(Welcome to my next chapter readers. Hope you all enjoy it and have a Happy Independence Day.)
One morning at Eva's cottage, Rin woke up and heard Fate knocking on the door, "Come in."
Fate entered, "Rise and shine Princess." He greeted her.
"Ok I'm up." She answered.
"Come on you don't want to be late for class." He reminded her.
Rin stretched as she looked through her drawers and saw a brown bag, "Dang it! I'm almost out of size pills for Toothless. Well I know what I'm doing after class"
"Well hurry and get ready." Fate ordered.
Rin smirked and looked back at him, "You going to stand there and watch me?" she teased.
Fate partially blushed but kept his composure as always, "Absolutely not." he left the room.
Rin giggled but stopped when she saw the date, "Oh. I almost forgot," She said looking down. Soon she got dressed and was walking for class, 'Today's the day my mom passed away,' she suddenly smiled, 'I shouldn't be thinking about it so negatively. My mom would be proud to see me where I am today.
She suddenly saw something as she passed by a patch of lovely red and yellow patterned flowers, "Wow, beautiful. If I can find out what they are I can figure out what potion to use them with." She said collecting a few samples and left unaware of some snickering in the ground.
A voice spoke softly, "Stab!" Suddenly the plant pricked Rin's arm a little.
"Ow!" Rin cried as she clutched her arm seeing the prick, "One of these plants must have little thorns," She suddenly heard the bell ring and she ran for class.
Coming out of the ground was Thorn as Diabound appeared at her side, "I hope the potion you mixed in with my plants will work, Diabound." The plant dark warrior warned him.
Diabound answered, "Trust me, Thorn. It will work."
Meanwhile in class, Rin and all the other girls were at their seats as the boys and Zyphon entered the room, "Good morning Negi-sensei and Dustin-sensei!" they greeted them before taking their seats.
Rin looked at her arm seeing the prick, "I should probably have Ako look at this later, just in case." She said to herself.
As class started and went on Rin paid attention until she started feeling a little woozy and saw the writing on the board was starting to look jumbled. She blinked a little and thought to herself, 'I think I'm getting a little delirious.' She looked around and saw everyone in class looked like they were warping and she could hardly make out their voices. Suddenly she fell out of her chair passing out taking everyone by surprise.
"Rin!" some of the girls cried making the boys gasped.
"What happened?" Dustin asked.
Ako held her up, "I'll take her to the nurses office."
"You do that, Ako." Negi excused her.
Eva looked at Rin as Ako carried her off and saw the prick on her arm, 'Where did she get that?' she thought.
So Ako brought Rin to the nurse's office and was placed on a bed with Shizuna and Ako inspecting her. As Rin breathed hard Shizuna asked, "What's wrong with her?" Shizuna asked.
"I don't know. She just all of a sudden passed out during class." Ako explained.
Rin opened her eyes a little she tried to talk but nothing came out, "Take it easy, Rin." Shizuna said.
"Shizuna-sensei, look at her arm." Ako noticed.
Shizuna looked and saw the prick on it only it was looking darker, "Oh my. Stay here while I try and get something for her arm." she left the room.
"I wonder." Ako began as she activated her pactio and started using her healing magic making Rin cringe. Her eyes started shifting to the blue color that happened when she helped fight Herrman weeks ago.
"This pain in my arm!" Rin cried as her magic was going haywire, "I can't take it!" her magic waves was causing the bulbs in the room to break sending glass on the ground, "Whoa!" Ako took cover to avoid the falling pieces of bulb.
Ako took her pactio card and held it to her forehead, "Negi-kun, Negi-kun can you hear me?"
Meanwhile, back in class Negi saw one of his cards glowing from inside his pocket knew something was up, "Um, Dustin take over while I use the washroom."
"Uh, ok." Dustin agreed.
Negi stepped outside and saw it was Ako's card. He held it to his own forehead, "Ako, what is it?"
"Negi-kun, there's something going on with Rin. Get to the Nurses office!"
"I'm on my way!" he ran down the hall and went inside seeing the bulbs glass on the floor.
"Rin's magic is getting out of control." Ako explained as Rin was spazzing around on the bed.
"Maybe I can try and calm her," he summoned his staff and concentrated his magic forming a barrier around her as she calmed down, "Rin, are you ok?"
"My head." She groaned.
"What happened to you?" Ako asked.
"I don't know the pain it hurts..."
"Any idea what could've caused this?" Negi asked.
Rin thought back and suddenly realized, "The plant… Negi in my bag...there's a plant its in the classroom."
