Lunar: Childhood's End - Chapter 1: Wings to the Summer

Translation by Kizyr Images from Manga	Lunar: Childhood's End (Lunar - Yonenki no Owari) Author: Akari Funato Based on Work By: Kei Shigema Publisher: Kadokawa Comics Dragon Jr.
Translation by Kaiser Farooque ("Kizyr"). Editing help from Robin Peters. Translation may not be used without express permission of translator. Translation also may not be posted in part (longer than five pages) nor in full at any location besides LunarNET (www.lunar-net.com) without express permission of translator.

-3-

[In the foreground, the Grindery rolls across the ground, lightning flashing around it and Vile Tribe demons flying overhead. A beam of energy fires from the top of the Grindery. In the background looms the Magic Emperor, in full armor, and Xenobia beside him.]

Just outside of the town of Meribia stands the ruins called ‘The Grindery’. It is said that long, long ago, the ruler of the Vile Tribe, the Magic Emperor who defied the Goddess, lived there.

The story of the Magic Emperor says that he was at last defeated by five heroes.

[In the foreground is an open book. The background is Taben’s Peak, covered in foliage.]

That’s now a fairy-tale, and no one knows whether or not it’s really true.

And at the highest point of the Grindery...

[We see a girl sitting on a ledge atop Taben’s Peak, looking out into the bay south of the ruins. A small boat sails toward the horizon.]

...that’s my favorite spot.

[Bird’s-eye view of a Meribian neighborhood, centered over one house. The wheel of a bicycle hits the ground.]

-kachunk-

Voice: Alice?

-4-

[An older woman (hereafter referred to as Alice’s aunt) is running out the door, after Alice (the same girl sitting atop Taben’s Peak) who rides away on her bicycle.]

Aunt: Where are you going? Will you be back by dinnertime?

-turn-

Aunt (worried): Alice!

[Alice is now riding through the plains outside of town.]

-squeak-
-squeak-

[She looks up, shocked.]

-5-

[The shadow of a large dragon in the sky, with a silhouetted human riding on top, flies through the air. Alice is still on her bike below, looking up.]

Chapter 1: Wings to the Summer

-6-

[Alice continues riding; the dragon’s shadow in front of her.]

A dragon.

Alice (thinking): But where is it going... ...huh?

[She sees the shadow of a person on top of the dragon.]

Alice (squints): A person…?

[She goes frantic and starts riding faster.]

Alice: Wait!
Alice: Hey, wait up!!

[The dragon flies toward the top of Taben’s Peak. Alice opens the large door in front of the ruins and rushes inside.]

She stopped at the Grindery.

Alice had to make sure...

Who was it riding on the back of that dragon?

-7-

[Alice runs through the ruins, leaping over a banister atop a staircase frantically.]

It could be...

It just might be...

[A hole breaks open in the ceiling. A shadowed figure falls through.]

Voice: Hiroooo!
-whoa!-

Alice (in worried anticipation): Fath—

[Hiro crashes to the ground, in a daze. Rubble falls around him. Alice is startled.]

-crack-
-crash-

[Hiro reaches up with a hand.]

-urgh...-
Alice (frightened): Yahhh!

[Hiro, with disheveled hair and dirt all over him, gets up slowly.]

(An arrow above the frame points to a rock on Hiro’s head, saying: ‘this isn’t a bald spot.’)
Hiro: Eh… Ah…
-owww-
Hiro: S... Sorry for having startled you...

-8-

[Hiro stands up, brushes himself off, and approaches Alice.]

-brush-
-brush-
Alice (thinking): This... this guy...
Hiro: My name is Hiro... Sorry, are you hurt?
Alice (hands up in protest): Yahh! No!

[Ruby flies in through the hole(s) in the ceiling(s). She lands on Hiro’s arm.]

Ruby: Hirooo!
Hiro: Hey Ruby, hehe
Ruby: You’re so clumsy!
Alice (thinking, repulsed): He’s so dirty!!
Alice (still thinking): I hate that so much!

[Alice is quivering several feet away. Hiro looks over to her, confused.]

Hiro: ?
-shaking-
Alice: Uhh...

Alice: Didn’t you see the dragon? There was a person riding on its back.
-shock-
Hiro (jumps back): Eh, we... we didn’t see anything...

-9-

[The frame shows the dragon alighting atop Taben’s Peak.]

Alice: But it landed near the Grindery.
Hiro: We climbed all the way to the top of this place, but didn’t run into anyone.

[Hiro and Ruby look at each other.]

Hiro & Ruby (nervously): Right?
Alice: ...really

Alice, you idiot.

[We see a man walking away in snowfall.]

