LUNAR STROLLING SCHOOL CHAPTER 2: AN ENTRANCE EXAM? Narration: It's been a week since they left the village. They've reached the appointed meeting place, and all the new students are gathered... [Elie and Rena find themselves on a grassy seashore cliff, with a staircase leading upward nearby. The new students are scattered about.] ~Chit-chat~ NPC: I finally can study at Iyen. I'll show them I can learn the coolest magic! NPC: Were you lured in by the free meals too? But...I don't see any staff around... NPC: I wonder if I'll be able to hack this "studying" thing. I've never really done it before... NPC: I wonder what kind of stuff we'll study?! I'm so excited! NPC: I wonder how this island just appeared out of nowhere? NPC: I wonder where we go from here? NPC: I-I wonder if the teachers'll be scary... NPC: I wonder what kinds of magic I'll study... NPC: This "Iyen Island"...something about it just gives me the creeps. NPC: What's this? I don't see anyone else but us here... [Elie and Rena make their way to the staircase.] Rena: If we climb these stairs, we should arrive at the Iyen magic school! It'd be nice if we had had some sort of welcome, but... [Just then, three boys - a boy dressed in blue with shoulder-length white hair, a short boy in yellow with curly green hair in a ponytail, and a freckled blue-haired boy who appears to be the leader of the three - appear behind Elie and Rena.] Blue-Haired Boy: Hey! You can't go there yet! Out of the way! Rena: Wh-who're you? Blue-Haired Boy: Right now, we're the ones looking at you just standing there blocking the way! [The boys shove past and go up the stairs.] Rena: Hey - wait! C'mon, Elie, let's go! [The pair do so and come upon a forested plateau. Upon further surveyance, the girls spot a town.] Rena: WOW-- What a huge town! Look at all the buildings! Elie: What a beautiful place! Rena: The school must be there, right? Let's go check it out! [Rena and Elie make their way to the town. The first people they see are the three boys they "met" on the staircase on the way here.] ~Chit-chat~ White-Haired Boy: What the heck's going on... Green-Haired Boy: The town's so quiet it's eerie. [The girls confront the blue-haired boy.] Rena: We finally found you! Where do you get off being so selfish... Huh? [Rena, finally noting the conspicuous silence, looks around; the town appears to be deserted.] Rena: What happened to all the townspeople? They're nowhere in sight! Blue-Haired Boy: I dunno! We looked around, but no one's here! Rena: ......Well, we'd better all start looking for them right now! By the way, what's your name? Blue-Haired Boy: "I ain't sayin' nothing 'till you give me YOUR name!" ...That's what I'd like to say, but...oh, what the heck. I'm Ant. The guy over there in yellow's Rick, and the guy in blue's Kule. Don't forget it! Rena: I'm Rena, and this's Elie. Pleased to meet you. By the way, shouldn't we call everyone else over here? Ant: THOSE morons? I can do this myself, shorty! Rena [fighting mad]: WHAT DID YOU SAYYYY... [suddenly calm] Well, that's all right. Let's go, Elie. ~Chit-chat~ Kule: What the heck's going on... Rick: The town's so quiet it's eerie... Ant: What do you think you're doing? Get back here NOW! Rena: Nothing doing! You're too much of a loudmouth. [Elie and Rena head back to where they left the others...only to find the bridge they crossed to get here gone.] Rena: W...what? But I'm sure there was a bridge here... Elie: Rena...look. The cape's over there. Rena: Why is it getting smaller and smaller all of a sudden? Is this island MOVING?? Elie: It looks that way. [The girls go back to recheck the town; no such luck. Only Ant, Kule, and Rick are there.] ~Chit-chat~ Ant: The cape's gone? This's all like some weird dream... Rick: I wonder where everyone went... Kule: Maybe they all fled to the port or something? [The girls search the island; they find the others all congregated near a small set of sandy cliffs along the way. The new students rush to meet the girls.] NPC: This's a horrible island... NPC: Just after you left, the island began to move! NPC: We thought we'd better leave the cape. Rena: Well, c'mon, everyone! [Rena and Elie lead all the new students back to town. They congregate in a small flower patch near the center of town.] Rena: Listen up, everyone. It looks like there's no one on Iyen Island but us new students. And now the island has started to move. Now, we can't just stay here and do nothing! Let's all search the town! ~Chit-chat~ Rick: This place gives me the creeps... Kule: Something horrible must have happened to the guys that lived here! Ant: Well! This's getting interesting! [Elie and Rena venture outside of town to join the (seemingly