*************************************************************************** DAN DAN [LITTLE BY LITTLE] DOUJINSHI TRANSLATION A li'l translation of the doujinshi "Dan Dan", by T. Takaya. English-to-Japanese name changes, to the best of my ability: Terra -> Tina Sabin -> Mash Strago -> Stragus Cyan -> Cayenne Jidoor -> Autzburg Gestahl -> Ghastara Arvis -> Jun Maduin -> Madin (Argh - I know his actual name is something Gaelic, but I can't find the file that has the listing...) Chadarnook -> Channel Dark Starlet -> Lakshmi Katarin -> Katrina Duane -> Dean You probably know more of these than I do, me not being an FFVI expert... Anything in brackets is commentary by me. Translation by RACapowski@sceneryrecalled.com. pg. 3 [Pg. 3 is a group shot of all the characters. Pgs. 1 & 2 were apparently the front and back cover...] pg. 4 FOREWORD Thanks very much for picking this up! I'm happy to have brought out the longed-for FFVI book. It took me a short time to draw it up, but if it makes others happy, I'm happy! Well, then, until the Afterword-- T. Takaya pg. 5 THE CRY OF THE FULL BLOOM OF YOUTH - PART 1 [We see a close-up of a distressed Tina.] Narration: It's sudden, but Tina Brandford (18, female) is distressed... [A montage of shots of the heroes, relatively close-up.] Celes (smiling): Eh heh heh... [A thrilled Mash gives a thumbs-up to Edgar.] Mash: Big bro! [A frustrated Relm tries to paint her grandfather.] Relm: Grandpa! I can't paint you if you're crying! Stragus: I can't see in front of my face through the tears! (*sob*, *sob*) [Locke opens an empty chest.] Note in Chest: empty Locke: Argh... [Cayenne happily brandishes a sharp sword and dandelion; Mog, waving, poses with him with a spear.] Cayenne: *smile* Mog: See you later! Kupo! Tina (shocked, thinking): WHY!? [Tina falls to the ground, crying.] Tina: Whyyyy's my hair _greeeeen_-- (*SOB*...*SOB*, *SOB*, *SOB*...) Artist's Note: But it's blonde in Amano-san's version! pg. 6 Tina (thinking): I didn't realize it before. *sigh* I'm not really normal... Tina: Setzer has silver hair, but it could really be just white... Setzer (stressed, fingering dice): What're you saying? Caption near Setzer: <- tossing loaded dice Tina: I don't at all know what color Shadow's is... (Maybe he had blonde hair, or he's bald... That'd be a laugh...) Shadow: Interceptor! "Hound Attack" her! GO! Interceptor: Bark, bark! [Suddenly, Gau pops up.] Gau: GAU! GAU! Artist's Note: (My beloved Gau... his eyes are wide, aren't they?) Tina: That's right!! Gau has green hair!! (Wow!) But...now that I think about it...that kid isn't normal either... Narration: And so, Tina's anguish continues... TO BE CONTINUED...... (Sorry) pg. 7 PREMONITIONS OF LOVE [Relm is reading a book of fairy tales (Cinderella and Snow White are mentioned on the cover), envisioning the stories in her imagination.] Book: --And so, the princess was awakened by the prince's kiss. Relm (thinking): I've read this picture book since I was little... Even now, when I read it, it seems so wonderful... Relm: Ahh... It's so sweet... [An attentive Interceptor wags his tail nearby.] Relm: Ohh...if only I were Sleeping Beauty... Caption near (bounding) Interceptor: ::play, play:: [Relm dreams of herself as a fairy-tale princess, attended by a charming prince.] Relm: Then, someday, a prince would... Caption near Interceptor (who has a crown and pearl collar on, rose in his teeth): Prince! pg. 8 Relm (thinking, looking at "for ages 3-5" (caption on cover) storybook): But the pcitures in here aren't really to my liking anymore... Text in Book (up close, so it's random clauses): of course, he was ideal - his face...good, and of course tall - had golden hair - blue eyes - grand coaches - held a