Me: Hellooooo everyone! Sorry it took so long for the update, been really busy vacationing in Canada (Still there mind you so updating has slowed considerably)! Let's see, where did I leave off...
Negi: We are past the Library Arc TS-san!
Setsuna: You also gave the class a week vacation to commend their efforts.
Me: Right! I can't have you in the Evangeline Arc beaten, battered, and bruised (Sorry to the readers but 3 days of non-stop life threatening situations and a end-of-term test which drains them mentally instead of physically deserves a good break)
Ayaka: Ahhh, so generous TS! I'm betting you shall make a chapter devoted to me and Negi-sensei to find our love and...(blah blah blah blah)
Me: ...Oooooookaaaaaaay. Ignoring Ayaka, I'll be making a new Original Arc (Not like the Library Arc wasn't twisted enough to be the same as the manga anyway). 1 Week vacation, 9 girls befriended, 22 girls relatively untouched. Sorry to those who were hoping to see Negi kick some vampire ass. Now lets see...Mana! Say the disclaimer!
Mana: Give me 100 yen.
Me: What!? Alright, geez. So greedy...
Mana: TS-san does not own Mahou Sensei Negima nor it's characters...and I am not greedy, I just...prefer to have large sums of finances on hand when I have need of it...
Me: ...Onwards with the chapter and the start of the "Student Troubles Arc"...(whispers) Greedy.
Mana: I heard that!
Me: D'OH!
Light poured into the small room that Negi shared with Ku Fei. As the sun's rays struck Negi, he mumbled in his sleep. It was basic mumbling but hints of "Stupid sun" and "go back down" could be heard. He unconsciously shut his eyes tighter. He buried his head closer to a source of warmth next to him. He could have sworn he felt it move as though tickled and even heard a giggle before silence once more held dominion on his hearing. The sun however was relentless and if possible shined even brighter...or it was the clouds moving out of the way completely. Negi couldn't ignore it any longer and, with a small groan, cracked open an eyelid. The second eye soon followed as he rubbed them. He shook his head and looked around. He recognized the small room he usually slept in with a few...guests. He was once more sleeping in Ku Fei's bed...but why was Ku Fei all the way on the other side of the room on the couch? Memories flooded back to him. After school ended, there was a huge congratulation party held for Negi (although he vaguely thought that his class would hold a party for possibly ANY reason). Most of the people had left but apparently some people stayed. Ku Fei was asleep on the 1 person couch. Next to it was Asuna and Yuna, both sleeping on a larger couch together although faced away from each other. On the floor was Makie, Iincho, Haruna, Yue, and Nodoka all in different places and positions. Iincho was drooling into her pillow on the floor. If he had listened closely, he could have heard her mumble "Negi-sensei". Makie and Haruna seemed to have fallen asleep anywhere they wanted. Yue and Nodoka where near him, both leaning on each other asleep in a corner near the bed. He turned to see who was in the bed to find Konoka. He blushed furiously as he quickly got out of the bed, away from the brunette. He must have crawled into the bed and clung to whoever was in it. He saw movement to his left and found Sayo, or at least half or her. Half of her body was outside the building while the other half was inside as she floated in the air, an anime style snot bubble on her nose. He hard a coughing come from above him. He looked up to see Kaede on the top bed, staring at him with a grin.
"Had a nice sleep Negi-bouzu? I'm sure Konoka-dono did" the ninja said quiet with a teasing voice.
Negi blushed and chose to ignore her question, opting to change the subject.
"How long were you awake" he asked.
"A few minutes. Whoo, that was some party last night" she said happily.
"If the parties are this intense now, I wonder what they will be like when you can all drink..." he muttered out loud, her astute hearing catching it perfectly making her chuckle.
"Trust me Negi-bouzu, you do NOT want to know-de gozaru" she answered.
"I don't know, I'm sure I wouldn't mind still teaching you by then" he joked but she knew he wasn't kidding.
"Well, what are you planning to do now?" she asked him as she jumped down from the top bunk without making a sound.
"Err...guess I had better take a bath before someone complains about it" he said, obviously very reluctant but is pushing aside his own hatred of baths for the comfort of his students.
"Shall I join you?" she teased.
"N-No!" she almost yelled out but remembered that there are sleeping people present "I-I can go alone"
Kaede watched in amusement as he quickly grabbed some clothes and ran out the door. Negi made his way to the bathhouses quietly. It was early now that he thought about it. The sun wasn't that high in the sky at all. it had to be around 7 o clock. No one would be awake that early on the start of a week vacation...except Kaede. He slid open the door to the bathhouse and walked in...to a person. He fell on his bum and and he heard the other person did as well.
"I-I'm so sorry...err..." Negi started to apologize.
He looked at who he was apologizing to and recognized her. It was Zazie Rainyday from his class. She was unclothed so he quickly turned away.
"Z-Zazie-san! I-I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to walk in on you!" she waved his hands in front of his face, head turned away.
He didn't hear a response so he turned around. She had a towel wrapped around her this time. He looked at her face. He never really talked to her...or called on her...or anything for that matter when it involved her. He stared at the two tattoo-like things on her slim face. The blue teardrop was what caught his attention the most. It looked so...out of place on her tanned skin and stoic demeanor. She quickly shoot himself mentally, realizing he was staring at her a little too much. She didn't seem to mind...nor care. It was like she was completely aloof from the world around her. Zazie looked down at the her young teacher curiously. He looked worried. She hadn't really responded to his apology, maybe he thought she was angry with him.
"...It's...okay..." she finally broke the silence.
Negi looked relieved. He stood up and offered his hand to his student. Zazie looked at it and ignored it. She got up on her own. Negi was taken aback slightly since he was just being kind. it was kind of hard talking to her. She had a sort of aura about her that told people to leave her alone...but not in a bad way, more like she looks like she shouldn't be disturbed unless necessary. She made her way to the pool-sized bath and headed for a diving board to the side. She removed her towel making Negi turn away a second before hearing her jump. He turned back around to see her staring at him questioningly.
