Disclaimer: This is a nonprofit fictional story, a FanFiction based on Ken Akamatsu's Negima. I do not own Negima, or most of the other characters included in this work, excepting where it is stated in the author's notes. It is not intended or presented for any commercial profit or personal gain; it is simply a story written for personal fulfillment and presented for public enjoyment, and as an honest homage to the fine story conceived and written by Ken Akamatsu, as well as all the other (innumerable) works that find place herein (and their authors).

Chapter Six: Star-Struck, Part One: Breaking News

The evening of the day before the start of the Festival….

"Yukari-chan!"

"Kazumi!"

The two girls embraced fiercely. They were both babbling over the top of each other….

"I'm sorry, Yukari-chan, after we didn't explain anything you went and got into this trouble, and now you're a slave and it's all my fault…."

"Kazumi, you're okay! We were so worried about you, not knowing what had happened, and I'm sorry I followed when I said I was going to trust you but you and Kenjirô-kun were just acting so strange and I…."

Both girls trailed off, took in deep breaths, and burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," Kazumi said. "I wanted to come in and see you yesterday when we arrived, but things got so hectic…."

"I heard…but Kenjirô-kun said you rescued Erika-fukukaichô…s-she was captured by the bad guys, right? Well…I mean, that's probably worse than our situation…we're slaves, but they have to treat us well, and at least we can be bought out of it…."

"That's right!" Kazumi insisted. "Kai—Kalan-san will do everything in his power to free you, just wait and see! We won't let you stay slaves!"

"I know he will…he and…Kôtarô-kun both, right?"

The two girls embraced again. The Baka Trio looked on in bemusement, but Mama clapped her hands. "All right, everyone! I know you're glad to see each other, but we're still running this business here! Better get back to work!"

"R-right," Yukari agreed, and then turned back to Kazumi. "Ah, in any case, since you're here as a guest, why don't you take a table and we'll wait on you as soon as we're able? They do serve some great things here…."

"I'd like that…if you get a break, w-we can catch up…it's been a crazy adventure all this time…."

Meanwhile, Hinagiku was finally visiting with the slaves….

"Hina-chan!" Miki and Izumi threw themselves onto their kaichô, and Riza attempted to glomp her from behind.

"Jeez, you three!" she cursed them. "What are you doing in this situation!?"

"Y-you shouldn't be like that, Hina," Miki muttered. "We've been in a terrible fix for three months now…shouldn't you be more concerned about our welfare…?"

"Obviously you're as energetic as ever, and I've heard all about how Kain-sensei has taken care of you," Hinagiku huffed. "It's clear you haven't been enjoying this…but it's all your fault, isn't it? We warned you not to come, not to follow us, that it was supremely dangerous…and who had to completely disregard that advice?" She glared around at the trio, who had the grace to look to sheepish.

"But Hina-chan, you're confused about things," Izumi giggled. "Kalan-san has been the one taking care of us! Ah, was he out looking for you? Is that where he's been all this time?"

"What are you talking about?" Hinagiku demanded. "Ka…."

Miki suddenly grabbed Hina's mouth to cover it and started dragging her away. Izumi and Riza stared in confusion as they disappeared around the corner.

"W-what's this about!?" Hinagiku demanded angrily after Miki finally released her.

Miki put a finger to her lips. "Be quiet and listen, Hina. The truth is, Izumi doesn't know that Kain and Kalan are the same person…she still thinks that Kalan is Kain's cousin, and that he's doing all this for our sake. Especially for her sake."

Hinagiku stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

Miki sighed. "Look," she explained wearily, "while playing around with those things, Kain-sensei and Kenjirô-kun took us on a couple dates in those older forms that they're using for the tournament. Naturally, because we knew nothing of magic, they pretended to be the older cousins of the boys. They went back to using them when we were all lost in this world…."

"Yes, I know that, they had to avoid detection and it is a great idea," Hinagiku interrupted. "So?"

"…Did you hear about how we became slaves?"

"Of course." When Kain had made his initial explanation, naturally Hinagiku had exploded with rage and demanded they be rescued immediately before the boy finally talked her out of it. Although Mai could now save them from the evil collars at will, stealing a million juls worth of slaves would cause too much trouble for the little band of outlaws, and now Kain had to finish what he had started. "What about it?"

"Well, since he was in disguise, Kain-as-Kalan was the one we met when he showed up to save us from our slavery, and Izumi was still rather sick at the time (and being abused by one of our fellow employees). Kalan's daring rescue is now permanently inscribed on Izumi's heart…she's depending on him. We can't break that illusion."

Hinagiku was even more confused. "What are you talking about?"

Miki sighed again. Sometimes this brilliant girl could be so dense…. "Look, Izumi had a bit of a crush on Kalan before, but after being in this horrible situation and in such poor health, his dashing arrival made him become her knight in shining armor and she fell completely head-over-heels for him. She is desperately in love with Kalan and believes the man himself, not her teacher, has come to save her."

Hinagiku stared. "Izumi is in love with Kain…no, 'Kalan'? So why don't you just tell her the truth?"

"We can't do that!" Miki insisted dramatically, but still very quietly. "Izumi is still in pretty dire straits, you know. It would be the shock of her life! The death of her hopes and dreams! If Izumi learns that her hero is a fake, she might just drop dead right there! We have to keep up the charade about the two people around her as long as possible!"

"I-it's that serious?" Hinagiku muttered in shock. "I-I see…this doesn't feel right, not at all…but if you're certain."

"Absolutley, Hina," Miki confirmed, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Incidentally, we are deeply touched as well that you've come here to save us. Once more we are in your care…."

"Enough of that!" Hinagiku sighed stomping back to the group. "I hope this 'slavery' has taught you all the value of hard work and diligence," she continued, stomping back up to the other pair.

"Oh, it has," Riza agreed, her eye sparkling with knowledge as she gave Hina a thumbs-up. "We now know the true joy of idleness. As soon as we get back home to Mahora, we're going to spend every day skipping school and sleeping in late just because we can…."

