Mana's Mind
by Duran the Gladiator

Chapter 6: Sight and insight

"Carlie... Carlie? Are you okay?"
Carlie's mind had been raging through nightmare after nightmare, while she shivered in her bed, covered with all the blankets Kevin could gather. Finally, when he saw she was still panting and had even started screaming, he had laid himself down beside him and had embraced her. Immediately she had calmed down. Kevin smiled as he felt sleep come over him as well, knowing his love was safe with him - and he with her. He hadn't heard Lise's concerned voice, and neither did he hear the sound of the door opening. Both of the tired heroes slept on while Lise beheld them, in their dreamy embrace. It was quite a shock to her to see her two good friends that close, even though she had known it was inevitable. She softly closed the door behind her, trying her best not to wake them up. Hawkeye, who had woken up as well, joined Lise as she exited the room and went for some breakfast.
"Are they okay?"
"Yes, they're sleeping. Kev held her pretty tight..." Hawk heard her tone of voice, it worried him a bit.
"Lise, don't jump to conclusions, okay? Kevin probably held her while she was tossing and turning in her sleep and fell asleep beside her. Besides, it's fine... they are safe together."
"You're right. Anyway, I wasn't about to jump to conclusions... I am happy for them, you know.", she defended herself as Hawk tapped her on the shoulder. "I just don't want any of the two to get hurt!"
"They won't get hurt - never ever." Meanwhile, they had arrived in the kitchen, where Heath was busy cooking some eggs for him and a few of the other priests.
"Good morning, Hawk and Lise. Are the others coming as well?"
"Eh, I think Duran and Angela will come downstairs in a few minutes - I wouldn't go to them now - and Kevin and Carlie are still asleep. Let them rest..."
"B-but I want to see how Carlie's doing! Is she okay, Lise?"
"Yes. Kevin has taken very good care of her, she is sleeping soundly. He has stayed by her side all night, I think - was sleeping beside her..." Lise saw Heath's expression change from worried to shocked - for a split second - back to relieved.
"Oh, if Kevin is by her side, she's fine. ...Yes, the Priest of Light talked to me about what Kevin and Charlotte are to each other. I'm still not fully comfortable with it, but if this is the way that the Mana Goddess intended it to be... then so be it!" The other priests nodded, they knew it was better the way it was. Heath smiled, and Lise knew in the bottom of her heart that Heath's concern was out of love for his pupil, and that he'd come to terms with her growing affection for Kevin.
"Well, I'm hungry.", Hawkeye quickly changed subject, "What do you have to feed a hungry Mana Hero?"

After breakfast (Duran and Angela had come down a few minutes after Hawk and Lise, while Kevin came to get something for him and Carlie and took it to her room), the group went outside of Wendel to the mountains where the ancient ruins of the City of Light were situated. Their peaks were beyond a dense fog, and their flanks seemed impossible to climb.
"Should we call Flammie?", Hawk suggested.
"Hmm... Heath told me once, last year, that there's a way to get to the ruins by foot.", said Carlie, and she proceeded by whispering something in Kevin's ear, then she motioned for Duran to come over and whispered in his ear as well. The two fighters nodded and went towards a big rock, followed by Carlie. All three placed one hand on the rock and closed their eyes: the rock disappeared a few moments later, revealing a path up the mountains.
"Wow! Isn't that the same trick the dwarves used to hide the entrance to their village?", remarked Angela.
"Yup. Wisp knew the trick because she uses it here as well. Light to create an illusion - smart beings, aren't they?"
"Uh-huh...", said Kevin as he went ahead, followed by a happy Carlie. The road was steep, and remnants of the ancient city lay scattered along it, but after a while the city itself came into view and the world below them disappeared behind the fog. They heard no sound from the ruins, although that wasn't weird - it were ruins, after all.
"Wisp? Wisp, are you here?"
"Wisp, it's me, Carlie! I've come to visit you!"
All the heroes tried to find the Elemental, but none of them even saw a glimpse of her.
"Damn, I'm starting to think that Wisp is deaf as well!", shouted Duran as he stomped on the ground - and fell right through it.
"Duran!", shouted Angela as a dense cloud of dust came up. "Duran, are you okay?!"
"Uhh... damn, that was unexpected... Fine, Angie! Hey, come on down... but be careful, it's a wet landing!"
"Huh? What's down there?"
"A lake of some sort. My guess is that this is the water supply of the city, and that this lake is the cause of the waterfalls... This cave is part of the Cave of Waterfalls!"

