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

Chapter Two: Separate Paths

It was a much more subdued gathering this time, at the shores of the Mahora Lake. Kalan smiled at the subject of their meeting. "Well…I figure this is a good place for this." He turned to his son. "But, after everything that's happened, I think that Kain should be the one to take care of it. You can do this, Kain?"

It was now Friday; after the party, which Sakura finally agreed to linger for, they resumed their regular lives and finished up their tests so that the other twenty-seven of them could graduate and, although Mai had already received her diploma, she attended the graduation with the rest of them. Now another promise had to be fulfilled.

Kain nodded. "Of course I can." He glanced around at the audience—Kalan, Aeli, the principal, Alyssa, Miyu, and Mai were all present. "First, Higurashi-san, would you like to give a few words?"

The old man chuckled. "Well, well, how time passes, and how things change…fifteen years ago, we accepted a most unusual student into our school…a demon princess that had been sealed into the form of a little girl as punishment for attacking our hero, Kalan Lockeheart. She was left with a promise that her seal would be released and she would be set free if she ever did enough to 'graduate' from the middle school. The girl was stubborn and uncooperative, of course, and very bitter towards her former friend…it seemed she would become a permanent fixture of the middle school classes.

"But these last three years, despite her unsociability, she ended up blending in with the newest class…a class that had some unique individuals, to be sure. And over the past year, she has actually been of great benefit to our newest young teacher, Kain Lockeheart, the son of her friend and tormentor. And so, now, as her friends graduate and move on to high school, as she has taken all her own tests and fulfilled both the letter and spirit of the injunction that was laid on her, we deem her a fully-qualified graduate and hereby condone her release." He glanced over at Alyssa, his smile wide. "And she even listens attentively to this old man's rant! Very impressive, indeed."

"After all this time, freedom is just within my grasp," Alyssa muttered, but she smiled all the same. "There's no way I'd smart off now and risk having it taken away from me. Now, if you've had your fun, I'd like to get on with it…I have waited fifteen long years for this."

Kensuke chuckled. He nodded at Kain. "Well, go ahead then, young one."

Kain nodded, then closed his eyes and stretched out a hand. He murmured quietly, under his breath, and a magic circle appeared underneath Alyssa. Wind blew at her hair and clothes, and she closed her eyes and gasped as the feel of the magic began to overtake her. The light built and churned in a nimbus surrounding her, and then, as Kain snapped out a finish and slashed his hand out dramatically, there was a brief explosion of power, and the lights, wind, and circle all blew apart and dispersed in an instant. Then, with a lilting laugh, Alyssa was replaced by a churning vertigo of golden light. The comet-like apparition sailed in circles into the air before spiraling back down to explode in front of Kain…in the form of a busty blond-haired girl in her mid-teens in a sensuous black dress. "My deepest thanks, my dear Sensei," she murmured, taking his hands in hers and leaning her face in next to his.

Mai scowled and took a step forward. "Hey, now…!"

Alyssa laughed and disengaged, shooting Mai a teasing look as she twirled away. "Well, I shouldn't ruin the moment," she said in a more mature voice. "Don't expect to the see the little girl much from now on, though…after fifteen years, you better believe I've had enough of that child's body." She cast her coy glance around at the watchers. "Don't expect to see much of me, period. It's been fun, but it's probably best for all of us if I keep my distance from humans for a little while."

"Really?" Aeli asked sweetly. "After all the stories I've heard from my husband and son, I thought I'd get a little more time to get to know you myself."

"Hmm. Don't bet on it. Things around them are…interesting. But you people have greatly changed how these worlds work, and after so many thousand years of having my way, I'm going to have to adjust…and my…forces will have to prepare for the world to come. I'd rather not get involved in your mortal troubles for the next little bit. But…I will say this. Even with how frustrating these last fifteen years were, you Lockeheart boys…yes, with you it was fun." She smiled back at Aeli. "And you should be very honored, Aeli-hime. Your husband and your son are the only two humans I've ever met that I found truly interesting."

Aeli actually bowed in recognition of her praise, and Kalan said, "Well, it was certainly interesting being with you as well. I won't insult you by asking if you've gained any 'humanity' from your little imprisonment, but I won't apologize for it either. I think, in the end, that it was just a good thing I did it. Well, I should say one thing; I never did properly thank you for your friendship you showed me when I was a child. Even if you're an Infernal, and even if it was your own selfish curiosity and desires, you were a friend to me while I was young; and I'm grateful for that. And I'm grateful that you took such good care of my boy."

"And I, too, am grateful," Kain added. "You saved my life in Kyoto, and then you even went against your first instincts and trained me when I asked for it. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere close to here if I hadn't had your guidance. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

"I…need to as well," Mai suddenly put it. "You were as much a master and teacher to me as you were to Kain at the end there. We do owe a lot to you…especially for letting us use your resort. So, thank you."

"Oy, oy, that's enough," Alyssa sighed. "Gratitude doesn't do anything for Infernals, you know. Well, at least my efforts were put to good use. Infernals don't have friends, either, but…as we part here, I will permit all of you to continue thinking of me as a friend if you really want to. If you don't, that's fine, too…in any case, I've long overstayed my welcome. But speaking of the resort—I think I'll leave it here, for you girls. Use it as you like." She turned to Miyu. "Well, Miyu, you're free now. Caria created you, to be my servant and protector while I was powerless at this school, but that's over now; I am neither a student at this school, nor powerless. You can go back to her, now, or you can stay here and continue being a student yourself, or do whatever you want with your life…."

"Alyssa-sama…" Miyu began. She stared at the blonde demon, her face actually seeming hurt. "Surely you don't intend to cast me aside? Yes, I was made for that purpose…but there is nothing else I wish in my life. If it is really my choice what I do from now on…I want to remain with you, to follow you wherever you go."

"'Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee,'" Kain quoted. "'For whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall me my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.'"

