Lunar: EB Novel, Vol. 1

[Kizyr]

Hey everyone! I finished the first Lunar: EB novel last week. Two years back while I was reading the SSS novels, I would post up summaries as soon as I finished one volume. So, I thought I'd do the same to the best of my abilities (this is all based on memory, and flipping through the book, as I didn't actually take notes while reading). This is going to be long, so I'll break apart the posts themselves into chapters and append new chapters as I have time.

Also, if I remember anything new in the future, I'll edit the previous post(s), then make a reply indicating what's new. I'm now about 1-2 chapters into Vol. 2, by the way, and there's a really interesting section I want to translate later on that mentions Lucia and Althena's roles after the Blue Star's destructions. But that'll be later. Anyway, for now:
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Lunar: Eternal Blue, Lucia of the Blue Star - Vol. 1
(Chapters 1-3)

-Prologue-

Lucia awakens on the Blue Star, yet prematurely. Lucia is the goddess watching over the Blue Star, awaiting its resurrection via Lunar, the world to which Althena gave life. She felt the presence of Zophar, yet couldn't feel the presence of Althena. So, she decides to go to Lunar herself to meet Althena and seal away Zophar, if he has returned.

(The translation of this entire chapter is already at http://www.lunar-net.com/novels/eb1.php).

-Chapter 1: Dragonship Destiny-

Ruby is a winged, talking cat.

"I'm not a cat! Does a cat fly around? Can a cat talk? Can a cat breathe fire on you? I'm a Red Dragon, but because dragons live a looong time, I'm still a kid in this cute little form."

Ruby lives with Hiro--her boyfriend, if you ask her--and Grandpa Gwyn. The two of them work as archaeologists, studying the ancient ruins in the Salyan Desert at present. They learned about the old legends of Dragonmaster Alex, and his companion, who was a baby white dragon that looked remarkably like a flying cat.

The three of them lived a simple life, studying ruins. One day when Ruby and Hiro were examining the ruins in the desert, they hear the sound of a sandship. They step outside and see the Dragonship Destiny approaching, with a beastman at the helm. He introduces himself as the White Knight Leo, and warns them that a battle may be coming soon versus the Destroyer Lucia who is to come here. He needs to find an archaeologist, Gwyn, and discover how to enter the Blue Spire. Leo takes aboard Hiro and Ruby, who explain that the three of them live together and he'll direct Leo to Gwyn himself.

There, Leo asks Gwyn how to enter. But, the grandpa really doesn't know himself. Leo here also mentions that just three months ago, a Shrine of Althena was set up at Larpa, the least likely place in the world to have a shrine. Unable to get any help, though, he says he'll blow the place apart if he has to and leaves.

Shortly thereafter, Gwyn and Hiro spy a huge light coming from the Blue Spire, and what looked like something travelling along that light from the Blue Star to the Spire itself. They would go investigate, if Gwyn had the other gemstone required to enter... which Hiro happens to produce from his waistpouch. They decide to leave.

-Chapter 2: Lucia of the Blue Spire-

When they arrive, Ruby's worried that Leo might destroy the place while they're inside. Gwyn reassures her that the Spire is meant to withstand any blow; it's in a caldera, meaning that it could even withstand a volcano eruption. Or that's what he says to calm Ruby down.

They explore the outside complex around the Spire, and see the Guardian statues around there. Hiro and Gwyn assure Ruby that there's nothing to worry about; even if the Guardian's came alive, the statues were bigger than the door, so they just had to run inside.

When they get to the center, they find an Althena's Statue and the Blue Spire in front of them; the Blue Spire is much older than the surrounding complex they just came through. They ascend up to the top of the Blue Spire and there...

Hiro is transported, along with Ruby, to an empty room. A light flashes and a girl appears, wearing a red cloak and hat. She says that she is Lucia, and she needs to meet with Althena. Hiro is distracted by her beauty, which infuriates Ruby. Lucia further explains that this world is in danger of destruction. Hiro surmises that in order to save the world, then, Lucia says she has to meet with Althena.