"...In?..." she so quietly he was amazed her heard her at all.
Negi suddenly remembered why he had come to the bathhouse in the first place. Since Zazie was there, he decided to wait until she was done. As an English Gentleman, he knows better then to watch women bathe...even if he used to bathe with his cousin (or Oneechan, she was like a sister to him) Nekane.
"Errm...I think I'll wait until your done" he said quickly before rushing out.
Zazie stared as the door slammed shut. She thought he was a little strange but he was a good kid. Suddenly, a...thing came out from the shadows. It looked as though it was made of the stuff it just came out of. It had to definite body and the only thing resembling a face would be the white mask where she guessed it's "head" was. It spoke in a low voice.
"...May I eat him?" it asked.
She shook her head. She thought she heard it sigh. That wasn't a good sign...it meant "They" were getting hungry which was normal but when one sighs, it indicates restlessness. She had better feed them soon. It was a horrible gift she told herself. Those...creatures. Why she could see them, she doesn't know. Why she could control them...she did not know. What she did know was that she hated them. They feed of emotions of people. Why else does she stay emotionless all the time. Hiding her emotions is what keeps them from eating hers. It took years to learn but she can completely hide any trace of emotion. If she ever played poker, she would have the ultimate poker face...well...actually she DOES play poker but thats a story for another day. A few more shadow creatures had popped up and all were looking at her. Her eyes glowed emerald green for a second as she sent her mental command. She heard a collective sigh and receded into the shadows. She had no choice...again. She got out and dried herself off. She walked out of the bath house to find Negi hanging around outside. He waved at her but she ignored him, more important matters to attend to. Negi watched her walk away quickly.
"She's sure in a hurry, I hope she's okay" he said before heading for the bathhouse...or at least he wished he had.
Negi couldn't tell through her face but her movements told him something was amiss. She was walking quickly and her hands were balled up. He dropped his clothes in a locker in the bath house and locked it before running off after his silent mystery of a student. It amazed him how fast she could move. It had only been about 4 seconds for him to go and put away his things and she was already out of view. He ran off in the direction she was headed. Thanks to his training, he soon found her within his sights. He stayed as far away as he could while keeping her in his line of view, moving from bush to bush. Zazie didn't notice him. She was quickly moving towards the road leading from the large campus grounds. She disliked using the train because there are too many people around. Those...things did not discriminate between women, children, handicapped, or the dead. Another reason why she tended to avoid Sayo who she could see clearly. Ghosts were usually leftover emotions anyway which made it all the more dangerous. She followed the forested trail. It was dark despite it being around 8 or 9 o clock in the morning. She sighed. why couldn't it be night time. It's much easier to deal with...well...she didn't have any plans, she could probably wait for it to reach 9 P.M. or so. Nah, too much time. Things might get out of hand quickly. It must be done immediately. A noise behind her, like a bush moving, caught her attention. She spun around and surveyed the trail. Negi's heart was beating a million times per second. He was afraid he'd have a heart attack. He had tripped on a tree root sticking out of the ground and had rolled into a bush loudly. He stayed as still as he could...noticing painfully that it happened to be a thorny bush at that. He could see Zazie through the foliage slightly and she was staring around. his heart nearly stopped when she started going BACK down the trail. If she walked past the bush, his cover would be blown. She stopped JUST SHORT of the bush. Was it luck...or was it the squirrel that ran out the other side.
"...Squirrel..." she murmured to herself letting out a sigh of relief and turning around.
Negi thanked God, Buddha, Shiva, or whatever god there was in the world. Only a couple steps more and...he didn't want to know what she would do to him. After about an hour's trek, the sun broke through the dense layer of the trees above. The child teacher noticed that the forested area was clearing out into a more...picturesque area. There was a nice street with nice trees along the side, almost a welcoming scene with the rays of the sun twinkling through the leaves which were a nice green. It would probably have been better if it was Autumn but Negi appreciated it's innate beauty. He noticed that between the trees were flower bushed lined all along the street. He noticed a sign nailed to a nearby maple tree. "Nature Restoration and Preservation brought to you by TrueSuffering Inc. Please remember to avoid littering...or else you will find out why we are called TrueSuffering Inc." Negi stared at the sign for a second. A very...convincing sign indeed. Negi quickly jumped behind the flower bushes and crept his way along. Zazie stopped for a minute, not knowing her teacher was still following her. She always did like this area. She walked over to a bush. It had purple lilacs. She wondered if they even grew in Japan. She took a small whiff and a ghost of a smile graced her face. Negi watched on.
"She looks so at peace here. I wonder why she was so angry befo-" thought the boy before he saw her return to normal pretty quickly.
Zazie had felt one of the shadow creatures moving closer to her. She was slightly angry but kept it in check lest she gets herself overrun. She can't even enjoy some flowers...she really hated those things. She's wasted enough time. In a flash, she set off running as fast as she could. Negi gaped. He ran as well, noting that even with Ku Fei's training he couldn't keep up. Pumping a minuscule amount of magic into his feet to reduce friction and wind magic at his back for extra push, he quickly shot off like a cannon. Thankfully for him, he didn't sound like one. He dropped his magic slightly on both areas to prevent from zooming past her and exposing himself. within minutes, they both broke into an open field just east of the area. Negi ducked into the tall grass immediately, ignoring the pain from stopping so abruptly. Running at that speed and stopping immediately was no problem, but with the gathered wind magic, it created a shockwave of moving air behind him that slammed into his back. Zazie headed for the city once more except by walking that time. Negi army crawled along the grass quietly until they finally reached the city. It was already 10 o clock if Negi's watch indicated anything. Zazie was walking along a dark, shady area of the eastern part of town. Zazie walked through, uncaring. She had been there before. It was then she finally stopped. She needed to find...victims. She thought the last words with spite and venom lacing her thoughts. There were a few hobos but it wasn't enough. There had to be large traces of emotion to rile up her...companions. They walked past a bar and instantly stopped. Negi watched on curiously as Zazie stared at the bar. He saw her move out of the way quickly.
