Author: Well, I got complaints on how it ended, can't really say I was surprised though. Here's an attampt to make up for it, don't know if it'll work though cause I kind of rushed it.

Chapter 7: "Spread your Wings"

Three months have passed. Everything was peaceful again, at least as peaceful as it can be for Negi and his students. The teacher, Asuna and Konoka were in their room playing a board game by themselves in the late afternoon. The red haired prince had returned from a short trip to France, he had quickly become good friends with everybody in the class. But none was closer to him then Setsuna.

They had become very close since that incident, but only whenever he's here. Otherwise it's the same old same old with Negi and her ojuo-sama. Today she's with William at Eva's resort, still learning how to master her Ascension. She's been practicing furiously while he was gone, though she left enough time to still train Asuna and hang out with everybody.

The headmaster had learned of the incident thanks to the ruined stadium. But it was cleaned up quickly enough before any regular people noticed. Everyone was relieved that it was resolved quickly and quietly.

Chachamaru was serving her master with tea when someone came up from below, "Oh, Setsuna. Finished training? Where's William?"

"He wants to stay another day," Setsuna smiled at them. "I think he's actually scared I might beat him sooner or later."
"Oh? have you mastered the Ascension?" the robot asked.
"Not yet, I'm still learning," the swordsman answered.
"That's no surprise," the young looking vampire spoke out. "I bet it took him months just to achieve it, you got it in an instant. It'll take a lot longer then a few days to master it."
"I know, at least I have a good teacher."

With that, she leaves.

"They're going to need to get better soon," Eva spoke under her breath.
"Why is that master?"
"He's coming."

The sky above the whole campus turns dark…

The headmaster was doing paperwork with Takamichi. It wasn't so hard but the air feels uneasy. The phone ring and the old man answers it.

"Hello? Oh Eishun, how are you? … What? He's coming here?" The headmaster turns around quickly to see the darkening sky.
Takamichi sits watching with him, "Hmm… this is not good."

"I'm here."
"Ah, Set-chan!" Konoka, of course, was happy to see her. "How did it go?"
"I'm getting better he says, but I still need more work."
Negi smiles, "Really? Then don't give up Setsuna-san!"

She smiles back and joins them at their game.

Two girls were walking around the school outside, one of them wasn't alive. The wind blows hard in the ghost's face, the reporter shields her own face with a single hand.

"Where's this freaky weather come from?" Asakura was trying to see the sky. "It's like nightfall came a few hours early."
Aisaka looks around, the trees were following the wind creating a big rustle. "Let's go back Asakura-san. I don't like it here anymore."
"Yeah you're right," the reporter rubs her chin. "I have a bad feeling about this, even more so then usual otherwise I'd report it."

They turn back to the dorms, Aisaka glances upwards after a faint glitter catches her eye. Only to find nothing there.

"What is it Aisaka-san?"
"I thought I saw something, like a big green bird!" Aisaka was telling her.
"A big green bird huh?" Asakura questioned the ghost.
"It's true! I saw one!" the ghost was flailing her arms. "I know I did."
"Calm down calm down," the reporter waves her hand at her partner. "I was only joking. With all the magic stuff going on I'll believe almost anything. I'm guessing this is some magic thing too."
"Should we tell Negi-sensei?" the dead girl asks.
"Maybe it's just some freak storm is all," Asakura replied. "You sure it was a big green bird?"
"I told you I saw one!"
"Eek!" Asakura playfully runs away from the ghost.

(Where could he be?) the green haired bird flies through the dark and dangerous winds above the school grounds. The lights of several buildings went on as the sun was blocked out well before its time. She swoops down to peek in each one of them. (I'm running out of time.)

Konoka jumps up gleefully, "I win again!"
"That's her 5th straight win in a row…" Asuna mumbled.
"Really Konoka ojou-sama?" Setsuna proudly asks.
"Yep!" as peppy as ever the princess is.

Both Setsuna and Negi suddenly showed a serious face.

