//------------------------------// // Arc 5.2: Chapter 35 // Story: Student 32: Sunset Shimmer // by Show Stopper //------------------------------// Sunset sighed. “Remind me why I need to be here?” It was the Wednesday afternoon after Negi had passed his apprenticeship test. Sunset had continued her training as normal while her teacher recovered from his injuries, though she’d noted a half-pleased half-annoyed attitude that had persisted with Evangeline. Sunset’s spars with Takamichi and Setsuna had grown slowly more intense as both trainers and trainee acclimated themselves to each other. Sunset had resumed thrice-weekly tutoring sessions with Ako, with Akira and a reluctant Yuuna joining them. She’d also begun tutoring Asuna again, the redhead having apparently forgiven her for wanting to kill Evangeline. Especially after she’d seen what she, through Chachamaru, had put Negi through. Now she was gathered in a line with Asuna, Setsuna, Konoka, and Nodoka in an out of the way courtyard on the northern outskirts of the academy. Evangeline stood in front of them, having called them all there, and Negi stood behind, staff in hand. Yue sat in the grass to the side, watching the proceedings and sipping from a box of juice while Chamo sat in her lap. “Quit whining,” Evangeline snapped. “As someone who has formed a contract with the boy, you have a certain responsibility to him. You can’t get something for nothing, after all, and I doubt you want to give up your artifact.” Sunset grit her teeth, but held her tongue. In all honesty, she’d grown rather fond of Ignis Eryx and had no desire to part with it. She’d also recognized anew after her fight with the white-haired Fate that she needed it to be more powerful, which meant building a stronger connection with Negi. Seeing that Sunset wasn’t going to argue further, Evangeline continued. “Okay, let’s begin. Setsuna. Nichibotsu. You’ll need to repress your ki. Magic and ki will only conflict without compatibility training, and Nichibotsu isn’t at that level yet.” Sunset and Setsuna both nodded. “Okay,” Negi said. “I’m going to try it now.” He held up five cards and closed his eyes in concentration. “Invoke the contract for one-hundred and eighty seconds. Ministra Negi, Konoe Konoka, Miyazaki Nodoka, Kakurazaka Asuna, Sakurazaki Setsuna, Hikaru Nichibotsu.” Sunset shuddered as she felt the foreign magic fill her. It’s so different from when I use my own magic, she thought, observing it. It still feels like it’s awaiting orders, but I can feel another path. Another… master over it, ready to shift it to his will rather than my own. She frowned. I can see why personal closeness would increase the power and effectiveness of this bond; you need to trust someone a great deal to lend them your power like this, and an equal amount of trust is necessary to let someone else work their magic on you so intimately. “Okay, let’s move on,” Evangeline instructed. “Expand the anti-material shield onto everyone at full power!” “Okay!” Sunset traced the foreign magic as it exited her, forming a barrier flush with her skin. She could still feel through it, but biting her cheek proved ineffective as her teeth scraped against the barrier. Eating with this thing up would take some getting used to, she mused. “Next! Expand the anti-magic shield at full power!” “Okay!” “And after holding that for three minutes, fire one-hundred and ninety-nine arrows into the sky to the north!” “O-okay!” Sunset hummed to herself as she began to pull on magic herself. To her surprise, mana flowed easily and uninterrupted through the barrier. Prodding about a bit, she found that she could still send small bursts of disorganized magic out through the shield without affecting it in the least. So the barrier is one-way, she thought. And it doesn’t block the inflow of natural, unorganized mana. Very nice. I’ve never really had time to study it when I cast it, on account of Evangeline practically trying to kill me in our sessions, but this is actually a very clever little piece of spellcraft. Why doesn’t Equestria have anything like this? I mean, I had my shield spell that combined these two in one, but nothing that just rested on the skin… because unicorns were the only ones who could cast spells! And we usually avoided hoof-to-hoof combat! Necessity is the mother of invention, after all. “You seem deep in thought.” Sunset opened her eyes and looked over at Yue. “Just contemplating the differences between Earth magic and Equestrian magic.” “Eh?” Konoka leaned forward to look down the row at Sunset. “What kind of magic?” “The magic I used to use,” Sunset explained. “Before I came to… wait.” She leaned forward to look at Nodoka. “You didn’t tell everyone?” Nodoka shook her head. “It, um, kind of slipped my mind. I told them that you