Mahou Sensei Negima! Fan Fiction ❯ The Dreamer ❯ The Proper Way To Use A Book ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

-----Author’s note: Time for the second true anime style filler chapter! (Yay no real plot development!) Actually, that’s a lie. I’m gearing up FOR plot development. I can’t make up my mind, serious or fun, serious or fun.....I do not own Negima!, but any other characters and ideas are my own. Enjoy.....-----


Nodoka’s hands were shaking so bad she could barely hold onto the book in front of her. Well, maybe it wasn’t entirely her fault. Sakurako, who had a iron grip on both of her shoulders from behind, was shaking pretty hard from anticipation at what the pages of the book contained, namely, nothing. It was what they COULD contain that had her dying to open it up.

“So-So we can really read minds with this thing? Right now, we could?” The cheerleader whispered excitedly, trying not to alert her classmates of their questionable intentions.

“Y-Yes, b-but we can’t! It’d be-“

“Hella fun? Wow, and here I thought books were boring! Come on, come on, open it up!”

A flash of lightning illuminated the massive, candle-lit room, followed a split second after by a roar of thunder. The noise made several of the chatty schoolgirls yelp in surprise, followed by some scattered laughter. They’d spent nearly half an hour in there, by this point.

“B-But.....” Nodoka stammered, looking around feverishly for her friend, “Haruna could be back any minute!” She exclaimed, wishing her friend had never gone off to find Yue. It was true that they were at their best when they were a trio, but being a duo was infinitely better than playing it solo, at least for Nodoka. To make her even less comfortable, there was the fact that she barely even knew Sakurako!

“That’s all the more reason to be quick about it!” The cheerleader pointed out, scanning the dimly lit room full of girls for a good target. After a few seconds of ignoring Nodoka, who was saying something about privacy, Sakurako’s eyes lit up, “Let’s start off with a quiet one! How ‘bout Chisame?”

“Uh.....I d-don’t think.....”

“You don’t need to! We’ll just take a peek at her thoughts.....after all, what if we have a bunch of things in common? Then we can find out and be friends!” Sakurako tried to convince Nodoka to have a bit of fun, even if her feigned reason sucked like nobody’s business. Oddly enough, it seemed to sway Nodoka’s thoughts on the situation, even if only slightly. Maybe it was because, really, Nodoka had a bit of mischievousness inside, too. Sakurako chuckled a little at that thought. Not likely.

“W-Well.....I guess it wouldn’t hurt to look for just a second.....” Nodoka’s cautiousness faltered enough for her to crack the book open, muttering her classmate’s name under her breath.

Sakurako’s eyes widened as ink slowly and intricately unfurled over the pages, displaying not only text, but a picture! “That’s ama.....who’s that?” She pointed down to the picture, at the girl she didn’t recognize. She looked a little like Chisame, only older and.....well, like some kind of super-model.

“I-I don’t know.....her sister, maybe?”

The two’s eyes began to trace along the text.....

.....going to keep on top? That damned hentai site is catching up.....what the hell is wrong with all of those perverts? I offer quality, non-offensive, kitty-maid photos, but no! They need to see what’s going on down there, or more importantly, what’s going i.....

Nodoka tried to clap the book shut at this point, her face red and her eyes wide, but Sakurako shot her hand down and held the book open.

.....I mean, God, there are only so many things a (I don’t want to offend anyone [anymore than I probably already have], so I’ll not say what Chisame thinks next. Nodoka’s now shocked, and mentally scarred, though) can be used for. I update, like, 3 times per day, but I’m running out of fetishes to slam! I’ve already got fourteen bunny-eared school-swimsuit shots.....Maybe I need to rethink Chiu’s morals a little bit.....Some sacrifices can be made if I get to stay on top of the internet idol world.....I guess I could show.....

Nodoka, her eyes streaming in embarrassment, managed to overpower Sakurako and shut the book. She wanted to utter the word and have the thing vanish, but that would definitely catch attention, which she couldn’t have happen.

“Aw, I wanted to see where that was going! Chiu, huh? I’ll need to check that site out, sometime. Let’s do Setsuna, next!” Sakurako grinned, glancing over at one of her newest friends.

“W-We can’t do that! Setsuna-san i-is.....uh.....”

“Hey, I’m trying to get to know her, and she’s a little.....intimidating. Didn’t you think so, before you got to know her?”

