Prologue: Despair to Hope

Garet slowly stood up, staggering from the throbbing pain in his left eye. He then noticed he was totally blind in that eye. The pain kept him unbalanced as he reached for his Fire Brand and glanced around, which was also painful, to find Mia furiously striking Saturos over and over again, forcing him to the edge, then he would counter with his own barrage of attacks, forcing Mia back near the elemental star. Garet didn't know what had pissed her off, but he'd never seen Mia like that before.

He also saw to his right a barrage of Plasma Bolts from the two wind adepts towards a fast fleeing Alex. Even though his vision was blurred from the blood running over his good eye, he saw that Alex was quite singed from head to toe. Occasionally he'd cast Ply on himself only to get fried again.

Smiling to himself at the spectacle, Garet looked around for Isaac to see him, by his vision, staring him down and saying a few words. With all the rain, thunder, and lightning it was hard to interpret.

He then looked for Piers, but found him nowhere. Looking to where Piers was standing, Garet found a pool of blood and a sword, Piers's blood; Piers's sword, the Masamune. He then figured out why Mia was trying so desperately to kill Saturos. He picked up the Masamune and lowered his bloodied head. "Piers…"

Ignoring the pain from his eye and rage ignited for his fallen friend, the large Fire Adept that was Garet rushed towards Saturos, vengeance on his mind. He knew then and there that Saturos had to die, one way or another.

Both swords glowed an icy blue and a fiery red. Feeling the power surge through him, he cried "Rising Dragon!" as he sliced the Masamune and then "Purgatory!" as he sliced the Fire Brand through the air, both aimed directly towards Saturos.

-

"You remember after we defeated the three-headed dragon on top of the Mars Lighthouse?" Felix asked.

"Yeah, I do."

"And you remember the sword I had found that fell from the body of that three-headed dragon?"

Felix held his blade up so Isaac could see it. By Isaac's point of view, the sword had a rather eerie bluish purple glow. The sword hilt had intricate symbols that Isaac could not read on it. Inside the blade were also eerie pulsing black gemstones; six of them. The silver hilt itself was nothing in awe of the actual blade.

The blade itself was a jet black color with golden symbols inscribed into it, almost like a chant (though Isaac couldn't read it). Turning his attention back to Felix, Isaac said "Yeah and? Get to the point, Felix!"

"Chill Isaac, and let me finish." He cracked a smile. "I'm merely returning what was once in the hands of the original ruler back where it belongs."

Isaac growled.

"You see, my friend, I have been…enlightened, if you would say. I know the fate of this world, and where the winning side stands. I…became confused when I received this enlightenment, so I went to discover where or what I was compelled to…serve."

"That explains why you were gone for two months!" Isaac yelled.

"Anyway, I came across some valuable information. You see… there are not just four Elemental Lighthouses."

Isaac raised a brow at this comment. There are more lighthouses? "There are six. The other two are the Sol and Luna Lighthouses. These lighthouses contain immense power… the power of brother and sister."

Isaac had never heard this before. "You're lying!"

"Am I really? Or…were you the one lied to so many years by the ones we love? Are you the one who refuses to accept the truth!?"

Isaac glared at his Earth Adept counterpart. "What are you talking about!? You're not making sense!"

Felix laughed hard. "I'm saying…that everything you've been told was a lie up to this point. This is why." Felix told Isaac all he knew.

-

Mia could feel the immense Mercury and Mars energy soar towards her and Saturos as they fought each other furiously back and forth. She casted Ice Horn right under Saturos's arm, freezing him where he stood, then just barely avoided the two spiraling Mercury Serpent Dragons wrapped in what seemed to be a Mars aura that collided into the temporarily immobilized Saturos.

All turned in awe as what seemed to be an endless magnificent beam of Mercury and Mars energy tear through the heavens. Saturos screamed at the top of his lungs at the pain of the fused energy. As the beam slowly dissipated, Saturos fell to the ground unconscious. Mia blinked twice and looked to Garet, who was barely standing. Blood ran down his eye, and it was shut. She hastily ran and caught Garet as he slumped to the ground, drained of energy.

Mia looked over his eye, knowing full well that it wasn't going to heal too well. She heard a clatter and looked to Garet's side. There laid Pier's sword. Mia was devastated. She cried deeply into Garet's shirt. Then realizing her duty, Mia picked up the sword, placed it on her belt, and again examined Garet. She casted Pure Ply over it, and hoped Ivan and Sheba could stop the one who absorbed the radiant energy of the Golden Sun, Alex.

Ivan grabbed Sheba and flung her to his right, saving her from the giant ice prisms flew past them. "Thanks, Ivan."

"Don't thank me yet. This still isn't over!"

Ivan casted Ward, stopping what seemed a waterfall of water from falling directly onto them. "Okay Sheba here's the plan. I'll distract Alex while you prepare for a summoning."

