Disclaimer: I don't own Negima! Magister Negi Magi or Ranma ½

Rise of Prodigies

Chapter Twenty Four: Yue Joins the Gang

Beta:

"Where are they going?" Yue whispered to herself as she peeked around a tree at the group of her classmates she was secretly following.

Just ahead of her on the path through one of Mahora's many on campus parks were Nodoka, Haruna and the new clique of their classmates led by Negi-sensei himself that her friends were hanging out with lately.

Is that a log cabin!? Yue asked, blinking in confusion as the group apparently reached their destination. Why the hell is there something like that on campus?

Shaking her head at the distracting thought, she focused on what was important: figuring out why her best friends had stopped hanging out with her lately.

It had started during the Kyoto trip when they'd not only not been in the same group but hadn't even hung out with her in their free time! Things had progressively gotten worse from there as they have been acting strangely ever since. They've been spending less and less time with her lately.

She had wanted to confront them about it but she wanted to know why they were doing so first. Hence the stalking.

Where is this place? Am I hearing right, McDowell-san and Karakuri-san live here? Yue blinked in confusion as she snuck a little closer to the cabin, hearing some disjointed snippets of her classmates' conversation in the process. I know they don't live in the dorms we do, but why would they have their own house out here? And why would they be living together? I know they're close but this close?

As the whole gaggle of girls walked into the house, Yue shook her head. Now's not the time to get distracted by tangential mysteries. Focus Yue! You're here to figure what's up with Nodoka and Haruna!

With that in mind she sneaked her way towards the cabin and as silently as she could, made her way up the stairs of its front porch with the intent to peek in through its front windows. As she made it onto the veranda though, she noticed that the front door was ajar.

The fools! They left the door ajar! Yue thought triumphantly as she peeked through the opened sliver of door to make sure the coast was clear before gently pushing the door open and quickly skittering into the room. She'd hoped that if she moved fast enough, no one would notice her but her caution was unwarranted.

The place was empty.

Where did they all go? Yue blinked in surprise as she stood up from behind the cover of a couch she'd dashed behind when she noticed the lack of anyone in the building.

Looking around, Yue couldn't help but shiver a bit. The walls were lined by all kinds of creepy dolls. Is it just me or are their eyes following me? Who knew McDowell-san was into dolls though.

The sudden sound of a door swinging on its hinges further in the building caught her attention and she spun towards it. There hadn't been any wind so the only reason why it would make a sound was if someone had opened it.

Slinking over, the petite girl noticed there wasn't anyone there though. Just a door to a room swinging from what must've been the residual momentum of its last use.

Why do I feel like Admiral Ackbar at Endor? Yue thought to herself with a frown as she edged cautiously in the direction of the open room. Even then… I've got to know… I mean, it's not like they'll do anything too bad to me if I do get caught being a stalker, right?

As long as there wasn't some satanic circle involved, Yue felt she'd be okay.

With that brave thought in mind she stepped into the room and looked down at the strange diorama in a bottle that stood on a pedestal in the otherwise empty room.

Is that a resort? Yue thought as she eyed the strange structure perched on a tropical island that was contained in the glass bottle. It was amazingly detailed, like a ship in a bottle, but not. McDowell-san sure has a diverse set of hobbies. This is really good too!

She was still puzzling over the diorama when suddenly the floor beneath her lit up.

"Oh crud!" Yue shrieked. "What is this?!"

Before she could run, she felt her entire being wrapped in light.

Chamo smirked with pleasure at a job well done as the latest potential Ministra Magi was teleported to Eva-sama's resort.

If all goes well she should solve my problems with this month's budget quite nicely. The ermine fairy thought to himself smugly. Who knew premium chocolate cigarettes were so expensive here in Japan?

Taking out one of the aforementioned snacks from his little hammerspace, nice short, snazzy name that the nerds came up for pocket dimensions of holding by the way, and began 'smoking' it. At the same time, he snapped his fingers on his free hand to close and lock the front door. Wouldn't want to leave it open and risk getting Eva-sama pissed at him after all. That done, he slinked his way, still happily 'smoking' away, towards the teleportation circle that would take him to Eva-sama's resort.

It's time to cash in on my little investment. The devious little fairy thought as the magic circle came to life around him.

