Magister Negi Magi is owned by Ken Akamatsu and Kodansha Ltd. Tokyo in Japan, and by Funimation and Ballantine - DelRey in the United States, NOT by me.

SPOILER ALERT! AU story occurring after c189.

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"I wanted a Pactio with Negi because I thought it would be fun and cool. Events during the English Culture Research Club Trip dissuaded me of such ideas... for the most part!"
-Haruna Saotome, as told to Kazumi Asakura. Author of: "One Million Steps : A Journey to Megalo-Mesembria and the World Beyond."

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Ala Alba in the World of Magic: Tales From the Fireside.

Chapter Twelve: An Artist Summoner.

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There was not even time to really understand what was happening after the flash of light faded. Just enough to perceive a crushing brown mass, to scream in mortal fear, and then nothingness.

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"TIIIMBEEEEER!"

Jay Lane Cabot III gave the standard warning just before making one last cut with his Zanbato. The artifact weapon severed the final portion of the Ofuda tree with a nearly inaudible 'shwi-chink!' that meant that much more cash once the season's harvest was complete.

Slowly at first, then with increasing speed, the huge bough obeyed the laws of physics and began it's inexorable plunge to the ground. With a thunderous crash, the tree hit, bounced once, then hit again and started a slow roll as it settled.

Wiping at the sweat-soaked auburn hair clinging to his brow, Cabot watched with surprise punctuated by horror as a sudden flare of magic half-way down the length of the trunk signaled the termination point of a teleportation spell. A cut-off scream followed, and before any of his nearby companions could shout or move a muscle, he dropped the Zanbato and was sprinting along the length of the still settling trunk.

Arriving where he expected to find a crushed body, Cabot instead saw an unconscious, dark-haired young girl, protected for the moment by a slowly collapsing fold in the ground. Jumping in, he grabbed the girl under the shoulders, and heaving against the increasing weight, pulled her free just as a branch snapped somewhere and the tree's weight flattened the fold into non-existence.

Sitting there, holding the raincoat clad, surprisingly well-endowed girl in his arms, happy he'd managed to save her, Cabot was completely unprepared for the next words he heard.

"Pervert. You'll do anything to get a pretty girl in your lap. Won't you Jay?"

Cabot, congenitally unaware of where his hands were beginning to wander, looked up at the Kit-Jin mage he was trying to court and gave a sigh of frustration. "Ma'ii, how many times must I say it, I only have eyes for you!"

Ma'ii watched with amusement as the girl in Cabot's lap suddenly woke up. Her fear-filled eyes traveled up to meet Cabot's, then back down to where his hands were. There was a moment of pregnant silence, then the girl jumped up shouting and swinging. Cabot tried to follow her, but she sent him back to the ground with a wild but solid right hook.

"Stop touching me you dirty old man!"

Understanding the intent, if not the words, Ma'ii managed to restrain her reaction to a quickly muffled chuckle. Several others, gathered at her shout for help after Cabot ran off, did not. They gave unrestrained laughs and moved to assist the Estimated Prophet's self-proclaimed lady-killer, his pride wounded more than anything else, back to his feet.

While several normal and interestingly animal featured people moved to deal with the pervert who'd been fondling her, Haruna Saotome backed herself up against the tree she'd somehow managed to avoid being crushed by. Fighting her rising panic at the unfamilliar surroundings and the apparent absence of any of her friends, she scrambled desperately through her raincoat's pockets to recover her Pactio card. She summoned the artifact, then her 'Minion Number One,' and finally realizing no one was trying to attack her, calmed down enough to simply hold the golem back as a guard.

Ma'ii walked over to Cabot while keeping an eye on the slightly calmer, but still obviously frightened summoner-girl and her golem. "You perverted idiot! You've scared her so badly you're lucky you're not dead!"

Cabot rubbed at his jaw. "What? How could that girl hurt me?"