didn’t actually have amnesia and told Konoka-chan that you were a mage, but I never got around to the rest of it.” “Huh.” Sunset looked over her shoulder at Negi, who opened a single eye to show that he was paying attention while maintaining his concentration. “Well, basically, I’m a unicorn mage from another dimension, and the magic I used in my world - Equestrian magic - is different from magic here.” “Eh?” Konoka’s eyes began to sparkle. “You used to be a unicorn?” “I like to think that I still am,” Sunset grumbled. “Just… forced into a human body. Er, Evangeline! What’s the word for that? Transformed against my will?” “Polymorph.” “Yes, thank you.” Sunset turned back to Konoka. “Polymorphed into a human. If I could figure out how to switch back, I would.” “Oh!” Nodoka’s face lit up. “That actually explains something from when we first met! That writing you gave us was your language, wasn’t it?” Sunset nodded. “Yeah, that was Equestrian. Modern Equestrian, to be specific. I also know Ancient Equestrian, er, Old Unicornian I guess you would call it, and the languages of Minotaurs, Gryphons, Dragons, and Zebras. Plus a few Yak insults.” “No wonder you picked up Japanese and English so quickly,” Setsuna muttered, “not to mention your rapidly approaching mastery of Latin.” Sunset shrugged. “Ancient Equestrian and Old Unicornian are a must for any scholar and mage back home. The others were necessary for diplomatic training that came with being Tenko’s personal student. The ruler of my home country,” she clarified. “And the insults were just for fun. But after all of that, learning new languages just became easier.” “I did read something about that once,” Yue added. “The more languages you learn, the easier it becomes to learn new ones. The brain trains and wires itself for the process after a couple of times.” “One-hundred and ninety-nine spirits of light!” Negi suddenly shouted. “Gather unto me and strike my enemy!” A massive ray of light shot over their heads, splitting into individual rays as they entered the open sky. They exploded into a bright array of colors and patterns, filling the northern sky. “Wow,” Nodoka gasped. “It’s beautiful!” “Just like fireworks!” Konoka cheered. “I’m surprised,” Sunset admitted. “I didn’t think he could unleash that much magic all at-” *thump* “...never mind.” “Hmph. This is pointless if he’s going to faint at just that!” Evangeline snapped. “He may have inherited incredible magical power, but it’s a wasted gift.” “Hey, hey! Evangeline-san!” Chamo leapt onto a nearby rock while Nodoka and Konoka gathered around the collapsed Negi. “Aren’t you being a bit too hard on him? Aniki is only ten years old! He used more magic holding that contract and firing those arrows than he did fighting during the school trip! It’s only natural that he’d pass out. Any ordinary mage would if he had to-” “Silence, you lower life form!” Evangeline sneered down at the ermine. “Do you think I’ll be satisfied with just any ordinary mage? Do you want me to cook you up and eat you?” Sunset shook her head as Chamo fled into Asuna’s arms. “‘Ordinary’ doesn’t cut it,” she said. “People with our level of talent and potential owe it to ourselves and to the world to be extraordinary. ‘Impossible’ is the baseline. ‘Legendary’ is average. ‘Mythic' is the lowest acceptable ambition.” Evangeline nodded in agreement. “He should have prepared for this and more when he asked me to be his master. Don’t think I’ll let him get by with just any half-assed training.” She turned to address Sunset and Negi directly, a borderline sadistic grin splitting her face. “Liste up, you two! Excuses and tears aren’t going to work on me! If either of you makes the slightest complaint, I’ll drink your blood dry to the last drop! Don’t forget it!” Sunset nodded and Negi leapt back to his feet. “Okay!” he said. “I’m counting on you, Evangeline-san!” “We place our destinies in your hands, Evangeline,” Sunset said, bowing, “until such a time as we take them up ourselves.” Evangeline blushed a bit, taken aback by their prompt responses. She turned away awkwardly. “C-call me ‘Master,’ you two.” “Not a chance.” “Yes, Master!” Sunset rolled her eyes as Negi continued. “B-by the way, if I wanted to defeat a dragon, how long do you think I should train for?” Sunset blinked and looked down at the kid. “Huh. And here I thought you lacked ambition.” “...say that again,” Evangeline said. “‘If I wanted to defeat a dragon,’” Negi repeated. “Hoho. A dragon, huh?” “Yes!” “ARE YOU SOME KIND OF MORON?!” Evangeline’s punch floored Negi, dazing him and shocking everyone else. “Who would fight a dragon in twenty-first century Japan?!” she ranted. “If you’ve got time to spout such nonsense, use it to learn even one more spell!” “Hey,” Asuna leaned over to Yue, “what’s this