This story started more than a decade ago. I often wonder if anyone who read that first chapter will still even be here when it reaches its end.

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Negima Star Chapter 21 – Scars of the Past

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"She's here" The Minotaur said gently as he unlocked a giant doorway with a key from his pocket. Konata noticed immediately it wasn't the one from his neck and she said as much. "Oh this thing? I kept losing the key to my treasure room, so I sstarted wearing it around my neck, it's useless getting out." Konata almost laughed.

So my plan was completely pointless from the start then. She breathed heavily and walked through the doorway and out into fresh air for the first time in what felt like weeks.

"It's so bright out here." Kanata said as she floated behind Konata. They were high in the mountains, the clouds far below among the peaks. Ahead was what appeared to be a small arena with a few towers to one side for viewing. Evangeline stood in the middle of the arena. As they passed the entrance arch, Kanata was stopped by a force-field.

"What?" She pushed against it, but was unable to get through.

"Mom?" Konata turned around, but a barrier had appeared between her and Kanata. "Mom!"

"Mistress requests that you follow me to the spectator stands. The girl must face the next challenges alone." a Chach-zero spoke up from behind Kanata. The smaller Chachamaru politely led Kanata to the side as Konata turned to meet Eva alone in the middle of the ring. Kanata looked towards her daughter helplessly.

"She will be fine, I assure you Mistress intends no real harm to the girl... only incidental harm." When Kanata tried to protest, she continued. "It's pointless to argue, Mistress designed this barrier herself to deal with one of her nosy classmates. You can't get through it, otherworldly or not, nor can they hear you. But you're free to watch the fun from the safety of the crowd."

"Hmph... Fine, but if anything happens, I'm possessing you." Kanata sighed and followed Chach-zero to the side.

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Konata took a deep breath as she walked up to Evangeline.

"Well Girlie, I have to say I'm surprised you made it, even with help." Eva smirked, "But this is where we take the gloves off. I've tested your resolve and wisdom, and I've been impressed by your determination, though not quite so much by your reasoning Now we have to test just how strong you really are." She laughed evilly before turning and walking to the edge of the arena.

"I have to fight you?" Konata sighed again. "Now?"

Eva smirked again, waving her hand dismissively.

"You think I would waste my time fighting you myself? You have to prove you can actually back up that raw energy you have with any form of control." She snapped her fingers and a tall cloaked figure appeared from a portal of shadow between her and Konata.

"Try to enjoy it." Eva disappeared laughing through the barrier as the form rushed at Konata.

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"Negi. Negi no..." Yue was on her knees, energy spent protecting them from the point blank blast. Miyuki was at her side immediately, helping her stand. Chachamaru was still standing, but she was sparking slightly.

"Thankfully, Mistress upgraded my barrier magic, or that might not have held. Even still it will take some time to..." She paused, her processors registering everything in slow motion after the power surge. "NEGI!"

"He's fine, I'm sure of it, it would take more than that to stop him. He's got to much of his old man in him." Chamo said, though he didn't sound confident.

"No... "Yue said softly." He's gone..." She was holding her pactio card, already the card was fading, until all that remained was her name and image. "He really is... Negi!"

"What?!" Asuna was the first to reach the clearing among the four girls, the other three not far behind. Many others were also starting to rush to the area, the Dean among them.

The blast had created a 5m(16ft) deep, 50m(160ft) wide crater on three sides, with a split on the fourth, where the girls had stood, jetting out almost 75m(~250ft) to either side behind them.

"What on earth is going on here?" The Dean asked calmly, though his face was tense. He waited briefly as the staff members were securing the area from anyone who shouldn't hear. "Where is Negi?" Yue shook her head and weakly pointed towards the hole.

"Negi... He stayed behind to get us out. He..." She stopped, turning to cry against Miyuki as Chachamaru walked up to the dean.

