(Welcome back to the final installment of the Kyoto arc readers. Hope you all enjoy it and what else will follow it.)
After the events of what happened last night, Haruna, Asuna, Nodoka, and Sayo were restored and the boys were thanked by Eishun for protecting his daughter and a celebration was held while the girls who were petrified said nothing not remembering what exactly happened last night much to everyone's relief.
That early morning Setsuna stood before Evangeline and Chachamaru outside the Shrine in the courtyard.
"Well Chachazero should have captured Chigusa by now," Eva informed the girl, "So what are you going to do once this is all over?" she asked Setsuna.
"Once we make sure that Chigusa has been captured I will take my leave." she replied in sad tone.
"Leaving already? You should say goodbye to them at least." Eva advised her.
"It would only be painful to see them face-to-face again." Setsuna replied, looking like she was holding back tears.
Eva looked as if listening to something through her mind and spoke, "That was her now, she caught her."
"Then I will take my leave," Setsuna said turning and prepared to leave only for Zyphon, Negi, and Dustin to drop in before her startling the sword wielding girl, "Negi-sensei, Dustin?"
"And just where do you think you're going?" Dustin crossed his arms.
"You're not really thinking about leaving are you?" Negi asked with tears.
"I-It's the law of my people..." Setsuna's voice cracked as she spoke, "I don't have a choice, now that you've seen my true form, I have to..."
"Have to what?" Dustin asked in outrage, "Leave? That's just nothing more than you running away from your problems."
"W-What?" she asked him uncertainly.
"You're afraid of what people think about you, like they look at you and label you as some sort of freak just because your different...I didn't think you would be the kind of coward that would just up and abandon her friends like this..." he growled as he gave her a cold glare.
"My debt to the Konoe family is fulfilled!" Setsuna shouted at him.
"So that's what all this was about from the beginning was it? You were only obligated to protect Konoka just to settle a debt?" Dustin retorted.
"No, of course not! I protected her because I couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt." Setsuna responded quickly, shocked by her teacher's words.
"Yet here you are leaving, not even saying goodbye to any of them...do you really think that wouldn't hurt any of them, especially Konoka?" he questioned her.
"I-I-" she tried to say, but was unable to form the words.
"Maybe it's about your wings, you think they might abandon you because of them," he said, his voice turning more sympathetic, "You think that if they all knew, they would hate you for it and you can't stand the thought of that..."
"My people abandoned me because of them and now that my friends know, they'll leave me too! How can you say they won't when you have no idea what I've been through!" Setsuna screamed at him, tears threatening to fall.
Dustin growled and he flew at her tackling her into a tree glaring at her with sadness and rage, "Don't ever say that to me…"
"Dustin?" Setsuna gasped in shock at his sudden change in behavior.
"You think you're the only one who's had it rough? You may have lived longer than me and have more experience but that doesn't mean you're the only one whose had problems! Hell you think having wings is bad, woman that's like a blessing. Having something like this is bad!" he ripped opened his shirt shocking Setsuna, Eva, and Chachamaru and ripped the patch off his chest exposing his core.
"Dustin?" Setsuna gasped while Eva and Chachamaru were intrigued.
"Yeah that's right, years ago at Harvard I was in a lab accident and I was on the brink of death," Dustin began, "So the doctors took this core and used it as a replacement for my heart. Several students would look at me afterwards like I was some kind of freak who had machinery inside him, several know of my new heart, Elroy, Jethro, Jade, Negi, Kaede, Mana, and Zazie, and now you know as well. Does this make you think any different of me?"
Setsuna spoke, "No, it doesn't."
"Then the same goes for you," Dustin continued, "After all everyone else saw your wings last night and did they run or pass judgment on you the moment they noticed? I don't think so? And what did Konoka say about them?"
"She said they were beautiful...just like an angel..." she told him, and quickly showed surprise as the boy wrapped his arms around her in a hug, holding her close.
"See, what did I tell you," he asked kindly while she began to cry softly onyo the boys shoulder, "We are all people who accept you for who you are, so don't you ever forget that." Setsuna nodded silently as she continued to cry on his shoulder. When she was done, he loosened his hold and stepped back a little.
Setsuna looked at Dustin who gave her a smile prompting her to return a smile to him and spoke, "Thank you, Dustin-kun."
"Anytime." Dustin said putting his shirt back on.
Negi wiped a tear from his eye, "Alls well that ends well."
"Agreed Master Negi." Zyphon replied.
