Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of it's characters...
Fang Vice Addiction
Chapter Thirteen: Negi on Demand
By Traingham
It was a wonderful morning outside as a new day began for the lives of Mahora Campus. The female students were outside in their squads, running to keep themselves fit for the festival attractions they were going to be performing. The flight club members were finishing up and testing their plane models to fly safely during the festival and the tech and science club members were checking on their contraptions and other machines to make sure they wouldn't malfunction. Needless to say, the campus was already lively so early in the morning and it would get even crazier when the long awaited mages would arrive to enforce Magi law during the festival.
Evangeline dreamt in bed as she tossed and turned at the mercy of her own dreams and nightmares. Every now and then she could be heard breathing heavily and calling out the names that haunted her mind. Negi on the other hand slept peacefully, clutching Chachazero to his chest. He may have been a vampire but he still didn't favor sleeping alone. Without Asuna around to serve as his source of warmth and security he turned to his faithful familiar. Chachamaru was already awake, cooking the breakfast downstairs in her blue tea ceremony kimono, which was something unusual in itself since her normal attire was her maid uniform. She finished cooking some of the food and dropped it on to a plate so it would burn before turning to the kitchen counter where a sealed invitation laid still.
Chachamaru grabbed the envelope and regarded it silently, turning her head to the kitchen door when her doubtful thoughts were pushed aside. She planned to give the invitation to Negi so that he would attend her Formal Open-air Tea Ceremony during the festival. Inwardly her gears were winding fast at how nervous she felt. The android took one last look at the invitation and left the kitchen to go upstairs. She walked lightly so she wouldn't awaken Evangeline since Negi's room was right beside her own and slowly opened the young magi's door. She poked her head in to check if he was awake and stepped in quietly when she saw him still asleep.
"...Chachazero..." Chachamaru whispered darkly when she saw the puppet clutched in Negi's arms. She closed the door behind her slowly and approached Negi's futon until she was standing beside his resting form. Utilizing her built in camera, she took a picture of Negi sleeping and transferred it in to her "Favorites" folder with a satisfied nod. This had to be one of the cutest pictures she had taken so far. Now all she had to do was photo shop Chachazero out of the picture and it would be perfect!
"Negi-kun." Chachamaru called to him softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder to nudge him. He groaned softly and stayed asleep but Chachazero's eyes snapped open and the puppet stared at Chachamaru silently. Both of them stared at each other for a while since they both didn't feel the need to blink until Chachazero finally asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I am here to awaken Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied.
"Master has assigned the job to me alone."
"Consider this a day off." Chachamaru retorted, narrowing her eyes. The android never felt such malice feeling towards anyone before but the day Chachazero started to become Negi's familiar she labeled the sadistic puppet as a threat towards her growing interest in him. She proceeded to nudge Negi again but Chachazero managed to slip out of his arms and smacked her offending hand. Chachamaru snatched her hand away quickly from the sudden attack and prepared to send the puppet flying in to the wall across from them.
"Bust a move." Chachazero taunted her counterpart.
"As you wish." Chachamaru said coldly, however, she allowed her hand to drop at her side quickly when Negi stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes to see what was causing the noise. He blinked a few times when his eyes locked on Chachamaru and rubbed his eyes.
"Chachamaru? What's wrong?" Negi asked her, curious to see her hovering over him. He turned away from her when he felt some pressure on his stomach and patted Chachazero's head when he realized she was the cause of it. "Good morning Chachazero."
"Good morning to you master Negi!" Chachazero greeted back.
"Good morning Negi-kun. I came here to wake you up for breakfast." Chachamaru peeled away the covers, trapping Chachzaro under them in the process and helped Negi get to his feet.
"Thanks Chachamaru." He thanked her drowsily. He padded over to the door to open it but he came to a halt when Chachamaru suddenly called his name after some hesitation. He turned to face her and asked, "Yes Chachamaru?"
"I am sorry to stall you so early in the morning Negi-kun but I wish to ask you of something." Negi cocked his head to the side when he observed how unusually fidgety the android was. She seemed to be really nervous for some reason.
"What's up?"
"I am holding an open air tea ceremony...for the festival...and..." Chachamaru held out the invitation in her hand timidly as she went on. "...I was hoping that you would attend. Th-that is if it does not get in the way of your schedule of course." There was a moment of silence as Negi took some time to allow everything she said to register before a smile broke out on to his face. The android felt the gears in her chest start to generate at a quicker pace and the heat building up under the metal plate for her face caused two red hues to appear on her cheeks.
"I-I've never been to a formal tea ceremony before." Negi said with a lift in his voice. "I'd be honored to attend Chachamaru!" He accepted the invitation that Chachamaru was still holding out to him and bowed. "Thank you."
"N-no. I believe those are my words Negi-kun." Chachamaru replied with a bow of her own. Their exchange of words caused poor Chachazero to recoil under the covers as though some invisible struck her. After a while the two stopped staring at each other and Chachamaru reluctantly made her way to the door of Negi's room.
"I will meet you down stairs with your breakfast ready."
"Thank you Chachamaru. I'll just get washed up then." Negi replied. When the android left his eyes lingered on the invitation in his hand and he set it down on the dresser before heading out of the room as well. Had he been actually paying attention he would have heard Chachazero's dejected call for him.
"Master Negi? Are you there?"
Negi rinsed his hair as the hot water hit his entire body and he reached for the soap and the scrubber that was waiting for him at the other side of the bathroom chamber. He found it a little inconvenient for the showering supplies to be so far away from the shower head itself but he didn't dare make a complaint. Inwardly he was a little nervous because he knew that the sliding glass door for the shower chamber would open at any moment and Evangeline would step in to order him about. She would have him scrub her back and shampoo her flowing golden hair. Ever since his first encounter with her in the shower chamber, that's how it had been and she loved every minute of it.
Nothing pleased the tiny vampire more than someone who was willing to touch her without flinching or shivering in terror. Sure, she may have been quite evil and intimidating but that didn't mean that she had no desire to be comforted or touched in any way. Being that Negi was no different from her and was quite used to her attitude it was easy for him to cope with the closeness they had unnoticeably started to share. The tiny vampire, however, did not interrupt today's shower, this time and that made the young magi raise an eyebrow in confusion. Evangeline had not even come in to greet him or tease him for using her bathroom without telling her. Was she still a little miffed about his quick escape from breakfast yesterday? She couldn't be right? He made up for his rudeness with the massage didn't he?
It's still way too early to be thinking so much. Negi thought to himself with a gentle shake of his head. He was still recovering from his last encounter with the housemaid who seemed to be behaving a little more differently than usual. I need to gather my thoughts for my engagement with Takane later. I've got the feeling that there's a little more to this invitation than she lets up.
Negi shut off the water when he was done rinsing off the soap and shampoo from his body. When the water and soap swirled down the drain he sighed and reached for the door handle to open it and step out. He pulled his towel off the bar near the door and dried himself off after making sure that the room didn't have any extra occupants.
"I'm a little worried." Negi thought aloud as he wrapped the towel around his waist. His master wasn't even waiting for him beside the shower. Now he was really beginning to feel that there was something amiss. His worries were put to rest, however, when he stepped out of the bathroom and found Evangeline staring back at him from her seat at the end of her bed. She was still dressed in her doll like pajamas but the look on her face looked quite aware and fully awake which meant she was waiting for him.
Negi found himself staring back in to her eyes for a long pause and finally decided to shatter the air of tension that was beginning to form. "Good morning master."
"Good morning to you boya." Evangeline greeted back as she lay on her stomach, kicking her feet back and forth. "C'mere." She ordered him with a beckoning finger. Negi placed a hand on his chest with a puzzled look and asked, "Er...why?"
"Don't ask any questions boya. Just come here already." Evangeline started to grow impatient with the slow fashion that he approached her bed but she decided not to voice her feelings. The last thing she wanted to do at the moment was to strain herself.
