Lunar: Childhood's End - Chapter 7: Childhood's End

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.

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Chapter 7: Childhood’s End

[A picture of Alice smiling, outside and in a field of flowers. The Blue Star is behind her.]

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[Vines continue to grow and surround Alice, who is calm in the middle of it all. Lemina holds her hand to her mouth in surprise; Xenobia cries out as the entire Grindery is ensnared by the vines.]

Xenobia: Stop it Alice...!

[The Magic Emperor and Xenobia are both tangled.]

Magic Emperor: What... what is this power...!?

Xenobia: Why...
Xenobia: Ahh...
Xenobia: The power...!!

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Xenobia: The power...!!

[Alice closes her eyes, holds her hands in front of her, then releases them into the air as a ball of energy floats up from her.]

-blowing-
-fluff-

[Xenobia grasps at the vines and claws at the ground.]

Xenobia: Alice! Why do you befriend the humans?
Xenobia: The humans... who hate and despise us!!

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[Alice looks down and to the side.]

Alice: I was scared for the longest time
Alice: I thought that, no matter what, humans would always hate those of the Vile Tribe.
Alice: But I was wrong. I know that now.

Alice: I wondered why I was here...

[A flashback of Alice, as a little girl, playing with her mother and father outside in a field. Her father is carrying a thermos and picnic basket, while her mother holds her by the hand, smiling.]

Alice: That’s because...
Alice: My mother and father transcended race and truly loved one another

-157-

Alice: Just because humans and the Vile Tribe are different races, that doesn’t mean they can’t live together.
Alice: That’s only if they don’t open their hearts to one another

[We see a portrait of Alice’s mother as she continues.]

Alice: That’s something that my mother...
Alice: That your younger sister, Phacia, taught me...!
Xenobia: Silence!

Xenobia (yelling): Do not speak the name of that foolish woman, infatuated with humans!

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[Xenobia is in turmoil. Images of the Goddess Althena, looking saddened and worried, float behind her.]

Xenobia: Humans will always cast us aside, because of that Goddess Althena...!!

[An image of Ghaleon, in armor and holding the same staff that Xenobia now holds.]

Xenobia: The only one who ever needed us was Master Ghaleon!

Alice: No.
Alice: You can’t deny what you see, Aunt Xenobia

[We see an image of Luna and Alex, with Nall on his shoulder.]

Alice: Why did the same goddess live her life with a human?

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[Xenobia has her back turned. Meanwhile, the image of Alice’s mother, Phacia, appears below.]

Alice: Was it not because she believed in us, in humans, in the Vile Tribe?
Alice: It’s very easy to hate, but now...
Alice: Nothing good will come if we don’t try and believe

Xenobia: ...Yet we were betrayed!!
Alice (smiling): Even then... mother always said she was happy

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[Alice and Xenobia stare at each other in silence. Xenobia worriedly looks back as the Magic Emperor—Ghaleon now, wearing the armor but not the helmet—turns his back and leaves the room. Xenobia stands alone.]

Alice: Look back at what you wanted.
Alice: Even if just for a moment.

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[A flashback of Alice’s father leaving in the snow, with Alice about to run after and her mother standing still.]

Alice: So that you can keep loving, keep believing.
Alice (wistful): What I wanted was courage.

[The armor of the Magic Emperor falls to the ground. Xenobia looks surprised.]

-clang-

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[Inside the armor, we see not Ghaleon, but Alice’s father.]

Alice: D... dad!?

[An image of Xenobia sitting high in a tree, while Alice’s father trudges through the snow on the day he left.]

Xenobia: Yes.
Xenobia: That day, I abducted your father.

[An image of Alice trying to run after, being held by her aunt and uncle.]

Xenobia: That’s when your power began to grow
Xenobia: Power that came from fear and anxiety

Xenobia: That was my revenge.

[Alice is in the background, with several images appearing before her: Phacia (looking more like Alice’s mother), Alex holding Althena’s Sword, Luna holding onto Alex, and the White Dragon Quark.]

Xenobia: Against the ones who betrayed me, against my sister Phacia, against that girl
Xenobia: And against all humans

[Xenobia puts her hand to her forehead, laughing.]

-hm hm hm-

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[A vague and unclear image of Ghaleon turned in the opposite direction, and a silhouette of Dyne in the foreground.]

Xenobia: ...the only one that Master Ghaleon ever opened up to... was a human man.
Xenobia: I was never more than one of his pawns

[Xenobia begins laughing.]

-ah ha ha ha ha ha-
Xenobia: Strange isn’t it. The leader of the Vile Tribe, the unparalleled sorceress!!

[She sits down and leans against the throne, looking almost serene.]

Xenobia: It’s all over for her now.

Xenobia: My body was a transient thing, born from the fear inside you.
Xenobia: I’ll return now, alone, to that eternal shadow...

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[Tears well up in Alice’s eyes.]

Xenobia: Why do you cry?
Alice: Because it’s... so sad... being alone like that...

[Alice buries her face in her hands. Xenobia looks up, calmly.]

Xenobia: ...You cry for me? Even though you hated me?
Xenobia: Is that... the kindness which humans possess...?

[Hiro and Jean are still standing there, watching.]

Hiro: That’s something all races have, from the moment we’re all born.