"Kono-chan, duck!" Setsuna grabs Konoka and brings her down as Negi and Asuna jump back to ready themselves.

The window violently opens with an intense gust of wind as a green winged girl flies through the opening. Quickly turning around, she creates a strong wind to shut the window and closes her wings.

"Gale?" Setsuna was the first to speak up.
"Setsuna, where's the prince?" she rapidly asks. "I have to talk to him quickly."
"Hold it," Asuna held her fan at the intruder's neck. "What are you here for?"
"I'm here to warn him," the green haired girl replies. "He's coming."
Negi got his staff ready, "Who is?"

There was a knock on the door, Gale looked for somewhere to hide as Asuna, Negi and Setsuna tensed up. Asuna slowly opened the door.

"Negi-sensei!" Aisaka burst through the door with Asakura.
"Aisaka-san, Asakura-san," Negi can see something's up.
"It's okay Gale, they're friends," Konoka called out to the hidden girl.
Gale comes out of her hiding place, "A G-G-G-GHOST!" She faints.
"Of all the-!" Asuna loudly complains.

Setsuna quickly wakes the intruder up, "Come on Gale, tell us what's going on."
"Uhh… Huh wha-?"
"You'd best keep yourself invisible to her," Asuna whispered to Aisaka.
"Gale-san," Negi held out his hand, in it was what looked like a black feather. But it wasn't like any feather, this was made of black energy. "What is this?"
"That's his feather," she spoke in a shocked voice.
"His?"

The building shook violently, Gale stared out the window and decided it was to dangerous to fly out there. She ran out of the room, followed by everybody else. Outside, the dark wind slowed down and gathered above the grounds. She ran off into an opening followed by Setsuna, the others being behind.

"Negi-kun," Takamichi called out to him.
"Takamichi!"
"Takahata-sensei!"
"This is a private dispute with the clan," the older man told them. "Don't interfere."
"But Set-chan!"
"He's serious Konoka-san," Negi told her, noticing where the older man's hands are.
"I'm sorry everyone."
(Well, so much for my scoop on this wacky weather.)

Gale stops below a swirling sphere of dark wind. Setsuna came in right behind her, "Gale! What's going on?"

"Him…"

Setsuna looks up, a large whirling ball of dark winds descends the sky until it stops above where they are. The winds die down, revealing a man about Takahata's age, wearing a thin armor around his torso, and a cape behind him. Underneath the cape, two dark wings sprout out, but they weren't made of feathers, they were made of dark energy.

Gale extends her arm and green magic flashed before her bow appeared.

"Huh?" Setsuna was surprised, remembering William had to carry his sword.
"The prince never learned how to do that before he left, but that's not the problem here."

The man in the sky looks down at Gale and Setsuna, both were readying themselves, "Where is he?"
"I don't know," Gale quickly replied.
"Tell me where he is!" the dark half-bird roared.
"I told you I don't know! I was never told."
"Then I will find him myself."
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Setsuna sprouted her wings and flew up after the dark stranger.

Scythes formed in the air around the dark man, they spun towards the incoming Setsuna. The swordsman was able to dodge the attacks and hover in the air in front of her opponent. Gale floats up to where she is.

"So you're the unlucky bird, I'll deal with you later."
"Who is he?" the swordsman asked. "I've never felt power like this before."
"He's already Ascended, we don't stand a chance as we are," Gale answered.
"What about our Ascension?"
Gale ponders a bit, "I've never seen him in battle before, all I know is that he's very powerful."
"You never answered my first question," Setsuna informed her.

"He is he king of our tribe, the prince's father."
"WHAT?" Setsuna screamed, "This is not good…"
"He's looking for the prince, intending to bring him back with his own hands."

"If you don't get out of my way," the king started. "I will not be responsible for what happens to you." The black winds dance around wildly behind him. A figure emerges from the energies, it looked like black cloak, with a faceless hood and no legs. Its arms that were sticking out from under the cloak was also made of dark energy, both of them holding a scythe.

