SO let’s wrap up these last few loose ends and get ready to prepare for the conclusion…YA-HA!

*

(The two days will go fast, whether they like it or not…but we always get a guilt trip…and Aya’s departure meant a few heart pounds for Triela and Hinata…)

Triela: …I know you liked her but she was a problem…

(Triela refusing to admit that she had problems with Aya, even though everyone else remaining in the HQ know that…fortunately Hinata isn’t one to pick up on this point, and begins getting some plates out…)

Hinata: I just hope things ends well…

Triela: Well, you had to hurt Negi last night…(jokingly)…did you kiss it and make it better?

(And the teasing begins…page 1 of the chapter, a new record…)

Hinata: T-Triela…san…it was an accident…and no…I…I didn’t…

Triela: Aw, that’s no fun. (sneaky smile) Maybe I should then…

(Hinata nearly drops the plate as Triela chuckles…)

Hinata: TRIELA-SAN!!!

Triela: Oh, you’re so fun to tease Hinata…

Hinata: It…it’s still not funny!!!!

Triela: Oh…come on…

(Triela, as usual, tries to glomp Hinata…the kunoichi resisting for once…)

(…as Negi walks in right on cue, as the two girls are in a weird looking position...)

Triela: Er…hi?

(Negi stares a moment longer before…)

Negi: (yawns) Is that you Konoka-san…Setsuna-san?

(Both girls facefault to the floor before recovering quickly…)

Triela: He’s still asleep…maybe a (loud) SHOWER WOULD WAKE HIM UP?

(Negi immediately shakes off the cobwebs as anything revolving baths, showers or anything making him clean is something that he does not like…so Triela’s ‘threat’ is an immediate caffeine boost…)

Negi: Oh…Triela-san, Hinata-san, good morning!!!

Triela: Look…I don’t like water much either, but I’ve got an excuse…I’m part cyborg…

Hinata: Well, he did kinda wash himself when he was hurt…

Triela: So did you help him out there?

Hinata: TR….IELA-SANNNNN…

(Rare moment of anger as Triela gulps, but it’s interrupted by a gruff voice behind them…)

Ban: M-orning…

(The silence quickly hits as Ban with a newspaper in hand doesn’t acknowledge the fact he played a killer’s game and survived, or that he’s on his own pretty much…he just sits at a table with a paper after making himself some coffee…)

Hinata: (breaking the awkward silence) I’ll make breakfast…

(As the ruin starts, the plot thickens…)

*

(Of course, the incident with the Paper Sisters was quickly documented, and the rule that each sister got to be with a detective…and not really quite what the detectives expected…)

Anita: (frustrated) So…you tossed a coin between him and her?

Michelle: I know…it was tough picking between the cute girl and the cute boy…but went for the cute girl in the end…

Anita: This…is a…serious game…and…you do this?!!!

Michelle: Oh, I thought you would have appreciated the cute boy Anita-chan…or was it the cute girl you wanted?

*

Michelle: (rubbing her cheek) You’re mean Anita-chan…

Anita: Humph.

Triela: I got off easy didn’t I?

(Shot of Maggie reading the full copy of the Animazing Race 2, either ignoring what is going on, or knows what is going to happen and just wanting to not be part of it…you decide…)

Hinata: I’m scared…

Negi: You’re scared…

(Negi freezes with Anita’s scary glare…but Hinata also freezes with her adoring glare…)

Triela: You’re both doomed.

Negi: Thanks…

(Ban surpresses his chuckling in the background…)

*

(…as let the van rides begin!!!)

Michelle: You have fighting powers too?

Hinata: Yes…I’m a ninja…

(Despite it actually having a purpose this time, I still fork over royalties to Adam…)

Michelle: But you don’t look like a fighter…

(Hinata goes into a Dororo state of trauma switch as Michelle quickly retracts that statement…)

Michelle: B-but I guess Anita-chan doesn’t either and she’s the most violent one of us!

(Anita sneezes in another van whilst trying to make small talk…)

Hinata: Michelle-san, you work as a part of three in fighting right?

Michelle: Yes – Anita on short range offence, me on large range offense, and Maggie-chan on defence.

Hinata: Well…could you give me any tips?

