Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its vibrant characters...

Fang Vice addiction: "By Your Enrapture"

Chapter Eleven: Destiny has Brought You Here

By Traingham

"She found death at the hands of the boy she loved." Chao paced the back room of her restaurant, her hair unbound messily, falling to her waist in dark silk and her clothes still showing the scars of combat from her final encounter with Dorothy Summers. The wounds that she sustained in her struggle to keep her father safe from the maniacal vampire, particularly the near fatal lacerations that Dorothy had inflicted as a parting gift, had healed before they could have properly ended her. Blood ties to the great "Dark Evangel" had their share of benefits.

"Disappointed?" Mana asked the Chinese time traveler, taking her place beside the side door she used to enter the room.

"I'm not sure..." Chao replied absently as she finally came to a halt in her pacing. "I wanted to end her life personally...but for some reason it felt more proper the way it turned out." The young woman ran a hand over the back of her head before offering Mana a curious smile. That had to be the first time Mana ever recalled seeing her nervous. It wasn't exactly a picture of confidence, and it certainly didn't fit the current owner. When Chao Lingshen was met with a shred of uncertainty or doubt, something was clearly going wrong somewhere in the world.

"What's the problem?" Mana inquired in a business like tone. She had a feeling that this invitation wasn't for something as sentimental as a final good-bye. The relationship she shared with Chao had always been strictly professional. Any sudden change in that silent agreement and the lovely marksman would feel a need to exercise some caution around the devious scientist. She was one of the last people that she would place her personal trust in, and that was just a step underneath Evangeline McDowell.

"It's been bothering me since Dorothy went off to meet with Evangeline during the tournament finals." Chao crossed her arms, her tone going uneasy. "Dorothy once told me in one of our conversations that Negi was destined to kill her, which bothers me. If that was true, then I'd see no logic in her pursuing her own killer." She resumed her pacing again.

"It might have been planned." Mana suggested.

"It couldn't have been." Chao replied doubtfully. "When Negi ran her through, her reaction was classic shock. She never anticipated it."

"Weird..." Mana seemed to ponder for a moment before bringing herself back to the conversation. "Anyway, what's your point?"

"McDowell." Chao answered her, stopping in mid pace once again. "I'm going to need you to take on a final assignment for me. Just name your price." The magic words were said and it was all that was needed to get Mana's interest. Chao decided long ago not to entertain such thoughts as to what was the price tag on a life for this woman's profession, but the captain was as lethal as they came and that sort of edge was not maintained through training alone.

"I'll decide when you give me the details."

"I need you to act as a buffer." Chao's response managed to a quirked brow out of the dark skinned beauty. "Mistress Dorothy passed along some information to McDowell on their meeting during the tournament. Something tells me that it wasn't done without some sort of ulterior motive in mind, and the way that Evangeline approached Negi-chan after we got down from the zeppelin...it irked me somewhat."

"How so?" Mana's eyes narrowed slightly.

"It was openly affectionate for a person like herself." Chao replied. "Unexpected and new."

"I understand." Mana nodded knowingly. "You want me to set a distance between them."

"I can't trust anyone else with something like this. It would be far too much of a risk."

"You're afraid that Negi won't meet your mother?"

"Evangeline may be set on keeping that from happening." Chao turned away from Mana and moved towards the window cautiously. She was likely checking to see if Gandolfini was anywhere nearby. As far as the mages were concerned, Chao Lingshen was still a major threat to the stability of the magic realm. Dorothy Summer's presence in all of it was something only a select few were aware of. "Entrusting something like this with any of the other girls would be literal suicide. Negi-chan is still young and adventurous. If he were to set his sight on a girl before he met my mother, Dorothy, would still come out on top as the victor in all of this."

"And what is it about me that puts your worries at ease?" Mana questioned. With her tone of voice, it was rather difficult to discern whether her question was supposed to be received humorously or if she was honestly implying something unfavorable. With Mana it was never a clear bet.

"I trust you not to chase after a little boy."

Mana looked to the side and chuckled, closing her eyes. "Hmph."

"Will you accept it?"

"How long do you intend for me to keep this up if I do?"

"Until Negi decides to leave Mahora." Chao replied casually. When she saw the suspicious look on the captain's face, the Chinese scientist smirked. "Don't worry, captain. That day is not so far off. That is, of course, if you do your job well in keeping him away from McDowell. Something tells me that she'll be trying to keep him quite close from now on...in more ways than one."

".....Fine." Mana answered her with a nod. "I'll take my payment from you the next time we get in contact." With that she shifted her weight forward to get away from her leaning post beside the door and placed her hand on the door knob to turn it and take her leave. Chao's eyes remained on the door as it swung shut with a light click. Yes, Mana Tatsumiya was the closest to an ensured future that she could place her hopes in, however, even that didn't keep it from being a gamble. The only differences between the lovely marksman and the rest of the girls in Negi Springfield's class, was her motivations and the cold philosophy that she based her lifestyle upon. When that armor was pierced, even the cold shrine priestess was a blossoming, young woman at heart, just like all of the rest.

"Til' we meet again...Dark Tatsumiya, The Eye of Infinity."

Fast-forward to the present!

Location: The Pocket Dimensional, Moonlight Manor

"Where is it? C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Whined the gossip mogul of the underworld, Lil' Mika. Her blue nails glittered in the glow of a nearby torch flame as she tossed her dark blue locks back, and she beckoned at the twin maids of the dark manor with an expectant glare gracing her child-like features, strutting toward them with her other hand on her hip. Two young men followed behind her with subdued postures, similar to how loyal servants followed behind their lords. They were, of course, her camera men and if the rumors about Lil' Mika's treatment of those under her payroll were true, then there simply was no need of explanation for their dispositions.

'Where is...what?' Twin I shot at the short gossip mogul telepathically with a slightly raised left eyebrow, or rather for the sake of better understanding for telling the two twins apart, her name was Eva. She had been in the process of helping her twin undo the black wraps around her right hand when Mika decided to suddenly pop into existence. To enter the pocket dimension that Lucinda established for her manor you either had to be invited, ensnared, a powerful spell caster or Lil' Mika. Lil' Mika was blessed with the natural ability to bend dimensional threads to her will, which was one of the main contributing factors as to why she was so successful in her profession as a gossip mogul. All she needed was a tip off on where the action was, and she was there in the blink of an eye. The twins were no strangers to the major inconveniences that such abilities brought upon the people she intended to siphon her desired information from, as they were servants of the infamous, Lucinda Mcvicar...nuff said.

Lina, twin II, offered her twin a nod of appreciation at her assistance and turned to Mika with the usual neutral expression adorning her pale face. 'The Mistress is away at the moment. She has not given us any indication of when she shall return.'

"Well...where is she?"

'We were not told.' Eva rolled up the hand wrap and set in down on the ledge of the window beside her.

Lina looked to the side blankly, 'Though one would guess that she might have gone after him.' Mika placed her hands on her hips with a look of intrigue when the maid raised her eyes to the ceiling and repeated, 'After him.' Funny thing was, Mika couldn't remember the last time she ever heard of a -HIM- being something of a particular subject of interest when it came to Mistress McVicar. Lucinda McVicar never so much as pursued as she did attract, which was something that could be taken to extreme lengths much to the woe and confusion of those whom envied her. The top underwear and lingerie models of the underworld could walk down the red carpet of an exclusive party, stark naked, and they still could find themselves ignored if Lucinda Mcvicar happened to be walking ahead of them fully dressed, and the fan bases......dear god, the fan bases.

She simply had to know, "Uh," The blue haired vampire flailed her right arm anxiously, pointing at the second twin with her other hand, "Y-you!"

'Lina.' The maid corrected her.

"That, too." Mika didn't bother to keep that in mind. "Who were you just talking about earlier?"

'...Lord Springfield?'

"Lord Spri--" She almost spoke the name with reverence, but something simply didn't seem right about it. "Lord Springfield?" She crossed her arms with her head lowered in deep thought for a moment. She went over the list of Dark lords she knew in her head a few times, yet regardless of how carefully she went through them a 'Lord Springfield' just didn't seem to be pop up. When that failed she looked over her shoulder at her camera men for some clarification. "You guys familiar with a Lord Springfield?"

Edgar, the bald one of the two shook his head. "No, Lil' Mika.