Ma'ii sighed in frustration. "How you ever became a Minister Magi with your lack of magical knowledge I'll never understand." Pointing behind Cabot at the girl he'd felt-up, she waited until he turned to look before continuing. "That girl's a summoner! What if she's called something that might actually be able to whack your sorry magic-channeling behind! At the very least, if she hadn't held her golem back, you might have been hurt. Since Elina's missing, we're short crew for this harvest as it is, so we can't afford any more injuries!"

Haruna felt calmness pushing back her fear as the girl with red and white-tipped fox-ears and tail continued to berate the idiot who'd been touching her. Neither of them, or any of the others standing around seemed angry at her. If anything they seemed curious, even concerned. She began to let herself relax until a slight commotion drew the attention of everyone standing around watching her.

Walking down the length of the fallen tree, escorted by a tiger-striped cat-girl and an older gentleman whose rugged good looks could potentially send Asuna Kagurazaka into heat, was a mature woman with reddish-blonde hair. In dress, age and bearing, the person seemed so much like a feminine version of Takahata T. Takamichi at Mahora, Haruna found herself putting the Imperium Graphices completely away and working to make her appearance presentable.

Haruna pulled several twigs and leaves from her hair as the woman held a brief conversation with the fox-girl, who pointed at her several times, speaking in an excited tone as she did so. When the conversation finally ended, the woman signaled her escort to stay behind, and walked over to stand before her. Growing increasingly self-conscious under the woman's measuring, slightly intimidating, brown-eyed gaze, Haruna straightened up one more time and waited to be spoken to.

"Ala Alba?"

Haruna pointed at the tiny white wing pinned to her chest and the woman nodded. "Yes Ma'am. This is my membership badge."

"Interesting. I recognize your language. Are you Japanese?"

Now Haruna nodded.

Making a sweeping gesture with her arm, the woman indicated the surrounding forest. "This is Dragon Clans territory. Forbidden normally even to Magic World inhabitants, much less someone from the Normal World." Crossing her arms, the woman focused her gaze on Haruna. "Why are you here?"

Haruna recognized from the hint of a threat she heard that the question was a command, not a request. Keeping her gaze level with that of her interrogator, she gave a brief explanation of the English Culture Club field trip, of the gate port battle, and of all the friends who's fate was unknown to her. Her manner and the content of the answer to the question seemed to please her interrogator, since the woman slowly grew more relaxed, and eventually held out her hand.

"It seems you've had quite the unfortunate adventure. Well then, I'm Katrina Adenaur. Captain of the Estimated Prophet."

Haruna took the offered hand. "Haruna, Haruna Saotome. Student Number 14 in Professor Negi Springfield's Mahora Academy Class 3A Homeroom." Adenaur gave her a slight start with a mildly shocked reaction to the use of Professor Springfield's name. Many of the people behind the Captain certainly seemed to recognize it as well, since they started talking quietly amongst themselves.

"Miss Saotome. I once knew a man by the name of Nagi Springfield... Might your professor be his son?"

Remembering stories she'd heard about Negi's father and his possible enemies, Haruna hesitated to say anything. Watching Captain Adenaur for a moment though, she realized the woman's expression was one of deep sadness, not anger, and decided it wouldn't hurt to answer the question. "Yes Ma'am."

Katrina Adenaur stared through the strange girl standing before her, focusing on long forgotten memories. ("Father always said it was a mistake to get involved with Nagi. Now, I can throw this girl in the bay for entering a normally off-limits area, or help her and get involved again.") Warmth and fondness for a person very special to her meant she really had no choice. "Miss Saotome. My first officer Ma'ii Kumagami says you're a summoner. How good are you?"

Haruna watched the fox-girl bow as Captain Adenaur turned slightly to introduce her. Pride made her want to brag about what she could do, but the Captain's expression made it very clear such bravado would NOT impress her. "I've just started Ma'am. I've helped Professor Springfield several times in rough situations, and can summon several types of golems useful in a fight. I've been practicing regularly, but my basic magical abilities and the staying power of my golems still needs work."

Adenaur smiled at Haruna's honesty. "I take it then that you're Professor Springfield's Ministra?"

Haruna shook her head. "No Ma'am. Just a provisional partner."

Adenaur raised an eyebrow and glared at Haruna. "Are you the only one? Or does 'Professor Springfield' have other provisional contracts?"

