"Good morning girls!" said Negi.
The class decided to meet in front of Chao Bao Zibefore dispersing for the summer break. An eventful and sometimes bizarre times since Negi showed up as their professor.
"Where did you disappear to?" asked Asuna in her motherly tone.
"Nowhere important," smiled Negi.
Asuna shook her head.
"Since this is probably the last time the whole class will meet until the summer break is over, I like to see if anyone has advice on my improvement as a teacher," said Negi.
The whole class looked at each other and did not know how to respond.
"I will go down the list and you can say anything then about your experience so far with me," said Negi wishing this time the class would not look confused.
"Professor why are we meeting here?" asked Chisame as she yawned.
"You will see," responded Negi.
"Looks like another late night I see," said Chacha to Chisame.
Ayaka stood up and smiled, "Professor you should not change much. You are young and it is your first year as a teacher. You did a wonderful job."
"Stop sucking up to him," smiled Asuna.
Ayaka whipped her head around toward Asuna with fire in her eyes, "I am not sucking up to him."
"Sure you are. You still not getting close to him as long as I am here," said Asuna.
"Why you!" said Ayaka making a fist.
"I would not do that if I were you," said Kaede.
"Calm down class rep," said Negi.
Ayaka turned her head and was smiling brightly at her professor.
Negi looked at his feet and a strange note was there. He sense magical properties within so he decided to wait until everyone left. Yue and a few others noticed Negi.
"Is that what I think it is?" said Negi to himself.
"Professor I hope we have the same fun after summer break," said Fumika.
"Yeah I would like that a lot," said Fuka.
"You girls still need to hit puberity," said Kasuga.
"Well let me tell you why we are here. We did lose a classmate in Chao-san, but her memories will live on in each one of us. So to reflect on her and the past few months, I am here to let everyone have what they want. My treat as your professor," said Negi.
"Master what are you going to have?" asked Chacha.
"Nothing for now," replied Eva as she watched Negi.
"What about that note?" said Chacha.
"Oh you saw that too. Interesting reaction by him would you say?" said Eva.
"What do you mean?" asked Chacha.
"Nevermind!" smiled Eva.
Negi headed toward Library Island with his staff tucked behind his back. All the girls that knew Negi was a mage watched him walk away from the class.
"Where is he going?" asked Ayaka who was the only one not in the Negi group to notice.
"Ah knowing him! Probably off to sulk or something," said Asuna.
"What did you do to him that he is sulking?" accused Ayaka.
"Nothing class rep," replied Asuna.
"Yue-san? Where is the professor going you think?" asked Nodoka quietly.
"What? You do not know? Did you not see the note? Bet it has to do something with the note," said Yue.
"Well it seems that he is...," stuttered Nodoka.
"Do not worry bookworm. If it is the note will we find out soon after everyone leaves," said Asuna.
"You saw him leave master?" asked Chacha.
"Yes!" replied Eva.
"He looks troubled," said Chacha.
"He should be. And Chacha why do you care so much?" eyed Eva.
Chacha blushed, "It is not what you think at all master."
"Really?" replied Eva as she got up and snuck away off to her place with Chacha.
Ayaka, concerned that Negi left without saying a word, asked Asuna, "Why did he leave us?"
Asuna knowing that she did not want Ayaka involved with Negi replied, "Oh he had to do something else I guess."
"Well I thought since he was staying with you and Konoka-san that you might know more," replied the class rep.
"What do I look like? I am not his keeper," said Asuna.
Ayaka looked worried now and stared off toward the remaining girls in a daze.
"Oh crap the class rep is scared now," said Asuna to herself.
"I know you do not like my attitude toward the professor, but you could have at least trust me enough that I would do anything for him," said Ayaka.
"I know you would that is what troubles me. You may know things that I cannot tell you about, but when it is time I will tell you all I know. Just have faith in Negi-sensei," said Asuna.
Ayaka just closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. "Alright I will again trust you to know what is best...for now. But I will also not stop in my pursuit for him," smiled Ayaka.
