Author's Note: You know what? I'm not even gonna go there, lol! The only excuses are college, life, and Advanced Creative Writing. But hey, I still haven't given up on this fanfic (which is mind boggling!). Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy (at least, the ones who still read this...)!

Disclaimer: I do not own Negima or any of its characters.

Enjoy! =)

Chapter 31

A hefty sigh escaped Anima.

"Thy ask too much from me, as I do not have any idea of where to start." Kendra stopped herself from chuckling at the immortal's slightly overwhelmed response.

"Well…" She worked her tongue around in her mouth as she thought for a moment. "How bout dis whole agreement we just made? I mean, I fully accept ya now. So…should I be, I don' know, expectin' any changes?" Anima hummed softly in realization as his emerald gaze gained an almost mirthful glow.

"That I cannot be sure of, child. I have no control over what aspects of myself that thy will inherit. All that we can do is wait…while I sit back and watch as the spectacle unfolds," the handsome spirit added with a small grin.

Kendra groaned.

"Perfect, just perfect. Next thing ya know, I'll be walkin' 'round startin' charities for giant two-legged chickens."

Anima cocked an eyebrow.

"I do not see the fault behind this. Sounds quite charitable for giant two-legged—"

"Stop! Gah, I forgot who I'm talkin' to!" Kendra interrupted in exasperation. Before her immortal counterpart could retaliate, the transfer student continued with a huff, "Look, let's just…go on to da next question, a'ight?" Anima's posture straightened.

"Fine. Ask thy's next question, child."

Kendra appeared to be struggling with her next enquiry, as her shoulders slightly tensed, her jaw shifted around, and her gaze refused to focus on the immortal. Finally, releasing all of the tension with a long, defeated sigh, Kendra whispered weakly, "It's bout…Deveron."

Now it was Anima's turn to tense up.

Kendra noticed this.

The dark-skinned girl cursed beneath her breath. If the aged soul's reaction was anything to go by, then she already knew that this line of questioning was going to lead to dread and heartache.

Forcing out a chuckle, she continued, "Well…I guess ya a'ready know where I'm gettin' to…Anima, when ya first showed up 'n took us through my memories…I…I-I saw somethin'. Somethin' really unusual." Kendra risked a glance at her tenant and frowned at the sight of his mouth drawn into a thin line, his hardened emerald orbs oblivious struggling to remain on the transfer student.

"After my past-self slapped Deveron, I saw his eyes…th-they turned red—just like dat—and call me crazy Anima…but I don' think dat's normal. But I do think dat ya know what's goin' on here." Kendra didn't intend for her stare to come off as accusing but, nonetheless, it burned into Anima's spiritual form and he flinched.

Running a sturdy, pale hand through his tresses, he admitted in a low tone, "I should have known that thy would realize soon."

"Explain," Kendra snapped. There was no need hiding nor scavenging for it—her annoyance was clearly heard. Anima's hands sluggishly fiddled in his lap.

"That boy…ever since thy had first made contact with him, I sensed an ominous force. It was oppressive, powerful, and vile. It was so familiar and it had struck a deep chord within me…until…u-until I finally realized what it was." His gaze locked with Kendra's. "Who it was."

"Igneus, " Kendra breathed feebly. Her eyes flittered and twitch, desperately holding back the massive urge to cry. It felt as if a savage beast was raging inside her heart and tearing her apart. Her bottom lip trembled and her body shivered as a stubborn sob managed to weasel its way out of her throat. Dark, trembling fists clenched together in a fruitless attempt to reel in her emotions but the sheer amount of betrayal and despair coursing through her was crushing.

That insane, blood-thirsty man was connected to Deveron. Even more, with Anima's revelation, Kendra was now painfully aware that he and Igneus may be one in the same.

Her whisper was faint. "Oh God…it all makes sense…"

The realization flooded into her mind almost too quickly for her mouth to process. "Ya made me slap Deveron cuz Igneus provoked ya, not cuz ya didn' like pity! Why did ya lie to me?!"

"Thy would not have been able to handle it!" Anima argued. "I was well aware of the connection thy had with that boy! If I had told thy the truth before, then thy's mind would have crumbled!"

"Dat wasn't your decision to make, goddammit!"

"Yes, it was!"

