The Gift
Kazumi Asakura smiled as she sat down, her spiky orange-brown hair
looking it's typical frazzled way. She met Sayo Aisaka's eyes and
grinned as she told the ghost, "Good morning."
"Good morning, Asakura-san," Sayo smiled back, the almost albino looking
ghost smiling sweetly.
"You can call me Kazumi," she chided her gently, "we've been sitting
beside each other for years after all."
Sayo blushed cutely as she protested, "But you only became aware of me
recently."
"Well, true," Kazumi conceded.
For a very, very long time it appeared Sayo Aisaka had been haunting
Mahora as well as their classroom. Kazumi had been sitting beside the
ghost for years, all unaware, until she noticed Sayo's name in the class
registry. Investigating the supposed mistake she learned that Sayo had
been a student over sixty years ago, and more importantly had died on
campus during a bad windstorm.
Some combination of fate and magic brought Sayo and Kazumi to the place
Sayo died, and there somehow Kazumi gained the ability to see Sayo. Now
Sayo was a regular presence in Kazumi's life, and if she was honest
she'd have to admit that Sayo was a good friend, too.
Kazumi sat back as she sighed, "I'm not looking forward to Christmas
this year... I'll have to hope my family actually gets me what I want."
"A new camera?" Sayo guessed.
"You got it," Kazumi agreed. She leaned forward, looking over at Sayo as
she asked, "If you could get anything, what would it be?"
Sayo looked away, "Oh, don't ask that."
"Aw, come on," Kazumi pressed.
Sayo gave her a uncomfortable look as she sighed. "To be alive again,"
she sighed, "or at least be able to touch someone else."
Kazumi saw the pain in her eyes and sighed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have
asked."
Sayo managed a smile, "Forget about it, Kazumi."
Kazumi, however, couldn't forget about it. She couldn't begin to imagine
what spending sixty years as a ghost must have been like. Unable to be
seen or touched, ignored by the world as she haunted Mahora academy....
it had to have been a terribly lonely existence.
'I wonder,' Kazumi mused, 'is there any way I can help her?'
After some thought Kazumi went to the only expert in ghosts she knew,
Mana Tatsumiya. Mana was a woman Kazumi approached with some caution, as
her reputation as a gunslinger and exorcist was well known, however it
seemed she had little choice.
"You want to what?" Mana looked at her like she was insane, her brown
skin giving her a even more alien look compared to the rest of the
class.
"I want to give Sayo a body," Kazumi said, "or at least make her solid."
"Impossible," Mana said flatly, the taller woman calmly polishing her
gun.
"But," Kazumi protested, "my research says...."
Mana gave her a dangerously smoldering look. "I suppose you could let
her possess you," she conceded, "but all she'd be doing is experiencing
touch and feeling second hand."
"You'd also have to find someone receptive to possession," Setsuna
Sakurazaki noted. The black haired woman was Mana's roommate, though
they were rarely in the room at the same time. Her outfit resembled a
samurai of a bygone age, with billowy red pants and white shirt.
"I couldn't even ask for volunteers?" Kazumi sounded disappointed.
"No," Mana agreed, "a ordinary person couldn't host Sayo's spirit."
"Sayo could hurt someone," Setsuna coolly polished her sword as she
said, "or even be harmed trying it."
"Thank you," Kazumi bowed to the both of them as she asked, "uhm... who
would you suggest I talk to about this?"
Setsuna and Mana exchanged a look. "Negi-sensei," Setsuna finally said,
"he knows more than he usually appears."
"There's also the option of talking to Evangeline McDowell." Mana
offered with a dangerous little smile.
"Evangeline?" Kazumi paled. If there was a student she wanted to meet
less than Mana, it was the mysterious young woman. Possessed of a
dangerously creepy aura and supernatural powers, Evangeline was more
dangerous than many of the students combined!
Negi Springfield smiled as Kazumi caught up with the boy. It was still
strange having a teacher shorter and younger than she was, but Negi had
proved to be a intelligent, even wise young man at times. "Did you have
a question about class?" Negi asked, the brown haired boy's glasses
gleaming.
