Recycle Bin

by CFTW

Used for tossing of ideas, stories and skits.

19. Chapter 19: Alternate Blossoms

I know some of you are going to be unhappy to see this story numbered amongst the ones being "Recycled" here. But I do aim to complexly re-written, when I have time for it that is. I do aim to make quite a few changes. Not the least of which being to change it's overall rating.

Title: Alternate Blossoms
Category: Anime/Manga » Negima! Magister Negi Magi/魔法先生ネギま！
Author: C F Winchester Finalage
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Angst
Published: 07-31-10, Updated: 10-16-10
Chapters: 7, Words: 53,531

Chapter 1: i Prologue: Shades of light

O-2-X

Welcome, one and all, to my newest work. Okay, heads up before you go anywhere. This story is rated "M". See? That means business. Don't stand there staring at it all day. If you feel you are mature enough, forget it. Just know you were warned. I was told to stop holding back, so...be afraid if you wish.

This story focuses on Anya, taking the present day one step at a time. In other words, this is eight years after "Young Negi: An Applied Approach" is set. Of course, the Prologue goes a bit before then to explain certain things.

That's something though, you know that you can't select "Anya" in the character selection list? That angers me! Bah! She is important, why isn't she there... am I the first whose tried to center around her?

Welcome to "Alternate Blossoms"

I do not own Negima. ~Finalage.

+-YN-+

Prologue: Shades of Light.

+-AB-+

It had all happened so fast. It's hard to explain the pounding in my heart. Eight years...is a long time for anyone to have to wait. Too long. Even for one such as I. A vampire...yet in the end, Fate, whom had been so cruel to me, to both of us...would find it in their heart to bring us back together, even if in such a way as to once more turn the world upon it's ever so sore heels.

It all started, just like any other; like an ordinary, sunny summer day...

"Oh come on Eva-chan, it'll be fun! You always stuff yourself in this musty old cabin anyway. Come with use to the Magical world this summer. Get some sun for that skin of yours."

Eva shook her head, looking up from the circular in her hands into the smiling face of the owner to that annoying voice. Asuna Kagurazaka had hardly changed at all, hadn't she? Stupid Hellas and their slow aging process. How old was she by now? Thirty something?

"When, when... Asuna, will you learn to leave me alone during the summer? I have a life to live you know."

Still, to the race she seemed to have borrowed her clock from, that only meant somewhere about eight or nine. Eva would have many more years of Asuna knocking on her door, every single damn summer, to go to the magical world with her and the gang for their annual vacation bid.

"Live my life my ass. You spend just about all of your time locked in here. You're free from this place, yet you don't budge. You're like...well...an emo lolita...Negi-"
"Don't mention that name. You use it every time to get me up and about. It's worn out by now..."

I suppose one could say I was afraid. Every year, I found myself inexplicably drawn to the Cosmos Tree, where I would spend nearly all of my time...just sitting there. It was like a drug, that tree. An addictive, powerful drug, sending me on a high that I both hated...and loved, with a passion.

It felt too much like him.

Negi Springfield. The one boy...damn, I almost called him a man...that had reached across hundreds of years of common sense, and with a single swipe of his hand, sent me into gaa gaa land with his eyes. His father had been one for that kind of skill too...but he had not been quite right for her...

The tree also seemed to activate her pactio. It still stayed as that shard of light, but near that tree, she could swear she saw the faint lines, tracing up into it's number and design, but then, it could just be her eyes playing tricks upon her.

"...Hello! Earth to Eva! Heeelllllloooo!"
"Gah! What the hell!"

Asuna had scooched over so that her face was right up against Eva's, her eyes blurring into one mass of red in Eva's sight. The chibi vampire flailed, attempting to regain the distance her wandering mind had let her lose. Asuna just smiled, putting her hands on her hips. Those eyes danced.

"You know, I could still give you detention."
"...Like that scares me, what the hell can a gym teacher give me detention for when I'm hardly ever there? Didn't I technically graduate anyway?"
"Technically being the key, Eva-chan."
"Yeah, well those gym clothes annoy me. They're uncomfortable, and the sun... it's too bright...besides; you're an annoying gym teacher to begin with. Laps and volleyball is such an over-ratted summer approach. Even that pool is confining...and I'm a vampire!"

Sighing, the other rolled her eyes at Eva. Why the hell had they gotten to this again?

"Listen, all I asked you was if you were coming this year-"
"God. If you're going to annoy me like this again, fine. I'll come if it will shut you up."

I suppose I was always one for a strong approach. I never liked to show weakness...the magical world was the one place I found myself the most vulnerable. Here...it was impossible not to think about that little fire headed boy, the one who had stolen my heart and left me with his.

Ostia was a busy place this summer...noisy too. It always was, but this year seemed especially so. There was a sense of hope in the air that made me bow my head and shrink. I wanted to hide. In times like these, I pulled the ever-increasing veil of technology over me as an escape.

Oh no, don't get me wrong, I was no Chisame. I mean that I would literally stick earphones in my ears and let the music play...but if it were possible to damn one of these things, I would. I chose the most ironic songs to play sometimes...so much so, I feared it had a sarcastic personality.

Shuffle was my enemy. Right then, as we approached the main gates to Arika's home, It started to play a piano solo about love or something or other, just as my eyes came to rest on the tree. There were no words, but the tune said it all.

I'd throw the damn thing against the wall, but then I'd have to deal with the silence...that, and the noise. I suppose it was just as well.

"Ahh! How nice of you to join us again, Evangeline-san."
"...and to you, yah poor misguided priest."

It was the Vicused again. Nothing, nothing... ever seemed to change.

The first day was hell. I always hated political pleasantries. Maybe that was why I had always ran to hide, when I was little, and my father had company...those days...

I wouldn't let myself think about them. Still, I found them coming back, more often than ever. Maybe is was because I had shared them with another...again with these eyes.

As night fell, I managed to escape from the confines of inside. It was too hot, too bright...too many memories. Nagi had been bright today, he had. Reminiscing about the past, particularly, about their last battle, "good old days."

Okay. I suppose I'm a softie. Or maybe you could call me sensitive. I kicked him dead in the center and left in a huff...or at least, I tried to. Stupid idiots, their decorator had to put a vase right where I was walking.

"Of the day's annoyances, I name these." ...is Negi would have said.

If I had known... that on that day, I would get him back...would I have run the way I had?

"Eva-chan..."
"Please, just be quiet. I can't deal with you right now."

The night was deep, and the breeze was cool on her face, refreshing. Still, Asuna didn't notice the relative peace. She only watched Eva's hair get played with by the wind.

Forget about being the "retired" Mistress of Darkness. Eva felt things just as deeply as any other, and somethings she felt even deeper. Behind that puppet master's guise, there lay a vulnerable girl.

It was her best kept secret, it was. Not so much of one to the gang, but to the outside world...

"...You really did love him, ehh?"
"...Honestly, sometimes I doubt you have a brain, Asuna."
"Okay, so that was a stupid question. Sue me."
"...Sure, how much you got on you from that paper job of yours, five yen?"

Asuna hissed as if the other had thrown scalding water in her face. Her voice was strangled when she answered, and for once, a small smile appeared on Eva's face.

"I, I didn't mean literally, Eva!"
"Hmm, too bad, I'll have to drain you dry then."
"W-wait...wait! D-don't look at me like that!"

What could I say? She was too cute like that. Of course, I strung her out. I almost caught her too, as I lunged at her, starting a little game of cat and mouse right there on that balcony. Guess who was the cat?

...I suppose Asuna isn't as stupid as she looks after all. She knows just how to get someone out of a slump...even if the result isn't to healthy for her. After all...the alternative was too grim for the world.

We both tired quickly though. Myself, I just wasn't the same anymore since that nine hundred years crap. The two of us ended up heaving, near The Cosmos Tree. Today, this year, it was slightly different.

Every year it seemed to grow a bit in power, and now...this day, it was almost shining. The others had decided to picnic under it after I had taken off. Damn. I just couldn't get rid of them, could I?

Whatever, sue me, but I sat next to them. My pactio, as I had come to call it, throbbed in a skirt pocket. It had always intrigued me, how it responded to that tree. It was almost as if it were the boy.

No, scratch that. If the boy turned into a tree or something ridiculous like that, I'd probably cut it down, or kill it. Don't go being all half assed. That was my motto.

"You know, this thing is shining just like The World Tree when it reaches it's magical peak, you know? Remember that?"
"You mean the wish legend?"
"Well, it's not a legend per say. We both know it's a solid truth. Maybe this tree is exactly like the other one, hmm?"

The world tree and it's legend of wish granting...she had not thought of it before...looking up, Eva noticed that everyone had stopped talking. All of them were staring at her.

"What... do I have egg on my face?"

Of course, I was playing a fool. I knew exactly why they were looking at me. A wish. If this tree could grant wishes...could it bring back...?

Of course, they were all expecting me to try, or deny any thought of it , only to sneak here in the midst of night. Well, like it or not, I wasn't so shallow. I had resigned myself to my fate, thank you. Arika had done it for me though, wistfully wondering what it would be like to have her first son back.

Oh yes. I say first son. After Negi had disappeared, the woman had spent nearly a year in the comfort of friends and family. He job was to quiet the suspicion, and she did so...but she couldn't deal with it all alone.

She ended up spending a lot of time with Alberio. It was his son too after all...Nagi seemed uncomfortable around the two of them. It didn't take long before he began taking little missions out into the field...

I suppose you can guess what happened after a while. Nagi only comes once a year now to visit Arika...like I do. Rina...she seems to be the source of all the questions I hate.

Rina and Sara. Twin sisters, and annoying as all hell. Especially when they asked about their brother...

As it got later into the night, I think my heart got heavier. I wasn't sure. Like I said, I had always thought it had long been gone. Every time something happened, somehow, it showed me that it had survived. Negi had once said he felt sorry for the organ, his and hers. Both of them had voided their warranty, due to the sheer amount of "shit we put them through."

It happened as we were leaving, packing up. Normally, I leave a picnic first, going off into the night. This one though...I felt I had to stay, even as the others partook in drinks and food that I could not. Of course, I did not extend any kindness to help pack up.

I hadn't eaten anything after all, hadn't I?

Behind me, that tree glowed ever brighter, it was shining by now. Perhaps that was what spurred the haste in two sets of short legs, the two sisters running along ahead. I hung back, the last to stand, the last to gather their wits.

I guess in the end, temptation was my saving grace. My hand reached and brought out my pactio, an item shining bright, and looking whole, I swore it did. Behind me, the tree responded, turning night into day with it's light.

One can't help but whirl around to that kind of change. My card was ripped from me in a high pitch of wind, taking it up into the skies as the tree in front of me...exploded it seemed, for lack of a better word.

Magic is a very funny, fickle thing. It's prone to do things...things called miracles. A shaft of light shot up, higher than I could crane my neck. It was as if it was trying to reach out to it's counterpart with a plea. The leaves, glowing pink, shook from the branches, swirling about in the high wind...I found myself in the midst of a storm.

Still, I wasn't afraid. Why should I be? People yelled behind me, mainly guards, thinking attack. The screams of two children, the sisters...delightful fear, I have to admit... Besides them, all was silent as I watched those leaves fly about me, no, swirl would be a more proper word, caress might even work better.

I couldn't see. The light faded so fast, it was as if someone had pulled the plug. Silence as I opened my eyes. The feeling...was gone. No longer could I feel the boy all around...no longer did I have that pactio...it was gone. The tree...had become bare of any leaves... I could tell you that was the lowest point I had reached...but I won't.

Why? Well, because something chose that moment to fall from the sky, slamming none too gently unto the ground with enough force to kick up dust...I sounds stupid, I know, but that fall sounded so familiar...

One month later...

"Fuck. Like a damn cat, I am."
"Whoa. The first word out of his mouth is a curse."
"Ugh. Don't ask me what you're going to ask me."
"Do you know where-"
"Shit, don't you listen, do you? I told you not to ask. I'm on Mars, most likely in the concussion ward of Saint Judes Royal Hospital, fourth floor, room 434. The date is most likely July 27th, 2010, and it's about 6:45...maybe about sixteen seconds along...PM. If I am correct about the date, then my voice sounds stupid for one reason, I'm a fucking teenager, and it's cracking. Anything else you need Doc? Do you want me to recite the current members of Ostian office too?"

Needless to say, the doctor took a cautious step back, and, just to make sure, he glanced at his watch. On the dot, almost exact. He got the day right, but the time was a bit off. He would have left it along, but another person spoke up, a blonde haired girl.

"Actually, it's 6:48, Negi...but still...eighty five points."
"You know, that's a beautiful voice to hear all of a sudden, too bad the view of the ceiling is so ugly...well, there we are. You haven't changed one bit."

She hadn't, but he had. It seemed that he had taken up the mantle he had always turned into with his vampric illusion, only he seemed to look better, if younger. Perhaps that was just life. The boy's eyes zoomed about the entire room, taking it all in. He zeroed in on his mother though, and his eyes looked at the two girls next to her.

"Okay, could someone please tell me why she's pregnant, and there are two kids I don't know next to her?"

At this, everyone turned to look at the queen. Pregnant? Where? Negi however shook his head, casting his eyes to the ceiling while Eva watched, intrigued. The boy always seemed to find a way to control a room.

"Don't bother interrogating her, she probably didn't know herself. You're maybe... three days along, woman. You did something stupid while I wasn't around? Who're these two girls?"

Arika sputtered, casting a fervent glance at Alberio that Negi didn't miss. He rose an eye to the red headed man, who just smiled and gave a single wave. Good, no shame. Negi noticed that Nagi was in the room, but Arika brought him back to her, and back into his bed with a crash, upon her news.

"These two? Well...they're your sisters...Rina and Sara."
"...Shit. Excuse me while I go into another month long coma please."
"Oh no yah don't! I've waited too long for you!"

Negi, staring up at the ceiling again, smiled at that, and spoke from his position, muffled by the pillows.

"Oh, right. You may exact whatever punishment you feel you need to for...is it eight years? Damn, I'm in for a world of pain. Oh well, can't say I don't deserve it. Oh, and mother, would you please slow down? Why the hell go for four kids?"
"I-I..I didn't plan this! What makes you so sure anyway?"

Ahh, he loved it when his mother got all flustered like this. Like it or not, she needed to learn that he wasn't one to control by her means...that, and he felt it was payback for all those villagers. He looked up from his pillow, only lifting his head. He spoke to Alberio first.

"There is something called a condom, dude. As for how I know, your face, the sputtering of guilt, and the fact that I just can. I'm your son, I just finished making a world and I'm tired as hell, and I can just feel it, your magical aura is a dead giveaway. Take a preggo test in three days or so and you tell me, or you could wait for your period to fly by, missing you by miles. Ahh well. Where's Anya and Alma?"

He always did know how to make an entrance. Although, I suppose it was his mother's own fault...yet, all jokes aside, he sobered when he found out about the situation surrounding his two charges. He listened to the news about everybody else with interest afterwords, but one could tell that the disappearance of those weighed on him.

He couldn't say he was surprised. Asakura became a first responder for a news station in China somewhere. Konoka took over for her grandfather as head of the school, retiring the old man and placing her favorite bodyguard in as her own personal protector...Asuna worked as the gym teacher there, also something that didn't surprise him, while Yue apparently had become a traveling Anthropologist...and actually was one of the early ones when it came to love.

Although, nothing was truly official about her suitor, and the tight lipped young woman was just that, tight lipped. At least there was no wedding finger on her, but there was a sparkle of what one could only assume was an engagement one. Nodoka was still looking though...she held a steady secretary job for a law firm however.

Satomi was head of the Mahora's science department as a faculty member, no surprises there...although she liked to indulge in tests of wit against other staff members, particularly one dark haired history teacher, but once again, only speculation there.

Chisame was actually one of the sadder ones. Although, not too sad. After going a little too far one day in trying to edit an international poll, she had been caught and imprisoned, only to be released about a month later to be enlisted in the intelligence department for England or something...no one really caught many details there.

"...So much time...lost. I feel cheated. I feel like all the peaceful times have flown me by, and now I only sense unrest in the future. unrest which I'll have to deal with."

Negi was a quick recover. A true quick recover. He was up and about the very day he had woken up, and he signed himself out that day too...against the wishes of doctors, but since when had Negi ever given a care about what they thought? A Hellas guard had tried to stop him...

Negi made him eat cement in an embarrassing smack-down. He was fit for release, goddamnit.

"It's hard to believe I...made all of this. I feel like I know everyone on this planet...like their own mother would. It's...overbearing...scary even..."

Now he stood near the portal, a ticket for the return to earth tight in his hands. He shook his head as Eva looked at him.

"Now, I've got to go and drag Anya back. She's been without anyone, besides Alma, for almost six years Eva. A lot can happen in those years...especially to her, at her age."
"You saying you're afraid you'll meet a knocked up druggie begging for money, stinking of booze?"
"...No. I can't say I was even thinking that far...I hope not. She's my fucking responsibility after all."
"You really do sound like her father, you know."
"I'm supposed to."
"That's my point."
"... ...Yeah..."

If only Negi knew how close Eva had come with her dart like statement...although, one can't be sure if the truth was much better...

Silence as he handed his ticket, silence as they both stepped unto the platform with countless others...silence as the magic swirled about them all, priming take off. In the darkness, a growl, and a flash of darkness, just as the portal reached it's climax, and the spell activated.

"Stop the portal, something's breached through!"
"Too late. It's gone."
"The hell was that? Breaking through our shields like that..."
"I don't know."

"Neither do I...I can tell you both one thing though..."

The other two operators turned to the third, who was looking out onto the platform as if he had seen death itself.

"Whatever it was...it wasn't friendly...and now, it's on Earth...among countless innocents."

+-E-+

Disclaimer: Be aware, this is designed to scare you all off, or it could make you laugh, depends.

This story is rated "M" for Mature readers only. As such, it contains several dangers that could be hazardous to the mind. Please do not continue if any one of these offends you in anyway, or, continue if you wish, but know you have been warned. This story will include:

Threats of bodily harm from one character to another, heavy artillery, spurting blood, unnecessary force, (read: Nuking an ant.), gang wars, thug violence, use of bombs, (Did I mention the ant?), magical violence,(mage smack-downs.), abuse of spells (Evil Deflexio usage.), instances of violent games, (Russian roulette), murder, (by way of donuts, among other things.) enchiladas and good old fashioned beat downs.

Innuendos including but not limited to, sexual... action upon said innuendos, possible nudity, peeping toms (or sues for that matter.) possible violence falling under this category, character's bent upon getting on certain government programs, flamboyance and random, stoned to high heaven and dead drunk streakers...possibly.

Uncensored cursing,(I.E: sailor mouths.), cheese, possible references to the bible, Qur'an and Torah, character opinions on current products, politics or situations that may or may not reflect the feelings of the author. (I.E: I can completely disagree with my own character's on a subject...and they can piss me off just as much as they might anger you.) instances of the "Cunning Evil" and "Lawful Stupid", songs by Bob Marley, wine, character disgust upon walking into a club, allergic reactions to lobster/peanuts or otherwise and general insanity...

Oh,yeah, Bugles.

…You still here? Interesting. Fu fu fu…September ninth then, my friends. Unless I give in to temptation that is.

Know one thing though. As Fan Fiction does not accept explicit content, I will warn you again of these things if I feel the writing goes further than what some may think acceptable. Know that I don't wish to offend anyone, simply tell a story.

Those of you who don't know me, hi, what do you think? Those of you that do...how's this one for yah?

Finalage is back, and he's already out the door again!

Chapter 2: Chapter I : False Pretenses

O-2-X

I suppose I couldn't help myself, hmm? Now we go into the actual story. Haymitch Abernathy, I'm glad you challenged me. I like challenges...just be careful, I'm known to set up combos as a slow starter...and I thrive on explosive attacks. Tentacle rape? Pah, you won't see that for a while yet...I make no promises though.

I'm still the dude whose read Maeve Binchy and listens to "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles, or does that just make me more dangerous?

People, this is rated "M", viewer discretion is advised! My leash is gone, the Cerberus is loose, Charon is on his heels!

I do not own Negima. Obviously. ~Finalage.

+-YN-+

Chapter One: False Pretenses

+-AB-+

She wore a white apron, covered in old, ground in dirt. Her hair was done in a ponytail and she had on light blue jeans, her shirt was a long sleeve plain white, matching her mid sized leather bag. She didn't have any jewery on, save for two small, golden loop earrings. Her blues eyes watched the landscape from her vantage point...

...Now I can breathe...

Light posts sped by her vision as the air conditioning whispered away. Underneath her feet, the floor rumbled as the engine struggled to carry the lumbering bus along its chosen path. Trademark blue lines lanced along its white length, there was nothing odd about this bus as it stopped in front of an awaiting pedestrian, allowing them to board and slide their card smoothly into the receptacle.

...and I feel grace, rush over me...

She moved her feet out of the way so that the new passenger could walk by unhindered, trying to find a seat. The newcomer plopped down a seat away from her, with a grunt, casting her and appreciative eye, one she didn't notice. Her music prevailed over all other sound as she watched the streets fly by.

...It pours through my skin, and lets you in, and we are free...

She took a glance at her watch as the other continued to watch her. She would be a bit late arriving home...but it wasn't like anybody would be there waiting for her. Sighing, she watched as the bus ground to a halt at a red light. Opening her handbag, she began the search for her keys...the next stop was hers.

Now I can breathe, and I feel grace... rush over me. It runs through my veins...

She picked up a slight hum as she stood, grabbing the pole to steady herself as the bus, famous for its poor brakes, tried to send her off her feet. She looked back to see the man she had let past staring at her, and she sent him a nervous smile as she stepped off the bus...

...and what I taste is bittersweet...

Beating a quick pace home, she managed to get to the door and stick her keys in unhindered, but when she turned the lock...she realized that she had just locked herself out. The door had been open. Blinking, she twisted her keys again, unlocking the door, but pausing to listen before opening it...

She closed the door behind her quietly, taking her earphones off and straining for the faintest sound...of course, doing this, she almost hit her head against the door frame when a voice came from the living room.

"Well, are you gonna come in or not? I don't bite you know...not much anyway."
"Oh god, ow. Anya! You scared the...well, you scared the crap outta me...besides...what are you doing home so early? You need something?"

Anya tilted her head, letting her hair fall loose from her back into space. She watched as the other bustled about to put her black leather bag in the kitchen, and her shoes on the rack. She continued to watch as the delicate girl tripped over her own shoes, which she never put away, and fell flat on her face, a muffled "Ow." escaping from her.

Alma wasn't a big girl. Neither was she a very sturdy one. Still, if Alma fell down, you knew something was messed up. She had a grace that defied common sense. Maybe it was the fact Anya's shoes normally didn't appear until seven o clock...or the fact that they normally disappeared by nine...but the red head was willing to bet that her mere presence had unsettled the other.

Normally, Anya only appeared when she had trouble. Last time she had trouble...well, the single, thirty three caliber bullet was still lodged in the living room wall as a memento of that time...

Alma flashed back into the living room, having quickly thrown on some clothes for home. Anya watched her as her hands, clasped behind her back, beat a rhythm against her thighs. It was something else she did when she was nervous, and Anya couldn't help but grin at it.

"Calm down girl, all I came here for was to spend some time wit' 'cha."
"No drug dealers breathing down your neck this time?"
"Do I look stoned? I'm with a client that likes straight girls this time."
"Oh, so he's here somewhere? I told you I don't want... that…in the house..."
"What, turning? Naw...I'm free today, I made sure."
"Then what? You don't look drunk; you're smiling at me in a feral way, which scares me by the way..."

Anya only grinned wider at this sentiment.

"...so. What's up?"

Shaking her head at Alma's brusqueness, she pulled from behind her back two movie tickets, smiling coyly at the other. Alma blinked. Since when...did Anya treat her to movies? Not in the over eight years of knowing her, not once. Why start now?

"The American. Came out last week. Supposed to be good."
"...It's also supposed to be rated "R", if I remember correctly."
"...and you are...how many years old?"

Sighing, the other shook her head. The nerve. Yet, she was sure that Anya wasn't using her to sneak into a movie. "The American" was a suspense thriller, a violent shoot-em-up. True, Anya liked movies that had some...sexual content, but films like these were her love.

Anya was more of a comedy person.

"I turn exactly five hundred in March of 2011. Officially though? I squeeze by with an I.D that says I'm twenty...of course, no one believes me, I don't look twenty after all. Cant' deny my I.D however...why though Anya, why?"
"...Don't you like these kinds of movies?"
"Of course... but since when have you treated me to movies?"
"I can't be nice every now and again?"
"Anya, nice for no reason at all? Sounds fishy...is there a sniper hiding in the closet?"

She had started to rock on the balls of her feet, and Anya took pause to look at her, really look at her. Still thin and delicate, even around the bust, although she was the type that held themselves in such a way that you could never be sure...normally, her type held a surprise.

Delicate feet, she had an American size of...maybe...six, six and a half. She was perhaps around five foot two, three, or maybe even four...(one hundred fifty seven centimeters to around one sixty two...) and had her long, almost blonde hair in a pony tail to cascade down past her back, almost to her thighs. Her blue eyes zoomed about the room idly, anywhere but in Anya's own; of the same color.

The years hadn't changed the fact that those eyes were the most drawing feature on her face. Big, wide ovals, those kinds of things would give one heck of a puppy dog look, but Alma wasn't one to pull that kind of trick. Still, if the girl was sad, it was all too plain on her face, and she could pull your heart out with that look.

"What time does it start?"

The question threw her off guard, but Anya's answer was automatic.

"Nine a' clock."
"...It's three forty now...you'll probably say no, but... do you want something to eat?"

Anya smiled at that one. She ate so little here, always out somewhere. That's why Alma said that she'd probably decline the offer. Yet, right now, away from her line of work, free for the day...something home cooked sounded just...perfect. That, coupled with the fact that she knew Alma had given in, made the prospect all the sweeter.

"Sure."

Alma had turned away, but she spun around, the apron she had donned, dirt stained with her often bids into the community garden, flapping about with her speed. She actually wanted something?

"O-oh...okay then. Sit tight for a bit, or come in the kitchen..."

Alma led the way, and, smiling to herself, the taller girl followed her. To the kitchen it was. Tah' hell with the T.V for now. It was about time she sat down a bit with her long time housemate...

Their "house" was actually what the government would call an illegal apartment. Mainly, that meant that they lived in the basement of a one family house. Not that either of them minded. They paid six hundred a month for a full bath, living room and two small bedrooms (Used to be one big one.), with a manageable kitchen to boot.

A basement also rarely got hot in the summer, and in the winter...well, you were right next to the boiler, you guess if it got cold or not. Yep, the first place to get hot was the basement, and then the heat pushed up from there. There was also a sense of privacy, being underground...

Of course, the downside was that if anything happened to the plumbing, you were the first to know...rather rudely one might add. You also got the lowest ceilings on average, even if the second floor had a slant...not only that, but you heard upstairs walking around all the time, basements didn't have the same padding in its ceiling that the first floor did...you heard more.

The first time they had moved here, Anya hadn't been able to sleep. It had been late Fall, and the boiler had scared her shitless as it kept turning on and making "funny noises" as she had called them. Alma had been the calm one during those times...always.

Anya plopped herself down upon a chair and watched Alma as she whisked herself about the tiny kitchen, avoiding the table and open fridge like a fighter would a blade. Over the years, Alma had become more vocal, but less open, if that made any sense.

She spoke less about her true desires or feelings and more about Anya or the outside world...

"Damn. Out of sugar...oh well... I wonder... what the difference would be, using confectionate sugar...ahh, it's just tea. Worst that happens is it tastes creamy."

Herself? She hadn't changed much, not in her opinion. She had simply expanded on what she already had. Bold and brash, only it had been hammered now, a kind of conniving spirit where her more mischievous one had been.

"So... how's the shop?"

Alma unofficially ran the community garden, and one of the things she liked to do in her spare time was run her flower "shop". It actually was just a larger tent erected in a haphazard maze around a bunch of plants, but those were her babies, you didn't touch them. If you wanted a plant or flower, you went to Alma.

Sure, big stores might have a larger selection, but Alma knew more, and the care she put on those things...

"...It's as well as I would hope. I bring in enough to pay my part of the bill at least, and food. That reminds me, when's the last time you went to school?"

Anya made a face at that one. Not that Alma could see it, her back was turned. Sometimes, she was like her mother.

"…Uhh…on Monday..."
"...You are aware that today is Friday..."
"Yes. I was… busy. Besides...It's not like I need what they're teaching me anyway."

Alma didn't respond to that one. Did Anya expect her life to remain the same forever? Did she think that she couldn't do anything better than this...life? Even if Alma had a supposed "degree" and a well enough paying job as an "assistant botanist" (read: entrepreneur florist), she knew that there was better for her to attain.

At least let her have a real store for Christ's sake. No matter how much she smiled, she couldn't stop the cold of the wind from doing damage in a tent…

The silence began to stretch, and Anya cast about for another probe to stick the girl in front of her with.