"No, it ain't!" Kendra scrambled closer to the immortal, her face inches away from his. "All ya ever did was lie to me! I trusted ya, which was fuckin' stupid! Cuz ya ain't trustworthy at all! Not a lil bit! You ain't nevuh had my back—"

"I lied to protect thy, thy twit!" Anima interrupted angrily. Kendra fell back on her haunches, hazel eyes wide with surprise. The soul manipulator's armored chest heaved in sync with his huffing, his brow was pinched together, and his lips trembled ever-so-slightly. His ire was overwhelming, yet Kendra could detect the confliction tainting his emotions. Licking her arid lips, the transfer student cautiously shattered the silence.

"You was tryna protect me?" Anima ran a hand through his mass of moss-colored hair and clenched a handful of it at the back of his skull. His vision scoured the midnight space before him, as if the endless distance held the words he needed.

"Yes, I was…but I did not know of this myself until much later." Kendra remained silent, allowing the soul thief to explain. "I was so certain of my mission back then. I was to overwhelm thy's psyche, gain control, and continue my duties of banishing unclean souls. However, as time progressed…as thy's foolish acts of compassion burdened me…I…I began to question myself. What do I truly vie for in this afterlife? Is this truly all that I was created for? But…one day…" His gaze locked with Kendra's. "I found my answer in thy. Thy's care for me was illogical but also boundless and true. Thy's determination was powerful. I realize now that this is what I lack—the determination to care for another being. I buried myself so deeply into the sorrows surrounding me that I…I-I failed to see the sorrows of my own family. I was blinded by my selfish ways. I now wish to fix that."

Kendra didn't immediately respond, as her mind was racing. 'Is he sayin'…what I think he's sayin'?' she wondered with wide eyes. Inhaling shakily, the southerner asked quietly, "Anima…does dat mean dat you really do care about me?"

His voice quivered. "Since before I was even aware." Before the immortal could blink, a body collided into him and arms wrapped around his neck. He helplessly stared at the girl attached to his torso until she suddenly detached herself from him and grinned. It wasn't a wide, toothy smile but the joy and relief behind it was undeniable.

Although Kendra attempted to speak as calmly as she could, emotions caused her voice to waver. "It's about time, Animalia."

Anima smiled before saying softly, "My name is Anima, child."

Anima watched as his host openly laughed. The sound was weak but genuine, which was more than enough to weed a small chuckle out of the spirit. However, it was not a moment later that he interrupted Kendra and said, "I still have very much to explain to thy about the memories but first…" he trailed off, instantly gaining Kendra's attention. She stared curiously at the soul thief, wondering what else could be on his mind. "One of thy's companions." He leaned forward to whisper, "She is a wandering soul, correct?"

Kendra's brow furrowed for a moment before her features smoothed out in realization.

"Oh, yeah. Ya mean Sayo-San? What 'bout her?"

Anima crossed his arms as a thoughtful expression crossed his face. "I do not approve of her presence roaming the Earth. A soul such as herself must be banished to either Hell or Heaven—"

"Wait a minute! Ya can't just up 'n send her to heav—"

Anima raised his hand, halting Kendra mid-sentence before continuing, "However, there is always an alternative. It would be quite taxing but I sense immense purity within her soul. So, I am willing to expend the energy." If Kendra was confused before, then she was downright baffled now.

"I don' get it…what's da other option?" she asked.

Instead of using words, Anima shut his eyes and exhaled as his skin began to glow neon green. Kendra backed away as the light grew in intensity.

"Just sit back and watch, child."

"What da hell is goin' on? Anima, dis ain't funny—" Suddenly, her surroundings flashed a blinding white and she fell unconscious once again…

Kill with kindness—this was Sho's life motto. The girl never understood the point behind fighting fire with fire, to match force with force, or to get revenge. Such methods seemed a waste of time and emotional energy. Why place your heart through so much stress? Thus, Sho evaded drama and anger as much as she possibly could. Because of her easy-going nature, people flocked to her; they found her calming personality magnetizing and a joy to be around.

However, as students she was acquainted with saw Sho marching down the dorm halls, her beautiful face darkened with rage, they scrambled out of her way. Collective eyes doused Sho with curious and fearful stares as whispers floated through the air.

"Holy crap, she looks pissed."

"What happened?"

