Secret of Mana (Fanfic)

Secret of Mana Fanfic
So, this game is my favorite of all time. Despite changes in graphics, changes in gameplay, changes in time, this game will always be my favorite. It was my first Action RPG, my first Square Soft/Enix game, and the first game that took me months to beat. I will never forget it. It's a simple epic, telling the tale of an orphan who is thrust into becoming the hero by circumstance or fate (for one cannot always tell which is which), setting out against an empire with only an ancient and rusty sword (literally, the first weapon in the game), and throughout the rather humble story, compared to the detailed stories of RPGs nowadays, becomes a hero, with two faithful friends at his side. So, this is my dedication to it, giving a 'facelift' to it, giving it depth and meaning that it didn't have.

Using the power of Mana, a civilization had grown strong...
In time, Mana was used to create the ultimate weapon: the Mana Fortress...
This angered the gods. They sent their beasts to destroy the Fortress...
A violent war rocked the world, and Mana seemed to disappear...
Before all was lost, a hero with the Mana Sword smashed the Fortress...
Though civilization was destroyed, the world was peaceful.
But time flows like a river, and history repeats...

It started with a rumor, Matthew thought as he fell. A rumor of a 'great treasure'. Elliot and Timothy had talked him into going with them. Mostly Elliot, who was the local bully of Potos village, and had 'talked' Timothy into it. Matthew had gone along for the adventure of it. He had been feeling confined by the village for awhile, even if it was all he knew. A chance to explore had been offered, and he grasped it with both hands. Only to fall off the bridge spanning a waterfall.

Matthew landed far below with a splash. He fell deep into the water, almost into the spiky rock bottom. He swam up and gasped for air. "That _sucked_." Matthew said to himself, taking a glance around. A deep pool where one of the rivers of Camfeld started. He swam to the opposite edge and pulled himself onto dry land. He got up and shook himself off. 'Well, time to head back.' Matthew thought as he strode east, towards Potos.

At a bridge spanning another river, he head a whispery voice. "Matthew... Remove the sword..." "Who..." Matthew turns, looking into the river where he heard the voice. He saw a sword stuck in a stone. Matthew looked for a convenient spot, and waded into the shallower river. He was already wet, and there were plenty of bushes to cut down with that sword, and make a easier trip back to Potos.

When Matthew grabbed the hilt of the sword, a faint ghostly figure appeared behind it. "Matthew... Remove the sword..." It whispered. "Who _are_ you? And what's with this sword?" Matthew asked the figure, before pulling out the sword. a bright light erupts as the sword is pulled free, blinding Matthew. "Gah! That light! I can't see!" Matthew says, turning his head and closing his eyes. When he can see again, he looks where the figure is. It's a thick, silvery man now, in armor with a cloak over it. But the man is fading even as he speaks. "Matthew... Matthew... it is I who asked... the sword..." Matthew stares until the man is completely gone. He then hefts the sword to get a better view of it. "Say what? You mean _this_ sword?" It is ancient, red with rust and age. Somehow, none of it has fallen off though, and the edge is perfectly sharp.

Matthew shakes his head. "I have to get home!" He says to himself, before heading deeper into the forest, hacking at the bushes in his way and marveling at the ease it cut through the bushes. For a rusty sword, it worked really well. Then Matthew was attacked. A blur of yellow jumped passed him, sharp teeth ripping his skin. Matthew gasped in pain and turned, sword ready, to face whatever had bit him.

Matthew stared at the creature in shock a moment before dodging it's next attack. 'A Rabite?!? How? They're myth, monsters from the stories of the 'Great War!' Matthew thought to himself. He swung the sword down, striking the Rabite and killing it. The large, yellow furred rabbit with fangs was real. How and why, Matthew didn't know. A mystery for later, when he could ask his adopted father, the Elder of Potos.

Matthew found that the forest was thriving with Rabites now. It had been only days since he'd last been in this forest, but the difference! Rabites seemed to be everywhere now, and he couldn't understand where they were coming from.

He finally reached the Gate of Potos, and the gatekeeper looked at him, relieved. "Matthew, you're alright! Elliot and Timothy said you had fallen off the bridge crossing the waterfall. Interesting sword you've picked up though. Come in handy?" Matthew nodded. "It seems Rabites have infested the forest." The gatekeeper was shocked at the thought. "How? Why? You'd better tell the Elder about this." Matthew nods again, and walks through the Gate.

