AN: The ending to Dragon Quest III filled me with a lot of inspiration for a story, and here it is. The names are based on my own party from DQIII - Loto the hero; James the warrior, former martial artist; Martha the sage, former priest; and Tristan the sage, former mage. The old man is the owner of the ship you use in Alefgard, mentioned by the boy who tells you you can use it. I supposed he'd be quite happy to let the saviour of the land go on a voyage with him.

The waves crashing against the ship's oaken hull seemed to drown out all sound. Below deck sat Loto, his head in one hand as the other picked away at a plate of fish.

'... o ...' called a voice. '... to ...! Loto!'

Loto jumped, dropping his fork to the floor. 'M-Martha? What ... What is it?'

'Is everything all right?'

With a long sigh, Loto looked down at his untouched plate of fish, placing his hands in his lap. 'Why bother asking? You know it's not.'

Now it was Martha's turn to sigh. She placed her hands firmly on the table and rose up. 'Wasn't the whole point of this little expedition to find a way back? There's got to be one somewhere.'

Unflinching, Loto replied, 'There's no guarantee there is one. We could turn this whole world upside down, and still find no way back to our own.'

'In case you forgot,' she said, slamming slightly on the table with one hand, 'this trip was your idea, wasn't it?'

'I mean, we might as well look.' He sighed again. 'But it's not like I have hope. There was only one way to this world from ours, and it closed when we beat Zoma.'

'You don't have hope?! Look at me, Loto.'

Loto acquiesced, though he still avoided eye contact.

'You're a veritable beacon of hope! Were you not the one who saved that couple in Baharata? Who brought an end to Orochi's reign of terror? Who exposed the imposter king? Who slew the Archfiend Baramos? Who brought the dawn itself back to this world?'

'I was,' he replied, head drooping once more. 'That's why I won't say I regret destroying Zoma. But ... I have a family. Mum and Granddad might never know what happened to me. It was bad enough when they lost Dad ... Don't you have a family waiting for you back home too, Martha?'

'I - well, that's ...' Looking uneasy, she fell back into her seat.

Loto rose from his. '... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be insensitive. I'm going above deck. You ... You can have my fish if you want it. I'm not really hungry.' With speedy steps, he made his way through the door and up the steps.

He was greeted by a vast, clear blue sky, seeming to taunt him. Gazing wistfully above, he rested his arms on the ship's taffrail. Here the sounds of gulls and waves seemed so much louder. Surely nothing would -

'Hoy!' called a gruff, gravelly voice.

'Captain,' said Loto, fixed in his position.

'What aileth you, mighty Erdrick? Such a glum mien becometh not our saviour!'

'I'm ... homesick, I suppose. But I can't go home ... ever, maybe.'

The old man drew closer, laying a hand on Loto's shoulder, from which he flinched away. 'Yea, ye came from the world above, did ye not? ... Fate is a cruel mistress. But the Goddess doth work in mysterious ways. 'Tis not for me to say whether ye shall e'er return to your home, but mayhap ye shall find a new home in our world.'

Loto contrived a smile for the old man's sake. 'I do appreciate the sentiment, Captain. But ... My family is waiting for me. I don't want them to go the rest of their lives wondering, worrying about whatever happened to me.' He now turned away and said simply, 'By your leave,' before walking to the stern.

'The Goddess, huh ...'

He lowed himself to his knees, folding his legs beneath him, fidgeting to get the position just right. With hands firmly clapsed and eyes firmly shut, he spoke quietly.

'Goddess above ... What have I done to deserve this? And even if I have done something to deserve this, what can Mum have done that warrants losing both her husband and son? Don't You think she's suffered enough? I hope You'll let her be happy, at the very least ... Is this all part of some grand plan You have in store? I'm not sure I want to be part of it ...'

'Praying, eh?'

Loto jumped, his body now weighing all too heavily upon his legs. Grimacing from the pain, he supported himself up by the ship's taffrail. 'Did you - ow! Did you have to scare me like, Tristan?'

'Do forgive me,' said Tristan, coming to stand beside Loto. 'We've always found a way before, you know. I'm sure we shall now too.'

