The Hunter's Fantasia: A Never-ending Tale
By Kumatenshi
VOLUME I: THE BOOK OF PROPHECIES ** Chapter VII --- Perpetual Dream**
From the memory crystal of the Monster
I was sitting all by myself in my little cave on top of the mountain, staring at the frozen body of my first and only lover in the ice pillar. The people in the villages at the foot of the mountain called me "monster". It was right in that I had a different kind of blood flowing in me but the mere presence of a different blood did not mean my heart was corrupted by wickedness and cruelty. The presence of human blood did not mean they were righteous and kind either. In fact, those who called themselves "humans" slaughtered our race callously in the name of religion and services for mankind.
It was true that we had powers they did not have and if we wanted, we could exterminate each and every single one of them freely. However, we did not want to shed unnecessary blood. All we wanted was a piece of land of our own where we could happily live the remainder of our lives. Our wish was small but the humans would not grant us. We were the first ones to live in the low lands at the bottom of the mountain. The ancestors of those humans came, begging us for a small piece of land because their country was cursed by eternal winter. Our ancestors pitied them and gave them a small corner near the sea.
Unfortunately, that was the beginning of our disasters. Those humans gradually increased in number, exploited the sea with pollution and poisoned the soil with fertilizers. Our ancestors could not bear to watch the Earth in pain and tried to stop them. Then, these humans said we were trying to kill them and attacked us with those horrible weapons they created. Our race was nearly wiped out in the battle and we had to retreat to the mountain. Even then, these humans would not leave us in peace. They continued to spread rumors about how terrible we were and occasionally, they would come to the mountain in groups in order to slaughter the few who survived the battle. Naturally, when defending ourselves, we killed some humans. They then used this as the evidence of how evil we were such that they could pursue with their hobby of genocide. Finally, in my childhood, the heinous Panorian lord Charta led his fearsome army up the mountain. Using sophisticated weapons, they searched through every corner of the mountain until they killed everyone in our tribe. To keep me alive, my parents sacrificed their lives and used up all their powers to create the legendary illusionary nest where I could hibernate until the massacre was over.
Probably cursed by their brutality, by the time I woke up from my hibernation, the Panorian civilization disappeared. In their place were people less "civilized" in human terms but also more simple-minded. The legend of the "monster" up on the mountain persisted but it was a mere legend, at least until a century ago. A brave young man by the name Artemis came up to the mountain in hope to "slaughter" the monster. However, the deeper he came into the mountain, the more about the real truth he learned. He was abhorred by the sins of the Panorians and even though he was not their descendents, he felt ashamed. He came to find me hoping to apologize for what the humans had done to me and my people but how could I trust a human? I attacked him and seriously injured him but he did not blame me. He knew how hard it must be for me to be lonely, helpless, and despised. I was truly touched for that was the first time someone had sympathy toward a "monster" like me. I healed his wounds and gradually fell in love with him. Together, we were supposed to live happily forever on this mountain if not for some bastards who alerted the few Panorians hiding in the mountain that I was still alive and they came hunting for me. Rather than being killed by the Panorians, I decided to commit suicide, by invoking the forbidden technique of perpetual dream. I told Artemis to leave the mountain but he would not. He insisted he would stay by my side and asked me to use the technique on him as well such that even if we had to sleep forever, we would share the same dream. I invoked the technique and for the past century, I had been sleeping here quietly. Why did I have to wake up? Who woke me up? I did not know but when I opened my eyes, I saw the corpse of a little boy that resembled Artemis. On the collar of his shirt was the name Eron. He must be the one who had broken my spell and sent me back to reality. I had no choice now but to wait for the young men I met earlier to come and put me to my sleep again. Why would I trust them? Because I had the feeling they were different from the usual greedy humans who would be killed by their own lusts. These young humans, who had passed my pasts for confronted their own illusions and defeated the swamp of despair. Probably they would be able to let me rest eternally in peace.
Not long, I heard voices. "This way!" A female voice said. It did not sound human to me. Probably, it was one of those water nymphs living in this mountain. She must be guiding them toward Memalia. "Killua, don't worry, we are almost there! Very soon, you would get back your memories!" A cheerful voice said. Presumably, this was the voice of Gon who looked so much like Artemis and Eron. "You guys should be careful, there could be danger ahead!" The cool and calm voice must be from the blonde teenager, Kurapika who saw through my trick. Gradually, the darkness of my cave was driven away by more and more light. They had arrived.
"So gentleman and a lady nymph too, congratulations, you have finally arrived at the hideout of the "monster!"