After they had all jumped down and gotten out of the lake, they searched the caves. Contrary to the city, the caves were filled with sounds - the echoes of their footsteps, the sound of running water from the waterfalls, the occasional bat that shrieked - and scarcely illuminated by a Holy Ball Angela kept on the top of her staff. Carlie did find a few interesting things like ancient depictions of Wisp and Shade, where Wisp was named "Lumina", oddly enough.
"Hmm... "Lumina luminorum, astrum terris, spes nostra, spes mundis. Light of lights, star of the earth, our hope, the hope of the world. Umbra tenebrarum, umbra hominum. Shade of darkness, shadow of humanity." They really didn't think high of Shade here...", said Carlie as she translated the ancient scriptures on the walls. "Calling him a shadow over humanity... and that when he could do nothing to change their opinion! No wonder Shade is a bit scared of people... just imagine living in a world where everyone hates and despises you..."
"Shade not hated everywhere... just here, where they worship Wisp.", stated Kevin as he looked to the drawings on the cave walls and pointed to a picture of the world outside, where Shade stood happily among the other Elementals. An image of what undoubtedly was a Dark Priest stood below him, and under it the words "Umbra mutavit homines ad tenebras", which Carlie translated as "Shade has changed people to darkness". Underneath Wisps picture stood "Lumen caecum erat, sed Umbra dabat oculos Lumino", or "Light was blind, but Shade gave her eyes".
"You suppose this has happened before?", asked Angela to no one in particular.
"I think so, judging by these images... but Shade has risen in status ever since that, I think...", answered Hawk absent-mindedly as they went further inside the caves, where images of the Elementals depicted a sudden rise to power of all the Elementals and their servants. But suddenly Carlie shrieked, and the others gathered closer to the image in front of her: depicting the end of the world by a raging dragon, feathered and breathing fire. The picture showed a young man holding a shining sword, a girl and what appeared to be a child casting magic, and Dryad standing over them, the light of the sword coming from her hands and deflecting on its polished surface, hitting the beast in the chest as it charged. Under it, it said in remarkably clear letters: "Finitem mundis avertabant equites Mana" ("The Mana Knights deflected the end of the world").
"T-that's Flammie!", she said as she pointed to the dragon.
"No, probably not. This dragon is pink, ferocious-looking and breathing fire; Flammie is white, cute and gentile..."
"Y-y-you're right...", Carlie said while she gratefully let Kevin hug her. "S-she is n-nice!"
"Yes she is, and no one will make her bad... you trust me, I know...", said Kevin, his voice a bit muffled as he spoke through Carlie's dense mass of blonde curls. Suddenly, their thoughts were interrupted by a soft murmuring voice, barely audible above the rushing sound of the waterfalls:
"Hey, is it you, Kevin, Charlotte?"
"Wisp?", called Kevin and Carlie at the same time.
"Yes, it is me... where are you?"
"Wisp, we're coming! Keep singing or talking - so we can reach you!"
The heroes followed the sound of Wisp's girlish voice, running over slippery floors, wading through a few streams, until they reached an open cave. Light seeped in from an opening in the roof onto a burning white form - Wisp. But her glow had diminished, her fire seemed to be dying out and her eyes were closed - drops of blood ran down from them, as tears.
"Wisp!!", called Carlie as she ran to the pained Elemental, followed by a concerned Kevin. "Oh, dear Goddess, how did this happen?!"
"I woke up one day to find my eyes hurt badly. I can only cry blood and am blind once again."
"So it HAS happened before?", said Angela.
"Yes. This world was once different, and the people living on it were different as well. One day, they came to me and stole my eyes, both of them. I couldn't regenerate my eyes without having one intact, so I was struck by darkness. Then Shade, a noble and strong Elemental, gave me his eyes. He knew what they meant to him... and since that day, he has lived with only one eye..."
"But he told us these were Wisp eyes!", Lise said as she showed her the Wisp eye the Dark Priests had given her.
"Oh... Shade seems to have changed quite a lot, I see. He has tricked you... this is the eye of a Power Boulder. My eyes are more similar to those of a Shadow Zero."
"B-but then we went through all that trouble for nothing!", shouted Angela, her Holy Ball increasing in size as she imagined throwing it to Shade. Kevin clenched his fists and growled as he thought of all the trouble Carlie had gone through - in vain.
"No... There is a way that you can still help me. But I'll need your help, Kevin, and you too, Carlie and Duran. Put your hands on mine... there you go!", Wisp said as she produced a small spark for each of them. "This is a way to attract and catch a Shadow Zero. It'll work only once, so use it with care. Oh, and Angela...", said the wisp as she turned to the mage, "You can help me scare Shade a bit. Think you can summon him? Stay here, guys, this will be fun..."
Angela concentrated on transporting the Elemental of darkness to the cave with her willpower. She felt a rush go through her as she successfully got the shadow there. Shade cringed as he found himself standing in front of Wisp, who was glaring at him accusingly.
"Shade, our friends have come to help me, and I heard you double-crossed them. Is that a nice way to repay the Mana Heroes who have saved you from dying?! I'm sending them over to give you another chance to be a good Elemental and provide them with the right item to aid me... and IT HAD BETTER BE THE RIGHT ITEM THIS TIME OR I AM GOING TO FRY YOU WITH A SAINT BEAM!!", shouted Wisp before Shade disappeared. The group was laughing out loud by then, not as much because of Wisp's rage as of Shade's shocked expression.
"Wisp... ahahah... where did you... hehehehee... get such an expression?", Lise managed to say before bursting into a fit of laughter again. Wisp chuckled too, but then got serious again.
"Shade isn't going to take my warning lightly... nevertheless, this will be tricky, and a very very sad fact is that in order to acquire the eyes of a Shadow Zero, you need to kill it... that's the only way it will be spared the pain." Kevin and Carlie gulped - they didn't like to kill anything anymore - but Duran, hardened in battle and prepared to do whatever it would take to help the Elementals, nodded and led the others back to a place where Flammie could be called and was able to land. To their surprise, Flammie was already there, ready to transport the three to Bucca. A shriek of hers made it very obvious she didn't want to spend a minute longer there than necessary. Duran gently guided the small dragon on her way over there. He thought he heard the shadow over Wendel roar, but quickly dismissed it as Flammie flew at her fastest to the volcanic island.