"What would you like master?"
"You don't have any plans for the festival do you?"
"Well not much but ther-"
"Good." Evangeline cut him off as she pulled out a small invitation that she had tucked in her sleeve. "The "Go" club is going to be holding a tournament and I want you to be there to watch me." A mischievous smirk crossed her lips. "The disciple must always be there for his master, right?"
"R-right." Negi replied.
"Then don't go and disappoint me." said Evangeline as she handed him the invitation. Negi examined the small black envelope for a moment and Evangeline decided to tease him just a little bit. "Unless you intend to entice me I advise you head back to your room and get dressed." The chibi-vampire licked her lips. "I don't take idly to a tease."
"Y-yes m-master!" Negi stammered as he made his exit.
"Too easy."
Negi closed the door behind him and rested his back against it as he recomposed himself. These past few days have confirmed to that Evangeline's behavior toward him was definitely beginning to change. The way she looked at him; the way she talked to him and even the way she had started to train him was changing. He wasn't sure whether to be relieved that she was getting a little more playful or to be scared. "I-I don't have much time to think about this." Negi said softly, getting off the door and heading to his dresser to change. He'd never been on an actual outing with a girl before so he wasn't sure what to wear. What made him even more nervous was the fact that he didn't really know Takane Goodman all that well so he wasn't sure how she would behave around him.
"Hmm?" Negi saw something under his covers and uncovered it to see what it was. When he saw Chachazero sitting there with her legs drawn up to her chest he quirked an eyebrow in confusion. She didn't look as lively as she usually was. "Chacha-chan? How long have you been under my covers?"
Chachazero slowly turned her head to regard him and answered, "About half an hour I'd guess." Her voice lacked its mischievous charm.
"Are you okay?"
"...Does it matter?" The puppet retorted, confusing Negi.
"Well, of course it does!"
"Why?"
"Because I care about you and I want to know what's bothering you." Negi replied. Had Chachazero been capable of it she would have burned crimson with embarrassment. The puppet buried her head in her lap and said, "Stop being so mushy would ya'?"
"...Sorry about that."
"But you're the first to tell me that."
"Huh?"
"That you care about me."
"Well..." Negi massaged the back of his head as the conversation started to feel a little awkward for him. He'd never think that he'd have a conversation like this with Chachazero of all...puppets...ahem. He did think that she looked cute whenever she was embarrassed though.
"Don't leave me master."
"What do you mean?"
"Just don't leave me."
"O-ok." Negi submitted to her words. "...I should get dressed now." Negi went back to his dresser to get out some clothes and nearly slammed his head against the wooden surface. So early in the morning and he was already being forced to think.
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The Dining Room...
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Evangeline awaited Negi's arrival to the dining room patiently with her chin resting in one hand. Chachamaru walked in to the room with two plates in her hands and rested them on the table: One in front of the vampiress and the other where Negi was supposed to sit. When she was done with the food she headed back in to the kitchen to bring the drinks. Just as the android reached the doorway, Negi walked in and they bumped in to each other. Being that Chachamaru was taller than Negi, his face ended up in her chest, which was surprisingly warm.
"I'm sorry about that." Negi apologized quickly as Chachazero regained her grip on Negi's hair so she wouldn't fall off his head.
"The fault is my own, Negi-kun."
"No really, it's my fault."
"On the contrar-"
"Would you just come sit at the table already?" Evangeline interrupted Chachamaru as she glared at the young magi. She didn't really understand why the both of them were so desperate to shoulder the blame but it was only serving to irritate her. Both of them flinched at her words and were so quick to move that they both ended up bumping in to each other again, making Evangeline run her hand down her face with a sigh.
I can understand Negi being a klutz but Chachamaru shouldn't be behaving like this so much. The frown on her face lifted in to a smirk when Negi took his seat at her left and politely got himself ready to dine. There was an awkward silence as they both stared at each other for a while and Negi finally said, "Hi." Yes, the words that came out of his mouth held little tact but what could anyone expect when looking in to her eyes?
"I enjoyed your massage last night." Both of them raised an eyebrow when they heard a dull thud in the kitchen.
"Y-you did? I didn't think I did much of a good job to be honest." Negi said with a blush. He caught the look of suspicion that washed over the vampiress's face and quickly added, "Not that I wasn't trying! I only give you my best master!"
"Don't worry yourself boya." Evangeline assured him as she narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "I'm sure that you'll get better with practice."
Another dull thud from the kitchen...
"W-with p-practice? What ever do you mean?" Negi stammered.
"I mean that you'll be my personal massager." She saw his head hang from hearing that and leaned over to him with a threatening grin. "Doesn't that make you happy?"
"I can't hold in my joy." Negi answered in a strangled squeak as the terror threatened to make itself known. He regarded her questionably when she held out her hand and asked, "What seems to be the matter?"
"Time for my morning snack." She licked her lips hungrily.
"...Yes master." Negi allowed her to take his hand and she bit in to his middle finger before sucking on it with a satisfied moan. "Surprisingly this doesn't bother me as much anymore." He said off handedly despite his initial urge to pull away from the ticklish sensation that her suction was giving him. He sweat dropped when her eyes swiveled to regard him and her lips curled in to a small smile as she pulled away with a final slurp.
"It's a good thing that I'm the only female midian who know how incredibly sweet your blood tastes." Evangeline said with a chuckle before going on, "Because others would probably lose control and suck you to the last drop."
"...I'll take that as a compliment."
"So tell me...have you ever thought about tasting me?"
There was a deathly silence as Negi's mind shut down...
"I-It never crossed my mind!" Negi blurted out.
"You're no fun." Evangeline pouted. "Why not?"
"B-b-because I don't want to bite anyone!"
"But you love the taste of blood."
"T-that's different! I drink it from packs!"
"But having it straight from the flesh tastes so much better." Evangeline teased with a sigh of longing. "It adds a better taste." Her eyes regarded him intensely. "Believe me."
"Can we please stay off that subject?" Negi pleaded as his voice began to betray him with it's sudden hint of hunger. "W-what are you going to train me with today? Are we going to build up on my dark aura again?"
"Of course we are. Which reminds me."
"...Um, what?"
"You intend to participate in the tournament right?"
"Yeah."
"Have you signed up yet?"
"No."
"Today is the last day boya. They stop accepting at four o' clock."
"R-really?!" Negi was about to get up but he found that he couldn't move his legs too well. "W-what's going on here?" He turned to Evangeline. "M-master?"
"What's the rush Negi?" Evangeline asked as she slipped one of her hands over his. Negi felt shivers run up his arms when she stroked his hand with her thumb. "We have plenty of time before they close. It's only nine twenty-two so stay with me for breakfast, hmm?"
"Y-yes master."
"You can call me Eva from now on." The vampiress told him with a fanged grin. "I think we've gotten past a strict master-disciple relationship by now."
Negi swallowed hard as his mind fought his sudden urge to tremble. "Very well...Eva..."
"That's an improvement." Evangeline purred unaware of Chachamaru's on looking eyes. Chachazero found herself feeling a slight discomfort as well. Slowly but surely, Evangeline was starting to be a little nicer to the young magi and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Chances were the vampiress was truly beginning to see him as a worthy underling or maybe there might be more to her motives. Whatever it was, Chachazero was going to be sure to keep it from harming her master in any way.
Chachazero came to understand, however, that her power didn't match the might of the twins. Their energy seemed to be limitless and their power over Negi was in a word...overwhelming.
"Come on Negi-sensei!" Fuka chirped excitedly as she pulled him forward by his left arm.
"Yeah! Everyone wants to see you in the classroom!" Fumika added as she did the same with his right arm.
"For a meeting!" Both twins said at the same time. Negi didn't even attempt to resist their youthful charms. It was impossible for him to say no to the twins when they were practically on the hunt for him every time he took his first step out on to the campus grounds. No place was safe for the two greatest members of the "Walking club". One moment he was just walking around to see if he could find Kotaro so they could both sign up for the tournament and the next thing he knew both twins had come from out of nowhere to apprehend him!
