As many of you can tell, I'm re-editting some of my older fics because of FF's constant changing of the format.
Anyway, on with the show!
2nd Period.
The weekend came to a close, and on the following Monday, Kuwabara, dressed in a good jacket and pants over a red shirt, (Think his second movie outfit) set out for the train station to Mahora.
The gang, with the exception of Hiei, had all got together to see their friend off, Shizuru threatening to bust his balls if he screwed up. Kurama gave some sage advice about first appearances, Yusuke a farewell punch to the jaw, and Keiko a packed lunch from the restaurant. Genkai actually came to see him off, handing over some scrolls on reiki refinement and meditation techniques, warning him, albeit good naturedly, not to slack off just because it was peacetime.
Yukina asked him to take care, which sent the goofball off on one of his romance-derived sappy reels, and he would have embraced the Koorime had Shizuru not elbowed him on the skull, earning a bout of laughter from all but the object of her brother's affection, who looked around in confusion as Shizuru bodily threw the man into the train.
In the end though, they all waved at him through the windows, his plaintive cries of 'Yukina-chaaaaaaan!' dieing into the distance as the train sped off towards its destination.
'This is it.' Kuwabara gulped, holding onto the rail as the train sped along, 'No going back now.' He winced as he felt his knees tremble, scowling down at the joints in annoyance 'Oh come on! Against demons and deranged humans you stand firm but when it comes down to a simple audition you decided to take up cabaret?'
Sighing to calm himself, the pony-tailed man blinked as he took in his surroundings for the first time, noting a distinct lacking of his fellow man, as it were.
'Did I get the wrong train?' he wondered, blushing slightly as a pair of schoolgirls giggled at him 'Man, Urameshi'd probably be lovin' this, nothin but skirt as far as th' eye can see!' He shook himself, clenching a fist to his face in resolution. 'NO! I can't think like that! For I am Kuwabara, the warrior of love!'
Several schoolgirls backed away as a scroll appeared out of nowhere amidst the tapping of sticks, the kanji 'Fool for Yukina' written across it. The train jostled without warning, causing the passengers to bump into one another, Kuwabara yelping as his arm brushed against someone's bust.
"I am SO sorry!" the former delinquent apologized, bowing for emphasis, earning a giggle from the teen as she waved it away, as if she was used to it by now.
At that moment, Kuwabara's eyes widened as he sensed a surge of energy, followed by a small gale that caused every skirt in the area to defy the laws of gravity. Since the orange haired graduate was still currently bent over, this meant he was given a rather impressive show, which would have made him the envy of every pervert in the country.
Yelping and snapping to attention so fast you could hear the whip-crack, the teen shut his eyes and firmly resolved not to open them for the remainder of the trip, face a deep magenta as tried to forget the image.
'What was with that wind?' he wondered briefly 'It didn't feel anything like Jin's wind, I sure as heck didn't FEEL any Youki…' he blinked as the doors opened, stumbling out the door amidst the rush, pointedly not looking at the girl who unintentionally flashed him. 'I'll figure it out later…now where's the main campus?'
"Welcome back Students!" the intercom announced, "The student counseling committee has declared this punctuality week! Ten minutes to first bell! Lateness will not be tolerated! Anyone late this week will receive a yellow card, so we urge you to be at school as early as possible…"
"Th' heck?" Kuwabara wondered, only to yelp as a veritable stampede of students dashed past, most on foot, some on trams, others making use of their own transportation, either in the form of skates, boards, bicycles and, in one case, a motorbike.
"Whoa there!" the tall graduate barked out, fighting against the tide with the futility of those who aren't Moses, "I said hold it! AGH!" he gripped his head as a girl used it as a spring board, her yellow hair and tanned skin being all he could see before disappearing into the crowd. "Watch it will ya? Huh?"
Staggering as something bumped into him, Kuwabara looked down to find he'd inadvertently knocked over a small child, no more than ten at most, with a backpack and bandaged staff. He took in the pale complexion, the brown hair and the odd clothing, blinking in confusion as he realized the child must be a foreigner and the child's accent as he spoke clinched it.
