JUPITER STORMS, VENUS BLOSSOMS
A Golden Sun FanFiction by PowerZone
Author's Note: This will be my first one-shot story for Golden Sun, featuring a lovable pair: Matthew and Karis (Dawnshipping). Arc is set during the game and scenes in this story are taken in Kolima Forest – after the group defeats the Mountain Roc and retrieves the Magma Orb, later taken away by Hou Ju. As a short summary: The fall of the Mountain Roc has unleashed a thunderstorm over Kolima Forest. When Matthew and group are in terrible peril after getting lost in the forest amid stormy conditions, and when unforeseen circumstances split the group into two, the only way Matthew and Karis to get out of the forest is to work together – in one way or another.
WARNING: Some parts may not conform to the events in the game. Attempts in cheesiness may leave you singed or melted. Too much romantic inspiration taken into the parts in the stories were obtained by listening to songs from "Hale" (Google it up, it's the name of a melodrama band). You have been warned, now read the story and review. *toodles*
*** STORY PROPER ***
Having obtained the feather of the Mountain Roc, the group of five descended from Talon Peak to give chase to Ryu Kou, bent on unleashing some unimaginable danger in Belinsk. With the promise to meet up with Sveta as soon as they would arrive at the city of the Beastmen, the group made haste through Kolima Forest.
As the group made their way through, a heavy thunderstorm ravaged over the area. It was probably the Mountain Roc's revenge on those who slain it. Accompanying the severe thunderstorm was a downpour that severely limited the visibility of the escaping Adepts. Even though the path to Talon Peak was clear when the Adepts traveled under clear skies, the way back was filled with chunks of rocks, smashed boulders, fallen trees, and muddy roads. The Adepts had no choice but to take another route – the unexplored and dangerous route.
"The sooner we get out of this, the better," Tyrell yelled over the howling of the winds, almost comparable to that of the conditions in Imil.
"That's easy for you to say," Matthew yelled back as he led the group to a clearing, only to find out that a wide torrent blocked their way.
"This is madness," Rief blurted. "If only I could get the river to split in half…"
"You really don't have the power to do that," Amiti said. Even in the middle of disaster, he seemed unusually calm. Even as the five of them were drenched and soaked, none of them mattered – they had been through many wet and wild situations, the wildest so far being the battle against the Ice Queen.
"How are we gonna cross this?" Karis asked Matthew.
Matthew looked around for anything useful. But the downpour and the conditions made searching for something very difficult. When Matthew strayed thirty feet away from them, none of the others could see Matthew, not even his outline on the rain.
He returned five minutes later with some relieving news. "There's a bridge somewhere there ahead. We could cross it."
A bridge… right. The typical kind of rickety bridge that would induce more fear and danger to those who treaded on it – in the middle of a storm, over an unmerciful ravaging stream. But if it was the only access to get out of the forest and out of the storm, the group would have to risk it.
"That's not… long," Rief said, much to everyone else's amazement. Unlike the usually long bridges that would not hold for long in severe storms, the bridge seemed sturdy, with multiple channels of wires designed to hold it up even in strong winds. Not a single portion was damaged throughout the duration of the storm. Everyone decided it was safe to cross.
"I'll go through first," Amiti volunteered himself. Eventually, he got to the other side and waited for the rest to follow.
Rief came next. He was a little shaken as he took careful steps across the bridge. Maybe it was the feeling that somehow, the bridge would just collapse on its own accord. But all his fears were over when he joined Amiti on the other side.
Tyrell was a little reckless - well, maybe not a little but a lot. He dashed across the bridge, tripped somewhere halfway, scrambled to get up, and managed to make a mad dash to the other side. By the time he joined Amiti and Rief, he was panting and scared out of his wits.
Karis was next. Generally fearless, she let her instincts of safety guide her as he took numerous and careful steps across the bridge.
Only that her instincts were wrong today…
"Karis!" Matthew yelled.
From out of nowhere – not even Karis noticed it – a colossal boulder that had been travelling through the stream had smashed into the bridge, effectively destroying the bridge and bringing down Karis with it. The boulder lodged itself on one of the center foundations, and Karis was nowhere to be seen.
"Karis!" Matthew yelled again, hoping that Karis would hold onto something – anything – for dear life. "Where are you?"
Then came a most troublesome cry for help… from the bridge.
The boulder had destroyed the latter area of the bridge, where Tyrell, Rief, and Amiti could only anticipate for the best. The three of the must have heard Karis's cry, but they could not do anything to help.
Matthew was the only one who could rescue her. Part of the bridge still stood, but he had to cross carefully and go over to where Karis was. He prayed as he took careful steps on the extremely narrow and unsupported remains of the bridge as he approached the boulder at the center. He took his first look at the depth to the stream. The raging waters were no deeper than fifteen feet down and displayed no sign of mercy for anyone unlucky to be swallowed by its unforgiving stream.
Slowly and cautiously, he approached the center. What he saw was a chilling sight. Karis was holding onto one of the bridge's wired railings. She only had enough time to hold on before the weight of the railings would give way.
Forgetting about the dangers, Matthew immediately rushed in to help. Just as Karis loosened her grip, Matthew grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her up.
"WATCH OUT!" The faint shriek of one of the others – possibly Tyrell's – alerted Matthew that something was coming their way. It wasn't from where the stream flowed that brought the boulder with it – but from above. A large chunk of the boulder was about to fall… on them.
