All Fall Down, a golden sun fanfic

This is a fanfiction based off of one of Camelot's older games, Golden Sun, but it's also a songfiction based off of OneRepublic's All Fall Down (hence the title). I'll hazard a guess that there aren't so many Golden Sun fans around anymore, but I'd still like to see some opinions on my writing. Please, no flames, but constructive criticism is welcomed.

Disclaimer: Of course, I own nothing.

All that said, I hope you enjoy~

~*~*~*~

All Fall Down

A chill wind whistled down the streets of Lalivero as a small, lonely girl slammed open a door and sprinted away, head bowed as she screamed an emphatic "No!" For a while, all that could be heard was the gathering storm and her footsteps, pounding the dusty streets that hadn't seen rain for too long. Her breath came short and fast, her body unused to such extreme exercise, as she ran from all that was and all that wasn't. Finally she stopped by a river, such anguish in her eyes as could only be caused by a heavy burden. Too heavy a burden, for one of her age.

Sheba turned mournful purple eyes to the sky. 'Where did I come from?' she questioned, as if searching for an answer. None came. She lowered her eyes then, unable to continue searching for an answer she would never receive. One drop after another fell into the small river at her feet. More and more came, one after another, until there were too many to count. On, and on, and on, until a gentle pattering sound arose from the droplets and Sheba opened her eyes to find herself soaked.

Once more lifting her eyes to the heavens, she felt the wet raindrops splatter on her face, spilling over her cheeks, mingling with her tears. As she stood in the middle of a thunderstorm, she smiled at last.

"Step out the door and it feels like rain,

That's the sound, that's the sound, on your windowpane.

Take to the streets but you can't ignore,

That's the sound, that's the sound, you've been waiting for."

Faran opened the door a little to find the rain had indeed started. Sheba had wanted some time alone after he'd told her… but she needed to come in or she'd catch a cold. He hoped that she would listen to him. Grabbing an umbrella, he ran out into the rain to find his foster daughter.

Sheba stretched her arms out, spinning on the spot as her golden hair clung to her face. A shock ran through her body as a whirlwind of movement flashed before her closed eyelids. Brown hair whipped by her face, damp like her own. Sounds of rushing water filled her ears; she inhaled and breathed water, panicking. A rumbling sound assaulted her ears, as thunder crashed over her head. She noticed a flurry of movement nearby, many silhouettes seeming to reach for something, or running about frantically. They were calling something. To her? She didn't know. It was like a fragment of a dream, a stillness in a storm, yet the panic was ever rising somewhere in her detached brain.

Suddenly, her vision shifted again. Disoriented, Sheba whirled around, trying to figure out where she was. It finally dawned on her that she was still in the same place, wherever she was, but she wasn't in the water now. Instead, she noticed that she was among the flurry of movement that had been nearby, seemingly on a bank of a river. She gasped with shock as a hand passed straight through her, sticking out of her midriff and holding a length of rope. She closed her eyes and screamed, but whether because the thunder drowned her out or because she wasn't actually screaming at all, Sheba couldn't tell. She had no way of knowing whether the squelching sound as the hand withdrew was her own imagination or whether it was real, as the irrational fear built like a mountain inside of her.

When she opened her eyes again, they fell on the young boy hanging on for dear life in the river. She noticed his brown hair, and thought back to the sweeping fear she'd felt earlier. "Was I… Seeing through his eyes?" she stood there as a mere specter while the others, alien people ran about, her eyes riveted on the boy. Sheba was frantic as the hysteria washed through her, threatening to tear her apart. She didn't know why the emotion was dominating her so, she only knew she needed to stop it, find a respite. She saw fear and absolute terror in the eyes of those that looked straight through her, and felt her own alarm collect, build, and grow. They fed her fear until she wanted to tear her hair out. The din and horror of the situation grew louder and greater until her eyes were wide while she tried to find a way to help the boy. She felt her limbs begin to ache as they wholly disobeyed her mind's orders to move, instead only to stare, petrified, at him.