"Let's see how much you've improved Ranma," Eva said as she floated in the air and looked down at her delectable redhead apprentice with a grin.

"Yes, Shishou!" Ranma said as she fell into a ready stance with her crossbow held in a tight grip and leveled at Eva.

Eva was too proud to admit it but the serious look on Ranma's face was making her feeling very hot and bothered at how attractive it made the redhead look

"Spina Putredine (Rot Spine)," Ranma cast, conjuring sharpened pillars of hardened entropic energy that looked like earthen spikes and which seemingly erupted from the ground. These spikes radiated entropic energy and dealt corrosive damage to everything in their vicinity, effectively trapping Eva, unless she wanted to take a ton of damage, within the space they now encircled.

Ranma wasn't done however and followed up with yet another spell.

"Tabidus Nebula (Decaying Mist)!" Ranma incanted, causing a corrosive miasma to settle over the same area that succeeded in stripping Eva of her wards and prevented her from replacing them whilst the redhead herself was unaffected by her magic

"Hm, it seems your ability to control an area has improved… yet~" Eva smiled wickedly as hoarfrost started to whaff off of her as she primed her own magic. "It's still not good enough to beat me. But let's see how far you've come, shall we?"

"I'm not done yet, Shishou!" Ranma said with a defiant smirk. "Zero-chan, Slime Sisters come forth!"

At her command, the four familiars at her command appeared before the redhead in bright flashes of light.

"Your set up is taking too long." Eva said with a smirk as she used some Koku Shundō (Void Instant Movement) to get behind the freshly summoned familiars entirely and attempt an attack on Ranma directly.

Her claws came up short though as Ranma used Volant (fly) to flash away from the blow in a high leveled application of the generic flight spell.

"Good, good, it seems you've mastered high speed movement with Volant too." Eva commented with a pleased grin even as she ducked under a lunge from Chachazero and multiple whip like pseudopods the Slime Sisters used to lash out at her. "Very good indeed, my apprentice."

"It's because you're such a good teacher, Shishou." Ranma praised her as she used the high speed movement her spell offered to flick from place to place whilst firing off braces of her Sagitta Senium (Decay Arrow) and the occasional Sagitta Magica, Series Obscuri (Magic Arrow, Dark Series).

"Oho! Looks like you've really mastered the Sagitta Magica series I taught you too. Though it's to be expected with my expertise in it." Eva preened at her amazing teaching skills, all whilst casually using Koku Shundō to evade both Ranma's spells and the physical attacks of her familiars and used the occasional swipe of her claws to dispel any particularly determined Sagitta Senium worms. "This attack pattern is good too. Trapping an opponent inside a fixed space and then pouring on the firepower. It could stand to be better though."

"I don't have the magical reserves to toss out a high powered AOE spell to just level the area." Ranma said with a frown as she sped up the rate of her spellfire. "Not without completely tiring myself out."

"Yes, I know." Eva acknowledged as she was forced to try just a little bit harder to fend off Ranma's intensifying attacks. "We'll have to work on your reserves. But for the time being, I was thinking of another solution."

"What do you have in mind, Shishou?" Ranma asked curiously.

"More familiars," Eva said as she kicked Chachazero away before the animated doll could sink its knives into her thigh. The doll had managed to get within striking distance thanks to its Slime allies creatively merging their arms into a makeshift catapult and launching her at the vampire. "They're relatively cheap to support, magically speaking, and as you can see they can be quite helpful."

"Dolls, Shishou?" Ranma asked curiously as she mixed up her spell barrage with a casting of her Sagitta Mixta (Mixed Arrows) that unleashed a round of her various original magic arrows.

"I am the Doll Master. I need one of you brats to take after me in that regard. You are clearly the best placed to do so!" Eva declared as pompously as she could manage, which was quite a lot indeed, even as she was forced at last by the ferocity of Ranma's ever intensifying spellfire to summon a barrier.

It lasted barely a second thanks to the corrosive mist that Ranma's earlier area of effect conjuration had created but it bought Eva the second it needed to allow her to avoid being skewered by a trio of Sagitta Hystrix (Porcupine Arrow) that had been flying at her.