Matthew had no choice. "Karis, listen to me," he told her. "I'm not leaving you here – no matter what."
"Matt," she mouthed. Even as the rain drenched on her face, Matthew was able to peer into her eyes – the depths of some sadness that pierced straight into his gaze was an expression that Matthew would not let it consume his mind. But with something else about to tumble from above and the raging waters down below, Matthew had no other choice.
"I'm not going to lose you. Stay strong," he shouted. With a silent prayer, "Pray over me, Venus," Matthew leaped straight into the torrent while keeping his grasp on Karis. At that exact moment, just as Matthew leaped off the bridge, a large chunk of the boulder collapsed on the spot where Matthew should have been if he had delayed his daring move.
He did not dare listen to the cries of the others as he fell straight down, bringing Karis with him. As everything around him seemed to move in slow-motion, Matthew now brought the full weight of Karis's life into his responsibility.
The two of them plunged into the icy stream and was swept away – hopefully out of the storm in due time.
The stream was not very deep – Matthew almost felt as if his feet had touched the riverbed when he leaped in. He had to use the shallowness to his advantage – but how? It was very difficult to think straight while facing pressure. If he messed up, either his or Karis's life or both of theirs would be in grave peril.
He never let go of Karis's arm, but the tension and the pressure of the water's flow slightly slackened his grip every second.
At last, the both of them emerged from the water. The coughs and gasps from both the Venus Adept and the Jupiter Adept were good news for them. But if they didn't do something to get themselves out of the water, the struggle would be all for naught.
"Karis," Matthew called as he spurted some water from his mouth and gasped, "hang in there!" But Karis continued to cough with spurts of water. That was when Matthew had a grim realization: Karis didn't know how to swim. Upon his discovery, he had to keep Karis close as he latched her on his back and allowed the weight of the water to drag him downstream.
Somewhere along the stream, just as the rains were settling down on their area, Matthew spotted a sharp bend with a shore. If Matthew could propel his body towards the bend, he would hit the shore before the stream could bring the both of them further. With whatever exhaustion he endured, he used the remaining physical energy to steer himself – with the now unconscious Karis at his back – towards the shore. He let his feet push along the streambed as he struggled to keep his direction lined.
"Hang on, Karis. We're almost there." Using the motivation to keep the both of them alive, Matthew attempted his last propulsion as he launched himself off the water and went for the shore. Amazingly, the both of them instantly hit solid ground.
After coughing and spurting some water, Matthew dragged himself and the unconscious Karis off the shore and the both of them settled under the nearest tree, beyond it was a thick cluster of trees that seemed to go deeper into Kolima Forest. Nevertheless, even amid the chilly weather, Matthew felt relieved to be alive. Having fought alongside his friends against the Mountain Roc and pushing his physical limits to save Karis was a marvelous physical achievement.
A few seconds later after settling, Karis started coughing and spurting out water. Matthew applied some pressure to her abdomen to let Karis spill out all the water she swallowed.
"Matthew! Matt!" Karis moved around as if they were still going downstream
"Easy there," Matthew tried to ease her down.
"Help!"
"Karis, we're safe!" Matthew shook her lightly and Karis calmed down. She opened her eyes a few moments later.
"Did you…?"
Matthew nodded. "I'm sorry we had to get through this."
"All I remembered was a boulder crashing onto the bridge and seeing you leap off from it," Karis started uneasily. "Are you insane?"
Matthew shook his head. He smiled as he made a silent prayer of thanks to the transcendent. "You would have died if it weren't for me."
Karis sat up and inspected the surroundings. The rains were easing every second, the atmosphere was getting brighter, and the noise of the flooded stream became more bearable. Somewhere to the direction of Talon Peak, thunder rolled. If the rain stopped in a matter of hours, nightfall would come. Unless Matthew and Karis could regroup with the others, stranded on the other side of the stream, they would have to camp for the night – alone.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"I have no idea," Matthew answered honestly. He sat down beside Karis and looked down. "Kolima Forest is pretty thick, from what I gathered from my father's memory."
"So what should we do?"
"Wait until they arrive…"
But they did not arrive – not even after the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and day turned into night. Throughout the duration of waiting for any one of the three to spot them, Matthew and Karis felt weary. Having recently battled the Mountain Roc for its feather required a lot of physical strength and numerous occasions to use their Psynergy. Nighttime in Kolima Forest after a storm would be extremely chilly – and added to the still-soaked clothes of the two wandering Adepts, their skin could be practically frozen by the next day.
Matthew was the first to stand up as he instructed Karis that they would set out on their own to find another way across the stream and hopefully to regroup with the others.
On the other side of the forest…
"MATTHEW! KARIS!"
"Where are you guys?"
"If anyone of you can hear us, answer!"
As the three of them traced the route downstream, hopefully to find Matthew and Karis somewhere in the path – hopefully alive – Tyrell, Rief, and Amiti feverishly searched for any sign of their two companions. The thunderstorm was over, the rain subsided, and the stream was beginning to slow down. Nightfall was headed their way, and if they didn't spot them on time, they would have to camp out without their leader.
"Damn, night's coming," Tyrell hissed, spotting the velvet skies creeping from the east. "We have to search for them."
