The Paris Diva

Cheese! I am Harukaze Doremi.

——Wait, this isn’t the time for casual greetings.

My, no, our daughter Hana-chan has appeared in Paris on the night with the smiling moon, singing while playing an accordion.

The Internet has given her the name “Paris Diva”, and the video of her has already been viewed tens of thousands of times by people all over the world.

Onpu-chan, who is currently touring Paris because of a musical production, informed us that large crowds gather at Paris’ famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Place Charles de Gaulle night after night, video camera in hand, hoping to catch a glimpse of the “diva”.

Oh, let me give a brief introduction to the readers who don’t know Hana-chan.

Our relationship with Hana-chan began just before we entered 4th grade of elementary school, when we lost our way in the Queen’s flower garden in the witch world. Somehow, we ended up witnessing Hana-chan’s birth from the special blue rose known as the Witch Queen Rose.

While all witches are born from flowers, the baby born from the Witch Queen Rose once every 100 years is special, because she possesses an awesome magical power.

In short, there is a high chance that the baby will become the next Queen of the witch world.

In the witch world, there is a law stating that whoever witnesses the birth of a witch baby will have to be the child’s guardian for the first year of her life. That was how we became Hana-chan’s guardians by chance.

However, it wasn’t really a coincidence, because the entire incident was orchestrated by the Queen.

In order to strengthen ties between the witch and human worlds, which had been separated from each other for a really long time, the Queen chose us to be Hana-chan’s guardians, hoping that Hana-chan would become the witch to bring our two worlds together.

Because of that, we did our best to teach Hana-chan the importance of kindness, family, friends and care for others.

However, it was too much to ask a bunch of 4th graders to act as mothers. Our lives were devoted to raising Hana-chan, and we were kept busy every single day.

In the end, thanks to Mom’s advice and Majorika and Lala’s support, we managed to bring up Hana-chan well for an entire year.

After that, Hana-chan returned to the witch world and entered the witch’s kindergarten, but she was soon afflicted by the vegetable-hating curse, put in place by Majotourbillon, the Queen two reigns ago who wanted no contact with the human world.

We were put in charge of Hana-chan once again, and we managed to help her overcome the curse, but we weren’t able to dispel Majotourbillon’s deep sorrow.

Majotourbillon was a witch who renounced her title of Queen and married a human. However, her husband soon passed away, and she was left to raise her child alone.

But because the lifespan of witches is far longer compared to humans, she witnessed the death of her child. The humans around her died, even her beloved grandchildren, yet she never seemed to age. This caused her to fall into deep sorrow.

Despite this, Hana-chan was determined to live with us, so she used all her magical power to age herself until she was the same age. This caused her crystal ball, the source of her magical power, to crack, and she had to become a witch apprentice and pass the Level 1 exam in order to become a witch again.

She met with lots of hardships, but with our support, Hana-chan regained her status as a witch, and she even managed to melt Majotourbillon’s ice-like deep sorrow. But the future held bad news for us.

Because of our efforts in saving Majotourbillon, the Queen offered to make us real witches, but after lots of consideration, we chose to turn down the offer.

Though our lives are shorter compared to witches, we enjoyed being humans, and we knew that we had the power to achieve our dreams even if we didn’t possess magic.

However, that only served to hurt Hana-chan, who thought that we would choose to become witches and live with her in the witch world…

But we did our best as Mamas to convince her, and in the end, Hana-chan came to understand and accept our decision. Then, we promised to meet up again once she became the next Queen.

With that, Hana-chan returned to the witch world with her guardian Majorika, Lala, and all of our fairies.

Though it was really lonely after that and we missed our dear daughter, we worked hard, sure that Hana-chan would grow up to be a wonderful Queen.

But a year ago, Hana-chan created lots of trouble for Majorika, and even requested for Majorika’s rival Majoruka to be her guardian instead. It was just too unbelievable.

In the end, Majorika came back to the human world with Lala and reopened the MAHO-do. Things happened and we ended up working there again, but Hana-chan had always been at the back of our minds.

Then, we learned that Hana-chan had appeared in the human world as the “Paris Diva”, and was garnering a huge amount of interest around the world. The news caused so much worry for all of us that it felt like our hearts would burst.

If anyone discovers Hana-chan’s identity as a witch, the world will fall into chaos.

Thus, we need to find her and get her to stop appearing as the “diva” as soon as possible.

We arrived at Onpu-chan’s hotel room the night before the smiling moon was due to appear.

Spring vacation has just begun, so we asked for permission from our parents to go to Izu City on a 3-day 2-night MAHO-do employee’s trip. In truth, we utilized Magical Stage and teleported to Paris instead.

We were reluctant to lie to our parents, but we had no other choice. We need to find Hana-chan.

The hotel Onpu-chan was staying at with the rest of the cast was located near the city center, with the famous Seine River flowing just nearby.

The Odeon Theatre, where Onpu-chan’s musical would be staged, was a short walk away, and we could also see the Eiffel Tower from the hotel window.

Onpu-chan was preparing for tonight’s musical when we entered the room. After exchanging greetings, we all sat down to come up with a plan to find Hana-chan.

“Tomorrow night, when the smiling moon appears, is our best chance. Tomorrow morning, I’ll bring you to see all the places where she may appear.”

Onpu-chan shared her plan as she passed us copies of a memo she’d made, listing all the famous tourist spots in Paris.

Place Charles de Gaulle, the Eiffel Tower, Palais Garnier, Plaza de la Concordia, the Louvre museum, the Notre Dame cathedral, Moulin Rouge, Musée d’Orsay, Montparnasse Tower, Shanzelize Street, the Conciergerie, Palais de Chaillot… The list went on and on.

“I don’t know why Hana-chan has become the ‘Paris Diva’, but it’s true that she’s only been appearing in these prominent locations,” Onpu-chan shared.

“But it’ll be a tough job even if we split up to search,” Hazuki-chan voiced her concerns.

“We should be able to cover all these areas if we take 2-3 locations each,” Onpu-chan answered calmly.

“But this is our first time in Paris, and we can’t even speak French. What if we get lost?” I complained.

“That’s why I said I’ll show you the places tomorrow morning.”

Onpu-chan replied, a hint of impatience in her voice. A fierce determination burned in her eyes. I frowned in response.

“That wasn’t nice of you, Doremi-chan. Onpu-chan is Hana-chan’s Mama too. She’s just as worried as the rest of us,” Momo-chan interjected quickly.

“…I guess you’re right. Sorry, Onpu-chan.”

I apologized, bowing my head. Onpu-chan smiled.

“I’m sorry too. I’ve just been worrying about Hana-chan all alone here…”

“Ho ho ho! You girls are really the best Mamas for Hana,” Majorika commented.

“It’ll be alright. If we put our minds to it, we’ll definitely find Hana-chan quickly,” Lala added.

I felt braver, hearing their words.

“By the way, what should we do tonight? We don’t have any place to stay,” Ai-chan asked.

“No problem. I’ve already booked 3 rooms at this hotel under the name Makihatayama Rika,” Onpu-chan replied and she turned to Majorika, giving her a wink.

“Two rooms would have been enough,” Majorika grumbled.

“We’re doing this for Hana-chan. Let’s not be so stingy this time,” Lala giggled.