about a dragon?” “Um, well,” Yue seemed a little uncomfortable, “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but yesterday we encountered a dragon underneath Library Island.” Sunset scoffed. “Yue, I just told you that I’m a unicorn from another dimension. I think most of us are ready to believe just about anything. Spill.” Yue conceded the point before continuing. “Well, we found a clue marked on the map from Negi-sensei’s father. There was a drawing of some sort of creature by it, but we didn’t think much of it at the time. Anyway, Negi-sensei tried to sneak out to investigate it by himself last night.” Sunset smirked. “So naturally, like the responsible members of the Library Exploration Club that you are, you informed your senpais so that they could accompany him to the deeper levels?” Yue returned the smirk. “As the irresponsible members of the Library exploration Club that you have influenced us to be, we intercepted him ourselves and accompanied him down there.” “We found a massive door,” Nodoka joined in, “but we couldn’t tell how to open it. Before we could even really begin trying, this massive dragon appeared!” “I’m pretty sure it was a wyvern, actually,” Yue said. “Its wings acted as forelegs. In any case, that’s when Chachamaru-san arrived and helped Negi-sensei get us out of there.” Asuna seemed to grow more and more angry as the story progressed. “And about when was this?” “Yesterday morning,” Yue repeated. “About five-thirty, I believe.” “I see.” Asuna turned to glare at Negi who was still being berated by Evangeline. “That little brat.” Sunset raised an eyebrow but shrugged it off; if Asuna was about to go off against Negi, then she wanted no part of their sibling squabble. “Anyway, Yue, Honya, could you walk with me for a bit? I’m meeting with Evangeline in a minute, and I wanted to discuss something with you.” They agreed, and Sunset nodded to Asuna. “I’ll see you tonight for our session.” The Library Girls walked off, headed towards the woods that housed Evangeline’s cabin. “So,” Yue eventually said, “what did you want to talk to us about?” “I-” “NEVER INVOLVED?!” Sunset winced. “Sounds like Springfield set her off.” Yue looked back curiously. “I’m always amazed at how strong her lungs are.” “It’s a wonder of the modern world.” Sunset shook her head and resumed leading them on. “Anyway, I wanted to know what you both think of this whole magic thing, now that you’ve had time to think it over. I know you wanted to help Springfield, Honya, but to what extent?” Yue and Nodoka exchanged glances. “W-well,” Nodoka began, “I wasn’t able to help much in Kyoto. I was taken out before I even had a chance to summon my artefact. I think… I think I need to learn magic myself if I’m going to be able to help.” Sunset nodded. “Makes sense. And I agree. If you’re going to be involved in this world, I’d rather you leap in head-first than try to live one foot in and one foot out.” She turned to Yue. “And you? Like I told you before, I’m not going to push you to jump in if you don’t feel you’re ready.” Yue sighed and shook her head. “Honestly, I’m torn. Everything I’ve ever known tells me to roll my eyes every time I hear the word ‘magic.’ But… I can’t deny what I’ve seen. There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in my philosophy.” She faced Sunset, her eyes blazing with a semi-familiar blaze. It was something that Sunset saw often in Nodoka’s eyes and often in her own in the mirror, but it was alien coming from Baka Black. It was a unique determination. A scholarly one. “I don’t want to just turn away from this and pretend it doesn’t exist. And I won’t be content standing on the sidelines staring in ignorant wonder at everything that occurs. I want to learn magic. And I’m fully willing to join Nodoka in aiding Negi-sensei’s crusade to do so.” Sunset looked from one friend to the other. The one willing to dive into a new world to help the one she loved, and the other willing to help her best friend’s beloved if it would let her dive into a whole new world. She smirked. I couldn’t have better friends. Her smirk fell as she considered Nodoka’s motivation. And I’m going to make damn sure that Cadence never learns that I approved of this. “Alright. Looks like I’ve got myself a couple of new students.” “You?” Nodoka seemed surprised. “I mean, we were going to ask Eva-chan to teach us-” “NO!!!” Sunset cleared her throat. “Um, no. That’s not a good idea. Evangeline is not a… gentle teacher. I’m not sure she would even know how to teach beginners.” “And you do?” Yue asked. “I did just recently get through the curriculum myself.” She halted as they reached the edge of the woods. “Between my natural talent for magic and my previous experience, I was able to get it down in a month; it’ll take the two of you more than