Lucia transports them back (Ruby is impressed at her use of teleportation magic--normally you need a spring or magic item for that sort of thing).

-Chapter 3: Zophar's Curse-

The four of them leave the Spire. Gwyn and the others notice that she definitely isn't quite human, or at least far more powerful than any human. But she doesn't seem like a Destroyer, like Leo claims.

Just then, Zophar appears. Or his presence appears... Lucia raises her hand and calls on the four dragons--yet nothing happens. Zophar says that he sealed them away. "Odd, isn't it? Feeling so vulnerable. You've never felt fear before, have you, Lucia?" asks Zophar. He draws out her power and curses her before leaving.

The rest of them are mortified. They try to heal her at the Althena Statue, but it doesn't do anything for curses. Worse yet, the Guardians outside are now awake, so they can't leave. Gwyn suggests one last alternative they have: seek help from Leo.

Ruby will fly out of the area and journey to where Leo is. He's bound to have a priest on board, and if not, he can take them to Larpa where now there is a Shrine. About Lucia... they'll just call her "Shia", instead of "Lucia", suggests Ruby. They'll have to keep her a secret; so long as Leo doesn't yet know what the Destroyer looks like, he won't suspect it's a young girl. Ruby is still worried, but Gwyn and Hiro assure her that they'll be safe so long as they stay around the Althena Statue; Ruby likewise assures them that she'll stay safe on her journey.

After she leaves, Lucia asks them why they lie to each other. They know they can't guarantee their own safety, so why lie? Gwyn and Hiro try to explain that it's how humans are... Saying the blunt truth won't help anything, so they try to stay confident by saying things like that. Gwyn asks Hiro to play his ocarina in the meantime, to help ease the anxiety of waiting for Ruby's return.
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That ends this installment. Stay tuned for Chapters 4-6.

Feel free to discuss here, as well. After I finish all this up, I'm going to make a LunarNET update with it. Meanwhile I'm also re-doing the summary for the first SSS novel. KF

[GhaleonOne]

Nothing in there that's too earth-shatteringly different than what we already know (other than the minor story changes such as calling Lucia by a different name, Hiro and Ruby traveling with Leo to Gwyn's, etc.) It is somewhat interesting that there was more on the outside of the Blue Spire than just the gaurdians like in the game.

Personally, I can't wait until you get further in towards the more meaty stuff, like Ghaleon, any possible changes with Vane, and your mention of Althena and Lucia's roles. Should be interesting.

[Kizyr]

Yeah, it's not until Chapter 4 that the plotline starts to change, and once we get to Chapter 5-6 stuff really starts to differ (they skip past the Forest of Illusion and Nota, don't do the whole Zulan thing, and end up at Taben's Peak shortly after running into Ghaleon). KF

[phyco126]

Not to mention Hiro has an orcarina

[Kizyr]

Here's the continuation of Volume 1.
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Lunar: Eternal Blue, Lucia of the Blue Star - Vol. 1
(Chapters 4-6)

-Chapter 4: The Gambler of Larpa-

Larpa was a den of misfits and vagabonds. Therein was a priest-turned-gambler named Ronfar, who would roll the dice for most anything. He'd occasionally make bets to drive people away from town, offering to leave town and take up the priesthood once again if he lost. He always won.

Recently, the Cult of Althena established a shrine here, of all places in the world. Ronfar went to the mayor to ask (ask = 'pay for information') why he let the Shrine be built, when he knew everyone in town would oppose it. The mayor explains simply: he could either let them build the Shrine in town, or let the town be destroyed. That was the choice the Cult of Althena offered him. (Starting to sound like the Ori here.)

Ronfar remembers a few years ago, the incident that drove him away from the priesthood. He grew up with a beastgirl named Mauri. They both joined the priesthood, and rose up in ranks; everyone thought they'd certainly be married one day. Yet, when the plague came to their village, he couldn't save her by his own power. She was healed by other means (not specified at this point), but forever changed.