"Just before it happened, he gave me this to give to you sir." She was clearly distraught. Even on low energy, She was about to cry. "He's not really gone is he? This has to be all some sort of plan of his right?" She looked hopefully at the old dean as he opened the book, but as he read the first few pages, his face grew dark.

"That fool boy. Always trying to do the impossible." He sighed as the other girls crowded around him. "He is gone Chachamaru. The fool boy was, as always, too trusting of his enemies. I am afraid the destruction of all of his Pactio's is enough proof." Asuna, Konoka and Setsuna all looked at their cards then, and they too were faded.

"Negi... NEGI!" Asuna cried, leaning against Ayaka, who was now crying too. Konoka all but collapsed into Setsuna.

Nodoka had said nothing the entire time. She was sitting alone, staring at her card. Her face was a complicated mask of fear, sadness and emptiness. Quietly she stood, put her card away and walked over to Chachamaru who had stepped away from everyone else as she cried alone. "Um... I think that other book is supposed to be for me, correct?"

The robot, desperately low on energy and her emotions fried, could only nod as she handed Nodoka the book. Nokoka carefully placed the book in her bag before wrapping Chachamaru in a hug, the robot leaning into her as she cried. "Negi-kun... he can't be... Negi-kun..." Tears formed at the corner of her eyes as Nodoka held Chachamaru. Negi-kun... Baka.

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Kagami could only just stare. Shock had overcome her to much to cry. Tsukasa was crying into her chest as she stared into the crater, the true reality of everything washing over her. He was just here. Negi-sensei was here not 10 minutes ago. What kind of nightmare are we in? Why am I here? We're all going to die and I can't protect anyone from this. No matter how strong I get. Tsukasa, Miyuki, and Konata. All of them are... She paused. KONATA!? That name meant something. They're back. I remember everything, well except how I got hurt, but everything up to that night. KONATA where is she? She shook her head. No! There will be time to process that. Right now...

"Tsukasa...? Hey... hey not so tight." She eased Tsukasa onto a nearby bench and began to gently caress her head. "Hey you." Tsukasa sniffled and looked up at her.

"Onee-chan? He's really gone isn't he?" She managed through hiccups and tears.

"That's what everyone is saying. I... I'm not going to lie to you Tsukasa. I'm scared... I'm afraid we're all going to die here and I can't stop it. I'm not strong enough..." She shook her head, tears starting to form.

"Sis... We're together. We always make it though."Tsukasa's bravery was ruined by her face, puffy red and tear-stained.

"Tsukasa... We're in way over our heads. I don't.. I don't think I can do anything... I can't protect you if they come for you. I couldn't even protect...!" She grabbed her head, the final haze slipping away from her mind. KONATA!? Wha...WHY Why her? "Where is Konata, Tsukasa?"

"Konata? OH! I don't know... She went missing the day you got hurt... Though I suppose that was technically very recently...Did you Remember something, Sis?" Kagami smiled gently.

"You could say that... She's missing...Because of me?" Tsukasa nodded softly, wiping away tears.

"You had forgotten her entirely. She was really you got hurt protecting her. She wanted to be stronger to protect you. After you woke up and acted like you'd never met her, she ran off..."

"Hey Tsukasa, Exactly what DID Konata say while I was out?" Tsukasa blushed red, waving her hands, "No more games, Tsukasa, this is important."

"Umm"

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Hours later, as midnight neared, four girls were sitting in Konoka and Asuna's room. It had taken Ayaka and Setsuna every bit of energy to get the other two safely back to the room and settled. Konoka had cried herself to sleep in Setsuna's arms. The emotional stress of losing Negi, on top of the last few days overwhelming her mind to total exhaustion.

Asuna on the other hand, had been drinking and crying in turn for the last two hours. Retelling every story she could remember about Negi, including ones Setsuna had been there for until she finally puked into a trash bin and passed out into Ayaka's lap.

Setsuna and Ayaka were left awkwardly alone, Ayaka had been drinking alongside Asuna, though not in as much excess. Setsuna had refrained simply so at least one of them was capable, though she wished very much for release from the pain.

