//------------------------------// // Arc 5.1: Chapter 34 // Story: Student 32: Sunset Shimmer // by Show Stopper //------------------------------// The next two days served to confirm Sunset’s routine. Evangeline began to narrow Sunset’s course of study, devoting only half of their time to general magical education and the other half to converting Sunset’s natural talents into Earth magic. A task that became more difficult the longer they worked at it, as it became apparent to both of them that Equestrian magic and Earth magic were more fundamentally different than Evangeline had realized. “So let me get this straight,” Evangeline muttered, massaging her temples as they sat in one of her villa’s libraries on Friday. “In order for you to conjure a fireball in Equestria, you had to actually pull heat from the surrounding environment, filter out and compress combustible gasses from the air, and bring them together along with a literal spark from your horn.” “Correct.” “You then would take those areas that you pulled heat from,” Evangeline continued, “and use those conditions to aid in casting your ice spells.” “Very few unicorns in history have managed it to the point where it was usable in combat, but yes.” “And on top of that,” Evangeline was practically grinding her teeth together at this point, “you would use the resulting low- and high-pressure systems to create natural currents that would help you to cast lightning magic.” Sunset nodded, turning a page in her book of spellcraft. “Not even the creator of the combined pyro-cryomancy style ever managed that.” Evangeline slammed her hands into the table that stood between them. “How the Hell did you keep all of those conditions in your mind at once?! There’s being a genius, and then there’s being a freaking monster!” “None of which is helpful, since magic here is tied more to domains than physics.” She sighed and closed her eyes, massaging the bridge of her nose. “Fireballs are formed by calling upon spirits of flame and turning raw mana into fire itself. Ice is conjured. Stone is conjured. Heck, it seems like fifty percent of spells in this world boil down to either conjuration or self-transmutation. Makes telepotation easier, but screws a lot with my accustomed style.” Evangeline nodded. “Yeah, fire and ice spirits don’t exactly get along. You’re fine using both for low-level spells, but you’ll see some definite pushback as you start getting to the more high-end stuff. And you can forget about asking Ifrit and Jack Frost to both get along with you. I don’t suppose there are any Equestrian spirits you could call on?” Sunset sighed. “I’ve tried that a few times. It feels… normal, I guess. It feels like when I invoke spirits from this world, at least. But somehow I don’t think that windigos will get along with ancient dragons any better.” They shared a moment of silence before sighing simultaneously. “Well,” Evangeline huffed, “no sense banging our heads against this wall. We’ll figure something out.” She picked up a notebook that she’d been using to take notes on Equestrian magic. “Now, what’s this you’ve mentioned before about ‘holy magic?’” ***** Setsuna’s lessons continued to focus on combat techniques and sparring rather than fighting with ki. “You aren’t ready yet,” Setsuna lectured, stepping back out of Sunset’s range and bringing her bamboo blade between them. “You need to familiarize your body with how a measured amount of ki feels. You’re keeping up with the exercises I prescribed?” “Yeah yeah,” Sunset grumbled, putting her fists back up as she began to circle Setsuna, looking for an opening she knew wasn’t going to be there. “One hundred punches with each arm at five, fifteen, twenty-five, fifty, seventy-five, and one-hundred percent power each per day. Same with kicking with each leg. Same with headbutts, elbow-strikes, knee strikes, everything.” She juked forward slightly in a feint, and was gratified to see Setsuna’s grip on her sword tighten slightly in response. “I know it’s important. I get how muscle memory works. It’s just frustrating to have to go through it again with my body when I mastered it with my horn decades ago.” “I understand,” Setsuna replied. “I wish I were confident enough in my own abilities to provide a safe environment for you to spar with your ki, but I cannot guarantee my own safety should you lose control, not your safety should you overcompensate in reigning yourself back. My own combat experience is lacking; the curse that comes with the blessing of relative peace, I suppose.” “‘Five minutes in a fight for your life is worth five years of training,’” Sunset quoted. “Some of my CO’s were particularly