futile) search party.] ~Chit-chat~ NPC: Strange that no one's here! NPC: I...I wanna go home... NPC: Don't sneak up on me like that! You startled me. Don't do that. NPC: I wonder why they decided to live here? NPC: If you get tired, magic and herbs can recover your strength. NPC: It looks like someone was taking care of the flower beds. NPC: No one's here...it's eerie. NPC: There really isn't anyone here... NPC: There's really no one here. NPC: It really looks like it's just us students here. NPC: It really looks like it's just us students here. NPC: I wonder why no one's here? Everything was left neatly and in order. [Upon chatting with the one of the last four NPC's, all the new students will reconvene at the flower patch.] Ant: All right! Anyone here find anybody? Everyone: ......... Rena: This's an eerie place...I wonder where everyone went? Elie: It looks like a ghost town. Rena: Well - now I'm hungry! Elie: Great timing. Rena: Um...really? Eh heh heh... Ant: All right - let's go scrounge up some food. If we go to the forest on the outskirts of town, we should be able to find something. Let's go, guys! Guys: Uh huh! [All the male new students leave.] Rena: I wonder why we can't all go together? Eh, that's all right. Let's go to the forest on the edge of town! We can't let the boys beat us! Girls: Okay! [All the female new students take off - except for Elie and Rena.] Rena: ...Hey! We're supposed to all go together! Wait for us! [Elie and Rena go to the forest and, after several monster battles, manage to get a hold of some meat. They leave.] Rena: Well, that was fun, huh? Let's go back now! [Elie and Rena do so and find that the other boys and girls have also returned. They've split up according to gender; the boys have an ample supply of food, while the girls have gathered a less-than-impressive amount of vittles.] ~Chit-chat~ Boy: This'll be enough for now! Boy: Sure thing. Boy: Girls just can't fend for themselves! Ant: Heh, is that all you got? Girl: You'd better save often from here on in. Girl: There really isn't anyone here! [Rena approaches the girl in charge of the females' food pile.] Rena: Here's our contribution! [Elie and Rena's scroungings add considerably to the pile, but it still comes up short of the boys'.] Girl: I'm sorry, Elie, Rena - we did our best, but... Rena: That's okay, that's okay. Ant: Huh? That's ALL? Just like I thought - girls are wimps! Don't you girls worry! Guys - and ONLY the guys - let's go! Guys: Right! [The guys take their food and leave.] Rena: Hmph! What pigs! Eh, that's all right. I guess we'd better brainstorm to figure out what to do next! Girl: I don't know if this'll help, but... Rena: What? Girl: There're a lot of rooms in that big building I searched on the other side of town! Maybe we could stay there from here on in? Rena: Hmmm...well, I suppose. All right! Let's go and check it out! ~Chit-chat~ Girl: I wonder why the boys are so selfish? Girl: There're kitchens where we can fix the meals, but...well, it's kinda scary... Girl: It's the building at the end of the road going left and up! [Elie and Rena reach the building in question; the other girls have already settled in.] ~Chit-chat~ Girl: Could you please go get some food from the forest just outside of town? Please! Girl: Could you please go get some food from the forest just outside of town? Please! Girl: You'd better save often from here on in! Girl: Good that we've got our own rooms, huh? We can have slumber parties! Girl: If you stand still after casting a spell, your magic power will slowly regenerate. [Rena and Elie go get some meat from the forest. If they leave the forest before finding meat...] Rena: What're you doing, Elie? We should try to gather some food in the forest. [Finally, the girls get some meat and bring it back to the dorm.] Girl: Oh, thank you two so much. Why don't you go get some rest in the rooms upstairs while we prepare the meal? ~Chit-chat~ Girl: Oh, thank you two so much. Why don't you go get some rest in the rooms upstairs while we prepare the meal? Girl: Oh, thank you two so much. Why don't you go get some rest in the rooms upstairs while we prepare the meal? [As repeatedly suggested, Rena and Elie go upstairs.] ~Chit-chat~ Girl: You'd better save often from here on in! Girl: Good that we've got our own rooms, huh? We can have slumber parties! Girl: If you stand still after casting a spell, your magic power will slowly regenerate. [Finding the girls upstairs rather stuck for conversation, our heroines go downstairs again.] ~Chit-chat~ Girl: I'm sorry, but it's not done yet! Why don't you take a walk outside while we fix the food? Girl: I'm sorry, but it's not done yet! Why don't you