The other one, a narrow eyed vampire with his hair braided into a long ponytail, did the same, "Doesn't ring a bell, Lil' Mika." He went by the name, Wellington.

"The heck is this guy?" She turned on the twins again. "Is he new blood?"

'The mistress happened to pick him up.' said Eva, a slight shrug coming from her.

'Personal details about him are limited.' Lina picked up from her sister. 'He did not offer much information about himself during his visit.'

'And yet....' They both clenched their fists and bowed their heads in silent respect as they spoke, 'His image burns deeply within our spirits, regardless.'

Left quite the impression, that guy, eh? The short mogul thought at their display.

"Could one of you at least give me a full name?" A simple 'Lord Springfield' wasn't going to get her anywhere, especially if there wasn't any information to back up the claim that Lucinda McVicar might have finally found a potential soul mate to begin with, which was as breaking as news could get in the underworld these days. Things weren't nearly as exciting as they were a century ago. With the tensions between the Mage Council of the 'World of Order' and Mistress Alma of the 'World without Law' no longer running high, there just wasn't anything to talk about anymore. The unreadable air that settled among the the Dark Lords and Mistresses didn't help that very much. There were suspicions that perhaps they had all finally gotten bored with life and given up on making an effort to claim the throne that was left behind. The legendary count must have started the trend. That aside-

'Negi Spingfield.' Eva and Lina answered at the same time.

Mika closed her her eyes with her chin turned up almost as if she was appraising their answer before a wicked grin crossed her face, "Negi Springfield, eh?" She turned away from the twins to look to her camera men and the grin twisted into a scheming smile before she broke out into triumphant laughter. She hugged her sides, doubling over as Edgar and Wellington exchanged an uneasy glance and when she was finally done-- "I JUST LOVE IT!"

{F} [V] {A}

Looking to Mika's victim in the works....

The trees here were aligned oddly, and the soil was tampered with. So far there were no signs of forest life with the exception of the occasional bird call, but the grounds were completely clear. Apparently animals understood that this land was meant to be steered clear. Was there some kind of predator lurking within the midst of these trees that the animals had come to be wary of, or was there more to the emptiness? Perhaps this was some sort of scared ground? That might have explained a few things, but more importantly where exactly was this place? How far a distance had he traveled with Katherine and her band of hunters before Lucinda's intervention?

How long are we going to be walking through this forest anyway? Negi Springfield thought to himself, letting his head hang once more and getting a good view of Mistress McVicar's shapely behind in the process. At the moment he was thrown over his captor's shoulder with his stomach bouncing up and down against her shoulder with each step she took, which was an odd scene considering that he was still disguised as a young man. One would usually expect the man to have the woman slung over his shoulder rather than the inversion, especially if you took her body type into account. You couldn't tell how frighteningly strong the mistress was at face value, not that he was in any condition to struggle anyway. The spell that she used to bind him didn't seem to be wearing off any time soon, and their proximity was sure to foil any escape attempts that he had in mind should that ever change. She'd probably just enjoy the workout anyway, which reminded him-

Oh god! How can I stay calm about this?! His eyes shifted from side to side in growing horror. She's planning on violating me when we get back to her mansion, isn't she?! Oh geez, oh geez, oh geez--I've got to find a way out of this again! I managed to get off last time with sheer luck!

"...McVicar?" Negi was inwardly impressed with himself for not sounding desperate. Those days of living with Evangeline really did a job of hardening his spirit.

The mistress gave his side a light squeeze before she responded with a, "Lucinda."

"Huh?"

"Why so formal, love?" She purred. "Lucinda is fine with me, unless you've already thought up a nice nickname." Negi whipped his head up in surprise when he felt her hand clamp around his butt. "I advise you find one you're most comfortable with. You'll soon be crying it out til dawn once we reach the love shack." Her declaration struck a cord in Chachazero, who popped out of the her master's shirt to offer a suggestion.

"How about SLU-" She was bopped back inside by the end of her master's chin before she could finish that sentence.

"Um-- heh, heh-- about that..." Negi trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Why haven't you just...transported us there already?" He took note of the hum in her throat after he asked his question. Did she think he wouldn't notice that there was something odd about this late night stroll?

Lucinda slowed to a halt and set him down on the ground much to his surprise. "You do pay attention, Lord Springfield." She complimented him on his observation, though it lacked her usual flirtatiousness. He watched the mischievous smile on her lips melt away and he realized that they might have stumbled upon trouble, and any sort of trouble that could put a crack in the mistress's cheerful mood was the sort he could certainly live without. It was one thing after the other today. "I didn't want to spoil the romantic mood of our walk, but it'll be hard to keep this up any longer."

"Trouble-ah!" Pins and needles bit at his entire body as the feeling returned to him. He shook his arms, directing a questioning look up at Lucinda, "You're letting me free?"

The smirk returned. "Who ever said anything about letting you go free?" She responded as she crossed her arms under her chest. "I'll need for you to be up on your feet. A little leg work might be necessary for what comes next."

"Next?" The young magister echoed her uneasily, getting back on his feet. He felt a shift in the air flowing through the trees and noticed that the mistress had her eyes directed at something behind him. "What," He turned around, "...no..." The word left his lips in a whisper as his eyes fell upon a woman that had not been standing there a moment ago. Blood red eyes looked past him from under a few gold bangs falling from a mane of hair that flowed around her face elegantly. A black cape fell over her shoulders, half concealing the light armor that she had underneath it, and on her breastplate Negi was able to make out an odd symbol resembling a hydra of some sort, or was it a snake? It was hard to tell in the shroud of darkness that fell over the forest. The spaces on the left and right side of her rippled and two clansmen stepped forward into existence. Both were fitted with armor as well. The young vampire spied swords at their waists.

Knights? Who are these people? Vampires? Is she a Dark Mistress?

"My knights tell me of a disturbance taking place in one of my personal hunting grounds, and lo and behold, I find myself faced with a grand lioness from days of yore." The woman spoke in a powerful voice that sent ripples through Negi's bones. That confirmed it. This woman had to be one of them. "Lucinda McVicar, seeing you here does put a weight on my mind. I am forced to wonder what cruel twist of fate has placed you here before me..."

Lucinda bowed to the woman respectfully, though it seemed that is where it ended. "Reina Tepes, time appears to have broken you away from that cute mute you once were in the good ole' days. What a shame!" She whined in a sickeningly cute voice. " I always did like the quiet ones!"

Mistress Tepes' lips made a slight twitch as if Lucinda's words had left a small crack in her mask of indifference. "And time has stood still for you, it would seem, but I digress, why have you trespassed within my hunting grounds, McVicar? I would excuse an imbecile, but you are much too wise to step upon the grounds of another mistress without a particular means." The woman's eyes sought out Negi before narrowing slightly.

"Claiming my gent for the evening," Lucinda placed a hand upon Negi's head, tangling her fingers in his red mane possessively, "You understand, I'm sure."

"Unfortunately, his claim would fall under my jurisdiction now, being on my hunting grounds." Reina shot down her evening plans without bothering to consider her words. "You'll have to leave him here and find another for the night."

"Erm..." Negi looked to Lucinda, unsure of what to make of the latest development. Sure, parting with her would have been a major improvement for his future health, however; while this Reina Tepes didn't seem to show any real interest in him so far, she still didn't appear to be a very friendly individual. Then again, wouldn't her words imply that he was now her game? At least that was what his mind could deduce from this hunting ground business that she was throwing around.

At some point during his inner bout of turmoil, Lucinda's hand had slipped from the top of his head to his right shoulder. "That won't do." She pulled him against, sliding her hand right up to his cheek to press the side of his head against her ample bosom. "This one stays with me."

"And why is he so special?" Reina asked of Lucinda with a suspicious edge. "When did your lust for the flesh become so...particular?"

Lucinda yawned in response to her old war sister's inquiry, "I wine and dined him, in a sense. He has an obligation to fulfill to me." She turned to Negi and pinched his cheek. "Riiiiiight?"

Negi blinked, still unsure of who's side to take. "Um...well....I don't..."

"Boy." Reina addressed the hapless, young magi drawing his attention back to her. "Who are you?" Her voice grew intense.

Lucinda's hand cupped over his mouth, her grin cracking wider. "What does it matter to you?"

