I needed a story that didn’t have the typical happy ending. I needed something a little tragic, but offered hope and promise. Secret of Mana did exactly that.
Throughout the story you fall in love with three very unlikely heroes. They have personality, quirks, depth, and purpose. You learn about their lives and about the tragedies that have brought them together. As you progress through the game, battling your way through various temples, sealing mana seeds, caring for one another through all times, battle shadow versions of yourself, and it all boils down to facing the great Mana Beast (a dragon).
Upon slaying the dragon your entire world changes. Sprite, the cute and spunky sprite, is seperated from your world as his magical world rooted deep in the magic of Mana is seperated by a magical veil never to be seen again. Fawn, the girl, bids you farewell and takes her leave to try and repair her broken family and life. Mike, the boy, returns to the village that banned him to return the Sword of Mana to its rightful place, fully restored and able to keep evil at bay.
The tragedy is the loss of those who you’ve grown to love and call family. Each had to move on to their own stories, to face their new lives, on their own paths. The story isn’t over; you don’t go on to live happily ever after. You now have your own path to face with all manner of uncertainty. The rest of your life to face.
I needed this story throughout my childhood, and even now, to remind me that there are all manner of demons to battle, yourself to face, and a dragon you must slay. You’ll have special people in your life who will come and go each giving you a bit more courage than you imagined you had.
But when you slay a dragon -for there are many dragons in our lives that we must face- it isn’t over. It is not a ticket to easy street, life will not end in a happily ever after, your story goes on; you must continue to press forward to face what your life still has in store.
The hardest part is letting go, saying goodbye, and laying that part of you completely to rest. This is not to say that we cannot reflect on what we learn or upon the situation, but we must not continue to live that hour for the rest of our lives.
I am still learning this. I recently put down a dragon in my life that I have been fighting for years, and now I must learn to press onward. I have never felt so free, but I still have to walk away from the carnage. Let the beast lie, and follow the path that God has set before me.
Unlike the boy, I will not be returning to my village. That place died in my heart so long ago. But the magical gift of fire that I now hold may be brought to my roaming family, shared with those we meet along the way, and evidence of God’s incredible work in a life that is in itself insufficient, but through Him is made perfect.
16 May 2008 at 10:32 pm
[...] Michael Brewer wrote: Throughout the story you fall in love with three very unlikely heroes. They have personality, quirks, depth, and purpose. You learn about their lives and about the tragedies that have brought them together. As you progress through the game, battling your way through various temples, sealing mana seeds, caring for one another through all times, battle shadow versions of yourself, and it all boils down to facing the great Mana Beast (a dragon). [...]
22 June 2008 at 7:53 am
Well written.
Each character had one more sad thing going for them, that should be mentioned.
Mike had but learned who his mother was and heard her voice for a brief moment, when she was taken away from him. He also learned of his unusual, not-quite-human lineage. This likely changed his relationship to his home village and the people he grew up with.
Fawn had lost her fiancée Dyluck in the final battle against Thanatos.
Sprite had lost all his family and friends when his home village was slaughtered, so he was likely to lead a very lonely life in his own world. (The very last scene in the ending portrays this well, I think.)
On a slightly happier note, Mike and Fawn were two newly found friends who actually lived in neighbouring villages and could now go see each other anytime.