Period 1: Welcome to Mahora

"Good Morning everyone!" Negi Springfield said to his homeroom class.

"Good morning Sensei!" thirty one energetic middle school girls shouted back.

"How is everyone feeling today?" Immediately an elegant blond girl jumped out of her chair and spread her arms dramatically.

"Sensei, any day I have the pleasure of bing greeted by your gallant smiling face can only be filed with utter bliss! Why Sensei if I could only-Gluph!" She was interrupted by a textbook which seemed to fly across the room and strike the back of her head completely at random. "Ah who dares assault my love for Negi-sensei!" She shouted accusingly. A smile spread across her face as realization dawned on her. "Ah, I see. It could only be the untrained monkey over there who only knows how to act in a Zoo." This triggered and automatic response from a redheaded student with pig tails.

"Who are you calling a monkey, you shoutacon!?"

"What did you say baka!?" Soon the two girls were at each other's throats, pinching cheeks, and pulling hair, with many of their classmates cheering them on or placing bets. Their teacher clapped his hands to get their attention.

"Now, now, girls lets all settle down. I know this is a bit sudden, but a new transfer student will be joining us today." Everyone looked up. This was unusual. Mahora academy didn't break up classes. Most of these girls had been classmates since primary school, so getting a new classmate was quite rare. Negi turned to the door. "Please come in." The door opened, and in stepped the newest edition to Mahora academy's class 2-A

X

A mere two weeks ago she was being appointed as a disciple of the life maker, and now the Averruncus of water stood in a middle school in the old world before her thirty one new classmates. Not classmates, she told herself, contacts. She wasn't here to learn after all, she had a mission to complete. She looked out into the sea of bodies before her and saw a seemingly random collection of mismatched characters. Some were so tall and well endowed, they looked more like college students than middle shcoolers. Others were so small they could pass for elementary school children, and did that girl have antennae on her head? Most bizarre was the person standing next to her, who she presumed to be her teacher, and appeared no more than ten years old. She had no data pertaining to this situation. Could it be, that students in the old world are instructed by children?

"Good morning. I am Mero Averruncus. I will be in your care from now on." She said bowing her head. All the other girls inspected her curiously. She only wore the standard Mahora school uniform; a burgundy waistcoat and blazer over a white button down shirt, with a red tie, and a pleated skirt with knee high socks, but it stood out quite a bit against her pale skin and white hair. Her eyes stared straight ahead, her mouth a straight line that betrayed no emotion. The crowd erupted into a chorus of "oh"s and "ah"s followed by a barrage of questions.

"Wow!" one pink haired girl cried out. "What a beauty! Look at that white hair. Are you a foreigner?"

"What school did you go to before this?" Someone else asked.

"Where are you from?" and similar questions persisted. The teacher turned and spoke to her.

"My name is Negi Springfield. I will be your homeroom teacher starting from today."

"Negi . . . Springfield?"

Her eyes widened ever so slightly, as she zeroed in on his last name. It couldn't be. Springfield was the name of the thousand master, the legendary mage who with only a few allies ruined all her master's plans and crippled their organization. The one man in this world who was capable of matching her master in magical combat: Magister Magi Nagi Springfield, also known as the thousand master and "hero" of the magical world. Surely this stripling of a boy couldn't be related. She was staring. Intently. The room became deathly silent.

"Ummm," Negi began nervously. "Is there something on my face?"

"No." She said simply.

"Yes, well I've only just started teaching here myself, but if there's anything you don't understand, please don't hesitate to ask." He said with a smile.

"Yes. I will do that." She said before finally breaking eye contact, and moving to take an empty seat. There was a collective pause. And then . . .

"Wha-wha-wha-wha whaaaaaaaaaat!" Yukihiro Ayaka cried at the top of her lungs. "Negi Sensei what is the meaning of this?! What is your relationship with this girl?!"

"P-Please calm down, Inchou-san!" He said raising his arms in defense. "I only just met her too!"

"Oh I see!" She flipped around to face the transfer student. "So you mean to challenge me for Negi-Sensei's affections? Well this Yukihiro Ayaka will not lose! I- puth!" She was suddenly pushed aside by a gaggle of other girls.

"Hey, hey is it true? Do you actually have a crush on Negi-kun?" Saotome Haruna asked.

