Disclaimer: The following story is a fan made work of fiction. Fairy Tail and Mahou Sensei Negima! are owned and written by Hiro Mashima and Ken Akamatsu respectively. Please support their official releases.
Chapter 8
Exiting the Resort
The echoes of a blistering argument could be heard in the background as Gray and Negi walked towards the Resort's exit. Its sound was distorted, echoing in the portions with stone and falling away in the sections exposed to the false sky.
Negi was dressed in his normal tweed suit, slightly rumpled from continual wear. This was the second day within Eva's diorama and he had worn the piece of clothing for three days. The young teacher plucked at his left sleeve with a hint of annoyance. Syrup from the morning's chaotic breakfast had dripped on it, causing the fabric to stain. He hoped that it wasn't permanent.
Meanwhile, Gray had somehow managed to lose everything but his pants and a new suitcase. The older boy seemed unfazed by it too. He was currently scratching his chest absentmindedly as his head swiveled, a look of bored concentration pasted on his features.
For a moment Negi almost asked for a short stop. It was indecent for the man to be walking around half naked. What if Asuna or Chachamaru saw him?
The thought momentarily froze him in his tracks. Negi knew that he would never hear the end of it if Asuna saw Gray walking around without his clothing. The incident at breakfast had been a close call, and this time she might not be distracted so easily without Natsu around to act as a lightning rod for her anger. She would probably cry out 'Pervert!' or 'Sicko,' punch the older boy and then yell at Negi. She might punch him too! Then Chachamaru would probably... He blinked to himself.
"What would she do?" Negi wondered aloud. Come to think of it, he had never seen Chachamaru in a situation like that. Would she also punch him like Asuna? Or would she only give a giggle and shake her head like Konoka? He didn't know. It would probably be wise to find out, if only so he could be prepared for it in any future situations.
Ahead, Gray held out a clenched fist. "Quiet kiddo. I think I heard the two idiots fighting close by." His stormy grey eyes swept the corridor. "You can bet if I heard them, Natsu knows we're nearby as well. Our only hope is that your girlfriend has him too distracted to care."
A puzzled look fell across Negi's face. What did Gray mean by girlfriend? Is that what you called girls who were friends? Negi had not known that. He would have to let his class know that he considered all of them as his girlfriend's so they would not get jealous of Asuna.
That specific train of thought was unable to proceed any further as he too heard the echoes of Asuna and Natsu's voices. He drew in a quick breath as Gray grabbed him by the neck and jumped to the corridor's ceiling.
"Ice Make: Web!"
A web of crystalline ice sprang into being as Gray's height reached its apex, suspending the two boys from the ceiling. Not a moment too soon either. A few seconds later and Natsu come roaring through the twisting corridor, a screaming Asuna close in tow.
The pink-haired man let out a bellow as a piece of broken stone flew through the air and connected with his bandaged head. It tore through the unraveling stream and caused it to slip over his eyes, most likely blinding him. A loud thud as he slammed into the corridor's wall confirmed Negi's thought.
"Argh! Stop hitting me in the head already. Can't you see the frickin bandages?" Natsu yelled as he waved both arms wildly in the air. "I'm blind! I'm blind and I can't get up!"
"Ha! That's what you get, pervert. I am the Avatar of Chao's vengeance!" Asuna crowed. The young girl had a look of vicious pleasure on her face as she advanced on Natsu. "For the damage you did to her, not even a hundred stones to your head is payment enough."
Her twisted features made Negi squirm, and beside him Gray palmed his face. Neither one of them had any desire to be in Natsu's position.
A flapping noise split the air as she swung her magic canceling fan at her target's scowling face. With a garbled yell as he tore the blinding bits of cloth off of his eyes, Natsu dodged backwards.
His escape did not please Asuna. "Now stay still and receive your punishment." Asuna cried out as she swung the fan a second time. "Take it like a man!"
Scratching his head, Natsu replied in a deadpan tone. "Um... no. Not happening." The fire breathing mage then ducked Asuna's swinging fan and grabbed the girl's outstretched arm. She gave a brief cry of surprise as she registered the fact that he had full control of her body weight. The cry became even more shrill as, with one swift twist of his wrists, and a quick application of force delivered via a kick to her stomach, Asuna was disarmed and sent flying through the air.
She impacted the side of the corridor with a painful 'thump' that made Negi wince. She would definitely still be mad about that when he next saw her. Especially if Natsu was able to thwart her vengeance.
"Kyahahahahaha! Puny mortal, no one can punish the great dragon king Dragneel!" Natsu laughed madly as he did a victory dance around her fallen body. "All who do dare attempt to do so will face a swift punishment of their own." He brandished her fan over her dazed form with a crazed grin plastered on his face. "Now I possess your weapon and you will never get it back until you agree to serve me for a thousand is mine! Mwahahahaha!"
Cackling in victory, Natsu ran away down the hallway for all he was worth still holding Asuna's fan. Asuna took off moments later with a throaty growl of rage. The two disappeared from sight as quickly as they had appeared.
