Fang Vice Addiction

by Traingham

After one fateful night, Negi finds himself entangled in the world of Evangeline McDowell. Immerse yourself in a world of untold passion and growing obsession. Bask in the moonlight, and have yourself a bite to drink. The night is young. Are you addicted?

26. ACT I

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters…

Fang Vice Addiction

Chapter Twenty-six: Standing the Test of Time

By Traingham

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An unspoken wish lost within the motions of time...

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The night before brought upon so many acts of mischief that a certain magister wanted nothing more to do than rest his head on his pillow without anyone to disturb his slumber. His desires required nothing demanding of his roommates who all shared the same suite he so graciously payed for by himself, however, it seemed that they were compelled to bother him regardless. Well, one of them at least, and in the case of this one person, he really could not do much to express his displeasure because her presence demanded love and care. This being noted; when Negi felt two tiny hands pull at his cheeks, he opted to do his best to ignore them and feign a few snores so they would simply leave him be, but this person was not ignorant when it came to his sleeping habits, and she knew that snoring was not one of them so the pulling continued and it was merciless. Finally, Negi opened his eyes reluctantly to take in the sight of a girl with blond hair that almost touched down to the floor, and gold eyes that sparkled with unspoken words of excitement at the sight of him awake. She looked to be about ten years old, but there was something about her face and the way her lips curled up into a subtle smirk that showed an intelligence, and cleverness well beyond her years. Surprisingly, the girl's presence left the young vampire in a slight state of unease, but he managed a friendly smile.

"Hey, princess." Negi greeted her. "You're up a bit early." He looked to the shades of his room and found them closed so that there was hardly any light coming inside. Of course...she must have been planning to wake me up before so she must have closed them as I was sleeping. The young magi grabbed hold of the covers and pulled them off of his body so he could sit up on his bed and yawn. His behavior elicited a light giggle from her, but when he looked to her the expression on her face was stoic. It made Negi wonder if the giggle had been something from his imagination. "I'm guessing that its breakfast you've woken me up for, right?"

"Naturally." The girl replied, placing her hands on her hips. "I'd do it myself, but I'm not completely familiar with the modern cooking methods."

"You need help?" Negi translated more as a way to mock her than anything else.

"Some assistance would be appreciated."

"You just had to say, yes." Negi narrowed his eyes in annoyance for a brief moment before he stood up and stretched with a yawn. It was pretty early so he didn't have to worry about running into Katherine again. Last time he found her prancing around in just a towel. She was munching on a slice of toasted white bread, and she claimed that she had no problem eating breakfast in such a state of undress. She claimed that she knew he was smarter than to try anything foolish. As much as Negi was already used to seeing the female body so untouched by clothing(Life around the girls at Mahora and the Dark Mistresses will do that.), he still couldn't help but be embarrassed by the sight of a half naked woman. He had better get to business quickly before she decided to wake up.

"Zero-chan?" Negi looked to the bureau next to his bed to find his faithful familiar resting against the lamp. The sleeping puppet's green hair overshadowed her face as her head hung motionlessly. The young magi picked her up, cradling her in one arm, and lead the way out of the room with the girl following not far behind. As they approached the entry way of the kitchen, he heard Chachazero's eyes click open and grinned at her when she looked up to regard him. "Good morning." He greeted her.

"Mornin', master Negi." She greeted him back before pausing in intrigue. "But, why are we getting up so early anyway?"

"Well..." Negi trailed off, gesturing to the girl behind him with his eyes. Chachazero twisted around in his arm to look back at the "princess". At the sight of her, hostile feelings gradually began to boil within the puppet. Since the time Negi met her in the forest, she had not taken a liking to her at all. There was just something about her that did not sit well with Chachazero, and if there was one thing about the puppet, it was that her feelings about a person were usually spot on.

So the little brat woke master up? What the heck does she want from him at this hour? I thought she didn't like him. Chachazero inwardly thought with suspicion. I really wish master wasn't so damn nice to others. He just can't help but lend a hand to anyone in need...the same could go for Ms. Vampire Hunter. Why is she tagging along now? Argh! There are too many girls joining us! How am I supposed to seduce master if he'll be too busy paying attention to them?!

Negi quirked a brow in amusement when he saw how distressed Chachazero was. He knew that she didn't like the fact that others were beginning to join them, but as much as he hated to admit it, he really liked the extra company. Sure, they were practically living off of him, but he really didn't mind that. Negi entered the kitchen, setting Chachazero down on the counter top, and spotted the box of strawberry pop tarts he bought for the cute vampiress. Over the time she was with him, he noticed that she had a taste for strawberries and this observation proved itself to be true when she asked him to buy her a box of the sugary treats.

"Alright," Nei started off as he lifted the box off from the counter to open it. He took out one of the silver sleeves that were inside and held it in front of the princess's face. A gleam of excitement appeared in her eyes as her tiny hands reached for the silver pack slowly, but Negi snatched it out of her reach before she could claim her prize. "Not so fast." Negi stopped her.

"H-huh?" She was snapped out of her daze, looking up at Negi in annoyance. "Why did you do that for?!"

"It'll be yummier if you toast it first." Negi explained to her in simple terms.

"Yummy...is a good thing, right?" She asked, looking rather confused. Although she was known to be quite serious most of the time, the look of innocence on her face as she tried to understand what Negi meant looked precious. Her eyes swiveled to meet the young magi's when she realized that he was staring at her, and she cocked her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes. "Yes?"

"Yeah..." Negi nodded with a sweat-drop. "I guess I need to keep you up with today's terminology."

"I have no need for such things." The chibi-vampire retorted, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Um, princess?" Negi called her attention, setting down the pop tart on on the counter top.

"Yes?"

"...How old are you anyway?"

"Wha-what?" A vein bulged on her forehead causing Negi to tense up. He'd already had more than enough unpleasant experiences with Evangeline to know that size doesn't matter when it comes to vampires, and depending on the true identity of this girl, she might be able to mop the floor with him. So far he could not detect her dark aura too well so she was either suppressing it or she was just as weak as her presence informed him. "Does that really matter?! Why would you want to know?"

Well that reaction alone is enough to tell me that she's conscientious about it. Negi thought to himself as he scratched his chin sheepishly. "Do you mind if I give it a shot myself?" He asked hopefully with a smile.

"Why is it important that you kn-"

"About a hundred years, maybe?" Negi's estimation cut her off.

"Gah..." The tiny vampire inwardly deflated. "Ah-"

"I'm right...right?" Negi asked making his familiar cackle.

"N-no!"

"So-"

"I don't remember agreeing to this!" The princess cried out, blushing. "All I asked for was breakfast! This is uncalled for!"

"Shhhh!" Negi shushed her. "Do you want to wake up that scary woman?!" Negi hissed at her in a whisper.

"That woman will do nothing to me." The little girl said with a grin. "She seems to direct most of her hostility towards you whenever something disturbs her."

"...Well." The magister began.

Negi went rigid when he heard a doorknob turn in the distance followed by a door swinging open.

"Thanks a lot." Negi muttered. He heard the sound of feet pounding upon the carpeted floor, and blinked to find a raven haired woman leaning against the frame of the entryway to the kitchen. To his relief, she was adorned in her robe so the only thing that was slightly exposed was her ample breasts. Sometimes he wondered if she only did this sort of thing to bother him on purpose. Maybe she figured he would try something and she would get the chance to blow his head off; he wasn't sure, but he was going to ditch her whenever the opportunity decided to present itself. Then there was the possibility that a Dark mistress he was familiar with could be anywhere near the area, and if they happened to see him with Katherine, then there was no telling what would ensue. He'd been experienced with a jealous vampiress before and needless to say, it was dangerous; even more so when said vampiress commanded so much power.

"Seriously..." The lovely ex-inquisitor groaned as she ran a hand through her thick, black hair, "It's a bit early for this much noise. Don't you think so?" Her eyes met with Negi's, and she narrowed them imperceptibly.

"We apologize." Negi replied before looking to his fellow vampire. "Right, princess?"

"I have nothing to apologize to." The little vampiress said defiantly.

"Oh, is that so?" Katherine growled at the little girl as she leaned over to meet her at her level. This made the tiny vampire rush over to Negi's side and clutch his arm in a silent request for protection. This did not get the kind of reaction she wanted, however, as Negi simply turned his head to regard her and quirk an eyebrow curiously.

"You know, looking for protection from the person you got in trouble isn't exactly advised." Negi told her dully.

"I feel safer with you than with that evil woman." The "Princess" explained to him childishly, causing a vein to bulge on the huntress's forehead. She straightened up again and placed her hands on her hips with a menacing smirk. Katherine had been through some very unusual experiences, but sharing a hotel suite with two vampires, and some living puppet was at the top of the list. To have such a silly conversation like the one at hand with those two vampires only made this experience all the more bizarre. Sure, Negi was different from all the others she met, but it still did not change the fact that he was one of the night dwellers that she was raised and trained to despise. This little girl that hung around him, however, sent her some odd vibes that did nothing short of disturb her. That, and she was a little brat to boot so that didn't help her case much.

"You just referred to me as "evil"?" Katherine questioned.