"A plant?" Negi asked as Rin nodded feeling ready to pass out again, "Ako keep an eye on her, I'll get this plant."
"Ok," she said as Negi left the office and looked at Rin, 'That prick. Could it have been from the plant? But the plants around here aren't poison."
Unaware to her was Diabound watching from the shadows, "Yes, it's all working well," he looked at Rin, "Soon you will be right for the plucking."
Meanwhile back in class, Dustin who was carrying on the lessons without Negi started feeling something, 'Dark essence in the building.' he thought until Negi rushed in.
"Pardon me girls, but there is something of Rin's she needs." he took her bag and rushed right out.
Dustin feeling something was up turned to his robot, "Zyphon, take over for me."
"Again?" Zyphon asked with a sigh as Dustin rushed out with Domino following Negi.
"Something up, Negi?"
"There's a plant in here that Rin needs. It may be the cause of her fainting in class." Negi explained as Chamo popped out of the jacket.
"What kind of plant around here could cause fainting spells?" the ermine asked.
Negi pulled out the one plant as Dustin looked at it, "Never seen anything like that before, around here or my life," Just then the flower opened up revealing it had teeth, "AHH!" Dustin cried as he dropped it.
Negi spoke as the plant gained legs made from its roots and started to crawl through the halls, "What is that thing?!"
"I don't know but we can't have it running through the halls!" Dustin called.
"After it!" Domino cawed as the boys ran after it.
Back in the nurse's office, Rin's eyes opened seeing Ako next to her resting her eyes, "Ako," she smiled at her friend and sat up but held onto her pricked arm, "What's happening to me…" she asked before freezing up as Diabound's voice.
"You picked my trap."
She looked lover and saw a shadow portal with Diabound stepping out of it, "Ako! Ako wake up!" she shook her friend.
The nurse girl woke up startled, "What? What is it?"
"So nice of you to join us." Diabound smirked.
"Diabound!" she gasped.
"You two will be my first victims." He explained.
"What've you done to me?" Rin demanded
"Simple you picked a plant coated with my own special mixture." He answered and touched her arm, "You should always know even the prettiest of things can be lethal."
Ako scowled and grabbed her card, "Well my power can be lethal too. Ade..." she was cut off as Diabound swatted her card out of her hand and it slid under a table."
"Let's not let cards spoil the moment." He said.
"Tell me now Diabound, what is this mixture?!" Rin demanded.
"It's just a little magic poison that distorts the mind and disrupts magic in the victim." He explained and whispered into her ear, "By sunset you'll lose everything."
"What?" she gasped.
"Enjoy your day while it lasts." He vanished.
Ako asked, "What does he mean by sunset you'll lose everything?"
"I'm not sure…" Rin wondered until the door opened and the plant came inside, "Stop that plant!" Negi cried as the plant was about to attack Ako.
"Freeze!" Rin called casting a small ice spell as the ice froze the plant in place.
"That thing's a monster!" Dustin called.
Rin breathed hard from using her magic in her weakened state, "Take it easy Rin." Ako said calming her.
"What's going on here?" Negi asked.
Ako answered, "Diabound he set some magic poison in that plant that infected Rin."
"I should've known." Negi scowled.
"He also said by the end of the day she'd lose everything." Ako added.
"Lose everything? What's that supposed to mean?" Dustin asked as Domino looked equally confused.
"I don't know, but I have to get this poison out of me." Rin said.
"Ako didn't you use your healing magic?" Negi asked.
"I tried, but mine's not strong enough." She answered.
"Maybe we should get Konoka as well she is better at healing magic." Dustin suggested.
"Good thinking." Domino cawed approvingly.
"Well remember this is Diabound's magic we're talking about. You think Konoka's can be strong enough to cure it?" The princess asked.
"We have to try. I don't want to lose you over this." Negi replied as Rin nodded while getting depressed.
"This day is just going from bad to worse...I hate this day!" Rin screamed her magic going out of control again.
"Oh snap!" Dustin gasped seeing the place was shaking.
"Rin calm down!" Negi ordered until Rin spoke in a loud echoing voice.
"How can I calm down when I already have so much on my mind?!" her voice shattered the window's glass.
Outside the building, Alistair and Xever saw that, "That's can't be good." Alistair said to his brother.
"Come on!" Xever said as they flew for the building.
"Somebody calm her down before she destroys the school!" Chamo cried.
"I'm trying all I can." Negi answered.
Ako finally got her card back form under the table, "Sorry Rin…" she said activating her card and sedated Rin. Rin froze before moaning and fell asleep causing her magic to die down.