fond of that saying. Can’t say they weren’t right.” She smirked. “On a different topic, how are things with Konoka? Have you formed a pactio yet?” Setsuna’s moment of embarrassment created the opening Sunset needed to dart in close, but not enough of an opening for her to land a blow. Setsuna drew her arms in close, fighting to keep her blade between them as she backed up, trying to give herself some distance. “O-of course not!” she snapped. “And while I applaud your psychological tactics, I will remind you that you will not always have such material to use against your opponents.” Sunset ducked a sweep from Setsuna’s blade and lashed out with a low kick, gritting her teeth as she jumped over it. “Tch. I might, if I have Nodoka fighting with me.” Setsuna took another swing at Sunset as she stood, the fiery-haired girl catching the blade and straining to wrest control of it from the swordswoman. “That is, urg, a fair point. However,” Setsuna lashed out with a kick of her own, forcing Sunset to relinquish the sword and leap back to avoid the follow-up strike, “even then you do not have a guarantee.” They began to circle each other once again, Setsuna blushing slightly even as she kept her eyes on Sunset. “But… things have been going well. We have been speaking of more casual things as of late, and I find it easier to initiate conversation.” Her blush intensified and she took a cautious step back as she broke eye-contact. “Though I am still uncomfortable with her displays of physical affection.” Please. Sunset rolled her eyes. She’s downright prudish compared to Equestrians. Still, that’s better than most Japanese, who are celebate by comparison. “You’ll get used to it,” she reassured. “If nothing else, it will help you build up a tolerance for uncomfortable situations. If you can handle her, you can handle anything. Trust me, there’s nothing in the world more awkward than receiving a platonic hug from someone you desperately want to sleep with.” “S-S-S-S-S-SLEEP WITH?!?!?!” Sunset’s punch connected easily. ***** “How many times was that?” Takamichi asked. “T-twelve,” Sunset gasped, clutching her arms as she struggled to remain standing. “I c-can manage s-something like sixty if I… if I space them out through the d-day.” She took a deep breath and stood upright, her arms and legs still trembling from pain. “But twelve is my absolute maximum in a minute.” “Still, that’s impressive.” Takamichi sat down at the table he’d dragged out to the forest and invited Sunset to do the same. He began pouring both of them a cup of tea. “When I first started out, I was lucky if I could manage six in ten minutes before I passed out. You’ve come a long way already.” “Not enough.” Sunset groaned in relief as she sat down across from him. “And I haven’t made any progress with kanka since my breakthrough three days ago.” Takamichi raised an eyebrow. “You mean yesterday?” “Evangeline’s got this time-warped villa,” Sunset explained, waving him off. “A day inside is one hour out here. It was three days from my perspective.” “I see.” Takamichi set Sunset’s tea in front of her before taking a sip of his own. “It was interesting to hear your take on it, by the way. I’ve never really thought of mana having a will of its own before. To represent the incompatibility of magic and ki as a philosophical quandary is a unique perspective.” “Not that it helps,” Sunset grumbled. “If anything, it makes me question even more how kanka is even possible. It’s an idea more difficult to conceive of than Ifrit and Jack Frost getting along.” She picked up her cup and took a brief sip. Finding she didn’t hate the flavor, she downed the rest. “Maybe it’s just me and my mind for conflict, but I don’t see how two absolutely opposed philosophies can coexist like that. Work together as separate entities, sure; that’s why I started training with you in the first place. But becoming one?” She shook her head and poured herself another cup. “I don’t see it.” “Give it time,” Takamichi said, setting his own cup down and smiling. “And don’t limit yourself to thinking it out logically. Every kanka user I’ve ever heard of operates by feel rather than by thought. If you can feel your way to the right balance, then perhaps the result will enlighten your mind and teach you the philosophical answer as well.” He let her consider that for a moment before speaking up. “And on the subject of opposed forces getting along, are you still planning to sabotage your standing with Ayaka-chan?” Sunset sighed and swirled her tea, watching the waves threaten to break over the sides. “I’ll admit that I don’t hate my classmates as much as I used to. Tell them