Disclaimer: The following story is a fan made work of fiction. Fairy Tail and Mahou Sensei Negima! are owned and written by Hiro Mashima and Ken Akamatsu respectively. Please support their official releases.

Chapter 12

Moving Forward

The pain in his body hit Natsu like one of Makarov's fists when he woke up. Throbbing pulses of misery that turned into red hot lances of agony the instant he tried to move his head. The agony turned back into the dull pulses of misery when he stopped.

Pain was an old friend of his and he knew how to handle it. Most of the time it could be ignored or pushed to the side, but every once in awhile the only thing one could do was suffer through it. The last time he had felt that bad was after his battle with Laxus. The lightning dragon-slayer's power had burnt his flesh and pounded his bones, and his body had been twitchy from the left over electrical discharge for an entire week.

Just like then, Natsu could feel that his entire body had been swathed in bandages. The fire dragon-slayer could not do more than look up at a ceiling, but he could feel the bandages covering his body. Someone must have undressed him because the blasted things covered him from head to toe.

It was times like this that really made him miss Wendy. Natsu's fellow dragon-slayer would have had him up and back on his feet in under a day. Sure she would have complained at him for being too reckless, or have cursed under her breadth at his opponents for hurting Natsu so much, but the male dragon-slayer rather enjoyed their interactions. Wendy was more than just a great healer. She was his friend, and having her by his side would have made any wound feel better even without her amazing healing ability.

Instead of the girl's cute face and bubbly charm, Natsu was stuck with stupid Gray. And no one wanted Gray as a nurse. The other man was dumb, unsociable, and the worst pervert to ever exist.

Now, a nurse Lucy at his bedside in one of her hot cosplay outfits? Hell yeah! Count Natsu in for that. Happy or Carla, with their loving and, if slightly offsetting, caring nature's? Sure, why not. There were worse things in the world.

Heck, Natsu would even take Erza walking into the room and smashing his injured body against her armored chest over the ice mage's presence. Something which had happened more than once in his life and had never been all that helpful to the healing process. And if that thought was not a sign of desperation then Natsu was not sure what else could qualify. Because the moment it ran through his head, it brought him back to the one thing that Natsu was desperately trying to avoid. The gaping sense of disappointment and loss that had been the second thing he had felt upon waking up after his defeat.

He may not have been able to move his head to look around the room, but his sense of smell was working just fine. It had picked up Gray's presence, and judging by the scent's strength the dark-haired man must have been seated in a chair close to Natsu's bed.

For all of Gray's faults, and for all that Natsu liked to insult the man at any given opportunity, the ice mage was one of Natsu's cherished comrades. Waking up after losing a fight to avenge Gray, and knowing that he must have stayed by Natsu's side as long as the dragon-slayer had been unconscious, caused Natsu more pain than any wound.

Every time in the past, with just one single exception, Natsu had been able to protect his comrades. When Phantom Lord had attacked the guild and kidnapped Lucy, Natsu had been able to rescue her. Erza had been taken by Jellal to the Tower of Heaven, Natsu had beaten some sense into the other man and rescued her too. When Wendy's old guild had been attacked, Natsu had helped her stop the Oracion Seis and fulfill her guild's millennia long goal. Natsu had even helped Gray put to rest the ghosts of his past of Galuna Island, stopping the ice mage from throwing away his life and leaving his friends behind.

But this time Natsu had come up short. His adversary may have spared his life but there was no sugarcoating his defeat. Natsu had not been strong enough to avenge his friend's torment, and the knowledge of all that it entailed burned within his chest with a harsher pain than all of his physical injuries combined.

For a long while the dragon-slayer kept quite, letting the anger he felt over his loss flow through him. He poured over his memories of the battle, analyzing his opponent's abilities and trying to see what he could have done better. Natsu would need to learn from his defeat in order to beat her in the future. The only thing was that he had no idea how he could do it.

Evangeline – Eva, he corrected himself – had been a tough opponent. The vampire was certainly the strongest adversary he had ever come across, and he was certain that she had yet to display her full strength. The tiny woman had toyed with him throughout the fight, always having the upper edge in their battle. It had taken every skill in his arsenal, on top of an additional power boost whose origin still confused him, just to get a peak at the power she could command. One spell later and he was down for the count, beaten with barely any chance to resist.

