A/N: I don't own Negima, and I can only dream about owning the Mirror of Ebyam.

Epilogue. The Supporting Cast

"I can't believe the headmaster is just letting Chao come back to school like all is forgiven without erasing her memory." Takane complained as she and Sakura made their way through the darkened school offices.

Sakura just kept her peace. Takane had been incensed ever since the headmaster had made the announcement that Chao was now going to be Negi-sensei's responsibility as her legal guardian. He was only ten years old, but he was a teacher, and apparently the girl's grandfather.

The two of them finally arrived in front of the headmaster's door. Their target was inside waiting for them. Sakura looked around the empty hallway while Takane checked the door for magical seals.

"Are you sure about this, Takane-sempai?" Sakura whispered uneasily.

"You said you wanted to do this." Takane whispered back harshly.

"But you were the one who said we could slip into the headmaster's office to use the mirror." Sakura whispered back.

Suddenly Takane turned to the girl. "Why are we whispering? There's no one here at this hour Sakura. And for your information, I'm only here to make sure you don't get into trouble." Takane said haughtily.

Sakura looked at the older girl dubiously. "And you don't intend to use the mirror yourself?"

"Well, maybe out of curiosity, but that's the only reason." Takane said blushing furiously.

The two of them quickly checked the door and slipped into the office. When they entered they found the mirror was activated and someone was already sitting in front of it.

Shizuna looked up at them and quickly dismissed the spell. Sakura briefly saw an older version of Negi embracing the woman and kissing her passionately before the mirror went dark.

"You're here to see what your future with Negi would be like too?" Sakura said stunned.

Takane was looking at the woman in horror. "Shizuna-sensei, you're thirty years old! To be having thoughts like that about a ten year old…"

"It's not what it looks like girls." Shizuna said desperately. "That wasn't Negi you saw."

"It looked just like him!" Sakura said looking back at the now dark mirror.

"It wasn't Negi I tell you; it was… his father, Nagi." Shizuna said looking back at the mirror sadly.

"The thousand master is supposed to be dead, why would you be looking to see if you have a future with him?" Takane asked in confusion.

Shizuna sighed and went over to sit down on the couch. "It's because I've been in love with Negi's father for many years."

Takane and Sakura looked at each other and then looked back at the older woman. "You're in love with the thousand master? I mean most women are, but I mean you're really in love with him?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, he and I met fifteen years ago when he brought Evangeline to the school. I fell in love with him in an instant. I was still a student back then, not much older than you are now Sakura-chan." Shizuna said smiling at some long past memory.

"So you were looking to see if he's really still alive and if you'll ever see him again?" Sakura asked, her heart melting. She was a sucker for a good love story.

Yes, I haven't seen him in ten years. Well, ever since…" Shizuna said stopping abruptly as she suddenly remembered who she was talking to. "Never mind that, what are the two of you doing here? Looking up what would happen between the two of you and Negi-sensei no doubt."

Takane seemed to be at a loss for an excuse so Sakura jumped in. "Something like that." She said blushing. "Please Shizuna-sensei, you were going to say something about the thousand master; please tell us." Sakura decided that changing the subject might be the fastest route out of trouble.

Shizuna seemed to waver for a moment, but then she sighed. "I suppose I could tell you as long as you can keep it a secret."

"We will!" The two answered emphatically. If it meant getting out of getting in trouble they would have agreed to just about anything.

"The last time I saw the thousand master was around ten years ago. I had just graduated high school and was attending the college to get my teaching certification. Nagi and I had dated on occasion, but he was always on the move and I had my studies to consider. The last time I saw him though he was in for a shock." Shizuna said looking back at the mirror.

"What happened?" Takane asked.

"When he came back the last time, I told him I was pregnant. I had hoped that it might make him settle down, but instead it caused so much pain…" Shizuna said sadly.

"Wait a minute, ten years ago…" Takane said, her eyes suddenly going wide. "You're Negi's mother!"

