Negima Restart: A Dangerous Spell

Unending BE - episode 721775

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Author's Note: This is a piece that was inspired by henshin-san's Stultus Pulchrum 3D edit comic. While much of the section past the introduction is similar to the beginning of that comic, I would prefer to take a different direction with this thread past that point. Thus the exact nature of the spell is kept intentionally vague, leaving it up to anyone wanting to contribute what it actually does. I mention all of this here instead of in the comments so that everyone reading this will know even if they don't check the comments section.

There are many different kinds of genius in the world. There is the kind that creates, the kind that peels back the mysteries of the universe layer by layer and invites us all to peek within. They exist in all fields, science art entertainment of all stripes and shapes and shades. The best of the very best often redefine whatever they were working in, introducing new ideas upon which future geniuses in that same field will build their own foundations, giants standing on the shoulders of giants standing on the shoulders of giants. And they do it with such seeming ease that it makes the rest of us gape in awe and wonder. What seems impossible for us appears almost trivial to them.

And then there are the best of the very best, who have a rather different talent altogether. Their genius is not so much in creation or invention, it is not the ability to wow the masses with their talent. It is the ability to take the difficult and make it accessable to everyone. Even those that know next to nothing about the field itself. This is a difficult talent to obtain. The talent of simplification, of removing the unnecessary parts to improve efficiency to the point that anyone can pick up and play.

There have been several geniuses in the history of magic. Too many to name, as it happens. The one that concerns this story no longer lives by the time the action had occured, but in his lifetime he had made a mistake. One single mistake that would have consequences so far into his future... And it began with a seemingly innocent question that was asked by his brother.

"My stag party is tonight!" the brother said. "Are you to be joining us?"

"I somehow doubt it," the genius replied, peering over large rimmed glasses. He didn't need them. He just wore them because it was what people seemed to expect. "That's not my sort of scene. Besides which, I need to finish compiling this list of spells!"

The brother regarded the hefty book laid across the desk, sighed and shook his head. "If any further pages were added to yon book, then surely your desk would snap in two! That is no encyclopedia, it is a brick!"

"Yes, I know. That's the problem. I'm trying to get it down to about a tenth of this size, but it is not an easy task."

"Then why not take the night off? Allow that brilliant mind of yours to work in the background! Relax, have a good time while your subconscious does the work for you!"

The genius raised an eyebrow in recognition of the rather good idea. He had been working rather hard on this project of late, no doubt the stress was impeding his thought process. Under such a circumstance, it would be more efficient to - as his brother said - relax and unwind a little. Get the tension out of his system and come at the problem with a fresh mind. "You have convinced me!" he declared, little realising the consequences that would result from this night. Then again, the instigators of the worst disasters and tragedies in history rarely know in advance just what will transpire until it already has. In that sense, it's rather fortunate that he did not live long enough to regret this decision.

Hours later, and the party was in full swing. Beer was plentiful, and if for whatever reason anyone present wanted to look in a direction other than one which yielded naked female flesh then they would surely have found it one of the hardest challenges of their life. It was at this moment, as the genius was three mugs past the point where common sense had any hold over his actions that the even occured.

"Hey, you's that super smart brainy magic guy, yeah?" one of the partygoers slurred. The genius nodded back. Either that, or the room shook violently up and down and only he noticed. It was kind of hard to tell the difference at this point. "Betcha can't make a spell that doesh thish!"

And that was it. The crucial moment that would eventually change the world, triggered by a batchelor party and a drunken bet. The genius relished the challenge offered to him, and spent the next hour crafting the spell on a spare notepad he carried everywhere he went, his handwriting scrawled slightly at first but quickly sorted by another spell he'd crafted for just such an occasion. It was his masterpiece. The greatest spell he had ever created, and the worst as well. At the party's conclusion he had won the bet, let the moment sink in, and undone the spell almost as a passing thought as they all filed out, singing drunkenly alongside the others. If he had not done this, if he had not undone the spell there and then, it would have all transpired that much sooner...

The next morning was not precisely kind to him either. By this point, his only recollection of the previous evening was that he had rather enjoyed himself. The drunken wager was forgotten, and lost somewhere underneath his piles of notes on spells was a ticking timebomb, waiting to be discovered... then used. Once that happened, the world would never be the same again.

Bored. She was so bored! Asuna stared lazily up at the ceiling, letting out a deep breath. How long had he been gone now, an hour? And Negi would be gone all weekend. Out of town on urgent business leaving them all behind. With nothing to do, unless you counted homework and who would honestly count homework? She tilted her head back down and looked at the other two, seated on other sides of the table. Yue and Nodoka were similarly bored, it seemed. Come on, surely the three of them could think of something to do or talk about!