Majorika finally nodded reluctantly. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

With a snap of Majorika’s fingers, our witch apprentice uniforms disappeared, to be replaced with our casual clothes.

In the next moment, the door opened, and a woman who looked to be about 32 years old peeked into the room.

“It’s time to leave, Onpu-chan. Oh, you have guests?”

“Yes. Please give me a minute, everyone.”

With that, Onpu-chan left the room and chatted with the woman in the corridor. After a few moments, she returned.

“I need to head over to the theatre now. I really want everyone to watch the musical, so I reserved some seats… But the tickets were sold out too quickly, and I could only secure three seats in the staff area.”

“So only three of us can watch the show?” Ai-chan asked, crestfallen.

“Just go without me! I want to get a taste of Parisian desserts,” Momo-chan offered.

“Oh, then I’ll come along too,” Majorika added.

“Doremi, Hazuki-chan, Ai-chan, you girls go along. We’ll go visit the MAHO-do in Paris instead,” Lala said.

“That’s right. Maybe we’ll get some news about Hana,” Majorika said.

“Is it really ok?” I asked.

“Thank you,” Hazuki-chan added.

“Alright, I’ll take you up on the offer then,” Ai-chan said with a grin.

And so, thanks to Momo-chan’s generosity, we got to enjoy the “Blue Moon” musical at Paris’ Odeon Theatre.

After Onpu-chan left, we had a quick meal at the hotel cafe. Then, bidding Momo-chan, Majorika, and Lala goodbye, the three of us headed to the theatre.

We went up to the reception booth and told the staff our names, as per Onpu-chan’s instructions, and soon received our tickets. I was a little worried since the receptionist was French, but thanks to Hazuki-chan’s English, she understood our situation and we got our tickets without any trouble.

I remembered hearing from Tamaki Reika that the people in France only spoke French, but I guess that’s no longer the case.

Hazuki-chan was relieved too, knowing that she was able to communicate in English. Of course, Ai-chan and I left everything to her after that.

Upon entering the theatre, we couldn’t help but gasp in wonder. The main color of the hall was red, but the decorations and highlights were all in gold. A large hive-like illumination hung from the ceiling, surrounded by paintings spread all across the roof.

Aside from the seats on the first floor, there were another four levels of balcony seats, arranged in an U-shape. Spotlights aimed towards the stage were installed all along the third level of seats.

Our seats were on the second level, in the middle of the last row.

There were approximately 1,000 seats in the theatre, all of which were filled up about five minutes before the show. Glancing up to the higher levels, I spotted men in tuxedos and bow ties and women in elegant dresses with opera glasses in hand, waiting for the performance to start.

Soon, the show began!

The venue darkened and descended into silence as the curtains slowly lifted. A single spotlight was shining in the center of the stage, where Onpu-chan stood. A round of applause swept through the theatre, as the music began and Onpu-chan began to dance and sing.

This show gave off a totally different aura compared to the one in Tokyo. We heard from Onpu-chan later that the London show was different too. The cast had put in efforts to make each show unique to its venue.

Maybe it was the atmosphere of the place which put us into a happy reverie, and we soon forgot our worries.

While we were enjoying the musical, Momo-chan and the others got around to enjoying lots of Parisian desserts too.

Majorika told us later that Momo-chan had brought them to at least five famous bakeries in the area, so much that even the dessert-loving Majorika and Lala soon found the excursion extremely tedious.

I recalled how Momo-chan hadn’t eaten much when all of us were having dinner at the cafe earlier on. I knew she was passionate about her research into desserts, but to order at least five different desserts at each store still sounded too incredulous.

Momo-chan was the slimmest among us, wouldn’t this be bad for her waistline?

The performance ended with a standing ovation from the audience.

Basking in the afterglow, we returned to the hotel at around 10 p.m. There, Majorika was just checking in. Momo-chan, who was hanging around nearby, immediately rushed over after spotting us.

“How was Onpu-chan?” She asked.

“She’s improved since the time we watched the musical in Japan,” Hazuki-chan started.

“Her acting has evolved, and she’s a true protagonist now!” I gushed.

“It’s true. You should have seen her, Momo-chan,” Ai-chan added.

“Ooh, that’s nice. I wanted to see it too,” Momo-chan replied.

“Sorry that you had to give up a place for us,” Ai-chan apologized.

“Don’t worry about it! I got to enjoy tasting all the desserts in the city,” Momo-chan assured her with a smile.

Just then, Majorika finished at the reception desk and joined us.

“Doremi and Hazuki will be in Room 701. Aiko and Momoko are in Room 702. I’ll be in Room 705,” she announced as she passed out the room keys.

As we headed to the elevators, I realized that Lala wasn’t with us.

“Majorika, where’s Lala?”

“She went back to the witch world.”

“The witch world!?”

Ai-chan clapped a hand over my mouth.

“You’re too loud, Doremi-chan,” she chided.

After checking that nobody around us looked like they understood Japanese, Ai-chan slowly released me.

“S-Sorry…”

“Let’s talk when Onpu returns,” Majorika said just as the elevator doors opened and a group of guests filed out.

After they had left, we all got into the elevator.

Thirty minutes later, Onpu-chan had returned, so we gathered in Majorika’s room.

Having seated herself on the sofa, Majorika’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“Let me update you girls first. I sent Lala back to the witch world to check if there are any other entrances to the witch world in Paris, aside from the MAHO-do here.”

“Huh? There are other entrances aside from the MAHO-do?” I asked, shocked.

“Don’t look so shocked. Now shut up and let me continue.”

Majorika snapped her fingers and six cups of tea appeared before us. Taking her own cup, she took a sip and was silent for a moment.

“While you were watching Onpu’s musical, we went around tasting desserts, then dropped by the MAHO-do at Montmartre.”

“It’s a florist’s shop, opened by a young witch named Majomichelle,” Momo-chan said.

“I’ve never heard of her,” Ai-chan mused.

“Me neither,” Majorika confirmed.

“What happened there?”

“Since there’s an entrance to the witch world at the MAHO-do, we asked if anyone had used that path to access the two worlds on the nights when Hana-chan appeared…”

Majorika explained, then let out a sad sigh as she sipped at her tea.

“Majomichelle had cast a spell over the entire shop to act like a security system to guard against burglary, so she should know if anyone had been inside the store,” she continued.

“But there will be many customers during the daytime. Won’t it be difficult to catch anyone then?” Ai-chan asked.

“Not at all. The entrance to the witch world is disguised as a fireplace. Majomichelle assured us that she would definitely have noticed if anyone had arrived from the witch world,” Majorika explained.

“That means… Hana-chan has been using another entrance to come to Paris?” Onpu-chan asked.

“That’s why you sent Lala to the witch world to investigate,” Hazuki-chan said immediately as she looked at Majorika. The witch nodded.

“Wait a minute. There’s no smiling moon tonight, so how can Lala enter the witch world?” I asked.

“I used magic to send her back to the MAHO-do in Japan,” Majorika answered.

“I see. There’s a time difference between France and Japan,” Onpu-chan nodded in understanding.

“Huh?”

I still didn’t get it.

“Doremi-chan, it’s already tomorrow in Japan,” Ai-chan supplied helpfully.

I finally understood. As long as midnight hadn’t passed over there, Lala would be able to enter the witch world.

