Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ The Dreamer ❯ Perfection ( Chapter 14 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
-----Author’s note: In the previous chapter, I made a mistake! Oh my God, I seriously did. It’s probably not noticeable to most people, but this chapter would probably bring up the question: Where’d Kaede and Yue go? In the last chapter, after Kaede rescues Yue, I forgot to mention that Kaede was going to take Yue back to the mansion, where she would stay and protect the rest of the students with Setsuna. She would have said something like: “This is Negi-bozu’s battle. I don’t plan on getting in the way.....” Or something like that. Oh, man, I feel incompetent. Oh well, hopefully that doesn’t spoil it for anyone! (Sorry for being slow with an update, by the way). I do not own Negima!, but any other characters and ideas are my own. Enjoy.....-----


With the absence of the ‘thousand master’, the rain had halted its halo around the island, coming down in a rush as the clouds reformed over the library. The rain picked back up, but it couldn’t rival the ferocity of the storm, earlier. In her dark, stormy surroundings, Ku Fei could barely make out the falling boy, and didn’t seem to notice Evangeline approaching her.

Negi couldn’t die! Even the simple thought ringing in her head sounded nothing short of ridiculous. He had always been so strong, so smart, kind.....there was no way he’d be killed, he wouldn’t let it happen. He’d have figured out a way to stop it, right? Who could hurt such a perfect kid? Even Evangeline, who would publicly swear that she hated him, would never hurt him like that! Ku Fei growled, turning angry eyes at the slowly approaching figure of the copycat.

“You monster!” She yelled, rushing to knock the fake’s head clean off.

The icicle slammed into the ground behind Evangeline, who glanced over her shoulder to take a quick look at her handiwork before polishing off blondy. Her light smirk vanished when she found the chunk of ice to be by itself, no victim attached. No blood, either? Her eyes, accustomed to the dark, spied a scrap of paper matted to the ground by the rain. “A fake?” She yelled, turning scarlet.

Ku Fei could feel the energy burning inside of her, pulsing through her like her boiling blood. Chi was always like that, but it was overflowing, now, and she was ready to use it. The water around her burst into steam as she threw her fist forward, shattering Evangeline’s shield and cracking her cheekbone. Stupid fake should have been paying more attention.

Evangeline’s stunned and limp body would have been hurled away after the impact, but Ku Fei was far from done and didn’t allow it. Using her other hand, she caught her opponent by the ankle before she got out of reach, sliding with her a couple of feet before spinning her around. Once she could feel the tug of the swing threatening her grip, she released the girl. The paralyzed copycat sped up and into the library, smashing through bookcases as she went.

Still fueled by the excess flow of Chi and rage, Ku Fei tapped into the well and performed the instant movement technique, flickering into sight in the darkness of the library. Perched on one of the bookcases, she continued to focus her energy. She could see around her for the faint blueish glow she was emanating. Spinning full around, with one leg swinging up, she brought her heel down into the copycat’s face as she burst through a bookcase and came into range.
Evangeline would have made her own personal crater in the ground had she been allowed to make contact with it. She didn’t receive this luxury, however, as Ku Fei performed the instant movement a second time, appearing below the vampire with only enough time to thrust her fist up into her opponent’s back.

Evangeline arched up backwards in midair, shocked to find a little blood spurt from her mouth as she did. This was bad.....she didn’t have enough time to change into someone who could put an end to this game. How the hell was she getting destroyed so mercilessly? Her shield had given out with a single attack!

The Chinese girl jumped up, spinning to kick her helpless prey in the chest. Evangeline skimmed the ground, eventually sliding to a stop out on the wet concrete. She attempted to get up, but found that she was quite unable to. Her face was throbbing from the first attack, and she was certain she had more than one broken bone. Ku Fei had halted her attack, whether out of pity or exhaustion, the copycat couldn’t tell.

“Rastel maskil magister.....” A familiar voice echoed through the storm from up above.

Evangeline groaned, trying to get away. The most she could muster was to crawl, however.

Ku Fei watched her teacher up in the stormy sky, hanging onto his staff with the one hand as he gathered a fierce light in his second. How had he managed to survive the icicle? Seeing him alive somehow seemed to sap the energy from her, bringing her back down to her normal self.

“Veniant spiritus aeriales fulgurientes! Cum fulgurationi flet tempestas austrina!” Negi’s hand felt like it was on fire, but this was the heaviest spell he had, and he knew when it was time to use it. ‘This might not have worked against the monster from Kyoto, so who’s to say it can defeat you? .....Then again, you’re only a copy,’ He thought, swinging his hand out towards his target, he shouted, “Jovis tempestas fulguriens!”