Several moments passed as their sounds faded away. It was tight and uncomfortable in the web and Negi was sure that some of the ice he was lying on had begun to melt. Still, even that discomfort was nothing compared to what probably awaited Natsu when Asuna caught him. There was absolutely no way Negi would ever willingly do anything to anger Asuna to that extent, let alone what he did to Evangeline the previous day.
"They'd kill me!" he whispered to himself. A second shudder ran through his small body as he pictured the two girls screaming for his blood. Gray shot him a look but Negi did not care. The man just didn't understand the depth of their bloodthirsty ways.
"Alright kiddo. I don't know what's going through your head, but it looks like the coast is clear." Gray undid the web of ice pinning the two boys to the ceiling. He landed on his feet silent as a cat while Negi tumbled onto his face, tears springing to his eyes from the force of the fall.
Still, even as he rubbed his face to rub away the pain of his fall, thoughts of magic remained foremost in his mind. Negi had seen that the older boy did not utter a word as the ice vanished. Nor had he made a gesture of any sort. Both were the two most common ways to change and affect magic and their absence lead Negi to wonder if Gray had cast either a nonverbal spell of dismissal... or if he had literally willed the ice to dissipate.
Negi had not seen enough of the other boy's abilities to know for certain but either method connoted a high degree of skill in the Art. Both methods took years of practice to achieve and often required an especially strong talent. It really was a shame that their magic wasn't more similar, Negi thought to himself. He would have enjoyed having a relatively sane magician around able to help him with his own progression; from what little he had seen of the older boy, Negi thought Gray would have fit such a role rather nicely.
As these thoughts ran through Negi's head, he vaguely heard a noise as Gray gave an exasperated sigh from where he was standing. The older boy hoisted his suitcase a little higher and ran his free hand through his dark hair. It glistened with moisture, catching the Resort's magical lighting as though it had a life of its own.
"I swear – either those two are going to end up killing one another, or they'll end up becoming the best of friends and driving the rest of us insane," Gray muttered. "That or she'll somehow fall in love with the idiot. Wouldn't that be a sight. Two idiots sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g~." The last word delivered in a singsong voice, Gray paused and shook his head.
"Nah. Scratch that. Those two are way too similar. It'd definitely be option A or option B." He looked down to where Negi still lay on the floor and pulled the young teacher to his feet with a grunt. "Alright little man, enough laying around. It's time to get out of here."
Suiting actions to words the tall boy strode off down the hallway without waiting for a reply. Negi let out a sigh as he did. His face still hurt, his head was trying to figure out Gray's degree of skill in magic, and all he really wanted to do was hide until Asuna left the Resort. Unfortunately it wasn't really an option as Gray paused to shoot Negi a lazy stare.
The young teacher got the hint and started moving, replying as he did. "You are probably right about the options, Gray-san. Asuna-san isn't the easiest person to get along with at first. I did not really like her either when she and I first met. Actually, I really disliked her."
Thinking back to their first meeting, when he had predicted her love fortune and accidentally blown away her clothing brought a small smile to his face. "But once you get to know her, Asuna-san is a really great person. She's hot tempered and wild, and she doesn't know how to control herself around food or Takamichi, but she is a really loyal person who always gives a helping hand to those around her."
Gray barked out a laugh as Negi passed him in the hallway. "Heh. Those are good traits to have in a friend, Negi. Given half a chance our old guild-master would probably have let her into Fairy Tail in a heartbeat. Especially with that body of hers; the old man could be a lecherous old coot."
The young teacher groaned aloud at that statement as the two came out of the corridor and began walking towards the giant staircase which led to the top of Eva's Resort. What was it with powerful older mages and perversion? It seemed like only Evangeline was immune to it. "You had a perverted old man as well?" Negi asked mournfully. "Konoka-san's grandfather is like that too. It really annoys her at times, and it gets me into trouble too."
The older boy nodded his head sagely. "It's more common than you would think. If you ever see an old mage with white hair and a kind demeanor, just assume that they're a pervert. It seems to go with the territory." Gray then gave Negi a nudge from behind. "Anyway, Negi, I'd worry more about how you're gonna keep Natsu in line when I'm gone. He's been fairly calm today thanks to all of the fights he's had recently, but if he starts getting bored you're gonna get reports of a pink-haired maniac on the loose."
The move and change in topic caught him off guard, causing him to stumble and catch his foot on the lip of the first step. He flailed his arms for a moment as he panicked. Unfortunately, gravity won the battle and he hit his forehead on the stone staircase. Tears sprang to his eyes as he turned back to stare at Gray's bemused face.
"Wah! I hit my head again! Please don't say something like that, Gray-san. That's too mean to even think about. This can't be Natsu-san when he's calm. It just can't be!" If it was, how was he supposed to teach his class, find his father and become a more powerful magician if he was constantly putting out the pink-haired man's fires? It would be impossible! "Please say that you're kidding me. Please!"
Gray's smile widened. He gave Negi a hearty slap on the back, sending the young boy tumbling into the stone staircase once again. "Welcome to life with a Fairy Tail mage, kiddo. Stuff like this morning's breakfast and what happened in the corridor just now is commonplace back home. As Lucy and Erza once said, while you can take the dragon out of its cave, well, you can't get it to change its scales no matter how hard you try."
