As Sunset, Asuna, and Chamo continued their treck northwest through the woods, Chamo informed them that Negi’s scent was getting fainter, indicating that he’d been moving far more quickly than they were. Not having much of a choice as the sun began to set, Sunset suggested that they make camp for the night. A nearby river provided a few fish for their dinner, and Sunset’s artifact allowed her to cook them with ease.
“Those are really pretty,” Asuna said, pointing at Sunset’s gauntlets as they ate. “Did Negi give them to you?”
“Yeah, something like that,” Sunset answered. “You know that thing with Nodoka and Negi that you interrupted the other day?”
“Eh?” Asuna asked. “You saw that?”
Sunset smirked. “I interrupted it. At about the same time as you did, actually. Stole a kiss from him and booked it out of there with Honya.” She shot a glare at Chamo. “I also warned her to stay away from you, for obvious reasons.”
“Hey, come on Ane-san,” Chamo complained from the stump that he sat on. “The more the merrier! Besides, since you and Asuna Ane-san have already formed the contract with him, you can keep the bookish Ane-san safe too. I’m sure from her personality that she’ll get a support-style artifact instead of a-”
Sunset shoved a large piece of fish in his mouth. “Not the point,” she said, glaring at him. “Nodoka and Yue are still deciding whether or not they want to be involved with magic at all. I’m not going to let you force them into our world until they’ve made their choice.” She turned away from the choking ermine to look curiously at Asuna. “Anyway, you and the kid formed a contract?”
Asuna nodded, rubbing her cheek awkwardly with a finger. “Um, sort of. Just a kiss on the forehead, so the pervert says it doesn’t really count.”
Sunset nodded. “Yeah, that’s not going to do much. It’d be better if you went ahead with the real deal. One quick kiss, and it’s done. Just a concerned big sis showing a bit of affection for her little bro.”
“B-b-but, that’s a little…” Asuna trailed off, looking down and blushing a little. “It’s still a little embarrassing.”
Sunset shrugged. “It’s up to you. Personally, I think the power-up is worth a small moment of embarrassment. Besides, it’ll probably be worse for him than for you.” Sunset tossed the rest of her uneaten fish into the fire before turning her back and lying down. “I’m going to hit the sack. ‘Night.”
Asuna nodded. “Yeah, good night.” Sunset soon fell asleep, Chamo following suit once he managed to choke down his fish. Asuna was left to herself, staring into the fire and contemplating everything that Sunset had said.
“Wait. Honya and Yue-chan know about magic?!”
*****
The next morning began as the previous evening had ended, with Sunset, Asuna, and Chamo trekking northwest as Sunset’s tracking spell swiveled continually between the two directions. “Well, pervert?” Sunset asked. “Are we close?”
“The name is ‘Chamo!’” the ermine shouted from Asuna’s shoulder. “But yes, we should be. Aniki’s scent is getting stronger. I’m pretty sure he’s been in this area for a while.”
“Good.” Asuna said, groaning as she rubbed her back. “Sleeping up here in the mountains. Cold fish for breakfast. I swear, I’m going to kill Negi when we find him.”
“Heh, save a piece of him for me,” Sunset replied, watching as the arrow switched once again to the west. “I’m going to-” She blinked. The arrow had changed directions again, now pointing upwards. “What the…” She looked up, Asuna and Chamo following her gaze.
Asuna was the first to spot him. “Ah!” She pointed up at the sky. “There he is! HEY!!! NEGI!!!”
Sunset spotted him too. Negi was seated on his staff, riding it like a classic broomstick. Sunset lifted her wand and fired a single magic arrow into the sky, catching Negi’s attention. “OY! KID! GET DOWN HERE!”
Negi’s eyes widened as he looked down at his students. “Eh?! Asuna-san? Nichibotsu-san?! Chamo-kun?! What are you doing here?”
“WHAT DO YOU THINK?!?!” Asuna shouted, gesturing furiously. “WE CAME AFTER YOU!! WHICH MEANS IT’S YOUR FAULT WE GOT STUCK IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR A WHOLE NIGHT!!! YOU-” Asuna cut herself off, hesitating before taking a deep breath. “You made us worry! Everyone else too! Hurry up and get down here!”