"But Ivan you could…"

"I'll be alright, okay?"

Sheba responded with a kiss on his lips. Ivan grinned as he turned and charged towards the waiting Alex. Alex laughed and formed two pure Mercury energy short blades. They collided, and the battle began. The blinding speed of the small Jupiter Adept was matched easily by Alex. Swipes, cuts, slashes, and sparks flew from the fighters, Ivan occasionally gaining the upper hand when he unleashed Sonic Blade, all five Ivan illusions battling furiously and with such speed that the eye could not catch the movements.

Sheba whispered something, closed her eyes, and all nine of her Wind djinn appeared around her. They all formed a circle as a glowing violet circle appeared below the ones who wield wind. "Ana no ke val dis mo sha ve," she started chanting as her djinn started to glow, their power surging into their mistress. Please hold out, Ivan, she thought.

"What's wrong, little adept? Am I too strong for you?" Alex said as he crossed his blades over Ivan's Swift and forced him back.

Ivan grunted and unleashed Sonic Blade again, catching Alex off-guard. Again Alex fast twisted, twirled, and parried each Ivan's attacks. Ivan leaned on his sword as he stopped before Alex, severely winded. "That's it, huh?"

Ivan smiled as he glanced behind Alex at Sheba, who was ready for attack and waited for Ivan's signal. "Far from it."

Alex then heard it. "I summon the Lord of Thunder, Forger of the Sky. Come to my aid and vanquish the one who is not worthy of the Golden Sun. THOR!"

Ivan tumbled to his left to avoid the large thunder hammer that struck Alex squarely in the chest, sending him flying near the elemental star. He howled in agony as a ray of bolts struck him repeatedly in the chest from the figure that was Thor. After he disappeared, all that was left was a hole and Alex on the floor below, unconscious.

-

Isaac shook his head in horror, dumbfounded by the new information bestowed upon him. He looked up at Felix, who stared at him intensely. "Do you understand now? She will win. They will lose."

Isaac's eyes slowly drifted up to Felix. "Then…why are you not-"

"Because I side with the true ruler, not an unsurper!"

Isaac glared at him. "Then I understand that…you will fight and try to kill him?"

Felix smirked. "I won't try….I will."

Isaac had heard enough. Without another word he lashed out at Felix. Felix leapt clear over Isaac towards the elemental star and flung the Darksword into the light. As Isaac sliced across Felix's side something weird happened. The storm halted as the star started pulsing. Felix winced as he landed near the star behind Isaac and clasped the wound. The land itself started moaning and shaking as if it was crying. "Isaac!"

Isaac looked to Ivan and the others staring at him. "We have to get out of here!" Isaac yelled over the rumbling.

"Yeah, we know!" Mia said while helping Garet to his feet. She glanced over to the edge of the lighthouse one last time, hoping for Piers to appear. Realizing the truth, she turned to Ivan. "Mia, I…"

Wiped her tears and looked to her companion. "No time for that now! Just get us out of here!"

Ivan wasted no time as the shaking grew fiercer. Forming a circle Ivan gestured them to step into it. All but Isaac moved. "Isaac, let's go!"

"I…can't."

"What?" Ivan said.

Isaac turned to Felix and the erupting star. "I have to end this here."

"But you'll be killed!"

"I know that might happen, but I must stop Felix here and now."

"What are we supposed to tell Jenna? She'll kill us for sure!" Garet said, having just regained consciousness.

Isaac turned to his best friend, tears brimming his icy blue eyes. "Tell her I love her, and our child's name…is Xavier."

Tears rolled down Isaac's face as he casted Retreat on his friends. Ivan reached for Isaac, but it was too late. Before he knew it, they were all on the ship far below the cliffs of Angara and the Venus Lighthouse. Each of the adepts were devastated at having lost their leader. At that moment Garet and Ivan stood. "Isaac wanted us to get back to Jenna, right?" Ivan asked.

"That's right, so we should head to Contigo where Ivan's sister is tending to Jenna and tell her." Garet answered.

Ivan turned to the black orb and started steering the large Lemurian ship away. They all turned and stared blankly at the sight of the lighthouse. A golden light engulfed it as the land rumbled its fiercest. Even with the noise though, then could hear sword striking sword from the aerie. A bright flash blinded them all, then all was quiet. "No way…" Ivan gasped.

It…can't be…"

What's wrong I-!" Sheba shrieked.

"The lighthouse… is gone!"

Piers rolled onto the frozen land, not much time remaining. His energy was spent, and he had no idea where he was. On top of all that, he was fast fading from that wound he received. He looked up into the sun, knowing his time has come. "H-Hey!"

Piers slowly turned to see the outline of a blue-haired female child, and then all went black.