(Hinata being honest as she wants to prove to Shino and Kiba this trip was worth it and she has become stronger…)

Michelle: Sure!!!

(As Michelle now has a reason to talk to a cute girl…)

*

(…another cute, albeit tomboyish, girl is trying not to say anything which will have Michelle lined up with jokes from here until next summer…)

Anita: Don’t listen to anything MI-ne says – she just likes cute boys and girls, and chances to make fun of me…

(Anita realises what she said and quickly ups the volume…)

Anita: …AND THAT DOESN’T MEAN I MEANT YOU WERE CUTE – I WAS SAYING BASICALLY WHAT MI-NE WAS SAYING, RIGHT?

Negi: Er…y-yes!

Anita: Geez…the amount of times I get set up…

Negi: I…I know…people like Kazumi-san and Paru-san keep suggesting things between either Nodoka-san or Yue-san…

Anita: And they are trying to see if I’m…well…different because of my relationship with Hisa-chan as well as with Junior-kun…

Negi: …and the way Paru-san seems to try and get pictures of me with Koutarou-kun makes me scared what she’s drawing when she does it…

(Both Anita and Negi look at each other for a moment…)

Anita: Do we actually…

Negi: …seemingly have something in common?

(Brief pause between the two…)

Both: NAH.

*

(It seems at one point Triela DID get off easy…but on the other hand…blissful silence isn’t something Triela likes to deal with unless on a job…)

Maggie: I…I’m sorry…I’m not really good…a..at talking…

Triela: You’re 6 feet tall, built like two of the fratellos back where I work, and yet you’re the shy one? Geez…

Maggie: S-sorry…

Triela: No need to apologise…I can see that, it just feels a bit awkward when you’re reading there in the dark when we’re working together to help stop a killer…

Maggie: It’s O.K. Whilst I’m not Michelle, I will do the job as quickly and efficiently as I can…

Triela: (smiles) I’m sure you will…

(Ironically, Maggie’s subdued nature works well to Triela’s advantage in the case as we cut to little snipets of the case when the teams aren’t being too busy…)

*

Anita: Mmph mmm mm mmph mph!

Negi: I’m sorry?

(Anita taking a milk break just outside the hospital…)

Anita: You’ve got to be more assertive…

Negi: I know…I was just a bit nervous in there, and the work within the hospital…

Anita: I think it applies to what’s happens both at the HQ and also back at home as well…

Negi: Huh?

Anita: Hey, we’re detectives, we do our research and we’ve done it on the detectives as well…

(Anita sighs and slides over to Negi…)

Anita: I think your life is pretty hectic no matter what happens and where you go…I suggest before it catches up to your body…to make a few decisions before it’s too late…

(Rather poetic for a 13 year old…but Negi smiles…)

Negi: Thank you.

(Anita blushes slightly…before she goes back into the chibiko we all know and love…)

Anita: And that was my only help for you now, unless you need someone’s ass to be kicked, and I’ll do that…but only for 3 pints of milk…

Negi: Compared to Mana-san, you work cheap…

(A few giggles, and if you recall with Maggie and Triela, they had a not very fun time waiting a lot during their work…but when they did, they got an interesting video footage (which required Maggie to blur Triela’s vision briefly)…) and also that Hinata and Negi didn’t like the way he seemed to show his hate for her…and his confidence in making it to the final three…)

*

Hinata: He hasn’t been bad to me…but…

Negi: I know…he had problems with Aya, but somehow got her to vote for him…

Hinata: I see why people may have had problems with Triela, but it just means more concern when it comes to the vote…

(Yes, ironic, but…)

Negi: I know strategy is part of the game…Satoshi told us that…and well…

Hinata: …personal feelings come into as well Negi-kun…I really don’t have any right to say anything…

(Negi and Hinata are a bit quiet…Negi moves over and hugs Hinata briefly as the ninja shakes her head…)

Hinata: Sorry…just realising everything that has been severed in this game…Kotone-chan…Shiine-chan…Aya-chan…all because of strategy and vendetta…

Negi: It sucks…but…it’s something we should have been prepared for…

(At this late stage, it’s obvious they aren’t…but even more unpreparing is Triela’s ‘evidence…’)

*

Triela: Gah…that was hard work…

(Triela grabs a lethal combination of Red Bull and Sprite (how to keep awake at anime cons 101) as her ‘threat’ towards Ban seems to have worked…for now…)

Hinata: Are you O.K Triela-san?

