trans_9 | Is It Okay To Leave It Like That? (Open)

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Is It Okay To Leave It Like That? (Open)

Negi sat in the middle of a field, the cool wind blowing around him. It was dark, with the dimmest of light as he stood there, his naked, blotted out form darkening with every moment. His eyes were dim and his head bowed as he tried to remember what he was doing. He sighed softly at that.

“Hey,” said a male voice from behind him. “You sure you don’t need to go?”

“Go…? Where do I have to go?” asked Negi dimly.

“What, you’ve forgotten that? Man, you’re just helpless.” Retorted the male voice.

Lifting a hand to his face, seeing the darkness pour over his fingertips, Negi tried to remember. “Yes… that’s right… I… I get the feeling there’s… some place… I have to go…”

“But, no matter where I try to go… this blackness is heavy, and I can’t move my body. And it hurts very much.” The dark markings on his arms spiraled angrily, flickering with heavy black energy. “I’m sure… anyone I tough, will be hurt…”

“Is that so… Well then, I guess it just can’t be helped.” Sighed the male voice. “True… This is good enough for a ten-year-old-brat… you did damn well. There’s nothing for you to be ashamed about.”

The voice grew smug at that. “If you move from here, you’ll die, or at best, you’ll become a monster. And if you try to move anyway, recklessly, then you’ll hurt someone, break something. It’s just not worth it…”

Negi nodded, the darkness creeping up his body even faster now.

“… but, hey.” The owner of said voice caused Negi to vaguely realize who this was speaking to him as his face came into view. “Is it okay, to leave it like that? Negi.”

Outside, sitting next to the comatose Negi, Chamo lowered his head. “Please Aniki, be okay.”

The picture book in front of him showed the entire conversation; the darkening Negi, and the features of the man who called himself the Thousand Master.

Nagi Springfield.

(ooc: keep it to one thread please.)

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Asuna practically ran into the med bay, eyes widened once seeing what was almost becoming a common thing for her - Negi lying on a bed, and a feeling of complete helplessness.

"...What the HELL did he do this time?!" Despite her tone, there was genuine worry in her different colored eyes.

"Anesan he..." Chamo swallowed as he hung his head. Negi barely stirred, being still covered in that white stone-like substance. "He's barely holding on. I've been monitoring his progress with Nodoka's diary and..."

Chamo turned the book towards Asuna so she could read it. "Sorry. He got hurt, defending Sasami."

"...When was Nodoka here?" Asuna silently read the diary to herself while dropping into the chair beside the bed.

"You'd better hold on, baka Negi!"

One bay over, another wizard sat up at the sounds coming from the next-over bed. He gestured with his wand, causing the divider between the bays to slide aside.

"That looks troubling."

"...Guess you could say that." Asuna blinked in confusion as she looked over at the other man. "Who did you come to visit?"

"I'm a patient myself," he said, gesturing to the bandages still wrapping his leg. "Though I was lucky, all things considered. Doubly so, perhaps."

He tapped his wand thoughtfully against his palm. "Now, I am no Healer, but unless I greatly miss my guess it isn't quite physical healing he is in need of."

"Got it in one," replied Chamo. "He's being corrupted from within. How deep, I'm guessing to his very soul."

"There would be little point in corruption if it did not go that deep." Lupin regarded him for a moment, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Is this the doing of KAIN?"

Aqua walked in to check on Negi, the way she'd been making brief checkups on the others while they were out. She nodded in greeting to Lupin when she saw him, but her expression was serious.

"No change?" she asked.

Sasami followed close by, balancing herself on a crutch of some sort. She was still weak from her attack, but she wanted to be with Negi.

"...this is all my fault..."

"No change," replied Chamo, nodding at Aqua. "I've been monitoring his dreams lately. Seems like Aniki's talking with his dad right now."

"Would you allow me the opportunity to attempt a few things?" Lupin said. "I make no promises, but perhaps I can aid."

"At this point, it would be appreciated," said Chamo, backing up. "Careful now. No telling if Aniki's going to get up and shed blood."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Aqua asked Lupin. "The spells I know haven't worked, but I've been working on issues involving darkness and corruption like this." Namely Matt, but he didn't need her breaking his confidence like that.

"They are something of my specialty as well," Lupin said with a smile to Aqua. "Proceed as you would normally? Our methods of magic seem quite different, but perhaps in combination we can arrive at something."