"How's the school bid?"
"It's like…he said."
"It's like who said?"
"Calculus II kills the unwary. It's killing me."
"…Oh…Mind telling me why you've got to take Cal when all you wanna do is become a full time florist or somat?"
"It's the last Math I'll ever have to take."
"That still don't explain nothin'."

Anya watched, interested, as Alma frankly hopped on a counter, putting her foot up on it in an effort to lunge for something on the top shelf. Anya would have gotten up to help her, but Alma retrieved the item, which turned out to be a box of elbow pasta. She leapt off the counter as if she did this every day.

Which probably wasn't far from the truth, now that you think about it…

"Hmph, I know someone who would greatly appreciate limberness like that."
"Anya, are you trying to play match-maker with me in your head again?"

Grinning, she feigned innocence, but let up when Alma threw the empty elbow box at her.

"Hey, hey! Okay, okay…but he likes short blue eyed girls like you yah know…ah! Is that a pot-spoon? Shit, she's gone psycho!"

From behind the closed kitchen door, one could only hear a scuffle, and a few bangs. Over all of the noise though, Anya was clear.

"Gahh! Nut-job on the loose! She's a mad woman, and she's got a…KNIFE!"

+-1-+

Going out with a friend was different than going out on a date, obviously. The difference was further compounded when that friend was a long time one, and even further when they lived with you, or were familiar with your house.

Thus, the two didn't dress up…much. At least it didn't take too long. They had finished the little episode in the kitchen, in which, due to further goading by Anya, there was now a good sized impression on the wall from where Alma's knife had stuck, literally quivering.

At that time, it had been a single inch from the red head's ears. Alma made it plain. Anya might have let her training fall on the wayside…but not her. If she had wanted to, that knife would be through her throat, and she had left it at that, walking by the frozen Valkyrie, idly grabbing her towel before going to the bathroom.

Hey…had she just tricked her into getting to the bathroom first? Bitch! Now she had to wait. Damn. Well, at least it was still early, and Anya couldn't deny that the other needed a shower more than her…not, Alma didn't stink…she just had dirt all over her. At least it didn't get in her hair or face much…otherwise; Anya might start to think the girl rolled in the mud like a common pig.

Once, however long ago it was… she had tried to do a favor for Alma by removing and attempting to squish a bug that had climbed up her sleeve, but the girl stopped her short. It's a bug! Bugs get squished! Not this one though, not according to Alma.

She said it had been a butterfly… and indeed, it turned out to be a Monarch Butterfly, which Alma had let go to fly around the room before sailing through an open window, into the clear, blue skies. Before it had left however, it had made a point of landing upon Anya's nose.

"Well would you look at that, he's kissing you goodbye..."

Once, when the mosquitoes had begun to mass in the basement, looking for a place to cool their jets, Alma had purposely brought a spider into the house, and told her to leave it be. Would you believe that the three spiders, big ones…ate all the mosquitoes for that whole summer?

She had no idea where those things were now, she had picked them up like a person would a dog and ferried them away after that summer, for Anya had had enough of them, regardless of their benefit. Always in tune with nature, that was the girl she was stuck with.

Still, in her own way, Alma was an irreplaceable friend, and an unshakable ally. After all, how many five hundred year old illusionist magicians were there in this world? How many of them were skilled enough to stand up to any legend and bring them to their knees?

Probably only one; and she was in the shower right now.

Alma had said that she had been practicing, while Anya had slacked off...and while this was true in its own way, Anya felt she had enough to deal with at work than to bother herself with tiring routines. When was the last time she had used her magic? She had no idea...that wand...was locked up in a box, and the box was under her mattress. It was like a gun, or stored cash. Something you put there and forgot about until you needed it.

...You just use magic...we...are a part of it...

Where had she heard that line now? It didn't matter, not as the bathroom door opened. She grabbed her towel and shot at the bathroom, barely giving Alma time to get out. They almost, almost, crashed, but Alma was too quick. That would have been a scene indeed. Anya slammed the door behind her, almost catching Alma in her face and giving the bare bones pleasantry:

"Thanks. Bye!"

Wet hair slick against her back, the other could only shake her head and toss her eyes to the ceiling as she made her own way to get dressed. Sometimes, you just couldn't bother with Anya. If you tried too hard, you'd go insane. She hadn't even spent a long time in there…Anya was the true shower hog…

Alone in the bedroom, she paused after picking out her clothes. Was that how she really looked?

Have you ever been so busy that you would spend days on end just getting up and going through your daily routine, not even bothering with your reflection one bit? Those times when… after finally finding some time to yourself… you take a casual glance in the mirror and realize that's you in there.

"I really am short, aren't I?"

For no reason at all, her bed was rigged up on scaffolds, meaning that she had to climb a ladder to get on. She supposed it was for added floor space, but most things like organizing shelves and dressers were a bit of a squeeze under there, and a hassle to get in due to a few bars mid-way. Yet, she could stand easily underneath her bed and still have some head room…next to her, the board the supported her mattress was a good inch or so above her noggin.

She tapped her "china" nose, allowing her finger to run over hollow cheeks. Okay, sue her, she was thin. "Underweight" the doctors would say, lightly, under her breath normally. Yet, Alma felt her weight suited her fine, she was just naturally small, was that a problem? She gave herself a small smile. This was Anya's forte, staring at yourself in a mirror; not hers.

She was like one of those ballerina dolls in a music box…she gave herself a little spin, just to see. All she accomplished doing was getting her eager hair in her eyes though.

Bah. Some people complained their hair had too little volume, or didn't fly right in the wind…she was lucky if she could get hers to stay down. It didn't help that she had huge eyes either; something always seemed to get in them!

Over all though, she probably rate herself "cute" and leave it at that. She wasn't a fiery beauty like Anya, but she wasn't ugly either…some might call her starved though. Still, enough about that…she was annoying herself, looking in this mirror, vanity was a sin you know!

She sighed as she threw on a long sleeved, plain white blouse and a simple pair jeans…of course, then she realized they were trying to eat her due to the fact they were Anya's, and too long. How did her clothes always seem to end up in her closet?

Then again, she should have known. These things weren't simple upon further inspection. Nope, these were definitely not hers…shit! Anya walked around with a cut showing there? The garment flew from her hands like the sun threw off its rays. Grabbing her own clothes with unnecessary haste, she flew out her room with the guilty garment to toss it on Anya's bed.

She'd stick to simple stone washed, perhaps a slight bottom cut, but that's it, thanks.

+-2-+

Negi smiled in his own little secret way. He had in his clutches a delightful situation that would reach the paramounts of all importance in a quick second of his time. He felt that his reappearance in the world of the living had sparked the needed voltage on some magical can opener to the famous vessel full of worms. Yet, even as he despaired in the fact that he had yet to find peace, he delighted in the feeling between his fingers.

Namely, power. He had spent eight years in the arms of his own creation, working out the kinks in null that could never be fixed outside. The true downfall of those who had created the magical world before, besides their foolish assumption that a spell would suffice, was the fact that they lacked the sheer flexibility and namely the foresight to actively create something like a world.

They had created a single painting that they expected a civilization to evolve upon, ripping into its solid state form with steel claws. They say that God spent six days creating the earth, and on the seventh day, he took a rest…well, Negi felt envious of the dude.

It had taken Negi eight fucking years to cement his world into true reality, and he had to adapt to the changing whims of its occupants all the while. He had to make his in a day, and then flesh it out while it was running with the detail.

Of course, Negi was brought back to the horizon of Mahora, with a simple, fragile touch. All his strength, and thus his anger, was gone, with just a simple brush of the hands. He had been here a month…catching up, setting himself right…shaking the lives, millions of other minds, from his being. He didn't need them in him anymore.

They felt like his children, everybody on that planet…every Hellas at least, every dragon, each and every single fairy. It felt like ripping his heart out, a billion times over, leaving Mars so viciously. He hadn't expected it, and it shook him greatly.

He looked to the side of him now, seeing that pale, calm hand, small in his now. Small, when it had once been so even, large, perhaps. He smiled slightly. His memory dredged up a time when he had called her pedophile when he had clung to her that night, above the rooftops of Japan…well, even though she still could be called that, it would be he who would fall under that title now, ironically.

"You're going after her, aren't you?"
"Of course. She is my responsibility."
"… … A love like yours is strange Negi. It sticks like glue, no, worse. It's like oil on the hands…you don't really ever go away. Yet…you know so easily when to let go, you expect, no, I'd dare say you know, what I think or feel…as if it were written on script."
"I never said you couldn't come. You just know you can't. This is your worry, isn't it? You hardened yourself, again, as you had hundreds of times. Only I came back. Among them all, I came back. Now, I have to go again…and life…human life, passes so fast."
"…as if some giant teleprompter read you my script. Am I that obvious?"

Negi tilted his head, looking at her through new eyes. He shook his head.

"Only to me Eva, only to me. I know you too well…too much. I'll tell you something Eva, something that's been compounded in my head by a recent song. Love…it's like Gravity. Better than oil, it holds…strong. It attracts you, like a physical force. Spinning, letting go can squash you like a bug…but hearts are like birds Eva. Grip them to tight, chain them down to strong…and they slowly die. Have you ever seen a bird with clipped wings? Those eyes?"
"…I'm trapped here. Who knows what's out there?"

Negi shook his head, roughly shaking his over long bangs and blowing them out of his eyes. He focused on the rising sun; here in the land of such a spectacle, he watched that golden orb as it began to peek over his own personal horizon.

"That's not what you're worried about, is it? I'm not my father, Eva. I won't run off on you and find another woman. That's just boring. Who the hell out there can trump you anyway? Goldilocks? Rapunzel? Snow beeping White? They don't exist, you do. I'm not interested in story books, fairy tales, blue skies with kings and queens fighting over slices of pie."

Eva cast an eye at him, looking at him as that sun slowly rose over them both, bathing him in the rising light. He looked so much like his father, only his bearing…his bearing was different. She felt him, his aura. Powerful, young, strong. He had finally found that power that he had lacked, those years ago. Since when did he censor himself? Snow beeping White her ass.

"…You say that, but-"

Negi cut her off right there, his face darkened slightly with justifiable anger.

"…but what? I'm young? …Eva, my mind is as capable as yours, and I know pain, I know heartbreak…yours, my fathers, my mothers, my entire family…a worlds. Don't tell me I'm wild and free, I am far from that. You should know that one like me comes with a flaw. I latch on to one person Eva, and I ride them to the end….I told you, I don't make friends…I have developed my own scale. You are either my enemy, my family or…you. That won't change any time soon, so don't bother yourself with it."

Negi had been sitting of the ledge of the rooftop with her, but now he pulled his legs up to stand, extending his hand.

"Faith, and trust, are two things that life had taught you to forget about, and rightfully so. You've gotten where you have by sheer stubbornness alone. Now though, I need you to revisit the past, and pull that trust back to the present…"

She received his hand, and he pulled her up, almost looking full on into a now half visible medallion in the sky.

"Trapped, ha. I set you free in both body and heart a long while ago Evangeline. It's only you that keeps you here, and that's fine by me. Tell you what. I don't come back in, ohh, give me four years, you can drag me back; kicking, screaming and cussing all the way."
"…"
"Ha, some kind of promise huh? Fine, how's this one?"

He pulled his weapon from his belt, AltraCrolacri…had stayed with him all this time, and now, the weapon that housed a piece of his soul, both in heart and literal sense, was held out towards her. He same her that half smile he was famous for.

"Keep this. You know I can't go far without a part of my soul, not for long. It's your promise, and it's the best one I can give, beyond useless words…"

He looked at her, placing her hand on the weapon's sheath. They had come here for something after all, a renewal is what called it, and he simply thought it was a continuation, an affirmation of what had already long been there. Besides them, on the ground, looking away as Eva called up her illusion, as she was able to do now, they stood, equal in height…a wizened looking Chamo stood.

Give him a few years, and he'd over shadow her, Negi would. The ermine, looking shrewd, pulled out a piece of chalk.

"Al' right! We're ready here, right! All nice and warm for the pactio, right! We're about to see fi'ya!"
"…Just draw the stupid circle already you mangy rodent."

So bruised the ermine shrunk down from her, his face clearly showing his hurt, however false. Negi simply waved him on, shaking his head.

"Please Chamo, I do have to get to China soon. It's the next place on my list to check after all. My plane leaves…sooner than I'd like; a hell of a lot sooner."

Around them both, the ermine dashed, as Negi held up his hand to be clasped by hers. The last time they had done this…his ring, her ring, still glistened on his middle finger, and his eyes caught it.

"Hold the phone for one damn minute…"

Chamo paused as Negi tugged on the ring, and then, giving up due to its tight hold, spelled it off before slipping it to gleam to his ring finger. The light caught the other's eyes.

"That's where it belongs; don't look at me like if I'm insane. That's your promise that you won't forget about me while I'm gone. How's about those apples? Still, do yah have to hold on so fucking tight to the wrong finger?"

Chamo finished the circle just as Eva grabbed his head.

"Of course I do…baka."

If it were possible, he was an even sweeter fruit now than that time before, all those years ago. Chamo activated the contract with his trademark call, but it wasn't heard over the rush of magic in both their ears. That meeting was more than physical it seemed…too bad Chamo was blabbing so much…

"…and they're off! Going at it full bore, he's leaning in to her hard folks! Is that permission for a Frenchie? I think he's just gone deep, ladies and gentleman! Ahh, the cards are here, guys you can stop now…uhh…guys? Hey, this one's going on to fifteen seconds, how long can they go? Oh wait…shouldn't I be, yah know…trying to stop um? …Chamo, stop talking to yourself…but-"
"But nothing Chamo. Goddamn."

With a screech, the ermine found himself grabbed by a set of nails, and risen to a very red face, not with anger though, with…effort.

"Ooh, Ane-san, that one took a lot out of you-ayiiie! Animal abuse, animal abuse!"

Negi could have sworn he heard the crunching of bone, but he simply ignored Chamo in Eva's eager hands, even if the vampire did indeed turn, if possible, redder. How much of her blood reserves where there now, he wondered idly…ahh well, she was panting like she had run a mile, perhaps they both deserved their fate…Negi grabbed the card to inspect it a bit surprised.

He idly called back to them both, gaining their attention.

"It's different this time."

Different he says? Different how?

+-3-+

"Soooo…how'd you like the movie?"
"It was good-"
"Don't lie because I paid for it you know."
"Fine, it wasn't what I expected it to be."

Alma walked beside Anya now, looking up at the other girl as she slowly meandered along, looking at the buildings they passed. Most people would think that the town would be asleep, but here, in this place, even so close to the famed witching hour, it was full of life.

Sighing, Anya looked to the sky for entertainment, but as always, the unending expanse was boring as all hell to her.

"Not even the sex was interesting in that thing. That's saying something. I'm the queen of the bed there, still, I'm not a shoot person, so I had to ask the gun girl."
"I preferred Sphere."
"That scary ass shit? You're still on that thing, how long ago did you see it?"
"A while. Fine. I liked the Matrix series better."
"…You know, I'm pretty sure some dude out there would appreciate your love of freaky movies…"
"They are not freaky, you're just a softee..."

It was Alma's turn to tease, and her grin could be just as feral as her counterpart's.

"I've been saving to see Inception. I might be able to get another ticket…"
"Oh hell no."
"Not even if it were paired as a double feature with Eat, Pray, Love?"
"No. I need my beauty sleep, and I can't have that if people are attacking my mind to put ideas in there."

Alma only rose an eyebrow to her friend, but made no comment. After all, the fact that Anya knew at least the basis of the story alone was an incredible fact in her mind. To each their own, but still, the fact Anya had done her research for this night showed there was something there. Some actual thoughtfulness behind the tease. That was actually kind of scary, but nice all at once.

Anya knew how to be nice, now that was a new one.

They walked home in relative silence, but there was a tension in the air. One that made Anya pick up her pace, until those longer legs asserted themselves, and Alma had to break a beat to keep up. She had a feeling now wasn't the time to ask, but was just one of her moods, yet when the red head looked back behind her shoulder, Alma hesitated a glance too.

There was a man there, one that seemed to both try and look natural and follow them at once. She had felt him, his presence, but she had ignored it up until now...stupid to do, as it seemed he was determined to get to them, and Anya, determined to avoid him. Alma still said nothing, as they both had yet to break into anything close to a run, but she could tell this was one of them...

You might not have gotten it yet, and if you haven't, that's fine enough, but Anya's work was a shoddy business, and one in which new, young blood was a hot commodity, and always changing. One in her position might be extremely lucky to get two decades out of it...but this girl was planning for more than that...she had started early, she wasn't about to end early.

Her job entailed a grand assortment of things, but to Alma, it only meant one thing. Prostitution.

Oh sure, the girl might argue she was a free agent. Of course, she might say she was technically an escort most of the time, fair enough to claim that her job more ranked with "replacement/for hire" mistress, but it mattered not to the blond, you are what you are...you are what you have become...

They managed to get home, but not before the other caught up with them on the stoop, panting just a tad. His eyes were sparkling slightly, and one could tell that something was about to go down. Sometimes...most of the time actually...Anya's..."clients"...had trouble letting go. Of course, that was part of the contract too, but literally, when you try to write out your heart in plain black and white...

It never worked.

"Anya...I'm so glad I managed to catch you..."
"Alma...please go inside."

What, was she a little kid? Anya always seemed to assume a "mother role" in this kind of situation, always telling her to go inside or something. Her, someone who was more than even twenty times older. She stayed by the door, holding it wide open. She was a big girl. Let's see how you handle break ups...

"Anya..."
"Chris, we had an agreement. The break up phase is complete, I still have a sore jaw to prove it."

The man stumbled over his words, and sh saw he had a box in his pocket, oh god, this was another one hmm? Can't let go...this would be another man she would have to utterly crush in soul. Another who let their heart get in the way of business...

"Anya, you can't tell me that throughout all that time, you didn't have any feelings-"
"I don't. You paid me to act as if I did, slowly developing them over time, the time frame agreed upon was six months Chris, the build up, steady flow and inevitable break up phase has been finished, you even paid me in full. The contract it done Chris."
"I...I know it's done...but you can't-"
"I can and I am. It was fake, all of it. Your calculated wife for business trips, your figure to fill a lonely void until you could secure the hand of your ex-wife. You've done it, and brilliantly played too. She's yours and I'm out."

He looked nervous now as he fumbled in his pockets, but Anya stilled his hand with her own, looking at him with pleading eyes.

"I thought you were stronger than this Chris. I thought your need of your wife and children would let you break from me."
"I-I can divorc-"
"Again? You'd divorce her again after all of this, undo all that hard work, leave your children in limbo, for me?"
"Y-"

Her hand shot out, and her finger stopped him cold in his lips. Shushing him she broke off, indicating herself with a sweep of her hands downwards.

"I could be your daughter you know. Literally. Your daughter Serene and I are the same age."
"I don't care-"
"Hush. Hush now. I won't let you ruin all that hard work of yours to get her back...just so that you can keep something that can never be. I'm sorry Chris...but it isn't real. Go back to your loving wife...and your beautiful children. Drink some coffee in the morning, and you'll remember that all of this is nonsense, right?"
"No...I realize it's not nonsense now-"
"Hush a baby. Hush. You'll wake up tomorrow next to your wife, and you'll come to your senses...you'll remember that you did this for her, for them...for the both of you...you'll remember that you can't love me when you have her...you'll see tomorrow..."

She slowly took steps up the stoop, and he followed, like a dog...but at the door, she paused, and touched his face once before her hand flew back to slap him, hard as she could, right after her final worded blow:

"You'll remember that I'm just a prostitute."

With that, as the man reeled off the steps and unto the sidewalk from the blow, she turned and left in a flurry of red hair.

"Close the door Alma..."

Alma looked down at the man and realized something, staring, frozen in place...this was the same man she had seen in the bus earlier today...the same man whom she had moved aside to let past...a respectable business man, sending her an appreciative eye...just a fatherly kind of look maybe...but in the wake of Anya, he was reduced to this...

A groveling figure, trying to catch his bearings, come back to the door.

"ALMA!"

With a definitive slam right into his face, the door to this path in his life closed, leaving Chris out in the cold...lonely...night.

+-E-+

Hmmm...this keyboard is weird, and no word processor, but I get over it with FanFiction as a back up. Ha ha. Anyway...yes, I couldn't help myself. Don't expect lightning updates though...I am trying to slow down after all...(not really.) Temptation bites me in the rear end, it's a sin I can't help but indulge in here! My, Anya is COLD! True FlameIce given human form.

Can I ever keep a story from you all? I guess not. The last bits weren't looked over much...oh well, enjoyable...maybe? Tell me what you think. Of course, I don't own the song silly. That's Plumb's "Bittersweet." All movie titles owned by their respective owners.

Finalage...out.

Chapter 3: Chapter II: Tempted to touch

+O-2-X+

Galerians, have you ever heard the term "cow buss rope"? Well, I'm not like that. I'm more like an elephant. I'm still a bit tentative. Somehow, I managed to break the leash, a very un-elephant like thing to do, but I'm still in the pen...why the heck I don't knock down the gate is beyond me.

Where is a story without drama? Important information below. However, ignore if you don't "mind" this storyline much. I'm responding to…comments. Ramble ahead, Soap box time! (Then again, when aren't I that darn thing?)

You know something funny? I realized, right after updating and leaving the building to go home, that I had dropped a huge bombshell on people. I took the route that makes people stare, literally, stare. Just like with Young Negi, I sent a ripple throughout the mind, on just how life can take a turn.

I had a moment there where I felt a bit of fear. Then I realized...no, I remembered. This is my story. This is what I had beating against my head all this time, and it's plans are too far along to change, it's grid already set. I remembered why I started to write. To improve my own skill. I remembered that I don't care for popular routes or lovely, simple stories on pieces of paper. My goal is to give you people, people who make mistakes, who live lives less than perfect, people who can bleed, people who laugh, cry…realism.

I am sorry if I offended you, but I did warn you. If you absolutely cannot stand it…I am regretful, but I must continue my story. It will get better of course; all stories must start with their problem and then provide you with the pathway to the solution. This is rated "M", but you knew that already. I feel like this chapter is inspired by "In My Arms" by Plumb, yes, her again. I also feel like "Tempted 2 Touch" by Rupee, played a part, especially in the title, which fits.

Wait...you listen to that kind of music too? Yeah. ~Finalage.

I do not own Negima, but you already knew that too. Akamatsu would never be so cruel. This chapter might be a bit boring.

+-YN-+

Chapter Two: Tempted to Touch

+-AB-+

Looking off into space, Alma's head rested against the rim of the couch, looking away from the television set, arms splayed out as far as they could reach, legs straight out, as if she had been thrown like that on the piece of furniture. If one walked by her, they would be encompassed by those eyes.

Sad eyes. Thoughtfully sad, mournfully reaching for…something. She didn't move, scarcely even to blink, or even breathe. Anya, next to her, faced the opposite direction, actually watching the T.V. that was on. She cast a glance at the other, who had yet to change her clothes since entering the house.

Anya always wondered what the girl did like that…how she could bear the discomfort of that pose, just staring out into space without a single care in the world…

"Alma…"

"… … …"

"Alma…come on. I know you better…than that."

"… I…saw him…on the bus…today…"

"Who…? Oh, him, that poor bastard…well, it's his own fault-"

"Is it?"

Anya gave Alma's back a hard stare, for the other didn't turn around to look at her. Of course it was…

"Must you be so convincing, so utterly beautiful, that those who…"hire" you cannot help but to truly fall in love?

"Can't help...? Alma, please. I'm not…I mean, it's an emotion. Like being mad. You can control yourself…"

Alma still didn't look at Anya. She continued to stare off into the wall she faced, opposite the other, looking for a way to go through that obstruction, back in time, somehow…just leave this all behind. That was what she always did, turned like this; flopped on a couch. Her eyes looking at nothing, she saw everything. A world of illusion in which nothing was wrong…only to be shattered by the voice of reality.

"…Alma. Talk to me. You…scare me, when you're like this. I never know what you're going to do."

"There's Something About Mary. You remind me of that, you do. As for being...mad...anger, that same thing…anger is what drove Master to protect you, it drove him to use a forbidden spell, if you told me correctly...likewise, love drove him to sacrifice everything to save a world…emotions are powerful things, Anya. Your…"profession" plays with them, makes them nothing but a joke, something to be manipulated…"

Alma turned her whole self now, swinging her legs so her knees folded under her on the couch. All this... to stare full on at the other. That made her sound so much like the bad guy...but Alma gave no further explanation. She would have to push, Anya would, and push she did, hard.

"Okay then, you name one thing I could do otherwise, huh? A high-school failure whose brain holds less than a bottomless bucket? I've got nothing else to work with-"

Finally, the other did turn to look at her, but her look was dead. Those eyes drew her in, so deep; she felt like she was being strangled, Anya did. Negi had those kind of eyes...only he roasted you alive...Alma tried to drown you...

"You could be so much. You just don't know it. You've...dug yourself a hole, and only a hero can come and save you. It really is too bad. The only one I know...has disappeared…You always wonder…what I do, sitting like this, don't you?"

"Alma…"

"I admit. How long has it been since you've smoked Anya? Drunk?"

"What does that have to do with anything…?"

"This is my addiction. Sitting here, just like this, I create…worlds. Worlds for myself to escape this life. Escape you. I admit, confess. This is my darkness. I dream of times where none of this ever happened, only for me, those dreams are real, realer than anything I'd dare wish for."

Her illusions? You mean to tell her that all this time…

"I thought that…"

"What? That I had given it up, that I, like you, hid my wand under the proverbial bed to match your literal one? No Anya. You didn't want anything to do with magic, after then…but it's a part of me Anya. You may think you only use it, but it is a part of me."

Now she remembered the line, in some old movie called Dungeons and Dragons. Damn, why was her life cropping up so many movies recently? She didn't even watch all that many…hell, she had seen, what, maybe twenty minutes of that thing on T.V.

Alma moved from her position, reaching into her bag for her MP3 player. No, it wasn't an I-pod touch or anything fancy like that...Anya had one of those. She had a simple stick, one you could plug directly into a USB port, and was about as long as two small flash drives, about as thick as two and a half to three of them too.

It held four gigabytes and had a simple, blue and white screen, it's only outward perk was that it could flash in time with the music it played with two LED's around it's play button, but Alma had set it to power save, so it didn't. Yet, this simple thing held all she needed. This amount of space was more than enough for her, at most she had...what? A hundred, maybe one fifty songs?

Only reason she had a four gigabyte was because it was on sale. She didn't believe in frills, this taken from nearly five hundred years of life without them. Yet she had to admit, the tiny thing had become a part of her life...she always felt like there was something...missing... when she didn't have it. She plugged the earphones in now, and looked at Anya full on. Anya though, was looking at the player.

"You girl, are in need of a serious upgrade... The hell? Since when do you listen to Colbie Caillat?"

Anya gave her a blank stare, not bothering to answer as she put up her music just a tad bit more. Whenever Alma took out her player, she meant business. Namely; the business of not talking any more. Anya deiced to reach for the girl's neck, pulling her by the bra straps to get her attention. Alma hated when you pulled her, especially by the straps...it hurt for Christ's sake. Her glare was lightning, and she irritably took out an earphone to look at her.

"What is it now?"

"Yah act all tough and wise, but I can still pull you and you'll fall right back down. Don't blow me off."

Anya still held her tight, so Alma could only fix her with a kind of evil eye motif, but her hand snaked up, out of view, to snatch the other's wrist, twisting, hard, raking the delicate skin underneath. Anya broke off quickly with a yelp, avoiding more damage to her suddenly red raw epidermis.

"Shit! One handed Indian burn, hisss...bitch!"

Yet, Alma wasn't done, for Anya recovered quickly to reach for her, but she struck out with her right, fingers stabbing her right between the ribs as her foot solidly knocked the air from her via a blow to the gut.

Anya was sent tumbling over the armrest, cursing up a storm as Alma returned her headphones back to their proper ears, tuning her out.

"Ow! Damn, my own feet hate me! Evil, evil, evil son of a-...if I get bruises from this I'll extract the price in your blood! Ugh...are you even listening to me?"

Popping back up over the horizon of the couch, she saw that, as she suspected, Alma hadn't even heard her. The ear phones were in and she now had further compounded her victory by taking possession of the remote, putting on some show about a vampire private investigator...Moonlight was it?

Damn. Did this girl have to record that thing via DVR? It was boring as all hell. Anya, quickly bored and ignoring the apparent excruciating pain she had felt just moment before, attempted to regain her fellow's attention with another yank at her back, pulling her shirt collar this time...but Alma held firm.

"If you snap it, you'll buy a new one you know."

"Might as well, you being a tight-wad with your money and all, for all I know that could be a second rate hand me down. Size please?"

Despite herself, the other reddened just a tad about her face, and Anya delighted, a weakness! Grabbing her from the back in a leap that sent them both pitching forth unto the floor, Alma's distress was swallowed by the carpet. Being who she was, it wasn't hard for Anya to find out herself the information she wanted.

"32B, see, that wasn't so hard...I would give you one of mind, but it'd fall right off, wouldn't it? I'm an upper C...still, you surprise me, thought you were still an A. She's a woman after all!"