Triela: Trust me…neither of you would have had a chance in the inquiry…not because I’m better, but because we had to be quiet and still for several hours…and with Anita and Maggie, that was no chance…

Anita: I’M STILL HERE YOU KNOW!!!

(Anita lets herself be known as only Anita can as the sisters do escort themselves out, but Triela refusal to say what’s on the video leading to much embarrassment for the other two…as Ban in the kitchen…)

Ban: Hmmm…maybe I need to take a look at that…for evidence reasons…

Triela: DON’T YOU (BLEEP) DARE!!!

(Foul words from the 13 year old…as even Ban takes a step back from that onslaught…)

Ban: Gah…trust me I work with Hevn, I know what it’s all about (to himself) albeit in my own fantasies…

Triela: WHAT WAS THAT?!!!

Ban: NOTHING!!!

(Another calm day at HQ ruined…)

*

(…when Tenchi gets cleared it allows a bit more thought to going into who they think the killer is…but even the three friends don’t want to admit too much as they all want to win…)

(…no matter how much Triela tries…^_^)

Triela: Oh come on…spill it!

(As much as I want Duplica to turn up and turn this into a Haruhi-esque Phoenix Wright parody, I with withdraw as Triela’s usual tricks aren’t working…and just helping embarrass poor Negi and Hinata…)

Negi: Triela-san…there are some things I want to keep a secret…

Triela: Don’t make me hurt you…

Hinata: I think that translates into…’glomp’ I think…

Triela: Glomp…hurt…what’s the difference…

(As Negi sweatdrops, he still holds firm, and whilst the three go over ideas, their choices of the killer are still fairly tight lipped…and speaking of tight lipped…)

*

(…the night is however show by flickering lights downstairs…)

Ban: Geez…are girls from the future supposed to move like that…you lucky bastard Tenchi…

(…ahem. Yes, I think we’ll keep this segment edited…and as much as I would like to write a ‘Triela pounding the crap out of Ban’ scene it doesn’t happen…so we fast forward to the next day…)

*

(…and a different type of exercise…and indeed injury worry surfaces…)

Hinata: If Michelle hugs me again my ribs are going to crack…

Negi: I know how you feel…she’s a little…excitable…

(Negi and Hinata realise that being with the Paper Sisters, even in their unique lifestyle, is…different…)

Triela: I got lucky in a weird way, though Maggie is a bit too quiet…even Claes speaks more than she does…

(Shot of Ban outside, smoking as usual, as he casually glances in there to see them enjoy a moment…)

Ban: Last day kiddies…even I will let you enjoy yourselves today…because tonight, hell will be unleashed…and I won’t even need to use my Jagan…

(Ban casually smokes, unaware of Hinata’s casual looking over her shoulder…)

*

(…indeed, Michelle herself embarrasses more…of course, Anita this time is the victim…)

Anita: BOYFRIEND?!!! MI-NE, TAKE THAT BACK!!!

Michelle: But you’re getting along with him much better than other boys…

Anita: That doesn’t MEAN A THING! I’M WORKING WITH HIM, I NEED TO GET ALONG OTHERWISE WE’RE KINDA SCREWED!!!

Triela: Michelle…hint…this guy has probably 33 possible girlfriends…I don’t know if adding another one would make a difference but…

Anita: HEY!!!

(As Triela and Michelle get their evil, Anita realises the Freudian slip…)

Anita: Wait…I thought he was with 31 girls…

(Triela pretends to ignore that, looks at Negi…then looks at Hinata…turns before Michelle can catch her look…)

(…you get it.)

*

(Speaking of which, Hinata has to make a confession to Michelle which she seemed to know of…)

Michelle: I knew it!!!

Hinata: P-please…

(Hinata braves admitting to Michelle (as she isn’t part of the team so she won’t tattle tale…Hinata thinks…)

Hinata: He’s so different from anyone I’ve met…but…he’s a couple of years younger…and…

Michelle: And…

(Hinata turns and blushes…)

Hinata: Th-there is someone I like b-back home as well…

(Michelle gets surprisingly serious…)

Michelle: Oh…I didn’t realise that. Sorry Hinata-chan.