this and I’ll rip your head off, but I’m actually starting to like more of them.” Her contemplative frown morphed into a glare. “But some of them I just can’t stand, and Ayaka tops the list. The way she’s come on to Springfield so brazenly from the very beginning is just sick, and for someone who comes from a superior upbringing, she has almost no sense of self image where he’s concerned. If you’re going to be a stuck-up little princess, at least have the integrity to go all the way with it.” Takamichi frowned. “Perhaps she has her reasons.” “I can’t imagine any circumstances that would justify her behavior.” Sunset drained her tea and stood. “Alright, I should be good for a bit. What’s next?” ***** Sunset yawned as she stretched out on her bed. It had been a long Saturday between training and catching up with club activities. The Library Exploration Club had wanted her help disarming traps in a few new passages, and the boxing club had shown up to drag her off for two hours of matches as punishment for neglecting to show up for so long. She’d won most of them before getting her butt handed to her eight times in a row by her upperclassmen. But now her day was done. Her homework was double-checked, most of her classmates were asleep, and she was ready to follow them into the realm of dreams. Which is why she began to contemplate murder when someone knocked on her door at twenty minutes to midnight. With a resigned sigh, Sunset stood and trudged over to the door. She cracked it open to see who was on the other side and found her eyes widening in surprise. “Zazie?” she asked, opening the door wide. “What are you doing here?” The dark-skinned girl cocked her head and pointed at her wrist. “Well of course I know what time it is,” Sunset said, glaring. “That’s why I’m wondering what the heck you’re doing here at twenty to midnight.” Zazie pointed in the direction of Mahora Academy. “How did you know that…” Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes. “Look, I know Springfield has his apprenticeship test tonight, and I don’t see why I should care.” Zazie pointed at Sunset. “So what if I’m Evangeline’s student too?” Sunset demanded. “I doubt we’d be training together. And even if we would, that’s between him and Evangeline.” Zazie held up a fist. “No, I don’t need to see his fighting style.” Sunset rolled her eyes. “I’ve seen Ku Fei fight a couple of times, and I’ve asked around for some basic info on Chinese Kung Fu. I doubt anything Springfield does will surprise me.” “...” “...really?” ***** Sunset felt like she’d been tricked. The train hadn’t been deserted, as she’d expected. With the benefit of hindsight, she realized that it made sense for Asuna, Ku Fei, and Setsuna to be attending the match that night. Even Konoka and Makie made sense, the latter for involving herself in the fight in the first place, and the former to heal Negi up after his inevitable beating. But the others… “Remind me why the three of you decided to tag along?” Sunset asked with a glare. “Believe me,” Akira muttered, “I’d much rather be in bed. But Makie let slip that Negi-sensei was going to be doing some big important test with Evangeline-san and Yuuna insisted that we come along to watch.” “Makie seemed really excited about it,” Ako added, repressing a yawn. “She said that Negi-sensei is going to be showing off his Kung Fu!” Sunset frowned at where Yuuna and Makie were chatting excitedly. That idiot. Did she advertise this as some sort of exhibition match? “I don’t think this is going to be as enjoyable as that,” Sunset warned. “It isn’t going to be some simple display. Springfield is going to be fighting seriously against Chachamaru, and from what I’ve seen, she’s a very accomplished fighter.” Ako and Akira shared worried looks. “You don’t think she’s going to hurt Negi-sensei, do you?” Akira asked. Sunset shrugged. “He probably won’t get out of this unscathed. He passes this test if he manages to land a single blow on Chachamaru, but that’s like telling a mouse to bite a hunting cat. Even if he succeeds, he isn’t walking away without a few bruises.” Ako winced. “W-well at least he’ll have a day to recover before class on Monday.” “Yeah, about that.” Sunset looked away and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Sorry I’ve kind of abandoned your tutoring since we got back from Kyoto. A lot of stuff has happened recently and I’ve lost track of a few things. It’s been important stuff, but I shouldn’t let everything else slip.” She winced and rubbed her arm. “The Boxing Club did a really good job driving that lesson home today.” Ako giggled. “It’s fine, Nichi-chan. I’m not so hopeless that I