Those two make quite a formidable force indeed. Chachazero thought as both twins lead her master toward the school. When they were inside they had him go to the homeroom and he was greeted by all of the girls excitedly like children on Christmas day. He found it hard to close the distance between him and his desk as he sensed their eyes following his every movement and took a seat when he reached it. Now all he could do was wait and submit to whatever they asked of him. He didn't like to disappoint his students and it wasn't like he was really capable of saying no in the first place. They would find some way to make him join them regardless of the answer.
"Hey everybody!" He greeted them nervously. "So what did you girls want to talk about anyway?" Almost immediately after he asked, Ayaka rushed up to his desk before any of the other girls and cooed, "I'm so glad that you asked sensei! You see, there's going to be an event at the Equestrian Exhibition and I'd like for you to-UMPH!"
"Don't even try it!" The twins cried out as they both shoved the class president out of the way before setting their sights on Negi. "You have to come with us on our Academy Walking Tour!" They both clasped their hands to their chest and tried to reel him in with the fabled puppy eyes tactic and Negi probably would have complied too if Misa and Sakurako didn't squeeze themselves in front of the twins with tickets in their hand.
"We're doing a live concert during the festival!" Sakurako exclaimed with a wide grin.
"And we'd love for you to come, will you please?!" Misa added on cheerfully.
"Wait just a second!" Ku-Fei took the easiest path and simply combed her way next to Negi instead of fighting for the place in front of his desk. "Disciple is almost forgetting! You come Chinese Martial arts instead. Show toro to new club members!"
"Ku-feiiiiiiiiii!" The Chinese girl whipped around when she heard her name called and saw Makie just as the girl tackled her to the side of the desk. Ku-Fei laid there twitching, eliciting a gasp from Negi since he expected her to dodge it easily.
"You'll come to the rhythmic Gymnastics Exhibition, won't you Negi-kun?!" She asked him sweetly. Negi found himself cowering in his seat as the girls packed around his very seat and towered over him with their invitations. His desk shook when Ayaka and the twins started to brawl with each other and he felt a violent shiver run down his spine when Sayo materialized behind his chair and floated beside him causing the entire group of girls on his left side to retreat in surprise.
"G-good morning Negi-sensei..." The ghost maiden greeted him timidly as a ghostly blush washed over her face. He saw her twiddling her thumbs and smiled at how cute she looked. "I've been hoping to see the festival with you if you don't mind...that is...to say that...you know..."
"Of course I will Sayo-chan!" Negi accepted happily.
"I-I'm so happ-" She disappeared when the happiness overcame her and the young magi blinked in puzzlement.
"S-she didn't cross over did sh-whoa!" Negi yelped when someone grabbed his arm and pulled him off his chair. He found himself being practically dragged through the crowd of girls until he was out the classroom and he saw Yue shut the door quickly. The person who was clutching his arm released him and he realized that Haruna was his unexpected escort.
"Sorry bout' that Negi-kun!" The manga artist apologized with her usual cheer.
"Um, that's alright."
"We just want to ask you something!"
"Er...we?" Negi questioned before he saw Yue drag Nodoka from out the corner. The blue haired girl pushed the shy girl in front of him and they both locked eyes for a moment. A blush washed over Nodoka's face and she almost lost the strength in her knees.
"H-hey there Negi-sensei." The timid librarian greeted him.
"Hi, Nodoka-san." Negi greeted her back. "What was it that you wished to ask me?"
"Well...oh...that is..."
Haruna nudged her in the shoulder with a whisper that Negi couldn't quite hear...
"T-the Library club is having a...a..."
Nodoka saw Negi and Chachazero cock their heads to the side at the same time.
"...A Scavenger Hunt!" The timid girl finally blurted out before Haruna and Yue jumped in front of her with invitations of their own.
"Right, and the Manga club will be doing caricatures so.." She allowed her invitation to do the talking as she shoved it in to Negi's hands with Nodoka's envelope.
"We'll also be doing a group reading at the Philosopher's club." Yue added on with a light blush as she handed her invitation to him as well. When both girls were done with their part they nudged Nodoka once more and she tensed up before letting out a quick sigh. She bowed her head slightly, causing her hair to cover most of her face but immediately faced the young magi with a brilliant smile as she asked, " W-Would y-you maybe come...to the festival with me as well?"
"H-huh?!" Negi was completely caught off guard for a moment. "Y-you mean together?"
"OH MY GOSH!" The girl turned on her heel and made a run for it before any of them could even react. "I SAID IT!" Were the last words they heard from her before she disappeared around the corner.
"Can you believe that girl? She didn't even wait for an answer!" Haruna growled in frustration before setting her sights on Negi. "You will do it though, right?!"
"...Um, s-sure...b-but..."
"M-make it the last day if possible!" Yue informed him quickly. She followed Haruna as she went to follow Nodoka and Negi was left with Chachazero to his thoughts.
"It looks like I'm really going to have a busy week." Negi told his familiar with a weak chuckle. "I'm not sure how I'll make time for everyone though."
"I'm sure you'll find a way master Negi." Chachazero assured him. It was at that moment that they realized that some of the girls had their faces pressed against the classroom door window. They probably saw the whole things unfold from the very beginning.
"Somehow I don't think this place is so safe anymore." Negi whispered to Chachazero nervously.
"So, do we run too?"
"Yeah!" Negi took off running just as the classroom door opened and pumped his legs faster when he heard a stampede behind him. "This is worse than that love potion incident!" He saw the exit coming up and tapped in to his vampiric side to glide right above the ground to pick up a speed boost.
"Master is getting better at this!" Chachazero cheered.
"Thanks...but..."
"But?" Chachazero asked hesitantly.
"I still haven't gotten the brakes down yet." Negi finished with a grin.
"This is going to be fun."
"Whatever you say Chacha-" Negi wasn't able to finish as he slammed in to the door and found himself flying forward from the top stair step. There were some students walking by so he couldn't lighten his fall by taking off at the last minute. He opted for a straightforward crash to the ground that left his face stinging. "O-Ouch." Negi rubbed his nose as two tears threatened to slip down his face.
"That was really fun!" Chachazero cheered. "Next time we should do it from a higher place!"
"Y-you can't be serious..." Negi said in disbelief as he regarded the puppet with wide eyes.
"NEGI! HEY, NEGI!" Negi turned around slowly when he heard his name called and saw Kotaro running to him at full speed with a torn tournament advertisement in his hand. By the looks of it the young magi wasn't going to have to worry about getting to the sign up on time.
"Hey Kotaro-kun. What's up?" Negi asked as he rubbed his shoulder.
"The sign ups for the martial arts tournament is almost closed! WE GOTTA GO!" Kotaro cried out desperately. "There's no time to spare!" He grabbed ahold of his friend's arm and took off running but to Negi's confusion the boy suddenly slowed down and came to a stop.
"What's wrong Kotaro?"
"Well...ages 12 and down get stuck in the children's division so...it's going to be kind of a bore, ya know?"
"Master can remedy that right?!" Chachazero asked Negi excitedly.
"Chacha-chan? I'm not sure if it's a good idea."
"What? What isn't a good idea?!" Kotaro asked quickly. If there was a chance to send them both in to the adult's division then he wasn't going to pass it up. He grabbed Negi by the shoulder and leaned over so close that Negi could smell the breakfast he ate. "What is the doll talking about Negi?!"
"It's...just..." Negi wasn't sure if it was much of a good idea but Chachazero was practically bouncing on his head.
"Come on master Negi! The younger division is going to be soooooooo boring! Why not go for a real fighting tournament and enter the older division?!"
"But-"
"Please?!" Chachazero and Kotaro asked, resorting to the puppy eye tactic to force him in to submitting to their pleads.