"Not exactly, sensei," Kazumi answered as she filled him in. In addition
to being a good teacher Negi was a wizard as well as being a martial
artist, demonstrating his skills during the Mahora fighting contest and
the 'Mages vs. Martians' event, both of which Kazumi had a ring side
seat to.
"Is it going to be a Christmas gift?" Negi asked as they walked
together.
"Assuming we can do it at all," Kazumi answered honestly. "Can you think
of...?" she asked him intently.
Negi scratched the back of his head uncomfortably, "I'm sorry, I can't.
I've not heard of a ghost being made solid before...."
"Do you think it's possible?" Kazumi asked, frowning slightly.
"Nothing's impossible is you try," Negi said optimistically.
Kazumi gave him a look, "Is that something you picked up at teacher
school, or are you naturally this perky?"
"Bit of both?" Negi shrugged.
Kazumi sighed, knowing her options had narrowed down to one.
The little cabin she walked to was secluded by a grove of trees, a creek
running noisily nearby. It looked like something from decades ago at
least, wooden logs interlocked together in a efficient yet stylish home.
With a nervous gulp Kazumi knocked on the heavy wooden door, waiting for
a answer.
Within moments the door opened, a tall woman with green hair giving her
a neutral look. Chachamaru was a android and from what rumors Kazumi had
heard was Evangeline's servant. She nodded respectfully as she said,
"Asakura-san, what can we do for you?"
Kazumi met her gaze bravely, "I need to ask Eva for a favor."
"Very well," Chachamaru moved aside to let her in.
Evangeline's home was a odd combination of creepy and cute, with a air
of wierdness tossed in too. The interior of the cabin ws well lit and
nicely laid out, but the decorations were odd. In addition to the usual
furnature there were dolls scattered everywhere, maimed toys inexpertly
repaired so that they looked deformed.
"Asakura," Evangeline nodded, the smaller blonde giving her a piercing
look as she lounged in a chair, "what do you want?"
"I want to help Sayo," Kazumi admitted as she sketched in her quest so
far.
Evangeline chuckled softly, her eyes mocking as she said, "How sweet,
you want to help the friendly ghost...."
Kazumi reigned in her temper as she said, "She's my friend, Eva-san. I
want to help her."
"And what's in it for me, hmm?" Evangeline drawled. She leaned forward
to look into Kazumi's eyes, "I'm not interested in helping for no
reason."
Kazumi took a deep breath, loosening the collar of her school uniform
and revealing her neck. "You're a vampire, right?" she said bravely,
"I'll offer you my blood in return."
Evangeline's eyes widened a bit, then narrowed as she studied Kazumi
more intently. "You'd do that for her?" she murmured softly, seemingly
fascinated by the white skin of Kazumi's neck.
"She's important to me," Kazumi said bravely.
Evangeline nodded slightly, "Let's talk...."
"It's so cute!" Sayo exclaimed the next day as she looked at the small
doll sized version of her that Kazumi carried.
"Try possessing it," Kazumi said.
"Eh?" Sayo drifted close to the doll then seemed to solidify, gasping in
surprise as she felt the air on her once more. "How...?!" she yelped.
Kazumi watched with some amusement as the now mini version of Sayo moved
about awkwardly. "I asked Eva-san for it," she explained with a smile,
"it's a rare item from Mount Osore in Aoyama."
"It's incredible," Sayo murmured, tripping and falling as she laughed.
"You'll be even able to leave the school grounds using it," Kazumi
added.
"Oh, thank you," Sayo cried, turning and hurrying over to hug Kazumi.
"You're welcome," Kazumi hugged her back. 'Seeing you happy like this,'
she mused as she looked up to see Evangeline smirk from the back of
class, 'it's all worth it.'
End...?
Notes: Based in part off the short story in book 20 of the Negima manga,
in which Sayo gets her doll body from Kazumi and Evangeline. Did Kazumi
get vamped by Eva? Haven't decided yet, though it WOULD be a interesting
plot twist.
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