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Negima Star Chapter 22: Worth Fighting For.
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This could be going better. Every time Konata thought she was beginning to get the upper hand or was starting to understand her opponent, the Ayaka clone would speed up or change the way she attacked. Still, at least I know I'm getting somewhere. She had realized after the first hour that this place was different, though she didn't quite understand it. Her stamina here never seemed to fade. While she knew she couldn't fight forever, no one could, even though they had been at it for what seemed like days, she felt fine, albeit a bit bruised. It's crazy.
Evangeline had decided a trial by fire was the best way for Konata to lean. It was a brutal lesson, the cuts and scrapes all over her body proof of hard learned lessons.
As Ayaka rushed at her again, Konata's eyes began to glow a deep emerald. She muttered something unconsciously and time felt like it was slowing down. Huh? Wha? Ayaka seemed to be moving thorough water as she punched at her. Konata grabbed her outstretched arm and flung her towards the wall of the arena, turning she opened her hand and a ball of fire formed in her open palm and flew behind Ayaka as she hurtled into the wall.. As Ayaka slammed into the wall, the fireball caught her in the arm and sent her sprawling to the floor as Konata's eyes faded to normal.
I did it! But what did I even do? She remembered Ayaka rushing at her but nothing sense. Konata's confusion was cut short as Ayaka pushed off the floor and, relentlessly, began to attack. Come on, give me a break! She dodged another kick, using her height to her advantage as she slipped under it and formed a fireball around her fist and punched at Ayaka's chest. Ayaka moved to block it, but the energy sent her flying back again.
She landed hard on her side and skid before getting up, more slowly than before, her right arm hanging at her side. It's something. It was the first real damage Konata had managed to inflict.
"That's enough!" Evangeline's voice echoed throughout the arena as the diminutive vampire descended from the center of the barrier's ceiling. She landed with an unreadable expression on her face. "Just what the hell was that?" She asked, face blank.
"Would you be mad if I said I have no idea?" Konata replied honestly, a confused expression on her face. "I kinda blanked for a second there to be honest. What happened?" She tilted her head to the side as Eva's face turned to a scowl.
"Very advanced magic is what happened. The fireball and fiery fist is one thing, simple adaptations of skills you already know. But Time Magic? That is a whole different level altogether." She saw the utter confusion on Konata's face. "You aren't joking though are you? You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" Konata shook her head.
"Uh-uh but if you say so, then it must be true." Konata shrugged casually. "I'm sure its no big de-" She jumped back as a spike of ice jetted out of the ground beneath her as Eva angrily shouted.
"No BIG DEAL? NO BIG DEAL? You little twerp. It is a big deal. If your magic can manifest itself without you even realizing it, you could destroy everything around you. Its not just an, Oh no biggie, its a big fucking problem." She was fuming.
"But you can just stop me if things get out of control, so whats the big deal right?" Konata smiled at her innocently. Evangeline smiled back, hers was more vicious.
"Sure, if I am there, and I feel like it, I can probably stop you. But maybe not before you kill someone important to you, like that girl you seem to have a thing for." Konata's smile vanished, replaced by shock and Eva was immensely pleased with herself.
"How could you possibly know that?" She all but whispered.
"Oh pu-lease girl, I've spent the last few years practically surrounded by "closeted" lesbians. Some of them are at least subtle about it. You on the other hand, wear your feelings on the ends of your sleeve." She sighed. "Just focus on the task at hand. I'm taking the gloves off with you. If your magic can manifest itself like that, then I see no reason to limit my little toy's abilities."
"Limited?" Konata stared past Eva at the Ayaka clone.
"Oh yes, but you will see," Eva mocked as she began to rise back up to the roof. "Have fun, try not to die." Ayaka's eyes began to glow with a dark energy Oh come on, what now?
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"First things first we need to find Kagami and I need to inform the dean of what is going on." Nodoka stood up followed quickly by Setsuna and Konoka. As Asuna went to stand up, she fell backwards, almost taking a chair out in the process.
"I guess I'm not quite back to normal". she joked, rising to her knees before her face took on a sickly green color and she all but dove for the waste basket.