"Nyah." The girl stuck her tongue out at the older woman.

"You little-"

"Hey, hey!" Negi cut Katherine off before she could go on. "First of all, " Negi gave his little companion a stern look as he went on, "You have no reason to be giving Katherine trouble this early in the morning." His words were met with a glare from the little vampire, but it did nothing to bother him. "And you," Negi turned his head to regard the ex-inquisitor. At the tone he used to talk to her, Katherine placed a hand on her chest like a confused victim. "Aren't you a little old to be having a fight with a little girl?" Negi asked with a grin.

"Huh? What are you doing defending her?" The woman asked. "She annoys you too, doesn't she?"

"That is not the point here." Negi retorted. "The point is, I'm trying to toast some pop tarts here and your arguing is making that very difficult. Now, if you want to take my place and feed her-"

"I'm not taking food from her!"

"Hey!" Negi stopped the little girl. "As I was saying, I'm not going to have myself waking up for nothing, alright?"

"...Whatever." Katherine shrugged, scratching the back of her head. "I'm taking a shower. All of this killed my desire for sleep anyway." With that, Katherine turned away and headed for the bathroom. When both vampires heard the door slam shut, the princess unlatched herself from Negi's arm. They both looked at each other silently for a few minutes until the other blinked, and the vampiress crossed her arms, saying, "So are you going to feed me or what?"

She's quick to change her attitude. Negi inwardly thought, placing his hands behind his head. "If you keep up that attitude, I'll consider feeding you to that woman instead."

"Gah." The girl sweat-dropped nervously. "S-she can do that?!"

"Oh, you'll find out soon." Negi grinned deviously.

"It's about time!" Chachazero cried out proudly. "Even Master Negi has a sinister side!"

"D-don't do that!" She cried out in distress. "Anything but that! I want to live!"

"Whoa! C-calm down, huh?" Negi told her, crouching down to place his arms on her shoulders. "I was just kidding. She can't do that!" He smiled a her warmly and she merely stared at him silently with moist eyes. Apparently, she took him a little too seriously when he threatened her with such punishment. "Don't you remember my promise to you before?"

"...When we first met?"

"Yeah." Negi nodded.

"...Yes." Her expression slowly lightened up, and her lips twitched upward into a smile. "So..."

"So?" Negi trailed off for her to finish.

"Are you going to feed me?" Her words almost made Negi face fault, barely keeping his grip on her shoulders in the process. When she giggled at his reaction, he raised his head up slowly to regard her and mirrored the innocent smile on her lips. There was no winning this against her so he might as well submit to her wishes before she caused him any more trouble.

"Sure." Negi nodded, standing up straight again. "On one condition though."

"Yes?" She asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation for her treat.

"Tell me your name." Negi replied. "It's not that I mind calling you princess, but if we're going to be traveling together I should a least know your name."

She pouted at his condition and crossed her arms again defiantly. This almost drained Negi of his spirits, but she finally decided to speak.

"Very well. I will honor you with the permission of calling me by my name." She said almost royally. She placed one hand on her hips and the other on her chest; closing her eyes before she gave him the answer to her question. "My name is Dorothy Summers."

...Huh? You can't be serious... Both Negi and Chachazero thought at the same time.

"But you may just call me, Dorothy." The tiny vampire finished. "Isn't that yummy?" Dorothy blinked when Negi stared at her with a look of complete disbelief on his face. "...Yummy is good...right?"

Negi fainted.

"No?"

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Mahora Festival: Day Three (Final Segment)

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The day that followed the sunrise was not unlike any other day at Mahora. The students walked around campus carrying their books in their arms, hanging around in their little cliques. The grounds were alive with the sounds of lively chatter. It was chatter of Wizards, Dark Wizards, and even Vampires. Yes, there was nothing odd about this day because it was no different from the last week. The world had been aware of the existence of magic since the fateful night that had taken place on the last day of the Mahora festival, and the magic ministry had gone into panic as the mundanes curiosity of the magic world had grown into something far too overwhelming for them to control. They now wanted to explore, and become part of their world; however, such ideas were far to dangerous to trust. The magical creatures were already showing negative responses to the ideas of mundanes entering their realm, and the mages weren't taking the idea of mundanes enriching themselves with their arts too well either. Wizards and magical clans who roamed the world of mundanes were unable to live peacefully with the media constantly trying to pry into their personal lives, and some of them were even harassed. The worlds were not ready for each other. What had been going on since that fateful night was unfortunate proof of this, however, those who were the cause of it all were not left unpunished...not those who were caught anyway.

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"Nosferatu, Negi Springfield! You are under arrest!"

What went wrong?

"This is all your fault! If you had allowed me to apprehend , Lingshen, then this could have all been avoided!"

Where did I go wrong? How was Chao able to get so far ahead of me in one night?

"And to think that you were so weak! How could you allow yourself to be taken in by McDowell? Your father would be so disappointed, and to make matters worse, you laid a hand upon Ms. Goodman! I don't want to hear anything from you, Springfield!"

"There's nothing I can do now." Negi walked to the wall of the dark chamber he was sealed in and slumped against the wall, letting his head hang in despair. They relieved him of his ring, his staff, his pactio cards, and even his faithful familiar, Chachazero. He could still remember her mad protests as they forcefully separated them. The only thing he had at his disposal now was his natural vampiric abilities, but even then there was a voice in the back of his mind telling hi that it wouldn't be advised. The only thing they did not strip him of was the Cassiopeia, however, it was nothing more than a watch to him now. It's magical abilities were so faint that he couldn't get it to do anything for him.

"How are the other doing right now?" Negi's head suddenly whipped up in worry. If Gandolfini and the others came to apprehend him then it was only a matter of time before they came after his students. The rumors about his relationship with the girls were bound to get the mage's attention. I knew that trying to hide Takane's vampirism was futile, but that doesn't explain how this all came about so fast. I wasn't even able to face Chao... Negi felt shivers run down his spine as another woman came to mind. It was beginning to bother him that she had been so quiet as of lately. More importantly...what is Dorothy up to? If what Eva says is true, then she won't give up until she has me in her clutches and her abilities almost match master's. Gandolfini and the others won't stand a chance unless they ally with Eva-chan, but with her reputation, they won't be willing to resort to anything like that.

Negi turned his attention to the door of the chamber when light started to pour in. The door started to rise open, and Negi stood up quickly to see who had come to meet him. It was hard for him to adjust to the light due to his nocturnal nature but he was able to make out a tall figure with spiked hair. When his eyes finally adjusted, he found Takamichi standing at the doorway with a hand in one pocket, and a cigarette in the other. By the usual mellow look on his face, he did not appear to be as angry as Gandolfini when they had met outside.

"Takamichi." Negi said the elder teacher's name in a relieved fashion. "What are you doing here?" The young magi asked before turning his head away slightly. "Have you come to scold me?"

"...Take a seat, Negi." Takamichi told the vampire as he motioned to the table near the back of the chamber with two seats. Negi felt his spirits fail him at his fellow teacher's words, and did as he was told, taking the seat that was facing away from the light so that it would not irritate him. Takamichi took the seat across from him and folded his hands upon the cold, glass table. The slivers of smoke that came from the burning tip of the cigarette held Negi's attention since it was becoming hard for him to look the other teacher in the eyes with each passing moment, but Takamichi seemed to notice this and remedied it by putting it out in his own hand and setting it down on the table.

"What did you wish to speak to me about, Takahata-sensei?" Negi asked shamefully.

"Don't sound so ashamed, Negi." Takamichi told him with a smile. "I know that all of this was not your fault."

"You...you do?" Negi looked up at him.

"Yeah, I do. Unfortunately, Gandolfini and the others are in so much panic about this that they don' want to hear a thing, They just want to get their hands on all the culprits before the ministry decides to punish them all for failing to keep the peace about magic." Takamichi explained with a sigh. He raised his hand up to his chin and allowed it to rest on them as he looked back at Negi. "The ministry is very unforgiving about these sort of things. It's only a matter of time before we're all turned into ermines."

"E-ermines?!" Negi's eyes bugged out at the image of himself resembling Chamo with the only difference being his red hair. He did not want to live life as a rodent! He was far too young to be put through such punishment. "I d-don't want that to happen!"

"Heh." Takamichi chuckled. "Don't worry about that, Negi. You're still very young so I doubt that they will be as severe with you."

"But w-what about you guys?!" Negi asked, his eyes almost welling up with unshed tears.

"It's too late now." The elder teacher replied.

"Will you at least tell me what happened?!" Negi pleaded. "How did this all happen so fast?"

"So fast?" Takamichi regarded him curiously. "...Hmm...what do you mean? You were there during the war on Mahora, weren't you?"

"A war? I don't remember anything like that happening." Negi replied, much to Takamichi's growing confusion, though his reaction could explain why he was not present during the events that had taken place during the final evening of the festival. "When I woke up this morning, everything was just as it was today. It was a complete jump from yesterday."

"...Well, I don't quite understand what happened to you, but I'll fill you in."