Negi suddenly felt as though the great God above was teasing him for some cruel reason that he couldn't quite understand...
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At the Sign up booth...
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The young woman at the booth examined the slips that Negi and Kotaro handed to her before looking back at them. Her eyes observed them intensely as she tried to find out why she was getting the feeling that she was being tricked. Something about the man with the reddish hair made her feel rather weird but the wild one beside him gave off a childish vibe.
"Negi Springfield?" She said in a questioning tone that made Negi perk up.
"Y-yeah. That's my name." He replied with a smile that made the girl blush furiously. He eyes reluctantly swiveled away from Negi and regarded Kotaro who was beginning to feel the pressure of suspicion slowly breaking him down.
"And you're Kotaro? No last name?"
"Just Kotaro is fine."
"...Alright then. Welcome to the Mahora Budokai Tournament!"
"ALRIGHT!" Kotaro howled excitedly, making the girl raise an eyebrow. He caught the look on her face and recomposed himself before saying calmly, "I mean...cool." Negi saw that as their cue to disappear before his friend managed to arouse any more suspicion than they already had. He placed his hands on both of Kotaro's shoulders and pushed him to get him moving, all the while an assuring grin plastered on his face to get the girl to stop looking at them.
"So this is where they're at?" Asuna asked Kazumi as they strolled up to the stair steps leading to the tournaments sign up booths.
"Yep. Sayo told me so." The photographer replied as the ghost appeared behind her with a timid smile. "It does bring up the question on why she was following them though." The girl continued with a grin causing a blush to wash over the ghost's face.
"Y-you have th-the wrong idea!" Sayo assured them.
"Sure." Asuna told Sayo with a wink. "We totally believe you." After taking one last look at the booths Asuna turned and said, "Well we might as well go back to our club. Those guys probably won't be out unti-"
"Hey Asuna!" Madoka's voice suddenly rang out from behind her. Both Kazumi and her turned to the source of the call and froze in place when they saw Ako and Madoka approaching them from behind them.
"Hey guys. Whats up?" Asuna and Kazumi asked. They shifted their attention to Ako when the girl started to clutch her arm with her other hand in a shy gesture.
"Well, you see...there's something we'd like to ask you and..."
"Asuna." Madoka carried on from Ako's hesitant approach. "That cute guy from the other day; is he a friend or what? His hair was kind of like Negi-kun's and all so..."
"W-what? The other day?" Asuna got stiff in the legs. Oh my gawd. They saw Negi with me the other day! Who else knows about the date besides them?! How am I gonna go about this?! "Well...erm.."
"He isn't your boyfriend is he?!" Ako suddenly asked, completely catching Asuna and Kazumi off guard.
"NO WAY!" Asuna answered quickly. He's a c-cousin- Negi's cousin, that's right! He was visiting Japan so I g-gave him a tour of campus!"
"Negi-kun has a cousin?" Madoka mused with a tap to her chin. The girls turned their attention to the stair steps when they heard the voices of two young men. Ako and Madoka's eyes sparkled with excitement when they saw Negi and Kotaro while Asuna on the other hand was barely grasping consciousness. She felt as though she would faint at any moment!
"Ahh...you two." Negi said with a sigh, glaring at Kotaro and Chachazero who shifted her position on to his shoulders so they could talk.
"This stuff is amazing!" Kotaro grinned. Both of them stopped talking on the matter when they noticed that they were being watched and Negi waved at Ako and Madoka with a polite greeting.
"Ako-san! Kugimiya-san! How's it going?" His greeting prompted Asuna to appear beside him before slamming her hand on his head with enough force to make him wince in pain. He edged back when she leaned over to whisper to him saying, "Negi you idiot! They're going to find out if you keep this going!"
"O-oh! You're right!" Negi gasped. "J-just follow my lead then!" Asuna and Negi looked back at Ako and Madoka to see them regarding Negi oddly as they tried to figure out how he knew their names before they even spoke to him. from that point Negi figured it would be best to introduce himself to them properly before they would get the wrong idea. "H-how do you do? Asuna has told me so much about you both! My name is Nagi Springfield." His eyes swiveled over to Kotaro who was practically picking his nose out in the open and slapped his hand away before introducing him as well, "And this is my friend...Koga!"
"Ko-wha-" Kotaro stopped dead when he realized that Chachazero was regarding him with her twisted eyes but what really made him quiet was the way her tiny hand was twitching for her blade at her side and the way Kazumi glared at him.
"Um...I..." Ako was trying as hard as she possibly could to find the words to speak. She opted for the best way to handle the situation and pulled the concert tickets out of her pocket before rushing over to Negi and Asuna. "I-I KNOW IT'S LAME B-BUT," She held the tickets out to him with her head bowed in embarrassment, "PLEASE COME IF YOU CAN!"
Negi accepted the tickets quickly in fear that the girl would explode. Ako felt the tickets slip out of her hand and almost dropped to the ground when she felt Negi's hands slip over her's for a brief moment.
I-I must be making a f-fool of myself! I better go before he thinks I'm a loser! Asuna and Negi jumped back when Ako turned on her heel and made some tracks. "G-GOTTA RUN!"
"Hope to see you there!" Madoka told them. "Make sure to bring Mr. Koga too." She winked at Kotaro and ran after her friend to calm her down. Kotaro cocked his head to the side as he pointed to himself and asked, "Was she talking about me?"
"She sure was!" Kazumi teased, nudging him in the ribs with a grin. "It's classic love at first sight. Right Asuna?"
"Sure..." Asuna took a few steps away from Negi when she realized they were still so close and went on. "This is going to give Negi a load of trouble now."
"Tell me about it." Negi said with a groan. "My hands are completely full now."
As the "teenagers" chatted with each other they didn't notice a certain vampiress passing by. Evangeline has just come back from the classroom when she heard all of the commotion. When she heard Negi was involved she decided to check it out to only find her classmates engaged in some sort of royal rumble. If there was anything she hated more it was the way those "brats" behaved. They were the kind of people she simply couldn't stand. It was a shame that most of the normal people were outside of Mahora Campus. Such civilized behavior was non-existent in the world of Mahora unfortunately which was the most probable reason as to why Magister's felt at home here.
"If those brats pester me one more time I'm going to..." Evangeline came to a halt when she saw Negi laughing with Asuna and the others...in his older form of all things! What made her ears perk up most was the words that came out of his mouth.
"So what should I wear at the concert?" Negi asked.
"Concert, huh?" Kotaro mused. His eyes wandered in boredom as he waited for Negi to get moving but he felt a terrible feeling and sought the source only for his eyes to lock on Evangeline. To say that he was nervous was a simple play at words that would have given the feeling no justice. "H-H-Hey Negi!" He threw an arm around his friend's shoulder and pulled him roughly. "Eva is watching us!"
"Eva? Who's Eva..." Negi noticed that Kotaro was pointing to something with his eyes and followed the gesture to see, "EVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?" Clearly the magi had lost contact with his brain at that moment because his voice died in a squeak and his eyes trembled.
"Negi? What's the deal?" Asuna asked with a frown. She heard Evangeline clear her throat and regarded the chibi vampire with a scowl. "Oh, look who decided to show up."
"Well, well Boya." Evangeline began as she walked to them; a devious grin plastered across her face. "What is this that I hear about a concert, hmmm? Did some girl ask you out on a date when she saw you in all of your..." She paused a moment to look him over before finishing. "Splendor?"
"Ahhh...m-master! How nice to see you!" Negi managed to say.
"I believe we discussed that you would call me "Eva" from now on, right?"
"Y-yes master."
"Eva? EVA? What's been going on ever since you moved in?" Asuna asked suspiciously as she stood between them.
"You mind?" Evangeline asked dully, regarding Asuna with a raised eyebrow.
"Stop ignoring me already!"
"You're interrupting our conversation, Kagurazaka."