"I don't think Asuna is going to be doing much searching for anything except a place to throw up for the next few hours." Ayaka sighed. "Much as I don't like the idea of splitting up, you guys go ahead, I'll keep an eye on her and when she sobers up, I'll drop you a text." The others sweat-dropped but agreed, and as Ayaka helped Asuna to the edge of her bed, they prepared to leave. Asuna began snoring before they even made it out of the room, still sitting on the edge of the bed, leaning against a flustered and slightly annoyed Ayaka.. Setsuna was the last one out. She gave Ayaka a long look before quietly saying.
"She'd be happier if she knew you weren't hiding anything from her." and she was gone. Leaving Ayaka alone with the unconscious Asuna. Alone with all her fears, doubts and a drunken red-head who held her heart and didn't even know it.
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This is all ridiculous. Kagami had followed Chachamaru to the basement of the school and through a doorway. In the middle of the room lay a simple wooden arch. Chachamaru walked up to it and placed her hand on it and the door opened. Kagami could just make out what looked like mountains and an arena through it.. Konata, me, this whole magic thing. Everything is just so...wrong.
"They arein here, once we step through this gate, I will seal it from inside until I return to continue my patrol. With the time dilation, I wont be gone for more than a few minutes." She looked uneasy about leaving her post even for a second. "Master will want to know about the Villa and about...Negi-sensei.." She choked up slightly, tears forming on the edges of her eyes. I didn't know robots could cry. Kagami thought to herself.
As they walked through the gateway, Kagami had to shield her eyes from a suddenly bright sun. It's so bright here.
"We are in the high mountains. Mistress often uses this place to meditate or practice new techniques." Chachamaru said calmly, the tears were still in her eyes, but her voice was clear. This way.
She led Kagami through the arches of the arena and into a small sitting area off to the side of it. As they rounded the corner Kagami stopped, eyes opening wide.
"Konata?" the person she thought had to be Konata was standing with her back to Kagami, talking to Evangeline and watching over the edge of the arena. Evangeline was glowing with dark magic and had her hands in front of her. Kagami rushed up to her, stopping dead as the woman turned to face her. She was hovering slightly off the ground, Kagami noticed as she came around the seat Kanata was standing in front of. "You're not Konata." Kagami said, surprised and slightly confused.
"No," the woman said, smiling softly, her voice lighter than Konata's. "I am not, Konata is my daughter." She paused looking closely at Kagami. "And you are Kagami-san."
"How do you know that?" Kagami asked.
"Because I have been watching over my daughter for many years. I went back to check in on her and Sou-kun every so often. And for the last few years, you were often there with her. You and that Sister of yours. Tsukasa I think it was."
Kagami shivered slightly at the thought that the ghost of Konata's dead mother had been watching her at all. But all she said was. "Is that so?"
"Yes, you were always either fighting or acting like you weren't embarrassed by each other. It was always immensely entertaining, and I am glad my daughter made such good friends. She needed them."
"Wait, if you're here, then is there a way to get back?" Kagami asked, as the sudden thought came to her. "We can return home?" Kanata sighed heavily, shaking her head. Kagami's heart dropped.
"I came here yes. But I am DEAD. The same rules don't apply to me as they do to the living, and even then getting here took a lot of work and sidestepping of rules."
"Then we really are trapped here?" Kagami felt like crying.
"Oh, I am not certain of that either, just that the means by which I got here, that is being evaporated into dust and shoved through a vortex of magic between dimensions, only to be reassembled on the other side, would most certainly be fatal to a living being. No I do fear you will need to find a different method than me." Kagami's mouth gaped slightly. She's like Konata in a lot of ways beyond just appearances isn't she?
"So what are you doing here?" Kagami asked ask she walked up to the edge of the arena and looked down. As she looked down her breath caught and she didn't notice Kanata's response, or her knowing look. She's here. Konata was below, fighting a black-haired girl that looked a lot like the class representative Ayaka. Fighting was generous, as it was mostly Konata running around as Evangeline shouted at her from next to Kanata. What is she thinking? The black-haired girl caught Konata, instant moving ahead of her and swinging at her, the girls hands covered in black flames. Konata jumped back, the ends of her hair grazing the flames.
