*Hey there, welcome to the second chapter, currently being redone. Not sure if I ever mention it, but Ichiban Taisetsu translates to Most Precious. Wow, I wrote this story back in high school. Seems such a long time ago. Anywho, in chapter one, Ayaka had a very omportant realization. She's in love and it's not Negi-yay! So I'll leave you to your own devices and to enjoy a redoing of chapter 2...

Ichiban Taisetsu

Asuna Kagurazaka and Ayaka Yukihiro

by: Setsuna Revolution

Chapter 2: Pactios and Stories

Ayaka sat under the towering tree until slowly, she drifted off to sleep. Her dreams led her to the all too familiar night before...

"Hey! Cheer up," the smiling blonde said to the shorter red-headed girl, handing her a small disposable cup with what she presumed to be some kind of juice concoction, most likely made by Yue, "It's your birthday, you're not supposed to be sad."

Ayaka watched her closest friend sip cautiously on her juice; she seemed unusually contemplative. Ayaka felt that there was definitely something troubling the pigtailed girl; however, even after years of being great friends, she couldn't think of how to word her sentiment, so she opted for silence. Asuna knew that if she needed to, she could always talk, but the thoughts plaguing her mind, were not of the festivities. It was of what was destined to come.

"You're being awfully nice tonite, Iinchou, are you feeling okay?" Asuna asked, almost concerned at the lack of fighting they weren't doing, and hadn't been doing lately. Ayaka blushed slightly, giving the red-head a heartfelt glare,

"Can't I be nice to my friend, besides what's wrong with you?" Ayaka asked knowingly.

Asuna stared at the ground thinking about her fateful dream. She forced a painful smile to hide her feelings for the dreaded midnight hour soon to come. All around the girls was a party; a party to celebrate Asuna's fourteeth year of life. Everyone looked like they were having so much fun, her classmates were performing rituals in her honor, there was tons of laughter, cheering, and intense jubilation.

She really didn't know what was worse, knowing she only had a short amount of time, or knowing that and feeling the urge to cry out but not knowing how to tell people that come midnight, she would no longer be in their lives.

"I...uh...it's nothing," Ayaka gave her a stern look, she clearly didn't believe her. "Really," Asuna started again, "And this isn't like you either, why aren't we fighting like usual, you should be getting mad at me and starting arguements, call me mutant eyes or something," she gave Ayaka a worried look, "Are you sick or something?"

"Can't we just talk and enjoy each other's company, instead of fighting," Ayaka blushed before she even realized it the words slipping out of her mouth. She caught a glimpse of Asuna's face, it was probably just as red as her hair. This was her chance, Ayaka turned to face Asuna, moving a step closer. Gripping her juice box for dear life, she cleared her throat, "Asuna...I...well... I..think I should confess something ...I...l-l...

"Asuna-san!" screamed the child teacher himself, interrupted their prolonged stare, "Iinchou-san, Asuna-san, come on, let's take pictures for Asuna's birthday." He was jumping up and down, barely being able to control the excitement. Ayaka wore a defeated look, she swore if Negi wasn't so adorable she probably would have killed him for his bad timing.

"Come on, Negi-kun," Konoka said, appearring at his side. She had been watching close by until the right moment to intervene, if needed. Sometimes she just had a way of knowing. Konoka drug Negi off with her as Ayaka made a mental note to thank the girl.

Ayaka straightened herself up to her former stature. She again placed her attention on Asuna capturing her stare again by clearing her throat, "As I was saying... I ...uh...well...," she found it was almost just as hard to say it this time, but she was again interupted, but this time by Asuna, she put her finger up to Ayaka's lips.

"It's all right," Asuna blushed, "I understand, you can tell me when you're ready," Asuna gave her an innocent smile and turned to walk toward the girls setting up the camera. "For now, let's go take that picture."

Suddenly Ayaka felt a rush of dread, as she looked around the room, she noticed everything was becoming darker and fading away. Her classmates were dissappearing one by one and she felt if she didn't say this now, she would never have that chance.

"Asuna, I love you!" she shouted, grabbing said girl's wrist. Everything became distorted. She could faintly make out what sounded like someone calling her name, and Ayaka's last vision before waking up was the smiling face of crush and best friend.

"...ka-san, Ayaka-san, Iinchou-san!" Ayaka heard as she was shaken forcefully out of her dream. It was Negi who crouched down beside her, his hands still on her shoulders.

"Huh, Negi-sensei, what's going on?" Ayaka asked frantically, grasping onto his arms for stability. Negi landed on his knees in front of the girl and fiddled with an object in his pocket. He pulled out a shiny, golden, stop watch.

"It's Cassieopia," he said answering Ayaka's confusing stare, "It's a time machine. We're going to do it, Ayaka-san, we're going to bring Asuna back to life." Ayaka stared at him dumbfoundedly.

"What..that's not possible, sensei. Asuna's dead, how would going back in time help?" she said in disbelief.

"But it is possible, though, if we can just go back," Negi stopped, seeing how hurt Ayaka was, "It'll work, I'm sure of it. Before Asuna...died..she told me the story of how ten years ago, she made a fateful pact with a demon, and we're going to put a stop to it," Negi smiled warmly at her, "What do you say, are you in?"

"Will it really work?" Ayaka sobbed. As ludicrous as the idea sounded, honestly she was out of ideas, ready to put her hope on a plan that might not work, but that's all she had.

"Almost definitely," Negi replied.