"I'll be frank with you, boy. I've done my best to ignore it so far, but your presence here is becoming more of a bother to me than that of my old war sister." She stepped forward, stopping when she could read the look in the young man's eyes properly. She detected suspicion and a bit of fear. Fear was something she was very familiar with, but the suspicion was intriguing her. He was hiding something and he was trying to figure out whether disclosing those secrets to her would compromise him, wasn't he?

"You're one of us." Her words did not leave her lips in question.

Not good... Negi felt himself tense up involuntarily.

"It's too late to try and suppress your aura from me, boy." She told him with irritation. "You're far, too, nervous and unfocused to conceal it from me to begin with. Now, who are you?"

"You don't have to answer that question." Lucinda assured him. "Don't let the mean lady push you around."

It would have appeared that the red-eyed woman had finally reached the peak of her patience, her brow knitting clearly in anger. "Very well, if you don't wish to cooperate then allow me a guess." Her eyes regarded Negi intensely. The young magi held his breath when their was a faint flicker of recognition, but that was impossible. He'd never seen this woman in his entire life, and yet he couldn't fight down this anxiety that began to grip his chest. This wasn't the first time he'd been met with a complete stranger only to find that...

...Could she have met him? Negi's eyes widened in a mixture of trepidation and excitement.

Reina gasped, "Unbelievable...that I find myself faced with one of the 'Thousand Master's' children." She stepped forward to approach him and Lucinda pushed him behind her protectively. "Why, you two could pass for twins if you inherited that smug grin that he was so infamous for. I..." Her lips twitched upwards for a brief moment. "But," She paused, her expression taking a dark tone, "the spiritual presence that you project is not one of radiance like that of your father, but of of a haunting darkness."

"I would like you to run now." Lucinda suddenly ordered. "She knows."

"Knows what?" Negi asked, feeling the beat within his heart quicken.

"What else?" Lucinda rolled her eyes at him before shooing him away with a few flicks of her wrist. "Run, would you, love?" The urgency in her voice had become clear as the sound of a blade being unsheathed reached his ears. He glanced around her in time to see Reina brandish a broadsword at her side with one hand.

"And y-you?" Negi asked, retreating away from the fight that looked as if it were about to ensue.

Lucinda flashed him a brilliant smile that got his cheeks heating up, "Aren't you sweet? Now go!" She returned her attention to Reina when the young man finally got the message to run, and saw the young Tepes toss her chin in Negi's direction for her two clansmen to pursue. Before they took so much as a step forward to do as they were ordered, the seductive mistress took on a fighting stance, scraping her left foot back against the soil with her hands at her sides.

"Wouldn't you rather play with someone experienced, gentlemen?" She asked, giving them a cheeky grin.

"Ignore her." Reina ordered them when they hesitated. "She'll be in my care." Her words were met with a nod and the two proceeded to sprint past the opposing mistress.

"A phasmatis gust jacio off meus foes!" The woods moaned at Lucinda's cry and a flurry of green leaves were cast in their direction accompanied by heavy winds that pounded into their bodies with such force that their very spirits appeared to be gripping for dear life desperately, in attempt to keep from being forcefully ripped away from their shells. The two knights under Reina's command braced against the suffocating winds that impeded them just barely, however, she managed to hold her ground well enough to launch a countermeasure. Lucinda watched her slice a magical glyph in the ground in front of her before she began moving her lips.

"μπορεί η πράξη γη από οργή μου!" Reina stabbed her sword into the glyph and the earth before her quickly rolled into a fierce wave that towered over Lucinda before coming down upon her with a crash. The counterattack had the desired effect, breaking Lucinda's concentration with the spell long enough for Reina's knights to get past and commence pursuit of Negi Springfield. Once that was out of the way she pulled her sword out from the ground and whipped around quickly to point the edge directly into the tip of Lucinda's neck without breaking the skin. The seductive mistress smiled at her coyly.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Reina replied, never letting down her sword. "Dark Evangel's spirit dwells within that boy," Her eyes narrowed, "How long have you been aware of his existence?"

"Not long." Lucinda averted her eyes for a moment before rolling them back toward the owner of the sword against her neck. "But I must wonder...what do you intend to do with him?"

"...That remains to be seen." The young Tepes answered. "Even as he is now, he is dangerous, but to kill him would be...unwise."

Lucinda carefully placed the back of her hand against the edge of Reina's sword and moved it away to a safe position, "Just so you know, you'll never catch him this way." Her words caused the other vampiress to raise an eyebrow. She smirked at Reina's curious reaction and placed a hand on her hip, cocking it to the side. "Honestly, sending subordinates after him? You're better off doing it yourself. He's being protected by 'HER'."

"Don't be absurd."

"Oh well, suit yourself then," Lucinda turned away from her and started walking in the opposite direction, "Another chance foiled, thanks to you."

Silence...

Reina blinked, "McVicar!" She called to her when she was a fair distance.

"Whaaaat?" She looked over her shoulder still walking away.

"......Sleep well tonight."

The fleeting mistress scoffed, "You've prevented that from happening!"

"Hey," Negi leaped over a rotten log that lay in his path before kicking his legs against the soil again to keep from slowing down, "Zero-chan!" His call summoned his familiar from the confines of his shirt. Her head popped out and she looked up at him with a, "Yeah?"

"Am I being chased?" He asked, grabbing a hold of a tree branch that hung above in front of him to send himself swinging upwards. He curled into a flip and managed to land one foot atop another awaiting branch to continue his run along the trees. This way I shouldn't leave any more foot prints for them to follow...

"You've got two dark auras following ya'." The sadistic puppet answered him, sounding a little relieved. "But it definitely isn't that 'Reina' chick."

"Hey, Zero?"

"Yeah, Master Negi?"

"You've never met her before?" The young vampire inquired curiously. "I mean, you must have been with Eva-chan when she met these guys, right?"

"The mistresses?"

"Yeah." He jumped off of a branch and landed on the side of a tree before kicking off of it to send himself shooting into the distance. He reached out for another one of the branches as he shot past and managed to grasp one, only for it to crack in half and send him falling down into the other branches below him. He snapped a few more under his weight on his way down, but he grabbed a hold of another and stopped his descent before he could hit the ground again. "Whew." A sigh of relief let him and he began the long climb back up.

"Nope." Chachazero replied, crossing her tiny arms. "By the time she put me together she was already traveling the mundane world alone."

"Oh." He perched himself on a branch up high and tried to peer out into the distance, but the mass of trees obscured anything that might have lied beyond them. This place was like some kind of death trap. This is unreal...where am I? How far off from the main road did Lucinda chase me to? "Reina Tepes...that's the name that Lucinda called that woman by. She knew my father, but I wonder whether they were enemies or-"

"Friends?" Chachazero finished for him. "Well, this is T.M that we're talking about." The puppet looked up at him from the cleft of his shirt and he swore that a smirk would have crossed her lips if facial expressions were possible for her. "Maybe she was one of his past lovers, eh?"

"....No comment."

"Imagine...if she was your mo-"

"NO!" Negi let out a strangled hiss, flailing his arms like an angry cat. "Let's just get off the subject! My life is in danger here!"

"-And even she didn't kno-"

"Zero!" Negi glared at her.

"...at least she ain't a clone." Her last response made her master blink.

"...What...does....what does that...have to do with any-"

"Halt!"

Negi looked over his shoulder to find the two knights from before perched on two branches in the distance, their swords drawn in a silent warning should the thought of escaping cross his mind. Given the fact that most of these branches didn't even seem like they could hold his own weight properly, he was curious to see two fully armored men defy the laws of gravity so well. I wonder how long they'd be willing to pursue me before giving up? I'm not sure if taking on the both of them is such a wise approach.

"What do you think, Zero?" Negi asked his familiar, clenching both fists until they cracked audibly. "Can I take them?"

"Of course!"

"You're not just saying that because you want to see for yourself, right?"

"...No."

"Why don't I...believe you?" Negi asked dully.

"Hey!" One of the knights called his attention back to them, not taking very kindly to being ignored. "Will you surrender yourself?!"

"Nope!" Negi and Chachazero declared at the same time before they both exchanged a quick glance and chuckled. They'd been spending too much time with each other. Not that they would have it any other way. "Okay," Negi got into the best stance he could assume on a wobbly branch when the knights began their approach, hopping toward him fluidly, "Now comes the hard par-"

"Duck!" Chachazero alerted him just in time to dodge a dagger that had been directed at his neck. Negi righted himself fast enough to see the knight on his left reaching around his waist to slip out a few more throwing knives, and smirked. It looks like they were about close enough.