"Isn't that Sho-San?"

"Have you ever seen her like this?"

"Did something happen between her and Tsunami-San?"

Sho halted, her teeth grinding at the mention of Tsunami. The dark-haired girl slowly turned to face her classmate, who of which resorted to pressing her back to the wall and gaping fearfully. The heat behind Sho's glare was so intense that the poor student could've sworn sweat was rolling down her back. Sho opened her mouth to snap but, upon noticing the horror rolling off of the girl, she huffed and stormed away. She continued her advancement down the halls; only one individual required her attention in that moment and it wasn't on some random student.

Finally reaching her destination, Sho stood in front of door A305. Without knocking, she swung the door open and stomped in, not at all fazed by the sound of wood smacking into the wall. Her target jumped from her reclined position on the bed and squeaked in surprise.

However, the brunette beauty's fear waned once she realized it was only Sho and she grinned eagerly before asking, "Did everything go according to plan, Sho-Chan?"

Tsunami frowned when she received only silence from her best friend. She watched as Sho walked over to her desk and rested both hands on it, fingers curled tightly around the edge. Sho's back faced Tsunami, so the brunette was unable to gauge her friend's expression. Tsunami could tell that there was something welling up inside of her best friend, something potent and chilling, but she couldn't tell what. Taking a cautious step forward, Tsunami attempted to grab Sho's shoulder.

"Sho-Chan? What's wrong—" Tsunami gasped when Sho violently jerked away from her touch and spun around. Her blood ran cold as she registered the rage infecting the dark-haired girl's features. Her stormy eyes were narrowed and cold, her lips were peeled apart to reveal a snarl, and her hands were balled up into fists.

"What's wrong?" Sho hissed. "What's wrong?! You're what's wrong! Your plan was wrong! This stupid jealously you have with Stormy-San is wrong! Just! Just…" She huffed and faced the desk once more, ridding her vision of the tears welling up in Tsunami's stunned eyes.

Her fury climbing down a few degrees, Sho's voice cracked with sorrow as she whispered, "H-how could you do that to Stormy-San? She didn't deserve any of this, she didn't."

"B-but," Tsunami started weakly, "you said you would do anything to make me happy—"

"And having her beaten up would?!" Sho yelled, her anger returning with renewed vigor. "Why didn't you tell me they were actually going to hit her and why, for the love of Kami, didn't you tell me it was Shintaki-San?! She's insane!"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't think y-you would mind—" Before Tsunami could blink, Sho had decreased the distance between them drastically, their noses almost bumping.

"Are you kidding me?!" Sho said in disgust. "Of course I would mind! Anybody with a conscience would mind! Don't you remember what happened?! Shintaki-San almost stabbed someone! She was out to kill!" Tsunami's knees grew weak under the loud onslaught and she fell back onto her bed. Sho stood over the brunette, staring down at someone she used to proudly call her best friend. But now, that title was questionable.

Tsunami parted her trembling lips to speak—to defend herself, to make up some sort of excuse to calm Sho, but nothing came to mind. Her head was too rattled with panic to form coherent thoughts. She resigned to staring at her feet and biting her bottom lip ashamedly.

"…Tsunami-San," Sho whispered. Tsunami instantly snapped her head up in alarm; the dark-haired girl hadn't referred to her as Tsunami-San since they first met in kindergarten. Sho's face was scarily blank as she asked the one question that was constantly nagging at the hind-corners of her mind, "What do you have against Stormy-San, huh? Why do you hate her so much?"

Tsunami's response was a weak whisper. "I…I don't hate her—"

"Bullshit"

"I don't!"

A stack of folders flew off the desk, causing Tsunami to jump in surprise.

"Who are you?!" Sho screamed in anger; if it wasn't for the intense fury, Tsunami may have been able to notice the anguish squeezing through. "So what? You only did it because it would be entertaining? Huh? Was it supposed to be funny?! Nobody was laughing, Tsunami-San!"

"Kami, stop! Stop calling me that!" Tsunami blurted. She had shot to her feet and desperately gripped Sho by her shoulders, staring deeply into her childhood friend's eyes. "Don't call me "San"! I'm Tsunami-Chan, Tsunami-Chan!"

