Wandering from the Path - (4 Parts)

[Niceguy]

OK - this one's pretty long. So I hope if you try it out anyway that it manages to hold your interest. The download file below is the same story, with pictures of many of the charecters included. (Just FYI - 24 pages, single spaced in MSWord. I'm pretty impresssed with that myself, but I realize it's a lot to ask. Hopefully someone will have the interest t read it all... Hopefully I made it interesting enough!)

If you want to skip to the "good" part (I'd like to think it's all good, but 14 pages before a single sneeze is a lot to ask!) Just scroll down to Part 3/4. You won't know the setup, but that's where the "good" stuff starts, and continues pretty much through to the end.

EDIT: File has been removed. Please PM me if you want the version with pics.

[Niceguy]

PART 1/4

After a long day of lecturing and several hours spent in the office grading papers, 10 year old Professor Negi Springfield finally arrived at the dorm room her shared with two of his students, Asuna Kagurazaka and Konoka Konoe. He wanted nothing more than to drop into his bed and get a good's night sleep, but as he opened the door, careful not to wake his dorm mates, he noticed a small envelope on the floor. It was a letter, and he could sense the hint of enchantment it bore. Assuming it was from his sister back in Whales, he opened it without even noticing that there was no return address. Expecting the familiar image of his older sister to rise off of the page, he was shocked by what he saw instead.

Rising from the page was looked like a ghost, except it was all black. After getting over his surprise, he realized that it was the figure of a man in a long black cloak. The cowl was drawn low over the man's face and Negi could not see his features. The dark figure spoke:

"Professor Negi Springfield,

Due to certain constrains relative to my security, I am afraid that I am unable to introduce myself, but rest assured that I am a friend and I want to help you. You are searching for something… someone to be more precise. I have no knowledge or skill that can help you, but I know where you may be able to find something than can. If you are interested in learning more, go the club known as Seppuku on the same night that you arrive in Kyoto. Once you are there, I will find you."

As if the figure's dark demeanor and mysterious tone was not enough to make Negi feel ill at ease, moments after the figure finished his message, the page ignited and was consumed almost instantly in purple flame. Neither of his dorm mates, not his ermine familiar, Kamo, were awakened by the letter or the flame. It also made Negi nervous that the man apparently knew so much about him. He was searching for someone: his father, whom he had seen only once in his entire life that he could remember - outside of old photographs. 'Something that can… Help me?' he pondered to himself. Although exhausted, sleep was slow to come as he kept replaying the mysterious message over and over in his mind. They left for their class trip to Kyoto the day after tomorrow.

____________________________________

Saturday normally meant a half day of classes but, since they were leaving for Kyoto the following day, classes were cancelled. As they sat down to lunch, Negi decided it would be wise to enlist the help of his friend Asuna, with who he shared one of several Pactio contracts. He told her about the letter and asked her what she thought.

Asuna answered him in a whisper to avoid anyone overhearing. "Sounds dangerous if you ask me. You remember what happened last time right? It could be a trap."

"I'm sure it is quite dangerous, but I've already made up my mind to go. I want you to help me."

Asuna was quite surprised. It was not often that Negi actually asked for help. "W-What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to come with me, but to stay out of sight. I'll activate the contract before we go into the club. You keep your distance, but look sharp. If anything happens, you come in a flash to back me up!" Negi's enthusiasm gave Asuna the impression that he thought he was the first person to ever think up something that.

"There is one problem… The 10 foot sword – fan – thingy that comes out when I use the card or you activate the contract? Might attract a little attention."

"Hmmm… You're right." Negi was disappointed in himself, not having spotted something so obvious. It did occur to him however that his student was rather clever for having seen it. "Well… if you attracted attention, maybe we could bring someone else… Someone who would not attract attention. They could be our element of surprise!"

Asuna thought for a moment. She still had her misgivings, and didn't like the idea of playing decoy, which felt too much to her like being the bait, but she had to admit – this plan did have some potential.

"OK. I'm surprised you actually want more students along, but of those you have contacts with… Bookworm for sure. She's so quiet, she could escape your attention in an empty room." 'Bookworm' was the nickname of Nodoka Miyazaki, a shy mouse of a girl, with enormous courage despite, and rather a large crush on Negi, though she was practically phobic about most other men and boys. Although he was hesitant to put Nodoka in danger, he had to admit she was a natural choice. She was quiet and, when her contact was activated she received a journal whose pages displayed the thoughts and intentions of whomever she asked it to. That made her the perfect lookout.

"…And if bookworm comes you'll need Yue as well – someone who can keep a cool head in case something goes wrong. Bookworm will freak if she's faced with a pressure situation." Negi wasn't so sure about that, but Yue Ayase was also a natural choice to partner with Nodoka. They were best friends and Yue always kept her cool in any situation.

"Now… I might need some help in the front line, so… Setsuna." The list was getting longer than Negi planned, but again Setsuna Sakurazaki was a master sword maiden in the Shinmei-ryu and stealth was one of her specialties. Although he was already straining to keep everyone's role strait in his head, Asuna was still adding to the roster.

"As a second lookout you also can't beat Asakura, and Fei Ku would be perfect for…"

"No, I think that will do Asuna." Negi interrupted her gently. "You, Nodoka, Yue and Setsuna will be my backup. That should work out swimmingly. Thank you. I knew I could count on you for advice."

"Eh… thanks." Seeing as this was the first time he'd ever asked her 'advice' she was a bit confused by his reaction. "By the way, you told me you were meeting with this suspicious guy, but you never told me why."

"He can help me find my father." Negi's reply quashed any idea's Asuna might have had about trying to talk him out of it. "We'll approach the others once we're in Kyoto. Oh… and… if for some reason Nodoka and Yue can't go with us, Asakura would be a good second choice as a lookout. Fei could fill in for Setsuna as well. Good thinking." Asuna was surprised. His mind was racing and yet he still managed to not only listen to what she was saying, but actually used her idea, even after he had essentially turned it down. 'For a little brat, he's pretty sharp,' Asuna thought to herself as they finished lunch.

________________________________

Back in the Dean's office, Professor Takamichi Takahata had been called in to discuss an important matter with Dean Konoe.

"The Mirror of Erised has been located." The ancient man said in his slow, creaky voice. "It's in Kyoto."

"Hmmm… That could complicate things. Do you think he'll…?"

"He already knows."

"Then should we warn Negi?"

"Yes… Yes, I think it is important that he be warned… But be careful with your words Takahata-sensei. The youth's desire to find his father is strong. If he gets the wrong idea… Your warning may backfire. Make sure to tell everything he needs to know, but nothing more."

"You can count on me, Dean Konoe."

Takahata-sensei had known Negi since he was a very little boy, and had also known his father, Nagi, the 'Thousand Master,' quite well. They had been close friends, and he missed him deeply. He caught up to Negi on his way back from lunch.

"Hello there Negi! How are you doing?"

"Takamichi! I'm feeling splendid! How are you?"