Add on her ability to fly, teleport, and display a wide range of skills, and the woman was impossible to see through. Unlike Gildarts or Laxus, Eva did not rely on one type of magic. She was an ice mage first and foremost but she was not limited to it. She could also use dark magic, energy manipulation magic, doll magic, and who knew what other types at a high enough level to make mages who had specialized in those fields back in Fiore go green with envy.

Perhaps it was to be expected. While Eva might appear to be a little girl, she was a centuries old vampire. Nor was she was not some sort of immortal watcher who let events go by while she sat on the sidelines. Not in the slightest. If Natsu's gut instinct was right, then Eva must have been rather active in the past. The powers that she had and the battle prowess she had displayed could only have been achieved through years of brutal training coupled culminating in unrelenting combat.

In short, Eva was the real deal. She was a creature of legend. One powerful enough to stand up to Natsu's draconic powers and come out on top. And a being whose breadth of knowledge and experience utterly dwarfed his own.

None of which did anything to make Natsu feel any better about his loss. He was the son of Igneel. Igneel, the Fire Dragon King. And Igneel had taught Natsu to never let go of a defeat. That every defeat was a new beginning, and that the road to victory would only begin once the lessons of his defeat had been learned and corrected.

Natsu closed his eyes again, finally feeling better after remembering his father's advice. His body needed time to heal before he could do anything. And as much as it hurt his pride to rely upon Gray, Natsu knew that his friend would guard him until he was able to move around again. It was a debt that Natsu swore that he would one day repay as he drifted off into dreams of sexy nurses.

One day later found the mages in the amphitheater yet again. The tension in the air was noticeably different, as the two hotheads from the previous day had cooled off after their fight. Gray glowered as he looked at Eva's pleased expression before grunting and turning to look at his friend.

Seated to his right on a newly repaired stone bench, the dragon-slayer currently resembled something closer to a mummy than a normal human being. The most Gray could see of the other man's actual body were his eyes and a single tuft of pink hair that stuck through at the top. Natsu looked more like a child's idea of first aid gone wrong than an actual patient. On nearly any other day, Gray would have found it pretty funny. It was a shame that the image was spoiled by the knowledge that Natsu had fought the vampire for Gray's sake only to have the living daylights beaten out of him.

The outcome of that fight had forced Gray to reassess things. He was used to being one of the big dogs back in Fiore. A mage that, while not the strongest, close to that top tier of elite powerhouses. And he had a right to feel that way. Because when he combined his brain with Ur's magic there were only a few mages that were completely out of his weight class. Only monsters like Erza and Gildarts, or that old freak Warrod, belonged in that category.

Sure there was a separate category for those like Zeref and Acnologia as well but that was a separate matter entirely. Those two were freaks beyond freaks. Powerhouses who had lived for centuries and who stood at a level which could not be reached through normal methods.

What the fight between Eva and Natsu had truly shown Gray was that in this new world there were people who could kick their butts with a flip of their hand. Because in just one city they had discovered someone who could thrash both of them and come out unscathed. Someone who, if the circumstances had been different, might have killed them without batting an eye.

Bruised ego aside, it was a stark difference to that time in Edolas. In that universe Gray and the others had been able to run wild. Only a handful of people had been able to put up even a minor level of resistance to them. And once those individuals had been defeated the rest had been a cakewal.

That was not the case this time around. Between Eva kicking their asses and the restrictions placed upon magic in this world, Gray had a sinking feeling that they had entered some dangerous waters. And after talking with Takamichi after Natsu had gotten medical attention, Gray's feeling had only gotten worse.

The big man had told him that while the vampire certainly stood at the top of this world in terms of power and skill, there were others out there who could be placed on her level. And that the level she had displayed during the battle was even more common.

That statement had smashed apart what little remained of Gray's bruised ego. If he and Natsu wanted to have any hope at reuniting with their friends, then the the two of them were going to have to change things up. They would have to think smarter and grow stronger, all while making new allies in order to defeat whatever new enemies showed up. Because with their usual level of luck Gray and the rest were bound to encounter a villain or three along the way.

All of which would need to be done while searching not just one but two unknown worlds for their missing companions. Worlds that were filled with millions of people and dozens of countries, all with their own opinions and agendas. Thinking about what it was going to take to accomplish their goals was enough to make Gray wince.

But for the sake of their comrades it would be done. Because they were Fairy Tail, and Fairy Tail mages never gave up on their comrades.

Gray closed his eyes and shaped the resolve in his heart until it was firm. They might not be the strongest in this world, but they would accomplish their mission no matter what. Gray stood up and addressed the group.