Now Haruna, as she counted out Negi's Pactios on her fingers, began to worry again. "Um... seven Ma'am. Including me."

"All girls I suppose?" At Haruna's nod, Adenaur began rubbing at her temples. "Like father, like son. Already a lady-killer." After glaring for a moment at Cabot, who flinched even though he didn't understand Japanese, she returned her gaze to Haruna. "Right now you're half a world away from Megalo-Mesembria. There's only two ways out of here Miss Saotome. Traveling through territory controlled by Dragon Clans who won't take very kindly to your presence, or staying with me and my crew to help with harvesting several more of these trees. That means you work or you don't eat. I'm short the right kind of mage for the specialized work I need, and since you, as weak as you say you are, are the closest thing I'm going to get for a replacement, I'll make you an offer; Work for me until we finish this job and I'll transport you to a place where you should be able to start looking for your friends, or get a ride back to the capitol."

Haruna blanched a bit, ("Work? Real work? This is supposed to be a vacation! Phooey...") then sighed and gave a bow. "Thank you for your offer Ma'am. I'll do my best to earn my keep."

("Interesting. It seems 'Professor Springfield' is also like his father in choosing people who aren't afraid to work!") After a slight tilt of her head to acknowledge Haruna's bow, Adenaur turned to her first officer. "Ma'ii, take Miss Saotome to camp and give her Tradespeak, then get her set up with a kit so she can stay in Elina's old tent. When you're finished, take her out to the bay overlook and find out what she can do."

Ma'ii nodded to accept the order. She gave Adenaur a questioning look and received a subtle positive answer, then waved at Haruna to follow while Captain Adenaur started shouting at Cabot and the others that the show was over and they'd better get back to work.

After Ma'ii took care of her and she was settled in, Haruna finally realized a distressing point as she followed the Kit-Jin woman towards the place for her abilities test. "Miss Kumagami? I know I may not like the answer, but what happened to Elina?"

Ma'ii stopped walking without looking at Haruna. "Are you sure you want to know? You're right about not liking it."

"She's dead. Isn't she." Pushing her glasses back on her nose, Haruna allowed anger to creep into her voice. "Did you ever plan on telling me!"

Ma'ii flinched slightly at the accusatory statement before turning to face Haruna. "The Captain intended for me to ask for your help after I made my evaluation of your abilities, but only if you'd proved capable of doing so." Ma'ii gave a resigned sigh. "There's no proof of any foul play, but Elina is missing. We're certain it wasn't one of the crew, so that leaves..." Ma'ii stopped speaking as a faint, roar sounded in the distance. "...them."

Haruna groaned. Having heard such a roar at a most uncomfortably close distance not so very long ago, the definition of 'them' was easily understood. "Wonderful... Not even in Magic World more than a few hours and the people who claim they want to help me are using me as bait to catch a dragon..."

Ma'ii nodded and shrugged, then suddenly gave Haruna a grin and a clap on the shoulder. "Now now Miss Saotome! I saw that excellent golem you made earlier. I expect we'll find out with your test there'll be less personal danger than you think!"

Haruna gave Ma'ii a look that said she didn't share the Kit-Jin's confidence. "I've barely started into magic! How could I possibly decoy a dra...gon..." Taking out her Pactio card, Haruna stared at it for a moment, then excitedly summoned her artifact and began flipping through the pages until she found the one she wanted. Holding the sketchbook out for approval, she received a pleased smile in response.

"Oh my yes, Miss Saotome. I expect you'll be quite safe!"

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Having never really considered where paper-based magical items came from, Haruna found her education over the next several days informative, if not especially interesting. Cheap, easily replaceable or expendable magic paper items could be made by various artificial means, but medium to higher quality versions of the same items came from the bark, meticulously gathered cutting by-products and the outer layers of an Ofuda tree's wood. Pactio cards, things like her artifact, and paper for magically binding contracts came from the next layers, and lastly, things requiring the highest quality paper, along with certain wood-based magical items and artifacts, came out of the heartwood. Everything was processed in ways she didn't pretend to understand, held in storage somehow, and distributed like anything else might be sold. The strangest means of distribution, one no one she talked to understood, seemed to be controlled by some form of syndicate involving Ermines like Negi's familiar Chamo.