To Chamo, he said, "I will see to it that he does not," Lupin said.

Well then. To business. Pointing his wand, Lupin said, "Specialis Revelio." The first key to understanding was to identify the enchantments that might be on the child.

While Lupin began isolating the spells, Aqua got to work trying to remove any lingering traces of others. Holding out her Keyblade, she cast Esuna, the usual go-to spell for anything that affected the body or mind. And given how much magic Negi had probably cast during the battle, there was no telling how much was aggravating his condition.

"It doesn't look like this is clearing up the taint itself," she said, "but it might make it easier. At least now, there aren't as many spells on him."

Chamo watched the process as he monitored the condition Negi was in. The scene, which had been stuck on "pause" for a good long while, then began to write itself across the pages.

"Is it okay, to leave it like that? Negi?" Inquired Nagi Springfield.

"..." said Negi as he lowered his hands. "It's like there's a haze in my head... I can't... remember a thing."

"Well, let me attempt the easiest course of action..." Lupin brandished his wand again, this time speaking the spell to restore consciousness and ward off magic that would cause such effects. "Rennervate."

Asuna read what appeared on the pages in slight amazement, having been quiet for most of the time the others had arrived. She didn't know exactly how she could help, considering that any magic which was tossed in her direction and she'd undoubtedly cancel it out.

It was going to take a moment before Aqua had it in her to cast Esuna again, so she switched to Curaga, generating a flower of magic over his body. The flower's petals and green light swirled around Negi's body, attempting to heal the physical more than magical damage. Still, she hoped it would do something against the taint.

Sasami approached the stricken boy, watching both Aqua and Lupin work their own magic to save Negi. She had to do something... but the only thing she could do and she had no idea how to work it yet!

"Negi-kun... Negi-kun, please... wake up. Come back to us!" Sasami said, taking hold of Negi's hand, not realizing her own hand glowing...

Hit Girl watched Sasami a moment. She didn't know what she was up to, what this magic could do, but if there was some way she could lend her strength...

Well. The three of them were sort of bonded together anyway, right? Maybe this could work.

She took Sasami's other hand, eying the girl to let her know she was willing to help where she could.

"But... but I... I can't just stay still, not in a place like this. I get the feeling that..." stated Negi softly.

"Ain't that right." Stated a another male; thin faced but defined, Tokasa. And he was flanked by a few other forms that were coming into view. "If you're the leading role in the spotlight, there's a 'STAGE' you just can't step down from."

"Hey, yeah." stated Jack Rakan. "Didn't you, have a 'RIVAL's ass to kick for when you got stronger?"

"Furthermore," added the shade of Evangeline. "You certainly have 'COMRADES' who you yourself swore to protect even if you must risk your own life. Do you not?"

"And," finished Nagi. "Don't you have 'SOMEONE' who you have risked your all to keep chasing? Someone you kept looking for?"

She burst into the room, her hair a mess and her clothes decidedly rumpled, but it was her nonetheless. She knew a few of the people in the room of course (Sasami and Hit girl really stood out) but she made straight for Negi.

"How is he?" She asked the crowd of people.

Sasami turned around, blinking as she saw Kaya entering. The girl LOOKED familiar and yet... not.

"Ah... he's... alright, but..." Sasami stammered, before shaking her head and focusing back on Negi. Priorities, that girl. "C'mon, Negi..."

"C'mon, baka Negi...! Don't you dare leave us like this!" Asuna stared down at Negi, hand placed against his shoulder.

Kaya approached Negi, looking at him with concern and care, and brought a hand to his other shoulder. She didn't know if her healing could help any, but it was part of the Pactio she made with Negi. It was worth a shot.

"ADEAT." The card came out and she was clothed in a white robe, her hair adorned with a green and yellow crown of flowers. Well. That was new.

She brought her hand back on his shoulder and concentrated, hoping this might do something.

Comrades...

Someone I've...

Been Chasing After...?

"Fa... ther..."

Nagi grinned and the expression was clear on the book. "Or not huh? No, not just that - it's sounding more like, you're following in my footsteps, and looking to surpass me."

"T-that's..." protested Negi but a "Heh" from Evangeline made him pause. "That's right boy. There is a path that he did not walk... one that only you can walk. Set out on the grey path."

"Master..." Negi stood, and his form began to change, changing from stained black to pure white, the angry marks on his arms starting to recede.

"Become one who would move forward, even after being stained with mud. Was this what you meant?"