"Of course...hey wait you," said Asuna.
Ayaka wandered off toward Chizuru and Natsumi who was sitting next to Kotaro.
"She will be fine Asuna-san," whispered Setsuna.
"I know that, but it is tearing her up inside not knowing what is going on. And I am not just talking about the current rose thing either. She cares for Negi. But I am scared of what she would actually do if she found out if the brat was a true blue magi. If the brat got injured or severely wounded in front of her eyes she would melt emotionally," lectured Asuna.
"She is stronger then you give her credit for," said Yue.
"He has too much on his mind as it is. A ten year old should never have this amount to have. He might do something that we all will regret and cannot save him," said Asuna.
"Is that the truth or is that your fear for Negi-kun?" said Haruna.
"Probably both for her. He tends to want to go solo on things and not put us in harm's way. The question is if he does something so bad, could we ever forgive him," replied Yue.
"The love that some might feel for him will vanish," said Haruna looking at Nodoka and Yue.
"I guess we have to trust and protect him from doing something bad," said Nodoka.
"Anyway, should we track the idiot down or leave him be?" asked Asuna.
"We could always track him," said Konoka.
"Give him a couple hours then will ask Mana-san to help," said Setsuna.
Negi was lost in thought as he somehow wandered at the Tatsumiya shrine. He looked up at the shrine and sighed.
"So professor why have you come?" said Mana softly.
Negi looked behind him and saw Mana holding her usual gun by her side.
"Out patrolling again?" asked Negi.
"Yeah the dean asked so anything for money," replied Mana.
"Ah yeah," replied Negi.
"You look troubled. Come with me," said Mana.
Negi followed her to the shrine.
"Sit and I will be right back. Have to change clothes. Cannot look like this while being a shrine maiden now can I?" said Mana.
"I suppose not," responded Negi as he sat down to a table.
A few minutes later Mana had on her shrine clothes as she brought tea with her.
"So what is on your mind?" asked Mana.
"This is the first time we talked since the festival I think," said Negi.
"Yes it is," said Mana as she sipped her cup of tea.
"Anyway, I was just thinking about all of the class and the rose thief. As well as my pactio partners," rambled Negi.
"Did I not tell you that love does not belong on the battlefield? That can alter your emotions in deciding things," said Mana.
"I know that, but it cannot be helped," said Negi.
"So you are worried about Nodoka-san I see. Her not having any offensive capabilities is a disability in battle you know. I cannot quite figure out her and her pactio yet, but it seems she would lay her life on the line for you the most out of all of them with the exception of Asuna-san," said Mana.
"Yes I do not want any of them injured. I thank you for that at the festival as well," said Negi.
"My purpose was not to injure anyone at the festival. It was to keep them away so Chao-san could have done what she desired. But it failed because of you," said Mana.
"Not just me. Your classmates as well," smiled Negi.
"You should not gloat," smiled Mana.
"But I am concerned now what the rose thief is planning on doing. So far it has only involved Nodoka-san and me. I do not want the others involved if necessary. That is what I fear that they would become victims," said Negi.
"I see. Well why would they have to know what is going on then?" asked Mana.
"Because...," said Negi.
"They are your friends?" said Mana.
"Yes and as a teacher, they are my students like yourself," said Negi.
"Yes well I think I am a little more unique then them," said Mana.
"Well you do have the experience more then even me. But how can I seperate them without them getting involved until I settle whatever the rose thief is planning?" asked Negi.
"Experience huh! Well just say enough if you have to. Avoid them if you need to. And, just finish what you have to do quickly," said Mana.
Negi drank his tea and sat staring at the shrine walls. He rubbed his eyes and passed out. Mana looked over and shook her head.
"He has not slept much lately. I will just leave him be," said Mana as she got up to fetch a blanket for her professor.
"So where the hell did the brat go off to?" asked Asuna.
"He is not in the library," responded Nodoka.