“She should have finished her investigation by now, so she’ll be back through the fireplace at the French MAHO-do tomorrow morning,” Majorika said.

I see. That sounded right. Once we knew more about the paths connecting the two worlds, we might just be able to catch Hana-chan.

That night, I dreamed about feeding milk to a baby Hana-chan.

She was really thirsty, so she finished the bottle in no time at all. After giving her a pat on the back, Hana-chan burped.

Then, she turned her large eyes to me and opened her tiny cute mouth.

“Doremi!”

“Huh?”

Was that really Hana-chan? I must have hallucinated. Hana-chan should only be able to say “Mama” or “Manma”. Then, Hana-chan spoke again.

“Wake up, Doremi!”

There, she’d spoken words again. I see, so I was dreaming… Hmm? Wait. This voice wasn’t Hana-chan’s. It was a nostalgic voice. I’ve heard it somewhere before.

“Get up already, Doremiiiiii!”

The voice shouted into my ear, and I jumped up in shock.

A small form appeared before my sleep-blurred eyes.

“Huh?”

Rubbing my eyes, I looked again to see the fairy Dodo before me.

“Dodo!”

“Doremi!! I missed you!” Dodo exclaimed as she rubbed herself against my cheek.

“Me too! …Wait, you can talk?” I asked, eyes wide in surprise.

“We’ve been apart for four years, Doremi-chan.”

“The fairies have grown up and can talk now.”

I realized the other four girls were all gathered around my bed, with their respective fairies Rere, Mimi, Roro, and Nini perched on their shoulders.

“They can also transform into cats now, just like Lala,” Onpu-chan added as she looked at Roro.

“Really? That’s amazing! Hey hey, transform now?” I begged.

Momo-chan smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Nini, transform.”

“Yes!”

With a puff of smoke, Nini transformed into an American shorthair cat. Rere had turned into a Persian, Mimi into an Abyssinian, and Roro into a Siamese.

“Ooh, these cats do resemble their partners in style. So, what cat can you transform into, Dodo?” I asked excitedly.

“I… don’t really wanna… transform right now…”

“What? Don’t put on airs. Show me, show me!” I urged.

Finally, Dodo transformed with much reluctance.

“W-W-What? Is that you!!?”

Dodo was a round, pudgy, ordinary-looking tabby cat~!

Just then, Majorika and Lala, who had been standing behind the other girls, stepped forward.

“Dodo’s practiced lots, but that’s the only form she can take right now,” Majorika explained.

“Even so, can’t you do a little better than this?” I whined.

“Sorry for being an ordinary cat! Well!? Aren’t you going to go boo-hoo-hoo!?” Dodo huffed.

Seriously, why was she sulking!? Just as I was about to retort, everyone burst into laughter.

“Fufu, that sounded just like Doremi-chan!” Hazuki-chan giggled.

“These cat forms do resemble us, but the fairies themselves do too,” Ai-chan added.

“What’s wrong with all of you~!? Boo-hoo… Wait, I’m really doing it.”

I sighed and hung my head in defeat as everyone burst out laughing again.

“Don’t look so depressed, Doremi. The fairies will be a great help to us in our search for Hana-chan,” Lala said kindly.

“According to Roro, Hana-chan has been coming to the human world without telling either the fairies or Majoruka,” Onpu-chan said seriously, casting a glance at Roro, who had turned back into a fairy.

“Oh, really? Hmm~ That’s really unlike Hana-chan…”

“Anyway, tell us more about the entrances between the two worlds in Paris, Lala,” Majorika said. Lala nodded.

“There are three entrances here in Paris. The first one is Majomichelle’s MAHO-do in Montmartre, where we visited yesterday. The second is an antique store in Bastille, run by Majocollete…”

“Oh, so that old woman is still alive. How nostalgic,” Majorika said, smiling to herself.

“Is she a friend?” I asked.

“She’s a teacher from my magical school. As a kid, I always made her angry.”

“If she’s your teacher, she must be really old.”

“Maybe she’s over 1,000 years old now. After she resigned as the school principal, she came to the human world to live out her years. I’d like to see her again,” Majorika mused.

“Where’s the third entrance?” Onpu-chan asked.

“An incinerator in the Père-Lachaise cemetery in District 20.”

“C-Cemetery!?” Hazuki-chan squealed. She had always hated ghosts.

“Don’t be afraid, Hazuki-chan. That cemetery houses the graves of lots of famous people, like the composer Chopin, and the playwright Oscar Wilde. Someone in our troupe who visited it told me it looks like a park,” Onpu-chan hurriedly assured her.

“I still think I’ll pass…” Hazuki-chan whispered as she shrank into herself.

“So we just need to stake out these three locations and wait for Hana-chan?” Ai-chan asked.

“That might work…” Lala replied, but she sounded uncertain.

“According to the uploaded videos, Hana-chan only appears at night. So let’s head out to those three spots in the evening,” Momo-chan suggested.

“But what if she comes over during the daytime? We’ll miss her,” I countered.

“Then let’s stake out the tourist spots on the list I handed out yesterday,” Onpu-chan said.

“Roger!”

We all gave Onpu-chan a salute.

After enjoying the buffet breakfast at the hotel, we split up and made our way, by train or on foot, to our designated tourist spots on the list.

Aside from the Moulin Rouge and the Montparnasse Tower, the other locations were all situated near the city center. That was a relief, since I knew I always get lost easily. Thanks to the fairies’ arrival, we were also able to stake out one location each. After that, we had a late lunch at a cafe along Shanzelize Street.

From the cafe, we had a view of the storefronts of all the most popular brands in the world. Paris really was the fashion capital.

The fashion styles of the people walking along the street were great too, but personally, I felt that the styles in Harajuku and Shibuya were more exciting for me.

Munching on sandwiches made with French bread, we made decisions on who should stake out the three entrances connecting the human and witch worlds.

Momo-chan and Majorika would head to Majocollete’s antique store, Hazuki-chan and Ai-chan to the MAHO-do, while Onpu-chan and I were in-charge of the entrance in Père-Lachaise cemetery. The fairies would accompany their respective partners.

Onpu-chan and I boarded the metro and made our way to Philippe Auguste station, reaching it at about three-thirty in the afternoon. By the way, the underground trains in Paris were known as the metro, rather than the subway, like in Japan.

There, we climbed up a gentle slope, and the gates of the cemetery soon came into view.

Huh? Was this really a cemetery? It was large and full of greenery, so unlike those in Japan. It definitely looked more like a park.

The cemetery was laced with stone paths that interconnected seemingly at random. I hoped we wouldn’t get lost… But Onpu-chan stepped inside without any hesitation, making her way quickly to the information center to secure a map of the grounds.

The map was in French, detailing the locations of the graves of all the famous people buried here.

I opened up the guidebook I brought from Japan, and learned that the cemetery covered an area of 40 hectares. We’d take some time to reach the incinerator located in the Northern part of the cemetery.

There were graves of all sizes scattered around, some huge ones with impressive entrances, and several decorated with statues beautiful enough to be displayed in a museum.

The graves of the famous, like Yves Montand and Edith Piaf’s, were decorated with lots of colorful flowers. I didn’t know how long it had been since their deaths, but it was clear that they were still dearly missed even now.

…Quote: Onpu-chan. Haha.