"A-asuna-san." Negi placed his hands on both her shoulders and gently moved her out the way as he whispered in her ear, "S-she's dangerous! What's wrong with you?!"
"Anyway, Negi, you've joined the tournament right?" Evangeline inquired with a smirk. She already knew the answer to the question but she liked to make Negi sweat. If Negi was already making so many plans for the festival without her then she was going to slip herself in to his schedule whether he liked it or not. It just wouldn't be fair if he had so much fun without his master right?
"Yes Eva." Negi replied. Finding it a bit odd to say her name so freely. It just didn't quite roll of his tongue like most names for some reason. He saw her in deep thought after he answered and inwardly wished that he was able to read her thoughts just as she was able to read his.
"Right then! I'll enter the tournament myself." Evangeline suddenly declared making Negi and Kotaro jump back in horror. If she was going to join the tournament then there was no way that they could ever win! She was one of the most feared wizards in the entire magic world. Her name was known everywhere! Her crimes were know everywhere! Compared to her they were nothing but microbes!
"B-but master! WHY?!" Negi asked on the verge of throwing himself at her feet. "Why are you participating in the tournament? It'll be nothing but child's play for you!"
"I wanna see how my disciple's improved." The girl smiled as she placed her hands on her hips and asked, "Is that so wrong?"
"Ya damn right it is!" Kotaro protested but her glare made his rage fizzle out like a candle.
"Just remember Negi. If you are unable to best me in my weakened state you'll have to spend the entire last day of the festival with me in your current form." Evangeline licked her lips as she came up with another way to make the meeting a little more interesting. "And you'll have to do whatever I tell you without a single protest. Is that clear?"
"M-master..."
"Is that clear?!" Evangeline demanded.
"Y-yes master."
"Eva."
"I-I mean, Eva."
"By the way, that includes up to dinner and anything after." The vampiress said with a grin. "Aren't you just excited?"
"Never felt better..." Negi replied dully before receiving a light tap on the shoulder from his familiar. "What is it Chacha-chan?"
"Don't we have somewhere to go master Negi? It's already one 'eleven." Chachazero informed him.
"S-seriously?! Oh no, I'm late!"
"Late for what?" Evangeline and Asuna asked at the same time.
"I need to meet with Takane-san!" Negi replied, as he dashed away.
"A meeting with WHO?!"
At Chao's Restaurant on Wheels...
"Here you are." Chachamaru told Takane as she served the blonde magistress a nice, cold soft drink. Takane blinked a few times when she realized that the same android from the night before was serving her a drink and asked, "You work here?" As if the uniform wasn't enough proof, Chachamaru had the unusual urge to roll her eyes at the question. Something that was very rare for her to do since she wasn't one to show any emotion.
"Yes Ms. Goodman. I am a waitress here." Chachamaru replied. "I do not get my groceries for free." She decided to add as she turned away and headed back to tend to the other customers. If Takane didn't know better she would have believed that she caught a slight hint of sarcasm in the android's words. In all honesty she really didn't care for that as much as the fact that it was fifteen minutes after one and Negi had still not shown up. He wasn't seriously going to have her sit here alone was he?
"From his past behavior I assumed he was a gentlemen." Takane grabbed a napkin from the table and slowly began to twist it. "I guess I was wrong." Her words were immediately shoved in to the back of her mind, however, when she heard Negi's voice from beside her.
"Good afternoon Takane-san." Negi greeted her and he took a seat across from her. He massaged the back of his neck with a nervous chuckle. "I'm so sorry that I was late. I had to take care of a few things earlier and it kind of held me up."
"Some business? Regarding what, if you don't mind me asking."
"Teacher stuff." Negi replied off handedly making Chachazero giggle. The puppet's giggle caught Takane's attention and the blonde magistress frowned. First she finds out that Chachamaru is their waitress and now the puppet is with him. This wasn't exactly the private little meeting she pictured in her mind at all. Was this Negi's doing? Did he have her in the palm of his hand rather than the other way around? Takane had the sudden her to give him some applause for his ingenious works...despite that fact that this was all just a coincidence.
"I see you brought your familiar along." Takane pointed out sourly, her nurse hat tipping to the side as she cocked her head. "And here I was expecting us to be alone." She kept herself from blushing at her own words but what made it even worse was when Negi offered her that charming smile. Someone his age shouldn't have such a smile! What the hell was happening to her?!
"I go wherever master goes!" Chachazero answered her unvoiced question. She inwardly grinned when Negi gave her an affectionate pat on the head. Negi was really beginning to like this little relationship he was having with his familiar. She was almost like family to him now.
"How nice." Takane said dully before a disturbing smirk crossed her lips. "You know...I wouldn't have minded if you came as a man." Her words made Negi go stiff as one of his hands clamped around the edge of the table. When Takane saw the shock on his face a playful look washed over her face and she continued, "You thought I didn't know about your little secret?"
"W-well...I kind of figured you knew when we met in the market but...I was sort of hoping that you didn't." Negi replied rather gloomily. Takane had to keep her heart from melting when a Negi regarded her with a sad expression and asked, "Y-you aren't going to tell anyone are you? I d-don't want to get in too much trouble."
"What do you mean?" Takane asked, trying hard to keep a straight face.
"I know that there's others with you. I figure you might share this information with them next time you see them."
"...Wow. You can see right through me." Takane was taken aback but she regained her composure and offered him a friendly smile. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about our little secret but don't expect anymore kindness if you get normal civilians involved again. I saw you with that red-head before...you aren't influencing her are you?" Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"O-of course not." Negi lied. If Takane found out about the other girls that he made pactios with then he was going to be in some deep trouble.
"I sure hope not." She played with a lock of her hair, twirling it with her finger and looking back at him. "Since we're both going to be working together during the festival I think it'd be best that we become more than just co-workers. It allows us to have a tighter bond with each other."
"More than co-workers?"
"Friends Negi-sensei."
"Friends? I'd like that." Negi said with a smile that dazzled the girl again. His vampiric aura was working it's charms on her again and she could feel her heartbeat accelerate every time she looked in to his eyes or whenever he smiled.
"So tell me about yourself then." Takane said. "You don't seem to be from around here. I assume you didn't come from Mahora city."
"I'm from England." Negi replied. "I was studying in Wales before I came here to Mahora."
"A John bull you say?"
"Well...I guess you can say that." Negi said with an awkward chuckle. "Anyway I studied at Wales with a friend on mine named Anya. She gave me my first training wand, heh. We were pretty close, almost like a brother and sister you could say."
From what I'm hearing it looks like it's going to take a while before he gets in to the information I really want. I need to push him a little farther or this will take forever! Thought Takane as she nodded along with Negi to show that she was listening. She had to admit that it was kind of interesting to hear the past of the Thousand Master's son but something was a bit off. She was sure that he was leaving something out; something important regarding his father's mysterious disappearance.
"...duated from magic school at the top of my class." Negi finished. He raised an eyebrow curiously when he saw Takane looking a little distant and waved his hand in front of her. "Um, Takane-san, are you alright?"
"Er, yeah!" She snapped out of her stupor with a grin but Negi saw through it.
"Heh. I'm sorry about that. I guess my past is a little boring." the young magi apologized making Chachazero glare at Takane darkly for offending her master.
"B-boring? Not at all!" Takane assured him with a blush. "How did you come to be an English teacher here anyway? Aren't you just a bit too young to be teaching?"
"Well, the headmaster of the school I graduated from convinced Mr. Konoe to hire me as an English teacher. He said he wanted me to get out and see other parts of the world. He didn't want me to spend most of my young life in Wales I guess."
"So do you like it here?"
"I love it here." Negi replied cheerfully. "I've met so many interesting and extraordinary people here and I get to see more of Takamichi here than back when he used to visit my village."
"That's great to hear." Takane mused with a grin. "Have you ever been out to Mahora city?"
