an emplaced machinegun. I threw myself and my companions to the ground while the gunners raked the road, cutting down those too numb to react. I remember praying 'Dear Mother of God, I don't want to die in the mud here.' Then the miracle happened."

"Miracle?" Mana asked.

"Miracle!" he stated emphatically. "I heard a shout in a language that wasn't Russian and a light enveloped the emplacement. The gun fell silent and I saw two angels walking down the road towards me."

"Angels?" Yuna repeated breathlessly.

Mr. Torres turned to the girl he'd nearly forgotten about. "Yes, angels. They looked like a young boy and girl. The boy was fair-skinned, blonde-haired and held what I thought was a spear or maybe it was a staff. The girl was dark-skinned, with long, black hair like your friend over here, and carried a pistol in each hand."

"They walked along the roadway as if they were a couple on a Sunday stroll. Every now and then the boy would kneel by a body, say something too low for me to hear, and then walk on." He turned his gaze to the dark-haired mercenary. "I passed out before they got to me, so I never got the chance to thank them."

"Being angels," Mana replied as the corners of her mouth lifted slightly, "I'm sure they know."

Phillip marked off two more students as the twins entered the bar. "Three to go," he thought to himself.

"So why did you invite the entire class?" his companion asked.

"I thought it'd be a fun way to end the evening," he answered. "So why aren't you up there with your friends?"

"I figured I'd sit this one out," Madoka replied.

Phillip stood. "Come on then."

"But you don't sing."

"You'll make up for me."

Soon student and teacher were pouring over the song lists. "Do you know this one?" Phillip asked, pointing to a selection.

Madoka nodded. "I don't sing lead," she mentioned with some trepidation.

"I don't sing at all," Phillip responded as he pressed the button and the opening strains began to play. In a surprisingly deep voice, Phillip accompanied the rhythm "Ba ba bum bum," and motioned to the girl next to him as the words scrolled across the screen.

"When the night has come, and the land is dark."

Too conscious of her own low-pitched tone, the short-haired girl's voice came out strained, "And the moon is the only light we'll see."

She felt a hand take hold of hers as she sang, "I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid."

The hand gave a gentle squeeze that she returned harder. "Just as long as you stand, stand by me."

Concentrating on the reassurance of her teacher's hand, Madoka's voice steadied as she continued, "And darling, darling stand by me, oh now, now stand by me. Won't you stand, stand by me."

Zazie scanned the mall directory once again as her companion fretted over their missing classmates. They had searched the all the stores in the mall for the library trio, but found no trace of them. "Where could they be?" she heard Asuna mutter as her eyes alighted on the answer.

Beckoning her fellow student, the silent acrobat headed out the southern exit, accompanied by the jingle of Asuna's bells. "Why are we outside?" her classmate asked.

In answer, Zazie pointed to a large building across the parking lot. "Pickwick and Weller Booksellers," the president of the English Culture Club read. "Zazie, you're a genius."

Finding Haruna was easy as Zazie only had to locate the manga aisle. The class artist was deeply absorbed in a book with a rather lurid cover and didn't notice the white-haired girl until Zazie tapped her on the shoulder and said "Sensei wants you."

"Oh really," the mangaka responded. "This is all so sudden don't you think?"

A sly grin spread across the girl's face and Zazie was reminded of that cat who disappeared, leaving only its smile behind. "What got his attention?" Haruna asked. "Was it my eyes, my hair, or is he attracted to big busts?"

"I think you misunderstand," Zazie replied, thrown off by the other's questions. "Markham-sensei wants all of the class to gather back inside the mall."

"What, no secret rendezvous?" she cried melodramatically. "How cruel you are to crush all of my dreams."

Though her expression remained impassive, the little acrobat has highly confused by now. "Is Satomi-san alright?" she asked.

"C'mon, lighten up Rainday-san, I'm kidding," Haruna told her. "Gee, no sense of humor what-so-ever," she muttered as she started for the door.

In short order, the last five students made their way into the karaoke bar and as they pushed open the door, they were greeted by "If the sky that we look upon, should tumble and fall, and the mountains should crumble to the sea."

"Hey, isn't that Kugimi singing?" Haruna asked.

"I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear."

"Never heard her sing alone before," Asuna commented. "She's not bad."

"Just as long as you stand, stand by me."

"Not at all," Nodoka agreed. "But why is she holding sensei's hand?"

Zazie noticed that her classmate had clasped their teacher's hand firmly and looked straight at him as she continued singing "And darling, darling stand by me, oh stand by me." She couldn't explain why, but the sight caused her a sharp pang.

"Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah."