Mana's Mind
by Duran the Gladiator

Chapter 5: Moonlight Meditation

Flammie yawned as she saw the star rise again, meaning Lise called her again. It wasn't a yawn out of boredom, though, but one of extreme hunger. She descended the hills slowly to where her friends stood and made it quite clear that she was hungry by roaring together with the growling of her stomach. I need food, Lise!, she screamed mentally. And it appeared that Lise had heard her.
"Charm, go to Palo and ask for as much food as you can get. Tell the villagers that our guardian dragon is hungry, they'll give plenty. Oh, Flammie, don't you worry, we'll make sure you can fly fully fed!"
And, indeed, the designated Amazoness came back with the message that the villagers had just put a whole bunch of bread, fish and nice herbs together for the dragon - just as she had predicted, the townspeople arrived a few minutes after her, carrying a REALLY big haul of fish, a few kingsize loafs of bread and what appeared to be a small tree. Flammie gently extended her wings in a bow of sorts before eating all the food at a rapid pace. Duran grinned ("Hey, she is the only one alive that could ever out-eat me!", he defended himself from Angela) and Kevin turned away as Flammie started on the fish ("Gah! She have worse table manners than Duran!", he shouted, which got him a death glare from Duran and Angela). But the little dragon was once again filled with energy as she had eaten a decent meal for the first time in a long time, and she happily sped off to Wendel with the Heroes.

"Flammie was really upset about this shadow... have you seen the speed she flew off with?!", said Hawk as the group headed towards Wendel from Jad.
"Yes, but she wasn't half as upset as Carlie... look at her, poor thing must worry for her grandfather and Heath very much - even more after what happened to them a year ago...", answered Lise. Carlie had indeed been shocked deeply by the darkness covering her home town, and Kevin was being chivalrous and kept her company. Although Lise couldn't hear what exactly it was about, she could make out "meditation", "being important" and, surprisingly enough, "love" as the main subjects. She stepped a bit closer to listen to the two.
"So, has meditating helped?"
"Methinks meditating always helps. And you? You clean your mind, Charle?"
"Nope. Have too much sins to confess to Heath... you should go confess your sins too, Kev. It'll help you clean your heart. Hearts always can use a cleaning..."
"Speaking of sins... I heard girl sneak into my room in Forcena. Maybe you know who it was?", whispered Kevin with a mischievous grin on his face.
"Uh... no, what are you talking about?!", said Carlie, blushing furiously. Kevin smiled inwardly. Yes, I know, and you kissed me too, he thought as they continued through the Cave of Waterfalls to the exit - going from one darkness into the other. Lise realised she had heard and seen things she wasn't supposed to know about, so she put the thought away from her mind and went back to talk to Hawk. The Priest of Light had known they were coming, because at the end of the cave and the entrance to the city, they were awaited by Heath.
"Hey Carlie, nice to see you decided to help us out too!", he said as he grinned and opened his arms for her. She ran to him and hugged her life long closest friend. However, and much to his surprise, she only hugged him briefly.
"Heath, how'd you know we would be coming now?"
"Well, I heard Flammie's shriek when she saw that shadow. A dragon is rarely heard around here. And guess which favorite priestess of mine knows a dragon?" He turned to the rest of the group. "Welcome to Wendel again! I trust it you would like to speak to the Priest of Light? Come, follow me." He led the group, holding a lantern that lit the road ahead of them. The darkness surrounding them seemed like a black blanket put over their heads, so they could see nothing but the light of the lantern Heath held and some other vague lights - houses, a few candles, or even a bonfire, but none could keep the darkness away. The Temple of Light was not even seen by the group, though they got inside safely.
"Here you go. Luckily, it's much lighter inside... would you care to rest and speak to the Priest in the morning?", he said as he saw Lise yawn.
"Yes, please... I feel like I could fall asleep standing!", said Carlie, a comment which made Heath chuckle.
"Fancy sleeping that much, eh? Want me to put your friends near to you?", he said as she blushed a bit.
"But there's only three guest rooms!", spoke Carlie in her defence.
"Oh, but I don't mind sharing with Angie!", said Duran almost immediately. Heath nodded, much to the others' displeasure.
"Okay, but there's going to be two others who'll share... Who volunteers?"
"Heath, if it's okay with you, I have a spare bed in my room... someone can sleep there.", half-whispered Carlie. Heath shrugged - but looked a bit upset about it.
"If you don't mind sharing your room... will you share, Lise?", suggested the priest.
"No, thanks, I've shared a room with her before, she snores like there's no tomorrow!"
"Then who...?", said Heath, obviously not approving of the idea of Carlie sharing a room.
"I no mind", said Kevin. Lise raised an eyebrow. Kevin had something in mind, she KNEW it, she felt it at the roots of her hairs. Carlie nodded to Heath, who consented - very reluctantly. After wishing them a good night, he left for his own room, to search his conscience and think about things - like growing up and letting go.

"Kevin, are you going to meditate with me? I've got lots of things on my mind...", like you, she mentally added.
"Yeah, me too. Where you meditate when you're alone?"
"Mostly on my bed. Sometimes outside on the balcony... but only in the summer. Say, Kev..."
"Yes?"
"Why... why did you want to share? I mean... you didn't have to..."
"I wanted to get to talk to you. Plus, methinks you can snore loud enough to keep sounds from other rooms away.", said the beastman with a grin.
"Oh... yeah, lucky me. Lucky us!", Carlie corrected herself, "What do you wanna talk about then?"
"I know who girl was, who sneaked in my room yesterday...", he whispered while he pointed at her.
"Kevin, I did not sneak into your room and kiss you! ...Oops...", she realised she had said too much.
"I knew all along. But you cute when you lie... couldn't resist."
"Kev... I'll never ever do it again, I swear! Oh, I'm so embarrassed..."
"Don't be. You are cute girl, even when embarrassed, but methinks you look better when not ashamed. Now, still wanna meditate or not?", he said as he ostentatively patted her blanket. She nodded and sat down, closed her eyes and let her mind flow freely. She remembered her conversation with Kevin in the garden of Forcena and how he said that he couldn't love. But he approved of her kissing him, so maybe he loved her? Or did he think it was merely a kiss from a friend to a friend? She couldn't think of anything but Kevin, so she groaned mentally as she tried to push her mind away from him.
"Hey, quiet you. I have trouble focusing too.", Kevin said, making her realise she had groaned out loud as well. But a few minutes later, he grunted as well as he had trouble focusing.
"Hey, you keep quiet too!", she said as she threw a pillow to him, which hit him full in the back. He retaliated by taking one of his pillows and hitting her on the head, starting a pillow fight. Feathers flew around the room as the two waged war with cushions and eventually even with their blankets. It ended by a sea of feathers covering the floor, Kevin wrapped in three blankets and Carlie sitting on top of the bundle victoriously.
"I won I won, now what do I get?", she squealed.
"Eh... sleep?", Kevin tried, pouting - mainly to tease her.
"You pillowhead", she said as she took her hat off and slapped him with it.
"You would make good queen for country one day... maybe", he quickly added. It made her raise an eyebrow.
"Me? Nah, I don't think I'll be a queen someday. Although, I do know this one prince... he's kind, loving, intelligent and strong... and a really good armchair!", she said as she tried not to giggle when Kevin tried to escape from the blankets. But when he finally was out of the tangle of cloth and plush, he couldn't retaliate because he was too tired to even say another word. He slumped, fell onto the sheets - and on top of Carlie, who was caught off guard by him. He nearly fell asleep with Carlie squirming under him, but her muffled shouts cleared his mind. He got up and helped Carlie up as well.