"How we use this thing?!", complained Kevin to a slightly worn out Duran as he scratched the palm of his hand.
"I think we should just lure it like you lure a cat or something... Shadow... here shadow!", he demonstrated. Carlie and Kevin followed his example. Soon enough, Duran was lucky enough to find a Shadow Zero. He opened his hand and stretched it out towards the black form as it approached him, fascinated by the luring spark. Unfortunately, it got out of the spell before Duran had been able to catch it with what appeared to be a net of light, which shot from the spark on his hand. Gone was the shadow, the net and the spark.
"You guys, you'll have to catch one... hope you have more success."
Carlie was the first after that to see a pair of glowing eyes watch her from the undergrowth. She stretched out her hand and felt the net shoot out - she had it caught.
"Yay! I have one, I have one!", she shouted as she happily bounced back to Duran. But when she arrived there, she saw Kevin running up after her, also holding a net with a Shadow Zero. Duran was certainly amazed, but soon realised that having two was a problem.
"What now? Should we set one free and take the other?"
"I dunno... They're kinda cute when they're not our enemies, aren't they?", said Carlie. Suddenly, she heard Kevin whisper to the two caught creatures. The conversation went on in low growls and a few shrieks, then Kevin nodded and turned to his two companions.
"They say we don't need to kill them. They say they can each give one eye to us, then merge themselves into one Shadow Zero with two eyes. Don't hurt at all to them!"
"Oh-kay... so let them do that. If it hurts one of them too much, I'll put it out of its misery though..." He turned around as he saw the two little black shapes prepare to give what was asked of them. When he turned around, Carlie held the eyes as Kevin gave a Pakkun Chocolate to the completely healthy Shadow Zero as it winked.
"It wasn't bad at all!", Carlie said as Duran heard Flammie's wings in the distance - magically called to the three heroes - and shook his head as to dismiss whatever thoughts of the past things dwelled there. "They just kind of puddled themselves up, put one eye out of the puddle and slithered over to each other, and then they rose as just one... neat, really..."
"Ah, Carlie, you right, it was beautiful", agreed Kevin as he kept her close. "But now, let's go back to Wisp and aid her!"