Just as she thought she could no longer stand it, thought she would lift her head and scream until her throat was hoarse, wanted to break down and cry, he looked at her. Really looked at her, not through her. It all broke. She felt something snap, everything spiraling into black as she desperately searched for something to grab and hang onto. Something she would never let go of, as she careened into that dark world. The last thing she remembered was his face, eyes wide and haunting, filled with tumultuous emotions, peering into her soul and rending her very essence apart. He remained in her mind's eye as she fell into sweet oblivion, when she vaguely felt the rough texture of cloth against her fingers and a pair of strong arms gently encircled her. Calmed her, made her at peace after the mess of feelings she had just been through.

"If ever your worlds starts crashing down,

Whenever your world starts crashing down,

That's where you'll find me."

~*~*~*~

"Sheba! Sheba!!" Faran threw down his umbrella and sprinted over to the river just after Sheba swayed and fell in, arriving and searching frantically from the bank for her. He ducked his head in, trying to find any trace of her in the clear depths of the pool.

Sheba groaned as she left the warm comfort of that dark place, opening one eye lazily as she recovered from that particularly traumatic vision. She took a deep breath to steady herself and found, once more that her lungs were being filled with water. A frantic "No!" escaped from her mouth in the form of a garbled mix of noise and precious air bubbles as a horrible sense of déjà vu swamped her. Sheba struggled groggily in the water, her clothes ballooning around her and weighing her down. She gave a weak kick, her body hurting all over as she tried to swim towards "up."

She remembered that boy's face again as her eyelids slowly drifted closed and her eyes slid in and out of focus. The arms closed over her again, seemingly lifting her this time, but she had already found her calm, dark place.

Faran dove into the water, uncaring about his clothing, only intent on finding Sheba. Multiple times he arose for air as he forced his way through the water, grasping for Sheba. When he emerged to take another breath, his eyes fell on somebody by the river, hunched over and coughing. He took in her appearance and gold hair, before floundering over to pull himself onto shore next to her, not quite relieved yet. "Sheba! Are you alright?"

Sheba blinked her eyes open and took in the blurry ground, before vomiting up a mouthful of water. She coughed and spat onto the dirt, wiping her mouth before she turned to face Faran. She seemed surprised, then, at his drenched appearance. Even the pouring rain couldn't soak somebody so fast. "What…"

Faran exhaled a large gust of air and hugged her close. "I'm so relieved… You're okay."

Sheba shook her head, numb as Faran let her go. 'How did I get here? I was underwater…' she tuned into what he was saying and realized he was asking her why she'd been in the water in the first place. "I was…" Sheba paused. She didn't want to tell him about her vision, since it didn't affect Lalivero in any way. "I slipped in the rain and tripped, so I fell." She lied, still trying to understand how she had ended up on shore. "Did you… Pull me back on shore?" she asked hesitantly.

Faran stared at her. "What? You pulled yourself on shore. I was looking for you underwater, and when I came up to breathe, I found you on shore… I'm glad you made it up in time."

Sheba shook her head. It didn't make sense. She tried to stand and winced as her abused body complied, aching all over. She pushed herself up after a deep breath, and stood, wobbling.

"God love your soul and your aching bones,

Take a breath, take a step, meet me down below."

Faran continued to watch her, even after she'd managed to give him a reassuring, if confused smile. Finally he asked her, "What's wrong?"

"What – nothing!" she said, trying to act as if nothing was wrong, at least until she could understand. Faran wasn't fooled, however, and after giving her another skeptical look, she caved. Sighing, she told him, "I think somebody helped me. I fainted down there! There's no way I pulled myself out when I was going to drown!"

Faran gave her a look that said quite plainly he thought she was in shock. "But, dear, there was nobody else here." He said in a placating voice, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. Sheba shrugged it off moodily, turning away.