"That's not what you should be learning!"

"What were you and Hina talking about?" Izumi asked Miki with some of her original cheerfulness.

"Ah…it's about Kain-sensei," Miki murmured, putting a hand on Izumi's shoulder. "We tried to keep it a secret, but I just lie to you anymore. Kain-sensei…Kalan-san too…are actually of the royal bloodline of this city, Orimus, capital of the ancient kingdom of Kanev."

"Eh!? Really!?"

"Yes. And after this tournament is over and Kalan wins it, he's going to reveal his real heritage to the world, and will ascend to its throne and reclaim his rightful dominion! And, as the king of Kanev, he'll need a queen to ascend up with him…what do you think Izumi? Doesn't the 'rescued slave girl ascending to royalty' scenario sound particularly incredible?"

"D-don't tease me with such things, Miki-chan!"

"Would you stop filling Izumi's head with more nonsense!?" Hinagiku added.

8-8-8

Minus Erika, sleeping peacefully in her room, and Kazumi, who was staying with Yukari, the rest of the assembled White Wings and their new allies gathered on the balcony at the top of their estate. It was now very late in the evening, but Kain was in a hurry to get some things started.

He glanced between the pair. "Are you two all healed up?"

"Silly question," Akari insisted, stretching. "You were babying me, but I was fine enough to fight for Erika-chan too! Our healers are great!"

"We're more than prepared," Kiami smirked. "So get on with it already."

Kain nodded. "Right. Sorry, for being overprotective…but the fact that I needed you two ready for this was one of the reasons I wanted you to stay out of the fighting earlier. As I've mentioned to others…right now, the only part of the plan that's necessary that we're not completely sure of is the location of the Gateport. If we trust Urahara Kisuke's word—and I think he's proven more than trustworthy so far—our two missing members, Momo and Yue, will be joining us shortly, so all we need is to find is that Gateport. I need reliable scouts who can locate it for us—it's in the custody of the Halteese Republic, and it's top-secret information. Nanami will transport you in the El-Hazard, but for the nitty-gritty, we need actual bodies to investigate, and there's no one more reliable for that than the disciples of Yokohama. So, Akari-san, Kiami-san, Hikaru-kun…I ask you all to be our eyes and ears and find us our way home." He bowed to them.

"Ah, of course, of course," Akari muttered. "It's kinda sad…I was hoping to watch the tournament, myself…."

"That's right," Hikaru agreed with a smile. "This should be even grander than the last tournament at Mahora. It's a shame we're not getting a chance to participate, too…."

"But we understand," Kiami said with unusual seriousness. "Finding our way home is the top priority…we humbly accept this assignment."

"Most importantly, however," Nanami cut in before Kain could overly thank them again, "in order to maximize our chances and minimize the danger, our three scouts need to be contracted to Kain-sensei, for travel/communication emergencies. So, are you three ready for that?"

Akari flushed and put her fingers together in embarrassment. "Ah…y-yeah…I g-guess so…it's just…."

"It's so cute how she can face anyone in combat but is such a maiden for something so simple," Kiami chuckled. "Well then, I've had fun being a spectator like this, but I admit, it's a good time to finally get into it. I'll go first, if you don't mind."

Kain nodded, not even flushing this time. "Right. Let's get it done."

Kamo made his circle, and Kiami stepped in close, they shared their kiss, then drew apart without apology, and, as Kiami took her card, Kamo called out, "Okay, Akari-chan, quit stalling and get with it!"

Muttering, Akari took her place in the circle, and she and Kain shared their kiss. Kain couldn't help but notice her rapidly quickening heartbeat as it took place, compared to Kiami's almost disturbing calm. She withdrew a bit too quickly when Kamo announced the success of the action.

Kain turned to Hikaru. "And you now?"

Hikaru chuckled. "I've wanted this for a long time…I just didn't want to supplant my friends who still hadn't gone. I'm all ready…as long as we aren't kissing."

"You saw Kenjirô's," Kamo chuckled. "Get in there and I'll repeat the oath for you if you need it."

The two clasped hands and completed the third Contract.

"Three in one go," Chisame muttered with a wry smile and in exasperation. "Well, only two kisses, but with Fukukaichô earlier this evening, that's three more girls in just one night. Our Don Juan continues his conquests…."

Akari flushed and hid behind her card, muttering. Kiami, however, merely slipped over to Chisame and bent down to put an arm playfully around the chibi's shoulders. "That kind of accusation would be a lot more convincing, Chisame-chan, if you weren't already contracted to the boy yourself. You act like you haven't kissed him…."

"L-lay off! I-I-I just did what I had to in the emergency…."

"In any case, you should see what you've been given," Hikaru remarked examining the scabbard he now held in his hand. "This seems…appropriate…."

Kamo whistled. "Oh, nice. A scabbard forged by Tamahori, a Japanese mage who spent a lot of time in Avalon. He even studied a bit under Merlin himself when he was young. That scabbard has much of the same power attached to Excalibur's scabbard—a powerful defensive item that can create strong barriers and instantly heal great wounds. And, of course, as a magical scabbard it will greatly enhance your iaijutsu by increasing the speed and efficiency with which you store mana in it for your strikes. A golden fighter's tool for just the guy who needs it."

"Hmm." Hikaru removed his sword from his old scabbard and placed it in his new artifact. "I suppose I should rely on keeping it manifest, then…no reason not to. I shall miss my old partner, but a warrior must make use of all the tools at his disposal." He turned and handed the old scabbard to Kain. "My master, can I trust you to keep this prized possession safe as long as needed…?"

Kain actually flushed at that half-teasing comment and said, "P-please, don't use things like 'master'…that's just too creepy. But I will keep this for you." He took it and slipped it into his cloak. Hikaru bowed to him in thanks.

Kiami chuckled. "Well, my master, I will try out my own then. Spring forth." As Kain glared at her, she waved her card around and…it turned into a rather tattered-looking cloth, apparently a blanket or sheet of some kind.