Alma's back kick caught Anya in the back, and the red head lost her hold on the light haired blonde-brunette, allowing her to spin and throw Anya off. Alma caught her feet and twisted her legs into a kind of crab hold, making the girl yelp.

"Uncle, uncle! Are you deaf? I said uncl-owwwww!"
"Ultimately, Anya, you will never defeat me, the way you are; you're over four centuries underprepared..."

The morning dawned nicely, if slightly cloudy. Alma, without a care in the world, had fallen asleep on the couch, opting that her room just didn't seem to be right for her that night…she awoke t the sound of the T.V running. Hadn't she turned it off? Yes, she had…but Anya must have turned it back on…groggily, she sent her hand out, the lone solider on the battlefield, looking for the remote.

Grasping the thing blindly, she swung her arm equally in blindness, snapping the T.V announcer into silence mid sentence. Her hand crashed unto he table with a clatter, the remote falling from numbed fingers to just lay there, dejected.

Groaning, she looked to her MP3. It had a handful of other functions besides holding her music, and right now, she looked to it for its clock. It was six in the morning. Her tongue darted out to feel around her teeth. Disgusting. In recent years, she had learned that the values of hygiene had changed drastically, what once had been thought of as wasteful, impractical even, was now a necessity.

Just like with the MP3, she found that it was remarkably easy to fall into this new cultural acceptable, so much so that, while Negi had to remind her every morning before, now she couldn't handle not doing it.

Forcing herself off the couch on her arms alone, she gathered her feet under her to stand properly. Shaking her head to loose her hair form where it stuck to her face, she walked out to get her towel, but paused when she realized the water was already running. Since when…?

Anya never woke up the early on weekends, unless she had to do something…and Alma was certain she didn't, not to her knowledge at least. Weekends were free days. Still, she waited and said nothing when Anya exited the steaming room like a bat from hell, sparing her only a raised eyebrow.

She had a garden to water after all. She just needed her watering first…

+-1-+

Negi touched down in Hong Kong none too much later after his little goodbye with Eva, a wizened Chamo on his shoulder, looking about at the sights, and casting appreciative glances an animal should never be able too. At least he had abandoned his cigarette in favor of gripping his Magi with all four paws.

He wore a completely concealing robe, his hood covering his face nicely. Negi didn't want to cause any undue ruckus, so he breezed by security checks with his usual tactics, reveling in the fact that, being alone, he didn't need to worry about extra cargo. He only received an odd look from one female guard for his ermine, yet; she ultimately raised no protest to the animal.

At the counter, a woman finished her work with one client, a poor bungler who had not been allowed to carry their toiletries on the plane, or their water, for fear of explosives and the like. She tossed her long brown hair back, letting lose an enticing rose scent only her current co-worker could smell in their booth.

God, Mare could be beautiful without even trying. The other, a man, both hated and loved his times when he worked with her. She was a great friend to have, but, to him at least, she was very distracting when he so wanted to focus on work…

It wasn't her fault either, it was all him. She made no advances on him, no lewd comments, she wore nothing but the appropriate attire for her work, plus a little extra that she was entitled to…she did nothing that enticed him in any way that was wrong. It was just simply...her.

He was the only one too. No one else spared her a second glance. Not a one. No one saw those powerful, consuming eyes behind her glasses, no one saw the beauty in her long hair…not the delicate, cutesy, but still strong; features of the face…it was like she was a private angel. That killed him.

She turned to him, sighing heavily, and allowing him to see the main problem, the one that most likely stopped others dead. Her wheelchair. Stupid idiots, was that the only reason why they didn't notice? Forget about that and focus on the person, goddamnit…

Not that he wasn't happy they didn't. No, he didn't want her to be lonely. She had few friends despite her friendly aura, himself one of those lucky ones…it was just that he felt a kind of half hearted hate at those who didn't notice her, they didn't know what the hell they were missing, and he…he planned on grabbing it with two hands.

Now if only he could work up the fucking nerve, he'd be good.

He had known her for nearly five years, and he was being an idiot, moving so slow. Still, he wanted to help her. She had told him her legs had been damaged in an accident, one that destroyed her nerves. The doctors couldn't help her…and he was surprised to find that his magic couldn't either.

Yes, he was a mage…but he was certain that she didn't know about magic…she gave no indication after all. She had no magical aura either…not that he could perceive, and, before he had met her, he had prided himself in being quite the mage…not so much anymore, however.

Meredith fixed him with an odd look.

"You didn't hear me, did you John?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry…you said you were going to take your break now?"

"…Nice cover, but not quite. Next one and then I'm out. I haven't had breakfast yet, or lunch…ugh."

"Some kind of crazy diet?"

"No, it's the work diet. You think I need a diet?"

"NO, noooo…you won't hear me ever say that…"

"Hmm…maybe if I were three hundred pounds I would. No? Not even then? Ha, you tease. How much do you think I weigh then? ...What's with the red face? Not like I can wheel over there and slap you! Ahh, look, someone's coming, and he looks sharp this one, get the mace ready!"

That was her talk for a customer she labeled as weird, and one that he labeled as a mage. He looked over and sure enough, a figure was approaching, wrapped in his ragged, light brown cloak. The style had been dying, but The Thousand Master, along with his son, The Cipher Mage, had brought it back all those years ago...people still walked around like it...

Negi's main problem arose when he went to the counter to retrieve his confiscated items, toiletries and such in a carrier bag, along with his laptop. It wasn't the procedure, no. That was boring as all hell and standard…

It was the person doing it. Behind his hood, he couldn't help but choke when he saw whom it was smiling up at him, asking for his name.

Tsukuyomi.

Holy...hell. He muttered an answer to her question, glad she couldn't see his face as he reconfigured his expression, losing the momentary shock. She didn't look much different in body, although she had lost all the pink and her hair was loose, flowing. Her smile was different too...less feral he supposed, calmer.

"Excuse me sir, there is a glass between us..."

"I'm well aware of that, Tsukuyomi."

Oh, how a person's world can be turned upside down. The sudden mention of her name put the woman on guard. Who was this now...? Then she remembered...stupid...she had a name tag right...? No, no...the man hadn't said her name...he hadn't said what was on her tag..."Meredith"...

"Ex-excuse me?"

"I said I am well aware that there is a glass between us, Tsukuyomi. Nice to see that you're well."

No doubt now. Whomever this baritone voiced figure was, he knew her old name...the name she had tossed about in her days on the magical world, free, dangerous...not this false "American" living in China...damn.

Well, might as well be direct.

"Who are you exactly?

"Someone who should be dead."

Negi tossed his I.D. to her, allowing her to see the face and the name. The face was dreadfully familiar; looking so much like Nagi Springfield she almost died right there. Yet, Nagi Springfield was nowhere near so young...no, the name was all wrong...yet, only a single letter off.

Yet, that single letter changed everything. A single "e" where an "a" was supposed to be sent her brain on overload. He was dead, he was gone, his permanent scar was still upon her...but when he threw back his hood to smile at her fully, she couldn't doubt those eyes.

"Mare...are you okay?"

Among his entire body, his eyes had hardly changed.

"My good Gumby, resilient as ever, aren't we? Ha ha! Well, we should talk sometime! I would give you a good old hug, but of course, we left on some bad shit, didn't we?"

Negi Springfield, a full, teenage demon, stood in front of her, and quite suddenly, that three inch thick bullet proof glass and metal encased terminal didn't seem so safe anymore. Ohh...she was getting sick...she knew she should have stayed home today...his smile, he was laughing at her!

Another worker next to her, a friend named John, looked at his empty area and decided to step in. He looked at the I.D and then at the boy in front of him, and smiled nervously. The looks checked out, but...if "Mare" ever got sick, or nervous, something was up...seriously, up.

"My...you look pale! Luckily there's no one behind me on this line, ehh?" Uh, oh, she's gonna blow!"

Negi quietly and quickly extended a hand, and the both of them disappeared from that place, into invisibility. His hand further reached out, neglecting the fact that there was a full wall of glass in his way, pulling the other towards him.

For the heck of it, he took the other man too, feeling the magic come from his easily...god, it was too easy! He'd felt power like this before, but he'd have never thought it would be his to wield...at any moment he wished!

They popped back into visibility, Negi clutching the handles upon the chair of one very pale woman. Ha ha, it was rich. She had a wheelie! Still, the boy had heart enough to speed her to the nearest unisex, where he quite promptly locked the door.

He had left her by the toilet, and as he thought, she had already taken the liberty to void herself of some very nasty stomach contents. He clucked his tongue disapprovingly, wagging a finger at her. Oh he was going to enjoy this...he looked her up and down.

Not quite as thin as before, but she was far from fat, she had lost her battle hardened edge, and no longer carried that oh so fluent air of...was it safe to call it perversion? She seemed to have been stomped by life, hard, into submission.

Her face wasn't very happy as she clutched that bowl. They were shivering, and her complexion still wasn't quite right...the effect of her apparent anger was lost. Negi sighed. The man, quiet until now...mainly due to the fact Negi held him steady...decided now was the time to begin cussing.

"You look at me as If I have done you a great evil...and I have, but I had to, you understand that too. You were in my way, and you refused to listen to warning. I told you not to lay another finger on Anya. I gave you so many chances to just...walk away."

Tsukuyomi, or more appropriately, Meredith, expected herself to be angry. She expected to rage, throw whatever she could reach for, she expected to beat this figure to a pulp with whatever she had left...but...he was right.

She couldn't be angry with him when she knew him to be right. That...sucked ass. Her vision looked down at her legs, useless bits of flesh and bone, ever since that battle among the ruined pillars of Ostian stone.

Well would yah look at that, she was a poet now.

"Well would you look at that... you really are a changed woman."

Tsukuyomi started, snapping up her head to feel resistance. Negi had closed the distance between them, and his hand, cool and firm, was on her forehead. She barely dared to move. His power was right there for her to feel...she truly had changed, if he could have approached without her notice...

"Who the fuck are you anyway?"

Negi smiled as he turned to the other, and shook his head.

"I'm fucking Zeus. Nooo, really? I'm the dude that put this woman in a wheel chair in the first place, feel free to throw a thunder arrow up my ass, it's not going to hit anyway. I know you're a mage, Mister John. I'm one too!"

Negi allowed his aura to fully encompass the both of them, whereas before he had restrained it to just Tsukuyomi. He watched the man's face go from red to a pale yellow before gracing a sick white green. The woman in the room however, looked thoughtfully at John.

"Lookie, he's a backwards traffic light, the poor bastard. You two really need some better communication, hmm? One of them doesn't tell the other that they know about magic, so the other one doesn't reveal he's a mage. One would rather leave her past far behind her, so she had no idea this dude's been trying to improve his magic like hell to heal the nerve damage in her legs. Idiots."

"W-what? Why...?"

Negi slapped his forehead, hard.

"God, I feel like some renegade actor walking through a million different movies at any given time, all of them with cheesy plots or fucking clueless actors. No depth, anywhere, it's as shallow as a sea in 2D! Okay peeps, long story short!"

He points to John, who fell quiet.

"Boy meets girl with broken legs, aww, he feels sorry for her, tries to help, and is surprised that he can't. Spends some time with her, becomes friends, tries to make life easier due to that friendship, again; aww, how nice. Dude realizes that this girl could really use those legs of hers, but he can't help her, so sad! Boo hoo.

You know what? After nearly four fucking years, the dude has just about fallen for her. Still can't help her with the legs though, poor bastard. Still, this girl appreciates his friendship, so guess what, he doesn't make any moves, can't risk that friendship, can't he? It's approaching a fifth year now, very soon, it will be one. Poor bastard still hasn't made any moves, and she remains absolutely clueless! Can't you see the hilarity of it all? It's simply smashing!"

Negi had decided to take a seat upon the sink, which, despite his lithe form, protested to the fact it was supporting him. His smile as Tsukuyomi watched the man from across the room was his grand, and the sole show of joy. His eyes weren't in it.

"You've tried to fix my nerves...? W-"

"Ding dong! 'Ello! Didn't you 'ear me! Why? Stupidest fucking question on the planet. Telling you with he likes you is so underrated here...why? Bitch, he loves you, he doesn't need a reason."

"Who...who is this guy Mare?"

"Someone who did the world a great favor in getting rid of ability to walk."

"W-What?"

Negi shook his head, glad he had given the security guards a headache by scrambling all the cameras with magical interference before grabbing these two. Hell, he was glad he had grabbed his I.D back before indulging in this appalling train wreck.

Common sense could avoid all of this. He looked at Tsukuyomi, or should he say Meredith?

"You know, I could help you…I took those legs away…but I could just as easily give them back."

Was he kidding? Those nerves were destroyed, utterly ripped to shreds, the sheer violence of that attack upon an innocent woman befit a monster of the highest order…ahh, but the plain named John was also plainly lacking in knowledge of the situation.

Tsukuyomi took a deep breath, but Negi shook his head, putting a finger to her lips.

"I know what you're going to say before you even open that mouth of yours. No, right? You don't want me to heal that damage I've done…because you accept it, no? You look at it as a suitable punishment, and, just like those born without sight, you fear that if you try to gain that which is told should be yours…you will lose what you have been gifted with…isn't that right?"

Tsuku-…Meredith nodded. Negi closed his eyes and showed that he…didn't care.

"To quote one good man, frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. You're not like those people. God took their sight, or their hearing, whatever sense he took from them, and gave them something else. I ain't no deity. I'm Negi Springfield. You're not going to become a monster like you were before, lying to yourself, hiding whatever pain you felt, just because I give you back your damn legs...and another point, I didn't actually give you one. Damn. Thing. Your thanks are misplaced. All I did; was change your perspective...made you lovable in a way..."

She would have gasped, but she was stronger than that. She only fixed Negi with a stare. Negi though, was looking at John, yet he still spoke to Meredith when he opened his mouth.

"Don't look at me; you know I am right. Will giving you your ability to walk take away the lessons you've learned in these eight years? Hell no! I'd be stupid not to give you back what you deserve to have back. Hell, it's like a little kid with a toy…your mom doesn't take it away forever, numbskulls!"

He indicated the still silent John with a wave of his hand.

"You gonna have him waiting forever? Bitch; think for once. You want this, I know you do. What stops you is the fear. Stop looking at the fear; it's just a whining cunt anyway. You think I give a crap what fear tells me?"

John looked mortified as he glanced at Negi. Who the hell was this guy? His face wreaked so much confusion; Meredith felt the need to explain.

"John…don't be afraid, but since you're a mage…you do know about the legendary Cipher Mage, don't you?"

Negi rose an eyebrow to that one. Who the hell was the Cipher Mage now? John though, nodded. Yeah, he knew about the Cipher Mage, the young boy who had used his power to recreate Mars, literally making the planet real…unimaginable power was his to control, he was said to be the son of the thousand master himself…he died not long after his effort…

Meredith indicated the dude in front of her.

"This is him, John…"

What…the…hell? Negi looked at her strangely before slowly grinning, and then; laughing, the other man's face was just priceless here.

"Ooh, this is rich! I have a fancy title now too, don't I? Cipher Mage hmm? I like the ring to it. Hah, to think they used to call me the Demon Eyes, Asakura started that one…now I'm the Cipher Mage…I didn't see that one in your mind, but then, I was looking at your history for the past eight years, I wasn't interested in my own name…"

Sputtering, disbelief. This figure that held such immense power...was a dead idol come to life?

"T-this is the Mourning Mage? The one who is said to lie at the end of the Magical World, weeping the seas? The legend himself, the cover-up and the scandal, The Child Magister who died by flame?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Dude, slooow down. I didn't know I had so many damn titles, who am I, Rakan of the thousand blades? You're about to go boom there. I'm probably not all I'm cracked up to be, huh? I said I'm no God. I might have said I was Zeus as a joke, but, dude, I don't cry rivers at the end of any worlds. That just ain't my style. Mars is mine, sure, but hell if I cried all those rivers that run across it."

The silence began then, Negi holding captive his magic, growing every second, threatening... John, his own power gathering, even as he knew he could do absolutely nothing against the other, in fact, Negi proved just that by reaching out with his mind and rapping the other firmly on the mental knuckles, making him let loose his magic.

"Shut the hell up with your muttered spells; you're annoying me. Rakan is famous for making a stupid power chart, but in truth, nobody else has the balls to make another one, that, and they're too lazy. I'm just fine with it, as skewed as it is, it gets the point across. You would be about two seventy five, pretty nice for an ordinary mage, you're just about that of an average magical teacher...me though, my power alone ranks just above my father, because he's been lazy these past few years. I'm a friggin thirteen thousand something. Don't...mess wit' dis."

They both looked to the woman now, in that tiny bathroom. One for strength, and the other for an answer. Negi watched her open her mouth, and he reminded her.

"I won't ask you again you know. This time, it's your own fault what happens. Self punishment only accomplishes so much, and honestly, it's boring."

Despite herself, he gave her pause. He was completely without guile, but sitting there, she couldn't help but allowed her eyes to race up his entire length. He felt different than before, lighter, calmer, more at peace, but still, inside him, as with any person, there was darkness. It seemed to be spelled out in his look, for he was the very embodiment of bad.

Underneath his light brown cloak, ragged by choice and not by actual battle, he wore black jeans, a kind of cliché perfection that matched his dark blood sweater, his jeans sported buckles tracing up to mid thigh, and hanging from them was ammunition...his belt had several clips, full of god knows what, and his dual holsters were apparent. His hair was braided down into one intricately laced ponytail, reaching to the middle of his back where it sported a knife weaved in. Still, this was more for decoration that anything else...he had no blades, but he did sport a ring on his ring finger...wiry and lithe, that was Negi.

Those jewel eyes pierced her with his stare.

"I want...I would like..."

"Screw being polite, yes or no?"

Would she become a monster again? Could she stand such a thing? Would she even care?

"Yes."

"Lovely. Then, as these cameras are still disabled, let your new life begin."

His magic, waiting for so long, rushed forth from him now, weaving itself over the young woman in front of him in a bath of light, and all was impossible to see...

+-2-+

A fine spray was the best touch to the leaves of her plants, just a little drizzle for them; the roots were the place where you soaked. Don't soak the leaves if it's the roots that are truly thirsty after all. Her hand was steady as she directed the spray, all the while, she kept vigilant watch. A bird landed on a Sunflower, picking at its seeds…a goldfinch. Alma hesitated before deeming it harmless enough…she had enough Sunflower seeds as it was; he could have some if he wanted…

By now, the sky was clear, and it was warm, but the slight breeze gave her some relief. She moved on from the flowers to give the fruit bearing plants a bit of extra splash, they needed to be misted on the fruits themselves; otherwise their outsides would become tough.

Behind her, a woman approached, slowly winding her way through the trench dug out between the plant banks. It was a thin trench, but deep. It was perfect for Alma to slip under or around things here, but for the woman, who was taller and warmer, it took some care. She made the mistake of speaking just as she met the other, causing Alma to stiffen.

Most would have turned around in a rush, drenching the other person from head to toe. You don't walk right up to a person with a hose and then say hi…but Alma was used to it, the bunching of her slight build nigh unnoticeable underneath the loose shirt she wore.

"Hello. Can I help you with something?"
"Didn't you water those already?"

It wasn't quite a question, not with the tone spoken. The other was new here, and her personal patch of plants wasn't quite frolicking as she would have liked. For the newcomer, it almost never did. Plants were not computers. You did not type "grow" on a keyboard and they listened…

Of course, she was starting sinfully late, but she was trying to grow celery anyway, and that could grow through some of the winter, a tough little green plant it was…once it got off the ground.

"I am giving the fruits a mist spray, it's to make sure they don't harden on the outside or accumulate dirt. It also makes sure that the connection between plant and fruit doesn't so quickly dry out…"
"I can't water properly when you're using water too."
"I will finish soon. I'm just about done. You don't have to wait for me."
"You've been watering for a long while. Who supervises this place? I'm pretty sure there's a time limit…"

Alma shook her head, cutting the flow from her hose and turning to face the taller woman. Looking up, she did a small bow to her, indicating herself.

"I'm the supervisor here. The reason I'm watering for so long is because I have many plants to care for, and I run the store in front of here. I need to make sure the flowers and other plants I sell for this garden are in top shape. How may I help you?"

Surprise. She took a step back to get a look at Alma. A girl, just a little girl, that's what she was. Still, her bearing, the way she held that hose with a simple, no nonsense stance, and the plain keys on her hip were proof enough. Those large blue eyes scanned her up and down before slowly blinking.

"Ohh…but you're…so…young."
"I look younger than I am; thank you for the compliment. As I was saying though, if you just use a hose next to the building over there, one of the long yellows ones, you don't have to wait for me. There's no time limit to how long you water your plants…as long as you don't purposely try to drown them."
"Yellow…hose? Ohh...those? I thought those were for…"
"When in doubt, ask. That's a rule everyone should follow, only they think they're being a bother. It's more bothering to me when someone assumes the wrong thing because they didn't want to bother me. Talk to me if you need some help with your plants, beginnings can be tough, so don't get discouraged."

Even as she spoke, she saw another woman approaching, this figure being Mrs. Heathersworth, who had a basket full of tomatoes, ripe red.

"Alma dear, there's someone who needs the storeroom opened for a new hand shovel, one of the old ones, finally split down the middle. I think that was the last of the little fossils…"

Alma unhooked the keys from her belt and tossed them to the other woman, who failed to catch them with her free hand, but her basket caught them for her. Laughing, she walked off as Alma shut off her hose, turning to the other woman. She took off her gloves to extend a hand.

"You probably already heard from Mrs. Heathersworth, but I am Alma, Alma Yoshi…"

"Marrice…I feel bad now, for-"
"Forget it, happens all the time…"

Another gardener approached her now, and Alma cursed her luck. It was Mrs. Thortno…or should she say "Thorno in the ass o?" A talker by nature, her husband was the one who did the gardening. She meandered and indulged in what she thought was light gossip. You let her approach, and she'd talk. Your. Ears. Off.

She loved to indulge in Alma too, for she hardly ever said anything back, a perfect sounding board.

"Alma, dearie!"

Inwardly, the other rolled her eyes. She also had this habit of calling anyone, besides her husband, by the title "dearie".

"Hello Mrs. Thorno."
"I'd like to ask you something…are you good with kids?"
"…Why?"
"Oh, I was just looking for another adult who could come to one of my nephew's birthday parties…I'll be there, and a few parents, but there's still the worry of supervision…"
"How old are they and how many people are there…?"

Oh, Alma knew she had already been drafted for the army, so to speak. Still, she liked to at least feel like she was in control here as Thorno circled her like a spider did a fly. The woman wouldn't take no for an answer…

"Six to around twelve. They'll probably be around twelve of the angels…dearie, are you free next week Sunday?"
"What time is it?"
"Ohh, it starts at three dear…do you know a good magician by the way? I just can't seem to find one that looks enticing enough in the yellows."

Alma actually smiled here. A magician, hmm? Sure…she knew a magician…

"I am one."
"Say what, dear?"
"Look on top you head Mrs. Thortno."

On top her head? She spun around and felt something roll from her hair, and she caught a peach in her hands, ripe and clean, if slightly wet from recent misting. She looked with wide eyes at the younger, who simply smiled.

"Sleight of hand. Check your pockets too. I can be your magician if you need one, and I can bring someone else too if you don't mind little tricks with fire, completely safe, don't worry. That's only if Sleight of hand won't cut it."
"How did you…"
"Sleight of hand Mrs Thortno, Sleight of hand. I can do your regular card tricks and such too. Maybe a few tricks with doves if you want. You won't have to pay me too much..."

The magic words had been said. Ahh. She could get out of babysitting some kids by being their magician, and she could get Anya off her lazy ass on Sundays to help her too. Thorno stayed happy, and so too, did the garden.

Alma looked back to the newcomer while Thorno walked off, smiling half heartedly. Please, don't let this new one be another soul she would have to avoid.

Well, Marrice was it? Feel free to ask me about anything related to plant care and…what. The. Hell…? …Excuse me; please…I must be hallucinating…"

Indeed, excuse her, for standing at the edge of the trench, looking guilty, even reluctant, to plunge into the leafy depths, was Anya. Anya…never came here. Period. Never. If she was here then something was seriously wrong. It was like Alma turning up at whoever's house Anya was working on. It was serious business.

Their lives did not mesh. Not one bit outside of the home, and as Alma approached, she felt her will drain from her, for Anya was wearing that face…that face she knew so well. That face of pain, that face that said, quite plainly…"I'm in trouble…"

She'll be in trouble alright, just let her reach the girl…

"Oh…hi, Alma. I was hoping to catch you when you came out…I kinda need you to help me with something…"
"What is it?"
"Not here…you'll yell at me."
"Tell me. Next to my plants, I'm fine."
"I need you to help me in the acting phase…"
"… … …"
"Alma?"

The shorter laughed. Quietly, manically, almost. The soft wind seemed to make her plants shiver now, instead of quietly wave…Anya made a face.

"You want me to help you act out what I hate the most, your dreaded "break-up phase"? You want me to help you break someone's heart? This is hilarious. I must be dreaming."

"No, really, this one stuck to the rules, I'm sure…he's a tough guy…it's just tomorrow…just a quick in and out worked out skit…nothing hard, you don't even have to say anything, just stand there!"

Alone in that field of Sunflowers and Tiger Lilies, Anya was the only ears upon which her partner's gales fell upon. Nervous, bountiful laughter.

+-E-+

This was actually kind of painful to write, physically and mentally. I won't explain the physical. Mentally though, it was hard to get this to work right, and I fear it turned out boring. Ah well, can't have action all the time, can't you?

Tension however, once again begins to build! Negi finds a piece of his lost past, and has deemed one of his victims worthy of a second chance, but with what repercussions? Or does Negi want something from Meredith, the one whom was once such a lewd foe?

Anya and Alma fight like sisters, don't they? Over the smallest things! Still, we find some extra character here too, and Alma reveals that she is completely perfect for her powers, and why she developed them in the first place…she's an escapist!

Next time? ~ Finalage, out.

Chapter 4: Chapter III: Occluded Paths

+O-2-X+

No hard feelings...only surprise. Galerians, the person whom almost always seems to get what I'm doing, can't see the reason for the last chapter? Negi needs to find Anya / Alma yes, but how? He has to gather information first. He went to China, where he heard the rumor Asakura had taken up residence...who, out of all the people we know, could help him find someone?

Meeting Tsukuyomi also had a purpose...but if I say that, I ruin things, don't I? Keep in mind too; he has to go check up on his old students...for closure reasons if nothing else. Of course, "Monster Negi" will make things one heck of an amount more difficult...

There's also the need to show Anya's side of the story, after all, I did say from the beginning, this would center around her, and Negi was the backseat. I have to flesh her and Alma out too, show what the eight years has done to them, lest they become flat. Both of these girls will have her own share of...shall I say, difficulties along the way...?

Of course, it's also just a tad bit because I like to play with character development...and, in the beginning...I am still setting the scene. Normally, regardless of the prior action, I call chapter four, installment five, the "go" of the ready, set, go. I do not own Negima, peeps. Instant gratitude...is my grave enemy. ~Finalage.

+-YN-+

Chapter Three: Occluded Paths

+-AB-+

To whom it may concern, a renewal of binding Contract Notice:

Minister Negi Tajaiwar Springfield to Magistra Evangeline Athanasia Katherine McDowell

Dominus Solius Curatoscorpus

(Grand Master, Guardian to the Sun God, best estimate, called "Sphinx's Ankh" by minister.)

VIIICMLXXXVIII

(Pactio # 8,988)

Permanent Pactio

Alpha Class (Insanely rare...I thought this class was a legend...)

Motifs: Clear/Mirror/Gold Negatives, Red/Beige/Black/Blue/Silver Positives.

Dormant Abilities:

All expected dormant abilities of this pactio type, plus two secondary:

-Determines any kind of lie, spoken or otherwise, while inactive. (Such as a person lying to themselves.)

-The card itself, at just the right angle, changes from a completely see through object to a mirror one, and acts as a kind of powerful Deflexio spell, which is cool in a way, but limited in usefulness, as, despite erecting a barrier around the holder, must be kept at that angle to maintain the protection.

Active Abilities:

-Seems to be an amped up version of its predecessor, it can dispel all illusions and falsehoods, but it's key form seems to have been edited to resemble a more battle ready form of the Grand Master Key's design, according to Aniki, it looks almost exactly like it. Offensive wise, it's base blade has been edited to resemble HeartBreaker, only with the ability to inflict pain and nothing more…however, while it previously limited the ability to form into other artifacts, the word artifact seems to have become more subjective, forming into Aniki's old short sword, as it was an artifact to him. It also seems to form perfect copies now…or this could just be Aniki already knowing all the abilities of the artifacts he has so far come across…

-The only indication of this pactio being active is a small, silver chained ankh on Aniki's neck. The ankh seems to be a kind of deep sea blue crystal about two inches long. Besides this, there is no other outward show that this thing is on him, actually scratch that. It seems that it gives him a mages robe exactly the same as the one he usually wears at night, a dark brown, almost black one. (Though the card shows him wearing one similar to his dad's…weird.) The ankh seems to summon his key upon bidding…

Secondary Abilities:

-Again, this thing seems to have a mind of its own in controlling the limb it's in, but it seems to be more flexible as to what weapon it gives Aniki to hold. Those weird spinny symbols are still here too, with the same modes, only they seem different somehow, I can't tell what though.

