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

Chapter Six: The Sendô Legacy

Kain glanced around at the room he knew well: the top floor of the Student Council Building. There wasn't much new in it, but what was normally common there was the focus of his attention; the students that weren't at the moment, but could often be. "Are you sure this is the right place for all of this?" Kain demanded of the room's only other occupant. "I'm sure we wouldn't want any of the usual visitors bothering us during this."

"This is the best place," Seiichirô Tôgi replied. "If we wish to keep our conspiracy from the ears of Kaya-sama, at least. As the school is hers, she has magical spies in most places, but Iori's loathing of her led him to ensuring she could not spy on this building. There are other places, like your den under the library, but if we met there, we might attract more attention from your friends and allies.

"Besides, I've made sure of this time. Iori is occupied, and Mai-san is with Erika-sama and Hinagiku-san, correct?"

Kain nodded. "Yeah. It was her idea, as soon as you reached out to me." He narrowed his eyes at Seiichirô. "I was thinking it was about time to deal with that elephant in the room, but I was expecting Iori to approach me. It seems you're doing this without his knowledge…."

"That is correct. If Iori knew I was coming to you with this, he would be extremely angry with me, and I would suffer for it. He has, perhaps…expectations for you, but mostly as a weapon to use against Kaya-sama. He is still lost in despair. He does not really believe any change to the status of the Sendô family can be made, and he is afraid that going that far will only incite Kaya-sama in unpleasant ways. But I have faith in you, Kain Lockeheart…I believe that you can save Erika."

Kain considered this, Seiichirô's sudden actions…his sudden words. The respect for the matriarch's chosen daughter was gone; instead, he had referred to the girl with familial, almost intimate tenderness, without honorifics. Kain was beginning to come to conclusions about the situation. "Let's start clearing out what we need to, then. You're a Servant, aren't you…Iori's?"

"Yes."

"I know because of what I've become…my magical nature allows me to sense the distinctive magical natures of nonhumans. Of course, you likely know that. So…what is Erika to you, then?"

Seiichirô's face still seemed blank and impassive. "Erika…is my sister. Technically, my half-sister."

Kain stared back, silent for several seconds. Then he nodded. "Of course. I should have guessed that. Vampires cannot normally have offspring, but if Kaya used magical or alchemical aids to temporarily grant fertility, she'd still need a partner; and who better than the head of the Tôgi family, foremost of her servants? What she desires, she gets…I'm certain Erika doesn't know anything about it, and I assume Shiro doesn't, either?"

"That's right. Naturally, this cannot be made known to them, either…for their protection, most of all. Iori is aware, however. I did not learn it from him, but rather discovered it through my own investigations."

"Your own investigations," Kain murmured. "Yes, I'm very surprised, Seiichirô-san. I never would have expected this from you. I thought you were the loyal member of the Sendô family; loyal, at least, to Iori, just following after him and keeping his whims from getting him into too much trouble, but…."

"If my mask had you fooled so, Kain-sama, I count myself fortunate; it means no one else saw through me, either."

"All right, that's enough of that, then. What have you learned in your 'investigations' that you're so eager to tell me?"

Seiichirô was silent for a moment. "Kain-sama…you are quite accomplished at alchemy, are you not?" Kain nodded, and the older boy continued, "Do you know how to use alchemy to produce a vampire? Do you think that you could even begin?"

Kain glanced askew at Seiichirô. "An interesting question. Most of the vampires around today date back to ancient families, mages who became vampires as a curse or from a backfire after using dark alchemy and magic to try and gain immortality. Mages who have done so 'recently' are almost unheard of. To really answer your question, no, I don't really think that, outside of using my Infernal power to force a curse like that upon someone, I could use magic or alchemy to produce a new vampire."

"That's right. If such a spell or potion were easy to make, even by magic, vampires would be far more common. Therefore, there must be some kind of rare, secret source of the vampire's power, especially for a vampire as powerful as Sendô Kaya, considering her youth; we don't know her true age, but most of the vampires who are comparable to her boast of their origins to a previous millennium at least, while the Sendô family has only arisen in the past few hundred years. And in my investigations, I found…this."

Seiichirô held up a small blood red crystal about the size of a thumbnail, and Kain took it from his hand to examine it more closely. It did not exactly shine, but it burned within with its own light, and it contained a dull, primal power, something not quite evil, but certainly not benevolent. "This is…?"

"There is a spring on the Sendô grounds, forbidden to anyone, even members of our family," Seiichirô responded. "Only Kaya-sama is ever allowed to go there. I snuck in there recently and managed to come away with this."

"You've already mentioned Kaya's spies and paranoia," Kain murmured. "To come away with this you must have had help…from someone other than Iori, it would seem. Well, I'll leave it at that. This thing…you think it's the origin of the Sendô vampire…?"

"I really don't know. But I don't have many other theories. I have some skill at magic, but I can't learn anything from this stone, other than that it is magic. You, however, are an Archmage, and more besides…."

"That's right," Kain agreed. "Of course, right now, it's a mystery to me, too. But there's one way to get acquainted with it quickly." To Seiichirô's surprise, he opened his mouth wide, dropped it in, and swallowed. He turned a smile to the stunned Servant. "If this is a 'vampire' gem, I doubt it'll be able to corrupt me, considering what I already am. But putting it inside me…I might even meet the vampire inside my inner world along with the rest of the voices in my head. I don't know how long this will take. But I thank you for bringing this to my attention; and I'll let you know how it goes once I get a reaction."

Seiichirô stared at Kain, then relaxed his shocked face to return to its neutral stoicism, and he bowed to the younger man. "I thank you, Kain-sama. And I am sorry. I was hoping you would take this course…I called you here, even though…."

"It's not as though I'm a human who might be threatened by this," Kain assured him. "The worst that can happen is nothing; if I get a reaction, I know I'll be closer to my goal of solving the Sendô mystery. I made a promise to Erika, and to Rei, but I haven't done much for them up to now. I can see you have the same resolve to save Erika, and if you've put yourself forward this much for her sake, this is the least I can do. There is no worry. I will let this thing brew inside me and use it…to change the darkness of the Sendô legacy."

8-8-8

Blank page. *Flip*. Blank page. *Flip*. Blank page. *Flip*.

Kain paused. He was the one flipping the page. It was actually somewhat surprising when he realized what was happening.