"Mistress, I am pretty sure that Ayaka can't instant move or use dark magic." Chachamaru didn't sound remotely bothered, just curious.
"Hmph. The girl was more advanced than I had expected. So I decided to take control of Ayaka myself." She flicked her wrist upward and Ayaka jumped into the air and drove a kick at Konata who had to roll out of the way as the arena floor buckled under the blow. "She's naturally gifted, for all her inexperience."
"You're being to hard on her, she's just a kid," Kanata had turned back to Evangeline.
"Hmph, if this is being to hard, she wont survive my actual training. She seems to be doing just fine, look." Kagami turned back to watch as Chachamaru began talking to Evangeline. Konata had come out of the roll firing a ball of fire at Ayaka before spinning and firing three more. She looked more focused than Kagami had ever seen her before. Just what is going on in that dork's head.
"Kagami-san." Kanata started, not looking at Kagami, and instead watching her daughter below. "How do you feel about my daughter?" Kagami was taken aback.
"What do you mean? She's a really good friend, possibly my best friend, along with Miyuki. We've been friends since she met my sister a few years ago."
"I think we both know that's not what I meant." Kanata smiled again too knowingly. "She does love you, you know." She said simply. Kagami turned away from the arena to stare at her. At Kagami's expression she finished Kagami's thoughts. "Yes, love love. She'll be mad at me for telling you, and perhaps its not my place, but she is hurting right now. All of this, everything she's doing is for you.
"For me?" Kagami could only look at her.
"Yes, for you. She wants to be strong enough to protect you, like one of the knights in her games." Kagami gave an exasperated look and Kanata laughed softly. "Yes, she is a total Otaku like her father. But like Sou-kun, her heart is in the right place. She gets that from him too I guess." Her face took on a serious tone "She'd die for you." Chachamaru took the cue from Evangeline and left, heading back. Eva had tears in her eyes, but she focused on the fight below.
"But why me?" I'm just an ordinary girl, and she's... "I'm no one."
"To Konata you are everything." Kanata said simply. "I could tell that just from the way she looks at you when you're not paying attention, or the little ways she pesters you and embarrasses you just to see you flustered.
"She's a total pain in the ass you know. She's always making fun of me, asking to copy my homework and doing everything to.. too..." Kagami said softly, tears filling her eyes.. She was fast running out of room to run.
"Yes, but you love her anyways, don't you?" Kanata said gently as Kagami began crying in earnest, falling into Kanata's arms as the ghost held her.
"Konata..." Kagami managed through the tears... nothing more would form in her mind. Kanata stroked her hair gently and let the girl cry.
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"She's not here." Setsuna whispered softly to Nodoka and Konoka as she eased the door closed behind her. "Her sister is still sleeping soundly, I didn't want to wake her just to tell her that her sister is missing too. That one seems on the point of breaking and I don't want to push her over it." She had to finish her sentence through a yawn. After a rough night with only a brief nap upright against a tree, followed by another full day, even for someone as strong as Setsuna, tiredness was finally starting to catch up with her. This did not go unnoticed by Konoka.
"Mou Secchan, you look dead on your feet."
"I am fine Oj.. Kono-chan, really. We need to find Kagami-san quickly or -
"Kagami-san is safe with my Master." Chachamaru said, walking up to them from the end of the hall. " I left her with Master and the girl Konata-san not five minutes ago." She said simply.
"Chachamaru? You knew where Konata-san was?" Nodoka looked at her frustrated. "I searched for that girl for hours with no luck and you knew. All the time wasted." she pouted slightly.
"Master told me not to tell anyone except Kagami-san, and then only if Kagami-san asked."
"So why tell us now then?"
"Because when I talked her and told her Negi-sensei was gone, she choked up slightly, "She told me to tell everyone so you wouldn't worry."
"Well, We have to talk about that as well at some point, but for now lets head to the dean's office and report in so we can figure out where to go next.