Nodoka forced a shaky nod. She was still a little uptight around the guardian, who always seemed to have her sword with her. But she knew now that Setsuna was a nice person, at heart, and only came off as icy at first.

“So this will help me out! Plus, I mean, isn’t she all chivalrous, and stuff? We won’t have to worry about anything weird in her head!”

Realizing Sakurako wouldn’t let up until enough of her curiosity had been sated, the gentle librarian muttered her friend’s name, then flipped the book open. She felt a little guilt well up in her as the magical ink spread out over the pages.....
.....-sama like that. B-Being this close is.....ugh, my stomach hurts. No! What would everyone think of me if they were to know I entertained such thoughts! And with Negi-sensei, too? I’m despicable! Konoka Ojou-sama wouldn’t be able to look me in the eyes anymore.....

“Wait, hold on, what?” Sakurako whispered, staring at the picture and forgetting about the words as they continued to stream across the pages.

Nodoka hadn’t even begun to read the words, her eyes being transfixed on the picture from the get-go. It looked like Setsuna and Negi were in an open-air bath, at night, with Setsuna’s hand down in the water dangerously close to.....or rather, grasping, his.....

.....Why can’t I stop thinking about that? It was an offensive tactic used to disable my enemy! That’s all, I didn’t even know it was him beforehand! Hand.....uh.....God, am I blushing? I hope no one notices, I’m so glad it’s dark.....Yeah, he’s the greatest guy I know, strong, dependable, smart, cute, funny.....but he’s ten! Ten, ten, ten, ten, ten, ten! Nodoka-san’s already staked her claim, too! There’s no way I could ever.....

Nodoka tried to clap the book shut at this point, her face red and her eyes wide, but Sakurako shot her hand down and held the book open.

.....Then there’s Asuna-san’s feelings to take into account. She’d never say it, but she may just.....what about Konoka Ojou-sama? She loves him like family.....maybe more.....lucky.....I mean, uh, dammit! Maybe.....in some cultures.....polyamorous relationships are.....

Nodoka, her eyes streaming in embarrassment, managed to overpower Sakurako and shut the book. Did she need to worry about Setsuna going after Negi, now, too?

“Whoa-ho-ho! Negi-kun’s stock is going through the roof! That was.....not something I was expecting. This may be the greatest toy ever, Nodoka!” Sakurako stated through a smile which reached from ear to ear.

“H-H-Horrible.....no more.....” Nodoka groaned, reaching for her bag to put the book away.

“Hang on, hang on, we’ll do someone that’s a guaranteed safety zone, this time! Check out what Yotsuba’s thinking!”

After nearly a minute of verbal poking and prodding, the cheerleader managed to persuade the librarian to give her another round of entertainment, er, insight.....

.....so cute. I’ll have to be sure to bake him a huge cake for his birthday. He always tries so hard at everything.....anyone could admire that in someone.....

“What’s going on with the text?” Sakurako wondered aloud, glancing at the picture of a giant chocolate cake before returning to the print, “It’s different than the two before.....”

“I don’t really know.....have you ever noticed something weird about when Yotsuba-san talks? I’m not sure what it is, but......” Nodoka whispered in response.

“Yeah, yeah! I never said anything because I thought I was just imagining something. Can’t ever put my finger on what it is, though.....”

.....But what I’d really like is for him to bake a cake for my birthday.....I want him to really pay attention to me, but I always seem to fall into the background of things. Everyone else is so.....pretty.....I mean, how can I compete with the class rep, or Nodoka-san? I guess I.....

Nodoka tried to clap the book shut at this point, her face red and her eyes wide, but Sakurako shot her hand down and held the book open.

.....can always dream, though. He may never bake me a cake in real life.....but I’ll always be able to hope for it, to think about it.....

The picture of the cake changed, the only real difference was a nude Negi popping out the top, but it was a difference that made all the difference.

Nodoka, her eyes streaming in embarrassment, managed to overpower Sakurako and shut the book. Holy crap, Yotsuba-san, too? This was getting ridiculous!

“Wow! Even Yotsuba-san! I mean, I like Negi-kun, too, but I’ve never imagined him jumping out of a cake for me! I wonder if we had kept watching what-“

“No! No m-more! Really, I can’t handle another surprise like that one!” Nodoka reached with a bit more determination for her bag this second time around.