She inspected it with interest…most thought there must have been some kind of mistake, but Kamo grew excited. "Oh, yes! Oh yes! That one! Brilliant!"

Kiami, seemingly ignoring the rodent, swept it around her quizzically, and finally let it fall down around her…and then she vanished underneath it as it covered her, leaving it flat on the ground. Then the cloth, too, vanished, leaving no trace of it. "Oh!" the gathered crowd chanted in surprise. "How amazing!"

"But, it really isn't all that different than her normal ninja abilities you know?" Nanami pointed out. "I mean, she's already a master at ninja invisibility and all that…."

Suddenly Kiami reappeared, whipping the cloth up. "How amazing! There's quite a marvelous house in there…fully-stocked larder and everything, and it seems to replenish itself…."

"A-A house!?"

"That's right," Kamo chuckled. "That's called the Tengu no Kakuremino, the Tengu's Magic Cloak, and it's a time/space artifact similar to Kain's own cloak. It should prove very useful for enhancing our stealth abilities." He turned to Akari. "Your turn, Ojô-chan. What did you get?"

Akari looked at it. "Hmm…well…appear." Her card changed into a crystal-adorned choker that settled around her throat. She tried to stare down at it with, naturally, a large degree of difficulty. "Ah…this is…?"

Kamo just stared. "Um…interesting. The Absolution Choker. It's…an interesting enhancement item. Well, beating people up is your strength, and that artifact will help you with that, of course…."

"What's…that supposed to mean?" Akari asked, semi-sweetly.

"Never mind. It's a good fighter's artifact, Akari-chan. Just…don't keep it around too much, okay?"

"Um, right…well, disappear, then." And it returned to her card.

Kain nodded at them all as he took his three new cards and deposited them in his cloak. "Right, then. Best of luck to all of you." He turned to the other two figures preparing to leave. "Minsc…Aerie…you're going with them, then? You're sure?"

"Hikaru is Minsc's comrade-in-arms!" the berserker warrior proclaimed boldly. "If he is engaged in such an important quest, we shall naturally accompany him! All his tasks will be the more swiftly accomplished thanks to my fine steel!"

Aeries chuckled nervously. "W-well, Minsc is actually quite good at stealth, despite his…energy. I think we can be of some help to them. Besides…I'm not good…with Festivals like this…."

And so the six began to make their farewells to the group, but Delryn called after Akari, "Remember, now…you still owe me one of those as well!"

Without another word, Akari jumped onto the platform and rose into the waiting El-Hazard.

Kain glanced askew at Delryn. "What's that about?"

"Nothing. I just have to say, though," he said, dropping a hand on Kain's shoulder, "you are the luckiest bastard in the whole world."

"I'll pretend I don't know what you're talking about," Kain muttered. "In any case, I haven't had a chance to thank you yet…you were a great help to my students and friends…so thank you." He bowed to him.

"Oi, enough of that," Delryn muttered, waving him off. "You're way too stiff and formal, and you're not that much younger than me, so just forget about it."

"Okay then," Kain said easily. "Can I ask about you and your dad, then?"

This time Delryn threw a serious scowl at Kain. Kain chuckled. "I see…you're like Yoshimori-kun, then, huh? Your parentage is more a burden to you? You really take after him…."

"Don't even start. Don't you get tired of being the 'son of the Grand Archmage'?"

Kain shrugged. "Not really, no. But I've never had to live in his shadow…just his memory."

This caused the brash swordsman to fall silent. "Yeah…sorry, I didn't mean…."

"No, don't worry about it. I'm used to it." He smiled and there was a glint in his eye. "If this all goes well enough…maybe I'll even get him back. But we'll see."

"Yada, yada, dads, dads," Kenjirô sighed, joining them. "Enough about that. So, you're entering the tournament too, Delryn? That sounds grand…I might get a chance to fight a whole slew of good fighters…."

"Heh, maybe…but if you encounter me, that's the last chance you'll get…."

"Oh, really…that sounds great…."

The three youths departed, Kenjirô and Delryn bantering around Kain, and Inuyasha watched them go. "Those kids sure are carefree," he muttered. "Worrying about contracts and tournaments when we're so close to the Obsidian Star…."

"Well, not everyone can be simple-minded on a single track like Inuyasha," Shippô put in. He looked up at Kagome. "Hey, Kagome, that card you have is an artifact-contract thing too, right? Does that mean that you had to kiss Kain like that?"

"Eh!? Uh, yeah, well, I did, but it was an emergency and all…he was dying, and it was the only way I could save him…."

"In any case, we're ready for the final stage," Kajirô sighed. "Just a bit longer, and if we make it through, we'll be heading home…."

"Yes…I guess so…" Hinagiku muttered.

Chisame cast an odd glance her way. "I thought you were one of the ones that wanted to be out of this nonsensical magical world as soon as possible," she said almost accusingly.

"Well, yeah, maybe," Hinagiku offered grudgingly. "It isn't that. It's just…I know Kain-sensei is worried about the rest of our class, especially those girls who had nothing to do with this before, but I can't stand the thought that we're running away from the Obsidian Star…and it seems like that's what we're doing. We'll fight them if they're in our way, and I know Kain-sensei would prefer to do something about them, but our priority is getting everyone home safely. I mean, I agree in theory, but I can't stand to think that we're running away…."

"Oh, c'mon…we're middle school kids…we're not even supposed to be involved," Chisame denied. "I know how you feel, but your responsibility, like Kain-sensei's, is to your class and school first, Kaichô. Besides, there's no reason to think it's our only chance. Once everyone is safe we can come back and deal with the Obsidian Star…." She froze and trailed off, then shook her head. "No, no! I mean, when we get back, you guys can all come running back here to throw yourselves into danger. Once I get safely home, I'm staying! I've had enough of these crazy life-and-death situations!" She trailed off, muttering to herself.

Tear, who had been observing the exchange carefully, finally approached. "It's not really true that this is 'none of our business,'" she observed. "At least, regarding Hinagiku-san, myself, and others, this is very much our business. I agree that our first priority is the safety of the students of Mahora Academy, and I don't want to encourage anyone to abandon that duty…but there are things Hinagiku-san should know about the magical world and her connection to it."