kingdom of unsurpassable wealth Relm: (All right!) I'll draw up some myself! (Mmmm...it's _hard_ to draw the "ideal" guy! [As Relm draws, a prince-type character who looks just like Edgar with a fairy-tale prince outfit (and flower in his teeth) materializes in the room. Edgar and Mash walk in...] Edgar: Huh? Why's there another one of me here... (Good lookin' guy...) Mash: Are we triplets? Relm (freaking out): AAAGGH!! AAAGH!! NOOOO-- pg. 9 BALANCE [We see a picture of the graceful Goddess, threatening shadows of Doom and Poltergeist looming in the background.] Narration: The three gods of war... Their own immense powers neutralized each other upon their convergence... But... Chibi-Poltergeist (grinning, leering at Goddess): As sexy as ever-- Chibi-Doom (grinning, leering at Goddess): Beauuuutiful... (heartbeat intensifies) [We see everything being blown to bits.] Narration: The world was destroyed by these powers grown too great... Poltergeist & Doom: UWAAAAAAA-- Goddess: KYAAAA!! PERVERTS!! Narration: The balance was shattered by the two gods' evil thoughts... (But keep it a secret, OK?) pg. 10 [Pg. 10 is a double-pic of Tina in silhouette, her human and Esper forms back-to-back.] pg. 11 THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE COUPLE'S LOVE [Locke peeks in the cell in South Figaro where Celes is chained and being beaten.] Locke (thinking): I've seen her. She must be the one they call "General Celes"... [The guard starts beating Celes with the chains; Celes screams in pain.] Locke (thinking): He seems to be enjoying it... Guard: Nowwww, then, General-*san*... [The beatings resume.] Celes: AAAAAAHH!! [Locke, tears in his eyes, runs away from the sight.] Locke: I'M SORRY!! I want to save you, but I'm a masochist, so... (I'f I were a sadist... I'd help you, but... oh, I can't think about it...) pg. 12 THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE COUPLE'S LOVE - PART II [Locke has freed Celes from her chains.] Celes: What did you save me? Caption over Locke: <- Saved her after all Locke (picking locks on Celes's manacles): Don't move. These locks're tough... (Oh, boy... You're pretty banged up...) Caption near sleeping man in frame: <- guard Guard: zzzzzz Celes: Oh--YOU GOT HIM! [Celes picks up the chain with which she was being beaten and smiles prettily yet malevolently...] Celes: Eheheheheh... [...and crazily starts whipping the guard with the chain.] Locke: OH! Celes: YOU WERE ABLE TO DISH IT OUT WELL ENOUGH EARLIER, WEREN'T YA?! Ohhhhhhohohohoho! Guard: (Help...) Locke (lovesick): _I'm in love!_ This is the woman I'm bound to follow for the rest of my life... (Looks like she's a sadist after all... My turn's next!) pg. 13 OLD MAN'S LAMENT Cayenne: The women here are always so pathetically incompetent. Despite my recent repeated efforts... [Flashback to an incident with Celes sprawled out on the ground yawning. A frustrated Cayenne (in a karate gi) hovers over her.] Celes: *yawn*... Cayenne: What're you doing? Women are always slouching!! Sit up straight! ~~blah blah blah~~ [Tina is holding a knife, perplexedly looking at a raw, unprepared fish on a cutting board. A once-again vexed Cayenne (once again in a karate gi) observes.] Cayenne: What kind of woman are you? You can't even cook?! You don't even know the first thing about boning a fish?! ~~blah blah blah~~ Tina (pointing to fish): This? [Relm bites into a - rice ball? Probably something vinegary, since she's making a face...] Relm: Ewww...yuck. Cayenne: Miss Relm, please don't eat that. I constantly have to worry about what the women are doing around here... They persist in... ~~blah blah blah~~ [The girls are all gathered together...] Relm: Cayenne is such a fussbudget! Tina: No