take a walk outside while we fix the food? [The duo do so, but, considering that they kinda already saw this burg during the whole search-party thing and that a deserted ghost town is kinda hard-up for entertainment, they return quickly. One of the girls greets them at the door upon their return.] Girl: It's...it's...it's horrible! Rena: ? What's wrong? Girl: The-the food was stolen! The storeroom was raided! It makes no sense! Rena: What're you saying? It couldn't be monsters...? Girl: I didn't get a clear look, but I'm sure it was the boys! Rena: What? Girl: They probably took it! Rena [angry]: Arrrgh! What do they think they're doing?! They think only of themselves... I'LL teach them a lesson - but good! Girl: Rena's too scary... [The girl walks away; another takes her place.] Girl: It's awful! Look out the window! It's the guys! They even took our laundry! Rena: It's time to put an end to this! I'll send them packing! ~Chit-chat~ Girl: What'll we do about those guys? Girl: It's terrible to have our food stolen! Girl: What the guys did is unforgivable! Girl: They even stole our laundry! How low! Girl: Ohhhh - I've had enough of this place... [Elie and Rena go outside and tussel with the boys - whom they defeat handily. Everyone gathers at the flower patch afterwards.] Boy: A-Ant's at the cave by the creek. He told us to take the food! Please forgive us! Rena: Oh, really? I'll take care of him myself! Elie, let's go! ~Chit-chat~ Girl: Naturally, no one beats you, Rena! Girl: We've stopped the boys, but we still can't get off the island. Girl: Thank goodness! Everything's been set right thanks to you! Girl: Naturally, no one beats you, Rena! Girl: I hope the boys have learned something from this! All Boys: It's no use taking it out on us! ANT's the one who put us up to it! [Elie and Rena leave the flower patch; the girls go back to the dorm, while the boys disappear.] ~Chit-chat~ Girl: What'll we do about those guys? Girl: It's horrible having our food stolen! Girl: Thank goodness! Everything's been set right thanks to you! Girl: Naturally, no one beats you, Rena! Girl: We've stopped the boys, but we still can't get off the island. [Elie and Rena leave the dorm and town. Rena casts an eye toward the cave where Ant is said to be hiding.] Rena: So you're in that cave, huh, Ant? Well, wait for us! I'll fix you! [Rena and Elie fight their way through and find Ant, Kule, and Rick.] ~Chit-chat~ Kule: So, you thought that us guys weren't coming back...I see. Rick: Oh, so you came...string bean and shorty! Rena: What did you say!? Who're YOU to be calling me "shorty"? [Rena confronts Ant.] Rena: Hey! You there! YOU were the one who told those guys to steal our food and clothes! What's the meaning of all this!? Rick: If you girls eat too much, you'll fatten up! So, we took away your food for you! Kule: And when you go to wash the clothes you have, you'll have to undress... and those were your only extra changes of clothes that we stole! Ant: You could always fight us for them...'course, we'd beat you in no time... Rena: Those're disgusting reasons! I don't need a single second to think about it! I've made up my mind to teach you a lesson! Rick: Leave this to me! [Rick attacks. Elie and Rena defeat him.] ~Chit-chat~ Kule: So, you thought that us guys weren't coming back...I see. Rick: Uhh... Kule, take over for me... [Rena and Elie try to confront Ant again, but Kule steps in...] Kule: How could you do that to Rick?! It's MY turn now! [Kule attacks; he is defeated as well.] ~Chit-chat~ Kule: Uhh... Rick: Ohhh... [Rena and Elie confront Ant once more.] Rena: It was pretty stupid of you to attack one at a time! Now, let's do it, Elie! [Ant attacks; he's fairly strong, but Rena and Elie defeat him.] Ant: Damn it! If we only knew some healing magic, we could keep going... Rena: Well, that's your problem. Now, come with us! Ant: Huh? Are you all out to get us now? Rick, Kule, c'mon! [The boys leave.] Rena: HEY! C'mon, let's go after them! ?: Wait!! [One of the female new students runs in to Rena and Elie. Ant and his crew escape.] Girl: H-horrible monsters have broken into town! We can't do anything by ourselves! Rena: What? Let's hurry back to town, then! [The girls do so. Elie and Rena are attacked by monsters throughout the town, but they eventually fight their way to the dorm, where all the new students - save for Ant, Rick, and Kule - are now staying.] ~Chit-chat~ Girl: Between the monsters and the boys, the rooms are all a mess! Girl: If you stand still after casting a spell, your magic power will slowly regenerate. Girl: Naturally, nobody beats you, Rena! Boy: We're not getting along real well since we stole the food. Boy: W-we were