Alyssa cast an exasperated glance Kain's way. "Really; I'm not sure if it's a bigger insult to me or to God to quote from the Bible in order to symbolize Miyu's devotion to me." Kain just shrugged in reply, and Alyssa addressed the gynoid: "Very well, then. In the spirit of Naomi and Ruth, as idiotic as that sentiment is applied to me, I will keep you with me. After all, I can still make use of you; and I can more readily admit fondness for a devoted servant like you than I can for any foolish human." She walked over and took Miyu's hand. "We're going then, Miyu." She cast another coy glance towards her audience and winked at them. "Bye-bye, all!" She raised a hand in salute, and then both inhuman girls vanished.

Kamo chuckled from his place on Kain's shoulder. "Well…a disagreeable brat to the very end." Then he hopped down and scampered into the middle of the field where Alyssa had just stood, turning to address himself to the 'audience'. "And, well, it's probably past time for me to go, too."

"You're leaving us again, Kamo?" Kalan asked.

"I am," the ermine replied, and then in a moment he was no more an ermine, but a human with white hair and white clothes. "I told you the first time—I'm a heroic spirit drawn to heroic doings. As a trans-dimensional spirit, I can look ahead and see futures and such, although I don't like to because it's like spoilers for a movie or something. But I've looked ahead a little ways here, just in case—after all, we saw what happened the last time I left, right? But while you guys are going to have adventures and trouble…you won't really have need of my services. You've got all the contracts you need, and that'll be enough for the next fifty years or so. After that, who knows? But as fun as it's been, I have other adventures to go see, other heroes to bother, other wars to watch. The work of a spirit of contracts is never done." He smiled at them impishly. "And the other great fun of being around—watching the romantic angst around this young man—that's pretty much been settled too, right? Both of you pairs of lovers have your families to get to…and I don't need to be a part of that. So, that's my cue…so long, and take care, guys! If you ever really badly need me, you have the power to call on me. Ciao!"

Mai flushed and stuttered at his last suggestive comments, but the rest merely smiled and waved back at him as he raised his hand and vanished.

"All our friends are going away," Aeli said, melancholy evident in her words. "Even now, we're being left behind…."

Kalan chuckled. "Well, I'm sure we'll see them again. We've got a lifetime ahead of us." He glanced at his wife. "Especially you. You don't look a day older than when I lost you."

"I don't think she is," Kain noted. "I think freezing her age was a necessity for the Obsidian Star…it wouldn't do for their 'engine' to grow old and die; it's why Mai was frozen as a little girl to begin with."

"Probably so," Kalan sighed. "I, on the other hand, have borne all those years…."

"Oh, stop it!" Mai insisted. "Age, like every other enemy you face, will find it impossible to conquer you, right, o mighty hero Kalan Lockeheart?"

Kalan glanced at her in bemusement. "Like you're one to talk. Well…let's head on back. We're done here, right?"

The four continued chattering happily as they went their way, and, chuckling to himself, Kensuke followed them.

There was a nervous knock at the door. Surprised, Kagome opened it…and stared at the nervous figure standing beyond the portal. Ellis fidgeted. "A-ah…h-hello there, Higurashi Kagome-san…."

"Hey, Kagome!" Shippô insisted, suddenly popping up on Ellis' shoulder.

"Shippô-chan! And you're…Ellis…? What are you two doing here?"

"W-what? Y-you were expecting a teacher from Arcanus Myrror…for your spiritual magic, weren't you? I was told…."

"Oh, yes, of course, but, ah, I guess I just wasn't expecting you to come here, and for it to be you…I mean, even if magic is coming to Earth, the sight of a high elf in this world is just a bit…surprising…." She glanced to the side and scratched at her cheek. "Although, on the other hand, Inuyasha's appearance hasn't really raised a fuss, even after half a year…."

"W-well, I did think the same," Ellis agreed. "B-but…."

She gave a cute startled cry as Luana shoved her into the room. "Goodness, if we're going to talk about this, it shouldn't be in the doorway! Let's continue inside!"

"L-Luana! W-we haven't even been invited in, yet!"

"O-oh, but that's my mistake," Kagome said. "Please, come inside! Let me get you some tea…."

"We wouldn't dare contradict our host. I do apologize for my brusque rudeness," Luana said cheerfully.

Finally they were all seated and Kagome had tea set out for them. Ellis guiltily glanced around the chamber. "It seems…empty in here…there's so much empty space…."

"Yes, well…all my roommates are gone," Kagome remarked cheerfully. "Rather, I'm the only one who moved into the high school dorms after the year ended. Momo went back to Soul Society finally, and Mai…well, since Sakura-chan ended up bringing her back, she could have gone into high school, but…she's decided to stick with Kain-sensei as he goes about…whatever business he's decided on now. I mean, I guess, whatever he needs to do in order to help the magical transition of this world."

"Well, if you're lonely, maybe we can stay here now!" Shippô said happily.

"S-Shippô-kun…" Ellis began.

"No, it's not a bad idea, is it?" Luana replied cheerfully. "It'd probably be easiest, so you can plan out your tutelage as you like. In any case, we should explain a little." She addressed herself to Kagome more directly. "You and Kain-kun both put out the idea that Higurashi Kagome-chan would be willing to learn more healing magic from someone with talents similar to her own—in other words, a master of spiritual magic, and that one of our number might be reliable for that. We do have three, after all—Ellis-chan, Yayoi-chan and Faina-chan all use that same kind of spiritual magic. Yayoi-chan probably would have been the first choice, as she is both human and has the most similar situation to yours, being a trained priestess of those arts, but she's…a shy little thing, and was a bit too intimidated by the idea of coming here on her own. Faina-chan was an impossible choice, because she's always been a bit of a frail girl, who might not have the easiest time with such a transition to this world—not to mention its low mana might interfere with that health—and besides which, her sister would never allow it. So Ellis-chan was the only choice left. Not that I would suggest she's a poor substitute! Ellis-chan is the finest magic-user amongst us, anyway, so as long as she can avoid attracting too much attention with her alien nature, she should work fine here."