One thing he had noticed upon seeing it, something perhaps he only could have realized, was that there was a soul of sorts inside that small crystal; it was the reason he felt swallowing it and introducing it to his crowded inner world would make a difference. He had returned to his 'room' in the lair under the library—until recently the home and prison of Jynx—and gone to bed immediately, thinking that sleep would facilitate the integration of this strange item. He had been correct, it seemed—he was not sure when sleep had taken him, but, he now realized, he was in a dream world. It was dark right now, with the only visible objects the desk in front of him and the candle and book that lay upon it, right in front of him. The only sound was the rustling of the pages as he flipped them. This book was the focus of the dream, of the crystal-soul's 'memories'.

But the darn thing was blank. A defense mechanism? Or…perhaps an attempt to gather its thoughts…?

Ah…writing…here we are….

'Marehito-san…that is what the children of the island call me. That is my name now. The people on the island at first referred to me as 'the foreigner', but now, as I am the most educated one on the island, they respect me.

'The 'ruler' of the island was the Tôgi family. They were led by two beautiful sisters, mage-priestesses, the guardians of the island and the Mana Tree that grew there, secret and alone. And there, I again sought the secret of immortality…all because, that winter, the elder sister fell sick, and I wished to save her. Ah…indeed…it seems I had fallen in love with her.

'But I am already an inhuman entity, having escaped the cycle of life and death as a result of my research. Above all, the beast that inhabits this body is also my torment…and even though I have witnessed many tragedies I still cannot give up a human's warmth.'

Images rose up unbidden in Kain's mind's eye as he read this strange journal; he beheld Marehito-san on the island, a golden-haired foreigner, and the happy children he spoke of who loved his lessons. He beheld the beautiful Tôgi sisters, and the illness that befell the elder, the love that blossomed between her and Marehito even as she lay upon her sickbed, and her sad resolution that the fate of the Tôgi family lay with her younger sister….

'I told her everything…and she accepted it. Those days my life was filled with warmth. But…if she leaves my sight…the beast in me will flicker its tongue out. Ah…this body is so humiliating….'

The images brought with them a voice that whispered to Marehito, his own inner vampire hunger, telling him to make puppets out of the friends he loved…'just as he had done before'….

'The only way to quench the beast's thirst was to drink human blood. And so, my sorrow continued even in the midst of my happiness. Yes…I am not human. I could not even have a child. My wife kept blaming herself for being unable to bear me a child, and fell ill once again. But then, one day….

'A miracle happened. She…became pregnant. But then I learned the truth. The head of the Tôgi household, my wife's sister, had used her powers to create that miracle. And the price of that miracle was the loss of my wife, who died without being able to hold her child even once. This happened on the 2nd of July, that my wife died during the delivery. I named my daughter 'Kaya'. I don't care what it takes…all I want is for Kaya to be happy. This is for my wife….

'After my wife passed away, Kaya became my purpose in life. My wife's sister also helped me to raise her. Kaya grew to become a cheerful girl.'

The images continued. Kain had no difficulty accepting them and paying attention to both written words and mental pictures; he had, of course, great experience with dream-worlds such as this. And these images were most interesting to him as he saw the young girl Kaya, looking very much like a young Erika, grow up laughing amongst the children. He watched her befriend a youthful, friendly girl named Rei….

'Kaya…my lovely daughter…. But…my cursed bloodline was passed onto her. I don't want Kaya to suffer the same fate as I…those never-ending, lonely days…. If I were to die one day, family will be essential for Kaya not to be lonely. That's right…as she is immortal, she would need a family with immortal members. I never thought of making these crystals again, but I will make them again for Kaya's sake. All the research I did for the past centuries, the hardship I went through in foreign lands…it was made. Blue crystals, about the size of eyeballs. The color is different because of the different magical materials available in foreign lands. But with these, Kaya can make her own family.

'I made two in total. Someday Kaya will make a three-person family. If my wife were still in this world, we would be a happy family. Maybe that is what she wishes for, as well.'

Kain considered this. The blue crystal…was it different than the red crystal Seiichirô had found in the spring? So many mysteries….

He continued to read.

8-8-8

Kaya Sendô stood on the porch/walkway, gazing up at the night sky. Despite her detachment from all the events, watching everything play out seemed to have brought a melancholy to her. Was it resentment towards Kain Lockeheart, who had moved the hearts of her possessions? Was it the world that he created, the world of magic that would most likely threaten the cut-off world of Mahora that Kaya had cultivated? Or was it simply the fact that she knew that this had been the only choice…?

The soft sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. "Oh, it's Rei," she greeted her as she turned to her Servant.

"I was thinking," Rei murmured. "It is not a good night to be taking walks like this. The moon…is hidden by the clouds…."

"Hmph. I hate the moon."

Rei nodded. "Yes. The moon changes its shape every night…." She stopped next to Kaya and gazed up at it.

"It has been used to describe human hearts," Kaya mentioned. "It is a symbol of 'hypocrisy'. The human heart is fickle, just like the moon…whether it's their memory or their feelings."

"Or their promises?" Rei prompted softly.

Kaya's reaction was in staunch opposition to Rei's demeanor, for her head snapped around, and her vicious glare would have frozen rivers. Rei, of course, was unmoved by the ferocity, but she did offer, "I apologize. It was not my intention to offend." She turned her gaze back up to the haze-shrouded moon. "I…will never forget."

"Hmph." The venom left Kaya's countenance, and she also turned her face back to the sky. "Is that really so? You've been rather occupied recently. Have you been at the beck and call of your 'other Master'?"

"I have not seen Kain-sensei since our graduation," Rei replied. "I have not been a part of his efforts to prepare this world for magical integration. Even before the graduation, I did little…he has largely distanced himself from me since we returned to Earth from Arcanus Myrror."

"Oh? Is there a little resentment there? Did he abandon you?"

"He has not…abandoned me. He simply feels that…he might have interfered too much in our relationship by making a contract with me. He does not wish to impose on the Sendô family more than is necessary."

"Heh." Kaya chuckled, a heartless, almost cruel laugh. "So, you're implying the affairs of the Sendô no longer mean anything to him. Am I meant to be insulted by that?"

"No. Kain-sensei, as always, is a man of duty, doing what needs to be done, what he feels must be done. For now, the needs of the world take precedence over other concerns, but I know he has not forgotten, nor cast myself nor Erika-ojô-sama aside. His heart is still here, with us; it's like the moon. It may be obscured now, but it is still there, shining behind the clouds. Just like…although my heart was obscured…I never forgot anything…especially not…my love for Kaya-sama. And Kaya-sama herself…the Kaya-sama I know will always be there, just like I will always be there, your…."

