Side B : Love Negima!

Written by Shaun Garin

Mahou Sensei Negima and Love Hina are owned and copyright Ken Akamatsu and all affiliates. All characters used for their fullest extent for entertainment purposes only. Primarily Manga-verse. For more information on both series visit Wikipedia dot org because I'm not going to bother elaborating on characters already elaborated enough. Thank you.

Chapter 10 : The First Law

"Matter cannot be destroyed, only transformed. This is science's first law," lectured Noriyasu Seta as he pointed out the diagrams on the black board. It was not the first time that Seta had filled in for a science professor and certainly not the last time. To his credit, Seta was a skilled linguistic and had a strong grip on the science of this world. Clearing his throat, he tapped several diagrams and added, "These symbols were the old alchemy symbols of the past, designed to help scientists understand, break down and reconstruct ideas on how the world worked. Yes?"

A girl with dark hair had raised her hand and she cleared her throat. "Sensei, is it true that Alchemy once existed in the past?"

Seta chuckled. "If you are thinking of how Alchemy worked in say, Fullmetal Alchemist then not really. But Alchemy was a science that used chemicals and other such inscribed designs that transformed matter from one side to another. Would you like a demonstration?"

The crowd of students murmured their approval as Seta went to a group of beakers. One of them appeared to have swirling mists inside of it, Nitrogen in a shatterproof beaker, one of the few things that had made it to Tokyo U intact via Seta's poor excuse for proper driving. "Watch closely," he said as he held up the beaker with the tongs. "This is Nitrogen in a gaseous state. Now see what happens once I expose it to air."

With a loud crackling sound, the nitrogen suddenly froze in the air as Seta uncorked it with tongs, startling people in range. "A rapid deconstruction and then reconstruction of base materials when applied to air. Liquid Nitrogen is a potent substance, able to freeze upon contact. When the liquid state is exposed to fresh air, the air around it shatters and compresses, the molecules expanding outwards and becoming a solid."

"So Alchemists were basically scientists who would experiment with the three major states of transformation, is that right Professor?" asked another, a guy in the front row.

"Exactly," said Seta, nodding his head. "Science's first rule IS of course matter cannot be destroyed but transformed. This applies to how the old Alchemists once said that 'for one to gain something, humankind must give up an equal amount.' And yes, it sounds similar to that new popular manga that has been appearing lately. Which is why scientists believed that lead could be transmuted into gold which makes sense since both share similar properties with the same basic atomic structure underlying both materials."

Seta clapped his hands, startling the ones who had actually begun to drift off despite his interesting lectures and called out, "All right! Your professor will be back tomorrow which means I won't be here. I'm certain he handed out some reading so please do it."

As the students filed out of the room, Sarah poked her head into the classroom and walked over, holding a package. "Papa, this came for you."

"Ah, thank you Sarah," said Seta as he hefted the large package. Weighing it in his hands and running a finger over the brown paper, he reached down and picked up a briefcase. "Lets head back to the van, okay?"

The weight of the parcel felt heavy, even to Seta as he walked briskly through the compound, Sarah riding on his shoulders in order to keep his pace from lessening. His steps came with a bit of an urgency to them as he rounded the corner and opened up the van's sliding door on the left side. Sarah immediately got off and plopped into the cot that was set aside for her. Seta absently noted that he would have to get a bigger one since Sarah was obviously growing. If she was like Tara, then she'd shoot up like a weed when she hit thirteen. She was nine years old right now and already showing signs of shooting up to Tara's insane near six foot height when she was done.

Sitting down and flicking on the lamp, Seta set down the case and with a flick of his fingers and a penknife, cut the bindings on the parcel. Unwrapping it carefully, he slowly revealed a large leather-bound tome that was decorated with a lion eating a sun. Seta inhaled slowly and exhaled sharply as he opened the first page and took out the note that he was certain was waiting for him.

Written in German but entirely legible to Seta, he read it silently.