"Ah! Gomenasai!" the ten year old offered, pushing his glasses straight "I was in a hurry and wasn't watching where I was going!"
"S'allright." Kuwabara replied, offering a hand to help the boy up. He blinked as a shiver ran up his arm when their hands made contact, a sense of bizarre energy hanging in the air for a moment, before disappearing as the boy dusted himself off.
"Excuse me sir," the boy asked "but I was wondering if you could direct me to Mahora Gakuen? I'm running a little late you see."
"Mahora?" Kuwabara repeated, "Sure, I'm headin' that way myself anyways." He pulled out his map, unfolding it and looking over the schematics carefully, "Man this place is big! I've seen towns smaller than this campus!"
"Really?" the boy stated, gazing at the map in awe as Kuwabara brought it down to eye level "Sugoi! I never thought I'd see a campus this big!"
"First time away from home huh?" Kuwabara asked, earning a nod from the boy "Same for me actually." He held out a hand and smiled reassuringly "Kuwabara Kazuma, but you can call me Kuwabara."
"Negi Springfield." The boy replied, bowing and accepting the handshake with an eager smile "I'm glad I'm not the only new face here."
"Yeah well I don't know about you, but I don't feel like being late for my first day." Kuwabara replied with a grin, thumbing over his shoulder "C'mon Bozu, let's get going!"
Later...
"This is nuts!" a redheaded girl swore as she ran like mad through the street, "We can't greet this new teacher AND make it to class at the same time!" She shot a side look to her roommate, who was keeping pace using in-line skates "Why's the Dean making you do this anyways?"
"Cause I'm his granddaughter." The other girl chirped sweetly, earning a sigh from her friend.
"Well if this new teach is your gramps' pal he's gotta be an old fart." The redhead rationalized.
"Maybe not." The brunette countered, "Your horoscope says you'll have a fateful encounter." She nodded at her friend's exclamation of surprise, "It's right here, it also says if you call your lover's name five times and bark he's yours!"
"AW-RIGHT! TAKAHATA-SENSEI! TAKAHATA-SENSEI! TAKAHATA-SENSEI! TAKAHATA-SENSEI! TAKAHATA-SENSEI! ARF!"
Silence reigned as everyone gave the duo a wide berth, the brunette gazing at her gasping companion in awe. "Wow Asuna," she muttered, scratching her head dazedly "I didn't think you'd actually do it, I'm really impressed!"
"Because of my dedication to Takahata-Sensei?" Asuna replied, an aura of fire surrounding her.
"No 'cause you're so gullible." The brunette replied with a giggle, "I made it up, cheese head!"
"KONOKA!" Asuna yelled, jaw slack as she blushed beetroot, causing her friend to giggle and dance out of range.
"Aw, c'mon," the brunette giggled, pulling up alongside her fuming friend, "Can't you take a joke?"
Asuna was about to reply when she heard something coming up the side, yelping as a tall man with a ponytail and a brown haired teen dashed out of an alleyway. "Y'see Bozu?" the man yelled jubilantly, "Stick with me and navigating through crowds is never a problem!"
"Sugoi Kuwabara-san!" the child applauded, gazing up at the man in awe "Are you sure this is your first time here?"
The man cackled loudly and flexed his muscle, grinning down at the teen as he ran; "I've had a knack for findin' places since I was shorter than you bozu, never used to get lost once!"
The boy nodded in awe, before blinking as he noticed the two teens running alongside them. Looking over the red-haired, pigtailed one briefly, he smiled suddenly and nodded kindly. "Sorry to bother you," he offered "but I'm afraid you'll be heartbroken."
Asuna blinked at the comment, letting it set in for a moment, before erupting with such fury she made volcanoes envious. "HOW'D YOU LIKE TO BE BROKEN?" she bellowed, towering over the teen like the wrath of God, which wasn't really all that difficult considering how short he was.