In the real world, Negi began to stir. His body began to move as his hand began to rise up, the sound of cracking stone predominant in the motion. He could feel it -- everyone was helping him. Professor Lupin. Aqua. Sasami. Asuna. Chamo. Kaya. Hit Girl. All of them.

Go on, my disciple.

Sasami let out a gasp as Negi began to stir, his body moving and releasing the stone of his body.

"Negi-kun... Negi-kun, we're here! " Sasami called out, tears running down her eyes. "Please, just a little more...!"

Kaya said nothing, just kept concentrating on helping Negi. Even as she felt the crack, she stayed on him, hoping that if he did come to, he wouldn't be as injured.

Hear me Negi, she said, almost forgetting that only Billy really heard her thought project because of their Bond. Find us. We're here.

Crack. Crack crackcrackrackcrack--!

The combined force of everyone's efforts finally broke through, as with Negi's resolve. In a explosion of shattered stone which flaked into nothing, the young boy lay there, breathing heavily for a moment.

He was shirtless as his outfit had been wrestled off in an attempt to re-seal the gaping hole in his chest. But oddly enough, his entire body was smooth, unmarked, like it had shed its own skin in the process. The scar on his cheek, the line across his arm and the angry looking marks where blades and stone had pierced through it -- all gone.

Life came back into those hazel eyes of his and he looked up at everyone. And in a soft voice, he croaked out, "I saw him. Father. He'll be waiting for me in the end."

Edited 2011-04-02 06:02 (UTC)

"...You baka Negi! Always worrying about others first before yourself!" Asuna allowed a smile to appear while pulling the student-teacher into a hug. For all intents and purposes, she was glad that Negi was going to make it.

Hit Girl stared. She couldn't believe it, but she was strangely choked up right now. She had known Negi would be able to take this thing down, and that he had made her think of Overlord Zetta when he saw his apprentices. So lucky for her, how she was emotional that moment passed by peaceably.

"Welcome back Negs," she said, grinning. "Heard you busted yourself up pretty good."

"Negi-kun...!" Sasami whispered, choking up as she hugged her dear friend.

Kaya waited until the others were done. She had only arrived recently, and at the moment her heart wasn't just here, but at the room down the hall, where Zuko was still recovering from his burns. In any case, seeing Negi com back, her eyes were swimming with tears, and she reached over, once Sasami was done, and hugged the boy herself.

"You had us worried, Negi-kun," she said softly, reverting back to the name she called him when she was around the W.I.T.C.H. bus more.

He felt no need to contibute to the hugging and whatnot, but there were other matters that still needed attending.

Lupin produced from his robes a large bar of chocolate, tapped it with his wand, then repocketed the original bar. "Eat this," he advised Negi as he offered up the traditional cure for a injury to the soul.

Aqua breathed a sigh of relief when all their efforts had worked. Her eyes were a little teary; while she didn't know Negi well, it was the first time she or anyone else had successfully brought someone back from the dark, at least to her knowledge.

"Welcome back," she said.

Accepting the chocolate with one hand and letting the girls hug him, Negi smiled at them. "I... thanks, everyone. For bringing me back."

He looked at his hand which had once been curled and clawed, and he clenched it, a line of tattoos running across his hands briefly. "Everyone, I mean it."

"Aniki," said Chamo softly. "You're... not human anymore, are you?"

Negi blinked and shook his head. "No, I'm not."

She thundered into the room the moment she learned where he was. There were plenty of other people in the room, but the one she was focused on right now was Negi. She swore quietly, hearing what was being said.

As for Sasami, she raised her eyes to her. "He did this for you, Sasami. So now you can do something for him: stop blaiming yourself and be strong. He'd want that."

She was still injured, but was not bringing that up now.

"I know, but I..." Sasami stammered, still looking down. Be strong... Sasami winced a bit as her head started to hurt.

She looked down at Negi. "I think this is a fight that only he can win now, Sasami. The best we can do is look after him and be ready when he wakes up."

"I... I can't do that, Hit Girl!" Sasami said, mindful of the other girl's identity. "He helped me when I needed it... I can't stay back this time!"

She looked down before raising a hand. The Power... could it work?

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Is It Okay To Leave It Like That? (Open)

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She looks the same, Sasami.

Re: She looks the same, Sasami.

Re: She looks the same, Sasami.

Re: She looks the same, Sasami.

Re: She looks the same, Sasami.

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