The only famous person I knew was Jim Morrison, lead singer of American rock band the Doors, thanks to Dad’s concert recording CDs.

He was a legendary rock star who died young from drug-related issues, or so Dad said, but his grave was plain and unadorned, surrounded by a small fence. I wondered why he chose to be buried in Paris, since he was an American. I made a note to ask Dad when I went home.

It was a weekday afternoon, so I was surprised to find the cemetery relatively crowded. We saw several tour groups, as well as locals out for a stroll or jog. Some elderly couples were resting on benches, which further made the place seem like a park rather than a cemetery.

I was sweating a little from all the walking, but the spring breeze was really refreshing.

We finally reached the incinerator, concealed behind a grove of trees, and quenched our thirst with water from our bottles. Then, we settled down, chatting amiably as we waited for Hana-chan to appear.

I told Onpu-chan my thoughts about the musical yesterday, and she told me some funny stories about the staff and cast members when they did their London and Paris shows.

Meanwhile, we kept in contact via text message with Momo-chan and Ai-chan. It seemed that Hana-chan had yet to appear at their locations too.

As the sun started to sink towards the western horizon, Onpu-chan grew increasingly quiet. Even when I told her the trials and tribulations of becoming the soccer team manager, she gave only half-hearted replies, her expression clouded.

“What’s wrong, Onpu-chan?” I finally asked.

“Huh?”

“You’re not talking much anymore.”

“Oh. I’m sorry…”

Onpu-chan’s gaze fell to the ground.

I stared at her profile, wondering what was on her mind.

I guess she was making some kind of decision.

Time passed in silence.

Dodo and Roro were napping on the branches of the tree above our heads, and I could hear their quiet breaths.

It happened when the sun had sunk below the horizon, and the world entered twilight.

Slowly lifting her head, Onpu-chan gazed straight at me.

“Doremi-chan… I’ll become a witch apprentice too.”

I knew it.

“But you’ve managed to achieve so much even without magic. Do you really want to change that?”

“It’s true that I’ve always rejected the opportunity to become an apprentice again, but…”

Onpu-chan let out a small sigh.

“I still think of Hana-chan as my daughter. I’ve come to realize that my selfish choice is insignificant compared to my daughter’s well-being.”

“Onpu-chan…”

I grasped Onpu-chan’s right hand in both of mine.

“I wanted to become an apprentice again when Ai-chan got injured, but Ai-chan was so strong, so I thought that she’d be fine as long as she had everyone there to support her, so I gave up the thought.”

I nodded in understanding, still grasping her hand.

Thus encouraged, Onpu-chan started to share about her past with Hana-chan.

When she was still a child idol, juggling both career and school left her exhausted, but just watching Hana-chan’s sleeping face gave her energy to go on. When looking into Hana-chan’s innocent gaze, she felt that she could stop pretending to be an adult and actually be herself. In fact, Hana-chan gave her the chance to quit being an idol.

Tears shone in Onpu-chan’s eyes as she recounted these incidents.

“Hana-chan saved me in so many ways… So now, it’s my turn to protect her from those paparazzi.”

“I didn’t mention it before, but when you sent us the information about those videos, I knew you would make this decision, Onpu-chan.”

“Doremi-chan… Will you go with me to see the Queen?”

“Of course!”

I woke Dodo and Roro, leaving them to guard the entrance while Onpu-chan and I traveled to the witch world.

“Leave it to us. We’ll keep watch until you come back.”

Dodo and Roro announced with determination, hands on their cheeks.

“We’ll be back soon!”

We pulled open the incinerator door, and a dazzling light shone through. Onpu-chan and I jumped in.

Once in the witch world, I quickly transformed into a witch apprentice. Summoning my broom, the two of us flew quickly to the Queen’s palace.

We requested for an audience with the Queen, then told her of our wishes. The Queen’s face clouded over.

But Onpu-chan gazed up at the Queen, a serious expression on her face.

“Please, Your Majesty. Please make me a witch apprentice!”

“All for Hana-chan… I understand.”

The Queen summoned her advisor Majorin, who appeared with a Parara tap and ring.

Accepting the items, Onpu-chan immediately activated the Parara tap.

The tap and ring synced, and Onpu-chan started her transformation dance.

Gloves, boots, dress, hat. Each item appeared in a burst of light, and she became a witch apprentice.

“Pretty, witchi, Onpu-cchi!”

Onpu-chan had transformed into the purple witch apprentice.

“We’ll definitely catch Hana-chan, Your Majesty!”

“I’m counting on you.”

With that, we summoned our brooms and left the palace.

The moment we flew out of the incinerator door, Dodo and Roro rushed forward to greet us.

“Dodo, Roro, did you see Hana-chan?”

The fairies shook their heads.

It was almost dark, and the cemetery was deserted.

We immediately contacted the others stationed at the other entrances, but it seemed like Hana-chan had yet to make an appearance.

Leaving the cemetery, we made plans to gather at the third observation deck of the Eiffel Tower in 10 minutes.

Onpu-chan and I arrived at the Eiffel Tower, and Hazuki-chan, Ai-chan, Momo-chan and Majorika joined us shortly after.

Everyone gasped when they saw Onpu-chan in her witch apprentice uniform.

I quickly told them why Onpu-chan decided to become an apprentice as everyone smiled and nodded happily.

“I knew Onpu-chan would choose to be Hana-chan’s Mama too,” Ai-chan said, grinning.

“So all my 5 girls are apprentices again,” Majorika whispered emotionally.

Just then, the Eiffel Tower started to shine like a diamond.

“Whoa! What’s happening!?”

I squealed in surprise, falling on my bottom.

“The Eiffel Tower lights up like this every night at five minute intervals for about an hour,” Onpu-chan explained as she reached out a hand and pulled me back to my feet.

We stuck our heads out from the observation deck, and saw numerous camera flashes go off around the base of the tower. Everyone must have been waiting for this to happen.

Just then…

We all heard the sounds of an accordion, drifting up from the first observation deck below us.

“That song…!” Hazuki-chan yelled.

It was “Lupinus Lullaby”, the song we used to sing to Hana-chan when she was a baby.

“It’s Hana-chan!” Ai-chan shouted.

“She must be down there!” Momo-chan added.

We all looked downwards, but the illuminations were so bright that we couldn’t spot Hana-chan.

“I’ll go get her!” I yelled

Just as I was about to straddle my broom,

“Doremi-chan, no!”

It was Onpu-chan.

“It’s so bright down there. You’ll be spotted and caught on camera right away by those people down below.”

“O-Oh…”

“Doremi-chan, this is when we should use magic,” Hazuki-chan said.

Everyone nodded and quickly activated their Parara taps to summon the Sweet Porons. Then, we spread out in a circle and placed our Porons together.

My heart thundered, knowing that we were finally summoning Magical Stage as a group of five. I was sure everyone felt the same way too.

“Pirika pirilala, freely!”

“Paipai ponpoi, flexibly!”

“Pameruku raruku, sonorously!”

“Pururun purun, eloquently!”

“Perutan petton, refreshingly!”

Chanting, we placed our Sweet Porons together, with mine in the center, then pointed them at the sky.

“Magical Stage!”

Thanks to the illumination, the people down below probably couldn’t see the light cast by Magical Stage.

“Bring Hana-chan to us!”