Hinagiku stared at Tear quizzically. "Oi, wait, what?" Chisame demanded.

Rin also stared at Tear. "Are you sure you should be talking about this, Tear? The Council decided…."

"The Council is not all-knowing, and never foresaw this possibility," Tear replied curtly. "Most of all, it didn't foresee the betrayal of Van Grants. Since she's here, in this situation, it would be more irresponsible and dangerous to keep her out of the loop. If he were to tell her himself at the wrong time…." She glanced over at Kagome and caught her attention. "Kagome-san…Tokine-san…you should come listen, too, since this concerns you." She cast a glance at Kajirô, who sighed and nodded.

"W-what's this about?" Hinagiku demanded crossly, glaring between Tear and Kajirô. "Were you keeping things from me…?"

"Like the secret of magic itself, this was not our decision, Hinagiku-san," Kajirô muttered. "But now…as Tear-senpai says, it's best if we reveal everything to you…about your parents and the magical world."

"M-my parents…? What are you talking about!? Ten years ago, my parents abandoned me, with an 80 million yen debt…."

"What also happened ten years ago?" Rin demanded suddenly. "You should know that…."

Hinagiku froze, considering. "Kain-sensei's village…was destroyed, right…? But…that shouldn't have anything to do with me…."

"Kalan Lockeheart was a war hero," Tear declared. "Even though he saved the world and was adored by the masses, the governments of Arcanus Myrror feared him and secretly sought ways to quietly neutralize him. But he did have some supporters, especially on the Magic Council of Mahora and its allies. After his disappearance, they placed protection around the infant Kain Lockeheart and his surrogate mother, Mira Talin. Still, they were unable to prevent some secret hand from raising an army to utterly destroy his village…but somehow, that destruction wasn't complete, and Kain survived. He was taken to greater protection within Sleiyn and Caelar University…but that was not the only action they took at that time.

"Kalan Lockeheart had been discovered alive…the only proof of that was a five-year-old boy, hardly a reliable witness, but something single-handedly destroyed all those demons that threatened the village, and, furthermore, Kalan's most famous artifact was left with the child. Because of this, the Mahora Council decided to raise a team of mages to journey into the magical world and find the trail of Kalan Lockeheart…to see if he could be found and recovered.

"They selected the best and brightest from that generation and sent them out. However, they disappeared without a trace. For years we believed them dead. And those seven souls were the parents or siblings of several of us here: Vandesdelca Grants, Tôsaka Tokiomi, Higurashi Konoka, Yukimura Tokio, Tsukai Kobirô, and the Shirasagis, Shirasagi Tomu and Shirasagi Mika."

The collected group stared at Tear in shock. "The…the Shirasagis…my…parents…?" Hinagiku murmured.

"Oi…oi, oi, oi, wait a minute!" Chisame suddenly burst out. "You…you can't be serious…Kaichô is from a mage family!? That can't be right! You can't drop this kind of plot twist at this point of the story! Okay, so it's not as bad as it would be Konoe or Hirai or one of the Baka Trio suddenly turned out to be a magic girl, but still! This is Kaichô, one of the few level-headed people in our class and my rare ally in fighting the nonsense of this world! She can't be…."

"Nonetheless, it's true," Tear interjected curtly, cutting off Chisame's rant. Muttering, Chisame turned around and crouched down, her arms wrapped around her knees in the classic heartbroken Japanese pose.

"W-wait," Kagome said. "Well, this is news for me, too…about my mother…Father never told me what happened to her, but I guess I kinda figured it was something like this…but more importantly, if Hina-chan is a magic girl, then that means that Katsura-sensei, too, is…?"

[Hinagiku grasped her head in confusion. "W-w-wait a minute," she demanded. "H-how long have you known about magic, anyway!?"

Yukiji belched. "How long? From the beginning, of course."]

"Of course she is," Hinagiku muttered. "I…didn't want to remember that scene, but…Onee-chan did know about magic, after all. Of course, it makes sense when you think about it. How else has someone as worthless as her been allowed to be a teacher for so long?"

"This is her sister she's talking about, right?" Inuyasha queried.

"But…what about the 80 million yen debt?" Hinagiku demanded. "If…if my real parents left on an assignment from the Magic Council to find Kalan Lockeheart, why were we left with a debt like that?"

"Well, the Shirasagis were notorious gamblers," Kajirô murmured. "They often borrowed debts, and then repaid them with astonishing speed…they borrowed one more large sum right before their adventure…for luck…."

Hinagiku turned to stare at him. "Kaji-kun…how do you know…?"

"Do you remember when we first met, Hinagiku-san? From how you've always talked…it seems you don't…your earliest memory seems to be your parents leaving you. But I remember that scene, too…after all, our families were friends. The Shirasagis were agents…of the Tsukai family…."

[There were three shadowed figures walking away. The last one, Hinagiku's mother, left a small hairpin in Hinagiku's hand. "With everything that's been happening, we weren't able to get anything better than that for you," her mother said. "But when we come back, we'll bring you something better…something much better. Maybe even another playmate…."

The tallest one with his dark black hair turned back as well. "Take care of Hina-chan, Kaji-kun. Yuki-chan isn't always reliable, you know…."]

Tears were just starting to fall from the corner of Hinagiku's eyes. "T-that's right, I…I forgot all of it…the pain…of abandonment…made me forget it all…."

She even remembered the tiny wand she used as a child, already casting spells just like her parents. Yes…it all made sense….

"The Shirasagis were in the habit of borrowing large sums of money," Rin continued. "They then earned it all back and double in short order…then usually gave the money away at some point. They acquired a lot of enemies that way. When they suddenly disappeared, the debt collectors put pressure on Katsura-sensei and she had to work hard to pay it off…but it wasn't all her doing. Eventually certain of the families were able to step in and help out. Your adoptive parents, the Katsuras, are part of the magic circle, but they never had much magical power, and don't get involved in that side of things…they're actually your aunt and uncle, too, Katsura-san and Shirasagi-san being sisters and all. But after everything that had happened to your family, they decided to raise you as a normal girl, outside of magic, and allowed you to forget about it."