"I have but not many times to be honest." Negi turned his attention away from Takane when Chachamaru came to their table with a glass of iced tea on a tray for him. He didn't remember ordering anything from her but it seemed as though the android already knew what he would have ordered if she came to take his order.
"Good afternoon Negi-kun." Chachamaru greeted him with a slight smile as she set down his drink for him.
"Thanks Chachamaru-san. How did you know I was going to order iced tea?"
"I knew it was your favorite beverage." The android replied almost proudly. Takane on the other hand wasn't taking kindly to her conversation with Negi being interrupted. She knew that Chachamaru was their waitress but for some reason she thought this little intermission was for more than just bringing a drink. She listened as Negi and Chachamaru continued their leisure conversation and her eye twitched when she felt that this was going a little too far for her liking. This was taking longer than she expected!
"Um, excuse me?" She interrupted their conversation. When the both of them turned their heads to regard her she flinched at their quick response. She actually just expected Chachamaru to look at her. "Aren't you going to take our orders yet?"
"If that is your wish." was Chachamaru's reply. Had Negi or Takane really been paying attention to how she responded they would have caught the odd tone in her voice that usually wasn't present. It would seem that Chachamaru didn't take kindly to her conversation being interrupted either, however, she pulled out an ordering pad regardless and faced the blonde magistress. "I trust you already know what you wish to order."
Takane sweat dropped at the android's words. Chachamaru knew very well that Takane had not taken the time to look over the menu during her conversation with Negi. This was just her way of telling Takane to shut up and it worked well seeing as how she tensed up and stared blankly at her.
"Um...g-give me a sec." Takane laughed nervously as she snatched her menu up from the table to view it.
"Very well." Chachamaru said with a nod before turning back to Negi. "May I recommend the special to you Negi-kun?"
"What is it Chachamaru?" Negi asked curiously.
"Stir fried vegetables and lobster meat in a rich sauce."
"That sounds good!"
"You approve?"
"Yes, I'll have the special. Thanks Chachamaru."
"You are very welcome." Chachamaru said with a bow before turning back to Takane once more. "Have you decided yet?"
"Erm...I-I'll have the same as Negi-sensei." Takane replied quickly. The quicker she got back to talking with Negi, the better. Chachamaru took a moment to study the magistress when she felt that something was amiss before nodding and turning to go confirm their orders with the chef. She didn't like this outing between Negi and Takane at all. Something about the blonde magistress seemed so false to her since she met with her last night. She was going to be sure to keep a close eye on her.
Takane turned back to Negi with a sigh and offered him another smile to set the mood. Gradually she began to notice, however, that each smile started to feel a little less false. She almost felt as though being with the young magi actually made her want to smile instead of having to force it professionally. She had to admit though that his company was rather pleasant. His cheerful demeanor and his gentle ways were quite attractive.
What the heck?! Those weird thoughts are coming to me again! He is way too young to be getting these sorts of reactions out of me! Takane fought hard to keep herself from expressing her distress outwardly. Negi saw her eyes dart around as she coped with her current mood and simply took a drink of his iced tea in hopes that she would calm down by the time he looked back at her. The blonde magistress could tell she was disturbing him and decided to just ignore her odd thoughts.
"So I hear from Takamichi that you're quite experienced in the arts of magic. In fact he's told me that you've been in combat before."
"Oh, he did? Well...you could say that." Negi replied, massaging the back of his neck.
"Surely you must be strong for him to compliment you."
"I wouldn't say that. I'm really not that top notch."
"Nonsense." Takane snapped, narrowing her eyes at Negi imperceptibly. The young magi felt something going on and prepared himself for whatever came next. "I've noticed that Evangeline Mcdowell has taken an interest in you."
"W-why would you say that?"
"She calls you 'disciple'." Takane answered. She took pleasure in watching him squirm in his seat when she said that. She struck a nerve in the young magi and she knew it. "Obviously that could only mean that she is your 'master'. You seem to address her by the term anyway."
"You've overheard us talking to each other before?!" Negi asked in confusion.
"Well what's wrong with that?" Takane asked suspiciously. "You don't mind calling her that in public."
"...No."
"So would it be odd for me to know that?"
"I don't think so." Negi replied hesitantly even though his thoughts were of a rather different nature. If she overheard their conversations that could only mean that she had been keeping tabs on him for quite some time. He hoped she didn't know anything about his nocturnal nature. She didn't mention anything about it but if she had any knowledge it might just cause some complications. He saw Takane open her mouth to talk and broke away from his thoughts to listen.
"So I assume she's your master in the arts of magic right?"
"Yes."
"And being the type of magic user that she is...I'm sure you know a little more than just Light magic. She must have introduced you in to the dark arts by now."
"Y-yes. Is there a problem?" Negi asked nervously.
"No...not yet." Takane replied.
"What do you mean, "not yet"?" Negi asked.
"What I mean is, who's to say that she isn't plotting something?" Takane saw an array of emotions flash across Negi's face and smirked at her own craftiness. "I see you look a little confused."
"I-I am. What would Eva be plotting?"
"Eva, huh? I thought you would address her by master but it would seem you two are a little closer now." Takane said with a frown. "You ask what a dark wizard would be plotting? I'd think the answer to that is quite easy. She plots to have a successor. Another wizard to be her partner so she'll be an unstoppable force to reckon with, " The blonde magistress grinned, "And who a better candidate than the Thousand Master's pride and joy, his son?"
"Eva-san is nothing like that! She wouldn't do that!" Negi snapped, catching Takane off guard. "That's a terrible thing to say."
"A terrible thing to say about one of the most feared wizards in the world of magic? I see she already has sweetened your impression of her. When she knows you're completely devoted to her then she'll be ready to make a move."
"You are distressing Master Negi." Chachazero suddenly said darkly. "I suggest that you stop slipping venom in to master's ear or you won't be forgiven."
"The puppet speaks?"
"Yes, I can do that." Chachazero quipped sarcastically. "From the very start of this meeting Master has been the only one to talk about his personal business. I think it would be fair if you reveal a little bit about yourself as well." Chachazero narrowed her eyes before saying her last word. "Friend."
"It's alright Chacha-chan." Negi assured his familiar in a soothing tone. "I'm sure Takane-san is just a little worried about my relationship with master." Negi made sure to revert his way of addressing Evangeline to it's formal in front of the blonde magistress. "I assure you that master would do nothing of the sort however."
"How would you know?"
"Because she's changed."
"Change-"
"Can we get off the subject?" Negi cut her off much to her surprise. It was the first time that she heard him sound so serious. "I'd appreciate it if we just had a friendly meeting. From what I can tell with your last few questions we've been talking business haven't we?"
Takane's eyes widened gradually when he spoke. She had underestimated him drastically. He knew what she was after all along and it made her feel a little uncomfortable. "I'm...sorry." She apologized. She even surprised herself after she realized what she had done.
"It's alright Takane-san." Negi told her with a smile. "I don't blame you for doing your job but like you said before, it would be nice to see each other as more than co-workers." Negi held his hand out to her. "Let's be friends, huh?"
Takane blushed.
"...Negi-sensei..."
The Next day...
Negi took off from the porch of Evangeline's residence and took flight with Chachazero perched on his head, clinging on to his hair tightly so she wouldn't fall off while they were in the air. Makie informed him that they wanted him to see the completed Haunted house today so he wanted to leave the house as soon as possible. Evangeline seemed to be in a rather odd mood since he came back from having lunch with Takane and the mood managed to drag over to this morning. He woke up to see Evangeline hovering over him like a lion ready to devour it's prey. Needless to say, the young magi was a little scared to stay for breakfast.
"You don't think she was planning to bite me do you?" Negi asked Chachazero.
"I don't suppose so." Chachazero replied. "If she wanted to she would have done it."
"Yeah, you're right. It still doesn't make me feel better about the way she was looking at me though." He saw a clear landing spot and began to descend, making sure that there was no one to see him as he got lower. When he touched the ground he straightened out his clothes and got on to the path to get to the haunted house.