Her only consolation was the tight ball in the corner of her mind that she was fast realizing was Konoka. She couldn't see inside that ball, but she knew Konoka could easily see into her own mind whenever she wished. I still don't know if I'm worth her love, but I will protect her no matter what. I can't lose this...She tore herself away from her reflection to watch Ayaka. What she saw surprised her.

Ayaka was sitting, calmly twirling one of Asuna's pigtails and looking at the sleeping girl in a way Setsuna recognized all to well. That... well that's unexpected.

"Ayaka... How do you feel about Asuna? Really?" Why am I doing this? I'm the last person to give anyone advice or help in love. Hell it took Konoka literally reading my mind to get me to admit my own. Ayaka blushed, but she didn't stop or deny anything. It was obvious she was drunk.

"I really did Love Negi-Sensei you know. He was the best distraction I could have asked for. Someone to fawn over while keeping close to Her...For a while I really though He had stolen her from me, that my heart would be broken completely. But when I realized she looked at him as a kid brother... I was happy. I could still pretend, if only for just a while... that she was mine." She looked up at Setsuna, who could only stare.

"Negi-sensei died tonight... I should be devastated. I only worry for her, not my own emotions. Her happiness was always more important. It's why I've kept my distance. I've loved her since we were kids..." She started to softly cry. "How did you get past it Sakurazaki?" Setsuna looked surprised. "Oh come on, we're virtually the same, for all that you can actually protect the one you love. Both committed to living in the periphery, never by their side. What changed? Why did you get happiness and I'm still locked out here?" She was full on crying now.

"Kono-chan nearly died. I had to make a choice... Tell her everything, or let her die. It wasn't a choice." She shook her head. "To tell the truth I risked everything at the first chance given for her safety, and I'm still not completely sure she IS safe." Ayaka looked confused.

"That's not important. What is important is that I had to give up what I had for a chance at her safety. At the time" She shrugged her shoulder softly, causing Konoka to turn on her lap, "at the time I thought it was the end of my life, both with Kono-chan and here at Mahora." She paused, before deciding to express everything. "I thought her learning I was a lesbian in love with her would disgust her, that she would send me away."

"Then why risk it? Why take that chance at heartbreak?" Ayaka was sobering up, but she had already gone too far to divert this conversation now. If Setsuna knew, at least she wouldn't bear it alone anymore.

"It wasn't even a chance in my mind at the time. I KNEW she would hate me. "Setsuna sighed, gently stroking Konoka's hair. "I did it for her. She hates that I think this way, but to me, her safety and happiness is worth more than every fiber of me. Its worth more than life itself. If saving her life meant losing mine, it would be done in an instant."

"You were willing to give up every shred of happiness you had just to save her?" Setsuna shrugged again.

"Love is very complicated, and I'm not going to pretend to understand all of it. I knew what I had to do to save the person I hold dearest, so that's what I did."

Before Ayaka could respond, a soft knock at the door startled them both.

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This is going to sound completely crazy...

Nodoka took a deep breath as Setsuna carefully opened the door.

"Setsuna? Are Konoka and Asuna here?" Setsuna nodded and let her in. "Good. I desperately need to talk to all three of..." She paused as she saw Ayaka. "Oh is this a bad time? I can-."

"It's fine Nodoka. Ayaka knows now, whatever it is, it's fine." Setsuna said as she saw Nodoka fumble.

"Oh that makes things easier at least." Nodoka walked to the table and sat down, startling the two sleeping girls as she began to take things out of her bag. "We need to move fast, there isn't a large window of time.

"What are you talking about?" Setsuna asked, helping Konoka as Asuna sat up, surprised she was in Ayaka's lap.

"Negi-kun isn't dead." Nodoka said simply, Her voice resolute, her eyes focused, as she began flipping through a small leather-bound book.

"WHAT?!" everyone said in unison.

"Look Nodoka, I get that it's hard to accept, but Negi is gone." Asuna choked up a little as she replied, "Our Pactio's are dead and everything."