"Well, being an alien, a stranger in a strange land, is an intimidating prospect," Ellis remarked. "I-I must admit I'm a little frightened by this…but being in this world, learning about it firsthand, as Luana has done…is an opportunity as well. And if you feel that your calling is a healer, Kagome-san, I'll be happy to teach you."

"And I came to help out!" Shippô announced triumphantly. "It must have been a pain only having Inuyasha around, bothering you! So here I am, ready to protect Ellis-sama as she investigates this alien world!"

Kagome giggled at that announcement. "Thank you, Shippô-chan; you're very brave." She tousled his head, causing him to flinch and mutter a little about being treated like a kid, but Kagome was already turning her attention back to Ellis. "Well, Ellis-san, I'm very grateful that you're taking this risk to come here; I actually thought I would need to make regular forays to that side for lessons, but…."

"I don't think your grandfather was all that fond of that idea," Luana giggled. "Or your father, for that matter. Even if it was to Avalon, that much consistent Gate travel…especially since the Gate in Avalon connects to Wales, Britain, so it'd be a trip regardless of how it worked out…."

"Yes…I hadn't thought about it, but he would interfere like that, wouldn't he?" Kagome sighed. "Well, in any case, welcome to Earth, Ellis-san, Shippô-chan; if you want to stay with me, I'm sure that would make Grandfather rather happy. He wasn't very keen on the idea of me having a room to myself anyway, for some reason."

"I'm sure the continued presence of Inuyasha might have something to do with that," Luana smirked. "Well, regardless, we'll leave Ellis-chan in your care…and you in hers."

8-8-8

Mei sighed as she sat at the edge of the walkway, her legs dangling over the side. As she stared out at nothing, contemplating, a shadow suddenly fell over her and a deep voice chuckled, "Troubled thoughts, Mei-kun?"

Mei shrieked and jumped up, attempting to whirl around and face her interrogator, but in her haste lost her footing and began to fall backwards over the edge. She screamed, but the figure reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her firmly but gently back to solid footing. "Whoopsie," he murmured.

"T-T-Takahata-sensei…!"

"Didn't mean to startle you, Mei-kun," Takamichi returned. Once she was steadied, he released her. "Sorry about that. You just seemed so melancholy, I wanted to see what was on your mind."

Mei sighed. "Well…it's just…I feel so alone…both Rin-onee-sama and Tear-onee-sama have gone elsewhere…." As Takamichi raised his eyebrows in surprise, she continued, "Rin-onee-sama accepted an assignment from the Magic Council to Fuyuki City, and Tear-onee-sama has gone ahead to make preparations for Kain-sensei's tour of the magical world."

"Ah…that's right…Tear-kun thinks it's her duty to do the work of the Fendes family," Takamichi murmured. "Yes…although we won and got the happy ending—and it's better than it was twenty years ago—life can't just continue on like normal. People's lives move on. I see a bit of that, too…by the end of my first year teaching that class, I had twenty-nine girls I had already learned to deeply care for. Now they've moved on to high school, and even so, only twenty-one of them even did that. Sakura-kun left after last summer's festival, Mai-kun has dropped out, Hinamori-kun returned to the Soul Society, Yue-kun went to Garderobe and Mizuno-kun to Grandall, Caria-kun went to help Kurt-kun and the Halteese Republic, and Alyssa-kun and Miyu-kun have moved on to their own lives. And now…everyone's so busy, and after all this time, I've decided to take a break. Even Jynx-san returned to Avalon to be with Artoria-san, Kalan-san and Aeli-san came back but they're with their son, mostly…I think I might be feeling the same thing you are, Mei-kun. The world's moving on without us, sometimes far faster than we'd like." He smiled and laid a hand kindly on Mei's head. "But we can't let ourselves stay down and get left behind. We have to make our own way forward, too."

Mei forced a smile up at her sensei. "Y-yeah. You're right, Takahata-sensei…I've just…I've got to work hard, too!"

Takamichi smiled, then released his hand and turned, gazing out over the rest of the school himself. ('Yes…that's right. There's still so much for all of us to do. Despite the changes, we all have to keep moving forward….')

8-8-8

"You're…going away?" Kain asked in surprise. "After only one month? And…to Hueco Mundo, of all places?"

"That's right," Kalan said. "I'd rather sit around and relax for a while longer, but I think it's been left alone too long as it is. That was your biggest mistake, Kain; if you'd investigated it thoroughly after finishing off the Obsidian Star, you might have learned about Nagi's survival and been able to stop him before he stole your life away, and that whole horror could have been avoided."

Kain flushed slightly. "Yeah, well…it turned out all right in the end. And now he's gone, so what threat could Hueco Mundo be?"

"That's what I need to find out. Who's in charge, now that Nagi's gone? Do they have any designs on Soul Society, or the mortal worlds? I heard that not all the greater Arrancar were wiped out in that final battle. If they've had their fill of us, fine. If not, it's better to get a drop on their plans early. As the boy who invaded the Soul Society, I'm probably the most-qualified person on Earth to find out."

"There's another reason, too," Aeli confided. "You've just been lazing about and visiting Kyoto with us since we got back; you haven't been able to leave our sides. Well, we can't blame you, and we've been overjoyed, of course, having you and Mai around…but you have a lot of work you still want to do on Arcanus Myrror, right? If we stick around, you'll never get it done…so this is for your sake, too."

Kain sighed, but smiled at his mother. "I can't argue with that; I'd spend forever with you two, if I could. So you're just going to open a door to Hueco Mundo right here?"

"No; I'm going to go consult with Kisuke first and get his help," Kalan told him. "I've never seen anyone come from Hueco Mundo, after all, and I want to make sure I don't miss."

"Would you like to take the cloak?" Kain rose and began to move towards the garment, hanging on a hook on the wall.

"No need; I passed it on to you, so it's yours now." Kalan smiled at his son. "Well, I might have more use for it than you in the near future, but you've gone so long with it, you should keep it. It's your world now, Son. That cloak can be like the symbol of passing the torch to the promising new generation. You use it as part of your symbol of power and authority as you teach these worlds about what's to come."

"Yes, and you should get to your tour of Arcanus Myrror," Aeli pressed. "Preferably before Kurt wipes out the whole Senate. He's well on his way…."