Tears ran down Negi's face as he contemplated the horror. Breakfast had been an unmitigated disaster. If that was a normal breakfast for Natsu and Gray then Negi didn't know how anyone in Fairy Tail managed to survive beyond their first week. He thought back to it as he and Gray made their way up the great staircase and towards the Resort's exit.
XxX
Breakfast had begun normal enough. In an act of grandiose generosity, Evangeline's servants had put on a massive spread. The small vampire had almost glowed with pleasure after her victory over Natsu. Showing off her charity was just a different, more subtle display of power.
The spread had been an immense affair for only six people. Toast and fresh fruit had been served to each guest with raw vegetables available on the table. Negi had helped himself to a few baby carrots and cut pieces of celery. Additionally, omelets, pasta and glazed ham were served to request by a group of Chacha's overseen by a humming Chachazero.
Asuna's eyes had widened with excitement upon seeing all of the food. Her loud squeal of excitement still lingered in Negi's ears over an hour later. Meanwhile, Takamichi had coughed into one hand and herded the other boys to their seats with a muttered 'beware the hidden hooks.' The glow surrounding Eva brightened at his words.
Chachazero sliced off portions of the ham while her sisters bustled around the table, bearing plates and tableware. Rare tea and coffee blends were provided from Evangeline's personal stocks, and it turned out that the vampire had exquisite taste.
After a period of deliberation Negi had settled on an Earl Gray variation. It had a creamy taste to it which only deepened with a generous dollop of milk and honey. The steamy beverage seeped into his body, banishing any lingering feelings of lethargy. To his right and left Takamichi and Gray drank deeply of black coffee mixtures from South America. Negi despised all things coffee, but the two older men had enjoyed their drinks. Ice had clinked within Gray's mug as the man used his magic to change the beverage to his liking.
His little display caught Evangeline's attention as well. The ancient sorceress had engaged Gray in a discussion on the differences in their Ice Magic. Most surprisingly, Gray had responded rather politely despite an obvious mistrust of the vampire and her motives. The most fundamental difference between the two types, it seemed, was at their source. Evangeline's spells were traditional in their origin, relying upon the binding of spirits to give her magic form and structure. From what little Negi caught, Gray's magic achieved its form solely through his own will. The potential behind such an ability was staggering!
Takamichi had jumped in at that point, stating that Gray's abilities were incredibly rare within the magical world. Negi had then chimed in that he had never even heard of an ability such as Gray's. Takamichi and Evangeline had exchanged glances with one another, with the big man finally stating that there were many secrets of magic not contained within the confines of a book.
A lull had settled over the table at that point, with Takamichi changing the topic of discussion to his impending departure. He and Gray would be leaving that day and would be within Megalomesembria in two days if all progressed according to plan. They would be meeting with various factions and dignitaries within the magical world, with a final stop in Ariadne city.
It was during this lull that Asuna struck. Between mouthfuls of steamed lobster and gulps of iced tea – she ate like an animal – the young girl took Negi to task. Exclamations like 'why didn't you let me know that Takahata-sensei would be in Mahora' and 'that damn Natsu. He's only been here for a few hours and is already a bigger enemy of womankind than that dirty rat Chamo' dominated the tirade. Negi had merely nodded his head dutifully as she spoke. Quiet acceptance was the better part of valor when Asuna was riled up. He had no idea why it worked but the young boy was happy that it did.
Amazingly, it was Gray who saved him before Asuna's anger escalated. After a particularly vocal expression of her ill will towards the absent rosette Gray had gleefully chimed in his assent. Asuna had turned towards him with a joyful look on her face... Only to end up blushing and covering her eyes.
Without anyone noticing his actions Gray had managed to strip down to his boxers and socks. The dark-haired man's impressive physique caused Asuna to scream and throw her glass of ice tea at his face. He managed to dodge it with a puzzled look on his face, only to give a strangled squawk as some of the liquid fell on his bare skin. With a shout of 'not again' he leaped out of his chair in search of his clothes.
Evangeline had been delighted by the spectacle, barking out a laugh as Gray jumped about. The man crawled around beneath their feet as Asuna continued to yell bloody murder and throw every object she could reach. Negi had to dodge a plate of freshly served pancakes that had come in from the hidden kitchen of the Chachas. Takamichi allowed a platter of sliced ham to soar past his head, spearing one with a quick stab from his fork. The older man then gave a sigh as he briefly stepped up from his chair so Gray could grab his pants. The dark-haired ice user gave a sigh of relief as he crawled to them.
Then, with a boisterous yell garbled by the bandages covering his mouth, Natsu had made his entrance. He used Gray's arched back as a stepping stone to throw himself atop the food laden table. Food had scattered about the room as he collided with its sturdy wooden surface.
The laughing man had then torn the bandages away from his mouth as he proceeded to jam anything within reach into his jaws. Fruit, vegetables, loaves of toasted bread and entire lobster tails disappeared into the dark void of his jaws. Negi could only stare in disbelief at the culinary disaster unfolding before him. It was almost as if the man had been raised by animals, Negi had thought to himself. He had absolutely no manners at all!