"Monster, for the sake of the villagers, we must defeat you today and get Memalia too!" Gon said bravely. How many times have the people of my tribe heard this sentence before!
"Fine!" I said, "Just seal me into that ice pillar and you could get the Memalia you wanted. I did not want to fight; nor did I want to negotiate. All I wanted was to do was to dream my sweet dream forever and ever."
All of them stared at me as if I were playing a trick on them. It was as those these humans felt that as heroes, they must show some excellent fighting skills to defeat the monsters beautifully, thus winning the title of "heroes" and probably marrying princesses as their wives. Unfortunately, there wasn't really hero in this world. You could be the hero by killing your "monsters" but from the point of view of those who died under your sword, you were nothing but the "monster".
"Why would you want us to seal you in the ice pillar?" Gon asked me, with eyes that were just like Artemis. "Is it because you want to be with him?" He pointed at the frozen body of lover.
I nodded.
"But didn't you kill him?" the silver haired Killua asked.
I shook my head.
"Gon, Killua, don't be fooled by her nasty tricks. Did you not remember how she tricked us a while ago? Were it not for Kurapika, we would all be dead by now!" Leorio warned his friends.
I did not move, I just kept staring at them.
"What must we do in order to seal you?" This time the blonde haired Kurapika asked. Leorio was completely taken aback.
"Kurapika, what on earth are you doing? Are you going to trust her?"
"Yes," was the clean reply.
"But how can you? She just tricked us!" Leorio protested.
"She intended to trick us the last time and that's why her face was cold and emotionless. But this time, her face is filled with true but sad emotions. Hence, I trust her" Kurapika answered.
"I agree with Kurapika too!" Gon said, "Besides isn't it a good solution for all of us? She can go back to her dreams with her lover and we can get Memalia. Why shed blood if we don't have to?" What a fantastic answer, I said to myself. If only all the humans were as sensible as this child Gon, our tribe would not have met such a miserable fate.
"So, what should we do?" Gon asked me again.
"I don't know." I said the truth.
"Then how did you break the seal?" Kurapika asked.
"I did not break it. When I opened my eyes, I saw the corpse of the boy Eron. He must have died while trying to break this seal" I answered.
"How did you know his name was Eron?" Leorio asked suspiciously.
"His name was sewed on the collar of his shirt" I replied, which was also the truth.
"How did you get into the dream in the first place?" Killua asked.
"I cast a spell".
"What spell?" Kurapika appeared to be quite interested in the topic of spells.
"The spell of perpetual dream", I replied.
"Why don't you just cast it again?" Gon asked innocently.
"I have tried, but I can't. I suppose I was successful because the first time I cast it with Artemis but now." I looked at my lover.
There was silence as each person in the cave was thinking hard. Finally, after what seemed a very long time, Gon spoke: "Your spell was successful the first time because you cast the spell together with Artemis. You were awakened because Eron, who looked like Artemis, broke the seal. Perhaps, if I, who look like Artemis and Eron help you with the spell, you may cast it successfully!" Gon deduced.
"No! Gon, you musn't do that! I won't let you.You'll get yourself killed!" Killua cried.
"Gon, I must disagree too. This is too dangerous. A spell of this sort can drain away all your power!" Kurapika said with a tone of concern. Then, as if whispering to himself, he said, "even though I thought the reasoning was right. Just why would Gon be so smart all of a sudden? It would be better if he was the usual slightly-dumb Gon! Somehow at dangerous moments, he would become very smart"
"Gon, if you are going to do that, you must kill me first for there is no way I can bring your corpse to see Mito!" Leorio said with determination.
The water nymph was also looking at Gon as if begging him not to engage himself in such a risky situation. Gon turned toward them and smiled. "Are you all worried about me?" His friends answered unanimously: "Of course!"
"Isn't it wonderful to know there are so many people who care about me?" He continued asking his friends when he took a great leap backward. While his friends were still in shock, he grabbed my hand and ordered, "Cast the spell! Now!"
I was also shocked but nonetheless followed his orders and started invoking the spell of perpetual dream. A light began to glow around Gon and me. It was the same cold light that sent me to sleep a century ago.
"No, Gon! No!" Killua shouted and dashed forward. He too held my hand. I felt a sudden urge of energy and the light became brighter and colder. Kurapika and Leorio nodded at each other and they too held out their hands and placed them on top of Killua and Gon's hands. The water nymph also joined in the crazy process. Soon, I saw the gate opening. Artemis was already there, waiting for me to return to the dreamland where I belonged. I let go of their hands, quickly passed through the gate, and closed it with all the power I had. Then, before I proceeded to eternal happiness, I turned back and said to those on the other side of the gate, "Thank you".