"Why…are you telling me all this now?" Hinagiku demanded, shaking her head. "I mean…if you wanted to tell me about it all…wouldn't it have been better when I first started getting involved in magic?"

Kajirô and Tear exchanged glances. "It's…because of what we've seen since we arrived," Tear continued. "We never knew what happened to that party…they just suddenly vanished. We suspected the Obsidian Star, but we had no clues…no proof. Until now…because of what we've seen on this trip."

Hinagiku came to a realization. "Of course…your brother, Kaji-kun…we encountered him, and…everyone else was somehow fused in that dark soul, that little brat Nagi said…but…."

"No…not everyone," Tear denied, shaking her head. "I met my own brother, Van Grants. He…turned on them all, and joined the Obsidian Star. He's working against us…and we don't know when he'll strike against us. It was time that you knew."

"My mother, too," Kagome murmured. "Taken in that way…and your father, Tokine-chan? You knew?" Sadly, her friend nodded.

Hinagiku sighed. "I see. It seems that many of us here…are more involved with the Obsidian Star than we thought." She shook her head. "That's…a lot to take in…if you excuse me, I think I'll head out into town for a bit…."

She paused at the top of the stairs heading down from the roof and looked back at her friends. "But, thank you…all of you…for telling me all this."

8-8-8

A short time earlier that evening….

The two girls barreled out of the airship nearly as soon as it touched down. They gazed around in wonder. "Wow! This is amazing!" Kaoru breathed. "Well, not that Avalon wasn't amazing too, but this magical floating city! And there are so many more nonhumans here than there were in Avalon…."

"You shouldn't stare, Kaoru, it isn't polite," Riku insisted.

There was a chuckle behind them as the two young men followed more casually behind. "There's nothing wrong with it," their primary escort, Knight of the Round Wein Cruz told them. "As long as you don't go around actively insulting them, I don't think any of them will mind too much. This is the Memorial Festival, after all, and they are well aware that most humans aren't too familiar with their races."

"Of course!" insisted Hans Bearnt, the 'squire', for lack of a better term, of Wein. "Just as Chief says, this is a Festival! Ah, I can't believe we're finally here! We've never been able to come to the Festival before…."

"This is much larger than the others," Wein replied. "And there are special circumstances. Not to mention that before this, we didn't have the position for the privilege…but thanks to Riku-san and Kaoru-san, we'll get to enjoy it now."

Wein Cruz was a young man, not quite out of his teens, and was the youngest and most junior member of Avalon's elite military unit, the Knights of the Round. His black hair was short, but with longer bangs up front, and fairly carefully groomed. His standard attire consisted of a sleeveless white shirt with dark detached sleeves and black slacks, and he carried no weapon openly—but the two girls had already witnessed the young man in training, and seen the magic of the ring he carried that transformed at his command into a powerful deathscythe.

Hans was a freckled-faced youth even younger than Wein, and was incredibly energetic. He was dressed in wild and rough leather traveling clothes and wore goggles over his wild red hair. He was Wein's primary aid and soldier under his command, and had been since Wein graduated from the Knight's Academy two years ago and assumed his command—Hans had, in fact, been rescued by Wein during an emergency field assignment one day while he was still an academy cadet and the younger man had been quite in awe of the heroic knight. He had applied for the military academy the next day and had managed to graduate from it in time to serve under Wein's command (naturally, the regular grunts' academy had a lesser curriculum than the knights'). He had become his inseparable aide ever since, leaping cheerfully to every command Wein gave him. He had little magical power, although he knew a few spells, but he was a remarkable expert with his weapon of choice, throwing daggers.

And so Artoria had assigned this young duo to be their primary bodyguards and escorts over the last few months while they were in Avalon, and again here at Orimus for the Festival.

"It's sad that Artoria couldn't join us here," Kaoru remarked.

"It can't be helped," Riku said, as usual more practical but really quite in agreement with Kaoru's observation. "I mean, an important head of state has a lot of duties to take care of, especially in a diplomatic peace festival like this."

"That is true," Wein agreed. "If her Majesty were here with you, it would probably be harder to enjoy the Festival the way young girls like you should. Speaking of which, you're in charge now—we're just here to keep you safe, so go and enjoy everything to your heart's content."

"Yeah…do whatever you need to," Hans added. "But, ah, you do have friends here waiting for you or something, right?"

"Ah…that is a good question…" Riku murmured. "We came without any kind of plan at all. We sent word to Kain-sensei that we were all right and would be coming, but we don't know anything about his plans…." She giggled and then pointed. "Other than that he's in that tournament. Look at him, acting all cool like an adult."

Indeed, there was the huge banner advertising the Kalan Lockeheart cup, with the face of the elder Kain prominently filling it. "Ah, he's so amazing!" Kaoru agreed. "I mean, I always knew Kain-sensei was special, but to think that he's such an important person, the son of such an important person, in this world…an Archmage all his own or whatever…." She turned back to Wein. "Hey, do you think that you can get us into the fighters' area to see Kain-sensei? Being a Knight of the Round and all?"

"Well, I can try," Wein laughed. "I'm still rather inexperienced there, so my name doesn't carry as much weight. But it's worth a look…if nothing else, we can find Matta and see if we can look around the arena grounds with him, since he's entering…."

"Well, let's head that way then," Riku said. "The directions in the city here are pretty plainly pointing that way. But, if we see any good food and stuff to enjoy on the way, we might as well…we're here for a festival, after all!"

8-8-8

"Nina Blan de Windbloom and her squad reporting for duty!"

Natsuki glanced back at the group and smiled slightly. As the #1 Coral and the most politically connected of the six (being a princess and all) Nina had been the only choice to lead this squad, despite Yue's fine showing in the test, and Yue, the only person could have reasonably argued it, was quietly rather happy not to have a leadership role thrust upon her. Of course, Nina's serious attitude wasn't always well-accepted by her comrades, but Natsuki was sure even Nina wouldn't be able to go through this festival without letting her hair down a little.