kidding... His wife must've been really feminine... Celes (attention distracted): Huh? Oh, no! Look over there! [The girls spy Cayenne looking at, as the caption says, "a slightly risqué book"...] Girls: Hmmmm... So _THAT's_ the kind of woman Cayenne likes... Cayenne: *gulp* pg. 14 FILL US IN, KING EDGAR! [Edgar, Locke, and Tina are in Mash's little cottage near South Figaro.] Edgar: This scent... Mash! Tina: *sniff sniff* I don't smell any scent! Edgar: That's because it's kept a secret from ladies! [Edgar reaches into his pocket and pulls out a...] Edgar: DOGGIE SNOUT--!! Artist's Note: I'M SORRRRRY!! [Yes, Edgar indeed does have a strap-on dog snout in his hand (and an accompanying set of doggie ears). Locke and Tina are bowled over. The next we see of Edgar, he's outfitted in a full-body dog costume...] Edgar: Eheheh... Artist's Note: This heightens Edgar-sama's sense of smell to that of a dog! Tina: Whoaaaa...he looks cool even with that on! Caption near Tina: likes animals Edgar: Tina isn't wearing any underwear today! [wagging finger] (Tsk-tsk-tsk!) That's a no-no! You are a girl, after all! Tina (blushing): Oh, _you_! pg. 15 RIVAL Narration: Coming to Autzburg with Relm... [Mash and Relm talk to an artist.] Artist: Oh, yes, Emperor Ghastara - I sold a picture of him to Owzer! [We see the picture - a semi-humorous nude portrait of the Emperor. (No, it's not explicit.)] Sabin (to Gau): (What kind of picture is that...?) Looks like he's naked... Gau: Gau! Relm: HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO-- Such a pitiful doodle couldn't even _touch_ Relm-sama's work in a million years! Owzer is already C-A-P-T-I-V-A-T-E-D by Relm-sama's work! Sabin (to artist, sweatdropping): Please don't mind her! (Sorry...) Artist: Huh? Artist's Note: Just a trifle... pg. 16 [Pg. 16 is a full-length pic of Gau rather goofily trying on Setzer's outfit.] pg. 17 MACHINE Voices (perhaps in Tina's mind): "Yes...I understand." "Yes." "I'm human?...Then..." [Tina awakens in Jun's house.] Tina: This is... Jun: Well! You're awake! Tina: ---- I don't remember anything... Jun: You were being controlled by this Control Band. You'll remember as time passes. It's all right. Please, take a good, long rest. pg. 18 [Jun exits the room where Tina is resting and shuts the door behind him.] Jun (thinking): ----... The girl who possesses the magic power... She thought nothing of taking human life. A killing machine conrolled by the Empire... Very mysterious, that girl. I understand. She wasn't at fault. To be denied one's very self... [Jun fingers the Control Band.] Jun (thinking): Fearsome...this device. [Suddenly, Jun brazenly embraces the band.] Jun (thinking): But - I can use it! (Mwahahaha!) (heart) I'll try it out on the mayor next door! (heart) Narration: IS THAT WISE, RETURNER? Artist's Note: That's it... pg. 19 COIN OF FATE [The young Edgar and Mash are up on the castle parapets during their fateful nighttime meeting.] Edgar: Mash. Let's settle this with the coin Father gave us. Heads, you win. Tails, I win. Whoever wins can go their own way. OK? Artist's Note: The young princes - their faces look weird, don't they?... Heh... Edgar: Well, then - [Edgar flips the coin...] pg. 20 [...and it lands...to the princes' consternation...right on its edge.] Narration: END [The text on Mash's leg reads...um, "Mash's leg". Just to clear it up, in case anyone who owns the doujinshi was wondering.] pg. 21 ALL I HAVE IS YOU... [A "man from somewhere" approaches Shadow.] Man from Somewhere: Have you heard, traveler? They say a dinosaur inhabits a forest in the north part of the Veldt! If someone defeated him, he would earn the respect and pride of all! Shadow: In that case, I just defeated it. Around