Magister Negi Magi is owned by Ken Akamatsu and Kodansha Ltd. Tokyo in Japan, and by Funimation and Ballantine - DelRey in the United States, NOT by me.

AU ALERT! Depending on how you want to look at it, this story occurs before chapter one of the 'Magister Negi Magi' manga, or one-hundred YEARS after it ends.

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"Professor Springfield taking me into his confidence, entrusting me with such tremendous responsibility, provided the greatest personal satisfaction I've ever known in my life."
-Ayaka Yukihiro. "My One-Hundred Year Love."

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Chao Lingshen. 'Coming Home.'

Part 02: Hate and Love.

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...An increase in illumination from the hovering glyphs indicated the time-displacement effect was nearing activation. Chao nodded to Evangeline, then turned to the girl who once was, and hopefully once more, would be like a mother to her. "Ku! One day, let us cross arms again!"

Without hesitation, Ku Fei nodded, an excited expression on her face. "Yeah! For sure!"

"Chao!"

Turning once more, Chao smiled at the boy she had wanted to confess to and hold ever since he had come to Mahora Academy. "So long Negi! ("I'm going to keep my promise!") Let us meet again!"

Negi Springfield, not sure if he'd just heard what he thought, clenched his fist. "YES! ONE DAY..." Swirling energies came down from the glyphs, there was rush of air as the time-displacement effect took hold, a bang, and then Chao Lingshen was gone. "...for sure."

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Chao Lingshen screamed from physical agony worse than even the internal emotional suffering she'd experienced while fighting her grandfather at Mahora Academy.

Return to the Century Corporation's project facility after slightly more than two years at Mahora Academy, an option available to her due to the energy level from the World Tree, had carried with it a hoped for chance to escape. Unfortunately the Techno-mage from Century Corporation responsible for her body modifications, had seized her in a holding field as soon as she arrived on the projects main experimentation platform. Unable to defend herself, she spasmd and thrashed within the immaterial 'rack' of the holding field as the man poured raw power into her body. Feeling as if all her joints would explode from the coursing energy, she groaned with relief and went limp as he finally relented from his torture. As she hung helplessly, trying to catch her breath, he began raving about; "How could she have failed in her attempt to change the past? Considering all they had given her?" Not through yet, he began to fling her about the platform, crushing open the box of gifts from Class 2A, knocking over Ayaka's statue, and smashing her against the ceiling, then the floor. Stopping once more, he began ranting about how Century Corporation should have realized what would happen from the beginning. Chao was a Springfield. Such a worthless, always interfering where it didn't belong bloodline, responsible for much chaos within certain circles and only destroyed after more than one-hundred years of trying.

Promising to end the Springfield line for good, the thin, hawk-nosed, glasses wearing man used the restraint field to bring Chao's body back within his reach. Charging a MagiTech blade spell in one hand, he reached out with the other and took hold of her throat.

Unable to escape despite all her struggles, Chao begged silently for forgiveness from her grandfather for breaking the promise to come find him, then closed her eyes to await the end.

Instead of a flash of pain and the blackness of death, there was a scream not her own before she was released and dropped unceremoniously to the floor. Opening her eyes, Chao saw the strange, cute, 'plushy-dragon' Zazie Rainyday had given her with it's teeth and claws buried in her prospective murder's hand. The man was shouting for someone to; "Get it off!" and was backing away from her and swinging the 'decorated' hand about wildly.

Nearly four years suffering under the training of Century Corporation had toughened and prepared her for the mission they sent her on. Two years plus of training with Ku Fei had helped, as little as was possible while restrained, to protect her while being flung about the project platform. Six years of self-discipline, despite the overwhelming pain she felt, let her seize the sudden opportunity. Before her was Ku Fei's sword, spilled from the gift box. A short jerk on the weapon's tassel was all that was needed to free the blade from it's scabbard. Another jerk on the tie of her last hair-bun cover and a 'snap' of the wrist resulted in another hoped for weapon. Fearing the loss of the hair-bun cover's mate would preclude it's use, she was not disapointed. Standing as the techno-mage tried to get Zazie's no longer cute dragon off his hand, she chanted the mantra that reset her Magical Circuitry. After the almost physical 'pop' of the reset working, she held out her still 'live' Pactio card, said a prayer for her survival, then incanted the one spell she could do without the use of Magical Circuitry.