"Oh what a relief," Dustin sighed until he saw the window, "That's not coming out of our paychecks."
Suddenly the dark warrior siblings flew into the room, "What happened here?" Xever asked.
"Xever, Alsitair?" Ako asked.
"Alistair don't you have class?" Dustin asked but Xever answered.
"Class got out early. Apparently there was food poisoning in their cafeteria. The students tried some of the long since expired meat."
"Good thing I pack my own lunch." Alistair added until he saw the frozen plant, "OMG is that what I think it is?"
"That depends what do you think it is?" Dustin asked.
"Diabound's poison piranha plant." He answered.
"You know about this?" Xever asked.
"I once saw him and Thorn working on it awhile back while I was still with Ragnarok. I guess they finally perfected it."
"So how do we cure Rin of it?" Dustin asked.
"Well from what knowledge I've gained from listening in on their conversations. It requires an herbal remedy with ingredients not really native to this land."
"Well what land?" Chamo asked.
"Wales England." He answered.
"The ingredients are found back home?" Negi gasped.
"Unfortunately." The dark warrior answered.
"Great, how're we gonna get to Wales and back to make a cure fast enough before the day is done?" Dustin asked sarcastically.
"It won't be easy." Eva's voice rang.
They all jumped seeing Evangeline standing in the door way, "Eva?" Ako gasped
"How long have you been there?" Negi asked.
"Long enough. I knew something was off about Rin when I saw the prick in her arm." She watched Rin sleep.
"Eva stay with Rin, the rest of us need to get back to class. Xever you and Alistair see if you can find us a way to get those remedies from Wales." Negi ordered.
They nodded and went their separate ways leaving Eva with Rin. The vampire looked at the girls sleeping form, "Don't worry we're going to help you. If not, Lucas wouldn't forgive us."
Meanwhile in Rin's mind, she was floating in a void looking passed out before waking up, "Hello?" she looked around the empty void, "What am I going to do now?"
She looked up and saw a bright light shining over herm "Who?" she asked as she suddenly found herself standing on solid ground and the empty void turned from white to a golden scenery.
"Don't be afraid." A voice said.
Rin looked over and saw someone walking from the shadows up to her. Rin squinted her eyes as the woman came into view. She gasped as the woman stood before her. The woman had long bleach blond hair, and magenta eyes. She was wearing a white dress with a diadem on her head.
"Wait a minute, mom?"
The woman smiled, "Rin, my baby."
Rin ran to her and embraced her mother, "Mama!"
The woman held the girl close and spoke, "Rin, we have so much to catch up on."
"I don't understand. How're you here?" Rin asked with a mix of shock and joy.
"A friend I made in the afterlife told me that one can communicate better with others from the afterlife when someone's asleep." The former queen explained.
"Oh mom I'm in an awful pickle and I just don't know what to do." Rin cried.
"I understand of your situation, but you must remain calm." She comforted her child.
"I know I've just been having trouble this day it brings back too many memories." She replied.
"I know how heartbroken you are about what happened to me, but sweetie you know mommy's always watching you and so far I've been so proud of you. You've made so many friends over the years," She patted her hair, "Even though you've had some tough times you've pulled through them. Just as I've always done."
"I just thought what you would do." Rin answered with a smile.
"Rin, you cannot be me. Nor does anyone expect you to be like me. You are who you are." Her mother explained.
"But I want to be like you mom. Everyone in the kingdom loved you so much I wanted to be a queen as great and loved as you and not only that you were amazing with potions... Wait a minute. Mom what do you know about a potion that poisons ones magic and makes them unstable?"
"I know of this potion," her mother answered, "It should be in my potion book along with the antidote."
"I have that book, but look where I am. I feel too weak to wake up." Rin explained.
"Then allow me to share with you my strength." Her mom said as she took her daughter's hands.
"Wait mom can I just say something...I miss you..." Rin smiled with some tears in her eyes.
She smiled, "I miss you too." Suddenly both glowed with an aura and suddenly Rin woke up in the bed.
"Finally awake I see." Eva said as she was kicking back on a chair.
"Eva, what happened?"
"Ako sedated you to keep you from losing it. Negi and Dustin went back to class while Xever and Alistair are trying to find a way to Wales to collect the remedy ingredients to help cure you of the poison."
"Alistair knows? Of course he spent time with Diabound and Ragnarok," She realized, "Though they still need one thing."
"What's that?" Eva asked.
"Someone who knows how to brew it."