If she keeps this up, she might actually hit me. Eva thought, genuinely impressed. I'm not even holding back with the evasions. This is honestly amazing. I'm no speed freak by any stretch but to manage to do this after only a handful of weeks of study, she really does have remarkable talent.

Eva was about to open her mouth to tell her apprentice as much when the wards of the resort suddenly went off and the sound of alert sirens resounded throughout the sealed space.

"Timeout!" Eva shouted, bringing the uninterrupted assault from her apprentice to an end, even as she felt pleased that the alarm had not stopped Ranma's barrage.

Good. She's internalized the lesson to never get distracted from the opponent in front of you.

"I smell a little mouse. How cute, walking into my lair, little mouse~" She said with a fanged smile and darkened eyes.

"So the alarm is for real?" Ranma asked, her eyes narrowed. "It's probably just Ayase-san. She was following us when we made our way here."

"We can't be sure of that." Eva replied with a shake of her head.

"That makes sense, I guess." Ranma allowed with frown. "So orders, Shishou?"

"Let me go deal with it," Eva said, eager to teach whoever was stupid enough to disturb her private spar with her favourite apprentice a lesson they'd never forget. "I've been itching to get a chance to let loose a little. Teaching whoever this trespasser is the consequences of their actions is just what the doctor ordered."

"Gotcha Shishou," Ranma said with an understanding nod as she landed. "Have fun."

"I intend to," Eva declared with a grin as she used Koku Shundō to travel towards the teleportation point that served as the only way in and out of her resort.

As the light faded, Yue found herself staring at a sight that was impossible. She was standing on the top of an otherworldly structure. One that looked very much like the structure inside the diorama she'd been looking at just a few seconds ago. Reinforcing this impression was the massive glass dome that seemed to pass for a sky in the strange place she found herself in.

It can't be… I'm inside that glass bottle!? Yue concluded with disbelief as everything came together.

So shocked was she that she didn't even notice the sound of sirens going off the moment the light had faded. All she could do was stand where she was and look around her feeling awestruck.

That is until she felt something grab her ankle. Pausing in her thoughts, her eyes turned downward, looking at the pale clawed hand holding her in a vice grip and a face that was smiling wickedly at her from her own shadow.

"Hello little mouse. You've ruined my fun… I am displeased." McDowell-san said in an angry hiss as she rose from her shadow, lifting Yue into the air effortlessly by her ankle, her unnatural eyes with their blackened sclera and irises radiating the freezing cold of the tundra, glaring hungrily at her. "Most. Displeased."

"M-McDowell-san?" Yue managed before the smaller girl, and that was saying something coming from the rather petite purple haired girl, floated up into the air still clutching her ankle and thus lifted her, leg first, along with her.

Squeaking in alarm, Yue instinctively clutched her skirt and pressed it against her body to protect her modesty.

"You have more than your dignity to worry about right now, little mouse." McDowell-san said as she lifted a terrified Yue up so she could glare down into her eyes. "For taking me away from my time with her, I'll make you suffer immensely before I kill you."

Yue didn't like to admit it but staring into the murderous eyes of her classmate whilst totally at her mercy, she couldn't help but be so terrified that she lost control of her bladder.

"Eva-sama, don't hurt her! That's Yue!" Haruna shouted as she ran over from somewhere, Nodoka following behind her somehow keeping pace.

How? An idle part of Yue's mind that wasn't consumed with terror thought. Nodoka had always been bad at sports and Haruna is almost superhumanly good at them. How then is Nodoka keeping up with Haruna now?

"Oh, I know who the little mouse is." McDowell-san said with a roll of her eyes as she turned to glare at Yue's best friends. "Why should I care though?"

"B-Because Ranma-san will be angry with you for killing our classmate!" Nodoka declared as she struggled a little to catch her breath.

Haruna nodded in vigorous agreement.

Why does Ranma-san's opinion matter? Yue couldn't help but think.

"...Touche. Well, little mouse, you get to live for now." McDowell-san sighed and dropped her on the ground without a care, causing Yue to yelp in surprise. "Get her up to speed. I have better things to do!"

Thankfully, Haruna was there to catch her before Yue had a rather unpleasant meeting with the ground.

"Thank you, Eva-sama!" Haruna and Nodoka both shouted after the petite blonde as she literally flew away.