"I'm different. You never believe any of these things I tell you. You told me so earlier – I'm different, I fell out of the sky and now everybody thinks I'm Lalivero's saviour! If you believe that, why don't you believe what I say?" she exclaimed, annoyed.

"You're special, but you're still human. We're all here on Weyard, the… same." Faran explained as if to a small child, hiding his doubt.

Sheba lifted amethyst eyes, far too old and wise for a girl her age, but at the moment they were alight with hope. It spoke volumes about her innocence and past when a few kind sentences filled her eyes bright and uplifted her spirits so.

Faran nodded. "They'll accept you, Sheba. You'll see."

Sheba smiled, reassured. "I guess." She replied shortly, and turned to the river again. "The rain's stopping… I'm going home to get changed."

She walked off as Faran followed her. "I'll be okay. I just… need some time." She told Faran, and left before he could say anything else.

Faran shook his head, a hand coming up to scratch his head. "Maybe I shouldn't have told her… Perhaps it'll turn out right in the end."

"Everyone's the same, our fingers to our toes,

We just can't get it right, but we're on the road."

~*~*~*~

Safely ensconced in her room, Sheba sighed and sat on her bed, remembering what she had been told earlier.

"Sheba…" Faran looked worried as he approached her, and she put down her sewing to listen. "There's something I need to tell you…"

Sheba turned to face her father, unknowing as to what he was about to tell her. "Yes, daddy?"

Faran watched her, nearly backing out of his decision at the last moment. She was too young, he had always thought it, but his wife argued that it was for her own good. That didn't make it easier, though, as she waited patiently with that sweet smile on her face. "Daddy? What is it?" Sheba asked, as her father seemed to hesitate.

"Well… Sheba, has anybody ever told you in the city, you know, that you're, well… Special?" Faran asked her cautiously.

Sheba's brow furrowed as she tried to recall anything of the sort. "Well… I know that the lady down the street keeps saying to me that I'm a saviour? She's very nice to me!" Sheba exclaimed, though she had always wondered why.

Faran nodded. Well, that had been what he was talking about, though he hadn't been aware their neighbor had been so forthcoming about the fact. He'd need to speak with her later, it seemed. "Yes, well… Your mother and father want the best for you, and we felt, maybe… We should tell you why people think you're such a special little girl. Do you know, when you were just a little baby, you flew in the sky?"

Sheba stared at him, uncomprehending. "I got to fly? I wish I remember that! Were you and mommy flying with me?"

Faran watched her, a miniscule trace of pity staining his expression. An eleven – year old girl believing that? Even if she was ignorant to much the world, he had thought she had more sense than that. Well, maybe she just trusted him and his wife. Inwardly, he shook his head. That would just make things so much harder. "You did get to fly… mommy and daddy weren't there to fly with you, but we did… find you. You see, Sheba, you are a child of the gods."

Sheba frowned for real now, confused. "What do you mean? I'm your daughter."

"No, Sheba, you're a child of the gods. You are Lalivero's saviour – you fell out of the sky, and we've raised you ever since." After he said that, Faran winced and wished he could have done it differently. How did you break the news to your child that she wasn't your child by blood? What a callous way to do it. His wife would have been ashamed, but then, she was too afraid to be the one to break the news. Well, he'd just have to deal with the repercussions, didn't he?

Obstinate, Sheba shook her head, denying it, denying it all. "No… I'm your daughter, daddy." She spoke as if her father was the one confused, not her. "I'm your daughter, and mommy's my mommy. What are you talking about?" Even as she ended that last sentence, her vision began to tunnel. "What-? There's something…"

Faran watched as she swayed, and sighed as she sat upright again. "What's wrong, Sheba?" her head was bowed, and gradually, he became worried. When she finally looked up at him, it was as if from a mile away, eyes glazed over and strangely unfocused. "Sheba?"