Magical Stage whirled, and a blinding light appeared before us.

It disappeared in an instant, and a young girl, dressed in white and playing the accordion, stood before us.

She wore a white dress, her long blonde twin tails flowing in the breeze.

There was no mistake. It was Hana-chan!

“Hana-chan!”

Hearing our voices, Hana-chan stopped her playing.

“Doremi!”

Placing the accordion down at her feet, Hana-chan jumped into my arms.

“Hana-chan!”

I held Hana-chan in a tight hug as I looked at her, but tears blurred my vision and I couldn’t make out her face clearly.

Then, calling the other girls’ names, Hana-chan gave them a hug one by one. Everyone was crying, especially Hana-chan.

“I just… I just wanted to see everyone again!” She exclaimed, about to throw herself into my arms again, but I reluctantly held out a hand.

“Stop!”

“Doremi~…?”

Hana-chan asked, looking at me quizzically as she wiped her tears away.

She should have been a six year old girl, but she looked just like a young adult now.

“Hana-chan, why are you doing this? Why are you trying to get the attention of humans?”

“Well…”

“You know you’re not supposed to do that, don’t you? Everyone will find out that you’re a witch,” Hazuki-chan said.

Hana-chan nodded meekly, then stole a glance at Majorika, who was standing a distance behind us.

“Well, Hana-chan¹ just wanted to find Yume-chan. Doremi and everyone have come to find me, so I thought Yume-chan may come too…”

“Who is Yume-chan?” I asked.

Nobody could have anticipated Hana-chan’s reply.

“She’s Hana-chan’s little sister!”

“Whaaaat!!?”

Everyone exclaimed loudly. Only Majorika seemed calm as she asked.

“Hana, so you knew, about her?”

Hana-chan nodded.

Unable to understand the situation, the rest of us could only look at Hana-chan and Majorika.

“Wait, what does this all mean?” I asked Hana-chan.

“The lights will turn off soon. The cameras will capture us if we remain here any longer. Let’s go back to the hotel, then we can talk.”

Onpu-chan, the first of us to regain her composure, suggested.

Everyone agreed, and with Hana-chan sitting behind me on my broom, we flew up and away from the shining tower. The moment we flew past the tip of the tower, the illuminations died away, allowing the dark night to swallow us up.

High above us, the smiling moon shone in the sky.

Back at Majorika’s room in the hotel, we rushed to continue the conversation, not even sparing a moment to change back to our civilian forms.

“What’s all this about Hana-chan having a little sister!?” Ai-chan started.

“And Majorika knew all about it?” Onpu-chan followed in rapid succession.

“I guess…”

“Seriously, I just don’t get any of this! Nobody ever told us that Hana-chan had a little sister!” I yelled in frustration.

Hana-chan nodded in understanding before adding, “Hana-chan didn’t know about it until a year ago too.”

With that, she finally began her story.

One year ago, Hana-chan, Surumeko-chan, and the other kids went on a kindergarten excursion trip to the Queen’s gardens. While they were strolling through the grounds, Hana-chan overheard a conversation among a group of old witches.

“Did you know? The next Queen, Hana-chan, has a younger sister.”

Shocked, Hana-chan went to ask the witches for more information, but was told that it was only a rumor before the witches hurried away.

Her curiosity piqued, Hana-chan went to the palace to speak to the Queen. The Queen’s expression turned to shock when Hana-chan asked her question, but it quickly disappeared.

“You have no younger sister. What you heard was just a rumor, there’s no need to worry about it.”

That was the Queen’s answer.

However, Hana-chan suspected that the Queen was lying, but before she could find out more, Majorin suddenly interjected.

“Your Majesty, it is time for the senate meeting.”

The Queen took her cue and left the room.

Hana-chan was sure that her questions had shook the Queen, and that Majorin was also lying.

Her mind filled with doubt, Hana-chan then used magic to find out the identity of one of the witches she met in the gardens, and went to see her.

“Don’t tell anyone I told you this,” the old witch made Hana-chan promise before she began her tale.

“Every 100 years, the Witch Queen Rose gives birth to babies who stand the chance to become the next Queen. However, I once heard that the Rose always delivers two babies each time.”

“Hana-chan has never heard of that!” Hana-chan exclaimed, eyes wide.

“A good example are the twins Majorika and Majoruka, the two witches who were once in the running to become our next Queen.”

Hana-chan’s eyes grew wider.

“But they don’t look alike at all. Besides, they dislike each other so much. It can’t be true, can it?”

“Well, that’s because they themselves never realized that they’re twins,” the old witch answered.

Apparently, Majorika and Majoruka were born at the same time, but adopted and brought up by Majoririka and another witch respectively. The two of them, having grown up in separate worlds, never discovered that they were actually sisters.

At this point in Hana-chan’s story,…

“W-Whaaaat!!? Majoruka and I are sisters…!!?”

It was Majorika’s turn to be surprised.

“That wasn’t the only shocking thing. The current Queen, and the Queen before her, and the Queen before that; all of them had younger sisters too,” Hana-chan revealed.

“Hmm… Now that you mentioned it, when Majotourbillon abdicated during her reign, her sister Majovague continued to reign in her stead,” Majorika mused.

“I also remember hearing a rumor once about the current Queen having a younger sister,” Lala, who had returned with the other fairies, added.

Then, she proceeded to explain how Queens are chosen in the witch world.

In the past, the reigning Queens can appoint any baby born from the Witch Queen Rose as her successor, as long as the child proved to possess sufficient magical power and the right personality.

However, should no new babies be born during a Queen’s reign, suitable candidates previously born from the Rose can be nominated, and an election held to select the next Queen.

This rule was the reason why Majorika and Majoruka were at odds. Being the most suitable candidates at that time, they were in a constant race to gather funding for each of their campaign runs.

Then, Hana-chan was born, raised by us, and appointed as the successor by the current Queen. Majorika and Majoruka thus lost their dreams of becoming the next Queen.

In a case like Majotourbillon’s, where the Queen abdicates before her time, there is a rule that her younger sister would take the throne. This resulted in Majovague ruling over the witch world before the current Queen took over.

Why would such a rule exist? This was because, before Majotourbillon’s time, there was a set of twins who were so wonderful that they were made Queens together. However, they soon started fighting over the throne, and in a disastrous turn of events, the witch world was divided into two.

In order to prevent that from happening again, from Majotourbillon’s time, the first twin to be born would gain the chance to be the next Queen, while the younger twin would be brought up in secret in the human world. Only in situations where the first twin abdicates or passes away before her time would the younger sister be brought back from the human world to take her place. All these rules were set in place by the senate.

To further eradicate any threats to the throne, a secret rule was made to keep the existence of the younger sister a secret from everyone, including the older sister herself.

As Lala finished her explanation, Ai-chan let out a loud sigh.

“I see. Does that mean the current Queen’s sister still lives among us in the human world?”

“Hana-chan asked the old witch about that too… But she said that, aside from the child being raised by a witch living in the human world, she didn’t know what had become of her,” Hana-chan explained.

“By the way, Hana, I remember you asked me the same question before I was fired from being your guardian,” Majorika recalled.

Hana-chan nodded in agreement.

“But Majorika got angry and told Hana-chan off. You told me to stop asking stupid questions, and to study hard to become the next Queen.”