"Nuh-N-Not so much!" the child admitted shakily, stuttering in fear as he realized his error "It…it's just I'm kind of psychic…" he muttered quietly "and your future…"
"YOUR future is looking shorter than you!" Asuna snapped back, earning a wince from Konoka and the taller man as they shot the boy looks of pity.
"I was just trying to help!" the boy insisted, flailing his arms about "I was just trying to warn you!"
"IS THAT A THREAT?" Asuna bellowed, tears of embarrassed rage running down her cheeks, blinking as Konoka tapped her arm.
"C'mon Asuna," the dean's granddaughter implored with a nervous smile "He's just a kid for crying out loud."
"Crying out loud!" Asuna repeated, grabbing the boy's head and lifting him off the ground with s strength that belied her frame "There's an idea! Take back what you said twerp!"
On the Sidelines...
Kuwabara, after marveling at how Negi could get into this predicament, decided to be the voice of reason and settle things down before someone, most likely Negi, got hurt. "Calm down there miss." He asked, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder placatingly, blinking as he sensed something odd about her aura "Negi's young, he doesn't know how to talk to girls."
The redhead glared at the taller man for a moment, only to sigh and lower the flailing Negi to the ground, where he held his head in pain as Konoka fussed over him like a mother hen. "Who are you guys?" she asked, eyeing them suspiciously, "This is the Mahora Gakuen district, it's all girls from this point on."
"The elementary school's one stop back." The brunette added helpfully, smiling down at Negi kindly, causing the ten year old to blush.
'All girls?' Kuwabara repeated, blinking in confusion 'That can't be right, I was told to come to the Mahora Gakuen, it says so on my letter.'
"You feeling better now?" the brunette asked, smiling down as she patted Negi's head comfortingly.
"H-hai, Arigato-gozaimasu." The bespectacled boy offered, bowing to the elder girl, before stepping over beside Kuwabara, who shook himself back to reality.
"You okay Bozu?" the Todai graduate asked, snorting as the boy tenderly patted his head a few times.
"Hai," Negi repeated, before looking up at the man in confusion "Kuwabara-san, are all Japanese girls this cranky or does this one just have issues?"
'Oh this won't end well.' Kuwabara predicted, a thought that was shared vocally by the brunette as her colleague gripped Negi's head in her hand again. He was about to interfere when a powerful aura alerted him to a presence in the window above them.
"Well, well Asuna! Making friends again I…Negi? Is that you?"
"Negi?" Asuna repeated, blinking up at the man in the window in confusion, "Who's this Ne-Takahata-sensei!" she realized, bowing respectfully "I-I didn't uh…he…"
"Takamichi you nut!" Negi yelled out, waving energetically as Asuna gaped at him in horror, Kuwabara following the boy's gaze to espy an older man in the window, dressed in a suit, spectacles and smoking a cigarette.
"I see the welcoming committee found you." Takamichi noted, running his eyes over the group "And you must be Kuwabara-san, Takenaka-san's told me much about you, glad to have you aboard." He smiled back at Negi and shook his head, "Negi-sensei…who'd've thought eh?"
With Kuwabara...
Kuwabara blinked, before looking down at Negi in confusion as Konoka once again voiced his thoughts. "Did…did he just call you…?" the brunette asked, earning a pleased look from Negi as he cleared his throat and bowed.
"My name is Negi Springfield," he introduced with a smile, "I'm your new English professor."
Kuwabara gaped at the child that barely came up to his waist, before flinching as Asuna let loose a burst of fiery, murderous intent, stepping forward and putting a hand on her shoulder again as Konoka grabbed the other.
"What kind of stupid joke is this?" the redhead yelled, attempting to strangle Negi but being held out of reach thanks to Konoka and Kuwabara "You're just a little brat!"
"Calm down Asuna." Takamichi chuckled, appearing not far away, much to Kuwabara's shock "He's brighter than he appears."
"Well he'd have to be wouldn't he!" Asuna replied exasperatedly, shaking herself out of Konoka and Kuwabara's grips.
"You'll find out for yourself," Takamichi continued, "Since he'll be taking over my class from now on."