She shook her head slowly, as the vision faded. "No… no… nonononononono…" Her words came out as a stream as the facts hit her hard, from what she'd seen. "You're wrong! You're wrong! You're a liar!"

It was pain to see his daughter scream like that, but Faran had half expected this reaction. What confused him more was that she wasn't screaming in his exact direction, but rather at something that only she seemed able to see. "What-"

Sheba stood suddenly and sprinted to the door, wrenching it open and pounding away down the dust-caked street, a tear or two leaking from her eyes. Faran made to follow, but his wife finally emerged from the other room, and put a hand on his shoulder. She shook her head in a silent "no", and gently led him away from the doorway.

'So they lied to me… But they're still my parents. They raised me. Who I was, that's not important, no…no… It's who I am…' convincing herself of the fact wasn't truly working, so she gave up and dwelled on the mysterious boy instead. She'd always had the visions, but she'd merely thought she was gifted, not a child of the- she needed to stop thinking about that! The boy though, the boy… all her previous visions had been of Lalivero. That boy was not from Lalivero. She would have remembered somebody like that, even if his face hadn't been fearful at the time. She would have remembered.

The mysterious boy, the arms that pulled her close, her own equally strange descent… It was a mantra that repeated in her mind as she tried to understand it all. The boy had had lovely, piercing brown eyes, not the flat kind that so many seemed to have, but rather a type that seemed to look straight through her to her soul, understand her… She had found it a strange feeling, but she loved it, loved that somebody could know her like that… or was she afraid? She wasn't sure anymore. Still puzzling over what had happened, who had saved her, Sheba drifted into an uneasy sleep, the avalanche of things that had happened to her recently finally catching up.

She wandered in that darkness for a while, the same one that she had run through, panicked in, gotten lost in, the same one that had been her closest companion for too long. It was comforting at times, but at the moment, was a mass of turmoil that belied the dark and disconcerting emotions and thoughts in Sheba's mind. In this dream, she searched always for something she couldn't find, be it the boy she had met or an answer to her many questions. It was a familiar place, and she could feel it begin to overwhelm her again. So ironic, that only twenty-four hours ago, she had been a simple, innocent, happy girl with some strange visions. Now, she wasn't quite sure who she was. She'd always been fragile physically, but she had always tried to think of herself as strong, strong in her inner strength. She tried to hold out and put on a happy face. She didn't think her will ever would, or could break. Now, though…

"If ever your will starts crashing down,

Whenever your will starts crashing down,

That's where you'll find me."

Sheba tried to straighten the feelings out, reminding herself that no matter what, her parents had meant the best for her. It was hard to think that though, when they had hid the story for over ten years… eleven years of her life gone by, and she didn't know at all what the meaning behind those whispers were. She wanted to blame them, wanted to hurt them, wanted to hate them so much it hurt… But how could she? They had raised her… 'Raised you on lies, Sheba, raised you with lies…'The thought leapt unbidden to her slumbering mind, but she grappled with it, even as she fought a losing battle. Her mind continued delightedly to wrestle her into submission, giving her an altogether negative outlook on things. 'They lie to you, and you still listen to them? Give them the benefit of doubt? Why, Sheba? Why not just take them all, hate them all…?'

The tiny voice, rising inside her, insidious and cruel, laced with silky lines of sadism and irony, taunting her, nipping at her, bringing her crashing to the ground… Sheba fought against it weakly, feeling each happy memory snuffed out like a candle, leaving her in the looming darkness with nothing to hold onto and nobody to find her. Oh, how she wanted to be found and saved. Bitterly, she thought, 'I'm not a saviour. I need saving.' as she felt herself crushed by the hateful thing coalescing in her mind.

"Don't…"

A voice? The floating and diminished Sheba turned as she heard the whisper. Who was it? Who had come to see her, watch her as she tore herself apart in the black hole of her mind?

"Don't, Sheba. Don't hate."

