Disclaimer:

Love Hina and Mahou Sensei Negima is the creative property of Ken Akamatsu, who created this wonderful anime/manga series. Shingetsugan Tsukihime and Fate/stay night is the creative property of TYPE-MOON. Anything not attributed to Akamatsu-san or TYPE-MOON belongs to their respective owners, such as references to Cowboy Bebop (the Swordfish II) that is a creation of Sunrise and Shinichiro Watanabe, BLEACH is a creation of Kubo Tite, and vice-versa. This story is written purely just for fun, guys; please for God's sake, don't sue me! I'm just a high school student with too much free time on his hands! On the other hand, any specific author created characters I created for this fic (despite how unoriginal they may be at times) are mine. So without further adieu, let's get on with the show!

The Surgeon General's Warning:

Read at your own risk. Multiple pairings inside folks, with KanaxKei and KanaxNegi, just to name a few! You never know what you're going to get so read on (I might even do some alternative stuff, if you know what I mean).

Blue Blue Glass Moon, Under the Crimson Air

The New Life at Mahora...

Chapter 56:

Flat-mates?

A Love Magister Hina Negima! fanfic by James "Ray" Edwards

Oh Lord, how he wished he had a time turner right about now. His wristwatch stated plainly to his eyes that time was running out for him as usual, with five minutes left before homeroom started, which would then jump right to 2-A's first period English, the class he taught. After yesterday's disaster, he had no idea what to expect, although the school staff had certainly done a good job patching most of the damage up from what he could see around campus.

Still it did not make facing his students any easier, and in way, a certain someone's presence made things even more uncomfortable.

"Ah-haha, sorry about that, Negi-kun," Keitaro Urashima laughed as he ambled away beside him, albeit in a noticeably wobbly line instead of a straight path down the hall. "It usually, uh, doesn't take that long for me to --- pull myself together after...you know."

Negi Springfield sighed and glanced at his new assistant teacher with his fair share of dread and concern, "Urashima-san, are you sure you're going to be all right with a --- condition like that? This is an all girls junior high school, well the all girls section of Mahora Academy at least. Wouldn't you be better off in the all boys section?"

"Well, you're probably right, but then again, you could probably, well, use all the help you can get, right, Negi-kun?"

"Uhhhh...tsk..." I should be doing this on my own. Getting other people involved...

"Ehehe, I don't mean to pry, but you're --- you're used to doing things on your own, aren't you?"

"Eh?" How did he...

"I can tell by that reluctant tone --- and that look you got on. Kana-chan doesn't like asking for help either, and she makes the same faces too."

"What? Ka..."

Keitaro laughed sheepishly at the gaping disbelieving look the younger boy gave him. "And if I'm guessing right, you don't like asking for help because that'd get other people involved, right?"

"Ummm..."

"And then, they could be hurt, right?"

Negi choked, tripping over his own shoes in surprise. Abruptly, the floor came rushing up to meet him, the feel of gravity pulling his body down as a pitched yelp escaped his lips. This was not going to be pleasant in the slightest, but before he could say his prayers and try shielding his face, something tugged sharply on his shoulders and pulled him back to his feet.

"Whoa, easy there, Negi-kun. Heh-heh, there's no need to rush," joked Keitaro with a good-natured smile.

The sorrel-haired boy stared in awe, amazed that the older boy had managed to catch him in the nick of time and haul him back effortlessly. There was not a shred of exertion on his expression, and he did not look worried in the slightest. Heck, he was even smiling again, his demeanor radiating that bizarre amiable warmth, which was definitely in sharp contrast to his --- younger sister.

"Come on, let's keep going. I think the classroom should be coming up right up ahead."

"Um, Urashima-san..." Why does he sound so much more comfortable around me, all of a sudden?

"Keitaro or Keitaro-san's fine with me, Negi-kun. We don't need to be so formal, you know, with each other, since we're going to be working together from now on."

"Uh, right, Keitaro-san..."

"So --- uh, what did you want to ask?"