Herr Seta, if you read this then I have passed away and my Germanic estate has been in your care for some time. Or not. I know how you move around, ja? In any case, I wish to leave you with this. During the last few days of my life, I have succeeded in making something that any magical person would want. It's power surpassing the power of even the legendary book of Melusedek. You know what I refer to. The book contains a spelled map, leading to the location of the item as I have given it to a companion of ours. Take care. Daniel Elric.

Seta turned the page and the page glowed warmly for a moment. Sarah looked at the map that resolved onto the page like a holographic projection seen in science fiction anime. "Well well," he murmured. "Just as I thought."

"Are you going somewhere papa?" asked Sarah curiously as she poked at the image of the island."

"Well, I suppose so," said Seta cheerfully. "After all, it looks like there's an adventure planned out now."

Routine at the Hinata House had become slightly set in. Negi had pleaded with Evangeline in order to become her apprentice and while Evangeline had resisted, he had made a bet to best Chachamaru in combat. Evangeline had shortened the condition to "one blow". Surprisingly Negi showed enough determination to work his way through the fight and while not indestructible like Keitaro was, was able land a blow onto Chachamaru, albeit sloppily. But a blow nonetheless. The girls had been mothering the kid as of late as he stretched stiff muscles in the water.

Slender hands suddenly came up and Negi looked up into worried dark brown eyes. Shinobu sat behind him dressed in a swimsuit. "You look worse off without your shirt," she joked weakly, thoughts obviously remembering the beating Negi took. "How are you feeling?"

"Really sore," admitted Negi. "My magic is healing me faster but it hurts to move my shoulders."

Shinobu's wrists pressed into his shoulders and Negi hissed but did not move as she began to move the kinks out of his shoulders. "You should take better care of yourself. Naru volunteered to do this but she had to go to Sasaki."

Briefly, Negi wondered how the dynamics had so rapidly shifted in Hinata. Shinobu had been such a shy girl when he had first met but now it was like they were brother and sister at times. Although she had a tendency to smother him like Nekane did often, claiming how cute he was at times. It was curious to say the least, being treated like an adult once and then being treated like the little "chibi chibi" that Kitsune had affixed onto his name once. Then again, there were very few who would come into the baths and give him a massage.

"Are you sure you're not Master come here to torment me?" asked Negi curiously and Shinobu giggled, her face warm.

"Kitsune volunteered but I think she was interested in checking something else out for herself," said Shinobu, her face growing more warm. "Motoko is at her club meeting and Su, well..."

"Ah," said Negi, nodding. He remembered Su's massage machine. It was in the shape of an attack drone or something cause it beat the living daylights out of his back instead of massaging properly. Negi needed more time in the hot spring because of it.

"Lean against the rock, would you?" said Shinobu, slipping into the water. "Honestly you're such a kid at times, you know?"

"Since when have you suddenly turned into an Asuna-san and Naru-san hybrid?" asked Negi and Shinobu dug her elbow into his back. "OW!"

"Maybe it was the first time we met," said Shinobu. "Or when you and Sarah were arguing that day. Or perhaps it was the fight we bailed you out of."

"Oh. OW!" Exclaimed Negi but the pain eased up. "Ooooooooh, deeper please neechan?"

Shinobu giggled as she worked her elbow into his back and then alternated with her thumbs across his shoulders. "You have enough knots in here to last a lifetime of massages," she remarked. "Anything else to declare?"

"I hurt a lot," admitted Negi and he hissed as her thumbs drove themselves deep into his back. "Oooooooooooh."

"Hey, anyone in here?" called out a voice and Shinobu and Negi looked up at Sarah who looked into the bath. "Hey, dork-in-training! Papa's looking for you!"

"Send him in here, we're both decent," said Negi as Sarah yelled for Seta before entering.

Sarah crouched down to look at Negi and made a face. "Man who thrashed you?"

"Evangeline, I mean Master," said Negi, making a similar face. "I wanted to be her apprentice and well, things go out of hand."