Before she even saw him, she knew who it was. Long brown hair and warm, comforting arms…

"Remember what they did for you… Don't hate them. Don't lose yourself to the hate, as so many others have done."

"So many others…?" Sheba frowned. She heard the unspoken thought there, the one that whispered he was one of those 'others.' "You haven't. I know you haven't." she finally got a glimpse of his face, as she drifted by him. She wanted to see those eyes again, as much as she didn't want to, the haunted, wonderful, blazing eyes-

Where were the eyes? In the place of his face was a mask, a mangled and strange-looking mask of a style she had never seen before. It annoyed her that she couldn't see his face, but it almost infuriated her that his lively eyes were dwarfed so by the dead, emotionless mask. He seemed to have changed, seemed older? Perhaps…

"Lost till you're found,
Swim till you drown,
Know that we all fall down.
Love till you hate,
Strong till you break,
Know that we all fall down."

"Don't hate, Sheba…" his rasping voice faded away as she finally began to surface from the place of dreams, her consciousness trying to wake her.

"Don't leave me… don't…" she whimpered, and opened her eyes. She was startled to find the tears streaming down her face, blotting and blurring her vision, slipping onto the chair she was curled on. Hastily wiping them away, she walked out of her room, feeling somewhat refreshed even after such a troubling nap.

Sheba passed her father as she headed back out the door, and she muttered to him a quick apology and the same excuse she'd inadvertently used earlier, that she needed some time alone, to leave the house. Once she found herself by the river again, this time her steps slow and unhurried, she sat a little ways away from the water's edge. Staring up at the sky as the clouds slowly cleared away, Sheba sighed and let the calm wash over her. There was only one thing troubling her now. "I wish I knew your name…"

"If ever your will starts crashing down,

Whenever your will starts crashing down,

If ever your will starts crashing down,

That's where you'll find me.

Lost 'till you're found,

Swim 'till you drown,

Know that we all fall down.

Love 'till you hate,

Strong till you break,

Know that we all fall down."

When she felt her vision skewing once more, Sheba wanted to yell in frustration. This happened entirely too often lately, but she was curious to see if her last question would be answered, and so allowed herself to be swept up in the vision once more.

The first thing she was aware of was her surroundings, a strange place with many alien people and mystical designs on the walls. From what she could see off the edge of whatever large platform she stood on, she was on some sort of high and thin structure, possibly a lighthouse. There did seem a large dip in the middle and she seemed to be standing with some odd looking people. It occurred to her that the boy with piercing eyes was in front of her, and there was some sort of conflict going on. She closed her eyes tightly, completely overwhelmed as sounds and visions assaulted her ears. She was aware of more bright flashes of light, and the ground shook beneath her very feet. Too afraid to open her eyes, Sheba was surprised to find, when she did open them that she was flying again.

'Is this what Fara- father spoke of, when he said I flew?' was Sheba's first absurd thought, but then she realized that she could now see the things from off the lighthouse from where she was. Now that couldn't be right, she realized as the air flew by her hair and whipped at her clothing. "Felix!" she heard the call from above, and was suddenly aware of somebody holding onto her, pulling her in and somewhat protecting her from the stinging wind. As she felt water plunge around her for the umpteenth time, Sheba's last thought before she blacked out was, 'At least I know your name now… Felix.'

"All fall down, we all fall down,

All fall down, we all fall down,

All fall down, all fall down…"

~*~*~*~

Sheba woke again, and was glad to find she was dry and the sun was shining, and her father wasn't running toward her in blind panic. She was alone with her thoughts. "Felix…" The name rolled off of her tongue, and she treasured the feel, and the knowing. "Felix, Felix, Felix… Perhaps I'll meet you someday. You'd better be there to break my fall…"

All fall down…

~*~*~*~

Fin.

Read and review, please. I understand that Golden Sun is probably a dead category by now, but I figured I'd try to get this up anyhow.