What were you expecting?
Did you think your father would just show up after all this time?

[Alice looks downcast and sad. Hiro and Ruby nervously still stand beside her.]

It’s because of me...

Hiro: Um...

Hiro: Hey! So, uh...
Alice: ?
Hiro: Do you come here often?

Alice: ......
Alice: Why are you asking me that?
Hiro: Did you know? There’s another way up from here
Ruby: We’ll tell you about it
Alice: The way up was buried last year by a storm.

-10-

[The frame shows rubble in the background.]

Alice: The shortcut to the roof, the end of the spiral staircase that went up there, was destroyed.
Hiro & Ruby (teardrop): -silent-
Alice (thinking): So weird...
Ruby: Hiro, this isn’t good...
Hiro (nervous): Um...

[Alice indignantly turns around and walks away from Hiro.]

Ruby: Something’s not right...
-rumble...-

Alice: I don’t know who you are, but I know this place well.
-stop-
Alice: Probably better than you. I’m going back now; good-bye.

-turn-
Hiro: Watch out!!

[Alice turns towards Hiro with a questioning glance. Above, a large piece of rubble falls from the ceiling, its shadow on Alice’s face. Hiro dives onto Alice, trying to push her out of the way.]

Alice: Yahh!

Hiro (thinking): There’s no time...!?
-whirr-

[Hiro looks up and extends his arm toward the rock. Energy gathers up around him.]

-11-

[Alice looks up, worried, the reflection of the rock growing bigger in her eyes. Hiro swings his arm and the rock smashes into pieces.]

-smash-

[Hiro is still holding Alice.]

Ruby (off-screen): Hirooo, are you okay!?

[Hiro glares up. In a shadow first, then in clear view, hovers Xenobia. She fades out.]

-snicker-
-poof-

-12-

[Back at Alice’s house in Meribia. Inside, Alice is surrounded by her aunt and uncle. Alice slowly opens her eyes.]

Aunt: Alice...
Alice: eh...
Aunt: Alice!

Aunt (eyes watering): Alice! Thank heavens...

[Alice gets up. She’s lying in her bed.]

Alice: I......
Aunt: Relax. Take the time to rest.

Aunt: Given what happened, you still wanted to go to those ruins?

Alice (in protest): They’re not just ruins! It’s the Grindery!
Aunt: It’s the same thing.

[She looks to Hiro and Ruby, who are off to the side, nervous and embarrassed.]

Aunt: And if Hiro wasn’t there to help you, where do you think you’d be right now!?
Hiro: Eh?

-13-

Alice: Wait a minute!! How did you get here!!
Ruby: -growls-

[Hiro clamps a hand over Ruby’s mouth.]

Ruby (muffled): That brat Alice! What did she say?
Ruby: Tell him, uncle

Uncle: Alice, do you know what he did?

[We see Hiro carrying Alice on his back, walking through the streets of Meribia and asking a couple children something. The children point off in one direction. Hiro is pulling Alice’s bicycle behind him, Ruby riding on the seat.]

Uncle: He carried you all the way to our house...
Uncle: ...asking people all throughout Meribia on the way ‘Do you know where this girl lives?’

[Back in Alice’s room. She jumps up in surprise and embarrassment.]

Alice (shouting): That’s so embarrassing!! I’ll be the laughing stock of the whole neighborhood!!
Uncle (shouts): Alice!! Don’t you owe him a ‘thank you’?

[Alice freezes and goes wide-eyed.]

-14-

[Hiro backs up a little in embarrassment, still with his hand over Ruby’s mouth.]

Hiro: Oh no, it’s really no big deal
Ruby (still muffled): I beg to differ......

Alice (disheartened): ......I’m very sorry for being so rude
Alice: Thank you for helping me.

[Later in the day. The sun sets and Alice’s house is in the shade.]

Alice: No!
Alice: Absolutely not!

[Hiro and Ruby fumble around to catch bath items and a basket being tossed at them.]

Alice: Soap! Bath towel!
Hiro: (whoa!)
Alice: Brush! And laundry goes in here!

[We see a filled bathtub with a wash basin beside it, next to a window.]

Alice: Not another word... Bath!! Now!!
-clunk-

-15-

[Alice is outside, angrily hand-washing Hiro’s clothes in a basin.]

-blech-
Alice: I don’t believe it...

[Hiro and Ruby are inside. Ruby rubs her hands through Hiro’s soapy hair, while he brushes his shoulder and looks up in slight irritation.]

Hiro (calling): Alice?
-scrub scrub-
Alice (from window): This smells awful! Ugh, it’s such a mess.
Hiro (calling): Don’t worry about the laundry

[Back outside, Alice scrubs away in frustration at one spot on Hiro’s clothes.]