Asuna toppled over as if struck, before snapping to attention and waving her arms in distress "You're not serious Takahata-sensei!" she pleaded, "If…if he replaced you it'd…it'd…!"
"Break your heart?" Negi supplied helpfully with a raised hand, though he still looked decidedly nervous.
"Yes! Break my-HEY!" Asuna snapped, going form teary-eyed to bloodthirsty in a split-second "SHUT UP! WHO ASKED YOU?" she yelled, trembling in grief and anger as she grabbed Negi by the collar "of all the unreasonable-! YOU NIT! YOU NOTHING YOU-!"
Kuwabara moved to grab the girl's shoulder, only to flinch again as the same surge of energy he sensed on the train appeared again, followed by Asuna's clothing, with the exception of her undergarments, to be reduced to shreds right before his eyes.
"Bear panties?" the graduate muttered aloud, flushing scarlet as the girl's shriek filled the air.
Dean's office...
"Please tell me this is a joke!" Asuna begged, clutching Kuwabara's jacket over herself as she took the bag with her gym clothes from Konoka, changing in a corner of the Dean's office.
"I could," the Dean allotted, playing with his moustache and beard as he pretended not to sneak a peek "But then that would be lying." He turned to the two other males in the room and nodded "Now then, Negi-sensei, your teaching post should be quite the challenge in your training, eh?"
Negi bowed respectfully, claiming he would do his best, whilst Kuwabara eyed the teen in amazement. 'I still can't believe this kid's a sensei at age ten!' he marveled, wondering if it was his fate to be shown up by kids and people shorter than him. 'That aside,' he muttered 'this place has one hell of a powerful aura. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I just stepped into someone's territory.'
"And as for you, Kuwabara-sensei." The dean called out, snapping Kuwabara back to reality "I've heard some rather interesting things about you from very reliable sources." His eye seemed to twinkle at this, "As I said in my letter, we here at Mahora will be glad to accommodate you, but should things not work out we'll gladly help you find a better placement." He smiled as Kuwabara bowed "Also, if either of you are in need of a girlfriend, my granddaughter is single!"
"Thanks loads grandpa!" Konoka replied, striking the Dean sharply with a small hammer to the head, Negi and Kuwabara flushing scarlet, the latter waving his hands.
"T-thanks for the offer n'all, but I'm spoken for!" the former delinquent stuttered, earning a look of disappointment from the dean "Not that she isn't pretty or nothin; it's just well, there's things to be said for loyalty right?"
"Indeed," Konoemon agreed with a nod as Konoka blinked between the two "If only more young men were like you." He sighed and shook his head, "Too bad."
"Hold on here!" Asuna called out, marching back over and returning Kuwabara's jacket with a grudging 'thanks', "Kuwabara-sensei maybe, but I don't buy this little kid being a teacher! It's completely unacceptable!"
"It is not for you to accept Asuna," Konoemon replied sagely, shooting a knowing look at Negi, "It is for I, and I do…for the moment at least." He nodded at the boy "But Negi, if you fail, there will be no second chances, clear?"
"Crystal sir." Negi replied, eyes filled with determination "Only…I won't…that's all. I won't fail!"
"Just what I wanted to hear." Konoemon chuckled, "We'll start the two of you off today, you advisor will be Shizuna-sensei." Looking behind the duo he called out, "Shizuna-kun! You are you there?"
Negi turned, only to collide face first with two rather soft mounds in a white jumper. Kuwabara actually had to fight down a wave of jealousy at the youth's luck, reminding himself that true men don't ogle women when they have a lady to be true to.
"Ah yes, one more thing." Konoemon called out, catching the groups attention, "We're a little short on space, so Negi-kun, you'll have to bunk with Asuna and Konoka until we make some new arrangements.
Kuwabara covered his ears just in time to prepare for Asuna's rebuttal, wondering how in the hell he got into these messes.
well, there's the second chapter up for those who wanted it.
How will Kuwabara handle it?
Will he discover the secrets of Mahora?
And just where'd Botan dissapear to with that parcel?
R&R to find out!