"Hm?" One of the knights saw the smirk, but it was too late for him to put two and two together.

"Offendo lemma pessum!" The young magister cast a hand down, the tail of his cloak billowing over his head as he did and a moment later the branches in front of him had become vaporized by a javelin of thunder. Nothing was left standing.

"Artsy." His familiar complimented, though there was a hint of disappointment present in her voice. "But I was aiming for brutal."

"They're gone, aren't the--" It happened in slow motion--a boot coming in contact with the side of his jaw. The next thing that the young vampire's mind could process before he was sent crashing through the branches diagonally across from him was Chachazero's yelp for him to protect his chin. So much for that helpi- KRAM! His body smacked the dirt trail in the most unforgiving manner possible, skipping off a few times before skidding to a nasty halt. "Uhg...Ah..." Negi groaned painfully, feeling as though a balloon had been inflated out the side of his face. He touched it gingerly and hissed at the swell.

"Master!" Chachazero popped out the back of his neck through his collar and climbed atop his head. "They're coming."

"Give me...a moment." He told her dizzily.

"He's still conscious." A voice said from the distance.

An amused chuckle was let out in response to the observation, "Good. For a moment I thought I killed him." Negi's ears picked up the distinct ring of a sword twirling through the air as he got back to his feet and looked up to find two blades poised for the attack.

I don' expect this to go well... Negi clenched his teeth. ...but...I don't seem to have much of a choice in the matter, so-- "In meus manus manus!" He held his left hand out, accepting Setsuna's sword as it materialized into existence.

"A japanese sword?" One of them remarked admiringly. "Interesting fetish, boy."

"I would like to see how well you wield it." The other one, the one that kicked him, challenged.

"I've got your back, master Negi." Chachazero drew both of her blades and twirled them skillfully, standing on his shoulder. "Keep your focus on one of them at a time. I'll deflect anything that comes from behind you."

"Thanks." Negi smirked in defiance to the knights before kicking off to meet them, growling, "I'll need it!" His two adversaries accepted his advance and kicked forward as well to meet him halfway, ignoring the passionate cry that howled from the young magi. Each step brought them closer to locking swords. Closer and closer and--

"WHAYAAA!" Negi lost his concentration for a split second once the knight to his left let out a surprised yelp of pain. The knight to his left, distracted by his partner's cry, dropped his guard for a few crucial seconds and paid for it dearly, receiving a deep slash through the side of his gut from Negi's blade.

"Glurp..." Blood trickled from the side of the knight's mouth as he grimaced. "What did you-GYAAH!" Negi jumped back when the remaining knight screamed without warning, propelled to the floor by some unseen force.

"Huh?!" He whipped around on alert. "Where did it..." He looked over his shoulder. "How the..." He crouched low and turned his head in every direction, bracing himself with his sword. "Zero-chan?"

"No." She answered his unspoken question. "It isn't Mistress SlutMcguffin." Her response caused her master to narrow his eyes curiously for a moment to figure that one out.

"Mistress who?" He still didn't get it.

"McVicar." She clarified for him.

"...Right." Negi stood up straight, dismissing what he just heard. "Now then," He approached the unconscious bodies of his two attackers, dismissing his blade back into the magical box, and stopped over them, "What just happened here." He stroked his chin curiously.

"They don't look dead." Chachazero commented. "Must have been knocked out."

The young magi blinked when his eye caught something shiny. "Um," He bent at the knees and picked a small figurine off the side of the knights face, "Mini...me?" Yes, there was indeed a small figurine of himself (His true self) held between his thumb and forefinger, and quite frankly it disturbed the hell out of him.

"There's another one on the floor." Chachazero pointed out for him.

"R-Really?" He looked to his side to find another, only this time it wasn't him. ".............................................Evangeline?"

{F} [V] {A}

Mahora Campus, Cause we're worth it too

Certainly, a few things could have been said about what had transpired the night before. It was not everyday that you found a group of highschool girls engaging in intense combat on the campus grounds, or at any other campus for that matter. It certainly could be said that things went out of control last night, especially when things had become personal between two particular students on the rooftop of the student center. How many days it would take for reconstruction of the roof, Takamichi honestly did not want to bring to mind at the moment, but the contractors would be asking questions when they came on site. Yes, damage control was going to be fairly challenging, and speaking of damage control, relationships were taking a toll.

Upon entering the classroom, Takamichi, expected to be the main target of a few hostile glares, and...he certainly did receive. Class president, Ayaka, was not in good spirits as of this morning, which did not need much of an explanation when you considered the gaping hole in the back of her private jet, courtesy of Chachamaru's handy work. (Only reason she opted for the back of the jet as opposed to the side might have had a lot to do with the beautifully illustrated mural of Negi Springfield, bishie sparkles and all.) Said gynoid had not come to attend class once again. Though one would wonder if she honestly cared to be considered an enemy by her classmates. All that was needed for her to become part of the operation was for Setsuna to inform her about how pleased a certain magister would be with her for preventing the other girls from the bad decision they were trying to make. Chachamaru was like a girl scout awaiting a badge for her efforts. Setsuna on the other hand, had come to attend class today as well despite Takamichi suggesting that she take the day off for the other girls to cool off from her betrayal. At least Konoka and Asuna weren't too hard on her for stopping them since they had come to a mutual understanding the night before. As for everybody else...

"I can't take this anymore!" The class president moaned as if she had been at her death bed. "How long is sensei going to be absent from campus?!" She ran both of her hands down her face, clenching them into trembling fists under her chin. "Ohhh! I don't know what to think anymore!"

"Is Negi-sensei really returning, Takahata-sensei?" Fuka asked, not sounding too hopeful.

Fumika naturally followed up, her voice dim in spirits as well. "Are you sure he didn't quit?"

"Q-QUIT?!" Makie clutched her chest, giving the other girls the impression that she was nearing some sort of coronary. "I'd a-appreciate you, not saying th-that! Kay?!"

Nodoka looked squeamish hearing those words get tossed around the classroom. She started wringing her hands at her desk, looking to corners of the room with an unreadable expression due to her overshadowing bangs, but there was some obvious distress going through her mind. Sayo was experiencing a similar feeling, looking from her desk to Kazumi a few times as if awaiting some reassurance from the photographer, but the girl in question didn't appear to be in the mood to give assurance so much as receiving it. Her eyes were locked upon Takamichi expectantly for a few answers, and so far all she had been getting were questions. To say that she was displeased with this did not do justice to her feelings.

"No," Takamichi finally spoke in a calm voice, "Negi has not given up from his position on Maharo Campus. You don't need to worry about that."

"Then where is he?!" Misa demanded, sounding betrayed. "This is our last year attending here, Takahata-sensei. Why would he leave us now?"

"That's right..." Chizuru gasped as if just realizing it. "It is our last year, and...I haven't seen Kotaro around for a while either."

"She's right!" Natsumi concurred. "Kotaro is gone, too!"

I see. Setsuna's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment after hearing that news. Kotaro has already gone out to pursue Negi-sensei. She looked to the side grimly, resting her chin upon her folded hands as she did. Which would only mean that he somehow got a hold of his whereabouts from Evangeline. Either that or he's running blind out there. "Damn it." The swordsman let out a curse in a rare moment of true regret on her part. "Why couldn't it be me?" She closed her eyes.

Takamichi simply turned away from the class and sighed, "What a mess."

"Do you regret allowing him to go on alone?" Shizuna asked Takamichi as they shared a drink at one of the outdoor tables near the Starbooks Cafe, which was running wild with the arrival of new freshman students for the new school year. This was the fourth time that lovely counselor had asked the English teacher this certain question.

"How could I possibly answer that question?" Takamichi replied as he inhaled softly from the cigarette he was smoking. He could still remember the looks of disappointment he was faced with when he returned to becoming the homeroom teacher of class 3-A, the guilt he felt when the girls asked him where Negi Springfield had gone. He had to admit in the back of his mind that he was rather angry at Negi for making the decision so suddenly yet at the same time he couldn't help but feel some excitement that the young magi was actually going out in the world alone.