"H-Haruna, N-Nodoka," Yue said as Haruna let her down to stand on her own shaky feet. "What the hell is going on!?"

"It's a long explanation," Haruna said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Yes, it is." Nodoka said, with a nod in agreement. "But we can explain after we get you a change of clothes."

Yue blushed as the reminder and she rubbed her thighs together in embarrassment at the uncomfortable wetness at her groin. And through the rest of her clothes.

"Oh."

Seated in the library of McDowell-san's magical resort, Yue clutched the skirt of her borrowed gothic lolita dress, apparently it was the only style of clothing that the petite blonde had, nervously.

"So magic is real?" Yue asked her two best friends that sat across from her at the table of the study carrel they'd appropriated for their discussion. She had a drink in her hands, sipping it as it soothed her rattled nerves.

"It can get crazy, but it's honestly so much fun." Nodoka smiled brightly, eyes dancing with excitement as she held up her little mind reading magical book. "I'm learning all about fire magic. I have a real affinity to it. And my artifact can read the minds of the people I know! It's so interesting and new."

Yue felt her heart swell at how happy her best friend was. She could only smile at the sight.

"I'm sure it's great. It sounds amazing." Yue told her.

"Yuechi, it's super fun. I never got to tell you since you were a regular person and all, and it's a family thing. But I know tons. You have questions, and I've got answers!" Haruna grinned wickedly as she and Nodoka nodded to each other about it, turning back to her with beaming looks.

Yue nodded absently as she tried to make sense of what this revelation meant.

"So since I've never seriously thought of magic as real, there's some kind of masquerade going on to make sure that normal people don't learn about its existence?"

Haruna and Nodoka both winced.

"Y-Yeah," Haruna said scratching her cheek nervously. "Everyone who uses magic tries to maintain secrecy. And when that fails, they use a lot of misdirection or outright misinformation most of the time, but sometimes-"

"They use memory wipes." Nodoka finished when Haruna trailed off.

"M-Memory wipe!?" Yue gasped, a strike of panic going through her, nearly dropping her drink. "What kind of crazy thing have you two gotten into?!"

"Yeah well...Keeping magic secret is important. The last time it was open knowledge, it was abused a lot and a lot of people died." Haruna said with a shudder. "That's why magicians are so adamant about keeping magic secret."

Yue could understand how something like that could come about. Especially back in the day when war seemed like an almost daily occurrence. She could only imagine how much more terrible conflicts like the World Wars would have been if magic was involved.

"That might be the case but I don't want to be subjected to a memory wipe." Yue said, biting her lower lip nervously. "I'm not going to allow anyone to mess with my mind."

"There's a way around that!" Haruna declared with a grin.

"What do you have in mind?" Yue asked her excited friend warily. She knew very well how easily Haruna could get over enthusiastic about things.

"A Pactio, you need to make a Pactio!" Haruna said, leaning over the table to point eagerly at Yue.

Yue's eyes narrowed in wary confusion.

"What's a Paction?"

"No you goof, a Pactio. A magical pact between a mage and a partner~" Haruna winked and made a weird kissy face. What was up with that?

"Haruna, you're getting too excited." Nodoka said with a giggle as she pulled the green haired girl back into her seat. "Why don't you let me explain?"

Yue blinked. What was with the new chemistry between Nodoka and Haruna? They'd been close of course. They were best friends. But Nodoka had never been so assertive before. With anyone, not even Haruna. Yet, here she was essentially manhandling her? What the hell happened?

These were thoughts that stayed at the back of her mind as Nodoka dutifully explained to her the details of what a Pactio was, even showing off both her Pactio card and her artifact.

"So I basically make a pact with a mage and get some cool magical item?" Yue surmised the basics after Nodoka had finished. It sounded a bit tropey to her, but not out of the question.

"Yeah, I know it's a little stereotypical," Haruna said with a shrug. "But tropes have to come from somewhere. Plus the magicians who invented the rites we use nowadays probably got some inspiration from mundane stereotypes too. Cross-pollination between the two worlds is a big thing."

Yue nodded. That made sense.

"So, um, how do you make this pact anyways?"

"Well, you have to, um, well…" Nodoka trailed off, her cheeks looking pink and glancing quickly at Haruna before quickly looking away.

"You kiss," Haruna said with a grin. "Just like how I pecked Nodoka on her supple lips."