That, Kain reflected grimly, was almost true. The several nations met under the encouragement of Kurt and other leaders after the saving of Orimus in order to sign new international treaties…and as part of it, he finally completed his coup, using even Artoria's official recognition of Kain's royal blood as a weapon to strike against those who conspired against Aeli Kanna after the previous war. The whole history of Aeli Kanna and her son, Kain Lockeheart, had been revealed; and since so many of the leaders of the great nations, senators, kings, and military leaders, were willing to testify of his actions, the whole world had no choice but to recognize Kain Lockeheart unequivocally as its savior. Kurt had been working within the Senate of Halteese for years, singling out the senators who had been responsible for the false testimonies and evidence against Aeli Kanna. Now that the momentum was in his favor, he was apparently using all those weapons; after many retired, many other senators had suffered 'accidents' in the recent months, and many more were suddenly being arrested on charges of perjury and treason.

"Not that I can blame him for that," Kain said. "These are the men responsible for defaming my mother and trying to take my own life. If he gets rid of enough of them for me, I won't have any distractions when I head over."

"Right," Mai sighed. "And we really should get to it. Tear-san went ahead of us about a month ago to get things ready; she must be tired of waiting."

"Ah, yes," Kalan mused. "That Tear girl will be with you, right? You'll still have a chaperone, then. That's good."

As the two youths, red-faced, began to protest his implication, Kalan and Aeli just laughed.

8-8-8

"Kalan Lockeheart…and Aeli Kanna! Oh, excuse me…Aeli Lockeheart." Kisuke Urahara smiled at his guests. "Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Can I get you some tea?"

After he had fetched the refreshments and the usual pleasantries had been exchanged, Kisuke finally said, "Now…to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit? I can't imagine that mere sentimentality has brought you to my door after you've just been back a month."

Kalan chuckled. "Yeah…I'm sorry it couldn't be a simple, pleasant visit, Kisuke, but there is something I need from you. I'd like to know a little more about Hueco Mundo."

"Hmm." Kisuke's serious face overtook him. "Hueco Mundo, eh? I was wondering if someone was going to check. It's been quiet…too quiet. Nagi di Artai has few weapons left, but even so…."

"Ah…." Kalan laughed again. "Well, you haven't heard, eh? Although I guess you wouldn't know, and Kain probably hasn't told anyone apart from us about it, I think." He smiled at the suddenly confused man. "Nagi di Artai is no more. He tried to get revenge on my son by using a dangerous artifact that twisted the world, but Kain put an end to that—and him."

"Hmm. That is good news. That would partially explain why it's so quiet."

"But even so, I don't want to just leave a place like that alone," Kalan insisted. "I'd like to go check it out, and make sure it won't be a great threat in the near future…see what kind of government remains over these hollows."

"Oh boy…that's you all right," Kisuke murmured. "Just recovered from a fifteen-year self-exile, and the first thing Kalan Lockeheart does is run off with his wife to make sure a potential problem doesn't become a major threat. What about your boy?"

"Right now, I'm holding him back from getting his own work done. We'll have plenty of time to spend together when I'm done. I'm sure this won't take long."

"Right. So, really, you want my help opening a path to Hueco Mundo, right? Well, I did expect something like this at some point, so I'm prepared. So, if you'll come this way and follow me…."

8-8-8

It was actually the first time Kalan and Aeli had been beneath Urahara's shop and in his strange underground lair, but as Kalan remarked: "Well, it looks rather like the place you and Yoruichi had in Soul Society…but much bigger."

"It's quite impressive, certainly, even for those of us with experience with such things," Aeli remarked.

Tessai was suddenly there, his glasses twinkling. "Hmm…what sublime praise, as expected of Aeli-dono."

"No cloak, though?" Urahara remarked. "You've left it with that remarkable son of yours?"

"Yes…I already passed it on to him. After all this time, it's disingenuous to take it back."

"Mmm." Urahara arrived at his destination and hopped up onto…a pole that was protruding from a vertical, flat-topped conical rock spire. A neighboring mound of stone, its twin, held a similar pole at the same level. "All right then; I know you're someone who doesn't like to waste time, so I'll get right to it myself. I'm going to open the gate to Hueco Mundo." He knelt down and set his cane sharply on the pole as he put his other hand down to it as well. "In my right hand, the stone that connects the worlds. In my left hand, the blade that binds existence. The black-haired shepherd. The chair of the noose. I strike the ibis when the clouds gather." A beam of energy shot between the two poles, and then the power swelled out to form an ovular hole in space. Glittering blackness lay beyond. "This is the opening the arrancar used to travel from Hueco Mundo," Kisuke explained. "It's called the Garganta [Throat]. There is no solid ground beyond, just a chaos of reishi. You both must make your own path out of that reishi… something that shouldn't be hard for either of you, considering your experience. Just go toward the darkness, and you'll arrive in Hueco Mundo." He smiled down at them. "Will you need any help getting home?"

Kalan stared at the opening for a few seconds. "I don't think so," he finally said. "I should be able to copy this if it's only going the other way. If not, I'm sure you can figure out some way of finding and contacting me if I'm gone too long." He turned to his wife. "Well, Aeli, shall we go…?"

"Hold it!"

Everyone turned back in surprise…and watched Aiden and Iria Rylack slowly approaching them. "Aiden," Kalan remarked. "What are you doing here?"

"And…Iria, right?" Aeli exulted. "It's been so long! Not since your wedding, I believe…."

"You're totally unfair, Kalan," Aiden remarked. "Going off on an adventure like this, and not inviting me along? When you're going to explore an exciting new world like this? For shame."

"And now that our kid is grown up and left the nest, there's no way I'm letting my recently reinvigorated husband go running off alone," Iria added.

"So you want to come with us? That sounds like fun." Aeli turned her smile on Kalan. "The more the merrier, right?"

Kalan chuckled. "I guess so. It'd be good to have more if we end up finding trouble; welcome aboard."

