By Takeuchi Naoko.
As appeared in Nakayoshi, June 2002.
Translation by Kurozuki (manga@kurozuki.com). Version 1.0, May 2002.
Girl: Love! Is it true that Yuu-kun was hospitalized again?
Ai: Yeah.
Girl: It's lonely not being able to feast our eyes on him.
(Most of the girls think so.)
Girl: Is he going to be out of school for a long time
again?
Girl: Your grandma is seeing him, right, Love? She seems to
be a famous doctor. That should put your mind at
ease.
Girl: You idiot! Love's grandma just passed away the other
day.
Ai: Sorry for making you all worry. Yuu's in good health.
After a little while longer, they'll let him come
back to school.
Girl: Somehow, saying those lines it's like you're his
girlfriend. Or his wife!?
Ai: What!?
Girl: Oh! I forgot!
Here! An ice latte with vanilla ice cream, like you
like. Be your normal cheerful self!
Ai: Okay. Hehe. Thanks!
Yuu: Come in.
Hey.
Ai: Hello!
Ai (mind): It's still there. That black shadow! He changed
rooms, but it's just as if it's staying close by his
side. I've known it for days. This black shadow
doesn't do anything. It's just crouching behind the
bed with its back turned. I'm scared. Go away! I want
to make it go away! But...
Ai: I brought a change of clothes and a present.
Yuu: Thanks.
Ai: What were you looking at?
Yuu: A photo album.
Ai: Oh, the one from way back?
Ai (mind): These are photos we took together, but I'm not in
them!? It can't be...! Even though all these photos
are supposed to be of Yuu and me... Even though this
photo album is our photo album... Only I disappear!?
Why!? Is this also because I sacrificed Yuu to the
Goddess?
Yuu: Hoshi-nee told me about the witch sequence lineage,
the early deaths, the sick people. She said that
since long ago, nothing could be done about the
strange things that happen.
['nee' means 'older sister'.]
Yuu: After that she brought me the photo album from when I
was little. In all of these photos, there's nobody
but me. I thought it was odd that there are just
these somewhat uneasy photos. But looking at this
album after a long time, I remember really enjoying
myself when all these photos were taken.
A thought came to me. I wasn't by myself. There was
always somebody near me. I have a feeling I've never
had a photo taken by myself.
I'm sorry I can't remember.
Ai (mind): Yuu... It's all right. I'm sure you'll remember soon.
I believe you will.
Yuu: Have I changed?
Ai: No! You haven't changed. You're kind as always.
A phone rings.
Ai: It's Hoshi-chan. She says she's coming here, so I'll
go meet her.
Ai (mind): It's kind of strange that my heart is pounding this
much. With his hair a little longer, he really looks
adult-like. Blended with the usual scent of shampoo,
there was just a tiny scent of an unfamiliar man.
Hoshi: Love.
Ai: Hoshi-chan, Hana-chan. I've been waiting for you. I
have a favor to ask. In place of me, you drive away
the black shadow clinging to Yuu. You two might not
be able to see it, but I'm not lying. I wanted to do
it if I could, but...
Open!
Since the rite, no matter how many times I've tried,
the bottle won't open, and I can't transform.
Hoshi: I can't do it.
I don't have the ability to metamorphose or draw out
fire like you do, Love. And the black shadow,
sometimes I can see it, sometimes I can't. Out of
three tries, I've only been able to open the bottle
once. Even though I succeeded in the rite, half a
year has passed now. I don't even know what my own
abilities are. I'm a hopeless witch.
Ai: What about you, Hana-chan?
Hana: I can't even open the bottle. In other words, am I a
sleeping witch?
But don't worry. We've asked a powerful helper!
Ai (mind): I didn't know that about Hoshi-chan and Hana-chan.
There are various witches. "My own abilities". What
are my abilities? Transforming?
At the end of the message was written this profound
question.
"Do you want to be able to grant a single wish, too?"
If I press yes or no, will it grant it? That couldn't
be. I wonder if another message will come.
I want to know. About this message, about witches, I
want to know more and more.