Something else she realized quickly gave Haruna a small shock. Most of the crew from the two ships, with exceptions like Captain Adenaur, Ma'ii and a few others, were weaker even than her as mages. Adenaur's comment about being short a mage, even in a world Haruna thought filled with mages, had been serious. Some of the work involved in harvesting the Ofuda trees could be done through non-magical means, but with magical help, it could be done safer and more efficiently. As weak as she was, being looked at as 'strong in magic,' provided a confidence boost, and instilled in her a desire to be worthy of the grateful looks those she helped gave her.

After a rough start, Haruna modified her 'Inferno-Aniki' to reflect a character in a movie she'd seen once. That golem's flexibility, though it initially caused a few worried looks, along with using her 'Mob-o-Chamo's' to help pick up and collect the results of trimming and cutting, quickly made her very popular with the harvesting crew.

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"Haruna. The Captain wants to see you."

Pausing in directing her 'Chainsaw-Aniki,' Haruna looked over her shoulder as the Kit-Jin Ma'ii walked up to where she and several other crew from the two ships were preparing another cut trunk for transport out to the Cyclops. "On the ship?"

Ma'ii nodded.

Haruna recalled her golem, pulling a towel from her belt after she did so. Even with the cool climate she seemed to be in, the unaccustomed, extended use of her magic to direct her summoned creatures was proving as much a workout as physical exercise might be, with the same, sweaty results. "I wonder what for? Am I doing a bad job?"

Ma'ii shrugged. "Personally, I think you're doing great. After you overworked and passed out the first day, then got sick and had to stop the second, you've found your pace and have been doing fine. We should only finish a week late now, instead of the two or three we expected after Elina vanished. Also, if you've been practicing your magical basics after work every day like the Captain insisted on, then it shouldn't be anything bad."

Finishing with the towel, Haruna pulled it back through her belt. "Okay. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Keeping a safe distance from Jay Lane Cabot, who had come to replace her, Haruna jogged down the hill towards the bay where Estimated Prophet was anchored. Summoning her Jet-golem, she rode out to land on the ship's forecastle, recalled the golem and moved as quickly as she could towards Captain Adenaur's cabin.

Katrina Adenaur watched again as a recorded sequence of images on the MNN Mahonet site showed a young boy she'd not seen for nearly a decade wrecking the support columns at the Megalo-Mesembrian Gate Port. ("Negi...") A sharp rapping on her cabin door ended her reminiscing. "Come!" After Haruna Saotome entered, she motioned for the Paper-Summoner to sit. "Please watch this..."

Haruna leaned forward as Adenaur turned a desk monitor to face her. She watched the events play out on the screen with rapidly growing irritation as Professor Springfield was shown destroying the gate port. When the monitor began announcing the posted rewards, she couldn't restrain herself anymore and stood up to point angrily at the monitor. "Tha... THAT'S A LIE! I didn't see everything that happened, but I know Negi didn't do that!"

Swinging her chair to the side, Adenaur continued to watch Haruna out of the corner of her eye. "For the moment I'll accept your word on this. I'm sure you understand the position I'm in though. The amount of Ofuda we're harvesting is only permitted once every twenty-two years. Accordingly, the amount of profit potential from this trip make Cyclops an inviting target, and is the reason for the presence of my ship. If there's any hint of someone being a spy for any of our rivals or other ambitious groups, I have to deal with it immediately."

Haruna wanted to start shouting her rage at Captain Adenaur, but the unfortunate logic of the statement held her in check. "Fine then! I'll leave! Just point me towards the nearest city and I'm gone!"

Adenaur gave a pleased smile that seemed to make Haruna that much more angry. With the exception of a certain smiling idiot eleven years ago, she'd always been an excellent judge of character. What she saw now was exactly what it looked like, a teenage girl, angry and upset at the smearing of a respected teacher's reputation, not the anger of someone caught in a lie. "No."

