The Flame of Hope

The Flame of Hope is a quest in Legend of Mana.

Premise
While exploring Gato Grottoes, the protagonist discovers a sick sproutling being attended by a nun in the middle of the road. The woman tries carrying him to the nearest house, but the little sprite flees, stating that his tummy hurts and that he cannot take it anymore. The nun suggests the mountainpath must have wore the sproutling out. The same leafy creature can be found further up the road in a Cliff Terrace, begging another nun for assistance. She quickly diagnoses the problem by stating the little being is housing a parasite called a popo bug and that is a cure-all. Freaked out by the fact the Nun has to pull out one of his leaves to take out the bug, the sproutling scurries away once again. The protagonist meets with with Rubens, one of the towm's fire-keeper on his way back. The man ask him/her is he/she has seen a suspicious individual during his visit to Gato Grottoes since he heard rumors of a thief going after the temple's flame. Should Shiloh/Serafina mentions the sproutling, Rubens dismisses the possiblity and guesses that the robber might have been just a rumor. While the main character continues his/her search for the sproutling's whereabouts, Rubens notices a small note falling near him. Later on, the sproutling is found in the Temple of Healing, harrassing another nun to cure his popo bug situation. The woman tells the sapling to meditate as the mind controls everything, but he runs off outside the building without attempting anything. The little rascal is finally seen on the same cliff again with a different nun assisted by Rubens, who gladly help the poors sproutling by ripping the insect out of his body, but fails to do so. The priestess tries to give the popo bug to Rubens as means of reviving his petrified friend, but the Jumi guardian hesitates to do so. Furious at the pain the nun caused him, the little green man runs off yet again. The nun berates Rubens for being too soft, stating that one's have to cut through the rocks to make a path. While looking for the sproutling, the hero returns to the Temple of Healing, discovering the praying nun lying on the ground. An anthropomorphic mouse called Inspector Boyd storms in the premises to analyse the case. The woman utters that she is still alive and that she twisted her ankle when the sproutling bumbed into her. This conclusion enrages Boyd who deduces that Sandra, a notorious jewel hunter, must have disguised herself as a Sproutling to make her mischief.

Later on, the protagonist overhears a conversation between a nun and Rubens. The woman wants to get her hand at the Sproutling's popo bug, but is appalled by the Jumi's indifference, calling him callous and not caring for his girlfriend in Geo. Rubens replies by asking how she is aware of her girlfriend's location, to which the nun avoids giving out any answers. The Jumi knight states that he doesn't want to be involved in other's matters, but the nun keeps blaming him for his behavior, utlimately hitting him in the chest. The hero tries to intervene but the nun advise him/her not to come any closer or she'd kill the Jumi. The nun then ask for the Ruby Knight to cry crystal tears, but Rubens states he cannot. The evildoer then snatches his core, calling it the "Flame of Hope" from his torso, then vanishes moments before Inspector Boyd enters the premises. The detective mistakes the protagonist as the perpetrator, but the Jumi knight corrects him by stating it was a nun. Rubens' body disappear almost instantly after. It then cut to a scene with the protagonist and Boyd in the Prayer Hall, discussing about the letter the Ruby Knight found prior his wounding. The detective had surmised that Sandra was going after the temple's sacred torches by stating that the Flame of Hope in her letter. he then reiterates that they must stop the jewels hunter and asks for the protagonist's help. After agreeing, the main character is tasked to scout the sourrounding area while the inspector searches the temple and the village. The protagonist finally reaches the Cancun Bird's Nest by following the Sproutling's leaf trail, discovering the little sapling and the notorious nun near a cliff. Inspector Boyd rushes to the scene, trying to stop Sandra who transforms back into her original appearance, but fails to catch the thief, as she flies away atop the large Cancun Bird. While dismayed by the Jumi murder, the dectective still takes the time to give the main character the Ancient Tablet and the Torch of Coral artifacts as a reward.

Solution
Place the Flame AF in the space directly to the left of Luon Highway to create Gato Grottoes. Enter Gato Grottoes.

On the Gato Grottoes Map enter the point on the Right. Follow these directions:


 * Watch the Sproutling and the Nun and take the Upper Right Path
 * Talk to Rubens at the fork and take the Right Path
 * Watch the Sproutling run away
 * Return to the fork and take the Left Path
 * Talk to the character in the Temple of Healing
 * Return to the fork and go Right
 * Return to the Temple of Healing to see The Inspector leave
 * Go back to the terrace area and watch as Rubens is killed by the Nun

The Inspector will ask you to help him find the criminal, Sandra so offer to help him.

Return to the Gato Grottoes Map and go to the point on the Left to get to the Cliffs. Follow the trail of leaves to get to the Waterfall and the Nest. Watch Sandra leave to end this event.