Again, Sho tried to yank away from her but the brunette's grip held strong. The panic had blossomed into a raging storm and was spilling out of Tsunami like violent waves. Thick tears rolled down her flushed cheeks, her breathing was shallow and quick, and her figure trembled ever so slightly.

Hugging Sho tightly while resting her head in the crook of her neck, Tsunami mumbled feebly, "Don't pull away from me, Sho-Chan. P-please don't…If you did, I-I don't think my heart could take it." She didn't feel Sho struggle anymore to free herself from the embrace, but she didn't feel her reciprocate it either. The gray-eyed girl's arms hung limply at her sides, as if she was grudgingly admitting defeat to Tsunami's touch.

This was wrong.

"Why won't you hug me back?" Tsunami whispered.

A heart-breaking moment of silence.

Or perhaps it was just Tsunami's heart breaking amongst the silence.

Sho's hands came to rest on Tsunami's waist and, for the shortest moment, the brunette's spirits were lifted. The dark-haired girl forgave her. She once again overlooked her pesky selfishness. She would once again call her Tsunami-Chan, have sleepovers with her, watch reruns of their favorite Disney movies with her, have incredibly awkward yet hilarious staring contests with her, and smile at her with a level of care that the brunette worked so hard to receive—

Sho pushed Tsunami away.

Tsunami felt as if her heart was stomped onto solid concrete.

"Sh-Sho-Chan…"

Sho's gaze was filled with pain and conflict but she refused to make eye contact with Tsunami. Her voice cracked again as she said lowly, "Only my friends can call me that."

Tsunami staggered forward, a hand reaching out to Sho. "No…you don't mean that."

"I need to go. I have to find Stormy-San and fix this." Sho spun away from Tsunami and began to walk for the exit. The brunette frantically followed behind Sho, attempting to reason with the livid teen.

"Sho-Chan, don't do this!"

It left a caustic sting in Sho's chest but she managed to ignore Tsunami's pleas.

"We can talk about this! Please!"

Sho stepped one foot pass the door—

"Sho!"

Without turning around, Sho halted and hissed, "What?" A weight fell onto her back and the dark-haired girl began to feel her jacket dampen with tears.

"I-I did this f-for…for us," Tsunami blubbered. Sho had never heard the brunette sound so broken before; the throbbing in her heart almost convinced her to turn around and hug the girl. But she couldn't. Sho had to remain strong.

"What do you mean for us?" Sho's voice was flat, refusing to reveal a speck of weakness in Tsunami's presence. Tsunami's head burrowed deeper into her jacket.

"Y-you seriously…after all this time…" Tsunami's mumbling trailed off with a sigh, a weak and defeated one. Removing her face from Sho's back, the brunette momentarily looked upward, as if she was asking Kami for strength, before dipping her head and whispering, "I…I like you, Sho-Chan—"

"I don't have time for this," Sho snapped as she pulled away from Tsunami. However, before she could retreat, Tsunami pinned her to the wall in a surprising burst of strength and kissed her. Against Sho's will, the lip contact was intoxicating and stole her breath away; Tsunami's lips were incredibly soft yet moved against her own with so much passion. Despite this, the moment was brief and the brunette broke the kiss before Sho could fall any deeper into it. Blinking away the haze, the dark-haired girl stared questioningly at her best friend, failing to realize that all traces of anger had vanished from her face.

"I don't just like you, baka!" Tsunami said, "I really like you! For Kami's sake! Sho-Chan, I love you!" Sho, still trapped between the wall and Tsunami's body, openly gaped at her. Her mouth flapped like a chicken, yet she couldn't utter a single word. She was certain her pale cheeks had erupted into a healthy shade of pink, both from shock and a lingering electricity she couldn't deny no matter how hard she tried. Another moment of silence ensued between the pair before Sho finally regained enough of her wits to pry out of Tsunami's hold and back-peddle a few steps.

Holding up a cautionary hand, the dark-haired teen said shakily, "Th-that's a cruel move a-and you know it."

Tsunami's face twisted in disbelief. "What?" She tried to close the distance between them but Sho was determined to keep her at arms-length. The dark-haired teen had her arms crossed and her shoulders were scrunched up, as if she was retracting into herself.

The popular teen knew that the kiss was a dangerous stunt to pull but she was desperate—desperate to show Sho how she truly felt for years. However, she never regretted it. The kiss had felt so right, so utterly beautiful and fulfilling, and she knew that Sho had enjoyed it too.

