Author's Note: Due to my apparent aversion at finishing my other fanfic Fist & Finesse...I'm going to be doing a series of one shots to keep my writing muscles flexed a bit until I work myself back into it :P
Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun or any characters or abilities used here. As a matter of fact I own nothing...nothing at all. Not even that thing right there. You see it don't you? It's just me? What? I'm not crazy, you're crazy! Especially you Nappa! (cookie to who gets that last reference)
Of Suns and Legends
"Come on, it won't take long."
"I still say we don't risk it, we're too close to Vault as is..."
"Still, you have to admit...the idea is enticing..."
As the group of male adepts slowly paced their way back to the town not far off in the distance their conversation continued. "But whose to say that they'd even see us? Even if we stopped here I'm sure they wouldn't notice if we kept things tame..." even as the words left Ivan's mouth he knew "tame" wasn't an adjective that could describe what they were proposing to do.
Somehow, in between collecting firewood for Vault and beginning the return trip, an idea mutually formulated itself amongst the present adepts. A spar of sorts between the two Earth adepts of their group. No one to help or otherwise interfere. Only their respective blades and whatever psyenergy they chose to wield. The idea found it's inception after Garet offhandedly asked which of the two were stronger because all of the other psyenergy users were well defined in their positions. Among the fiery Mars adepts were Garet and Jenna and Garet was obviously the boisterous, bull headed brute of the two leaving Jenna to be the intelligent but quick witted witch of sorts. The remaining two elements found themselves with similarly defined divisions but in Venus alone there were two leader class warriors.
Both stoically silent and completely pensive. Both overwhelmingly powerful in their own regard but neither one arrogant enough to claim himself the better warrior. Each wielded a weapon of unequivocal might: Issac's Sol Blade and Felix's Excalibur. Though the Sol Blade was shown to have the potential for more power, Felix's age and experience with swordplay sometimes favored him in combat better than any unleashed power his blade can muster. Issac on the other hand had become a unique swordsman, instead of adhering to a strict code of swordsplay like his companion, he fought simply off instinct due to a lack of formal training which left him both powerful and unpredictable.
Issac turned to speak but found himself cut short by Piers. "Well if anything, I say we take this farther from the town.." he eyed the two swordsmen warily "I've seen what you two can do when you start flinging psyenergy around and I don't think the citizens of Vault would appreciate their farm land up-heaved and torn because of a quick spar."
Felix nodded solemnly. "If anything were to happen..." he paused letting his apparent resentment toward the idea sink in before continuing "The area north of Vault would better serve this...purpose." Felix turned and continued the walk toward Vault after receiving murmurs of agreement from his companions. They all knew that with Felix behind the battle it was inevitable and though Issac was staunchly against unnecessary violence he rarely shied away from a challenge presented before him.
The group finally arrived in the sleepy town of Vault and immediately made their way to the large house on the far side of town. The previous resident, the former mayor of Vault, passed away during the second leg of their grand adventure to light all of the lighthouses and upon their return to the destroyed Vale the group seemed to just fall into the house with the flow of the rebuilding and expansion of the town. Garet was the first one through the door, having dashed ahead once his nose detected the faintest hint of Mia's cooking. "I smell food!" he exclaimed as he practically tore down the door in his rush.
The blue haired Mercury adept simply turned to him with a half annoyed, half charmed look. "Yes Garet dinner's almost ready for everybody" she stressed "Why don't you help me set the table while the others finish putting away the fresh commodities?" Not waiting for the answer she already knew, Mia turned back to the many pots on the range and began to expertly weave between while giving each an equal amount of attention. Humming an almost quiet melody she continued her majestic dance between the food while Garet marveled at her expertise.
"Amazing..." was the only coherent thought Garet found himself thinking before turning his attention back to the task at hand. "Now which side did Sheba say the forks went on...?"
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Both Issac and Felix simultaneously finished unloading the logs they'd had slung over their shoulders and their gazes met for a split second. In that brief flicker of time Issac felt his body tense in response to the terse glare that crossed Felix's features. "So..?" Issac was stirred from his reverie and slowly averted his gaze from Felix's "You can't tell me you aren't even curious about it?"
Issac moved to speak but cut himself short. He let his thoughts settle before questioning "What would all this prove? All we're doing is playing into Garet's need for some sort of rivalry." he adjusted the scarf wrapped loosely around his neck as he continued "I don't think it's a bad thing I just don't think it's for everyone to be involved in..."