He stole the ham from Chachazero's grasp. Sticking the entire thing into his mouth in one go, Natsu dodged a swipe of her oversized cleaver. The idiot grinned as he thumbed his nose in the doll's direction. Unfortunately for everyone, Natsu's dodge carried him too close to Asuna's chair.
The young girl had jumped on top of Natsu's back with a scream of 'this is for Chao!' as she hit him over the head with a plate tossed at his face by Evangeline. The pink-haired man let out a pained yell and snorted a blast of fire in Evangeline's direction. The little vampire's satisfied glow had disappeared, replaced by a look of utter fury. Staying in the area would not have boded well for continued survival.
Gulping, Negi had then exchanged glances with his fellow males. A silent look of understanding passed between them, and with a series of muttered excuses, each man left the table and escaped the room. The young teacher had felt the Resort rumble for a brief moment shortly thereafter as he followed Gray back to the other man's room. The pink-haired man was facing a horror beyond all imagining in two pissed off and very angry women, but the man had dug his own grave. It was up to him to deal with the consequences.
Negi had wondered what the man would like on his gravestone. Maybe something with flowers and a water motif. Or better yet, something with dogs. After all, everyone liked dogs.
XxX
All that had occurred two hours past. Other than the one close call in the corridor ten minutes ago, Negi and Gray had been able to avoid the fighting duo with ease. Negi was a little worried by Evangeline's absence from the fight... but not enough that he would dare question it. He and Gray were only a step away from the top of the Resort. Only a few more steps and he could escape this place and get back to the safety of his room. Evangeline would not follow him there and Konoka would protect him from Asuna's wrath. It was his one hope!
Then a voice called out from in front and above him, trashing Negi's faint hope of escaping the Resort without any further problems. Evangeline was floating in the air, her face scrunched up in displeasure. "Ah, Takamichi, the little moles finally overcame their fear of getting whacked on the head." The vampire's sardonic tone went along with her face. "It seems as though the boya and the mediocre Ice magus aren't completely hopeless after all."
Negi's shoulders slumped. Was it too much to ask that he simply be allowed to leave this place without yet another problem presenting itself? Apparently not. He should have known better than to hope for an easy escape after the events of Kyoto. Life never seemed to pull its punches when it came to him, and as he began to cry once again the older boy behind him had a very different reaction.
"Shut it, you old hag." Gray snapped as he reached the top of the staircase. "It's partially your fault that we're so late. Trying to avoid Natsu and that crazy girl with him isn't easy; having to worry that you were in the mix as well meant we had to be extra careful."
Evangeline shrugged her slim shoulders. "Sounds like excuses to me, kiddo. And let this teach you an important lesson: despite my unfortunate run-ins with you and your idiot friend, I am not one often ruled by passion. Letting the two idiots fight each other to their hearts content suits me just fine at the moment. Besides, I would rather pick at the boya's biggest fault right now anyway."
Her eyes settled back on Negi with a cold smile that made him fidget. "Care to hazard a guess as to what it is, my delicious vessel of blood?"
Not really, he thought to himself. But Negi knew he would end up responding sooner rather than later. She was really good at that mean stare which made you shiver, and it was directed at him with full force. After a moment's hesitation he spoke up.
"Um, uh, is it my hygiene? Asuna-san says that I should bathe more but I really don't like it, and besides I haven't noticed any decline in any of my abilities when I don't bathe and think that I actually feel better because I don't have to worry about any soap getting into my eyes and blinding me as Asuna washes my-"
"Wrong!" Evangeline cut him off with a hurried shout as a hint of red began to creep into her face. "Your bathing habits, especially with that orange-haired brat are really none of my concern. Keep that sort of thing to yourself, boya!"
Negi was confused. If it wasn't bathing, then to what else was she referring? "Is it my read hair?" He asked. "'Cause my dad had red hair and he was really powerful, so I don't think that-"
"Hurry up and stop speaking, boya, before my opinion of you takes a drastic turn for the worse. Understand?"
He nodded. It was best to appease her in situations like this one. He tried not to fidget any further as her stare bored a hole into his face. That stare of hers was horrible! Where was Natsu when you needed a convenient distraction? Neither Takamichi nor Gray seemed inclined to help him out, leaving Negi at Evangeline's mercy. Just when he felt as though he was about to panic, the vampire clued him in on her actual thought process.
"It's your physical strength." She finally grated out. "Don't think I didn't see you climbing, boya. You were almost winded by the time you reached the top of my staircase. While it was a good thing that you didn't rely on your magic to take you up here on your staff, even the weakest magister magi could make that climb without breaking a sweat. You'll have to work on that physical stamina of yours if you ever hope to become a mage like your father."
Negi heard Gray give a snort at the words. Lucky him, Negi thought to himself. He doesn't have Evangeline-san mad at him. The stare continued for a while as Negi felt her will try to press him into the Resort's white flagstones. It was thankfully short lived. The vampire placed both hands on her hips and floated higher into the air with a grunted 'harrumph' just as he felt himself start to panic under her stare.
"But that is a discussion for another time, child." She said from her new spot in the air. "If you would see your guests off properly now is the time to do it. The time is nearly midnight in the world outside, and I've played host to all of you for long enough."