Apparent Weaknesses:

-Aniki still can't let go of it until the battle is done or his energy is, in which case, I'd say the battle concludes. It still has a mind of its own as well, which still potentially spells trouble.

-Still indiscriminately dispels all untruths.

-Due to Eva's current power level, if she activates the pactio, this could actually weaken Aniki's raw magical strength instead of the previous situation of overloading him. While this is a good weapon, it is best that Aniki activate the contract himself to maintain most of his power if push comes to shove. (Although, this can boost Eva-ane-san in battle, and with those spinny symbols too…)

Summary:

Overall, this Alpha Class Pactio seems to be an edit on a previously "unfinished" item, with a more relaxed and natural motif and a potentially more powerful bite, yet; is still balanced with its apparent, workable weaknesses. The Deflexio bit is cool, but kind of useless when Aniki can simply bring up an actual Deflexio with faster results, but I suppose if he gives it to an ally who is too injured to continue fighting, it might hold some merit in protecting them. Now, with Aniki's power up to par with his versatility, this forms a kind of blanket around him, in a way, securing his stance and cementing his position in space... but it also has the potential to give him pause, as it can weaken him some. It also has some more stealth worthy qualities than its processor, which fits right at home.

~Albert Chamomile, now retired Pactio Mage, familiar to Negi T. Springfield.

Negi allowed a half smile to lift his lips as he looked upon his card. It was a completely see through thing, its triple gold lining and picture the only parts that obscured the perfect looking glass. Still, even as it had pictures on both sides, oriented as they should be…looking through one side, you couldn't see the other. It didn't block your view.

That simple, impossible fact, one that an ordinary mind wouldn't immediately recognize, made the boy smile. Physically impossible? Not where magic was concerned. He laughed when he saw the look on John's face as he inspected the card sidelong. Negi held it out to him, bidding him to take a look for himself. Nervously, the other did as he was bid.

Negi leaned back in the chair he sat on, looking around himself in the outdoors; this restaurant had been Tsukuyomi's idea, a kind of catch up chat, as well as some half hearted thanks. He grabbed his simple soup bowl to take a sip of its broth while she watched the other man inspect his pactio.

Mid build, a bit of muscle, average height, brown hair and surprisingly green eyes, John was a simple man, but he wasn't unattractive, contrary in fact, just not quite as exotic; as Negi might be called. He had a good personality once you got past his walls, one of which Negi knew to be the cursing sailor…he smiled as John returned the card to him.

"Never seen one like that before…completely clear, almost futuristic like that, must be rare."

"It is the rarest kind you can find, an Alpha class pactio. I can almost…no; I think I can guarantee that you'll never see another one of these."
"Is it a Probationary Contract?"
"Nope, it's one hundred percent, a permanent binding, and I'm the minister."

"You're the minister? You mean there's a mage out there that more powerful than you?"
"I told you…I'm not a god. As long as there is magic in this world, as long as there are people…there will always be someone better than you, no matter who you are. Being the best is so…consuming. Do you know what I mean?"

Negi sighed when he saw the other didn't. He looked off into the distance, spotting Meredith rolling their way. She had opted to keep sitting in that thing for today, until they could get somewhere far. Negi had given her the ability to walk, but he had also opened a fire in her heart. He was going to find Asakura, the one student whom he knew to be in China…and the one expert he could bank on knowing where his other students might be…

Meredith knew she had seen her around, but instead of telling him where, she wanted to come with him. By now…she couldn't just walk from her job, but the fact she could walk put her in an odd position, a sudden, miraculously cured person didn't cut it when it came to paperwork…besides…

Traveling around as part of a party was way more fun…and Negi didn't raise any protest.

"Being the best means that every second, of every day, you must strive to protect that title. You must be able to be the best, all the time. If anyone else rose above you and became the best…you would have lost everything. The best is the best, unconditionally. I don't want to be like that... It eats you alive, destroys you. Do you understand now? I simply want to be me."

Finally, Meredith arrived, and John, who had opened his mouth, promptly shut it, making Negi shake his head. The woman looked from one to the other before Negi explained.

"Does John always clam up when other people arrive at a table? Makes people think you were talking about them, doesn't it? We were discussing my pactio item and why I would never want to be the best mage ever known. Are you finished?"
"Of course, I only went to the bathroom…"
"Okay…now, according to what you've told me, Asakura's a freelance, correct?"
"Correct, Famous in some ways even..."
"...And, even though you don't know exactly where she currently located, you claim to have an idea…but first…"
"...I do want to test if I can be of any use to you, yes. I need to see how far I've fallen, battle skill wise. I know you raised no protest, but still, I feel the need to show my worth. If we run into difficulties finding Asakura, or in the time afterwards...I'm not saying you cannot handle yourself, but if something is too small for you to be bothered with, or if there is some kind of trap..."

"Fair enough…where?"

"I know somewhere…perfect… for this."

"... ... ..."

Negi allowed his grin to be feral now as he fell into a familiar pose. This would be a test for him too…ever since being brought back, he had only focused on catching his bearings, and he hadn't done any physical battle. John didn't look to happy as he watched Meredith, standing awkwardly opposite Negi. She had been shaky on her feet, but the tremor was gone now…it didn't stop her awkward placement however.

"We start slow. Otherwise your friend won't be able to see anything."
"…That's just fine."

"On my count then…One…Two…Three, go."

Negi wasn't one for waiting, his style was for attacking. The very moment he said go, just lunged forward, covering the distance faster than he expected to, reaching the other so quickly, he only barely had time to jump over her, just as she took a quick sidestep. His eyes were wide as he flew; her kick only barely dodged by him.

Shit! I don't know my own speed!

He faced her; his hair made the smile the only visible thing. He leapt off one foot, drawing his hands back, she slipped away and he landed on the other foot, launching off to slam his elbow into her, but her own elbow blocked him, her free hand coming out for his eyes, a crane of his neck took care of that attempt.

His control is off, but so is mine, my legs feel like jelly...

Breaking off from her in a spin, he came back with a tackle, stopping short when she dodged, trying to ram his back into her, but again, she slipped away, trying to trip him up, he jumped over the attempt, aiming a foot for her head, he almost stomped her to the ground, but she dropped and rolled.

Again! I don't even know my fucking reach! I could have knocked her head clean off!

Meredith however, didn't seem to mind as she spun back to her own feet, only to nearly lose her balance…nearly. She kept it with a crouch, accepting Negi as he came in with a charge, leaping over as he came and spinning, aiming for his back, but Negi was the one to avoid now, turning his charge into a flip, making his opponent jump back, or get a shoe in her face.

Small tricks and orientation can only help so much.

John looked on…in awe. He wasn't a fighter, so all the awkwardness the two combatants felt was lost upon him. He only saw the grace, the speed, and the pure strength. Meredith rushed Negi, but the boy sidestepped, and finally caught Tsukuyomi around the middle, turning her momentum into a toss.

She met him as he came, landing on her feet just in time to leap forward and roll away from his charge. She spun to face him, meeting fist with fist before swinging out her leg, only to have Negi duck and catch her, throwing her away over him. He turned and met her again, for she had landed quickly, and lumped at him. His elbow blasted her backwards though, making her skid, almost falling. She laughed then, just laughed.

"Both of us are awkward, aren't we? I saw how you nearly cut me in half with your first charge... Can we go faster now? You're teasing me like this…I haven't done this in nearly a decade…"
"You sure you can handle it? Those feet of yours are unsteady as all hell."

She did a pirouette for him, just for the kicks. In her work uniform, it was a laughable stunt to do, but she made a point to do it perfectly.

"Unsteady enough to tip you on your ass. Hmmm~?"

"Oh, please don't start talking like you used to, please. I might have to kill you."

A single laugh, and she was upon him, but the laugh was innocent, truly innocent.

Negi moved aside quickly and brought his fist into her middle, throwing her back, damn, he was stronger than before too. Not as strong as he was while a vampire, but stronger than his ten year old self, of course. He began a flurry of shots, punches he forced Meredith to either dodge or block, his feet entering into the fray occasionally in a steadily increasing rhythm as he began to get a better idea of his reach. She wanted him to move faster? Fine!

When she caught his leg and tried to break his pattern, he shot in with an elbow to her face, making her let loose before dropping; swinging out his leg to trip her up and send her on her behind before he dropped to one knee, freezing his punch a centimeter from her face, his other arm already behind her back.

'This would be about the time your neck would go snap and I would win. Don't you think?"
"Not at all Cipher Mage, not at all; I'm far from done, you should know better."

Her feet shot up, but he jumped over her head, his hands feathers on her shoulders, his grip held tight on her neck as she was throw to the ground. She curled up now, her feet still shooting for her head. Negi let loose her neck, but his own middle exploded upwards as he came right back over her head again, like some kind of demented snake launching itself into the air. He caught her whole body now in that ball shape, keeping her pinned as he put pressure.

Only just enough to avoid pain; that's what it was…now, now was the time for him to laugh.

"Okay then, so now is the time to say I win. Happy?"

"Perhaps…"

It took a solid week of long searching to find her.

In three days, they had found the place she had last worked, but, of course, while she still did indeed put her hat down there, this wasn't her residence, and it wouldn't be anything for her much longer.

Negi and his party had barely missed her, somewhat. Tsukuyomi had located her, and Negi provided the case, following her home. Of course, once he sighted the place she called home, he pulled back, but he kept his ears and eyes trained. He knew she'd be back out. Indeed, she was.

It wasn't easy to follow Asakura anywhere. Her expertise in espionage made her a difficult target, Negi knew…he knew so well, he had stayed outside, out of sight, just to see her emerge, hours later, with those same bags she had left her office with, and more. She tossed them in a car, looking about before getting in.

He was stalking a former student…

Still, he knew he needed information, and Asakura was difficult to approach otherwise...in an upfront manner. She loved to wheedle, to worm and pry, and like it or not, he was full of fodder for her to feast upon, if he ever dared try to go in deep.

This was the best way to approach her; by surprise. He kicked off the side of the building next to him, grabbing unto the fire escape as he lost her from his view in an alley, and quickly got to the roof.

A black Volvo…that's what she had…and it was right… there. He ran along the flat rooftops, trying to keep pace with the meandering car. He paused when it did, he teleported when it turned. No need to go "roof jumping", like he had when he was younger. Chamo, tight on his shoulder, looked green.

"Aniki, you don't have to do all of this fancy tracking…eeyeh, I'm going to be sick…"
"Deal with it please. Regardless if it is unnecessary, speed is not my issue here, its care. Besides, I prefer to feel the thrill of the chase…"
"Ugh…Eva-ane-san and you really do make a good couple…thrill of the chase my ass! You're going slower than you normally do on purpose, letting her get further away, almost out of your grasp, just so you can bound forwards again and make me sick!"

Negi laughed at that, plucking the poor ermine from his shoulder and depositing it in his pocket before stopping with the car at a red light. Still grinning, he decided it was time to play bad cop, pulling out his gun and spinning on the spot.

"You don't need to go after her yah know!"
"Ohh? I don't? I need her to tell me where to find her classmates, and where to find Anya and Alma. I have no information I currently trust..."
"No, you just want an excuse to go after everybody to see them. Sure, it's your responsibility Aniki."

The ermine held tight as the Volvo lurched ahead below them, and Negi lunged off the roof he stood on, landing lightly on the next one. He could risk a few jumps every now and again...and they were more fun than a teleport anyway.

"...But your real responsibility is Anya. You don't need to gather information on anybody else. You just feel that, after finding nothing about Anya, you'll run into her eventually if you go looking for everybody else. In other words, you don't want to just sit around and do some snooping until you get a lead...you want to feel like you're doing something."

"Hmph...fuck. That obvious huh? Shit."
"...No, I only knew 'cause Eva-ane-san said it to me."

Negi narrowed his eyes as he ran across another roof.

"Oh, so you have been talking about me behind my back huh?"
"No! She has, I was just eavesdropping!"
"Ahh, eavesdropping is a sin my friend, and you originally said she spoke to you, meaning you were part of it. Your punishment shall be soon set."
"What? I didn't do anything!"
"Ahh, but you originally said you did. You see, if you wish to claim credit for something Chamo, you must be willing too, to take the consequences...observe."

Negi bunched his legs together, taking a glance over to the other side to the street the Volvo ran along. It was the typical four lane two way street, with a thick island in the middle...gaining speed, Negi leapt off his side, literally flying off his edge. The building on the other side was about two floors lower, so he landed hard, Chamo screaming all the way.

"Gah, agh...ha...ha...ragh...you...you could have killed me! Didn't anyone teach you to be kind to your elders?"
"Hmmm...of course..."

Negi shot off in a run again; making sure the ermine had trouble regaining his grip on his rushing form.

"...That's why I plan on letting Eva get away scotch free."
"Whaaaat? That...that's favoritism! Blatant favoritism!"

"Oh come one Chamo, what do you want me to do? Spank her? She'd enjoy that, she would..."
"Y-you...ugh! Yoooou...are disgustingly... right for her. God, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were made for her! Aaaahh! ROOF!"

Stopping short, his hood pulled up, he was nothing but a dark figure disappearing into the night as he rose his gun, teleporting down below.

"You sound uncommonly like a dog, Chamo. Saying roof and barking all the time."

He landed silently in the backseat of Asakura's Volvo, right behind her and reveling in the fact she noticed nothing. His gun slid so silently to the back of her head, just…touching there. She froze, her eyes flashing to the rear view just as the light changed.

"Drive, just as you would normally. Tell me one thing and I won't blow your head off. Who am I?"

A honk from behind them made Negi indicate her to move on, and he pulled off the hood he had thrown over his head, grinning. Her eyes looked at him from her mirror, still locked on that gun, which he slipped away, clicking his tongue.

"Ahh, Kazumi-san, you should really learn to be better at trying to get away, or at trying to hide. You don't even know who I am and you instantly assume I'm going to kill you."

She didn't move as she drove, but he knew, as her eyes constantly shifted to the spot under her chair, between her legs, that she had a gun there, and knew how to use it too. He leaned back, his hands above his head, empty.

"You did put a gun to my head, so why not think you're going to kill me?"
"Silly girl, I mean this afternoon, dodging in and out of stores like some kind of demented jackrabbit, I'm late, I'm late, oh, I'm ever so late!"

Another red light came…and Asakura made her move, quickly bending before he could react, or so he made it seem. Her hand was steady as she swung her arm back, releasing the safety in a clean, fluid move. Ooh, nice. Ahh, but her arm was shaking. Her chair made it steady.

"Okay you bastard, who the hell sent you?"
"Oh ho, ho, ho! You move fast through this game, girl. I thought we could go through some more lines, a true old western, but no go. No one sent me Kazumi, besides myself, to shake you up a bit, and down, for some information."
"Information? What the hell would I tell you?"

Again, the light changed, and Negi indicated it with a finger. She should drive, shouldn't she? Oh, but no, no, no…he would be the one driving. She maneuvered the car like an expert, pulling it over and bidding him to get out, sliding over smoothly. Negi got back in slowly, eying that weapon. Of course, it had nothing on him, but still, action before reaction Negi. Play your role, and play it well. He smiled as he turned the wheel a little awkwardly, getting back on the road without much of a hitch. He looked sidelong at her as he slowly drove.

"Ahh, where would you like me to go, Kazumi-san? Mahora campus, Middle School division maybe, ha, we'll take a trip down memory lane then."

If it were possible, her grip tightened upon that shaking gun. Mahora campus?

"What the hell do you know about Mahora?"
"I told you, all I wanted to do was shake you up. You're a very feral girl to approach on a normal basis you know. So guarded, ugh, all tight wound, ready to spring, the next story, the next scoop, you have to get it, and it doesn't matter who falls for you too. I know quite a lot about Mahora past, but I want to know about Mahora present."

He was speaking in riddles, and as the woman directed him to the nearest highway, she told him so. Make you point already, or you'll get a bullet to the brain, that was her motif.

"Kazumi, do you really think you can shoot me…once I tell you who I am? You could be killing your biggest scoop ever you know. Of course, I don't want to be a scoop. That's why I chose this way. Much more blood binding, isn't it?"

"Get to your point."
" I need to locate an entire class. Your class, Kazumi Asakura… I want to know what happened to them all. They are my class after all."
"Your class…? I've never seen you before…"
"Complete the monologue…"

Negi shook his head before clearing his throat, reaching deep to tighten himself as best he could before letting loose a higher pitched voice, one that he already occasionally broke down into. The others eyes went wide once she heard him, and her gun lowered, looking at him, really looking.

"Kago Masato, must go one on one with the powerful Negi Springfield, whom some have begun to dub the demon eyes!"

...Those were... her words, but the voice…was Negi's. The hair, the eyes…older, like you would expect, but…this is how he turned out? Dayum.

"…Sensei?"
"Bingo! How yah been Kazumi? I'm back from Mars, and Earth never looked so damn good!"
"You can't be serious…no way…this is a story…if it's true…"
'I'd become a magnet for mobs, and you'd be shot putted somewhere pretty damn high. Lucky for you, it is. By the way…remember the homework for the winter vacation? Your new teacher told me you never handed it in, all y'all! I'll roast you alive, if I ever get the opportunity!"

Oh, it was him alright. Although, even if there was joke in those eyes, she couldn't help but wonder…had she done that homework eight years ago?

"Who…how…so... you actually did that on Mars, that magical re-creation…"

Negi smacked the dashboard lightly at her half spoken question.

"Ahh shit, she already knows the real story! Damn; now I've got no tale to tell! Fine…I've got one question for you then, before I need your help."
"Ohh, and what's that?"
"How. The fuck. Do I get out from this highway? …Not only that, but once I get out…how the hell do I turn this thing off? You'll have to excuse me; I never learned how to drive a car on Mars…"

"Wait…you don't know how to drive? Oh shit…"

Negi smiled at her sudden horror.

"Keep your panties on, god. All I'm doing right now is keeping a steady speed and going straight, how hard is that? Still, we really should get out before we hit a toll or something…"

...A bit later, Asakura looked about her, surrounded on all sides in the café they had stuffed themselves in. Next to her, Negi sat, quietly twiddling his thumbs and looking out the window, while across her, two people who identified themselves as Meredith and John were trying to avoid looking at each other too much. Meredith looked out the window, and John kept staring at his watch.

In front of all four of them, Negi had produced a world map to look at, and already, there were markings on it, describing the locations of people he already knew, or assumed. Her job was to add to the pool, for his ultimate goal was to find the girl who had always been with him in middle school.

Asakura had thought it was his older sister or something, but Negi had squashed that, telling her that he was actually her Magister and Teacher, essentially, her caretaker, adoptive father in a way. She could only shake her head to that one. Who ever heard of an almost seven year old kid adopting an eight year old one?

Sipping the coffee in her mug, she looked over what he had managed to gather in his month being on Earth. Asuna, Konoka, Setsuna, Chachamaru, Evangeline and Satomi were all in Japan, Mahora. The map also had a side note here in Japan, claiming his mother and father, along with his two sisters, and apparently, one brother on the way, were on Mars.

She never knew he had such a big family, and he told her he hadn't either, his sisters were six, the brother, zero, in his words. Negi had tagged her in China, and has found Meredith with John, a person he hadn't actually been looking for, but; for whom finding, made things a bit easier.

After that, his details became sketchier, Yue was somewhere in Egypt, apparently engaged. Nodoka was in London working as a secretary. Chisame was also in England…but this was an assumption Negi had. She shook her head. She couldn't confirm any of his information, except for the bits he knew for sure.

She could only add speculation to speculation. Her grin was half hearted. He had come to her based on his knowledge that she was good, but despite this, she couldn't give him much. Some kind of reporter she was. He was giving her a real good deal for all of this too. His story.

Right now, Earth, and many of its people, were teetering. Mars had so much…blatant magic about it. A real fairy land it was. Yet people still, stubbornly, clung to their pitchforks when it came to the topic of magic. People in high places, Mars especially, seemed to deny fiercely the existence of magic, claiming their flying ships and wood nymphs were a result of science.

Negi though, shot them all down with a simple wave of his fire encrusted hand. Magic existed alright, hell, he should know. He was ranked as one of the legendary mages after all. He had fucking taken Mars and broke it apart, only to put it back together as a real thing. Any race besides a human owed him their reality, no, he didn't make souls, they made those, but he made the living bodies.

Breaking her thoughts, he lowered a cup of milk-less tea from his lips, raising an eyebrow to her.

"My, my Kazumi, you should know, I'm already spoken for. You look ready to eat me with that look of yours."

He idly rose his hand to her quickly reddening face, showing her his ring. She stared at it. He hadn't told her that bit.

"Don't get all excited, it's not an engagement ring, it's a promise. A way to remind me that there is someone out there who will be waiting…and that I shouldn't disappoint, or they'll be hell to pay."

"Can I ask who this girl is?"
"You may, but not now. Proper grammar, I catch you by the tail."
"…Ooooh! Damn!"

"I can't be going making the steak juicer than it should be, can't I? So, what yah got for me?"

Exhaling heavily, she grabbed the marker he had provided, her hand holding the map steady in the middle. She made a mark in another area of China, and dots in Brazil, India and Iceland before making a strike near Japan, finally making two circles around Europe and America.

"Haruna is somewhere in the Okinawa Prefecture of Japan, I don't know exactly where, but she's living out her life as a mangaka…far as I can tell. This mark here for China is where I think Ku Fei went, Mana went to Brazil last time I checked, and Zazie's in India. Chizuru is in Iceland…or is it Natsumi…damn, I can't remember, but one of them is definitely there. This stuff is definite."

She made a vague gesture to the circles over Europe and America.

"As far as what I think and have heard from unsteady sources, Satsuki is in France, no idea why she'd be there, but, like I said, speculation…"

Negi interrupted here, pointing out that France was one of the world's culinary giants, and was famed for its elite schools as well as its kitchens. Asakura shrugged that one off, perhaps her source held more merit than she gave it credit.

"Anywho, Akira is somewhere in Europe, so is Makie, along with all those others you know about…"

She finally pointed to the big expanse that was America. She had circled the whole thing, telling Negi instantly that this was her wildest of guesses.

"Here is where I gotta take stabs. I'm guessing Ako, Yuna, and whoever wasn't in Iceland… are somewhere in America. Besides that…I've got no idea where Iincho, Madoka, Misora, the twins or Kaede are...sorry...I don't know anything about Anya-chan, or Alma..."

"No, no…if you're right, the class spread out like hell, but I'm a whole lot farther off than I was before. I suppose the first person to visit would be the closest, Ku Fei, wouldn't it be? I'll work my way outwards from there, but first…I do believe we should go somewhere private…I do have a story to tell you after all."

Her grin was indeed a fear striking one, but to Negi, it was a simple bite from an annoying mosquito. He returned it with one of his own.

"Indeed...wait! That reminds me! Idiot! Ku Fei!"

A bit put off, Negi looked at her, seeing her smile, if possible, widen ever further.

"What?"
"Ku Fei. Before Anya and Alma-chan left...Alma took some Chinese ken-po lessons from her, not a lot, but some, from what she said..."

It was his turn to become feral.

"Ha ha...brilliant, brilliant as a clean cut diamond. That...is perfect."

+-1-+

The new morning dawned bright and early. No, seriously, it was bright as all hell, which wasn't very bright at all. Nope, the sky was heavily overcast as Alma rolled out of her bed, trying and failing to see outside on tip toe, and having to step back a few paces to see the fare. A cool breeze whipped through that wind, slapping her on the face with its ground running force.

The air tasted of rain. It woke her up from the grogginess. It seemed like she was just like her plants that way, she didn't wake up when the sun wasn't out, not until some water slapped her on the face. Her mind crashed down upon her with authority, reminding her why she was up this early this Sunday morning. Anya needed her to help with the worst part of her job.

The "clean up" part, the break up phase of a relationship that had been carefully acted out over a period of time, attempting to achieve a goal…Anya never failed to achieve her goal, but the break up phase, she rarely ever got off well there. This time though, the act required another person to get successfully played out…

This guy was a high school football player, someone closer to Anya's own age. He was moving on, to a new college, out of state…He needed someone, Anya, for the right price, had been that someone. A clean girl too, and she had fulfilled that standard, Alma hadn't caught the other with a single intoxicating substance in these past three months…his main concern was not sticking out in his group after breaking up with his last girlfriend, rather roughly, one might add, just before the summer.

Another person who was pretty well off, he had money, popularity, he was handsome enough…but as tends to happen, many clients aren't the stereotyped "lonely nerd" model. No, in truth, people came in all shapes to this line of work, and served all types too.

Alma sighed, realizing she had been staring at herself absently in the mirror, not taking anything of what she saw in. She heard the water turn on just as she realized she still had on pajamas, a kind of longer replica of the pitch black, flowered kimono she favored a few years ago…

She tossed open the closet door, getting rid of her reflection, for that's where the mirror was, on the door. She normally opened the other door, but today...she just didn't feel like looking at herself. No, correction; she didn't feel like seeing her own face. Looking and seeing really were two different things, weren't they?

She didn't dress up, there was no point. It was an ordinary farewell for the boy, they'd meet up in a kind of bar and grill...Alma wasn't even "supposed" to be invited. Her role was a kind of walk in. A "bring along a friend" kind of thing...

The hat was...unflattering. As much as she appreciated the dark blue, plain pauper, Anya, quite plainly, said it clashed disastrously with her hair. The other disagreed, and pointed out, that, quite honestly, she didn't want to go anyway, so if her fashion sense was such a problem, she'd happily stay home.

Along with the hat, Alma's theme was simple and plain, and, according to Anya, very denim, something that wasn't good for her, apparently, it took away from her eyes, made her look conservative. Once again, the wearer disagreed. So what if her denim vest was the same color as her jeans? It matched. Was it a sin to wear a white shirt underneath?

If white sneakers didn't keep her right, than sue her. No, there wasn't anything wrong with her look...she just looked too...city... for the red head's taste...but they lived right in one anyway! Anya herself, taking into account that it was a cool day, and looking to rain, originally cursed.

The fuck was she going to wear on this kind of day, to pull off what she wanted to? How the hell was she going to keep her hair from getting in her way? After struggling for a long while in her room and while Alma, who was lounging on the couch and flipping through channels in the living room, ignored her snarls, common sense won out as a roll of thunder issued from outside.

She emerged in a pair of dark skinny jeans and a fitting forest green shirt, and carrying a brown leather coat over her shoulder, her free hand covering her face.

"Karma's a bitch. I call you a disaster, and look what happens with me. I'm a fricken nightmare! But I've got no time. How is it?"
"Who, the weather; or you? You're both lousy."

You could swear a vein popped up to pulse on Anya's forehead as Alma said that.

"...What the hell!"
"...What? You said it yourself. Although, if you ask me, I'd disagree on the weather part. I like the rain."
"If you know so much, then you dress me."

Alma's eyes lit up there, and Anya realized, terrified; that she had just said one very, very wrong thing. She took a step back as Alma snapped off the T.V and tossed the remote, jumping over the couch's head to block her path out.

"Now...that's what I thought I'd never hear. Come on...this won't hurrrt...much."

"...Oh...c-c-crap, h-her eyes, de-demon, demon! Aggh, noooo! I'll get keeeled!..."

Outside, in the pouring rain, Anya grumbled.

"I...I look like a damn prep school girl...and where the hell did you get this umbrella..."My Scene"?"

It was later, and the two of them were walking down the street. Alma had delighted in giving Anya light blue "painter's cap" and one of her white shirts. She had tried to put her in one of the blue vest she owned, a cotton one, but gave up trying to do all the buttons, leaving the top one off. Upon request, she had let the other go with one of the girls own, lighter skinny jeans… Alma was about to give her a skirt, but heyall no. She wasn't Miss Muppet.

A large, light blue umbrella would have completed it, but Anya was not holding that periwinkle thing. Over all, Anya looked to be a less reserved, more form fitting, clone of Alma. She shook her head as she walked. Alma liked things loose; she was a fan of flaring cuffs and bell bottoms.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure out your favorite color, does it? God, I look like a doofus."
"Actually, my favorite color is red, and only because black isn't a color...wait a minute...since when do you say...doofus?"
"...I don't. That's the point. Someone dressed like me would."
"...If you ask me, what you had on wasn't all that bad..."
"Nothing I own is "all that bad". It's the situation I wear it in that makes it suck or not Alma, you know that. I'm not a dude; I don't just toss on whatever might look okay...or whatever's clean."

She mumbled that last bit, her eyes darkening just a tad. Alma just watched the falling rain, so she didn't hear when Alma started on her again, only the beat those drops doled out on her shade.

She had to be poked in the side with a hard nail. Alma jerked away from the other, tossing the umbrella her way as she went out into the torrent.

The reflexive move almost caught Anya, but she managed to grab her savior from the beating rain as Alma just...stood there... for at least a second; before beating back under the shelter, grinning sheepishly; and almost completely soaked.

"What was that for? Now I'm wet!"