"Silence!"

Rei cut off immediately, compelled by her master's magical compulsion. Kaya glared at her Servant, who still seemed passive, staring up at the sky. "Noisy Servant," she seethed. "Know your place. You don't need to say anything like that to me. I am the Master here." Then she turned and walked away, back into her mansion.

Rei remained, still staring up at the sky, but she was no longer seeing it. ('I'm sorry…Kaya-sama…I cannot obey that order. I…had my heart obscured for so long, but now…the clouds have been parted. I can no longer just watch in silence and hope for the best. I am thinking…not as your Servant…but…as your friend…Kaya….')

8-8-8

'A plague appeared in the land. It happened not long after the red crystal was made. I couldn't save them, not even with my knowledge. This is what they call a living hell. Each day, I could only watch over the people who depended on me….

'The despair that spread resulted in a horrible rumor…that the Tôgi household had angered the gods….

'Perhaps the people just needed an object for their anger. My sister-in-law believed this, spoke of it as the feelings of hatred grew with each passing day. She accepted it as the fate of the Tôgi household, that they who ruled the island must be its sacrifice in such times….

'But I could not accept it. How could I? How could I just watch, and not try to help them? With the passing of my wife, my sister-in-law had been like a mother to Kaya, her niece. She even saved me when I was in despair over my wife's death! It was my turn to save her. So I made a recommendation….

'She would not accept it. I knew that. So I made a 'condition' that would make us even. After a long thought, it was accepted, and I signed a pact with the Tôgi household.'

The 'condition' revolved around Kaya…that she would be taken in by the head, and be part of the family, and if she 'needed humans' to make her family, the Tôgi clan must provide them for Kaya. The head gave this a great deal of thought, but finally agreed. Still, she had questions: "Marehito-sama…how should I let Kaya know about this…?"

"…That child is still young. Until the day Kaya wishes to know the truth, please hide it from her."

"…How cruel…."

'Yes, I knew that it was cruel. I should have been the one to say it. But…seeing Kaya's innocent smile…I can't bear to say anything. Tomorrow, the 2nd of July, is this child's birthday. There is no practice of celebrating birthdays in this country, but I always celebrate Kaya's birthday with her, every year. Kaya eagerly looks forward to them. She must think now that we are headed for the Tôgi household to prepare for it. But this year…no, from today onwards, there will be no more celebrations. Soon it will be time to separate.'

Kain watched as man and daughter approached the Tôgi residence, and Kaya ran forward with glee to greet her aunt. But Marehito suddenly called her back with an exhortation: "Make some friends, and drink their blood."

'If she drinks the blood of her friends, she can suppress that 'beast' inside of her. That way, she can avoid the pain of making her friends into Servants. Then, to prepare for the day that Kaya would want to make her own family, I gave her those crimson gems, those blue-dyed-crimson stones. She must have thought they were an early birthday present…her innocent smile…. And then, after that, for my own selfish wish, I lied to her.'

"I have to go do something right now. We will celebrate your birthday tomorrow. It's a promise."

'At least…I let her smile…one last time….

'That evening the rumor spread through the village like wildfire. They began to consider that despite my contact with the sick, I never fell ill. To lure them in, I burned a strong incense. The whisper spread…that I might be causing the disease. The men of the Tôgi household surrounded my house and began to decry me. The villagers who had lost loved ones gathered to direct their anger towards me.

'It was inevitable. Nobody should be at fault for the disease, but I chose to take the blame for everything. It was like this hundreds of years ago….'

Kain watched Marehito flee the house, watched the maddened villagers pursue him.

'Being chased in a similar fashion by torches, escaping my house alone, my dear friends, the Servants of my house who couldn't disobey my orders, the friends who should have shared eternal life with me, couldn't escape and were burned to ashes, all because I had fed them my blood. Those friends I had made into puppets only brought me grief in the end. In that loneliness I came to understand; when a person is judged by others, he will fear abandonment. The closer the relationship, the greater the fear of separation. The recklessness of feeding them my blood just because I wanted to stay with them…that was the result of the 'beast' in me.'

The villagers pursued Marehito to the edge of the cliff. Then, as they gathered fearfully around him, waiting for someone to gather up the courage to press in for the final time, a figure approached, parting their ranks and presenting herself to the supposed villain.

"Marehito," intoned the priestess of the Tôgi household. "Was this plague caused by you?"

('Don't cry,') Marehito thought desperately, watching the tear roll down her cheek, ('or the villagers will notice….')

"That's right. I've grown sick of the peace on this island and of all the fools here. At least I get to have some fun at the end." Marehito gave off some suitably vicious diabolical laughter.

'What a tragic lie. The kindness of the villagers on this island made me forget the fear of being alone. For the first time, I felt the happiness of being accepted. Even though this is how they face me now, I am satisfied….'

As the villagers called for his death, Marehito merely murmured, "It's fine…I'm sick of living, anyway…." He drew forth a knife and plunged it into his chest…a crystal shattered inside his tunic, and then flame erupted over his body, engulfing him in flames. He fell from the cliff down into the sea below, but the water could not seem the quench the fire. He was soon obscured by boiling water and mist.

'Only my own power could truly end my life, by the shattering of the crystal that originally enabled me to gain this body…but it's fine. I had the beginnings of a desire to be alone forever…but now, all this has finally ended…if God were to grant me a final wish, my prayer is that someone, no matter who it is, might celebrate Kaya's birthday with her once again. Tell Kaya that she was born because her parents wished for it….'

The images were gone. The pages were blank. They were the last words of this Marehito. Kain considered it. "So…her father's intention…was to avoid making Servants…but to give her a family. If she received two gems…blue, or red…were they used to allow her to give birth to Iori and Erika? But, her own feelings….

"She came somehow from this unique island to Mahora…with the Mana Tree? According to what Marehito said, the Tôgi family guarded the Mana Tree on that island. Somehow, its power didn't protect it from this plague…there are many mysteries here." He shook his head suddenly as the book and candle and desk all faded into nothingness. "Well, my curiosity nibbles at everything, but that doesn't matter now. What matters…is the will of Kaya's father, and what she does with it. It's time. I know what I need, now…to face her."

He glanced up at the darkness. He felt its pulse and growing power. His determination had found lingering thoughts, but, he realized…what remained behind was the 'beast', that terrible vampire instinct and bloodlust. It was in the gem, and now was in his soul, had drawn him in here…and now it didn't want to let him out. He chuckled reproachfully. "Really…do you think you can stop me?" he murmured aloud.

