This fic is about Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies.
It will contain violence, blood, character death, swearing, and other adult situations. Rated M for Mature.
This fanfic will be told in the POV of Mariana, my OC.
With this out of the way, let's begin.


Chapter 1:

It was yet another day down in the Protectorate. Which meant it was time for me and my mentor to head down to see if the residents of our assigned town needed any kind of assistance.

"Look at all of these happy faces, Mariana. After today, it'll be up to you to make sure that they stay safe from any kind of danger," my mentor, Aquila said to me with a stern smile.

"I know, Master Aquila. I'm willing to perform this duty for the good of both the humans and for the good of Yggdrasil. Only a little bit more work, and it will finally bear fruit. I can literally see it now," I smiled back at him as I fluttered my wings along with him in the air.

There are probably many wondering what I'm talking about, so I'll fill you in. Me and Aquila were both Celestrians, which were beings chosen by the Grand Master Zenus, the creator of this world, to protect the souls of the Protectorate and collect their gratitude in the form of benevolessence which was the key to giving life to the tree Yggdrasil back in our home, the Observatory. The legends say that, once Yggdrasil finally bears fruit, the Starflight Express will arrive to deliver the fruits the tree bears, the Fyggs, and transport them to the Realm of the Almighty Zenus. And once they are brought before him, then the Celestrians' duty will have been fulfilled, allowing us to finally depart to be by his side forever... sound convoluted? Trust me, if you were in my sandals, you'd understand a lot easier.

"You know that you don't have to keep calling me Master, Mariana. After today, you will have become the teacher," Aquila smiled at me, being as modest as usual.

"Aw, come on, Aquila. You've been around much longer than I have. I'm just a newbie in this-" I was about to say until I saw trouble on the horizon. On the path leading into town, I saw a young woman that I'd seen before making the same trip with her elderly grandfather. Her name was Erinn and she was the innkeeper of Angel Falls, which is what I would be chosen to protect if I passed today's final test. And as they were walking down the road going back into the town, I saw a duo of Slimes and a Cruelcumber in hiding, ready to attack the duo when they passed by. "Trouble at 2 o'clock! Let's go make some slimy salad out of these guys!" I exclaimed at Aquila, him smirking at my usual enthusiasm as we both rushed off to the monsters with our powerful wings, me immediately taking out my bronze sword and slicing at the Cruelcumber, managing to chop off his head in just one swing.

Aquila then focused his attention on the Slimes, me helping him by casting a Frizz spell at one of them while he sliced another one in the eye with his sword of choice, the Bastard Sword, which was a pretty powerful sword. Both were dead in a flash, just as Erinn and her grandfather came down the path and looked at the monster corpses with a smile. "The Celestrians protected us on our way back, gramps... thank you, Mariana and Aquila... though I can't see you, I know you helped us..." Erinn smiled as she did a small prayer, me actually smiling as her benevolessence appeared in front of us. She was the only one who actually prayed to me and Aquila on a regular basis, which I found quite admirable.

I then picked up the benevolessence and Aquila smiled at me. "Your training is complete, Mariana. Now let us return to the Observatory to let Apus Major know of your success," Aquila smiled at me. I smiled and nodded as I flapped my wings and both of us flew high into the sky and up to the Observatory, which was very high up in the sky and could only be accessed by either the Starflight Express or by Celestrians. It took a few minutes of flight, but we eventually reached the Observatory with the benevolessence in my grasp. "Okay, let us report to Apus Major," Aquila smiled as he led me through the place and towards the living quarters of Apus Major, the leader of the Celestrians. He was the one in charge of making sure we offered our benevolessence to Yggdrasil and also keeping track of the Celestrians both in the Observatory and in the Protectorate. He'd been put in charge after a certain Celestrian named Corvus disappeared after falling to the Protectorate nearly 20 years ago.

We then went up to Apus Major and saw that he was quite pleased to see us. "Ah, Mariana and Aquila. How was your final test to become a Celestrian, young Mariana?" Apus Major asked me with a smile.

"She passed with flying colors. She defended a woman and her grandfather from being attacked by a trio of monsters," Aquila said for me.

"Good show, Mariana! You are now officially the guardian of Angel Falls! Please, go and deliver your benevolessence to mighty Yggdrasil. I sense that it is nearly ready to bear fruit," Apus Major smiled at me.

"Of course, Apus Major," I smiled as I went out towards the top of the Observatory and went up to the tree of Yggdrasil, the tree just as beautiful as I had first seen it. It was so beautiful and shimmering with radiance, that I was able to see my reflection in the dew of the leaves every time. In terms of appearance, I had light blue hair that was very full and luscious, it being more long in the back than in the front and being in an up-do style. It was very cute to look at honestly. My face looked cute too, with my lips being a cute red color naturally, my eyes being medium-sized and somewhat sly in appearance with blue irises, and my body was actually very nice too. It wasn't anything too special, just C cup breasts and some good curves, but it also was doubly cute for me because I was only 4 foot 7 inches tall, making me the smallest of all the female Celestrians.

"Oh mighty, Yggdrasil... please accept this benevolessence..." I said with a prayer as I offered the benevolessence up to Yggdrasil, the shimmering lights shining nonstop as I saw something form on one of the tree limbs up above. A small bud. "Oh! I must tell this to Apus Major!" I said in astonishment as I rushed back down to his area with excitement rushing through my blood. "Apus Major! Big news!" I exclaimed in excitement when I saw him.