"Let's get things over with quickly today," he said in a determined tone. "I'm not one for ceremony, and the sooner this meeting is over the sooner we can start doing what needs to be done. The reason why Natsu and I called for this meeting yesterday was to let the rest of you know what the two of us came up with. We're not sure what you all discussed once we had left, but we had some ideas that could probably fit in with whatever you came up with."

He gave a lidded glance around the room. The vampire was floating in mid-air with both eyes closed, her smirk having faded to a faint curve of her lips. Clearly the creature did not find his words to be of any importance. That was more than alright with Gray as it would hopefully mean that the creature was less likely to speak.

Meanwhile, Negi and Takamichi seemed to be paying attention to his words. Time would tell if it was out of courtesy or sincerity.

Then there was the orange-haired girl who had been introduced to Gray as Asuna. She was paying rapt attention to him but was not one of the decision makers. He would reserve his judgment on her until they had a few more interactions with one another.

Clearing his throat, Gray continued to speak. "While we came up with a number of ideas that we can go over in more depth, they all boil down to a single course of action. Basically, we want to split up in order to cover more ground. One of us would stay in Mahora, as it is apparently a place with a good number of magic users as well as being your own apparent base of operations. Meanwhile, the other would journey throughout the rest of your world and also explore this Magic Mundus place in the hopes of finding our missing comrades."

He paused to clear his throat again. Speaking in front of a group like this was really not his thing. "Now, if possible we would like to have Natsu be the one to stay here to make Mahora a base of operations, as well as to make it a contact point if any of our friends learn that we are searching for them. That would leave me free to travel and explore while enabling us to keep in touch with one another."

At this statement Natsu crossed his bandaged arms and gave an audible huff. The pink-haired man somehow managed to express an annoyed pout even though the only thing that could be seen of him were his eyes. Gray shot him a wry smile that only caused Natsu's pout to deepen. The man might hate taking such a passive role in things, but they needed to adapt to the situation as best they could if they were to find their friends without starting some kind of world wide war between those with magic and those without it.

"It took us awhile to iron out who would be going where – you probably heard the two of us, uh, arguing with each other two nights ago – but we eventually came to an agreement. While Natsu has a lot of the skills needed to find someone out in the wild, he's really not the most suited to pursuing an investigation of this nature. I have a little more patience when it comes to speaking with people, and unlike flame-brain here I know how to grease the wheels of people and institutions if it suits my purpose."

All of which was true. But the main reason was that although Natsu was far more experienced in tracking down rumors to find someone, courtesy of his lifelong search for Igneel, Natsu's methods could not be used in this new world. The dragon-slayer had gained his skills in a world where magic could be used openly and was far too flashy to remain hidden in a world where magic was kept apart from those who were unable to use it.

"If possible, I would like to start by going to this magical mundus place that you mentioned to us. You can drop me off there alone or have someone accompany me. Either way is fine with me, because unless you've received or begin to receive word of a magic user running rampant, then that's the most likely place to find our friends." Gray jerked a thumb at Natsu and himself. "We don't really do subtle very well, and one of our missing companions is even worse. The only place where we wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb would be a place where we could use magic openly, and the only place that seems to be possible would be in this Mundus place." He paused before tacking one one additional thought. "But, if something happened and one of us were to be placed into this world, then my magic is less flashy than that of flame-brain over here. And while it would suck, I would try to keep your weird rules in mind while traveling in the open."

Gray paused to take a breath after finishing his speech. He wasn't used to given long speeches like that unless it was punctuated with a fist, but desperate times called for desperate measures. "That's about it. Now, what do you all think?"

The response came faster than he was expecting.

"I think that is a great idea Mr. Gray! We were thinking along the same lines after you and Mr. Natsu left us. The only issue we had was trying to figure out who should go and who should stay, but it seems that you have managed to solve that issue on your own."

Negi had almost bounced out of his seat as he answered and Gray found it hard to believe the kid. It could not be that easy.

"Seriously?" He asked. "That's it? You're not worried about me going off on my own, or in keeping Natsu here under control?"

"In regards to your first question, Mr. Fullbuster, you would be accompanying myself when you go to Magic Mundus." Takamichi answered in a slow and deliberate tone of voice. "I'm rather connected when it comes to searching out hard to find people in that world and could be of use to you in finding your companions. You would be welcome to go your own way, but I think that we could make an effective pair once we get to know one another."