A few hours later, Eishun was waiting just outside the entrance to Nagi's holiday home, waiting for Negi and his friends to arrive. He took out a cigarette and smoked it. He was unfortunately unable to finish his cigarette before Konoka took it from his hand and put it out. Eishun noticed the group that was with them included Negi, Dustin, Zyphon, Mana, Kaede, Kasuga, Rin, Yuna, Ku, Chao, Makie, Asuna, Konoka, Setsuna, Yue, Haruna, Nodoka, Evangeline, Chachamaru, Sayo, and Kazumi
"Hello everyone, I hope you all rested well." he greeted them.
"Yes Leader-san." Negi responded enthusiastically.
"Good, please follow me, the house is just this way," he explained, and the group followed him as he led the way through the forests.
"So where are we going again?" Asuna asked.
"It's where Negi-sensei's father used to live or something?" Yue asked as she sipped her juice box.
"Wow that must be cool." Yuna said.
"I can't wait!" Makie cheered.
Eishun whispered to Eva, "We've resealed Sukuna by the way."
"Good work agent Konoe sorry to have left you the mopping up." Eva replied.
"Leader-san what about Kotaro?" Negi asked.
"It shouldn't go too badly since he wasn't directly involved in wanting to unleash the demon, but he will still have to face the charges. As far as Chigusa goes, juts leave her to us." He explained.
"What about Alistair what happened to him?" Dustin asked.
"Don't worry I got guards hot on his trail as we speak at least once they found where he landed after you blasted him with the Spirit Force." Eishun said while Dustin chuckled sheepishly.
Meanwhile far on the other side of Kyoto in a forest laid a crater sized hole with footprints leading from it. Zooming further ahead was Alistair beaten and rugged from his landing and taking the Spirit Force full blast. He was running from the guard Eishun sent to collect him.
"Damn that Dustin and his Spirit Force! How can he have more power than me?" he asked while picking up the pace seeing the guards were gaining, "Oh snap!" he ran coming to a dead end, "Double snap! And I don't have enough energy back to fly." He looked thinking this is the end until…
"Pst!"
Alistair looked seeing a shadow portal and an arm was reaching out wanting him to take it, "Hurry get in!"
Alistair looked conflicted as he looked at both options, "Mob? Stranger? Mob? Stranger? Mob… Stranger!" he jumped taking the strangers hand and was pulled into the portal before it vanished.
The guards arrived and looked around, "Where'd he go?"
Meanwhile Alistair fell out of the portal landing in a dark lair, "Whoa where am I?" he dusted himself off.
"You're lucky I was in the neighborhood, otherwise you would've been toast." The voice said and stepping out of the shadows was the Shadow Master.
"You…" Alistair gasped, "You're the one they're all talking about, the Shadow Master."
"By title and reputation, Alistair Savage."
"How do you know my name?" Alistair gasped.
"I've keeping watch over you for sometime," he began, "It seems your partnership with Chigusa was a failure."
"I was only in it so I can prove my strength to others." Alistair replied like it didn't matter.
"Is that all? Because it didn't really work did it?"
Alistair frowned, "What do you care?"
The villain knelt down a bit to the young dark warrior, "I care enough to know you aren't living up to your own expectations."
"What?"
"You have potential and skill but you do not use them to their fullest and if you do not learn how you will never be a true dark warrior."
"Is this why you brought me here, to mock my progress?" Alistair asked getting irritated.
"The opposite actually, for I wish to train you make you see what you could really do as a dark warrior." The Shadow Master tempted him.
"I see, I'm listening." Alistair said as the two began walking.
"For example why did you not summon the shadow soldiers to aid you in your fights?"
"Because that would only be cowards play, I do not need them to fight my battles for me." Alistair explained.
"Is it that alone? Or could it be perhaps you lack the hate and rage to summon them and control them?" the master snickered while Alistair looked away.
"Maybe." He admitted it regretfully.
"Well not to worry Alistair I will fill you up with enough rage and hate allowing you to control them. All you have to do is join me."
"Then I can get stronger?" Alistair asked hopefully.
"Who knows, it all depends on you."
Alistair looked back on his fight with Dustin and while he wasn't exactly tossed around like a sock he still wouldn't be able to match him now that he knew Dustin could use Spirit Force.
"Alright then, I'll join you."
"Fantastic, now come with me, there's some others you have to meet."
"Others?" Alistair asked as they came to another room where four cloaked figures were sitting at a round table.
"Allow me to introduce you to your new 'family' Alistair." Shadow Master began as the four stood up as the one on the far left removed his hood.