"Fine, fine. Are you all packed and ready for the trip? I'm excited myself, I'll be able to go with everyone thin year!" Takahata had been sent on diplomatic errand by Dean Konoe during the previous trip to Kyoto, and missed it.

"Just about, yes. I can't wait to get back. I might actually get to visit some of the temples this time! With the business last time, I didn't have even a minute to play tourist!" Although he hadn't been there, Takahata knew about the trouble they had with the Hogakio clan, and their uprising against the Kansai Magic Association.

"Yeah, about the trip… There's something I need to discuss with you." For a moment Negi's feared that he was going to be told he wouldn't be able to go. "Do you know about the Mirror of Erised?"

No longer in danger of missing the trip, Negi regained his composure. "Uh… Sure it's a legend. A mirror that shows you whatever you want."

"Well… that's almost right. The mirror shows the viewer nothing more or less than his heart's most desperate desire. And it's no legend… in fact, it's been found."

"Really? My word! To think of it… But… why are you telling me about this?"

"Dean Konoe asked me to talk to you about it. We wanted to warn you about it. To make sure you knew that nothing could ever be gained by looking into that mirror. No wisdom has ever been found there, and so tempting are its images that even great men have wasted away sitting in front of it. If you ever want to actually find what your heart desires, you should not be tempted to look there. Please Negi. Promise me that if you hear anything else about it, that you'll stay away."

"OK… I promise… But… my heart's most… You mean to see my…"

"Yes. It will show him to you, but that's it. It won't reunite you, nor will the mirror tell you anything about him. You must understand this."

"I do. Although I thought it was only a legend, I wouldn't have considered using something like that. You don't have to worry about me!" The whole conversation struck Negi as a bit odd, since he had no intention of taking on a quest anytime soon.

"Although I trust your word, there's something else I need to tell you. Although the mirror itself is useless, it is located in a temple that houses many other treasures. These are all guarded with dangerous and deadly enchantments. If you went in there to get the mirror despite your promise to me, you'll probably get yourself killed."

"Oh, don't worry about me! I don't plan to do anything dangerous on this trip!" Negi thought of the cloaked man, but there was nothing dangerous about talking to someone, h reasoned, especially with four of your friends keeping an eye out. 'Buy why do you a lookout out if it's not dangerous?' his conscious asked him.

_________________________________

The trip to Kyoto was uneventful, and once all of the girls were checked into the hotel, Negi and Asuna sought out Nodoka, Yue and Setsuna. The five of them disappearing into the night did not escape the attention of Kazumi Asakura – the school's resident paparazzi, who also shared a Pactio with Negi. She spied on them from a distance, but missed the first part of the conversation.

"So that's it really." Negi had just finished telling the four girls whatever it was he had called them away for. "Will you help me?"

"I am hesitant to leave lady Konoe unprotected, especially considering what happened last year, but I will do so for one night. I'll have Mana fill in for me. Don't worry… I won't tell her what we're doing. Just that I'll need to be away." Setsuna Sakurazaki was duty bound to protect the life of Konoka Konoe even at the cost of her own. She was often assisted in this duty by her classmate Mana Tatsumiya a capable shrine maiden and demon hunter.

"Um… It sounds dangerous… and… well… I'm afraid, but I'll protect… I mean… I'll go." Despite her timid tone there was no limit to Nodoka's courage, especially when it came to Negi.

"If bookworm's going, you'll need me. If anything happens she'll wet her pants." Yue teased her friend in a cool, even tone.

"Hey!" Yue's gentle taunt did manage to cement Nodoka's resolve.

As the five started into town, they separated to increase the change that some of them would go unnoticed. As they did this Asakura, also unseen, drew her Pactio from her vest pocket. She activated it and used the camera that appeared to snap five quick pictures of her friends, just in case she'd need them for later. As she snuck after the group, she didn't notice that she herself was being followed.

_______________________________

"How many are with him?" The dark figure asked, coming out onto the balcony.

"The red-head with the Bells in her hair is following him at a distance. She was his minister last time… And someone's following her, but somehow… I don't think they know she is." answered the young girl in the pink dress.

"Well. Nothing should happen tonight, but wait here just in case, and make a note if you see anyone else."

"Hai!"

The cloaked figure withdrew and crossed the street to the club Seppuku.

The inside of the club was dark, with pulsating lights. Smoke hung in the air and while there was music playing, the dance floor remained empty for the moment. Negi entered apprehensively and took his seat at a table facing the door. Asuna sat down on the opposite side of the room and made no effort to hide the fact that she was watching him. (Carrying the large Harisen that was summoned upon activating her Pactio card, she was hard to miss.) Setsuna reached the back alleyway unnoticed and slipped in through the rear. Neither Negi nor Asuna were aware of where she was. No one else noticed as Yue and Nodoka entered and took a seat towards the back of the club. Once seated, Nodoka activated her Pactio card and was now trying to locate Negi's contact using the journal.

Negi recognized the figure's cloak from the letter, but still couldn't see his face. "Hello, Negi Springfield. I am here to help you in you quest."

"I'm not on a quest." Negi answered, somewhat annoyed sounding. "You said you had something that could help me find my…"

"...Father. Yes. I do. Tell me… have you ever heard of the mirror of Erised?"

Negi felt deflated. All this preparation and anticipation and the only thing this mysterious looking charlatan had to offer was smoke and mirrors. "Not interested." Negi answered flatly and got up to leave.

"I wouldn't leave so quickly." said the dark figure in a deep, steady voice.. "I see that you know of it, but what exactly do you know. What have you been told?"

Negi paused, but did not yet take his seat. Standing up, at least he was looking eye to eye with the cloaked man. "It shows you your heart's deepest desire. Nothing more. It's useless as a tool for knowledge."

"Heh-heh-heh… But what if knowledge was in fact your heart's most desperate desire?" As he pondered this, Negi didn't even realize that he'd sat down again. "For you, your heart's desire may be to see your father again. Easy enough, and you are right – no knowledge can be gained. But what if you trained your heart… what if you truly believed that what you wanted so desperately was to know where your father was."

Negi felt as though he'd had the wind knocked out of him. Could the mirror tell him that? Why didn't Takahata tell him? "My mentor told me that no wisdom could be gained from it. Are you saying he lied to me?"

"No, my boy. But many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our point of view. Your mentor was simply telling you the truth as he knew it. But his knowledge was incomplete, and few have had the necessary wisdom and discipline to wield the mirror properly. Are you willing to take the risk? Great men have wasted away sitting in front of it." Takahata's exact words. Was Negi being tested?

"Go on. Tell me how this would work."

"You must possess both discipline and wisdom in great abundance. You need discipline to control your heart. The heart is simple. It wants only to see your father again. But you must convince it that what it really wants is to know here your father is. You will then need Wisdom to discern his location from the details in the pictures you are presented with."

"How do you mean?"