"Yes! I think that Takamichi is right, Mr. Gray. He is an amazing person and could really help you." Negi's head bobbed as he spoke. "Besides, it's always better to be with someone else rather than being all alone. If you end up needing help to find or save one of your friends, then there is no one better to have with you than my old friend Takamichi."

The ice user pondered their words. It almost felt too good to be true, especially Negi's phrasing of 'old friend.' Unless he was another vampire like Eva then the kid could not have been more than ten or twelve!

Yet if they were sincere in their offering, then Gray would be happy to take advantage of it. Heck, he would take advantage of it even if they were being insincere. He was not in a position to refuse things.

"Alright. Let's do it like that," Gray said resolutely. "I'll head off with Takamichi and start looking for our friends while the flame-brain stays here and handles the fort. And speaking of that, I noticed that you still didn't answer my question about keeping Natsu under control."

At this statement, Negi and Takamichi looked at each other sheepishly before turning to Eva. Gray's stomach began to drop, while a twisted smile started to tug at the corner of his mouth.

It could not be what he was thinking. They could not be so cruel.

Could they?

"Hmph! You do not need to worry about the baby hatching while you are away, moron. He will be in my care, and I have already demonstrated the gulf in ability that lies between us. Besides, I am not one to allow freeloaders and plan to work him to the bone during his stay." The vampire gave a yawn as she continued to nap in mid-air. "The fool also owes me two hell tickets already. I am curious to see if he will exceed that amount."

Okay, so apparently Negi and Takamichi were that cruel and Natsu would be spending most of his time in Mahora with the deranged vampire. A personality trait would be well to keep in mind. Gray gave a shudder at the thought and looked to the side. Natsu's single visible eye had narrowed on the vampire, but Gray knew him well enough that he could tell that Natsu was actually pleased by this development.

If he had not already known it to be the case, then this would have made Gray think that Natsu really was a glutton for punishment. Instead, the flame-brain's attitude that screamed 'bring it on' was enough to make Gray sigh in aggravation.

While he would not have accepted the deal in Natsu's place, the ice mage chose not to object since Natsu seemed to accepting it. Gray could only hope that Natsu was able to survive whatever future blowups would inevitably happen between the dragon-slayer and the vampire. If he did not, then Gray knew who to kill. Natsu had made this bed and would get to lay in it. Something that Gray knew from personal experience to be a one-way street to pain and misery.

Evangeline watched a single half-closed eye as the young ice user talked to Takamichi in earnest. After the short little meeting had ended the two men had moved into a corner to discuss their future plans. From the sounds of things they would be wasting little time and would depart the moment they left her abode.

Such was acceptable to the vampiric mage. Evangeline had what she wanted – a living example of this strange magic under her control and available for testing – and had no need for a spare. Maybe it would be of use to compare the two in the future should her theories require it, but it was not needed for the time being. She would be content with the pink-haired idiot and leave the other one in Takamichi's capable hands until the time came that such was no longer a desirable outcome.

Thinking of the dragon-slayer, however, made the vampire turn her head to hide a quick grimace. The two strangers were certainly skilled mages. She could freely admit that she had been impressed by Gray's abilities. They had been enough to pique her interest after all, and were very commendable for his young age.

But Natsu had been something else entirely.

The young man was strong. Strong enough enough that he was able to catch her off-guard during a fight. Strong enough that she would need to be careful whenever they were in proximity to one another outside of the diorama. Strong enough that it was possible for his latent potential to rival even that of the boya. And that realization was something she had not expected to encounter for a very long time and somewhat displeased her.

Being trapped in this place for the better part of a decade had begun to dull her wits. During her fight the Springfield brat, Evangeline had let herself grow cocky and had taken it easy on the boy. The fact that the child had been able to best her even under such circumstances had shocked her back to wakefulness. It had enabled her to focus on something more than just the mundane minutia of everyday life, and brought back an excitement that had been missing.

Yet it was not enough. In the old days, she would have been able to determine the flame wielder's potential at a glance. It would not have taken an ego bruising battle with the raving moron to reveal what should have been blatantly obvious.

But between Negi and Natsu's stimulation, Evangeline found herself awakening once again. She missed the parry and thrust of a sharp discussion or the brutal simplicity of an all out brawl. She missed playing with the lives of others and watching them struggle in her grasp. Most of all, Eva had missed being relevant.

Evangeline had been a fixture of the magical world for centuries. Hated and feared, she had leveled cities in her wrath and been pursued by bounty hunters out for her head. Hers was an existence which could not be denied, nor one that could be ignored should she wish it. Such had been true even during the last century when she had taken to wandering.