Potos was a small village, surrounded by a massive wooden fence, with a stone gate. It had a shop, an inn, and several houses where woodcutters and hunters lived. Potos had been a peaceful village, mostly cut off from the rest of the world. The monsters that were a nuisance elsewhere never bothered Potos, until now.

Matthew walked to the inn, wanting to quickly take a bath to wash up and clean the small wounds he'd picked up, fighting off Rabites. He noticed a man in armor, a rather unusual sight. As if reading his mind, Charity, the innkeeper's daughter and waitress, said to Matthew as he walked by, "That man seems to be a knight from somewhere. He said he wanted to talk to the Elder." Matthew nods, and quickly gets into the bathing barrel. He quickly scrubs himself clean, body and wounds, and then puts on his clothes.

"Thanks Charity." Matthew says to her. "No problem, it's my job." Charity says with a slight smile, both kind and wistful. "Where did you get the sword?" She asks. "Found it stuck in a stone. Came in handy when some monsters attacked me." Matthew replied, picking up the sword. Charity was shocked. "Monsters, here?!?" Matthew nods. "Rabites, at least. I'm telling the Elder when I meet him."

Matthew leaves the gold coin it costs to bath on the counter next to the strange man, for Kerwin the innkeeper to pick up. He doesn't recognize the emblem on the man's yellow cloak. Matthew shrugs on his way out. Not really his concern, it is just his curiosity, the same one that had him falling off a waterfall.

Matthew headed towards the house on the hill, slightly taller than the other houses, and saw the Elder grilling Elliot and Timothy. "Now where did he fall, since you all decided to- Matthew! You're alright!" The Elder said, a smile on his face. Matthew returned it with a slight smile of his own. "I'm alright. Landed in a deep pool. Almost hit the rocks though."

The Elder nodded. "They just told what happened." Timothy added, "We thought you were a goner!" Elliot just scowls. "I told you we shouldn't have brought someone like _him_ along." Elder turns to them, anger on his face. "You idiots! You were told not to go there! Huh?" The Elder finally notices the sword Matthew is holding over his shoulder. "Matthew, what's that you have?" Matthew hefts the sword, putting it in front of him so the others can see it better. "I found it stuck in a stone. Came in handy against the Rabites that have infested the forest." The Elder stares at Matthew a moment, shock and dismay on his face. "Oh no, you couldn't have!"

Timothy is ecstatic. "Cool! Did you find the treasure after all?" Elliot gives a smirk. "Way to go!" The Elder cut any celebrations short. "What have you done? How could _you_ have pulled out the Mana Sword? It's impossible!" Timothy is taken by surprise. "_The_ Mana Sword? Legend has it that our village will be destroyed..." "If the Mana Sword is removed from it's resting place." The Elder finished. "And here it is! It's said that the sword protects our village from disaster." Elliot scowls, fury on his face. "So _that's_ why monsters have been attacking where they never where before. It's your fault! How can an _outsider_ like you come and doom us all!" Elliot says, before swinging at Matthew.

Matthew dodges, while keeping the sword away from Elliot. "Hey, stop it!" Matthew yells, not wanting to hurt Elliot by accident. Elliot bulls forward, ignoring the sword in Matthew's hands. "_You_ did it! It's your fault! _You_!" Elliot accuses. "Please, stop!" Matthew shouts, having almost cut Elliot with the sword while dodging him. Matthew didn't want to drop the sword, for reasons he couldn't explain.

The earth beneath Elliot and Matthew rumbles. "Ahhh, an earthquake!" Elliot yells, frightened. Backing away doesn't do any good, for the ground sinks suddenly beneath them. Elliot falls straight through, bad luck or karma putting him in the middle of it. Matthew finds himself on the edge of it, trying to hang onto some rocks despite the shaking. It's no use, and he falls for a second time that day.

The fall is shorter, but much harder on landing. Matthew tucks and rolls on instinct, from practice falling out of trees. He comes to his feet, sword in hand. Good thing, for there's a giant monster in front of him. "You have a sword, right? Use it!" Elliot begs, the coward in him clear to see. A different voice calls out, "Hey, can you hear me? Watch how the monster moves before attacking!" An older man's voice says.

Matthew takes the advice in mind, and waits for it to move. It does so, a shuffling sidestep reminiscent of how a crab moves. It looks like a praying mantis, but with a much broader chest. It detaches a claw to throw at Matthew. Matthew dodges and lunges forward for a quick slice then backs away again. This continues for some time, until the giant mantis does a shuffling dance.