Haruna felt her indignation lessen instantly with Adenaur's one syllable statement. "What? I thought..."

Adenaur interrupted. "You thought wrong. Didn't I say I accepted your word on this? Stop being so irrational. I concede I was testing you just now, but you haven't disappointed me."

Haruna completely deflated and sat back down. "I apologize Captain Adenaur, it's just..."

Adenaur sat back and closed her eyes. "You have feelings for your 'boy Professor,' right? The Springfield men do tend to inspire that in their companions, unfortunately."

Haruna gave Adenaur a confused look. "Why... How do you..."

Adenaur stood up and walked over to a small cabinet. "Let's just say I have my own reasons for helping you, and leave it at that." Reaching inside the cabinet, she pulled out a small heraldic device, a winged shield with a crossed 'flask and vial' in the center, and walked back over to pin it to Haruna's chest below her Ala Alba badge. "This is my and my ship's signet image. You don't quite fit the 'catalyst-mage' heraldry, but this badge will let everyone from both ships know that you have my trust, and are part of the crew. They'll not bother you about the reward notice either."

Haruna sensed some significance she didn't quite understand about having Captain Adenaur pin the new badge below the membership symbol for the Ala Alba. "Thank you Captain."

Adenaur leaded back against her desk and crossed her arms. "Now! Tell me how your lessons and that other job I assigned you are going!"

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His scheme to convince the Clan Elders the Hu-Jin group from Ariadne couldn't be trusted was falling apart.

By killing one of their mages, he had hoped to put them so far behind in their schedule they would make some mistake of protocol in trying to complete the Ofuda harvest in time for a normal departure. The Elders would be outraged, such poor stewardship would be called into question, and he would be able to put forth as new stewards a group from another kingdom he had been promised support in his ambitions from.

Unfortunately, the Catalyst Witch of Ariadne had surprised everyone by simply requesting an extension of her permit to stay, and then continued her crews work as best they could. Worse still, a new mage had somehow bypassed the patrols of his compatriots, and arrived to provide help. A young female, the Hu-Jin was weak as a mage, seemingly capable only of summoning and controlling simple golems. Still, her efforts were useful enough that after a little more than a week, the harvest was nearly back on schedule.

He was going to have to kill again, in violation of the truce clause in the seventy-five year old harvesting treaty, and it still might not salvage his plans.

In addition to her work, the mage had taken to perching herself on a rocky overlook jutting out into the bay for some kind of meditation to finish out the day.

After studying the female in a clandestine manner for several days, looking for a proper excuse and an opportunity to attack her, he finally found one in the 'scent' of her magic. She was tainted by the 'Maga Nosferatu.' Weather she was directly controlled, or tainted by indirect casual association mattered not, such a stain was all the excuse he needed to kill her... for 'the good of the clan,' of course.

Arrival in the homeland found her perched atop the old Watcher's Hill. Below in the bay were two ships she knew only by tradition, not being alive during their last visit.

Launching herself into the air to go find a clan elder to petition for help, she noticed two things; A dark-haired, familiar girl sitting on a rock along the shoreline of the bay, and a mature dragon, with the markings of her clan, swooping down out of the sun, obviously intending to attack that girl.

While the girl was not a close friend, the presence of a classmate in dragon clan lands was the reason she'd found out about the trouble her teacher was in. As such, an obviously stealthy attack, even by another member of her clan, could not be permitted without first knowing the reasons for it. A slight maneuver to aim, a rollover and folded wings, and she began a near vertical dive to intercept Haruna Saotome's attacker.

Haruna finished her magical skills practice and took out the sketchbook she'd purchased in the ship's store on the Estimated Prophet. Turning past several pages of drawn portraits of the ship's crew, she arrived at her sketch of the ship itself. Having no real idea how and why the ship was there, with none of the crew willing or able to talk about it, she had decided to make as detailed a drawing as possible, to show everyone when they met again, in the hope someone would be able to identify it. On the bow, below and slightly forward of the ship's anchors, was the number '137.' Finishing that detail, along with those of equipment mounted on the ship's bow and along it's forecastle, she began to flesh out the rough markings she'd previously made of the ship's superstructure.