(Hinata shakes her head…)

Hinata: No, it’s O.K. He doesn’t know I like him…I…I’m quite shy…

Michelle: (jokingly) I couldn’t guess…

Hinata: But…it’s easier to talk to Negi…but…I feel like it’s…cheating?

Michelle: Hinata…let me tell you something. Who is this fellow’s name you like?

Hinata: (whispering) N-Naruto…kun…

Michelle: Well…Naruto doesn’t know that you like him right? And, I apologise if this seems harsh, but you don’t know if he will or does like you right?

(Hinata looks a little sad, but nods.)

Michelle: Then how can it be cheating then?

(Hinata again nods, Michelle correct…but…)

Hinata: But…if I did…well…and things changed when I went home…

(Michelle cuddles Hina…)

Michelle: Just put your heart first before your head in this situations…if things happen tonight that make sure you and Negi-kun can’t get together…or if that Triela girl gets to him…(under her breath)…or you…

Hinata: Triela-san?!!!

Michelle: I’m not as aloof as you may think…but trust me. Get a chance…you’ve survived this far, and your feelings grew each day…if you don’t take a chance, you’ll regret it.

(Suddenly the van stops…)

Michelle: Our stop Hinata-chan. Let’s make sure you have a chance surviving first…and then think about what will happen tonight.

(Hinata smiles slightly, as she steps out…and has a lot to think about…)

*

(Triela found out something just before she headed out…and gives more reason to destroy Ban…)

Triela: That pervert watched the video last night…

(Maggie blushes at the memory – Triela if you recall didn’t really see anything due to Maggie’s making sure of it…but she certainly seemed to know what was going on between Tenchi and Anna…)

Triela: But it’s against the rules for me to do any damage to him…

(Triela suddenly goes up to Maggie with an evil grin to her face – Maggie, who is nearly 2 foot taller than Triela, seems to back off nervously…)

Triela: Oh Maggie…can you do me a tiny favour please?

*

(Meanwhile Anita doesn’t want her recent interactions to be shown to a certain older sister of hers…)

Anita: I just have this horrible fear if she sees me with that Chiriko guy…

Negi: But he’s 18 or something now…

Anita: But he still looks like a 13 year old kid!!! Gah – as soon as this isn’t recorded…

*

Michelle: …so who will you be marrying then Anita-chan?

Anita: (depressed) I knew it…

(After a long day out, we see the two sisters along with Negi and Hinata returning to the HQ…sans one detective and sister…but this time not for ultra long inquiries…)

Negi: (sweatdrops) Unfortunately I know how she feels…

(A quick flashback to the scene where a lot of the girls thought Negi was a prince, and yep Negi knows exactly how poor Anita feels…)

Anita: Listen, you and Hinata are used to violence right?

Negi: Er…not that we approve of it but yes…

Anita: Good…can you turn around for a moment please?

(Michelle realises what is going on and runs, followed by a rampaging Anita calling out ‘COME BACK HERE MA-NE!’. As she goes, Triela returns with a smile…)

Hinata: Triela-san, where were you?

Triela: Oh…just having some fun.

(The two are confused…)

*

Ban: Oh…very clever…most amusing…

(Shot of Ban trapped in a fort of his own newspaper…)

Ban: Whoever did this…gah…

(For the first real chance in this show, Ban utilises his awesome ‘snakebite’ ability’ to break through the cage.)

Ban: HA! You’re tricks are no match for the almight Ban-sa…WAAAAA!!!

(And falls on a banana peel (yep, made out of paper)…)

Ban: Damn you all to Hades!!!

*

(Unfortunately, (or fortunately if you are pro-Ban which a lot of you are – appears half-German asses are more popular that shotacon leads and half-cyborg chibi Noir rejects, though are still just behind shy ninjas) Ban has the last laugh of course…and to add insult to injury, he DOESN’T go for the obvious end (Triela) and instead, when Triela is forced to pick either Hinata or Negi for the vote (she goes with Hinata), Ban chooses Negi to end a relationship between the 3 which has stemmed from day 1, and whilst there have been a few problems (the Shiine-chan incident)…they’ve stayed.)

