LUNAR STROLLING SCHOOL CHAPTER 1: AN INVITATION FROM THE MAGIC SCHOOL [Our two heroines, Elie (a rather tall girl with long red hair in a high ponytail) and Rena (a short girl with blonde, curly hair), are picking fruit in an orchard in the town of Burg.] Rena: Hey, Elie! This field work's pretty rough, huh? Let me lend you a hand! Elie: No need. I've already finished this row. [The gals move on to another row.] Elie: .........Where're we supposed to go to sell this fruit? Rena: Somewhere in "Iyen", I think. Elie: "Iyen"? I've never heard of it. I wonder where it is... Rena: I think it's the name of an island. It just landed north of Cape Agito. Elie: ??? A traveling island? Rena: Hmm? Well, don't look at me; I don't know the whole story... however... ?: RenaAAAA!! [Rena's father comes running through the orchard at breakneck speed to Rena.] Rena's Father: Oh! Thank God! Are you all right?!?! Come on with your Papa, honey! We're leaving the village right now!! Rena: W-why, Papa? Rena's Father: The elder said that you and Elie are going to be sold to Iyen! I won't have my little girl treated like a slave! You'd better hightail it out of here, too, Elie. C'mon, Rena! Let's hurry up and... [Suddenly, an old man in a yellow cloak enters the scene.] Old Man: Hey, YOU there! You making all the racket! That's quite enough! Pipe down! Iyen isn't the...the "den of iniquity" you're portraying it to be! For heaven's sake... Rena: Hey.................. who's the old man? Old Man: Ho ho ho! Just some shriveled-up old geezer dropping by to say hello! Rena: Well, you've a fine way of saying hello! What a pervert! Even though you ARE a shriveled-up old geezer... Old Man: Now, now, you girls are getting all worked up over a simple misunderstanding. I've just come to deliver the applications for enrollment into the Iyen "Magic School" that were sent out to you two! Now, is that so horrifying? Rena: W-what are you talking about? Rena's Father: So he DID sell my daughter.........! Old Man: Ho ho ho......... Well, carefully consider whether or not you'd like to come to Iyen. I'll be eagerly awaiting your decision! [The old man leaves. The next scene takes place in the Burg elder's house, with Elie, Rena, Rena's dad, and what appears to be Elie's mother in attendance. (Note: I'm not entirely clear on which lines belong to Elie's mother and which to Rena's father; the text doesn't identify them when they speak. I've done the best guesstimating I can.)] Rena's Father: HUH?! So you say they're NOT going to be slaves? Elie's Mother: And the meals are free for the full three years!? Elder: Well, of course, they'll be undergoing rigorous training and study. [Elie and Rena turn and discuss this amongst themselves.] Elie: We'll be doing nothing but studying all day, from morning to night... Rena: We have to! What did you think "studying" meant, Elie? Elder: If you decided to leave, you'd be doing a great service to the village. [Rena turns to face the elder.] Rena: Oh, really? So, if we left behind all the field work and and chores we normally do around here, we'd be doing a great "service" for you, hmm? We'll be happier studying in Iyen than doing field work here, anyway! Elder: .........Um...well...(sweatdrop) Elie: I wonder if they're giving away the meals because the classes are so hard no one wants to go to the school otherwise... Rena: Hey, the meals are free! That's all the encouragement I need! Rena's Father: Well, since you're young, I suppose it wouldn't be so bad for you to start studying now, but... Elder: Oh - oh, yes, another thing! Rena's Father: Huh? Elder: When the youth of the old village down the road went to Iyen, they returned as formidable powerhouses - magnificent magicians! Afterwards, they built up their village to unparalleled prosperity! Now it's a boom town! Elie's Mother: The village down the road, you said? Elder: They can command lightning to strike at will! And the profits they've reaped from being able to make it rain whenever they want... Now, are those skills such foolish wastes of time?! Elder: Once you gain those abilities, you'll no longer have any need to study! Rena: Huh? You mean, if we study, we'll be able to do all sorts of cool stuff like that? Rena's Father: So, you're saying that that's why I should send my daughter to that suspicious place... Elie's Mother: Well, what would you like to do, Elie? Elie: Ummm... Rena: IT'S FREE FOOD!! And we'll be able to cast some awesome magic besides! What a deal! You HAVE to go! C'mon, Elie! Elie: Ummm.........(sweatdrop) [The game's perspective pans down outside the house, where the old man has been observing these developments.] Old Man: I'd best inform Iyen of these recent developments...... Now, to see whether or not we have ourselves two new students......... [The old man teleports away.] END CHAPTER 1 Lunar, Lunar Strolling School, et al. are the property of Game Arts and Working Designs; this document is not affiliated with either. Translation by RACapowski@sceneryrecalled.com; please do not repost this document without permission.