As they turned to walk away, Konoka was holding Setsuna's arm, not moving.
"I think Set-chan needs to get some rest. She wont be of any use to anyone right now, and even though she's hiding it, her mind is tired as well. We'll wait here in case Kagami-chan comes back or Tsukasa-chan wakes up before then, so she wont panic." Setsuna looked like she wanted to object, but at Konoka's fierce look her mouth closed..
"I.. She's right...I DO need rest. It's been a long time since I've had any real sleep."
"Then me and Chachamaru will report to the dean, It will give me a chance to fill her in as well. Get some rest and text me if ANYTHING happens." With that Nodoka was off down the hall with a run, Chachamaru right behind her.
As Konoka and Setsuna quietly entered the room, neither noticed the watching eyes at the end of the hall disappear into the darkness from the way Chachamaru had come.
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"Really Kono-chan, I'll be fine I just need a little rest and I'll b-" Setsuna's words cut off as she turned to look at Konoka and was met by a fierce kiss from her. Konoka wrapped her arms around Setsuna's neck as she pushed the girl towards the bottom bunk of the bed. Tsukasa slept quietly on the top bunk.
She sighed breaking the kiss to stare at the flustered Setsuna.
"You can't lie to me Set-chan, I KNOW you are exhausted. I can feel it," She pointed at her temple. "In my head, you're so tired its starting to make me tired." She smiled and kissed Setsuna gently before easing her onto the bed. "As much as I'd like to continue from where we left off earlier, for now, lets get some rest."
Setsuna was far too tired to object or fight back as Konoka lay her sword next to the bed, pushed her over into it, and cuddled up beside her.
"I love you Set-chan," Konoka said softly, kissing Setsuna on the cheek lightly before snuggling into her neck. Setsuna never thought she would get used to hearing that.
"I love you too Kono-chan."
Both of them were asleep in minutes.
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I think i'm getting the hang of this. Konata thought she was starting to get the upper hand. The clone had gotten faster, to fast to follow at times, but she was catching on that moves limitations, and she was getting better aiming at fireballs. Wish I would level up and get more than a silly fireball though. The clone slipped past her with one of her fast movements, only to eat a fireball from behind as she stopped and turned to move again. She shrugged the blow off, but she had obviously begun taking damage.
Suddenly she disappeared into a pool of darkness and appeared right below Konata. Oh Sh The blow of dark energy sent her flying back and landing hard on her back, skidding across the arena. She got up shakily. The clone was radiating icy winds now, her eyes swirling blue vortexes of magic. The air in the arena began to frost over as an eerie mist filled it. For Konata, it was far to similar to the night Kagami was injured. Kagami! Konata's eyes flared green as wall of ice shards formed in front of the clone. NO! I …
"I WON"T LET ANYONE HURT HER ANYMORE!" Konata screamed. As the wall of shards flew at her, she rose off the ground and a vortex of flames formed around her, engulfing her entirely and melting the ice to mist as it came into contact. This created an even heavier fog inside the magically domed arena.
From within the flames Konata started Huh? Wha- What's going on? The flames wavered as she began regaining full control, How? She dropped to the ground as the flames dissipated into nothing. The clone didn't wait for her to recover, covering the distance between them in an instant, it slammed a fist into the ground, creating a wall of ice behind her before stabbing her through the shoulder and into the wall with a ice saber from its arm.
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Konata coughed, specs of blood filling her vision as a pain she had never felt before filled every fiber of her. She screamed in pain, eyes going solid green. NO! Before the clone could react, her free arm was bathed in flame. She kicked the clone away, the sword coming free and dropping Konata to the ground, she landed on her feet and was on the clone in an instant, flaming energy sparking off her in wisps. She slammed her fist into the clones chest and fired off a massive blast of fire into it.
The clone, driven by the magic flew against the far wall and the ball of fire exploded. The Arena shook, the ground beneath the blast absorbing most of the impact, while the shield itself flickered like it was on the edge of breaking. Konata fell to her knees breathing heavily, flames completely dying around her as her eyes faded to normal. Kagami...