"Voltaire." Shadow Master introduced the one known as Voltaire who was an adult dark warrior who had red hair that was styled to look like fire. Voltaire smiled sinisterly.
"Blood Thorn." The second one's hood fell down revealing a woman who had the same dark warrior skin color, ears, and eyes. While she had short raven black hair, lips in the shade of blood red, and green rose thorns on her neck and vines coiling around her legs. The woman smirked.
"Felix Fox." The third opened his hood revealing a teenage dark warrior with fox styled ears and whiskers, orange reddish hair, long nails, and sharp incisors. The dark warrior Yoko smiled like a fox.
"And Pythor." The final one revealed himself to be a dark warrior snake creature, with serpent fangs, and instead of legs he had a long tail like a snake.
Alistair looked at the four dark warriors identifying what they were starting with Voltaire, "A fire manipulator," he looked at Blood Thorn, "A plant controller," he looked at Felix Fox, "A Yoko," and finally Pythor, "A snake man."
"Yes, these four are my closest followers. And together the six of us will bring an end to all spirit warriors and prove that our kind was meant to be dominant!" the master ranted as the other four nodded in approval.
"I am at your command Shadow Master." Alistair bowed his head.
"Now-now let's dispense with the formalities," he removed his hood revealing he was a teenager who had pale skin, red eyes, and black spiked hair (Sora's style from Kingdom Hearts), "Call me Ragnarok."
"Ragnarok." Alistair repeated as he smirked feeling he'll get along with these folk just fine.
Back in Kyoto everyone arrived at Nagi's place which was more like an observatory. The place was very tall. It was three stories tall, with one wall that was completely lined up from top to bottom with books. On the ground floor there was only a single desk, a couch, and a table.
"Wow so my father actually lived here?" Negi looked around.
"Yup we've kept it in perfect shape just as he left it." Eishun added.
"So many books." Nodoka gasped as she and the library group started checking some out while the other girls continued exploring.
Some time had passed before Eishun found Negi on one of the upper levels, looking through some of his father's books when he approached the ten-year old. "How's it going Negi-kun?"
"It's great! There are a lot of things I want to look over...but I don't have the time, this was only a school trip after all." Negi replied, happy at first but a little disappointed at the end.
Eishun laughed, "Don't worry Negi-kun, you can come back whenever you like. You'll have your own key since you do technically own the place." he told him.
"Thank you," Negi smiled, then suddenly turned more serious, "Um...Leader-san, about my father. What can you tell me about him?" he asked.
Eishun paused for a moment before answering, "I suppose I should, and so should Dustin-kun too. Konoka, Setsuna-kun, can you both come up here for a moment...and you too Kaede and Mana, there are things you should hear as well." he called to the girls down below.
Soon enough Negi and Dustin gathered their partners leaving Asuna, Haruna, and Nodoka to continue exploring while Yue eavesdropped on the group and listened in from outside a room. Inside Eishun was showing them a picture of a group of others.
"This is a picture from twenty years ago," Eishun showed them, "I'm the one wearing black, Dustin-kun there's your mother and father as teenagers, and Negi-kun that's your dad at age fifteen in the center."
"Let me see!" Yuna looked at the picture and blushed at Dustin's parents with Bianca hanging off Roswell like a spirited teenage couple, "Wow Dustin-kun your parents look so young and happy."
"Ooh that big one in the back looks strong!" Ku noticed a dark skin muscle bound man behind the group.
"You have no idea." Eishun muttered to himself.
Eishun went on with his story, "I was still a young man during the war; I fought alongside Nagi and Roswell as one of their comrades and when peace returned twenty years ago, Nagi had become known for his heroic deeds. They called him the Thousand Master," he explained, "Amagasaki Chigusa's parents died during the war, that's why she still bears a grudge against western Mages and explains why she did what she did."
"That sounds possible, she was probably out for her own kind of revenge." Dustin started seeing it.
"We were all the best of friends, but ten years ago Nagi vanished. Where he was, what he was doing, nobody knows. The official records even state his death was in 1993," Eishun told them, "I'm sorry Negi-kun, but that's all I know."
"We couldn't find any clues after all. It's a real shame, right Aniki," Chamo commented to the ten year-old mage who was looking around the house from the balcony.
"That's not true, Chamo-kun. I can feel something just from seeing father's room." he said, smiling lightly.
"Oh that's right, I just remembered," Eishun said suddenly, reaching into his pocket and pulled out a two small pictures, then handed it to the boys, "I wanted to give these to you boys, it isn't much but I figured you two should have these."