The people in Larpa, by the way, never wanted to go to the Shrine in town. For one, they could go to someone like Ronfar to be healed for free. And more importantly, even if they had to pay Ronfar, they'd rather go to him because they didn't have to hear any lectures from the Cult of Althena if they just wanted to be healed.

One day Leo comes to visit his old friend, Ronfar. Leo asks Ronfar to rejoin the priesthood, see Mauri once again; but Ronfar says he can't: Mauri has changed. "Of course, she's changed into a woman. She's not the simple girl you once knew," explains Leo. That's not what Ronfar meant, though...

He recalls when he came upon one town that happened to cross the Cult's path. It was burned to the ground. Walking through the ashes he found Mauri over them. "Who are you?" demanded Ronfar. "Why, I'm Mauri, the same Mauri you've always known," she answers. "That's a lie!" Ronfar protests.

Leo had heard the rumors about villages receiving the "Divine Punishment" of Althena. But he didn't buy into rumors. Ronfar, though, had seen one of those villages. He stops, though, before he offends Leo, and apologizes for speaking too much. Leo continues and explains his purpose there, to find and destroy Lucia, the Destroyer, even if he has to attack the Blue Spire with the White Dragon Cannon.

Just then, one of Leo's soldiers enters, holding a flying pink-colored cat. After the usual protestations by Ruby of not being a cat, and being Hiro's girlfriend, she explains that the three of them entered the Blue Spire and were attacked by monsters, and now are trapped inside and need their help to remove a curse. Leo points out that they lied, then, about not knowing how to enter; Ruby protests that it was true, this is the first time they managed to enter. Leo agrees to come and retrieve them.

Ruby directs them to the Blue Spire from there, and where Hiro and the others are waiting. With the White Dragon Cannon, Leo clears the Guardians and they take on Hiro, Gwyn, and 'Shia' aboard. Since when Leo heard "the three of us live together", he wasn't counting Ruby as one of those three, he didn't think anything of it when they brought three people aboard. They transport them to Larpa and to Ronfar's house, where Lucia awakens.

Ruby and the others are relieved to see she's awake now. She asks where they are now, and Ruby answers "You're in Larpa. We took you to Ronfar's house so he could remove your curse, Lucia!" Ronfar asks why the woman they called "Shia" before is now "Lucia", and Ruby realizes her error. She's worried that Ronfar will turn them over to his friend, Leo, now.

Everything is explained to Lucia at this point... that Leo's mission is apparently to kill her, per the orders of Althena. Lucia's confused as to why Althena would want to kill her. By then, Leo shows up, and promptly attacks Hiro and Lucia. He doesn't kill them, but with the magic in his sword only knocks them out and takes them away with his guards. Ronfar knows that Leo is not a bad person, but can't believe that Lucia is the Destroyer, so he agrees to help Ruby and save Hiro and Lucia--per a roll of his dice. Ruby calls out evens, he rolls evens, and they go. Gwyn is left behind to take care of Ronfar's house in Larpa in their absence.

-Chapter 5: Destiny's Magic Arrow-

Ronfar boards the Destiny with just one bag on his back. He asks Leo if he can see Hiro, as Hiro is only a bystander at this point and Ronfar wants to ensure that he'll be all right. Leo agrees and lets him in. While there, Ronfar lets the flying cat out of his bag and heals Hiro. They retrieve Lucia as well.

When Leo discovers them, they manage to draw him into one of the cells in pursuit, when Ruby hits the switch to close the door. They then escape...

(This is where it starts to get real different, folks)

...by using the Magic Arrow on the Dragonship Destiny to fly away. Hiro recognizes the same ideas behind the Magic Arrow from studying some of the ancient relics and texts he and Gwyn uncovered about similar devices in the past. He figures out the gist of the controls and they fly off. But, the arrow was designed to seat two, not three plus a cat, and the arrow flies unpredictably and crash-lands on the ground.