Sunset turned and raised an eyebrow at Asuna as Negi descended. “Wow. Taking what I said to heart already?”
Asuna blushed a little and glared at Sunset. “Sh-shut up. And don’t you dare tell Negi what we talked about yesterday.”
Sunset chuckled and shook her head. “Hey, I promise. One sister to another.”
“Hmph, good,” Asuna said. “I don’t need him… wait. You’re a-”
“What the heck were you thinking?” Sunset scolded as Negi got down to eye-level. “Running off and leaving everyone worried? More than that, trying to just run and hide from your problems like that? How childish can you get?”
“S-sorry,” Negi replied, shamefaced. “You’re right. It was childish and stupid.” His expression hardened a bit and he looked up. “Nichibotsu-san, Asuna-san, I know it’s a lot to ask, but could I impose on you a little more?”
Sunset raised an eyebrow, sharing a look with Asuna. “What are you talking about?”
“I don’t want to keep being afraid of Evangeline-san,” Negi said, lowering himself to the ground and dismounting from his staff. “And I’m not going to ambush Chachamaru-san like we tried to do the other day. She is one of my students after all.”
Sunset’s eyebrows shot up. They tried to what? No way that was their idea; too bold. Maybe that stupid ermine is good for something after all. “So what are you going to do?” Sunset asked.
“I’m going to face her head-on,” Negi said, determination filling his voice. “And when I do, will you two be my partners?!”
Or maybe he can be bold after all. “That’s a pretty big question, kid,” Sunset said, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at him. “What makes you think I’m interested?”
Negi’s face turned from determined to confused. “Eh? But, didn’t you want to fight her anyway? To protect everyone?” Seeing Sunset’s puzzled look, he elaborated. “I mean, you came forward to protect Nodoka when Evangeline-san attacked, and you were really concerned when you heard that Makie-san was in the infirmary. And it’d be easier for us to fight together than separately. Isn’t that why you made the contract with me the other day?”
Sunset was quiet for a moment while she contemplated his words. Help everyone? No, that’s ridiculous. I only really care about Honya and the other Library girls. I only got upset about Makie because I wanted to talk to her about that look she gave me… right? Sunset thought about the rest of the class: about Chisame who shared her cynical sense of humor, about Yuuna who had taken her ribbing in stride and laughed it off, about Kaede who was both observant and caring enough to point out when another girl was more hurt than she let on. Am I… actually starting to like these girls? She felt slightly nauseous at the thought, and she turned away from Negi.
“Don’t misunderstand,” she said, pumping false competitiveness into her voice. “I just don’t like the idea of a blood-sucking corpse lurking around and inconveniencing me. If working with you will help me take it down faster, then sure, why not.”
Asuna sighed but nodded. “I... I’ll help too, I guess. I mean, it’s to keep everyone safe, right?” She glared down at Negi, sticking a finger in his face. “But don’t get the wrong idea. Once we beat her, I’m putting all of this fighting and partner stuff behind me, got it?”
Negi’s face lit up and he nodded. “Th-thank you so much! Asuna-san! Nichibotsu-san!”
*****
Sunset arrived early to class the next day, along with Nodoka and Yue. She took the opportunity to relax after the previous two days of mountain climbing. They’d gotten back late in the afternoon, and Sunset had been too tired to do anything but fall into bed. Her early retirement meant that her usual early waking was even easier, and she’d been able to get a quick bath in before running to class.
“I still can’t believe you found him there,” Haruna said, having arrived a little after Sunset. “Those woods are pretty big. What was he even doing out there, anyway?”
“Who knows?” Sunset grunted, shrugging her shoulders. “Kid’s probably under a lot of stress, what with being a 10-year-old teacher to a class of child molesters. If I were him, I’d hide in the woods on my days off too.”
Nodoka frowned. “Nichi-chan, that’s a little harsh.”
Sunset sighed, slumping forward across her desk. “Yeah, yeah. They’re not all that bad. But seriously, the girls in this class have no sense of restraint. One of these days, another teacher’s going to walk over when they’re all half-undressed or something and the kid’s the one who’ll get in trouble.”
“Aw, Nichi-chan,” Haruna cooed. “You do care about our little teacher.”