“Wait, one more! This one won’t even be a surprise if it’s what she’s thinking about, I just wanna see!” Sakurako urged her shy friend for one last peek.

A voyeur? Sakurako? It couldn’t be..... “W-Who?”

“The class rep!”

Nodoka’s face went blank as she recalled the picture Haruna had drawn for her, the one which featured Ayaka and Negi in an.....interesting position.

“She’s probably your biggest competition for Negi-kun, so getting a look in on her real thoughts could give you a big advantage.....” The perky girl pointed out, nudging Nodoka in the side.

With a deep breath, the librarian whispered the rep’s name.....

.....can Negi-sensei be? I’m getting really worried.....It’s on nights like these that SHE comes out.....
The two girl’s eyes widened as they saw the picture, which featured a terrified Negi running for his life through a hall, with what appeared to be a girl scrambling across the ceiling in pursuit.

.....But I can’t say anything, or everyone will freak out! I can’t go looking for him, either, at least not by myself! Even I can’t stand up to that monster.....ghost.....dead girl, whatever she is by myself. I still haven’t found the last two maids I sent after the noises she makes.....

Nodoka moved to sit up, but a firm hand kept her down.

“Well, now. That explains a lot,” Connor’s voice cut through the steady hum of the other girl’s talking. Yue was a step behind, with Haruna just a step further back.

“Wh-What do you mean?” Nodoka stammered, shying away from his touch. She may like Negi, but other guys still didn’t do it for her.

Sakurako jumped up onto the book, sitting on it to conceal it from Haruna, who had just come dangerously close to finding the artifact. Even if she hadn’t gotten a good look at it, she would have managed to sneak it from Nodoka sooner or later if she ever found out about it.

“I kinda lost track of Negi after the blackout.....” The older teacher admitted with a forced laugh.

Before Nodoka could rush out to find the boy, Connor pinched her shoulder, sending the girl to the floor. Sakurako and Haruna went down before anyone even knew what had happened. Thank God it was dark.....

“And what purpose did that serve?” Yue asked blandly, wondering if she was about to get the sleeper hold as well.

“You didn’t see the picture, huh? Well, I can’t have these three rushing off in the dark to find the boy wonder with some kind of dead girl crawling on the walls, now can I?” Connor replied, swallowing hard. He couldn’t let them go, but he definitely didn’t want to. The Ring had given him all he needed of creepy dead girls. The Amityville Horror had doubled what he didn’t need in the dead girl department. What the hell was up with the seizure on the ceiling? He hadn’t been able to enter a room at nighttime for months after seeing that, without checking the ceiling to make sure there wasn’t anybody up there..... The girl in the picture looked to fall into the category of ‘dead girl’, therefore making her something he didn’t want to deal with.

After waiting several long seconds for Connor to make a move, which he didn’t, Yue mumbled, “Well, aren’t you going to go find him?”

“Y-Yeah, after I get some backup.....”

The two wandered over to Ku Fei and Kaede, who appeared to be having a good time with the blackout. They both stopped talking to greet Connor and Yue with a smile, which was weakly returned by the teacher. “Blue and yellow idiots, I need some help.....”
“You call us idiots and then ask for our help?” Kaede asked with a grin.

“I mean it as more of a term of endearment, than anything else, but yeah. Let me explain the situation.....”

-

Negi could feel his heart about to explode in his chest, but the anxiety would probably kill him before things got that bad.

‘I see you.....’

He ducked to the ground, covering his head and letting the waves of terror carry his hope away. He wasn’t going to get away, this time. What in the voice gave it the ability to chill his bones and drain him of the will to push on? It had to be some kind of magic.....whatever it was, maybe that was what left the aura. Maybe it was just the afterglow of whatever magic the voice cast.....

‘Playtime, Negi-kun.....’

Negi’s eyes shot open, wide and frightened. He could feel the sweat sliding down his neck, soaking into his already moist shirt. Every time he had the dream, now, it got closer. The next time might be the last time.....

Wait, why had he fallen asleep? Where was he? His anxious eyes darted around the near pitch black room, only able to catch a few boxes, and what appeared to be rafters. The attic? A flash of lightning broke through the dark. Negi screamed as he fell back, a cracked and pasty face a few inches from his own. He scrambled away, staring into the black in terror. A second burst of lightning produced another moment of light, but the boy couldn’t see the person anywhere.