"I wanted to accompany him but he told me that he wanted to do it alone." Takamichi chuckled as he extinguished the cigarette, smashing the burning ashes in the tray before him. "He said that he wouldn't want Asuna to be angry at him because he took me away from her."

"Always has an excuse for everything doesn't he?" Shizuna asked with a good-natured grin.

"He sure does...he sure does..." Takamichi mused. "It just hasn't been the same without him though. I'm beginning to miss talking with him. I was happy when he took the job as an English teacher. I..." He stopped for a moment. "...I guess I was just trying to keep a part of Nagi safe with me. Is that wrong?"

"It depends." Shizuna answered. "Did you care for him as an individual or did you only care for him because he was the last part of Nagi that was still around?"

The white clad teacher furrowed his brows, "...I...I'm not..."

"Don't answer too quickly." She held a hand to him. " I'm not trying to make you out to be a bad person, Takahata-sensei." Shizuna removed her glasses and placed them on the table. "There are a lot of others who feel the same way."

"You mean Evangeline-san?" He allowed a hint of relief to seep into his voice.

"I don't know about her..." Shizuna looked to the side uneasily.

Takamichi decided to move on from the subject. "She has been a little more irritable lately though hasn't she?"

"So I've heard from the other girls who attend classes with her." Shizuna replied. "What do you think? She is in your homeroom isn't she?"

"She's been absent for a full week and the same could be said of Chachamaru who is usually present in her place." Takamichi replied with a slight shake of his head. "I wonder if she's avoiding me..."

"And why is that?"

"Because Negi left the campus to seek out information about the spell that breaks the Scholasticus curse."

"Is that the reason he left?" Shizuna seemed to be rather hesitant with her next words. "Is that even...safe?"

"What?" Takamichi quirked a brow, unsure of what to make from her words.

"Releasing Evangeline from the curse?"

"That is the question isn't it?" Takamichi chuckled. "No matter how much the girls try to reform her she never seems to change much. In fact ever since Negi arrived on campus she had become quite a bit more aggressive."

"He kept her busy though." Shizuna laughed.

"He sure did. He was her "kryptonite" in a manner of speaking." Takamichi humored her. "Who knows...maybe by the time Negi comes back, we'll have another Crimson Wings on our hands. Oh, what a wonder that would be..."

"Are you reminiscing?" The lovely counselor asked, resting her chin in one hand.

"I can't help it." Takamichi laughed before looking at his watch. He took a final drink of his coffee and stood up. "Eh, time waits for no one. I have a class coming up in twenty minutes so I better head back to the main building." He pushed his seat under the table and looked to Shizuna. "Are you heading that way?"

Shizuna shook her head. "No."

"Alright then." He nodded, sounding faintly disappointed. He offered her a friendly parting gesture and turned to leave. When he merged into the crowd of walking students in the distance Shizuna stood up and walked in the opposite direction. She waved to some of the girls that passed her with a smile, but it vanished from her face as soon as they were behind her, almost as if it had been practiced. Once she was a fair distance away where nobody could see her a transformation took place. Her entire body, skin and clothes alike, began to ripple like liquid until she had become a blur of colors. Then, as if shedding a separate skin, it all vanished to reveal the true identity of the individual behind the disguise.

A pair of glasses appeared in Chisame's right hand and she placed them on her face before adjusting them up the bridge of her nose, opening her eyes to reveal blood red orbs. "So that's what that idiot master has been doing this entire time." Her eyes shifted back to their original hazelnut color. "Serving the queen's wishes, but..."

"Where could he be? Oh, where could he be?" Chisame felt bumps crawling through her skin when she heard the feminine voice come from behind her, but the voice wasn't the cause of her scare so much as the darkness that pulsed from the owner. It felt familiar, which could only mean one thing. "So one of you remain unsealed." Takane said with a smirk. She had on her usual trademark, Ursula uniform, but it wasn't kept on as neatly pressed as she normally preferred. To emphasize that point, her nurse cap was slanted to the side in a laid back fashion.

Chisame narrowed her eyes. "Negi turned you, too?"

"Me, too?" Dark Takane purred as she cocked her head to the side. "Silly girl," She placed a hand upon her own chest with pride, "I was his first."

"I see." Chisame's voice went cold. "Well, then. What the hell do you want with me?"

"Easy there." The dark young woman told her. "I just wanted to make you a proposal. Are you interested?"

"What kind of proposal?" Chisame crossed her arms skeptically.

Dark Takane's smirk dropped, her expression becoming quite serious. "Tell me. How badly do you want to see, Master?"

Somewhere...

Life had been hard on Negi in the past but this was just starting to get really ridiculous. He figured that with all of his nocturnal powers all this travelling would be a cinch but so far all it's been doing is getting him in trouble with people he didn't even know existed. The magi trudged through the endless woods until he finally worked his way out to an opening. It was a fine change from all of the green he had been seeing for the past few hours. He couldn't fly around in this area since Lucinda was probably on the look out for him. She might have let him run off because of that other woman and her knights, but now that he was in the clear again it was open season. Of course, that other woman was a point of concern for him as well.

"Hmm?" Negi tapped his foot when he stumbled across a street. He turned his head to the right and he found an intersection with some stoplights to regulate the flow of cars. "You've got to be kidding me..." Negi mumbled much to Chachazero's amusement. The little puppet could already sense her master's frustration as he set his sights to the left. There before his eyes was a town in all of its heavenly glory! He could almost hear the angelic choir singing up high. There were stores, a few buildings and a some strange structures that looked like something out of some sci fi movie but what caught the magi's attention most of all was the row of pay phones lined across the sidewalk. There were already some people occupying them, but luckily for him there were two that weren't in use near the end of the row.

"It looks like we've been near some civilization after all." Chachazero remarked with an evil cackle. "Makes one wonder how you weren't able to sense it."

"Don't rub it in." Negi told her with a grin. "Well..." Negi approached the row of pay phones with a big smile on his face as he dug in to his sleeve pocket to get some change. "...It's time to drop master a line." Negi pictured Evangeline's face when she'd hear about what he had been through for the past thirty-seven hours...yes, he counted. When he reached one of the phones, the young woman next to him stole a glance at him and quirked an eyebrow at his messy appearance; not to mention the large staff that was wrapped securely to his back.

"Let's see...what was that number?" Negi thought aloud as he picked the phone off from it's receiver. "Oh!" A look of excitement flashed across his face when he remembered. Wow...that trip sure has made me kind of parched. I should...Negi's thoughts trailed off as he breifly turned his attention to the young woman beside him who was talking on the phone. She looked at the young magi when she noticed his eyes on her and offered him a friendly grin as a light blush crept up on her cheeks.

N-NO! Negi turned away quickly much to the girl's amusement since she believed he was simply a little shy. What followed after that was her explanation to the person she was talking to as to what she was giggling about. Obviously that person on the other line wasn't happy with her at the moment. I can't think about that sort of stuff right now! Master told me not to let my thirst get the best of me! Anyway, I better make this call...

Evangeline's Residence...

Evangeline took a seat on the couch in the living room as Chachamaru set down a tea platter before her on the coffee table. The android bowed to her after she handed the chibi-vampire a cup and went off to the corner of the to retrieve her violin from it's case with it's bow. Evangeline raised an eyebrow curiously at her servant for a moment as Chachamaru started playing and shrugged her shoulders before taking a generous sip from her teacup. It was actually kind of nice to have a drink with some soothing music to keep her entertained.

"I wonder what compelled her to start playing..." Evangeline mused as she set down her cup. She had to admit that the android was playing pretty well and the passionate expression on her face as she moved the bow across the strings of her violin was quite believable. As if Chachamaru could actually feel passionate about the music she's playing. Evangeline laughed at the very thought. That would be the da-- Evangeline suddenly became aware of the phone ringing.

"Negi?"Evangeline stood up from the couch and walked to the phone quickly as Chachamaru stopped playing her violin. The eagerness in the android's eyes as she watched her mistress pick up the phone was unreal. Chachamaru had been waiting for Negi to call again since she started to pick up on some instruments. She wanted to inform him about her progress with them, and of course, there was a bit of information to be passed on. An opportunity to gain a favor was one that could not be missed.

"Hello?" Evangeline greeted Negi, placing a hand on her hip.

"Good afternoon Eva!" Came Negi's excited voice.