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There was a loud ruckus in the woodland area that surrounded Evangeline's cabin as the battle raged on between Negi's students and the opposing mages that had come to arrest them. Spells ripped and engulfed the land in flames. Trees toppled over from the engagement that had taken place, and battle cries from the girls echoed like a chorus to the great deities above. This was all being watched by a certain blonde magistress, and her underling, Mei and their support, Megumi who had been sent to accompany them under the request of Akashi. She was a girl about Mei's age with dark hair, large circular glasses, and a black hat that complimented the dark matching outfit that she wore. While they were already supposed to be helping Toko, and Kataragi in their attempt to apprehend Asuna and the others, Takane did not seem to sit well with this. Her mind was elsewhere.

"Onesan!" Mei called to the blonde young woman. "We need to get moving already!"

"Gandolfini is going to get angry at us, Ms. Goodman!" Megumi whined. "We can't afford to take any breaks!"

"Quiet down." Takane shot the raven-haired girl a frightening glare to silence her. The shadow mage crossed her arms, and looked up towards the sky in deep thought. "Somehow...I don't feel right doing this behind Negi-sensei's back." Takane muttered to herself. "Gawd, what am I going to do?"

"Onesan, I don't know what's going on in your head, but at this rate we'll all be turned into ermines!" Mei cried out, causing Megumi to go pale with fear.

"E-ermines?" The girl squeaked before throwing herself against Takane desperately to clutch her arm tightly. "I seriously don't like the sound of that! Can we please hurry it up and apprehend those criminals?!"

"Ahh, dammit." Takane cursed her disposition. On one hand she was about to carry out an order that would surely hurt her master, but on the other hand, she would be going against the orders that were given to her by Gandolfini. It was already far too late to change this for Negi since he was already apprehended earlier. So this is what it comes down to? My master is taken in because of his relations to Dark Evangel, and I, his underling is free to go as a victim of his crimes to act against him? How shameful... "Very well...let's get this job done."

"Finally!" Mei let out the breath she was holding.

"Oh, thank gawd, she came to her senses." Megumi said in relief.

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Back to Negi and Takamichi...

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After listening to Takamichi explain the whole situation that took place in the past, Negi explained his side of the story from the time he was dragged into protecting Chao at the world Tree plaza before the festival, and the story behind the Cassiopeia. All of this talk about time displacement bullets, and super crazy robots got the young magi going crazy. How was Chao able to prepare so many obstacles for the mages, and what even vexed Negi more was that the young woman was able to dominate Takamichi, although in "Death Specs" case, Mana took him out with a sniper shot while he hesitated in bringing the Chinese scientist down. With the lovely captain on Chao's side, things were sure to be quite difficult. The mere thought of facing her in a duel brought bad scenarios to mind. She scared him just as much as Evangeline did.

"I have a chance at changing things for the better, Takamichi! You believe me, don't you?!" Negi asked, rising up from his seat to slam his hands on the table.

"Of course I do." The elder mage nodded.

"Then you have to tell Gandolfini-sensei, and the others to let me go so-"

"No." Takamichi cut him off as he pulled out his box of cigarettes. He slipped out one of the sticks and placed it in his mouth before snapping his fingers to create a flame. When he was done lighting his cigarette, he stashed away the box in his front pocket again and took a drag of the stick before removing it from his mouth and sighing. "I'm not in the position to help you. Our judegemtn has already been passed."

"Is that...so?" Negi asked dejectedly as he fell back into his seat.

"Sorry." Takamichi apologized. A silence was shared between them after that last exchange until Negi looked up from the table again to ask, "Takamichi...you said that you hesitated at the last moment when you came face-to-face with Chao...right?"

"That's correct." Takamichi said with a nod. The way the older teacher's eyes cast downwards after he replied unsettled the young magi. Whatever the reason may have been for his hesitation at such a crucial moment; it must have been complicated. "It's obvious that Chao's actions around that time could not be approved, but...what she had in mind might have not been so...wrong." Takamichi placed his hand on his forehead as he spoke as though he was in deep concentration, finding the right words to say. "I'm sure you could say that your father would have had no opposition towards such ideas."

"W-what do you mean? Dad would have agreed with her plan?" Negi was at a loss for any other response. This conversation had just taken a turn he would have never been able to foresee.

"For someone like yourself who is aiming to become a magister magi, I think you know perfectly well how much conflict and poverty there is that fills the world. We work hard to save those people, and help them as best we can, however, our activities could only go so far before we reach our limits. In this world where magic has been exposed, we can now move freely, but it's not just that..." Takamichi's eyes took on an intensity that made Negi feel weak. "People can be saved by this as well."

"So th-then...what Chao is aiming for is to save the world after all!" Negi exclaimed in shock.

"No." Takamichi stopped his mind from accepting such a pure impression. "The world isn't that simple. Chao's plans are much more likely leading to a much selfish goal...however, it is true that at the end of her plan, there was a possibility that people could be saved by us doing nothing at all to prevent it." The elder mage's eyes softened again. "That is where I hesitated..."

"Then we can't possibly assume that Chao is wrong." Negi concluded.

"That isn't right either." Takamichi argued, standing up from his chair. "Even if Chao had a great cause for her actions, using force to carry out her plans does not justify them. There's always a better way so I personally believe that she is wrong."

"Then..." Negi clenched his hands into fist on the glass table. "...We should stop Chao after all?"

"I'll leave that decision up to you." Takamichi replied. "We have completely lost. After all, I don't think I have a right to say anything."

...Where does Dorothy come in in all of this? Why did Chao ally herself with her in the first place? Could it possibly have been for the same reason that she decided to carry out this plan...but even so...does the fact that she was able to execute her plan mean that Dorothy was no longer possessing her or does it mean that Dorothy originally formulated this plan? How am I supposed to make such a decision if I'm still so lost in all of this? All Negi could do was stare back at Takamichi as his mind hit all of these dead ends. It was times like this that he wondered how different everything would have been if Evangeline had not turned him that fateful night so long ago.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to confuse you-" Takamichi stopped when he received a transmission on his ear piece. Negi was able to make out what the person over the transmission told Takamichi and started to panic.

The girls are putting up a fight against the mages?! Negi began to sweat just thinking about it. What kinds of danger are they trying to get themselves into- WHAT?! Negi flinched when a heavy feeling suddenly rushed around him. From the way Takamichi kept on listening intently to the transmission, it seemed the he was not able to sense anything that the young magi felt. The light that was pouring in from outside of the cell started to get dim until finally, it had faded away completely.

"Wait a moment, Toko." Takamichi told the woman when he noticed the odd disappearance of light from the cell. He walked to he entryway to investigate but Negi cried out, "Get away from there!" By the time the words got out of his mouth a wave of darkness rushed into the chamber and slammed into Takamichi, sending him flying past Negi before crashing into the wall. The elder mage managed to get back to his feet after the surprising assault, but he could feel his legs shaking from the impact.

"Negi...get out of here!" Takamichi yelled.

"And leave you here?!" Negi protested defiantly. "Fat chance!"

"Don't be stupid!" Takamichi scolded him angrily.

"You would be wise to leave, sensei. Negi only wants you to live." Came a voice from the darkness that Negi vaguely knew. It was the same voice that haunted his mind when his mind was being invaded in the past. That could only mean that she had finally come for him.

"...Dorothy...that is your name, isn't it?!" Negi demanded an answer.

"How kind of you to remember, Negi." Dorothy said, sounding genuinely grateful for it. In the midst of all the darkness a figure materialized, taking on the form of a tall woman with long blonde hair and a beautiful, pale face. Her majestic vampiric cloak flapped along with the cold wind that accompanied the darkness, revealing the long dark dress that was underneath it all, and when she opened her eyes, Negi was met with two gold orbs that twinkled back at him invitingly.

"Where is Chao-san?!"

"Oh, her?" Dorothy questioned casually. " She's fine. I just reunited her with her dear mother."

"...You mean she's back in the future?" Negi asked, oblivious to what she truly meant by her words.

"You could say that." Dorothy lied.

"...You're here for me...aren't you?" Negi asked, feeling himself tremble lightly.

"Good guess." Dorothy grinned at him.

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"Onesan?" Mei turned around to regard Takane when the blonde magistress suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. "Why are you stalling for?! We can't just let them get away!" The red-head was still reeling from having her mind infiltrated by Nodoka. The battle was pretty much one-sided with the sloppy way that Takane decided to fight. Her attention seemed to be elsewhere while they were in the heat of the engagement so Asuan and the others had it easy.

"Oh, no!" Megumi let her head droop. "Not again."

Master...Negi. It feels as if there's something wrong...Takane thought to herself in worry. She had been getting the feeling that something was up since they came in contact with Negi's students. "Has something happened?"

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"Could you at least tell me why?"

"My reason?" Dorothy questioned, blinking a few times. Negi nodded, and what followed was a long silence that left the gradually recovering Takamichi and Negi waiting impatiently for an answer. The dark mistress actually seemed to be troubled by the question Negi asked her. "I find that my reason for desiring you tends to change every now and then."

"...Huh?" Negi deflated after hearing such an answer. He wondered if she was even serious at this point. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, something is happening to me even as we speak, my dear." Dorothy smirked mischievously. "Perhaps things are even changing for you as well."