He didn’t need to see her, though, because he could feel her coal-black eyes surrounding him as she circled him from a distance. Those eyes, that had seconds ago been right before his own, were going to be burned into his mind for the rest of his life. He had looked into nothing, and that nothingness had looked back at him, dead in the face. He could hear her skitter around, almost like a giant roach. He instinctively reached for his wand, but it was gone. Why had he left his staff at home?

“Wh-Who are.....What are you?” He muttered into the darkness, spinning to try and keep the rapid scraping sounds in front of him.

-

“Yeah, and that’s what’s going on,” Connor concluded his brief explanation. If there really was some kind of creature in the mansion, they needed to find it, and Negi, as soon as possible.

“If Negi-bozu in trouble, we always help,” Ku Fei jumped up, ready to follow Connor into the dark halls. Kaede rose to her feet as well, giving him the nod to lead on. Yue had resigned herself to the fact that she could never live with herself if she didn’t do what she could to help her young teacher. Maybe she could prove to him that she was worth his attention this way.....

“I’m coming, too,” Asakura’s voice brought the group of four to a halt.

Connor glanced over his shoulder at her, “Oh? And why’s that, Blaze?” It was dark, but he could still make out the tinge of color in her cheeks.

“I-It sounds like it’d make a good s-scoop, that’s all. Plus, I happen to know a thing or two when it comes to ghosts,” She admitted, wondering how poor Sayo was doing, all by herself in that classroom.

“And you can bet your life I’m coming!” Ayaka said loudly, apparently having overheard the story.

“God, how loud was I? You guys should have told me to shut up if people could overhear!” Connor pointed at the three baka rangers.

“Asakura pretty much hear everything no matter,” Ku Fei pointed out.

“And I know everything that goes on concerning my wonderful Negi-sensei!” Ayaka asserted, putting her hands on her hips.

‘That’s why you’re in the know about magic, too, isn’t it?’ All five people thought with a chuckle.

“What’s so funny? Come on, Negi-sensei might be in real danger!” Ayaka stormed off into the halls, “I think I may know where he is.....”

After taking a deep breath to control his anxiety, Connor went into the hall after her, followed by the four other girls.

Chamo popped up out of Connor’s jacket pocket, hopping onto his shoulder to whisper into his ear, “You’d better save aniki, Emo! He means a lot more to me than you do, don’t think I won’t-“

“Hey, I’m moving, aren’t I? Relax. Th-This isn’t anything I can’t handle.....”

“Good. Glad you understand. On a lighter note.....this may be a good time to net some pactios, Emo! It’s dark and spooky, you have girls with you who can find comfort in your arms, I’m around to whip up a circle at any time.....not to mention two of the girls here have a thing for you,” Chamo pointed out, resisting the urge to light a cigarette up in case the rep should see him.

“Everyone has a thing for me, rat. It’s called adoration.”

“You’re so full of yourself it’s nauseating.”

“No, it’s because you’re addicted to nicotine and you’re going through withdrawals because you haven’t smoked in a couple of hours. That’s nauseating.”

“Hey, don’t preach to me, Emo. I’ll freaking cut your share down to nothing. You make with the charm and get us a card before the night ends, or else!” Chamo jumped back down into Connor’s pocket, where he seriously considered a smoke. The worst that could happen would be that he set Connor’s jacket on fire.....

The teacher looked over his shoulder at the four girls behind him, each one bearing a candle. It looked like he had five choices, if he counted the blonde, who was currently leading the way. Ayaka, Asakura, Ku Fei, Kaede, or Yue. So many girls, so little time.....


-----Author’s other note: Geez, I went from one of the lightest and most fun/easy-going chapters I’ve ever written to one of the more tense and creepy ones. I have narrowed the potential partners down to these five. As always, reader participation is encouraged. If you want Connor to get the card with, say, the rep instead of Ku Fei or Asakura, say so. If you want Negi to die at the hands of the girl in the attic? Yeah, just drop me the go ahead. You want Ayaka to discover Negi’s magic? It’s a possibility, right now. While you may not convince me to do anything, I love hearing what people want to see happen. I wish television and the like worked like that. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a show like Lost or South Park take fan’s suggestions (without it ruining the show)? I guess that’s just what fanfiction is for. Anyway, sorry for going on so long. Thanks for reading.....-----