Felix took a step closer and locked Issac's gaze with his own. "Tell me you haven't once let the thought cross your mind? Say that to me honestly and this entire thing will be forgotten." Issac, backing himself with his nigh unnatural determination and willpower held Felix's steely gaze but found himself unable to speak. After what seemed like a minute passed, Felix turned on his heel and began to walk toward the large two story house behind them. "We'll meet in the fields of Vale at midnight then." Just as he reached the door knob, Felix stopped short and turned toward his youthful friend. A genuine smile, one that was rarely seen on the stoic man, split his features as he said "There's nothing wrong with a little friendly competition Issac." With that he walked into the now raucous dining room which was bustling with life and energy.
Issac felt an odd sensation wash over him. It wasn't anxiety or fear that rooted the warrior to where he stood. A smile played at his lips as he began to reenter the house. "You're on Felix."
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The rest of the evening passed without event. Surprisingly, Garet managed his way through the evening with only a minor amount of destruction to his immediate surroundings, which Issac and Piers pointed out quickly. "Yeah well..." Garet said as he admired the now fragile carpentry around him "I'm really learning to hold myself back." Shaking their heads in exasperation, both Issac and Piers continued collecting the remaining plates and deposited them in the sink.
While they were cleaning the dishes, Piers let his gaze wander over to Issac's pensive form. "So what time are you two doing battle?" Blinking in surprise Issac let his gaze meet Piers'. "It's not like you two are exactly hiding how tense you are about it."
"I just don't want anyone worrying is all..."
Piers looked down to the sudsy water and removed the last dish. "And by anyone you mean Jenna?" Not bothering to acknowledge Issac's shocked expression he continued "After all, two of the most important people in her life are going to use the very same power that saved the world against each other just to see who's the better warrior. But..." he turned and placed a wet, albeit reassuring hand on Issac's shoulder "You two won't get a chance like this in the future, I don't think. With the reconstruction coming along as smoothly as it is all the open patches of land are going to be occupied by farmland and new towns. Seize the opportunity while you can because it won't be here forever and...don't worry about Jenna so much, she's a strong woman I think she can handle herself."
Issac let a brief smile play across his features before turning and quickly walking up the stairs toward his room. Turning the knob slowly, he entered the dark room as though it wasn't his own. On the far wall, almost enshrined in it's splendor, was the Sol Blade. The thick base of the blade was met by a large triangular jewel which seemed to faintly radiate a soft but bold crimson glow as it lay dormant. The hilt of the blade was wrapped in what Issac assumed to be some sort of Proxian leather;Iit was tough and impossible to tear yet every time he'd gripped the sort it seemed to shift and sink to fit his constricting grip when in the heat of battle. The blade itself was almost pure white in color and though the base of the blade was exceptionally thick it quickly tapered down to a normal sized shaft before reaching a keen point at it's apex. As Issac reached for the blade his saw his own reflection in the blade and what appeared to be someone else behind him. Turning he was met by the almond shaped face of Jenna which was currently twisted with concern.
Waiting in his room patiently, Felix sat in a chair with all his attention focused on the blade leaning against the far wall. It took several attempts to finally receive it from the master blacksmith, Happy, in Yallam but once he'd managed to turn the rare Orihalcum ore into the legendary blade now sitting before him, Felix knew it was worth the effort. The blade itself was extraordinary enough: a light purple hue surrounded the center of the blade which was a slightly darker shade of purple. The tip of the blade veered outwards at an acute angle before coming back together at the tip giving the point of the blade an almost diamond like shape. The haft met the blade at a circular blood red orb and with the rest of the haft surrounding the blade with a golden U shape. Felix rose to his feet and took the blade in hand, testing its weight. It was lighter than most other weapons he'd wielded in the past yet felt sturdier to hold and more put together. Twirling it between his fingers he looked out the window and saw full moon was almost completely overhead. "It's time then..."
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Felix arrived at the battlefield ten minutes early and gave the area a precursory look before settling himself against a sturdy looking oak. The Excalibur rested at his side though it was giving off a faint glow in reaction to the Venus psyenergy that he was now channeling through his body. A gentle breeze played across the peaceful meadow, turning the grass into a shimmering sea of emerald ripples and waves. A deep sense of content fell over the normally troubled warrior and for a moment he was at absolute peace.
For an untold amount of minutes Felix stood there, eyes closed and arms folded. His blue cape draped over his shoulder partially obscuring Excalibur from view while simultaneously fluttering inauspiciously with the occasional breeze.