Hiro (from window): I’ll take care of it myself later...
Alice (muttering): Ugh, it’s not coming out...
Alice (calling back): I’m already in the middle of it!

-shine-
Alice: Oh? This used to be blue......

[Ruby paws away at some soap left in the dish on the floor.]

Ruby: Look Hiro, look
Ruby: There’s still some soap left here

Ruby: But Alice gave us a whole new bar
-scrub scrub-

[Ruby whistles while she scrubs her hands through the soap. Hiro leans on the side of the bathtub.]

Hiro (smiling): Mm-hm

-16-

[A little later. Hiro holds up an empty bowl.]

Hiro: Seconds, please

[The entire family, plus Hiro and Ruby, are gathered at the dinner table around plenty of food—plus a pie in the middle. Alice seems nervous; Ruby munches hungrily on a plate of food; Hiro smiles as he takes some more.]

Alice (thinking): Show a little restraint...
Uncle (looking at Ruby eat): You might be small, but you eat plenty
Hiro (taking food): This food looks great. Thank you so much!

[We see a silhouette of Hiro walking through some foothills with meager ruins around.]

Hiro: It’s been a while since I’ve had such good food. We’ve been on a long journey...
Aunt: Journey?
Hiro: Yes. We’ve been exploring ruins here and there; it’s a hobby of mine...... Oh!

[Back at the table, a plate of vegetables sits in front of Hiro.]

Hiro (exclaims): Ma’am, this is great! These pickles are incredible!!
Aunt: Oh!

Aunt (smiling): Actually, Alice is the one who made these.
Alice (nervous): Eh... Um...
Hiro: Really!?

-17-

[Hiro feeds Ruby a pickle; both are smiling wide.]

Hiro: These are great
Hiro: I didn’t think pickles could ever taste this good...

[Alice looks downcast, even a bit worried.]

-argh...-
Alice (to herself): Compliments aren’t making me feel any better...
Aunt: Alice’s mother was quite good at cooking.

[Alice freezes.]

Hiro: Oh, so that’s why Alice is... ...what’s wrong?

[Hiro stops mid-sentence and looks at her in confusion. On a shelf sits a photo of Alice’s mother holding her as a baby, some flowers in the vase beside it.]

Uncle: ......Alice’s mother died when she was very young......

-18-

Uncle: And her father...

[Alice slams her fists down on the table.]

-No!-
Alice: Father!!
Alice: Five years ago he left me!!

[Alice looks up, her face pallid.]

Alice: And... he’s never coming back
Alice: Never

[Alice’s aunt smiles nervously, clasping her hands together. She leads Alice to the door.]

Aunt: Alice... You should go to sleep now. A lot of things have happened today; you must be tired.
-groan-
Aunt: Right?

Hiro (concerned): ......I’m sorry
-sigh-

-19-

[Hiro and Ruby look over at Alice’s uncle, who has his back turned. Both Hiro and Ruby are disheartened.]

Uncle: She wasn’t always like this, getting so uneasy, so quickly.
Uncle: But she’s changed so much lately.

[Outside, at night. Hiro sits on a fence, holding an instrument to his mouth. He casts a shadow from the light of the Blue Star, which dominates the starry sky. Alice, inside her room, sits up in bed.]

Alice: An ocarina...

-20-

[Hiro looks up as he removes the ocarina from his mouth. Alice is standing there, embarrassed to be seen.]

Hiro: I’m sorry... I woke you, didn’t I?
Alice: Oh no...
Alice: !
Hiro: Alice...

Alice: ...that’s a good song
Hiro (looking to the sky): ...I play that song for someone I love...

-21-

[The night sky in the background, images of roses float downward from above. Hiro holds the ocarina in his hands; Alice sits on the fence.]

Hiro: She’s the most important person to me.
Hiro: But she’s far away now, too far to see...
Hiro: Though, I believe that I’ll see her again...

Hiro (smiling): Because she’s waiting for me!

Alice (staring in other direction): If... if it were me......

Alice (silent thought): Dad... Dad... Dad...

-22-

[We see a flashback to a snowy day, many years ago.]

Young Alice: Daddy, where are you going?
Young Alice: Will you be back soon?

[Young Alice tugs at her father’s coat, his back turned.]

Young Alice: Hey, dad...
Young Alice: Why are you so quiet...?

[Present-day Alice comments.]

Alice: If it were me...
Alice: I wouldn’t wait.

[Next frame shows Alice’s aunt and uncle holding onto her, while Young Alice continues reaching out toward her departing father.]

Young Alice: Daddy...

