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[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

Negi had been released from the hospital, and he was actually standing. Chamo had gone off somewhere, but he had been driven home from the medical wing to the home he made in the city.

However, he had found a letter addressed to him, and a brass key. As such, Negi flew over to the shop which was locked up tight. Atelier Elric. The store was brightly colored and there were tasteful decorations everywhere, as well as several circles and such inscribed into pasteboard.

Negi had spent hours there in between training, goofing off with Devlin and otherwise reading when he wasn’t being foisted off on Ren and Phillip, and there were really good memories. He picked up the jacket that was laying in the corner, and hung it up respectfully.

A book of notes stood at the side, and he opened it up, reciting the quote that lay there. “Humankind cannot gain without giving. To obtain, equal amount must be given. This is the law of Equivalent Exchange.”

A little sticky was attached to the bottom of it and Negi smiled, reading it. “Magic on the other hand, is totally wonky with its own set of rules. Turn the world inside out with it. – Ed.”

With great flourish, Negi threw the curtains open as he put up the sign. He would do his best, for now.

It was still Atelier Elric in spirit, as Negi added a sign in the shape of a white wing, proclaiming the site.

“Sleep well, Ed.” Said Negi as he began to do something he hadn’t done in ages – potion making and magic-based alchemy.

Comments

[fanservicesnegi.livejournal.com]

"What are you up to now, baka Negi?" Asuna had made sure to follow Negi despite the fact that the little brat had flown via his staff. "Trying to get yourself thrown back in the medical wing?" Partly playful, more so concerned for his well-being.

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

"Ah, Asuna-san, no, I'm just cleaning up mostly." said Negi. "I feel great, really!"

He was blushing just a little, remembering how she and the others pulled him back from the brink. "I just... I found a letter, from Ed. He left it out just in case, and, well..."

Walking over, he hugged Asuna. "Sorry. He's asleep again. He's been repodded. I knew he was special to you, Asuna-san."

[fanservicesnegi.livejournal.com]

"..." Asuna was speechless as she allowed Negi to hug her, in disbelief at the news she'd just heard. A guy who had most of Negi's craziest traits, was near her age if not older, and had a bit of an attitude...that she'd grown to really care for...was repodded?

"It's not your fault, Negi..." she replied, hugging him back after a moment.

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

Negi tightened his hold on Asuna just a little more, to reassure her that it would be okay. "Maybe someday, he'll wake up. And you two can meet each other once more."

He knew Asuna was probably hurting from this news, especially how sudden it was as well. He had gone through the same thing when Konoka, Setsuna, Chao, Yue and Arika were repodded as well.

"He did leave something for us though; this place, if you'll help me around the store." said Negi. "Potion making isn't really a magically-charged science so I could use help moving a few herbs here and there."

[fanservicesnegi.livejournal.com]

"...He left us the entire store?" Asuna tightened her own hold on Negi, silently making a vow that she would do her absolute best to never be repodded and leave him alone. After all, they were partners.

"Ahhh, I guess we can figure out what to do with the place later."

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, true enough. There's a private room, but Ed rarely used it. Said something about girl stuff in there," said Negi. Clueless he may be about women, he knew that their privacy was paramount.

"Want to help me move a few of these raw materials somewhere safer?"

[saint-sami.livejournal.com]

Sasami was still trying to sort through her memories. While she still had her true memories, she was still trying to make sure those of the ones that were given to her weren't colliding.

Wandering towards the store, she found Negi inside. Curiosity took over and she poked her head inside. "Negi-kun?"

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

Looking up from where he was picking up a small crate, Negi immediately put it down again. "Sasami-chan," he exclaimed happily. "Are you all right? You're not tired or anything, are you?"

[saint-sami.livejournal.com]

"Ah, I'm alright, just..." Sasami said, trailing off a bit. "...I'm still trying to sort through things. I... found out my memories weren't real."

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

Negi blinked at that. "You mean your memories now, or memories from before KAIN?" inquired the young mage, gesturing her to the couch so they could sit down and talk.

[saint-sami.livejournal.com]

"I... I think before I was released." Sasami said, sitting down. "...when I was fighting KAIN, I had to use some of my power to stop him from hurting Hay Lin-neesan and it drained me. When I woke up, I kept having dreams of another time... another life. And now I've realized that it's true."