"What are you talking about?!" Takamichi demanded.

"Ugh." Dorothy's expression turned to disgust when she heard the older mage speak. She pointed an open hand in his direction and dark energies started to build in the palm of her hand. "You should have made your leave by now, human." She was about to unleash the spell upon Takamichi but Negi cried out for her to stop before she was able to do anything. Surprisingly, Dorothy hesitated after hearing him, and lowered her hand slowly. "...As you wish." She grumbled in a disapproving fashion.

She listened again? Negi thought in confusion. She had done the same thing when the girls made their unexpected appearance at the towers last time he confronted her. "Why?"

"Excuse me?" Dorothy asked, turning her attention back to the young magi. "Why what?"

"You listened...why?"

"Oh..." A light blush appeared on the dark mistress's cheeks for a moment as she cleared her throat. "W-well, would you have rather had me kill him?"

"O-of course not!" Negi replied quickly. From the way Evangeline described her to me...I'd expect her to be completely merciless. She doesn't even seem to be that...evil.

"To kill him would decrease my chances at having you join me, of course." Dorothy explained bluntly.

...Never mind... Negi shook his head in disappointment.

"So let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Regardless of what you do, I won't be swayed to join you!"

"Are you a fool?" Dorothy asked him, taking steps towards him. "It's far too late to do anything now. Your only way out of here is with me. Otherwise you'll be turned into a rodent." She smirked when she saw some hesitation in the young magi. "Am I right?"

"...No!" Negi retorted. "There's still a chance." He pulled the Cassiopeia out of his pocket and squeezed it tightly.

"You're going to rely on the time machine?"

"Huh?" Negi began to sweat after hearing that. "How did you know about it?"

"I know about a lot, Negi." Dorothy chuckled darkly. "I also know that the little contraption is useless to you now. Surrender yourself before I decide to take you by force."

"Then I'm afraid that's the only way you'll succeed." Negi challenged her. He pocketed the Cassiopeia and assumed a stance. "No matter what you say..." Negi clenched both of his hands into fist tightly. "I'm going to find a way to stop all of this from happening." At his words Dorothy stifled a laugh before bursting out uncontrollably. She hugged her sides and threw her head back.

"You just don't realize the odds you're up against, do you?!" A whirlwind of darkness gradually whipped up around her feet. "I love you for your determination, but in the face of a dark mistress it amounts to nothing unless you can back it up." Her eyes burned brightly and the whirlwind started going out of control. "I'll satisfy you though. Let's see how well you fair against me!"

CHOOM!

"What the hell?" Dorothy whipped her head in Takamichi's direction when a pillar of white-hot energy sizzled past her head.

"Negi!" Takamichi called to him. "If you feel that you have a chance then I'll give it to you!"

"What do you mean?!" Negi asked.

"The message I received before told me that your students are heading here!" The elder mage slammed his hands together and prepared to attack Dorothy a second time. "I'm sure you'll find a way back if you want to. This is the only thing I can do now." Takamichi grinned. "Besides...they can't blame me if you escaped while I was busy fighting off a dark wizard, could they?"

...Thanks... Negi nodded to Takamichi and preformed a shundo to get past Dorothy before she could try and stop him. Another beam of light came gunning for Dorothy the moment Negi left the room and the dark mistress materialized a void of darkness before her to absorb the attack before another void appeared above Takamichi. The elder mage was quick to catch on and quickly kicked off from the wall to send himself flying away before the beam shot out from the void and created a crater where he once stood. He could already tell by that counter attack that this woman was way out of his league. She managed to turn one of his strongest techniques against him.

"Not very impressive." Dorothy taunted him. "I'd already seen that during the tournament. Don't you have any more tricks to show me?"

"So you were the presence that I felt when I was dueling Negi." Takamichi deducted.

"That would be correct." Dorothy nodded. "Now, there is no time for talk. Come at me so I can end this."

"By the time you've finished me, Negi will be gone by then."

"Oh, silly man." Dorothy cooed, grinning deviously. "Do you truly believe that I'm limited by time?" Her question made Takamichi's eyes go wide with horror. If what she was implying was the truth, then that meant that Negi wasn't safe from her anywhere. He was useless to Negi this way. The dark mistress saw the change in the elder mage's demeanor and smiled sadistically. She could tell that the realization had finally struck the man, but what she didn't count on was the smirk that crossed his lips as he raised his head to look back at her. The large tablet that was against the wall, holding the inscriptions, that even now were weakening at the immense use of magic that had been circulating despite it's nullification properties, started to crack.

"Alright then." Takamichi straightened himself and released the limits he placed upon himself. The floor at his feet split in two, and the large tablet exploded into chunks of charmed rock. The former crimson wing member dropped into a stance and said, "If stalling you won't be enough to ensure Negi's safety then I will do all in my power to make sure that you're unable to leave."

Dorothy looked on with narrowed eyes at the changed man before her. She knew of his past with Nagi and the "Crimson Wings", but she never planned on him being this powerful. He might actually have a chance at carrying out what he intended. "If you wish to go out in one final duel then I will not deprive you of what you wish, however, don't get your hopes high for all you are to me is a mere stepping stone in getting what I desire. Now, prepare yourself my beloved adversary! You will do well to start me off as a warm up before my true battle!"

SKREEEOOooooow!

An explosion erupted forth from the hall behind Negi, sending chunks of rock and debri heading his way. The young magi did a shundo to get ahead of it all but as soon as he reached a distance, he was engulfed by all the destruction. He felt sharp edges cut through his skin and large chunks bludgeon him. By the time it was all over, Negi was nothing more than a fallen form imprisoned in pounds of rock. His regeneration abilities started to kick in quick, but every time he moved he felt something sharp cut through his side. "Ungh." Negi groaned sharply when he felt the sharp edge slice through his flesh. He found himself stuck in a bad position. "Takamichi...has he really engaged Dorothy in a duel?" Negi whispered painfully. There was a muffled explosion from the blockade of rocks behind him and the entire tunnel of rubble was pushed forwards by the force of the explosion. The force caused Negi to be launched forward with everything pinning him down, allowing the sharp edge to cut through the left side of his body entirely!

"AHHHHH!" Negi shrieked, blood and tears welling in his eyes. He took in a few sharp breaths to stifle the screams the threatened to follow, but as his regeneration kicked in again the pain became unbearable. "AAAAAAAAAGH...G-god da-AHHHGH!" Negi released his final scream before falling limp. He could feel his consciousness escaping him as he felt warmth trickle along his arm. He opened one eye to regard what was causing his skin such warmth and found his own blood trailing down his arm in a thick, red line. It formed little globs around the tips of his fingers and dripped rhythmically. "Eva...Chao..." Negi's felt his eyes growing heavy. "...Takane..."

Master?! Takane came to an abrupt halt and the girls behind her did the same, all bumping into each other in the process.

"What is it, Goodman? Why did you suddenly stop?" Asuna asked, feeling a bit unnerved by the blonde maigtress's odd behavior.

"Is it another enemy?" Setsuna asked, keeping a steady hand on the blade at her side. The cold ring of the blade sliding open against it's sheath was heard as the young woman prepared herself. After finding themselves facing a fearsome illusion of Takamichi because of the abilities of a mere kindergartener, Setsuna was not about to let herself guard fall down again.

"Come on, onesan!" Mei said impatiently. "Tell us already!"

"If we waste anymore time, Negi might get closer to being turned into an ermine!" Konoka riled on.

"Ma...Negi is close." Takane informed them.

"H-he is?!" Nodoka asked excitedly.

"Calm yourself." Yue told her, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Let's hurry!" Takane suddenly cried out. She took off running, and the girls followed quickly, but the farther they ventured into the dark halls, the faster Takane seemed to get. The only people who managed to keep sight of the young woman was Setsuna, and Konoka, although in her case, she was being carried.

She didn't exhibit such speed in any of her matched during the tournament. Setsuna observed, narrowing her eyes in concentration. How is it that she is gaining so many abilities in such short time? It took Negi-sensei months to ever reach my speed, and that was only possible through his arduous training under Evangeline-san. The samurai found it hard to contemplate such things as Takane seemed to forget that they were ever following her, disappearing around the corner of another intersection in the halls. It was becoming a maze to the girls.

"Dammit." Setsuna came to a stop when she found herself completely lost from Takane's trail, and set Konoka down from her arms. The healing mage tried to regain her balance after being so dizzy from the numbing speed of her guardian's glid. The other girls finally managed to catch up with her and came to a halt as well, huffing in fatigue with the exception of Yue, Nodoka, and Haruna since the stoic librarian had them riding on her broom. Mei, and Megumi looked at the three librarians enviously. It was hard to believe that Yue managed to learn how to fly on her broom before they did.

"So you lost her?" Asuna asked as she set Chisame down. The net idol patted herself down and managed her hair from the high speed chase.

I can't be doing this sort of stuff all the time. Chisame inwardly groaned. "So she's planning on bringing him back on her own?"