Anya however, just laughed, a bit helpless at the others only half hearted anger. Sometimes, she really thought Alma would have done better as a fish. Seeing her, Alma just shook her head, increasing in violence, tossing water everywhere.

"Hey, hey, hey! Watch it! Don't shake like a bitch near me!"

"Well, would you look at that, she actually knows what the word bitch means!"
"...I'm not stupid, you know."
"You told me something very different Friday night."
"...I don't mean dumb in that way..."

"Of course..."

By the time they had arrived at the place, Alma had dried somewhat, and the rain had calmed. Anya went in first, as Alma had to close the umbrella, and had opted to get the door. Anya swopped the hat from her head with a quick hand. Thank god. She wasn't a "Frenchie". A smile fixed on her face when she caught sight of her party.

She passed by a few tables on her way, making her presence know to the other in a way that made Alma, who had just walked in, sick. Holding her arms out, she allowed him to lift her up to eye level for a quick, deep, kiss. God; couldn't she wait?

"Where were you? I was beginning to get worried!"
"Oh, I got a ride from a friend, she's the one who dressed me up in this mess."
"Should have called…Looks great to me."
"Wearing nothing would look great to you."
"…Can I take you up on that offer?"
"Hmm…? Oh, shoot, I forgot who I was talking to, perverted idiot!"
"Hey, hey! Watch those hands; you're the one who said it!"

Alma didn't want to watch anymore. Anya, calling someone else a pervert? What was wrong with the world…?

Needless to say, the witch wasn't an actor, not anymore, and never like this. Alma took a seat somewhere else in the bar, plopping herself down on a table where a woman and a man were arguing fit to wake the dead. She regretted taking the seat the moment she had, for their obviously "private" conversation was pummeling her to bits.

Doing her best to ignore, she ordered some kind of grilled salmon when prompted, not wanting to seem stingy, but dully noting that the item was unusually high priced, at least, for her standards it was. Grinning painfully as she waited, she watched Anya from afar, finally being set down and invited formally to the table. It didn't take much for her to eavesdrop…but her head whipped back around when something akin to a fork flew past her eye.

He two arguing had broken off, the woman leaving in a huff, and the man, staring at her with bloodshot eyes. No…he wasn't looking at her, he was looking past her. Life…was a bitch. His face said it plain. When he finally did see her, he laughed.

"You people, do you follow me or something? Is God trying to punish me? Leave me alone. I know she has him now…or is this the day?"

It was Chris Oh hell. Alma looked about herself, suddenly nervous. She felt like moving, but then, finally, her ordered meal arrived. Brilliant timing, this would anchor her to the table she did not want to sit in at all. The man extended his stay by confirming that yes; he still wanted his ordered wine. Not even the waitress could help Alma there.

"So…you seem to be around a lot wherever Anya is, don't you? I've never seen you working with her though-"

She said nothing, but Chris was a smart man. He stopped when he saw her stiffen of so slightly, it was hard to tell, but he picked up on it. Nervous, he cast his eyes around, trying not to look at the girl in front of him, for her eyes were killers.

"Is Anya your friends, or-"
"She shares the rent with me."
"Oh. Have you-"
"She's on call. I'm not. Don't try to lump me with her job. You are old enough to be her father, how old do you think I am?"

In truth? Alma was old enough to be his grandmother at least five times over. However, her looks barely made her sixteen, even if the physical told her she was closer to eighteen…again with that dreadful pause. What, who…was this man? She did not want to talk with him…hell no. The silence stretched as Alma looked for an excuse not to talk with him, putting fish in her mouth.

"Listen…I don't know what you think; or what she told you-"

A quick swallow and a glare.

"Anya tells me nothing. You were nothing to her. She…enjoys…to play with the hearts of men. Men like that guy, men like you. Her job warrants that she bee good in acting, at seducing, at being exactly what you order. You're job is to put up barriers, so that the exact woman you ordered for, the one you desire so badly, does not walk in and steal your heart away, only to break it come contract end."

Surprised, he opened his mouth, but she stopped him again, her eager words rushing out an unwilling mouth.

"It doesn't matter how young she is either, as you found out. She can seem so much older. Don't look at me. You got caught, and you're looking for someone to blame. A dead mouse consumed in the belly of a lion, she ate you up, and you shouldn't expect to have all of yourself still there, when she spit you out."

A cry, one full of distress, made Alma look around to see Anya, beginning her hysterics, arguing with her target. Alma's eyes narrowed, with distaste above all. Lucky for her, the waitress had stopped her rounds to watch. Taking a final stab at her fish, she stood up, calling to the woman she knew had her receipt on her tray. She stuffed the proper amount with calculated tip, in her hand before pushing past, only sparing the man a token glare, and a sentence.

"No, I have to go witness another fool's heart shatter. Live your life, forget about her."

(Posted by Finalage.)

Alma knew she was doing it wrong, knew it as she grabbed Anya's hand, tearing her from the boy and dragging her away, crocodile tears, that's all they were. She heard the anger in the other's voice, hot air upon the ceiling, nothing but smoke issuing form the burning morals of the heart…but still, her own heart shivered at the realness of it all, she could scarcely hear, breathe.

Something, maybe it was her own shivering, or the boy grabbing her shoulder…maybe it was Anya calling out in "fear"…Perhaps it was seeing Chris's face in the crowd… Inside her, she snapped, whirling in that grip. He was strong, but she was fast. He was tall…

Not tall enough. Her hand arched out, landing on his jaw the most devastating slap he had ever felt, on that made the bone crack in protest as he reeled. Her eyes burned fire. She didn't hear anything, not a word from the mass of people around. She only knew the body she held was shivering; only saw the cause tossing on the floor.

Throwing open the door; she tossed Anya forwards, disregarding the drizzle as she dragged her through the rain. All of this…was far too real for her tastes, even as her mind processed it, cartoonish…bunny ears and candy flowers…

Above all, the laughter from Anya hollowed her soul. In the peace of the night, howls were not only heard from wolves that night…

+-E-+

That ending! It disappoints me. Still, the lack of detail is on purpose. I am telling it through the eyes of a mind, Alma's to be exact, that does not want to make it all real. So! We learn where Alma has gotten her explosive and surprising speed and fight from, and at the same time, give Negi some directions…but wait! Didn't Ku Fei say that the next time she and Negi met…what? I can't hear you. Finalage is feeling a little evil right now, please stand by. Negi's pactio has made a comeback, and, to cap it all off, Asakura is looking to take advantage…

If you want to see what Anya is truly capable of, if you still wish to see Negi chase after the leads, step on trails, and ruin dreams in hopes of finding her…and if you're wondering when I'm going to get up off my ass and tell you where the monster Negi is…well, I did say chapter four was chapter go. ~ Finalage, out!

Chapter 5: Chapter IV: Racing the Moon

+O-2-X+

Program Booting...overridden. Copyright Year Primal Year Zero. Program Null Version Omega 1 outmoded, Author pending, Identified. Connection Bypassed, direct interaction with NULL RAW requested. Security overridden. Full access to the Null without protective programs or bodily suits and barriers can cause death and insanity...overridden, warning messages disabled.

Null RAW access granted...

From here on out, the story will come to you, directly from the abyss of an untamed mind. Yes, I expect to make mistakes, fear my own story even. Yet, if I want to improve... Haymitch, you said you love when your mangaka take a simple situation and make it complicated...well...

I do not own Negima, or any or its affiliates. I own nothing but an active imagination. In all apparent slang...NOW is when the shit hits the fan. Last chance to run...For those of you who express disappointment…this story is in the "HURT/COMFORT, ANGST" section for a reason, please don't expect anything else for the beginnings.

General Warning

This chapter will include the following themes:

Sick, Maniacal glee/violence.

Use of unnecessary force. (Not nuking the ant yet, no.).

Death. (Not by way of donuts, no.)

You have been warned. ~Finalage.

+-YN-+

Chapter Four: Racing The Moon.

+-AB-+

(Don't want to see the maniacal glee of the Monster Negi? Skip to section "one", but know you're missing a lot of story if yah do. )

By now, we should all know one thing...that the depth of night...is never a safe place to hide. In the night, the shadows do ride, and as the night rolls on by, we race the moon in an effort to outstrip that drunken pace it doles out in the sky...yet the sneaky bastard almost always catches up.

In the depth of night, a great and powerful mage makes his way into his car.

The most powerful figure in America, magically speaking, would be brought to his knees soon enough, right here on his trip to the U.K. The stars sparkled, innocent, deceiving. He drove himself, which was the final nail in his coffin, the cloudless night pacing him as he drove.

A shadow, simple clouds, flitted over the suddenly turbulent sky. The air outside began to grow cold, frighteningly so. Upon that vehicle, ice began to form on the roof, and yet, it drove on, unaware. Magical concentration, so thick, the air became difficult to breathe. It followed him to his hotel before striking down, hard, fast.

The Magus stepped out of his vehicle...and ducked off to the side, his robes half caught in the last of ice that consumed his Lincoln. A smile, feral and brilliant, played across the bare face of a mage in front of him, and he found his eyes locked upon his form...his terrifying, dark form.

Blood red hair, streaked with black, a dirty, filthy mass, as if the very blood the rest of his head showed had run over and dried, yet it was too raven...too stark. His eyes were burning; red circles of death resting upon an obsidian surface...like an animal. All along his face, his bared hands...lines, runes, symbols, deep purple tattoos, swirled. His smile was deadly.

He was young.

Beige, tattered robes, a popular style today, that was...but these gave way to pitch black pants and shirt...martial arts form, a red belt graced the waist, showing through the open robes...a lone blade.

Dark. His skin a deep red, a demon, eyesore, abomination, whatever hell hole words the mage could think of to describe something vile, he would thoughtlessly toss upon this... thing. His wand came, bidden by him, quick, practiced movements, soothing movements in the heat of fire.

This thing practically exuded hate...despair. It said one sentence, one single thing, its eyes widening in anger, the spit flying.

"You're...NOT...HIM!"

"Sagitta Magica, Centum Spiritus Fulgurans!"

The spell, grand in its power... simply...disappeared into the other. Eyes wide, the boy's hair stood up straight, flying in his glee, power exploding from him as the skin tinged into complete darkness. The tattoos stood livid, glowing purple as additional lines ran, red, along him. It was...Magica Erebia.

Impossibly fast, he struck out, a claw coursing with lightning...the Magus's own lightning.

The blow sent him reeling, and he fell to the ground, rolling. Old...much too old. Weak...too much so. He still snapped out his wand as his opponent lunged, erecting a powerful Deflexio. He could swear...the other smiled as his body smashed through it, claws digging deep into him, raking against his ribs.

"You're...too weak. Nothing...NOTHING, you are NOTHING compared to ME! I am...I am...heheheh, hi, hi, hi, hi...I AM YOUR OMEGA!"

"Y-guh...y-youuu..."

"Hi, hi! Yes, YES! ME! ME, ME, ME! I AM THE ONE, THE SOLE POWER...THE CHAOS MAGE, BITCH!"

Tossing the body aside, one hand shot forwards, magic condensing quickly, impossibly fast it seemed, forming a sphere, encompassing the others vision in an instant. Somehow, the mage rolled away as the vehicle behind him was consumed in flame. Screams issued as the awning beyond it caught fire, melting the poles, burning away the fabric...laughter as shrubs caught fire...abomination, it spoke again!

"You...are not worthy to stand against me. You, YOU! Your power...not worthy, no! You...I should have it...me...GIVE IT TO ME!"

Hand out, he pulled...upon something, deep inside, reaching for the Magus, coming closer and yet staying one place, he consumed the others vision as his hands extended, literally extending, dark tendrils wrapping around the Magus as a glowing weapon appeared in his hands...It looked so much like AltraCrolacri...but when the beast blunt sided the older man, all he felt was pain. So...lonely. Weak...his power...where...?

"What...what kind of trickery...is...this?"

Him. His hands holding out, sucking in, his magic, channeling from one to the other, the form growing more sinister still, glowing red...grinning.

"No trickery...just POWER...power old fool...power that is mine, should be mine! All mine, mine...to take and destroy, you, all who stand in my way, fall, burn, burn...die! Drown, burn, fall, destroy, wreck, die, die...all of them! I will rule!"

"You...you're insane!"

Poor American Magus...I think that fact has already been well established...

"Hehehe...hihihi...bwa, ha...HA! Insane...yes! Insane, powerful, unpredictable, deadly! In the night, a lone flower holds tight upon the knife that will cut down the giants in the sky, the planes that fly overhead; spitting fire from their blood, all will die, nameless from a single flowers knife! High! On high! You... shall DIE!"

He shot at the other, so fast, he couldn't move. Tired...energy less, he could only watch as the boy picked him up. He was shorter, but that was just what made him so disturbing. He crooned, actually singing, a love song of all things as he lifted the Magus high, yet he edited it, applying it to what he was doing...

"Hold you tonight...like an angel in the sky! So tight...In these arms, you'll feel so high...I'll break your heart, right from the start, I'll never let it go~! Tonight, you'll be longing to close your eyes...to kiss your life, so tenderly away, one day you'll understand why, you won't go on...goodbye, I'll never let you go...I'll play with you...Oh…FUCK it… DIE."

His strike shot right through the Magus's middle, making him gag, eyes wide as his own blood splashed against the boy's robes.

He went down in a spurt of fluid as the monster...continued its assault, ripping through the body, throwing limbs astray, covering itself almost... ritualistically in the others blood as it flowed, slowing, coagulating...it cared not, rubbing it all over itself and those tattered, stained robes of beige. Biting at its neck, it sucked at nothing, having already ripped the heart from the open cavity it had created, crushing it in hand.

He grinned, delighted as he sat up, reaching with both hands at the head and tugging with all his might, as if he wanted to rip the head from its body...but no, he paused, preferring to just play with it like a cat would, sickly batting the head back and forth, listening for cracks, his facial expression glowing, glee filling his eyes...

Slowly...it stood, heaving. Not him, not him. Not him...Weak! WEAKWEAKWEAK...it seemed to converse with itself as it simply walked a distance away, looking back only to stare, ice, lightning...both shooting from its finger tips to freeze and break apart the shards of what it had left behind. Laughter, cruel, cackling laughter; echoed in the night.

Power, power, POWER is mine to control! I am you, the mirror, sundered whole! Negi...NEGI SPRINGFIELD...Your other half, your omega...shall soon come to destroy you...I shall rage and destroy every mage...until I find you. Every power...until what's yours becomes mine.

We once battled inside one body, but now, we shall battle with a body of our own...and the deaths shall be real, ever so satisfyingly real! Yes, YES! The time will come...power calls to power, yours cannot hide from mine forever...

He ran to a building, jumping up with all he had to kick off a wall and grab the fire escape, pulling it down with him as he climbed up, disobeying gravity, staying in the same place...he pulled the ladder from its place, launching himself up to catch the frame as the ladder fell with a crash.

Still grinning, he shot up the stairs, gathering his magic. Countless innocents lived in that hotel...didn't they? Countless, rich...important innocents...delicious innocents...fire brimmed about him, threatening to overflow as his voice called out into the night. He delighted in the taste in casting the spell...screw unincanted; he could taste the fear upon his open tongue.

"Τὸ συμβόλαιον συμβόλαιο και υπηρετώ εμένα βασιλιάs του φωτιά! έλα, τελείωμα φωτιά, πρώτος φωτιά! έναs φωτιά όλος ότι να είμαι ζωή όχι θάνατος φωτιά! τέλοs του κόσμοs!"

Primal Prominence. He grinned as he sent it forth, consuming the building in front of him, listening for the burning wood. The screams...ahh, there they were! Music of the night, he delighted in their fright! He braced himself before jumping off the building he was on, landing upon the burning hotel with a crunch of enhanced gravity magic.

The building groaned, impacting upon his landing, a crater forming where he stood...innocent; that smile seemed curious now...sickly so. He jumped up again and landed hard on one of the corners, enhancing his weight to such a point he heard snaps, crunches.

He was happy again.

One final jump and a leap...he left the building, groaning, crumbling in upon itself in a crescendo of horrible sound, dissonance ringing all...around. Such bliss it was, to hear such fresh peals...they would follow him as he leapt away from roof to roof, his only comfort in the lonely, cold night...

"Today, many families struggle to put the pieces back together as their loved ones had been taken from them, courtesy of a fire that spreading from a hotel in the very heart of U.K, the famous "The Connaught" to catch unto nearby buildings as it collapsed in a heap of rubble from structural failure. Engineers are at a loss to explain how this event could have occurred, as the fire seemed to have spread from the outside of the building in, as if it imploded upon itself…

"Experts say the building suffered from a crushing weight to three critical supports, an impact akin to that of a fifteen ton truck falling thirty feet unto it. While this is an obvious exaggeration, the fact remains that while the death toll from both the crushed building and its surrounding structures climb, so do the unanswered questions…

"Witnesses to the fire claim that just before the fire, a quick scuffle had broken out outside the Hotel, and authorities confirm that it ended fatally, uncovering blood underneath the rubble that belongs to a traveling ambassador of goodwill from America. Whether this was a personal attack upon the ambassador or an unrelated incident remains to be seen, but the ambassador himself is nowhere to be found, though police claim that there is enough blood to pronounce him either dead or critically injured…"

The T.V shut off with a snap as John heard Negi came in the room. The teen shook his head. Did this guy always have to look so guilty no matter what he did? He hadn't heard the T.V, but he had seen it on. He grabbed the remote from where it had been thrown on the couch and turned it back on, smiling sidelong at the other.

"Watching something naughty? You're beginning to annoy me you know. God, you stop talking when someone enters the room, and you stop watching the T.V too, what are you, a rookie secret agent? I'll tell you something, dude. Spies don't stop when you do like in the movies; they keep right on walking by. Stopping is the obvious thing, the stupid thing, to do. But if you keep walking…hell, you're just another part of the crowd."

From the kitchen, Asakura emerged hearing Negi's voice. She looked from one man to the other before asking John what they were watching, to which Negi answered, with no pause at all: "Porn.". Of course, John looked at him like he was mad, but the boy insisted.

"Speaking of Porn, I'm bored out of my mind Asakura. You won't like me bored. I do weird things. Have you gotten any information on Ku Fei? It's been nearly a week, and while I don't mind being around Meredith and her plaything for nearly a fortnight, they are beginning to test me. I need progress; I'm not the kind of computer that likes to be kept still at the loading screen."

"Well, Negi...Springfield-sensei…I actually have some info you might find useful."
"Well thank God for small favors. At least I'll have something to do. Sparring with Mare is becoming boring, not to mention exceedingly painful for both of us, more so to her than me, but that's not the point…it's what, September eighth by now? Twenty-Ten is passing me by girl, and I want to accomplish something before it does."

+-1-+

Across the plains, through the oceans, even through time do we stretch our hands, back to Mahora, where the sun always seemed to shine; today, there was a slight breeze, flitting through the trees, soon the snow would come…oh to hell with it; flowery words only get us so far, don't they?

It was a cool day; the slight wind made it just right for a jacket, and held enough bite to wake you up in the morning, or after a long day of class. Chatter, noise, always present on the busy campus, floated along easily, and the courts were active with constructive play, one field in particular was active as the teacher leapt up, "hair ablaze", neatly pounded a volley ball in the face of a cheeky student.

Not on purpose of course…right? Of course not, Asuna didn't mutilate children; much.

Still, the fields are not where the action is. No, the true story lies in one not so familiar office, at least, not any more…

Tsugumi stared up at the large, foreboding doors in front of her. She hands gripping tightly on her bag, she tried to ignore their shivering as she worked up the will to walk forwards. The secretary had told her she could walk in already, but fear kept her grounded.

Some said the principal was a dangerous person to cross. Granted, they never had gone to this school, those who warned her, but anyone with a brain knew this school wasn't normal. It had legends that whispered around it, suspicions…no one who went here and graduated did anything un-extraordinary, at least, that was how the hype went.

You needed someone crazy to run this place.

Well, that's what she told herself. In all honesty, she was afraid to walk in the door for the sheer noise behind it. It sounded like a war was going on in there. Tentatively, she raised a fist and knocked, once...twice. The noise instantly died. The door was opened slowly, revealing a woman standing there… a woman with a blade bared on her hip.

Severe eyes, almost pitch black to match the raven hair, scrutinized her roughly, making the girl feel naked in front of her. Unconsciously, she squirmed. The woman moved back smoothly, sweeping her arm to allow admittance, but Tsugumi still had to walk past her and that blade.

"Set-chan, move from the door baka; you're scaring her silly!"

Tsugumi took it at a run, blazing past the woman before she could move, but all that got her was a glare as the raven haired "Set-chan" seemed to appear in front of her with the speed and grace she held. Still, there was a slight smile on that face; enough of one that let Tsugumi know the guard was playing with her some.

The office was drastically different, in these years come to pass. For one thing, there was no longer a big ol' hunk of wood called a desk in front of a glaring window. The harsh piece of furniture had been replaced by a smaller, more expressive one, one that held no harsh corners. The glaring window had been shuttered, and warm colored drapes shielded it even further, the main light from the room came from a small chandelier that had been installed. Plants, immaculately kept, wound around poles or, in one case, a pillar near the door.

"Ahh! You must be the late transfer. Tsugumi, right? Hmm, but it says you're from Canada…"
"E-ehh..? Oh! Yes, yes, sorry! I...my parents are from Japan, so I…"

The strongest difference however, was the person who received Tsugumi, standing up from her chair and grasping the others hands, even as she kept that death grip on her bag. Konoka Konoe was a warm young woman, and it showed in how she organized her atmosphere.

Even the severe guard with the secret smile couldn't dent the comfort in the area.

It was not what Tsugumi expected. Most Principals…weren't they a lot older? Old Battle-axes? She had heard that Dean Konoe was an old geezer, but that idea was blown out of the water. Konoka sat her down in front of her desk, and took a chair beside her, neglecting the one behind her desk…wait… there wasn't one there.

She normally sat level with her guest then?

"So, What I get from all this paper work in your file is two words, you mind me saying them? No? Okay then, all of this is a load of bureaucratic crap, so can you please stop vibrating?"

Vibrating? That was an interesting one…

"Your papers are in order, the dates are correct, the only problem with your placement was the fact that you were being sent to live here from Canada, and that your file got a bit lost in the sea of other files that make their way here. As a result, you don't have a schedule, a place to stay or even a homeroom to go too, and no books because you didn't get any lists, making you look like the bad one."

Tsugumi found herself staring at "Set-chan's" blade as she nodded. That thing was long…and sharp, and despite the delicate features of her body, the girl had no doubt the woman could heft that thing like a feather in high wind, if push came to shove…

'Okay. How does having a dorm to yourself sound? Can you handle that?"

"H-huh? A dorm to myself…? I thought the problem was not finding space for me…"

"Sharp aren't you? Yes, one of our main problems is that we are overcrowded, but we were managing with the three student dorms just fine, until you threw a monkey wrench in the plan, so to speak. You forced me to open a dorm that was left vacant for…well, for legacy purposes, nothing else really."

"Legacy purposes…?"

"Room number two hundred and seventy four is a three student suite that had been modified to fit the needs of a teacher. It was a teacher's in house dorm room and office."

"Teacher's dorm? Don't teachers have their own houses to go too…?"

The dean smiled slightly, a small, almost sad smile.

"Not this one, although, not by any fault of his. He could well afford a house if he wished, and did have one in fact, but it was occupied by family members on a loan, and he was too young for most to allow him to rent. He worked as a night guard and a homeroom teacher, as well as a key holder for a few labs and club areas. There's a reason his dorm room has a gold plaque on it with his name; he did a lot for this school before he left. You'll be staying in his room."

"Oh. Did he leave last year?"

This time, Konoka laughed a bit at her own silliness.

"No…err; actually, he left eight years ago. It's been empty ever since. Like I said, it was a legend that no one wanted to touch. Even if the room was open, no one really wanted to stay there…those who knew him. He was my homeroom teacher too, for a year. Our class was the lowest ranking for years before he stepped in…that year we came in first in all areas. He single handedly rose the entire middle school population's grades by ten to fifteen percent, those that didn't hit one hundred. He was diligent and charismatic, so…"

So no one had touched his room, and she was going to live in it now. She wondered what the big deal was…the room wasn't the man himself, right? Still, why did people keep Einstein's brain in careful pieces, when essentially the thing was a wreck? Legacy.

Konoka walked behind her desk and opened a drawer, pulling out two envelopes, one of which she opened and slid out a single silver key on a key chain. It had a blood red Koosh ball hanging from it about the size of a tennis ball. She held it out to Tsugumi.

"You can take off the Koosh if you want; I have no idea why he gave it to me with the thing still on. Never even knew he liked those things until I saw it… Or you could keep it. Your choice, Tsugumi-chan. It's on the second floor, past the stair case, in the corner right there, just turn right instead of left and you've got it. Building four of the east division.

"I tried to get you your schedule today, but they insisted that your test scores and paper work hadn't gotten to them yet, so you're still stuck without a class. I've excused you from any work you might have to have had done so far however, as it's not your fault…so why don't you go check out your dorm?"

She didn't push her, but Tsugumi could tell from the finality in her voice that she was being softly dismissed. The guard gave her a look, something knowing passed between them. Tsugumi stood up upon bidding, but when the named "Set-chan" made to follow her out the door to lead her "home", Konoka stilled her.

"Set-chan, wait. We haven't finished yet, have we?"

"No…? I thought we had, Ojo."

For the first time, anger flashed, slight, but nonetheless scary, across the deans face. Tsugumi took this as her sign that she should definitely not wait around.

"Set-chan, what did I tell you about-"
"We are in a work environment, Ojo-sama."
"Soo…?"

Why did Tsugumi get the feeling as she walked away, that there was a relationship between those two she did not want to know about? She managed to get out of earshot just as a slam announced that Setsuna had slapped herself with her own blade. From what she could guess, one had tried to convince the other to continue some kind of activity they had been doing before Tsugumi knocked…

"Set-chan! Ahh, you're bleeding… no, don't run away! You're still on duty!"

Anything to get away from the puppy eyes, Kono-chan, anything.

Does anything ever change?

Later on, Tsugumi found herself once again staring at a door, well, this time, her eyes weren't really on the door. They were on that weird blood Koosh ball. She was debating whether or not she should open the door, and so far, her answer was to just stand by it, fondling the rubber comfort item in her hand.

Somewhere between her nerves and her sense, the door opened, and the lights clicked on, giving her a view into a dorm room very different than the ones she had seen so far.

It was huge. No, scratch that. It looked huge. All the furniture had been pushed into an optimal position to be used as a desk, or against the wall, leaving the floor free, giving it the illusion of being big. Off to her immediate right was a hallway closet, which had a suit in it, fresh from the dry cleaners by the plastic, but the covering itself was yellow was if by age. It was a tiny suit, like one you'd by for a kid to go to weddings. An iron and board stood ready to be used in that closet too.

Besides that, the closet wasn't interesting. She took off her shoes and put them on the rack, and as she did so, she saw that the door mat had been telling her that all along. It was one of those ones that proclaimed for the person to remove their shoes and stop stepping on its nose, 'cause their feet stank.

Not that it had a nose on its design anyway. Probably would have been too cute. The Koosh ball told her that. Or maybe it was the fact that, despite being slightly stale from lack of use, the air smelled strongly of lemon, wood soap, old spice and cool water, with only a hint of more feminine products behind.

He was clean; she'd give him that…and organized. Despite the fact that whatever food inside was dry and useless, she could tell he kept an orderly house. She could almost imagine breakfast being sharp, punctual, and controlled, for some reason, she imagined a young man, toting two girls with him whom he treated like his children, and an iron skillet.

One like her hand felt now.

That was when the familiar shiver ran up her; that ever so dreaded shiver. Her head snapped up. Nerves? No…it had to be something else. Her bag left her, hands allowing it to slip to sag on the counter. She walked into the main bedroom, looking into the mirror.

A bit longer than shoulder length brown hair, matching deep, some-what large, brown eyes. Her hair was loose, framing a delicate face…at least she wasn't completely pale. Those eyes used the mirror as her focal point, looking about herself; feeling out.

She wasn't normal either. That was the ironic thing. Her parents had sent her here, without knowing, to the one place where her secret could be put to use, for over her shoulder, looking into the mirror with her, was Aisaka Sayo…

…and Tsugumi could see her, plain as day...

Not again…please…not again…I thought it was over…

+-2-+

"Anya…"

…"It's not that I would, or could, make a good parent, I just know a golden rule of parenting that most parents, unfortunately, don't. That rule is that no matter what, once you have a kid, your life, and all your decisions, your goals and dreams, must include your child, and you must put that child before everything else, including, many times, your own self. It's no longer about you anymore. It's about them. If you are feeling angry, you have to drop that feeling for their sake. You feel depressed; you can't let that effect you for their sake. You can't drink or abuse substances if you were any more, for their sake. Once you have kids, that's your life right there. They should be your everything. Don't abandon them or neglect them, ever...and please, please, remember that they are people too, and have feelings and dreams of their own, and, unlike you, they can afford to think their life is about them, so don't expect gratification for everything you do, or get mad when you don't receive it. They'll thank you in time, if they have the heart for it."…

A bright red ladder and a bed smelling of pine, blinking lights, quiet, whispering fans, a place where awards and pictures hung…those slowly taken down as time passed. The whisper of sound as the wind allowed a chime to play a single note, muted, inside. Lemon, strong and bold, alongside a scent she now knew as wood soap…the warmth and the care, the love of the whip.