Still, the six looked good lined up as they were, in the blue-green HiME dresses Shizuru had selected for their at-work uniform on this excursion. Their GEMs had also been upgraded to Pearls for this, since they needed to have enough power to be reliable guardians. "Well, thank you for reporting so promptly," Natsuki said. "But we're not quite on watch yet. Not to say that your duty isn't important. Naturally, there are no more appropriate guardians than the HiME for the ruler of our host nation. Tomorrow, you will guard him at the opening of the Festival. Until they, you are to escort him as he takes a look around town."

They turned in surprise as, chuckling, Sargon walked up to them. "Well, I shall be the envy of the Festival with six such lovely escorts. Shall we go, my HiME?"

"Of course, your Majesty!" both Nina and Yue proclaimed with perhaps too much seriousness.

Shiho and Erstin shared a bemused glance as Sargon chuckled again. "Well, you are supposed to protect me while we're down there…but remember that this is a festival, so be sure to enjoy yourselves as well…."

8-8-8

Kain had separated from the rest of his friends and went in search of Aiden. He finally found him at one of the more deserted 'shores' of the floating island—most of the floating city kept itself away from the edges, for rather obvious reasons. Aiden was sitting serenely, right in front of the edge, staring out at the sea of clouds.

Before Kain could begin to voice his newest thoughts, Aiden startled him by starting. "Say…you know, the ruins that lie right beneath this sea of clouds….

"Once upon a time, there were hundreds of islands floating in this sky through the power of magic. It was a beautiful and ancient city, home of the first empire that ever ruled this world, some of its first and most powerful mages. It was famed for its magic, its food, its women, all the usual...they called it the Fountain of the World's Culture. The historic capital of the empire of Takiva, and later its surviving remnant, the kingdom of Kanev…the magnificent city of a thousand towers…the Flying Royal City of Orimus.

"But the Obsidian Star, which insinuated itself into that city untold centuries ago, secretly bred a special child into the royal line, a child who bore a strange and mysterious power…the power to deny and accept, to destroy and build, to cut and tie all the powers of magic in this world…and perhaps beyond. It was the same power that brought this world into existence…a godly power that could threaten to destroy the magical power that is the very lifeblood of this magnificent world.

"The Crystal Princess…the wielder of 'Magic Cancel'…."

Kain stared at Aiden in surprise. He had heard some of this before, but never so plainly, never in so much detail, tying so many threads together….

"At the end of the great war, twenty years ago, those once magnificent towers all plummeted from the sky," Aiden continued, "all thanks to a gigantic magical disaster covering a diameter of fifty kilometers…the 'Wide-Range Mana Disappearance Phenomenon'. The kingdom was destroyed, leaving a million refugees and various problems in its wake.

"We—that is to say, really, your father, and his allies—revealed the truth of those dark mages who had engineered the whole war for their own sinister desires, reunited the feuding nations, eliminated the enemy at its source and prevented the destruction of the world. However…we failed to protect a single country, and a single weak little girl…." Aiden chuckled and shook his head. "And we call ourselves heroes."

He stared out a moment longer, still thinking. "But…she may grow into a fine woman yet…. Kid, you and Mai are like the orphans the war left behind. She was our responsibility then…but now, she's yours. How about you try and protect her next time?"

Aiden finally turned his gaze Kain's way, a sad and distant smile on his face. "No, that's not right, is it? Hell, I almost killed you giving you the power you wanted to do it with. This time, you go out there and protect everyone."

Unbidden to Kain's mind came the sight of them all…his enslaved students, his contracted disciples, his friends, his brothers-in-arms, those who had braved the magic world for the sake of rescuing him…and Mai. He smiled a grim smile. "Right," he said. "Of course I will. That's why I've come this far."

8-8-8

There was pomp and ceremony as the Festival opened…the flagships of each nation entered, carrying its monarch or representative and its most impressive weaponry and soldiers. Nina, Arika, Yue, Shiho, Erstin and Irina stood at attention, in their Robes, around Sargon as he was delivered to the stage where these leaders gathered to shake hands in symbol of the peace.

Jade had rejoined his monarch, Emperor Peony IX of Grandall, and served as one of his two guards, dressed in even finer attire than he was used to. He seemed as cool and composed and he ever was, but Ami and Kazumi fancied that he seemed more than a little exasperated with the pageantry. Peony himself was remarkable, still youthful-looking although he was supposedly the same age as Jade (a childhood friend, even), with long dark golden-blond hair and heavily-tanned skin, and a very winning smile. He easily shook hands with the more elderly King Kimlaskal of Dalkia, the only monarch of the three nations who had been ruling when the war started twenty-five years ago. Two senators of Halteese, a small but regal-looking woman with short brown hair and glasses and a larger man with wild black hair almost styled like a sun, were part of the procession. And, of course, regally attired and flanked by two of her Knights of the Round, Artoria Pendragon also joined in. There was even the much-less-well-known king of Fiore present…even his own subjects, the mages of Fairy Tail, didn't recognize him until he was introduced.

Riku stared in astonishment at Kaoru as she pointed out all these important individuals, naming the two senators as Yukino Chrysant and Jean-Luc Ricardo, even explaining that Halteese was the nation they had first arrived in before the magical scattering, and that this country was well-known as being settled most often by immigrants from Earth—the population was nearly entirely Terran in origin. She then went on to explain the history of the war twenty-five years ago, as it was understood by the people of Arcanus Myrror, and that it was the reason for the Festival. Some of this, of course, Riku had already learned herself, but….

"I-I'm receiving a lecture in history and geography from Baka Ranger Green Konoe Kaoru!?" she said in astonishment. "That's…more amazing than anything else the magical world has produced yet…."