"I'll say," said Sarah, shaking her head. "You look like you've been flapjacked, steamrolled and then served to a Balrog as an aperitif."

"Oi, Negi-kun!" called out Seta as he walked into the baths, his sandals clicking on the stones. "What happened to you?" he asked, stopping short.

"Master insisted on testing me before I became her apprentice," said Negi and winced as Shinobu dug her elbow into a new knot.

"Mmmm, she hasn't changed much has she?" remarked Seta, crouching down next to Sarah who was poking Negi's shoulder directly in the first knot she found. "Negi-kun, can I ask you a favor?"

"Like what?" asked Negi and he winced from Shinobu digging her thumb into a new fresh set of knots that had mysteriously appeared.

"Well, I need some help recovering a certain artifact on the island of Pararakelse. It's highly magical and quite frankly I need someone who knows how western magic works here. It's not hard for me to go to Mahora, in fact it's my next stop but Takamichi is overseas at the moment." Seta shrugged. "Sound interesting?"

"What sort of protection is on it?" asked Negi, feeling interested in the proposal. "Traps? Curses?"

"Probably some of both but the real kicker is the magical negation barriers around the ruins," said Seta. He took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled. "As you know, it takes a team to bring it down. I can do most of it but there are some things that require a presence and according to the book I received, some of it is keyed to your blood. Or specifically your fathers."

Negi nodded. "I see. Who else are you picking up?"

"Well," said Seta. "I was thinking Kakurazaki Asuna and bring along Urashima. I know that Konoe wouldn't let me take a student without at least a professor coming along. Asuna can easily get through the negation barriers and bring them down while Urashima has some unique talents that will let us get through."

"I guess it won't hurt," said Negi, standing up and wincing a little. "When do we leave?"

"Negi, you're still injured!" protested Shinobu.

"Hahaha, perhaps you could come along then?" said Seta. "I'm sure Sarah wouldn't mind, right?"

"Heh, better than the dork patrol," grinned Sarah and Negi stuck his tongue out at her.

"Er, well," Shinobu tapped her fingers together. "Er... I'm missing a lot of class but I'm sure it can be worked around, right?"

"Of course!" said Seta brightly. "What could possibly go wrong?"

Negi felt the impending sense of doom hit.

"It's been a while since I was on a plane," said Asuna as she leaned across the seats to peer at the sea of clouds moving below them. Beside her, Keitaro snored a little and she rolled her eyes at her sensei. "You doing all right there, Negi-bozu?"

"Fairly," said Negi as the plane shook and he gripped the arms of the chair. "I've never really liked planes too much. Although Seta-san seems well off." His familiar Kamo was already fast asleep, muttering to himself while curled on the tray despite the turbulence as they rumbled over the south pacific sea.

Sure enough, the older man was snoring in a manner similar to Keitaro, both with their mouths a little open and a thin line of drool running down the side of their cheeks with their heads tilted to one shoulder. Sarah was curled up in her seat, leaning against Seta. Shinobu was currently reading up on what was at Pararakelse and she was making faces at the thoughts of encountering leeches and snakes. Tama-chan Myuhed from atop her head, another note that the mascots had apparently decided to join the expedition.

"We should get some rest," said Shinobu finally, shutting the book and setting A Guide To Pararakelse aside. "We're crossing the international date line to get there."

"Right," said Negi as he tilted his chair back a little. "Asuna-san are you going to get some rest?"

"Naw, it's okay," said Asuna as she reached into her backpack and pulled out a print out of the next few days work. It was easier than dragging heavy school books everywhere. "I'll just read this, okay?"

Negi nodded and shuffled into a more comfortable position. Within minutes, he was asleep as Asuna sighed and pulled the bookmark out of the novel she was reading. The bookmark was her own pactio card which still bore a picture of her in her school uniform with that giant sword of hers.

Shinobu noticed Naru examining it and asked, "Can I see it?"