Negi hid his smile as he held his head down and nodded. Saved by Takamichi and Gray's departure! He would have to deal with Evangeline eventually, but for now he was safe. He looked back up and saw Takamichi standing close to the Resort's exit.
The big man smiled kindly, brightening Negi's spirit. He gestured for them to walk closer, lighting a cigarette as they all began to move along. The flash of sparks as his lighter came to life was visible even in the bright light of Evangeline's Resort. Negi's suppressed smile flared into being as his old friend brought the lighter to the unlit butt. Who said that all smokers were bad?
Takamichi did not call out to them until they were but a few strides away, taking several long drags on the cigarette instead. When he did finally speak it was with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "I'm beginning to think you might be growing fond of our company, Evangeline. Or is it just the young boys you like and not me?
"Shut it, you fool," Eva snapped. "The day my icy heart melts is still just a pipedream of yours. If the brat's idiot father couldn't do it, no one can." The vampire's brow furrowed as the air around her began to crackle with magical energy. "Do you require me to make an example of just how serious I am?"
Takamichi chuckled as he held up one hand in surrender. "Not at all. Just making a mistaken observation that has since been forgotten."
"Damn straight it is," Eva grumbled. "Now hurry up and get out of here. All of you are an eyesore on my private sanctum's scenery."
"Of course, Eva. We'll be out of your hair momentarily. After all, not even your magic can halt the passage of time." Takamichi replied. "We'll be cutting our time of departure fairly close if we don't leave soon. If we take much longer, well, not even the time dilation of your diorama will be enough and I will have to delay the trip for several days."
He turned his attention away from Eva and turned towards Negi and Gray. As he did, the big man took another drag on his cigarette. The pull finished it off and he let it fall to the ground next to his feet. A solid stomp of his right shoe crushed it, damping its lingering embers.
A few tendrils of smoke rose through the air as he spoke in his resonant voice. "Now that you're here, Gray, we can finally get going. I'm glad that I will be able to say goodbye to you as well, Negi. It will be a long trip and I am not sure when we will be able to return." He paused and focused his attention on Gray. "Have you said goodbye to your companion, Gray?"
Gray shook his head. The black-haired man's brow was furrowed as well, as if he found something perplexing. "Nope, not yet. The moron's still playing with the gorilla girl down below." He jerked his left hand and pointed a thumb in the direction from which they had appeared. "Negi and I didn't feel like interrupting his fun."
Then he paused and let his hand fall to his side. "But before I go look for the flamebrain to say my goodbye," Gray spoke. The man's voice now had a slight edge to it. "What was that first thing you mentioned? You know, the bit about time and all? I didn't quiet catch what you meant by it."
"You mean that you weren't aware of it, even though you've been within the Diorama's bounds for nearly a week?" Takamichi's voice was tinged with surprise as he stared at Gray's stoic face. Negi was interested as to why that was the case. The big man then glanced toward Evangeline as if looking for a signal.
She waved one hand at him and floated higher into the air. "You explain, Takamichi. I wouldn't be able to stop myself from pushing the idiot off the edge if I did it."
"Just try it you old hag," Gray responded. The man's left hand was twitching spasmodically as the right slowly formed into a fist. "I'm still itching to return the kind hospitality you showed me at our first meeting."
Negi felt himself tense as the air's temperature plummeted. Both ice mages were looking one another dead in the eye. Neither one blinked as tiny ice crystals formed in the air.
Then the tension evaporated as Eva gave a soft snort from her position in the air. "I'd eat you alive, brat, and you know it too." The vampire's eyes flashed dangerously. "Quit your posturing already and listen to Takamichi's pretty little explanation. That way no one needs to get hurt and Takamichi can impress you with his vast knowledge of my magical creation."
Gray opened his mouth to respond yet again but was beaten to the punch by Takamichi. "Thank you for that wonderful segue, Evangeline. I especially liked the way you complimented my abilities."
She rolled both eyes at his dry response. "Yeah, yeah. Just hurry up and start the talking already."
The big man was silent for a moment. Then, after coughing into one hand, he began to speak. "To answer your question, Gray, the entire landscape you see around us was created by Eva's magic. We are currently within a magical container possessing a number of rare properties in which our bodies are only a fraction of their normal sizes. It is also why the weather has been perfect during our entire stay and why the air around us is charged with an abnormally dense number of magic particles."
He took a breath and continued speaking. "The final two effects of Eva's magic within this sphere are that once you enter its domain you are prohibited from leaving for one hour's time. The reason being that time flows differently within the diorama, and one hour's time in the world outside is equal to twenty-four hours within its boundary."
The look on Gray's face sent chills down Negi's spine. It was twisted in a pained rictus as a muscle twitched below his right eyelid. Something Takamichi just said had touched a nerve in the black-haired magic user. Negi began to back up as the older boy started speaking in a tension filled voice. It was scary!
"So in a nutshell," Gray spoke as his eyelid twitched faster. "This place is the ideal spot for a magic user to train and harness their energy. Correct?"
Takamichi nodded. Like Negi, the big man looked wary of the odd effect his words were having on Gray. Yet he finished his explanation with his usual cool aplomb. "Indeed. Although it is more of a positive side effect rather than a purposeful design." He pocketed the kerchief and placed his glasses back on his face. The lenses were bright and clear from their cleansing. "Does that explanation satisfy your curiosity?"