"WHO DA FUCK D'YUH THINK YUH ARE?!" came a loud, slurred yell from inside.
"SOMEONE BETTER 'N YOU!" came a 2nd voice.
"WHAT?! THA'S IT! GET 'IM BOYS!" came the first voice.
"SICKIN YER DOGS ON ME? HAH! SHOW 'EM AN ASS WHOOPIN BOYS!" came the 2nd voice.
There was a loud chorus of yelling. Without warning, there was crashing, smashing, and finally someone was thrown out the window. Zazie had retreated to a safer distance. Negi had the same idea and stayed out of their way, and out of Zazie's sight. The first guy, a burly, bearded man in a bikers outfit was smashing his large fists into the other guy's face. the other guy, a skinner guy with a Mohawk and piercings on his nose, lips, and eyelids blocked a couple fists and used his legs to mule kick the guy off him. A 3rd man, skinny with a tattoo of a tiger on his face and sporting a biker outfit as well jumped out the window, narrowly dodging a smashed, glass wine bottle that was aimed for his head. Another man, probably an ally to the Mohawk guy rushed out. He was much larger then his friend. He was probably all muscle, no brain. They went 2 on 2 as fists and kicks flew. There were probably others in the bar fighting. Everyone else on the street cleared out. They obviously did NOT want to get in between the two gangs. Negi noticed Zazie hadn't moved away. Zazie look on at the pointless fight. they were all drunk if the stench of alcohol wasn't any indication. She sighed. It was always the drunk ones who get emotional over stuff but...she silently prayed for them as her eyes started glowing emerald. Negi was hiding behind a telephone pole. He couldn't see Zazie's face from the angle but he did see her turn specifically to the bar once more. Zazie stared...and commanded mentally...
"Your prey...go..."
Negi gasped. He saw them! Those shadowy creatures, he's read about them back at the magical academy. Dopplegangers! Non-magical people can't usually see them except for a few cases. As most people would say, they are a person's "double" that later bring great misfortune. That fact is only half true. From what he remembered about them, they are actually shades. No real form or shape UNTIL they drain the emotions of people. Said person will feel empty in what most refer to as a "trance" in which they see a "double" of themselves. The truth is that as they drain a person's emotions, they take on that person's form, literally becoming a "double". Most people who get their emotions stolen are left feeling empty inside, thus claiming that "they would soon die". Humans can't live without their emotions and usually die later on which led to the myth of dopplegangers. He stood there horrified. It was rare to see 1 doppleganger let alone a practical herd. the four gang members ceased fighting as the things grabbed hold. They paled as their eyes rolled into the back of their heads. Some even foamed at the mouth. A few yells from the bar indicated the other gang members were being drained as well. Negi couldn't stand there and let Zazie be drained. He chose to grab her as they were distracted. He jumped from behind the pole.
"ZAZIE-SAN!" he yelled out.
Zazie turned to him shocked. Where had he come from?! There were leftover dopplegangers who turned in his direction. Zazie inwardly cursed. They were going after her teacher! Negi noticed it as well. Before Zazie could react, Negi sprinted foward, magic at full blast, pumping right through his legs, moving at a speed that would make a certain magical nun jealous. He can't fight them off. they can't be hurt by physical means and are highly resistant to magic. They are some of the magical world's most dangerous creatures. He charged past the monsters, the shockwave blowing them away. Within milliseconds, Zazie was in his arms and Negi was halfway back to the school campus. Zazie could barely breathe at the speed he was going. Race cars ain't got nothing on him. Back in the forested area, he slowed down and came to a full stop. He placed Zaie back on the ground as she patted her hair back down.
"Zazie-san (huff)...I-I'm sorry I had to (huff)...grab you like that (huff)..." the boy gasped, trying to get a breath in.
"...Why?..." she asked, seriously confused.
"Th-There were (huff)...dangerous things around (huff)..." he said, trying to be as vague as possible.
She rose an eyebrow. Could he see...nah...couldn't be. But...
Flashback
Negi had returned from the dean's office. The whole class had heard the good news over the intercom. He opened the door to meet his cheering class.
"Ahhhh, Negi-sensei! I am so happy to hear you have passed your test to become a full-fledged teacher. Please take the flowers as a token of my lo-" started Ayaka but wwas quickly silenced by the rest of the class.
"Neeegi-kun! You did it!" Makie congratulated.
"Great! I thought we might have been last for a minute there" Asuna said.
"We did the best we could do and I guess it paid off-de gozaru" Kaede spoke up.
"Whatever-aru! Negi-kun passed! That's all we need to worry about!" Ku Fei yelled out as the class cheered.
The beginnings of a party were already in the making. Zazie watched with a look of, possibly boredom. Mana asked if Zazie wanted some punch. she shook her head and Mana shrugged. Zazie watched her classmate head down and grab a drink. Negi was enjoying himself as he mingled with the others. He saw Sayo in the corner near Yuna who was in a wheelchair as her bones healed. He made his way over to the two of them.
"Yuna-san, are you alright?" Negi asked worried.
"Oh, yeah I am. Doctor just said I needed to let myself heal for about 2 weeks" Yuna said, sounding a little disappointed.
"No basketball Yuna-san" Negi said sternly, knowing full well why she was disappointed.
"Awww" she whined but left it at that, she knew she couldn't argue.
"I'll wheel you around a bit if you want me to" he offered.