his late thrities, a rather sentimental fellow... Man from Somewhere (panicked): HIIIIIIIIIIIIIII--_MONSTER_! GET AWAY!! GET AWAYYYYYYY!! HOW COULD YOU KILL HIM - YOU'RE INHUMAN!! AAAAAAAAGH!! [Shadow turns to pet Interceptor.] Shadow: All I have is you, Interceptor. (If only you could be proud of me...) Interceptor: ARF! Narration: Shadow, the lone wolf... He really seems to want a friend... [We see a little afterthought sketch of the Man from Somewhere with a shuriken in his back, "dead" (as said in the caption).] pg. 22 THE CRY OF THE FULL BLOOM OF YOUTH, PART 2 [A pretty Tina brushes her hair (her hair is down).] Tina (Thinking): I wonder who I got my hair color from... Narration: Note: This is Tina. [We see Tina's vision of Madin and her mother holding her infant self.] Tina (thinking): From my dreams, I'm certain that father and mother both had blond hair... Caption near Tina's Mother: mother Caption near Madin: Madin...his human version, I guess Tina (Thinking): Maybe it's an unexpected effect of their union. [Tina starts whirling around, dancing with her hairbrush.] Big Caption in back of Tina: peaceful Tina (thinking): The blue sky... the white snow... I believe in them... Or...perhaps Mother had a little fling... Ahhh... [A bleary-eyed Celes, wiping her face with a damp towel, and Relm, brushing her teeth, comment in the background.] Relm: Big sis Tina's dancing while brushing her hair! Caption near Relm: undressed Caption near Celes: It's no use. She's just not awake at all. Celes: Tina's blood pressure is always high. (I envy her...) (My beauty will be the death of me...) Big Caption near Celes: low blood pressure Tina (thinking): Ahhh...if that's so.. COULD GAU BE MY LONG-LOST BROTHER, SEPARATED AT BIRTH?! pg. 23 [Tina pauses, heart throbbing.] Tina (thinking): That has to be it. I can't be wrong. When father and mother were cultivating their seeds... Text on Banner: TINA'S ETCHI--UM, CONCEPTION OF HOW BABIES ARE MADE Tina (thinking): The moment they made their seeds! [We see Tina's vision of her parents, each happily gardening and placing seeds in flowerpots.] Madin (to Tina's mother): You! Tina's mother (to Madin): You! Tina (thinking): The wind blew Gau's seed away! [We see just that happening in the vision.] Tina's Mother: OH - MY SEED! Caption: The seed looks like Gau! [A reference to the resemblance between Gau's hair and the fuzzy top of the seed - the seed looks like that of a dandelion.] Tina (thinking): It blew far afield, to the human world... and was forced to grow up lonely and alone. Ohhh...my poor little brother Gau!! [Back to the present, where Mash is hoisting up Gau by his pants, trying to shake him awake. Locke is in a nightcap and nightgown, sleeping.] Mash: Get up, right now! Gau: Gau...uuu...u...uhuhuhuzzzzzzz... Caption near Gau: Low blood pressure, like the others... Locke: Zzzzz... Tina (looking on, blowing nose, thinking): (Boo hoo...) I can't stop crying... But I can't say a thing... (It's too cruel!) [Tina runs away in tears. The other party members look on in the background.] Tina: OHHHH-- Tina (thinking): It'd be unforgivable for him to have a sister like me! Relm: Celes, you OK? Celes (fainted, back to sleep): Ugh... Cayenne (smiling): Tina is always so cheerful! Stragus (smiling): Indeed. Always flitting to and fro like that... Mash (trying to shake Gau awake): C'mon! C'mon, you! Gau: ZZZZ! Narration: Tina hasn't been through sex education... To be continued... (*huff*) Locke: zzzz pg. 24 A MONSTER'S TRAGEDY [Relm is painting a picture of Lakshmi for Owzer.] Relm: *paint paint* Owzer: Hmmm, hmmm....it's shaping up nicely. Caption near Owzer: Owzer...is he even human? A nice, volutpuous body... [heart] I wouldn't have