Thunder boomed through the night, Ku Fei losing her balance as the ground below her rumbled with the attack as it broke through the darkness. She marveled at the sky as, like for his father, even fake, the clouds parted for the son, as well. The beam of light roared over Evangeline, burying her deep into the ground as it carved out a path through the island.

Once the attack had subsided, Negi dropped the distance to the ground, landing softly thanks to the tug of his staff. Ku Fei rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him with a happy laugh, “I thought you die, Negi-bozu! How you ok?”

“I have Setsuna-san to thank for that,” Negi admitted, easing back from his student. He hopped down into the hole in the island, sliding down to the motionless body of the copycat. Ku Fei, now that she had taken care of business in a manner even she wasn’t entirely sure she was capable of, hurried over to Connor, who still lay on the ground in silence.

“Even if I can’t go, there’s at least one thing I can do for you.....” Setsuna reached into her pocket, handing Negi a helpful tool he was certainly familiar with, by this time. She gave him a slight nod, stepping back into the rep’s room.

Kaede and Negi made their way down the hall, turning the corner before Kaede spoke, “What is it?”

“One of those papers for a clone. Setsuna-san calls them ‘onmyou gods’. You’re familiar, right?”

“That I am. Got any plans for it?”

“I’ve never seen the copycat fight, to be honest. Setsuna-san said that she was defeated pretty bad, but Connor isn’t stronger than her, I can feel it,” Kaede nodded her agreement, but remained silent, “I think that the copycat’s powers are flawed, at least more than he knows they are. I’ll use this to find out.....while you help Yue-san and Ku Fei-san.”

“I’m more worried about Yue-dono. Ku Fei can handle herself just fine. Negi-bozu, you need to be careful about Connor, too. He’s already at a disadvantage, and he might need the real you to back him up.”

“I won’t let anything happen to him. I just need to see for myself.....what this fake can do.....”

Negi pulled the groaning Evangeline up into the drizzling rain, laying her out on the ground. Ku Fei had pulled Connor over to them, and he was currently resting on her lap.

“Time to talk,” Negi commanded the moaning girl sternly. He felt bad at seeing Evangeline in such a pitiful state, but he knew it wasn’t really her. If he kept reminding himself of that, he’d be alright.

“How.....” The fake replied weakly, “Did I.....lose? My magic is.....perfect.....”

“Nothing’s perfect,” Negi replied softly, “Especially not your tactics. After watching you fight with Connor and my copy, I knew for sure you weren’t as untouchable as you thought.”

“Ha.....and how’s that?”

“Not only do you have to cope with the emotions of the person you’re posing as, you don’t really gain all of their power. No matter who you choose to be, you can’t exceed the physical or magical limits your real body has. You’re stronger than Connor and Setsuna-san, which is why when you took his form you were able to defeat her so easily. That’s something Connor probably couldn’t do at all. When you were pretending to be my father.....” He paused a second to remember the face, “that first attack should have killed Connor, but it didn’t, because your magical strength can’t compare with the thousand master’s. Ku Fei-san was able to break Evangeline’s shield because you just can’t measure up to her real abilities. Your copying technique is your greatest strength, but also your greatest weakness.”

“Boya.....get me some ice.....” Was the feeble reply he got. He would have sworn he saw a ghost of a smile flicker across her face.

“Beaten up bad guys don’t get to make the calls. You’re going to tell me what I need to know about the voice, now.”

“Or what? You gonna kill me, boya? .....I’d like to see you try.” Evangeline was careful to open her mouth as little as possible, the pain in her jaw much more than she had experienced in quite a long while.

“No, I won’t kill you. If I become a murderer.....than I’m no different from you, or the people you work for, or whoever else. You’re going to tell me because no matter who you choose to be, that’s what they’ll want.”

“I don’t have to be someone you know.....don’t think I’m so useless.....” Evangeline mumbled, trying to move to rub her forehead, but her arm was limp and useless.

“No, it wouldn’t matter even if you were a complete stranger. No one wants to live in fear.....no one. That’s what the dream is causing, all over the magic world. People have died because of the things you do.....and no one knows why. What did we ever do to you?” Negi asked, trying hard to hide any emotions he may be feeling. He was angry, confused, sad, and whatever emotion that came from having too many emotions. He was proud at having defeated the copycat, but what did it get him but the sight of seeing someone he cared about beaten bloody?

“.....Nothing.....”