“Oh, did I really say that?”

“Hana-chan knew that Majorika definitely knew something, but I knew you definitely won’t tell me even if I asked,” Hana-chan replied.

“So what did you do?” Onpu-chan asked.

“Hana-chan thought it would be quicker and easier to ask Majoruka instead, because she loves to talk.”

“W-Wait a minute!” Majorika exclaimed. “Are you telling me that’s the reason why I was fired!?”

“Pinpon! Majoruka told Hana-chan the whole story when she was drunk.”

“You brat~!”

Majorika looked like she was about to throttle Hana-chan, and was stopped only because Ai-chan and I physically held her back.

“Well, you were also so strict with Hana-chan, forcing me to skip a grade and go to magical school. You were so noisy! Hana-chan didn’t want to leave her friends behind in magical kindergarten,” Hana-chan continued, heedless of the fact that she’d done anything wrong.

“Shut up! You were the one who chose to skip a grade and go to magical school after we sat down and talked it out!” Majorika countered angrily.

“But, but, Hana-chan just wanted to graduate as soon as possible and go to meet Doremi and everyone!”

While I knew she was in the wrong, I couldn’t help but understand how Hana-chan must have felt…

“Anyway, why are you still looking for your little sister? You know the rules, don’t you?” Hazuki-chan tried to change the subject.

Hearing this, Hana-chan’s expression turned angry.

“Who cares about those rules made by the adults!? Hana-chan wants to see her little sister! That’s what I told the Queen too.”

“Wow, you must have sounded so cool!” Momo-chan gushed.

Wait a minute, Momo-chan. But before I could say anything, Onpu-chan interjected.

“And what did the Queen say?”

According to Hana-chan, the Queen then recounted her own personal experience. Before she became the Queen of the witch world, she had also found out about this secret rule. Similar to Hana-chan, she had confronted the senate and Majovague, the Queen at the time. She wanted to meet her younger sister and find out if she was a more powerful witch. If so, then her younger sister had a stronger right to become Queen.

After a long discussion, she finally managed to convince the senate, learn the location of her younger sister in the human world, and travel to meet her.

“What did her sister say when the Queen met her?” Majorika, who had calmed down somewhat, asked.

“Her little sister just smiled in a cool manner and said, ‘I’d rather be a human than a witch. I don’t want to use magic. I just want to live quietly in the human world. Don’t worry about me, you should go back and be a great Queen.’”

“What a wonderful sister,” Hazuki-chan whispered, and I totally agreed.

“After that, Hana-chan learned that her little sister’s name is Yume-chan. Then, I asked the Queen where she lived,” Hana-chan continued.

“And what was the Queen’s answer?” Lala asked.

“Yume-chan lives in a place called Paris, together with the witch Majolebeurre.”

“What!? Majolebeurre!?” Majorika yelled as she pushed Lala aside.

“Do you know her, Majorika?”

“Yes. She used to be a gardener working in the Queen’s gardens, but she quit about 6 years ago. She then moved to Paris, and opened a MAHO-do selling flowers… Could it be that Majolebeurre was the first person to discover Hana-chan’s sister when she was born from the Witch Queen Rose, and thus became her mother?”

“If she was a gardener, there’s a high chance that was what happened,” Onpu-chan agreed.

“But why did she quit her job?” Hazuki-chan asked doubtfully.

“No doubt because of that secret rule. If she left her job 6 years ago, then it coincides with the time when Hana-chan came back to the witch world after you girls finished your 1-year duty of being mothers,” Lala explained.

“So we just need to visit the MAHO-do here to find Yume-chan?” I asked.

“Just a moment! But the MAHO-do in Paris is run by Majomichelle, not Majolebeurre!” Momo-chan gasped as she pointed out.

“Oh, that’s right…”

Everyone sighed.

“I did find the whole thing strange, so I brought it up with Majocollete from the antique store. Apparently, Majolebeurre fell really sick about a year ago, so she passed the store to Majomichelle and went to live out her final days in a nursing home in Southern France,” Majorika shared.

“So Yume-chan is there with her?” Hana-chan’s face lit up again.

“I don’t know, but we should visit Majocollete tomorrow again at the antique store.”

Hana-chan looked unhappy, but we were all exhausted from our day out, so she reluctantly accepted Majorika’s suggestion and we all trooped back to our rooms.

Hana-chan ended up crawling in to share my bed.

Though Hana-chan was eager to share about her life in the magical world, Hazuki-chan and I were so tired that we fell asleep the moment our heads hit the pillow.

The next morning, Hazuki-chan, Dodo, Rere and I were woken by Hana-chan’s yelling.

“Doremi, Hazuki, Dodo, Rere, wake up! Your breakfast is getting cold!”

“Huh? Breakfast?”

We crawled out of bed to the delicious smell of miso soup.

A traditional Japanese breakfast of grilled fish, seaweed with fermented beans, pickled radish, rice, and miso soup was spread out on our room table. A smaller version of the same had also been prepared for the fairies.

“H-Hana-chan, did you make all this!?” Hazuki-chan asked as she put on her glasses and squinted at the food.

“Yes, with magic.”

“That’s amazing, Hana-chan! Perfect! Your magical powers have improved so much since we last met,” I praised.

Hana-chan grinned with pride.

“Heheh! Oh, look at this,” she said as she pulled her crystal out of her skirt pocket.

Four years ago, when we decided not to become true witches, we’d gathered all our crystals together and created this one for Hana-chan. But now…

“It’s so big!”

I was sure it was bigger than Majorika’s crystal. It could even be bigger than the Queen’s!

“Why did it grow so big?” Hazuki-chan asked as she came close to stare at the crystal.

“I don’t know, but both the crystal and Hana-chan’s power started to get stronger about a year ago. The magical school teacher told me it’s a good thing… Sometimes, the power inside Hana-chan’s body swells, and she feels like she’s gonna burst,” Hana-chan explained.

“Maybe it’s because you’re destined to be the next Queen?”

“I don’t know. But Hana-chan thinks her magic may be stronger than anyone else’s. Oh! Shall we use magic to turn the Eiffel Tower upside down?” Hana-chan suggested as she moved towards the room balcony.

“No, Hana-chan!” Dodo and I shouted in panic.

“I’m just joking!”

“Ohh…!”

I realized we’d fallen for Hana-chan’s prank.

“Oh, Hana-chan!”

“Heheh, I’ll get everybody, so please wash up and wait for us.”

With that, Hana-chan giggled and bounded out of the room.

After finishing breakfast, Hana-chan used magic to make all the empty dishes disappear instantly. Then, she stood up from the table.

“Come on, let’s go to Majocollete’s antique store!”

“Hey, wait. We just finished breakfast,” Majorika grumbled.

“I guess Hana-chan just wants to see Yume-chan as soon as she can,” Onpu-chan smiled.

“That’s Onpu! She always understands Hana-chan’s mind,” Hana-chan replied.

“Let me have a cup of tea, at least…”

But before Majorika could finish speaking, Hana-chan started to chant her cute spell.

“Pororin pyuarin, Hana Hana pii!”

In an instant, we were all transported from our hotel room to the front of Majocollete’s antique store.

“W-What was that!? Isn’t this Majocollete’s store!?”

Majorika was the first to voice her shock from the teleportation.