Taking another step forward, she continued, "Sho-Chan, I swear…I swear to Kami-Sama that this isn't some kind of joke or a trick. I'm serious. I…I-I was afraid, okay? I didn't want to lose you to her."

Sho ceased retreating, her figure frozen in place as she stared at her best friend. The pale girl wished she could fake confusion, convince Tsunami that was she unaware of the implications behind her words and the kiss, but she couldn't. It was clear—so painfully clear. In that moment, as Tsunami's milk chocolate eyes glistened with affection and sorrow, burrowing into the depths of her soul and plucking her most sensitive of heartstrings, Sho understood everything.

Tsunami interrogating Sho about her interaction with Stormy, Tsunami's seemingly illogical bursts of jealousy, the way Tsunami would always cuddle into her side at any opportunity, and the fear that drove her to hire Shintaki-San—it all made sense.

But, by no means was Tsunami's plan justified.

Sweeping fingers through her midnight hair, Sho heaved a heavy sigh before whispering, "Tsunami-Chan…I'm sorry I never noticed how you felt earlier. I…I-I think I might feel the same way." Tsunami perked up at the mention of "Chan" attached to her name again and at the possibility of Sho returning her feelings. She almost allowed the corner of her lips to quirk with a smile. However, the expression dimmed when Sho rubbed her arm and finished sadly, "But right now, you're not the Tsunami-Chan I know. This…person, this monster you've become, I-I don't know who this is."

"Sho-Chan—"

"Let me finish," Sho interrupted quietly. "I want the old Tsunami-Chan back. The old Tsunami-Chan wouldn't even think about hurting other people or judging them. The old Tsunami-Chan was nice and cared about other people's feelings. She liked watching Finding Nemo and Tarzan with me and playing video games until she fell asleep on the couch…sh-she…she was…"

Sho whimpered, the sound driving a stake through Tsunami's diaphragm. Finally raising her grey eyes to lock with Tsunami's, the brunette was taken aback by the tears streaming down her face.

"She was the girl I'd gladly love back."

Before Tsunami could rush over, Sho took off. Tsunami's balance gave and she staggered until her back collided with the wall, allowing her numb body to slide to the floor. She pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes, barely restraining a sob from escaping her throat.

"Oh, Sho-Chan," she whispered, "What have I done?"…

Negi exhaled in amazement as he examined the two cards in his hands. "I can't believe it. Two cards. I never knew such a thing could happen from a temporary pactio." Upon hearing this, Zazie and Evangeline approached the young teacher, who of which was seated at the kitchen table, and left Konoka to her duties. The Konoe princess was assigned the task of healing Yuna; the massive burn on her abdomen was no longer a gruesome, red mass of contorted tissue. Now, it had receded to a smooth plain of pale pink flesh and it was slightly sensitive to the touch. Luckily, the basketball player would heal without any issues.

"What's the verdict, boyo?" Eva asked as she loomed over Negi's shoulder and stared at the cards. Zazie also attempted to look but she stumbled back when Eva released a sharp gasp. The small vampire instantly retreated from the cards, as if they were burning her very soul, and she pressed her back to the opposite wall.

"Evangeline-San?" Zazie called out quietly. The half-demon sensed distress rolling off of the vampire like waves of a tsunami.

"I-impossible!" Evangeline stuttered. Her arms were trembling at her sides, which instantly sent alarm through Negi. The child wizard approached his master warily and stretched out a hand.

"Eva-San? Are you okay? What's wrong—"

"Don't come any closer with those!" Eva shrieked, referring to the cards in Negi's hand. Negi instantly complied, falling back one step with both hands held up in surrender. He still looked at her with the most earnest eyes he could muster, desperate to reach her through the panic. The vampire's words tumbled from her lips like a broken faucet. "He's back. H-he's really back. He can't be back, he can't! That damn monster! That pompous, lying, conniving little fuck! He's here, he's in my house! He's coming back for me, I just know it!"

Dread began to fill Negi; the sight, let alone the mere thought, of Evangeline receding to a babbling, incoherent heap was frightening. Abandoning her previous orders, he rushed forward to grab her by the shoulders and force her vision to lock with his. "Eva-San! Eva-San, look at me! Please!"