They all turned toward the Garganta, and Kalan waved up at the watching scientist. "Okay, we're off, Kisuke; see you later."

And so they dived forward into the blackness beyond.

8-8-8

They ran through the blackness, the glittering paths forming below their feet…but that description isn't quite right. Aiden and Iria ran; Kalan's position seemed more to be that of a skateboarder as his gleaming sheet of shining reishi sailed along under him, and Aeli also seemed to be carried by her own disc of reishi.

"Who are you supposed to be, the Silver Surfer?" Aiden demanded of Kalan.

"Actually, gathering these reishi underfoot is similar to the Quincy high-speed movement technique Hirenkyaku [Flying Screen Step], their equivalent of a Flash Step," Kalan explained. "But that movement becomes more useful here because of how it is applied. The same technique creates this 'surfboard' you're so jealous of."

"It's nearly the same for me," Aeli explained. "It's been a long time…but at a guess I'd say the reishi concentration is even greater here than in Soul Society, so there's that many more spirits for me to call on, too."

"If you're jealous, I might be able to make you one," Kalan offered kindly.

"No, thank you; I prefer to get my exercise," Aiden insisted.

Iria smirked. "Hmm. Exercise, sure."

Finally the blackness finally burst away from them like glass, and they found themselves in what seemed to be a desert. Vast expanses of white sand stretched before them, underneath a pure black sky with nothing but a sharp crescent moon lighting it.

"So…this is Hueco Mundo, the world of the hollows," Kalan murmured. "It really gives the feeling of a world of death. Even those few trees are all shriveled up and dead."

"Hmm." Iria inspected one of the trees closely. "This isn't…these aren't actually trees. They seem composed of some crystalline, quartz-like substance."

The others examined the trees themselves and verified Iria's findings. "Well, that's all very interesting, but that doesn't do much for us here," Kalan announced, business-like. "Now, what we need to do is scout around and find the current state of this world…."

They all looked around a little more…and froze at what they finally spotted. "Well," Aiden finally offered, "I guess we'll want to start with that, yes?"

"I-it's…massive," Aeli muttered. It was a great palace, with a round domed roof and great walls. Like most of the rest of the world, it seemed all white…and it stretched nearly across the horizon.

"It's too big," Iria agreed. "It's messing with my sense of dimensions. Look…those quartz-trees look like nothing more than toothpicks, showing just how far away it is….and it's still so massively huge…."

Kalan grunted. "I guess that's about as good a place to start as any. Let's go."

They started that direction…but it wasn't long before something else caught their attention. They glanced over at the disturbance…and three hollows were chasing what appeared to be a little girl wrapped in green clothing. The girl cried and the hollows laughed as they pursued her.

"A little kid?" Aiden demanded dubiously. "That should be impossible…there can't be any living humans or anything here, even spirits…."

"Well, whatever she is, I don't like the fact that she's being chased," Aeli announced primly, and started that direction.

The others followed, and joined her in swiftly intercepting and punishing the three chasers. The little girl seemed shocked by this rescue…and even began to object to it. "Stop! Pwease stop! We didn' do anytin' ta you guys!" And she pulled her hood down, revealing…a cracked and cartoonish-looking skull mask on her forehead.

The four invading humans regarded her curiously. "A mask…but off her face…that would make her an 'arrancar', right?" Aiden muttered. "But, I mean…this little girl…is really an arrancar…?"

In short order the three humanoid hollows were prostrated before the humans, apologizing for the problems they caused, and the last, a massive worm hollow, bowed its head behind them. The little girl was dressed in that full-body green robe with bluish-green hair, and a stripe of red stretched across her nose from cheek to cheek. A scar, beginning as a crack on her mask, stretched down between her eyes to meet that stripe. She introduced herself as Nel Tu. Behind her was a skinny, purple hollow with white boots and gloves, a white loincloth, and white body armor, with an insectoid mask covering his face, Pesche. Next to him was a massive hollow, fat and bulky, with a spotted yellow tunic covering his body and a massive, hideous makeup-bedecked mask covering his face, Dondochakka. The worm behind them was their pet, Bawabawa. "We're vewwy sowwy our game of 'Eternal Tag' confused you," Nel apologized. "There's othing' else ta do here in Hueco Mundo, y'see?"

"But it seemed you were crying," Aeli objected.

"That's 'cuz Nel is a masochist," the girl explained happily. "It's no good if she doesn't cwy just a little."

"What are you teaching this kid?" Kalan asked the two 'older' hollows accusingly.

But overall, the group seemed harmless; they thought of themselves as family, and questions investigating their actually family affiliation brought only humorous and nonsensical overreactions. They likewise overreacted with fear and confusion when they finally asked about the status of the visitors and learned they were humans, and not any kind of hollows themselves. However, fear soon turned into curiosity…and Nel offered to take thehumans to Las Noches, allowing them to ride on Bawabawa's head. Deciding that his investigation—not an invasion or declaration of war—would only be helped by friendly local support, Kalan agreed, and soon the eight of them were bound for Las Noches….

8-8-8

"I didn't expect this kind of reception here," Kain muttered, staring out the limousine's window at the cheering crowds lining the street.

Tear smiled. "Really? We've already been through Halteese, and you received the same reception there. What made you think this would be different?"

"Well, I hate to be prejudiced, but Dalkia always seemed to be the country of the 'bad guys'," Kain said flatly. "Sure, they were as manipulated as anyone during the last war, but their actions in the twenty years since haven't been great; several of Eminus' girls had their homes and lives destroyed directly because of aggressive Dalkian expansion. The king has not been a benevolent ruler, by all accounts, and I didn't think my family would be well-received by him and his people."

"Well, that history already came back to bite him, right?" Mai reminded him. "The old king retired, rescinded his throne at the end of this last incident, leaving his son the ruler. That might change things…."

"It might," Kain agreed. "Of course, the old king is ready to kick the bucket any moment, anyway. I doubt his son—who isn't so young, since he already has an adult daughter—is going to be that much different, but I'll be happy as long as he's willing to work with us."