“Hana-chan, you can use teleportation?” Onpu-chan asked incredulously.

“We can only do that with Magical Stage,” Ai-chan continued.

“This is great! You’re amazing, Hana-chan!” Momo-chan laughed.

The three girls, who hadn’t heard of Hana-chan’s vast increase in magical power, sounded equally surprised at this turn of events.

“Where did you learn this magic?” Majorika demanded.

“We can talk about that later. Let’s go inside now!”

With that, Hana-chan dashed into the store.

“Hana-chan, wait up!” Everyone cried as we hurried into the store after her.

As Majorika explained the situation, Majocollete turned her wrinkle-lined face towards Hana-chan. She definitely looked like a 1000-year old witch.

“So you are Majohana, the next Queen… Oh, how cute.”

Majocollete’s face wrinkled even further as she smiled and patted Hana-chan on the head.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, since you’ve come so far, but I don’t think you’ll find Majoyume even if you go to visit Majolebeurre,” she continued.

“What do you mean, Collete-sensei?” Majorika asked.

Haha, sensei? Didn’t Majorika graduate from magical school hundreds of years ago? I wondered if I would still address Seki-sensei and Yamaki-sensei by their titles after I become an adult…

“Because Majolebeurre has lost most of her memory. She couldn’t even remember my name when I went to see her two months ago…”

“It can’t be…”

Hana-chan, who had been in a cheery mood all morning, seemed full of despair now.

It was time for her Mama to come to the rescue.

“Majocollete-san, have you ever seen Majolebeurre-san with a young girl about Hana-chan’s age?” I asked.

“Hmm… That’s right, there was a tiny toddler girl when Majolebeurre was still in-charge of the florist at Montmartre.”

“That must have been Yume-chan!” Hana-chan exclaimed excitedly.

“Now that you mentioned it, she did mention that she was taking care of the child because she witnessed her birth. Yes, that child might have been Majoyume,” Majocollete narrowed her eyes as she recalled.

“Majocollete-san, do you know what’s happened to the girl?” Onpu-chan took up the questioning.

“Oh, who knows…”

“Majocollete-san, it’s really important! Please try to remember!” Ai-chan urged.

“Hmm… Hmm…”

Sitting on her chair, Majocollete did her best to dredge up those almost-forgotten memories.

“Please! Please remember!” Momo-chan begged, her hands clasped tightly together.

Then, Majocollete slapped her knees with both hands.

“That’s right! When I first visited Majolebeurre at the nursing home, there was a beautiful witch there with her.”

“A beautiful witch?” Majorika seemed surprised.

“She’s been living in the human world for a long time, and told me she’d be taking care of Majoyume in Majolebeurre’s stead.”

Hana-chan’s face lit up again.

“Grandma, do you know the name of that beautiful witch?”

“I just can’t remember.”

However, Hana-chan remained unfazed this time.

“In that case, tell us the name of Majolebeurre-san’s nursing home!”

It seemed like Hana-chan was determined to make a trip there. However, didn’t Majocollete say that Majolebeurre suffered from dementia…?

While I worried, Majocollete drew out a small map of the nursing home for Hana-chan.

“Thanks, grandma!”

“You’re welcome. But you’ll need a miracle to get any answers out of Majolebeurre,” Majocollete sighed as she gazed at Hana-chan.

“Oh, we won’t know until we see her!”

With that, Hana-chan snapped her fingers.

The next moment, we were standing in front of a white building on top of a small hill, with a view of the Southern city of Cannes.

Hana-chan had teleported us once again to Majolebeurre’s nursing home.

“Was that magic again?”

Hana-chan nodded with a smile at Ai-chan’s query.

“And you just snapped your fingers…” Ai-chan sighed in disbelief.

“Heheh. That’s because Hana-chan’s a witch. I can use magic even without chanting a spell.”

That’s right. I recalled Hana-chan sharing that with us a long time ago. She only chanted a spell because she wanted to be like us, the witch apprentices. It was, in fact, just for show.

But her teleportation abilities weren’t the only surprise.

At the nursing home’s front desk, Hana-chan spoke in fluent French, easily getting the number to Majolebeurre’s room from the receptionist.

“When did you master the French language, Hana-chan?” I asked enviously as we walked down a corridor. Everyone else leaned in, curious to hear her answer.

“I learned translation magic in magical school. If I place my hand over my ear like this, I can understand and speak most languages in the world.”

“That’s amazing~!”

Everyone except Majorika gazed at Hana-chan in envy.

“I can also speak to plants and animals,” Hana-chan continued.

“That’s impossible——!”

Hana-chan’s magical powers seemed to know no bounds. She probably could turn the Eiffel Tower upside down if she really wanted to…

“Here we are!”

Opening the door, Hana-chan allowed Majorika to enter the room first, then followed the rest of us inside. Majolebeurre wasn’t in her bed, but was sitting in a wheelchair by the window, gazing out at the inland sea.

The scenery out the window was breathtaking. It was a much deeper blue compared to the seas in Japan, contrasting perfectly with the misty light blue sky.

“Majolebeurre. It’s me, Majorika.”

There was no response from Majolebeurre.

Tilting her head in surprise, Majorika moved to stand beside Majolebeurre, placed her hand over her ear like how Hana-chan did, and seemed to repeat her greeting in French.

But Majolebeurre only gave Majorika a brief glance, before returning her gaze to the sea.

Majorika let out a huge sigh.

“Majocollete was right. If she can’t remember me, she won’t be able to remember Hana-chan’s sister.”

…We definitely needed a miracle here.

Everyone turned to look at Hana-chan with pity, then…

A miracle occurred!

Hana-chan moved to stand before Majolebeurre, and was about to greet her when the old witch, who had been staring out to sea, suddenly twitched.

“Could it be!?”

We gasped as we all dashed to stand beside Hana-chan.

There was a smile on Majolebeurre’s face.

“Oh, its Yume,” she said in a tiny voice.

“But I’m not Yume…”

“Hana-chan!”

I shook my head and winked at Hana-chan before she could correct Majolebeurre.

Hana-chan and Yume-chan were sisters, so it wasn’t a surprise that they looked similar. Majolebeurre might have mistaken one for the other, but it must have helped her remember something.

Hana-chan nodded, showing that she understood me.

“Majolebeurre, it’s me, Yume-chan,” she replied with a smile.

“You’re here to visit. Hmm?”

Majolebeurre’s gaze swept over us.

“Isn’t Majoavenir with you?”

“Majoavenir?”

Nobody had heard of this name before.

“She must be the witch who took over the care of Yume from Majolebeurre. Isn’t that right, Majolebeurre?” Majorika asked.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Majorika.”

“……”

Majolebeurre’s eyes returned to the window.

No matter how much Hana-chan tried to speak to her, Majolebeurre never responded again.

“To think we almost got her to remember something…” Hana-chan sighed in resignation.

“But we managed to get a name, so I say we’re still ahead,” Ai-chan said.

“That’s true, but I’ve never heard of that witch before,” Majorika replied.

“But with a name, we’ll surely be able to find something,” Momo-chan urged.

“You’re right! You’re right!” Hana-chan agreed joyfully. Her cheerfulness definitely rivaled my own.

“Maybe Majocollete will know who Majoavenir is,” I suggested.

“You’re right! You’re right!”