thought a brat like you could've painted such a work as that! [heart] (Ho ho!) Relm (twigging): *Brat*? [An upset Relm points her brush at Owzer.] Relm: Even though you're just a Holstein who doesn't understand Lolita-ish charms, not calling me a "woman" is unforgivable! Relm-sama will teach you a lesson! pg. 25 Large Caption on panel: RESET Please wait just a moment... [When we return, we see that Relm has painted over her previous "voluptuous" painting of Lakshmi with a cherub-type rendition of her.] Relm (grinning): How's this? Caption above chibi-Lakshmi: Lolita-type Lakshmi! Owzer (bawling): WAAAAAAAAAAHH! My Lakshmi-chan is all bent out of shape!! [We pan back a little to see a dark figure watching the scene.] Narration: Here, also, lies a fellow shocked by this... Relm: Ho ho ho! Owzer: *sob sob* Caption near dark figure: Channel Dark Channel Dark: Gaaaa-- Narration: And so, the demon did not become captivated by the goddess painting... [We see instead that the Ghastra nude from "Rival" has taken hold of Channel Dark.] Channel Dark: No! No! Ghastra Painting: I wont let you go! Narrative: It instead became the captive of this strange painting of Owzer's... pg. 26 TALK TO THE EMPEROR TWICE [A party of Edgar, Mash, Setzer, and Celes is before the (proper) portrait of Emperor Ghastra. Sabin rather jokingly approaches the portrait.] Mash (addressing portrait): Gooooood morning! Hey, hey! Hi there! Um, OK... Caption on painting: Emperor Ghastra's portrait [Nothing happens.] Mash: Whaaaaa... Edgar: Hahaha... Don't act like a fool, Mash! (Tsk, tsk, tsk! Leave this up to your big brother!) There's no reason for him to do anything for us with the way _you're_ acting. Mash (smirking): Hm, hm! Edgar: It's still the _Emperor_'s portrait! You can't behave in front of it like you would with anyone else! Even *you* don't understand what it means to be royalty?! [Edgar kneels before the portrait, flapping his cape with a flourish.] Edgar: Bless me, dear Emperor Ghastra, how _do_ you do? You seem to be in good spirits! [Edgar presents the (sweatdropping) portrait with "manjuu in a gold paper- wrapped package)". (Manjuu are a type of Japanese sweet rolls.)] Mash (impressed): Whoa! [Celes and Setzer keel over in disbelief at this display - those're their "legs" (as per the captions) which we're seeing in the frame.] Edgar: Bah - such clumsy manners and bungled prose won't do before the Emperor! Bring along such a splendid present, and everything turns out perfectly! Mash (starry-eyed): Oh......big...big brother...I'm so impressed! Just what I'd expect of you! Celes (sweatdropping): Are you guys _NUTS_!?!? [We see a quick doodle of Setzer flying off in his airship.] Caption near Airship: The World's Fastest Vessel! (Actually, he's running away...) pg. 27 ZANTETSUKEN [Scene: the battle between Odin and the sorceror-ghost seen in flashback in the sunken castle in the World of Ruin. Odin attacks, but his attack is useless against the shrouded sorceror.] Sorceror (wagging finger): Tsk, tsk, tsk! Odin: WHAAAT-- Sorceror (holding arms out): This costume is made of KONNYAKU! [Note: konnyaku is a tough food to describe, but if my memory of the Iron Chef battle that featured it serves me right, it's a potato-based tofu-type dish that has a very high water content and is jelly/Jell-O-like in texture.] Sorceror: Cool in summer, warm in winter! Comfy, comfy - Odin (holding head): WAAAA--DAMMIT-- pg. 28 SHINY [Cayenne and Mash are looking for Gau's diving helmet near the Serpent Trench. Gau has apparently found something...] Gau: Got it--! Here's a shiny thing! Mash (carrying a shovel): Finally... [The guys dig up Gau's "shiny thing", only to discover...] Cayenne: Wha-- Mash: That's-- Mash (pausing): Say, Cayenne...from where I'm standing, I can't see anything here but skeletons... How do you suppose... Cayenne: THAT'S ENOUGH!! THAT'S ENOUGH!! PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYMORE!! Gau (picking up one of the unearthed skulls): Hmph! If only it were shinier!! [Mash imagines a missing-person poster...] Poster: MISSING PERSON Name - Rifu (about 72 years old) Birthplace - Tarisu (then took up permament residence in Thamasa) Caption near victim's staff: Life Cane Mash: GAU! DID YOU BURY THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE DEAD?! TELL US!! Artist's Note: Mash yelling pg. 29 A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO [We see...] Caption: Stragus [and...] Caption: General Leo Gau (heart throbbing): All right--!! Lots of shiny things! [Referring to their bald heads, of course.] Mash (unamused): Just don't start burying anything again. (You really shouldn't say things like that...) pg. 30 THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE COUPLE'S LOVE - EXTRA CHAPTER [Setzer and Celes confront each other aboard his airship after the opera kidnapping.] Setzer: Such a thing isn't my responsibility. I have no use for anyone but Maria. Celes: Please! We need your ship!! Caption: <- Celes [Setzer affectionately cups Celes's chin in his hand and smiles.] Setzer: It'd be nice if you became my wife... Celes (blushing): Um-- Locke (suddenly appearing out of nowhere): WAIT A MINUTE!! [Locke goes up to Setzer, looks at the scars on his face, claps a hand on his shoulder, and smiles.] Locke: We're both masochists, right? I can't mistake those scars! (Celes is a psycho when it comes to her whip...) Caption between the two: comrades [Setzer looks at the scars on Locke's arms and sweatdrops. Celes starts cracking her whip again, laughing.] Celes: Nooo - now, now, Locke! pg. 31 THE CRY OF THE FULL BLOOM OF YOUTH - EXTRA CHAPTER [Katrina approaches Tina.] Katrina: Tina. It looks like I'm going to have a baby. Tina (happy): That's wonderful! How great! Katrina (blushing): I wonder how I should break the happy news to Deane... Tina: --So, where're your seeds? Katrina (sweatdropping): Huh? Kid 1: (Mama's even dumber than us!) Kid 2: (She hasn't been through sex education!) Narration: Several months later... [Katrina is in her third trimester. Tina is absolutely shocked at the change...] Tina: You don't have any seeds?! Are you going to lay an _egg_?! Narration: And so Tina learns the truth... (And it shocked her, too...) Deane (in background): *sob sob* pg. 32 [Pg. 32 features a picture of a smiling Relm with her sketchpad, along with then-pertinent (but now long-expired) on obtaining some of the author's other doujinshi through direct mail-order.] pg. 33 AFTERWORD [A little picture of a sweatdropping Gau in dress clothes (and moussed, slicked-back hair).] Artist's Note by Gau: His hair'll go back to normal in 10 minutes! Thank you very much for keeping me company to the very end! I didn't have enough time left to spend several hours on the Afterword... (sweatdrop) Even so, I'd still like two more pages... (sweatdrop) FFVI is a game that truly gave me great pleasure. I liked Gau so much in it that his diving onto monsters in battle was my favorite thing in the game. And Gau _really_ made me happy when he delivered 9999 damage four times using "Stray Cats" with the "Kaiden no Akashi" equipped. (heart) [I'm not quite getting this - I'm getting a translation of "Proof of the Master". The Merit Badge, maybe?] Please use Gau, everyone, OK? And let's meet again! T. Takaya pg. 34 [Pg. 34 has some small publishing information in the corner. The page features a line drawing of Tina with her hair blowing in the wind against a bright sky.]