As Issac descended the hill leading into the peaceful meadow he caught sight of Felix resting against a tree. His dark brown hair and similarly colored clothes almost made him blend completely with the tree save for his blue shoulder cape which fluttered carelessly in the wind and the faintly glowing blade at his side. "He must be already channeling his psyenergy as well..." True enough the Sol Blade strapped fast to Issac's back gave off a faint white glow in response to the minimal amount of psyenergy Issac had coursing through his being. He turned to approach his companion but stopped short, quickly realizing that this was a battlefield and not a place for their usual camaraderie. In lieu of a casual greeting he stood opposite of Felix on the battlefield and waited for a response.
Rising from his reclined position, Felix began to walk toward Issac unarmed. "I'm glad you decided to show up my friend. I was worried that Jenna would have convinced you not to come."
"She tried I'll admit..." Issac drew the Sol Blade from it's sheath on his back and held it loosely at his side "But deep down we both knew I wanted to do this."
"Making my sister give up? That's quite the feat Issac, she's usually too stubborn to listen to others...but I'm not here to tell you things you know." Drawing Excalibur from its hip sheath he leveled the point at Issac "I'm here to win, my friend."
Mimicking his gesture Issac pointed the Sol Blade in Felix's direction "I didn't come all the way out here to lose Felix." He took a ready stance and his eyes took on a dangerously steely gaze. Mentally he completely opened himself to the Venus energies around him and let them flow freely within him. As he did this he also felt the presence of the nine Venus Djinn who had become his long time companions. Though they weren't all suited for this sort of direct combat they were all useful in their own unique way and Issac had come to value each of them as both a battle companion and an ally.
"Oh, and Issac?" Felix asked as he was surrounded by nine ethereal outlines of his own Venus Djinn "No summons if you wouldn't mind. I don't think this place could take something as catastrophically powerful as Judgment." The nine corporeal Djinn unanimously united within Felix and his hair momentarily bristled with the arrival of the Djinni allies. Seeing a positive response Felix adopted his trained warrior's stance and stood at the ready. Issac mimicked him before suddenly dashing forward and leaping high into the air toward Felix, Sol Blade at the ready. Grinning inwardly Felix linked himself with the surrounding terrain and simply tore up a chunk of the ground before hurling it in Issac's direction.
Without wasting a movement Issac braced his feet against the oncoming slab of rock and flipped off of it. Pulling his sword above his head he mentally summoned Flint and, feeling the Djinni's energy fuse with his blade, cleaved the flying rock in twain. Flipping forward once again in the air he brought his blade down towards Felix's shoulder only to be met by the glowing blade of the Excalibur. Grunting in exertion Issac pushed all his weight against the blade but, finding himself unable to break Felix's guard he pushed himself back and hopped a few paces away. "Care to try that assault again Issac?" Felix taunted as he held Excalibur at the ready.
Instead, Issac let loosened his grip on the blade and raised his hand toward Felix. He let his psyenergy flow into the ground and called out "Quake Sphere!" Much to Felix's surprise the ground beneath him began to roil and contort before shattering and throwing him into the air. Seizing his chance Issac raced forward once again, this time with a strategy in mind. Plunging his sword into one of the raised portions of the ground he focused before shouting "Clay Spire!" and simultaneously yanking his sword upwards. A throng of earthen spires collected and launched upwards toward Felix who visibly tensed as he saw the oncoming spears.
Gripping Excalibur tight he called on Iron curled into a ball as his skin became as rigid and resistant as metal. The spires either broke or bounced off him with little to no damage and he uncurled just before landing on the ground. Not skipping a beat he began to draw from the Djinni Mud's power and drove his foot into the ground. The around around his foot began to glow golden and quickly became a large puddle of muddy like ground. Almost snarling with effort Felix kicked the entirety of the puddle in Issac's direction who was immediately engulfed in the binding substance and made helpless. Felix dashed forward and kicked Issac back before turning and stretching his arm forward. His eyes gleamed with determination as he cried out "Odyssey!" Two bands of white light pulsed outward from Felix and following suit two white corporeal swords pierced Issac's muddy form in midair, holding him in place. In a heartbeat Felix dashed across the the field and struck at Issac, accompanied by a massive corporeal golden blade which exploded and shattered on impact sending the young adept soaring backwards into a tree.