"So you managed to escape..." Evangeline allowed a relieved expression to wash over her face since her underling wasn't in the room with her. "...That is something I wasn't expecting."

"What do you mean?! Don't you have any faith in me at all?!"

"With McVicar around?" Evangeline chuckled darkly. "I didn't think you'd stand a chance against her temptress charms and if you did I expected her to immobilize you and keep you prisoner until you submitted to her persuasive methods." Evangeline sounded simply evil when she spoke her last words. "It was either that or she probably would have sucked you dry to spite me."

"...Not one to beat around the bush, eh?" Negi asked as he scratched his chin. Now that she told him that, he seriously didn't want to cross paths with Lucinda again. It was disturbing enough for him when the Dark Mistress tried to seduce him in to spending the night with her in her bed and he knew where that would have lead to if she managed to entrance him with her eyes. These "Persuasive Methods" as Evangeline saw fit to call them wasn't something he was looking forward to either. Not that she needed to know that he almost had one of those experiences, or the fact that another one of her old acquaintances was now aware of his existence. Boy, she wouldn't be pleased with hearing that.

"I need to be straight forward with you about these things if I expect you to make smart decisions out there in the world without me around." Evangeline stole a glance at Chachamaru who had been standing beside her with her usual dead panned expression. The odd look in the android's eyes contradicted the impassioned look though. "By the way, Negi..." The vampiress turned away from her servant. "I want you back here at Mahora by December, whether you find anything about the curse or not, is that understood?"

"B-but, Eva, that isn't even enough time for me! I'm having enough trouble as it is making progress with all of these mishaps." Negi whined. The sounds of his deep voice due to his older illusion mixed with his whining made a vein pop out on Evangeline's forehead. Some things still had not changed with her disciple despite his travels and as much as that relieved her it also annoyed the hell out of her too.

"I don't care!" Evangeline yelled as she slammed her free hand against her forehead. "Your bratty student's are getting on my last nerves already! All they do is mope around and ask me about you every time they see me!" Evangeline wouldn't dare let him know that she was sort of moping around herself with his absence. It was getting pretty boring without having someone to torment. "And don't get me started on Kagarazaka and Konoe. The least you can do is show up on Christmas for them!"

"Y-yes, m-master!"

I've still got it. Evangeline thought with a grin when she heard Negi stammer uncontrollably. "What did I say about calling me master anymore?"

"I m-mean, Eva-chan!" He corrected himself immediately.

"That's better..." The vampiress purred before looking back at Chachamaru who had been apparently hovering over her now. "I think Chachamaru wants to speak with you."

"She does?"

"Yeah." Evangeline handed the phone over to her servant before walking off with a side-glance. All of this emotional development that Chachamaru had been making was really beginning to disturb her. She wasn't accustomed to seeing the android so giddy about something and she wasn't about to be either.

"Good afternoon, Negi-kun." Chachamaru greeted the magi.

"There's a voice I haven't heard in a while!" Negi remarked playfully. His words made Chachamaru's face heat up. Just the very sound of his voice was enough to make her react in such a way.

"I have eagerly awaited the day to hear your voice again as well." Evangeline rolled her eyes when she heard the android say that. How is it that she could say something like that to Negi? Evangeline couldn't even help to say something like that. It just wasn't her style. The vampiress listened intently as Chachamaru informed Negi on her progress with the violin and the piano. Then she mentioned some recipes to the young magi and suggested that he tried it out some time on his travels. Apparently the android had been giving him lessons in cooking some time before he departed from Maharo. Why wasn't she aware of this?

"...I'll have my way with him when he comes back." Evangeline smirked mischievously. "I'll rock the world beneath his feet."

_______________________________________________

Some time later...

"Thank you! You are so kind!" Negi almost had tears in his eyes as he accepted a glass of water from a young girl he met standing in front of a house he stopped at as he was wandering the town.

"You're welcome mister." The girl said with a smile before the door to the house opened. Her mother stood at the door with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot with a look of annoyance plastered over her face.

"Mellisa, how many times have I told you not to speak with strangers?" She saw the glass in Negi's hand and cleared her throat. "...And not take care of them..."

"But this guy looks really nice!" The girl pouted. "He has a really cute doll with him too!" Her words made Chachazero roll her eyes, unnoticed. She hated it when people kept on calling her that and yet she couldn't say they were wrong.

"A doll?" The older woman shot Negi a disturbed look after her eyes wandered over to Chachazero for a brief moment.

"Oh!" Negi pointed to his familiar. "It was a gift from my younger sister before I left my home. She didn't want me to forget her so she gave it to me as something to remember her by." Inwardly Negi laughed at the thought of how Evangeline would respond to his lie. He would probably never hear the end of it if she heard that one. He finished drinking the water and hesitantly handed it over to the girl. "Thanks again!"

"You're welcome!" She cried out giddily.

"Get back inside Mellisa." The woman ordered her daughter, running a hand down her own face with a sigh. "Go watch your...cartoons or something."

"Alright mommy!" When the girl ran back inside the mother turned back to Negi with a mellow smile.

"I'm sorry about that stranger."

"T-that's alright!" Negi assured her. "Your daughter saved me! I was about to die of thirst." The young magi joked light heartedly.

"It's just you never know what's going to happen to your children these days with all those wacky freaks around now." She placed her left hand against her forehead as she shook her head and asked, "You know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Negi sympathized with her.

"Huh?" She opened one eye. "You have a child?"

"N-no! Of course not!"

"Then how would you understand?"

"...I guess I wouldn't..." Negi found himself feeling a little confused.

"Then don't act like you understand."

"Erm, sorry." He apologized. I wonder what's her issue...

"Heh! I'm just messin' with ya!" The woman suddenly looked younger as a mischievous grin danced across her lovely lips. She extended a friendly hand and introduced herself. "My name is Felecia Kerrigan! Like I said, I'm really sorry about all that."

"That's fine! I mean it."

"And your name is..." She trailed off for him to answer.

"Oh, sorry about that!" Negi apologized, massaging the back of his neck with his free hand. "My name is Negi Springfield! Nice to meet you." He let his hand drop back at his side when she let go of it and she observed his appearance.

"What's up with the weird clothes mister? Are you traveling or something?"

"Yeah." Negi patted his traveling gear for some emphasis. "I'm just, uh, doing some exploring. You know, expanding my horizons."

"Well, that's a refreshing change! These days teenagers are more interested in shopping or clubbing. Say now, you look young enough to be my son." Her words made Negi blink. Surely this woman wasn't that old was she? He'd taken the form of a seventeen year old at most. He was afraid to use his older disguise since Lucinda recognized him well in that form and she could've been anywhere at the moment.

"Um, how old are yo-"

"Hey!" She cut him off. "You should know better than to ask a woman her age."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that!" Negi suddenly didn't feel so comfortable around this woman. He had better find an excuse to make his escape. "I'm seriously starving. Do you know where I can get something to eat?"

"Sure I do." She pointed to a place somewhere behind him. "We have a restaurant in town that's pretty famous for it's Chinese cuisine." She leaned over a bit and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Rumor is, the cook is some mad scientist involved with the mafia or something. Now I don't know about the whole mafia part but the whole mad scientist bit sounds pretty believable. You can always hear something exploding in the middle of the night because of her bizarre projects."

"Her?" Negi asked. This female cook was a scientist as well? Something about what he was hearing was beginning to give him goose bumps.

"It's just the gossip of women!" Felecia waved her hand casually as if to brush aside the very thought. "Most of them are just jealous because the girl is quite pretty. Every guy goes to her restaurant just because they want their chance at her but she's always much more interested in her work than men. Don't get the wrong idea though! Her cooking is phenomenal as well! My daughter always begs me to take her there, heheh!"

As much as I hate to think it...this woman is really talking up a storm! Looks are pretty deceiving, huh?! Negi felt a bead of sweat threatening to slip down the side of his forehead. "Um, what's her name?"

"Well, well...is mister Springfield interested in her already?" She joked.

"...Sure." Anything to get this conversation moving.

"Well...I just know that her last name is Ms. Chao. At least that's what the waitresses there address her by."

"C-Chao?" Negi stammered, not expecting to hear the name after such a long time.

The woman appeared to be interested by his response. "Yep. Um, do you know her?"