VOLUME I: THE BOOK OF PROPHECIES ** Chapter VII --- Perpetual Dream**
From the memory crystal of the Monster
I was sitting all by myself in my little cave on top of the mountain, staring at the frozen body of my first and only lover in the ice pillar. The people in the villages at the foot of the mountain called me "monster". It was right in that I had a different kind of blood flowing in me but the mere presence of a different blood did not mean my heart was corrupted by wickedness and cruelty. The presence of human blood did not mean they were righteous and kind either. In fact, those who called themselves "humans" slaughtered our race callously in the name of religion and services for mankind.
It was true that we had powers they did not have and if we wanted, we could exterminate each and every single one of them freely. However, we did not want to shed unnecessary blood. All we wanted was a piece of land of our own where we could happily live the remainder of our lives. Our wish was small but the humans would not grant us. We were the first ones to live in the low lands at the bottom of the mountain. The ancestors of those humans came, begging us for a small piece of land because their country was cursed by eternal winter. Our ancestors pitied them and gave them a small corner near the sea.
Unfortunately, that was the beginning of our disasters. Those humans gradually increased in number, exploited the sea with pollution and poisoned the soil with fertilizers. Our ancestors could not bear to watch the Earth in pain and tried to stop them. Then, these humans said we were trying to kill them and attacked us with those horrible weapons they created. Our race was nearly wiped out in the battle and we had to retreat to the mountain. Even then, these humans would not leave us in peace. They continued to spread rumors about how terrible we were and occasionally, they would come to the mountain in groups in order to slaughter the few who survived the battle. Naturally, when defending ourselves, we killed some humans. They then used this as the evidence of how evil we were such that they could pursue with their hobby of genocide. Finally, in my childhood, the heinous Panorian lord Charta led his fearsome army up the mountain. Using sophisticated weapons, they searched through every corner of the mountain until they killed everyone in our tribe. To keep me alive, my parents sacrificed their lives and used up all their powers to create the legendary illusionary nest where I could hibernate until the massacre was over.
Probably cursed by their brutality, by the time I woke up from my hibernation, the Panorian civilization disappeared. In their place were people less "civilized" in human terms but also more simple-minded. The legend of the "monster" up on the mountain persisted but it was a mere legend, at least until a century ago. A brave young man by the name Artemis came up to the mountain in hope to "slaughter" the monster. However, the deeper he came into the mountain, the more about the real truth he learned. He was abhorred by the sins of the Panorians and even though he was not their descendents, he felt ashamed. He came to find me hoping to apologize for what the humans had done to me and my people but how could I trust a human? I attacked him and seriously injured him but he did not blame me. He knew how hard it must be for me to be lonely, helpless, and despised. I was truly touched for that was the first time someone had sympathy toward a "monster" like me. I healed his wounds and gradually fell in love with him. Together, we were supposed to live happily forever on this mountain if not for some bastards who alerted the few Panorians hiding in the mountain that I was still alive and they came hunting for me. Rather than being killed by the Panorians, I decided to commit suicide, by invoking the forbidden technique of perpetual dream. I told Artemis to leave the mountain but he would not. He insisted he would stay by my side and asked me to use the technique on him as well such that even if we had to sleep forever, we would share the same dream. I invoked the technique and for the past century, I had been sleeping here quietly. Why did I have to wake up? Who woke me up? I did not know but when I opened my eyes, I saw the corpse of a little boy that resembled Artemis. On the collar of his shirt was the name Eron. He must be the one who had broken my spell and sent me back to reality. I had no choice now but to wait for the young men I met earlier to come and put me to my sleep again. Why would I trust them? Because I had the feeling they were different from the usual greedy humans who would be killed by their own lusts. These young humans, who had passed my pasts for confronted their own illusions and defeated the swamp of despair. Probably they would be able to let me rest eternally in peace.
Not long, I heard voices. "This way!" A female voice said. It did not sound human to me. Probably, it was one of those water nymphs living in this mountain. She must be guiding them toward Memalia. "Killua, don't worry, we are almost there! Very soon, you would get back your memories!" A cheerful voice said. Presumably, this was the voice of Gon who looked so much like Artemis and Eron. "You guys should be careful, there could be danger ahead!" The cool and calm voice must be from the blonde teenager, Kurapika who saw through my trick. Gradually, the darkness of my cave was driven away by more and more light. They had arrived.
"So gentleman and a lady nymph too, congratulations, you have finally arrived at the hideout of the "monster!"
"Monster, for the sake of the villagers, we must defeat you today and get Memalia too!" Gon said bravely. How many times have the people of my tribe heard this sentence before!