"And who does?" The vampire asked.
"Me," Rin answered, "Can you get something for me?"
"What is it?"
"I need you to get a book on my dresser."
"What's it called?"
"Potions for Advanced sorceresses." She answered.
"Alright I'll get it, the boys and the girls should be by soon." Eva said as she left.
Rin thought to herself, 'I won't let you get to me this time Diabound.'
Meanwhile, Eva returned to her cottage and grabbed the book. On her way back she spotted the two dark warrior brothers, "Eva, what're you doing?" Alistair asked.
"Rin's awake and this book has the formula for the antidote and how to brew it." She explained.
"That'll be handy." Xever admitted.
"What about you, have you found a way to get the ingredients from Wales?" she asked.
"As a matter of fact we put a call into an old friend of ours there who can get it to us in no time." Alistair explained.
"He's an expert in collecting herbs, and he's the fastest dark warrior you'll know." Xever added.
"We call him Speedtrack." Alistair explained. Suddenly skidding to a halt by them was a dark warrior with short red hair and wore a blue sweat suit.
"Speedtrack with a speedy delivery!" the dark warrior announced.
"Oh thank God you made it." Xever said in relief.
"Got your ingredients right here, Xever." he handed him a box of herbs and Xever paid him.
"You have no idea how grateful we are for this." Alistair said.
"Hey anything for you guys. Well I better get going got a lot more deliveries to make. Catch you later." he took off like a shot. The three then made a dash to the infirmary.
Rin was sitting in the room by herself thinking while seeing her arm getting darker from the poison, 'This poison is really getting to me. I hope they get the stuff here soon so I can brew it.' She started humming to herself to keep calm unaware that her eyes were changing again along with Eva, Xever, and Alistair entering.
The two dark warriors froze feeling Rin's magic had a touch of darkness to it, "Oh no." Xever gasped.
"Darkness is overtaking her magic." Alistair gasped.
"The poison is getting worse." Eva added.
"Am I so wrong to wish that they would see things like I do? And am I so wrong to think that they might love me too? Why shouldn't they adore me? Is it not within my right? I'll not be overshadowed! Mine is not the lesser light! I've waited long enough now for them all to come around and though the Sun may plead and threaten. The Moon will stand her ground!" Rin sang softly to herself as a dark aura was emitting from her.
Alistair looked at the sun seeing it was setting faster than it normally would, "Somehow the magic through her song is causing the sun to set faster."
Xever went to the girl and shook her, "Rin snap out of it!"
Rin looked to him and spoke grabbing his arms roughly, "Do not touch me and do not call me by that weak Serenity name!" she shouting again.
Eva and Alistair were taken aback by her violent outburst, "Something's definitely wrong with her." Alistair said to Eva.
"Nothing is wrong with me!" Rin bellowed.
"The poison is making her act even worse." Eva said.
Rin smirked at Eva and spoke, "Worse is an understatement. I'm badder than ever."
"If she keeps this up it'll be nighttime like that, and she can't brew the potion like this." Xever said.
Eva grabbed Rin's unaffected arm and spoke, "I won't let this happen!" she bit the arm snapping Rin out of it and the sun itself stopped it's faster setting.
"OW! Eva, what the hell?!"
"She's back." Xever sighed in relief.
"Uh, where did I go?" she asked in confusion.
"Beyond the dark, girl." Eva answered only for Rin to tilt her head.
"Good news we got the ingredients." Alistair said holding out the box of supplies.
"Okay Eva you have the book?"
"Right here." she showed it to her.
Rin opened the book and found the formula, "This is it. I'll need something to mix this in."
"How about this?" Xever asked holding out a washpan.
"That will do." She confirmed.
Suddenly the girls, Negi, Dustin, and Zyphon came in, "Rin!" the girls cried.
"Hey guys." She greeted them.
"Are you ok?" Konoka asked in worry.
"A little. Nearly lost myself a bit ago apparently." She answered.
"Thank goodness." Negi sighed in relief.
"You got the stuff?" Dustin asked.
"Yup I'll mix it now but it has to be right other wise I might make the poison worse." She warned them.
So they all watched as she carefully blended the ingredients together as the Narutaki's spoke, "Wow Rin, you're so cool!"
Rin smiled as she placed some petals in and it gave off a rank odor, "Dang that thing smells like old gym socks and gingersnaps!" Alistair said plugging his nose.
"Rank-o-rama!" Dustin plugged his nose.
"The smell will get better I just have to recite the spell to combine..." Rin started holding her forehead.