"Nah, Kaede said she'll help me around" she said pointing at the ninja who was currently eating some cake the class chef Satsuki and mad genius Chao had made "...although you can wheel me over to that cake"
Negi chuckled. Obviously SOMEBODY had a sweet tooth. He grabbed hold of Yuna's chair and wheeled her over to the cake that Natsumi and Chizuru were help passing out. Apparently, they both chose (which means Chizuru chose and forced Natsumi to go with her) Chao Bao Zi as a place for a part-time job. Zazie's eyes wandered around the group. Mana and Kaede were both going against each other in some strange contest...AGAIN. It was a drinking contest which, of course, had no alcoholic beverages. It was tied up at the moment, both having downed 38 cups of punch and still going strong. Asakura was holding betting pools...AGAIN. Sakurako would probably win...AGAIN. God, that girl has to be the LUCKIEST person born. Her eyes fell on her teacher who was watching Yuna scarf down the cake in front of her...until she started choking slightly. A cup of water and she was fine again. Her eyes wandered to someone who was usually on the back of her mind. Sayo was floating around as usual during parties. Watching but never able to enjoy it. She felt pretty bad for they little ghost and would love to befriend her but...there were certain...reasons...as to why she couldn't. She watched the ghost drift around. She looked kind of out of place amongst the living people with their light to tanned skin compared to her pale to white. She was about to turn away until she saw something that caught her interest. Sayo had flown over to the child of a teacher and tapped his shoulder. Maybe for a prank or something, but it held her interest. She was shocked...completely and utterly SHOCKED to see Negi turn around and greet her...well...with obvious control. Probably wanted to just yell out "Hi Sayo" and wave but then people might think he's a little...touched in the head, if you catch her drift. Sayo didn't hold back and practically glomped him. She saw him stagger and blush at the close contact (Can a ghostly hug be considered close contact?) as Sayo giggled. Her teacher could see the poor ghost. She felt slightly relieved to see she now had a friend but was at the same time beyond curious about the kid. She never really spoke to him or interact with him much...aside from the time she went to find him for his welcoming party. She heard a thump to the side and saw Mana and Kaede both on the ground, unconscious with many cups littered on the ground. She could have sworn she saw them spitting up the punch in a comedic "water fountain" way. Sakurako was cheering, winning her bet as always. Apparently, she had bet on tie. Strange how no one ever bets what she bets on. She turned back to Sayo and Negi to see them separate. She wondered why for a second just as the bell rung to tell everyone school's out. She didn't stick around and left quietly. The party had moved all the way to the dorms and lasted throughout the rest of the night.
Now back to our previously aired program
Zazie's flashback ended in her mind as Negi finally caught his breath.
"...From...what?..." she asked.
"Wha? Uh...ummm...th-there was danger like...umm...th-those gangsters!" he answered, thinking of some excuse.
Zazie could see right through him. He really was a horrible liar...but she won't call him out. She thought of telling him about her...abilities but...he's just...not trustworthy yet.
"Err...Thank you..." she answered.
"Uhhh...err...n-no problem" the boy answered somewhat uncertainly.
He was a tad suspicious that she bought his lie so easily. Even he knew he wasn't that great a liar but hey, if he was lucky enough not to have to explain it, he'll take the offer. They stood there in an awkward silence for a couple of minutes before Negi spoke up.
"U-Umm...What were you doing in the city anyway?" he asked.
"...Business..." she answered without hesitation.
"Oh, do you have a job or something? I heard Asuna-san had a job in the city. I guess I wouldn't be surprised if another student was working hard for their future" he said.
Zazie just stood there and nodded at whatever he said. Negi thought for a moment. If Zazie was headed to a job...she probably had to go back to the city...which means going back the same way he just came. Right back to those monsters...if they were still around.
"Errr...I'm guessing you have to go back to the city. I'll accompany you if you want" he offered.
Zazie had no choice but to go now. She nodded and they headed to the city. They went a different direction from the bar at Negi's beckoning. They hit a 3 way intersection shortly.
"...I'll go now..." Zazie spoke up.
"W-what? B-But what about the..." Negi started to object about leaving her alone but he saw she wasn't budging from her answer "A-Alright then...umm...bye"
Zazie walked in a random direction she had picked. Negi stood there for a bit, watching her. He had the urge to follow her again but spying twice on the same person in one day was a little...yeah...strange. It was strange he spied on her the first time but he guessed in the end, it kept her safe. He was about to head back before...
"NEGI-KUUUUN!" came a voice.
Negi turned to his right, to the other road. Konoka was running up to him holding a couple shopping bags. Negi waved awkwardly, that morning's...discovery... still made him a little embarrassed. Hopefully, she didn't know. She ran up to him quickly, all the years of running and blading to keep up with Asuna kept her pretty fit.
"Konoka-san, what are you doing in town?" he asked happily.
"I could ask you the same thing. You weren't in your room this morning when everyone woke up. Kaede said you had left early. Everyone else left a wile back and I decided to go shopping" Konoka explained.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't want to wake everyone else since you were all sleeping peacefully" he answered, his hand rubbing the back of his head out of habit.
"Negi-kun! Your 10, you should have been jumping on everyone and yelling at them to "Wake up". Your so serious sometimes" she said, placing a hand on his head and ruffling his hair.
"W-wha? I may be 10 but I'm still your teacher. I need to set an example" he complained.
"You sound like an old man" she said before grabbing his arm "Today, I'm going to make sure you enjoy yourself!"
Negi didn't have time to argue as the bubbly girl pulled him along, straight for the shopping district.
Meanwhile...
The Shadow World. Home of some of the magic and human world's most dangerous creatures. It was an exact replica of the normal world except the sky was a black and purple swirling mass with no emerald clouds and an emerald sun/moon. The buildings were the same color as the clouds while the shadows were blood red. Figures...shadowy ones with no distinct shape started appearing. It grew a mask in the middle...a doppleganger. It made it's way into a crowd of others of it's kind. The were gathered around a...man. It had the shape of one anyway. It had arms and legs made of shadows while the face was the same as the others, a pale, lifeless, white mask .