"Shhh...shhh...it's okay, it's okay. Shh..."

"Sssshh ssshh sshh sssh...shush now. It was a bad dream, only a bad dream."

She made a face, the big wand, the star so bright, flashing forwards in the light…but nothing came out.

"S-Sagitta Magica Unas Fulgurans Ingus!"

"It's broken Negi."

"It's not "broken"; you are not calling the magic from it correctly. You are saying the words, but your ability to draw the magic has been compromised. Don't be scared of magic because of what people have done to you with it. Master it."

Grasping the wand once more, the call of the words, bright, brilliant and brief, a flash of fire, the arrow…it flies!

"Anya, please…"

"You're kinda clumsy you know."
"Shut it kid before I twist you into a pretzel. Negi, your kid is trying to harass me again."

Negi, who happened to be in the kitchen making dinner, for it was his turn; had his voice float out of the kitchen for him.

"Asuna...don't tell me you can't handle a little jibe from Anya without me."

Anya, who began to giggle at this, received her own comment from Negi.

"...And you miss, stop goading Asuna. The only reason she doesn't try and kill you is because I won't let her..."

Times when life was kind…

"The hell! What are you trying to do? Aren't you fighting for her?"

"What little girl is worth more than my life? Ehh boy? Tell you what. You want her? You want to save her? Okay then mister hero. Sacrifice yourself and let me win."

Oh hell no, he wouldn't let a monster control him like this…no, one deserved better, both Anya and himself…this mister hero…would show her. His power gathered as his mouth professed his call, in English to run along with the Greek, the power consumed him, that which would nearly destroy him…served him.

"Heed the Contract and Serve Me...Queen of Ice... Come, Unending Darkness... Eternal Glacier... Bring Death to All That Has Life... Eternal Rest! END OF THE WORLD!"

Times when it was cruel…

"D-don't scream so much! Anya! Anya! …Ow! Hsss…"

"Don't pull me!"

She shook her head silently. It was only when Negi left the room, closing the door behind him, did she let her go.

"Don't make things worse. He can't handle you right now. He can barely handle himself. You can't help him, so don't try."

'But...but...but..."

"No buts."

…Times…when you thought its only purpose was pain, or to test you…

"Damn you…Anya! Move! Take her….Mother…Father…all of you…begone!"

"Anya, move! Shoot, not like that!"

With a single wave of his hands, the power condensed, and Anya felt the ground leave her in an instant. The feeling was terrifying, a sudden loss of ground, like waking up for that single half second, falling, falling, falling, so quickly, you feel the fear grip you tight…and then, simply…gone.

She was piled in a heap, head over heels in an undignified ball, onboard the SS Sanctus Enthoalis. Struggling, grunting, she managed to get herself righted, the noise made her freeze.

Around them, the ship roared to life. Literally, a roar over took them all, the sound grating on them, unnatural. The vibrations made them both lose their ground again, an earthquake in the air, that's what it was…if they were even flying. Anya didn't know much about ships, besides that this one was top of the line, but she did know that that grating sound was not natural...

Alma, who was still unconscious, rolled by her, slamming her head into the support for the captain's chair, instantly making her eyes snap open, and her hand snapping out to grab the pole responsible for her now red vision.

She was the one who had the most presence of mind, just gripping the pole and lying there, not daring to try to stand up. Shiori however, wasn't so sensible, jumping up and banging her head against the celling, making her yelp in pain.

The ship had been stabilizing, trying to get airborne in the thick, milk like air. Now that it had finally found some ground, it shot forwards, making Yue, who had been recovering, fly backwards through a hallway, hands flailing for a hold all the way.

Alma swung up, slamming her hand against the controls for the frontal and back cameras. She had seen Negi do this enough…but she still felt her stomach lurch, she was going to be sick again…her hands grasped the controls, trying her best to bring the controls under her command, but it was useless.

The ship had a mind all of its own. She turned to see Anya randomly slamming buttons, pulling levers, trying, to no avail, to bring the ship under her control. Her fingers reached blindly for a brake she couldn't identify, the radio and air-conditioning mocked her at full blast instead.

"Anya…."

She couldn't miss the figure on top however; they had shot up just in time to see the fire in his eyes, burning, even at this distance, as the magic closed in one him, choking, unbearable. Her mind reached out, looking for the one she needed, the ones. She heard screaming, and above all, the pain.

"Damnit Nagi, no! He's in there! I can't lose him again!"
"I know Arika…but we have to go…"
"He…he…"

He called me mother…Nagi Father…with such conviction; he said to truly mean it. I can't let him die, I can't leave him again! Not like this!

… … …

"Damn sticky note always falls down. Humpty without his friggin Dumpty!"

"Oh, so you two are up. Hurry up and get dressed then, will you? I'm in no mood to be late today. Alma, you'll have to watch Anya again, I'll excuse you from my class with some fudged doctors note or something…breakfast is ready, so up, before it gets cold…I'm not reheating things three times in the morning, like Asuna does, stuff will taste like crap when it's done."

"Illusion. Nothing but an illusion to fill the gap for a while. Do you remember what happened?"

Years, waiting, waiting, seeing pictures, hearing lies…driving her mad, the scent of that friend, that protector…never did fade away. Whispers in the dark, so loud, she didn't dare turn out the lights, or close her eyes…fear, alone, all…alone.

Explosions, loss, he never came back. Anya shot up in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat, stifling a scream. A mass of hair blocked her vision; arms encompassed her, shaking arms. She…had been screaming in her sleep. The two of them stayed there, Alma not daring to let go until she could feel the other's heartbeat slow. She was visibly shaking with the force of her own when she did. Alma had never been a heavy sleeper.

"…You were screaming…you just wouldn't stop…"
"You're speaking to me…I guess you can't even keep a vow of silence anymore, can you?"

She was hoarse, she could hear it. It had been a week, and still, Alma had yet to say a word to her, until now. Anya had thought the girl was strong…but apparently, she was wrong. She still could be controlled by her emotions. She had thought Alma acted brilliantly that day, but it hadn't been an act, and Alma's bruised ego perished the thought that her reactions had been used.

Anya was an actor, a fake, someone who lived life under an ever changing mask. She could be anyone under that thing, never really having to feel. Alma had stabbed at her with that, and Anya had returned fire. Alma was weak after all, all that outward silence was nothing but a costume she wore, underneath; she couldn't control how she felt, a puppet to emotion.

"…You…are a true… bitch. I promised to protect you. So I will."

Anya had felt sorry the moment she said it, but lashing out when weak was her instinct. Alma tossed her a wet rag, letting it smack the other dead in the face.

"H-hey! What the hell was that for-"

"That is the rag I've been using to wipe the sweat from you when you refused to wake up. It was dry before, just to let you know. Oh, and you see the blood on it? That's when you scratched me in your sleep- Oh, you're surprised? I care. You needed him, didn't you? Not all your boy toys, him, the master. I did too…"

'I don't need anybody. I never did, never-"

The last bit was too much mouth. Alma, in the moment, snapped. Her hand send Anya back into bed, falling like a limp doll, her cheek and neck on fire, the crack was so loud, she was almost afraid to move her head.

"Spoiled, if I didn't know better. Do you know how many people care about you, then and even now? You ran away from them all because you couldn't stand it, but guess what? I'm still here, you brat. You think you can control the world and live on your own, I'd love to see you try."

She grabbed the rag from the bed, and shoved a glass of water unto the nightstand before walking out, closing the door behind her with a snap.

If only she had slammed the door, then Anya would have felt better, but that quiet snap only made her face burn even more.

+-E-+

Okay. It's been over a month. Ouch. It burns; the lateness, it stings! Let me explain myself. College ate my time. My schedule goes like this, in simple terms: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 8AM – 6 PM, Thursday: 8 AM – 9 PM, Friday: 8AM – 5 PM Saturday: 9 AM – 4 PM…and that's not including travel time… Yeah, I do a lot of homework / work study here, and I have some four hour long labs that eat my time.

There is also the fact that this was really hard to write, felt like was forcing it almost the entire way. Section two is just…awkward, and the fact that it's very important makes it worse. I continuously felt guilty too, because I re-started a year ago for the purpose of improving my skills to meet a goal. I met that goal, but that doesn't mean I should stop writing, does it?

Next time, and it'll comes quickly if things go my way.

Chapter 6: Chapter V: Parlor Tricks

+O-2-X+

Move! Move over, you insolent block! I've a job to do, now git! Metamorphosis again, but not yet, so close but, ahh, gone on the winds. I had an idea on how to improve my style of writing, but I lost it due to my inactivity, nay, I feel myself slipping back, let me run faster to stand still, push forwards. Onwards!

I am not dead!

I do not own Negima. ~Finalage.

+-YN-+

Chapter Five: Parlor Tricks

+-AB-+

She sat on the couch, trying to keep calm, but her nerves got the best of her, dancing along her skin, making her shiver, putting a tremor in her words. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes while she did so, to hold it in for a while. Yet still, when she opened them, she knew the other would still be there.

She let out her breath slowly, arching her back and making some hair slip to cover one of her eyes. One of these days, she would cut it, but for now; it gave her a presence of mind, a kind of shield against the girl long dead, the one "sitting" opposite her.

"So…what is your name?"

"Aisaka Sayo…How can you see me…without the spell?"

"Spell?"
"Negi-sensei, the teacher who used to live here…cast a spell so that he could see me…"

Negi-sensei…so that was his name huh? Magic…she had never seen any evidence of it, but the fact that someone like her existed had made her tolerant to the idea long ago. She had…always been able to see them. No one else did; just her. Sometimes she would talk to them, and those around would think her crazy. The living…and the dead; coinciding on one earth? Why not just magic up some love potion, why don't you?

Some were strong, others feeble. Those who were strong could control elements in their environment; move things, speak to her directly, spiritually…one soul to another; some showed her things, how they had died, how they had lived… This one was different. She had the feel of a powerful one, but she preferred to talk; or maybe she just didn't know how to think.

She was plain, but that did nothing to deny her honest beauty. She was the kind you passed by on the street, chasing after the exotic, but, if only you stopped and looked, you would then see. Her hair was raven, and so were her eyes. Aisaka Sayo was a pale girl in an old style school girl uniform, but her real and utterly normal looks put Tsugumi on edge.

Was it that the normal ones were doomed to wander here as ghosts or something? Was that why there was such a concentration of the extraordinary? Or was it simply that the extraordinary forced even the normal to change, or die? Aisaka held in her hands the suit that had been hanging in the closet; she held it up for Tsugumi to see clearly.

To any other, they would see a suit floating in midair...

"This was Negi-sensei's suit. One of his favorites, you could guess he liked the deep reds and grays like this one has. He's forgotten it, just like he's forgotten me...or perhaps he hasn't forgotten, but simply hasn't found the time..."

As in life you are in death; that was the way Tsugumi saw her. She was as solid as any other girl on the street; except for the fact that you could walk through her of course. Tsugumi swallowed when Sayo looked her way. She shook her head violently. She didn't know why, but she did, and Sayo took it a different way.

"Of course, I'm being stupid. He never forgets. At least, he doesn't seem like the type to forget. He left it here as an excuse."

"Excuse…excuse for what?"

"It's an excuse to come back here of course. You know he left his laptop here too? He wasn't planning on leaving for good, it just happened…and regardless of what anyone says, he's not dead either; I would know."

They always seem to think that they would know if someone died, being dead themselves. Always, the mind runs the same track. I'm dead, and I'm here, so anyone else who dies would be around here too, right?

Wrong. You're the one that stayed back, and ninety percent of the time; the other one went on peacefully… Still, Tsugumi reached out and took a glass from the table, raising it to her lips for an excuse of her own, one to prevent ascent. Yet Sayo surprised her, by seemingly plucking what was in her mind to be told out loud.

"Still, you must be thinking I'm awfully pompous. I know that if he died, he could have gone off in peace, to wherever souls go that don't stick around…but I also know that he wouldn't do that. Not unless he finished everything he wanted to, not unless he thought his job was done… and he has a habit of picking up jobs even as he is working on one, so you could say he'd never be done."

Sayo rose Tsugumi's glass with a look, observing how the water in it reflected the light. The girl herself just watched the glass floating there with an unhappy aura about the whole display. She wanted to drink that…but she didn't dare take it away from the girls grasp.

"…You don't say much…do you?"

"You talk enough for me to just listen. I've never seen a ghost talk so much right off the bat."

"…I…had practice."

"Practice, huh? What kind of practice was that- Oh, right, your teacher."

Of course; her talk about her teacher casting a spell on her so he could see her, right? Now, I haven't seen magic at work myself, but plenty of ghosts love talking about it. Thing is, none of them ever mentioned a spell that let others see them…this must be either secret or powerful magic, maybe even lost magic…but that's not important right now…shoot, she's still talking.

"…not to mention Konoka-nee, who loved to talk to me when she cooked dinner every other day…. You know her."

"Huh? What? Wait, I don't know any person by the name of Konoka…"
"You met her today, silly! Konoka Konoe, Dean Konoe, the principal."

"Huh?.! Wait, the dean knows about you…and put me in here anyway?.! In with you, when I was supposed to be alone? She said this was going to me my dorm…"

"… … …"

Sayo's face fell a bit at that comment, and Tsugumi paled a shade, realizing what had just flown from her mouth. The glass Sayo had been holding fell unto the table and spilled over.

Oh shoot, I hit a nerve.

"N-not that I mean anything offensive to you by that…"

Her voice fell into a mumble at the end of that sentence, but the ghost had moved on a bit…Tsugumi inwardly cringed though, because her eyes were still slightly hurt. This ghost…was easy to hurt, yet powerful. Not a good combination if you said the wrong word…
Eggshells; with her; I'm on eggshells.

"I used to be in her old dorm room, but when she moved out of it, I came to this one. Sensei was long gone, but he still left an impression here, and no one bothered me. Maybe you were sent to bug me."

Tsugumi bent to pick up her glass, taking the small jibe Sayo tossed her way with no comment. Sayo followed her into the kitchen, and stood there watching her put the cup in the sink. The ghost turned when Tsugumi walked past her on her way out, and again, Sayo fell in line behind her, it was only when the girl went into the bathroom did she turn around at the door to face Sayo.

"Why are you following me all over the place?"
"Well, I've nothing else to do, I have all the time in the world to waste, so why not?"

"Why not… huh, that's what she says. Well, if you would please excuse me, I do have to use the bathroom."

Before the ghost could respond, the door closed with a snap, and Sayo was left staring at it oddly. She could simply walk through that thing right now and…do what? What would that accomplish? The fact the girl could see her meant that now anything she did would have to be proper as long as Tsugumi was in the room.

She only realized in that moment how limiting living in a culture; being alive… could be. Not to mention the fact that she, Sayo, wasn't all too welcome to the girl with the longish brown hair, even if she had been here first. Ghosts don't count, and this was Tsugumi's dorm. In an instant, she found herself bored, which made matters worse, for she had picked up a knack for acting quite the poltergeist in these last few years. She had the feeling she was like that when she first became a ghost too.

Almost unconsciously, her form shrugged. She must have been a mischievous little girl before she died. With a set purpose, she walked to and through the wall, only going through enough so that she could see the other side with an eye. Walls were cold when you went into them though, like sticking your hand in a vat of some iced preservative, pickled rats was a nice analogy.

Tsugumi wasn't using the bathroom for anything other than the mirror and sink, one of which she was using as a support. From the side, Sayo was surprised at how large her eyes seemed to be, but they didn't give off the same impression as…what was that girls name again? Alma?

Now those things were floodlights on a face if she ever saw any.

Tsugumi ran her hands through her hair, as if checking to see that the locks were still there. Her shivering was worse, and she seemed green. She bent down slowly to turn on the water, taking some in cupped hands to splash on her face. Always…always, always…seeing ghosts, being in close proximity with them…she hated that feeling.

You could feel what they felt once your eyes met; their soul was an open book, for that was all they were. Yet, still, she could deal with that…sometimes. What was worse was the physical drain. They literally tired her out, made her ache, weak….sick even, like this one. The more powerful the ghost, the worse it was…

…and Sayo was no pushover, no she wasn't. How was she supposed to live with that thing around her all the time? She'd be dead within a week…

+-1-+

It was a cool, windy day; the cloud cover overhead cast all in a slight shadow. Among the bustling streets however, room was made for a single figure, walking along with all the rest. Even in this crowd, unconsciously, the air of one not to be crossed by normal men permeated his aura…

A long, flowing trench coat; one that fit the persona far more than a famous mages' robes, that's what loosely flew behind him, the slight sound of buckles clicking away with his step. The coat was open of course, for it was for the effect he wore it, not for any kind of true warmth or purpose. Loose, dark martial wear betrayed nothing of his body, save that he was thin; his shoes were plain penny loafers. You could almost mistake him for someone who had stepped outside in their pajamas, almost…but the smirk would stop you dead.

Long front bangs covered one of his eyes, while the rest was only restricted by a loose ponytail, unbraided and casual. His hands gripped at nothing, at rest in the pockets of his coat. Smiling at a man as he walked by, his coat flicked behind him, a single flash of metal; his guns were with him. He was a powerful mage, of course, but he wasn't stupid.

Negi knowingly smiled when a girl, schoolbags in hand, glanced his way quickly before turning away, going back into her gaggle, he could swear he saw a few of them turn a delightful pink…he shook his head. How easy it would be; to behave like his father here, the pompous ass was probably still trying even now, having lost his princess. Funny thing was, he still looked young, and so the infernal idiot might still get away with it; dare he try.

His son however, had other plans. After all, which of these girls could dodge an enemy barrage of one hundred arrows and blast them into kingdom come with Eternal Glacier? Oh, is that crickets he heard? He allowed his smile to widen slightly at that thought. Crickets indeed, nine out of ten, none of them even knew magic existed. The other one, well, he'd love to see her try.

Though he had to admit, the spread was nice, but uninteresting. He walked on by without acknowledging the group, and lost sight of them when he turned the corner, bound as they were by the bus stop they stood near. He let his smile drop when his hand touched upon a piece of paper.

Of all the things from Ku Fei, I never expected her to take a leaf from my book. While it is true, if she went into martial arts she would eventually find herself underground; to take up linguistics in China is just…uncanny. The only reason Asakura found her was due to her enlisting in small martial arts tournaments…the leopard can't become a mouse after all, at best, it becomes a jaguar.

Of course, that was life, full of surprises.

A basketball rolled his way, bouncing against his foot as he stood. He looked up to see an older boy slow to a stop and watch as Negi bent to pick it up and stare at the ball, stuffing the paper in his pocket. It was vibrant, a new ball, black with gold trim. He gave it an experimental bounce.

"Hey kid, you want to play? We could use another."

What did he look like? Some kid on the stree- okay, don't answer that. Of course he looked like a kid on the street, and the more he stared at the ball, the more he felt like playing a quick game wouldn't hurt anything…

Heck, it was one of those things he wasn't brilliant at. Quirking an eyebrow, he tossed off his coat to a crude hook on the fence around the court and walked through the open doors, tossing the ball to the boy who had called. Why the hell not?

"Fine, but I warn yah, I'm not an all-star…"

His team lost, but hell, it was interesting. Negi found it had gotten late when the pulled his coat from the fence, giving a careless wave to those he had just shared a game with. He took to the sidewalk again, walking past the court and into the shade again, feeling out unconsciously for something…anything.

When his senses hit against something dark and powerful far off in the distance, he instinctually lunged for it, but alas, it was much too far, and was gone as soon as it had come…the darkness of the approaching night closed in on him quickly, giving him haste.

Ku Fei would not be in school at this hour…

Negi stared up at the dojo he had found himself in front of. Small, but old…it was the perfect place to find a master of some art, a place where the veins ran back, blood had roots and money was rarely the thing that drove the business, she had done well to find it. His palm against the door, he pushed inside with but a sparse knock, and instantly shot inside with a roll, avoiding a conflict between two students who had decided it was okay to deck it out in front of the door…

Oh no…he was wrong. They hadn't decided to deck it out in front of the door…they had no choice. Truly, it was old styled, the entire floor was the arena, and the sole audience shifted with the fighting, which continued in spite of Negi's interruption…it was a test, and all fighters had to be flexible after all.

Negi's attention was lost however, for a familiar yell made him spin around. Well, at least, he recognized it, but it was more expressive, mature. A man struck out with a flat palm to the midsection and followed up quickly with a crab like hand to the chest, sending his opposition in the air. She kicked out at his head, but he ducked, grabbing the foot and pulling her close, his knee taking away her breath, but he was too quick to judge and her elbow crashed against his nose, making him break off.

The woman landed cat-like, swinging out a foot to sweep his away, but he jumped back, eyeing her. He jumped back as she braced on her hind leg, accepting his charge up to the last second, when she sidestepped and gave him a knee in the gut, winding him.

Her elbow crashed against his back, making him fall to the ground, but he leapt forwards, turning his fall into a handspring and back kicking the woman in the neck. While he rolled, she gagged. He shot at her, only this time, when she sidestepped him; he stepped with her, his shoulder digging into her, blasting her back.

Spinning in the air, she landed on her feet, launching at him, and he braced back, receiving her charge with a stiff face. A right hook blocked by his left elbow, a left palm strike caught by his right hand, her knee strike was even deflected away by his calf. She tried to head butt him, but he broke off, pushing her back. Negi watched as the two eyed each other.

She looked good, Ku Fei, of course, being barely twenty three, he expected that…or had she turned that age yet even? She had taken to wearing her hair in a single ponytail, only one of those "bun clips" as he had called them, holding the fort. She hadn't let her hair grow out much, it barely grazed the shoulders. Eyes bright, body sound, she had grown a little taller, but the man opposite her still had a decent height advantage; Ku Fei was still in the short realm.

She scarcely breathed as she regained the stance, one of seeking inner strength, one of waiting. The other stood poised for attack, looking for a weakness. In an instant, it seemed he found one, striking in fast, Negi felt his eyes lag behind his actual line of sight. His foot planted her in the gut, sending her on her back, but he didn't press the attack, he waited for her to get up.

"I'll defeat you this time, Ku!"
"Ngh, no, that's no good. Can't have a man defeating me, I'd have to marry him."

"…I take that as an insult! What's wrong with having to marry me?"

"Take it how you will! Yahh!"

Unlike in Japanese, years ago, in her native tongue, her "English" was better. Negi watched as she struck down a foot hard, and appeared next to the man, striking out with a palm, but he grabbed her wrist and twisted with her momentum, tossing her full circle and striking out with his palm, pushing her back again.

He watched it go on, a delicate game of vipers, striking, sidestepping and waiting. Negi hated to admit it, but he quickly grew bored. Chinese kenpo relied on coming at you from all sides, but it was all about combos. You waited until the right moment and then let out short bursts of crushing circular attacks.

He hated that. He watched as the man sidestepped Ku Fei and palmed her in the gut, hooking his feet to upset her; flip her over, his elbow cracking her in the back. Ku Fei landed on all fours, and rolled away when the other came down, going on one knee to force him up and in the air where her knee drew the breath from him.

This style was explosive, but only for a short while. Much of it was spent trying to tire the opponent out, draw out the fight. Negi didn't waste a single second. He came at you…and he kept on coming. Every move, save for the moments he took for a breath, was used to damage the opponent, or put them in range for a combo.

In a purely physical fight, Negi didn't stop. Bladed weapons, bare fists, he kept going, sidesteps were side-kicks, spears. Lunges were punches, elbows, head-butts. Crouches, stances, nothing was wasted. Negi internally shook his head. He had been fighting Meredith to much this past fortnight. Every day he did this; regaining his skills that way before he took to training alone; in the depth of night.

Was he the same as eight years prior? Hell no. His blood still ran however, he felt like fighting something; anything. His head snapped up when he heard a yelp, and watched as Ku Fei landed against the unpadded stone floor, hard enough to kick up dust.

The man relaxed, and that was the mistake he made. Ku Fei shot through the dust not a moment later, instantly, another instant movement technique, her hand striking out, and Negi could see the concentration of the chi gather, a hard attack...but the other sidestepped her, catching her wrist and drawing her close, his elbow making her see red.

She drew breath as she fell, but her feet struck out, sweeping his from him as her power gathered again, her blow striking him dead center, sending him flying Negi's way. Negi, who acted on instinct, punched out straight, planting his foot forwards and taking the momentum head on. His arm vibrated. He wasn't a vampire anymore, idiot!

Regardless, even if his strength training was lacking, the man dropped in front of him, breathing heavily. Negi had acted just like a wall, and the man glanced back at him, his eyes confused. The hell kind of boy could act like a wall when a person went flying their way? Ku Fei however, was up again, and her kick to his jaw sent him into Negi again, only this time, the boy leapt off to the side.

Ku Fei didn't spare him anything more than a single glance before the other was on her again, and Negi was left to examine his fist. He had just punched that guy with enough force to eat all of his momentum and drop him, like a stone barrier. In such a concentrated space, a blow like that could break everything in the spine.

The guy wasn't normal…and even if he was, he would be like Ku Fei, which would explain his being here, wouldn't it? Ahh hell, he had a job to do, and he wasn't going to accomplish it standing around! Yet, as much as he wanted to find out what Ku Fei knew, he didn't want to interrupt her fight…again.

He forced himself to watch, but when he did turn around, he only saw the ending.

Ku Fei axe kicked her opponent in the face and he dropped low, sweeping his feet from under her and forcing his palm upwards, the sheer speed giving it power. He leapt up in time to rush her when she landed and when she caught one of his fists, he leapt to the side to avoid her countering foot, kneeing her in the kidney and palming her in the side and hooking her foot.

Her own elbow shot out to catch him in the stomach as she fell, making him drop right on top of her. His elbow smacked her head unbidden, right in the temple as his other hand sought purchase on the ground. He got up slowly, and so did she, woozy.

Again Ku Fei gathered chi and this time the man unconsciously did so as well. Being a mage, the boy could see it, but he knew the man had no clue, although Ku knew about her own chi... They both struck out at once, and the man's reach was longer than hers.

His hit sent her flying and when she crashed into the ground, this time…she didn't get up…

… ... ...

"Atsuko Chokki. That is my name, and honestly, it's not such a big deal…we've fought for such a long time, there was bound to be one time when I beat her…"

"No one just beats Ku Fei dude. There is a prize she holds on that, and hell, she holds it like fire does oxygen…"

He recalled the rigid martial arts style, the simple movements, main palm strikes and hooks of the feet. There was no battle there, only…fight. That was what was boring there, that was the flaw; and while he waited for Ku Fei to friggin wake up, he could only stew.

"Of course you two don't battle. What you did was fight, not battle."
"…Wait…what? What's the difference…?"

"Fight's fight and battle is battle. Fight is for play, battle is for keeps. Fighting is to spar, dueling for sport. I don't fight, I do battle…combat, war. If Ku Fei had fought to kill, you would not have stood a chance."

"War…? I've fought with Ku Fei for a long time, kid…who are you?"

"Kid hum? I was once a midget; I'm no kid, fool. I could teach you some. Something real good, I could. I was once her school teacher, and we fought once…I can't call it true battle, I was too small for her to fight effectively. I made her a promise that one day, when I grew a bit, we'd fight. I'm here to kill two birds with one stone now."

Atsuko said no more to that, only nodded his ascent. He didn't want to know what the other bird was Negi was aiming at, but from his bearing, it wasn't a happy one. The boy walked with a kind of reserve, a hidden poise, as if at any moment he would launch into battle. No move was a wasted one with this guy, no glance of the eyes.

Still, the man found it hard to believe; what he said about Ku, if it was true, the master had really only been playing him all this time…no, it can't be. They weren't at war, they weren't enemies, what this guy was talking about was nonsense. A fight was a fight, and in this fight, he had won…

He watched as the red head walked over to a student of the dojo, tossing off his coat when the boy had called for an opponent, having defeated his last one. The boy was a good fighter, and he would soon be an expert in his art if he overcame his youthful pride-

In a split moment, the red headed boy had hooked the student's foot and flat palmed him in the gut with one arm, and elbowed him in the chest with the other. Negi shot past the student after breaking off, his shoulder crashing against the kidney…Negi braced his feet, riding back on his toes for a half breath before head-butting his opponent in the gut; taking him down, his elbow impacting on the nose and his knee dug just above the groin.

The boy leapt backwards to his feet and bowed low with hands behind his back, but the student did not get up; his nose was beginning to pool blood. Shrugging, he backed off and let others approach, one called for the first aid kit.

Negi found eyes on him, but he brushed the looks off. Hell, the kit had asked for an opponent, hadn't he? He had been bored. Not his fault if the kid couldn't handle the speed or power of Negi's technique. Atsuko stared at him. What was that? Negi turned around, answering the unspoken question, almost as if he had read the mind.

"Ketsuksensōi, a fighting style I myself developed and use. I am its only master, and even then, it is a steadily improving art. I can't say it's a complete one as such. I don't like to stand still. Lucky for your friend; I couldn't carry out the whole style on him, he fell at the beginning. I would have killed him, but you wouldn't have liked that, would you?"