"Do you think they even made it?" Rief asked questioningly.
"How could you say such a thing?" barked Tyrell, intimidating Rief.
Amiti sighed. "Calm down, Tyrell. Matthew's seen worse than being carried downstream."
Tyrell's heating up actually cooled down. "You're right… yeah, you're right."
The three of them continued their search, with their minds set upon camping when they had to give up for the day.
Meanwhile…
"Wolves! Of all the creatures we could face, we came up with wolves instead." Karis complained. She and Matthew were running as fast as they could from a chasing pack of forest wolves. The two of them were about to settle their camp for a night when they were alerted by unwelcome growls, which turned out to be a pack of four forest wolves. Apparently, Matthew and Karis unintentionally trespassed into their territory and were fleeing for their lives.
"That does it," Matthew spat as he turned around and faced the wolves. He unsheathed his sword and lunged forward for the nearest wolf. "I unleash you, Flint!"
Immediately as he declared his attack, Flint the Venus Djinni materialized out from his spirit and infused itself into Matthew's sword. The wolf, sensing its danger, leaped up and attempted to bite its attacker – only to find out that a sharp blade plunged right into its chest and, seconds later, knocked back by the force of the earth.
The three other wolves retaliated at the sight of their fallen comrade.
"Shine Plasma!"
From out of nowhere, a barrage of brightly-colored lightning struck all of the wolves attempting to lay their claws and teeth on Matthew.
"I summon Venus!" Matthew aided Karis's Psynergy by calling forth the spirit of the Venus Djinni, which appeared seconds later after its calling. Bursts of earth Psynergy rammed the wolves away, giving distance between the two offensive parties.
Seeing that the forest wolves could not do anything more and that their enemies were too powerful, they fled, leaving their fallen behind. The battle was done.
"At least that's done," Matthew said as he returned his sword back to its scabbard. "We'll need to find another place to camp."
The two of them found a pleasant clearing near another stream, which seemed to be a little disturbed from the storm. When the moon started to reveal itself from beyond the dispersing clouds, the two wandering Adepts settled their camp. Matthew sent out a Mars Djinni to prepare the fireplace, while he summoned another Venus Djinni to create a small earth-based tent. After all the action – from defeating the Mountain Roc to flowing downstream to fleeing from a pack of forest wolves – his Psynergy was tapped, leaving most of the work to the rest of the Djinn.
Meanwhile, Karis sent out a Mars Djinni to warm her as she went to the shore of the stream and took off her clothes sans garments. "Look away," she snapped – even a feisty creature such as the Djinni could not help sneak a peek when Karis wasn't looking. "If ever I catch you taking even a single glance, you'll regret it!"
Matthew smiled to himself. The last thing anyone – or any Djinn – could do to Karis was to annoy her and make her angry. He'd been there… many times.
"Alright," Matthew declared once the camp was set, "that's enough. Thanks for all your work." With that declaration, the working Djinn returned to their respective holders.
The earth tent was neat and could fit both Matthew and Karis inside it. A small fireplace warmed in the center. The tent also had a hole at its top where smoke billowing from the fire could escape. For some reason and Matthew hadn't told the assigned Venus Djinni, a single makeshift earth bed was created. Matthew thought about this bitterly, "I'm not… and will not… be sleeping with Karis in the same bed." He made a mental note to have… a little talk with the Venus Djinni who concocted this "fiendish" plan. "Oh well… better to sleep on a makeshift earth bed than a stone cold ground."
Karis entered the earth tent and was surprised at how comfortable it seemed. She seemed a little depressed, knowing that the camping materials were with Tyrell, who were probably having a good laugh with Rief and Amiti on the other side of the forest.
"So… why one bed?" Karis inquired.
"It wasn't my idea," Matthew justified. "I just… asked the Djinn to do the work while we prepared our camp." He then noticed Karis's clothing – and her unkempt let-down viridian hair. "Where's the rest of your gear?"
"I'm having Tinder warm it up. You should warm yours too."
Matthew nodded. "Yeah, maybe later."
Karis sighed as she sat down on the ground across the fire. "Well, goodnight then." With that, she reclined on the ground and turned away.
Even as the leader, Matthew felt some pity as he watched his best girl-friend curl up in her unprotected clothing. "For Venus sake, should I be a gentleman or what?" He wouldn't let a girl sleep on the ground, would he?
"K-Karis, you don't have to sleep there!"
Karis sat up. "Of course, Matthew. That's what any gentleman would do. But since there's only one bed…"
Matthew was struck with embarrassment. He would really love to sleep on the makeshift bed, but he didn't like the idea of Karis sleeping on the unpleasant ground. The bed was designed for two, and it was worth the risk for Matthew to ask what no gentleman his age would do. "Hey, would you like to sleep with me?"
Karis scoffed. "Sleep… with you? Oh, come on, Matthew."
"It's not like we're… being a couple or anything," Matthew defended his proposal. "I just couldn't bear to think you'd be sleeping there. That's what any gentleman would think, right?"
The Jupiter Adept looked away for a moment to gather her thoughts. "Great. Just great. Since when did the gods start toying with us? Ending up with Matthew is like ending up befriending one of those weird slimes outside Passaj." But she had another idea, very different. "But maybe sleeping with him isn't half so bad. It's as he said, we're not being a couple. He's just being nice, as he should be."