"Sure, if only I can see yours." Shinobu grinned and handed over her own pactio card to Asuna who looked at it. The picture depicted Shinobu in her usual Cabot sweater and holding her giant frying pan with her flipping a pancake in it, a stark contrast to how Asuna's obvious weapon oriented design was.

"I've been wondering something," said Asuna after a moment. Reaching into Keitaro's pants pocket, she pulled out his pactio card, miraculously unblemished or creased from staying in there. "I thought so."

Shinobu leaned over and looked at the picture. Keitaro was wearing something out of Fullmetal Alchemist with an outfit that was close to being a mix of Edward Elric's outfit. The long jacket could not hide the huge white knuckles that ran up his arm nor the shield that was on the other arm, ebony black in color. In all, it made Keitaro look more heroic than he usually was for the most part.

"I wonder why we don't get cute outfits like Setsuna-san or Keitaro?" wondered Shinobu and Asuna shrugged.

"I think it's because we haven't duel pactioed yet," said Asuna with a sage nod, trying to look wise. "Not that I'm suggesting it and all cause of the Rebound thing."

"Sempai looks liked Edward Elric," said Shinobu thoughtfully. "How does Setsuna look again?"

"Liked a winged Ronin from that Disgaea video game Nippon Ichi made," said Asuna. "You know with the short jacket, ribbons, bare stomach, pants..."

"Ah, and I'm certain Setsuna doesn't like using the power of the card," giggled Shinobu.

"Setsuna-san doesn't like showing skin," said Asuna. "It's amazing the girl BATHES."

"I suppose Shinmei Ryu women are all the same; prudish and unable to admit feelings," giggled Shinobu and Asuna joined her.

"Here we are, sunny Pararakelse!" announced Seta as they disembarked from the national airport into the sub-tropical heat of the June heat.

"Whoo!" exclaimed Kamo, putting up a tiny umbrella. "It's hot enough to roast an Ermine alive!"

"Myuh," agreed Tama-chan and Keitaro shaded his eyes as they walked across the tamarack towards the airport. "Are we meeting anyone, Seta?" asked Keitaro.

"In fact we are," said Seta. "We'll be meeting the granddaughter of an old friend of mine. I'm certain she's around here somewhere."

As they milled through the disembarking gates, Shinobu was the first to notice the girl standing in the entry way, holding up a cardboard sign that read "Seta" in very rough Hiragana. "Seta, I found her!" called out Shinobu. And then she got a better look at the girl and blinked several times.

Asuna came up next to her and remarked, "So who cloned you?"

The girl had dark hair and a tanned complexion. She was dressed in a light colored top and summer jacket with a skirt that was knotted on one side. Despite all of this, the jarring effect that she and Shinobu looked EXACTLY alike even though the girl was a Pararakelse Native and Shinobu was Japanese. Of course, another jarring note was a very large turtle sitting next to her. Pink shelled and of the four legged variety instead of Tama-chan's floating variation as it Myahed happily.

Seta smiled and walked over to the girl. "Good to see you Nyamo," he greeted in English and she nodded shyly. "And you brought Gidget too."

"It is good to see you again Uncle Seta," said Nyamo politely, bowing low. "I'm sorry that my grandfather has apparently made so much trouble for you."

Seta chuckled as he turned around and faced the others. "Everyone, this is Nyamo Namo, a resident of Pararakelse. Her grandfather was a dear friend of mine and please don't worry about getting mixed up. Her first name is Nyamo. Pararakelse has American naming schemes."

"Finally," said Kamo, throwing his little arms up into the air. "I keep forgetting whose name goes where."

Gidget looked at Tama-chan who raised a flipper and said, "Myuh."

"Myaaaaaaaaaah," replied Gidget, mouth watering and Tama-chan froze. In an instant, the larger turtle was chasing the smaller turtle in a manner that distinctly reminded Kamo of how Su acted around the turtle.

Negi stepped forward and bowed. "Hi, I'm Negi Springfield. Nice to meet you."

