Hello! This is my first fanfic, so if I seem like a bit of a newcomer, it's because I am. This imaginatively-titled fanfic is indeed an attempt at a novelisation of Dragon Quest IV. Enjoy! :3
Disclaimer: I don't own the Dragon Quest franchise.
Far to the east of Endor, nestled deep in the mountains, lies a little hamlet with no name. Its inhabitants once lived in solitude, never venturing outside, never welcoming outsiders. In fact, but for the villagers themselves, the world was oblivious to the very existence of this tiny settlement. Until one day…
"There. All done." Solo's foster mother left her post at the stove and crossed to her adoptive daughter, smiling. "Be a good child, Solo, and deliver this packed lunch to your father. He is fishing at the lake again. And don't forget your manners on the way. If you meet anyone, remember to greet them politely, just as I told you to."
Solo nodded as she took the packed lunch, but the agreement wasn't necessary – her adoptive mother had ingrained manners firmly into Solo's upbringing. Leaving the house for the tiny hamlet she called home, Solo felt her mouth water at the warmth that seeped through the packed lunch and into her hands.
It was a bright day, the weather fine and the sun at its noon zenith. Surrounding her on all sides, the village was a haven for plant life: the springy grass beneath her feet, and the vibrant patches of flowers. The nature would have been even more beautiful for an outsider… as it stood, Solo was beginning to tire of the place, lovely as it was. She was eighteen now – surely that was old enough to venture beyond the boundaries that had restricted her for so long? And yet, the guard's replies were always the same. She was never strong enough, never good enough. If they only let her stand on her own two feet, maybe she could prove them wrong!
Solo was snapped from her reverie by a cheery "Hello!" from a fellow villager. Realising how wrapped up in daydreaming she had been, she smiled and waved back at them, before setting out for the lake in the north, where his foster father was sat fishing.
"Hello, Solo. Have you brought my lunch?" She handed over the packed lunch and he set it down beside him. "Come, Solo. I want to talk to you." He patted the area beside him in invitation; she joined him, staring intently at the water as he spoke. "Now you are in your eighteenth year. You shan't be a girl much longer. Soon you shall be a woman. So, my daughter. Remember what your mother and I have taught you. Be honest and true."
A silence ensued between them, in which Solo watched the sunlight sparking off the calm, azure waters. His words rang around her head, and they held a strange permanence that scared her a little. All her life, she'd been desperate to grow up, but now it was here… being a woman didn't feel all that different.
After a couple more minutes, Solo returned to the house and was greeted by her foster mother. She sat down at the table to eat, smiling a little to herself in anticipation of the meal that awaited her.
"Quick! Quick! They're here!" The door slammed as the villager ran in, as if to punctuate his shouts. "The, the monsters have found us! They're just outside the village!"
"What?!" Solo watched the colour drain from her mother's face as if through the hazy film of a nightmare. "Solo! Run away and hide at once! Don't worry about me. Just go!" It was no nightmare.
The villager stood before her. "Follow me, Solo!"
The urgency in everyone's tones set Solo's heart to racing. As the two of them ran outside, the village was in enveloped in chaos. People shouted at them as they passed: the guard, innocent civilians… Eliza. She felt a sickening feeling in her heart at the thought of harm coming to her best friend. In the confusion, she only understood parts of it – but it was talk of heroes and destiny, and up until now all she'd been was Solo. Her father's message was the one that pierced the daze of it all, added a little reality to this impossible situation… We are not your true parents.
At last, Solo reached the village storehouse and was led through a door at the back into a smaller room, just plain stone and a simple wooden crate in the corner.
"Listen well, Solo… The monsters are here to take your life, for you are their nemesis. You have a secret power. You will one day be strong enough to defeat anyone or anything. No evil will overpower you. But for now, you are still weak. You must run, and you must stay alive until you are strong enough to fulfil your destiny. So, I am giving you this. It will prove invaluable in the quest you are about to embark upon." A tome was set into her trembling hands with a puff of dust upon impact: The Big Book of Beasts. "Remember, Solo: just run away. Run away and make yourself strong. That is what you must do!"
The door slammed and she was left alone with her slamming heartbeat for company. She could feel shaking from the turmoil above, and it felt as if the entire planet was being shaken up. Through it all, Solo squeezed her eyes shut and took deep, quivering breaths, but nothing could drown out the destruction from above.
Numbly, she was aware of the door opening felt Eliza barrelling into her with a tight hug. "My dear Solo…" she mumbled, drawing back with tears in her eyes. "The time we've spent together has been so much fun. But now… I won't let them murder you!" Pressing a brief tearful kiss to Solo's face, Eliza cast her morph spell and when the dust cloud dispersed, Solo was staring at…
Herself.
"Remember me always, Solo…" Before Solo even had time to respond to Eliza's last words to her, her best friend was gone.