"It would seem so..." Setsuna replied. It was her worry for Negi, after all, which brought her over to our side in the first place. I wonder...how it is that they had gotten so close in the time they had known each other. A smirk played upon her lips for a fleeting moment as she came to a simple conclusion. Perhaps it's because Negi is...Negi.

"Negi!" Takane cried out, keeping a steady pace. "Can you hear me?! Can you at least call out to me?!" The shadow-user grew frantic as the smell of his blood struck her nostrils. She was caught between hunger and worry at the scent of her master's blood; hunger for obvious reasons since she was now a nocturnal, and worry at what may have been the cause for his own blood shed. Was he hurt? Was he in desperate need of help? At this point the young woman did not even bother to look over her shoulder to check if the others were following behind her. All she knew was that she had to reach her master quickly.

"Call out to me, dammit!" Takane yelled in frustration. She turned around another corner, and sneezed. There were particles of dust and soot in the air. There were cracks along the walls of the hall she traveled as well. "What happened her..." Takane came to a dead stop at the sight that had appeared before her eyes. There rest of tha hall was completely destroyed. All that was left before her was rubble, worn beams of metal and...blood? Where was the blood coming from?

"What is-" Takane gasped when she saw an arm leading to the upper body of a person sticking out from the rubble, and a dusty mop of hair overshadowing any view of the person's face. The sight of a red strand, and the familar scent of their blood immediately told Takane who the individual was. "Master!" She rushed to him and fell to her knees. Her first instinct was to hold his head against her chest as she tried to soothe him, running her hand against his dirty mane of red hair. "Talk to me...please...talk to-oh!" She let go of him quickly and stood up to free him of the rocks pinning him down. She tossed the ones on top of him to the side and worked her way further to relieve him of the rubble that was pinning his legs down, all the while chanting, "You're not gone yet, you're not gone yet, you're not gone yet."

"Who..." Takane whipped her head back at the sound of his voice. She worked faster to get the rocks off of him and rushed back to his side, holding him up in her arms. The bleeding had apparently stopped a long time ago but the entire left side of his suit was torn open. Negi opened his eyes to regard her faintly and offered her a smile. "Takane...you came for me?"

"What ever made you place any doubt in me, retard?" Takane asked, sounding more offended than worried about his well being.

"I'm sorry...about that."

"That's alright." She told him quickly. "Tell me...can you move?"

"I'm finding it kind...of hard at the moment." Negi admitted after a few attempts. The best he got was a twitch from the fingers of his right hand. Every other part of his body felt numb.

That's no good. I can't bring him to his students like this. Takane inwardly told herself. She shook her head in frustration and looked back at him, asking, "Can't you heal yourself? You're a vampire, aren't you?"

"I figured that might do it, but I think that I've already lost...too much blood." Negi let his head fll to the side for a moment. I'm not as good at this regenerating stuff as Eva-chan is. Master would scowl down at me if she saw me this way. I guess I should be happy that she didn't come here for me.

So how am I supposed to...Takane stopped when something struck her. ...But could it possibly work? Takane held Negi up a little higher and rested his head against her shoulder. Her actions cerved to confuse the young magi as she wrapped one arm around his waist and the other around his back to support him. It did not look like she was about to carry him off. It seemed more like an embrace than anything else.

"Takane?" Negi said her name in a questioning manner. "What are you doing?"

"Bite me." Takane commanded him.

"How is that-"

"Don't question me, please." Takane cut him off, looking to the side as a heavy blush blossomed on her face. She could vaguely remember the sensation that coursed through her body the last time he bit her neck. It was so overwhelming that she could not work the nerve to think. She inwardly felt guilty for thinking about her own pleasures as opposed to Negi's health. "I'm not sure if it will work, but...you'll have to trust me on this."

"...Alright." Negi finally submitted after a long moment of silence. He raised his head from her shoulder and looked at her neck. The more he stared at it, the more he could swear that her pulse was clear in his ears. His hesitation melted away when his vampiric side got the best of him and he bared his fangs before plunging them into Takane's neck. She let out a gasp when she felt the sharp pain, but it was quickly replaced when he began to suck her blood. Her hands gripped him and her legs began to tremble as the pleasurable sensation got stronger and spread throughout her entire body. Her cheeks burned even hotter when the young vampire gradually felt the strength returning in his body and worked his arms around her frame to hold her.

"A-Ah." Takane gasped again, a small smile crossing her lips as she squeezed both of her legs together-and it stopped. Takane blinked a few times when the feeling suddenly left her, and she turned to the side to find that Negi had retracted away from her. "Um-" Takane placed her hand on her neck to wipe away the left over blood. "-So that's al-I mean, you're fine now?"

Negi cleared his throat after hearing her question and did his best to pace his breathing. "T-thanks, Takane. You were right." He wiped the blood from his mouth and looked at her. "It did work."

"I'm, uh, glad to hear that." Takane nodded almost sagely.

"Yeah..." Negi said awkwardly.

Silence...

"I think you pinched me while I was-"

"Y-yeah, I'm sorry about that." Takane cut him off quickly. They made eye contact for a few seconds before turning away in embarrassment, but Takane realized the time they were wasting and stood up from the rubble quickly. "Ahem. We need to get moving, Negi."

"Right!" Negi sprang up from the rubble as well, and Takane took his hand to pull him along, but he stopped her before she could start moving.

"What is it?" Takane asked.

"They confiscated Chacha-chan from me!" Negi told her. "Do you know where they keep everything?"

"...Sure." Takane answered him dully. The very mention of the sadistic puppet usually had that sort of effect on her.

---

"MASTER!" Chachazero flailed her arms at the sight of Negi when Takane opened the door to the room for him. Negi rushed to her and picked her up from the desk to hold him against her tightly. "I thought they were gonna turn you into an ermine!"

"I thought they were too." Negi told his familiar soothingly. Takamichi...I'll be sure to prevent all of this from happening. I promise.

"So what do we do from here, Negi-kun?" Setsuna asked, stepping past Takane to enter the room with Asuna.

"We're not sure how long Kaede, and Ku-fei can hold the other mages off." Asuna explained with her arms crossed. "We need to get moving fast or they'll catch up."

"Alright." Negi placed Chachazero on his head and reached for his staff. "How long ago did the festival take place, Takane?"

"A week." The blonde magistress replied. "What are you planning?"

"You're going to use the watch, aren't you?" Asuna aked.

"Yeah." Negi replied as he placed his pactio cards into the inside pocket of his jacket...or what was left of it anyway. He pulled the Cassiopeia out of his pants pocket and held it before his eyes from it's chain. The watch dangled without any life. It's magic supply had been cut off. "Now...I need to find a way to get it working again. It worked perfectly well during the festival so why won't it work now?"

"It uses magic, doesn't it?" Chachazero inquired.

"Yeah." Negi replied.

"So won't it work around the world tree then?" The puppet suggested.

"The festival was a week ago." Takane retorted. "The world tree's power should have faded away by now."

"Well, do you have any bright idea's, genius?" Chachazero growled at the blonde magistress. "If so, then please share." At her challenge, Takane could only look away. There really was no other option since the maker of the watch was gone, and leaving the headquarters would probably be unwise as well.

"If you think it'll work then there should be a passage to the World Tree from here." Takane informed Negi. "When we reach it, we'll see if that puppet's plan will work."

"Then we better hurry." Negi said with a nod. He tightened his staff to his back and lead the way out of the room to meet the other girls outside in the hallway.

"So what's the plan?" Chisame asked.

"We're heading back to the final day of the festival." Negi answered her. "But we need to hurry back to the World Tree first." He turned to Takane and said, "You'll lead the way, right?"

"Of course, Negi." Takane said with a slight bow of her head.

"Let's change history then." Setsuna said with a smirk.

"Alright." Asuna grinned.

"Sounds exciting." Haruna said giddily.

"We'd best get moving before Toko, and Kataragi catches up!" Mei alerted them before they all heard an explosion in the distance. It sounded as though it came from the direction that Takane found Negi pinned down under all the rubble earlier.

Megumi gasped. "Oh no, they're already here!" She whined.

"No." Setsuna silenced the whining girl sharply. "They wouldn't make so much noise if they wanted to apprehend us."

"Negi! Where are you?!" A worried voice echoed through the halls.

"A friend?" Nodoka asked the young teacher. "Was there anybody else with you earlier?" The timid librarian asked him.

"That's no friend!" Negi alerted the girls before turning back to Takane. "We need to get going NOW!" The urgency in his words made the blonde magistress flinch.

That must mean that she's beaten Takamichi...

"Who is that, Negi-kun?" Setsuna asked, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword, but Negi placed his hand on her hand before she could unsheath it and shook his head.

"We're not fighting. We just need to get moving." When the swordsman nodded, Negi had the other girls start running with Takane taking the lead. When he was sure that they were all in front of him, he took the rear. He heard the dark mistress approaching in the distance from the rumbling that grew louder as she advanced through the halls and his heart beat accelerated. He could tell that the other girls could hear it too because they increased their pace dramatically.

"Negi!" Dorothy's voice got louder.

"Hurry up!" Negi yelled at his students.

"Negi!" It got louder.

"Are we almost there?!" Negi yelled out to Takane desperately.