The scent of an unfamiliar perfume has slipped into
the wind. It's not Hoshi-chan and Hana-chan. Is
somebody coming?
A knock at the door.
Ai: Mom...?
Yuki: Oh my! "Mom"! In the time since I last saw you,
you've become so womanly!
Congratulations on passing the rite, Love!
I'm Anju Yuki! In my prime at twenty! In my prime
being single! I'm your mom's little sister!
Yuki-neesan! Remember me!? (It's been a while!)
Ai (mind): Mom's little sister, Yuki-neesan!?
Hoshi: Aunt!? No way! When did you get here!?
Yuki: Oneesan! Just now! The front door was unlocked! Turn
on the security system, since it's just girls here!
Hana: Twenty, you say... If I'm not mistaken, Aunt, you're
already thirty-
Yuki: Oneesan!
Mmm, this house brings back memories! Has it been six
years!? Being busy with research, I haven't been able
to return to Japan at all!
Ai: Oh! You're the Aunt Yuki doing research at a hospital
in the U.S...
Yuki: Oneesan! You're slow! (You mental case!)
Ai (mind): I was surprised. Aunt Yuki resembles Mom.
Yuki: Well, shall we go!
Ai/Hoshi/Hana: What? Where!?
Yuki: The hospital, the hospital!
Yuki: Hi! Yuu-bou, it's Mom! Or close to it!
['bou' means 'boy' or 'son'.]
Yuki: Well now, first of all... A private room!? A special
room!? How much is the bed rate difference here!
Yuu: Who is this...?
Ai: Do you remember? Aunt Yuki, Mom's little sister.
Yuki: Neesan!! Your face is pale as usual. Are you eating
properly? Yuu-bou!
Well then!! Would you close your eyes and plug your
ears for a second?
Yuu: Why?
Yuki: Because my voice is huge!
Open! Cleansing fire!
[Note: The English words 'need fire' are used with the
Japanese word meaning 'cleansing fire' here.]
Ai (mind): It's gone! In an instant the entire room filled with
flames! Incredible!
Hoshi (mind): She's not like Love. Such bright, powerful orange
flames.
Yuki: It's gone! Okay, okay. But it will surely appear
again, because my cleansing fire ability isn't strong
enough to be able to completely eliminate it, as long
as I can't get the cooperation of Yuu-bou. "Disease
comes from the mind."
Hana: Excuse me... Why don't you transform?
Yuki: Ahaha! Since Love metamorphosed, you wanted me to do
so as well? You wanted me to be sure to metamorphose?
Metamorphosing... There are witches who can and
witches who can't. Besides, it consumes tremendous
power! I only do it occasionally. It's a waste of
energy!
Ai (mind): That's right.
Yuki: It looks like Granny didn't lecture to you about
anything before she died. Very well! Yuki-neesan will
teach you just the fundamentals!
This area! Will, thought, passion. You use witchcraft
controlling these three things. If any of them is
insufficient, if you have indecision and your balance
is off, you can't use the craft. This is the
foundation!
Then, if your braids come untied, you can't use the
craft. I'm sure you know this, but always have them
tied! This is the super-foundation!
Next, you can divide witches into four general types.
Sleeping witches, cold witches, hot witches, and love
witches.
[Note: Occasionally a single word Yuki uses is written in
Japanese, but is given the pronunciation of the equivalent
English word. Such words are denoted here by italics.]
Ai (mind): Love witches!?
Yuki: Sleeping witches only carry the sequence. They aren't
awakened. That is, they're witches but they don't use
the craft. Cold witches, hot witches, and love
witches are witches who can use the craft. You can
divide the craft into eight basic kinds.
Foreknowledge, control, mutation, summoning, healing,
protection, attack, and cleansing fire.
Furthermore, you can do a countless number of smaller
classifications for each of the crafts.
Basically, cold witches are witches who can use
either foreknowledge, control, or both. Hot witches
are witches who, in addition to foreknowledge and
control, can use more than one of the six of
mutation, summoning, healing, protection, attack, and
cleansing fire. That is, they can use more than three
crafts. And love witches are able to use all eight
kinds of crafts. They are the witches of witches.