"Hurk! A strangled choking noise came from Gray's throat. He staggered as though struck by a blow. Words tumbled from his mouth in a mixed up jumble. "Son of a... why that... of course he... not damn... lucky frickin... argh!" The last word came out as a cry as he pressed both hands to his head.
Negi looked at the other boy in worry. He wasn't making any sense. "Gray-san? Are you alright? Do you need any help?" Maybe Gray was not as sane as he had first thought. After all, Takamichi had only explained the function of Evangeline's sphere. Nothing else had happened, and the sounds of Natsu's fight with Asuna were still a fair way off in the distance. The boy's reaction made absolutely no sense at all.
Curiosity and worry overcame Negi's hesitation. He crossed the short distance which lay between them. It seemed to go well as Gray did not react to his presence. After a moment of further observation he gave the other boy a soft poke in his shuddering shoulder. His finger didn't go in very far; the boy's muscles were rock solid! Surprised, Negi tried poking again as the older boy probably hadn't felt his first attempt.
No reaction. This time he tried waving his hand in front of Gray's head as the boy continued to stagger. It also failed to garner a reaction, so perhaps another type of stimulation was required.
The young teacher cleared his throat. "Um, Gray-san? Are you okay?" Negi asked warily. Something about the other boy's body language was not right. Every muscle in the other boy's body was tensing up as he staggered about. "Should we find Natsu-san and ask him to help you?"
"Natsu?" Gray's shout made Negi jump. "Oh hell no."
Gray's staggered movements stopped as he seized Negi by the shoulders and began to shake him like a rag doll. "That moron gets all the luck. All of it!" Gray yelled. "Do you have any idea how amazing this place is? Of the potential it has? Argh! This place is my dream training ground. A secluded area where the conditions can be controlled to perfectly suit your training regimen whatever it might be. And worst of all, time is no issue!"
A feverish gleam entered his eyes. "Do you realize how much training that bastard Natsu is going to get in here while I work to find our friends? He's going to abuse it like a kid trapped in a chocolate factory! There's no way you can stop him, and knowing him that lucky son of a bitch is going to rub my face in it every chance he gets. Every. Single. Chance. Argh!"
Negi could feel his head spinning as Gray's shakes and yells rendered him nearly senseless. How had he grown so strong? Was he something other than human? The man had the arm strength of a monster!
"Um, Gray-san – ow – I don't – ow – think that – ow –" Negi stuttered out between shakes, "Natsu-san would really – ow, that really hurts Gray-san- do something like that – ow!" Negi broke free of the older boy's painful grip with a force of will and effort. It was a miracle his head was still attached to his body!
He ran and hid behind Takamichi, keeping an eye on the black-haired boy. The other guy had thrown both hands into the air after Negi escaped his grasp and was now laughing wildly. Takamichi's speech had seriously unhinged the man.
"Takamichi! Evangeline-san! Gray-san has lost his mind!" Negi spluttered out as his face scrunched up into a pout. Evil mages trying to harm him and his students Negi could handle. Problems with mathematics, languages, or magic he could handle in his sleep. But a friend driven to hysterics by a simple explanation alone? He had never been trained to handle this sort of situation. "What do we do? How do we handle this?"
"Like this."
Without a hint of warning Evangeline reached down from her place in the air. She grabbed Gray by the back of his collar. Then she threw the man over the side of the Resort in a single easy motion.
Evangeline gave a firm nod of her head as Gray's shocked cries quickly dwindled. "That should solve it. Sorry for the delay though, Takamichi. The little punk was getting on my nerves."
Takamichi sighed as he dug another cigarette out of his pocket. "It's okay. But next time, please try to use another method to calm someone else down."
"No promises."
Negi blinked. Was that all either one of them was worried about? Evangeline had just tossed a man off of a very, very high building. Without first verifying his ability to survive the fall! "Ah! No Evangeline-san, bad! What if he doesn't know flying magic? We have to save him!" If Takamichi wouldn't do anything, then Negi would! He took a running leap with his staff, only to get yanked backwards by a single slim arm.
"The moron will be fine, boya." Eva's voice was calm but firm as she grounded him with one hand. "Tough measures work best on idiot's like him."
Negi wasn't convinced. He still held his staff gripped tightly in both hands, straining against her grip. "But are you sure Evangeline-san? What if you're not correct. What if he's dead right now because he wasn't able to stop his fall?"
"Ice Make: Cannon!"
A shadow fell over Negi as the air chilled one again. His little shoulders slumped. "Oh no."
With a mighty shout, Gray reappeared from over the Resort's edge. The dark-haired man was riding a massive wave of frozen water as he held a cannon of ice on one shoulder. He did not look very pleased. "Take this, ya damn psycho!" Giant blasts of ice shot out at Evangeline's head.
The ancient vampire blocked them with a several arrows of ice, letting go of Negi's shoulder. A look of bored amusement filled her eyes as she shot Negi a look. "See boya? What did I tell you? Angry as a bee and raring to go."
"Ice Make: Lance!"