"Haruna~!" Nodoka said, scandalized as she smacked Haruna's arm.

"Oh." Yue blinked, before her eyes widened a fraction. "Oooh. So you two…"

Both nodded, Haruna looking cheeky while Nodoka was slightly flustered.

"Huh, well, I mean. If it was to save Nodoka from getting her brain fried, it can't be too bad. Right?" Yue shrugged, but gave a tiny smirk. "So, do I need to look out for socks on the doorknob?"

"Yue!" Nodoka squeaked, her face a blazing red. "I like Negi-sensei! Negi-sensei! I'm not attracted to girls!"

"And you wonder why I call you Yuechi~" Haruna snickered. "Sorry, I'm not ginger enough for Nodoka~"

I think they're denying things a little too much. Yue reasoned with a slight grin. Though, I doubt either of them really understands what's going on between them, so I'll cut them some slack. Heck, I'm not sure I've figured it out either. 'Cos I'm fairly sure that they aren't attracted to each other.

"Enough about our Pactio," Nodoka said, shooting Haruna a warning look to not bring it up anymore. "We need to discuss yours. Who exactly do you want to be your Magister or Magistra?"

"Perhaps you three can discuss that over lunch, Haruna-san, Nodoka-san, Ayase-san." Karakuri-san, dressed unexpectedly in an exaggerated maid's outfit, said as she walked over. "Master is waiting for us in the dining hall."

"Righto~, Chachamaru-san." Haruna said as she leapt to her feet. "I'm starving anyways. We can discuss this over good food."

"Haruna, you're thinking with your stomach again." Nodoka said as she followed her Magistra's lead with a fond shake of her head.

"Hey, I'm hungry."

"Then you will enjoy the meal today," Karakuri-san said with a smile. "I cooked your favorite curry."

"Curry!" Haruna said, pumping her arm happily. "How did you know it was my favorite, Chachamaru-san?"

"I asked Ranma-sama," the girl dressed as a maid said as she guided all of them out of the library.

"Is it just me or is Karakuri-san all sweet with Haruna?" Yue whispered to Nodoka as they walked towards the dining hall.

"Evangline-san and Ranma-san are dating, sort of, so as Evangline-san's maid… I guess Haruna gets special treatment from her?"

"Huh, lucky her."

"Indeed," Nodoka said with a playful grin. "But don't forget what we were discussing just now. Over lunch, we'll discuss who you can make a Pactio with. Everyone will be there after all so you can even ask their opinion on things directly."

Yue nodded. She didn't think she would. Not so quickly. She needed more time to consider things before approaching anyone to be her Magistra or even to just ask their opinions on things.

"Oi~! What are you two walking so slow for?" Haruna shouted back at them from a short distance ahead. "Hurry up! Curry's awaiting!"

"You're being overeager again, Haruna." Nodoka said with a chuckle even as she did pick up speed to catch up with her Magistra.

Yue trailed after her at a more sedate pace. Shaking her head with fond amusement at her friends' antics, her worries for her own predicament temporarily forgotten.

Sitting at one of the many lookouts in the elaborate structure that was the centre of McDowell-san's resort, one rather conveniently located in the library much to Yue's delight, she looked down at her various classmates on the beaches below as they engaged in various training exercises whilst trying to decide who she wanted to be her Magister.

Konoka-san was seated by the water's edge and watching as Sakurazaki-san and Asuna-san sparred on top of the waves using sheer speed to stay out of the water as their weapons clashed with shocking force.

Note to self, physics rarely apply to magical shenanigans. Yue told herself as she crossed the kind hearted healer off the list.

Konoka-san was out of the question. Sure they were close. Everyone was close with the bubbly granddaughter of the Academy's Dean but they were not that close. She couldn't conceive of being her partner even if it was just in name. Same for most of the other mages in their little group. The only ones she might've considered was Haruna and by extension, her sister. Or Nodoka.

Frowning at that realization, Yue's thoughts moved to Haruna and her eyes drifted over to the chaotic free for all that her best friend and the other Ministra Magi were engaged in.

