Sorry for the long wait. I've been lazy...sorry, sorry! This chapter was spaced and fixed by xSojix, a good helper with the fic. none of it was by me, so you can thank him for spacing it.

This chapter is where i tried to go all actiony. looking back (im sure this happens with all authors) it looks pretty terible, but when i wrote it, i thought it was the best yet. so, here it is!


I am currently looking for helpers who will proofread and check grammar, help me brainstorm, and misc other things. Interested? size=1 width=100% noshade>Chapter 6

"Darn it, where did I put it?"

Behind the maelstrom of objects flying through the air, Negi was searching for his staff It was the only keepsake he had from his father, and it was very important to him. That, and it was one of the only ways he could defend himself. As Asuna and Konoka walked into the room, they found themselves being pelted with pillows and erasers.

"What the hell are you doing to my stuff?" yelled Asuna.

"Where is it...where is it..." Negi said, obviously so engrossed in his search he didnt notice Asuna or Konoka. Asuna, infuriated at him, picked Negi up by his hair, and made sure he noticed her.

"I said, what are you doing to all our stuff?"

"What? Oh Asuna-san! I was just looking for my staff, I can't find it anywhere!"

"Now that you mention it, I can't find my pillow. I was wondering why I couldn't sleep as well last night." Konoka said.

"You know, i can't find my alarm clock either!" Asuna said.

"I wonder if it was only us who lost things, or if it was everyone else too?" Negi thought out loud. They decided to check. Everywhere they went, people reported missing items. A favorite teddy bear, a pen, a pillow, and the ocasional piece of homework.

"...You don't think its that perverted ermine, do you?" Asuna suggested.

"Kamo-kun? Come to think of it, I haven't seen him around for awhile..." Negi replied.

"Hey, Negi-kun, why don't use just use magic to find the items?" Konoka suggested cheerfully.

"Why didn't I think of that," Negi thought aloud. Negi concentrated, and searched with his mind's eye. After a few agonizing minutes, Negi found them. "They're all at the world tree!" Negi exclaimed.

"Then lets hurry up!" Asuna encouraged. They dashed toward the tree. Negi, followed by Konoka and Asuna, made it to the tree in record time.

"I knew you'd come, Negi Springfield." All of a sudden, a forcefield like shield sperated the area within the vicinity of the world tree from the rest of the world.

"What is this? Who are you!" Negi said, surprised. Negi searched back and forth. He noticed Asuna and Konoka behind another shield, leaving him alone in the wide area.

"Hhmmmm. Yes. Lets see what you can do," the voice said mockingly. Negi looked up in the tree, towards the voice, and saw a boy dressed in mage-like robes, a cape, and wearing a strange mask, revealing a single blue eye, his left. He had hair as bright as Asuna's, and it was tied up in a fashion similar to Negi's. Behind him were all of the items reported missing, and Kamo-kun, stuck in a cage.

"Who are you, what do you want?" Negi demanded.

"I am no one, and what I want? I want to fight." the boy responded. He immediately launched himself at Negi, leaving Negi with little time to react. However, he managed to just dodge the attack.

"Activate the contract for Negi Springfield, for 300 seconds." Negi muttered. Negi then counter attacked while the boy was still recovering. The boy dodged, and grabbed Negi's fist.

"Good, so you can think quickly. However, that alone won't help you." Negi broke free quickly, and kicked the boy and sent him flying into the tree. "That's no ordinary kick," thought the boy, while looking at Negi. "Could it be that he really IS like me?" He launched himself off of the tree, heading to Negi. Negi got ready for the blow, but the boy sidestepped and attacked from behind. He followed up with 3 more punches and a kick that sent Negi skidding 10 feet away.

"This isn't good, Konoka-san. At this rate, Negi's magic shield will fail soon." Asuna said grimly.

"But what can we do?" asked Konoka.

"...Nothing" admitted Asuna, gritting her teeth.

Dust stirred up into a tornado. Negi had cast one of his newer spells, and was using it to great effect. Suddenly, the tornado disapated. Standing was the boy, wiping blood off of his lip. "I see, so you are just like me..." the boy said.

"Impossible! He took the force of that spell and came out with just a bleeding lip and a few scratches? And what did he mean by 'just like me'?" Negi wondered. "Does that mean he can use magic?" As if answering his question, a stream of wind arrows flew toward Negi. He dodged and blocked almost all of them, but was hit by a few.

Meanwhile, Eva and Chachamaru were discussing Negi when they felt something. It was the shield going up around the tree and moving the fight to an area unseen by most. "What was that?" Eva wondered.

"I'm detecting a large amount of magical energy emanating from the world tree." reported Chachamaru.

"Negi-bozu..." Eva realized. She and Chachamaru speed to the tree. "It's definatly a magic barrier. And there's a projection of the tree inside. It looks as if nothing is wrong... The boy must be inside... fighting. I doubt that he could survive a fight, much less win one." Eva said. Chachamaru merely nodded.

Inside, Negi was doing badly. He had taken many hits, but so had his adversary. Both were exausted, but neither would give up. "Your pretty good," Negi acknowledged.

"Yes, I KNOW!" The boy had launched himself at Negi, trying to deal the finishing blow. His fist made contact, but suddenly, he was stopped. Negi was thrown to the ground. Even though he hadn't been hit with the brunt of the attack, it was enough to cause serious damage.

"Evangeline-san!" Asuna and Konoka said in unison. Eva was holding up the boy by his collar, and levitating. "That's right, its me. Now, go and play while I deal with this one." Eva snapped her fingers, and the shield around Asuna and Konoka disappeared.

"This place must not be in the school... or else Eva wouldn't be able to do anything." Asuna thought. She and Konoka raced to where Negi was laying, and tried to tend to his wounds. "He's critical," Asuna said. "Yes, he's bleeding too much," Konoka agreed.

Negi found himself in a strange room. He was floating, and a cloaked figure was in front of him. The person came closer. "Negi..." the person said. It was a female voice, and it was tantilizingly familiar. "You did well in your fight," the woman said. "I have stopped the bleeding, but that is almost all I can do".

"Who are you? Where am I?" Negi asked.

"My name is not important. Where you are, is in your mind. You were dieing. I have managed to stop that." The woman explained. "There are only 2 more things I can do to help. The boy you fought, keep him alive. He will be a great ally."

"What do you mean?" Negi asked, but she ignored him. "And now I'll teach you a spell, a spell that will help you later on, and should be used when the time is right."

"When will that be?" Negi asked.

"You will know," She replied. she drifted closer and whispered something in his ear. As she drew back, he caught a glimpse of her face. "It is up to you now Negi." She said loudly. She then said so softly, only she could hear, "Only you can save me." Negi suddenly recognized the face. "You! You'r-" The woman disapeared, and everything went black.

ill have the next one out soon!