"Sorry, sorry... I was bit too tired... c'mon, Charlotte, let's go sleep...", he muttered before falling onto his bed. Carlie picked up the blankets from the cold floor and put one over Kevin's sleeping form.
"Goodnight, Kevin...", she whispered as she gave him a kiss goodnight. She felt him kissing her back, and looked right into his eyes when she opened hers again.
"Kevin! You said you were tired! So sleep!", said Carlie as she pretended to be angry - she was happy that she knew she hadn't imagined him kissing her too.
"Gah... me never too tired to get goodnight kiss from you. Night...", he said before turning around.
"Kev?", she whispered as she had blown out the candle on her nightstand.
"Yes?"
"Eh... nevermind..." At least he kissed me back, she thought before falling asleep.

Morning came quickly, and Heath had been friendly enough to bring up some breakfast to the heroes (he had been a bit shocked when he saw Duran and Angela sleeping side by side, but apart from that, he didn't complain about them). Carlie got a reprimand, however.
"Carlie! Your room looks like a mess! What'd you do this time?"
"Me and Kevin had a pillow fight, Heath, that's all. Just some child's play of two nearly-grown-ups. Don't tell me you never had a pillow fight!", she said when he opened his mouth to tell her just that. "Gramps told me you were the worse kid in the village when it came to that. So why can't I have some fun?"
"Okay, allright, I didn't say anything. I've brought you two some breakfast... hey, where is that guy anyway?"
"Heath! "That guy" is named Kevin, and he's still asleep", she said as she pointed at a curled up form beneath the blanket.
"Oh, would you wake him up? Maybe he has a morning temper..."
"Heath, seriously, you're the only one around here who has that...", said Carlie, smiling, before shoving her friend out the door and eating her breakfast. Kevin, who had woken up when she had put the blanket off him, followed suit and ate what Heath brought him. The two then walked out to find Hawk and Lise argueing.
"Dammit, I say it was you!"
"I did NOT throw a dagger through your wall!"
"Then who did? You're the only one who..."
"Hi guys!", chirped Carlie, "What's the matter?"
"Well, Hawk threw a dagger through the wall, which stuck into my headboard and cut my cheek this morning!"
"I did NOT throw a dagger, Lise!"
"Yeah, he didn't, Lise.", said Kevin. "I did. Accidentally, I threw dagger too forceful and it flew through Hawk's room into yours I think..."
"You? Nah, you couldn't throw a dagger if your life depended on it!", said Hawk. Lise shot him a death glare before heading to Duran and Angela's room. The couple came out with tangled hair and very pale faces.
"Since when did mornings start this early?", complained Duran.
"I've tried to tell him it's eight in the morning, but he won't listen. He hasn't slept very much lately, I guess...", said Angela.
"Gee, I wonder why?", whispered Lise to the others, who chuckled.
"Okay, okay, let's go to the Priest of Light and ask him what that "cure to pain, caused by the end of night" is... or else we've wasted a day.", said Carlie as she led the others to her grandfather.

"Ah, the Mana Heroes. I take it you come to seek advice?", said the elderly Priest.
"Yes, we came to ask about poem... Elementals are sick, and cures are described in this poem. But now, cure for Shade is bit vague. It says Shade needs "cure to pain, caused by end of night" but what is it?", stammered Kevin.
"Kevin, Duran, Carlie, you know what it is. You've used it before. Think very hard. What cures pain and is also an end to darkness."
"A cure to pain... healing?... and end to darkness... light, of course... Heal Light?!"
"Heal Light. It is Wisp's gift to those that have a pure heart and a strong will. Now, is there anything else you would like to know?"
"As a matter of fact, there is... The poem also speaks of a cure for Wisp. "And lastly, for the light of hope, the light of Wendel's priest, give Wisp a gift of darkness pure, what Shade can miss the least". Would you know what that is, perhaps, and how to get it?"