Her intense blue eyes obeyed, shaky and glistening as they tried to focus on Negi's face.

"Now tell me…what's wrong? What do you mean he's coming back?"

Eva's trembling had vanished from her body but it still lingered in her voice. "He's here. I saw him."

"Who's here? Where did you see him?"

Raising a single finger, she pointed at the cards between them. They were on the floor, having been dropped by Negi in the process of calming Evangeline. Negi picked them up and examined the pictures far more thoroughly than before.

On one card was Kendra; if one didn't know Kendra well enough, they wouldn't have recognized her because a mask covered her entire face. From nose to chin, the mask was composed of overlapping golden plates while everything from the nose up was a single plane. Inside the plane were two holes for her eyes, which were emitting a striking emerald glow. The shoulder pads and armor encasing her torso were made from the same metal. A long, green sheet of fabric wrapped high around her waist and fell just above her knees in a wide spiral. The ends of her billowing green pants were tucked into a pair of golden armored boots, the tips coming to a dangerously sharp point. Her fingerless black gloves rested over the handle of a sword, which was proudly planted in the ground before her. An odd, smoky orb with veins branched around it separated the handle from the blade.

However, it was the second card that sent chills down the vampire's spine. It was a man sporting an outfit similar to Kendra's. The only difference was that a massive, midnight black spike emerged from his right shoulder pad and black trims ran down his biceps in a cross-cross pattern, covering the green tights beneath. The blade of his sword was slightly larger, though the mysterious orb remained.

"Negi-Sensei..." Zazie said while gently plucking the cards out of Negi's hand. The half-demon's eyes were misted over and an inaudible growl bubbled in the back of her throat. "This man, it's Anima. I know it...I can feel it." Before Negi could interject, Evangeline jumped back into the conversation.

"She's right! Th-that's the fucker! That moss-haired bastard!" Although the vampire was no longer visibly shaking, her taut muscles and grinding teeth made for a good substitute. Worried, Negi placed a hand on Zazie's shoulder and began to guide her out of kitchen.

"Zazie-San, give Eva-San and I some space. She seems a bit...shaken up." Shaken up was putting it lightly. Nonetheless, Zazie complied and entered the den once more, intending to check up on her lover. She hovered over the transfer student and began caressing her dark tresses. With all of the uproar cleared, the half-demon finally realized how clammy Kendra's skin was, likely a result from the assault her mind went through.

Even as Zazie scoured her surroundings, taking in her sore and exhausted classmates, she couldn't help but place most of her sympathy with Kendra. It was one thing to suffer from physical damage, it was another to take blows to the psyche.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Kendra groaned and rolled away from her touch. "K-Kendra?" Zazie called out, which instantly caught Ala-Alba's attention. They rose onto unsteady feet, apprehensive to face another round of magical explosions. The Southern girl curled into herself and cradled her shoulders, as if she was fending off a chill, before her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Ugh...I feel like shit." Kendra whispered. Sighs of relief filled the cabin as Zazie pounced onto her girlfriend, hugging her as tightly as possible.

"Thank Kami you're alright! I-I thought you'd never wake up!" Although Kendra laid a comforting hand on the center of Zazie's back, her expression remained far-off and groggy. Her hazel gaze looked beyond the half-demon's shoulder to the girls, scanning each of their faces for a specific one. Ala-Alba took note of this and they seized up with confused countenances. When Zazie finally registered her girlfriend's silence, she withdrew from the embrace and studied Kendra closely.

"Kendra," she started, "What's wrong?" Her eyes widened a bit as chilling assumptions ran through her head. "W-was it Anima? Did he do something to you?" Much to everyone's surprise, mentioning Anima's name had weeded an unusual reaction out of Kendra. Instead of her face darkening with anger or her lips twisting in annoyance, her features softened and a sad smile graced her cheeks.

Ignoring Zazie's question, Kendra locked eyes with her target.

"Sayo-San," she said.

Sayo went rigid and unconsciously inched closer to Kazumi, her fingers wringing each other nervously. Her pale eyes shifted about in her skull before she pointed at herself and said, "M-me?"