In a manner that was pure Shinobu, Nyamo put a hand to her mouth and hid behind Seta who chuckled. "Sorry about that Negi. She's a little shy with new people. Well, shall we get going? We need to check into the hotel before we plan our trip out to the Pararakelse Ruins."

"The Pararakelse Ruins was the center of the great turtle society of the ancient times when man and turtle lived in harmony," lectured Seta as they drove along in what Asuna was terming "The Van Of Doom". Seta seemingly careemed around an oncoming truck lazily as he continued, unperturbed about the near death experience. "Pararakelse has been a center of this turtle society although very few remains have been found. The ruins we are searching for must be found before we can gain entry to them."

"So how do we do that?" asked Asuna and Sarah smirked.

"Papa has a map that'll lead us there," said Sarah as she pulled out the large tome and opened it up to a bookmarked spot. Immediately the map sprung up from the pages, causing several occupants of the van to spring back in surprise. "See, this is where we are," she said, tapping the page where it showed a fast moving object on the west side of Pararakelse with several names crammed around it. "And this is where we're going. The Pararakelse Lagoon Ruins." She tapped a spot somewhere deep in the Desert of Death.

"This is amazing," said Negi, running a finger through the mountains that fizzed a bit. "In England and the western countries we used these maps to hide only the most secure stuff. It would detail EVERYTHING in a specific area since they were usually protected by spells that would hide it from practically everything. It's what inspired Rowling's Marauders Map."

"I'm sure you get a lot of Quidditch jokes riding on that staff huh, Negi?" said Keitaro with a wide grin, clapping the younger on the back.

Negi went red. "Yeah, well, Quidditch is made up. We don't play anything on broomsticks. We're more of the Football type of people. And despite what the Scotts say, Wales still rules them in magical education."

"American or English?" asked Shinobu and Negi and Kamo chorused "English."

"Although," added Kamo, "Rugby is more of our sport anyhow."

"What a violent sport," chuckled Seta as he hairpin turned on the road, causing everyone to smush up against the walls of the van. "And they got down on world warriors way back in nineteen seventy two for violence."

"Was that before or after Maxim Bison was overthrown?" asked Asuna rhetorically and Seta answered with a "Before."

As Asuna regained her equilibrium from smacking headlong into the wall in shock, Seta added, "The ruins of Pararakelse were designed that layer upon layer of protection were placed onto it. Only someone with a matching frequency in magical negation may be able to break them. Sarah, can you bring up a diagram of the ruins?"

Sarah prodded the side of the book and the diagram changed to reveal a multi layered three dimensional diagram. Circling and panning into the first layer, Shinobu peered at it and remarked, "It looks like a Stargate." At their looks, she blushed and added, "Momma and daddy brought me to see Stargate when I was ten. I've been importing tapes of the series since then."

"Okay so we have Stargates," said Kamo, leaping onto the pages of the open book. "What's this?" he asked, prodding a crystal that sat near the middle of the room but moved more towards the entrance to the room. "I'm guessing it's the form of that Dial Home Device that they have in the series."

"Yeah, as far as we can figure," said Sarah as she zoomed in. "But check this out."

Tapping the side of the book, the little book displayed a guy walking up to it and then taking up a big hammer, smashed it. The water in the Stargate thingy whooshed outwards and then vanished. "That's how we get in," said Negi in awe. "Look, there's light pouring down on it. It'll break when a certain condition is fulfilled."

"So we need keys to unlock it. Great. The old turtle people liked to play video games," groused Asuna.

"What do you think Nyamo?" asked Negi and Nyamo shrunk in her seat. "Ah, sorry."

The tiny image of Seta's van was now cutting a swathe into the Desert of Death and Keitaro inhaled and said, "Once more into the breach."

"Myuh," agreed Tama-chan as the van rocketed over a dune.

"It's beautiful," remarked Shinobu as the whole group piled out of the van, some stumbling in the sands as their legs cramped up from the long journey.