She turned her gaze back to Matthew and said, "I've decided. I'll sleep there. But if you dare make one wrong move on me… I won't hold back my mercy."
Matthew was stunned. Karis normally didn't act this way. "A-Alright."
Later that night…
Matthew couldn't sleep.
It wasn't because he was shaken out of embarrassment – and fear – that a peaceful Karis was lying and soundly sleeping next to him. It wasn't also because of all the action that had taken place for a day – he settled all those thoughts aside. Rather than those, it was because of the disturbing things that were about to happen. Hou Jo and Ryu Kou now had the Magma Orb (retrieved from the… stomach of the Mountain Roc) and was blabbering about using it to activate some tower in Belinsk. Soon enough, Matthew would have to race him there. But what was the Magma Orb really supposed to do?
With such thoughts, he couldn't stay in one place. He had to go out for a little bit to get some fresh air and deal with the emotions plaguing him. Overall, Matthew felt worried and had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Matthew emerged from the earth tent and found Kindle still warming up Karis's gear. The Mars Djinni seemed tireless. A chilly wind passed by.
"How long have you been out here?" Matthew asked as he approached the Mars Djinn, hovering above Karis's gear and being careful not to step on them.
"Time means nothing to us, really," Cinder answered. "Maybe you could also have your gear warmed up."
The winds that passed by chilled Matthew to the bone. His damp gear seemed to intensify the coldness. But if he removed his clothes, leaving him almost bare, he would have to scorn himself for enduring the forest cold. Yet experience told him that if he let his gear dry up on its own, Matthew's body sweat would add to it, leaving his clothes downright stinky.
Having made his decision, Matthew took off his gear. All he left on himself was an undershirt and boxers. He sighed as he tossed his gear on the ground next to Karis's for Cinder to warm them up.
"Something bothering you?" Cinder asked, concerned. "You've been awfully silent for quite a while."
Matthew heaved a deep breath and let the cool air fill his lungs. Even after the thunderstorm, the air around Kolima Forest felt fresh. "A couple of things lately. You probably knew that when we battled the Mountain Roc earlier, right?"
"And your downstream excursion?"
"Yeah," Matthew said bitterly, "that too."
If Djinni could read minds, then Matthew would have a lot of trouble keeping his mind on edge, especially possessing a variety of the elementals inside him.
"Maybe there are a few things too unclear," Matthew confided. "It's… about Karis." With a jolt, he remembered that he was talking to one of Karis's Djinni. He cursed under his breath, but Cinder must have known what it was. Good thing, Djinn never cursed or utter a swear word… out loud.
"What about her?"
Matthew looked back, hopeful that Karis was not there to sneak up behind them. The fire from inside the earth tent was about to flicker away. Satisfied that no suspicious shadow was nearby, he continued on.
"Sometimes, I don't understand girls – least of all, Karis. She's been well… harsh lately. I mean, Karis is naturally sweet and fearless – and I guess that's one think I like about her, you know?" Matthew felt a little awkward sharing his thoughts to a Djinni, but the Djinni were also known to be spiritual counselors for Adepts.
"We the Djinn can peer into the hearts and minds of those spirits we come into," said Cinder. "We're kinda like wishmakers. You're in luck today, speaking to one of Karis's elementals."
"Has she been acting harshly?"
Cinder bobbed up and down, still being careful not to lay its feet on the drying gears – Matthew took this as an affirmative answer. "Maybe I had a little bit of temptation when she was removing her gear," Cinder confessed as it said the word "little" with a high octave. "Well, she was being harsh on me."
Matthew then recalled what Cinder said about the Djinn peering into the hearts and minds of the spirits they come into. Then, with a grim realization, he said, "Dammit, I shouldn't have thought of that."
"What about it?" asked Cinder.
"While preparing camp, I sort of… entertained the idea of sleeping in one bed with Karis," he muttered. Matthew felt guilty. He thought he would be doing Karis a favor, but upon the realization of how Djinn could read minds, Matthew believed his assertion of thoughts to be completely wrong.
Cinder shook its head. "Sometimes while thoughts are meant to be entertained, the Djinn could also sense which of these thoughts are right and wrong."
Matthew nodded. "Kinda makes sense why the Warriors of Vale, my dad included, have a good heart."
"Karis's been acting harsh because of the thunderstorm," Cinder answered the long-awaited-to-be-answered question. "Elemental phenomenon directly aligned to your element could sometimes disrupt your thinking and emotion. It takes skill to master yourself when faced with such situations."
Everything made sense. When battling the Sand Prince, Matthew almost messed up, he had to let Rief and Tyrell bail him out. The Sand Prince had conjured up a sandstorm, which disrupted Matthew's mental and emotional state. A similar thing happened when they were fighting against the Ice Queen. After conjuring its Frostbite skill, Rief almost went into a rampage, Matthew and Karis had to stop him from recklessly engaging the Ice Queen.
"But the downpour that came along with the thunderstorm," Matthew tried to find a reason why Rief and Amiti seemed to be mentally and emotionally undisturbed by the rain. But when he found the answer, he answered his own question, "Maybe the Ice Queen served as a lesson to the both of them. Maybe since then, they were able to… master themselves."
"And I bet you did yours as well," Cinder clarified. "But this was the first for Karis, so I think she took that pretty harshly."