'But…do you want to get out?'

He glanced askew around him, as the voice had been all-encompassing. Then a man appeared before him…a copy of himself. The look on the young man's face was mocking, harsh, and cruel. "What can you tell Kaya?" the copy chided Kain. "Are you really unmoved by what you've seen? This was a warning—just what a man who lives forever must face. This is what happens when you involve yourself with others. Are you satisfied now? Why are you? You already experienced it once, and will continue to do so—the pain of separation. You can't keep them with you. They will all leave you, one by one. The closer you get to others, the more painful it is to separate. No matter how many happy memories you make, they will fade one day. Even if you have an immortal companion, as Kaya had Rei, you will not remain the same forever. You will not be able to remain together. You will change, and be pulled apart. You should understand this better than anyone. Besides…they might not even consider you their friend.

"You are different…you always have been. You were a genius without any peers, a child amongst men and terrified of interacting with anyone. Lost and alone, you distracted yourself by throwing yourself into your studies, your dream, your vision. You came here, but you've always been different…don't tell me you believe that difference was good. The good will of your students, their 'devotion' to you, was entirely superficial, their desire for a boyfriend. Lose that romance, and would they really care for you? Do you think that there's any happiness at the end of your road? You've already started separating from them. Once again, you tell yourself that it's simply because of your duties, but come now, be honest. Instead of trusting people and getting hurt, instead of waiting for the day they'll leave you, wouldn't it be better if you were never friends in the first place? Wasn't that what you always thought, deep in your heart?

"Come now, just surrender to inevitability. Give up…everything will be lost in the end. Stop sacrificing yourself for those who will never understand you or care for you. Simply give in…to the darkness…."

The words worked through Kain's body, running chills up and down his spine. He shook his head, banishing the sentiment, and threw his arm to the side in a demonstrative motion. "Give up yourself. I've crossed those bridges of thought too many times to consider. Of course I fear loss and betrayal…but I fear being alone, too. I fear the pain and hurt others will go through. There's no path for me that's free of pain. That's just how I am. I've made my decision. Something as insignificant as you can't even begin to damage it. Begone!"

Light began to flow out from Kain's body, spreading in a wave that consumed the darkness, turning it to white. The copy Kain vanished, but a last mocking laugh lingered. "So strong…but will that resolve…last a hundred years…a thousand years? It will be interesting…to see how long you can hold on…."

8-8-8

"Kain!"

Kain sat up with a suddenness that shocked Mai, and she staggered back. He turned to her and smiled. "Mmm. Morning. I think. I assume I might have overslept a little?"

Mai regained her composure and sighed. "A little? It's only barely still morning…and after you went to bed so early last night, too. You were asleep for so long…and I couldn't wake you, no matter what I tried. I was afraid you'd been sucked into a dream world again, like last fall…."

"I was, more or less." Kain rose and stretched. "Intentionally. Tôgi-san gave me something to help me understand the Sendô family. Now, I know what I have to do…."

Mai considered him carefully. "Really?" Then she turned around and sighed. "Well, let me go call Erika, and Iori-senpai, and Tôgi-senpai." Kain glanced at her quizzically, and she stopped and looked back towards him. "Before you cause a big shake-up like that, you ought to make sure everyone on your side is aware of your intentions."

Kain nodded. "Right. And Rei, too. She can fill in the few gaps I'm still missing, I'm sure. Finally…it's time…."

8-8-8

Kain finished his explanation. He glanced around at the audience, who stared at him silently. "I see," Iori murmured. "So sneaky of you, Sei-chan…but I can't blame you. So, you're certain this Marehito-san was…?"

"I am certain," Kain agreed. "I've dealt with this too much recently, as Mai pointed out to me when I woke up. Now, I can guess parts of what happened after. Kaya would have been the next target of the angry village…the child of the demon who cursed them, the source of their unhappiness and the plague. His wife's sister…if she was the guardian of the Mana Tree, she must have taken the tree, and Kaya, and any loyal to her, and come here, to Mahora. Here, she established her 'school' and hid herself amongst humans. That answers many questions…including why so many mages came to take over the school after the Mage-Vampire wars." He glanced at Rei.

Rei nodded. "Yes. We fled here at that time. Kaya was appointed the heir and head of the Tôgi household after that."

"That history is interesting, but it isn't the point," Mai said. "This…this 'beast' that Marehito-san talked about…is that just the vampire instinct…?"

"If that red crystal is the remnants of the artifact Marehito originally used and created to become a vampire, then it certainly is," Kain agreed. "Although 'just' hardly seems appropriate. I've learned recently how much beings of power live in realms beyond the physical…passing on their souls, and giving birth to new souls through power. The vampire instinct is a demonic soul that dwells in the heart. The 'beast' was in that crystal I swallowed, and after I fought through it to find Marehito's memories and will, it still tried to tempt me, induce me to fear. I am not a vampire, so it could not prompt me to do much else, but that same instinct…would not just prompt a vampire of the Sendô lineage to crave blood, but to seek to give it, too." He glanced over at Erika.

Erika was staring at the ground in shock and discomfort. "Yes…that…is the same uneasiness I felt…that I've been fighting for so long. I never wanted to talk about it, but it was like a voice, whispering in my ear, in my mind. When…when we had our contract…that voice seemed silenced…the same as when I drank Alyssa-chan's elixirs…." She glanced up. "But…did Kaa-sama have that same instinct…?"

"Likely so," Iori murmured. "Perhaps…it's hard to know the secrets of her birth. The priestess of the Mana Tree made that 'miracle' happen…perhaps by an appeal to the Mana Tree. If the Tree's power was used, Kaya could have been quite a different kind of creature. Perhaps part of what she was, physically, came about because of how she was treated because of that incident. There's still much we don't know. But Marehito-san never taught her to make Servants, yet she did so with Rei-san."

"She had the primal desire that most humans have," Kain noted. "She didn't want to be alone. After learning she would live forever, she wished to have a friend who could be with her for all that time, and after having children, she's had the same desire for them. It is somewhat twisted perhaps, but…."

"But how is that friendship!?" Erika demanded angrily. "How can it be friendship if she's bound by that!?"

"Because it is all we've known." Rei's quiet voice cut through the air, and Erika looked up at her, startled, and blushed and looked away in embarrassment; she had forgotten, for a moment, that the very Servant she referred to was right with them. "Kaya-sama explained it to me, and I made the choice willingly. I didn't want her to be alone. I know…that Kaya-sama has lost her way…but even now, I would make the choice again. To be alone…for so long…it is painful."