But it had all changed when the blasted Thousand Master had trapped her. Bound by his spell, she could not her own power. The power she had earned through blood, sweat, and tears. Her own freedom was restricted. Never could she wander to some corner of the globe on a whim, nor travel between worlds in search of some new and intriguing idea.

The great vampiric mage who terrified the world had been reduced to attending school like a good little girl. To listening as prepubescent girls cooed over the latest heartthrob or gossiped over what someone else had done. The creation of Chachamaru was the only light within that dark hole, but it had not enough to sustain her.

Everything about Mahora had been torture for the vampire. It had dulled her wits nearly broken her spirit. And it would have, if given enough time.

Then Negi had appeared. The boy had brought with him that amusing Asuna girl and opened Eva's eyes. Together, the young duo had raised her hopes and made her feel alive for the first time in a decade.

Now came these two magic users from another world. Both of whom wielded magic that was unlike anything she had ever seen. Both talented for their age, with one being strong enough to force her to take him seriously, even if only for a moment.

Between them all, Evangeline felt that she was once again in the eye of a storm. She could feel the potential conflict as it brewed around them. That the touch of Destiny, absent for so long, had returned to lay its hands on her shoulders.

And the vampire reveled in it! For in spite of the Thousand Masters thrice dammed curse, in spite of the horror that was Mahora Academy, Evangeline the Dark was still relevant!

A soft chuckle escaped her lips. She basked in the delicious feeling for a moment before she tamped down her emotions. There would be time in the future, when in private, to indulge in such feelings. But that would come later. Business must come before pleasure.

With the dragon-slayer safely under her thumb, Evangeline would need to step up Negi's development. The boy was a mass of potential just waiting to be unearthed. If she could do it, then not only would the child be grateful to her and free her from his father's spell, but it was possible that the boy could also grow into a strong and useful ally in the future.

How fun would it be to take the Thousand Master's child and twist the boy to her own purposes? The mere thought suffused Evangeline with a warm feeling of pleasure. And while it was certainly a gamble, Evangeline had been on a lucky streak as of late.

It was time to see if the children would make a deal with the devil.

"Boya. Kagurazaki. Come here for a moment. There is something we need to discuss."

Curious as to why the ancient vampire had summoned them, Negi and Asuna had walked over to where Evangeline lay floating in the air. Only to find himself immediately at a loss for words.

"Each of you has a glaring weakness. And until you learn what it is and start to work on it, both of you will continue to be a danger to yourself and to those around you."

Negi felt his heart stop at Evangeline's words. He did not know how to respond, as the mere idea that he was placing those around him in danger filled his mind with a thousand and one terrible scenarios. Thankfully, he was not the only one being addressed.

"What do you mean that we have a weakness?" Asuna yelled. A bright red flush, deeper than Asakura's hair color, began to suffuse her face and neck. "Let alone that we are or ever would be a danger to our friends. In case you've forgotten, we managed to kick your butt and save Konoka from being sacrificed. We've done pretty well for only having known each other for a few weeks."

"Yes, yes. Spare me the teenage drama, Kagurazaki. You and the boya have done a remarkable job considering the circumstances, but it does not change the truth of my words. Both of you has a weakness that could end up killing you. Should you fail to address either one, then the chances of you or someone you know dying begin to go up significantly."

"Uh huh. Well, if you think that you are right little miss 'I'm an ancient fearsome vampire', then why don't you tell us what those weakness are and we will tell you if we agree with your assessment. Sound fair?"

Evangeline barked a laugh at Asuna's words. "Fine. Then I will lay it out clearly. You," she said, gesturing towards Asuna as she spoke, "have no control over your own power. Without that fan in your hands, you have nothing. Your ability to cancel magic and be useful in a fight would fly out of the window right at that moment, causing you to either die soon after or become a burden on anyone fighting at your side."

The vampire pointed at Negi. "And you, boya, are even worse! You desire power and chase after your father's shadow, but you have no idea on how to get there. You keep involving more and more people in your attempts to succeed, and sooner or later you will run into a situation where you will be unable to protect them. It is like watching a drunken bull struggle to make its way through a pottery shop. Some of them will be weak, or have abilities suited to being a support type character rather than an assault type like Asuna or Setsuna. And unless you reign yourself in and find a path to the sort of power you are chasing, it is not just a mere possibly that one of them could get hurt. No. It is a certainty, and one where death is more likely to occur than a slap on the wrist."