A sigh escaped her lips as Gray launched his second attack. She blocked it with another spell of ice, creating a shower of snow up in the sky. She began moving towards her fellow ice mage, eyes glowing a faint shade of red. "Okay, that does it." She muttered darkly. "Takamichi, take the kid out of here and head to front of my cabin. I'll send the idiot out as well once I beat some sense into his pea sized brain."
Takamichi eyed the tiny sorceress doubtfully but shrugged his shoulders. Negi couldn't quite tell, but it looked as though his friend was more exasperated than worried.
Either way, the big man placed a heavy hand onto the boy's shoulder and began to steer him towards the Resort's exit. "Just don't use the same amount of force you used against Natsu, okay?" he called out as the two began walking over the bridge. "We really do need to leave within the next hour."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'll have him out and able to walk. His head and upper body are free game though."
Negi himself felt nothing but confusion as he walked towards the Resort's exit portal. Within less than five minutes he had gone from worry about the sanity of a friend, to worry over his own physical safety, to seeing another friend toss the first off the edge of a very high building, to then seeing the first friend pop back up and start fighting the second friend. Were all Fairy Tail mages like this?
"Oi, Gray!" Natsu's voice rang out. It sounded as though the man had just made it to the top of the Resort's staircase. "Don't hog all of the fun. Let me handle this while you take on little Asuna over here. She's more in your league."
"Shut it Natsu. This is for taking my perfect training ground away from me and rubbing it in my face! Ice Make: Hammer!"
"Ah! Screw you Gray. Screw you! See if I ever try and help you out again either. Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!"
Asuna's voice chimed in as well as Natsu's fire met Gray's ice in a series of booms. "Gimme back my fan! And I am not little you pink-haired pervert! Argh!"
Negi quickened his pace and almost jumped through the portal. Any further reminiscing on the insanity of Fairy Tail mages could wait until later. Preferably when he was alone in his bed. The point had been made pretty well in any case. Staying in the area any longer was for fools. Besides, Evangeline was driving the point home rather nicely.
"Welcome to Mistress Evangeline's hell, kiddos. I will be your guide, and our first stop: PAIN. Mwahahahaha!"
Back in the room shared by Asuna, Konoka, and Negi a scene was developing. Konoka had just begun feeding Setsuna her homemade confectioneries, laughing as the swordswoman blushingly protested. The two had shared a delightful dinner with one another. Setsuna had brought it up at one point, wondering where Negi and Asuna had gone to, but Konoka had brushed her off. The princess of Kyoto had obviously seen an opportunity to press her advantage, one that brought a tear to Chamo's beady little eyes.
For unbeknownst to the two girls, Konoka's cooking had been laced with a powerful love potion. Originally created by Negi to help realize Asuna's hopeless crush on Takamichi, it had lain undisturbed for nearly a month. The Ermine thanked his lucky fur that, despite Negi abandoning the idea in favor of more traditional stratagems, the boy had forgotten to properly dispose of the finished product. Chamo had swooped in and stashed the magical chocolate away, waiting for a prime opportunity to unleash their magical power.
"Mmm... the cinnamon buns were delicious, Ojou-sama, but this chocolate soufflé is absolutely amazing! How did you get it to come out like this?"
"Silly Se-chan. With love of course!"
"O-o-oj-o-" Setsuna's stuttered reply sent a shiver of excitement racing through the ermine's fur. "Ojou-sama, please don't kid like that. What would your father think?"
"Ah, don't ruin the moment Se-chan. Just take another bite like me. See? Mm."
Chamo snickered as Setsuna followed Konoka's advice and chewed the bite of soufflé with a ravenous gusto. To her left and sitting with one hand on the swordswoman's thigh, Konoka swallowed her piece with a dainty sigh. It was a near perfect picture of domestic happiness that would soon be turned into the happiest sight on Earth.
Both of his victims had swallowed the bait hook, line, and sinker. The potion was fast acting, meaning that it would not be long before it began to take effect. Chamo had his camera ready to record and a bag of nuts set up in the drawer by his other paw. It was almost time for the greatest show on Earth to begin.
"Konoka-san! I'm home!"
This time, Chamo felt himself cry a little as both girls turned to look at the room's newest arrival. That had been his big brother's voice ringing out as he entered the dorm room. The gods were truly watching over him this evening!
"Oh boss, your timing rivals that of Eros himself," he whispered into his drawer of pilfered panties. "Thank you, boss, thank you! I promise that when you look back on this night, you will feel only warm feelings of happiness."
The ermine had only wanted to enjoy a night filled with girl on girl action. Instead, he could achieve his second highest goal: of making his best friend's first time with a woman instead be with two beautiful, sexy older women. It was like a dream come true!
"Hey, Se-chan, has Negi always looked so cute?"
"He's the most handsome man I have ever seen, Ojou-sama. We should invite him to join us."
"I agree, teeheehee! And oh no, Negi, those clothes you're wearing are all wrinkly. Se-chan, help me get them off of him."
Chamo almost jumped as he fumbled for the camera with his four furry paws. "Oh shoot, the action's starting. Gotta make sure that the tape is rolling!"
Any punishment he received would be worth it. Not even that meddlesome Asuna could stop this from happening.