"I don't know... but it will be clear to you when you see Shade, I think. It must be of extreme value to him... Or wait, ask him what he fears the most. He'll attach most value to that which he fears to lose."
"Thanks, gramps... eh, oh generous Priest, I mean", Carlie stated as Heath gave her an angry look. The Heroes bowed before exiting. Heath turned to the Priest as they heard Flammie take flight, ferrying the Heroes to Bucca where Shade was last seen.
"Priest, Carlie is..."
"Yes, I've noticed it as well. Let it be, it will go as the Goddess sees fit. The Chosen One Kevin and the Chosen Second Carlie... it is in fact better that they find out for themselves that fate meant much more than that for them. The Fairy brought them together."
"Yes... as always, you're right. But I... it's just... I still saw her as the cute little girl I had under my wings. But look at her now: she's a Priestess, a hero and a young lady. Think of how she'll be in ten years... if she is to be in your position someday, how can she..."
"Heath, may I remind you that I too was married, and that my wife died three years after my assignment? There is nothing wrong with loving. Even you... you should know..." The Priest sighed: it was a delicate matter, love, and as much as it was enchanting and ethereal, it was not to be spoken of lightly. "Heath, it's best I explain you what the Fairy told me when I first met Kevin and found out that Carlie was his follower..." The Priest spoke of it all: of how the tiny creature told of the dangers they would meet, of how the fates of the Heroes intertwined - Hawk and Lise, Duran and Angela, Kevin and Carlie - and of how the perils they were in together would bring them closer. "It is true. I have heard the tales of the wind: of a warrior and a mage falling for each other too deep to ever recover, of the lifelong friendship between a certain thief prince and an amazon that resulted in the taking of responsabilities, and... of a little girl sneaking into a beastman's room at midnight to kiss him. The winds never lie, and I don't either. Just let them find each other, which will happen soon enough, and the rest will come naturally..."

The group arrived on Bucca very fast. The island was slightly different from the way they remembered it, but it was still rumbling now and then. The vast jungle surrounding the village of the Dark Priests was partially gone, and Booskaboo's cave had acquired a few new entrances. But aside from that, the road they followed when they sought for a way off the island was still there. But the jungle was quiet, barely any sound was heard aside from the rustling of leaves in the wind. Kevin didn't feel comfortable, the tense atmosphere was filled with fear somehow, he could sense it growing with every step they took. As they neared the village, cries of pain could be heard. Carlie ran ahead and discovered the village of the Dark Priests.
The poor little men were covered with pure white blisters that seemed to hurt them enormously. Some of them were wrapped in grey blankets, others had hidden in trees, and one that was brave enough to face the heroes stood in the middle of the scene. He spoke to them, his voice hoarse from wailing:
"Go away... contagious... painful blisters... luminous disease..." He showed the group how serious - and true - it was by cutting one of the blisters open. A bright ray of light came from it as the poor tormented thing closed his eyes.
"Oh dear! This is bad for you guys... you like the dark so much, and now you're like lanterns!", shouted Carlie. "But don't worry, we've come to solve your problems. We need to find Shade, you guys know where he has been lately?"
"Gone... to Palace of Darkness up north... heal him, little Priestess..."
"Don't you worry. Tell your friends that I'll go and help Shade and then I'll come back to check if you're better. If you're not, I'll help every last one of you! Okay?"
"Yes... now go, and return safely..."