Matthew shook his head. "I should have known earlier. Rief wasn't being irritated out of desperation when he battled the Ice Queen. And I shouldn't have rampaged when we fought the Sand Prince."
There was the first downfall of Adepts. While the Adepts did possess Alchemical abilities, Adepts also had the responsibility to master their own element. Without the mental and emotional courage, any Adept caught in a situation where the phenomenon was aligned to their own element would disrupt their thinking and emotion – plunging them into headlong danger. His group would have their own bad days occasionally, but Matthew could not exactly blame it on the elements. While Adepts did have their special abilities, they were still human like everyone else.
"So with the thunderstorm over, Karis should be completely back to herself?"
"Maybe, sometimes the aftermath of such an occasion would be frustration," said Cinder. "The only way to get through that kind of stage… is reflection. You've got to know what you've done – and you have to make amends to the ones you've hurt. That's mastering yourself."
The Venus Adept sighed. Would Karis still be willing to forgive Matthew? "Would she even do that?"
Then suddenly, like a crack of a whip, a gentle voice answered behind them, "I would if it were me."
Matthew jolted and almost lost his balance when he received a surprise for his life. He had to keep a hand on the ground to break his fall. But when turned around, he saw – a hopefully mentally and emotionally sober – Karis standing between the Adept and the Djinni.
"So, uhh, couldn't sleep either?" Matthew inquired, trying to make small talk.
"I was just reflecting on some things that happened lately," Karis answered as she sat down on the ground beside Matthew. She didn't care anymore that her undergarments were soiled. "I realized I forgot to get the chance to say thanks for saving my life."
That was all Matthew needed to hear. Nothing else. The very words coming from Karis softened his heart and lightened his mind. Sense was emerging miraculously, thanks to some guidance from a Djinni.
"You're welcome," Matthew said softly.
"I was being harsh," Karis apologized, "and I'd also like to say sorry for that."
Cinder then proceeded to repeat the lecture it provided Matthew – about how natural phenomena directly aligned to an Adept's element could sometimes distort their mental and emotional stability, about how Adepts can master themselves to prepare in the wake of another event, and about the similar comparisons of events that happened to Matthew, Rief, and Tyrell up against those with their respective elemental phenomena.
"It's your first, so I guess we can accept your apology," Matthew finished.
"So, mastering yourself, huh…" Karis repeated what Cinder had lectured. "If the Djinn were reading me like an open book – which I think they are – they would probably be telling me what to do next." She smiled.
Matthew admitted – he found Karis smiling very adorable.
"And I only noticed that you put your gear alongside mine," Karis said sternly to Matthew.
"Bad poker face," Matthew thought. He then said, "Well, I said I would dry up my gear – per your suggestion."
"Not bad," Karis said slyly.
"Was that… a different kind of smile I saw?" Matthew groaned silently. He didn't like the way this was going.
Karis touched her gear to check if it was dry. "That will do for the night, thanks Cinder."
"My pleasure," the Djinni bowed its head then returned to its spirit form and entered back inside Karis's spirit.
The two of them were plunged into semi-darkness – the light from the moon overhead was starting to cast upon them like a spotlight.
"You should have given Cinder a little more time to dry up mine," Matthew started after a tense silence.
Karis giggled. "Use your own Djinni," she teased.
"Well, your Djinni did me a favor into lecturing about how Adepts can get mood swings," Matthew justified.
She sighed. "You'd do anything to win an argument over me, huh?"
Matthew laughed. "You know me. Whenever it comes to a brawl of minds or fists, rock-hard Adepts would do anything to win." That remark also made Karis laugh. The two of them laughed for a while – it seemed that the catastrophes that had been plaguing them from before and into the future were momentarily forgotten when they were in each other's company. Sometimes, even fate and circumstance would be kind to the both of them. And they were kind to the both of them today. Even Matthew reluctantly admitted that he wanted to talk to Karis… alone… without being overheard… or bothered… or disturbed.
"Just talk to me," Karis said, cutting Matthew's synonyms.
"I could talk to you for the rest of our lives and still not discover who you really are," Matthew said, being the headstrong and cheesy leader as he way. Karis giggled at his choice of words.
"I could look at you all day and all night and still wonder how you could be so beautiful," Karis teased, sending Matthew a sharp registration of embarrassment, making his cheeks flush a deep red, even though Karis could not see him blush in the semi-darkness.
"You're talking to me as if I'm… a girl!"
Karis laughed. "You have the guts and strength of a man, and the wit and emotion of a woman."
Matthew felt something creep up his spine, "For god's sake, did someone send the Sludge to avenge me in my dreams?"
"Maybe that's why I like you so much, you're so… balanced." In the end, Karis gently rested her head on her best boy-friend's shoulder.
Though a wave of embarrassment flooded over him for the past few seconds, Matthew felt the wave ease to be replaced by a veil of pleasantness. After all, he had nothing to worry about – he was alone and comfortable with Karis, his best girl-friend.
"Karis, I was so scared," Matthew confessed. "When the boulder just… came out from nowhere, I thought as if the world had just crashed down. But against the Mountain Roc… you, how should I put this, did exceptionally well."
Karis sighed as she kept her knees close to her chest to protect herself against the chilling night. "I must have used up a lot of Psynergy. The Roc was wind-oriented, so you must have a lot of advantage."