Killed him? The man stared at Negi, hard. Such calm, matter of fact tone…the red head glanced up when the door opened, and the object of his attention walked in, rubbing the back of her head and clutching a coat and carrier bag. She blinked when she saw Negi, something whirring away quietly in the back of her mind.

"Chokki, who is this?"

Negi inwardly slapped himself. Is this going to be the mode everyone is going to take? Will every one of his students that he meets wonder who the hell he was? He didn't look all that different! …Just older. It shouldn't be all that hard…and even as he thought it, he could practically see the girl's head whirr inside with the gears at top speed. They seemed to finally click just as the addressed man opened his mouth.

"…Sensei?"

"Holy hell, you're smarter than Asakura, Ku Fei. I see you finally went easy on some bugger and let them beat you, nice choice, now I beat your ass without any reservations…but that's not why I'm here. Are you headed home now? I'd like to talk."

Proving to be more reserved than she once was, she slipped on her coat matter of fact like, taking a glance outside at the steadily blackening sight. Night wasn't going to wait for her any longer. Chokki normally walked with her home, same apartment building, but with the boy there, a monkey wrench would be thrown…still, from what she remembered of the sensei, he didn't easily take no for an answer…

… ... ...

"I'm unsure if I can help you Sensei…really; nearly five years is a long time to wait before picking up a trail. The snow would have long covered it by now."
"Drop the poetry and the sensei for a quick second, will yah? You're speaking in Chinese, so follow through. You're better at it than Japanese anyway."

"…Fair, but Anya never hung around me. Alma did a little, but she wasn't a fighter in the heart. Her skill lied in the more reserved arts of chi, both of them spent more time with Makie-san than me, and Alma more with Kaede and Satsuki-san…Anya used to spend time with Yue-san, but when you left, she turned to Sakurako-san…"

The succubae ehh? Hmm…I didn't manage to see her in my time at Mahora, even if I was only there a month and focusing on setting straight all of my assets slash documentation…I'll have to talk to her later…

"…So you have no idea where she might be?"
"No, sorry…but I don't think she would be in any third world countries. Anya-san liked to be comfortable."

"… … …"

"I'm sorry I could not be of any more help than this-"

"No, no…you've helped some, and I think I might have a vague idea of where she is. I'm not sure yet, but…you said she spent time with Satsuki and Makie, right?"

"Alma did, yes."

"Then I know where I have to go…I assume you don't want to battle me still, do you?"

A small smile as they reached the door to the apartment building. Negi knew, without words, that he would not be offered an invite in, but her smile was another indication to the fate of her attitude towards fight.

"No sensei…we don't need to fight, unless you want too. I'm busy tomorrow with school, but afterwards, we could try in the dojo-"

"No thanks. I only wanted to keep a promise, but if you don't need it anymore, I consider it nulled. The dojo is too small anyway."

He turned around to raise his hand in parting, but her voice stopped him.

"You're welcome to come in for some tea or something…It has been a long time after all."

So much smoother, calmer, the mark of maturity grown from her art and her life, but what had he expected? She was older now, and in her native element, her life was right. She was being courteous. He turned back halfway, one foot on the stoop, the other on the sidewalk. He gave a half smile before walking off to disappear from her view.

"Oh, no; but thank you. I really have to be going. I have someone to search for, and a couple friends who will wonder where I've gone. I'll see you around, perhaps if you visit Japan…"

Knowing full well he probably would never see her face again, save for the times when the ringing bells of war would sound; he quickly disappeared into the darkness before she could stop him. She had her life, and he had his, and there was no right that he had to mesh turmoil into one that had found peace.

… … …

"Aniki; aniki! Any luck? Did Ku Fei-ane-san give you a beat down? Did you learn anything? Did you get her so bad that she couldn't even land a scratch on you?"

"We didn't fight Chamo. She…didn't have the will. I learned a little however. I know who I have to visit next at least."

The ermine can't have said he expected a different answer, but he sagged nonetheless. They had to do even more traveling around? He was old damnit! Find the girl already so that he could live his last years a little happy, huh?

+-2-+

"W-what is the purpose of this movie?"

"It's a story of friendship and slight smite. It also goes into some school yard bully detail..."

"You're telling me that, but the screen says something different…"

"You made me go to Thortno alone, least you could do is sit down and watch this."

Today had been a full on disaster, and as such, Anya just sat, looking at the screen as Alma, having borrowed the disc from a friend, tried to forget she existed by watching the T.V screen. According to her, this was the original version of "Let Me In", Let the Right One In."

Not that she particularly cared. She looked up the title on "Rotten Tomatoes out of boredom. 97%, for so long, was something she had never seen before; even if she didn't watch a lot of movies. It just seemed that life was tossing a lot of them her way recently. This one was apparently a hit with her friend, for the perpetual closed smile stuck.

As for her, she didn't get it. Eva never needed someone to invite her into a room, and the fact that this girl was a vampire was only said once, almost like they were hiding it. It was lost on Anya that this film wasn't going to baby its audience; that it hinted at things, folklore.

Still, as she watched the bed catch on fire, burning a vampire "alive", she couldn't help but shiver a bit. She hated these kinds of films, but this one got under her skin…and stayed there, and as she watched, her mind turned back to this morning, almost as if it was attempting to punish her further…

"Anya, please, you did promise me you would come along on this nightmare…"

"Can't, I've got to run a few errands, and sleep. Sleep is important yah know."

Alma sighed, tossing her eyes to the sky as one of her hands squeezed the other to death, wringing it dry of blood. Sleep was the errand along with sleep itself, and no matter how much the sentence turned in on itself; she knew the thought was correct. Of course, Anya's errands might extend further to pick up some toiletry and beauty supplies, but mainly, lazing was the suit.

"Besides, you'd never catch me in that kind of getup for all the money in this poor little world."

"Now that is unfair to me, you know that…"

Alma glared at Anya's silent laugh. Hell, it was just a witch's hat damnit. A hat and robes, just like the ones Anya herself used to wear. All the money in the world…just go back in time a little, you'll see it. Alma twirled her wand experimentally. At least that part was real. Anya never used the thing herself, so giving it to Alma to use was the obvious choice over going out to buy a prop, and all the more effective.

"I have no idea why you don't go out on Halloween night, girl. You could easily pass for a trick or treater!"
"November is D-day for many plants. I have to clear out all the dead leaves and vines to make room for the winter hardy ones. I'm not going to waste the ends of October on Halloween, save for selling pumpkins."

"Yeah right, and you tell me you don't carve them too?"
"Only if asked."

Thortno wanted a mage, right? Alma would give her one, robes and all. Anya just continued to silently laugh as Alma adjusted her hat, the thing wouldn't stay on straight. Finally deciding to help, she half swung a foot off the couch, but by the time she did this, Alma had already fixed herself.

Giving the other a dark look to match her clothes, the light haired girl spun on the spot, looking for her bag. Her look made Anya feel just a tad guilty, but the feeling flashed by too fast to make any difference. A flick of hair and the girl was gone…

… … …

"Oh hello, who is this? Ehh?.! Oh my, Alma-dearie, you certainly do look the part…but did they have to give you such a garishly dark suit?"

"Oh no Miss Thorno; Illusionists are historically dark mages, I'm just playing out my bit. Anya couldn't make it, but if you still want a little spark of fire for the birthday, I could provide some for you."

Having this wand in her hand felt good… She could use magic without it, but to have it here made things so much easier, and the result made her appreciate what the master had said of how magic burns in the veins; dances along the skin. She let the wand slide down her sleeve, twirling it in practiced fingers.

She stepped past Thortno and nodded to the woman next to her, presumably her sister or something…they looked alike. Her slight smile faded however when she laid eyes on the man next to them, and a telltale spark flew through the air. Mage…and mage enough to tell there was something odd about her… for he was staring; wary. She gave him a quick quirk of the head before moving on. Her grin became plastic when she bumped into another mage in the family however, this one slightly more powerful, but one hell of a darker.

Push came to shove, she could easily take them both, she was trained, battle hardened, they weren't, but the fact that she felt them bristle, felt them raise hostile blood, put her on edge. Her left hand flashed up, a deck of tarot cards appearing in it. She smiled.

"Would you like your fortune read? You look anxious."

"...No thanks. I thought a magician was coming…not a psychic. "

"I'm an illusionist at heart, but a little fortune telling never hurt anybody. You sure you don't want me to read you? You're tense."

"No thank you. Your job is to fool the children, not me."

This wasn't her element, not her family, her home. She wasn't Anya either, so her methods were careful. She gave the man a falsely hurt look, withering slightly at his words.

"Fool? Well, if you feel that way...I can't change your mind. Still…you shouldn't discredit a force you know little about, or give one you do know too much credit; adversely."

She stepped past him and too the back, where the real action would begin. There really wasn't a stage; save for a sheet tossed up, but since when was there anything much different for a home? Yet, while Alma worked her magic, Anya would have surprised her by trying to work her brain.

"Shit Alma…how the hell do you read this text book? Half of the words in here are ones I never even knew existed…Like "…an example of harmonic motion of a pendulum through an approximated arc that produces an extraneous phenomena in situations of mathematic displacement giving rise to equations in the form of…"

"God, my head hurts already. Let's do something more simple than that…distance formula? Okay…but what the heck is this now? If I follow that…I get zero take away k in parenthesis and squared plus two k take away zero in parenthesis squared, all under a square root and it's supposed to equal ten…but how the hell do I get the stuff under it to make a hundred? A hundred, right? Yeah…oh great, it's an even numbered problem, figures. Ehh…ehh! This is Algebra right? I should know this stuff…right? Damn!"

So chided, the girl tossed up the book in frustration, hunkering down on her elbows while lying on her stomach in bed. Yet, her brooding didn't last long, as gravity asked for the book back, and it landed square on her head, making her vision turn to colored static for a few moments…

"Gahh! Don't attack me you demonic thing! I'm trying to sulk! Damn it, I'm trying to say sorry to her for Christ's sake. I can't do that without showing her I'm being sincere, and you're not helping!"

Grabbing the book in both hands again, she looked to its pages once more, rifling through them for something, anything that she knew. Yet, she'd been out of school for a long time, so what she did recognize behind all the mass of technicality the book spewed, was rustier than a port nail.

'Okay then, let's forget about Math for now; let's try Science! Oh…nice, the first word I see in the book, I don't even know how to pronounce! Herterochromia? Umm… … …forget that too. Social Studies my dear! You're nice to me, aren't you? …No, you're not. What's a spindle?"

While Anya fussed about, she neglected to notice the doorbell ringing quietly away, as it had been for the past fourteen minutes. It seemed that the man at the door would not give up until he got what he wanted, and eventually, as Anya tossed a poor French dictionary against the wall, her ears alerted her to the sound.

(C. F Winchester will re-write this soon.)

It was warm today, and while the ringer waited, he pulled off his hood, revealing a mop of flaming red hair. He tossed his shoulders back irritably, and a familiar on his shoulder adjusted a minute hair dutifully. He'd been waiting a long time for this, he had, and looking presentable might help this situation some. He pulled a cigarette from his increasingly fussy familiar as the minutes dragged on by, and he continued to ring, and ring…and ring…

His patience eventually grew thin as his hand slipped down to his belt, touching upon a familiar weapon there; just pausing. The male brought up his foot, about to kick the door down, but it was pulled open just as his foot reached the climax, and in front of him, a young woman stared.

She was wearing those kinds of clothes you just throw on, the things designated for the home…for a split second, he was hit with the simple beauty of her, but then, of course, he shook it off. That was disgusting after all. He wasn't here for that.

It was her, it had to be. Yet, one of the worst things that she could say; did indeed fall from her mouth.

"Ahh…hello. Who are you?"

As if struck, the young man stumbled backwards, falling flat on his behind as he stared. She didn't recognize him? How the hell…why didn't anyone recognize him, damnit! His voice clawed at his throat, but the girl quieted him by looking at him in pity.

Of course, what came out of her mouth only angered him in the end.

"Ahh hell, another one, shit, they can't leave people alone, cute enough though. Okay, so who put you up to coming to me, huh? I'm guessing your gay, right?"

"W-WHAT?"

Sighing, she shook her head, looking him up and down before rolling her eyes up to the sky and muttering something akin to: "just when I was trying to do something constructive too…" She smiled at him serenely, or what he thought was serene. Damn.

"Tell you friends that I'm not stupid, and neither are you.

"I'm not gay."

She raised an eyebrow, looking at him with a different light, one he didn't quite like…was she perverted or something…? Yet, her next sentence answered him, and made him pale at the same time. She really didn't recognize him, did she?

"Hmm, okay then. You know, I don't normally do anything on the weekends…and I'm busy right now you know, but I suppose if you're going to insist, the right price…"

"Gahh! Hell no! You're my sister for Christ's sake! It's Arsenios; shit!"

He expected her to recoil, expected her to at least let up that face, but she surprised him by simply grinning, feral. If possible, his skin paled further. Oh hell, dad had done it this time. He wanted her back, and for good reason.

Cocolova was a name no one messed with, a powerful name, and regardless if Anya had been disowned, she was still part of that chain. Through the years, under observation, the family had been monitoring her…and father apparently liked what he saw…Arsenios saw why. Her eyes ate him up and spat him back out in rapid fire.

"…Arsenny? You're Arsenny? Oh wow…oh…oh hell. Bye!"

In that moment, just before she claimed oh hell, her face had changed from a bubbling happiness to realization; and then anger as she slammed the door shut, prompting Arsenios to jump back up. His fist made the door shudder, but the metal wasn't yielding, not yet anyway.

"Anya! Open the door; damnit Anya! I didn't come all this way to get pushed away! You've been gone long enough! We know your magi friend left you, we're just here to take back what shouldn't have left."

There was a scuffle, and it seemed to last forever, two minutes, but Anya was back out, the door opening slowly to let Arsenios peek his head in…and get a punch in the face. He was sent bowling backwards with the force, for she had lunged at him with the throw. She landed lightly, still inside.

"I may be dumb, but I'm not stupid. You think he left me? Idiots, I left him. I left all of them. I don't need your half assed business family. Tell that to sweet daddy for me."

Her head to the side, she looked like a serpent ready to swallow him whole. This girl…was one hell of a woman to cross. He could swear magic was about her, even if he knew she had no wand. This was supposed to be an easy slip. Alone and unarmed…but…Anya stepped nearer to him, and stomped down just…so; on his jewels. That pain, like fire! To her own flesh and blood! She was worse still for keeping her foot there, grinding.

"You can tell dear daddy that even without Alma or my wand; I'm still too strong for you. Have him send the whole organization, Alma and I I'll kill them dead. You've had your chance.

As she stomped down into his stomach now, cleanly making him pass out, Alma was dealing with her own beef…

… … …

"Dad, why can't she do real magic?"

"Well, she's not a real witch son. You remember what we do with fake mages right?"

Well, you couldn't blame Alma for trying. Card tricks, sleight of hand, even little tricks with dark fire hadn't satisfied the audience, and it soon became all too clear that her attempts to make sure the adults saw through her acts; wasn't working. Real magic huh? Quite suddenly, she didn't feel too safe, especially as she began to feel magical auras spring up, ones that had been too weak to feel with just a passive glance.

She was even more surprised when old Thorno showed an aura. She gave a sad smile to Alma before shaking her head.

"Alma dear, magic is real, did you know? It isn't your sleight of hand, not tricks with lighters and hidden animals. Not even wind with towels, hidden flowers. You're good girl, the best we've had yet to see, but you're a fake aren't you?"

Surprise…they all were mages? All of them? Taking a step back to let it register, she marveled at it while Thortno continued to explain, her systematic speech before the "execution" of a fake. How people like her made a mockery of real magic, how they fooled those around them, were liars and thieves, the whole nine yards.

Inwardly, the girl smiled. She was…too powerful for them. None of them could sense her aura, just like a person who bites down into the hottest food in the world and taste nothing. Their senses shut down from overload. She knew that there were mages out there that persecuted mundanes for performing "magic", calling them liars…but honestly, who were they?

People made a living however they could, and if they had a talent for it, they should be able to do it. Alma's head snapped up when Thortno spoke directly to her.

'I'm really sorry girl. I did like you, I did. Anything you have to say for yourself?"

"Well, if you had told me you were mages before, maybe I would have shown you some real magic…you don't want to fight me though…not even with all of you."

"Is she defying us? Any mage can sense another mage, and I get nothing from her."

'She's just playing out her farce; she doesn't even know what magic is."

The two men Anya had noticed before stepped nearer. Those two were the most powerful by far, but the others pulled out wands. Summary execution, not with rocks but with arrows…how…fitting. It made her mind horrifically dash backwards to all those years ago…those stones…burned.

Her fist clenched on her wand. One of them laughed when he saw.

"I wonder what mage she stole that from? It's a pretty high quality fake if not."

Rocks, stones, sticks, bones. She didn't understand why it was effecting her so, but her life seemed to be full of projectiles, all aimed at her. Increasing technology didn't change anything; even that gun meant for Anya had almost gotten her. In her mind, a spell began to form, not her natural magic, but a spell, as the others began to chant their own, arrows, just simple arrows. She'd…show them. She wasn't helpless this time!

Senior Obscurum, tribuo mihi vestri cruor, umbra assilio meus commodo, perussi inimicus!, Atrum Falx!
"…Deflexio!"

From those in front, she counted thirty each, from the others in back, one to three, it ranged. It wasn't much, a pitiful display that barely broke over a hundred, all of varying strengths. She spoke out loud her Deflexio spell, and watched as all of their arrows were canceled against it. Her anger reached a peak as another rushed in, the dark one, casting fifty at her at once. He fell, panting, and watched the attack be absorbed just before her scythe formed in her hands.

She canceled her own Deflexio and raised her weapon, but did nothing, just held it there, allowing magic to flow along it, it was her eyes that burned. Thortno above all she spoke too, her magic reaching a climax to make her feet leave the ground.

Oh it had been a long time since she did this…

"You think all magicians are fake? Do you think all of them blatantly show their power? What if you killed an actual mage in your quest to rid the world of false beings? Do you know how much…I feel like slaughtering you all for stupidity right now?"

Her scythe was tossed away with contempt to shatter on the ground as she placed one hand in front of her. Her hat flew off in the wind she was kicking up, but she didn't care. Something about this scene, something about it…had sent her in a slight rage….some stepped back.

Sagitta Magica, Centum Spiritus Ingus!

"Sagitta Magica, Centum Spiritus Obscurans!"

They wanted a show? She'd give them one. She made a point of summoning two hundred arrows, of different element, from one hand. They twisted in a tight beam, crashing against each other and throwing off sparks of magical power, but it damaged nothing.

"The hell?"

"Duck! She's insane!"
"She's a demon!"

"She's summoning two hundred from one hand, and she's still standing!"

Idiots. It's not even…worth it…just like that time. Everything is burning, fire all around, even my soul…all those years, was I even alive then? Did I feel any sorrow then, for burning them all alive? Even for what they did to me…was death a punishment I was fit to judge them for?

Aren't I doing the same thing now?

Her arrows canceled each other out, leaving her standing; scarcely breathing…she turned on her heel, jerking her hand to her hat, which jumped into her waiting hand. She walked past them all; they were blocking her way to the door, moving slowly. The dark one beat a path to block her ultimately, but she held out her hand…so did he.

Was he suicidal?

"You're out of magic now, powerless against us."

"…Please."

"You're staying right there until you explain your attack-"

'You, pawn forward two, me, checkmate."
"The hell is that supposed to mean? Listen, I've still got magic here!"

He sent his power to bind her, ropes of water. She looked at them in disdain before her entire body burst into an aura of dark flame, one she used to be famous for. She looked through him, and his vision went white before his world seemed to crack. She stepped over him aside as he fell; only pausing to say one thing, not even bothering to turn around.

"In chess, you were white."

… … …

"Anya gave us her message. She won't come quietly, Eugene. What should we do about her?"

"She is still the perfect spy, beautiful, young and cunning if not book smart. Vicious, strong…easy to manipulate."
'So you say, but today seemed to be the only chance, and Arsenios blew it. I also question if this is just an attempt to bring daddy's little girl home."

A slam, and then a crash of glass, when the man spoke next his voice was far weaker; as if he had been choked and was now hoarse.

"Un-understood."

"The boy who took her from me planted a seed. He stuck around to germinate it too; but we shall reap the fruit."

"Understood sir. What is to be done with Arsenios?"

"That poor fool? He was burnt by the girl in the witch costume, wasn't he? To add to the damage to his manhood, I think he's been punished enough, and will be perfectly bruised for the next phase of action."

"That girl sir…"

"Yes. She is my main concern. She is powerful to say the least, and these past years in society have opened her heart. She is vengeful and fiery, no longer so submissive and logical. It shall be difficult to deal with her…but we shall. Prepare Arsenios and fetch Diana, tell her to bring materials for that potion I spoke to her about. I'll put my son to good use."

… … …

In the darkness of the room, Anya shivered at the sight in front of her, the T.V screen bright. Too bright to see outside, where a dark silhouette observed as Alma rose an eyebrow to a quirk in a character's lines.

+-E-+

Okay, the last part of this chapter was rushed, and I don't like it as much as I do the first paragraph of this thing. I forced a lot of junk in it I did. For some reason, I am really fond of that first paragraph. No idea why. As for Negi's bit, I almost like it. I almost enjoy it, but it isanticlimactic. Ahh well. Next time we meet, I plan to have something for you, that I do!

Chapter 7: Chapter VI: Frequent Flyer Miles

+O-2-X+

Ahh, did you notice my little triumph over the exclamation mark cut? Ehh, small victory, I feel all useless now. I'm reading Young Negi for my own memories sake, seeing if things are the way I remember them. I learned three things. One, I sucked in the beginning of this story(Something I already knew but had to see tah' really let it sink in fully from this standpoint...), two, some of my ideas are still solid enough to use now, which is impeccably…I can't find any other word but awesome…and three…holy hell, it is exactly how I remember it, and yet far more extravagant.

It's one thing to know what happens, it's another to see it written in black and white.

I don't own Negima, ehh?

I tossed two OC's your way last time, didn't I? Well, this time, I have another warning for you. I'm also trying my hand at something a bit different.

General Warning - Chapter may contain the following:

Citations from religious literature.

Cunning Evil.

Enchiladas.

Heavy Artillery.

Violence…

+-YN-+

Chapter Six: Frequent Flyer Miles

+-AB-+

That sudden feeling of falling, just for that split second, takes my breath away. Slowly, the room comes into focus. It's dark. Half sunken in the pillow, I force my eyes open fully, trying to make sense to my sudden consciousness. My mind sluggishly slips one gear through another's teeth, it's Monday. Why am I up? The bed creaks as I roll. Rolling; rolling until I touched a hand on the ledge of my bed. Beyond lay nothing but air; a sheer six foot drop.

One foot massages another under the covers, but I don't move. My body won't respond to my mind, no; my mind can't work up the will to make my body move. The effort needed to move a limb out of bed, to climb down a ladder, seems too much…yet still I wonder; why am I up? Today is…Monday, October 18th, 2010; I don't have classes on Mondays…The plants. No…this week Mrs. Johnson opens the garden; she owns the land after all, and being back in town…

The water; the water is running. I stay still; even as I hear it shut off, remain grounded by the bed as I hear the door open quietly, and then Anya's door close. The darkness consumes me, and so does the silence...until tiny scuffles, little sounds; break the monotony. A bang and a muffled hiss, the jangle of keys, the clicks of buckles…the quiet pull of a zipper.

Is it possible? No, I must still be asleep; or somehow slipping into a world of my own… illusion. My body suddenly is full of energy, and I quietly slip; like a snake I manage to slither down from my bed, fixing my pajamas and quietly opening my door just as the adjacent opens hers. I feel something slam into me as the door closes. Oh god, it hurts…but it's a book bag!

Sent on my back, my head hits the wall, and a thousand colors consume my vision. There is a gasp, and then a curse. I can't help but let out a small "ow". Anya's voice floats down to me from somewhere above me, and I hear her adjust the straps on her pack matter of fact, a counterbalance to her unsure tone.

"Why are you up?"

The classic comeback to that would be to ask her why she had a pack on; but common sense made me hold my tongue, instead; I mewled while rubbing my sore head in circles, trying to ease the pounding in my brain. I looked up at her silhouette and blew some hair from my face.

"I heard water running. That; and Mrs. Johnson will probably want to run away as soon as she collects her money on the community garden's tax. I have to be there to keep her from bolting…what are you doing up…?"

She muttered something nearly unintelligible, but lucky for me, my ears picked it up perfectly. I had grown up around the quiet forests; my ears are used to listening… unlike those who live now. Yet still, I asked her to repeat, just to make sure, for what I heard seemed impossible.

"To…school. I'm headed to school."

"… … …"

"I'm serious Alma. Please, don't look at me like that…"

How could she tell I was looking at her in the first place? It was so dark; I could hardly tell her hair from her nose. I saw her head violently move, the dark mass that was her hair shivering behind her. Well, now I could tell what was what, and so too did my continued silence seem to tell Anya she was right.

"I…I know you Alma, and you know me…inside and out. Can't you tell when I'm sorry…?"
"Sorry for what? What did you do that would warrant you going to school as punishment for a day?"

I saw one foot shift in front of the other. She was fidgeting. Anya…she was a funny girl. She had learned from the master many things…from Negi, many things. He told her, told her plain, that he did not want her to be like him, but in a way she had. She had become feral, fiery, flamboyant and fearsome to many…but behind it, there was still a child playing hide and seek.

Her heart still existed, and it beat in strange ways; to the time of some erratic tune, a garish sunset. Inwardly, I still had hope for her. She was salvageable, that's what my time in this world had told me. She wasn't yet to far gone, and I fought for every scrap of her humanity I could find. They were rare gems, like this one, and these were what begot hope.

"For…well, you see- No. I'm sorry, sorry for behaving like a fucking bitch to put it mildly. This past month has been rough, really rough…and I haven't helped any. The breakup and then the way I acted that night when you woke me up from the nightmare…and even when I left you to go to Thortno alone, after promising to come. If I had come…well, we wouldn't be in this mess with the lights and people watching all the time…and you wouldn't have been attacked…"

"That's fi-"

"It's not fine Alma. It's…not fine. I'm tired of you saying its fine when you secretly hate me behind my back."

Surprise; that's what slapped me head on in the face; utter surprise. My world scrambled, and I felt like I should have turned with the nearly physical blow. Hate her? No. These past years had taught me to love her. Like a sister would another. I stood slowly, pushing myself against the wall, using it as a sliding ramp.

"…Hate you…? I don't hate you, Anya…"

"You hate my actions though."

I only had silence for that statement, and Anya took it correctly as an affirmative. I couldn't deny that I hated the way Anya lived her life, the way she treated others around her, the sheer…selfishness of her aura. What did the girl want from me though? I grinned and bore it, all of it, for years.

"I'm going to school Alma. Maybe…maybe I can prove to be something better, like you always say I can. I don't know. Don't worry about me, I have my wand…today, I have my wand. Just…for once, I want you to know where I am. I'll be back by four."

She just…walked by me, and then, out the door. It was absurd, but I suddenly felt like a mother who had just sent their child out to school for the first time. It was ridiculous, but I worried for her. I worried…and felt empty. Shivers ran up me, and then down me. That was never a good sign, especially as pain lanced down my leg. Snapping up, I walked to the bathroom to splash some water on my face.

Screw guarding the gates from Johnson, I have a bad feeling about this. …I have my mission.

(Up ahead, Heavy Artillery and Violence! Don't be fooled by the first few paragraphs, watch out!)

+-1-+

In my mind, Two Steps from Hell, in my heart, the beat of drums. My soul was a fire, and all I was doing…simply running. My mind sped by my feet, analyzing, comparing and restructuring all I knew as I flew, certainly not head over heels but foot over keel, through the streets that I once so well knew. Where was I headed? Over the bridge and through the wood, to grandmother's house I go! France was right around the corner, and who cared if I got there by beating the traffic, running through the border headlong, watch out now, you'll crash!

Through the streets, only the telltale beat, the music pounds. Then, in a flash; my mind changes course, running along a different path, nay tow at once. Makie, Satsuki, Kaede, Cora, all under one key, one mind, they spin tales for me, the sages, the sagas of kings. Shit, I sound like a prophet! My feet leave the ground as I jump over a crosswalk, no; I'm not j-walking, bitch, I'm j-flyin! The blare of car horns as those inside watch, helpless, their eyes betraying me. I soar over their cars, landing easy on the other side, running, running, just running.

Have I ever mentioned how much I just love to move, move without thinking, no planning, no direction, just for once to let my racing mind go blank. Calculations on the next move, where someone else might be, time, date, thoughts of the future, memories of the past…luck of the draw thoughts of a dream, why the hell do I always have to be so damn poetic? All the time, I let my mind ramble, all the things said running through my head, and god damn it, there I go again!