It felt like an eternity, there on her knees, the pain in her arm roaring like the fires she had just been wrapped in. I.. I won? Oh God this hurts... but... why did I. How did I? She actually remembered some of what she had done, though the how of it was still completely unknown to her. SO much flame. I was like Ifr*t. She stared off into the distance until a short vampire entered her view. It had only been a few seconds, but she wouldn't realize that until much later. Evangeline was standing in front of her, staring down at her, a look of both disgust and approval on her face as she addressed Konata.
"Well girlie, I have to say, I am impressed. More than a little irritated that you destroyed one of my dolls, but impressed nonetheless." She smirked. "Why are you here?"
"To be stronger, to protect-"
"Cut the crap girl. Why are you REALLY here? Boyo" she paused as a tear formed in the corner of her eye, to Konata's surprise "Negi-kun could have trained you just the same as me, but you ran away from him. Why? What are you running from?"
"I'm not... I'm not running." Konata took a ragged breath. The pain in her arm was returning as her adrenaline faded. "I have to protect her."
"You can't protect her you know. You can't even protect yourself. Right now you probably can't even stand. Who are you going to protect here?" Eva paused, "Negi is dead." she stated simply. "He died protecting everyone, as I always thought he would."
"Dead?"
"Yes, dead. If Negi can't stop these people, what chance do you, a schoolgirl with her head stuck in fantasy have?"
"I have to. I can't let"
"You can't let her get hurt no matter what?" Evangeline scowled at her. "She might never regain her memory you know. She might never remember who you are. Is a total stranger worth pro-"
"I DON'T CARE!." Eva was taken aback as Konata forced herself to her feet, though how long she would be able to stay standing was another matter. "I love her." Tears filled her eyes and stained her dirty face. "I love Kagami okay? Is that what you want me to say?"
She began walking slowly towards Evangeline. "If she doesn't remember me so what? I'll make more happy memories with her and get to fall in love with her all over again. I don't care." She stopped right in front of Eva who despite being the same height, seemed to tower over her.
"Foolish girl. You are going to get yourself killed, and for what? A simple schoolgirl, at least Setsuna picked a mage to fall in love with."
"Yeah, she's just a schoolgirl, but she's so much more than that." Konata looked dead into Eva's eyes. The pain was nearly overwhelming, and it was clouding her rationale. "She's determined, smart, funny, Tsundere and she's... my everything...Just... Just being around her makes me happier. Makes my days warmer, my nights less dark. Without her, nothing would be worth it anymore. Not even my games or anime make me feel the way she does."
"You really are a fool, you know that girlie?" Eva pushed her gently and Konata fell back to her knees. "Not unlike a certain foolish boy I once knew now that I think of it."
"Mistress, we have a situation." one of the Cha-Zero's chimed in over the speaker.
"I'm busy. Take care of it." Evangeline said impatiently.
"It is a Class X threat Mistress."
"What?!" Evangeline did turn away from Konata then. "Bring it up." A magical screen appeared above Evangeline. On it a semi-robotic person was traveling at a high rate of speed towards them.
"We detected a breach of the gateway about 30 seconds ago, the breach protocols initiated and displaced the entrance roughly 5,000 miles away, but at the current rate of speed, the intruder will be here within the next five minutes.
"It's that ***** that tried to kill me." Evangeline smirked. "Well, this time I'm not being restricted, and I'm prepared for her. She won't get lucky twice." She looked back at Konata, who was on her knees, breath ragged. "Looks like we'll have to postpone your training a little girlie. I've got a score to settle."
Evangeline turned away from her and snapped her fingers. The dome began to dissipate around them. As Evangeline reached the edge, she gave one last look back and a smirk, before disappearing into a portal of dark energy. As the portal vanished, Konata's eyes met those of the last person she wanted to see right then, and the only one in her thoughts. Kagami stood at the edge of the arena eyes locked to hers.
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So more or less, I have the rest of the story planned out. Not written mind, just planned. I actually have an end point in view. Though it may still be some time off, at least it no longer feels that I'll be writing this story to my grave.