“Then why? What point is there in terrorizing us?”

“.....It’s all for her.....boya.....we do it because that’s what she needs us to do. To save her.....” Evangeline whispered.

“S-Save who? Who is ‘she’?”

“Our savior.....our messiah.....she comes from a higher realm to deliver us from this world.....to save us.....” Evangeline’s face took on an odd pleasant feature, as though simply speaking about this person carried her troubles far away. Her face got real serious as she turned to look into the boy’s eyes, “Not that.....I need her to, boya.....”

“How can you say that? Savior? She has you attacking innocent people, killing them! What for?” Negi nearly shouted.

“Because she needs them.....their power.....we kill them, liberating their energy, so that she can harness their lives and stay with us.....Without the energy from the targeted, she’d disappear forever.....”
“Energy? Like magic? Is that what you mean?”

“Then why pick me? I no have magic!” Ku Fei exclaimed, holding her limp teacher close to her.

“No.....not like magic.....this goes far beyond normal magic.....like the gift she gave me.....”

“The ability to shape shift, right? We can’t see the aura of magic around you.....because it’s something more?”

“Right. It’s.....not of this world.....it’s higher, above our grasp. Without her, I would be nothing.....”

“Explain it to me. Why would she disappear without killing people? How does she choose her targets?” Negi asked, kneeling down beside his motionless enemy.

The copycat wanted desperately to change, to shut the hell up. Evangeline’s will wouldn’t hear of it, however. Not until she had said everything that needed to be said. Negi was right.....his shape shifting was his biggest strength, but it was ultimately proving to be his downfall.

“.....To stay in our plane of existence.....a large amount of power is needed. It’s something that she can obtain.....by pulling the souls out of the executed targets. Usually, the targets are.....full of magical power, but not always,” Evangeline’s eyes fell upon Ku Fei, “Sometimes.....Chi will suffice, if it is in great concentration. Because she’s a higher being.....it’s impossible for her to remain with us for any length of time without the souls she needs to survive.....”

“You take their souls!?” Negi yelled, grabbing Evangeline by the collar and pulling her up to face him directly, “How can you do something so disgusting? For some woman who tells you she’s some sort of God?”

“.....Necessary sacrifices.....” Was the whispered response the teacher received.

“What about Haruka-sensei? Are you telling me that his soul is gone, now? Stolen by that monster you’re following? Then.....what about Takamichi.....or.....you?”

“Don’t worry, boya.....we’re not dead.....soon, we’ll wake up. But.....we won’t be playing on your side, then,” Evangeline continued to speak in a low tone, almost as though she were in a graveyard during a funeral procession.

“.....They been captured?” Ku Fei whispered, trying to rouse Connor, but failing.

“.....So that’s what happens if the voice catches you? What, you get converted? Takamichi would never help you people do something so horrible!” Negi exclaimed defiantly, dropping the girl who let herself slump against the ground.

“He won’t think it.....so horrible after our mother shows him the light.....I know I didn’t. If you could only see the world she could give us.....”

“And what’s wrong with our world, now?”

“Death.....poverty.....sadness.....war.....sickn ess.....the list goes on, and on, and on.....it’s wrong because it isn’t perfect.....She can change that.....”

“I already told you, nothing’s perfect! Everyone can only do what they can, believe in what they do, even if it causes suffering, that will never change. She’s lying to you.....this world might not be perfect, but how can anything that comes at the cost of so much fighting and death possibly be better?” Negi let his eyes wander away from his defeated enemy, letting his words fade off into the light patter of the slowly dissipating rain.

“Such.....big talk, coming from such a small runt.....but talking alone isn’t going to save you, boya.....” A puff of smoke caused the boy to stumble back a step, though he made sure to keep in-between Ku Fei and the doppelganger. When the little cloud of smoke dispersed, Negi was relieved to find that the enemy was still on the ground, though in a form he had never seen before.

“Wh-Who are you?” He asked cautiously.

“No more games.....this is who I am.....I’m too tired to hide, anymore.....” Ku Fei looked the man over. He was dressed in a loose fitting emerald robe, tied around the waist by a thick brown sash which looped over his shoulders. His young face, it couldn’t have broken twenty-five-years-old, was marred by several bruises and what promised to be a scar cut across the entire left side of his face. His light brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which was strewn unceremoniously upon the ground behind his head. If he weren’t in such terrible shape, she’d have to admit that he was handsome.

“So this is what you really look like? You don’t seem like a bad person.....” Negi admitted, though he knew for a fact that you should never judge someone based on their appearance.