Mai remembered the feelings she had after waking from her century of sleep. She also thought about the Rei she had met then, and what she had told her. She continued on, "Well, it's obvious Kaya-san didn't have anyone to guide her, to show her the right way. After what she went through…it's not surprising at all. And I think there's another reason for how she treats Erika, and Iori-senpai, and the rest of the Tôgi household."

"Reason?" Erika turned a questioning glance Mai's way.

"Hatred," Seiichirô continued when Mai hesitated. Mai nodded as the attention turned towards him. "The natural way she's chosen to interact with others is hate. It is an emotion that fades only with difficulty as time passes, and only if it is left completely dormant. Hate, like love, is a very strong emotion. Even to be hated for eternity is better than to be forgotten. Yes…as Kain-sama said, it is twisted, but it is sound reasoning, in its way. Hatred is what she chose."

"But," Kain said, "that was not Marehito's intention. He wished for her happiness. And she has not found it. Hatred doesn't bring happiness. She can't possibly know what a happy family is."

"True," Seiichirô replied. "But the lack of love Kaya-sama received in her youth is a matter of the past. Did you know that Kaya-sama can take form in any age she wishes?" This actually caused Kain to raise his eyebrows; he had not suspected such a thing, but as he considered it, it made great sense, and was in line with other semi-immortal creatures of great magical power…including, potentially, himself and Mai, if his theories were correct. "But she chooses to appear in the form of a young girl."

This brought Erika up short. "…She wanted to be a child…. She chose the form at the time she was the happiest, and she is searching for that happiness, even now…that's why she was frustrated when her children did not meet her expectations…." She began to shiver as the weight of understanding began to descend upon her. "What should I do…? What should I do…?"

Kain walked over to her and set a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at him in surprise. "Why ask that? What do you want to do? That's where we should start. What do you want to do, in the end?"

Thoughts churned in Erika. She had been considering this for a long time. Initially, her only thoughts toward her mother, the uncaring vampire who ruled her, were hatred and rebellion. She thought little of 'family'; even interacting with the other girls in the academy, they had so few dealings with their own families that the word didn't mean much to her. But over this past year…seeing Kain's desperate search for his parents…seeing Mai's past…seeing so many evidences of the true meaning of the word…. She looked away, then looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I want…to be a true family…with Kaa-sama…."

She glanced back down again, her eyes closed. "Of course, I'd also like to get rid of the beast inside of me…but I wish to start from there…."

Kain smiled and nodded slightly. "I understand." ('It's a very small wish. Perhaps Kaya herself, in the beginning, wanted a normal family. But ideal can't be reached just by wishing…I know that as well as anyone. It takes action…and it takes more than one person making the wish.') "In the beginning, I wanted to 'save' you from Kaya. But I knew it couldn't be done by force, or through any simple means. Kaya is your mother…that means a lot, no matter how she acts or appears to us. Saving you isn't what we should be focusing on…now I understand that fully, thanks to Marehito. The one we need to save is Kaya."

He turned towards the door. "Tonight, then…shall we visit Sendô Kaya?"

('The hardest thing about living so long…is not separations and loss…it is change. Those circumstances are just a small part of it. But change is inevitable…and sometimes necessary. And while all these changes were happening to our world, we should never forget the seemingly small changes that might take place in our hearts. And that's why we have to go….')

Iori somewhat ruined the serious mood. "Well, you all have fun." As they turned to him in surprise, he continued, "There's no way I could make up with that woman…not yet. Change can't be rushed. If I go, there's no way I won't start a fight with her. And, Sei…you should stay behind, too. If Kaya were to find out you were the impetus behind this, her anger wouldn't be taken out on you…Shiro would suffer."

"Iori-senpai is right," Mai said. "Really, I…think this has to be done by Kain and Erika. The rest of us will just be in the way. Rei, too, if Kaya-san knew about your part…."

"That does not matter," Rei insisted, rising and heading for the door. "It is my duty to be by Kaya-sama's side, whether the meeting is what we hope for…or not. I will go on ahead. We will be waiting."

She bowed slightly to them all, then slipped out, closing the door behind her. Mai sighed, then turned to Kain and Erika. "Well, I'm staying behind with our senpai. You two…do your best. Make sure Kaya-san understands what being a family is about, all right?"

Erika smiled and nodded, trying to buoy up her spirits. "O-of course…of course we will…."

"That's right," Iori agreed. "I will let you know one thing, Erika. That woman…really cares deeply about you, I know. She confined you because she knew you'd suffer from coming into contact with humans. That was her way of showing love to you."

Erika giggled. "What an awkward person…Kaa-sama is. Thank you, Nii-san. Don't worry…we'll definitely make a happy ending out of this…."

8-8-8

Kaya glanced up at the sky. "Hmph. A full moon tonight. The most hypocritical of signs…it promises such glory, but will fade away in no time."

She shook her head, then spoke to the figures approaching her from behind. "Oh…it's you. Seriously…I didn't expect to have visitors tonight." She turned towards them. "So did you come because you needed blood, Erika?"

"No, Kaa-sama," Erika replied sternly. "We're here because we wished to speak with you."

"A chat?" Kaya said derisively. "Must be more of those pointless requests." She turned on her heel and started back for the building. "I'm not in the mood to listen to you."

"Even when it's about Marehito?" Kain interrupted suddenly.

Kaya whirled back around. Her face was frightful, fearful shock. "Why…do you know that name…!?"

"Because I saw his memories…" Kain began.

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Kaya screeched, her face becoming a terrifying mask of rage. She was suddenly in Kain's face, grabbing his collar, yanking on it and pulling it in even closer. Her momentum forced Kain back, and Erika cried his name in shock and fear. Kaya's next words came out in a hiss even more terrible than her scream of pure rage had been: "This is not a name a human can speak of lightly. Where did you hear it from!? Iori? Or is it Seiichirô? Someone from the Tôgi household? Or…Rei!? Did you, her new 'Master', order her to speak it to you!?"

('What impressive strength,') Kain thought as Kaya's suppressed power surged around him. ('Even after all that's happened, I can count on two hands the number of people I've fought stronger than this woman. Stronger than the Obsidian Prince and perhaps a match for Eminus at his full power….') Even so, Kain did not fight back, not out of fear or surprise, but because he had already made up his own mind that, no matter what happened, he would not resort to violence here. It was because he did not fear her. Even with all this power, greater than he had expected or believed was possible from her, it was not enough to force him to fight for his life.