'I wish I could see it the way you all seem to.' Loto now rested his head atop his arms. 'I wish I could - at least just send a letter back home. To let them know I'm okay, and they don't have to worry.

'But you can't, can you? It doesn't do to dwell on the impossible. You've got to live in the present, lest your life pass you by.'

Loto sighed. 'Look, Tristan, you're an old wanderer. There's no family anxiously awaiting your return.

'This may be true, but those are wise words nonetheless. It doesn't do to hang your head in abject sorrow.'

For a while Loto simply stood there in silence. '... I'm going up to the crow's nest if you need me.'

Up the ladder he went, and there he saw -

'James. Why am I not surprised?'

'What, not happy to see me?' James sat there on one side of the pole, lazily gazing out over the horizon.

'It's not that,' said Loto, sitting himself at the side opposite James. 'It's just ...'

'Just what, eh?

'... Why do any of you still like me?'

A serious tone crept into James's voice. 'And why wouldn't we?'

'I dragged you into this. This was my quest, my fight to finish. But because I made you come with me, now you're all stuck here too. But you don't seem to resent me in the slightest.' Loto sank lower against the pole.

'Hang on there,' said James, just a little reproachfully. 'You didn't "make us" do anything. We chose to come with, 'cause we like you, and 'cause Zoma threatened both worlds. Better being stuck here than being dead, I say.'

'Don't you ... Um, what was your family like, James?'

'Just me and my sister,' he replied with a nostalgic sigh. 'Never got on too well. She was all swords and armour, and I said to her, "All you need's your fists!" Funny how things turn out, eh? Bet she'd say "I told you so" if she saw me now.'

'She was an adventurer, like us?'

'That she was.'

'So she's not waiting for you, then ... Maybe she found her way to this world too.'

'Heh, wouldn't that be something.'

James's words now seemed to fade away as Loto gazed wistfully toward the sky, every moment hoping for it to tear open. If Zoma had torn open the gate in the first place, would it be possible for him to make another if he should ever become as strong?'I'm getting tired of the sky,' said Loto, interrupting whatever spiel James was on. 'I'm going to bed.'

'But it's broad -' Loto did not even give James a chance to finish, climbing down the ladder hastily. His trip down to the cabins, however, was interrupted by Martha.

'I'm sorry I lost my cool with you.'

'Um - And ... I'm sorry I was so insensitive to you,' said Loto, voice sounding apathetic. 'I - I do mean it, I'm just ...'

'It's all right,' she said firmly. 'Listen. It may not be a sure thing that we shall find a way back, but there is equally little evidence that we shall not. It may only be a matter of faith, but I trust that the Goddess will deliver us.'

Before Loto could reply, in crashed James, sliding down the pole of the crow's nest. 'Right, you've just got to have hope. That's easy to say, yeah, but there's no point wallowing in despair.'

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Loto felt the smallest smile tugging on the corners of his lips. 'Th ... Thank you.'

Now Tristan came to join them as well, speaking softly. 'If there is not a gate currently in existence, well, perhaps we could create one? I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I am a master magician. I will endeavour to create a spell to warp between worlds.'

'You - you would do that for me!'

'Fool!' barked Tristan. 'It's not just for you. It's for all of us. We are in this together, are we not?'

'Y-yes ... we are.'

'Once more with feeling!'

'Yes! We are!' Loto felt much weight lifting from his heart. It did remain, but now seemed altogether more bearable.

The old man now came, drawn by the racket. 'Verily, the head that droopeth seeth not afront of it. I cannot claim to know your pain, mighty Erdrick, but your friends are e'er beside you. Ye face not this ordeal alone.'

Loto looked around, seeing the patiently smiling faces of his friends. His small smile widened. 'Th-thank you, Captain ... Thank you, everyone ... I'm - I'm sorry for how I've been.'

'No apologies, all right?' responded James, patting Loto on the back. 'We all have our rough patches.'

Loto nodded - and the scene was silenced by a very loud rumble.

'Zounds!' cried the old man. ''Tis like unto a quake! Pray hasten to the cabins, and eat your fill of fish!'

Laughing - quietly, nervously, but laughing - Loto made his way down with his friends. He didn't know what the future had in store, but he knew he wouldn't have to face it alone.