Meliadoul sat by an underground fountain while listening to chants coming from a door. The fountain was beautifully carved in the magical lighting that was held above. The way the angels on it were carved and the tearful eyes. Something about it made Meliadoul feel a little better. Moogles ran about playing a form of tag except with hard rubber balls that bounced and ricocheted off the wall of the stone castle. She sighed as the cute little creatures ran about and played their game. She touched the water's surface and feels the warmth of the liquid. It was after all connected to an underground spring...
"Hey." a voice called out behind Meliadoul. She then looked back to see Alma. The cleric appeared different as her hair was now much shorter than before. She now had something of a bob going for her as she sat down next to Meliadoul.
"How do you like your haircut?" Meliadoul asked.
"Oh, I don't mind." Alma answered as she brushed back a bit of her hair, "As long as it can help people, I can deal with it. Besides, it looks kind of nice."
Meliadoul returned her gaze to the fountain as she watched the water trickle down from the angels' water jugs. She looked down at the water's surface and saw her reflection. In the reflection, she saw her face affected by the stresses of her life. Damn, she spent her entire life fighting, did it ever occur to her that she might not have a need to fight? She then looked to her hands which were gnarled and blistered. So tainted they were with the blood of others. What had she done? Was it right of her to do what she did?
"Are you all right?" Alma inquired as Meliadoul suddenly snapped out of her daydream, "You looked like you were out of it for a moment."
"I'll be all right..." Meliadoul responded, "How's the spell coming along?"
"It seems all right." Alma spoke as she watched the moogles play, "The casting should take a little while longer."
"That's good." Meliadoul nodded, "But something still bothers me..."
"What?" Alma questioned, "If you're still worried about that Cespai, don't worry. I'm sure you and Ramza have taken down much worse. And if that doesn't work..."
Alma then attempted a little comedy by taking a little boxing stance as she proceeded to say things on the lines that she would punch the devil out. But Meliadoul wasn't too terribly worried about Cespai in general, but it was that comment the devil said before he left.
"It appears you were spared this time, due to my king's orders." were Cespai's words that bothered Meliadoul. Was there really another battle on the horizon for them?
"EUREKA!!!!!" shouted Fil as a giant magical explosion filled the castle with radiant light. The light passed outward past the dungeon and into daylight. The rays of magical light pierced the heavens as it began to rain across the land. Morbols looked upward as the light purified their being and endowed them with their former selves. The terrain sparkled as slime slowly vanished along with the population of morbols that were created in the recent days. People were unaware of what had happened to them in the past days, but some knew that something had happened, something important.
Agrias stood in the winds of an unknown plain. Her armor was stripped of her as she stood there in her normal clothing clutching to them as if they could easily blow away. Agrias looked around to find someone she knew, but could not find them.
"Where is everyone?" she called out on the plains. Not a word was answered back to her. She began to feel depressed as her situation became more frantic to herself.
"ANYONE!!!" she hollered loudly, "PLEASE!!! ANSWER ME!!!" Agrias flopped down onto the ground with a heavy heart. Was this the fate that she had been assigned to?
"Hey! Keep it down!" called another voice a little ways from her. Agrias quickly located the source and rushed to it. There, in a patch of tall grass, she found Mustadio.
"What are you doing here?" Agrias asked the engineer who seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Taking a nap." Mustadio answered turning an eye to her, "You should try it."
"Oh shut up." Agrias shot back as she was about to smite him over the head with her fist for his laziness and lack of manners. But she then lost her footing and fell forward... on top of Mustadio.
When she realized what had happened, it was a little late as she fell on top of the engineer with a thud. As she fell, her lips, as if by fate, landed on those of Mustadio's. They paused for a moment in spite of the young man's discomfort at how interesting it felt. Then, they realized themselves and separated, going to the far ends of the patch of high grass.
"Um, you're clumsy..." Mustadio started off turning a light shade of red.
"You're... um, lazy..." Agrias slowly responded. The two then looked at one another with embarrassment etched on their faces.
"It never happened." the two quickly concluded in agreement as they looked in separate directions from one another.
In a simultaneous thought, they both secretly liked it, but they didn't bother to tell one another THAT.

The light show continued until the rays slowly drained out and the magical explosion died down and left those in the castle a little dazed, and a little blinded.
"Is it, over?" Alma asked as they hoped for the best. And in fact, it was over... for now.

Meliadoul started toward the yellow chocobo carrying some supplies with her. The whole ordeal was stressful and she felt like relieving it in the Deep Dungeon at the expense of bandits and monsters. She avoided fights with Morbols however. Not after the conflict she had been through. What a horrid adventure. And for some reason, Meliadoul didn't think it was going to be the end of it.
"Hey! Meliadoul!" called a voice behind her, "Wait up!"
The Divine Knight turned around to see her leader, Ramza coming from the rear.
"Thanks for waiting up." he smiled as he stood face to face with Meliadoul. His expression then turned serious.
"You're leaving again, aren't you?"
"What?" Meliadoul grunted, "What do you mean?"
"I can tell that you're anxious to go off again." Ramza explained, "I can tell from your actions..."
Meliadoul then looked to her feet in shame at having her actions read so easily, "I'm, sorry."
"Don't be." laughed Ramza regaining his friendly side back, "You're an adventurer, no need to be ashamed of that."
"I suppose you're right..." Meliadoul slowly agreed, "But... Ramza?"
"What?" Ramza questioned.
"Ummm, whom do you most adore...?" Meliadoul blurted out.
"Say what?" He was confused.
"Forget it." she quickly replied.
"No, really, who do I adore?" Ramza thought for a moment. Meliadoul then began to have wished she hadn't blurted out what was on her mind.
"Good question." Ramza then decided, "I would say it would be my sister , Alma."
Meliadoul looked at him strangely for a moment, then realized what he meant. He adored her as a brother, that was all. She still didn't get a straight answer from him.
"How about you? Whom do you most adore?" Ramza repeated the question. Meliadoul was caught off guard by this.
"Umm, I would say that..." she started to trip over her words, "My family... may they rest in peace..."
Ramza then started to pack his things on the chocobo himself. Meliadoul looked at him while he packed his belongings there. She so longed to tell him what she felt. To expose her heart bare to him. But what if he didn't return those feelings to her? She would be crushed, devastated... or would she? It was worth a shot...
"Ramza..." Meliadoul began weakly, which was unlike her.
"Yes." Ramza responded looking at her with bright eyes. Upon looking into them, Meliadoul started to lose it. That front of being the strong one had taken its toll and she now let her feelings flow through her actions.
She swung her arms around the boyish knight and sank her head into his chest as she let the tears flow.
"Please, hold me. Just for a little while." Meliadoul spoke in a muffled voice, "That's all I ask right now."
Ramza, surprised, but not disgusted, slowly drew his arms around Meliadoul's back and comforted her while the lighthouse above stood in the background along with ocean as the two warriors felt comfort in each others' arms, if only for a moment.

End Chapter 5: The Morbol Plague