"This might seem strange, but are you really Kanako...Kanako-san's big brother?"

Keitaro busted out laughing in tears. "Of course, who else could it be?"

"But --- but you're so different from her," Negi replied to him defensively. And you really are too!

"Well, that's true, pretty darn true actually, but once you get to know her, you'll see she's not all that bad. Kana-chan's just a bit --- how do I put it? --- anti-social, you know."

"...'Anti-social'?"

"That's right."

"Keitaro-san, you do know what she did yesterday --- don't you?"

"Of course, she told me everything. And when I mean everything, I do mean everything --- Magi Negi."

Now, this declaration stopped the young bespectacled boy dead in his tracks. Negi froze up with a stunned gasp, his dark brown eyes quivering, as he fumbled instinctively for his staff. Alas, it was also right about then that he remembered he had left it back in the faculty office beside his personal desk. He cursed himself for his carelessness and wishful thinking, not expecting that Kanako would tell anyone else what had transpired yesterday, much less someone actually believing her. Magic was regarded as the stuff of fiction and fairy tales, but...

"There's --- well, there's really no need to deny it, Negi-kun," Keitaro spoke to him sheepishly, as he turned about still wearing a nervous smile. In light of this revelation, his entire persona seemed to hold a much more disturbing slant, and between the two siblings, Negi would have preferred to be dealing with the open malevolence of Kanako Urashima. Her elder brother was completely off-kilter and all the more dangerous.

The magister magi-in-training steeled his resolve, forcing out a sheepish laugh with all of his will, "M-M-me? A mage? What are you talking about, Keitaro-san? That's crazy! You know-"

"We might not look like it, but we're pretty well connected with the real going-ons of the world. Demons, ghosts, vampires, things that go bump in the night, nightmares come to life, the Vatican (also known as the Church), ancient warrior clans, mysterious disappearances, and the Mage's Association. Eh-hehehe, we know it all exists."

Bloody! How the heck am I supposed to refute all of that? "Tha-That's-"

"Crazy? I know, I know, but it's real, Negi-kun. You saw --- you saw what happened yesterday in your classroom, and then outside --- when my little sister was dealing with the Hollows. In fact, I've got to thank you for saving her life. If you weren't there, things could've gotten a heckuva lot more ugly."

"Who --- you're-"

"Hora-hora, take it easy, Negi-kun. Heh. As far as I know, at least I hope so, nobody else --- uh --- knows besides the people you might've informed --- or the people I've talked to it about, which at this point, I haven't told anybody. This is just between Kanako and Me. Well, to be exact: You, me, Kanako, and-"

It was hopeless, Negi realized. There was no way he was going to get out of this mess on his own. His only option left was probably... "So what do you want to do about this, Urashima-san?"

"Oi-oi! No need to sound so serious, eheheh, even though we probably should be pretty serious about this... Well, I don't exactly like the idea of tracking down every last person you told what you told to and --- uh --- well, erasing them, Negi-kun."

"WHAT?" E-Erase? What does he mean by that?

"Killing people or knowing that they're going to die because of me really isn't my thing, Negi-kun; however, by order of the Elders, it's either that or --- or I have to erase your memories, their memories --- s-so what I'm, um, hoping for is your cooperation."

"My --- my co-cooperation?"

"Yeah, that's right. Y-Yeah! Um, because the buck stops here. We're going to keep this just between us, and you're going to make sure that whoever else knows about what happened yesterday doesn't blab about it or try to dig any further, please?"

"I-!" Darn! Darn! Darn it! This isn't fair; of course, I have to cooperate. The other choices I have aren't acceptable in the slightest. I --- Iwon't let anything happen to Nekane, Anya, or anyone else! It's my duty to protect them. And I won't fail! Never!

"Come on, Negi-kun, this is the best I can do. I'm begging you here! If the rest of my family heard about this, you would've been dead in your sleep last night, and no one would be the wiser. I really, really don't want to tell them."

"D-Dead?"