Issac felt the wind being driven from his body as he collided with the tree which sounded like it could give at any second. Knowing that Felix would be coming he blindly gripped his sword and swung outward only to find himself parried with the Sol Blade being tossed from his hands and landing a few feet away. Looking up Issac saw the purple hued point of Excalibur pointed at him. "By all swordsmen rules, I just won this fight." Felix said with a hint of disappointment "But...we aren't just swordsmen are we?"
A smirk played at Issac's mouth as he quickly recovered, tripping a surprised Felix and leaping toward his fallen weapon. Taking it in hand he called on the power of Vine and watched in pleasure as Felix's legs were entangled and he was bound in place. Felix, after attempting to move to no avail, quickly realized what was going on and held his sword up in a defensive pose. "Perfect." Issac thought with satisfaction as he rushed toward his adversary while channeling a large portion of his remaining psyenergy. Stopping short with his free hand outstretched, Issac plunged his psyenergy into the ground and with a sweeping motion upwards called out "Grand Gaia!"
Felix realized too late what was happening and swung his sword downwards towards the vines binding his legs. He retorted, however, when the initial geyser of light erupted from the ground, momentarily blinding him, and could only brace himself for what was to come. The geyser of light expanded outwards and a great upheaval of rocks and pure Venus energy engulfed the defenseless adept as it rose into the air. Felix let out a cry but it was drowned in the explosive cataclysm of power that surrounded him.
As the attack ended Issac knelt and attempted to catch his breath. It'd been quiet sometime since he last used Grand Gaia and he now remembered why he abstained from using it often. A few feet away he heard Felix impact bodily against the ground and began the struggle to regain his composure. His dark brown hair was matted to his forehead with sweat and a small trickle of blood flowed freely from his lip. "D-Damnit..." He finally found his footing and rose to his feet before reaching down and picking up Excalibur. Issac, who'd regained his breath just moments before, stood before him expectantly.
"Don't push yourself Felix..." he said in a still friendly tone despite their battle "If you need to stop just stop. Don't take this farther than it needs to go."
Felix shook his head in reply "I didn't think you'd forget so quickly Issac..." He mentally called on Steel's power and his blade glowed a faint gold in response "We aren't normal swordsmen!" He put the remainder of his strength and willpower into a vertical swing aimed directly at Issac who met the oncoming blade with his own. A knowing grin overtook Felix's features as his blade was outlined in a bright golden glow and small points of light began to dance down the length of his arm before disappearing into his haggard body.
Issac blinked in surprise as he felt his energy slowly being stolen from him. He tried his best to maintain the clash of blades but found himself faltering with every bead of light that disappeared into Felix who was looking more refreshed and invigorated with each passing second. Finally he backed away from the now energetic warrior who was preparing his next attack. Issac's stomach sank as he saw Felix's sword begin it's swing while simultaneously letting out a piercing howl. The sky just above Felix hailed down a purple light coalesced into a ancient looking glyph. The glyph began to rotate rapidly in the air and Issac could faintly make out three point of light before he knew what was coming. In an instant the blades of Legend were upon him, all three slamming into the ground and exploding on impact.
Felix felt the elation of victory which was quickly replaced by a pang of remorse. "Issac..?" he called out almost helplessly as the smoke obscured the entire area. As he peered into the blinding haze he saw a rectangular golden outline faintly standing out amongst the now settling dust. A stray gust swept the battle scarred field and Issac was revealed barely standing behind the ghost like outline of a Venus Djinni.
As the Djinni began to fade, along with it's ethereal shield, Issac quietly muttered "Thank you Granite..." Issac held his Sol Blade before himself in a defensive posture and an extreme look of consternation overtook his face "P-Potent Cure!" Though his psyenergies were far from replete his physical willpower couldn't match the demand required. Looking up to Felix he smirked in what looked like victory "I'm..I'm not done yet...Crystal!" though it had been sometime since he needed to call out a Djinni's name, the effect was the same and his body was enveloped by a translucent diamond shaped crystal which promptly shattered revealing an energized Issac. Nodding to himself he threw a sidelong glance in Felix's direction before looking down to the Sol Blade. His eyes traced the length of the blade before stopping short at the triangular crimson jewel.
Renewing his grip on the mythical blade he began to run forward toward Felix who steeled himself in preparation. Just before he was in striking distance Issac jumped a few feet into the air and concentrated his Venusian psyenergy into a single blade. Felix, appearing to realize what was happening in the split second and swung his sword in expectation. The familiar purple light shone down from the sky and rearranged itself into the glyph pattern for unleashing Legend.
