Lunar: Kioku Suru Fuukei (Lunar: Recalling the Scenery) translation story and art by Akari Funato [Notes: "Recalling the Scenery" is one of three stories about Ghaleon's past included in the Lunar: Vheen Hikuusen Monogatari manga published by Asuka Comics DX and Kadokawa Publishing. If you wish to try to pick up a copy (and if you're a Lunar fan, I highly recommend that you do so - Funato's art is beautiful), try any online import house that does special orders (or if you live in the big city, try (of course) a Japanese bookstore). You'll need to supply the book's ISBN#, 4-04-852950-1. It might take a while - my copy took four months to get in. Translations of the other Vheen Hikuusen Monogatari stories can be found at http://home.att.net/~RCgamusic/trans.htm. The Japanese verson of Lunar spells our "Dyne" as "Dain", of which I'm not fond, but since I'm translating a Japanese book, it's "Dain" from here on in. Disclaimer: Lunar, Vheen Hikuusen Monogatari, Kioku Suru Fuukei, and all related official works are property of Game Arts, Asuka DX, Akari Funato, and/or Working Designs; this document isn't affiliated with either. Translation by R. Capowski at RACapowski@worldnet.att.net; please don't repost it without permission.] *************************************************************************** pg. 6 [The manga does indeed start on page 6.] Narrator: Burg was a simple town newly settled by the southern peoples... [...and it is in Burg that the story opens. We see Ghaleon walking through a woods. He is young-_looking_ - he appears to be in his late teens to early twenties - though in view of the fact that he looks little different in events that take place decades apart in the Lunar timeline and since it can thus can probably be assumed that he ages much more slowly than ordinary folks, I'd be hesitant to say that he actually _is_ young - in fact, now that I think of the layout of events between the three Vheen Hikuusen stories, he can't be young. Anyhow, we hear some voices in the trees above...] Various Kids: Who's that skinny fella? I don't know him! Me neither! Is he a traveler? His face is so pale! Maybe I should add a little color to it! [We see that the owner of this last voice is a young Dain, maybe 6-8 years old. He's holding an overripe fruit...] Kid: Do it! Do it! Get that wimp! Another Kid: Maybe he'll cry and run away! Haaah-- Dain: Watch me! [Dain jumps down...] pg. 7 [...but Ghaleon senses him. In a neat li'l panel, he flips the boy judo-style, and the fruit lands on Dain's head.] Dain: ...... [The kids are shocked, too. The next scene takes place at Dain's house...] Dain's Grandfather: YOU ROTTEN LITTLE BRAT!! pg. 8 [Dain's simian-esque grandfather is giving him nuggies - hard. His grandmother is bowing profusely to Ghaleon in apology.] Dain's Grandfather: What a naughty brat you are... Apologize to the priest right now! Dain (muttering): I'm sorry... Ghaleon: I didn't quite hear that... Dain: ...... _I'M SORRY!!!!_ [Ghaleon leers at Dain. Meanwhile, dinner is being set out; Dain reaches for a piece of bread. His grandfather slaps him on the wrist.] Dain: Ow! Dain's Grandfather: You can't have dinner yet! Think about what you've done! Dain's Grandmother (to Ghaleon): Are you traveling alone? Ghaleon (watching Dain): ...Yes, I am today. [Ghaleon notices that Dain's elbow is scraped up.] Ghaleon (to Dain): Did you get those scars back in the woods? Dain (still angry): ! It's no big deal! Ghaelon (taking Dain's arm): Now, that's not so. Let me see... Dain: What're you gonna do! pg. 9 [Ghaleon casts a spell and waves his hand over the scrape.] Ghaleon: Goddess Althena, I beseech you... [Ghaleon's spell is finished; the scrape is gone. Dain pouts...] Dain: ...... [...and runs out of the house.] Dain's Grandfather: Hey! Get back here and thank the priest! [Note: I don't know if Ghaleon's actually a priest or if Dain's grandparents just think he is because he can use magic and dresses well. They seem like simple, impressionable folk, and Ghaleon never says himself he's a priest in the story - but then he never disclaims the title either. The issue's never really settled for sure. (Note-within-a-note, added later on: it turns out that there is a comment in a later story set when Ghaleon was seventeen about Ghaleon "completing his priest training" - so I guess he really IS a priest - or at least received _some_ priest training. Weird. Eerie. Anyway.)] Ghaleon (to Dain's grandfather): By the way, sir, could I please spend the night in your barn? Dain's Grandfather (panicking): !! THE BARN'S NO GOOD! YOU CAN'T GO IN THERE! A monster is lurking about town, and our livestock are disappearing one by one... pg. 10 [Nevertheless - or perhaps _because_ of the warning, Ghaleon sleeps in the barn. In the middle of the night, the livestock thief - whose silhouette reveals to be human, not monster - sneaks into the barn. Ghaleon wakes up and grabs the thief's leg, standing up and hoisting him up by the ankle, and he turns out to be...] pg. 11 Dain: YOU AGAIN!! [...Dain, naturally. (A chicken falls out of Dain's shirt as Ghaleon has him dangling by the leg. ^_^)] Ghaleon: ......You're _hopeless_. pg. 12 [The next morning, a group of Burg villagers gather to see Ghaleon off.] Ghaleon: Thank you for the lodging. Dain's Grandmother: It is we who are in your debt. Thank you so much for healing our wounds and fixing up those medicines. Ghaleon: I haven't seen your grandson anywhere... Dain's Grandfather: He's probably in the barn, thinking over what he did... [We see, though, that Dain is hiding behind a post nearby, listening.] Dain's Grandmother (giving Ghaleon food to take with him): Take care of yourself on the road! Dain's Grandfather: Are you just gonna wander now? Ghaleon: Yes... [Dain's eyes widen.] Ghaleon: I'm probably going to tour this island. Anyhow... pg. 13 [Ghaleon leaves. He makes it a ways from the village, to the seashore, and stops to look - and Dain, who has been following him all this time, approaches him.] Ghaleon: Go home. I'm going on a long journey, and I'm going alone. pg. 14 [Undaunted, Dain continues to follow Ghaleon...] Ghaleon: Don't follow me. It's not in my nature to look after others. [Night falls. It starts to thunder and rain. Ghaleon takes refuge in a cave...and Dain sits outside, using a big leaf as an umbrella. Finally, Ghaleon calls to him...] Ghaleon: There's going to be a storm tonight. Come in the cave and rest. [Dain does so. A loaf of bread magically appears in Dain's hands. Just as Dain is about to take a bite...] Ghaleon: I gave you part of my bread. But when it clears up, you're going back to Burg. pg. 15 [Dain gets a shocked (and a little sad) look on his face, which turns into an angry pout. Later on, we see that Dain has left the bread and refused to eat it and that he has lain down with his back to Ghaleon. Ghaleon, lying down himself in a sleeping bag, has his hand over his face and a "why me?" look on.] Ghaleon: ...... Dain: ......I like Burg. And Grandpa and Grandma are nice. But that's all I have in Burg. I... I... pg. 15 Dain: There, I can't see what's outside of the village - what's beyond the sky...what's beneath the ocean...what's at the peaks of the mountains! I want to see every single thing in this world! Ghaleon: He's hopeless... Absolutely hopeless... -OWARI-