The holy coven audition is an audition to choose the
top love witch. The Love Witch Festa is a festival
during that audition period, in which love witches
are awakened and can freely perform exercises and
trials of strength. Anyone who is a witch can
participate in the festa. But only hot witches can
participate in the audition! And only hot witches are
sent the message!
Ai (mind): Am I a hot witch!?
Yuki: There aren't any major ones in Japan, but in the
American coven this subject comes up every year, and
information flies around.
Ai: Coven?
Yuki: Coven. A small group of witches. They say one to five
hundred thousand hot witches gather at the festa
every year. And the one witch who is chosen in the
end at this main event, the audition, is able to
receive the "wishcraft" from the Goddess.
Ai: Wishcraft?
Yuki: The craft with which one can grant a single wish of a
witch.
Hana: Question. Granting a wish, can it be any kind of wish?
Yuki: That's a question only the one chosen as the glorious
witch can handle. The wishcraft is a hidden craft
that is the greatest, the highest of all the crafts.
Nobody knows what kind of craft it is. You can't say.
That's the rule.
Ai (mind): One can grant a single wish of a witch. "Wishcraft".
Girl: Love! Want to go for tea with us?
Ai: Sorry, I'm going to the hospital!
Ai (mind): Today at the hospital we're going to hear from the
doctor in detail about Yuu's illness.
Yuki: The black shadow? That's Death.
Ai (mind): Oh! This scent...
Doctor: I heard you were told when he was born that he
couldn't live ten years. If his power of resistance
is that weak, the coping treatment will not be
effective. He might not have a year left. I confirmed
all the records of his previous operations with the
professor as well. I've concluded that this is an
unknown case. This is a disease that is not in our
field.
Yuki: Yes. It's the witch's curse.
Ai (mind): He doesn't have a year left? Yuu? He doesn't?
Woman: Oh! Is this your twin sister, Yuu-kun? She's wearing
a deep red witch suit! Is this some costume? Has she
worn it somewhere?
Yuu: I understand that all women in my family are witches.
Woman: What!? Are you serious!? You've seen it!?
Yuu: I've never seen it, but when I think about it, a
vision pops into my head.
Woman: It flashed into your mind? Your pictures have a
strange energy to them, Yuu-kun. It's amazing that
you can paint pictures like this.
Yuu: It's because I don't have any talent besides
painting. My dream is to tour art galleries around
the world by myself.
Ai (mind): "By myself".
Yuu: I wonder why I forgot about my sister.
Ai (mind): "My sister"...! I'm sorry, Yuu. It's because I
sacrificed you. It's because you were always by my
side, and you were my treasure. It's because I truly
fell in love with you...
Ai: It's so stupid... Falling in love with him even
though we're brother and sister...
Woman: What a wind!
Yuki: So he wants to tour art galleries around the world by
himself? You know, a love witch is one who grants
wishes.
Ai (mind): A witch is one who grants wishes. My wishes are... I
want to restore Yuu's memory. I want to heal Yuu's
body. I want to grant Yuu's wishes. I want to grant
them for him. It's strange. My head is clearing, and
energy is gushing forth. I am a witch.
Ai: Open!
Ai (mind): One who grants wishes.
Yuki: You look so cool, Love! You look just like sis...!
Ai: Like Mom!? Mom could metamorphose too? Was Mom also a
hot witch?
Yuki: Of course.
Ai: Did Mom also take the audition?
Yuki: Of course!
Ai: I will take the audition!
Yuki: Yes. You must come! To submit your entry, click the
"Yes" button!
Text: Love, age 13, has just become a witch.
End of the prologue. Having infinite talent hidden inside her, Love has begun her trip into the world of witches!! The next part will start in the October issue!!
Once I've turned in the manuscript, I'm going to a wonderful resort in the Bahamas. I'm looking forward to it! Takeuchi Naoko-sensei Nakayoshi Henshuubu Shishobako 91 Akasaka Yuubinkyoku Tokyo 107-8652 JAPAN