a few. By the time you finish learning the basics, I’ll be ready to guide you on more individual, specialized paths based on your natural affinities and interests.” Which would be much easier if you humans had cutie marks, she thought. “Are you sure you have enough time?” Nodoka asked. “I mean, your schedule is pretty busy as it is.” Sunset considered her point for a moment. Between Evangeline and Setsuna, her mornings until class started were completely booked. Afterward she had more training with Takamichi, tutoring with Asuna, more tutoring with Ako and the others, and club activities from both the Boxing Club and the Library Exploration Club. This on top of her own independent magical studies; mundane middle-school studies; ki, magic, and compatibility practice; and any social life and private time she needed for her psychological health. “Yeah,” she said, shrugging casually. “Plenty of time.” ***** Sunset was able to sketch out a rough lesson plan for Nodoka and Yue before Evangeline and Negi arrived at the cabin. She was surprised, however, to find Konoka and Setsuna accompanying them. Evangeline waved off her questioning look and let them all inside, leading them to her upstairs loft which combined bedroom and study. A bed sat on one side while the other held a long wooden table with a couple of benches, as well as a couple of bookcases. “Now listen up,” Evangeline said, walking up to a chalkboard and donning a pair of spectacles. “Class is in session. I’m about to explain why the boy collapsed after such a simple exercise. Nichibotsu. Can you tell me why?” Sunset thought back to how it had felt to have Negi’s magic flowing into her, and the massive reserves she had sensed behind it. Raw power certainly wasn’t the problem, so… “A lack of efficiency,” she stated confidently. Evangeline nodded. “Correct.” She turned to the board and began drawing rough, round-bodied sketches of Sunset, Negi, and Konoka. “You three have very high levels of magical power. You should consider yourselves lucky to be so gifted; it’s not the sort of thing you can easily get through pure training.” She filled in the bodies on the board. “However! All that means is that you’re giant tanks of magical energy!” She drew three hoses leading from the caricatures. “What you need to actually be able to use it is to improve your willpower so you can better control your magic,” she added nozzles to the ends of the hoses, “and to improve the effectiveness of your magic.” She drew three thin streams shooting straight from the nozzles. “You’ll need training for both. “Things are even more difficult for Nichibotsu,” she continued, adding another hose and nozzle, “because to control magic you need willpower, and to control ki you need physical power. Even if you pick up some fighting techniques, I recommend you two avoid tampering with ki.” She turned back to look at her students and adjusted her glasses. “It would split your focus in a way that Nichibotsu is uniquely qualified to- HEY!!!” Sunset snickered where she sat as Evangeline finally noticed that Negi and Konoka hadn’t been paying attention. Negi was crouched on the floor, tracing patterns in the wood as he moaned about his fight with Asuna. Konoka knelt beside him, consoling him gently. “LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU, DAMMIT! You’re about to get killed if you don’t stop moaning, brat!” “B-but Asuna-san…” Negi moaned. Sunset got her snickers under control and smirked at him. “Aw, what’s wrong, Springfield? Did Asuna-oneechan get mad at you?” Evangeline smirked as well. “Hmph. Any conflict between the two of you gives me a good feeling, since it was the two of you together who put me through so many hardships.” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t I a part of those hardships?” “I beat you into the ground on a regular basis, so I don’t mind that as much.” Evangeline chuckled before turning to Konoka. “By the way Konoka, I have a message for you from Eishun.” “Eh?” Konoka asked. “From Father?” Evangeline sighed and nodded. “Now that you know the truth, if it is your wish, he’d like me to teach you all about magic. It’s a pain, but I unfortunately still owe him a favor. Certainly with your power, you could aim to become a magister magi.” “Magi…” Konoka muttered, astounded. “You mean like what Negi-kun is aiming for.” “That’s not a bad idea,” Sunset said, leaning back and staring at the ceiling. “Healing is a unique and powerful gift.” Evangeline nodded. “Yeah, with your power, you could be useful to the world. You should give it some thought.” She then turned to Negi. “Next up is you, boy. In order to decide the direction of your training from now on, I’m going to let you choose your own combat style.” Negi tilted his head. “Combat… style?” Evangeline nodded, holding