“Keeping in mind.....that from my point of view.....you are the bad guy.....Negi-kun.....” The man pointed out, breathing hard. He could feel in his swollen chest that Ku Fei had snapped a rib or two with that final kick she had given him.

“You.....probably aren’t going to live.....” Negi whispered, more because he didn’t want to admit the truth aloud, than anything else.

“Yeah.....feels that way.....I never thought.....that I’d die before I got to see the new world.....”

“A necessary sacrifice, right?”

“Ha.....ha.....right, Negi-kun, now you’re catching on.....” The man swallowed hard, pulling at his robes as though he were too hot, “It’s too bad.....that you weren’t on our side.....you deserve a better world, too.....”

“Hold on, wait! Why didn’t you kill Setsuna-san?” Negi blurted as he remembered Setsuna’s explanation on why she hadn’t been finished.

“Ha.....my fellow lady-lover? I.....d-didn’t know at the time.....she was j-just.....just another enemy, I thought.....She doesn’t have the aura for a reason.....Even after the Outbreak happens.....Maybe you should look at who should have it.....b-but doesn’t.....I’ll leave you to think.....about that.....Negi.....kun.....”

The boy watched as the life faded from the copycat’s eyes, becoming dull and listless. Negi grabbed his shoulders, trying to keep him awake, “Hey! Stop that! We’ll get you help, just hold on a few minutes!” He turned to tell Ku Fei to run for help, but she shook her head no.

“He not breathing, Negi-bozu. It too late, now.....” She said softly, not moving.

“But.....he just.....he thought he was doing the right thing.....just like us.....now he’s.....” Negi sat beside the body, finding that the only thing he could look at was the set of eyes before him.

“.....Leave it alone.....kid,” Connor muttered, not moving. Ku Fei seemed a little startled at his talking all of a sudden, but she felt better knowing he was alright.

“C-Connor.....how much did you hear?” Negi asked quietly, not looking away from the man before him.

“Enough to know what’s going on.....nice speech about how nothing’s perfect, by the way,” He admitted, slowly lifting his head from Ku Fei’s lap, giving her a small smile on his way up. “Don’t.....don’t beat yourself up over this one guy.....he was a crazy zealot.....who got caught up in the wrong crowd. All that crap he said about changing the world.....that’s all it is, crap.”

“.....What if.....”

“No, don’t even think about the ‘what ifs’!” Connor near yelled, “Think of the people that would have to die for this so called utopia! Sunshine, Asakura, Yue.....not to mention, you’d have to die, too. Even if what this guy said was true, which I highly doubt, are you willing to sacrifice all of them for this so called ‘mother’s’ ideal?”

Negi shook his head, “Of course not! I could never.....never give them up, not for anything!”

“You said that anything that came at the cost of so much fighting and death couldn’t be better than what we already have.....do you really believe that? You’re not going to be much help if you can’t decide which side you want to fight for, kid.”

“Of course I believe it. I wouldn’t have said it, otherwise. If you have to lose the people you love to get something, than that thing is something you don’t need. No matter how flawed the world is, I still love it, and my friends. That’s enough of a reason for me to fight these people.....I believe that, too.”

“Good! Then we fight bad guys and stop dream!” Ku Fei exclaimed, hopping up to her feet. The rain finally came to a stop, the clouds parting over the island and letting the early morning rays of light through to the people below.

The three began the walk back to the rep’s mansion, even if slowly so that Connor could keep up. He stubbornly refused to allow either of them to help him walk.

“Negi.....that imitation guy.....he said that their ‘mother’ came from a higher realm. That her magic was different from the magic of this world.....you don’t think that.....maybe.....” Connor struggled to say what he was thinking, hoping that the boy would finish his sentence for him.

“Maybe.....she isn’t from a higher realm, but from another world? Is that what you’re thinking?”

“.....Yeah. What if she came through the portal when I did?” He whispered to the boy, keeping careful to make sure Ku Fei didn’t catch what he said.

“What kind of people are in your world, if they would do horrible things like this?” Negi whispered back, noticing how Ku Fei wasn’t being very discreet in her attempts to overhear them. She was currently trying to pull them apart to place herself in-between.

“Ask yourself this, kid; Has there ever been a time, or a place, when there wasn’t power-hungry monsters, willing to do terrible things to get what they wanted?”

“But to go so far.....as to use other’s souls as an energy source.....your world must be a terrible place,” Negi mused softly.

“Nothing’s perfect, kid.....”