need help every single day.” “Though you should probably approach Asuna-san about that,” Akira added. “She’s been looking depressed every time she gets grades back this week.” Sunset snickered. “Yeah, I noticed. I’ll be talking with her later tonight.” They continued to chat as the train neared Mahora, and Sunset was surprised to find another student that didn’t aggravate her in Akira. The long-haired swimmer was relatively quiet most of the time, though the more Sunset spoke with her, the more she got the impression that she just didn’t see the need to contribute to an already chaotic environment. The topic turned quickly from academics to extracurricular interests, and Akira was able to recommend a few exercises to Sunset that would help her strengthen less-used but still important muscles. “You use every muscle group imaginable when you swim,” she explained. “Arms, legs, and core are the obvious ones, but there are a lot of smaller muscle groups that most people neglect.” Sunset nodded and gave Akira an appraising look. “You know, I never really thought of you as the muscular type, but looking closer,” she reached forward and lightly pinched Akira’s arm, you’re pretty solid under that smooth skin and shapely form.” Akira blushed and swatted Sunset’s hand away. “Th-there’s no need to put it like that,” she muttered. “Ako-chan was right; you really have no shame when it comes to giving compliments.” “And you all have too much when it comes to accepting them.” Sunset shook her head. “I mean, there’s humility, and then there’s you girls. Why can’t you just accept that you’re stunningly beautiful and that Ako is one of the most adorable girls in the class?” Ako flushed as well and glared at Sunset. “H-hey! Leave me out of this! Besides, I bet you’d get flustered too, Nichi-chan!” “We’ll never know,” Sunset replied, shrugging. “You’re all as bad at giving brazen praise as you are at receiving it.” She smirked and turned up her nose. “Works for me. I’ll just keep telling you how wonderful you are and making you flustered and there’s nothing you can-” “Y-YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!” Sunset blinked. “Eh?” Ako glared at Sunset, her face red with a mixture of embarrassment and determination. “Y-you’re one of the most beautiful girls in class! You’re smart! You’re talented! You’re really good at teaching others and helping them have confidence in themselves! There are times I wish you were my older sister, and every time I see you I get jealous of your chest!” She stood there for a minute, panting heavily before shooting Sunset a shaky but cheeky grin. “H-how’s that for brazen?” Sunset blinked a few times, a very light blush coming to her own cheeks. “Um, pretty good. But it probably would have worked better if I weren’t distracted by our audience.” Ako’s face switched rapidly from triumph to confusion to dread. She slowly turned her head to see that the entire train car was staring at her in an amusing mix of shock and encouragement. Setsuna was almost as red-faced as Ako. Konoka looked like she was about to start squeeing. Asuna, Ku Fei, and Negi were staring in confusion, while Makie’s face betrayed absolute cluelessness. Yuuna shot Ako a grin and a thumbs-up. “Nice confession!” Sunset and Akira spent the rest of the train ride trying to comfort their mortified classmate. ***** They reached the World Tree Plaza just as the midnight hour struck. Chachamaru and Evangeline stood at the top of the plaza, the former in her uniform and the latter in a short white dress trimmed in black. Evangeline smirked when she saw Negi. “Hmph. So you came after all, boy. Well then, let’s hurry up and get started.” She jerked her thumb at Chachamaru. “If you can hit Chachamaru even once with your Kung Fu, then you pass. The match continues until you’re dead and can’t attack anymore.” Negi nodded, smiling confidently. “Are those all the conditions?” Evangeline’s smirk fell, the vampire put off by Negi’s lack of concern. “Yeah, that’s fine.” Her eyes narrowed. “More importantly…” She pointed at Sunset and the girls who were gathered below and snickering at Evangeline’s dramatics. “CAN’T YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR DAMN AUDIENCE?!” “What’d she expect?” Sunset muttered to Akira as Yuuna and Ako started cheering. “She knows what our class is like. I’m surprised we managed to keep everyone else in the dark on this.” “I think Yuuna-chan sent out a group text while we were on the train,” Akira replied. “Hopefully no-one sees it until this is all over.” “Which hopefully happens soon,” Sunset said, keeping her voice low. “This match is either going to be really