"The boy...who kidnapped our...master...they have separated" said the doppleganger who just appeared.
"Master Zazie...he dared to take her..." spoke up another.
"Siiiiiileeeeeenccccce..." spoke up the central monster "Theeee booooy...hisssss powerrrrr is greeeat. Beeeeewaaaare"
"Sir...he is...an interference..." spoke up another one.
"Weeeee shalllllll ...deeeeestroooooooy hiiiim. Feeeel...for hiiiis...Maaaaaaagic...it is poooowerfullllllll..." spoke up the "leader" of the pack.
At that moment, another one appeared in front of the leader. His head bowed in respect before uttering his news.
"Sir...there appears...to be two...powerful magic sources..." it said.
Doppleganger are powerful creatures. Considered the deadliest of the deadliest by many. Draining of emotions is life-threatening and those who survive will, with 99.99 guarantee, go insane. Schizophrenia, paranoia, call it what you want, they caused it all. Unfortunately for them, they are blind creatures, finding prey through their emotions or...magic power. Thus, it is easy to avoid them if you are able to hide your emotions or...are able to hide your power (or if your incredibly weak in the Magic department).
"Threeeeeeeeats...must be eliiiiiiminaaaaaaaaated...obserrrrrrrrve theeeem...then deeeeeestroy booooth" the leader spoke up.
"On more bit...of news...there is a...large amount of...food...moving about..." it continued.
"Feeeeeeast on...iiiiiit" the leader said, almost as though it was holding in it's drool.
Somewhere...
"AH-CHOO!"
Sayo wiped her nose as she looked up at the sky.
"Ahhh! Where has Negi-sensei gone?" she sighed as she floated off to the school.
Back with Konoka and Negi...
Konoka had pulled him into a clothing shop. Negi laughed as she did. Konoka sure did love to shop. Konoka was busy picking out boys clothes for him as he stared at her. She was so nice. She could give his Oneechan a run for her money. Maybe that's why he clung to her that night instead of Ku Fei...or anyone else for that matter. She gave off a sisterly kind of feeling...at least to him. He heard Konoka gasp and turned around.
"This one would look great on you!" Konoka yelled as she grabbed him and shoved him in the changing room.
Negi took that back. She could be a liiiiittle bit eccentric at times. With a sigh, he tried on the outfit...and many others for the next hour as Konoka dragged him all over the area. By then, Konoka was getting hungry so they looked for a good restaurant to eat at.
"So Negi-kun, wanna go eat at Red Ribbon or IPOP?" Konoka asked as she walked with him.
"It's a nice day, why eat indoors?" he asked.
"...Your right! A picnic!" she snapped her fingers wondering why she hadn't thought of that.
"Well actually I was thinking more along the lines of an outdoor restaurant but a picnic sounds fun" he said, thinking about a good place to eat.
"Fine, lets head to a grocery store so I can pick up some food to cook" Konoka said, steering them to the nearest Cal-Mart. (I sure use alot of store parodies)
It did not take them long to find the store and enter. The greeter was strange. He kept saying "Welcome to Wal-Mart" before a different employee corrected him. Konoka walked in first and looked around. Negi followed a short distance away. Almost immediately, he was steered to the right by Konoka. Konoka glanced to side as she pushed him along. She had spotted people they knew, the cheerleaders to be specific. Normally, she'd be happy to greet them but at the moment, she wasn't sure why, she was headed away from them. She was having alot of fun with Negi and guessed she didn't want anyone to ruin it yet. They headed to the opposite side of the store to get some fresh foods. Sakurako glanced at the door once more. She could have sworn she saw someone she knew. She shrugged and headed over to her friends. Konoka finished picking out the food and headed out with Negi tagging along from behind.
"I guess we head back to your room so you can cook" Negi spoke up.
Konoka thought for a moment. She had forgotten about that...oh wait...Asuna wasn't home. Kaede had something to do so Asuna had to look after Yuna. Konoka nodded as she led the way to the train. Negi looked at the train remembering his not so great first memories. Before they got any further, he grabbed her hand that wasn't carrying the bags of food and headed in a different direction.
"Where are you going Negi-kun?" Konoka asked, this time being dragged around.
"A different way. I don't want to take the train very much" he answered truthfully.
"Really? Why not?" she asked.
"Well...you see..." he started.
As they walked, he talked about his first time heading out for the school he would be teaching.
"Well, for starters, I was late to the bus. I missed it since I had overslept thanks to the time differences" he explained.
"Ahhh, I remember doing the exact same thing when I first got here..." she said reminiscing.
"Oh yeah, I heard you lived somewhere else when you were young" he said.
"Really? Who told you?" she asked.
"Umm...Asuna-san. You see, I was looking through the class records and noticed something strange. It happened to be on your folder...well...on two folders actually but I won't mention the other one. Most people had a "Place of Origin"...you know, a hometown. All I saw on your's was "??". I found that strange since the Dean was your grandfather and all, he should know where you were from. So one day it slipped out as I was tutoring Asuna-san at English...and Math...and Social Studies...again. She yelled at me for going through people's private information but she forgave me since I was trying to learn more about my students. Are you completely sure Asuna-san isn't bipolar? Anyway, she had said that you had come to Mahora when she was around 8. No one really knows where you came from except that during your first days, you were actually very quiet and stayed away from alot of people. That was strange considering your such a nice person and all" he summarized the story.
"Negi-kun, you really shouldn't look through people's private information" Konoka said, copying Asuna before saying "But it was true...I had to move here after...I had...OH! Look, we're here. Better get cooking!"