They open the hatch. It's nightfall now, and they decide to wait until morning. Lucia protests, but Hiro explains that it's no good to continue until the morning, as in the dark they don't even know where they are.

Lucia feels uneasy. Hiro notices this and asks if she's afraid. "Yes. I cannot even protect myself. If I cannot fulfill my mission and I die, then everything will be over..." Hiro looks up at the Blue Star, and reassures Lucia, "It's all right. I will take you to meet with Althena."

Lucia is unable to understand. "But, you've never met Althena. And you've never been to Pentagulia. How can you guarantee that? ... And, Hiro, why are you helping me? For that matter, why are Ruby and Ronfar... ...is it that you don't want Lunar to be destroyed as well?"

Here is when Hiro has his chance to fully explain himself... "When I saw Zophar, I no longer doubted that Lunar was in danger. And, I don't believe that you're a destroyer--neither do Ruby and Ronfar. Even then, I'm not yet certain about Lunar being destroyed and all. ... Moreover, I've always wanted a chance to meet the Goddess. And it seems that Ronfar has his own reasons, too."

Lucia counters, asking Hiro why, then, is he willing to put himself through all that danger, believing in her. Ruby, who Hiro thought was asleep, speaks up at this point: "It's because Hiro is a nice guy to everyone. It has nothing to do with you being some cute girl."

"I... don't understand," says Lucia. Ruby turns away without answering.

-Chapter 6: Ghaleon's Ruins-

Lucia still had yet more questions about Lunar and Althena. She asks Hiro to tell him about Althena, and he explains that she's kind and beautiful, loves song and dance, and that there's plenty written about her in old texts. He also explains about Dragonmaster Alex's era, how several hundred years ago the Goddess ceased her rebirths in human form, as she felt the world was at peace. Before then, there would be Dragonmasters, able to call the dragons and who protected the Goddess. The last supposed 'rebirth' of Althena in Pentagulia, though, is recent news.

Lucia didn't quite believe all that history, though. Althena didn't exist for Lunar, but to gather and then transfer the energy of Lunar to the Blue Star. And for that matter, Althena was the only one who controlled the Dragons. And why would Althena need a human to protect her? Hiro must be mistaken. The only question she asks Hiro is if Althena really does love music and dance, which Hiro reaffirms.

Lucia then asks Ronfar to tell her about Althena. Ronfar says he quit the priesthood, but he can still try. She asks, if Althena is supposed to be around, why doesn't she come to meet Lucia herself? Ronfar explains that in Pentagulia is sealed an evil creature, and so Althena doesn't go far from the city. Lucia wonders: if that evil creature is Zophar, and Althena is really around, why doesn't she just destroy him? For Althena, that would be a simple matter. The rest of Lucia's questions, about why Althena quit rebirths long ago, why the current Althena wants to kill her, etc., he can't answer.

Lucia finally asks Ruby. More specifically, she asks why she believes she's a dragon. Ruby explains that one of Dragonmaster Alex's companions looked like a talking cat with wings, just like her. Lucia readily believes her, that she's a dragon, but asks about Ruby's small form. She says that she'll slowly grow into an adult dragon. Lucia at this point wonders about Zophar's claim, that he sealed the dragons, the dragons who rule over the land. Perhaps that's related to Ruby'Ls small size.

Lucia considers the information she's just gathered. Zophar isn't fully revived, and the dragons' powers aren't fully destroyed. Althena also hasn't taken on the dragons' powers. Althena can't move from Pentagulia, in a stalemate with Zophar. Althena left humans on Lunar to their own destiny. ...there were so many holes in this situation: how could Zophar take the dragons' powers from Althena? Why does she want to kill Lucia? Why did Zophar -not- kill Lucia?

The next day, Ruby flies up to scout the area. She sees a river and some ruins. Hiro decides they'll fish for breakfast, then make for the ruins. Lucia inquires why waste time at the ruins, to which Hiro explains that from the ruins they can ascertain where they are, and when Leo comes looking for them, he's less likely to check through those ruins. Ruby also says that Hiro is happy to visit any new ruins.