Sunset scoffed and rolled her eyes, but her smirk was playful as she replied. “As if. I just don’t want to lose the teacher that lets me study other things in his class. My Latin’s been progressing really well, thanks to that.”
“Good morning!” Everyone looked over to see Negi walking through the door, a confident grin on his face. “Is Evangeline-san here?”
“Speak of the devil,” Sunset muttered.
“Evangeline?” Ako asked, stepping forward. “She’s not here yet. I think she’s taking the day off because of the flu. Here are her contact details.”
Sunset narrowed her eyes on Ako as Negi sprinted from the room. “Excuse me girls,” she said, standing up. “I’ve got something I need to do.” She walked over and tapped the silver-blue haired girl on the head. “Oy. Ako.”
The girl in question jumped and turned around, instantly growing a little nervous when she saw who it was. “O-oh! Nichibotsu-chan. G-good morning. Did you need something?”
Sunset nodded and turned for the door. “Yeah, there’s something I need to talk with you about.” She led the hesitant Ako from the classroom and down the hall, heading for the staircase where she’d overheard Negi talking to Asuna about magic over a month ago. A couple of people were passing by, but it was secluded enough for their conversation. “So,” Sunset said, leaning back against the window and eyeing the sky outside, “I wanted to apologize.”
“Eh? For what?”
Sunset blinked, turning to Ako and frowning at her confused expression. “...for what I said at the World Tree Plaza, of course. What else?”
Ako tilted her head to the side. “But… you said you didn’t have anything to say to me.”
...holy crap! Low self-esteem is right. “I told you to keep being a wallflower,” Sunset said, starting to get a little annoyed. “I said you were unremarkable, that you ‘don’t register enough’ for me to insult you.”
“Oh,” Ako said, rubbing the back of her neck sheepishly. “I-I guess I was just too relieved that you weren’t coming after me to notice that. To be honest, I was kind of thankful that I escaped your notice.”
“Dang it, Ako! I’m trying to apologize here!”
“O-oh! Sorry!”
“No! I’m… ugh!” Sunset turned and slammed her head into the wall, groaning more from annoyance than from pain. “How does someone hear that they’re a wallflower and not get insulted?”
“Well... it’s kind of true.” Sunset turned her head and raised an eyebrow, watching as Ako shuffled her feet back and forth. “I know I’m not really all that pretty or athletic. I’m not really that smart either.” She met Sunset’s eyes and shrugged helplessly. “I’m just a background character in other people’s stories, really.”
Sunset blinked, staring blank-faced at Ako. “Who on Earth told you that?”
“N-no-one, really,” Ako replied, shaking her head. “It’s just, that’s how it is, isn’t it?”
Sunset held her gaze for a moment before frowning. “Okay,” she said. “Okay, so you think you’re just a background character, huh?” She stepped away from the wall and started walking down the stairs. “Allright, follow me.”
“Eh?” Ako asked, surprised. “Wh-where are you going? Class is about to start!”
“We’re ditching. Let’s go.”
“EH?!”
Sunset stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned back to glare up at Ako. “We’re. Ditching. Let’s go.”
“B-but… but…” Ako shook her head. “W-we can’t just ditch! I mean, I can’t at least! I’m not as smart as you, Nichibotsu-chan. I can’t just skip a few days whenever I want and stay on top of the-”
“I’ll tutor you until you catch up,” Sunset interrupted. “Heck, I’ll tutor you for the rest of the year, if you want. Just get down here.”
Ako hesitated. On one hand, ditching would be bad if they got caught, and taking Sunset up on her offer would mean spending even more time with a girl that still scared her a little.
On the other hand, thanks to Sunset’s tutoring, Asuna no longer had the worst grades in the class…
*****
“So, what exactly are we doing here?” Ako asked, looking around nervously. They were walking through one of the many music rooms, Sunset having led them there without explanation.
“This is where you and the cheerleaders practice for your band, right?” Sunset asked, looking from instrument to instrument. “You told me about that when it was your turn to play tour guide.”
“That’s right,” Ako said, her eyes falling on her electric bass, a small smile breaking on her face. “You looked like you were really interested in music. Do you play anything?”