wrong! We were misled - please forgive us! Girl: Great. My underwear's safe and sound. Boy: I didn't want to steal your food! Honest! Girl: Though we've taken care of the fellas, we still can't get off this island! Boy: We're not getting along real well since we stole the food. Boy: W-we were wrong! We were misled - please forgive us! [Elie and Rena leave the dorm...and are met at the door by Rick and Kule.] Rick: Ant - we can't find Ant! Kule: Please! Help us find him! Rena: Oh, really? So you need OUR help, huh? Well, we've got no choice. Let's go back to the cave again! ~Chit-chat~ Rick: Ant - Ant's missing! Kule: I wonder if he went back inside the cave?... [Elie and Rena go back inside the cave; they find nothing...except for a letter.] Letter: It looks like the boss of these monsters is in the forest nearby. I'm going to go defeat it by myself; don't worry! - Ant Rena: "Don't worry", he says? I don't think I've ever met anyone so hopeless in my life. Well, we've got no choice. Ant's depending on us. [Rena and Elie travel to the forest and discover the boss monster of which Ant spoke - a giant flower. Ant then comes along...] Ant: Outta the way! Outta the wayyyyy! I'll handle this! [Rena and Elie get outta the wayyyyy, and Ant goes forth - only to be immediately thrown back by the plant. Rena goes to him.] Rena: What did you think you were doing? Hold still. Ant: Heyy--! Wha--I didn't ASK you to help me! Rena: Shut up! That thing was about to tear you apart! [This time, Rena and Elie join Ant in his attack on the flower-monster (called a Torrent). The three defeat the Torrent...] Ant: The monsters are coming from that thing's mouth! Is something inside there? I'm gonna go see! Rena: Um, Ant, wait - don't be rash... [Ant goes into the flower's mouth...and disappears.] Rena: What - Ant? ...He disappeared? Wha-what happened to him? [The game follows Ant, who, after his journey down the plant's gullet, has wound up...in an office building not unlike the buildings back at Iyen.] Ant: Wh-what? This is-- Could this be the enemy hideout? [Ant looks around the room - and discovers four other people - a middle-aged blond man, a mature woman with a short blue haircut, a brown-haired young man, and a young woman with long red hair. They all appear to be magicians and are all deep in conference...] Young Man: I-I'm at a loss... Older Man: Well, the boy does have spirit... Young Man: I can't believe what you're saying! Older Woman: Well, I've been thinking about Ant myself. I'm quite pleased with him! And how about Rena as well, hmm? We seem to hear a lot about that girl! Young Man: Should we really take this matter so lightly, Emma, ma'am? After all, Ant's actions have brought about some terrible... Older Woman/Emma: Oh, that reminds me - how is Ant doing now? Young Woman: Um, this "Ant"... Young Man: What, Eleonora? Young Woman/Eleonora: Is he the one standing right over there? All Others: HUHHH!? [All look at Ant..] Ant: Ah-HA! So YOU'RE the bosses! Say your prayers! [The scene shifts back to the dorm, where Rena and Elie have just finished telling some of the other gals what happened.] Girl: What - oh, well. We weren't worried about him, anyway. Rena: Anyhow...we should probably show the guys how to do some work around here! ...After all, we could be stuck here forever. Girl: But isn't there SOME way to get off of here? We ARE on a moving island! Girl: Oh, what will become of us? Rena: We still have to think about it some more. We haven't really had time to do so with all that's happened recently. After all, it's not like the island's going to suddenly sink on us! [Mandatory Ironic Words of Doom Moment You Saw Coming: The island suddenly begins to shake.] Rena: Huh - w-what!? Girl: Rena! You said the island wasn't gonna sink! Girl: AAAAAH! You've doomed us all, Rena! You're going to take all of us down with you! Rena: This isn't MY fault...! I don't have any reason to do this! ...but at least things are getting interesting, huh? Let's go have a look! ~Chit-chat~ NPC: What should we do, Rena? NPC: You did this, Rena! NPC: Wha-what happened? An earthquake? NPC: W-was that an earthquake? It's the first one I've ever experienced... I-it shook me so... NPC: W-was that an earthquake? It's the first one I've ever experienced... I-it shook me so... NPC: What should we do, Rena? NPC: I'm...I'm scared... NPC: W-what happened? An earthquake? NPC: I'm...I'm scared... NPC: W-was that an earthquake? It's the first one I've ever experienced... I-it shook me so... [Elie and Rena go outside.] Rena: Everything looks unharmed... [Suddenly, another earthquake hits.] Elie: Huh? Wha-what's that? [Elie runs back toward the dorm.] Rena: Elie, where're