Ayaka stood up and while regaining her balance she heard voices behind them, she turned around and noticed that her whole 3-A class was standing there. Negi held out his hand for Ayaka, she grabbed his hand and followed him to join her classmates, 'I hope this works,' she thought, 'I want her back so bad.'

"Everybody ready!" Negi shouted as he held Cassieopiea high over his head and clicked the metal button on the side. The make-shift time-machine, pocket watch rattled in his hand and emitted a light. The light engulfed the whole class in a brilliant light. While she was spinning to wherever the watch took them, Ayaka realized that last part of her dream never happened, she was too shy to tell Asuna how she felt.

When the light dispersed the class found themselves awing at there surroundings. They were in what appeared to be a village, but everything was on fire, all the houses, the markets, and even people, Ayaka felt sick but where was Asuna at. She stared at the horror in front and begain to wonder if they were truly in the right place, then she heard Negi's voice in the far-off smoke, "Everyone over here!" Negi shouted.

Everyone ran full force, cautious in the black smoke not to run into fire or step on anything. when they cleared the smoke they saw their teacher standing and holding his staff out...just in case. But there was something odd about the picture, there was a little girl with red hair and bells tying in with her pigtails on her knees crying beside him. "Who's that sensei?" a voice called from the crowding girls, they were all trying to get a better look, but most just wondered what exactly was going on.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce Asuna Kagurazaka, age four," Negi replied, "or Asuna-chan for short." Ayaka stared quietly at the girl, she didn't know what to think, she examined the girl. She had on a dirty, ripped up, dress and she was wiping tears out of her eyes to get a better look as everyone gawked at her like she was just some weird attraction. Ayaka was overcome with happiness, she just wanted to hug the little girl.

"Who're all these people?" the younger Asuna asked shyly.

"These girls...are your friends, Asuna-chan," Negi replied in his typical quirky British accent. Asuna stared awkardly through the group of girls. Tall, short, Chinese, Japanese, hyper, quiet, robot, and humans. Quite a unique bunch. Her eyes skimmed over and found herself staring at a tall, thin girl with blonde hair. She looked oddly familar.

"What are you all doing here?" Asuna cried, stepping slightly behind Negi's frame to hide her embarrassment.

"Asuna-chan," Negi started, smiling at her reassuringly, "We are going to save you." Asuna stared at him unsure, and her eye caught on Negi's ermine friend that crawled up to his shoulder.

"Now then," the fuzzy creature spoke with a raspy voice, "Let's get to work." The erimine jumped of his respected position and starting drawing on the ground. The end result was a shiny, glowing,...was it really... a Pactio circle set up around Negi.

"Kamo, what are you doing?" Negi asked knowing clearly what a Pactio was for.

"Simple Aniki," replied the ermine placing a cigarette in his mouth with the word 'chocolate' clearly printed on it, "You're going to need all the help you can get... now then... Anee-chan, it's your moment to shine...literally." Nodoka Miyazaki stepped foward, her bangs covering the florid blush taking over her face as she stepped into the light.

"Sensei, please allow me to be your partner," she smiled pulling her bangs out of her eyes. Her eyes were closed as she tilted her head down to where she was only a few inches away from his face.

"Ah...Miyazaki-san, " Negi tried to say but was instead cut off when her lips brushed his. Ayaka watched in awe as Nodoka Miyazaki, the same Nodoka Miyazaki that was extremely shy and scared of anything resembling the male figure, was kissing their ten year-old teacher.

"Pactio!" Kamo shouted triumphiantly. The purplish light shined brighter than ever and a card fell down from out of no where. Nodoka broke her kiss and pulled away, her bangs again going back to the usual state. She blushed furiously as she bent down and picked up her Pactio card, then she looked up at Negi's stunned face and bowed.

"Thank you, sensei, " she said as she turned and ran back to the crowd of girls, showing off her prize.

No sooner did Nodoka return than Yue Ayase, the blue-haired, book and juice girl stood before him. She put her hands on his shoulders, "You know how I feel, sensei," she said as she plased a kiss on Negi's not-so-virgin lips. She thought about how a few days ago she expressed her feelings to him, purely accidently though, she wanted Nodoka to be happy, but she didn't mean to fall in love too. After her kiss she picked up her card, bowed, and trotted back to the group to show her winnings.

'What's going on?' Ayaka thought, 'They kissed sensei and got cards for it, how does this help Asuna?'

"Sensei!" shouted a random girl in the crowd, "You're a wizard, aren't you!"

"What?!" Negi denied, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh please sensei, we've all known for a while, you're really bad at hiding it, there's just so much going on that can't be explained." Everyone laughed as Negi tried to explain, he spoke of his leaving of his home in Wales in order to finish his learning as a magician

He told them what the Pactio did for people who kiss him in it. He also told them the story of why they were here, ten years in the past in a burned up village with a four year-old Asuna. They were here to save her from a pact she made with a demon to safe her life.

'I understand now,' Ayaka thought as she moved toward the Pactio circle. She reached Negi and got down on her knees, she put her hands on both sides of his face.

"Sensei, I know what I have to do," she said to him staring him in the eyes, she learned foward and stole a kiss from her teacher. The light shined brightly as Ayaka broke her kiss, recapturing his gaze, "Just as I thought, you're not the one who makes my heart beat faster, " Ayaka smiled at him, "So please allow me to help you save her," she finished as a brillant card fell in her lap.

A/N: Another chapter down. We're getting to the good stuff. Stick around...