Kaoru laughed sheepishly. "Well, Artoria-san did like to talk about those things too, and there were a lot of librarians and historians around the castle who liked to lecture about it. I didn't have a lot to do, so I listened. It's actually pretty interesting, when you get right down to it. Maybe when we get back to Earth I'll try studying those kinds of subjects more seriously…."

"No, no, impossible," denied Riku, shaking her hand in a negating manner. "Even though we're here on this trip you still can't find places like France and Germany on a map, now can you?"

"Well excuse me for being an idiot!" Then Kaoru turned and started to run. "More importantly, the fighting tournament is going to start soon! Kain -kun won't be fighting for a while yet, but I still want to see some of the fights!"

"Hey, wait up!" Riku insisted, as she and their two bodyguards started after them.

"Still, it's a good thing we have these VIP tickets from Artoria-san," Riku remarked as they entered the giant arena and took their seats. "As popular as this is, without them we wouldn't have gotten in!"

8-8-8

"And now, the third battle of the Preliminaries…from the Bounty Hunter Guild, Canis Niger, Twilight Yatsiev! Versus…from the Mage Guild, Fairy Tail, the Salamander, Natsu Dragneel!"

The announcer, Koto, was a fox girl with medium-length red-brown hair, a white blouse and pink mini-skirt, and long black stockings and red boots to go with her fox ears and bushy fox tail. After introducing the fighters, she backed off to allow them to take their places on the stage.

The man opposing Natsu was tall, well-built and muscular, wearing a long, closed coat with a high collar. He was bald, but had a kind of mark across one of his eyes—which eyes had no iris or pupil, but were of a solid, slightly glowing color. He laughed. "Salamander, of Fairy Tail, huh? Even if it's from such a small country, it's got a reputation…but this is the big leagues, kid. You can't survive on reputation alone here…."

"Heh! Bring it on!" Natsu slammed his fists together and let the flame rise around him. "I've been waiting for a good chance like this…going through all that tough training…just to fight some of the toughest guys here! I'm all fired up!"

Koto called the beginning of the match, and the two charged together. Yatsiev began to charge a spell, but Natsu rushed in first, slamming him in the face with his Iron Fist.

Ami and Nodoka sat in the stands, next to the rest of their team and in front of several other members of Fairy Tail. "Natsu-san…he's strong, isn't he?" Ami asked her friend.

"Y-yes!" Nodoka insisted. "T-they all are…Fairy Tail is…very strong…."

Yatsiev blocked Natsu's second strike with a barrier, then repelled him with a blast of magical force. Natsu recovered quickly and began to run around the side of the other man. Yatsiev tracked him slowly. Then he traced another magic circle in the air and began to unleash magical energy toward Natsu.

Natsu dodged the strikes, accelerating and closing. There, with flaming fist and foot, he began to exchange blows with the larger man. Yatsiev blocked the savage strikes and counterattacked, throwing Natsu back enough for him to resume his spells.

"You're tough, for sure…you've literally got the firepower," Yatsiev laughed as he launched another burst of spells Natsu's way. "But that isn't enough, kid. To survive in this world, you have to be more than just a Johnny One-Spell. Behold!" He threw his arms out and slammed them to the ground, and Natsu found himself surrounded by a prison of shifting magical circles. A moment later, they exploded, engulfing him in a cloud of destruction.

And, as Yatsiev rose and smiled in self-congratulations, Natsu suddenly came roaring out of the cloud, one hand blazing. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" His flame-punch hit Yatsiev on the chin, sending him sprawling.

"You're right…I'm not an incredibly versatile mage," Natsu agreed as he continued his assault on the stunned and reeling bounty hunter. "But that's what guilds and nakama are for—picking you up and doing the things you can't do. But in a fight like this, all you can do is rely on your own power to take down the enemy!

"Fire Dragon's Roar!"

With his mighty breath weapon, Natsu blew Yatsiev out of the ring and into the barrier that served to protect the crowd from the area-affect spells, and the man slumped to the ground, unmoving.

"And after that last attack, Bounty Hunter Yatsiev is out of the ring and down!" Koto declared, hopping back up onto the stage. "We'll begin counting…one! Two!"

As she continued to count, Natsu raised his arms for the roaring crowd. Nodoka smiled at Ami. "See? Fairy Tail…is the strongest guild ever!"

"…And ten! Yatsiev is down, and Natsu Dragneel advances from the Preliminaries to the true Tournament!"

As they left the arena some ten minutes later, Nodoka and Ami walked alone, being left time for their catching up. "I'm so glad to see you again," Nodoka mentioned. "It's been…fun, adventuring with Fairy Tail, but…all of our friends…."

"I know how it is…you still look down," Ami noted. "Even though you've been reunited with Kain-sensei…."

"A-ah…w-well…yes, but…."

"I know…until we recover Yue, we can't relax." Ami sighed and looked up into the sky as she considered. "We just have to have faith. Yue's strong, and she's been doing better with magic than any of us. If Urahara-san and Kamo-kun are convinced she's all right, we just have to trust them and wait for her."

"Y-yes…I feel…I should trust Urahara-san, but…I want to see Yue now. It's been so long…so much as happened. I can't help but be worried."

"You especially should trust him," Ami advised her friend. "He's already helped you out twice."

Nodoka glanced up in surprise. "Twice…?"

"From the description, he was the man who sent Fairy Tail to rescue you from that man 'Corai' you talked about," Ami explained. "He's been watching you for a long time…maybe on Yue's behalf? Or Kain-sensei's…well, in any case, she's supposed to be coming here herself soon, if she hasn't already. Perhaps we'll see her at the tournament."

"R-right…."

8-8-8

With a pause in the fighting, Kaoru and Riku gathered with their two escorts at the attached café to catch lunch. "There are lots of strong fighters here," Kaoru remarked as they ate. "It kinda makes me wonder if Kain-kun is gonna be all right…."

"I wouldn't worry too much, Kaoru-san," Wein advised her kindly. "Kalan Lockeheart actually is a pretty heavy favorite so far…some of that is due to his name, but in their Granicus Summer League both he and his companion 'Kôjirô' were dominant, often fighting teams of two individually and without any rest. I haven't had a chance to see him in action in person yet, but from what I've been able to see in videos and what I've read…he's got a good chance."