Standing before them was an absolutely huge rock monolith, towering overhead as tropical wildlife nursed their young. A crystalline waterfall poured over the edge of the tower, its source possibly from an underground spring as fish and other assorted shellfish swam in it. And around the waters edge were hundreds of turtles, all pink or green shelled and Myahing happily as they drank or played in the water.

"Well that's a sight for sore eyes," murmured Negi as he shook out his leg to keep it from falling completely asleep. "Where's the entrance anyhow?"

Seta handed him a backpack filled with tools as he said, "We're looking for a stone statue of a turtle, flippered hot spring variety."

"Myuh?" asked Tama-chan and Seta chuckled. "Well there's a lot of turtle imagery around here. I'm certain we'll be able to find it soon enough."

"Hey, um, Seta-san, I gotta question," said Asuna as they moved to unload the van. "Why'd you bring me along anyhow?"

"Ah, about that," said Seta as he pulled out a large sack of tools. "I was hoping you would be able to provide the necessary frequency to open up the gates."

"Dah?" asked Asuna, cocking her head to the side in curiosity.

"Frequency," said Seta, drawing a line of waves in the sand. "The Pararakelse islands give off a natural magical frequency that sums up to magical negation. All residents have it, including Nyamo."

Nyamo nodded from where she was putting things on Gidget's shell and Kamo looked up as well from where he was putting a sign that read "pack animal" on Gidget's neck. Negi looked over at her and asked, "Nyamo-san has it?"

"Indeed," said Seta as he waved Nyamo over, he asked, "Nyamo, would you be willing to show them some magical negation?"

"Um... sure, I suppose. Negi-san isn't going to hurt me, is he?"

Seta shook her head as she nodded and stepped aside. Negi looked at Nyamo and said, "I'm going to throw a single magic archer burst. Is that all right?"

"Y... yes, of course," said Nyamo.

Negi wound up, swinging his wand over his shoulder. "Raster Raskil Magister, Single Arrow of Light!"

Nyamo squeaked but held up her hand and the beam of light splintered against her open hand, causing no damage but the girl fell on her backside, only to be caught by Shinobu. "Amazing!" crowed Kamo. "She completely nullified the magic!"

"Er... is okay?" asked Shinobu of the girl in her arms and Nyamo nodded. Looking up she added in Japanese, "So when do we start?"

"Right now I suppose," said Seta as Keitaro called out from behind the waterfall.

"Just curious Seta-san, what are we here for anyhow?" asked Negi and Seta smiled.

"Why... the Philosopher's Stone of course."

"ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK ROCK!"

With a thud, the giant three eyed boulder slammed into the wall as the group ducked to one side, earning a moan from Keitaro who was mushed underneath. "Oh god I thought I was going to dieeeee..." he moaned from his position smushed into the soft sands of the ruins.

"It looks like the sand bore the impact," said Seta, poking Keitaro with a stick to dislodge him. "We should keep the book open so we'll be able to keep going."

Negi pulled out the huge book and Sarah practically clambered on his shoulders to look over them. "Looks like we need to go down the stairs and then we'll make our way into the first chamber."

After pulling Keitaro out of the hole in the sand, the group trudged downwards till the first chamber came into view. Filled with hieroglyphics of the turtlese civilization, the others ran hands over it as the crystal in the middle of the room was dark. At the end of it stood a huge glyph ring that constantly pinged various glyphs. The center of it was filled with a watery substance that shimmered. "By Ra," whispered Shinobu and Nyamo echoed it with the uttering of "Apophis be damned."

Shinobu looked at Nyamo and asked in English, "Watch Stargate?"

Nyamo's eyes lit up and she said in fast English, "Grandfather and I watched it all the time when I was little! The Pararakelse channels get it! What season are you at?"

Turning the words inside and out for a moment, Shinobu said, "Season three. I watch 1969."

"Oh goodness! I saw that today!"

Keitaro, the least literate of the group leaned over and asked Negi, "Is it me or are they fangirling about Stargate?"

"They are," chorused Kamo, Negi and Sarah. Seta laughed and the turtles Myuhed or Myahed.