Flammie shrieked sadly when Lise told her they would have to go to the Dark Cave. Hawkeye and Lise had had a very personal feud with Jagan, the lord of Dark Castle, and his servant Bigieu. But, luckily, they had witnessed Bigieu kill herself by Jagan's dead body. The following events caused them to follow Kevin to the Mirage Palace, and the Dark Castle had been nothing but a black spot on the map, one they had avoided if possible. Carlie knew that and had steered clear of even mentioning it in a conversation. Kevin, however, had never even heard of it because he had been travelling with Angela and Duran, who didn't even know Jagan or Bigieu. Their search led them to entirely different persons, eventually going to the Mirage Palace, to Deathjester and Heath. The two groups' paths had crossed there for the last time before Kevin's group went to the Holyland and destroyed the Masked Mage, while Carlie's group had gone to Wendel to ensure that the Priest of Light was still strong enough to last through the battle. Flammie had accidentally flown over the Dark Castle while going to Wendel, and it was desolate in all its weird splendor: she didn't like it at all. But as necessity forced the poor feathered dragon to go there once again, there was no way the Heroes would refrain from going there. Reluctantly, she carried her friends over there, but as soon as they had all set foot on solid ground, she lifted off again and disappeared into the afternoon sky, leaving the friends alone on the forsaken lands.
"Why didn't anyone put a few extra exits in here?", said Duran, exasperated, as they rounded another corner.
"There are other exits here... you just don't want to know where they lead and how they go there...", answered Hawk.
"Eh, yeah... anyway, they should've put some shortcuts in this place. When are we going to reach that Palace?"
"We're here!", said Carlie, abruptly ending the conversation. They stood before the massive gates to the ominous building. Slowly, Kevin pushed them open and the Heroes entered one by one. Carlie was the first to notice Shade's presence, as the Elemental of Darkness had hidden his face from them as soon as he noticed them.
"Shade! There you are, we've been looking all over for you, didn't you know that the Dark Priests are sick? Why are you...", she shouted, but stopped in mid-sentence as Shade showed his face to her. He was badly wounded and also covered with the luminous blisters the Dark Priests had. Carlie's following scream got the attention of the rest of the team: all of them hurried back to the place where they had last seen Carlie. Kevin arrived there first.
"Shade! You sick too? Carlie, heal wound! He needs Heal Light!" Carlie obliged. Energy flowed through her hands, covering the Elemental in a glow of unearthly intensity as the wounds closed themselves and the blisters vanished. As the glow dissipated, the Elemental rose to his feet, and Carlie fainted and fell on the cold floor of the palace, shaking violently as her mind was exhausted. Kevin rushed towards her. "Charlotte!", he shouted as he picked her up. The others, arriving one by one, looked in amazement as Kevin cried when he carried his unconscious friend.
"Kevin, what happened?"
"Carlie cast Heal Light, but she tired her mind and fell. She needs rest... and someone to watch over her... I will guard her life with mine."
"Yes, but what if we need you..."
"Hey, Lise, call Flammie! Carlie needs to go to Wendel NOW!", Kevin yelled, surprising the others with his fierceness. Lise called the star and soon Flammie had landed.
"Flammie, take me and Carlie to Wendel. Don't worry," he said to the rest, "I'll watch over her as she sleeps. You go and talk to Shade, then come back to Wendel. We'll be safe.", he said as Flammie lifted herself and her passengers into the air.
"Hey...", Lise said to the rest as they walked back inside to Shade, "Wasn't that the Moonlight Tiara Carlie was wearing over her hat?"
"Eh, didn't notice it... Shade!"
"Yes, friends? Thank young Carlie to have saved me, without her I would have died here."
"How did you get those wounds anyway?"
"I don't know... I woke up here one morning with a few scratches on my limbs, and they got worse and worse every day... I wouldn't have lived much longer if it weren't for you!"
"Say, Shade, is life really the most precious thing you possess?"
"Oh no, I value my Wisp eye much more than my life..." Lise raised an eyebrow. So the eye Shade always carried around was one of Wisp?
"But don't Wisp eyes always come per pair, like most do? Where is the second one?"
"Oh, that I keep in the totem pole of the Dark Priest village. You see, one Wisp eye is enough to benefit from its powers. Wisp eyes can only be gotten one by one, because Wisp needs one to regenerate the other. Understand?"
"Yes... say, could we, by any chance, borrow that extra Wisp eye? Wisp is in trouble and needs what you value most - her eye..."