Hana-chan snapped her fingers again.

Though we returned to the antique store, Majocollete was as clueless as us.

“That’s right, that was the name I heard… But I didn’t ask where she lived, or what she did,” Majocollete told us in an apologetic tone, scratching her head.

“Well, if we travel to the witch world, we may find out information about Majoavenir,” Majorika suggested.

Hana-chan smiled and nodded in agreement. “Then let’s go to the witch world!”

“Hana-chan, we can’t go there if it’s not the night of the smiling moon,” Hazuki-chan reminded her.

“If only we were still in yesterday,” Ai-chan mused.

“The next smiling moon will appear next month, so we’ll have to wait a little, Hana-chan,” Onpu-chan said gently.

“Don’t worry too much about it,” Momo-chan agreed.

“Heheh~. But Hana-chan can go right now.”

“Whaaaat!!? Hana-chan, you can travel between the witch and human worlds without waiting for the smiling moon?”

“I can’t do that, but I can use magic to go back to yesterday.”

“Whaaaaaat!!? Even I can turn back time only for an hour…” Majorika gasped in shock.

“It’s no doubt you’re the next Queen. You’ve grown so much, Hana-chan,” Lala gushed in awe.

“Come on, let’s go.”

With a smile, Hana-chan got ready to chant her spell.

“Can’t you just snap your fingers?” I teased.

“It’s all for show. Alright, Pororin pyuarin, Hana Hana pii!”

Everyone except for Majocollete was surrounded with light.

When that faded, we were still standing in the antique store, but it was dark and Majocollete was no longer here.

Looking at the old grandfather’s clock against the wall, I noted that it was 10:30 p.m.

“Look, it’s the smiling moon,” Hazuki-chan pointed out the window at the full moon in the sky.

Which meant that Hana-chan had turned back time by half a day.

“Where’s the door to the witch world, Majorika?”

“Here.”

Pulling open the second drawer of an old chest next to her, a bright light filled the room.

Once we reached the witch world, we headed straight to the palace.

While it was possible to go to the main administrative office, which kept records on all the witches in the world, Majorika suggested that it might be quicker to just ask the Queen and the senate.

Hearing that we had come to visit, the Queen immediately granted an audience with us.

“We heard that a witch named Majoavenir is taking care of Yume-chan now,” Hana-chan reported.

“What!?”

The Queen seemed shocked for a moment, then her expression softened.

“Do you know her, your Majesty!? See, I told you,” Majorika turned to us, a smug look on her face.

“I guess you can say I know her. Majoavenir is my younger sister.”

“Whaaaaat!!?”

Everyone gasped in surprise.

“That’s great!!”

Hana-chan was the only one who sounded glad as she flashed a peace sign and walked up to the Queen.

“So, where is Majoavenir now?”

“Well… I’m not sure.”

“Whaaaat!!? Haven’t you gone to see her before?”

“That was more than 100 years ago, before I became Queen.”

“Huh? Your Majesty, you didn’t go to see your sister after you became the Queen?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“My sister was really interested in glassblowing at that time, so she told me she wanted to travel the world and learn from the masters. I suggested, because we are sisters, to keep in touch so we can see each other as often as possible, but…”

“What did your sister say, Your Majesty?” Hazuki-chan asked.

“She said, ‘I want to live in the human world as a human, rather than as a witch, so I don’t want us to meet again. In the case where something happens to big sister before you can appoint the next Queen, then I’ll go back to the witch world on my own.’ With that, she walked away.”

Even so, the Queen hoped she could visit Majoavenir whenever she needed help or advice, so she had visited the human world many times to look for Majoavenir. However, in order to live in the human world, Majoavenir had hidden all traces of her identity as a witch, so the Queen could not find her, even with magic.

“So Hana-chan won’t be able to find her with magic as well…?” Hana-chan asked dejectedly. “And it’s impossible for me to keep on playing the accordion in public too, isn’t it?”

“But if Hana-chan activated Magical Stage together with us, maybe…”

But before Hazuki-chan could finish her sentence, the Queen was already shaking her head.

“I’ve also tried enlisting the help of the witches in the senate, but it was useless.”

“So it’s impossible to find Yume-chan?” Hana-chan asked in a small voice.

However, the Queen smiled.

“No, there’s a possibility that you can.”

The Queen’s words had captured everyone’s attention.

“Actually, when I went to Misora City as Yuki-sensei, I managed to sense Majoavenir’s aura once. I wanted to go after her, but there was an emergency situation in the witch world… When I went back to the human world, the aura was gone.”

“Does that mean you can sense Majoavenir when she’s near?” Hazuki-chan asked, and the Queen nodded.

“It may be impossible for the rest of you girls, but I think Hana-chan should be able to do that.”

“I see! Then Hana-chan will travel around the human world, searching for Majoavenir to meet Yume-chan!”

“H-Hana-chan!?”

“Don’t say strange things. You still have to go to school!” Majorika scolded.

“No, no, noooo!! Hana-chan wants to see Yume-chan~~!!”

Large drops of tears formed in Hana-chan’s eyes, then rolled down her cheeks.

I totally understood Hana-chan’s pain, so…

“Your Majesty, why don’t you let Hana-chan study in the human world again?”

“Good idea, Doremi! I can stay with everyone again, and find Yume-chan too!”

The cheerful Hana-chan was back!

“We’ll do our best to help Hana-chan, Your Majesty,” Hazuki-chan promised.

“Please, Your Majesty,” Ai-chan begged.

“I agree with everyone,” Onpu-chan joined in too.

“Yes, please, Your Majesty,” Momo-chan repeated again.

“…Alright. I’ll let Hana-chan study in the human world,” the Queen acceded.

“That’s great—!! Thanks, everyone!” Hana-chan cheered as we hugged.

“It’s great, but we’re already high school students, and are really busy with club activities and work. We won’t be able to watch over you the way we used to do,” I warned.

“It’s no problem. Hana-chan will become a high school student too.”

With that, she gave us a wink and started to chant.

“Pororin pyuarin, Hana Hana pii! Make Hana-chan a high school student!!”

A bright light surrounded Hana-chan’s body. In a moment, Hana-chan had transformed into a high school student, complete with our school uniform.

“I’m Makihatayama Hana, 16 years old! Nice to meet you!” Hana-chan greeted us with a grin.

It’s been a while since we witnessed this transformation, so we were all in shock.

“Y-You know what our uniforms look like, Hana-chan!?” Ai-chan retorted.

“Heheh, when we were separated, I watched everyone through my crystal. I saw Doremi get rejected by Kotake in junior high, then you two got closer again. And now, you’ve become the manager of the soccer team. I know all that.”

“O-Oh, that’s true…”

“I know about everyone! About Hazuki, Aiko, Onpu, and Momoko too!”

Majorika and Lala were smiling.

“I see. Either way, you have to stay with us at the MAHO-do again, Hana, but you have to help out too.”

“Alright!”

And so, Hana-chan became a high school student, and started to live in the human world with us.

Our fairies also stay with her, helping out at the back of the store. Whenever we organized searches for Yume-chan, the fairies also helped by transforming into our clones and taking our places in school and at the MAHO-do.

But was this really the best idea?

With Hana-chan’s amazing magical powers, I have a bad feeling we might get into more trouble than fun in the near future…