"It's, er, complicated." He answered her, massaging the back of his neck sheepishly. "Where is that restaurant again?"

"Just head down the west street. You can't miss it."

"Thanks!" Negi bided her farewell quickly and made his way to the town square to find the west street. He was walking so fast that Chachazero needed to get a firmer grip on his hair. This was the moment Negi had been dreading yet at the same time his curiosity screamed for him to find the connection. If he was lucky this woman might be his connection to Chao Lingshen and why not? He already tangoed with a Dark Mistress and got pursued by some knights under order from another to boot. Why couldn't his luck work to his benefit for once...or was this meeting destined to be like all the rest?

"Oh god. No, please!" Negi banished the thought from his mind.

"What's the matter, master Negi?" His familiar asked, tapping his forehead from her perch on his head.

"Erm...nothing."

There was something about stepping in to a restaurant and being stared at by the occupants that could make a person feel unwelcome. This feeling did not go unnoticed by Negi as what happened to him was just that. He assumed that it was his state of dress that captured the attention of everyone eating. It wasn't everyday that someone walked in to a restaurant with a large staff fastened to their back and an odd looking puppet sitting on their shoulder. The young magi didn't really seem to mind the attention as much, however, when the aroma of the food being cooked in the kitchen reached his nostrils. The wonderful smell had his mouth watering in no time at all.

"Just like Chao..." Negi said softly, comparing the aroma to the one that would have usually been scented around Chao's mobile restaurant.

"Um, sir?" the young woman at the reservation desk called his attention. She had to be somewhere near the end of her teens, with short brown hair and complimenting, chocolate eyes. Freckles dotted her face, giving her features a cute charm. She didn't seem like much of a smiler though. The expression on her face spoke of a youth filled with too many responsibilities to enjoy the leisure moments in life.

"Yes?" Negi asked.

"We have a coat check." She approached him, her eyes wandering over the features of his face dreamily. "Would you like us to relieve you of your staff and jacket until you're done eating?"

"Well..." Negi had to think about that. He really had a problem with parting with his staff. It was the last thing he had from his father besides the scar on his cheek. "Is it alright if you just took my jacket? This staff really means a lot to me."

"I suppose so." The young lady answered. "Oh, what a cute doll. Is it a gift?" Her eyes gleamed a bit at her words. She must have had a thing for dolls.

"From my little sister." Negi answered, as he took Chachazero in one arm before pulling from the sleeve of his jacket with his other hand. When he managed to get his jacket off he handed it to the young woman and she took it to the room behind her desk. She returned a moment later, handing him a ticket before asking, "Are you eating alone?"

"Yes." He replied, sitting Chachazero on his shoulder again. The girl regarded Chachazero for a moment when she noticed how perfectly balanced the sadistic puppet was on his shoulder, but her eyes didn't linger too long much to his relief.

"Follow me." She beckoned him over to her and he did so, allowing her to lead him past a few occupied tables toward an empty one in the corner next to a window. After he got himself comfortable in one of the chairs she leaned over him and asked, "Can I start you off with a drink?"

"Iced tea would do me just fine." Negi answered her with a friendly smile.

The girl felt her heart flutter under his gaze. Maybe the job had its perks after all. "Sweetened or unsweetened?"

"Sweetened please."

"Alright then." She nodded before turning to leave, but the young vampire called her attention again before she got too far. "Yes?" She turned her body to face him again, the sides of her lips twitching upward slightly. Chachazero resisted the urge to cry out, "NOT INTERESTED!"

"Could you please tell me the name of the owner?" His question made the girl sigh.

How typical! I knew this guy didn't just come here for the food. They never come around here just for the food! She thought with a low growl. She actually thought he was pretty cute. Why did he have to be here for Ms. Chao?! "Her name is Ms. Chao." She answered.

"I meant her first name." Negi specified with a gentle smile to make the girl feel comfortable.

"Xue." She answered dully.

"I-I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?" Negi asked nervously. This murderous aura that surrounded the waitress...was it normal?

"No." she answered with a sigh. "I'll be back with your drink."

Thanks." Negi smiled. When the young woman was away he sighed and bowed his head slightly as he leaned against his staff. "I am so nervous right now."

"Why?" Chachazero asked. "You don't think McVicar will track you down here do ya?" She felt her master shiver when she said that name. Apparently he still had not gotten over his meeting with the Dark Mistress. "Sorry bout that." She apologized with a giggle.

"I almost forgot about her." Negi groaned. "Thank you for reminding me." He quipped sarcastically. "What I'm really worried about is Ms. Xue."

You and my mother were very close Negi-chan. Everytime she spoke to me about you, she always had this dreamy look in her eyes. Kind of like you were her prince charmi-

"That was the most awkward conversation I had with Chao-san." Negi massaged the back of his neck as he pushed the Chinese girl's words in the back of his mind. From what she told him this woman was going to be making a big impact on his life, or rather he was going to be making a big impact on "HER" life. "You know..." Negi narrowed his eyes in deep thought. "...Chao never told me just how she was related to me."

"What are you getting at, Master Negi?" Chachazero asked, narrowing her eyes. "Think she might be closer to you thank you than you thought?"

"Eh?" Negi sweat dropped at her words. "What do you mean?"

"She might be your dau-"

"N-no! Of course not!" Negi cut her off loudly, getting the children sitting in the table in front of him to glance back at him like he was some sort of crazy. Negi cracked a grin to make them look away and sighed again. His heart felt as though it was going to burst forth from his chest at the tempo it was beating at. "Maybe I should have informed Eva-chan?"

"Eva-san would never let you hear the end of it if she found out that you were mending bonds while you were away from Maharo, master." Chachazero told him. "Oh, here comes the waitress." The puppet allowed herself to flop lifelessly against him again.

"Here you are sir." The young woman said as she set his glass down on the table. "Ms. Chao will be with you shortly."

"Um, excuse me?" Negi tensed.

"She's going to be here to take your order personally."

"W-why?"

"I told her that you asked for her."She answered before taking her leave. "Ciao!" Negi's jaw dropped as the waitress walked away. Why did she do this to him?! He didn't ask to meet her! All he wanted to know was her name...but then again, why did he come here in the first place?

"I confuse myself sometimes." Negi muttered.

"Do you think she's cute?" Chachazero teased.

"I don't know...that really isn't important."

"So you go for personalities, huh?"

"Z-Zero-chan!" Negi blushed.

"I just like to see master flustered." Chachazero chirped playfully. Negi buried his head in to his arms for a moment, but the sound of someone clearing their throat got his attention. Turning his attention to the source of the sound, he felt his throat close up. A woman stood before him adorned in a white, oriental style dress. Her hair was done in buns on the side of her head and her face was simply flawless down to her delicate chin. Her resemblance to Chao was eerily uncanny. He'd never seen a woman who could seem so elegant and yet give off such a child like impression with her mischievous expression. It was no wonder to the young magi why most of the men who dined here came just to get a glimpse of her. Something about her was just so irresistibly appealing and that neck-

Stop your thought flow! Stop it now! Negi inwardly berated himself when he felt a pulse in his fangs. He averted his eyes from her neck as best he could. Geez, what's up with me today? I'm usually far more controlled when it comes to my urges...

"Hello there." She greeted him cheerfully. "Welcome to my restaurant! One of my girls informed me that you already know my name, so tell me yours?"

"N...Negi Springfield." He answered, causing her to blink for a moment.

"Well..." Xue smirked. "That's a very nice name."

"Thank you."

"Do you know the meaning of your name?" She suddenly asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"...Um..."

"I guess not." She smiled. "Well I'm guessing the name "Negi" has a relation to the name "Nagi" which means, safe. As for "Springfield" I know that "Spring" means to burst forth where as there is a relation to name "Shprintza" which is yiddish meaning, hope." After she was done with her explanation she giggled at the expression on Negi's face.

"V-very informative." Negi praised. "D-Do you...normally tell people such things?" He felt a little unnerved when she related his first name to his father's name but other than that he just learned something today. This woman was seriously Lingshen's mother. There was no doubt in his mind about that with the vibe he felt from her just now. He stared back in to her eyes for a moment before realizing that she may have been awaiting a question from him. "So what does your name mean?"

"Snow." She answered him with a grin before her eyes swiveled toward his staff purposefully. "That's an odd looking walking stick you have there, Negi. Is there a story behind it, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Oh, this?" Negi patted his father's staff protectively. "Um, I use it on my travels."