"That's just because where he's gone, Temporary Pactio's can't be maintained. Only Permanent ones will hold up interdimensionally." To stall further protest she placed her own Pactio card onto the Table. It was still active, and was slightly different from how any of theirs had been. "Like I said time is short. Cor Meum in Aeternum, Obice Soni." The Air in the room vibrated and expanded until the edges of the room looked blurry from the center. "That should keep any prying ears at bay for a minute or two."

"Wait, you have a full pactio with Negi? When did that happen? HOW?" Asuna sat forward, her drunken state fast deteriorating. "Does that mean you two...?" Nodoka blushed before holding up three fingers. "Yes, but what me and Negi-kun do privately isn't the point right now, what IS important is that Negi is almost certainly still alive, and that means his insane plan was right." She shook her head. "He's still an Idiot for this though. He had me worried sick, and all on a hunch. A ******* HUNCH. When he gets back..." She was talking to herself and flipping through the book absently.

"Uhhh Nodoka?" Asuna said gently.

"Oh Right, Setsuna-san!" Setsuna looked up.

"Yes?"

"You met a girl just before going to steal the gateway from the Dean and rescue Konoka is that correct?" Setsuna just stared at her, mouth agape.

"How could you possibly know that?" Konoka replied for her.

"Then it's true. That girl is with Negi-kun right now, he isn't sure what her plan is, but she is apparently one of the enemies attacking our world, but she's trying to help us stop her Leader. I don't know why, but Negi-kun trusts her, so we have to as well. Regardless they are both gone for now." She took a deep breath. "If they are gone, but He is still alive, that means we have a few hours before the others attack again. With Negi gone, Konata, Kagami and Eva will be the other three they want dead. I couldn't find Evangeline anywhere and Konata has apparently been missing for days. I hope she is still alive, but both are in grave danger."

"Why those two girls from the other world?" Konoka asked, now fully awake. "Konata doesn't even have any real ability right now and Kagami is hardly a threat to anyone."

"That's true, but the four that were sent here were tasked with removing the strongest potential fighters here, Konata made that list due to her abilities and magical potential. Kagami's magic canceling abilities made her a target. Their swordsman failed both attempts, one at killing Asuna, the other against Setsuna. He had not reported in when the girl last talked to Negi, so I assume he was stopped by you." Setsuna and Konoka both nodded.

"With Negi-kun gone, and Eva and Konata missing, Kagami is the only other person here that is vulnerable. They will not come after you three again so long as you're together."

"Then we need to make sure Kagami is safe. Where is she now?"

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As the cloaked figure closed the distance Konata realized she had no plan to actually fight. I've never really been in a fight before. Before she had time to do more, the figure reached her. Well, I guess we'll just have to make things up. As the figure punched at her, she ducked and punched at it only to eat a knee in the stomach and go flying back.

"He...Hey that hurt. Take it eas-" She stopped as it was right on her again. A kick aimed at her face just missed, but before she could even regain her balance, the figure swum around and elbowed her in the neck, again sending her backwards. The figure stopped as a booming voice filled the arena.

"Hey Girlie, is that the best you can do? Are you really so weak as to get beaten so fast?" It was Evangeline, mocking as usual. "I can't train someone so weak that they can't even survive the first hits they take." Konata gritted her teeth. That smug *****

She set her feet, not smoothly, but she tried imitating what she'd seen in her fighting games. I just have to survive, that's all, she's not expecting me to win this, she can't be. The cloaked figure rushed at her again, and she managed to dodge its first punch and block the second one, though the force of it sent her back and left her open for the next kick. She slammed into the barrier hard and landed on her Hands and knees. Jesus... this is crazy.

"Stop being an idiot girlie, you can't beat an actual martial artist in a fight. You don't know the first thing about fighting. Start using what you DO know, not what you don't. Think." Eva boomed. Grrr. She's so smug about it. Konata got to her feet, and this time as the figure rushed at her, she met it with a fire ball, which is casually knocked aside as it rushed in to punch her again. OH COME ON! Once again she blocked the first, then ducked the second and fired a ball of fire into its chest at point blank, sending it flying.