Suddenly, the door was hurled open, and Haruna stood in the frame like a triumphant warrior returning home. "You'll never guess what I found!"

Yue glanced back. "The old book tucked under your arm."

"Right! But not just any book!" Haruna virtually leaped across the room, seating herself on the last and empty side of the table. "This is 'A Compendium of Spells for Beginners'. Supposedly, any idiot can cast anything in it!"

"Awesome!" Asuna mumbled. That was pretty impressive. Who knew there was a book like that out there? At the moment they knew the basics, at best. This might well give them the chance to learn a little bit more, expand their knowledge. Really impress Negi when he got back. "What sort of spells are in it?"

"Eh?" Nodoka gasped "N-no, we shouldn't. I mean, really, shouldn't we wait for Negi-sensei to get back before we try something like this?"

"Oh Nodoka, it's so cute that you think Negi would let us mess around with this book. And Asuna, there are all sorts of spells." Uh oh. That expression on Haruna's face was setting off alarm bells in Asuna's mind. "Including one I saw in particular that I think you'll really like!"

"What sort of spell?" Yue warily asked.

"Imagine that you could win the heart of any man you wanted! Imagine you could do so at will! Imagine that -"

"That love spells were legal," Yue finished.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Haruna coyly waggled her finger. "No, this is not a love spell! It's called Engweld Ranusta. It doesn't actually make people fall in love with you, but it does make you more appealing to the opposite sex in general. It doesn't change their feelings, just you. That's gotta be legal, right?"

Asuna frowned. No, that felt wrong. "That's way too risky sounding," she said. "No thanks, not interested!"

"Wouldn't you like it if Takahata-sensei fell for you?"

Oh! Now that was a rather enticing thought, now that she mentioned it...

"Don't listen to her," Yue said, tugging on Asuna's arm to snap her out of the stare into nothing she'd just been engaged in. "If she really thought this spell was a good idea, she'd have tried it on herself first."

"That's right! She-she's using us as guinea pigs!" Nodoka gasped.

"Can't cast it on yourself," Haruna said, in the same tone of voice used to point the obvious out to children. "And besides which Yue, Nodoka, wouldn't you like it if you could get Negi-sensei's attention like this?"

Oh dear, was that how she'd been a moment ago? Just mindlessly staring off into space, stammering Takahati's name? This was getting ridiculous! Asuna rose to her feet, shaking her head. "No thanks Haruna. I bet this spell doesn't even work."

"O!? Is that a challenge!? Alright, Asuna, brace yourself 'cause here it comes!"

Haruna was pointing at her with her right index finger, and suddenly Asuna felt rather afraid. "Now, wait a minute Haruna. Let's not do anything hasty!"

"Don't worry about it! Everything will be fine! Well, there were some warnings about something or other, but they seemed rather harmless."

"Warnings?! What sort of warnings?! Hey, why are you pointing at me like that?"

"The spell is really easy to cast, Asuna! All I have to do is point at someone say the words Engweld Ranusta, and then-"

And then a swirling cloud of energy formed out of the very tip of her index finger, a bright mass of colours that threatened to blind her. Yet she could not look away. She screamed at her body to move, to duck out of the way, the dodge it in any way she could but time itself seemed to have slowed down around her - or perhaps her perceptions had sped up. Either way, she could ill manage to avoid the incoming spell, as it collided with her face leaving a warm and tingling sensation as the energy penetrated her skin and flowed throughout her body. She could feel it, a warm pleasant sensation spreading, and burrowing into her brain. Her eyes screwed shut, and she was terrified of what she would see when next she opened them. She felt so angry at Haruna for this, for subjecting her to this spell testing! When this was all over, she ought to cast the spell on her instead! Just point, say the words and forget! That would show her! Hm. Yes. Cast the spell on her. That was a good idea. Cast it on Yue and Nodoka too, for letting this happen. It was so easy to do, just point and say the words which were echoing through her mind...

Which of course was the first of the problems associated with the spell. Alongside its other alterations, the spell had a rather unusual unexpected effect on those it was cast upon that not even its creator could have noticed without extensive testing. For their own reasons that made perfect sense to them at the time, all under the influence of the spell would feel at least one very powerful compulsion. The overriding urge to cast the spell on one not under its influence. As for its other effects...

Go back - Go to the parent episode.

Lumitiel

Sun Oct 02 13:51:37 2011

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