"No one told me that name," Kain answered again. "I communed with Marehito's soul. I saw his memories. I heard his point of view on the events at that island…."

"I already told you not to say that name." She hoisted Kain up. "I'll kill you, damn insolent human!"

"Kaa-sama!" Erika cried in fear.

Kaya glanced over at her…then suddenly threw Kain away. He fell to a knee from the distance and force of the impact, and Erika hurried over to him, but he warded her off with a slightly upraised hand as he rose and addressed Kaya again, as the woman turned and stalked away, still smoldering with anger. "That island," Kain continued. "Where it all started, at least for the Sendô family. The stones, which are the source of the Sendô vampire family's power. The kind Marehito, who admonished his daughter to drink the blood of her friends, one day before Sendô Kaya's birthday, July 2nd."

Kaya stopped, her eyes wide in shock once again, her mind recalling the distant memory of her father's final, false promise.

"I did not come here to fight you," Kain continued. "I did not come to bring any harm to the Sendô family. All I want to do is to pass on your father's words to you."

"…Continue," Kaya finally answered.

"Marehito's impulse to make his loved ones into Servants made him suffer. He was also afraid that you would inherit that impulse. The only way to suppress it is to drink blood, and so he told you to drink the blood of your friends…."

"Ha!" Kaya spat suddenly, and whirled back to face Kain again. "As if it were true! Those impulses are the irrepressible legacy of the vampire…as humans need food, so we need blood, and sources of food to rule over. Vampires are not made to have friends…."

"That's not true," Erika suddenly cut in. "We aren't born without emotions…if we can feel love and hate, pain and joy, just as normal humans do, how are we really different? Marehito-san loved the woman from the Tôgi family…and from that love Kaa-sama was born, a vampire from birth, but a girl of the Tôgi family. That's why Marehito-san made those gems, so that Kaa-sama wouldn't be alone in the future. To make sure you wouldn't be lonely, to make sure you could have a family! That's why he made those gems, and that's why Nii-san and I can be your family! So…so…."

Kaya's face, running the gamut of emotions, turned into a sneer. She tilted her head back and gave out raucous laughter. "Lonely!? You fools think I would be lonely!? Fools! It doesn't matter if it's Erika or Iori, or anyone else! I just thought it would be a waste if I didn't use those gems my father gave me! Don't insult the name of my father!"

Erika was shocked to silence, but Kain quietly answered, "Insult his name? Hardly…it is you, Kaya, who has let Marehito down. Don't you understand? He told you to drink the blood of others so you wouldn't have to endure the agony of making them into Servants, and having them bound by chains to you. That was his will…."

"ENOUGH!" Kaya screamed. "How dare you speak to me that way!? You, who forces his students to contract with him right and left! Do you think you're righteous enough to admonish me for making Servants, when you have more slaves than I could ever dream of!? Rei!"

Erika glanced over and finally noticed Rei, watching from the shadows of the nearby copse of trees while the drama played out. Kaya whirled back to stare at her. "I order you. Kill Kain Lockeheart."

Rei stiffened, and her red eyes became more intense, with a sickly light flowing from them. She dashed in, mana coating one hand, and lunged with her signature weapon towards Kain's face with no hesitation….

Kain reached out and caught Rei's wrist, holding that deadly weapon mere millimeters from his face. He stared down at Rei's empty, completely void face, a puppet's face, and looked over at Kaya, who sneered at him victoriously. "Yes, the pain of a Servant…the agony of your 'friends' becoming mere 'puppets'. She won't stop until you're dead, now. What will you do? Battle my control with your own? Go on, then, 'Master'…order her to stop. It will probably work. It's the only way she might. That, or kill her."

"No," Kain replied softly, easily. "I told you, I didn't come to fight or attack you in any way. I simply wanted to pass on the wishes your father had. The order that the Tôgi family should serve the Sendô family…as friends…that was also Marehito's wish before he died…."

Again, Kaya reacted emotionally to Kain's words, but this time the reaction was completely different. It was…almost childish. "W-what…did you say…? I won't allow such blasphemy. Papa did not die! How could he just die and leave me behind!? He will definitely…definitely come back and celebrate my birthday with me!"

She shot her bowed head up. "Enough, Rei!" As the Servant returned to herself and fell back quickly, Kaya suddenly came forward again…and fell to her knees, grasping at Kain's clothes like a petulant child. "He will come back! He didn't…he isn't dead!"

Kain looked down at her pityingly. "Kaya…Marehito passed away…a long, long time ago."

"Don't lie to me…don't…lie…"

('I snuck out of the house. I wanted to play with the other children, but…they threw rocks at me, called me the child of a demon. Papa couldn't have spread the plague. Everyone just misunderstood. Everything would be cleared up if only he'd come back. I said many bad things to Rei. When Papa comes back, he'll teach me what to do….')

"There is a forbidden spring on your grounds," Kain told her. "Your father became a vampire through a magical crystal of his own devising, similar to those he gave you to make your family. He used it to kill himself, to take responsibility for the plague and bring an end to that chapter of the village's darkness. The shards were recovered, and transferred to that spring. Even if you won't admit it, you must have known…been aware of the meaning. I recovered one shard of that crystal, and the soul of the vampire within passed on Marehito's knowledge to me."

Kaya suddenly withdrew, in deeper shock. "Papa's gem…is in your body!?"

"Technically, perhaps no longer…my soul's already crowded enough as it is. Regardless, I know all this. I also know that those gems he gave you only enabled you to create your own children…they, on their own, couldn't make an ideal family…."

"Are you saying it's all my fault!? The blood packs, Servants, all of it! I did it all for my family!" She whirled on Erika. "Why can't you understand!? Why must you rebel against me!? Trash like you would never be my family…!"

"…Kaa-sama…I am your daughter." Erika slowly began to approach Kaya, and she withdrew in surprise and fear. "No matter what you say, that will never change."

"You…you trash…!"

"That's why, if Kaa-sama would move forward and accept us, I would never abandon you. But if you still can't accept us…if you can't accept me as part of your family…." Erika suddenly darted forward, and pulled a dagger from the folds of Kaya's robes. She plucked it from its sheath, and then proffered the handle to Kaya. "Then push this dagger into my heart and kill me. By now, you should know…how to make your own gem, to make another member for your family, right?" Erika looked into her eyes, and as Kaya's hand gripped the guard, she positioned the blade by her heart. "Kaa-sama is afraid of me, aren't you? You're afraid…that I'll hate you, right? Yet you tell yourself…'hate others before they hate you', 'detest others before they detest you'. But that way is too painful…."