[Present-day Alice comments again.]

Alice: If it were me...
Alice: I wouldn’t believe

-23-

[We see Young Alice longingly peering over the fence in front of the house. The next few frames alternate between the flashback and present-day.]

Alice: Because if you believe...
Alice: You’ll be let down

Alice: That’s why...
Alice: That’s why...
Alice: I...!!

-24-

[Hiro wraps his arms around Alice.]

Hiro: You mustn’t...
Hiro: ...You mustn’t let yourself become so disheartened...
-hug-

[Hiro smiles at Alice.]

-grin-
Hiro: Because unless you believe, nothing will ever happen.

-25-

[Hiro looks up at the night sky with Alice.]

Hiro: That’s why you must try to believe, and if you do...
Hiro: Then even your father...

[As Alice looks up to Hiro, the image of Xenobia comes to her mind.]

Xenobia (laughing): Oh that’s a lie

[Alice goes wide-eyed in hopelessness. The air goes still and she wrenches herself away from Hiro.]

Alice: That’s a lie

Hiro (confused): Alice!?
Alice: I know when you’re saying childish nonsense

-26-

Alice (yells): Don’t treat me like an idiot just because I’m young!!

[Alice runs away from Hiro.]

Hiro: Alice!!

[He grabs onto her sleeve.]

Hiro (stern): You can’t run off to the Grindery again...!!

[Alice looks scared, then upset.]

Hiro: Do you understand!?

Alice (pulling arm away): ...Let go of me...!!

-27-

[Alice runs away from Hiro, back towards the house. Hiro looks dismayed. A little later, back in Hiro and Ruby’s room, the door slowly opens, spilling light into the room. Ruby sleeps on the bed as Hiro nudges her awake.]

Ruby: mm....

Ruby: Hiro?
-rubbing eyes-
Ruby: Sorry, I was asleep

Hiro: Ruby?

Ruby: ...I hear the sound of a bicycle

[A bicycle wheel hits the ground outside. Hiro throws open the second-story window and calls out.]

Hiro: Alice!!

[Alice pedals away.]

-rolling-
-squeak squeak-

Hiro: Oh no, Alice...
Hiro: Not... not tonight...

-28-

[Hiro deadpans. His mind recalls the faint shadow of Xenobia from before.]

-shock-
Ruby: Hiro?
Hiro: Ruby, we’ve got to get Alice back, and fast.

Hiro: We can’t delay, if something else is there

[Ruby is worried.]

-shock-

Hiro: Ruby, let’s go!

Hiro: I know where she’s headed!

[The background shows Taben’s Peak at night. The foliage looks more ominous and foreboding than in the daytime.]

-29-

[Alice’s bicycle leans against a metal wall. Hiro and Ruby run inside.]

Hiro: Alice’s bicycle!!
Hiro: !?
-skid-

[Hiro and Ruby nervously look around.]

Ruby: Hiro...

Hiro: Huh? Why is this place so different at night!?
Ruby: I get the chills being here
Hiro: This is...

-yaaaahhh!-

[Hiro whirls around. Ruby flies off toward the scream.]

Hiro: Alice!?
-flap flap-
Ruby: Hiro, over here

-30-

[Ruby flies down the hall, worried. Hiro runs after.]

-sniff sniff-
Ruby: Oh no, Hiro. What if something happened to her?
Hiro: Ruby, do you remember what happened earlier today?

[Flashback to when the piece of rubble was about to fall on Alice. The rock is smashed into pieces.]

Hiro: That time...

Hiro: Right before that boulder hit the ground, it was smashed into pieces.

[Ruby looks in disbelief at Hiro.]

Ruby: what the...
Ruby: You mean that wasn’t you who did it!?
Hiro: Hehe
Hiro: Actually...

[Mist and energy swirl up in the hallway.]

Ruby (scared): ...Hiro

-31-

Ruby (terrified): Hiro, I hear something strange...
Hiro: What!?

Ruby: The sound of metal... ...oh no...
Ruby: No Hiro, no...

[The mist swirls up around both Hiro and Ruby. Ruby sits on Hiro’s shoulder again, cowering.]

Hiro: Something or someone is here...

[Hiro and Ruby ascend a flight of stairs.]

Hiro: Right now, something in the Grindery...
Hiro: Something in the Grindery is awakening the fear in our hearts...

[Hiro stops dead in his tracks.]

-32-

[As Hiro stops, a dark, ominous figure in armor looms over him.]

-stop-

[Ruby clings to Hiro.]

Ruby: Hiro...
Ruby: It can’t be... He’s not supposed to be here!

[Standing before both of them is the Magic Emperor, in full armor.]