you going? Elie: I have to help everyone! Rena: But, but how? Elie: I don't know, but it's better than just standing here! Rena: Right! Let's move it! [The two girls try to go to the dorm, but horrible quakes rock the island.] Rena: Aah! [Still more quakes. The girls brace themselves.] Elie & Rena: .........!! [The quakes become more and more horribly violent...and the girls black out. The scene picks up when Elie comes to...in a structure like the one where Ant was deposited. She is surrounded by the other new students and a few unknown faces dressed in magician's robes...and watched over by the blue-haired, middle-aged woman, Emma, from the meeting Ant witnessed.] Emma: Oh, be careful, now! Are you all right? Elie: I...where is this? Emma: The resting room of Iyen's main offices. I'm Emma, the school counselor. Pleased to meet you! Elie: I...I don't understand... Emma: Oh - don't strain yourself, now! When you feel up to it, please go to conference room upstairs. I think it's be best if the dean of students explained this all to you. ~Chit-chat~ Emma: When you feel up to it, please go to conference room upstairs. New Student: I still have a bad feeling about this. New Student: Uhhh... New Student: I wonder if it was all a dream? New Student: Are you all right? New Student: Are you all right? New Student: Uhhh... New Student: I wonder if it was all a dream? New Student: I still have a bad feeling about this. Magician: Looks like the boys and girls had a lot of problems getting along, huh? Magician: Horrible, wasn't it? But that was your entrance exam... Magician: But, it looks like you defeated the Torrent, the boss of the monsters. Magician: The conference room is on the top floor. Magician: Did you really pass the entrance exam with flying colors? [Elie goes upstairs; Rena rushes to meet her.] Rena: Elie! Oh, what a relief! I was afraid you hadn't made it! Elie: Oh, don't worry about me. But...what is this place? I was told I'd get an explanation, but... ~Chit-chat~ Magician: This's just a rumor, but... they say that, during the test, a new student broke into the conference room! New Student: I still don't understand all this... New Student: What do they mean, "everything that happened on the island was a test"?! New Student: I still don't understand all this... New Student: I still don't understand all this... New Student: How're they gonna explain all this? New Student: At least we can get off the island! Kule: At least Ant's okay! Rick: Ant--!! You're all right! [Elie and Rena have made their way to a room - the conference room where Ant landed - where all the new students (including Ant) have gathered. The brown-haired young man from the conference address them; the young redhead, Eleonora, stands back.] Young Man: Well, it looks like everyone's here, then? Let's begin. I'm the dean of students, Brown. Rena: Excuse me, but what's the story with all the stuff that happened on the island? Young Man/Brown: Hmmm...well, that was a test, you see. Let me start from the beginning. What you see before you is a miniature version of Iyen. Rena: Huh? THIS is Iyen Island? Brown: This was created by the present headmaster... He created another Iyen Island in another dimension. Rena: So, we're standing on a model of the real Iyen? Brown: It's a bit more complex than that, but you've basically got it. Rena: If this was a test, has it been determined whether or not we passed? Brown: Oh - don't worry. This was a test of the new students' character. With this test, we determine which of you would be diligent, attentive students. Ant: Heh! I had a bad feeling about this all along! I KNEW that someone was behind all this! Brown: We had planned for the entrance exam to last a week, but... [Brown goes to Ant.] Brown: Thanks to THIS young man's mistakes, the miniature island sank! As a result, we were forced to take emergency measures. Ant: "ME"!? Hey, I was a hero! I didn't do anything! [At this Rena, goes up to Ant.] Rena: "Didn't do anything"? Yeah, right! You just don't want to apologize! Brown [sweatdropping]: Why'd I ever bring the subject up... A-anyhow, congratulations to all you new students of the Iyen Magic School! We welcome you from the bottom of our hea-- [Oblivious, Ant approaches Rena.] Ant: WHAT? What do you mean by that, shorty!? [Rena gets right in Ant's face.] Rena: "Shorty"? You've no right to call me that, stupid! Ant: Why d'ya say that, shorty? Rena: STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID STUPID Ant: SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY SHORTY Brown [sweatdropping]: Um, could we settle down a little here? ...Please? END CHAPTER 2 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.