Crystals erupt from the ground, slashing and stabbing into Matthew. He screams in pain, but wrenches himself free, blood flowing from over a dozen wounds. "Hang on, I'll help you!" the man from earlier calls out. Matthew wondered how he planned to help, since jumping down didn't seem the best idea. There wasn't a whole lot of maneuvering room down here.

Then water flowed around him, cleaning and then filling the wounds on his body. After a tingling sensation, he saw that his wounds were gone. 'Magic!' Matthew thought, stunned. "Clear your mind, and aim carefully!" the man called out again. Matthew nodded. He had a monster to fight. He could marvel at magic later.

The mantis had shuffled closer to him while he was distracted, and swung a scything claw at him. Matthew rolled out of the way, and swung the ancient sword again. Thus a dance of death began, with Matthew dodging around the monster's claws and the mantis shuffling away from Matthew's strikes, until Matthew got a blow through it's chest and pulled right, tearing open a huge and blood gushing gash in the mantis.

It screeched in pain, and then slumped onto the ground. It started shaking and glowing. A bright light erupts from it, and then splits into a countless multitude. For a moment they expand away from the monster. Then they begin to contract, with Matthew realizing they were flowing around the ancient sword he'd picked up. A bright flash erupts from the sword, then there's nothing.

"You did it! Wait there, I'll pull you up." The man's voice called out. A rope fell down the hole. Elliot grabbed ahold of it and was shortly pulled up. The rope was lowered again and Matthew grabbed it and was pulled up as well. The man who had talked to him turned out to be the knight from the inn. Elliot ran crying and screaming off.

"That seems to be the real Mana Sword." The man said. "Huh? What?" Matthew replied. The Elder had said that as well. But how could this rusty thing be a sword of legend? "It's supposed to be pulled out by a knight in times of great need. But you're too young! Something must have happened to the Mana Sword." "Here, it's yours then!" Matthew didn't want to mess up the world. If some knight needed it, and could fix it, then it was his. Matthew wasn't a knight, after all. Just an orphan. The knight just shakes his head. "Sorry. But the sword is losing power, and must be re-energized. Only the person who pulled it free can do that." "Then... What should I do?" Matthew asked. He had no training with a sword, no knowledge of magic. All he had was instinct and stubbornness. How could he save the world? "Visit Sage Luka in the Water Palace. She's been protecting Camfeld for 200 years, so ask her advice." Timothy walked up to Matthew. "Matthew, the Elder wants to see you." The man turns toward the Gate. "Here. Something to keep the Mana Sword in." The man said, handing over a scabbard. "Well, I have to be going. Oh, my name is Jema, by the way. I'll see you at the Water Palace." Jema then left.

Matthew sighed. This was just not his day. He placed the Mana Sword in the scabbard, noting that it was a perfect fit. So Jema had been looking for the Mana Sword, and now Matthew was responsible for it. And re-energizing it meant fighting monsters. Joy.

Matthew headed to the Elder's house, scabbard at his hip. It felt strangely right. Another odd circumstance of the day. He reached the door and opened it, only to find the council in a discussion.

"Elder, we can't go on like this! Monsters infesting the woods is difficult enough, but anymore like the last, and the village will fall!" A councilor who represented the lumberjacks said. "Well, there's no end in sight. The monsters just randomly appeared." The councilor who represented the hunters replied. The Elder looked at the open door and saw Matthew. "Oh Matthew, you've really done it this time. The reason monsters are appearing is because you removed the Mana Sword." The group of councilors stare at Matthew, then look at each other and nod their heads. "Then it's settled. Matthew must leave the village. That should allow us to avoid attacks by huge monsters, leaving just the ones everywhere else has had to deal with." the councilor and owner of the local shop said. The Elder sighs. "I don't want to do this, but I have no choice, Matthew. For the safety of Potos, you'll have to leave. You may collect your things downstairs."

Matthew, shocked and stunned at this sudden... banishment, slowly and numbly walks downstairs and packs everything he can carry into a bag. The Elder's granddaughter comes out of her room, and notices Matthew packing. "Leaving Potos? I'll see you out there then. I'm not staying forever." Matthew ignores this, and walks up stairs, feeling hollow. His home, everyone he ever knew, Matthew would never be able to visit again.

When he re-entered the living room, Matthew found the Elder alone, looking at some drawings. "I took you in and raised you. I'm sorry, but there's nothing else I can do for you. I know I've told you this before, but... Your mother brought you to Potos when you were a baby. She disappeared shortly after. I took you in and did my best to raise you, but now we must part. Perhaps you can find your mother someday." The Elder says to Matthew, not looking in his direction.