Two days later saw Negi standing in front of 3-A. His hair was frizzled and both eyes were red from lack of sleep. The edge of his usually sharp suit was rumpled, and the young teacher knew that the eyes of every girl in the room hung on every movement.
He could feel Asuna's glare in particular. The twin-tailed girl looked to be in just as horrible a state as her young teacher, with her askew and uniform rumpled. She still had yet to recover from the shock of walking in on the embarrassing scene caused by Chamo's spiked chocolate. Receiving a talking to from Nitta because of her uniform's sorry state had only soured her disposition.
He shifted his collar higher as her glare burned into his back. Living with her had been uncomfortable the last day. Negi couldn't think of any way to make it better either, so he just continued where he had left off with his lesson.
"When writing in English, one of the trickiest terms to remember is the difference between your and you're. Both words sound exactly the same but have very different meanings." He scanned the room, looking for a student to call upon. He decided to play it safe. "Asakura-san, could you please describe the difference for the rest of the class?"
Kazumi Asakura stood up from her seat in the front of the class with a smile. "Of course, sensei. Could I stand in front of the class to better explain it?"
Negi gave his assent. Anything to keep the girls from looking at him with those burning gazes.
"Okay then everyone!" Asakura said. "You see, the English term 'you're' is most commonly a combination of you and are and is defined as a contraction. It is two separate words combined into one, and you would use it when saying something like 'you're so nice' or 'you're so hot, sensei!'"
A collective giggle ran through the class as Asakura flashed him a smile. It was a muted reaction for class 3-A, with none of the girls other than Iincho proclaiming their heartfelt acceptance of the phrase. It was business as usual, so Negi just returned Asakura's smile nervously. "Continue, Asakura-san. But please try to leave me out of it if you could."
The reporter-in-training nodded her head. "Sure thing sensei, although I think that it helps the class remember it better."
"I've engraved this lesson upon my heart, sensei. Please know that I will never forget the proper usage of your hotness in my entire life."
"Oh... Okay, Iincho. Asakura... please? Could you continue." Negi's plaintive tone must have shown on his face as Asakura quickly followed his suggestion with little comment. He was starting to regret asking the redhead to cover the topic, but he would not go back on his word and pick someone else.
"Of course!" She said with a little hand wave. "Anyway, as I was saying the second term, 'your', is a form of the possessive. An example of how to use it in a sentence would be 'your boat is floating down the river' or 'your sensei is a little hottie, squee!'"
This time the collective giggle in response to Asakura's words was anything but muted. Makie and the cheerleaders burst into a babble, the pitch of which made Negi wince. The twins quickly joined them as Haruna added her two cents in a lower but no less excited tone. Meanwhile, a frothing Iincho burst from her seat and had to be restrained by a ragged looking Asuna. It took Negi five minutes before he regained order within the classroom, nervously keeping his collar up as he did.
When he finally achieved a relative calm amongst the girls he shot Asakura a long suffering look and sniffed a little. It had been a long and torturous weekend. Although neither Konoka nor Setsuna remembered anything, neither he nor Asuna had been able to Chamo's trap out of their minds.
All he said though was a simple, "That was mean, Asakura-san." Not as mean as the punishment Asuna had enforced upon Chamo, but it still hurt a little. Besides, Chamo deserved the punishment. What had Negi ever done to Asakura?
The redheaded girl smirked and moved closer to Negi. Her eyes were fixed on his collar. "I know it was, sensei, but I couldn't resist after you kept such an important secret from us. That wasn't very nice of you either."
Negi gulped as cries once again erupted from the class behind him. Misa Kakazaki was going on about the trust between teacher and students, Yuuna was laughing uncontrollably while pointing at the ceiling, and Negi could see Haruna taking Nodoka by the ear and speaking into it.
Unsure of how to react, the young teacher stood still. He felt like an antelope being hunted through the grass by a pride of lions, with the only visible one slowly closing in for the kill. "Wha-wha-what secret are you talking about?" He finally stammered out as she reached his side. Why did he suddenly feel so warm? "I-I don't know what you mean, Asakura-san."
"Aw, I mean this one, Negi-sensei." The redheaded girl reached over and pulled his collar low for everyone to see. She slowly stroked the visible marks on his skin with a soft, gentle touch of her fingers.
"Why don't you tell us who left all of these hickies on your neck?"
End of the Prelude Arc
Next Time in Fairies of Negima: Asakura feels guilty and tries to make amends, Natsu begins his Mahora adventures, and Negi gets his first teacher.
A/N: So with this chapter I've ended my time in Evangeline's Resort (I'm free, finally free!) and can begin moving the characters around the larger universe of Negima. I am really, really excited to begin writing it.
On a separate note, I was really pleased with how the relationship poll turned out. Several of your choices matched up quite nicely with my own; one did not and will be ignored on author's prerogative; and another made my Beta very happy. He had been pulling for her and your votes made it a reality.
Edited once again by Raiyoukai who recently convinced me to give into my inner demon and make a major plot change to my story. It simultaneously appeases my thirst for both fictional blood, sappy romance, and slapstick comedy. Hurray!
Until Next Time,
Elsil