"I'd say he won't have much choice," Tear informed him. "That's what this crowd means; Governor Gödel made quite a loud announcement of your heritage and your part in saving this world, even if he didn't release details about the danger the worlds are still under. All the world recognizes you as a hero, now—the champion of the greatest gladiator tournament ever hosted, the son of heroes who saved the world, and the hero responsible for defeating the greatest enemy this world has ever seen. There's no one in this world who could defy you right now."

Kain sighed. "Yes…Kurt's still trying his plan of setting me up as a king, or something similar. Well, whatever. I'll use what I have to in order to complete this project successfully…but I think that, when all's said and done, I'd rather live in obscurity on the other side. Well, we'll see how successful I am at that when the time comes." He turned back to the brunette. "Thanks for this, by the way; I know you've been working hard to prepare all of this for me. We owe a lot to you."

"It's nothing…this much is the duty of the Fendes family."

"Yes…but your grandfather, Headmaster Hammond, said that you were determined not to be bound by the legacy of the Fendes family."

Tear chuckled. "So you've spoken with him about it. Well, that was true, before; especially since the royal family was being left as dead, anyway. But now…things have changed. After seeing what my brother did…it's just… I feel that I should be doing more, to make up for his actions. No, it's not really that…it's just that I feel…that this is something I need to do, for me. I don't want what he did to be our legacy, or anything of the sort. It's hard to explain…but there's still so much to do to protect these worlds, and I feel it's my duty to do my part, too."

Kain nodded. "That's fine. As I said, I appreciate it." He glanced up as the car began to slow. "Well, it seems we've arrived; shall we go meet the Dalkian royal family?"

8-8-8

There was a small crowd in the throne room; sitting on the right throne was a middle-aged man, bearded, with dark red-brown hair, King Ingobert Kimlaskal. Sitting next to him, where his wife normally would have been, was his blonde-haired daughter, eighteen-year-old Princess Natalia, and standing near the thrones were three more red-headed males. These were introduced as Duke Crimson fon Fabre, brother-in-law to the king, and his two sons, Asch and Luke, seventeen-year-old twins. Kain had learned previous to this meeting that both the king's wife and his sister—Duke fon Fabre's wife—had already passed on.

Kain and his two companions were introduced, and once the formalities were dealt with, the king said, "We welcome you, Kain Lockeheart. We are honored that the hero of this world has come to see us; now, to what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Business, largely," Kain replied. "You have been told somewhat of the circumstances that transpired at Orimus; but, for the good of the world, the details of the danger posed by the Obsidian Star have not been released. Although they are now completely defeated and wiped from existence, the mark of what they left behind still exists, and that is a threat to our worlds—both Arcanus Myrror and Earth, and more besides. I have already taken steps to deal with this situation, but they are not without consequences. To state this simply: magic is going to spread into Earth, and in time it will be a world as magical as Arcanus Myrror. Naturally, this is going to change the state of politics and normal life itself in that world; and by connection, it will affect your world, too. I am traveling about, meeting all the leaders of this world, in order to form a coherent alliance, a council that will oversee this transition. I'll need the help of all the nations; so I've come to Dalkia as well, to ask you to join this project."

As the gathered nobles considered this announcement, Asch spoke first. "You're not joking around; giving magic to the people on that side is almost an invitation and excuse to cause more wars. With that kind of power, Arcanus Myrror won't be kept secret—and a new world to exploit will be a temptation a lot of leaders on the other side won't be able to resist."

"A-Asch!" gasped the princess.

"He's frankly speaking the truth," Kain put in. "That's why I'm working to build an alliance to keep more control over this transition. We almost certainly won't be able to avoid war—after so many thousand years, we haven't done any better at eliminating that part of human nature. But we can reduce the conflicts, and have an organization set up to make it more difficult, perhaps to end them as soon as they begin. And so I humbly request the help of Dalkia to make this so." He bowed to the assembled royals.

The king chuckled. "You could demand and receive anything in this world you wanted, son of Lockeheart, and you know that quite well, yet still you come here to ask 'in humility'. Well, your proposal is certainly in the best interest of my kingdom, as well. I cannot possibly refuse it. I shall certainly help in your scheme. Just give the details of what I can provide, and they shall be yours."

Kain rose and nodded. "I will send you those details once my tour is complete; I need to make sure that everyone is on board so I can divide my 'demands' fairly. For now, I'll take your vocal commitment to my cause, and then my leave; I have many more nations to visit, of course, to get their acceptance, so I'm afraid I can't stay. But I will be in touch. Thank you for your support, your Majesty."

"Wait," the king said suddenly as Kain began to turn to go. "There is something else I can give you, for now. I know that Dalkia's reputation is not currently very inspiring; many people object to the aggressive policies and acts of my father, and trust in us is quite low right now. Therefore, I should send a royal companion with you, to demonstrate our devotion to your cause and the seriousness of your mission."

"Ah!" Natalia turned to her father, eyes shining. "Father, would you like Asch and myself to go with him?"

The king smiled kindly at his daughter and shook his head. "No, not you, my dear, I am sorry. I need you to stay here for now." As the girl fumed, he suddenly turned to the bored-looking twin and announced, "Luke!"

The youth started. "W-what, Uncle?"

"Luke fon Fabre, as an heir to the throne of Dalkia and member of the royal family, we hereby assign you to Kain Lockeheart's mission as the representative of our nation." He turned his gaze back to Kain. "Will you accept my offer, Kain Lockeheart?"

Kain smiled kindly. "I wouldn't dare refuse. Your offer is thoughtful and shows demonstrable support. I hope that Master fon Fabre will be of help to this effort; and I hope that this endeavor will be of benefit to Master fon Fabre as well."

"U-Uncle, me, really?" Luke protested. "I mean, t-this kind of thing…wouldn't Asch or Natalia be better for this kind of…of diplomacy, you know?"