"Rin, are you alright?" Ayaka asked as she and Chizuru were worried.
"Danger approaching. It's Diabound! He knows I'm brewing the antidote he's trying to keep me from doing it..."
They looked out the window and saw Diabound and Thorn summoning some dark warriors, "You keep brewing it. Alistair, Xever and I will handle them. Negi girls if any of them get past us protect Rin." Dustin ordered.
Negi nodded as the boys jumped out the window landing before their enemies, "So we meet again, Thorn." Alistair said.
"Like I'd stay away for long?" Thorn asked.
"Enough talk, get them!" Diabound ordered as the dark warriors attacked with Dustin and Alistair fighting them, while leaving Xever to take on Thorn and Diabound.
Rin mixed the potion breathing hard as she heard Diabound talking in her mind, 'My dear do you really think you can make this mixture work?'
'I'm not hearing you.' She thought back as Diabound laughed like a mad man.
'Oh my dear Serenity, your so naïve. You're no where near your mother's level you can't hope to win.'
'You're right, I'm not near my mother's level,' she admitted, 'But you know what? I don't care. I'm not my mother. I will never be her. I am who I am!'
"Giruma Jinga!" Rin said using her magic on the potion as it crystallized into a pink candy. Rin picked it up trying to take it until another voice spoke into her mind that was possessing her a few moments ago.
"Fool! What makes you think you can control me now I am the dark half of you...the blackest part of your magic your ancestor can you really attempt you hold me at bay?"
"Who says I want to hold you at bay? You may be my dark half, but I don't think you're all bad. You're just misunderstood." She popped the candy in her mouth and swallowed it. She could suddenly feel the poison purged form her body and her prick was healed.
Rin thought as she felt her magic was different almost like the power of the sun itself, 'Wow my magic is feeling better than before.' she opened her eyes which had turned all white as her magic came out hitting the dark warriors and was hurting Thorn as well.
"The light it burns!" the dark warriors cried as they were extinguished.
The boys looked up seeing Rin descend down to them, "Rin?" they asked.
She smiled and answered, "In the flesh."
"The girl! Diabound your plan failed!" Thorn chided him.
"A mere setback," Diabound answered calmly, "In fact this has given me some insight..." he said as he used magic teleport.
"I'm out of here!" Thorn vanished into the earth.
Rin's magic powered down as she fell forward into Alistair and Dustin's embrace. Negi and the girls went outside and helped Rin up.
"How did you do that?" Dustin asked in surprise.
"I don't know really…" she admitted and smiled at the spirit warrior, "Also I think our moms get along well." Dustin was taken by surprise before he eventually smiled as well.
Later back at the cottage, Rin told Fate what happened while she brewed up more of Toothless' sizing pills.
"So your mother helped you get stronger to ward Diabound of?" Fate asked.
"Yeah, but weird thing is the magic I gave off in both states felt natural for some reason." She admitted.
"Natural?" Fate asked raising a brow.
"Yeah." She admitted until Negi entered the room as Nagi. Wasting no time he popped the age pill in her mouth turning her into Serena.
"Negi?" she asked.
"I think you deserve a date after what you've been through." Nagi explained.
Ren blushed as Fate spoke with a smile on his face, "You two have fun."
Ren held Nagi's arm and spoke, "Let's go.
"Uh, right." Nagi blushed as the two transformed magical users walked away.
Fate spoke to himself remembering what Rin just said, "Natural, and she was born with both sides of magic," he thought, 'What were you planning Diabound?'
Meanwhile, Diabound was in his spell room as Ragnarok came in, "I heard your plan went down the porcelain."
"I wouldn't say that. This plan was more about observation." He replied.
"Observation?" Ragnarok asked.
"Correct, and I got my results."
"What were you expecting?" Ragnarok crossed his arms.
"Her magic is indeed strong, and it's only becoming stronger and self aware." He explained.
"If that keeps up looks like you won't stand a chance of obtaining her magic after all." Ragnarok warned him.
"Don't be so sure." Diabound replied as she showed Ragnarok a page in a book he was looking through.
Upon seeing the page Ragnarok's eyes widened, "What? Are you serious?"
"Indeed I am." He smirked to Ragnarok.
Ragnarok smirked back and spoke, "Looks like I was right about incorporating you into my league." The two laughed as the scene panned to the page in the book showing an amulet with a red gemstone with a touch of black to it under the title of The Chaos Amulet.
(And that's the chapter. Rin's magic is growing more powerful while she remains unaware of how much it is, and Diabound's plans are getting better. Don't miss next time everybody.)