"A forbidden love between teacher and student? Sounds like a pretty big scoop!" Asakura Kasumi exclaimed brandishing her camera. Off to the side Miyazaki Nodoka blushed and fidgeted nervously.

"Wha- what should I do?"

"No, It's to early to give up Nodoka!" Ayase Yue assured her. "You have to be bold!"

"Negi . . . " Kagurazaka Asuna growled at him. "What have you gone and done this time?"

"Asuna-san I really didn't do anything!"

X

The rest of the day passed quickly. Once class ended Mero immediately left for the dorms. She had to contact her master. It was bad enough the headmaster of the academy happened to be Konoe Konoemon, the head of the Kantou magic association, and that one of the teachers here was the infamous Takamichi T. Takahata, who had spent the better part of the last decade hunting down the remnants of their organization, but now in addition to all that she had come face to face with a child bearing the name Springfield. These were the thoughts going through her head when a stranger's voice called her name.

"Uh, Mero-san is it?" She turned around and saw one of her classmates with long purple bangs covering her eyes. "Um hello. I'm-"

"Seat number 27, Miyazaki Nodoka." Mero interrupted.

"Uh, y-yes." Nodoka said, suprised the girl remembered her name from the morning roll call. "Welcome to our Mahora academy! Do you have some free time now? I was thinking maybe since you're new I could show you around campus. This place is really big and it's easy to get lost."

"No. Thank you, but I am going to my dorm now."

"Um, w-wait a minute."

"Do you have some business with me?" she said impatiently.

"No, I-I just, I mean I-" she stammered nervously.

"C'mon Nodoka, just ask already!" said a new voice as Saotome Haruna appeared beside her friend. "Just tell us already, do you liiiiike Negi-kun?" She said completely invading the transfer student's space.

"That's something I'd like to know too actually." said Ayase Yue as she approached from the other direction. "Sorry to be so blunt Mero-san, but as Nodoka's best friends we will support her love. Please give us a straight answer. Are you in a relationship with Negi-sensei?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." A moment passed, and slowly Nodoka's confusion turned to relief.

"Hmmm, really?" Haruna interjected. "How do you know him then? You have some kind of history together right?"

"No, nothing like that. Please don't worry about it."

"O-Okay" Nodoka said dumbfounded.

"Now please excuse me." The statement was almost automatic. A convenient way to end the conversation quickly. Before the other girls could retort she turned and walked away.

X

A few minutes later, Mero Averruncus walked into the room where she was expected to live for the next scholastic year. There was no one else there but based on the basketball T-shirts, posters, and other sports paraphernalia scattered around the room, she clearly had a roommate. She closed the door and sealed it shut with a quick spell. After confirming that she was alone one more time she dug into her schoolbag and took out a large scroll, bound in a thick cord. While it was always somewhat difficult to establish a connection between earth and the magic world, she had the ability to do so, under normal circumstances. Right now however, most of her magic was sealed. Mahora academy was the stronghold of the Kanto magic association, and a significant number of their faculty were mages. If she used a powerful spell on campus there was a high chance of getting detected. In order for her infiltration to be successful she had disabled everything but a passive magical barrier and a few basic spells. She untied the cord, removing the scroll's seal, and unfolded the yellowed parchment. She pressed her hand to the magic circle in the center of the paper. The ancient Greek and Sanskrit runes came to life under her fingers as a connection was established. The circle swirled and twisted and began to form an image. Soon she was staring at the face of her master.

"Fu, fu, fu, hello Mero-chan." She chuckled. "How was your first day of school?"

"Master, we may have a serious problem." The Averruncus said before recounting the events of the day. The mage of beginnings was silent as she spoke, but when she mentioned the name "Springfield" a brief flash of something that may have been panic ran across her master's face.

"This complicates things." The life maker said finally. "There had never been any news about the thousand master having children. After the war he practically vanished off the face of the planet. Perhaps he isn't- no, it would be foolish to assume he is unrelated."

"Should we delay the plan master? Perhaps wait for a time when the school is less guarded?"

"No. Even if this is the son of Nagi Springfeild, we cannot say for certain that he has inherited his father's magical power. Proceed as planned for now, just be cautious. He has no reason to suspect you. As long as you don't draw attention to yourself everything should be fine. But most importantly, under no circumstances are you to confront him unless you are absolutely certain of his his identity."

"Yes master. But what if he really is who he appears to be? What if we are discovered?" The answer was simple and direct.

"Kill him."