Negi felt his stopped heart begin to break as Evangeline spoke. He wanted to deny her words. He wanted to say how wrong she was, or how he and Asuna would improve with time. But he could not get the words out of his mouth.

Because Evangeline was right.

When Asuna had begun to speak, Negi had allowed himself to be buoyed by her words. The two of them had made for an incredible team. With her ability to cancel magic and jump into a melee role coupled with his own ability to cast powerful spells from a distance, the two were almost a textbook pair for a Magister and a Ministra. Together they had managed to beat a centuries old vampire, an Eastern sorceress and her strange creations, and stop the plans of the mysterious Fate. They had even met two amazing magi who had traveled across dimensions!

But at the end of the day Evangeline was right. The more incredible people they found, like Natsu and Gray and Setsuna, the further away his father felt. Negi was not even close to catching up to him. The boy had no standard with which to measure himself against, nor anyone to guide him on a path towards greater power. In his attempts to reach his goal, he was fumbling in the dark instead of racing along a path.

And the entire situation frustrated him to no end. It left him feeling weak and powerless, as if his ten years of life had not amounted to anything. Oh certainly, some might say that ten years was hardly enough time to even start on the path to achieving something, or that he was expecting too much of himself. Many of his fellows back at the magical academy had told him as much. But although he was not one to look down on others, Negi had higher standards for himself than he would easily admit.

His father was the Thousand Master. The man who had mastered over a thousand spells. The hero who had saved the world and been granted the title of Magister Magi. A once in a hundred years genius who towered over his entire generation. If Negi did not hold himself to that higher standard, then he would never catch up to his father. Negi would forever be chasing his shadow, unable to catch the man's back or walk alongside him.

That would not do. Negi could not accept such an outcome. He had made a vow to reach the place where his father stood and amazing people like Asuna and Setsuna had promised to help him achieve it. Negi would not allow his hard work or their support to be wasted.

Then a thought occurred to him. One that he had been considering, but had been to scared to bring up.

Negi looked to his side. Asuna's face was filled with the fury of a thunderstorm as she continued to argue with Evangeline, but Negi could tell that she too knew that Evangeline was right. Otherwise the orange-haired girl would have silently ignored the vampire's words and resolutely chosen to move forward. Asuna's determination was one of the qualities that Negi admired most about her.

Taking a page from her book, Negi firmed his own resolve. If nothing was ventured, then nothing would ever be accomplished.

It was time to take a risk.

"You are right, Evangeline. Asuna and I have accomplished a lot, but we need help to improve. We need someone to guide us as we figure out our paths. Someone who is strong, smart, and skilled as both a mage and a fight."

Negi took a deep breath. Now he was committed. Next would be the moment of truth, and possibly decide the course of his life and that of his partner..

"Would you teach us how to become stronger?"

Sitting in a corner, bandaged and alone, the only resident dragon-slayer huffed as he watched everyone move around and talk. Sitting here quietly, unable to talk or move around freely, was nearly as painful as the wounds littering his body. Natsu was bored. And he hated being bored.

He wanted to get up and join them. Maybe insult Gray and Eva a little bit, or try to wipe the depressed look off of Negi's face. The pain on the kid's face brought to mind Natsu's own painful childhood. It was a look that no child should have to wear before they were an adult, and it resonated with the dragon-slayer.

Natsu gave another huff of annoyance at his inability to do anything about it. Then he winced. Which in turn led to a groan as a chain reaction of pain shot through his entire body.

By all the spirits, but when that vampire got hot under the skin she really knew how to hurt someone.

Even an entire day and multiple healing potions fed to him by the vampire's dolls had not been enough to heal his body. His muscles burned from being pushed too far. Bruises covered every part of skin that wasn't scabbed or burning from a lingering magical chill, and penetrated deep into his chest and stomach as well.

Even his throat felt off. When Natsu had tried to summon a tiny bit of fire to burn a hole in the bandages covering his mouth, nothing had happened. Nothing other than a pathetically small cloud of smoke that had caused the vampire to laugh in his face.

She had even been bold enough to pat him on his head and call him a 'promising hatchling' that she would help learn to fly. Natsu had tried to throw his body at the irritating woman, only to fall over and roll around the floor in agony. The laughing vampire had stepped over his body without so much as a look backwards.

Bah! That was just adding insult to injury. Natsu Dragneel had all he needed to grow stronger without her help. In fact, he would even ask Gray to help him grow stronger before he asked her.

Never and nohow would it ever come to be. Of that the dragon-slayer was certain.