up two fingers. “From the battle during the school trip, I have thought of two paths you could pursue. Let me simplify things for you. First is the ‘wizard’ style. Leaving your defense almost entirely to your disciples, you would use strong spells from the backline. It’s a pretty stable style.” Sunset’s eyes narrowed into a glare. Yeah, and a damn cowardly one. “Then there’s the ‘magic swordsman’ style,” Evangeline continued. “To supplement your magic, you would train your body so you could fight alongside your disciples in the front line. You would also use spells with an emphasis on speed. It’s a freeform style capable of change.” “It also doesn’t leave you helpless if someone does manage to get past your disciples,” Sunset added. “You can still learn powerful spells and cast them from the rear when needed, but it covers any chinks in your armor and defences.” Evangeline raised an eyebrow. “True, but it also means long hours dedicated to physical and martial training. And it isn’t a one-hour for one-hour trade; a magic swordsman typically has a spell repertoire less than a fifth the size of an equally seasoned wizard.” “A large repertoire is useless if you can’t utilize it because you’re getting run through with a sword or punched in the face,” Sunset countered. “And a narrower focus allows for greater specialization. Most wizards as you’re describing them would cast a wide but shallow net, delving into every school and element they have the least bit of proficiency with. A jack of all trades, but a master of none. Meanwhile, a magic swordsman narrows her focus into a few complimentary paths, letting her delve deeply into them and master them completely.” “Which also makes her very easy to counter,” Evangeline snapped. “An expert pyromancer will fallter before even a minorly-seasoned hydromancer. Wizards have a spell for every situation and are never left in a bind they can’t get out of.” “The best pyromancer in the world doesn’t need to worry about hydromancers!” Sunset said, pounding a fist on the table. “She knows her weaknesses and limitations and anticipates that her opponent will know them too. She’ll have techniques and strategies in place specifically designed to counter hydromancy, because she knows that it will be used against her!” Sunset and Evangeline glared across the table at each other, neither one willing to back down. “So, um,” Two sets of glaring eyes snapped to Negi, causing him to flinch. “Er, which do you think I should go with?” Sunset looked away to hide her blush and Evangeline cleared her throat, both having forgotten for a moment the other people in the room. Evangeline ignored Konoka’s giggles as she answered. “Well, there are advantages and disadvantages to each, as we were just… discussing. Personally, I think the wizard style suits a clever person like you.” Sunset had to grudgingly admit Evangeline’s point as Negi pondered the two options. I mean, if anyone could manage to cover both breadth and depth of study, it would be the child genius. Still, it’s a cowardly style. “May I ask a question?” Negi eventually asked Evangeline. “...what is it?” “What style did the Thousand Master use?” Evangeline huffed, a small smirk coming to her lips. “I thought you’d ask that. You should know from seeing me and the pale boy fight, as you become strong, the differences between them cease to matter. Wizards learn spells to improve their reflexes and hardiness while magic swordsmen learn more powerful applications of their chosen fields. Having said that, I would say his style was that of a magic swordsman. Even in his early days, he was strong to the extent that he didn’t need any disciples.” Sunset quirked an eyebrow. “But he had them anyway.” Evangeline chuckled. “Yeah, and that’s the terrifying part. The Thousand Master was a serious force to be reckoned with, a one-man army at the height of his fame. And his companions were almost as powerful as he was. Legends of their exploits spread like wildfire, and the craziest of them are only slightly exaggerated.” “How crazy are we talking?” “In The Massacre of Ten-Thousand Soldiers, they only took out nine-thousand eight-hundred and seventy-six.” Sunset smiled nostalgically, thinking back on the stories they’d used to spread about her. You know, I think I’d actually like to meet this guy, someday. “Anyway,” Evangeline said, moving around the table towards the stairs, “you should give it some thought. Konoka, I have more details for you. Come downstairs.” “Ah, sure.” Konoka gave Setsuna a parting smile before following Evangeline down. Sunset smirked at Setsuna and leaned across the table. “So?” she probed quietly. “What was that smile about?” Setsuna blushed and looked away, watching as Negi began going through kenpo forms as he thought. “I-it was just a