"Well, that's one of the possibilities, eh-heheh, although I hope they'd prefer to just erase your memories instead. Like I said, I don't think I can take someone else's life, and it's hard --- hard enough for me as is just to threaten you."

"Augh..." I don't know what to think of this guy. He seems sincere, but can I really trust him?

"We got our reasons, and you saw part of it yesterday with Kana-chan. She's the genius of the family, kind of like a crown jewel you see, and I bet you got a pretty nasty first hand experience of our family's bloodline limit."

"Your family's bloodline limit? You mean that-"

"Yup, and to be perfectly honest, I'd think it'd be a lot more pleasant if we got along. After all, we're going to be next door neighbors starting tonight, and if Konoemon-kouchousan was serious about knocking down those walls, we're going to practically be flat-mates!"

Negi blinked hard.

Okay, was there a rewind button around here somewhere because he swore had just heard something very, very, very --- absurd. Did he miss something in this conversation? From what the bespectacled boy could understand: this person, Keitaro Urashima, had threatened him, but at the same time, had offered a means to avoid any bloodshed. All the fellow wanted was his cooperation. In addition, not only had he just informed that they were going to be flat-mates (Lord knows how), he had also made it clear that the Headmaster was involved in this mess (the Lord explains how).

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Negi exploded, grabbing the older boy by the front of his suit and wrenching him down to his eye level. It was a rather impressive feat of strength, fueled by the spur of adrenaline that totally surprised Keitaro, as he stared back wide-eyed in reply.

"Uh, well... I was trying to-"

"SPEAK, man!"

"About what?" Sheesh, did I say something wrong?

"The Headmaster!"

"Well, didn't he tell you?"

"No! What else did he tell you?"

"So he didn't-"

"That's right! He didn't say a word about this to me!"

Keitaro frowned, seething audibly with a hiss. "Oooo, this isn't good. Oooo, not good at all. I guess that old guy really does know more than he's letting on, just like I thought so, when we were on the phone last night."

"DUH! He's a-"

"Okay, calm down, Negi-kun. He did find about me, Kanako, and everything that happened yesterday more or less. Dunno how much he knows about my family, but still... Really, you don't need to be so loud --- take it easy, you know."

"What do you mean calm down? Are you flipping out of your mind? Do you have any idea-!"

"Actually, uh, my imagination's working on it, and I guess it looks pretty bad. If I'm thinking right, he's been playing us since-"

"Pretty bad? This is insane, Keitaro-san! Absolutely insane! It goes against every-"

"Well, um, I wouldn't know really..."

At this point, the bell rang loudly, enough to make Negi and Keitaro promptly clap theirs hands over their ears. It was a sure sign that this conversation was over, and now, they were running late to homeroom! The two boys shared a mutual look, letting the other know firmly that they were going to have nice long chat afterwards. Thus, without further adieu, the duo took off in a dead run, kicking up a visible dust cloud that put Speedy Gonzales to shame, determined not to embarrass themselves any further in front of a class of thirty-something girls.

Hmm, not that I like her, but I've got to admit that Kanako girl has made things a little less boring around here, mused Yue Ayase, Student Number Four of Class 2-A, as the announcements came on the intercom. It was the usual business about finals and school events, treating things as if yesterday never happened.

Of course, only someone who was willing to delude herself could believe that yesterday was just a bad dream. All around her she could see the ripples of change, big and small. It was everything from the hushed discussions to the open attempts to squash the electric tension in the air with loud friendly banter. Oh, and who could miss the huge change in the pecking order in the third column of desks where Kanako Urashima (#32) had "settled in" right beside Setsuna Sakurazaki (#15). She, obviously, did not intend to leave by the sharp, piercing glares she shot at anyone who dared approach within her "territory," and the same applied to anyone who tried to patch the line through Setsuna.

It pretty much screamed, "LEAVE US THE HELL ALONE."