Kaya tried to assume her arrogant sneer again. "You talk as if you know everything…you really think I won't do it!?"

"You're only trying to convince yourself that you're so cold-hearted and ruthless," Erika continued. "You must be just afraid…to be betrayed by the one you love…."

"…Shut up…."

"Actually, you love humans…."

"…Shut up…that's enough…."

"Marehito-san loved you as family, as his daughter…he wanted your happiness…please don't let him down…."

"It's not…that's…I…!"

"Kaya…."

All eyes turned to Rei, who had spoken up for the first time. "Why are you so stubborn? Before…you were honest, and open…."

Kaya glared at her. "Rei…are you going to betray your Master…?"

"I do not wish to disobey," Rei answered softly. "I have not wished…for centuries. I have done nothing…but obey. But now, I do wish…I wish my friend…would return from the wrong path. Erika-sama and Kain-sensei…they wish only for your happiness, too. Kaya…I do not understand…what is there that is wrong with that…? They only say that you need the bonds of family more than hatred…."

Kaya shivered. She let go of the knife and staggered backwards, almost like a drunken man. "I don't need…a family…I don't need bonds, either…living alone…."

"Please don't run anymore, Kaa-sama!" Erika cried. "I want…I want Kaa-sama as my family!"

('…Since it has come to this…if I can't get it even if I wanted it….')

"Do it! Rei! Kill Erika!"

Rei's expression changed again and she charged for Erika.

('I should just destroy it with my own hands, and pretend that it never happened. All this time, all this time, it has always been like this. What can change now? What can still be changed…? Even the one who changed it….')

As Erika recoiled in fear and shock, Kain was suddenly in front of her. His hand flashed in front of Rei's face, and there was a burst of magic, and she fell silently to the ground, asleep. Kain sighed. "Really, now…stubbornness really has its limits. What are you trying to prove, anyway?"

He turned to Kaya, glaring at her. Kaya, trembling, stepped back. "Now then, Kaya…." Kain strode toward her…and slapped her across the face. "C'mon, now. You've whined enough already. You're a mother now. You can't keep acting like a child. If you're afraid that people will change, and abandon you, then you must change yourself first. If you cannot gain the happiness Marehito gave you when he was alive, you should make your own happiness instead of using hatred as a substitute." Kain patted her head. "I never accused you of making mistakes…you saw your mistakes yourself. But I definitely don't blame you for making Rei your Servant. Regardless of that, you see it, don't you? She's still your friend. That's all she ever wanted to be. You have your own family, too. Why can't you just fulfill Marehito's dying wish? His wish was for you just to 'be happy'."

Kain smiled down at her, and as she looked up at him with wide eyes, she saw the ghost of her father in his countenance. "Pa…pa…." She couldn't restrain her tears anymore, her emotions any longer, and she burst into loud sobs.

"Hey, now," Erika growled. "Don't go making other people's mother's cry."

Kain glanced at her with exasperation. "Really?" he muttered.

"D-don't…look…you're both just trash…."

Erika returned to an honest smile as she focused on Kaya. "Yes. Both of us are indeed useless. But let's both change, starting today…all right, Kaa-sama…?"

"B-baka… I don't even know who the mother is anymore…."

8-8-8

They were inside the Sendô mansion, the chamber Kaya usually used for audiences. Rei had been carried in by Kain and laid to rest in a room to sleep off his magic, while Iori had shown up to chat up the pair of victorious youths and trade a few barbs with Kaya. Kaya finally tried to compose herself and addressed them as the head of the Sendô family, from her usual position of authority.

"All of this…I can't accept it…yet," she said finally, then continued, "but what I mean is, change doesn't come that easily. If it did, I would have changed…a long time ago."

"That's right," Iori agreed, gathering unusual seriousness and respect in his words. "It's not as if she can just say 'I'm sorry for everything, so let's get along'. It's never that simple."

"No, it isn't," Erika agreed. "But that's okay! We can learn together, right? Kaa-sama, I'll try my best, too. Our mistakes won't just go away…so we just have to make up for them."

Kaya chuckled, a new, tired, and somewhat exasperated smile on her face. "Well said. But it just proves how useless you are…your age isn't even a tenth of mine, you know. You really aren't fit to be a vampire. So, perhaps being human is what suits you best."

Erika stared at Kaya in shock. Such an idea had appealed to her…but it had been nothing more than a child's fantasy. She was a vampire…the thought that she could really be anything else…. "Being…human…? Is it really possible…to become one…?"

"Of course it is," Kaya replied. "There's no such thing as a race of vampires, really. Vampires are humans mutated by dark magic. Powerful alchemy could have enabled me to have children as I did…but a 'normal' alchemist, like Kain here, would have only allowed me to have human children. It was Papa's crystals that allowed me to have you, as vampires, so that I could have the happiness of that eternal family. But, if it doesn't suit you…then don't worry about that wish. Perhaps it was as foolish as my desire for Servants as eternal friends. I refused to consider it much, but in truth I could always see it in the humans around me…that perhaps it is better to live in happiness for but a few years than to live in misery for eternity. No, I guess humans like you would call that common sense, wouldn't you?" She chuckled again, then shook her head.

"Anyway, I know you received some alchemical drugs from Alyssa -chan that suppressed your vampire nature. They were simple potions to her, made for vampires in general…but because of what we are, and the myriad forbidden experiments humans undertake in order to obtain eternal life, all vampire families are subtly different. I was given the crystals by Papa, and inherited his knowledge of them. I studied his alchemy through the centuries, everything he left behind. I alone know the necessary ways to prepare a potion that will steal that vampire curse from the Sendô family, and leave behind a normal human."

Iori stared hard at Kaya. "You can really do that?" he asked, no emotion in his voice.

"Of course. It's pointless to lie about such a thing now. If that is what my children wish, I will do it. In addition, the Sendô family will be disbanded."

Kain stared at her, surprise lighting his face for the first time all evening. "Disbanded? But…."

"Shut up. This is a family affair." She turned her attention back to her two children. "You are free to leave or stay. If you stay, we'll be a family again. This is the only way that I can atone for my sins."

"Stay?" Iori murmured. "Do you really think we'll choose to stay?"

"It doesn't matter. If I am left alone, then that is the price I must pay, the punishment for my actions." Kaya's stern, empirical lordly demeanor once again began to crack, and she once again reverted to the emotional, childish nature they had seen earlier as she continued, "But…m-my only selfish wish…is that both of you…would stay with me…."