I skirt by a few girls, one of them screams at my speed, another slams her backpack across her knees, her fault for not wearing a proper skirt, not like anyone's looking anyway, hey, at least I'm not! I've seen enough ass to last a life time. My mind once more begins to draw circles, literally, the formations, the lines; it's as if I were a robot, data streaming across my eyes. Chachamaru, get your eyes out of my head.

Through the meadows of steel, I jump over a banister and run down the steps, no, I fly; still, my feet hardly touch the ground as the night becomes apparent. I must, I must get there. Satsuki was the easiest person to find out of them all, hell, it had only taken me a week this time to not only secure her position but lock down on her exact whereabouts at a given time; even call ahead.

This time, someone invited me. She would be at the square, eight o' clock sharp. Meanwhile, I negotiated the borders of France as the time slipped by, it was six by now, and my feet did double time even further upon the triple style. Once again, I would throw myself into the fray, once more; I would beat out my story. I needed to find Anya damn it.

Something told me I couldn't be late for this one. My heart is rising, in such a way that I can be nothing but sure, this one. Satsuki would be my breakthrough. I feel the breath of the wind behind me; no one can touch me now. For these weeks, my strength has only grown.

My power when I first stepped back unto Earth was unpracticed, untrained; lazy. Now, with every passing day my body tightened into itself, my magic strapped into gear. I was now nearly in command, nearly in control of what I had.

Once in control I could beat out all that eight years of inactivity had done to me. I would become the mage I would have had I trained all that time. This close to salvation, I felt the darkness. Here…somewhere here…he was here. Now, my game was to avoid. I can't face him now, not when I'm unsure of how to defeat him, not when I cannot but guess at his strength.

It was then that I felt the pull, the surge. Ahh, but I can never run away from my mind. I enter into the fray, and let chaos reign. I see the signs flash by as my feet move even faster, I become a wraith, a shadow of speed as I zoom on by, I race the cars and outstrip them by leagues on the stormy sea of tar and iron. Scents assault my nose, I see…people, people as far as the eyes can see, dishes, food places, carts catering to the needy, the hungry, the night, it sparkles above, the stars mock me, they keep pace with my stride, even as I go ever faster still.

The night, the night, it cries out as I lithely blight out the noise and it runs, runs by me like a book on high speed the sights surreal in the dark as nothing makes sense any more, not to a normal mind, not as mine turns up the speed further and everything, everything becomes a blur of blanks, a blur of nothings to be filled and sought after, lives lost, loved and I never stop the mind rolls on and I see the class, crossed off one by one as the marks like blood encompass my vision, married, unknown, married, the fighters soul lost, engaged, lost, unknown, unknown, the unknowns prevail over all, but for all the red, I can't see my father, who is he, which one, which one is true, the darkness tells me, tells me he…is coming, closer, every second and I speed!

Faster, faster, faster you fool, this tin can can fly!

Then, finally, I stop, skidding, kicking up gravel, tiny rocks and nothing more, dust that clears and my mind spins, I seek to slow it, slow down, Negi Springfield! You're crazy…crazy…insane. Finally, I stall, and my mind runs…blank.

I walk the rest of the distance to the square, marveling at the fact that no one caught me in sights, or bothered to stop me if they did.

Approaching the fountain, I see her. For once, my mind decides to stay slow, allowing me to at least be courteous enough. If there's one thing I'd never want anyone to know…it's that I hate throwing an insult as a punch-line all the time. Hell, I do it because I can think of it, not because I want to. To damn cynical for my own good I am... Well, I couldn't find anything wrong with Satsuki, so that was a start. I simply gave her my greetings, and she, hers. Perhaps it was the fact I had set an appointment beforehand; but she was the first to instantly recognize me.

"She's meeting with someone…shit. Damn it, now we'll have to apprehend two of them…"

"No, you won't. Just send someone to cocktail her house. Nice and easy; burning fire to cleanse us of that foreigner."

Meh, I have a headache now. Perhaps the thing that killed me was the way she looked at me. I needn't say a word, not even a sound, although most would betray themselves with a growl from the insides. I waved off her offers of food; my headache would have to wait. My business was information, and I wasn't going anywhere without it.

Of course, she pestered me, and settled upon telling me whatever I needed to ask her if I made and kept the promise of allowing her to provide me with some kind of nourishment directly after on her convenience... It made me internally smile, that bargain was hard, and direct, little loopholes in that promise. Of course, I took her "oath" with a begrudging smile; her eyes were stern until I finished with a ghastly bow.

Ahh, yet, the iota of a price had been set, and I was glad to pay it. You of all people should know what question I asked her, but for those of you a bit slow and lacking in the logic department, I tell you straight, I asked her if she could tell me where Maki-san was, or Kaede, but the girl-damn. I keep forgetting, don't I? The woman in front of me just smiled. Hell, she came straight out with that odd tone of hers.

"You ask where two of my classmates are, but that's not what you really want sensei…is it? You were always so direct before, why do you circle me now?"

Of course; I was being stupid. Babying her maybe, but was it necessary? No. So I told her. Everything. Right there as we walked. In the middle of the sidewalk. I think I've made the picture clear, haven't I…or do I need to elaborate further, like saying I did so on the corner of whose-it street and what's-it boulevard by the rosebushes planted by god knows the poor bastard. I'm sorry, but that's me. She was direct, so I let loose, blatant and uncensored 'rass.

She hardly blinked, even as the fanfare of anger and whining, the...entire well, I'm trying to keep my mind clean at least here, so I don't need to go further there, do I? I let loose a hurricane, and she handled it like a summer breeze.

Maybe I was losing my touch. Yet, I didn't really care, hell, why should I? We were by her car now, not the smooth Volvo Asakura had, but a simple dark green Honda of some sorts…or was it a Toyota? …Oh, did I offend you? I am sooo sorry. I'm not a car dude, sorry peeps; talk to…whoever knows about cars, I think Chamo might be your friend there.

"Anya-san is in America."

It was said so simply, so blatantly simply…I almost missed it. Yet, when I stumbled upon her statement, I realized that my suspicions as the net of information grew heavier, lower…aligned, that's what they were with Satsuki's line. Still, she went further still.

"She is in America, Sensei. I believe in a big city, but nowhere too far… west. I believe they had planned on taking a trip with Natsumi-san to New York to see Broadway…we lost contact with them after that. I doubt that Anya would have moved from there; after all; if something happened to Natsumi… then she would have been stuck."

…Chizuru is in Iceland…or is it Natsumi…damn, I can't remember, but one of them is definitely there...and whoever wasn't in Iceland… are somewhere in America…

A blast from the past! Ahh; how nice to see things connect! Asakura, you finally prove your slippery worth! Something else in my head clicks, and for once, pieces of a giant Tetris game, blocks of information falling everywhere, finally begin to assemble into workable pieces, like that final line, when your map is full, but that last block that would have doomed you…is instead your savior.

Why is it that I always think of my mind in such a matter? It is not an expansive, endless space in which information floats upon plains of a higher existence, damnit. Oh fuck, here comes the rain again, so to speak. Links, building blocks, my path ahead assembles before me, all of the little details coming into place; ayi! I hate it all. For once, can't I walk a path in peace?

"They're on the move."

I shake my head visibly as Satsuki opens the door to her car, turning on the engine matter of fact-like while watching me from the inside. My side of the door was still closed, myself on the outside. A soft purr was the only indication of the machine being on. I could, Oh I could so run, right now, I could just run and leave, but what kind of respect was that?

A quirk of the lips, so damned I was. Ahh, I had found something funny, ironic, hadn't I? Aye. I was bound by a promise after all, and thus had to get in, or so she thought. I never said I would ride in the car, did I? Still, I opened the door and stepped in, watching as she pulled out, studying the movements.

"Shit; who is that dude? We can't even try to apprehend her in the car if he gets in…"

"Molotov then?"

"Maybe…"

Driving…it was something I didn't really need to learn. A bus went anywhere a car would; just about. I was "too young" anyway. To besides the point…I could walk just as quickly as these things could roll…aww hell, who the fuck am I kidding? The things made me apprehensive, slightly. I admit; they can easily weigh a ton or more, traveling easily over the hundred kilometer mark, some of them. If one of those hit you…most likely, if you were normal, you'd be dead. There was a good chance if you crashed that the inside, meant to protect… it would become your cage, if not your coffin.

However…don't you dare try and laugh. I am looking over Satsuki's movements now…comparing them to Asakura…analyzing the different grips, the configurations, posture…overall…looking at how Asakura drove her car made me sick. Putting it mildly; she belonged on a fucking drag race track. Hell, if she braked, you feared the windshield and your head both, and turning…I always screwed with my brain to produce the chances her wheels would stay on the damn road…

"So~. How's life treating you?"

Lame ass line. Lame ass line. Lame ass- shut up Negi. I know it's a damn lame line, but it's cut and dry, leave me be. Satsuki only answered me when she reached a stop light, giving me time to wrestle with myself again. Another difference, Asakura would turn full around, eyes on you; not the road.

"Well enough, although I have not been without my own problems. According to News however, you have had it far more exciting than I. I assume your expedition has gone well? There is talk of you arriving by shuttle next week in London…I assume that is false of course, as you will well understand."

"Oh, is that the shit bucket story Takahata and Konoka are selling to everybody so that I can stop hiding around all bandit like? I would have preferred if they just told everybody I was dead…but~, I can't complain. My ship is coming to "bring me home" and I plan on being on it to get mobbed…not for the purpose of getting mobbed mind you…I just want my ship."

"…I see... Sensei, if I may, is it allowed to ask you a question of personal nature?"

I smiled here, once more, my element had proved itself to be dark, cunning if not sinister, ha, but I was only playful in the end. One could look at me like some Cheshire cat. I loved riddles, but this one was far too easy…ahh, but she was calm, I'd give her that, and sensible.

"I assume this has to do with how I ended up on Earth without my ship in the first place, right? I'd also assume you'd make an incorrect assumption that I had never been there, leading to another incorrect assumption as to what I was doing all these years. Of course, you could have thought a different way too…the correct way, but...you asked, and I answer yes, ask away."

"Am I to assume that you are a mage?"

How many times was this game going to be played? It's starting to get old. Chess only has so high a replay value when all the moves are the same you know, in fact the replay value is about 30% until the player realizes that this game is the exact same as the last one…

"Am I to assume you are a cook Satsuki-san? Straight to the bacon as they say, drop the fluff, for even if fat is where quite a bit of the taste lies, I prefer lean meat. What do yah want from me, a candy apple?"

Another stop light; by now my face was burning. I had felt the darkness before, the fact that he was here…so close, it was as if his darkness was still mine. I could feel it. He had a mind now, a mind that eradicated all the vengeful voices, a mind that singly held upon a determination, as one whole being; to slaughter me.

Funny thing was, he very well could, and I couldn't say jack about it. His power had been growing for years, the mind coming together, destroying all internal opposition…meanwhile; I had been sitting my ass trying to keep something I made together. Near two months of training could never amount to the kind of hellacious eight years he'd gone through…all for what? To zoom around blind; looking for me, the only "worthy" opponent, the only one that mattered...

"You came home using ulterior motives then. However, my wonder remains…how could you lose track of Anya so?"

"…You wound me. Deep."

"I should. It is a valid question that begs for an answer however."

"That it is; that it is."

My mind had been brought back to this conversation with a crash, and I found the ship critically in need of repair before I could even begin to think of pending flight again. The street lamps passed by in the night, and I found my mouth professing weakness. How it could do so without my full permission was human nature, but still…it stunned me, what flew out to her ears, no matter how true it was.

"I…I honestly…well, to start…oh screw it. The…oh fuck it. I'll tell you what I once told my mother…for I still believe it…. In the end, the apple never falls far from the tree. My father… called himself a hero, and had such power, but he failed to save his entire village; his family. Not once, but twice did he fail to save me, and during the tournament, the best he could manage was "Gee, I'm really sorry for your loss..." I too, have failed my duty…I could tell you I have a valid excuse, but I wouldn't believe it myself…

"I thought I had left her to people who would look after her, I thought I would either end up dead or return quickly. Neither happened. Instead, I had to spend eight years on Mars, being unable to communicate for my own reasons…my own personal devil's snare…still, despite what little foresight I had, despite how many people tell me that I did nothing wrong…It is still my fault, and I can't even look to the apple and tree as an excuse anymore, only as an analogy. My failure, my responsibility, yet I aim to rectify the mistake, will you not give me at least that much credit?"

Silence; for a long while, it stretched. Eventually, the scenery turned to a more rural base, suburbs from city, expanding out until the title of suburb was stretched thin, and finally became the christening of "Rich Neighborhood", skirting the farm base altogether. The car pulled smoothly into a clean driveway, immaculately kept plants lining the curbs to the grass, trimmed bushes…Negi recognized mint and time…and yet, Satsuki did not exit her vehicle.

"You are very hard on yourself sensei. I may not know the entire situation, yet I can guess; walk with my ears for a while. It's not quite a bad thing to set yourself up with high standards, but setting oneself up for failure, knowing that as a human one makes mistakes but still expecting perfection…sometimes, you need to allow leeway for the whims of the world…"

Allow leeway for…damn. She was making me seem idiotic. I know that al-…well. I suppose knowing and actually putting into practice are truly different things in the end…shit. Well, at least she dropped the topic after that. She dropped a lot of things after that actually, opening up a little to tell me about her life instead of trying to fix mine.

I wasn't surprised to find out she'd landed herself a good position somewhere famous in the culinary world. I wasn't even surprised when I probed past modesty to access the prestige of the place she claimed to be working at now.

"So, you're a new employment, right? Who'd they boot out for you?"

"…You phrase things in such a negative way Sensei…."

"Yet I am right, aren't I? No one gets into these kinds of five stars just like that, someone's gonna' havta' had gotten the boot."

"…One of the assistants to the head chef."

"Sucks to be him; or her… I'm assuming that they were mad, hmm?"

"He threatened to kill me…In French."

"Don't they all! Bastard was probably seething all the way home. You get all the way to the top only to get knocked down, all they can do is sputter in their native tongue, ahh well."

These are unimportant details however. Me…well, I don't stall anywhere for too long unless something exciting happens...one big action movie…so Imagine my lack of surprise when I heard a crash of glass and the splash of fire. Goddamn you, great grand Murphy in the sky, or whoever it is that weaves the threads of fate. Satsuki, to her credit, only whipped around her head, I on the other hand, "reached", probing for anyone within the nearest hundred yards. Unnecessary, but hell; it was fun grabbing unto a hostile mind well within your range; crushing his will to run with one well placed hammer thought. Sometimes, I just had to say; I love my mother…she's the one who gave me this ability after all…genetically.

Calmly I rose and saw, to some relief, that the splash of "fire" I had heard was false. It was just gas. The noob failed to make his cocktail properly, it didn't detonate. I extended my hand and "pulled", reaching out with magic while Satsuki, coming up behind me, watched.

A figure, kicking and screaming, flew into the living room, smashing what was left of the window in the process as he zoomed towards me like an arrow does its target. Oops. Remind me to pay for that, will you? The window I mean. Scrawny and lithe, it was just a kid. A kid in a black getup, looking ready to star for this years' next one star spy flick; the bloopers edition…I love my life.

"Holy crap! He's got Frankie, and with some kind of sci fi "Come here!" move."

I picked him up by the throat for the hell of it, even if I could only being him up to his ankles to be face tah' face. I would laugh at his expression of pure, defiant terror…but I've seen it to many times. Maybe you can in my place? Pray for him, he's going on a trip.

"Excuse me while I take out the trash for you, Satsuki. Oh, and I'll pay for the windows, I'm not doing anything else with my money…not really. The Mahora Martial arts tournament has been sitting gaining nothing but interest for the past few years."

Light as a feather, but hell, could he fly. Try throwing a feather and see how far you go…nowhere? Not this one! He crashed back out the window…or, like I said before; what was left of it. Satsuki had one of those wide three panel windows in front…well; the middle one had just ceased to exist to join its buddy, the right side.

I pummeled him a little bit, gently of course, he was coughing up blood from the first shot…I was a bit too excited after being still for so long; excuse me while I go to laugh maniacally in a remote corner of my mind…Ahh, but all good things come to an end, don't they? I picked him up and slammed him against the stone wall of Satsuki's house…nice solid design…ohh…it looks like I'll have to pay to scrub it clean after this too.

Ehh; my loss.

"Okay; bright boy! Nice, nice…ni~ce…let's be friends, huh? No? Screw you then. State your name and purpose, all that fancy stuff, verily, now. The hell you throw a cocktail through the window for, huh? Bored? Stupid? Nah…someone sent yah huh? Stupid. Now you'll die unless you talk. Huh?

"Stupid fuck. The mafia don't talk, they just do. The job's gotten messy, should we pull out?"

Silence as I slid him up further, the wall scraping at his back…I remember a similar scene to this…only it was Fate's girl I was grating against a wall, still in the illusion form of Asuna...the boy opened his mouth, and I heard a crack; he went limp in my hand, a bullet dead in his brain.

Oh, ve~ry nice. Professionals! I love professionals! My hands burned with fire as the body in front of me was consumed right then and there, a personal cremation, I'm sure he would have been happy I made the effort. Go fertilize the mint you poor son of a- Ahh! I did say I would try to keep my mind clean…at least somewhat clean. New rule, I can only curse at most ten times a day in my head…wait, that won't work…damn.

After that, I could understand the silence Satsuki kept as she packed up a basket she insisted upon giving me. Well, likewise, I insisted to give her the money to redo her windows and house, even if the rain would help the blood. Touché. She insisted on driving me back to the park, at the very least there if not my hotel. I told her my hotel was across the border, on the edge of a bordering country to France…driving there would take too long and be too much of a hassle, I could just alternate between running and teleporting, like I had to get here.

I could run faster than some of these things anyway…blame hellacious training from where else but Lucifer's playground itself. Still, to the park in the car it was, and I opted to stare out the window form the front seat, on edge…waiting…he was still around here, somewhere. Eating and conversing had let me push it aside, but I have to tell you, this guy made me feel similar to how I feel about driving. What the hell was he waiting for? I'm right here…and you're right there.

I hope to hell he wasn't waiting for me to seek out him…

Professionals.

"Apprehend them both. Leave no survivors. You have your orders. This guy's paying a lot of money to have the woman taken out, and the guy must be her own beef. Guns, take him out from afar, who knows what the hell he used to grab Frankie from outside, but presume it has a good range and acts like a grappling hook would…

"We've also received word from another one of our…"sponsors" here. A Russian counterpart of our organization sent out a red headed young male, with a small ermine and red eyes, med build, on a mission, and he never submitted his reports, or has come back yet. It is assumed he has bombed his mission, termination with ample compensation suggested. This kid riding with the target fits…the animals' in his pocket."

"So we can mow 'em down in the street? Sweet."

"Enough of the American shit; just get the job done."

Gunfire, blazing glory of gunfire. Professionals, gunfire, shields, Deflexio, no need to chant, lucky as hell I was already shielding the car, paranoid ass as I am! The gunfire bounced off the car's hide, and I spun to look back, seeing something out a typical movie, people, with guns, leaning out of a car, behind us. Shit house, rats, all of them, filthy rats!

Well Negi…haven't you always been an exterminator? That thought in my head, well…of course. Yes, I talk to myself, no I don't care if you think it's healthy, yes, I answer myself too. My hands flew to the belt buckle, and then one beat a quick retreat to one of my gun holsters. Out they came, those faithful Eagle Marks…

I opened the door, and Satsuki looked at me similarly to how anyone would look at a crazy person they were terrified of. A few shots whizzed by my head and beat at the door. Just keep driving, and adopt Asakura's style of doing so for a bit, why don't yah? That's what I told her before swinging up into the hail, landing on the roof.

Hell, this was a movie, really. I just didn't know I was an actor…I want my paycheck; you bastards! Don't I do good enough work for yah?.! One of the dudes shot me right on my hand, or tried too. My other gun moved to block the shot, but another dude tried to bean me between the eyes. Whatever happened to the bad guys having terrible aim?.!

Another shot from the third guy hanging out blasted apart a traffic light control unit, missing me by miles. Looks like I spoke to soon. I aimed and fired at the closest one, but he fired at the same time, and I could practically watch the collision of bullets as they knocked each other away, mine cut through a mail box, his; bounced off the rear windshield.

Satsuki floored it around a corner, making me snap my hand out, bending low, seeking for a grip along the hood of the vehicle, the doors…damn, I regret telling her to try driving like Asakura. She probably had never seen the girl drive, but she had a brain enough to get my point…more shots, over my head now.

Really, what was this? If not a movie, than a video game, one second I'm have a peaceful meal, the next I'm on top of a screeching car, rushing through the streets of France while being pursued by some mad gun totting assassins, ones who have little to no common sense for shooting in public, forget the fact that's it late at night when most are home!

I aim again and fire, this time I'm trying for one of their gun hands, but the dude swerves, and I miss, hitting the road. I try again, but Satsuki is the one turning now, I hit a lamppost in a brief shower of sparks. One more time Negi, come on…I shoot and hit their windshield, drivers' side.

Didn't mean to do that one, but hey, I just love to hear my enemy cuss up a storm and swerve a bit as he tries to see. I get back up to my knees and aim with one hand, firing off three more shots into the windshield before I have to grab on again, return fire whizzing over my head, one actually banging against the car's hood, centimeters from my head.

Shit. One of them has some mean aim, and I can't dare use magic right now, more than a weak; invisible shield for the car. Glancing up again at a swerve of wheels, I hear a laugh and then an ominous click. Holy…fucking...crap…IS THAT A ROCKET LAUNCHER? THE FU-

"Au revior!"

"Ah, shiiiiiit."

Shit, shit, shit! Both guns fly forwards as I brace against the car, and we both fire at once, him one blast, me a whole slew of bullets, one after the other after the other, I must have half emptied both clips on that thing…it exploded between us, and I saw him duck back in, as buddy of his peeped back out with his own gun.

Ahh, I see, there are five of them in there! So he doesn't have terrible aim, he's bending over his buddy while he sets up for another shot….Oh hell, she's swerving again, and I can't find a place to grab hold of…gonna have to brace and take it…the squealing of the tires is so loud I could swear it would wake up the whole damn city…one of the guys peeps back out, this time with a different gun…a Bazook- you have got to be kidding me. Again, I find myself firing like mad, getting back up on one knee to mutilate their windshield until it finally bursts apart; making the car swerve around. I aim for the wheels, but he's swerving too much now, he catches my drift as I try to shoot at his hood.

The tell tale click makes me grit my teeth. I need to reload! Ducking down again to avoid the newest slew of fire, I hear one of them yell, while another cackles like mad.

"Give it up kid! You're outta juice, and we can go on for all day here! Stop the car and I promise we'll kill you quickly!"

Like hell you're going be the one killing me. The chances of that happening are worse than a feather's in Betelgeuse. I reach into my coat pockets and pull out another round, these rounds are special…experimental, but special. Explosive slugs. Well, what better way to see if they work right? I get back up on my knee and aim carefully as the other guy raises his Bazooka…I fire first, and my shot aims true, right into the barrel of his gun while he's shooting. The thing blows up in his face, making him scream, clutching his hands. No pauses, I pump him with two shots into the chest, lucky for him, there's no fire to make an explosion like that gun had.

"Shit! He's still packing!"

'LIKE HELL I'M STILL PACKING!"

I aim again and have to break off for another turn. When I look up again, the next guy is out again with his Rocket Launcher that defies all the laws of common sense. He laughs like the utter bone head he is, spewing out a line that only serves in making me almost shoot his hand off.

"Thou shalt not…uhh, well…live!"

Yes, I said bonehead. You have a problem with that? Would you prefer butthead? Yep, he was a butthead too, for the record…that's one grotesque looking head, come to think about it…ugh, that one will give me nightmares for the next week or so…I yelled back to him, although with none of the previous volume I had just used, just as he shot and I aimed.

"I got a better quote for you…You…just entered a whole new world…WELCOME TO HELL!"

(Besides the quote here I would like if no one quoted my entire story for their own credit. Thanks!- CFW)

Two shots seemed like one, from both guns, all heading the same place, and they caused that rocket to light up the street, night was day again, way too early for work again. I shot off again, aiming for him, but he had already ducked back inside, and I caught his buddy instead with three shots to the face, making him go limp, and another curse was issued from the driver.

I began actively aiming for him now, but he kept. Fucking. Swerving!

"This kid is serious!"

Duh. If you didn't get that already, you must be slower than a dead drunk slug in the desert. I finally got him, straight between the eyes, but I was finding that blood wasn't all that satisfying anymore, splattering all over the place like that. I felt it was a waste…aww hell, here comes rocket boy again! Another dude took over for the driver while I fought off another missile attempt. This time, I did catch mister rocket boy in the ass…well no, obviously not there, but I shot his fu-clean Negi, clean! Fine, I shot his damn thumb off.

He still managed to keep a hold of the thing with his other hand's help though, howling all the way as he ducked back in... I took aim at the new driver, but he picked up speed, more than I thought they had, seems like this on was a better driver as they pulled up to the side of us.

That was fine by me! I shot like hell at mister driver boy, lighting him up like a Christmas tree…eww, gory. The car swerved as a second body joined it's front. Rocket boy aimed at me, and I aimed at him. He fired, and I…clicked.

Damnit! Not again! I had only made a limited number of those things…they weren't full cartridges! I almost flipped on the car itself, wheeling away from the shot in a half handstand, half cartwheel and part something else, watching the shot pulverize a local mail collector and fire hydrant, kicking up torrents of water and mayhem.

He ducked again, but this time he was right there….right…there! I jumped bit forwards, kicking out, but damn, my legs weren't that long! Screw still being too short! Fourteen going o fifteen ain't old enough for this shit, really. I slipped my hands for another charge, I had to have one…come on…yes! No. That's my fucking cell phone. Shit, shit…ooooh, what's this? Why, don't tell me it's a charge…with a fifth of the juice left. Alright, good enough! In you go, both of you! I aim and when my friend pops up again, I jump as far as my hands will allow, my feet hitting the side of Satsuki's car, and my gun very close to the guy's face.

"Au revior my ass. Try this one on for size! Hasta La Vista, Baby!"

Two bullets to the brain and one to the chest, that'll shut him up for good…A gunshot just grazes by my hair and bounces off the car door, dangerously close to my fingers. Ohh, I forgot about you! Mister driver, you've got one hand on the wheel and one on your gun, going high speed and loving it! He shoots again and I push myself off the car, landing on the passenger side of the hood, where I fire off three rounds; one at his wheel, one missing him and the other bouncing off his hood.

66% failure Negi, not an option. Too bad. I put away my right side gun…I don't need it anymore. My left, with five bullets, is all I need. I laugh as the other aims his gun, ducking under the well placed shot.

"You know something, man? I'll tell you something. You think I'm out right? I'm not. I still got my left hand."

"Left hands suck."

He fired again, but Negi smiled, using his gun to deflect again. He held it up as the man tried to keep speed, attempting but not succeeding; to ram Satsuki into a corner. His voice carried, for in the next moment, his bullet became enhanced with magic, quiet, deadly magic as he took final aim.

"Oh, they do, do they? I'll tell yah something my friend. You think I'm a good shot? Well…I'm. Not. Right. Handed."

He tried to swerve again, but too late, Negi shot him once, right in the temple, and twice, in between the ribs, an arrow to the heart.

Negi fired three bullets into the hood, one right after the other, two bounced off, the final broke through to hit the engine, exploding on contact with magic he could finally allow himself to use, no more alive eyes to see. Satsuki pulled up ahead, but the other car crashed and burned…now that was a sight she was not going to soon forget…

…

"Now that was fun. Yet, it seems that every time I get involved with a student's life, they either don't need me or allow me to see only the crazy violent part. Hell, I'm a walking super hero, sooner or later; I'll have an action figure, the way this is going."

"You already do."

"Ehh? Wait, nah, you must mean my father, yeah, he's got action figures of him…"

"No, you do too. I saw one on sale, they are a huge hit on Mars, although no one will tell the general public exactly why you are so popular…but I suppose if they have seen anything of what I have during the festival…they aren't too far off from wrong."

Negi, extremely put off by the fact you could now buy him at just about any toy store, sighed.

"Damn. At least let it bee and ultra rare then or something! Damn! Ahh well. It was fun while I lasted, but I've a job to do Satsuki. Get yourself a bodyguard and stay at your job, cook food, the world needs that little joy, I'm sure you know."

"You are forgetting your own share of that small favor then."

"I am, aren't I?"

+-E-+

I wanted more here, but I was taking too long, so no. Okay, so a bit abrupt, don't yah think, and a bit slow, again. Still, Negi knows now where he's gotta go…or does he? Am I really going to make it that easy for him? Is it ever easy? Maybe being easy this time will throw him off? Who knows…I'm not even sure I do. Now…I've got to run, the library closes in thirteen minutes, the doors close eight minutes before then, and guess where I am! In it! I'll get locked in! On a Saturday!

(Now that I'm home, I can be a bit more calm. Would have submitted then, but I didn't have internet on that computer, and the time it would have taken to submit this...I have to edit the chapters first and all...I wouldn't have made it. Yeah, it's possible to get locked in the library...So, how did you like the first person binge? I was trying to exercise a muscle rarely used.)

Finalage out!