"Perhaps so…but we have to see beyond the simple things in this situation," the King informed his nephew. "Dalkia as a kingdom does not have the best reputation right now, and in the future that Kain Lockeheart has described to us, we must do our best to ameliorate that. We have much work to do here at home as well; and we will have to move beyond our borders. Natalia and Asch can't do both. As Mr. Lockeheart stated himself, this mission will hopefully be as beneficial to you as to his cause. To be frank, my dear nephew…none of us in Dalkia can afford to lollygag within the shadows of the kingdom any longer."

Luke sighed. "Right…I get it. I'm in your care, then…."

"I know you're in a hurry, but you must at least give my nephew a chance to pack and prepare himself," the king continued.

"Of course," Kain agreed. "I am anxious, but I can spare a little time."

8-8-8

Luke was quiet and almost surly on the ride back to the airport, where they were scheduled to take an airship to their next destination, Wind Bloom. Kain was quietly contemplative, and looking forward to it—he had taken a liking to the king during his stay in Orimus, and he was also looking forward to see how Yue was doing in her new school….

Because of that, he largely left the young man alone for the short ride, and it was made in silence. They didn't really get to know their new companion until they were settled onto the airship.

Asch, his older twin, wore his slightly darker hair longer, as his father did, but it was carefully groomed. Luke's hair was lighter and cut short, but left somewhat wild. Luke's dress was interesting, with no shirt but a long, short-sleeved white coat that was buttoned up at chest level, leaving his bare stomach curiously exposed, although his trousers, gloves and boots all seemed normal enough, if not particularly royal. He also carried a somewhat short, scimitar-like sword, hanging horizontally on his waist, and he made his way into a larger cargo chamber to draw his sword in his left hand and begin some training kata. Kain wandered in after him and watched his work, with Mai beside him.

Tear eventually came in as well to find her charges, after she had done her self-imposed due diligence on running the trip, and watched Luke work for a few seconds. Kain's observations were that the swordwork was unrefined in real combat but a surprisingly dedicated and talented pursuit of the trained rotes—a man who had been trained in real swordsmanship but hadn't yet had to adjust to real combat with it, as Kain himself had been when he first took over his class all those ages ago. Tear, however, saw something else entirely in that swordplay, and she started with a cry.

"That…swordwork," Tear murmured as Luke turned to her in surprise. "Where…did you learn that?"

"Huh? Well, from my sword master, of course. Father hired a master to teach Asch and me for a few years… he was really good. We learned a lot from him."

Mai regarded Tear curiously. "Do you…recognize that style, Tear?"

"It was my brother's," Tear said softly. "Van…."

"Van?" Now it was Luke's turn to be astonished. "You…know Master Van? Did you say 'brother'?"

"Van Grants was your sword teacher, Master fon Fabre?" Kain asked him.

Luke shot a somewhat sullen look back at Kain. "Ah…just Luke, please. I hate all that formality stuff…it makes me feel…less than human. But, as for my teacher…he was just Master Van to us. He never gave us another name. Tall, goatee, brown hair…."

"That's him," Mai whispered to Kain as Tear confirmed the same to Luke. "But…what was he doing being a sword master for two young nobles in Dalkia?"

"Spying for the Obsidian Star?" Kain returned, his suggestion still a question. "He didn't use his family name, which might have been recognized. Still, whatever plot he had for Dalkia, I'm certain it died with him."

"I haven't seen him in a while," Luke told Tear, rather excitedly, his eyes shining. "Do you know what happened to him? What's he doing now?"

"He…." Tear choked, her emotions and memories assaulting her, unsure of how to respond.

As Luke once again looked at Tear in surprise, Kain suddenly cut in, "He's dead." As Luke looked his way, he continued, "He died in the fighting at Orimus, in the final battle against the Obsidian Star."

Luke was silent for several moments. Then he laughed hoarsely. "O-oh. H-haha. I…t-that's…I-I'm sorry," he mumbled, the last aimed at Tear. "I guess…he died fighting for the sake of the world, huh…?"

"Yes," Kain replied as Tear turned her own shocked face his way. "He died true to his beliefs and ideals, and his death was mourned. As his student, you and your brother carry the last of his legacy. Honor his sword and his skill, Luke."

"R-right…I will…."

He returned to his swordplay, and it began to calm him down and settle his heart. Tear wandered close to Kain. "Thank you…for that," Tear whispered to him.

"I could tell by his look he worshipped the man," Kain said back. "What I said was truth…all the truth he needed to hear. Everything else about him died in the Obsidian Palace. How you want to remember him, and how Luke remembers him…it really doesn't matter."

"Yes…but still, thank you." She turned her attention back to the young princeling. They watched him work.

"He's an interesting kid," Mai mentioned. "He's the second son, and his brother and Princess Natalia are engaged and, from what I hear, really interested in doing their part to help and fix the kingdom. He's always…felt like the odd one out, like he was background to them, so he hasn't felt like anything he did mattered…."

"Engaged…but they're first cousins, aren't they?" Kain asked.

"I think that only really matters to Americans nowadays," Tear chuckled. "Still…as you say, Mai, he is 'interesting'. He has lived a life of comfort and almost morose laziness, but it isn't really who he is…."

"You might be the best one to keep close to him, welcome him in," Mai said. "You have some common ground…if it isn't too painful, you can talk about your brother, talk with someone who respected him."

"Hmm." Tear shot a sly look Mai's way. "Well, don't think you can use that boy to distract me from watching the two of you. I'm still your chaperone while we're on this trip."

"T-that's not necessary!" the two youths objected, red-faced.

F I N

Author's Note: Character Introduction: Nel & The Dalkian Royal Family

What, really? This far in, and I'm introducing new characters? Yes…these are minor characters intended for the Progressive History of the MSK Universe, rather unimportant in the greater scheme of things. I could have completely foregone a greater part of this…but it's part of my madness and method to wrap up this semi-epic tale. More about the characters in a moment.