Negi looked up to find that they were in fact, at the dorms. Konoka was just about to say what happened and he was genuinely interested. She seemed to have purposely steered the conversation off course. If you knew Negi well enough, you would know he's very stubborn. Konoka sighed slightly. That boy was GOOD. He hooks you with that innocent "I'm just a 10 year old, curious boy" look and then BAM! You can't help telling him everything you know. Granted, he just wanted to know more about her but he should really know the difference between asking and prying. But it was a sweet gesture, he really doesn't know any better probably. Why can't any of those guys from her grandfather's "marriage proposals" have that much interest in her instead interest in the power and authority (and wealth, Konoka is quite rich) that they would gain. She brushed aside those thoughts as she prepared to cook. She didn't earn the title of "2nd best chef in class 2-A (soon to be 3-A)" for nothing! Satsuki could still cook better then anyone but people have said that she could give her a run for her money. Konoka giggle at the thought, she could NEVER beat Satsuki. She didn't have the...LOVE for cooking that Satsuki had. Negi watched her cook. He wished he could cook, that way he could make homemade meals for Nekane and Anya back home. Nekane wasn't a great chef but her food never tasted bad. (His Oneechan said it's the love she puts into it) Anya's just terrible, she gave him food poisoning for 3 weeks (in which he STILL studied and practiced magic until Anya came home and FORCED him back into bed). Maybe he could ask Konoka to teach him.
"Negi-kun, how do you want your eggs?" Konoka asked suddenly.
"Umm...Over Medium" he said.
"Alright then" he heard her say.
Nearly an hour later, Konoka had finished making bentos for the two of them and was holding a blanket for them to sit on. Now all the needed was a place to eat.
"So...got a good place to picnic at?" Negi asked.
"Hmmm...nothing really comes to mind although I think I saw a nice park near the Tatsumiya shrine" Konoka said.
"Tatsumiya...Tatsumiya...Mana Tatsumiya-san?" he asked.
"Yep. She's the daughter of the dead priest and the rightful owner of the shrine" she explained.
"I've never been there before" he said.
"Oh, we won't be going there, we're going near there to a park. It's beautiful and for some reason, very secluded" she said.
Negi nodded and off they went. He wanted to strike up the same conversation from last time but felt it better not to ask too much. He wasn't sure but it might not be something Konoka wanted to talk about. Konoka could tell...don't ask how but she could tell he was holding himself from spewing question after question at her. She was grateful. They entered a hilly area before seeing a large sign.
"Tatsumiya Shrine. May the gods watch over you all" Negi read aloud.
"Come, the park is this way" Konoka said as she dragged him to a small wooded trail.
Back behind them, a shadow started moving across the ground. It had been watching them for a while now and the two "powerful magic sources" weren't separating like it had hoped. It was starting to get hungry as well. Being in the human world causes dopplegangers like itself to get hungrier quickly. Why else does it stay in the Shadow World for so long. It trailed off after the two, unaware of it's presence but...unbeknownst to it, another presence was watching all three. She was hiding in the trees, hiding her powers until they have to be used. She silently watched the moving patch of shadows before it merged with the shadows of the trees. She wanted a couple of minutes before jumped through the trees. From the Tatsumiya Shrine, Mana hid her gun once more.
"Hmph, looks like she's already on it" the beautiful priestess as she continued her sweeping.
Konoka and Negi emerged into a secluded park, right in the middle of the woods. Negi felt it...the reason why so many people stay away from the area. Someone must have left wards up to keep people out and had forgotten about them. It was very beautiful there. It was a oval-like area surrounded by apple trees instead of the usual ones. The apples haven't grown quite yet but the blossoms gave the trees color that differed from the normal green. In the exact middle was a patio with a small umbrella in the middle of the table with a cross shaped sidewalk heading out from there and circling the area. Near the patio were flower pots, teeming with roses. Along the sidewalks were more potted flowers which trailed all around. At certain intervals, it had none where you could step onto the grass. At some parts were slides and swings for the children and on other parts were tables for people to enjoy reading, writing, or chatting with friends. Negi noticed a nearby sign that caught his attention. "Park Preservation and Beautification brought to you by TrueSuffering Inc. Litter and die"
"Again?!" Negi thought, a large sweatdrop appearing on the back of his head.
"Is something wrong Negi-kun?" Konoka asked.
"Nothing, nothing. How did you find this place?" he asked.
"Umm...truthfully, I stumbled upon it when I first came here to Mahora" she admitted.
That caught Negi's attention.
"Does anyone else know?" he asked.
"Well, I tried to bring a few people here without telling them specifically but for some reason they never wanted to get close to it. They stopped at the trail and said it looked scary and ran away" she said.
Negi filed that away for later. The wards probably exuded an aura of fear to most people. Konoka must be very brave. The thought that she could be magical didn't even cross his mind. They ignored the patio and went to a small grassy area with a clear viewing of the sky. It was sunny and the skies would stay clear until Monday. They spread the blanket and pulled out the food. They ate in silence until Konoka finally spoke up.
"I was depressed" she said suddenly, leaving Negi confused "When I first came here, I was depressed"
Negi ate slowly, finally getting what she was going on about. He swallowed whatever was in his mouth before asking the obvious.
"Why?" he stated clearly.
"Well...I...had a friend..." she started off.
From the trees, the person hiding in the shadows perked up. Said person strained their ears although feeling slightly guilty about evesdropping.
"She...was my first friend. I had lived a very...sheltered life. Thanks to my obvious influence thanks to my family's bloodline and wealth, everyone said I was constantly in danger. I was young, around 7 to be exact, and I didn't know what they were talking about. One day, my dad brought this girl to me" Konoka continued.
"What was her name?" Negi asked.