"Yeah…" Kaoru sighed, putting her silverware down and looking depressed. "Ah…even though we're a bother to Kain-kun, I want to hurry up and meet with him so that we can apologize…."

"Apologize?" Riku said. "Oh, for…sneaking in, huh? Well…."

"He can't really have come to hate me, could he?" Kaoru asked suddenly.

"What!? No way! This is Kain-sensei we're talking about, after all…he never could hate his students!"

She leaned forward and raised a finger to make a point. "But the problem before that is how to get in contact with Kain-sensei. Our efforts last night were no good…then again, it was late. Lots of people, even important ones, want to get in touch with 'Kalan Lockeheart', but Dolnegus-san, who owns his gladiator contract, has kept him pretty well closed off from the media and, of course, any wild fans. That's probably how he wants it, but it's not any easier for us…."

"It'd probably be a lot easier if we could meet some of your friends that are already here," Hans said. "Well, we're sorry we couldn't do anything, but we'll still help out however we can."

He turned to glance at a waitress carrying a pitcher of water. "Ah, miss, can I get a refill, please?"

"Ah! Sure!" Izumi answered cheerfully, hurrying over to the table. Then she stared at Riku and Kaoru. Kaoru and Riku stared at Izumi. Then, with recognition, shouts, cries, and hugs, they fell against each other.

Wein smirked at Hans around the trio. "Ask, and ye shall receive," he said.

8-8-8

Kain enjoyed a 'Kalan manjuu' while he looked out over the happy, mingling crowds of the Festival. A slight, melancholy smile was on his face as he watched excited children of several different races and loving parents of mixed stock in addition to crowds of people who might very well have been seen on the streets around Mahora. "So this is peace, huh?" he muttered to himself. "The peace my father and his friends protected…isn't it?"

He considered the words he had heard. "Yesterday was so eventful…and after all of that, Aiden was so thoughtful…why was he talking like that?"

He thought long and hard about it. "And especially about Mai. Mai Alusia Hairen Takiva." He gazed out at nothing now. "We heard about that before, of course, but…this is her place, her kingdom of origin. The Crystal Princess, and a descendant of the mages that were responsible for the birth of this world. She is…a human of this world, and not Earth…."

He thought of Mai, of all the experiences they had had together since his arrival…his first exposed magic, their rooming next to each other, adventures in a library, battling a vampire, fighting in Kyoto, arguing and training, touring the Mahora Festival, battling Sakura's forces, enjoying the summer, journeying to Arcanus Myrror….

And now here they were…the 'orphans', the legacy, of that bygone war. He smiled slightly. Perhaps he was slightly arrogant in thinking that this Festival was practically in honor of himself and Mai, but considering what Aiden had said, considering its meaning and its origin, it was nearly true. "No…not just us…Kenjirô and Nodoka, Yue and Delryn, Hikaru, Akari and Kiami, Kagome and Inuyasha, Lina, Hinagiku and Kajirô, Tear and Rin-san and everyone else…yes…I'll protect all of them! It's not just Aiden's wish…it's definitely Father's, too."

And then a dark sensation caught him. The same dread he'd felt in Kyoto. The same horror that gripped his heart at the Gateport. A sinister presence that he'd touched only yesterday.

He turned around slowly, and slowly, through the milling crowds, through a break, he saw that face…that plain, cold face, capped by messy brown hair and lit by unfeeling green eyes. He was flanked by a blond woman and a syrium with blue hair, but Kain paid little attention to the two at his side. The man himself was all that Kain could see.

"Eminus…."

F I N

Author's Note: The Festival Underway!

This Festival is both more and less involved than Mahora's. Our party, of course, has largely other concerns, but some are able to stop and enjoy themselves.

This is where a lot of the events are brand new, and even the original Negima events I keep or adapt are somewhat out of order. For instance, sending out the martial artist squad was somewhat after this normally, but Kain wanted to get it underway. Also, the composition (even compared to the sort-of-the-same characters I have) is different. Kiami's artifact is an exact duplicate of Kaede's from the original—it's a good and useful ninja tool, so I decided to let her steal that, too. Hikaru's was a simple decision, and as for Akari…I was thrilled when the Tekken guest style of 'Devil Jin' was available in Soul Calibur V, as it finally allowed me to make an Akari character. Of course, since this was 'Devil Jin', it was the main Tekken character with weird Devil Powers like black wings he could sprout and eyebeams he shoots out. So Akari in SCV also has occasional black wings and eyebeams. Um, okay…well, since I am obsessed with things being 'right', I decided long ago that her artifact would be an item that would give her this ability, so I can say, "This character is Akari, with her contract artifact equipped! Yeah!" So I used a piece of equipment I can put on her as well, to make the image better. The Absolution Choker is a very distinct choker.

And then there was Hinagiku's revelation. Yûna Akashi, the energetic basketball girl, was the original girl who secretly had magical parents. Takane eventually reveals this secret to her…much later, right before the final battle with the enemy. But I had long ago decided to give this subplot to Hinagiku. After all, her parents disappearing around the same time period, Yukiji being at a prestigious school despite being unfit…used correctly, it just all makes sense (not to mention partially explains her own superhuman capabilities). It's also an amusing irony that Hinagiku, who was always so level-headed she never liked magic and often tried hard to disbelieve it—although I haven't dwelt too much on that character trait here—is actually closer to the magical world than any of the 'normal' girls except Mai and Kagome. So I constructed this backstory, this similarity between these characters…I prepared it all for here. Hinagiku is going to have a bit of trouble adjusting to this idea, but it won't be too bad….

And new troubles are quickly going to distract her. This meeting between Kain and Eminus is important…it was originally important for Negi and Fate, but what I'm doing with it makes it even more so. The last preliminary before the Tournament, which will be Act 13….

Well, let's get to it then! Let's see what shakes out of this….