"Just a little further!" Takane yelled back at him.

"I can feel you, Negi!" By now the mistress must have almost been around the last corner.

"Go ahead!" Negi told the others. "I'll try to stall her!"

"But you have the watch!" Asuna protested.

"Here!" Negi tossed the watch to the red-head, and Asuna caught it.

"Just get there quickly! I'll catch up!" Negi told her.

Asuna kept her head turned, staring back at Negi as she continued to run before finally turning away, screaming, "Dammit, Negi! Why are you always doing this to me?!"

"Just trust m-"

"Found you!" Dorothy's voice rang to Negi. The young magi whipped his head around to find the dark mistress gliding towards him with a smirk on her lovely face. "Did you think this was going to be so easy?!"

"Not in the least!" Negi replied as he turned on his heel. He sent two saggita shots flying towards her and the mistress reacted quickly, dodging them before rushing forward to capture him in her arms. He ducked under her arms quickly and rushed in with an elbow assault that caught her dead in the stomach. She staggered back two steps from the attack, but Negi got pulled along with her. It was then that he realized that her stomach was gradually pulling him into her.

"H-huh?!" Negi pulled away quickly and managed to get free. "What is your body made of?!"

"No need to ask, Negi. You'll soon come to understand it quite intimately!" Dorothy answered, rushing forward to get a hold of him but Negi decided to make a run for it. "Run, young fledgling! I will have you regardless of how long you elude me!" She laughed maniacally as she pursued him. Two tentacles came lashing out from her back and came after Negi at top speed. The first one went for Negi's mid-section, but the young magi preformed a shundo to avoid the bind. The second went for his legs only to have Negi jump over them and continue his run forward. Dorothy created more tentacles and had them burrow into the walls and floor before they burst out from all sides in front the fleeing young magi. He quickly reacted to her tactic with his staff, taking it in both hands and twirling it for some momentum before slicing the wriggling tentacles in his way.

"She's aggressive!" Chachazero remarked in fascination. "I wonder why she wants you so badly!"

"I seriously don't want to know!" Negi answered, sprinting with all his might. Before long the two vampires found themselves in a large dome with an open roof. If Negi didn't know any better, he would have believed they had entered an area nearby library island. He spotted enormous roots burrowed in the walls and the floor around them. They must have been very close to the World tree by now. "How am I going to stop her from following me to the others? At this rate, I'll be putting the other girls in danger by meeting with them!"

"It looks like you're going to have to confront her, Master Negi!"

You can't be serious! Negi inwardly groaned. But I guess I really don't have a choice! He surprised Dorothy by coming to a halt, and turning to face her. The dark mistress smiled at his sudden boldness and came to a halt as well. Her dark tentacles retracted back into her body as she crossed her arms.

"You've decided to accept your fate?" Dorothy asked.

"Far from it." Negi answered her much to her building annoyance.

"So stubborn..." Dorothy said with a groan as she placed her right hand on her forehead. "As always."

"Tell me what's going on here!" Negi demanded. "What are you planni-"

GRRRRAAAAH!

Negi and Dorothy went completely stiff before they slowly turned their heads to regard the source of the ferocious roar.

RAAAAGH!

Mucus and saliva came their way, covering their clothes and slapping their faces.

"Not you again..." Negi's voice quivered at the sight of the awe inspiring wyvern that stood before them. It flapped it's majestic wings and looked down upon the two of them with cold, white eyes. Everything about the creature was simply intimidating from it's rows of razor sharp teeth to the bulging muscles that were packed around its large body. It was truly was not a beast to reckon with.

"...What is that doing here?" Dorothy did her best to mask her shock.

"It's just...here...I guess." Negi explained as best he could. He regained his wits quickly and turned to the dark mistress. "Dorothy!"

"What?" The Mistress asked, regarding him with a quizzical expression.

"We're going to have to attack it at the same time!"

"T-together?!" Dorothy stammered. You mean...we're going to work together on this?! Has the past events totally slipped his mind? The mistress shook away such thoughts and nodded to the young magi before turning back to face the wyvern. The large beast seemed to be waiting for them to make a move before it would strike. "We'll attack it with a volley of dark arrows. I'm sure that Mistress McDowell has taught you such a simple spell, right?"

"Right." Negi answered her.

"Then let's get to it!" The mistress signaled him.

Both of them started the incantation within their minds as their hands crackled with dark energies, but just before Negi could unleash the fury of his spell, Chachazero smacked his forehead as hard as she could to break her concentration.

"Aiee!" Negi cried out from the stinging smack. "Chacha- I mean, what the-"

"Just watch, master!" Chachazero shushed him.

"Hyaaa!" Dorothy cried out as her arrows launched at the winged fiend. The wyvern staggered back on its two legs with each arrow that struck its face in a dazzling display of dark blazes, however, when it was all over the beast looked more furious than anything else.

"Now, make a run for it!" Chachazero cried out to Negi.

"Wait!" Dorothy reached out for Negi as he made a dash to meet the girls, but the wyvern stepped in her way. "What...bu-" Dorothy shook her head and clenched her fists tightly before flailing her arms furiously. "Y-you tricked me!"

GRAAAAGH!

Ugh! It's like every time I come close to having him within my clutches, obstacles just get in my way and let him escape!

"Sucker!" Chachazero cackled as her master rushed through the passageway that the others entered.

"She's mad as it is!" Negi scolded his familiar. "You want her to get her furious?!"

"Hey, she deserved it." Chachazero reasoned. "Besides, why do you care about her feelings?"

"...I don't know...exactly." Negi answered after taking a moment to think that one over. He ended the conversation when he realized that the walls had taken on an odd glimmer. He could sense the magic energy flowing through him as he ventured further into the glowing tunnel before entering an open area that lead him on to a catwalk leading to a circular platform in the center. He was in awe that something so large existed in Mahora, but then again, the campus did have it's secrets. "We must be very close to the core of the World Tree!" The young magi heard a ferocious roar followed by a loud impact and his relief gradually began to leave him. Unless Dorothy had been thrown hard enough to cause an impact that loud, he wasn't really sure if the wyvern caused as good as a distraction as his familiar intended it to.

No, don't let it get to you. Just keep on moving forward and she won't be able to catch up on time. Negi did his best to convince himself. His confidence was boosted even further when he saw the girls in the distance. "Hey!" He waved to them.

"Negi!" Asuna called out to him when she saw him approaching. "It looks like it's working now!"

"See! I told ya!" Chachazero tapped Negi on the head.

"That's my girl!" Negi praised her affectionately.

"Heh, heh."

"Let's get going already!" Takane said agitatedly when she saw the little moment shared between the young magi and his familiar. The blonde magistress already looked quite impatient from waiting for him to arrive. The worry was clear on her face. Nodoka, Mei, and Yue didn't seem so well either. Konoka, and Haruna on the other hand looked completely light of the situation.

Jealous bitch. The sadistic puppet thought to herself triumphantly. Zero; one. Goodman; zip.

"Asuna, hand me the Cassiopeia!" Negi told the red-head, holding out his hand to get it.

"Here!" Asuna tossed it to him, and he caught it before standing in the center of the group.

"Everyone hold hands!" Negi directed them as he held on to Setsuna's extended hand.

"Alright!" The girls chimed.

I hope this works. Negi inwardly prayed before he activated the time machine.

"Negi Springfield!" Dorothy's voice rumbled menacingly.

"It's too late for her to reach us..." Negi died out in mid-sentence when the world around them was consumed in light. It was much different from the way the Cassiopeia usually began it's time travel. He felt his body become gradually lighter until he realized that he was disappearing along with the rest of the girls. "Whatever you girls do, don't let go!"

"WAAAAAAAAAH!"

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Intermission...

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"Dark Evangel" Segment...

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Three tall figures stood before the entrance of an enormous, snow covered palace. It looked intimidating with it's dark appearance, standing upon the top of a mountain that overshadowed the city below. It was a likely choice for a nocturnal to designate as their headquarters, though this must have been a well known fact for those who lived at the base of the mountain. The only explanation for the military remaining ignorant of their activities was probably out of fear of incurring the dark mistresses wrath. An army of soldiers coming up against a palace filled with vampires was like supplying them with fresh meat and possible mates for an expansion in their bloodline. Every few decades or so a promising hunter might make their rise and attempt to put a stop to nocturnal affairs, however, the sad truth remained that the only possibility of slaying a dark count or mistress was to hire an elite wizard (Ex. Thousand Master), a dhampir, a powerful lycan clan, or a demon. The reason getting a hold of such help was difficult was probably because wizards don't want to get involved with business of such a dark nature, dhampirs were very rare to find, humans were just as afraid of lycan as they were of vampires, and demons...well, what would posses someone to cut a deal with one of them? You might as well go ask a vampire to slay a demon.

"An unguarded entrance." Lucinda McVicar remarked with fascination. "Is it that they were not aware that we would come or do they intend to lure us in?"

"I would like to think of it as a welcoming." Lucifera Augustus purred, placing her hands upon her hips. Her dark black hair was at shoulder length with two long bangs hanging in front of her face like bowing antenas. She had on cross shaped earrings, a rosary around her neck, and an open, black long-jacket. Underneath she wore a vest, and slacks with two large belts wrapped around her waist and two long chain whips at her sides.