Her expression never wavering, Kendra reached out to the ghostly girl and beckoned her to come closer. "Com're, Sayo-San...I gotta ask ya somethin'." At first, Sayo hesitated, spooked by Kendra's blank and tired features, but she gulped back her fear and floated over. Once within reach, Kendra raised a palm over the left-half of Sayo's chest, in front of her heart, and murmured, "Hey...Sayo-San, tell me," the hue of her eyes began to pale, lighter and lighter until a lime tint came into view. "How badly do ya wanna live?"

Fear and hope rammed through Sayo like a bolt of lightning. Ghostly lungs constricted with fear; ghostly pupils expanded with hope. Ghost limbs trembled with fear, yet ghostly hairs along the back of her neck stood with hope. In the end, hope won out and Kazumi's worried protests fell on deaf ears. Breathless, Sayo immediately gave her answer.

"It's all I ever wanted!"

Kazumi rammed through the wall of students, her complexion pale with horror. "Stop!" she yelled.

Kendra's glowing eyes returned and she smiled. "Hold thy's breath."

The transfer student's palm burned neon green and enshrouded Sayo's form. In an instant, a sizzling noise penetrated the atmosphere but it withered in comparison to Sayo's screams. Kazumi rushed forward but was stopped short by Setsuna, who had wrapped her arms around the paparazzi girl.

"Don't do it, Kazumi-San! It's dangerous!" Setsuna reeled back when Kazumi elbowed her in the gut, stunned by the normally calm girl's violent reaction. No longer held back, Kazumi attempted to embrace Sayo and drag her away from danger. However, the green aura seared through her sleeves, burning the skin underneath, and she yelped in agony. She pressed on and gritted her teeth until she swore blood leaked from her gums. 'I'm not losing you, Sayo!' Every inch of Kazumi's heart ached at the thought of Sayo no longer being by her side.

That could never happen.

She wouldn't allow it.

A yell ripped from her throat as she completely grabbed hold of Sayo and yanked her back, freeing the ghost of Kendra's energy. Unlike before, there was no explosion, no pulsating electricity, nor any quaking.

Only an eerie, horrified silence held the cabin captive. Kazumi laid crumpled up on the floor, sheltering Sayo with her body as pants and spasms racked her spine. Thin wisps of smoke wafted about everyone's legs and blocked their view from the paparazzi pair. They waved their arms to clear the fog. Once it did, every eye in the room nearly bugged out of their respective skulls.

"W-wait...is that...?" It was Yue who had stuttered this while daring to take a step closer, her stare narrowing in disbelief. "Sayo...San?" Nodoka and Haruna were quick to follow Yue's example, and it was only a matter of time before all of Ala-Alba took turns examining what they could see of Sayo.

Despite the ghost's premature escape, Anima smiled with Kendra's lips and said, "It is done, child." A moment later, the glow diminished, and Kendra, with a far more attentive shine in her hazel eyes, exhaled in relief. "Well shit...dat wasn' scary at all," she said, sarcasm heavy in her tone. Zazie fought back the endearment kindling within her, as she was more than happy to see her lover act like her old self again, and caressed Kendra's jaw, coaxing the transfer student to look at her.

"Kendra...what did you do?" she asked. In response, Kendra cracked a confident grin.

"Do ya trust me?"

Zazie's answer was instinctive. "Of course I do."

"Then watch."

Although she was suspicious, Zazie complied and watched as Ala-Alba crowded around Kazumi and Sayo. They literally left no breathing room for the pair and, as Kazumi finally started to feel her muscles recover from shock, she propped herself up on her elbows to examine Sayo.

"Sayo? Are you al..."

All ability to speak evacuated her lungs.

Impossible sensations began to register in Kazumi's brain. Soft, wispy locks tickled her cheek and the base of her neck, feeble exhales wafted against her skin, and thin, fragile fingers curled around her biceps, warming the areas Kazumi could've sworn were burned by Kendra's energy.

Sayo, her beloved ghostly companion, clung onto the red-head with real, tangible hands.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing a pair of milk chocolate eyes; the twin pools seemed so deep and warm, it was a mystery how Kazumi hadn't lost herself in them yet. Her fair skin danced beautifully with the flaxen waves of hair cascading down her shoulders like endless waterfalls. Delicate, pink lips parted to release a groan as Sayo slowly regained consciousness. She placed a hand to her head, hoping to soothe her dull headache.