"Fine!" I said, "Just seal me into that ice pillar and you could get the Memalia you wanted. I did not want to fight; nor did I want to negotiate. All I wanted was to do was to dream my sweet dream forever and ever."
All of them stared at me as if I were playing a trick on them. It was as those these humans felt that as heroes, they must show some excellent fighting skills to defeat the monsters beautifully, thus winning the title of "heroes" and probably marrying princesses as their wives. Unfortunately, there wasn't really hero in this world. You could be the hero by killing your "monsters" but from the point of view of those who died under your sword, you were nothing but the "monster".
"Why would you want us to seal you in the ice pillar?" Gon asked me, with eyes that were just like Artemis. "Is it because you want to be with him?" He pointed at the frozen body of lover.
I nodded.
"But didn't you kill him?" the silver haired Killua asked.
I shook my head.
"Gon, Killua, don't be fooled by her nasty tricks. Did you not remember how she tricked us a while ago? Were it not for Kurapika, we would all be dead by now!" Leorio warned his friends.
I did not move, I just kept staring at them.
"What must we do in order to seal you?" This time the blonde haired Kurapika asked. Leorio was completely taken aback.
"Kurapika, what on earth are you doing? Are you going to trust her?"
"Yes," was the clean reply.
"But how can you? She just tricked us!" Leorio protested.
"She intended to trick us the last time and that's why her face was cold and emotionless. But this time, her face is filled with true but sad emotions. Hence, I trust her" Kurapika answered.
"I agree with Kurapika too!" Gon said, "Besides isn't it a good solution for all of us? She can go back to her dreams with her lover and we can get Memalia. Why shed blood if we don't have to?" What a fantastic answer, I said to myself. If only all the humans were as sensible as this child Gon, our tribe would not have met such a miserable fate.
"So, what should we do?" Gon asked me again.
"I don't know." I said the truth.
"Then how did you break the seal?" Kurapika asked.
"I did not break it. When I opened my eyes, I saw the corpse of the boy Eron. He must have died while trying to break this seal" I answered.
"How did you know his name was Eron?" Leorio asked suspiciously.
"His name was sewed on the collar of his shirt" I replied, which was also the truth.
"How did you get into the dream in the first place?" Killua asked.
"I cast a spell".
"What spell?" Kurapika appeared to be quite interested in the topic of spells.
"The spell of perpetual dream", I replied.
"Why don't you just cast it again?" Gon asked innocently.
"I have tried, but I can't. I suppose I was successful because the first time I cast it with Artemis but now." I looked at my lover.
There was silence as each person in the cave was thinking hard. Finally, after what seemed a very long time, Gon spoke: "Your spell was successful the first time because you cast the spell together with Artemis. You were awakened because Eron, who looked like Artemis, broke the seal. Perhaps, if I, who look like Artemis and Eron help you with the spell, you may cast it successfully!" Gon deduced.
"No! Gon, you musn't do that! I won't let you.You'll get yourself killed!" Killua cried.
"Gon, I must disagree too. This is too dangerous. A spell of this sort can drain away all your power!" Kurapika said with a tone of concern. Then, as if whispering to himself, he said, "even though I thought the reasoning was right. Just why would Gon be so smart all of a sudden? It would be better if he was the usual slightly-dumb Gon! Somehow at dangerous moments, he would become very smart"
"Gon, if you are going to do that, you must kill me first for there is no way I can bring your corpse to see Mito!" Leorio said with determination.
The water nymph was also looking at Gon as if begging him not to engage himself in such a risky situation. Gon turned toward them and smiled. "Are you all worried about me?" His friends answered unanimously: "Of course!"
"Isn't it wonderful to know there are so many people who care about me?" He continued asking his friends when he took a great leap backward. While his friends were still in shock, he grabbed my hand and ordered, "Cast the spell! Now!"
I was also shocked but nonetheless followed his orders and started invoking the spell of perpetual dream. A light began to glow around Gon and me. It was the same cold light that sent me to sleep a century ago.
"No, Gon! No!" Killua shouted and dashed forward. He too held my hand. I felt a sudden urge of energy and the light became brighter and colder. Kurapika and Leorio nodded at each other and they too held out their hands and placed them on top of Killua and Gon's hands. The water nymph also joined in the crazy process. Soon, I saw the gate opening. Artemis was already there, waiting for me to return to the dreamland where I belonged. I let go of their hands, quickly passed through the gate, and closed it with all the power I had. Then, before I proceeded to eternal happiness, I turned back and said to those on the other side of the gate, "Thank you".