"Well… The mirror won't just come out and tell you where he is, but… Are there Mountains in the background? Are they snow capped? Do you see any rare flora? Is there a river nearby? All of these details will help narrow down the possible locations. If you comeback in a day and he's now in the dessert, then the desert must be close to the mountains you saw. Can you see the ocean in the background? All of these are subtle clues that will, in fact, impart great knowledge… But only if you have the discipline to conjure them and the wisdom to interpret them. It won't be easy, or quick, but you may get something that would shorten your search."

'I'm sorry Takamichi,' Negi thought to himself, 'but I'm going to have to break the promise I made.' "Do you know where it is?"

"Yes. It's in a temple, not far from here... deep in the catacombs. I have this ancient map…" He handed a rolled parchment to Negi, who took it with great care. "You must be able to detect and dispel barrier enchantments as well as disarm magical traps."

"I think we… I mean I can handle that." Negi could almost feel the dark figure's smile, having given up information he'd have preferred not to.

"And there are Stone Golems inside… you must be prepared to fight them."

Negi just nodded, not wanting to give away any more information.

"But most importantly of all… The air inside the catacombs is dense with a certain type of fungal spore. The body reacts very badly… inflammation; suffocation… death awaits all who would breathe them. You must protect yourself against that, and you must cast the spell in the entrance room of the temple."

"Why…?" Negi thought this advice sounded a little too specific..

"The interior chamber of the Temple has powerful protections to prevent any magic from being used inside. If you wait until inside the catacombs, it will be too late, and if you cast the spell out in the street… even assuming it wouldn't run out too soon, there would be witnesses. The entryway is poorly lit, and mostly cut off from view. You will not been seen or disturbed there. And it's only a quick walk from there to the catacombs… the entrance is a hidden staircase behind the Altar. It's trap door, and should be easy enough to find, even without the use of your magic."

"There is one problem…" He thought of Asuna. "One of my part… I mean my partner," Negi was kicking himself again for given the man more free information, "well, she's sort of immune to magic. How shall I protect her?"

"Hmmmm…." The man in the shadowy cloak thought quietly to himself for a while. "You practice the western magic, yes? If I may be so bold, may I ask you… is she your minister?"

"We have a contract, yes."

"Well then that's easy! Even if she's a magic canceller, just activate the contract. Her magical shield will not prevent you from casting a protective spell on her while the contract is active."

[Author's Note: To any otaku: The aforementioned point may not be cannon. Please just go with it.]

"Wow… Thanks, I never knew… Wait a second. How do you know so much anyway? And why are you helping me? What do you want?"

"I will not tell you how I come by my information. I'm sorry. As for what I want… After you're done... Once you are reunited with your father or, heaven forbid, find out that he has, beyond any doubt or recall, passed on… I will come for the Mirror. I want it… once it is no longer of any use to your present search."

Negi was surprised by this. In the course of there conversation, while he could not see the man's face, he did spy the end of a short beard, and the man's whiskers were white. "But… it could take so long… and you're so… so…"

"Old? Heh-heh-heh… Older than you could possibly guess. Time is on my side, but for you, or your father, it can run out. Do we have a deal? Will you grant my wish, in exchange for what I have given you?"

"Well… Yes but… how do I know I can trust you? I do I know you won't simply take it from me, once I have it?"

"My boy… If I had the strength, to defeat you… and your friends," so he had picked up on that, Negi thought to himself, "I would simply go and get it myself. But that is beyond my power."

"All right. I'll do it." Negi replied, as he thought to himself, 'I'm so sorry, Takamichi.'

[Niceguy]

Part 2/4

While Negi was inside talking to the figure, Kazumi Asakura waited across the street from the club, trying to figure out what was going on inside. Through her camera, she could see Asuna, Nodoka and Yue. Setsuna had used a charm to hide herself, so there was no surprise that she couldn't see her, but something was also preventing her from seeing Negi. As she tried to get a better view, she was startled when something small, white and furry jumped from the bushes behind her and landed on her shoulder.

"HIYA SISTER!" Kazumi almost jumped out of her skin, but it was just Kamo, Negi's ermine familiar.

Asakura scolded the little pest, in her valley-girl accent. "Oh – my – god… Kamo! You just, like, scarred the hell out of me!"

"Well what's going on? I can't find the boss or the chief anywhere! I'm surprised to run into you here!"

"Professor Negi is inside but, like, I can't see what's going on. Bookworm and Yue are with him, so are, like, Asuna and Setsuna."

"WHOA! He calls out the troops and doesn't even tell me?! Oh boy! He's gonna hear it when I get back!"

"Aaaah… No-o! You, like, can't say any-thing about this! He doesn't know I was, like, spying on him! If he needs our help then, like, it's better if he doesn't know we're keeping tabs. We'll round up, like, Mana, Kaede and Fei Ku. We can, like, be the reserves in case anything really bad happens."

"Oh MAN! OK, OK. I'll keep quiet about it."

The two made there way back the hotel.

_________________________________________

After meeting with Negi, the cloaked man was the first of the two to leave. He knew that the boy had other helpers, but that didn't concern him right now. Hopefully Tsukuyomi was doing her job, and making note of anyone roughly the age of Negi's students who left the club. As he entered his own room across the street he was happy to see that she was still keeping watch from the balcony. In her pink, frilly, Lolita dress with that white bonnet hat and eyeglasses, just the slightest bit too big for her face, he found himself amazed that this delicate looking porcelain doll of a girl could be so deadly. He was not sure her exact age, but her body still looked undeveloped and her face held a balance between awkwardness and beauty, with just some a child's cute features remaining, mingled with a subtle hint of the woman's face she would one day posses.

"So… How many others?" The dark man asked his ally, as he sat down.

"Well, two more left the club after Negi and Bells. And although I didn't see her, I'm sure that… Setsuna was with them." There seemed to be the slightest bit of longing in her eyes as she said this.

"That's the one from Shinmei-ryu?"

"Yes."

"Your rival? Your…. equal?"

Tsukuyomi looked downward and answered quietly. "Yes."

"Have no fear. This time you shall have the advantage." As he said this his gaze fell upon a potted plant in the corner of the room. A small cat came from behind it, crossed the room and leapt into the man's lap.

"But what if your spell doesn't work? What if they disarm the traps in the temple? You were paid to capture him! Not to go on some kind of…"

"Correction." The man interrupted sternly. "I will be paid to capture him, and will get a bonus for the Shinmei-ryu and the Magic Canceller. And from that payment you will be paid for your assistance. If he succeeds… then the temple will be open to us. I assure you there will be something in there that you would gladly take as compensation should my payment somehow… fall through. Even if my plan fails… we still win."

"There was still the other one, taking… pictures of the club. I'm sure she was keeping watch, but still I'm not sure if they knew it."

"As I thought." The man concluded. "I sensed that someone was trying to break my detection barrier. It must have been her." The cloaked man now stroked the small black cat in his lap.