Sakura stared in shock as Shizuna merely nodded sadly. "When Nagi found out he wasn't angry, it was just that having Negi was going to place me in a lot of danger. Demons were after Nagi, and if Evangeline ever found out, well let's just say she wasn't as nice back in those days as she is now. I was young and I was scared. That's the reason I did what I did."

"What did you do?" Sakura asked engrossed in what she was hearing. She now knew something about Negi no one else, including Negi, knew.

"Nagi stayed with me until Negi was born. We had to move off campus so Evangeline wouldn't find out. Those were the happiest moments of my life. I knew that Nagi would never be able to stay with me no matter how much he might have wanted to, but for a few short months it was like we were our own little family. The last time I saw Nagi, he was carrying Negi away to go live in England with his uncle." Shizuna said sadly. "That was the last time I ever saw the two men who meant the most to me in the entire world."

"But why didn't you keep in touch with Negi, or let him know you were here when he came?" Sakura asked, tears welling up in her eyes at the sad story. Takane was sniffing a little too.

"Nagi had told me what kind of demons were after him and what they would do to Negi or me if they ever caught up to us. I decided it was better to hide the fact that I was Negi's mother. Later when Negi arrived and I learned of the hard life he had been forced to live alone I was so ashamed I couldn't bear to tell him. It was the second hardest thing I've ever had to do to stand there and not smother him in my arms. I never wanted to let him go. I've stayed here all these years waiting for him and his father. I guess I'll always be here waiting to kiss Nagi when he arrives. Even if the curse were broken, I think Evangeline would too, he was just that kind of man." Shizuna said wistfully.

Sakura wiped the tears from her eyes. Takane handed her a handkerchief she'd just been using herself.

"We'll keep it a secret Shizuna-sensei, and if there's anything you need us to do we'll do it!" Sakura said passionately.

"Thank you girls. Now, I believe the two of you were sneaking in here to catch a peek at the future you might have with my son…" Shizuna said looking back at the two culprits seriously.

Getting caught by a teacher trying to spy on Negi-sensei was bad enough; getting caught by his mother was an even more dangerous situation. "Um, well, we…"

Shizuna laughed sweetly. "Don't worry girls, I can sympathize with the effect the Springfield men can have on women. Come here, I might as well see what type of grandchildren I might have."

Takane was about to push Sakura forward when Shizuna interrupted her. "Come on Takane, you first."

Takane looked ready to argue, but one look from the older woman silenced her and brought her obediently forward. "Don't we have to have Negi-sensei here for this to work?" Takane said trying desperately for an excuse.

"No, and you know better or else the two of you wouldn't be here. The two of you are old enough so that your destinies will be much easier to foretell than Negi-sensei's. Just think of him, and look into the mirror and speak the spell." Shizuna instructed.

Takane nodded and did as instructed. The mirror cleared and she was looking at a large kitchen in a modestly upper middle class home. Takane looked in wonder as she saw an older version of herself at the kitchen sink.

Humming happily to herself, Takane D. Springfield was peeling potatoes and was making dinner. She had on a modest summer dress and had a pretty pink apron tied around her waist. A bright red ribbon held her hair back neatly and was tied in large bow in the back.

"This is my future with Negi-sensei?" Takane asked incredulously.

The woman at the sink yelped, dropping the potato and spinning around to stare at the scrying portal behind her. "You scared me!"

"You disgust ME!" Takane said irately. "I am a mage! I can't believe that I would give up my dreams of becoming a Magister Magi to become a common housewife!"

Sakura winced at the anger of the older girl, but the woman in the mirror only giggled. "So that was me back then? How quaint."

"Quaint! QUAINT! What happened to you woman?! What about making Negi sit up and act responsibly? What about making him into a man?" Takane fumed at the mirror.

"Oh, Negi's enough man for me already." The older woman said blushing deeply. "He's strong and handsome and the most wonderful person I've ever met."