Her golems were dominating through sheer weight of numbers but the others were giving as good as they got thanks to their artifacts and/or magic. Well most of them at least. Asakura-san was pretty much out of the game already, having taken to cowering in a corner as the others went at it with enthusiasm. Considering the info-gathering focus of her artifact and the few spells she'd supposedly learned, she couldn't blame the poor would be journalist. She was really out of her element.

I'm getting distracted again. Yue said with a shake of her head. Damnit Yue! Focus!

With her mind back on track, she reflected on the possibility of making a Pactio with Haruna. Sadly, it was an unlikely one. Whilst the greenette was open to the idea, she had freely admitted that she might not have the power to support two Ministra. She had looked a little sad when she'd told her that too and that ate at Yue's heart to see that. But that didn't change the facts. Nodoka as a newbie mage had the same problem.

In seeming direct contradiction to Haruna, her sister was perfectly able to support a Ministra. Something she proved easily enough by the intense spar she was having with McDowell-san down below where she was shooting off one deadly looking beam after another.

Were big damn lasers really the best thing magic can pull off? She hoped not. That would be so damned disappointing!

Sadly, McDowell-san was out of the question. Not that Yue was even considering the vampire, and wasn't learning that a surprise, at all. As for Ranma-san... Haruna had informed her that her sister was adamantly against getting a Ministra.

That had stuck in Yue's craw because of the hypocrisy it showed in regards to how she'd got her familiars. A story Haruna was disturbingly happy to tell. Something she'd immediately pointed out the hypocrisy of to the redhead at lunch, calling her out about how she forced the Slime Sisters into becoming her familiars yet adamantly refusing to make Pactios!

"Huh, I hadn't thought about it like that. But it doesn't really change my stance on Pactios." Ranma-san had replied with genuine surprise to Yue's question.

As Yue had wandered off after that, she had seen Ranma-san summon the Slime Sisters and apologize to them about forcing them into a familiar bond. Following with the Slimes reassuring her that they were happy with the arrangement and that it was normal for creatures like them. That being the case, Yue guessed she could let the matter go. After all, if the 'victims' weren't complaining then what right did she have to do so? The Slimes aren't human after all. Maybe for them it was totally natural to become bound to magicians as familiars. Until she knew more she could let it go.

Bad Yue! You're getting distracted again! The purple haired girl scolded herself. Focus! The very sanctity of your mind is at stake!

Not that she had many options left. Through sheer process of elimination, she was really just looking into Negi-sensei as her prospective Magister.

With that thought in mind, she turned to look at where Negi-sensei was training on his own.

He was standing alone at one stretch of the beach, repeatedly casting the same spell that sent icy blade shaped beams out across the water at a set of floating targets. It was called Ensis Exsequens (Sword of Conviction), if Yue remembered what Haruna told her correctly. Considering the various sizes of the beams and the differing damage they were doing to the targets, he was clearly practicing how to regulate their potency.

Wow! He must have cast that same spell at least a hundred times this day alone already. Yue thought with an involuntary whistle of appreciation, impressed by his determination.

Though beyond that, there was also just something undeniably attractive of seeing him repeatedly vaporize targets. Seeing a boy be so powerful appealed to her on a primal level.

No, it's his determination! His determination! I'm not going gaga over the fact he's a cute magical badass! Not at all!

Why did her throat feel so dry all of a sudden?

Still, the growing guilt in her heart panged strongly. She knew Nodoka had confessed to Negi-Sensei during the Kyoto trip. Having such feelings was surely a major betrayal of their friendship!

Still, the chance to learn actual magic? ...Nodoka wouldn't mind if I made a Pactio with Sensei just to learn some magic, right?

Done and done! Thanks to Nameless as always!

And thus Yue joins the team. Her training has only begun and with how serious Nodoka has been, Yue's going to be training like hell to catch up! And as she too joins Team Shouta Love, her usual thirst for drinks has gone to a thirst for a boy that is like her favored fictional heroes that use magic and the like. The Thirst be strong with this one.

Nameless: So there are hints of a Nodoka/Haruna pairing in this chapter. That is something we're going for. In a way at least. We aren't going for a full on romantic relationship. More like a lifelong platonic partnership. Something beyond best friends but which doesn't, usually, involve anything romantic or sexual. It's a new thing for us, so we hope we're doing it right.

You know what to do! Smash that review button and tell us what you love! No flames and peace off my peeps!