______________________________________

Once they were a good distance for the meeting place, the five friends joined up again. Negi wanted to know immediately what Nodoka's Journal revealed about the man.

"Um… well… nothing. I couldn't even locate him, even though he was right there in front of me!" Her voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

"That's OK Nodoka! At least we know he is a wizard of some kind! And powerful enough to shield his thoughts from you journal. That's not a comforting thought, but it's important to know!" Negi knew that they would have to be on their guard. What he hadn't expected was to see Professor Takahata waiting for them in the Hotel lobby as they arrived, way past curfew. He didn't look happy, but he remained quite calm.

"You girls are in trouble." He said evenly. "Negi-sensei, where did you find them?" So he was still being treated as a teacher, Negi thought to himself. That was good, but he felt terrible about what he now had to do, in order to keep their little quest a secret from Takahata.

"I caught them trying to sneak into a dance club." Negi felt his body temperature rise with such a bold lie. He wasn't sure if Takahata bought it, but he could feel the waves of anger rising of off the girls at his betrayal.

"Well… In that case I'd say you girls should be confined to quarters for say… All day and all night tomorrow?"

Negi's body heat now swelled as his heart started racing. He would need them tomorrow. Plus he knew Asuna's punishment for him would be even worse if she was personally grounded by her crush, Professor Takahata.

"Aaaaaahh… Takamichi… don't you think that's a bit harsh? I mean…"

"No Professor Springfield. Sneaking into a club underage is serious business. I'm being lenient not sending them home right this minute." At that thought, Negi decided not to push his luck. He felt like an absolute heel getting the girls in trouble just for helping him, and then getting off scott free himself.

He whispered to Asuna "Don't worry… I'll get you all out of this."

But the fire her Blue and Green eyes spoke volumes. "You … are … so … dead!" she muttered back under her breath, her boiling rage making Negi feel smaller than thought possible.

He couldn't sleep a wink that night. He knew he had to sneak the girls out and sneak them back in… if they were caught breaking their confinement, the girls would be sent home, and he'd be force to admit to Takahata-sensei that he'd broken his promise and lied, rather profoundly.

_________________________________

The next day passed without the girls getting even a message from Negi. The four girls were put in a single room as the chaperones took turns keeping watch in the hall. They were told not to socialize, and that they would be separated if they made any noise. By sunset, they had just about concluded that the quest was off.

"Come on," Asuna whispered. "The little brat's not coming. Let's get ready for bed."

"Oh Asuna…" Nodoka tried to keep her hopes up, she really wanted to spend time with Negi, especially doing something so exciting, but she didn't know what else she could say.

"I mean the little runt betrayed us! He made me look like some kind of delinquent in front of Tak…" She cut herself off, blushing profusely. She wasn't sure how many of them really knew about her infatuation with Takata-sensei, but she hadn't wanted to just blurt it out.

"Think about it, Asuna!" Setsuna whispered harshly. "What else could he do? He must have his reasons for keeping it a secret. We agreed to help him. So give him a chance to make it right. I'm sure he didn't plan for things to work out that way. Truth be told…" she was immediately struck by the irony of this statement, "it was pretty quick thinking on the kid's part."

"Hmpft! Well I'm going to bed!" Asuna shot back quietly. "You all may as well do the same!"

Setsuna remained where she was but Asuna took off her tee shirt and folded her pants neatly on the bed before rummaging through her bag for her nightgown. Nodoka did the same.

"I gotta pee." Yue said, and went into the bathroom. She left the door open, in case anyone still wanted to talk. Since she was behind the wall, she reasoned, it was not as if anyone could see.

______________________________

While the female hostages stewed in their makeshift prison, Negi stood on the edge of the roof. He'd spent the entire day brewing four flying potions. It wasn't easy, given the time constraints, but he was sure they would work. He mounted his staff, and flew in a wide arc towards the window to the girl's room. Seeing it was open he figured he would fly right in. 'It would be like making an almost… heroic entrance,' he thought to himself.

"I'm here!" He whispered loudly, as he landed in the middle of the room.

"Eek!" Nodoka let out the tiniest scream as she tried to cover up with nothing to use except her own two hands. She stood directly right in front of him wearing only a small a-cup bra and narrow pair of candy-striped panties. While Nodoka was embarrassed beyond all reckoning, the sight of her stunned the young Negi into a state of near paralysis.

'Oh. And there's Asuna…' his mind told him in a stupid sounding sing-song voice. 'She's not even wearing a bra and… oh look… she must have bought another pair of those teddy bear underpants I accidentally disintegrated on her that one time...' In his shocked and confused state this all seemed like a happy dream. Although the image shifted to nightmarish rather quickly, the happy narration still played in his head.

'My word, Asuna does not look happy at all.' He thought, his mind still speaking to him in the same dull, sing-song tone. 'Oh my… she looks ever madder than before. My word… is she going to…'

*&$% POW @#$% !

'… hit … me … ?'

Negi flew ass-over-applecart though the room, landing in the small hallway in front of the door. He gained consciousness just in time to look up and see a very surprised Yue, sitting with her panties down around her ankles. Whatever else he might have seen, from his vantage point below her on the floor, was consumed by darkness as he fainted.

'So… indigo… then…' was the last though he had before going limp.

________________________________________

"Ne-gi…? Ne-gi…?" It was the sweet sound of Nodoka's voice. Negi came to and looked up to find himself surrounded by the four girls, thankfully fully dressed this time. "Oh! You're OK. Thank God!" Negi sat up…

"No…doka?" The image of her trembling, half-naked body threatened to creep back into his mind, but he pushed it away. They had work to do. He explained to them what they were actually seeking, and showed the girls the flying potions which luckily had not been broken as a result of Asuna's attack. At the end he explained why he had lied to Takahata. Yue and Setsuna seemed to understand. Nodoka looked disappointed. Asuna was furious.

"So not only do you make me look like some kind of miscreant in front of Professor Takahata, but you lied and broke your promise to him as well?! Why the hell should we help you anyway?!" If Negi didn't know better he'd swear he long orange pigtails looked as if they were on fire.

Negi thought for a moment… "Asuna… What is your heart's most desperate desire?" A voice whispered in Negi's conscious, but he ignored it.

"Huh…? Me…? I… uh… well… you know…" Asuna stammered. She couldn't just come out and say it, could she? 'What the hell?' she thought, 'Is the runt trying to embarrass me some more?!'

Negi continued, in a knowing tone of voice. "You may think it's that certain person but…" The voice in Negi's conscious was practically screaming at him to stop talking. "… Are you sure it's not to find a way to make him… love you?" Once said, the voice in Negi's head went silent.

"Eek." A small cry escape Nodoka, but Asuna just stared at him.

After a few seconds, she answered him. "Let's go."

[Niceguy]

Part 3/4

The five friends crept through dark, back alleys trying to avoid the main street as they made there way to the temple. Once Setsuna was convinced the coast was clear, they went thought the massive double doors at the front of the temple. As they waited quietly in the entryway, hearts pounding, Negi began the incantation that would protect them from the deadly spores in the catacombs.