"He stripped me in public!" Takane fumed.

"It's more fun when he strips me in private." The older woman retorted. Just then a door could be heard opening and closing and a familiar, yet older voice rang through the house.

"Honey, I'm home!" Negi shouted from the other room.

The other woman jumped as if kicked. "Coming dear! I was just finishing supper! I have to go now." The older woman said before rushing off to meet her husband.

Takane angrily deactivated the mirror. She then turned and stomped toward Sakura. "Your turn." She said gruffly.

Sakura wasn't sure but as she passed the older girl she was sure that she saw a faint smile starting to creep across her face. Sakura shrugged and stepped forward uncertainly.

"I'm not so sure about this Shizuna-sensei." Sakura said uneasily.

"Why not Sakura-chan, you have a lot to offer Negi. You too are a mage, and a wonderful one at that all the way from the Johnson School of Magic in America. You are sweet, kind, and closer to Negi's age than the girls in his class. What makes you think that this isn't a good idea?" Shizuna asked

"Negi-sensei is so strong and powerful; I don't think I'd be any good for him." Sakura said meekly.

"Apparently, he likes his women meek and submissive." Takane snorted.

Sakura sighed and then looked at the mirror. It would be a waste to come all this way and not look, and she was curious about it. Sakura thought of Negi-sensei and activated the mirror. Takane and Shizuna gathered on either side of her to see the image that was appearing.

The scene cleared to show the headmaster's personal magical laboratory. Negi was standing there looking into the mirror at the three of them. The headmaster was also there looking in the mirror when the door to the lab opened up and Sakura entered the room. "Here are the files you requested headmaster."

"Thank you Sakura-chan, place them over there." The headmaster said pointing. He stepped out of the image and Negi glanced back at Sakura before reciting the spell.

Sakura then left the room while the headmaster rejoined him. They then turned to the mirror and activated it on their side.

"What are we seeing?" Negi asked the headmaster.

"Apparently, we're seeing Shizuna, Sakura, and Takane scrying on us using the same mirror a week from now." The headmaster said with interest.

"It's showing us the past?" Shizuna said in shock?

"Yes, I guess it is showing you the past." The headmaster replied.

"I remember that day." Sakura said in awe. As Negi suddenly let out a strangled yelp and deactivated his side of the mirror. Sakura noticed he was blushing heavily.

"Why did you deactivate the mirror?" The headmaster asked. "You wanted to see how it worked before you carried it to your room didn't you?"

"Yes, but that was creepy. She might have figured out what I was doing." Negi said calming himself as he turned away from the mirror.

Sakura noticed the headmaster looking back knowingly into the mirror that Negi had deactivated on their side, but was still operating.

"So Negi-kun, why did you ask me to send for Sakura?" The headmaster said grinning. Negi was still turned away from the mirror, but the headmaster was staring directly at Sakura.

"Well, I needed to get someone to try it on first and she helps out in the office during this period." Negi said seriously.

"Oh. I see." The headmaster said trying to hide his disappointment.

"That and I've seen her staring at me, and when I look back at her she turns away quickly." Negi said shyly before lowering his voice. "And I think she's pretty cute too." Negi confided.

Shizuna smiled as she deactivated the mirror. "Imagine that, you might have a better chance than you thought Sakura." Shizuna said looking around. She turned to face Takane who looked back at her in confusion. The two looked around for a moment before looking down to find Sakura passed out on the floor.

The End

A/N: So what do you think, was it worth the price of admission? I've probably tied up at least a few hours of your time reading this story, so let me know if you think it was worth it. I'd also like to welcome any comments or debate over my views on Ku Fei being Chao's ancestor. Personally, I wish it was Nodoka, but the evidence I cited I simply cannot ignore.

Anyway, I leave you with these words by David Eddings

"And so, my children, the time has come to close the book. There will be other days and other stories, but this tale is finished."