short, or a good deal longer than you all are going to be comfortable with.” Akira raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?” “I have some idea of what Springfield might do to try to win this,” she said, watching as Negi and Chachamaru exchanged formalities. “If I’m right, he’s going to put everything he has into these first couple of minutes in a dead sprint. But if that doesn’t work…” Evangeline lifted a hand, gathering everyone’s attention. “You may begin!” Chachamaru dashed forward as Negi began to quickly chant under his breath. Sunset noticed him slip a wand up into his sleeve right before Chachamaru reached him. Her left fist struck out, and Negi barely got an arm up to stop it from smashing in his face. Chachamaru followed up with a right-hand punch, which Negi deflected. He spun around the outside of her arm, aiming an elbow-strike for her side. Chachamaru dropped her right arm to block it before turning and striking Negi with a rapid series of blows which he struggled to block and deflect. “Wh-what’s going on?!” Ako cried, her eyes snapping this way and that to try to follow the action. “They’re really going at it!” Yuuna cheered. “Just who are those two?!” “Chachamaru doesn’t have a particularly fancy technique,” Sunset commentated, “but her straightforward style combined with greater speed and strength make her a dangerous opponent. Springfield is focusing on deflection and counters, which are his best bet at getting a solid blow in.” She frowned. But he’s running out of time. If he’s using the same trick he used in Kyoto to give his physical abilities a boost with his magic, then he probably only has a couple of minutes total. Athleticism is one thing, but improving speed, strength, reactions, senses, and everything else involved in a fight is going to be draining on his reserves. Chachamaru lashed out with a kick, sending Negi flying backwards despite his block. He landed in a ready stance, but stumbled, falling almost to his knees. “Oh no!” Ako cried. “Negi-sensei!” Sunset smirked. “No,” she said. “He’s fine; it’s a feint.” Chachamaru landed in front of him, lashing out again with her right fist. Negi suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her down and straightening out of his crouch. He brought his right elbow forward to strike her unprotected chest. Chachamaru jumped. In a display of acrobatics that shocked everyone, especially Negi, the robot leapt over Negi’s head and landed behind him. She kicked out with one leg, striking Negi in the back and sending him flying forward. He rolled across the ground for a few dozen meters, eventually skidding to a stop. Sunset sighed while the other girls stared in shock. A good try, but she saw right through it. That’s it, then; things get ugly from here. “Too bad, boy,” Evangeline called down, “but that’s just how you are. Go wash your face and fix yourself up.” “Aw, I can’t believe Negi-kun lost,” Yuuna whined as Asuna and Makie ran down towards him. “He looked like he was going to hit her there.” “I can’t believe Chachamaru could move so fast,” Akira said, astonished. “Or that she’d be so rough with sensei.” “Yeah, well,” Sunset muttered, “she’ll have to get a lot rougher than that before this is over.” Ako stared at her in shock. “What! But Negi-sensei can’t fight anymore! Evangeline-san wasn’t serious about him dying, right?!” “She wasn’t,” Sunset said, pointing down at Negi, “but he might be.” Sunset watched in exasperation and the others in shock as Negi leapt to his feet. “Heh. Not yet. I’m not dead yet, Evangeline-san.” Evangeline sighed, her face twisting in disdain. “What are you talking about? The match is over. Time for little brats to be in bed. Go on, shoo.” “The condition was ‘until I die,’” Negi reminded her with a smirk. “So that means there’s no time limit, right?” Evangeline’s eyes snapped wide. “W-What?! Don’t tell me that you’re...” Negi took a stance facing Chachamaru. “That’s right. I’m going to stick at it until I land a hit, no matter how long it takes. Chachamaru-san! Let’s continue!” Chachamaru hesitated, obviously reluctant. “B-But, Sensei-” “Yaaaaaah!” Negi charged forward, striking out at Chachamaru. And moving far slower than before. Chachamaru sidestepped him easily and brought her elbow down on the back of Negi’s neck, driving him into the ground. Sunset sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of. His sprint is over. He doesn’t have enough energy to maintain his previous speed, and Chachamaru hasn’t slowed at all.” She hopped onto a low wall and sat down as Negi slowly pulled himself to his feet. “Might as well get comfortable,” she said. “We’re going to be