"Activate the contract for Asuna Kagurazaka, Setsuna Sakuazaki, Yue Ayase and Nodoka Miyazaki for one hour." All four girls felt themselves powering up. Negi felt drained, but continued with the spell. "Inkipium confestum muys magica… Allergium prohibitus totallus!" The last word echoed in the chamber, but the blue light that Negi expected to rise up and engulf them instead seems to slough off of them and fall to the floor. He was sure he'd done the incantation correctly, but felt uneasy about it. "Um… perhaps we should try that again…"

"Meow." The four girls were startled by the sound of a black cat coming from the shadows. It started rubbing itself against Asuna's legs, purring as it went.

"Ha-hah. It's just a ca… ca… caHAHT-SHOOO!"

"Asuna please!" Negi cried, more startled by the sneeze than by the cat. "Not so loud! We're not supposed to be here! We need to keep…"

"Hey… I th… though that incanta… a… ation was supposed to protect us from th-this kind… of… thing…ing… HAHT-SHOO!" Negi knew something went wrong with the spell the ethereal flow didn't look right at all. Nodoka went over to pick up the cat, as Asuna was to busy rubbing her nose and trying to get away, with nowhere to go in the small room.

"I didn't know you were aller… aller… gic… to… ca… eSHOO!" Nodoka's cute, high pitched sneeze was not nearly as loud as Asuna's, but it reverberated in the nearly silent temple none the less.

"I'm… n-not… HAHT-SHOO!" Every breath Asuna took increased her urge to sneeze. The cat left the two and walked past Yue.

"aaaAAAAHHH-choo!" Yue's sneeze was deep and throaty. The cat continued past Setsuna.

"Some… S… Something went wr...wrong w-with th-the s-spell… eh… EHTChoo!" Although she was bent over, she was pointing upwards. The group saw a small paper charm stuck to the ceiling. Negi couldn't read most of it, but he recognized one of the Kanji: REVERSE.

"It's a tra… aaa…. AAAAHHH-SSSSHHHHOOOOOO!" As always happened when Negi sneezed his air magic went out of control. The gale force wind blew up all of the girl's skirts, despite their best efforts to hold them down. Needless to say, while he was the smallest of the group, even slightly smaller than Yue, his sneeze was far and away the loudest of the group. "…trap! Oh dear me… I'm terribly sorry." Four faces glared back at him, either embarrassed or annoyed.

The cat left the entranceway and the group pulled desperately at the door… but it wouldn't budge. Setsuna drew here sword to cut it down.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you…" called a deep voice from the middle of the temple. It belonged to the dark figure Negi had met with earlier. Standing next to him was a tween-aged looking girl in a frilly pink dress, wearing eyeglasses and a wide brimmed bonnet-hat, and wielding a sword almost identical to Setsuna's. Her other hand was behind her back, and Setsuna remembered that she'd also used a dagger in their last encounter.

"W-Why n-not?" Setsuna tried to sound threatening, but her voice wavered and betrayed her as she struggled against another sneeze.

"There's an explosive rune on the other side. If you strike through the door… it will detonate, killing you… and your friends. Ent-Golem! Necoyokai!" On that command the black cat walked towards him, growing larger as it did. Although the shadows obscured the transformation, by the time it reached the cloaked man, it was standing upright, roughly six feet tall – a cat demon. With their itchy noses the group was dreading even more what was already an unwelcome surprise. The next thing they saw filled them with despair.

Lumbering out of the shadows from the back end of the temple, standing nearly twelve feet tall, was what looked like a giant, woven, out of ragweed bushes. Coarse vines stuck out where tendons would be, and tree limbs substituted for bones. Fine dust seemed to shake off the monstrosity with every step as he shambled up behind the man in black. His mere presence was causing their eyes to water and there noses to run liberally.

"Now… you can surrender now, and I will ease your suffering while we wait for my clients, or you can try to fight… in which case you will only suffer more." There was no decision to be made. Setsuna and Asuna charged, while Negi, Nodoka and Yue began their incantations.

Asuna engaged the Ent-Golem, while Setsuna crossed swords once again with her Shinmei-Ryu rival, Tsukuyomi. The attack was fierce – she knew she would have to end it quickly, but it was hard to concentrate with her eyes tearing up and her nose in a constant state of over-sensitivity. Their blades clashed, but Tsukuyomi kept her left hand behind her. 'I can't forget about the dagger…' Setsuna thought to herself. Seeing an opening, Setsuna pinned Tsukuyomi against a bench. Unfortunately, she could no longer move herself, of her opponent would free herself. It took almost all her strength to maintain the hold, but she had just enough leverage to raise her other hand in defense as Tsukuyomi's hidden hand flashed from behind her back. When Setsuna caught it mid-air, it did not possess a dagger as she had expected… but a long feather. Despite her best efforts, with a quick manipulation of her fingers, Setsuna's opponent angled the feather downward and gently tickled her nose with the end of it, smiling mischievously all the while.

"H-Hey… N-No… eh… EHTChoo!" The sneeze momentarily sapped her strength and she was pushed off by her opponent, who continued her attack, this time striking with both sword and feather. Every swipe of the feather caused Setsuna to sneeze again, breaking her concentration. The fight was quickly going against her.

Meanwhile, Asuna had her plate full with the Ent-Golem. She held her hands on opposite ends of her Harisen, as she tried to push back against the creature's relentless assault.

"HAHT-SHOO! Hey! ha… HAHT-SHOO! How about some h-help over here?" She looked back at the three diminutive Wizards, desperately trying to complete their incantations, but between the sniffling and sneezing, no could get the complicated wording out properly. "HAHT-SHOO! Oh man!"

The Golem was pushing her into a corner. Her eyes stung and her nose felt as if ants were crawling around inside it. With one more sneeze, she pushed back and gave herself enough room to launch a counter offensive. One strike… Another… Another… she knocked more pollen of the creature with every blow as she drove it back. At this point she wrote off any help from Negi and the others. With the Golem on the ropes she raised her weapon to strike the finishing blow when the Cat-Demon flew past her.

With her left paw, she shredded the front of Asuna's shirt, giving her several lacerations on her torso as she flew by. Her pinky's claw also caught the front of Asuna's bra, severing the fabric holding its cups together. While this was both embarrassing and painful, it would not have been enough to break Asuna's attack on the Golem… but she was struck in the nose by the cat-demons tail. At this point, already off balance having drawn back her Harisen, the sneeze took out her last bit of concentration.

"HAHT-SHOOO!" With her eyes closed, she never saw it coming.

* WHAM *

What felt like a tree trunk slammed into her, sending her sprawling across the floor. She hit her head, breaking an urn as she landed, and fell unconscious.

The entire time this was happening, the Dark figure just stood and watched while Negi tried to ready an attack spell meant for him, and Yue and Nodoka tried to act as artillery for Asuna against the Ent-Golem.