("HARUNA! GET DOWN")

Haruna snapped her eyes up at the 'sound' of mental voice crying out in her head. Turning to look up the bay towards the faint rustle of leathery wings, she saw what earlier would have been an unavoidable death. Having been in such a place recently, but this time better prepared to avoid it, she simply watched with growing excitement as a plan finally came together.

With a loud shriek of challenge, a dark, indistinct form flashed in from above, impacting with the approaching dragon and driving it into the surface of the bay.

Haruna ran out from her hiding place as the huge impact plume of water crashed down over the rocky point and crushed her decoy golem out of existence. Out in the bay, the two dragons were screaming at each other so loudly she had to cover her ears. Their thrashing, violent battle began to foam and boil the water so much she finally had to retreat, or risk getting soaked by the resultant spray.

("I don't know why you attack this one, but you'll WILL leave her alone!")

("Guardian? Why are you here!")

("It matters not! The Geas allows it, and I am here!")

(Fine! This one is tainted by the Maga Nosferatu! If you are free of the Geas, and seek to protect her, then you must be tainted as well and shall suffer the same fate!")

Haruna watched in morbid fascination as some of the water spray began showing a pinkish tint. She'd seen cats fight, even lions and such on TV, but the shear scale of two creatures as large or larger than a horse fighting as viciously as cats dwarfed anything she'd ever imagined. The smaller, black dragon clamped down on the larger's throat, even as it clamped down on an arm, and both sank out of sight into a deeper area of the bay.

She could feel the bones in her arm starting to crack from the bite-pressure of an opponent who outclassed her in size and experience. Even with an arm paralyzed below the elbow and useless, her grip on his throat was still the superior position. To save the life of a classmate, all she had to do was endure, and victory would be hers. ("YIELD! Or I'll not be just the Guardian when this ends!")

Weather he died now or gave up, his actions would be called into question, and his position as Chief Advisor to the Clan Elders lost to what would be seen as a questionable, but still legitimate challenge. For anything to be salvaged at all, he would have to add yet another crime to his list, and fulfill his threat to kill the designated guardian of his clan's greatest enemy. ("Ne... NEVER! Not to a pup less than half my age who abandons her duty!")

With a snap that presaged a stab of nearly intolerable pain, her arm broke. ("MAMA! MAMA, FORGIVE ME!")

Shouting from the direction of the harvesting camp and the faint 'gonging' sound of Estimated Prophet's alarm reached Haruna's ears as she slowly climbed out onto the rock her decoy golem had been perched on. A dark stain was beginning to spread across the now calm waters of the bay, and as she watched, the small black dragon burst through the discolored area. Struggling and obviously hurt, the dragon slipped back under the surface, but managed to pull itself back up once more.

After first arriving in the Magic World, Haruna would have watched, helpless, as the dragon drowned. Nearly two weeks of hard work, constantly using and controlling her golems, had given her the confidence to unhesitatingly send one of her creations into a hostile environment. That black dragon, (Was it the one who had called out to her? If so, how had it known her name?) had attacked an opponent larger than itself, apparently thinking it was defending her. How now could she not now do everything within her power to help it out?

Inferno Aniki sprang from Haruna's artifact and into the bay.

Like a backhanded slap to the face, the shock of water attacking the paper-based golem hit her. A punch from Fei Ku had once instantly defeated the Inferno Aniki. Now Haruna held it together, fighting against a more insidious attack and a growing pain between her temples, as it swam out, looped an arm around the black dragon's neck, and began the trip back towards shore.

Looking like the end-stage of a quickie, low endurance golem, the Inferno Aniki pulled it's objective ashore, and was allowed to collapse into non-existence. Haruna wanted to collapse as well, until she saw the black dragon's mangled limb. Pulling off her shirt, she stumbled forward to try and stop the bleeding, but tripped over a rock and fell. Crawling on her hands and knees the rest of the distance, she pressed the shirt to the dragon's bleeding arm and began to apply pressure. The dragon cried out in pain, and she realized the mangled arm was also broken. "I'm sorry! I... HELP! SOMBODY HELP!"

