妖しのセレス (Ayashi no Ceres) Volume 13 Translation (Part 1) Formatting conventions: text = character's thoughts [text] = narration //text// = sound effects, when necessary {text} = translation notes Page 4 Kagami: "Ceres, you're quite an important individual. We'll take care of you with the utmost respect." Ceres: "The hagoromo... where is it?" Kagami [clucking smugly]: "As I said, it's not yet complete... however, there's something I've always wanted to ask you..." Page 5 Kagami: "Do you come from somewhere... beyond the Earth? Or elsewhere still?" Ceres: "..." Kagami: "The hagoromo is life itself to a Tennyo... according to the legend, it allows them to reach the sky. But--you can fly without it, just using your gifts. That seems to imply that the hagoromo has a different purpose..." Kagami: "In Japan, the terms are 'Tennyo' and 'Hagoromo', but in other countries, the legend has evolved into many different things. In Poland, the hagoromo is a white robe. In Scotland, it's the hide of a seal. In China, furs. And the maidens themselves are a swan, a mermaid, a wolf, or perhaps a white cat..." Page 6 Kagami: "In Shizuoka and Tango, humans who wore a broken hagoromo turned into horribly deformed shadows of humanity." Aya [remembering Kurozuka's words]: [...the family line of Tennyo in Niigata died out a long time ago... it's said that when they wore the hagoromo, they'd turn into fish themselves...] Kagami: "In other words, this thing, this 'hagoromo', is used to induce change at the cellular level... capable of rearranging genes in mere moments. That's how your people can transform... these unknown materials the hagoromo is composed of bring out paranormal abilities... because the Tennyo have the same material in their bodies." Ceres [testily]: "Where is the hagoromo?" Page 7 Lab Tech 1 [whispering]: "H.. hey... Ceres looks real pissed... I wonder if the Chief's going to be okay?" Lab Tech 2 [whispering]: "Should be... anyway, they're both wearing shields, imbued with the power of all the C-Genoma." Page 8 [In another room, Aki/Shiso lies in a monitoring chamber, under heavy restraints. He moans slightly. Alec turns, and notices his guard watching him sternly.] Alec: "Ye don't hav tae watch ower me wi sich a stern face! I've bin makin an effort tae wake 'im up wi'oot complications fer half a month, jist like I wus telt! I havny e'en played ony games fer a lang time..." Guard: "Just do your work in silence, Dr Howell." Alec: I jist wanted tae unnerstand the mysteries an legends... it's fer the sake 'o the future 'o the human race, as the chief said... but... I hope this will mak him return tae being the Aki I knew. So mony things we should talk aboot... I've lost ma reason, ma drive... will ye be able tae gi' me an answer? Page 9 Aya [in Aki's dream]: [...Aki...] Aki [murmuring]: "...ya..." [Meanwhile, with Ceres and Kagami...] Ceres: "Return the hagoromo to me! It's of no possible use to you!" Kagami: "I'm afraid we can't do that. You see, we're going to leave this planet sooner or later, but it'll take us far too much time to evolve naturally so that we can adapt to the new environments. But if we have a hagoromo...! Just as your people were able to change into a form compatible with the Earth, so--" Ceres: "RETURN IT AT ONCE!" Page 10 //KA// {The shield bracelets on Ceres' wrists shatter} [The Tennyo symbol appears behind Ceres, power swirling around her. Shiso's eyes fly open.] Page 11 Shiso [thrashing in his restraints]: "CERES!!!!" Shiso: "It's Ceres... that woman's near!! My woman! Wha--what the hell is this?! Who tied me up!! KAGAMI!! Now that you have a hagoromo, you're going to try and be rid of me?!" Page 12 Shiso: "I'LL SEE YOU DEAD!! I'll kill every last one of you except the woman!!" Alec: "Sedate him!" [The lab techs oblige.] Alec: "Dammit... ever since we started drugging im an hookin' im up tae the machine, Shiso imself is gettin e'en maer warped... if we keep this up, his body will end up the same way. If Aki doesny come back, we'll lose the both o' em." Page 13 Kagami: How...?! The shields were precision designed--they should've been flawless!! This is... Aya [in Ceres' head]: [Enough!! Don't do this, Ceres! You've killed someone once again! This isn't good... for the baby's sake, please!!] [Ceres collapses.] Page 14 Kagami: I should've known... even though she turned into Ceres, her body still has the limitations of a pregnant mother. Her body's condition is... "I survived..." [Kagami's eyes widen as he realizes...] Lab Tech [breathing heavily]: "Chief...?" Page 15 Kagami: "Well... I'll be damned! Isn't this a superb twist!" Lab Tech: "Huh?" Kagami: "Just now... that wasn't just Ceres' power... it was the unborn chlid's as well! Call Alec immediately! Have him strengthen the shields." Kagami: Well, Tooya... it looks like you fulfilled the duty of a Chosen One after all... Voice [in Aya's head]: ...ya... Page 16 [Aya sees Chidori appear in a dreamlike state...] Chidori: Ayyyyaaa... Aya: ...Chidori... Chidori: Thought so! You were crying again, weren'tcha? Aya: I couldn't help--well anyway, I'm happy, Chidori... you're alive after all! Chidori: Yup! I just found my own hagoromo... and if a tennyo puts on her hagoromo, she goes back to the sky! I won't be able to come back down there... but I'll definitely be back sometime ya know... so don't cry, Aya... Aya: Wait, Chidori--don't go!! Is Tooya there too? Or-- Page 17 [Aya comes awake suddenly.] Gladys: "Ah, you're finally stirring, Ceres. Glad to see it, you've been sleeping for three whole days. Relax... this is your room." Page 18 [Aya glances at her wrist.] Aya: The shield bracelet... it's different than before. Gladys: "I'm Gladys Smithson. The woman with me is assigned to take care of you. We've returned your personal effects here, but anything connecting you to the outside world was confiscated... such as your cellphone." [Aya realizes she's still holding onto Tooya's necklace.] Gladys: "Oh, that... we tried to take it, but you kept a tight grip on it." Aya: "Where's Tooya?! What did you do to him? Let me see him, even just a glance!" Gladys: "I'm afraid that's... impossible. It's hard to break this to you... but... I don't think you'd recognize his body if you saw it." Page 19 [Aya starts crying, staring at a framed picture of Tooya she had with her.] Ceres [in Aya's head]: Aya... if you're always crying like this, you'll never get anything done. We came here, so we must fight. Shift into me once more, and watch from inside-- Aya: "Aren't you the strong one! You don't care about Chidori or Tooya at all, do you?! You don't care how many people die or are killed by you! All you care about is the hagoromo!" Ceres: Do you really think... Page 20 Ceres: ...that I feel neither sorrow nor anger? I'm simply aware that tears do me no good. If I'm weak of mind, then defeat will be my reward. I must be strong--!! Page 21 Gladys: "...and that should serve as a good introduction to this facility. The plate on your chest is your ID here, and works as a keycard for each room--so don't lose it." Aya/Ceres: I fled to this place once before... what are they making in the basement? Aya/Ceres: Where's the lab where they're restoring the hagoromo? Page 22 [Aya, as Ceres, is led into a room where more than a dozen girls are waiting... all with the distinctive silken black hair and slender build of the Tennyo.] Aya: Whaaaa... are these C-Genoma?! C-Genoma: "Gladys!" Aya: This many? even children... Are they clones, or something? C-Genoma: "You must be Aya Mikage... Ceres, right? The Genesis Mother!" Ceres: "What did you call me?" C-Genoma: "The Genesis Mother... we studied about it with Miss Smithson! The legend started with the relations between a man and a woman being expressed as a pair of twins... a legend in which the human race was created from these twins. The C-Project is tracing the legend. I'm glad to see you! We've been taught that Aya and Aki Mikage were the origins of this legend!" Aya: Wh-wha-wha-- Page 23 Aya: What the hell is that supposed to mean?! C-Genoma: "Because you awoke the blood of our ancestors--" C-Genoma: "--You're the mother of all the Tennyo living today--" C-Genoma: "--and of all the babies to be born." [One of the C-Genoma places her hand over her bulging belly in a familiar way.] Gladys: "Girls with golden nameplates are pregnant." Aya [remembering Kagami's words]: [...we take the ova...] Aya: ...just like Chidori... they were given an operation... Ceres: "How can you be so indifferent? All of you... shut away in this kind of place, bearing the child of a man you don't know..." C-Genoma: "...shut away?" Page 24 C-Genoma: "It's not like that at all... we're protected here--this place is peaceful." C-Genoma: "People here respect us." C-Genoma: "The outside world is filthy. Murders, mistreatment, sex crimes... abuse, wars--I don't even want to remember!" C-Genoma: "We're special... Tennyo for the modern world. We're strong and beautiful." C-Genoma: "It's absurd to keep company with the worthless men on the outside..." C-Genoma: "Our role is to leave descendants of carefully selected men. These children will create a new world... a beautiful world." C-Genoma: "We're told that we'll become Genesis Mothers to be remembered throughout history!" Aya: What... what's with these girls?! C-Genoma: "We'll rise into the sky and abandon this dirty world..." C-Genoma: "When the hagoromo is completed, we'll be given it one by one..." Page 25 C-Genoma: "You wanna go back, right? So why not go with us?" C-Genoma: "'Kay?" Ceres: My power won't emerge... it must've been sealed somehow. [Ceres falls to her knees, holding her stomach.] C-Genoma: "What's wrong?!" Ceres: "...my stomach..." Gladys: "Everyone, calm down!" Page 26 Gladys: "Let's get you out of the room for now, anyway... I'll call a nurse for you." [Ceres whips Tooya's necklace around Gladys' neck while her back is turned.] Page 27 Ceres: "Where is the hagoromo lab?! Take me there now!" Alec [watching Aki sleep in the lab]: He still hasny woken up since then. Well, this is pointless... maybe I should get a wee bit 'o rest too. Man: "Doctor Howell!" Page 28 [Aki is lying in the restraints, fully awake... and looking very confused.] Alec: "Aki?!" Aki: "Where... am I? ow! What's all this?" Alec: "Aki, mi lad, is it really you? De ye recognize mi?" Aki: "Alec...?" Page 29 Aki: "Alec... why am I...?!" Alec [pausing]: "...tak these belts aff." Aki: "Um... what happened to me?" Lab Tech: "Are you okay? Here, hang onto my shoulder..." Aki: "...thanks..." Page 30 [Shiso's fist punches through the back of a lab worker, who he sends flying at the observation window.] Page 31 Shiso: "FOOLS! Do you really think I'd give this body back to that simpering brat so easily?!" Shiso: "CERES!! WHERE ARE YOU!!" Page 32 Ceres: "Well, is it in here?" Gladys: "Ceres... don't you understand how pointless this is?" Ceres: "I could say the same thing to you. What are those daughters of mine? How can you so blithely instill such power in them? I never expected to be called family by girls who've lost the ability to feel anger, sorrow, and even pride like that." Page 33 [Shiso seizes Ceres from behind.] Shiso: "Ceres... I've got you now!" Continued in Part 2...