"Adeat!"

Striking the annoying little creature against a table-corner, causing it to let go with a yelp of pain, the Techno-mage turned at the sound of a word he'd never expected to hear within the walls of his laboratory. Standing a short distance away, her Magical Circuitry starting to glow, was a smoldering, hair-flowing with power apparition, holding some strange device and a long steel blade. Combat instincts took over and he converted and fired the MagiTech blade spell as a ranged attack. The strange device opened up into a fan that completely blocked and dispersed his effort. What he saw in the eyes that appeared over the edge of the fan after the attack's effect dissipated; cold, unadulterated hatred beyond his experience, rocked him back a step.

Chao launched herself at the number two man responsible for her pain and suffering over the last six years. 'HER' sword came up and around in a flattened parabolic arc as she moved. An attempt at defense was made, but focused against MagiTech attacks, it failed to slow down her simple steel blade. Chao finished her move-through attack in a crouch behind the man. As a necklace of blood formed, and the head and body toppled lifelessly to the floor, she stood to face the last man strong enough to stop or kill her. Observing from a short distance away was the dispassionate Director of Century Corporation. Confidence showed on the man's chubby face as she took a step forward. Confidence in his personal defenses, his MagiTech combat abilities, and belief in the skill of his bodyguards.

However, as she felt the faint vibrations indicating the large pocket-watch still thankfully hanging from her neck was fully active, Chao knew she had a hidden advantage. Negi, as expected, had destroyed Cassiopeia 3. She had recognized the turning point of the battle, as described by her Grandfather, and simply refrained from using Cassiopeia 2.

Cassiopeia.

HER invention. NOT one given for use in the mission by Century Corporation. Developed at Mahora Academy, from information and technology gleaned from Century Corporation, together with the help of the amazingly like-minded Satomi Hakase.

Cassiopeia 2.

Pressing all three buttons on the device's side placed it under the control of the shock-protected A.I. in her barely functional battlesuit. Recharged by proximity to her Magical Circuitry during the final fight four-thousand meters above Mahora Academy, Cassiopeia 2 spooled up to full power and Chao simply vanished from the sight of her tormentors.

Shock and surprise was what the bodyguards saw on the Director of Century Corporation's face as Chao appeared again and ran him through from behind with her sword. His attention and defenses focused on her previous position, he fell easily to her attack.

Six years.

Six years of emotional and physical suffering. Six years striving for the CHANCE for a better future. Nearly four years of living a necessary lie, capped by over two more of telling friends incomplete truths and turning them into enemies.

Against all that, the agony caused by using the Magical Circuitry meant nothing. Screams of death and pain meant nothing. Having held herself in check for six years, Chao finally lost control. All that mattered to her was the cathartic avenging of herself upon those responsible for all she had been through.

Any bodyguard who might choose to stand against her now risked their master's fate. Some, gratefully few, tried to do so and died in useless battle against the level of power provided by the Magical Circuitry and Cassiopeia 2. Most, along with everyone else she encountered in her movement through the building, intelligently, ran for their lives from the seemingly unstoppable fiend in their midst.

Eventually, the adrenaline rush of her nearly berserk rage ran it's course, and Chao found herself standing, covered in blood and soot, at the entrance to the Century Corporation facility. Behind her, nearly everything was in ruin or flames. Staring past the shattered door and it's promise of freedom, she couldn't find the strength to move. Her grandfather's stories and instructions had not extended beyond simple escape from this place. Now, completely exhausted, she could no longer think clearly enough to know what to do. Hearing a piteous mewing, she looked down and beheld Zazie's little dragon, padding at her shin and looking up, despite it's own bruises, with amazingly obvious concern.

"Did you burn my statue along with everything else?"

Chao started and looked up at the unexpected voice to see an oddly familiar, mature, dignified woman standing unruffled within the wreckage of the Century Corporation facility's entrance. Surrounded by Security Troops bearing the insignia of the Yukihiro Group, the woman held one hand on a cane, more from style than necessity, modeled after the staff of a mage they both knew. Even with the completely gray hair, there was no mistaking the regal bearing and attitude of someone she'd seen just a few hours, or, nearly one-hundred years ago. "Cla...Class-Rep?"