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The Haunted house...
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"Alright! We did it!" Madoka cheered as she pumped her fist in the air with Sakurako "Negi-sensei is going to be so proud!"
"Hey!" Fuka got everyone's attention.
"There he goes right now!" Fumika informed them as Negi walked towards the Haunted house in the distance. Instead of waiting for him to get to the Haunted house all of the girls opted to closing the distance between them.
"Uh-oh." Negi squeaked when he saw the girls running towards him. He counted down the seconds he had left before Ayaka smashed in to him and took him in to a warm hug while the other girls tried to pry him from her grips. Chachazero was trying with all that she had in her not to attack the girls who were smothering the poor young magi.
"We've finished sensei!" The class president informed him as though he couldn't already tell by now.
"It's the best ever made!" Makie declared with pride.
"We made sure of that." Sayo said meekly.
"Just wait till you give it a try!" Haruna said with a grin. Negi felt a pull on his arm and saw Konoka beside him with Chamo perched on her shoulder.
"Come on Negi-kun." She managed to pop him out of Ayaka's arms much to the class president's displeasure and lead him to Asuna who was leaning against a tree near the crowd of girls who were bragging about their contributions to the house. "You wouldn't believe what Asuna did."
"What happened?" Negi asked.
"She called Takamichi and guess what he said?!" The girl started to get giddy so Negi practically already knew the answer to her question. He decided to humor her anyway.
"What did he say?"
"He's going to go out with her!" Konoka's words made the red-head come to life from her post against the tree.
"D-don't remind me!" Asuna cried out.
"B-but what's wrong with that Asuna-san?! Isn't that supposed tp be a good thing for you?" Negi asked in confusion. He thought this was exactly what she wanted but now she sounded as though she regretted even asking Takamichi at all.
"NO, it's not good! Not good at all! How am I supposed to act when I do see him?! Ever since I received his answer I haven't been able to eat or sleep! I'm gonna die before I even get to date him! AHHHH, I should've never bothered at all!" Asuna looked as though she was on the verge of smashing her head in to the tree until it was a bloody pulp.
"H-hey! Calm down ane-san. It's always like that at first." Chamo assured her with a casual wave of his paw. "You'll feel much better when they day comes. Believe me on this one."
"Yeah, easy for you to sa-"
"Negi sensei! Hello!" Shizuna's voice cut off Asuna. Negi looked to the source of the voice and saw Shizuna waving at him with Setsuna near the path to the Haunted House. "I'm so glad that I finally found you. The Headmaster would like to see you."
"He would? I better head back to the main building then." Negi said with a nod.
"Oh, he's not in his office. He's waiting over at World Tree Plaza." She gestured to Setsuna. "I'd like Sakurazaki-san to come as well."
"...Okay."
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World Tree Plaza...
----------------------------------------------
"What do you think he wants?" Negi asked Setsuna as they walked to the plaza.
"Don't really know." Setsuna replied, observing everything as she followed Negi. There was nobody around and it was making her curious. "This is odd."
"What is?" Negi asked.
"It's the day before the festival and no one is around." She observed. Negi realized that they were not alone, however, when he saw some people standing at the top of the stair steps in front of the foot of the enormous World Tree.
"Who're they?"
"Hey Negi-kun!" The headmaster greeted him, raising a bushy eyebrow. "We've been waiting for you."
"W-whoa." Negi could feel magic power pulsating from the people who were accompanying the headmaster and was surprised to see Takamichi, Kotaro, Takane, and Mei amongst them. He even recognized some of the other faculty with them. "Who are all of these peo-"
"I suppose I've yet to introduce them." The Headmaster said. "These people before you; Elementary, Junior High, High school, University; They're all from Mahora city and they all teach magic. There are student of magic here as well but not many."
Seruhiko approached Negi and shook the young magi's hand. "Sorry I couldn't tell you sooner Negi-kun. I wished I'd been able to help with the school trip but the headmaster ordered me to stay and protect the students."
"Th-that's okay." Negi told him, still surprised. "Still...to think that there are so many mages at this academy." He made eye contact with Takane and smiled at her but she simply turned away to his confusion. She acted almost as though she was trying to ignore him.
"There's a reason I've gathered all of you here today." The headmaster started the briefing. "It seems we've a problem and I'll need all of your help to set it right." He noticed the look of alert on Negi and Setsuna's face. "It's not as bad as the school trip. It's awe inducing in it's own way however. I'm sure you all know about the World tree legend, correct?"
"Yeah, yeah." Kotaro said casually. "I get tired of hearing about it from all of the students. All of that lovey-dovey bull."
"More about becoming a couple right?" Negi clarified.
"That's close enough." The headmaster said before a serious expression washed over his face. "The thing is...the legend is true. Wishes do come true once every twenty-two years." His words shocked Kotaro and Setsuna but Negi already heard about it from Evangeline so he wasn't as surprised.
"And so what I need from everyone is to keep any of the students from putting the legend of the world tree to the test, especially if those concern matters of the heart. The consequences would be simply devastating if an epidemic started."
"S-so it's actually true?!" Kotaro asked in disbelief.
"The students call this the "World Tree" when in actuality it's really called the "Sacred Tree". It absorbs magical energy and every twenty-two years it gathers so much to the point that the magic begins to flow outward. This magic is susceptible to human emotion, however, only to Love. The effects of confession is likely to one hundred and twenty percent so it's more of a curse than a blessing!"
"But what's so wrong with love?" Negi asked bluntly.
"It's just wrong! Would you want to fall in love against your will?" The headmaster asked with a frown.
"N-no!"
"Well, that's the prize of a confession."
"That's terrible!" Negi's impression of the tree had totally changed.
"Someone's watching us." Mei suddenly said out of the blue. All of the other mages turned to her when she spoke and regarded her questionably with the exception of the mages in black suits and shades. One of them sporting a beard looked to the distance and snapped his fingers. Negi watched as a white-hot blaze of energy discharged from the man's fingers and destroyed a spying robot that was hovering a few feet over them.
"An incantationless spell?" Negi gasped.
"I sensed no magical power so I assume it was mechanical." The magi agent said as he inhaled from the cigarette hanging from his lips. "This might be the work of a student. You just can't underestimate those students."
"I'll find them." Takane volunteered. "It shouldn't be too hard to find them. There's only a handful of them capable of this sort of thing." She turned to Mei and gestured for her to follow. "Let's get going Mei."
"Yes onesan." Mei complied.
"You must not go too far with them." The headmaster warned the mages who were walking off to find the problem. "Our students stand to lose their very youth. Please use the utmost caution in your use of magic. I'll be counting on you all." He turned back to Negi and the others after speaking to the leaving mages and said, "Please begin your scheduled patrols immediately. That is all! Dismissed." He waved them off and took his leave as well.
Just as the Headmaster walked away students began pouring in to the plaza from out of nowhere as though they had been around the entire time.
"What the? What's going on?" Negi asked in confusion.
"The spell keeping them away must have been lifted." Setsuna answered calmly. "We should get going." She told Negi and Kotaro.
"Yeah, you're right." Negi nodded before descending the steps with Kotaro and Setsuna. When they were in the crowd, walking through the entire different assortment of stands that were set up beside the main plaza where the World Tree resided, Kotaro chuckled.
"This World tree stuff is freaky, huh?" He asked Negi.
"Yeah, but there were so many mages and teachers there at the meeting! Can you believe it?!"
"What's the big deal?" Kotaro teased with a grin. "We could take them all, no problem. That western magic ain't nothin'."
"Does it always have to come down to that with you?" Setsuna asked with a grin.
"This patrol stuff is going to really clash with your schedule master." Chachazero told Negi with a giggle. The magi gasped when he realized that she was right and yanked his own hair! If he had patrol then it was going to take two of him to see all of his students at the same time and that was just impossible!