The expression that washed over Xue's face made her look like a scheming feline in his eyes as she giggled, "Interesting." Almost every pair of eyeballs belonging to a healthy man in the restaurant shot at the young magi coldly once the woman slipped herself into the seat across from him. Negi did his best not to sweat. "Negi," She smirked at him in a way that made him question her personality. Something told him that her cheerful entry into the conversation might have been an act to deceive her customers, "I normally don't meet with my customers like this, but something about you stands out."

Negi fought the reflex of biting his lip. Hearing those words come from her mouth was sounding alarms within him for reasons that spoke for themselves. "Really? Why do you say that?"

"Because I've met people like you before." Negi's eyes widened, though not so much at her words as to the fact that there was now something puncturing the meat of his leg beneath the table. It felt like some kind of...needle? "Though I honestly expected something more from those pricks from the council. An amateur like you?" A genuine look of disgust came upon her pretty face. "I'm insulted."

"What...what did you just do to me?" Negi asked, feeling the needle get pulled from his skin.

"A little something to keep you calm." She stood from her seat and gestured for him to stand. "Come with me." This was an order.

Negi stared up at her with a dumbfounded expression. Maybe he wasn't supposed to feel the effects until he moved, but-- "What are you going to do with me?"

Xue looked annoyed. "Look, Springfield, you're in no position to question me. There's an anti magic device sending pulses of energy throughout the restaurant to keep you from trying anything clever. As far as I'm concerned you're nothing more than a mundane like the rest of us, so..." She held out a hand to him and a knife shot out from her sleeve. She caught it and held the scalpel-like tool to his face with a smile, "Come with me and make it easier on yourself."

"...Okay." Negi stood up from his seat a little too easily for her tastes. "Soooo...where am I goi-"

"Why are you so calm?" She quirked a brow at him.

"I don't know." Negi answered her honestly. "I mean...you don't look bad, and I honestly don't know what you're talking about."

Xu blinked a few times before nodding her head a few times as if coming to a silent conclusion. "You know, you're good."

"...At what?"

"Just come with me." She placed a hand on his back and nudged him forward. "If you're a good boy I won't hurt you."

"If you say so." He reached for his staff--

"No." She calmly grabbed his arm to stop him, "Leave that here and come with me."

"But it's mine." He almost whined, his expression

"Whatever. I'll have one of my girls bring it later." She said casually, trying her best not to lose her guard around the odd young man. With the way he was responding to the situation it almost appeared as though he seriously didn't see anything wrong with what she was doing. Normally a person would be spouting threats or begging for her to let them go, but he was just going along for the ride. "Okay?"

"Thanks."

She found herself blinking again. "Shut up and get moving!"

"Y-Yes, ma'am." He nodded quickly, moving forward.

"Er...that's right." She told him, though lacking the energy to make it sound like there was a threat behind it. "And...don't talk to me."

To Be Continued...

I AM ALIIIVE! That's right, the series has finally received another installment, which proves to me that my creativity is still intact somehow. After the long summer and that horrible re-entry into the school year that I experienced (Registering for classes is a real $#%) my mind was sort of in a slump...Kay, it was much worse than that, but I'm all better now. I hope. Well, this is becoming a bad habit. Anyway, there you have it. I haven't revealed much about the aftermath of the 3-A war, but as you might have guessed, the plan failed. As for for Mana and Kaede, or Ku-Fei for that matter. Well, there was a reason why they weren't present in that scene. It's kind of hard to attend class when you're injured. They're not vampires, after all, but for how long, I wonder...

I'll think about it.

Lemme see. I wanted to give Reina Tepes some more screen time, but it would have conflicted with the plans I already had for the story. Allowing her and Negi to meet personally this early in the story would have been disastrous for the flow of the series because...well... I doubt she would go as easy on him as Lucinda would, and tragedy has absolutely no place in the story yet. Then there's this and that, and everything else. Where's the fun in letting the party blow out so early? The after party shouldn't come until everyone is drunk on the fun and beverages.

Oh yeah, I noticed that some of the comments were directed at me from the last chapter. That interlude was written by SpiritBlade. Reina Tepes is a character from his own creative mind. That aside, I'm very glad to have such supportive readers, and I feel that I haven't been forthcoming about that soooo.

1. SpiritBlade: To the writer who helped in the foundation of this tale, you're awesome. While your constant references to White Wolf and The Masquerade leave me dizzy, I appreciate all your help. I need to check out what you're talking about most of the time, though. You're leaving me behind.

2. Keikun4283: To the reader who has been there since the very beginning, I thank you. Your first reviews are one of the contributing factors to the story's life span.

3. AznPuffyHair: A faithful reader with a pen name that always leaves a weird image in my mind whenever I see it. I can always depend on that smiley face appearing at the bottom of your reviews to scream. UPDATE SOON! (^.^) Maria will be making her appearance soon! I I can get those next few chapter of 'At Your Side' into the series, perhaps even sooner.

4. Sweet Heavens: S'up? What ever happened to that tournament fic you told me about last year? It never showed up on the site! Well, your support is always uplifting, and your questions are always direct. What more can I ask for? Your soul? That's not such a bad idea.

5. kenakamatsu: You popped out somewhere towards the middle of the first FVA and I was like, "NOOO! I'M GETTING SUED!"

6. aaden cameron: Hey, I'm happy to please ya, and I'll do my best to win your heart. Even if I have to play dirty.

7. Daughter of Ether: Still dong my best to impress. Well, okay, so I've lost a bit of my vigor from before, but give me some time shape up again. By the way...who's that cat on your avatar. Fan created, or from an original work. It's been nagging at me for a while now.

8. AJ Katon: To a fellow writer, keep on moving forward.

To the others I have not addressed, I'll make a spot for you in the next chapter.

Question Time

Q. What role does Mei Sakura have to play in this?

A. The focus on Mei will have a lot to do with Takane and her grip on humanity, as well as playing temptation to our young hero.

Q. What happened to all the flashbacks you did in the original fic?

A. The flashbacks was a device to introduce the figures of Evangeline's past. That way people won't be like, "Who the hell is L..Lucin...what's her name again?"

Q. When does Chachazero get her artifact and have you figured out yet how a soul less creature like her can get one?

A. Ken got there before I did. Of course, don't expect the kiss to be like the one Negi shared with Chachamaru...ahem.

Q.Lastly Evangeline...I thought you were isolating Negi and her yet they can do telepathy stuff where before he had to phone her? Could you clarify this for me or did I misunderstand and it was all a dream?

A. Negi was reminiscing about a moment he shared with his master in the past. The cause? Home sickness.

Q. Is it Negi's natural looks or his vampire charm/aura that seems to enrapture all the ladies? I'm sure there are gonna be at least a few jealous male vampires wanting to take out Negi for good. I have to still ask but will Nagi ever make an appearance besides flashbacks? Are you gonna put Nekane also, it'd be interesting to see her and Negi's friends from Wales react to him being a vampire.

A. Vampire charm, and yes, Negi will encounter a jealous vampire here and there. As for Nagi, I want to utilize him in the story, but I can't seem to find an opening anywhere that won't spoil his role. Nekane and the others at Wales will appear occasionally, though Anya will be coming in contact soon.

Q. Are you majoring or minoring in writing in college or is FVA and BYE just an awesome hobbie?

A. Majoring in creative writing, and yeah, this is just a hobby. If my book does get published sometime after I'm done with it, expect to hear about Dark Mistresses and Lords somewhere in literature, though.

Q. For what reason is Fate going to meet up with Negi?

A. Secret.

Q. Is Reina going to be one of those Dark Mistresses that follow Negi?

A. If they don't end up killing each other first.

Q.In the previous story 'Fang Vice Addiction', Dorothy had two personalities because of the time line (Present and Future). In the Dorothy from the Future, she would use every thing and anyone that she can get a hold of to have Negi in her grasp, even his daughter. In Dorothy on the Present Time (Well, since this is By Your Enrapture not Fang Vice Addiction) She Seemed Sweet yet Egotistical (Like a Kid I mean), but is still quite frightened by Vampire Hunters like Katherine even if she had become dark a Century (or Centuries) ago.

So, why is it so?

A. TIME PARADOX!

Take care,

Traingham