Poor Madoka Kugimiya (#11), A.K.A. "Kugimi" and/or "Kugimin," got bumped down right with the rest and was now sitting with Satsuki Yotsuba (#30), A.K.A. "The Iron Chef" and/or "Sacchan." Kugimi had wanted to protest at first, but one look from Kanako, whom Yue believed would do well with nicknames like "Devil Girl," "Black Panther-tan," and "Onihime" or "Devil Princess," had silenced her will. Thus, the change in the pecking order.

Everyone had shifted right down to the point where Chachamaru Karakuri (#10) now sat with Evangeline A.K. McDowell (#26), who was more or less traditionally 2-A's accepted lone wolf. All in all, the new arrangement worked just fine, and the Tricks Trio were already up to no good setting up for another prank. Apparently, they were confident that the new top dog in charge, Kanako the Devil Girl, was not going to pounce on them. The assumption probably was true since she seemed to be largely self-absorbed in some private reflection, occasionally shooting glances at Setsuna.

Why this was the case certainly intrigued Yue, and perhaps, she would even consider investigating the matter further. From what she could tell, Setsuna was a decent enough gal: very formal, tended to keep to herself, and only seemed to hang out with Mana Tatsumiya (#18). She was a regular at the Kendo Club, and all around a pretty nice gal. So why would she want to associate with a blatantly "BAD" girl like Kanako?

Well, either way from what the violet-haired girl could gather, Asuna Kagurazaka (#8) could careless. The open hostility radiating from her siamese eyes would have been enough to set kindling on fire. Yue could tell that she definitely hated Kanako's guts, especially considering what happened in class yesterday and that kind of humiliation was not easily forgiven. Konoka Konoe (#13) was doing her best to soothe the smoldering firebrand who probably wanted nothing more than to leap from her seat and tear the haughty hazel-eyed girl a new one, but again, it was all futile.

The only thing that was really holding back Asuna at this point was herself, or so Yue had deduced. It made perfect sense, and besides, Kanako was not exactly a run-of-the-mill arrogant, meaner than acid bully. Even Ayaka Yukihiro (#29), the resident "Young Miss" and the Class Representative, was observing the "Black Panther-tan" very carefully thanks to her spectacular defeat the other day at the hands of the said panther. She really needed a new angle if she wanted to get back into the game because unlike Asuna, Ayaka fought with her words and not her fists.

Apparently, it was the elegant "rich people" way of doing things, at least from what Yue could gather.

Still, I wonder who's this new girl sitting behind Hasegawa and me? she thought curiously, taking a discreet sidelong glance back.

She was pretty, really pretty all right: long black hair with a kind of dark blue highlight to it, steel green eyes, graceful, and a calm, composed complexion. A definite dignified regal air about her instantly gave off the impression of an impressive pedigree. Yue had only seen Ayaka pull off this particular feat before, but this girl was playing the same game at a different level. She was a regular "Yamato Nadesico," the ideal Japanese beauty, and though she was sitting down, Yue could tell she was quite tall.

Normally, such an impressive height would be a disadvantage when striving to attain such a title, but this girl was truly blessed. Her proportions were impossibly perfect. It was such perfection that it even managed to stir a few pangs of envy out of the violet-haired girl, but she banished it away easily enough. After all, it was not as if there was any boy she was interested in at present, and there was no need to worry about such things.

Speaking of which, announcements were now over, so where were...

SLAM!

"SORRY, WE'RE LATE-UWAHG!" shouted a pair of male voices in uncanny unison as they entered the room and fell prey to the classic "Dusty Waterfall of Wisdom" combination.

Twin blackboard erasers hammered into them in perfect synchronization, detonating with blooming puffs of dust that blinded them briefly. However, as the two gentlemen, a tall black blur and a short blue blur, had been traveling at rather high speeds apparently, this proved quite disastrous. The strategically placed water buckets popped out of the ceiling boards and doused them in the next split second, sending them slipping onto the floor with a spectacular crash where they ended up in a groaning pile of limbs beside the teacher's bureau.