"Setsuna, how much have you learned since our last encounter?"
"A little," she answered. "What are you planning?"
"There's only one thing we can do, fight back."

Gale calls upon her power and summons forth her cheetah of wind. Setsuna also calls her power, the lighting dove cackles behind the glowing white wings.

"Ready?" Gale calls to her partner.
"Yeah."
"You don't stand a chance!"

"Set-chan!" Konoka watched nervously as she sees Setsuna fend off the mysterious man's attacks.

The stranger was using the reaper behind him as well as creating several scythes out of thin air that spin wildly towards the towards the girls. The old man himself just floated there, letting the reaper and the scythes do all the work.

"Are they going to be alright?" Asuna asks the young teacher.
"I don't know," Negi sounded worried as Setsuna unleashed her Artifact. "That guy has immense power."

Dodging all the attacks while their own counterattacks were failing, it's too much for the girls and they were eventually overcome. They landed hard on the ground, the old man floated closer to them.

"I warned you," the reaper raised both its arms in preparation for the final blow.

A dragon of flame strikes it from behind, canceling the attack. William flies in, fully Ascended to confront his father.

"Why are you here?" William yelled angrily.
"To bring you back where you belong," the older man told the boy.
"I'm not going back!"
"You will."

Scythe's appear around the prince, the boy explodes to blow them away. William flies fast to his father, sword and sheath at the ready. The younger one attacks, but the big cape of the older creates a shield. The cape then dances around wildly, forcing William to stay on the defensive. Meanwhile, the dragon and the reaper battle independently, creating a show of fire and shadow like never before seen.

"Nii-sama…" Setsuna uses whatever strength she has to get up.
Gale was already on her feet watching the fight intensify, "There's no way the prince can win on his own…"

William strikes a hard blow to the cape, pushing his blade to the king's face, "What am I to you?"
"You are the prince of our clan, the clan's own future! You cannot go against it!" the older man cried out.
"Is that all I ever am to you?" William retaliated. "Everything, everything I did was for the clan right? All those years of studying and training. It's to be an heir to the throne."
"Have you realized your place?" the old man asked.
"It's you that hasn't realized his place!"
"I know my place," the father pushes his son away. "I am the King of the Half-Bird tribe! You are the Prince, the future of the tribe!"
"What about my future?" the boy yelled out loudly.
"Your future is with the tribe!"
"NO!" William charged towards the king ferociously.

Fire and shadow clashed in the sky, as does the reaper and the dragon. William fights like an enraged inferno, creating intense flames. Blade against cape, prince against his father. The younger was no match for the older, as the king's shadows finally take him down. William crashes onto the ground below, he gathers himself slowly and sees his father readying for a powerful shadow attack.

"I will take you back!" the king launches his attack, William creates a dome of flame to shield himself.

The shadow is breaching the shield, it won't hold for long. The prince tries his hardest to fight back against it. Ultimately, the flames disappear and the shadow races for him. The prince shields his eyes as a bright light stops it from touching the boy. When the light vanishes, two girls stand in front of him.

"Setsuna! Gale!"

Both of them stand in front of the prince, ready to fight against the king.

"Why do you stand by him, defying the clan?"
"My father said that he may be a traitor," Gale started. "But he is still our prince. And we are his friends."
"What he has done for me, I can never repay him. But here and now, I will not let him fall."
"I have already told you that I will not be responsible for what happens to you," the king readies another attack, with more power.

William stands up and stands between the girls, they look at him as he speaks, "Thank you."

The prince creates a dome of fire around all three of them, Gale creates a whirling wind and Setsuna makes a barrier of light to circle around the stirring flames. The kings finds this amusing, but futile as he fires his attack. As fast as lightning, Setsuna charges first, cutting up a great deal of the shadow energy before it overpowers her and blows her away. As quick as wind, Gale blasts through more of the shadow assault until she is overtaken as well. William uses his immense flames to break through the shadows and went face to face with is father once more, blade to cape.