"It would appear that Mistress Elman does not want to stall on our meeting." Evangeline McDowell chuckled with a smirk. "That's rather nice of her. Although it's likely that there are clansmen waiting for us to make our entrance. It's just a trap."

"Then let's allow them to have their fun." Lucifera suggested. "It's better than attempting to do our business quietly. A confrontation with the mistresses inside won't exactly be peaceful."

"Well put." Lucinda nodded. "What do you say, love?" The seductive mistress looked to Evangeline with a libidinous smirk.

"Let's just handle our business." Evangeline answered her rival. "I just want you both to know that Mistress Summers is mine. Don't get in my way."

"And what of Morrigan?" Lucifera asked the platinum haired mistress.

"Do what you like with her. Whatever affair you have; settle it."

"Shall we enter then?" Lucinda asked.

"Lets." Evangeline replied.

The three mistresses ascended the stair steps to reach the door, and Evangeline placed her hand on the door hook to press the latch and open it. The main hall was well lit with candles hanging from the walls yet there was an eerie mood about them since they were black flames. They were enchanted flames that never went out unless the mistress of the palace felt that it was time for her slumber. A red carpet lead from the entrance to the main staircase which lead to a door. There were no other doors beside the one at the top of the staircase so it was the only way forward.

"What an ugly hall." Lucifera commented, following Evangeline and Lucinda as they ascended the stair. "I can't say that I admire the master's taste. They must not be too pleasant to taste either."

"I don't think they would care if you did." Lucinda teetered.

"A person's tastes in home decor pales in significance to the taste of their blood. The two don't necessarily affect each other." Evangeline said off handedly. "Don't be so quick to judge a person." The puppet master opened the door at the top to find herself at the top of another staircase that lead down, however, it was apparent that they had just reached the true main hall of the palace. The room that stretched out before them was enormous with the red carpet running down the middle, branching out to every door that lined the walls of the room. The first room was just a chamber to make human guests feel welcome before they were ensnared in a trap because the chamber they were in now had absolutely no candles or sources of light with the exception of the occasional flash of lightning from outside. Naturally, darkness did not pose a problem when it came to vampiric sight so the mistresses were not bothered by this. They descended the stairs and stopped to observe the room.

"...Assuming that this is like all other palaces, our true adversary should be at the top floor." Lucinda concluded.

"You assume things so easily." Lucifera objected. "What's to say that they're not waiting in the basement or dungeon?"

"Because Seraphina loves to give out the illusion of appearing high and mighty." Evangeline explained. "Up we go."

"Touring the palace without a guide?" A familiar voice echoed throughout the main hall chillingly.

"Mistress Slade." Evangeline spoke the French mistress's name. "How nice of you to be our host."

"Why, don't mention it at all." Morrigan chuckled, appearing before them. At the sight of her, Lucifera's brows arched in a hostile manner. Morrigan took notice of her and her attitude mirrored Mistress Augustus's perfectly. "So the devil princess of Rome decided to come? You're here for me, no doubt."

"It's good to know that you understand that." Lucifera replied with a devilish smirk.

"We've come to a major confrontation already?" Lucinda asked with an amused teeter. "Coming here might actually be worth my time after all."

"You're so easy to satisfy..." Evangeline muttered in disgust.

"Oh, you would know that, love." Lucinda said in a sultry voice.

"Don't take advantage of this temporary alliance to annoy me, McVicar. When this is all over, we will be enemies again."

"Now don't be so cold." Lucinda smirked at her rival. "Besides, we have more pressing matters to take care of." Both mistresses nodded to each other while Lucifera, and Morrigan had their verbal showdown, however, when they both walked past the French mistress, she turned away from Lucifera much to the other mistress's annoyance and said, "Don't think that you two can just walk past me."

"We are." Evangeline quipped, never missing a beat in her walk.

"Oh really?" Morrigan raised an eyebrow as she snapped her finger. Not a moment later did the atmosphere in the room take on a grave feeling. The temperature dropped and seven dark figures materialized on the other side of the chamber. They were ghostly hooded figures with swords gripped in both hands.

"Wraiths." Evangeline growled. She can summon such a high rank of ghouls so easily with just a snap of her fingers? Mistress Slade has certainly gone beyond her abilities from before.

"They shouldn't be too much trouble." Lucinda said with a grin, flexing her fingers.

"Physical attacks are useless against these ghouls." Evangeline stopped her fellow mistress before she could rush in to combat. "High level spells should suffice."

"Very well." Lucinda nodded.

"Have you forgotten something?" Morrigan questioned them expectantly.

"I believe that Mistress Augustus could ask the same question." Evangeline retorted with a grin.

Merde. Morrigan inwardly cursed before she felt cold silver whip against her cheek painfully. The mistress jumped back quickly to put some distance between herself and her surprise attacker to find Lucifera with both of her silver chain whips drawn. "Burn!" Lucifera yelled sadistically as a series of magical glyphs circled her body before before the dark mistress's entire body seemed to become a living torch. Six burning wings sprouted out from her back and let out a jet stream of fire.

"Hyaaa!" Lucifera let out a battle cry before rushing at Morrigan with mind numbing speed. The result looked like a blazing arrow had collided with the French mistress before it was followed by an explosion that sent her flying backwards.

"You two take care of the wraiths!" Lucifera told her companions. "Morrigan is mine so don't get in my way!"

"No need to tell us." Evangeline replied. She and Lucinda rushed forward to meet the wraiths, chanting the incantation for their spells as they closed the distance between them. When Evangeline was done, an enormous glyph appeared under the group of wraiths before discharging a light that transformed into pikes of ice that impaled all of them. Lucinda followed up with a wind spell that summoned razor sharp blades that hacked at the impaled wraiths.

"Did that do it?" Lucinda asked.

The wraiths all snapped their ectoplasmic bodies in place as though they were made of bones and flesh before dispelling the pikes to begin their counterattack.

"Not quite." Evangeline answered. A wraith rushed forward to lop her head off with a swipe directed at her neck, but she ducked under the sword quickly and grabbed it by the head before freezing it solid and crushing it in her hand. The wraiths body fell to the floor and slumped over before dissipating in white flames. Lucinda followed her example and plunged her hand deep into the head of one of the wraiths before unleashing a blast of wind from her hand that killed it quickly. Two other wraiths engaged Evangeline in combat forcing Evangeline to summon her dark blade and deflect a few slashes from her ghastly opponents. She quickly fought back, slashing one of the wraiths in half and following up with a subzero blast to it's upper body from her free hand to ensure that it would not reattach itself again. The block of ice that held it's upper body shattered upon hitting the floor and the wraith had been finished, but the other wraith wasted no time, plunging it's blade deep into Evangeline's stomach.

"Ungh!" Evangeline grunted at the feeling of the spiritual blade entering her body, but she grabbed a hold of the sword quickly before it could completely impale her and broke it in two with her own dark blade. She pulled out the edge that had found itself in her stomach and tossed it to the side before slicing the wraiths head off swiftly. As the head flew off, the undying wizard caught it with one hand and threw it out the window. Another wraith that approached her was completely destroyed by a blast of wind that did the equivalent of breaking it's body into millions of ectoplasmic bits. Lucinda offered Evangeline a flirtatious wink as she ran by her, and the undying wizard rolled her eyes at the other dark mistress's futile attempts to charm her. Another wraith came from behind her for a stab to the back only to have it's sword run through a fake. Evangeline appeared behind it and she dug her hand into it's chest to rip out it's spiritual heart. When she was done dealing with it, she looked to Lucinda to find that the other mistress had already dealt with the remaining wraiths.

"Shall we move forward?" Lucinda asked.

"Obviously." Evangeline quipped.

"Come on. Are you irritated by me?"

"I could have handled that other wraith on my own." Evangeline growled.

"I was just lending a helping hand." Lucinda said melodically, following the Undying wizard to the door on the other side of the chamber. Morrigan was far too busy dueling Lucifera to stop them from leaving.

"I don't see why if you won't be getting anything in return."

"You say that as if I had an ulterior motive in mind." The silver haired mistress said, sounding offended.

"You usually do." Evangeline retorted.

"Touche." Lucinda followed Evangeline into the next chamber, which had an imposing armored suit awaiting them on the other side, standing over another doorway that let to the next chamber. There was a a curving stairway on both sides of the room that met together over the armored suit's helmet to another bronze door. Naturally that would be their next selection for advancement.

"Let's head u-"

Creeeeeak...

"A living armored suit." Lucinda said, feigning a yawn at the sight of the armored monstrosity that moved it's head. "How cliché."

"Avoiding a confrontation with it all together will save time." Evangeline suggested.

"If you say so." Lucinda groaned before watching as the armored suit was encased in a large pillar of ice, courtesy of Evangeline's handy work.