"That's a secret" she teased before continuing "She was about my age. We were both very shy and didn't really say anything. After a few days, we started getting along and I was very happy. We would play all day, get into a little bit of trouble every now and then, but it was one of the happiest times of my life. She was learning to use swords and had promised to protect me. I was just happy to have a friend but she insisted. Time passed and I was content. My friend was learning more advance styles of swordsmanship so she couldn't visit me as often but she tried her hardest to visit me as much as she could. One day...that all came crashing down. It was the afternoon and I was playing by a river. I was waiting for my friend to finish up her practice for the day. The edge of the river was slippery. Before I knew it, I was in the water, quickly getting dragged away by the current. At that moment, my friend spotted me and jumped in, trying to rescue me. I guess must have felt confident or something. She would always protect me from scary dogs and stuff but... she couldn't swim either. She kept my head above the water as long as she could and eventually, my father spotted us. He jumped in immediately and saved the both of us. The very next day, my friend was depressed saying something like "I failed you". Before I could do anything, she ran away. The same day, some important people working with my dad had claimed that I hadn't fallen and that someone was out to kill me. I was to be transfered to the care of my grandfather. I tried to find my friend...but when I found her...she ran away screaming "I failed you". I guess...my grandfather didn't want people to pry into it too much to keep me happy"
Negi felt saddened by the news...and also a little guilty since he did technically pry into in. He put down his bento for a minute.
"Umm...whatever happened to your friend?" he asked quietly.
"I wouldn't hear from her for another few years. I was so happy to see her again but...she acted differently. She seemed to keep me away from her and it made me sad and lonely but...I don't care. I was just so happy to see her again" she said.
"I'll bet you that one day, you will be good friends again" he said, determination practically spewing off him in waves.
"I sure hope so" she finished as she started eating more.
If someone listened closely, extremely closely, they would hear a drop of water land on a branch. Salty tears were running down the face of the shadowed guest. The story must have saddened her. Her sentimentality ceased quickly. She had a job to do and goddammit, she'll do it right. A shadow that had been still for a while quivered. The sudden movement caught the eyes of two people. Negi, having finished his food turned his head to the spot at the same time as the shadowed guest.
"Ish somfing wong Nehi-kyun?" Konoka asked with a mouthful of rice.
"No...I-It's nothing" Negi said, still staring at the spot.
The doppleganger from earlier was getting...nippy. Such...emotion...was exuding off the magic source to the right. It was sure it felt another but it faded quickly. At the moment, the magic source seemed...quite...delectable. If it had a mouth and arms, it would be wiping away some drool. It was getting hungrier by the minute. The shadow quivered again, it's ravenous appetite roaring. Negi did NOT miss that movement, and neither did their guest. Before the person in the trees could do anything, Negi spoke up.
"Konoka-san. We need to go" he said, a slight sense of urgency detectable in his voice.
"Huh?" she said, finishing her last mouthful with a gulp.
"We. Need. To. Go." he said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
"W-What about the boxes and blankets?" she said, seeing Negi visibly sweat.
"I'll get it later. We need to move" he said and pulled her along quickly, but not running.
"So...hungry..." the doppleganger whispered to itself as it quickly followed the two.
It would just TASTE the fear and panic in the air. Within moments, another appeared as a 2nd shadow. Then a 3rd and so on until there was a crowd of about 12 to 13. From the trees, a person gasped. Why were there so many?! Well...12 to 13 weren't much normally but considering these creatures that hardly EVER hunt in groups of more then 1, 2 is considered a lot and 12 is an battalion. Said group receded to the shadows and slowly pursued after their prey. Negi moved quickly, holding on to Konoka's hand to help her stay balanced as they trekked through the trees. He couldn't believe it, those...THINGS! They're back?! Is it possible that the reason those wards were put up was to keep people away from them? He scratched that thought out of his mind. Konoka said she came here many times before. Had that been the case she either drained of emotions or dead by now. It didn't matter anyway, at the moment they had to GO! Konoka didn't ask questions. Negi was just a kid but he's mature and if he thought something was after them or dangerous, it would probably be best to trust him. They ran through the strangely deserted streets. Where was everyone?...Ok, it's a week off so probably on vacation but that's besides the point. They needed help! Where was Kaede...Ku Fei...SOMEBODY?! Back at the sight, the shadows converged on one spot to listen to the first one to get there.
"Groups...split up...block them...go" it commanded.
In groups of 4, they all disappeared, annoying the onlooker. She cursed silently. She couldn't attack them while they were in the shadows. It would be like attacking air, completely pointless and a waste of energy in the end. She quickly jumped out of the tree and ran in the direction she remembered Negi and Konoka ran in. She had better make it...or else. Negi and Konoka raced past building after building. Negi turned behind to to spot no one...or in particular, no-thing. He came to a halt to catch his breath and to allow Konoka to rest. He had been pulling her along at full speed and it was obviously tiring the poor girl.
"W-We lost them...thank god" he panted out.
"Lost what? Lost who? What were we running from?" Konoka questioned in between huffs.
"There were...ummm...people hiding in the shadows, watching us. I didn't want to frighten you but when they came closer, I knew it was time to high-tail it out of there" he explained.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" she asked.
"Think about it. If I told you there were people with murderous intents nearby, would you have frozen in place or run?" he asked.
"I would run of course!" she said quickly.
"Are you seriously sure about that?" he said.
"Umm..." she thought about it before feeling her head droop slightly "...I...Ye-...No...I-I would have frozen in place" she finally admitted.
"If I hadn't told you anything and just asked you to run away, would it have been easier?" he asked once more.
"Y-Yes...I guess it would have been" she said.
"Then there's your reason" he grinned.
