Author's note: I do not own Negima or any of the characters. All from Ken Akamatsu, author of Negima! Magister Negi Magi.

Miyuki-chibi : Im glad that you liked it. Thank you :)

manticore-gurl071134 : Yes, Lol Reality and I are huge Setsuna fans. And haha, not quite, but I'm glad that they give the desired effect. :) Well, here's the next chapter to satisfy your curiosity, but it will probably end up making you all the more curious afterwards. Thanks!

Chapter 4: Call II

- Ring -

- Ring -

All I did was run. Run and run and run deep in the forest not knowing where i was heading My legs just wouldn't stop- or rather, I wouldn't let them stop. I knew I was getting closer to whatever it was that was ringing which grew louder and louder as my pace hastened. Huge trees were standing everywhere I looked, blocking the view beyond them. I ducked and weaved through the roots and branches covering my path, unknown reflexes and instinct barely keeping me from falling flat on my face. But then I stopped. Huh? I can't hear the ringing anymore. No- I can no longer hear it, but I can feel its presence. How is this happening? This feeling goes deeper than my current memories can keep up with.

Slowly, I took another step and scanned the area. It was dark and I could barely recognize anything. Patches of sunlight leaking through the trees was all I had to aid me as I began to run again. I can't stop. Not when it's so close.

- boom! -

What? I spun around, trying search for signs of the sudden explosion, and spotted a thick, dark smoke reaching up high towards the sky. It was from the direction I came from. A fire? I stared at the smoke for a moment before, my mind blank, not registering what was happening. Then I ran again.

"Mizu, RUN!"

For a moment, my heart stopped beating and my body froze when I heard the voice and reality hit me. Caira-san?! Her white coat was nowhere to be seen, her black tank top revealing her heaving shoulders and her arms caked with blood. She was barely standing with her two legs shaking from the pain she felt. Suddenly, a blue shimmering light surrounded her right hand. A look of grim determination spread through her features.

"No, Master! STOP!" Another voice cried out from the corner.

Mizu! As I braced myself to run to the direction of the two women that saved me, healed me, helped me recover, something big, black, and very mean-looking entered my vision. Its body easily filled the clearing where we were standing, its menacing wings big and strong enough to level a building. Its yellow eyes were locked on Caira-san, and, for a moment, my breath hitched. Dragon.

I should be scared. I should be horrified. My mind was thinking of several different reactions that would have been normal for anyone who found themselves in point blank range of a dragon, of all things. But my body had other ides.

It should have been clear that I wasn't thinking clearly when my muscles began to tense. In fact, I wasn't thinking at all when I felt my legs kick off and I found my right hand reaching out. But.. reaching out for what? My eyes grew wide when the dragon made a sudden motion, and I saw its large, spiked tail swing swiftly towards Caira. Before I could even think of crying out, screaming for her to get out of the way, for her to please not get killed, I don't want her to die after everything she's done for me, I felt something solid enter the grip of my right hand, which swung up to the right, slicing clean through the large tail. The dragon wailed loudly in pain, and that's when I snapped out of it. My mind suddenly regained control, and it was then that I registered that Caira-san was now behind me, staring at me with eyes wide in shock, confusion and.. admiration? I stood in front of her, wondering what the HELL just happened, when I was suddenly aware of a weight in my right hand. Looking down, I saw a magnificent sword, a nodachi, long, powerful and menacing. I could feel its power flow through my arm and into my body, and I knew this was what was calling for me all this time. This belonged to me. This was a part of me.

Only one word entered my mind at that moment, and it felt like a splash of ice cold water.

Yuunagi.