The boys looked seeing they were two more copies of the picture Eishun had of his group, "Thank you leader-san."
"Yeah this means a lot." Dustin added while smiling at his young parents.
"Hey everybody! Have you finished your complicated conversation," Asakura yelled as she suddenly entered the room, "I'm going to be taking a memorial photo, so come downstairs!"
"A memorial photo?" Eva asked.
"Yeah, I forgot all about it, I've already taken one for all the others." She explained.
"Hmm, I'm gonna need to see those." Dustin said knowing when she gets pictures she gets real good ones.
"I think I'll pass." Eva told her.
Rin pushed her into the shot, "Come on Eva don't be a spoiled sport."
"Ok-ok, just don't push!" Eva called as Kazumi set up her camera on a stand and set the timer. She ran to join everyone else as they all posed as the camera took the picture.
That night being their last day in Kyoto all of class 3A was gathered in one room with Dustin, Negi, and Zyphon.
"Evening class as you all know this is our last night in Kyoto and we'd though we'd go out with a bang by giving you a little treat." Dustin began as the girls cheered while Ayaka called.
"Girls, quiet you wanna get in trouble by Nitta-sensei again?"
"There's no need to worry Iincho we've got it taken care of with him." Negi explained who hadn't told her he and Evangeline put a sound proof magic tag on the door to keep all loud noise inside and unheard from outside.
"Now then let this celebration begin! Uno Dos Quatros, hit it!" Dustin called as Zyphon started playing some tango music with disco light flashing around as Dustin and Negi appeared in the center as spotlights shined on them.
"Negi and Dustin yall." Dustin began as the music played and the two started singing and dancing. The girls started clapping along enjoying the music and their senseis singing. As the girls were cheering and applauding Eva went so far as to tap her foot to the rhythm along with Chachamaru who was singing sfotly to herself. Mana and Setsuna who were off to the side smiled.
Negi and Dustin invited Kaede and Mana to join them in dancing. Konoka was acting excited while Setsuna smiled seeing her happy.
"Bring it down!" Dustin called as he tangoed with Mana and Negi did the same with Kaede.
The boys struck a pose as the music ended and the girls applauded on their performance. While outside Nitta was walking by looking at 3A's room not hearing a thing due to the seal and walked off on patrol.
The next morning started out like any usual day, the girls all talking excitedly as they finished packing and they set off for the train station. Shizuna went through the procedure to explain to the girls what would happen when they got back to Mahora and after another accident and a few words with Negi, they were boarding the train. A few minutes later the train began its journey back to Mahora with Zyphon flying overhead, and one by one the girls began to fall asleep. Soon Negi was asleep, slumped on Kaede's shoulder and suffocating Chamo, while Dustin was also asleep slumped on Mana's shoulder with Domino perching on his shoulder asleep when Shizuna and Nitta entered the compartment to check up on them.
"3A the liveliest class at school quiet at last." Nitta said as they noticed Negi and Dustin.
"Look at them sleeping like little angels," Shizuna noted and spotted the child teachers with their tallest students, "Cute couple aren't they?"
"Really Shizuna, they're more like brothers and sisters." Nitta said while Shizuna giggled.
Back at Eishun's place he brought out some tea to another room, "So you decided not to see him?" he asked as another was sitting at the table wearing a cloak with his hood up.
"It's not time yet." The stranger replied.
"And when will it be right?" Eishun asked while setting the tray of tea down.
"Negi must continue to get stronger for the dangers that will lie ahead for him and Dustin."
"But don't you think seeing you would encourage him to get stronger?"
"The whole reason for Negi wanting to get stronger is so he can one day meet me again, take that away now and he'll only get distracted." The stranger took his cup.
"You may have a point," Eishun said as he sipped his tea, "He may look like you but he gets his personality from…"
"I know, and when the time comes he'll know to. Until then I'll have to remain watching over Negi from afar until he and Dustin are ready." The stranger sipped his tea.
"Even though you barely had time to be with your kids you're still watching over him… Nagi." The stranger lifted his head up revealing under the hood was the face of Nagi Springfield.
(And that's the chapter that brings the Kyoto arc to a close. Negi and Dustin leave with new partners and new experiences while Alistair's found a new crowd. Now that I've completed this arc I'm straying away from such plot paths such as Mahora Fest and the Magical World and going by my own adventures and arcs that'll be loads of laughs and fun. See you all next time.)