("Don't worry little one, we'll take care of her.")

Haruna, keeping as much pressure as she dared on the little dragon's arm, sat back and looked up. Two more dragons, bigger even than the one now presumably dead at the bottom of the bay, loomed over her. How both managed to approach without her hearing them was something she just couldn't find the strength to care about. Turning slightly, she saw Jay Lane Cabot and several others, armed and cautious, spread out nearby. Completely unfounded reassurance from a creature bigger than an elephant, along with the pounding in her head from excessive magic use, made her not even care if that pervert protected or molested her. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH ADVENTURE FOR ONE VACATION!" Dropping her eyes, she saw the black dragon looking at her with a pained, though grateful expression. She smiled at it, then gave a resigned sigh. "I wanna' go home..."

tsuzuku

(-)

Author's Notes:

For the purposes of 'Ala Alba in the World of Magic,' there are two broad types of dragons.

Beast types. No better than any other agressive predator.

Intelligent types. Possibly capable of shifting forms. Filia Ul Copt, from Slayers: Try, would be an example of an 'Intelligent' dragon.

About Estimated Prophet:

It is 'Estimated Prophet,' and NOT 'Estimated Profit.' The reason is old and steeped in barely remembered gaming lore. My best recollection is it was to confuse the ship's enemies. I believe there was also a bit of 'vague prophecy' involved.

Estimated Prophet and her crew are original characters, created by me and other friends for fiction I wrote and gaming I did back in the early nineties.

Don't worry, I like my old characters, and the new ones I've created for 'AAitWoM,' but they and the ship are just here to provide support to Negi's girls in their quest to re-unite with each other.

You can expect to see them, a few other new characters, and Kazumi Asakura's friends T'fa and R'th again.

To give a bit of an idea how a picture can be worth MORE than a thousand words, everything I wrote concerning the Estimated Prophet, fiction, background material, forty-plus character profiles, (only a few will appear in 'AAitWoM,') and a two-disk soundtrack, all sprang from just a single picture in an old J ver. copy of 'Dragon' gaming magazine, and track II, "Rush! Issei and Yohshi!" from "Giant Robo the Soundtrack II."

Katrina Adenaur's heraldic symbol, a winged shield with a crossed 'flask and vial,' is also the symbol for the "Catalyst Magic" school established by her family in Ariadne. (My creation.)

About using ships in the World of Magic:

'Why use a ship when you have flying whales and teleportation magic?' For the same reason you'd use one in the normal world. Cost.

Would you send a warehouse full of goods by 747 or Whale-ship from one place to another? If you were a mage, would you want to spend your day sending construction materials to their destination by teleportation magic?

Priority shipping, the closest thing in the mundane world to 'teleportation,' is for just what it says; An important part or document, or Chamo's 'anti-doll' equipment from the storage depot for the Claunada Magic Knights. Bulk goods, however, do have to move, and if you're not in a hurry, then 'bulk shipping' is the cheapest way to go.

KA would never deal with it in Negima, it is such a 'mundane' thing after all. I deal with it here only in the sense that Haruna encounters people who are involved with the 'mundane' work that holds Magic World together.

After all, Not everyone in Magic World can be a Nagi Springfield, Jack Rakan, or a Fate Averruncus, now can they?

Ofuda tree harvesting: (The following is for the version of Magic World in 'AAitWoM' only.)

If you make the concession that even magic cannot create something permanent from nothing, then non-summoned magical paper items have to come from somewhere. (Haruna's golems being some form of summoned spirit based on paper.)

Limited harvesting of Ofuda trees occurs in various places, but large scale harvesting, in the area with the densest concentration of such trees, (Southern Sabrina, an area controlled by various Dragon Clans,) only occurs once every twenty-two years. In exchange for the privilege of securing a large number of Ofuda trees, the Dragon Clans receive payment from the harvester in various goods and services the dragons are unable or unwilling to provide for themselves.

(-)

Haruna's in a bit of a pinch! What will happen to the Summoner girl?

For Chapter 13: Surely you can guess!