He looked around as she rested. They were in the back part of the school. Maybe if he called out, Sayo would find them and open a window...wait...that might not be a good thing. Ghosts equal strong residual emotions. Dopplegangers EAT emotions, the stronger...the tastier. He had probably just did the single-most WORST thing possible. He might have just led them to a feast. In that instant, he saw them. Shadows had appeared on the ground. to the left...to the right...circling them from the front...and a wall behind them. A sudden scream alerted him to another presence. It was a familiar voice...coming from INSIDE the school. He spun around quickly, staring straight at the wall. Konoka couldn't tell what he was doing. Negi stared wide-eyed. Sayo...did they...get Sayo? A certain pale ghost flew out of the wall, crying her eyes out. She stared at Negi and Konoka for a second before clinging onto Negi for dear life...err...afterlife.
"NEGI-SENSEI! IT WAS HORRIBLE! THERE WERE THESE THINGS THAT POPPED UP OUT OF NOWHERE AND THEY CAME CLOSER AND I TRIED TO GET AWAY BUT MORE CAME AND ONE TOUCHED ME AND THE PART THEY TOUCHED STARTED DISINTEGRATING (She showed her skirt at that point where there were indeed, large holes which made Negi shut his eyes because they were revealing a lot about her taste in panties) AND I TRIED TO RUN AWAY AND THEN I FOUND YOU AND THEN...AND THEN...WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" she cried.
Negi patted her on the head discreetly.
"It's okay Sayo-san, don't cry. It's alright" he whispered so Konoka didn't overhear.
"W-What are those things?!" Sayo cried out, the same time as Konoka.
Negi spun around to see the shadows come out of the ground and form the masks and mounds...wait a minute...
"Y-You can see them Konoka-san!?" he gaped.
He was pretty sure only magical people could see them. Is it possible she had latent magical abilities...well...she IS related to the dean after all and the dean IS a powerful mage, it's not THAT unlikely.
"O-Of course I can! Wh-what are they?!" Konoka yelled out.
"I-It's hard to explain but lets just say they are like that thing from the library" he said quickly, a sobbing Sayo still clinging on to them.
Elsewhere, our shadowy guest panted.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" she screamed into the sky.
"Mahora Academy" came a voice behind her.
She spun around, sword in hand, only to be blocked. A small metallic ring echoed out as Mana put her gun down after blocking the large sword.
"Mana" she said.
"Is trying to lop off my head any way to greet a friend" Mana grinned.
"I don't have time for this. I apologize for nearly decapitating you but there is an urgent matter to attend to" she said quickly before running off.
"Heh, she never changes" Mana smirked as she followed.
Negi grabbed Konoka's hand and pulled her away. A battalion of 24 creatures stood in front of him. He had pried Sayo off and stuck her and Konoka behind him. If he didn't survive, he would make sure they did. 1 charged foward, probably to test his current abilities. It was futile for Negi to fight back anyway. They are EXTREMELY resistant to magic, on par with a newborn dragon. He didn't care, as long as his students...and friends were safe. He charged his fist with as much magic as he could and let if fly. The impact was immense. The doppleganger slid back a good 6 feet but there was BARELY scratch on it. Negi on the other hand felt drained. That had been one of his best strikes and it didn't even faze it. If only he had learned to control Ki like his master. He also noted that he was less worried about his students, NOT a good sign. Looks like they were brimming with confidence now. Negi was no threat to them at the moment.
"Konoka-san...Sayo-san (whispered)...On the count of three...please run away" he said sadly.
"N-Negi-kun?" Konoka asked, horrified.
"Negi-sensei?" Sayo looked equally horrified.
"Please...just run when I count to three..." he said.
"No...Negi-kun...don't do it" Konoka looked close to tears.
Sayo wasn't faring much better. She wished she was alive...she wished she could help him. Konoka was feeling even worse. She felt like dead weight...like the time she had nearly drown not only herself but...GOD! Please! Don't let her relive it...except this time...Negi might not come back. The shadows closed in, all headed for Negi who's emotions were running higher then the other two. Emotions filled with regret, sorrow, and even hatred. They didn't even acknowledge the other two.
"1..." he started his countdown.
"Please...Negi-kun...don't" Konoka covered her ears.
Mana and her friend ran faster.
"2..." he continued.
"Negi-sensei! Please! Don't do it!" Sayo cried.
The two arrived just as the creatures charged.
"3!" Negi yelled.
Before anyone could react, the sounds of rapid gunfire tore through the area. Some dopplegangers moved quickly while many weren't so lucky. Many had holes, punctured straight through them. Negi stood amazed, quickly looking around for whoever had just wiped out a good 3rd of the group. Without warning and faster then anyone's eyes could follow (although Negi could distinctly make out a white blur) monster after monster were suddenly cleaved in half, only the flash of what was possibly a sword was seen. 22...23...24! They all died! Konoka and Sayo were elated as Negi spun around on the spot, looking at every corner. He saw no one.
"Who's out there! Please show yourself! I wish to thank yo-" he yelled out before he heard multiple gasps.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a doppleganger latch onto him . He felt a sudden drain as he fell to his knees. A flash of a sword...a pure white feather landing in his hand...he grasped it...and everything blacked out. It would be a while before he remembers anything. Konoka and Sayo ran quickly over to him as the two saviors disappeared. They did not need the praise. It was their job (although Mana would later say she only did it for free because her friend was so desperate). Konoka grabbed onto Negi's unconscious form and prayed to the gods he was alright. She didn't know what she'd do if he was...dead. He was cold but otherwise okay. Something killed it before Negi himself was killed. She saw him clinging to a white feather and tried to remove it but he held fast. She left it there and picked him up. She rushed to the nearest hospital she could find, Sayo floating along beside her.
Me: And there you have it! chapter 7 and the beginning of the Student Troubles Arc. Hope you enjoy it and also not hate me for practically making filler chapters.
Negi: Let's all hope you don't get ripped apart by your own fans for leaving them for like 3 weeks.
Me: I tried ok! I worked hard on this chapter since I had to basis to ANYTHING and was on vacation away from the computer alot.
Sayo: I wanna know what happens next! Please hurry on chapter 8!
Me: Alright alright, please Read and Review!