"Why are you still denying your fate?" the king asked.
"I make my own fate!" William roared out. "I want to live like how I want to live, everything I have done in the past was pre-determined. I changed all that, I was finally myself."
"You can only be yourself on the throne!"
"I cannot!" William raised his voice even louder. "To me, you are my father. But to you, I am only the prince."
The boy pushes the king back with sudden strength, "I was never your son to you, was I? I was only, your heir."

The king floated silently and the two of them stared into each other's eyes. The king surrounded himself with darkness once more, William ignited his fire around him.

"Show me then," the king started. "If you really are my son."

The king blasted his shadow energy forward and William retaliated. The two forces collided in between them, but William's energy was evidently weaker as the shadows pushed his flames back to their owner. As he struggled with all his might, he felt a hand wrap around his own. It was Setsuna, who smiled at him and gave him her power. Another hand was placed on William's, Gale also gave the prince her power.

Now with fire, lightning and wind, the shadow energy is being slowly pushed back, but not without a fight. William, Setsuna and Gale pour everything they have into this one attack. Fire, lightning and wind, three great elemental forces taking on the even greater element shadow, and winning. The forces explode in front of the king, knocking him away and landing on the ground.

William, Setsuna and Gale float to the ground slowly, then folding in and away their wings. The king gets up slowly and stands before them, making his wings of shadow disappear.

"So, this is your answer?"
"Yes, and I will stand by it."
"Gale, you do know that you have betrayed the clan when you defied me," the king told the girl.
"It was to save the prince," Gale replied. "I accept any punishment."
"So be it," the King started. "You are to accompany my son and protect him."
"S-sir?"
"Father?"

"You were right," the king began. "I never treated you as my son. But now you have shown to me who you really are. I'm proud of you, son."
"Father…"
"Don't start crying now, the prince of the tribe would not cry."
"Heh, that's just it. I'm not a prince, I am me."
"And so you are."

The king flies up into the sky,"You are my son, but do not forget that you are also a prince, one that the people will be awaiting for his return." and vanishes with William and his closest friends looking on.

"What should we do know prince?" Gale asks.
"I don't know" he replied slowly. "I really don't know…"

Negi, Asuna and Konoka make their way into their view. Setsuna smiles, "Let's go back, we can talk about it. All of us, together."

Early next morning Setsuna confronted William and Gale. They weren't stealthy enough to escape her senses, "Are you leaving already nii-sama?"
William nervously spoke out, "Heh-heh, you caught us Set-chan."
"Are you sure about going so soon?"
"Yeah," Will answered. "That princess sure fixed us up real quick."
"Her skills are really amazing Setsuna!" Gale exclaimed gleefully.
"Even still…!"
"Hey, I'm a free bird now, we all are," William told her. "Later Set-chan."

The prince smiles back at her before taking to the sky.

"We'll be back Setsuna, that's a promise!" Gale told the swordsman before catching up to William.
Setsuna stands watching them fly off, "See you… later."

Gale and William take to the skies, the girl looks back and waves at the swordsman. She return's to the prince's side, "Where are we going prince?"

"Please, you don't have to call me that any more Gale," William told her. "You never needed to call me that at all."
"I'm sorry, it's just…"
"You were used to following the rules," Will completed her sentence. "Thanks to your father, who's served my family for a long time. This is perhaps the first time you ever had a chance to do whatever you want with no boundaries, isn't it?"
"… Yeah, it is."
"Then all you have to do is spread your wings and fly. Fly, and follow me!" William dived down fast and hard to gain speed, Gale easily followed, in great joy. "We make our own futures, we will ride the wild wind, we are no longer caged, we are free!"
"Free…" Gale smiled at the thought and followed her prince. "Wait! Pri- William! Wait for me!"
"Heheh! Almost, Gale! Almost," Will yelled to her, dashing on ahead. "You're too slow! Catch me if you can!"
"Hey! No fair!"

The two birds flew off into the sky, vanishing into the clouds.