A collective gasp of breath seemed to seize the classroom as they waited with vivid anticipation for the "dust" to clear. Yue could not help but smile a little at this interruption in the normal routine of the day. If these sorts of exciting things happened everyday, she could certainly use the change of pace to spice things up around here. It was horribly dull being a junior high student nowadays.

"Ooooohhhh, dammit! Bleh!" wheezed the bespectacled fellow in black. "N-Negi-kun, you --- okay?"

The reply was no surprise as the girls could now clearly make out the "pint-sized" professor. "Y-Yeah. Ack! Iteeee, bloody this hurts! What the heck happened, Kei-Keitaro?"

"I dunno. It's like suddenly the lights went dusty and white, and then everything was wet-"

"NII-SAN?" an unexpected voice cried out loudly, accompanied simultaneously by another voice shouting with equal surprise, "URASHIMA-KUN?"

Instantly, all eyes flashed in the direction of those calls to discover that both Kanako and Setsuna had risen out of their seat, and boy, their reactions were priceless. The normally reserved kendoka turned crimson visibly, clamping a hand over her mouth in mortification, as she struggled apparently to find a place to dig a hole in and hide, unable to meet the numerous gazes affixed on her. On the other hand, Kanako seemed to be caught between concern for her sibling and glaring the rest of the class in submission, while simultaneously shooting a questioning glance at Setsuna as well.

It was all great fun to Yue as she watched her classmates literally rise up and mob the quartet of characters with questions and demands, while Kazumi Asakura (#3) snapped shots away on her camera like there was no tomorrow. She really could get used to having things this way. Still, she wondered if they would ever get to learn anything at all before finals at this rate.

Oh well, I suppose, I'll just have to wait and see, she mused coolly. Now, where did I put that juice box of tomato milk?

To Be Continued...

Author's Notes:

And --- we are live in: Three, Two, One, KYUUU-BANG! Episode 56 is here! At last, Negi and Keitaro finally get a moment to talk shop. But man, is Negi in righteous denial or what? Trying to protect everybody by himself, even though he could use the help. And geez, Keitaro sure does need to work on his delivery when it comes to "bad" news. Then again, what could he do when it pretty much came down to erasing people's memories or erasing them literally? It looks like he got what he wanted from Negi --- his cooperation so to speak --- but is this really gonna turn out into an all right relationship? Talk about rough starts.

Meanwhile, we just get the feeling more and more than Headmaster Konoemon is way too dang good at this manipulation stuff. He's definitely grand scheme up his sleeve. Makes you wonder what the old codger knows. But on the flipside, Negi and Keitaro do sure know how to make an entrance to lighten the mood. Doesn't help Kanako and Setsuna practically jumped out of their seats for Keitaro, hehehe! If one thing's for sure, there's plenty of more scandal and fun to come. As for Yue, she is one smooth operator. Yes, she is. So what's gonna happen next?

Well, maybe we'll find out on the next episode of Glass Moon-desu!

Reviewers and readers alike, I'd like to thank you all very much for your continued patronage. Remember, I encourage each and everyone of you to feel free to comment, review, and/or discuss the story. Your comments can really make a difference, I assure you, and if you're up to it, feel free to ring me up on AIM, or even send me an e-mail (although you really don't need to boost my ego too often). You know how to get in touch with the maestro here. Though, I gotta say I'm impressed by how fired up y'all can get if you really let loose! Thanks for the motivation.

So without further adieu, that wraps it up, folks (see you around the same time as usual, and just maybe we'll have a double header again this week, eh?): Peace out!

Omake!

Naze Nani Glass Moon Desu

Episode Preview!

Chapter 57:

The New and Improved Class 2-A

"My likes and dislikes is something you'll have to learn for yourselves. My favorite hobby is kendo. I am officially recognized as a Tenth-dan kenshi by the International Kendo Federation, and I will be joining Mahora Academy's Kendo Club as well. As for my dreams for the future --- well, we'll just have to wait and see about that, won't we?"

Tsudzuku!