(And their plan is halted thanks to Ban…and Triela was quite upset to say the least. However, it does lead to an extremely sweet and romantic moment between all 3 of them. But after this and during Negi’s drawing of a pactio circle, all 3 had to doubt their feelings considering their relationships back home…let’s see what they all thought…)

*

(Shot of Negi drawing the pactio circle…)

Negi: Triela-san…Hinata-san…

(He holds his heart…)

Negi: I do this for you, out of general concern, friendship and compassion for us…as for love…

(Negi looks forward…)

Negi: Despite everything I’ve done, love is still hard for me to understand, I had to admit that to Nodoka-san…and both girls are so nice…in different ways…

(Negi looks forward…)

Negi: …but I feel their hearts are intertwined with someone else…whether that will come true or not is up to then…

(Negi’s face gets slightly red, due to a combo of the work doing the pactio circle and his own feelings…)

Negi: …but…

(Negi continues to work, and he whispers…)

Negi: …Hinata-san…you’re the closest I’ve…

(Negi doesn’t finish the sentence, and continues to work…)

*

(…this of course leads to the kisses, and the leaving of Hinata and Negi for the moment…with Triela, she heads upstairs (not wanting anything to do with Ban) and reflects on her times with the two…) and begins to admit to herself some surprising feelings…)

Triela: I did love them both didn’t I? Yet at home…

(Triela shakes her head)

Triela: No…Henrietta never realised that about me…so it’s not cheating right?

(Triela holds her pactio card…and realises why he chose Hinata over Negi…)

Triela: This could be the first time…I’ve truly loved a boy…

(Triela closes her eyes and begins to break down, because she also has fallen for Negi-sensei’s charm…)

*

(…and after Hinata’s return, Triela welcomes her back with teary eyes…and Ban retreats to the outside…where he has a bit of a conscience…)

Ban: Maybe…I should have gone with Triela…at least…

(Ban sighs)

Ban: …I wouldn’t have felt this shit…

(Ban kicks a stone as Triela and Hinata talk inside…)

*

Triela: …I…I’m not sure what this is…

(The killer clue is a selection of pictures of various anime characters through various animes…they are as follows…)

Triela: 8 girls…hmm?

(Suddenly she notices Hinata looking tearful…)

Triela: Hey, don’t break up on me now!!!

Hinata: (rubs her eyes) I…I know…but…]

(He holds out her pactio card as Triela matches hers…)

Hinata: N-Naruto-kun…please forgive me…b-but…I just don’t know your feelings!

(Hinata is held by Triela, who can’t offer a witty comment this time, as her own tears form again…as outside, even Ban is trying hard not to feel guilty…)

(…as we count down to the final.)

*

That last killer clue WILL lead you to the killer if you can work it out…

Authors notes;

Konoka and Setsuna (Negima) are considering near-canon as a pairing in the Negima community – they are childhood friends definitely but many times after Setsuna gets her friendship back, she mentions many times that she has feelings for Konoka (one famous moment when Negi teases her about it, Setsuna gets her own back by asking who he prefers out of Asuna and Nodoka…teasing these two is fun…) – in the anime, it seems canon but considering how different the anime is from the manga, I wouldn’t classify it as 100% yet…

Dororo is the 5^th frog in Keroro Gunso and is always the one that is forgotten about…when this happens, he goes into a ‘trauma switch’ which makes him angsty and depressed in the corner…heh, I love that little guy…his ‘owner’ Koyuki is also my favourite human character (O.K, it’s Natsumi, but Natsumi is everyone’s favourite so I’m being unique…)

I’m not sure at this stage what Negi called Haruna in the manga now so I’m going with her nickname Paru. Haruna BTW is quickly becoming my new favourite character of Negima (Yue still tops it though)…

And yes, Red Bull and Sprite is the combo I use to keep awake at cons…and probably will be my suitcase full when I head to America next year…

Pro-Ban? He’s actually the second most popular character in the polls (Hinata being first)…guess people like the complete bastard that he is here…actually Ban is a lot of fun, and is only 2 votes behind Hinata to win the game as well – will it be that way? *zips mouth*