Still, the fact remained that she had beaten him, and now he would need to abide by the terms of their challenge – obedience to her will and wishes while in her domain – or else be punished. All while Natsu stayed with her for an indeterminate amount of time that could stretch into weeks, or months, or even years.

He could already tell that it was going to suck and that there was little chance he would end up following her wishes to the letter. Because while he would definitely be giving her the respect she was due – the woman was probably stronger than Erza, Laxus, and Guildarts combined – the vampire had another thing coming if she expected Natsu to turn into some docile lapdog. He would listen to her, but if she pushed him too far or ticked him off again then he would be more than happy to go for round two.

Natsu Dragneel did not know the meaning of giving up. Someday he would surpass her. And once that day came, he would see how much she enjoyed being wrapped in bandages!

Finally happy at last, Natsu chuckled as softly as he could. With his body out of action for at least a few more days he could continue planning his training regimen. He would need to step things up, and there were two possible directions he had considered while he had been stuck lying in bed.

The question was which path should he choose first. Should he master the power of his dual-dragon slayer mode? It was a potent power that came with a side effect that Natsu could no longer ignore. Or would he be better off trying to harness the remnant energy he could feel that Igneel had left within his body?

Meanwhile, in a far away place, a small blue-furred cat sneezed to himself. He took one paw off of the fishing rod in his grasp to wipe his nose. "Natsu has gotten himself involved in something stupid again. I can feel it in my fur." A sad expression crossed his face for moment. Then he perked back up. "Well, I'm sure that he'll be okay. I'll make sure to bring him plenty of fish when I see them again."

A burning, passionate look entered his eyes as he raised a clenched paw into the air. "Then we'll find everyone else and find a way to go back home too. Because Natsu and Happy are the greatest team ever!"

His passion overflowing, Happy silently vowed that nothing would get in his way. Still, searching for his pink-haired dragon-slayer would take time and resources. It would probably mean a long journey as well. All of which meant that he would need to get plenty of fish stored away before he undertook the trip.

The cat turned to the massive man standing beside him, wielding a fishing pole so large that it looked to have been made for an elephant. It was more than a little over sized for the moderately sized pond the two were using to fish. "Ne ne, we really need to start catching some fish before we head back out again, and I don't think that you're using the right pole to catch anything in this pond. It's a little too big."

Silence greeted Happy's words and caused the intelligent cat to scowl. Had the big man fallen asleep on him again? He was the worst! "Hey, are you listening to me?"

The big man still did not reply.

Happy shot a deadpan look at the giant man's still body. "You know, I don't think that you're very good at fishing."

"Ha! I have no weaknesses. Not in fighting, not in loving, and definitely not in fishing. Watch and learn little cat man, and be ready to be amazed!"

The man reached down with one giant hand and patted Happy on the head as he spoke. The hand was probably twice the size of the cat's entire body and rippled with muscles. It promptly flung him to the ground the instant it made contact with his body.

He grumbled to himself as the hand continued to slap his back in evident ignorance. "Why did I have to find someone as stupid as Natsu? Why am I cursed this way?"

The pats continued.

"Caaaarrrllllaaaaaaa! Where are youuuuuuuuuu?"

Carla sneezed as a shiver coursed down her spine. It curdled her toes in a decidedly familiar manner, and caused the white furred feline to to jump out of her chair in shock and excitement. "It's him! The Tom-cat is still alive! That means Wendy and the others must be okay as well!"

"Hey! You in the back, quiet down! Some of us are trying to take notes." The glares of her fellow students reminded Carla of her current location. Even the professor was looking in her direction with a single raised eyebrow.

The Exceed's white fur rippled as she flushed in embarrassment. Coming to this new world had turned into an incredible opportunity for her, as she had finally begun to master her powers of foresight, but she still had a long way to go before she became a true mage.

Carla bowed her head towards her classmates in apology. "Ah, I am sorry everyone. Please pay me no mind. I lost control and my powers activated for a moment."

The professor nodded. "I could sense it. There is no need to be embarrassed, Carla. Your powers of divination are the strongest we have seen in at least two centuries. A lack of control at this stage of learning is only to be expected."

With the matter settled to his satisfaction, the professor turned his back to her and continued to draw his sketch upon the blackboard. Carla sank into her chair as far as her tiny body allowed. The professor's words washed over her as he returned to his lecture.