"Yeah, I used up a lot of Ragnarok on it," Matthew muttered. The Mountain Roc was brought down after Matthew summoned a second Judgment against it. This powered up his Psynergy almost entirely, but it effectively drained him when the earth empowerment wore off. Nevertheless, the never-say-die determination was the last resort for him to save both of their lives when the two of them went downstream. "I think I also have to thank Tyrell. Had it not been for him, the weight of the boulder would have crushed me to death."
"Sometimes, the hand of fate can work with or against us," said Karis. "Given the events today… I think they're working with us."
But Matthew thought differently. "They're working against us. If they did, we'd be on the way to Belinsk by now."
Karis giggled. "You're thinking differently. At least I get to spend some alone time with you."
Matthew cursed silently in awe and amazement – maybe hoping that some of his Djinn would be able to hear that and learn the word out of it. He would have to savor the time of solace in the forethought of a looming disaster – when Karis snuggled up to him and wrapped an arm around his.
"Matt," she confided, "I confess that sometimes when I harbor my personal feelings, I tend to think off the edge. Like… we're actually, um… dating. But, I try to stay strong for our sake. Even when I'm looked at differently – because I'm traveling with four boys, I try to… man up."
"Makes you feel more tomboyish than you already are," Matthew whispered into her ear. Karis nudged hard. "For a girl, you sure have a fist strong enough to pummel Ku-Tsung high into the air."
"You'd be flying higher if I pummeled you," Karis taunted.
Matthew taunted back, "Ku-Tsung was weak anyway. None of the two generals stood a chance against us."
Karis laughed heartily. It was lovely for Matthew that she was back to her gentle, sweet self. "You're right."
Memories of excitement, of suspense, of blades and rods slicing and smashing through enemies and mutants resurfaced as the two Adepts admired the stillness of the evening after a brief storm. If there were a rainbow after the rain, it would be forming beautifully over their hearts. Laughter was essential to keep the spirit happy – and the Djinn robust. Moments of regret did pop up once in a while. Embarrassment entered the picture not long afterwards. Flashbacks were good to revisit but not to stay on. The two childhood friends had moved to greater heights for personal development. The quest, in conclusion, was supposed to be finished when they had taken the Mountain Roc's feather. But Matthew and Karis realized… that the quest had really begun.
When they ran out of topics to discuss, to share, to laugh, and out of secrets to confide, to keep, to seal, Matthew turned to Karis.
"Kinda makes me miss those days when we would play around in Patcher's Place like a bunch of idiots."
Karis smiled. The strange sensational feeling germinated from deep within, making her heart palpitate. "The longer I spend my time with him, the stronger this feeling becomes. Have I truly become…?"
"Something matter?"
Eventually, even if Karis had to defend herself, she would break. "Matt, I'm not sure I'm in the right position to do this but… I've been in love with you for some time."
"Karis…" Matthew could only stare at her in deep amazement for her audacity to confide her greatest secret yet. The picture of the both of them together, hand-in-hand, didn't seem so distant after all. It mattered to the Venus Adept on how he would respond and how he would take Karis's unfathomable secret. Did he really feel the same way for her? He was being nice when he offered Karis to sleep in the makeshift earth bed with him… just because he was the leader. But with the both of them together, did Matthew believe that there was something else in the picture?
"Matt…"
They drew themselves closer, their arms still rested on each other's comfort. They took away each other's doses of sanity and thought as they closed their eyes, momentarily forgot how the world could be in deep peril in the near future, and just allowed themselves to bring into each other the full force of everything that they held back for so long.
The morning after…
Matthew awoke to the soft chirping of the birds and the smooth flowing of the nearby stream. The sun was bright today. He was fully aware that Karis and Matthew did share the makeshift bed and that she was embracing him with her head rested on Matthew's chest. The fireplace had long died out – not a trace of smoke could be seen billowing from the ashes of the twigs used to make the fireplace.
The previous evening, all what Matthew remembered best into the heart-to-heart conversation was the meeting of the hearts… and the lips. That and their profound confession – declaration, rather – of the three words they loved to hear and keep.
"Good morning," Karis moaned sweetly as she lifted her head out of Matthew's chest and made a quick peck to his lips.
"Good morning," Matthew greeted back after accepted her kiss. "So what happened last night was not a dream at all… though I almost felt I must have ingested a lot of the Dream Leaf."
"So… um, what are the plans for today?"
"Find the others, regroup, then search a way out of the forest," Matthew announced, not hesitating through the course of action. He prayed that the others were safe and had not met any dangerous events following the storm.
"Seems like a good idea, but a little troublesome," Karis affirmed.
"But the longer we eat each other's faces, the harder it'll become to search for them," said Matthew.
Karis sighed. "You're right. Let's get dressed."
Thankfully, none of them made any… uncompromising moves toward each other during their comfortable settlement of the supposedly otherwise uncomfortable bed. Matthew decided to himself not to talk to the Djinni who made the makeshift bed. He would be thankful.
When the two of them got into their gear, Matthew and Karis emerged hand-in-hand from the earth tent.
"This is gonna serve as a pleasant memory," Matthew told Karis. "Unfortunately, we would need to destroy it. Stand back."