----------In the meantime, in Forcena---------------------
"Valda, why do you insist - argh! - on nursing me..."
"You keep quiet. I know you aren't going to be high and mighty King of Forcena for long anymore, but I want you to be fit for the journey - or are you planning to spend the rest of your life here instead of in Altena?"
"Well, yes, you're right... but now that you know, I want your complete secrecy... Neither Angela nor Duran may find out before I tell them."
"Yes, you have my word. No one will know. No one but you and me. ...Did I tell you what I've heard blowing on the winds already? A prince and a priestess are together as well..."
"Does he know already?"
"No... Shall I send him in?"
"Yes, you do that. Oh, and he knows my plans as well. Come on in!", shouted King Richard. The Beast King, who had been standing outside, obliged and entered the room.
"No sense hiding that I have been eavesdropping, is there?"
"No... I suppose you've heard it too? Kevin has finally found it in his heart to come to terms with his love for young Charlotte. He has not yet given her the Moonlight Tiara as an engagement present, but I think he will soon. What do you think of it, I wonder?"
"Well, it is awkward for me. I always imagined my son to marry a beastgirl, but there's no way to meddle with fate. Especially not when a fairy is playing along, let alone the Goddess!"
"I see... you are wise. I think our future king will make sure that an alliance with your kingdom is forged, if it hasn't happened already - one that lasts for ages, no, centuries!"
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"Hey, you guys took your time to get those eyes... I don't blame you, it was very noble of all of you to let the Shadow Zeros give you their eyes instead of you taking them."
"Wisp, h-how did you...", stuttered Duran, but Wisp interrupted him.
"Not only Luna can see beyond her surroundings... I saw everything that has already happened - well, in my head, anyway - and so I know that Duran and Angela... well, I saw.", she said as Duran and Angela turned scarlet, "And I saw a very meaningful gesture from a certain prince towards his love... Be sure to ask her in the morning, you know. Or, better yet, ask her this evening!" Lise noticed, from the corner of her eye, Kevin nodding. His grin told her to let him act.
"Eh... we have eyes for you, remember?", said Carlie as she handed the eyes to Wisp, who held one in each hand and put them into her flames where they automatically went to the right place in Wisp's head. After a few times of blinking and a moment of adaptation, Wisp's sight appeared to be clear once again.
"You guys, I can see again!", she shouted. And at the same moment, outside of Wendel, the darkness disappeared. Several people meant they heard a roar come from the cloud as it moved to the mountainous zone behind the Ruins of Light... yet they dismissed it, relieved as they were to behold the evening light. And all thanked the Mana Heroes for saving their town from a dire fate in the darkness once they returned.