When they arrive at the river, Hiro and Ronfar remove most of their clothes and dive in to catch fish. Ruby is at the side with Lucia, who starts to remove her clothes as well. Ruby stops her and asks what she's doing. "I was going to catch fish as well, but since my magic's weakened, I can't change my clothes, so--" Ok, never mind that Lucia uses magic to change clothing, but Ruby has to explain to her (or at least try) why men and women don't walk around one another without any clothes on. ...well, unless their married. ...and Ruby has fur, so she doesn't count. ...and no, she won't remove her fur once she gets married. Silly questions aside, Lucia does mention that she's the only one on the Blue Star, so the issue of clothing is irrelevant.

When they reach the ruins, the door is magically sealed. Yet, Lucia can open the door with the same power that Althena has--because she's Althena's friend, Ruby says, just like Lucia claimed in the beginning. After entering, they soon encounter none other than Ghaleon. "Lucia of the Blue Star, are you in a hurry? ... Yes, I know you, sleeping beauty of the Blue Star. And you, Hiro, student of Gwyn... And Ruby, the Red Dragon, it's been a long time. Also, you're known as the gambler Ronfar, are you not?"

Ruby is convinced that he's some sort of ghost. He finally introduces himself as Ghaleon--everyone but Lucia should know that name. Hiro explains briefly to Lucia that Ghaleon was Dragonmaster Dyne's friend, who tried then to enslave the Goddess. Although Ghaleon says that it matters not whether they believe he is who he says he is. Ghaleon continues and points out that it's a bit rude to be barging in here whe he's the master of this house. Hiro apologizes, and explains that they were trying to escape from Leo.

Concidentally, Leo is coming this way, says Ghaleon. One of the walls becomes like a screen and they all see an image of the Destiny coming up near the ruins. Ghaleon leaves to take care of this, and they see the image of the Destiny attacked by lightning. They ask Lucia if she believes that was really Ghaleon. Lucia doesn't know, but she does know that A) he wasn't lying, and B) he isn't human.

Ronfar: "A destroyer, holy magic, a friend of Althena, the legendary Ghaleon... What next, Ruby turns into a Red Dragon?"

Ruby: "You're mean! I -am- a Red Dragon! I'm just still a kid!"

Lucia also counters. "And I'm not really a friend of Althena..." She searched for the right words: friend, comrade, daughter, sister, offshoot, stranger... nothing quite fit. "I've actually never met Althena." But Ruby fills in the rest: "Lucia is the Goddess of the Blue Star, and came here to save Lunar. I'm sure that Althena would be your friend." Lucia did come here to save Lunar, but not exactly on behalf of the people who now lived here... though she doesn't say this. She also realizes at this point how much she truly needs Hiro and the others to complete her mission.

Before long, a pixie comes by to guide them through the ruins and to another exit. Pixies are small creatures, the size of a human hand. This pixie responds to their questions best as they can, but she doesn't quite know what Ghaleon is either: only that he's very kind and helped them out. Pixies are very weak and small in number, so Ghaleon protects them here. But, Ghaleon has no friends in the outside world, and so is very lonely.

In any case, they are guided to a magic transport circle, where Lucia begins a chant to activate it. They disappear.
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What will happen next? Where will they end up? Stay tuned! KF

[Hirohiigo Togashi]

I'm really enjoying reading the EB summary, but...

She asks Hiro to tell <b><u>him</u></b> about Althena,...

Shouldn't this be "her"?

Ghaleon continues and points out that it's a bit rude to be barging in here <b><u>whe</u></b> he's the master of this house.

And this "where"?

This pixie responds to their questions best as <b><u>they</u></b> can,...

And this "she"?


Sorry if it sounds like I'm nagging, just pointing out a few errors. ^_^;

[Kizyr]

I don't mind the proofreading. Half the time I have to write this while looking at the novel, instead of the screen.

I'll try to fix those when I get to updating the Novels section with Volume 2. KF