Sunset shook her head. “Not really. I sing a bit, but nothing beyond that.” And my singing here is nothing compared to what I could do as a pony. “I’ve been thinking about learning, though. Think you could show me the basics on your guitar?”
Ako blinked in surprise. “Um… sure.” She spent the next few minutes setting it up, plugging the guitar into a small practice amp and getting its settings right. “Allright,” she finally said, offering the instrument to Sunset. “Here you go. Give it a few strums.”
Sunset eyed the instrument before shaking her head and stepping back. “Nah, not yet. I want to see you play first.”
“Eh?” Ako clutched the instrument to her chest, her eyes instantly falling to the floor. “R-really? Right now?”
“Why not?” Sunset asked, shrugging. “I learn well by watching. Besides, I’ve wanted to see how good you are ever since the tour.”
Ako hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Um, okay,” she said, slipping the strap of the guitar around her back. “What did you want to hear me play?”
Sunset shrugged again. “I don’t know. Make something up. Just start strumming so I can see it in action.”
Ako nodded hesitantly before looking down, beginning to pluck a few strings. Sunset watched as the girl began almost instantly to relax, a contemplative smile coming over her face. Her fingers picked up the pace, strumming a few chords together into a simple melody. She closed her eyes, humming along to the notes she was playing. The melody gradually became more complex, Ako’s humming evolving into light singing, a wordless tune that accompanied the music well.
Wow, Sunset thought, unashamedly impressed by the beautiful tune. If she were a pony, she’d have a music cutie mark for sure. “That’s really something,” she said.
Ako snapped out of her trance, still managing to resolve her chord even in her surprise. “O-oh! Thank you.” She blushed and looked down. “I… guess I kind of got carried away there. I’m sorry it wasn’t very good-”
“Stop it.”
Ako flinched and looked up. “I-I’m sorry?”
“Stop it,” Sunset repeated, glaring at her. “If there’s one thing I hate, it’s someone with potential and ability wasting or diminishing it. You’re good. Really good. And if you ever let anyone tell you otherwise, including yourself, then that’s an insult to you and your talent.” She turned and walked for the door, but paused when she reached it. “By the way,” she added, not even bothering to turn around, “you’re actually pretty good-looking. Not beautiful or stupidly buxom like some of the freaks in our class, but pretty. Cute.” With that, she stepped out, closing the door behind her.
*****
“That was very kind of you, de-gozarou.”
Sunset sighed from where she sat in the tree by Sakura Lane, her back against the trunk as she gazed up into the sky. “How did I know you would find me here?” she pondered aloud. She glanced over to see a certain green-haired ninja smiling at her from the next tree over. “And shouldn’t you be in class?”
Kaede waved her off. “Not a problem, de-gozaru. I have one of my shadow clones sitting in for me.”
Sunset slowly raised an eyebrow. “...shadow...clones.” She sighed, turning her gaze back to the sky. “Shouldn’t be surprised, and yet I am.”
“How did you know that would work?” Kaede asked.
Sunset snorted. “Wow. For a ninja, you aren’t too subtle.” She sighed, contemplating what she’d said to Ako. “To be honest, I didn’t. And it didn’t ‘work.’ Self-esteem takes more than just a rousing pep-talk to grow. This isn’t one of Haruna’s stupid shonen mangas, after all. In real life, growing a healthy sense of self-esteem takes time and effort. I just… gave her a push.”
“Indeed you did, de-gozaru.” Kaede tilted her head to the side. “Why?”
Sunset’s eyes furrowed, her crossed arms tightening over her chest. “Because you probably would get on my case again if I procrastinated,” she said. “Besides, it’s like I told her. I hate it when people waste their potential. It’s just pathetic. Each of us has a role to play, a destiny. But if you’re too weak to reach out and grasp it, even when it’s right there in your reach, then that’s just spitting in destiny’s face.”
“Ah, destiny,” Kaede said. “Is that the only reason?”
“...”
“I think, Nichibotsu-chan, that Izumi-chan isn’t the only one who’s starting to change.”
Sunset snorted, glaring off to the side. “Yeah? Well what do you…” She trailed off when she saw that the tree next to her was empty. “Freaking ninja,” she scoffed. She turned her eyes back to the sky. Her mind, however, turned to less simple things.