"Hawk, ah... you know, don't you?", whispered Kevin as they all sat in the pub later that evening.
"Yes... I'm very happy for you two!"
"Eh, you know what I go to ask her later on?"
"No...", Hawk spoke a bit louder as Carlie went to the toilet. "What do you want to ask her then?"
"I gonna make proposal. I know she still child at mind, but she maturing just like me, and fast too! But how do I..."
"Ah, just follow my advice...", said the ninja while he leaned a bit closer and whispered to Kevin. The beastman's face lightened and he nodded fiercely. "Ah, but you sure this will work?"
"Sure thing... I proposed to Jess that way, and look what it got me!" He saw Kevin turn around to Carlie who had come out of the bathroom. "Here she comes now... remember what I said!"
"I'm tired!", announced Carlie as she got back at the table they were all sitting at. "Kev, you be quiet when you come back, 'kay?"
"I'm coming too, tired as well... See you tomorrow, guys!", he said as he and Carlie went back to their room in the Temple of Light.
So... what was Hawk whispering about?", asked Carlie once they had gotten ready to go sleep. She frowned as Kevin didn't answer, but instead went to a drawer and took out a box. He sat in front of her, kneeling, while holding out the box to her. She opened it to find the Moonlight Tiara inside.
"Kevin... this means... me?"
"Yes... Carlie, me been loving you for long time already. Ever since day we met, I like you. You were nice, you wiped tears away after I killed Lugar. You cared for me. And I love you, very very much... I want to ask two things. Do you love me too?", he said as he crawled a bit closer to her.
"Kev, you know I do!", she said while she, too, got a bit closer to him. They both could feel the tension in the air: Kevin did, anyway.
"Ah, you make me very happy... Now, this is question I have to ask... will you be mate - eh, wife, I suppose - to Kevin?"
"Kevin... only if you want to be my mate, or husband, or man, or whatever! I don't ever wanna leave you again, not even for a day!", she said while hugging him. Kevin held her tightly, holding on to her for dear life. She kissed him just as he wanted to kiss her, and they tangled into each other somehow: their minds and hearts and hands and limbs too caught up in each other to let go even as they slept. The Moonlight Tiara lighted their happy faces as Hawk silently entered and saw the two asleep on the floor.
"I just hope neither Heath or the High Priest finds them like this," he thought to himself, "or they are going to have a problem bigger than Flammie, fated to be together or not!"

Duran awoke with a start. He thought he had heard something outside, something terribly big. A quick glance out the window proved worthless as it was dark outside. He awoke Angela, who was lying beside him, and together they woke up the others. All but Duran stood sleepily on the stairs of the Temple of Light, but soon they too heard the roars - althoug stifled - coming from the Ruins of Light: Wisp's still weak state in mind, they rushed up the steep path as fast as they could. And what they found was beyond their comprehension.
Flammie was there, struggling to get away from a much older and darker version of herself, one with pink feathers and a magnificent tail. Carlie shrieked as the larger dragon breathed fire, a quick gush of it that illuminated the air around it - she had recognised it, and so had Kevin. The others, however, didn't know what was going on and rushed to Flammie's aid.
"Hey, what are you doing to our friend?!", shouted Hawk as he drew his daggers and sped up.
"I'm not doing anything to her...", sounded a deep voice. Flammie cringed and shrieked - a high-pitched whine that showed she was a child. "She is my child. Flammie is, however, a bit disobedient... She has to come with me to the new Mana Holyland. And so do you, Mana Heroes."
"Why should we come with you?", said Angela as she saw Flammie shed tears in pain.
"Because I am the Mana Beast, tool of the Mana Goddess and bringer of destiny for the world."
Wordlessly, Kevin and Carlie climbed upon its back, and so did the others, knowing that he wouldn't lie. And the mighty creature heaved into the air and pierced the clouds to the land above them.
The Mana Holyland. More beautiful than ever. And in the center, a small tree grew on the place where the old Mana Tree had once stood.

*AN: sorry if this chap seems a bit rough on the edges... Anyway, for those that ask, I think there will be 2 or 3 chapters after this one, an epilogue and a clarification. Next chap will contain referral to the other games from the SD series. Faithful reviewers might get an exclusive fanfic! So if you want it, read 'n' Review, you guys!*