All three of the children before her stared in shock at this change. It was, in all certainty, the first request she had ever made to her family. She regained her composure and coughed. "Well. In any case, I already have everything I need to do it. Let's prepare those potions…to remove your vampirism."

"Question." Iori suddenly shot up a hand in a half-teasing nature, and quickly asked, "May I remain a vampire?" As Kaya glanced at him in surprise, he continued, "I still have something I need to do…so I hope I can stay as I am."

Kaya sighed. "Is that so? Oh well…you may do as you like."

"Great! Then I'll stay a vampire. What about Erika?" He glanced back at his sister.

"Eh? I…I…." Erika hesitated. It was indeed, what she had hoped for so long in her heart of hearts…the thought of being free of the 'beast'…but it had been such a pipe dream. And now that the option was dangled plainly before her eyes, she didn't know what to do. Most of all, before, the biggest part of it was the thought that if she were a human she would be free of her mother's tyranny, free to live a life apart from the pallor of the vampire family. But now…she had reconciled…and the thought of leaving her mother to immortality while she moved on…. "Kaa-sama…."

"Didn't I already tell you?" Kaya said, easily perceiving her daughter's thoughts. "You're not fit to be a vampire. You proved that often enough."

"Being a human would suit you," Kain agreed. "I think we all know that. We've loved you regardless, but seeing you finally at peace…nothing would make us happier. Besides, think of it this way…as a human, you'll be able to have children of your own. If you do plan to try living as a new, renewed family with Kaya, even if you're mortal you'll be able to leave her grandchildren to care for…and future generations beyond that."

Kaya's look to Kain after this comment was inscrutable, but it brought a half-laugh, half-cry out of Erika. "R-really, now…but wouldn't that be terrible irony? You…have become something immortal, but I could just give it up here…."

"Treatises on mortality, poverty, nature and nurture, and similar effects are fascinating," Kain replied. "Put simply, from my viewpoint, whether certain traits can be 'gifts' or 'curses'—traits like immortality—is a question of too many variables. I don't know how my immortality will affect me in the future, but for now, it doesn't bring me anything that gives me too much grief. But beyond the notion of 'living forever', the very aspects of your immortality weigh on you. As Kaya said, you're not cut out for it. There's no shame in this; it's not running away. Your mother has, from the bottom of her heart, offered you an honest gift of love, as a peace offering and attempt at atonement. The choice is yours…whatever you really feel would make you happiest, that is what Kaya wants for you, too."

Kaya snorted. "Well, you do talk big, boy. You really have no idea what immortality means…but I'm sure you'll learn. In any case, we should take a moment to address your part in this. You're the one who brought Erika here, who started this whole embarrassing fiasco. I assume you intend to take responsibility for this?"

Kain sighed, and smiled back at the childlike matriarch. "Oh, I have too much responsibility as it is. I take responsibility for everything. It's why I'm here in the first place. So of course I will. Erika, and her descendants…I will watch over them all my life."

"Hmph. I will hold you to that. But as you say, you have many other responsibilities as well." She turned back to her daughter. "Well, Erika?"

Erika forced her brightest smile, shook away the last of her tears, and let herself relax. "…Yes. Thank you, Kaa-sama. Please, allow me to become a human."

As Kaya began to lead Erika towards a back room, Kain turned and started for the door. Iori glanced at him questioningly, but Kain communicated by a light wave that his part was done. Mother and daughter shared their first moments as real family….

Kain exited, closed the door behind him, then glanced over at the figure leaning against the wall just beside him. "Kaya-san really is quite the drama queen, isn't she?" Mai murmured.

"You were listening in?" Kain asked, not accusingly.

Mai turned and started away, and Kain moved with her. "Kind of image-shattering, in its way," Mai continued brightly. "The immortal queens should be so imposing, unflappable, cruel and terrible…but Kaya-san wasn't much different than Alyssa, a brat even after so many centuries. What's with them all wanting to seem like children, anyway?"

Kain chuckled. "Well, Alyssa aside, Kaya was never given a chance to really grow up properly. She had not learned how to emotionally handle people connecting with her in that way, especially in defiance of her commands. But…thinking back to the first day I met her, one year ago, I never really imagined this kind of happy ending would come. Do you think…it'll really work out for them?"

Mai smiled. "Of course it will," she answered softly. "That is one happy ending I'm sure about. The Sendô family…has been saved."

She was reminiscing over the scene she had seen the in future…the girl she had met, Erika's descendant, and the words of a bright and friendly Rei. Some immortal elements of the family remained, but Kaya had been sufficiently changed…and in that world of sadness, it was like the lone bright spot. And considering what she had just witnessed, she saw no reason to worry about this family. There were far more important visions of the future that needed to be dealt with….

Mai had never actually shared anything about the future she had seen, so of course Kain was ignorant of the source of her confidence, or what she really felt or believed about the matter. "Yeah…I guess so," he finally said.

"No, not I guess so. Of course it is! But it's just the start, for the two of us. So much left to do." Mai whirled around to face Kain, walking backwards as they continued their march out of the Sendô grounds. "We have to keep going, Kain…and make sure of as many of these 'happy endings' as we can."

('Yes…in all these meetings and partings, who we are and what we need to do hasn't changed. That's what Kain will keep doing, that's who he is, and that's what I have to help him do. There's nothing else I can do, and nothing else I want to do…I'll be by his side the whole time, for however far and long our immortality takes us….')

F I N

Author's Note: Fortune Arterial

The final major loose end I'd left, neatly tied up. At least, of those I wanted to address in this actual story. Things like Hayate Ayasaki, the Quincy War, the lost Fairy Tail and other events have been hinted at or blatantly bandied about but won't actually be in this work, since the class is, at this point, pretty much done.

The ending to Fortune Arterial is here, taken from the manga adaptation of the work. It is one of those overly-melodramatic moments, with lots of strange philosophical blitherings and cryings, but it fits in with the Negima style and is a good finish to the drama Erika's brought with her into the work. It's a sappy, happy story of the sort I love, so I didn't do very much with it. As such, I think it needs little more explanation—Kohei Hasekura was, of course, Erika's romantic partner, which Kain wasn't, but his role as the do-all protagonist and everything else required him to be here. It's all right. He doesn't need to make a silly pledge of sort-of love to make this moment right.

So, let's go…there is, really, one more chapter wrap-up, then an epilogue, and then….