[A flashback of Xenobia and Ghaleon in the garden of a manor. Xenobia is in the foreground, leaning back, and Ghaleon is in the back next to a small, child-sized creature and surrounded by three fairies.]

Xenobia: ...is that right

[Xenobia reaches out towards Alice.]

Xenobia: Alice, please show me...

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[An image of a branch of a cherry blossom tree. The petals are beginning to blow away.]

Xenobia: Show me that, even though you and I have the same blood, you have a future
Xenobia: Show me that you can find happiness amongst humans. Show me the dream that I never found.

[Xenobia, looking very calm and caring, continues speaking to Alice, wiping a tear from Alice’s eye.]

Xenobia: All I can do is believe in you
Xenobia: And give you courage...

[Light spills in from above.]

-shine-

[Alice and Xenobia look to the side. Xenobia then looks back up towards the light.]

Xenobia: But...
Xenobia: But... I...!!

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[Ghaleon appears in the light. Xenobia, shocked, covers her mouth with her hand, tears welling up in her eyes. Silently, Ghaleon carries Xenobia, floating up as they turn into spheres of light. Alice, Hiro, and the others look up, speechless.]

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[The silhouette of Alice’s father is in the foreground. Alice turns around.]

Alice’s Father (holding his head): Oh......

Alice’s Father: ...Alice...?

[Ronfar stands behind her father, smiling, lifting off the Magic Emperor’s armor. Alice rushes over to her father, crying. They embrace one another.]

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[Later. Everyone is back on board the Dragonship Destiny as it sails among the clouds.]

Lemina (smiling): Hey, Alice!
Lemina: Won’t you join the Magic Guild?

[Lemina, Alice, Jean, Ruby, Ronfar, and Leo are gathered together around food and drinks. Jean brings in more plates of food.]

Jean: Sorry for the wait...
Lemina (to Alice): If you join now, then I’ll waive your entrance fee!! Well?
Alice: You’ll really charge me nothing?
Leo (to Ronfar): More to the point, is there anyone who pays to get in?
Ronfar: Beats me...

Lemina (irritated): Hold on now! No need to say all that!

[Outside the cabin, on the deck of the ship, Hiro and Alice’s Father are leaning against the rail.]

Alice’s Father: ...I set out to find a way to seal away the child’s magic powers.

Alice’s Father: Since eventually, she’d end up like her mother
Alice’s Father: I didn’t want her to live in sadness because of her power...

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Alice’s Father: But it seems that I was wrong
Alice’s Father: I realized that when I saw how her happiness was her power

Alice’s Father: When she looked for someone who cared for her just the way she was

Hiro: She doesn’t need to look anymore!
Hiro: Alice has many friends with her now.

[The Destiny lands. Lemina, Ronfar, Jean, and Leo wave their farewells from the ship. Below stand Hiro, Ruby, Alice, and her father on the ground, waving back up to the ship.]

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Hiro: ...So now what will you do?

[The fields and lake south of Taben’s Peak extend before them.]

Alice: I’ll go back to Meribia
Alice: There are so many things I have to do...

[Hiro is holding Ruby in his hands, scratching her chin and smiling.]

Alice: What about you, Hiro?
Hiro (smiling): heh heh
Ruby (grinning): purr
Hiro: Me? I’ll go back to the woman I love, of course.

Alice: ...Can I ask you something?
Hiro: Yeah?
Alice: ...the woman you love, where is she?

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[Silent, Hiro smiles, turns, and looks towards the Blue Star. Alice is speechless.]

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Alice: Hiro, where does she really—!!

[Hiro holds his finger over her mouth. Then he holds it up to his mouth, smiling.]

Hiro: That...
Hiro: is a secret

[Alice’s eyes widen in happiness.]

Alice: ...I have no doubt...
Alice: that you’ll find her

[The image of Hiro, Ruby, Jean, Ronfar, and Leo, with Lunar orbiting the Blue Star in the background and Lucia in the foreground.]

Alice: The story we’ve always passed down...
Alice: Is of protecting the world, while fighting for the one you love.

[We see Hiro riding atop Ruby—in dragon form—as she takes off. Alice and her father stand on the ground below, seeing them off.]

Alice: That is Hiro’s story...

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[Ruby and Hiro fly off. Alice runs along the ground, waving, while Hiro waves back.]

Hiro: See you again Alice! Take care!
Alice: Yes, you too, Hiro!

Alice: ...Good bye

[Alice’s father stands behind her, smiling.]

Alice’s Father: Alice, were you...

Alice’s Father: in love with him?

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[Alice turns around towards her father, smiling wide.]

Alice: Yeah!

[Her father’s face goes pale. The image of Phacia, smiling, appears in his mind.]

Alice: But that’s ok! They say your first love isn’t supposed to work out

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Alice: For now, I’ll become such a beautiful girl that even Hiro would be surprised
Alice: And someone wonderful will love me in return!

Alice: Say, dad...
Alice: You think it’s all right that my first crush was on Hiro, right?

[Alice’s father nervously rubs the back of his neck, not saying anything. Alice then points up to the sky as a large shadow is cast across the ground; Alice’s father looks up.]

Alice: Hey, look!

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[Ruby is flying away, high in the sky, with the field and lake of the Katarina Zone below them and the Blue Star across the horizon.]

Alice: The Red Dragon!

Lunar: Childhood’s End – Finished