"He is not at Library Island either," said Yue.
"He is not in his office," said Chisame.
"He is not in the dorm," said Konoka and Setsuna was nodding in agreement.
"So where did he go?" asked Haruna.
"That God damn kid. He knows we would protect him if anything was coming for him," said Asuna.
"Calm down. If he is concerned about something, he just needed time to think," said Yue.
"This is just like him when he went off with you and bookworm," said Asuna.
"No it is not the same. This is probably about the rose," said Nodoka.
"The...rose?" stuttered Asuna.
"Yes. I cannot go into more detail, but I think from the note that the thief is planning something. He might needed to get away from us just in case the thief was about to do something," said Nodoka.
"But we could have handled it," said Asuna.
"You know better then most of us how he his with us. He wants to protect us from harm at any cost," said Nodoka.
"I know he keeps saying he wants to protect us. But, we are stronger then before Hermann and maybe even Kyoto," replied Asuna.
"But, we are just new with this. Maybe the thief is stronger then even we can imagine. Just be patient with him until he is ready to ask for help," said Nodoka.
"What if he never ask?" said Asuna.
"Then just be ready to protect him if needed," said Nodoka.
"You are sure maturing bookworm," said Asuna.
"I do not think I am," replied Nodoka.
Nodoka wandered toward the very last place nobody looked. The Tatsumiya Shrine was covered by the forest surrounding it. Negi appeared right in front of Nodoka.
"Oh Nodoka-san, what are you doing here?" asked Negi.
Nodoka, lost in her thoughts, looked directly at her professor and smiled, "We all were looking for you?"
"I did not mean to worry you all," replied Negi.
"You keep doing that," said Nodoka.
"What do I do?" replied Negi.
"You keep us all at a distance. You said it was to keep us safe. But, professor we chose to be with you. I chose to be with you," said Nodoka as she blushed.
"It is not always intentional. I just do not want anyone to get serious injured. This is my responsibility as your teacher," said Negi.
"And as our partner?" asked Nodoka.
Negi looked down at his feet, "I know I should trust everyone, but it is so hard to see you and the others get injured because of me."
"Negi-kun this is what comes with being you. I know that it is dangerous and I am willing like everyone else to put my life in harm's way just to protect you. You would do the same for us. So let us do this for you," lectured Nodoka.
"I...," said Negi as Nodoka hugged him.
The rest of Negi's group huddled within the dorm's bath as they had a hard day of searching.
"Where is bookworm?" asked Asuna.
"She said she wanted to check one more place," responded Haruna.
"One more place? Did we not check everywhere possible?" asked Konoka.
"Well we did not check the temple. But, would think Mana-san let us know if he was there," said Setsuna.
"That kid is so freaking driving everyone batty," said Chisame.
"He is not that bad," replied Yue.
A bright light swirled behind the girls as it was coming towards them. Setsuna quickly took Konoka's hand but unfortunately both of them vanished.
"What the hell?" said Asuna.
"Where did those two go?" said Chisame.
The bright light returned again and this time it took Yue and Haruna.
"We better get out of here," said Chisame as she got out of the water.
The light returned and took Asuna.
"Oh crap," said Chisame as she tried to dash into the girl's changing room.
Unfortunately the light got her right before she could enter the room.
"What was that?" asked Natsumi coming out of the changing room.
"Oh my! I do not know," replied Chizuru.
"What light?" asked Ayaka.
"You did not see a light?" asked Natsumi.
"Could just be a reflection from the water," replied Ayaka.
"If you say so," replied Chizuru.
Negi and Nodoka entered the dorm and saw a note stuck to Negi's dorm door. It read as follows:
To Negi and Miss Miyazaki,
Some of your classmates have disappeared very recently as you read this. Meet me under the World Tree immediately upon reading this. Bring her with you or else.
Signed, The Rose Thief
"Damn it. The thief somehow has Asuna-san and the rest," said Negi.
Negi took Nodoka's hand and ran down the stairs and out of the dorm.