Book Of Days

A Mahou Sensei Negima Fanfiction

Chapter 3: Veneficus! Permissum Illic Exsisto Lux Lucis.

Author's note – This Fanfic is set in a slightly alternate Negima universe, in this Haruna knows about the existence of magic, but has not made a pactio with Negi yet. Also there might be small cameos from Ken Akamatsu's other characters.

Will stepped into the principal's office. He didn't know why the old man had called him there, but he suspected it was something to do with his teaching. He was surprised, then, when the Principal suddenly spoke. "Will, how would you like to travel to Cape Soya on an errand for me? I need this treaty signing by the leader of the Northern Magic Alliance. The thing is, you're the best mage I know, and the journey may be dangerous. So, are you up for it?"

Will hesitated, "How long would it take, sir, I don't want to leave my class without a teacher."

"Oh, only a week or so, you could even see the sights while you're there."

"Also, you said it would be dangerous, I can't perform to my full strength without a Ministra Magi by my side, that was my downfall when I fell in 1932."

"Oh, I've taken care of that as well, you would be travelling with your student, Miss Saotome Haruna. You two seem to have hit it off quite well, she clearly likes you, and you seem to feel the same way about her. There's not even a considerable age difference, you're only about one year her senior. I shall explain the situation to her, and perform the pactio, if you agree to go on this trip."

"Well, Ok, I'll do it, but only if Paru-chan agrees."

"Certainly, we wouldn't want to go against her wishes."

The Next Day

"She agrees," said the principal as he put the finishing touches to his magic circle, "she already knew about the pactio ceremony and what it entailed, and she practically bit my hand off she was so impatient to get on with it."

Will blushed.

"She will be here any minute, you leave this afternoon."

Just as he finished speaking, Haruna stepped through the door. She smiled at Will, and he blushed further, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at the floor. The principal straightened up and announced that the circle was finished.

"Whenever you're ready, you two," he said, winking.

Haruna and Will stepped into the circle and Haruna laid her hand on Will's cheek.

"Here I go, Will," she whispered, and kissed him on the lips. The circle flared blue and orange as the pactio was completed. Haruna finally broke the kiss and Will just stood there, looking stunned. Haruna couldn't help giggling at his expression.

"What, was that your first kiss or something!?"

He nodded slowly and then finally started to snap out of his trance to see Haruna looking at him in stunned disbelief.

"Oh my god," she said, "someone as good looking as you, and you've never even been kissed before!"

"You forget," he said, "I come from the 1930s, in those times most people didn't kiss until they had been courting for at least a month, and I never had time for dating when I was training to be a mage, I was so busy."

The principal cleared his throat.

"You know, have you two noticed anything slightly unusual? You both have received pactio cards, not just Miss Saotome."

Will looked down, sure enough, he was holding a card.

"This means that young Haruna here must have some kind of magical power, as well as you, Will."

Will's card showed him in a relaxed pose, leaning on his motorcycle. His rifle was slung over his shoulder and his swords were in his hands. Haruna's card showed her with a quill and a staff, along with a sketchpad. She also was leaning against a bike. She summoned the quill and staff into her hands. The staff was long and made out of a very smooth, almost black wood. It had a small cradle at its tip, with a shining pearlescent orb suspended there. The sketchbook carried instructions on how to use the pen and pad, and also some powerful incantations for use with the staff. Haruna set about memorising some of the spells as Will examined his guns. He discovered that they had become equipped with a new type of ammunition clip, made out of some kind of very heavy black metal. He quickly set up a magical shield, drew his pistol, and fired directly into it. What happened next surprised him, the bullet passed straight through the powerful magic barrier before embedding itself in the principal's desk. Will smiled apologetically,

"Sorry about that."

He fired again, this time out of the window. He kept firing, realising he had passed the limit of the old clips.

"It seems to have given me unlimited ammunition, I wonder if anything's happened to the bike?"

Haruna got up. "Hadn't we better get going, it's a long journey we've got ahead?"

Will nodded and thanked the principal for his help. The old man bade them good luck and they walked out the door.

An hour later, they got out of the main Mahora campus, heading north on the main road to Hokkaido. Haruna had been given a Honda CB 125 S (J) as part of her pactio. This particular model was built in 1978, but its performance far exceeded its manufacturers' statistics, probably something to do with it being a pactio item. Will's motorbike was also a lot more powerful than he remembered it being before. He heard Haruna's voice in his ear; the pactio had enabled them to communicate telepathically. Her question surprised him.

"Will, you know how we, ah, made the pactio, well, I kind of liked it and I was wondering, well would you like to, umm, go out with me?"

Will didn't hesitate before answering.

"Hai, of course."

They rode through the rest of the day, probably breaking every speed limit as they weaved through the traffic. They finally pulled over for the night on the outskirts of a small town called Hinata Springs.

"Hey, I know this place; my cousin's stepbrother is the kanrinin of a girl's dormitory here. He should put us up for the night." She pulled out her phone.

"Hey, Keitaro, It's me, Haruna."

"Oh, hi, Paru-chan, what brings you to call?"

"Well, me and a friend were in the area, and well, we were wondering if you could give us a room for the night."

"Sure, come on up. I'll get Shinobu to make some dinner for you."

"Thanks, we'll be there in about ten minutes

The pair climbed back on their motorcycles and rode up. When they arrived they found a tall bespectacled man waiting for them. Haruna introduced him as Urashima Keitaro and he shook Will's hand.

"Glad to meet you, Will."

Keitaro introduced the pair to the other residents of the inn, Su, a hyperactive student, Motoko, a tall swordswoman who said she knew him already, her friend Setsuna was in the class Will was teaching, Shinobu, a quiet girl who was in the kitchen cooking, Kitsune, an older woman who was lunging with a cup of sake in her hand, and his wife, Naru. After a wonderful meal of Okonomi the pair were ushered to the hot springs and had a long, relaxing bath, discussing the journey ahead. It was then that Keitaro sprung his bombshell on them. Apparently one of the two spare rooms was closed for repairs; it had a large Keitaro shaped hole in the wall due to an 'accident' earlier in the day.

"I thought, as you two seemed to be a couple," muttered the bumbling landlord, "you wouldn't mind sharing a room. Who knows, we might not see you till late tomorrow."

He raised his eyebrows and was promptly sent flying by a Naru Punch™ for thinking perverted thoughts. Will and Haruna looked at each other and slowly nodded. They would have to make do.