Entertaining no objection from his lover, Matthew raised a fist to the air and shouted, "Ragnarok!" Immediately, a titanic sword lunged from out of nowhere and struck the earth tent, decimating everything in it and a few feet from its surroundings. When the earth sword disappeared, the earth tent before was now just a pile of rocks.
"It's not like we're gonna have a honeymoon here," Matthew justified his actions. Karis laughed. Matthew also amazed Karis by saying that the incredible noise of his Ragnarok Psynergy would probably alert the others if they were nearby and searching for them.
Somewhere else in the forest, near its entrance…
"You heard that? That was awfully loud," Rief told the others when he was alerted by a crashing sound from somewhere in the forest.
"Matthew just cast his Ragnarok," Amiti said. "He's probably sending us a signal on his location."
"Good thinking," said Tyrell, "but why wasn't he able to do that yesterday?"
Rief poked the Mars Adept on the head. "Our Psynergy was almost drained while fighting the Mountain Roc. Would you expect Matthew to get his energy even as he jumped in to save Karis?"
"Indeed, that was quite… daring," Amiti affirmed. "But hadn't it been for your over-the-meter shriek, Matthew would have been crushed just as the chunk of the boulder fell on him."
For the rest of the day, Tyrell wondered if he really did a favor. "Let's look for them, shall we? Remember that spot Matthew said that would serve as the landmark?"
"The five-hundred year old tree?" Rief recollected. "Yeah, let's go there. We might find them."
"The sound of his Ragnarok must come from near where the landmark is supposed to be," Amiti deduced. "We might be able to find them quicker than we thought."
Back in the depths of the forest…
The two of them trekked off and followed down the course of the stream, hopefully to arrive at any tributary leading them out of the forest.
Karis followed her new lover's direction as the two of them crossed the streams, being guided with Matthew's gentle pulls over slippery moss-filled rocks. One occasion, Karis nearly slipped into the water when she arrived on the other side of the stream that Matthew had to grab her arm, only to end up kissing her full on the lips. No wonder that even as they were still officially lost in the forest, the power of love served as a second instinct for them to find a way through.
Luck indeed met them when they spotted a familiar landmark – something that Matthew told them that a certain tree would serve as a point of recognition. Matthew believed that they were just a few meters away from getting back to Kolima Town.
"Wait, I hear voices," Karis stopped Matthew as the two of them went past the certain tree that served as their landmark.
Matthew stopped walking and sharpened his hearing to listen to anything out of the ordinary – aside from the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, and the flowing of the stream. It took him a while, but he did indeed hear voices… human voices… familiar human voices.
"It's them," Matthew proclaimed.
"That's Tyrell's, and Rief's, and Amiti's!" Karis squealed with delight. "We found them!"
"More like they found us," Matthew corrected.
Karis scoffed. "Must you be too realistic?"
"Hey, it's them!" came a relieved Tyrell as soon as they spotted them.
"Matthew! Karis!" Rief called out.
Matthew waved a hand. They were reunited.
Later that day, inside Kolima Town's inn…
"So where did you spend the night?" Matthew inquired.
"We camped out somewhere," Amiti answered. "But Tyrell used a Fireball Psynergy to try and alert you. Maybe you'd be nowhere."
"But for some reason, you never came," Tyrell finished.
Matthew nodded. How could he not have noticed Tyrell's signal? Maybe they were already inside the earth tent, barring themselves from any view outside. "We were chased by a pack of forest wolves just as we tried to settle camp," he saw this as another possibility, given the timespan between the bridge-crossing fiasco and the weary rescue. "In the end, we settled beside another stream."
"While Tyrell used a Fireball Psynergy to alert you, but you never came, it did bring some benefits," said Rief. Matthew was about to inquire what Rief meant by benefits, but Rief answered, forging ahead, "One of the elders from the village responded to the call and found us. She said that the powers of the holy tree, Tret, alerted the distress signal. We followed the elder back to the village, told them of our story, and spent the night here."
Amiti was deep in thought. "Kinda makes me wonder why the two of you didn't receive Tret's signal."
"Our Psynergy were tapped," Karis answered. "We had to use a little more ounce of them fending off the wolves chasing us. Plus, even if we saw your Fireball, we wouldn't have made it there…"
"… because we were simply tired," finished Matthew.
"Of course, all the battle against the Mountain Roc, escaping through the forest, getting through the thunderstorm, it's natural for us to be tired after all that," Rief deduced.
"Whatever the scenario, we're just glad you're safe." Amiti said, relieved. He took another sip of the fine tea, thankfully not brewed with the Dream Leaf.
"So… uhh, how did you two manage through the night?" Tyrell asked, half-curious and half-interested, though Karis felt more of the latter.
Matthew felt his hands freeze. "Umm, like I said, we just camped out…"
"… and I can see from here that the back of your gear is still somewhat soiled," Rief observed, peering through his spectacles. "I can tell that… something else must have happened."
That was when Matthew remembered that as the two removed their gears to have them dried by the Mars Djinni, Cinder, the ground underneath was still damp. If Matthew answered, they would get the wrong idea. But even so, it didn't take a sharp mind and a keen eye for Rief to answer. "Oh… so that's why."
"What's what?" Karis started, apparently startled that Rief might have found a possibility.
Tyrell leaned in closer and pulled out a grin – a grin that showed some interest, "Tell me, Karis. Did the two of you… sleep together!"