"Well, it isn't mine anymore, so you should ask the Dark Priests, but it's fine by me. Say, is Carlie okay now? I think I saw her collapse a bit earlier..."
"Well, Kevin took her to Wendel, saying she needs rest."
"Ah! Yes, indeed, the Moonlight Tiara only works when its bearer sleeps. Don't worry about her, she's fine as long as she's with Kevin..."
"The Moonlight Tiara? But Kevin got that from Luna to give to..."
"To the girl he loves? Well, that's Carlie. Their relationship has been destined, just like Angela and Duran were destined to fall in love. And just like Hawk and you are destined to rely on each other as friends in difficult times, Lise. ...Anyway, it is late already... you should all go back to Wendel and rest properly. You have a heavy day ahead of you... oh, but stop by the village of Dark Priests and ask them about the eye first." With that, the Elemental turned around and flew away, leaving the Heroes to follow his advice.

"Damn, those Dark Priests really value Carlie, don't they? I mean, as soon as we told them she asked for the Wisp eye, they practically begged us to take it!", said Hawk as they entered the Temple of Light again. The Priest of Light came toward them, followed by a very concerned-looking Heath.
"What happened to Carlie? The prince of the Beastmen came in, carrying her, and went straight up to her room. He has refused to open the door or tell us what happened ever since he arrived there..."
"Well, it happened in the Dark Castle...", said Lise, and she explained about the search for Shade, about how Carlie fainted after having used Heal Light, and how Kevin put the Moonlight Tiara on her head to help her recover. "And, well, Shade said that it was destined... not much to do against fate, now is there?"
"I knew this already. The Fairy told me that it was meant to happen. I believe her exact words were: "A collision of fates never leaves two people untouched. It gets to the heart and changes everything." And she is right. Duran, how had you seen Angela before you met her?"
"Well... I had seen her one day, when her mother came to see King Richard. Angela and her caretaker had to stay in the inn and I was there to help the innkeeper... she was haughty, but that's how princesses are. I saw her as how she acted: the princess of Altena. But you're right though: when we travelled, we talked. She told me she had grown up loveless, never really having known any affection at all. When you travel together, you get to know each other... But Kevin and Carlie travelled separately!", he concluded, the others mumbling the same. "How can they have, well, grown affection? They barely ever got to talk!"
"Not right...", whispered Lise, and immediately all attention turned to her. "She did see him, talk to him, get to know him. They met on numerous occasions. And she told me that she had looked up to him ever since they first met in Astoria, the night before the Fairy came there. Carlie told me how she followed Kevin to the flower field, saw the little thing get into Kevin's head and choose him as the Mana Hero, while she got chosen as his follower. But as Kevin went to Wendel to talk to the priest, Carlie went back to Astoria to check the damage. That's where she met me and Hawk, and meanwhile Kevin came across Angela and Duran. Kevin and Carlie met and became friends, co-fighters and each other's last resort. And in the end, when Carlie had fought and killed Heath, Kevin comforted her before following the Masked Mage to the Mana Holyland." She paused to let her words seep in, then stated: "If anyone deserves to be with Kevin, it's Carlie; and if anyone deserves Carlie's love, it's Kevin. They fought for their own purposes but, at the same time, they also fought for each other. Kevin comforted Carlie after she killed Heath. Carlie comforted Kevin as he killed Lugar. They were chosen together, they changed classes together, they even acquired the Heal Light spell at the same moment!"
"So right...", said Hawk. Then he yawn ostentatively before mumbling: "Now let's get some sleep so we can climb that mountain tomorrow and visit Wisp!"

*AN: Eh... now it's definitive: Carlie and Kevin are together. Oh, and since they both still act a bit childish, their love is simpler than that of Duran and Angela (just so you know). I'll try and put an epilogue after the last chapter so you guys know what their lives will look like later on. Just for the fun of it...
Anyway, read, review and love it!*