Ayaka Yukihiro ignored the worried looks of her guards and held out her hand to Chao Lingshen. "Let it go Chao. You're home. You've done what Professor Springfield wanted. Because of this 'incident,' I now have the excuse I've wanted and needed to shut this corporation down."

Chao took a step forward, dropping both the sword and her fan, and extended a hand. She tried to take another step, but her shoulders fell, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed, nearly landing on her surprised dragon friend.

Ayaka brushed aside a concerned Raymond Tatsumiya, Yukihiro Group's Chief of Security, and went forward to kneel next to Chao. With the help of a younger guard, she gently rolled the begrimed Chao over, cradling the girl's head in her lap after doing so. Even with her face now soft and almost completely relaxed, the very young and vulnerable looking Chinese girl still had just a hint of understandable worry showing at the corners of her eyes.

"Lady Ayaka, what should we do?"

Ayaka, tears forming in her eyes, looked up at the tanned visage of Mana Tatsumiya's descendant. Even after so many years, those of her classmate's bloodline still showed their ancestor's emotionless look when they were being serious. "Get the fires out. We've got to find evidence of where they're keeping the kids and the Springfields before they do anything to harm them." Glancing outside, she could see could see more of Yukihiro Group's Security Troops rounding up the employee's who had fled from Chao's rampage. "Corporate and Governmental fools! Pushing for that idiotic Witch-hunt against Professor Springfield to cover their own mistakes, just because he ended The Demon Wars by talking with Graf Herrmann against their wishes. Heads WILL roll over this mess! If I have anything to say about it..."

Saluting, Tatsumiya nudged the shoulder of the younger guard, who diligently stood watching for any threats to Chao and Ayaka. "Markham. Stay here and watch these two." After the guard nodded, he turned away and started to shout orders at his other subordinates.

Looking back down at Chao, Ayaka brushed aside a few strands of hair as one of her own tears fell and cleaned a streak of soot from the girl's face. "Rest now Chao. You've done your job. It's up to me to finish things."

tsuzuku

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Author's Notes:

Importantly, Chao Lingshen's 'blown' Magical Circuitry in this case is capable of being reset. She simply needed a chance to do so. Having everything become active in the presence of her grandfather's younger-self would be troublesome, so she was forced to wait to do so.

Why does the circuitry work? Because the place she's at is filled with magic.

If you can guess who I based the men Chao kills off of, then you definately know your manga/anime!

Even in this AU, Chao Lingshen told everyone the truth. She want's to change the world to help avert future tragedy. (The disappearance of her sister.) She simply declines to tell them the COMPLETE truth. Especially that if she does succeed at Century Corporation's plan, things will be better for a while, then get WORSE because of complications that arise. (An earlier, bloodier war between the worlds, leaving both more vulnerable during the also earlier Demon Wars.)

Personally, the most important thing to Chao is that she survives, and can continue to search for her grandparents and twin sister.

For those of you perhaps skeptical that Ayaka Yukihiro could still be alive:

My great-grandmother, born in the 1890's, with nothing more than farm-work and home-medicine, lived to be one-hundred and four. Ayaka Yukihiro, with advances in science and medicine, the finances of the Yukihiro Group, and possibly even with magical enhancements provided by Negi Springfield, could easily live to be One-hundred and Fourteen, or more...

Raymond Tatsumiya is Mana Tatsumiya's descendant. Mana finally relents, and marries Serizawa of the Mahora Biathlon Team.

Markham is the descendant of Phillip Markham Jr. of "Markham Chronicles Negima," a Negima story by Kafka'sdragon. More on Markham soon. Thanks again Kafka's for letting me borrow Markham.

Whatever loops or branches time theory might contain, in this case time is linear. For Century-Corporation to find out if Chao Lingshen succeeded in her mission, they would have to wait the equivalent of the two-plus years she was at Mahora Academy. Another obvious assumption is that they would be shielded somehow from the hoped for changes.