"I-I don't feel so good," she said. However, her discomfort melted away when something wet plopped onto her uniform. Instantly, her fingers stroked the spot, shocked that a physical aspect of reality touched her.

And then she realized the skin of her hands, the thick locks of hair draped along her shoulders, the tears rolling down Kazumi's cheeks and staining her shirt, and the breathtaking smile gracing the news reporter's face.

Choking back a sob, Kazumi placed both hands upon Sayo's face, reveling in the experience—in the feeling—of finally making physical contact. "You…y-you're alive," she whispered, "How?"

Sayo placed her hands over Kazumi's, absolute elation and confusion flooding her features. "I don't know," she whispered back, her chocolate eyes piercing through the journalist's skin, delving into the most vulnerable chamber of her soul. Kazumi did not resist the intrusion; in fact, she welcomed it. Sayo almost feared that the warmth radiating from her would set her heart aflame and reduce her newly acquired body to a puddle of molten ecstasy. She looked away, overwhelmed by the passion in Kazumi's eyes and drank in Ala-Alba's gaping mouths instead.

Being the first to recover, Mana idly twirled a gun and released a low whistle. "Safe to say I did not see that coming. Anyone else?"

The girls of Ala-Alba numbly shook their heads, still gawking.

Negi squeezed his way through the students, appearing frazzled. She looked about frantically and said, "What's wrong everyone?! I heard a commotion! Did Kendra-San fall under Anima's control ag—?" He halted upon seeing Sayo and Kazumi on the floor, their arms wrapped around each other and embracing with every iota of strength they had.

"Um," Negi said uncertainly, pointing at Sayo, "Who is this young woman?"

Mana rolled her eyes while Setsuna took the liberty to chime in, "That's Sayo-San, Negi-Sensei."

"Nani?!" he screeched. "How is that possible? Did someone resurrect her?" All in sync, each finger of the Ala-Alba pointed at Kendra, who was busy peppering Zazie's face with butterfly kisses and reassuring that she'd never scare the half-demon like that ever again. Negi cleared his throat. The sound had caught Kendra's attention; she glared at the young mage, clearly upset that he interrupted her time with her girlfriend. Steeling himself under the angry look, Negi asked, "Did you do this, Kendra-San?"

Without missing a beat, Kendra said, "Yep" and went back to planting soft kisses on Zazie's lips.

A beat of silence.

Negi cleared his throat again. "U-Um, Kendra-San—"

"Gods above!" Kendra exclaimed in exasperation, her arms thrown up. Delivering her teacher a sarcastic, tight-lipped smile, she drawled, "Negi-Sensei, as much as I'd love t' play twenty damn question's wit'cha, I just got finished getting' mind fucked. And not in da good way." A blush dusted Negi's cheeks. "I done saw some crazy shit. Awful shit. Sad, depressin', heart-wrenchin' shit. Luulin kuolisi!" Upon capping off her rant with a huff, Kendra failed to notice her girlfriend's, Negi's, nor Ala-Alba's baffled expressions.

Shaking off the sudden change in language, Negi pressed on cautiously, "Kendra-San...I'm so sorry that you had to suffer so much today. I can only imagine what kind of horrors you may have seen but," he casted a glance at Sayo, "What did you do to Sayo-San? Is she really alive?"

Kendra fell back into the couch, sighing in exhaustion. "Yep," she said, "Anima couldn' stand seein' a spirit roamin' round on earth. So, he undid dat. It came wit a price though." The transfer student slumped into her seat, appearing a bit troubled by that train of thought. Zazie placed a hand on her shoulder, curious and concerned. Kendra squeezed her hand in gratitude while attempting to smile and assauge her worries; unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. The circus performer's suspicion spiked.

"What price?" Zazie asked.

Another sigh from Kendra.

She toyed with her hands for a moment, roaming the digits and skin as if she was seeing them for the first time. Finally, she sliced through the suspense filling the atmosphere and said, "He's not immortal anymore."

Author's Note: "Luulin kuolisi" basically translates to "I thought I would/was going to die"

Well, this chapter isn't quite as long as my previous ones but I think I covered a good bit! There's no telling when I'll post the next chapter but at least there's a possibility, lol!

So please...

CLICK THE POST REVIEW BUTTON. -_-