here a while.” “B-but that’s crazy!” Ako cried. “There’s no way Chachamaru-chan will-” Negi’s fist smacked into Chachamaru’s open palm before she casually backhanded him across the plaza. “Of course she would,” Sunset said, watching as Negi struggled to his feet again and threw himself back into the fray. “Springfield wants to be recognized as a warrior. I wouldn’t be surprised if he insisted that Chachamaru not go easy on him.” “B-but that’s…” Akira whispered. “He’s got no chance of winning,” Yuuna whimpered. “D-does Negi-sensei really intend to continue?” Ako asked, tears in her eyes. “Even like this?” Sunset nodded, watching as Negi went down again and slowly rose to his feet. “Like I said, we’re going to be here a while.” ***** Five minutes turned into ten. Ten into half an hour. By the time a whole hour had past, most of the girls were shouting for Negi to just give up, begging him to stop. Even Evangeline seemed uncomfortable as another blow sent Negi to the ground. “H-hey, come on, boy. Isn’t that enough?” She looked embarrassed at this point and like she was considering calling an end to the match despite Negi’s protests. “You’re motivated. I get the point already.” “N-not yet.” Negi staggered for a moment before setting himself back into a stance. His left eye was swollen almost shut, and a line of blood was flowing down from a split lip. His whole face was beginning to be tinged in black and blue. “I’m not giving up yet.” With even less speed than before, favoring his left leg, he threw himself at the untiring Chachamaru. Sunset sighed and looked over his audience. Yuuna, Ako, and Konoka were in tears. Akira’s face was frozen in a sort of numb horror. Even Setsuna had donned her mask of stoicism. Ku Fei and Asuna looked ready to jump into the fight themselves. Makie was the only one who watched the match with a degree of desperate hope. She should just knock him out, Sunset thought, watching as Chachamaru smacked Negi away again. I’m surprised Evangeline hasn’t ordered her to do so yet, but I guess she’s determined for him to give up on his own. Chachamaru’s been as gentle as she can be, all things considered, but I’m pretty sure that breaking a leg or two is the only way Springfield will surrender. “I… I can’t watch this anymore!” Sunset turned to see Asuna pulling out her pactio card. “I’m going to stop him before he gets himself-” “NO! ASUNA!” To everyone’s surprise, Makie threw herself in front of Asuna, arms spread, desperate tears in her eyes. “DON’T STOP HIM!” Asuna took a step back, stunned. “B-but-” “Even if he’s badly injured,” Makie pleaded, “he still tried really hard to get to this point. I know what you’re thinking. I know, but… but it would be terrible for Negi-kun if you stopped him now!” Sunset’s eyes went wide. Makie… do you actually, somehow, understand? “Didn’t Negi-kun say he’d try his best?!” Makie shouted. “No matter what?!” “But, but he’s just a kid who doesn’t know any better!” Asuna retorted. “He’s just being stubborn. I’ve got to stop him-” “NO!” Makie screamed. “Negi-kun is an adult!” “M-Makie-chan,” Asuna tried to reason, “no matter how you look at him, he’s a-” “A child could never be stubborn to this point!” Makie argued. “I… I can’t express it well, but, I think Negi-kun is prepared.” “P-prepared?” “Negi-kun has an objective,” Makie insisted. “And he’s decided to give everything he has to achieve it. Asuna, do you, your friends, or your senpai know any boys who have an objective like Negi-kun does? Not just someone with a vague, ambiguous dream, but someone who can say ‘This is what I’ve decided to live for’?” Sunset’s eyes went wide, and, unbidden, a memory forced itself into her mind. “I will ascend! I will become an alicorn on your level! And then I will make sure that no-one, NO-ONE has to suffer as I did! You can restrict my access to these tomes. Cast me out of the castle! Bind me hoof and horn in the dungeons if you want to! But I will never, NEVER stop until I’m powerful enough, measured enough, wise enough, to keep everyone safe!” “Negi-kun is an adult!” Makie insisted, the desperation in her eyes replaced with surety. “He’s got an objective and he’s doing his best to achieve it! So… you can’t stop him now.” Asuna was at a loss. She stared at Makie, dumbfounded. So did Sunset. So did the rest of the girls. So did Chachamaru. “Ah!” Evangeline shouted. “Hey! Chachamaru!” “Eh?” *CLANG* Every pair of eyes snapped from Makie to Chachamaru, her head tilted sharply downward. Negi stood before her, breathing heavily, his fist bruised where it had struck her cheek. “It… it hit…” Negi collapsed to the ground, and the plaza erupted into cheers.