"Inkipium confestum we… we… we… AAAAHHH-SSSSHHHHOOOOOO!" Every hurricane force sneeze that Negi issued just served to spread more pollen and dander into the air.

"aaaAAAAHHH-choo! *sniff* This is n-no good Negi! aaaAAAAHHH-choo!" Yue, normally cool in any situation, sounded almost panicky. Since they were inside, she could not use her broom to call lightning, and she could not string two words together without sneezing.

"Inkip… eSHOO! Ink… Ink… In… eSHOO!" Tears ran from Nodoka's eyes, although she was not crying. She tried to think of the shortest spell she knew, but nothing came to mind that would be of any use here. If any of them got even close to completing a spell that dratted cat demon flew by, with its claws and tail. Once Asuna fell however, their fight ended quickly as the Golem swept up all three with a single blow of its mighty limb.

Finally it was down to Setsuna. "*sniff* eh… EHTChoo!" She knew it was coming, she left her sword open on that one, and her grip was too light.

* CLANG *

Tsukuyomi sent Setsuna's sword flying, then came back with the feather.

"Ack! *sniff* eh… eh… EHTChoo!" Here eyes were now closed.

* THUD *

Tsukuyomi drove an open, flat hand into Setsuna's chin as hard as she could. Setsuna fell. "Wow. I've finally defeated you. I don't believe it!" Setsuna, looking up from the ground, heard the girl's gloating, but could not respond. The world went dark as her head dropped to the floor.

_____________________________________________

When they came to, the group found themselves disarmed and bound. Their hands were tied behind them, to their ankles and they were lined up along a wall in an uncomfortable kneeling position. Most of there clothes were in tatters from the fight. The man in the black cloak and the girl in the pick dress had left, and the Ent-Golem was nowhere to be seen. Necoyokai was left as the only visible guard. She was back the form of a small black housecat, but there was little doubt in the captives' minds that it was the same cat-demon they'd fought before – its voice hadn't changed.

"I'm bored." The small cat said, in high-pitched and whiny tone.

It pounced up on Nodoka's lap, and to her dismay, Nodoka discovered that the botched protection spell was still very much in effect. The tickle in her nose started with her first, hitched breath.

"Oh… *sniff*… K-Kitty… *sniff* please…" Necoyokai dragged it tail gently across the end of Nodoka's pick, runny nose, overwhelming any defenses she had left. "eSHOO! *sniff* eSHOO! eSHOO! *sniff* eSHOO-OO! Oh… Please kitty… eSHOO!"

The cat jumped from Nodoka to Yue, who looked strait ahead, remaining as still as stone. The look of her face was one of casual indifference. The demon-cat gave Yue the same treatment as Nodoka, running its tail under her nose. Yue didn't even blink.

"Oh come one!" The demon-cat demanded. "You're no fun!" She tried few more twitches of her tail, but the only response from Yue was a single tear from her left eye running down her cheek. She didn't even seem to notice it.

"Oooooh…. Playing it cool huh? That's OK. I like a challenge." The cat demon began pacing over Yue's lap, keeping its tail pointed upwards the entire time. Looking back, it noticed Yue eyes narrow every so slightly. Then her lips parted as she fought the urge to sneeze. The demon cat now began lightly batting her nose with its tail. Yue's irritated nostrils flared as she drew a long, sharp breath.

"aaaaaAAAAAAHHH-choo!"

"Gotcha! That was fun!"

She then jumped from Yue to Asuna, who had no intentions of begging, like Nodoka or of trying to play it cool, like Yue. The instant the beast landed on her, she began bucking and hopping about, trying to throw it off of her. This hurt her wrists and ankles like hell, but she refused to give her jailor any satisfaction. "Get off of me you little…"

As she pitched and struggled, the demon-cat extended it claws into her thighs in an effort to hold on.

"OW! You bi…"

"If you don't want the claws then… SIT… STILL!" Asuna stopped fighting, but leanded back, trying to get her face out of range of the cat's tail. This plan backfired, as the cat simply leapt up onto her shoulders. She briefly considered trying to throw her off again, but she could feel just the slightest poke form the cat's claws though her shirt and reconsidered. She didn't exactly want it taking a swipe at her face.

"What the…?! W-Why don't y-you j-just go aw…aw…away… ay… HAHT-SHOO!"

"What? Aren't you enjoying this?" The cat's innocent tone made it sound even crueler. "I need to do something to pass the time."

"Well… HAHT-SHOO! Why do you go chase a… a… HAHT-SHOO! mouse or go lick you backside or some… some… HAHT-SHOO! something!"

"Lick my…?! Why you!"

Necoyokai now started doing what could only be described as laps around Asuna's head. She made sure to drag her entire body across the whole of Asuna's face. Asuna could feel the beast's claws digging in to her chest and shoulders, in order to hold on while navigating the awkward circuit. After several minutes, during which Asuna's sneezing was about as steady and constant as breathing, the cat jumped down and eyed Setsuna. Asuna fell over and lay on her side on the ground. Her nose was bright read and run like a stream. Her eyes were also red and nearly swollen shut. She breathed through her mouth, with raspy sound, and didn't have an ounce of fight left in her. Negi felt like crying at the sight of his dear, if somewhat violent-tempered, friendHeHer in this state.

When the cat landed on Setsuna she, like Yue, showed no response. "You too, huh? Oh well."

She went to work, pacing across her lap, running her tail across her nose, but got no response from the disciplined warrior-girl.

"Hmmm… you're good! I can see why Tsukuyomi has such a crush on you." At hearing those words, Setsuna felt her body temperature rise a few degrees, but it didn't show. The cat jumped up of her shoulders. It stretched around behind her head; poking its face around on side and nuzzling the right side of her nose, while her tail reached around the other side tickle her from the left.

"Still nothing?" It asked sounding both innocent and disappointed. Setsuna stared directly ahead. Yue was immensely impressed by her discipline. Asuna was far too miserable to notice. Nodoka was looking at Negi, who had changed from looking sad to angry. His voice still sounded as it he was on the verge of tears.

"STOP IT!" he screamed. "JUST STOP IT!" He was crying now. He knew that this was all his fault. That he'd lied and broken his promise, to his friend and mentor no less That he'd led the girls into danger for purely selfish reasons. He sobbed openly as tears ran down his face. This sight broke Nodoka's heart, but she didn't cry herself, trying to be strong for this boy, who she loved.

"You want some? You want your's now?" The cat jumped down from Setsuna's shoulders, having been unable to elicit even a sniff. It made it's way over to Negi.

"You think you can talk to me like that? You think you're important? You're just a kid. A brat, just like them!" She wasted no time in getting up on Negi's shoulder and rubbing her head against his nose, oblivious to the danger she was putting itself in.

"aahh… haaaaaahhh… AAAAHHH-SSSSHHHHOOOOOO!" The wind blew the cat demon across the floor. It rolled to a stop having been forced it back into it bipedal human-hybrid form. The girl's tattered shirts were also blown upwards in the breeze, but as his eyes were closed, the girls were spared another embarrassing exposure.