As Issac began a seemingly slow descent he only saw one point of light approaching from the depths of the glyph and knew he could match it. Swinging the Sol Blade he called out the name of his last psyenergy "Ragnarok!" The ethereal sword descended from the sky and met the oncoming purple blade at it's point before both exploded into a myriad of shards that descended upon the battlefield.
Felix shielded his eyes from the glaring light which prevented him from seeing the chunk of earth which tore itself from the ground and molded itself into a sphere. As Issac descended he struck the rotating sphere of earth in Felix's direction.
As his sight returned, Felix barely caught a glimpse of the globe of earth flying in his direction and just barely managed to jump backwards to avoid the brunt of the attack. Despite his efforts he was still thrown backwards by the ensuing explosion as the globe impacted against the earth. Issac raced forward and brought his blade down toward the exhausted warrior. He stopped it short, leveling the point in Felix's direction. Issac opened his mouth to speak but was cut short as Felix swung his blade out in Issac's direction who hastily parried the blow.
In one fluid motion Felix rose to his feet and jumped upward. As he came down he called on Echo's power and his blade quickly cleaved through the air while being trailed by an glowing echo of itself.
Issac met Felix's onslaught head on with a combination of well placed blocks and parries before creating a sizable distance between the two of them with quick hop backwards. Not wasting a moment Issac ran toward Felix who was put off by the sudden charge. The distance between them removed, Issac launched into a flurry of slashes and strikes which were barely parried by Felix's tired blade. "This needs to end!" Issac redoubled his efforts in a drastic attempt to wear Felix down but he found his attempts to be in vain as Felix stood fast.
Gritting his teeth in determination and realizing what it would take to win, Issac feinted a stab and grabbed Felix's arm who could only watch in awe as he was tripped and thrown across the battlefield. The airborne warrior landed on his feet but not without an extreme amount of effort. He redirected his gaze to where his blonde haired adversary once stood but instead of a battle worn Issac his eyes were met by a shining crimson light.
Issac had taken to the air once again, this time with the Sol Blade letting out a myriad of crimson beams of light which redirected themselves and unified into a shining sphere above his head. Felix looked on in shock as the realization dawned on him that the full power of the Sol Blade was before him. Issac finally reached the sphere high in the aim and exhaled sharply before declaring "It's over Felix...Megiddo!" the blade struck the sphere sending it hurtling in Felix's direction who could do little more than raise his sword in defense.
The massive meteor struck the ground just a few feet from where Felix's stood, releasing waves of pure energy followed closely by a cataclysmic explosion which engulfed what remained of the battle scarred meadow. As Issac descended towards the earth and the blinding lights began to fade he saw no signs of his friend turned adversary. The moment his foot touched the ground he dropped his blade and dashed in a random direction seeking his friend.
"Felix? Felix?" he dove into the underbrush, desperately looking for any trace of the fallen adept but found nothing. As he stumbled through the dark trees he tripped over a particularly hard root and fell forward into the ground. Almost cursing he looked back at the offender and saw Felix laying haphazardly, tangled in between the branches and the bushes. "Felix!" he knelt down and carefully examined the fallen warrior carefully. His armor was ripped and torn in several places and the blue cape which once completely covered his left arm was completely torn from his shoulder. A sinking feeling descended upon Issac as he called upon his last Djinni, Quartz.
The Djinni's outline appeared above Felix and he frantically began to spin in a circle above him. White feathers, almost ghost like in appearance descended upon Felix where they disappeared along with the Djinni's ethereal outline. A moment later a beam of light erupted from his body and promptly disappeared as quickly as it came. Felix, to Issac's great pleasure, let out a ragged breath as he pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Ok ok...you win." he said with a exhausted smile. Issac reached down and took Felix's outstretched hand, helping him to his feet. Propping himself across Issac's shoulders he simply murmured "Vault." and slipped from consciousness.
Issac smiled warmly and began to walk out of the forest toward the hill leading out of the meadow. "To Vault then."
The End.
It feels good y'know? To complete something, so! If you liked it leave a review please. If you didn't like it, leave a longer review telling me what should change as I continue my quest to be an amazing a written.
P.S. PM me oneshot ideas you may have or you'd like to see and I'll do my best to take vare of them.
P.P.S. Don't forget to review! Scratch my back and I'll be sure to scratch yours!