“Magic.....Connor.....your magic! What’s wrong with it?” Negi suddenly froze up, grabbing Connor by the arm and pulling him to a stop.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Your magic.....it’s black magic, isn’t it?”

Connor glanced over at Ku Fei, who was looking confused, and rather unhappy. Would her opinion of him be less if she knew the truth about him? Did he care? .....That was a stupid question. He knew he did, which was why he was finding the right words to place his answer in so difficult to grasp. Unable to find an elegant way to put it, he simply said, “It is.”

“Just.....Just how black, is it?”

“That’s a stupid question, kid. Black is black. That’s all,” The man in black stated, pulling his arm free of the boy’s grip, continuing towards the Yukihiro mansion. He could see it coming up, in the distance. The storm hadn’t seemed to have released its angry grip over the building, he noted.

“What did you do to get it?” Negi asked, refusing to follow, just yet. What he got out of him now could be the difference between saving Asakura, or letting her.....

Connor stopped walking, about ten feet ahead of his two allies. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him.

“What you do?” Ku Fei asked, her voice sounding small and fragile. He knew the truth would break the bonds they had, and that was something he didn’t want. Not at all. The life he had led up until coming to this new world.....the things he had done, no matter his intentions.....the cruel fact of the matter was that even though it had happened in another world, his past would never leave him alone, it appeared.

“.....I can’t.....tell you.”

“Can’t or won’t? Asakura-san’s life is hanging in the balance right now! You have to-”

“What?” Connor interrupted, spinning full around to stare at the boy teacher, whose face was deathly grim.

“She’s having a negative reaction to the magic from the pactio. If we can’t reverse it, she’ll.....” Negi trailed off, running after Connor who had already begun his dash for the manor ahead. Ku Fei was quick to follow.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Connor yelled, jumping over the gate to the mansion, pounding through the gardens.

Negi followed suit, but didn’t reply.

“You should have left me to take care of things at the library if she needed you!” Connor flung the door open, waiting for Negi to come in behind him, “Where is she?”

Silently, Negi hurried through the halls with Connor and Ku Fei close behind him. More than once Connor’s boots came close to tearing his heels off he was so close. After several unbearably long minutes, the three found themselves before the rep’s door. Negi wanted to go in, but he was afraid to. What if they were too late? What if Konoka hadn’t been able to help her at all?

Connor grabbed the handle, pulling the door open and entering the room.

Time seemed to break as he surveyed the room. Everything was going incredibly slow, but after the fact he found it hard to recall exactly what had happened in the room, regardless of the seeming eternity he had to imprint it into his mind. Chamo was standing on Asakura’s chest talking to the girl. Konoka and Setsuna were sitting in a corner of the room, holding each other. Kaede and Yue were sitting in two separate chairs beside the bed, apparently lost deep in thought.

Negi stepped cautiously into the room, the scene coming damn close to ripping his heart out of his chest. Setsuna was doing all in her power to console the inconsolable Konoka, who was sobbing deeply into her guardian’s shoulder. Kaede, her own eyes misted over, turned to find Negi and Connor standing in the room, silent. Ku Fei was out in the hall, though she could see everything that she needed to. The kunoichi shook her head slowly, lowering her gaze back to the girl on the bed before her.

The only noise that rose up over Konoka’s crying was Chamo’s voice, as he tried to communicate with his friend, “Sister! Sister, this isn’t funny, stop it! Wake up! .....Wake up.....”



-----Author’s other note: I hate myself, want to join the club? I don’t get why I killed off one of my favorites, while there are so many others I’d have no problem seeing go, at all! Sure, this death may have incredible impact on the overall story, but man.....even I was a little upset with it, and I could have changed it. I’m some special kind of heartless.....

I didn’t want to kill the copycat, either. I liked him, too! I mean, who didn’t like him, honestly? He was fun to use, and he wasn’t really ‘evil’.....The original plan was to make him a good guy for the last battle, but while I was writing it just didn’t happen like that. To be fair, though, Asakura’s death was planned, even though she’s in my top five favorites.....

This chapter was pretty big for getting some details of what’s going on, but not everything should be crystal clear, yet. Wow, we’re getting close to a big ending.....I hope it comes out as good as I keep thinking it will. Don’t be afraid to tell me who should live and who should die (for the hundredth time). Asakura is a good example of the fact that I may not listen, but who knows? You could pick one out to die (if I haven’t already doomed that particular character), or perhaps even save one. There’s a burden, huh? Save your favorite Negima! Character from death by fanfiction.....man.....well, thanks for reading.....-----