"What is it, Mariana? You're not normally this excitable," Apus Major said to me.

"Yggdrasil has formed a bud! It's nearing the final stages before it finally bears Fyggs!" I said with giddiness, him immediately gawking at that.

"Amazing! We must continue to give Yggdrasil benevolessence. Just a little more and the prophecy can be fulfilled. You should probably return to Angel Falls to collect more benevolessence from the townsfolk in the meantime," Apus Major said to me with a smile.

"Of course, Apus Major," I smiled as I calmed myself down and went outside and flew myself back down to Angel Falls. Now was my time to start doing my duties as the guardian of the small town in question. And when I finally touched down in the town, I immediately overheard someone talking. It was a human and he was with his friend in front of the Celestrian statue by the waterfall.

"I'm telling you, Hugo, I'm very confused about this," said the voice of Ivor, a firm non-believer in Celestrian works. He was also somewhat of a troublemaker from what Aquila told me, but that was to be expected of a teenage boy of the mortal coil.

"Isn't the guardian of Angel Falls Mariana? I mean, that's what the statue says and what Erinn believes," his buddy Hugo said, him being conflicted in terms of believing in us Celestrians and our deeds. Couldn't blame them honestly, since very few humans were able to see or hear those of the celestial realm. Only way they could see us is if they were very young (around birth to 5 years old) or if they were pure-hearted.

"No, she isn't! Yesterday, that statue said Aquill or something. But now it says Mariana. That's a completely different name than before," Ivor frowned. I smiled at their bickering until I noticed a dog look at me and point me in the direction of a small well in the distance. I saw something shiny there and smiled when I recognized it as a ring. I'd seen this ring before and knew it belonged to an elderly woman that frequented the church.

I picked it up and smiled at the doggy before petting his head, since animals were some of the few creatures that could see us Celestrians besides monsters. "Good boy," I smiled at him as I then visited the church and found the woman deep in prayer in the pews of the congregation. I simply slipped the ring in her pocket and she noticed me touching her when I did so.

"Huh?.. Did something just go into my pocket?" she asked aloud as she then searched in it and gasped when she found her ring. "M-My ring! This must be the work of Mariana! Oh thank you, kind guardian! I'm so grateful for your help," the old woman smiled as her benevolessence poured out and I collected it afterwards before hearing the priestess speak again.

"You say Mariana found your ring? Maybe she could also help Hank the farmer. He's passed out from working so hard trying to clean up all that manure by himself, poor thing," the priestess said with a sigh and a prayer.

"Of course. I can help him," I smiled, knowing full well that just my speaking could be heard by her, since she was blessed by the Almighty to be able to hear our voices.

"She has spoken to me! Oh, I thank you, Almighty Zenus..." the priestess said with joy. There was no benevolessence though, so she must've been just happy, but not grateful. Considering Aquila frequented the church here to listen to their sermons at times when there was no issues, I could understand.

I then went towards the farm in question and saw that there was still a lot of manure in the pen and that the farmer was asleep and resting on the hay. "Poor fella. I'll help you out... even though this stuff is gross," I smiled as I rolled up my sleeves and grabbed the dung with the pitchfork and put all of it in the wagon that he had laid out to collect it in. My ruckus managed to wake the sleeping farmer and he actually was awake to witness me put the last of the dung into the wagon, which I could tell shocked him, since he only saw the dung floating on its own.

"M-Mariana! You've helped me to clean up the barn! Thank you so much! I promise I'll work harder at this! In fact, I'll get another cow to celebrate this occasion!" the farmer said happily as I saw tears come out of his eyes as well as benevolessence being formed afterwards. I smiled and picked it up after he went to go and take the wagon out to dispose of the trash. I then went outside and smiled when I saw it was dusk. And that could only mean one thing.

"When darkness falls upon the protectorate and the souls of the living are all asleep, the souls of the deceased that have lost their way shall appear. Only by helping them depart to the afterlife will you get the most powerful form of benevolessence imaginable. The gratitude of the passed," I smiled as I recited the old rhyme that I was taught from Apus Major himself. I looked around and happened to see a soul that looked quite saddened standing by the bridge towards Erinn's house. I approached him and smiled.

"Excuse me, sir. How are you?" I smiled at him, immediately grabbing his attention as he turned to face me, the shock on his face priceless.

"O-Oh my! Someone is finally talking to me?... Wait... are those angel wings on you?... Then that means I've gone and kicked the bucket, didn't I?" the man asked with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Sadly, yes. I'm Mariana, guardian of Angel Falls starting today," I smiled at him.

"I thank you, Mariana... I was lost, trying to speak to everyone but none of them understanding me. And now, I can be at peace... thank you, from the bottom of my heart," the man smiled as his spirit departed for the afterlife, leaving behind a very powerful piece of benevolessence. "I have a feeling this will be enough for Yggdrasil to finally bloom," I smiled as I then departed towards the Observatory and immediately went to speak with Apus Major.

"Apus Major? I have received 2 pieces of benevolessence from the living and one from a deceased soul. I think that this may be enough for Yggdrasil to finally bear its fruit," I smiled at him when I presented my benevolessence.

"You couldn't be anymore right, Mariana. Other Celestrians have come and offered their benevolessence as well, Yggdrasil now having 7 total buds on her mighty branches. Come with me, you too Aquila! We must bear witness to the bearing of fruit!" Apus Major said with happiness as we went up towards the giant tree in question.

But little did I know that something was about to go very wrong very quickly.