The chapter intends to show the state of some of the characters, those who are going off their own directions in pursuit of their dreams and goals, and setting things up for the (nonexistent) future. For instance, Kain is happy to have everything settled regarding the Obsidian Star's legacy and gave no thought to Nagi after the battle concluded, but Kalan is more thorough and suspicious, and even now wants to make sure that Hueco Mundo won't be any more of a threat. He is also one of the people who can easily enter Hueco Mundo. So after spending a month with his son and wife—and knowing any longer will just prompt Kain to laze about uselessly, basking in his family glow—he decides he is going to investigate the status of the Hollow World now that its previous rulers and many of its most powerful lords have all been vanquished. Naturally the best way to present this is to use the Hueco Mundo invasion arc to start it…including meeting little Nel Tu and her buddies. I decided last minute that having Aiden and Iria show up to join them would make the group more fun. Of course, I'm not actually going to go into what happens much…unlike the Bleach invasion, the expedition in this story is more information-gathering and diplomacy, so we'll skip the rest of it. It mostly was used to introduce the characters and situations in order to prep for future events that I plan to have in future lore, but don't intend to write. And kind of in past lore—in the future Mai visits, Kain alludes to the Quincy War, meant to mimic the final arc of Bleach but from this world's viewpoint.

Having Nel around figures to help that story, however minor, because it really gets started with Nel coming to bother Ichigo and beg his help in Hueco Mundo, even if she and her pals almost immediately fade away to unimportance and disappear after they get the ball rolling. Nel, of course, is a minor character in Bleach during the Hueco Mundo arc, one Ichigo and friends encounter much as presented here, and she ends up getting attached to him and following him into Las Noches. Neliel Tu Odersvank was originally Espada #3 under Aizen, and the rival of Nnoitra Gilga—in Nnoitra's eyes, at least. He hated her and kept trying to defeat her, but she repulsed him continuously without care or effort. Eventually, with the help of Szayel-Aporro Granz, he was able to ambush and defeat her, and the wound he gave her across her forehead and face caused her to leak power and revert to her now childlike form, and also made her lose her memory. Rather than killing her, Nnoitra tossed her out into the dunes and left her. Her two fracción, Pesche and Dondochakka, decided that Nel, who didn't like to fight, was better off this way, and so they pretended to just be friends and family and lived their senseless little peaceful lives out in the desert….until Ichigo showed up. During his battle with Nnoitra, Nel's despair finally reawakened her memory and power, and she proceeded to beat Nnoitra around until it went away again, leaving her at his mercy. Then Kenpachi showed up, just as I showed in his battle back in Act 14. Nel didn't factor in the story again until that brief introduction to the Quincy Arc.

The royal family of Dalkia I presented here was originally, in TotA, the royal family of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear (usually just called Kimlasca). Luke was the main protagonist of TotA. As I presented here, he was trained by Van, as part of the antagonist's plans to get revenge for his destroyed homeland…on all accounts. Luke was kidnapped as a child and lost all his memory after he was recovered, and had to be reared like a baby all over again. After this, he was also kept entirely confined in his family's manor and never allowed to leave. There is a LOT involved in all of this, of course; in fact, Luke was prophesied to accomplish great things for the kingdom, according to the Score, so after his abduction he was kept secluded for his own safety and for the sake of the Score. But this returned boy was not Luke—he was a Replica made by Van after Van kidnapped the boy, made in order to help foil the Score. The real Luke was raised by Van against his will as one of his God-Generals, under the name of Asch. After Tear, infiltrating the fon Fabre estate to kill her brother before he can put his mysterious, terribly evil plan in motion, ends up clashing with Luke and their separate Seventh Fonons react together, causing a hyper resonance that teleports the pair into the middle of the enemy nation of Malkuth and starting the adventure. Luke grows over the course of this, eventually learns the truth of his origin, and meets Asch, who hates his Replica since he effectively stole his life from him. Eventually Asch finds the opportunity to fully turn on Van, although he does not officially join the party, and is an ally of sorts through most of the game after that point. Natalia is the princess of the kingdom and the king's daughter, although she also has a secret revealed—she is not the real princess, who was still-born, but instead the daughter of the Queen's maid, born about the same time and exchanged for the perished royal heir. Natalia, despite being his cousin (and, of course, secretly not really), is betrothed to Luke, and is quite dedicated to him. Both youths were wise and far-seeing, even as children, and made a vow (a pinky promise, in traditional sappy Japanese serious swearing glory) to change the country together…before Luke was abducted. After his 'return', Natalia was devastated by his lost memory and was determined to love and bother him until he remembered his promise with her (which he couldn't, since as a Replica he never did it). After learning the truth about Luke and Asch, Natalia's feelings turn towards the original, who, a man with a stolen life, pretends to have no feelings towards that perished past. In my universe here, Natalia is probably not a false Princess—without Largo of the God-Generals, Natalia's biological father, there's no need for that plot twist, and Natalia's too minor to have such an issue. To open things up for my story more, instead of a boy and his Replica, I just split Asch and Luke into twins so Asch and Natalia could go together, and Luke could join Kain's party in a minor fashion.

So why did I include such minor, unimportant characters in the first place, at this stage of the game? Firstly, to highlight parts of Kain's plan…but only parts. I don't want to have the whole thing, but just want to highlight what he's doing as he prepares for the change that the Earth is undergoing. Having a group we haven't really examined—the Dalkian royal family—helped bring a new light to what I've shown so far. Also, it helps with the other part of me—my naturally romantic nature. As I've mentioned, that embarrassing trait is the biggest problem I have with the Harem genre in general: I hate heartbreaks and the life of unrequited love, and Harems are FULL of unrequited love, so I like to have some guys available to…pick up the pieces, as it were. Tear hasn't been anything more than a fringe girl, so she's not REALLY a part of 'Kain's harem', but still, I liked the idea of having a boy—her boy, really, as Luke and Tear grew properly close over the course of the game—around to 'hook up with' on the side. It won't go on in greater detail than that apart from some epilogue-like notes—as I said, they're minor characters—but I like to have some closure. It may be silly or ridiculously sappy, but in the end I plan to have every loose end tied up in some fashion or another by the end…and every girl accounted for. Many of them by their 'original boys', if I can swing it in some way.

Anyway, that's all that business. Once again, my very wide-ranged collection of additions demands I tie up some minor loose ends…over the next few chapters….