Matthew nods at this, and walks out the door. He knew the story well. The Elder had not hid from him that he wasn't related, that his parents were unknown. Matthew had always wanted to know, and maybe that was where his curiosity, his wanderlust was born.

Matthew walked to the Gate, looking back on last time at Potos, his home no longer. Then he faced forward, and resolutely marched forward. A voice called out after the Gate was slammed shut behind him. "You are hereby banished from Potos, Matthew. Do not come back." Matthew ignored the gatekeeper's voice and continued on, striking out south in a rough guess as to where the Water Palace was, from geography lessons half remembered. Rabites were still in the forest, but weren't a problem now that he had a little experience and some sound advice.

Once he exited the forest, however, a new threat was found. Lullabuds. The first one Matthew came across was near a sign that told him Matthew needed to go east. He had gotten too close to what looked like a wild flower, only for it to open it's petals and try to bite him. It was surprising, and a nuisance that almost bit his flesh off. Matthew dealt with them by lopping their 'heads' off.

Otherwise, it was a nice day of walking. But Matthew was tired as dusk approached. Fortunately, a building that said 'Neko's Inn and Shop' was in sight. That was probably because it was a lurid purple. He supposed it was eye catching. Matthew was just happy that he'd be able to sleep in a building. He wondered who this 'Neko' was though, as he knocked on the door.

SOM FF4
"Come in." A feminine voice replied. Matthew opened the door and stepped inside. The place was a nice, clean white, with herbs, weapons, and other various things one would expect from a shop that dabbled in everything. The most shocking thing in the store is the woman behind the counter. She was a feline humanoid. She had purple fur, a tail that whipped back and forth lazily, and ears on top of her head. "Anything I can help you with? Need a place to stay, or buy something?"

Matthew nods, a bit curious about the woman. "A room for the night." The cat woman nods, and replies, "10 gold for a night." Matthew nods, not surprised. It was about the same in Potos. He leaves the required gold pieces on the counter. "I've never seen a..." "Neko?" The woman replies, a slight grin on her face. "Well, yes." The woman shrugs. "There aren't a lot of us, but there are a few of us spread throughout the world. I'm Haruka. I run the place here. Take any open room upstairs. Bath is downstairs."

Matthew nods, and heads upstairs. He picks the second room on the right and sets his bag down, and then heads downstairs. Matthew settles into the hot spring after quickly using a bathing barrel. He closed his eyes to enjoy it, only to open them in alarm when he felt a foot hit his. Haruka had apparently joined him. Matthew stared at her a moment, and she stared back.

"Was there something else?" Matthew asked, slightly confused. He didn't think he'd offended her. "Nope. Just wanted a bath." Haruka replied. "Alright then." Matthew closed his eyes, both to relax, and to avoid looking at Haruka unclothed. It seemed that either Neko's were less modest, or that Haruka was. "So, what did you come out here for?" Haruka asked. "Going to the Water Palace. Seeking advice from Sage Luka." replies Matthew drowsily. "Ah. Been awhile since a pilgrim's been through here." 'Pilgrim. Traveller without a home. That was the best fit for him now, wasn't it?' Matthew thought to himself.

Matthew didn't reply, and the rest of the bath passed in silence. Matthew got out first, and toweled off quickly. "So, any chores I can do for food?" He asked as he got dressed. When Haruka got up, Matthew was sure to turn his head away. "You can do dishes and sweep." She replied, amusement in her voice. Matthew nods. "I picked room 3." He says. "Ah, then I'll hand you the key at supper." She says as she towels off. Matthew leaves. After an hour or so of sweeping, Haruka calls him down to eat.

Dinner was a simple affair, and afterwards Haruka handed Matthew the key to his room. "Is it usually this empty?" Matthew asked. Haruka shrugs. "Depends. Usually there's a patrol at least once a week from Pandora." Matthew nods, then gathers the dishes. After doing the dishes, he headed upstairs to sleep. It had been a long day, filled with changes.

I'm so looking forward to read this fully when I get home. Currently at work and can only say that I'm rather excited to see what you've come up with. Secret of Mana is my favorite favorite gameserie as well. I have my dearest Childhood memories playing Secret of Mana, but I believe Seiken Densetsu 3 made the greatest impact on me.

Anyways, I'll reply properly when I can.