"Ahhhhhh man!" Negi groaned.
"What's your issue?" Kotaro asked casually. The comedic mood was disrupted when one of the nearby stands suddenly crashed to the ground in splinters of wood. Negi, Setsuna, and Kotaro turned their heads toward the crash site and rushed to see if they could help out.
"H-hey! Are you alright?" Negi asked the hooded figure that was lying on the buns that were on the stand for sale. The person groaned as they tried to get on their knees and Negi was shocked to see that it was Chao when her hood slipped off her head. She was grinning as though nothing had happened to her at all.
"N-negi-chan! Thank goodness!" She clutched his arms so he would lean over to her and asked, "Could you please help me?! I'm being chased by some shady characters!"
"You're being chased by who?!" Negi asked but before Chao could even answer he sensed something coming their way fast and looked up toward the source of the power to see an assailant wearing black garbs and a cape. He couldn't see their face at all due to the odd large hat they had on. "Watch out!" He pulled Chao in to his arms and jumped away from the ruined stand just in time to avoid being crushed by the assailant.
"What's going on?!" Setsuna reached for her sword, which was wrapped in a red cloth at her back and held it in preparation to rip it out and strike.
"Those are the guy who are after me!" Chao warned them.
"Guys?!" Kotaro asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I only see one gu-" He died out in mid-sentence when five more of them landed beside the one they were already facing.
"Time to get going!" Negi yelled as he kicked off from the ground and sent himself flying in the air with Chao in his arms. Setsuna and Kotaro did the same, forcing their dark assailants to follow them in to the air. To all the students who were walking beside Negi and the others, they simply saw blurs that disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Negi, Setsuna, and Kotaro ran across rooftops as they tried to keep a distance between them and the dark figures. It looked as though they would have to engage in close combat since their pursuers were very quick.
"Whoa! How the heck are they keeping up with us?!" Kotaro demanded after stealing a glance back at their dark pursuers.
"I'm being chased by evil mages!" Chao told Negi. "Won't you help me?!"
"Evil mages?!" Negi gasped before hearing Setsuna cry out, "Watch out! In front of us!" The young magi turned away from Chao just in time to see more of the dark men running to them from the front.
"Setsuna!" Negi called out to his comrade.
"Yeah?!"
"Take Chao!" He tossed the Chinese girl to Setsuna and she caught her. "I'll see if I can hold these guys off!"
"Alrigth!" Setsuna nodded and jumped to another roof.
"Let's get started then Negi!" Kotaro roared excitedly.
"Let's do it!" Negi agreed.
"Alright!" Chachazero cried out with glee. "We've finally got some action!" She felt the wind rush through her hair when Negi kicked off hard with one foot and sent himself flying in to a group of their dark adversaries! Negi whipped around with a twisting kick and sent two of the dark assailants crashing to the ground below. Just as the others tried to get their hands on him, Kotaro came out of nowhere and bashed in to them before they could do anything to Negi.
"Thanks Kotaro!"
"Don't let your guard down yet!" Kotaro pointed behind Negi and the young magi saw even more of their dark foes coming in!
"Where are they coming from!" Negi cried out. Just as they were about to engage in close combat with Negi there was a quick glint of light and they were sliced in half. Negi blinked in confusion when he saw them go down so easily and grinned when Setsuna appeared over their fallen bodies, sheathing her sword.
"C'mon! Chao is waiting from us on the other roof!" Setsuna beckoned them.
"Watch out!" Setsuna got in position to attack when Negi cried out but to her amazement Negi disappeared and was beside her in a matter of seconds before he struck her ambusher with an elbow thrust to the stomach. The dark warrior disappeared in a sliver of black smoke and Setsuna smirked.
"You've gotten very strong from before Negi-sensei." She praised.
"Thanks!"
"Watch out! There's a bunch incoming!" Kotaro warned them, pointing overhead.
I've got this covered! Negi thought as he prepared a spell. Setsuna realized that Negi was already on it and warned, "Remember not to use anything too flashy!"
"Don't worry!" Negi assured her. He pointed his palm at the incoming group od dark warrior and unleashed a barrage of dark arrows that destroyed them in puffs of dark smoke. To all of the students going about their business below they merely saw a firework display. That was, except for Evangeline and Chachamaru who happened to be strolling in the plaza. The vampiress sensed the dark spell when it was preformed and a grin crossed her lips.
"Boya?" She mused aloud.
Takane and Mei felt the quick surge of dark energy and went way on alert.
"This isn't good. It looks like our mystery student has a dark ally." Takane said grimly.
"What should we do?!" Mei asked, getting in to a battle stance with her broom. "You don't think it's "Dark Evangel" do you?!"
"I sure hope not! Gandolfini must have sensed it as well." Takane whipped out her wand and smirked. "We'll just have to face them regardless of who it is."
Negi, Kotaro, Setsuna and Chao rested in an alley to take a breather and regroup their thoughts. They were going to have to use a different strategy if they wanted to end this intense engagement without arousing any unwanted attention.
"Thanks for saving me!" Chao thanked the three of them.
"We can't rest just yet." Setsuna warned everyone. "The master of those shadow puppets is sure to be near."
"It's still so surprising to come across such strong fighters of such a young age though!" Chao said excitedly as she turned to Negi. "Good work with sneaking that magic attack with the fireworks Negi-chan." She gave him a thumb up, causing him to blush.
"Y-you're too kind." Negi said, massaging the back of his neck. "Y-you know about mages Chao-san?"
"As much as Hakase." Chao replied before Negi, Setsuna and Kotaro whipped their heads in the direction of the end of the alley in alert.
"I think the caught on to out trail." Setsuna observed, reaching for her blade as she narrowed her eyes imperceptibly. "They're close."
"I'd say there's about three of them." Kotaro said as he cracked his knuckles.
"Th-that's not good! They'll erase my memory for sure!" Chao said in distress.
"Wh-what? How so?" Negi asked Chao quickly but Kotaro tapped him on the shoulder.
"They're getting much closer now. One's on the roof...what should we do?" Kotaro asked. The game was on now and their opponents were making their moves. If they didn't do the same quick they would probably be defeated in a matter of moments.
Takane stood in the midst of the crowd of students with two of her shadow puppets by her side and grinned. I can sense that we've surrounded our adversaries. This shouldn't take too long to resolve. The fools have nowhere to run.
Gandolfini heard Takane's thoughts and telepathically warned her, "We've no idea who our opponent is! Slow and steady wins the race, got that?!"
"I'm ready to take them on!" Mei informed them.
"Lets get moving master." Chachazero warned him. "I'll do what I can to block our enemies telepathy. They're planning out their strategy with each other as we lay here idly."
"Alright then!" Negi started off to get Setsuna and Kotaro's attention. "He who strikes first, wins. Let's merge in to this mass of people and find out what's what. Setsuna, "He turned to her and jabbed a thumb toward the roof, "You take the top."
"You got it." Setsuna said with a nod. He sounds so grown up. I can't help but feel confident in his plan.
Pretty good for an amateur. Kotaro thought with a grin. "I guess I'll help you out down here then."
"I've disrupted their telepathic communication master." Chachazero said as her eyes burned brightly. "Without their bond they shouldn't be able to call for back up. The time to strike would be now."
"Then let's do it." Negi said with a grin. He felt his fangs begin to pulsate and Chachazero cackled evilly as the dark energy built up within Negi.
"Ready when you are partner." Kotaro grinned as he sharpened his claws against the alley wall.
"GO!"
To be continued...
Well, I never expected it to take this long to update but life gets in the way sometimes. Heh, anyway I hope you all enjoyed this chapter...must be the longest of this entire series so far and as you can see the MahoFest is right around the corner which means MAJOR brainstorming, plot twists and all the good stuff!
Anyway, till next time...
Traingham...
P.S: If you haven't checked out that movie "300" yet, I recommend it...the beginning was kinda slow though...