"Now class, pay close attention to the structure I am drawing upon the board. Fizban's fifth rule of divination clearly states that there are only three way for mages to receive ordered visions. As you can see by the drawing I have just completed I have detailed the method known as spirit binding. Open your books to page sixty-seven and read along as I explain its component parts."

The sound of moving paper ruffled throughout the classroom as students dutifully followed his words. Carla would get the notes from her classmates sometime after class ended. Morning lessons on magical divination could wait. At that moment, they meant as much to her as one of the snowflakes drifting outside the classroom's window.

All she could think of was a silly blue cat and the friends she had thought lost forever. Friends she would see again, even if she had to cross the entire world on her own two feet.

END

A/N: Phew. Well, I honestly did not expect this chapter to take so long to post. I had already edited it months ago, but when I came back to take one last look at it before posting... well, I found myself hating it. The flow was off, the characters were one dimensional, and the character viewpoint I was using did not match the tone that I was trying to set. Suffice to say that I took an axe to it (after I had already axed its previous incarnation) and rewrote half of it.

In the middle of all this three other things happened to throw my writing off completely. 1) A family altercation that involved visits from the police. Twice, 2) A flooded garage due to a burst pipe in the wall, and 3) A fire in the house's circuit box caused by the industrial strength heaters brought in by the insurance company to deal with the flood damage. Throw in moving vast amounts of crap in the garage, some more family drama, and the result is no writing done throughout the entire month of January. This has in turn pushed back my new chapters, so my entire time schedule has been redrawn.

Being a kid was not always easy but being an adult can just plain suck at times lol.

Now, on to the comments!

Evangeline, Negi, and Asuna: This is one of my first big AU changes to Negima. In Negima canon, Negi's attempt to ask the vampire to be his teacher was filled with youthful indecision and a near pathological fear of rejection. Each of which was a recurring theme with the kid throughout the entire manga. And although it makes sense considering his lack of a stable family unit growing up (coupled by the demon attack on his village), I will not be exploring this theme in the same way.

Asuna also had to basically force herself into the picture in canon as Negi (despite acknowledging her as his battle partner) did not want to see her placed in danger. In my fic, Evangeline's slightly changed outlook on life – plus the changes caused by Fairy Tail's most irate duo – have caused the process to speed up. The vampire put the kid on the spot and I had Negi step up to the plate and hit a ground rule double into the stands. I did not go for a home run on purpose because this is not a perfect/godlike Negi fic. He and Asuna are going to be getting stronger and faster than they did in canon, which will in turn cause other people and events to change as well.

After all, I can't just have the FT crew taking things over completely. That would be a different fic and require them to all become either overpowered or godlike. Neither of which I usually enjoy in a story unless it is paired with amazing characterization. Or romance, because I'm one an absolute sucker for a great romance fic.

Natsu: He is angry right now. In fact, the man is downright livid. But as is the norm with Natsu he will consume that anger and turn it into fuel. Everyone's favorite dragon-slayer is only just beginning his conflict with Eva. It will be much like his desire to fight and surpass people such as Erza and Gildarts in the manga. It's something that worked to great effect in canon FT and, seeing no need to rework that particular wheel, I decided to keep it intact.

Only unlike his relationship with the aforementioned characters, this one will have an added edge to it. Because not only do Natsu and Eva not share the bond of FT, the ancient vampire will also have no qualms about hitting him with low blows that good friends would hold back from throwing. It's not a relationship that Natsu was ever shown to have in canon, so I am definitely going to enjoy seeing how it turns out for him.

Gray: He is now going to be going off screen with Takamichi for a bit. The two of them will make an appearance or 3 in this arc (I'm not going to just dump the poor guy) but the focus will be on the group in Mahora. Gray's appearances will mostly be setup for the post-Festival and Magic World arcs.

Happy: He's back, and the blue cat has apparently found a new friend that readers of Negima can probably identify. I have plans involving the two of them. Plans!

Carla: Surprise! Another Fairy appears. I'm curious as to whether or not any of you can guess her current location as it is a place in canon Negima.

Recommended Reading: This time I would like to recommend Thaumaturgic Awakening by Xylix. It is an in-progress Fate Stay Night crossover with the web comic Worm and follows FSN's 'Good' Unlimited Blade Works ending (aka, Saber lives and Shirou is in a relationship with both her and Rin). I knew nothing about Worm before I started reading this story. I quite honestly still don't know all that much about it. But it does not matter. The author is such a good writer, and tells such an engaging story, that you cannot help but be swept up by it. It is definitely a must read fic for any FSN UBW's fans.

Until Next Time,

Elsil