Miss Midnight

Chapter Eight: Miss Walpurgisnacht, the Alien Witch

Chapter Eight: Miss Walpurgisnacht, the Alien Witch

"I see," Miyu said. "So you wish for me to use my magic to heal your mother?"

Mariko shook her head. "No, not like that. I want you to teach me your spells. Teach me the healing magic that you used to help Charlotte and Kirsten all those times before. Ever since I became a witch, I always wanted to learn healing magic, to be able to help people...but the only powers I have are to destroy. My magic isn't that strong, and outside of fighting Majo...it's totally useless. I want to do something more with what was given to me. Something important. Something that can do good for people, not hexes or curses."

The Timespace Witch nodded and took a smoke from her pipe. "Hmmm...I understand. I will warn you, healing magic on that kind of scale is not an easy thing. All magic works on the basis of equivalent exchange- whatever you put in, the same will come back out. For a product, there must be a payment. For us witches, that payment is our very lives. Every time we perform magic, it saps away our life force, bit by bit. For what you are asking, though...the amount of magic to cure that powerful of a disease will take a heavy toll on your body. If you follow through with this, you will grow weaker and weaker every day. One day, you may wake up and realize you can no longer do something you once did easily. Or you may never wake up at all. It is a very dangerous prospect."

Mariko paused for a moment, thinking carefully. Her poor mother had been suffering for so long...she couldn't bear to lose her, not now, not when she could do something to stop it. What would it do to her, though? Would her mother really want Mariko to slowly kill herself for her sake? But what else was Mariko supposed to do? She couldn't just let her die. She decided she had no choice. It was either sacrifice her own well-being for her mother's, or stand by and watch as she withered away.

Mariko gave a nod, her wispy pink twintails bobbing up and down. "I'll do it. I can't sit by and watch my mother die...not when I can do something about it. If I can have the power to help heal people, to be useful for once in my life...then I'll do it. So please...teach me, Miyu."

A small, yet sad smile crept onto Miyu's thin lips. "Very well. If that is the case...then we will learn together."

And so, the two witches began their magic lessons.

I stripped off my clothes and dipped a finger into the bathtub to test the water temperature. I pulled out my hair bands, allowing a dense mop of wavy crimson tresses to flow over my shoulders like a waterfall. I was just about to dip a foot in and enter until SOMEONE burst into the bathroom like he owned the place. I reached for a towel, but it was too late.

"Good evening, Master," Aqua beamed. "Your parents are not yet home, so I took the liberty of making you a fine gourmet dinner tonight. Succulent breaded chicken tenders drizzled in a luscious maple-flavored sauce- I hope you will enjoy it."

I pressed my arms against my chest. "What the hell?! Don't you know how to knock!? And did you seriously make chicken strips with maple syrup? Last time you made sugar-coated ravioli! There are cookbooks on the shelf in the living room, please read them sometime!"

"Very well," Aqua confirmed. "I will make sure to do that. And please, allow me to help you wash, Young Master."

Against my will, he lifted me up and lowered me into the bath despite my squirms and protests. "N-no! P-put me down! I can wash myself!"

"Of course you can, I do not doubt your abilities," Aqua replied, filling the tub with bubble bath foam. "But as a witch's servant, it is my duty to assist my Master in any tasks I can. Personal hygiene is a serious matter for a maiden, you know. You wouldn't want to catch a disease from being improperly cleaned, would you?"