It landed on its hands and back-flipped to standing, its cloak coming down. If she had to guess she would say it was a doppelganger of Ayaka, the class representative, but with black hair and pure black eyes.

"Aye that's more like it girlie. Think on your feet, This girl might not be much of a fighter, but she knows enough to put you down fast if you take her lightly. This little clone I made has all of her combat abilities without any of those pesky things like emotions or the ability to talk back. Perfect for putting snarky brats in their place. Ayaka, take out the trash."

"Yes Mistress" Ayaka cast aside her cloak and rushed at Konata again. Faster than before.

Hell

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I can't sleep. Not knowing shes out there somewhere possibly hurt. Possibly dea... NO Konata can't die. Kagami's sleep had been restless at best, but at that she sat up. Tsukasa, who had been sleeping next to her, turned over and mumbled. I need fresh air...She slipped out of bed and slipped on her shoes before making her way out of the room and into the hall. Konata... Why did I save her like that? She's my friend, of course, but in that moment I was ready to die for her. I don't want to die.. She shivered thinking about it. But I... I don't want to see her in pain. I have to.. I have to see her.. I need to talk to her, I'm sure whatever is bothering me will pass. She wandered for the better part of an hour, not really knowing where she was going or what to do. Eventually she found herself in front of the now blocked off room where she had saved Konata.

"I am going crazy. I really am. I can't be in love with Konata..." She stopped Did I say that out loud? No that can't be right. I care about the little Otaku sure, but Love? Like THAT kind of love? She blushed heavily. Absolutely not. It was a feeling he couldn't completely shake, however. I wish I knew where she was, then I could just clear all this up. I'm sure Tsukasa misunderstood what she was talking about. Konata makes a lot of confusing jokes and she was just messing with Tsukasa, I'm sure of it. From what she could rip out of Tsukasa, and admittedly her twin had adamantly fought for everything Kagami HAD gotten. Konata had hinted that she loved Kagami. But Tsukasa was really upset at the time. Konata was probably talking about as a friend and that she was upset I got hurt protecting her. Yeah that's it.

"Kagami-san?" She jumped. Chachamaru had snuck up behind her, recharged, she was acting as a night patrol in this area. "It's not safe to be out alone at this time of night. Even inside, you might not be fully safe."

"I know.. I am just worried about my... my friend Konata." Kagami took a deep breath.

"I can tell you she is safe. She is currently training with my Mistress." Chachamaru said simply.

"Wait, you've known where she was this whole time?" The robot nodded. "Then why not say something, everyone has been worried sick about her."

"It's simple, my Mistress gave me simple orders to not tell everyone about what she was doing, because she..." Chachamaru blushed,

"She what?" Kagami demanded.

"She sort of Kidnapped Konata after the girl attacked her demanding training and sent her into a training world, not unlike the one you've been in, as both a punishment and test to see if she was worthy. She's been there nearly three weeks in her time."

"THREE WEEKS?" Chachamaru nodded again.

"Mistress was surprised she made it past the first hour to be honest, but now she is nearing the end of her testing."

"Why tell me, if you aren't supposed to tell anyone?"

"I did not say that. I said I wasn't supposed to tell everyone. If Kagami-san herself specifically asked me, I was to openly tell her the truth and offer to guide her." Chachamaru said simply.

"What? Why me? Konata means as much to Tsukasa or Miyuki as me." She blushed as she said it, but her voice was steady. If Chachamaru noticed she said nothing of it.

"I do not know my Mistress's motives. She does things for her own reasons and sees things many do not. Would you like to go to meet them now? It will not take long and we'll be back before morning if we go now."

What has that foolish girl gotten us both into now? "Yeah.. lets go bail the little twerp out." Kagami sighed. I wish I had gotten more sleep.

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