smile,” she muttered back. “Ojou-sama smiles a lot.” “She does,” Sunset admitted. “But this time she smiled at you. Just you. Specifically you.” Setsuna’s blush deepened. “We have been… growing closer these last few days. Spending more time together in casual settings. Even… just the two of us.” Sunset grinned predatorially. “Really? The two of you spending casual time alone together? Sounds like-” “I-i-i-i-it’s not like that!” Setsuna risked a glance at Sunset and winced at her triumphant, knowing smirk. “A-at least… I’m sure that Ojou-sama doesn’t see things that way.” “I’m not so sure.” Sunset’s expression went from teasing to perplexed. “Actually, I’m really not. That girl is surprisingly difficult to read.” She glanced down the table at where Chamo was watching Negi’s practice. “Oy! Rodent! Don’t you have that relationship-sensing junk or whatever?” Chamo turned a withering glare on Sunset. “You just said that in the most dismissive way you could think of on purpose, didn’t you?” Sunset shrugged. “So what if I did? You aren’t going to hold back information like that from Setsuna just to spite me. Are you?” Chamo grumbled a bit before pulling a scroll from seemingly nowhere. “Well, it’s certainly an interesting case,” he muttered, unfurling the scroll and reading it over. “Both platonic and romantic attraction are way up there, but sibling affection and admiration are pretty high, too. Physical attraction is up there, and sexual attraction is as high as can be expected for someone as young and innocent as her. If I had to guess, I’d say that she’d be content with any sort of relationship with you, Setsuna-anesan, so long as the two of you remained close. She’s patient, too, so she has no problem waiting for you to make the first move and set the pace.” “Seriously?” Sunset sighed and rolled her eyes before glaring at Setsuna. “Konoka is wasted on a spineless worrywart like you, you know that? Most people would kill for a partner who was that accommodating.” Setsuna bit her lip and looked away. “I’m just…” “Hey, lay off her, Nichi-anesan!” Chamo said. “Let her figure things out. No need to rush her!” Sunset raised an eyebrow. “This from the creep who wants to get every girl he can to make out with a ten-year-old.” Chamo shrugged. “The contract between Setsuna-anesan and Konoka-anesan is inevitable at this point. Besides, that’s just a side-interest for me. My main focus is Aniki and his progress, and that means getting him as many powerful allies as possible!” “You know, that reminds me of something else I’ve been meaning to ask about.” Sunset turned back to Setsuna. “When did you form a contract with Springfield?” “Kyoto,” she answered. “That final night, after Ojou-sama had been captured and we were surrounded by summoned demons. It gave me the extra edge I needed to help Asuna-san distract them so that Negi-sensei could continue after Ojou-sama.” “Which do you think is best, Asuna-san?” Sunset and Setsuna looked over at Negi, having almost forgotten that he was there. Negi had apparently also forgotten that Asuna wasn’t, as he broke down once again. “Aah! That’s right! I got Asuna-san angry!” Sunset sighed. Springfield pity-party part two. She heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Chachamaru and Satomi Hakase climbing up, the latter with a laptop under her arm. “Huh, Robo-Girl and Miss Tactless. What brings you up here during drama-hour?” Satomi glared at Sunset. “You know, it’s entirely possible to greet someone without insulting them.” “That hasn’t been my experience.” “Don’t think too poorly of her,” Chachamaru said. “Casual insults are just how Nichibotsu shows her affection.” Sunset narrowed her eyes into a light glare. “You know, between you and Makie, I’m at risk of losing my already tenuous reputation as a menace and a threat. So I’d appreciate it if you welded your mouth shut you virus-ridden bucket of bolts.” “Ah. Such wonderful affection.” Sunset snorted and rolled her eyes. Chachamaru had aided Evangeline in training Sunset in magical combat, and Sunset was still unsure of what to think of the strange, almost-human automaton. Her personality was dull, almost to the point of non-existence, and she followed Evangeline’s orders almost without question. However, she’d also heard stories around Mahora about Chachamaru’s kindness and selflessness, and she’d seen hints of it in their few conversations. Sunset didn’t like Chachamaru necessarily, but she could imagine the strange robot-girl growing on her. “Anyway,” Satomi said, pointing, “what’s wrong with Negi-sensei?” “Negi-sensei and Asuna-san had a fight,” Setsuna explained. “Springfield went off on an adventure without her,” Sunset added. “But I don’t see how that could have sparked an argument intense enough to reduce him to tears.” “I don’t