"We did NOT!" the two of them shouted, causing half the number of people in the inn to stare at them and causing the two Adepts to blush furiously.
Amiti smiled, showing the same expression as Tyrell's, "I cannot read minds like your father, but I have a good feeling on what happened."
"Y-You got the wrong idea!" Matthew stammered.
"Ooooh," Rief said, "bad mental images."
"It's not what you guys think!" Karis shrilled.
Tyrell laughed. "Don't worry. When there's one girl traveling in a group with guys, sometimes we get the misconception of what's gonna happen." He then tapped Matthew on the back. "But really, Matthew. You've got a lot of guts!"
Matthew was halfway between annoyed and pissed. "Listen, Tyrell. You're my best friend, but if you continue putting my impatience off the meter, I damn swear to Venus I'll drive a Ragnarok straight through your brain." That shut Tyrell up for the moment.
"Oh, right… okay, sorry…"
"So uhh, what did the both of you do that night?" Rief asked, still persistent.
"Is it really that important?" Matthew shot back. He was about to continue when he felt Karis pat his leg. The Venus Adept turned to her and immediately fell silent, as Karis shook her head.
"If you really want to know, if you're that… desperate to know," said Karis, "we'll tell you." Swiftly, she grabbed Matthew's hand, entwined her fingers around his, and then placed them on the table. "Matthew and I are dating. And we did not do any of the dirty sort your soiled minds might think. Happy?"
Rief nodded, still smiling. He then turned to Tyrell and whispered, "Pay up. You lost the bet."
Tyrell grunted as he reached for something inside his pocket and gave ten coins to Rief.
"It was obvious from the start," said Amiti as he took a sip from his tea. "When I joined the group, I noticed how the two of you were very close… emotionally-wise. Even if Rief and Tyrell didn't make the pointless bet, I had a feeling that the two of you would make out." He chuckled. "That was some daring display of selfless sacrifice, Matthew. You must really love her."
Tyrell and Rief crooned, while Matthew could only wallow in embarrassment, leaving the blood to creep to his cheeks.
"I just promised him that we wouldn't let our relationship get in the way of our quest," Karis said animatedly. "The world comes first."
The five of them proceeded to discuss their next course of action. Now that Ryu Kou had the Magma Orb and was bent on using it to activate something, there was no other priority except to chase him back to Belinsk. Matthew remembered what Sveta said – about having the musicians play some composition named the "Arangoa Prelude." Maybe it was time to proceed with the mission.
But while the pressure from the next part in their journey did not interfere, Matthew and Karis still found the time to be around each other. The Mountain Roc's fury of the thunderstorm only served as a bridge to keep the two Adepts together. Had it not been for the thunderstorm and the colossal boulder that smashed the bridge, and had it not been a string of unusual circumstances – whether coincidences or intentions, Matthew would still be juggling with his thoughts. The skies were clear; Matthew also hoped that the path ahead would be the same.
*** END *
"WAIT! I've got something to add," Flint materialized from out of the author's laptop just as the author was about to type two more asterisks to officially end the short project.
The author was taken quite aback by the sudden appearance of the Venus Djinni. But having known about their background, he didn't find them to be queer. "Alright, make it quick," the author agreed.
*** EPILOGUE ***
Somewhere within the spirits of the two heart-united Adepts, Flint the Venus Djinni gathered everyone – all the Djinn accumulated by Matthew and Karis – to some place unknown to humans and even indescribable to the author. "Mission accomplished!" the Djinni announced proudly. This was met with an outburst of cute cheers and giggles from the Djinni in the assembly. Some of them started dancing around and prancing around the hall… room… whatever it was.
"So you mean they're together?" a Mercury Djinni clarified.
"Yup," Flint answered. "Just what Isaac predicted long ago. By the way, we should also give some credit to Cinder."
Cinder was met by some gazes of awe and inspiration. "Aww shucks, you're making me blush." If only anyone could understand the paradox behind that…
"So how did you do it?" asked a curious Jupiter Djinni.
Flint must be probably eager to narrate its story. When the assembly of Djinni settled down ready to listen to Flint, the Venus Djinni started, "It all started with some dirty thoughts playing in his mind, so I decided to play along with him… You know how it is with Isaac, boy does his son inherit a lot from him…"
*** END ***
"Thanks, man," Flint thanked the author for the time and dematerialized back to the Golden Sun universe.
"My pleasure," the author replied.
Final Note from the Author: I thought it would seem a little awkward to end the story with too much romance, so I decided to put an epilogue with a lighter and humorous tone. You just gotta love the Djinni.
I've had a lot of trouble with Tyrell and Garet. Many times, I used Garet's name instead of Tyrell. *sob*
I had this story edited... It's not Hou Jo, but rather Ryu Kou. Also, I made some minor changes regarding the mixture of Cinder and Tinder and Garet and Tyrell. I also decided to remove the break portions for the benefit of the readers.
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed (or will review), your reviews and constructive criticisms are noted and highly appreciated. If there were any grammatical errors that probably confused you, then I sincerely apologize. Also, if there were any events that contradicted with the facts set in the game, please let me know so I could make an update. Nevertheless, I didn't stray far from my intended story plot. Thanks, once again Golden Sun FanFiction universe, you guys and gals are rock-hard and thunder-struck awesome!
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