"Let's proceed." Evangeline ascended the stairs with Lucinda following in suite and opened the doorway to find herself outside again. Before them was a long, snow covered catwalk the lead to another section of the palace. They crossed it, fighting against the abnormal winds that swept against them, and entered the next chamber. There they were met by two identical looking girls with white hair sitting on a throne together. They both wore black dresses with white bows hanging from their chests. There were white bows on their heads as well. Anyone who was not aware of their true nature would have been fooled by their angelic faces. Their hazelnut eyes and delicate features had a tendency of doing that, and so it was no surprise that hunters and clueless villagers had fallen pray to them in he past. The chamber had weapons hanging from the walls so the two mistresses already knew what was to come.

"Welcome!" One of them greeted cheerfully.

"We had been awaiting your arrival for quite some time." The other girl said. The difference in their voices were clear. While one had a sickeningly sweet quality, the other sounded completely emotionless but they both shared the same eerie smile. "We were worried that perhaps, Mistress Slade had dealt with you already."

"Oh, Lucifera is handling her quite fine." Lucinda informed them. "She should just about be done with her."

"Ah, really?!" The cheerful one gasped excitedly. "I've always wanted to meet Mistress Augustus!"

"Indeed." The emotionless one nodded.

"Drop the act already." Evangeline snapped at them, her left eye twitching in irritation at their little show. "You two are the twin mistresses that serve as generals in Seraphina's clan. We aren't so ignorant of your backgrounds so stop your attempts at fooling us."

"You're no fun." The cheerful one grumbled.

"Mistress Elman told us that you would be this way." The emotionless one said, standing up from her seat on the throne with her sister. "Dark Evangel...your reputation is known far and wide. For us to meet under such conditions is regretful. It would have been pleasant if we could have had leisure time together."

"Then I am right in assuming that you two are here to hinder our efforts?" Evangeline asked.

"That's right!" The cheerful one chirped.

"That is correct." The other answered at the same time.

"To be turned at such a young age..." Lucinda remarked with a bit of disappointment as she clicked her tongue. "Surely you both know of illusionary spells to gain older forms, right? The both of you would look lovely with older appearances; I'm sure of it."

"We like it this way." Both of them replied at the same time.

"Such a shame." Lucinda shook her head. "So much potential."

"Would you stay focused?!" Evangeline hissed at her fellow mistress. "Your lecherous visions can wait!"

"I can't help myself." The seductive mistress teetered.

"Now, if the both of you intend to do something, then do it now because I won't stay around for any more conversation." Evangeline declared. "I have a score to settle, and I am a very impatient woman when it comes to these sort of matters."

"Then go on ahead." Lucinda suddenly told Evangeline.

"What?" Evangeline raised an eyebrow curiously. "You'll face them on your own?"

"What's the matter, Evangeline?" Lucinda asked with a mischievous smirk. "Are you worried about my well being?"

"I could care less if you suffered to your last breath." Evangeline scoffed.

"I'm touched." The silver haired mistress grinned before giving the Undying wizard a shooing gesture for her to leave. "Now, if you'll be on your way."

"No need to tell me." Evangeline chuckled as she took her leave. When the door closed behind her, Lucinda turned back to face her opponents. The disturbing grin that made it's way along her lovely lips was simply chilling. "Now then..." Lucinda's voice took on a husky tone as her nails gradually grew into claws. "Let's enjoy ourselves."

Evangeline entered the next room to find herself at another stairway that seemed to be endless. It seemed that this was the way up to the tower of the palace. "I'm sure that is where Dorothy and Seraphina must be waiting." Evangeline said to no one in particular, taking her first step of the many that awaited her. Behind her, she could already hear Lucinda enjoying her engagement with the twin mistresses. Her laughs echoed through the stairway much to Evangeline's irritation.

"I just have to endure this partnership a little longer." She muttered to herself. "This will all be over soon."

---

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Entering Dorothy's Throne room...

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The large door to Dorothy's chamber opened. getting the attention of Mistress Summers. She raised her head slowly to regard her guest, and a wry smile danced along her lips for a fleeting moment. The Undying wizard had finally come to face her after that past seven years. She had been preparing for this moment under Seraphina's guidance for a long time. Now the opportunity had finally come for her to see how far she had come from the weakling she once was when she first crossed paths with Evangeline. Dorothy's appearance had changed somewhat from the time Evangeline had last seen her in Rome. Her blonde hair was longer from before with a wild appearance. It was a change from her usual combed hair. Her eyes were different as well. The naivety that once clouded her gold eyes were tainted with something sinister and fierce. The calculating coldness that iced over her gold orbs were almost equal to that of Seraphina's. Dorothy's vampiric mantle fell over the armrests of the throne, flowing down to the floor. Underneath she wore a black corset accompanied by a long skirt with a side slit.

"My wait is finally over." Dorothy said with a sigh.

"My, my." Evangeline crossed her arms as she approached the throne slowly. "Look at what the child has become under Mistress Elman's discipline. It's hard to trace you back to the little girl I had met in the courtyard in the past." Evangeline said with a slowly nod before she frowned. "However, I see that my words to you in the past did not make it past that thick head of yours."

"Why do you say that?" Dorothy asked, resting her her cheek in one hand.

"I say that because of who you have allied yourself with. You really are a puppet after all." Evangeline explained. "You stand for a corrupt council that will bring nothing but chaos to the nations. Don't you know anything about that past?"

"Under Mistress Elman's rule, the new age council will not fall down the same path as the old one." Dorothy reasoned.

"That's where you're wrong." Evangeline disagreed. "Under Seraphina's influence it will follow that exact same path. She wants nothing more than to unite all of the nations under her rule. What she has is a lust for power; nothing more."

"Even if that may be so, it does not bother me." Dorothy admitted. "As long as I can do away with the humans, I am fine with what plans she has for the new world."

"I take back my words from before." Evangeline shook her head. "You still are that foolish girl from before."

"Your impression of me does not matter to me."

"Well, that is quite obvious." Evangeline rolled her eyes. "Had it meant anything to you at all, you would have chosen a different path.."

"You tire me, Dark Evangel." Dorothy said with a groan as she stood up. "If you wish to make your point, then express it with your actions. Call me a fool; show me the errors of my ways." Her lips curled into a smirk. "Punish me if you wish, but I promise you that the outcome of our duel will not be like before. I have gone through great lengths to grasp the power needed to finally prove my greatness to you. I will show you my potential. I will show you that you were wrong! Now-" Dorothy revealed her left hand, which had been concealed by her mantle. She held an odd looking blade dripping with blood. Her blood.

"...Dark Matter..." Evangeline spoke the name of the artifact that the other mistress held in her hand. "You've cursed yourself in order to face me as an equal?"

"As an equal?" Dorothy blinked mockingly. "No, I've gone beyond an equal. The abilities I'm gifted with now allow me to surpass you."

"Doubtful." Evangeline quipped, summoning her dark blade. "It's time that I've ended your delusions, Dorothy." Evangeline's cold expression was replaced by a sadistic grin.

"It's been fun."

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To Be Concluded In...

Fang Vice Addiction

Chapter Twenty-six: Standing the Test of Time

Act II

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Whew...had to cut it at the intermission. Geez, I didn't expect that chapter to reach this length already. Well, I'll try to get the second act finished before the end of this month so that the conclusion is delivered to you quickly. Assignments have been pretty hectic lately so forgive me for the long wait. I hope that this keeps you all satisfied until the second half is released. Well, it's time for a break. I'll see you in the last installment...well...not exactly see you but...gotta stop doing this to myself...

Traingham...

P.S: The whole Lucinda/ Evangeline is pretty one sided as you can pretty much tell. Her obsession with Negi in the sequel will stem from that unrequited relationship...if you can call it that...

To Ganegrei: I'll add that dossier in the second act.

Question Time!

Q: If you're planning a Dark Makie will you be doing a Dark Yuuna and a Dark Akira as well?

A: That would have to follow since excluding them would seem incomplete. I have to come up with unique personalities that would fit their darksides though. Akira might be hard.

Q: Did Mana really fall in love with Negi? When did it all happen? Was it before the sequel or during?

A: Well...I didn't expect it to arouse so much attention. Looks like I'm going to have to put some real focus into that scene...

Q: When will Chachazero get her pactio?!

A: The sequel. Yeah, I know that answer is a little unsatisfying, but please just bear with me here.

Q: Are you going to elaborate a bit more on Mistress McVicar's relationship with Eva-chan?

A: Er...how so?

Q: Does Mei have a part to play in this fic I mean any big part? Does Takane turn her etc.

A: Mei will play a major part in the fic later. She forces Negi to make a hard decision in the future.

Q:Chao, does she survive?

A: Can't answer that.

Q:How do you plan to if ever introduce Nagi? Will this be a bouncing point for Eva? And why the hell is she so lovey dovey right now?

A: 1) Nagi has a twist of his own in the sequel. (You can call it a side-quest of his own.)

2)It would be a good opportunity to test Eva's bonds with Negi, wouldn't it?

3)Cause Evangeline might seem too cold if I don't give her a slice of humanity.

Q: Do you think Evangeline would dislike Kotaro since he's kind of like a werewolf?

A: Nice question. Kotaro's friendship with Negi will cause him some trouble among his nocturnal acquaintances. (Dark mistresses included.)

And that is the end of that...sorta...