"Notice turtlese look Gou'ald?" asked Shinobu and Nyamo smiled and giggled.

"Ah, here we go," said Seta as the room was suddenly filled with sunlight. The crystal began to glitter and he called out, "Girls, please step away from your Stargate first," and then repeated it for Nyamo's sake. Then turning to Negi and Asuna he said, "Negi, you have to power Asuna with your contract and then Asuna you must break it."

"All right," said Negi. "Ready Asuna-san?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Asuna as her harisen appeared in her hands.

After getting clear, Negi held up a hand. "Activate the contract for Kakurazaki Asuna for twenty seconds!"

Asuna felt the power burst all around her. Ignoring the tickling sensation, she wound up and smashed the sun crystal. The crystal faceted, flaked out and then burst with a brilliant explosion of light.

"Where... am I?" wondered Asuna as she opened her eyes to the sound of a crackling fire. Surprisingly, she was sitting up and it was as if she had blinked for a moment. Then she took a stock of her surroundings as her head seemingly turned of its own violation. There sitting around the fire was a group of men and women, some of them unfamiliar, some recognizable. And the brown haired man in the middle that she sat close to was... who was he again?

"Hahahaha! I thought we were done for back there!" Laughed Nagi Springfield as the small group sat around the campfire. "At least we have good food, right?"


"Nagi you're a putz," said a blonde woman with a deadpan expression. "Sure we can sneak by them. No really, it's perfectly safe, Ogres have bad eyesight! Jerk."

"Hahaha, Tara, you're too hard on Nagi, don't you think?" Laughed Seta from the other side of the campfire.

"He deserved it," snapped Tara. Asuna realized with a start that the lovely woman was indeed Sarah's mother. And Takamichi-sensei and Seta-san and Haruka-san were here too. Which meant that the Nagi she sat next to was Negi's father.

"Maaa, can't we all get along?" Protested Nagi. "Takamichi, help me out here!"

"Oh no, I'm not pulling your ass out of the fire again, Nagi," said Takamichi. Not for the first time, Asuna marveled at how hot he was.

"Gaaaah. Anyone?"

Haruka lit her cigarette. "Look we have a day till we get back to friendly territory. Can we NOT bother with trivial manners such as arguing?"

"I think she's upset," stage whispered the large man who sat behind Nagi. Nagi grinned at him for a moment.

"True. Once you get Haruka-san mad at you, nothing can save you!" Pointed out Nagi and Eishun laughed from the other side. Another dark haired man cracked a small smile. Asuna thought he was handsome in a bishonen type of manner.

Haruka snorted. "Men, all pigs. Say, Nagi, one of those girls out there claimed you were the father of her kid. So?"

Nagi rolled her eyes. "If the rumors were true, I'd be making kids since I was five."

"..." Offered a small blonde haired girl and Asuna looked at her. Asuna nearly jumped out of her skin as she recognized the vampire, Evangeline sitting there.

"Aw Eva-chan, don't be like that," said Nagi with a grin and he ruffled her hair. "I'll be your husband when you grow up."

Evangeline merely produced a half-smile as she scootched over closer to the fire. Iiiinteresting, thought Asuna with a smile she couldn't produce.

"It's getting late," said a man dressed in a casual suit. "Say Takamichi, want to take the first watch?"

"Me? Get Nagi to do it. He obviously has the stamina to still run in terror!"

"There's no problems then, we'll just Janken for it!"

"Right, but none of that baseball Janken crap," snorted Nagi as he rolled up his sleeves. "I don't feel like losing my clothing. AGAIN."

"One, two, three, shoot!"

Asuna found her little fingers throwing out scissors and Nagi threw up his arms in frustration. "Aaaaw, she threw out scissors again!"

"Tough! All right, which one do you want to take first watch?"

"... Nagi."

"HA! SUCKER!" barked Takamichi and the group laughed. Before Asuna could utter anything, the dark haired handsome man who sat near the fire nodded, smiled and tapped his fingers while holding up his own two fingers in the shape of a V.