understand either!” Negi wailed. “I don’t understand why Asuna-san is so angry!” “It’s best to analyze the situation in times like this, Sensei,” Satomi said, stepping forward. She opened up her laptop. “Chachamaru, do you still have the audio data from the fight?” Chachamaru nodded and Satomi got to work. "What are you doing?" Negi asked, curiosity momentarily overcoming panicked grief. "Downloading Chachamaru's audio data and converting into text," she said. "This'll give us a transcript of your fight that we can go over and look for the root cause of the argument." She clicked a few more times before heading downstairs, returning a moment later with a few sheets of paper which she spread out on the table. "Alright, let's see what we've got here." Sunset, Setsuna, Chachamaru, and Chamo walked over and began reading as well. Asuna: I heard the story. You went to Library Island without me, didn’t you? Negi: Eh?! Uh… well… that’s… Asuna: Why didn’t you take me with you? Negi: Well… I didn’t know what kind of dangers we’d be facing, and… Asuna: I heard about that too! I don’t know about dragons or anything, but there was something really incredible there, right? That was dangerous! Why didn’t you say anything to me, you damn brat?! Negi: B-Brat? Asuna-san! Asuna-san, you were never involved with us in the first place. I thought we shouldn’t be causing trouble for you all the time, so… Asuna: N-Never involved?!What are you saying after all this time, Negi-brat?! Sunset winced. After all the work she’s put in with Setsuna? After Evangeline and Kyoto? Kid, she’s been committed and involved for months. No wonder she’s pissed. If he said that to me… Sunset glared and shook her head. NO! I’d be fine. I don’t want to be involved in every little… She sighed. Oh who am I kidding? “It seems like she was angry because she was left out,” Chachamaru posited. “But she should be happy that he didn’t want to put her in any danger!” Satomi countered. Sunset raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think she’d be too worried about that.” “Maybe it’s because he called her a monkey?” Setsuna suggested. Sunset raised an eyebrow and turned back to the dialogue. Huh. So he did. But it just dissolves into juvenile insults past that. “Shrimp.” “Monkey.” Huh? What’s this… Sunset blushed a little. Wow. Didn’t even know he knew that word. Realizing that the other three were getting farther and farther from the truth, she chimed in again. “You know, it doesn’t really matter what he said to upset her; his course of action is the same no matter what.” “Eh? Really?” Negi’s eyes shone with hope. “What? What do I need to do?” Sunset rolled her eyes. Still a kid after all. “Apologize, you idiot.” “B-but I don’t even know what I did wrong.” Sunset chuckled. “Kid, you’re going to find in life that when a man and a woman argue, it rarely matters what exactly the man did wrong, if anything. Just apologize for upsetting her and ask her what it was that made her so mad. Asuna’s a reasonable person when her temper isn’t up; she’ll open up.” “That is true,” Chachamaru said, nodding. “When you don’t know the reason, asking the person herself is the best strategy.” “If it’s Asuna-san,” Setsuna added, “I think she would listen to you. But you have to face her and apologize first.” Negi looked from girl to girl, a wide grin splitting his face. “Y-you’re right! I need to apologize! Okay!” He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and made the call. “Now that I’ve decided… huh? She’s not picking up.” “You could always use the card, Aniki,” Chamo suggested. “Ah! That’s right!” Negi quickly pulled out Asuna’s pactio card. “I’ll summon her and talk to her face to face! Um…” He blushed as he realized that everyone was still watching him. “I… I’m going outside.” The girls giggled as Negi rushed out. That boy, Sunset thought, shaking her head. I sometimes forget that he’s still just a kid. “So, you didn’t call him ‘Springfield’ this time.” Sunset looked over to see Setsuna raising a knowing eyebrow at him. “What can I say?” Sunset shrugged. “This wasn’t a mage thing. When it comes to dealing with other people, a kid is a kid. Doesn’t mean I’ll go any easier on him when it comes to more serious matters.” “If you say so.” Setsuna glanced through the papers one more time. “Still, I can’t believe he called Asuna-san a-” “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” The girls exchanged looks of surprise before rushing to the window. “...huh. I guess Asuna-san was in the shower when he called.” “And apparently Negi-sensei didn’t realize this when he summoned her.” “Bad timing that Takahata-sensei happened to be there.” “Got to say, though, you’ve been teaching Asuna pretty well, Setsuna; I’ve never seen anyone fight that well with a wound-up towel before.”