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

That rang so true of Negi's life, especially the whole "memories from a different life" being around. It struck surprisingly close to home with thoughts of how Asuna must have suffered before she was rescued by his father.

"This power of yours... it's inherited I take it? Magic?"

[myboggartismoon.livejournal.com]

Pushing open the door, the wizard stepped in. "I thought I saw you come in here."

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

"Professor!" chirped Negi happily as he set down a delicate figurine. "Yeah, I found a key to it. Seems like Ed left me the store with instructions to keep it running in some fashion."

"I hadn't gotten a chance to thank you though, for what you and everyone else did," added Negi, bowing. "If there's anything I can do, please name it."

[myboggartismoon.livejournal.com]

"No need for thanks. I only wish I could have done more." So saying, Lupin peered carefully at the boy, assessing him. "What I was concerned about, is, are you feeling well? Are there lingering effects from that? Powerful Dark magic is rarely so easily thrown off, even with the efforts of everyone else there."

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

At that, Negi paused for a moment, sighing softly. Looking over to make sure no one was looking in, he shook his head. "I wanted to keep it mostly a secret from everyone for the time being. Here, I'd best just show you."

Negi reached up and undid his shirt, and closed his eyes. In an instant, an intricate lattice of marks ran up his body, and it was apparent that it went across his entire frame. "When I was comatose, I spoke to what I think was my father, and many friends from the other world. I'm walking the Grey Path, Professor. I'm not longer human. I think what people would refer to me right now would be best described as one word -- monster."

[myboggartismoon.livejournal.com]

"You are not," he said, swiftly and sharply. Perhaps too swiftly. Somewhat chagrined, he looked down for a moment.

"In any case, what is a Grey Path? That isn't a term I know."

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

Yes, she was tailing both Sasami and Negi. After the recent set of events, she figured that she might be a good idea to keep tabs on what was happening with the two of them. She wasn't going to care about every single thing of course, but at least she ought to know where they were usually going to be if she needed to find them

This place, however, was a little new to her. She entered the door, and approached Negi. "What is this place?"

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

"Oh hey," greeted Negi, glad to see that Hit Girl was all right. "It's the Atelier that Ed made up a while ago. He left the keys with me in case he was repodded, so I'm just cleaning up a little."

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, all right," Hit Girl said, looking at the place a moment as if it interested her: it didn't, not while she didn't know what its purpose was for. Negi mattered a bit more in her eyes.

"And you're ok, Negs? Feeling better?"

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

"Better than before," admitted Negi, rubbing his arms where the marks would typically show up. "I feel more rested than I have been in a while, but I think that's just running on high adrenaline for the time being."

[hit-girl-mindy.livejournal.com]

Hit girl went a little closer to him and cupped his face with her hands a moment. Some might think it was a puppy love romantic moment had they walked in, but anyone who knew Hit girl would know this couldn't be farther from the truth.

"Kid, take it easy when you get into those modes of yours, ok? I'm not telling you not to do them, you're the goddamn mage, you know better than me, I get that. But any good fighter knows there's a breaking point, and they'll see it and hide it when they can but sometimes that makes it obvious. Like, that Kain guy, the first time I had to fake staying down, he was gonna kill me. I hate losing, but I hate the idea of leaving you two more, ok?"

[maguspuparum.livejournal.com]

Evangeline, as was her custom, came only when the others had left and the store was empty but for her apprentice.

It was no coincidence she'd found him the first day of his release; she'd never visited in the medbay, but she had kept tabs on him all the same. Though it somewhat defeated the purpose of telling yourself you were not going to worry over someone who had chosen their path to only do so in secret.

"Hey." She greeted him coolly as she pushed through the front door, and looked over the potionmaking apparatus. "Getting back to the basics?"

[hisfathersstaff.livejournal.com]

"Ah, Master." Negi nodded as he placed a couple of vials down. "Yes, I am. I've kind of gotten sloppy in the last few months. Not enough practice with them really."

[maguspuparum.livejournal.com]

"Good. You never know when those types of skills will come in handy."

After all, the first time they'd met she'd been coming after him with catalyst potions.

She took a slow look around the shop as she approached. Not for any particular reason, but it was symptomatic of her mood. She was feeling thoughtful right now, and the cloak of disdain she ordinarily wore was not so strong.

"What happened?" She asked bluntly. "When you were wounded."