Negi had hoped his sneeze would have knocked the cat-demon unconscious, but she seemed relatively unharmed. Seeming a bit annoyed however, she stomped back to Negi and, taking him by the back of his shirt, dragged his about halfway across the room and dumped him unceremonious on his side. "You'll stay over here." She said tersely.

Necoyokai went back to torturing the four girls, although her efforts on Setsuna were still frustrated. After several minutes of this, the man in the cloak and Tsukuyomi returned.

___________________________________________

"Come, we have much to discuss." The cloaked figure said to the Cat-demon in an authoritative voice as he passed. "Is the spell still in effect?"

"On everyone except the Shinmei-Ryu, it seems." Necoyokai answered.

Tsukuyomi approached Setsuna with the same mischievous glint her eye as earlier. "Oh….?" She withdrew the long feather for its holder on her belt and rapidly tickled the end of Setsuna's nose with it. The response was strong and immediate.

"Oh… ah… no… eh… eh… EHTChoo! EHTChoo! eh… EHTChoo!" Setsuna was helpless to resist.

"I'd say it's still very much in effect." Tsukuyomi concluded in a highly satisfied tone. The cat-demon seemed simultaneously impressed and disappointed, as the three went into a room in the back of the temple, leaving the five captives unguarded. Each struggled against their bonds but after several minutes none were able to free themselves.

"Girls…" Negi began, "I can't begin to say how sorry I am to have gotten you all into this. I swear… I promise that we will get out of this, and that I will explain everything to Takami… Professor Takahata when we get back. I will take full responsibility for what's happened, and make sure that you girl's aren't punished any further. I'm… so sorry."

"Negi…" if she been free, Nodoka would have held him. Her heart ached, and even though she had suffered, and was still very much in danger, she had completely forgiven him.

As they sat silently in the gloom, their captors secluded in a back room, a small creature came bounding across the wide room, right towards Negi. "Kamo!" Negi exclaimed in an excited whisper.

"Hey Boss!" Kamo replied, also keeping quiet. "I'm gonna get you outta here! I've got Asakura and the rest of the cavalry waiting outside!" Negi didn't like the idea of more students getting involved, but he had to admit he needed the help. Kamo got to work quickly and quietly, trying to undo Negi's bonds without arousing attention. Unfortunately he was not completely aware of what had happened to them. He stood directly in front of Negi's chest, reaching over his side to work on the knot. His tail was inches from Negi's nose.

"K-Kamo… *sniff* tah...tail… huh… aaaah…"

"Boss? What's wrong?"

"AAAAHHH-SSSSHHHHOOOOOO!" Kamo flew through air hitting the opposite wall, a good twenty yards away, with a thud and fell unconscious. Negi resisted the urge to cry out, not wanting to broadcast the fact that they were getting help. Asuna, who was not as fond of the ermine, just thought to herself, 'Now why couldn't he have done that to the damn cat?' Again they redoubled their efforts to break free, and again the got nowhere. Their captors returned.

"Our clients will arrive shortly, and they are most pleased with the work we've done." He looked right at Negi. "I must thank you. You in particular have been very helpful." Negi burned with anger. The man was about to continue when the group was startled by a load CRACK coming from outside. One of the temple's window panes shattered and the Cat-Demon was struck in the shoulder.

"What the…" was all she could say before disappearing in a cloud of ash. The temple doors were kicked open, as several students charged in. The attack was lead by the Kung Fu fighting Fei Ku alongside the Ninja-in-training, Kaede Nagase. While they took up the front line, shrine maiden and demon hunter Mana Tatsumiya entered slowly behind them, her rifle still leveled, followed closely by Kazumi Asakura.

As Fei charged to the front, Kaede threw a small metal star in Setsuna's direction. Her aim was true and it struck her bindings, severing them. Setsuna slowly rose and picked up her sword, which had been left about ten yards from where they were being held. It was Kazumi who address the cloaked man.

"OK! You're, like, totally outnumbered! We're taking our friends home!" Negi had never heard the valley girl speak with so much conviction.

Tsukuyomi looked around, "Yeah… Uh…. I'm not getting paid for this!" She said sweetly and fled to the back of the temple. Shortly after disappearing in the shadows they could hear the sound of a door closing. With his Golem long since dispelled, his demon banished and his sword-maiden having fled, the dark man was forced to agree with Kazumi's assessment of the situation

"Yes. You're right. And I have no intention of trying to fight all of you…" with a flourish of his cloak, the shadowy figure disappeared in thick cloud of noxious black smoke.

"Come on," Kazumi said, looking at Negi. "Let's get you home."

[Niceguy]

Part 4/4

Although Negi wanted to go back and admit responsibility right away, the four rescuers thought it would go better for all of them if they snuck back in. "You can, like, explain everything to Takahata-sensei in the morning.' Kazumi argued. Reluctantly, Negi gave in. The group decided it would be best to split up. Kazumi joined Asuna and Negi; Fei carried Kamo; Kaede escorted Nodoka and Yue; while Mana went with Setsuna. They each took separate routes back the hotel, approaching it from different paths.

Fei-Ku had the easiest time, scaling the wall and slipping into her 2^nd floor window with the unconscious Kamo tucked into a deep pocket in her Gi. Unfortunately, she had gotten turned around a bit making her way back and the window she was slipping into was on the opposite side of the building from her room. Professor Takahata was jarred awake as Fei Ku nearly tripped over him in bed. Needless to say he got quite a shocked for the sight of Ku Fei sneaking in though the window and into his bed. Fei just smiled innocently and gave up. She was caught.

Outside, Kaede waited for the clerk at the front desk to be called away before sneaking in with Yue and Nodoka and making a break for the nearest stairwell. The reached their floor without any trouble, but opened the stairwell door and almost walked right into the back of one of the school chaperones. The much taller Kaede grabbed the girls and silently whisked them into a nearby utility closet to hide until the chaperone moved on. The fit was close, and Nodoka was squashed against Yue, whose jacket had a lot more cat hair on it than Nodoka's mainly due to Yue's resistance to the demon's little game.

"Yue… Y-You're jacket *sniff*…" Nodoka whispered desperately.

"Hang in there bookworm…" Yue's whisper was cool and level, as always.

"…t-too m-much… *sniff* cat… hair.. *sniff*…" Kaede was able to move just enough to put a finger under Nodoka's twitching nose. This was more than either of the smaller girls could manage as they were pinned in the tight space.

"Just another minute… b-book… w-worm…. aaaaaAAAAAAHHH-choo!" Seconds after Yue's loud, throaty sneeze the door opened and they were greeted by the chaperone, who stood outside, tapping his foot.

As Mana and Setsuna approached the hotel from a wooded area, Mana noticed a shadow coming from around the corner of the building. It was a teacher. "Get down!" She commanded in a whisper, grabbing Setsuna and forcing her to the ground. Her attention was so focused on the patrolling teacher the she did not notice Setsuna struggling as her face was planted directly into a small patch of flowering weeds.

"*sniiiif* Mana!" Setsuna pleaded in a whisper.

"Shhh! Quiet now!" She was still looking at the teacher. Setsuna pushed against the ground, trying frantically to raise herself, but Mana's hand was of the back of her head, holding her down.

"*sniff* Mana… *sniff* I… can't…!"

"Shush! She's almost gone…"

"can't… ha…hold…. on… eh… eh… EHTChoo! EHTChoo! EHTChoo!" Setsuna's triple brought the attention of the teacher and they surrendered, caught.

Last to arrive were Kazumi, Asuna and Negi. Along the way he pleaded with Kazumi to just let him go, and explain everything to Professor Takahata, but Kazumi wouldn't hear of it. She insisted on trying to sneak in and told Negi to sleep on it, and tell Takahata-sensei about it the morning if he still felt like he should. After a few more tries he gave up. The trio walked up behind the hotel, and caught just a whiff of tobacco and the sound of footsteps from around the corner before diving behind a dumpster. It was Takahata, who decided to take a look around after being woken by Fei Ku crawling into his window and over his bed.

The three crouched down in the shadows. Asuna gazed at Takahata through her still irritated eyes. Even roused from sleep in the middle of the night he seemed handsome to her. She pinched her nose as a precaution. She did not want to be caught by him a second time.

"Ka…zumi…" Negi managed as quietly as he could, "are you… w-wearing p-perfume?"

"Yeah! I, like, got it for my birthday! Do you like it?" Asuna rolled her swollen eyes. 'What were these two idiots doing?!' she thought to herself.

"Yes… but… it's going… to make… m-me… snee… ah… sneeze…. AAAAHHH-SSSSHHHHOOOOOO!"

Gravel and mulch flew past the startled Takahata. "Ok, Negi. Gig's up. Come on out."

__________________________________________

The three did the 'dead man's walk' back the hotel lobby, and were dismayed to see everyone one of their co-conspirators lined up. Mana, Kaede, and Fei (with Kamo on her shoulder) stood behind a couch, while Nodoka, Yue and Setsuna sat on the couch, dabbing their red noses with tissues from a shared box on the coffee table.

Negi looked forlornly at Takahata. "Let them go back to their rooms, Takahata-sensei. This is all my doing. Let them go up and get some sleep and I'll explain what's been going on. I'll take responsibility."

Takahata sounded only the slightest bit angry. "I'll decide who will take responsibility, Negi-sensei. But… I'll hear you out. Girls? You can head up to your rooms. Go right to bed now, or there will be punishments! You've used up all your second chances."

Negi started from the beginning, and told his friend about the cloaked man and his offer for the Mirror, as well as his own lies and broken promise. He considered explaining the reason for his deception, but figured Takahata was wise enough to fill that in for himself. When he finished, he was fighting back tears. "I'm so sorry… I'll understand if I'm fired. I won't protest. There's no excuse for my behavior."

Expected to be hit, or yelled at, or at the very least sacked, Negi was surprised when Takahata embraced him instead. He hugged his mentor back and finally broke down.

"Negi… I can't say I'm not disappointed in you. I'm hurt that you broke your promise to me, and also that you never asked for my advice or told me about this man. And although I'm aware of how special these girls are, I'm appalled that you got them involved so recklessly. But… I can't say that at your age, in your position, that I would have done any better. You've been given the responsibilities and burdens of an adult, and you always handle them so flawlessly, that it's easy for me to forget how young you are. Don't worry. You're not fired. And I won't report any of the girls' involvement in this affair either. I know how much your dad means to you. That's why Dean Konoe asked me to warn you. We didn't want to go looking for this thing and end up getting thrown off the real trail in your search for your father. Negi, know this: I want you to find him. I long to see him again myself. And I will never be an obstacle in that endeavor. I will always be there to help you… All you have to do is: ask me."

Drying his tears he looked up into his mentor's gentle face. After all he'd done he did not deserve this man's kindness. He was overwhelmed by it. 'Was his father a man like Takamichi?' he thought to himself. He stared at his friend for a moment longer before saying, "Thank you, Takamichi." After embracing him one more time, as a grateful son would a beloved father, he headed upstairs to his room to get some much needed sleep.

___________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading.

If you enjoyed this fanfic, click the link below for more...

http://www.sneezefetishforum.org/forums/in...;showentry=4581

[Blah!?]

WOOHOO! Based on how good all these have been, I can't wait for the Chobits fic!

I don't really know much about Negima (enough to get by, I suppose) but this still kicked much ass!

[Demosthenes]

...definitely. Serious ass. I love it!

[Pilgrim]

That was...a masterstroke. You could've ended at the third part, but you went ahead for a full conclusion, just like you decided to go for a full-scale plot. Even threw in a Harry Potter reference. Well done, sir. Well done indeed.

[Niceguy]

That was...a masterstroke. You could've ended at the third part, but you went ahead for a full conclusion, just like you decided to go for a full-scale plot. Even threw in a Harry Potter reference. Well done, sir. Well done indeed.

So you spotted the Harry Potter reference, huh?

Well... after the events in Sorceror's Stone I figured Dumbledore needed to stash it somewhere really far away...

Yeah... I could use a fancy word like homage, but basically I just couldn't think of anything else - so I stole that idea instead.

Hey what the heck, right? Since Akamatsu-dono pretty much lifted the entire character of Harry Potter I figred one little "Easter Egg" wouldn't be too bad!

Anyway, I'm glad you guys liked it! (Hell, I'm just glad someone actually read the whole thing!)

Thanks!

(Hey just a bit of a riddle/trivia - 100 point's to anyone who can guess why Negi's last thought before passing out in the girl's room (after Asuna clobbered him) was "Indigo". Don't post it here - PM me if you've got a guess. I'm curious if anyone picked up on it.)

[Guest jafeir]

can you do a negima story where Evangeline gets sick and needs to suck negi's blood to cure herself. think about it, she sneezes and maybe uses negi as her tissue?

[Niceguy]

can you do a negima story where Evangeline gets sick and needs to suck negi's blood to cure herself. think about it, she sneezes and maybe uses negi as her tissue?

Yeah... I think I could do something along those lines.

Evangeline is one of my favorite charecters, not just in Negima! but in anime period. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't work her into this one, but the whole "permission slip" gag had already been done, so... But yeah. If I do another it will probably center on Evangeline. I loved it in the Magna when they mentioned that she got sick and had pollen allergies... but then I was bummed that they never did anything with it. So yes... I think I will, but I've got two more stories lined up that I want to get though first. (1/2way done with the 1st one.)

Definitely a good idea though.

[Guest jafeir]

Great, I think it would be pretty funny to see (or read about) Evangeline blowing her nose on negi, and it being a Master and Student relationship between the two of them he can't get out of taking care of her