Duties of the Heart
by Allexandra Radcliffe
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Well, I actually did a Golden Sun story that isn't in play form! Go me! This is a Steamshipping fic for The 8BTFreek, who is a really good beta for Isaac Potter, and it's way past time I got it done, but my ideas were really bad, up until now. Um…hmm. What else to say… It's centered on Garet, and if he sounds a little out of character…well, we'll see how it turns out.
Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, or I'd be really rich and have all the games I want and all that good stuff.
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"Duty is heavier than a mountain, death lighter than a feather."
- Wheel of Time series
***
Garet hated his duty. It was boring, and he couldn't leave it.
Ever since the Wise One had warned Hama, in a dream, that Alex would soon return, seeking the power of the lighthouse beacons themselves, the Adepts had been set as guards at their respective lighthouses. Garet was stuck in Prox, and without Jenna, since she had become the 'Elder' of New Vale.
Prox wasn't that bad, reflected Garet, since Gaia Falls had stopped advancing and the wild winds had calmed. Even so, it was getting boring. The only things to fight were the Proxian warriors, and he had already been proved their better. Lately, his Fire Brand hadn't gotten much use.
To lighten the monotony of the days, he played pranks on everyone. Often, a Proxian would go outside, only to fall into a snow-covered pit or trip over a carefully hidden wire. Whenever it happened, Garet would run out of his hiding place, laughing and always chased by Mars Psynergy.
But even that became boring, and more and more often, Garet retreated to the aerie of Mars Lighthouse. Since the beacon's lighting and the rise of the Golden Sun, the fog surrounding the Northern Reaches and Lemuria had dissipated. He could see for miles, and the beacons of the other three lighthouses were clearly visible. Jupiter shone purple to the south, Venus' golden bean to the southeast, and Mercury's sky-blue radiance to the east…
And speaking of radiance…
As the Fire Adept gazed over Weyard, his gaze locked on Mercury's beacon. His thoughts drifted, and finally focused on one person…the guardian of Mercury Lighthouse.
He hadn't seen Mia in a while; the last time had been a few months before Hama's dream, when he, Isaac, and Jenna had gone to Imil where Mia was now a renowned healer. He still remembered her smile when she greeted them…
Because, much as he hated to admit it, Garet had fallen for Mia the first time the met. In battle, she was fiery, yet calm as her element of water, and caring and funny outside fights. Many times, he had tried to gather the courage to tell her, but failed and tried to cover it up with lame jokes and stupid statements, which had earned him the title of party idiot.
The Psynergetic light from Mercury burned an afterimage on Garet's eyes when he closed them. Next to him, the Mars beacon burned, and he, as he had done many times before, touched the energy. His hand sank into the swirling surface and Psynergy filled him, feeling like fire running over his body. The flames bolstered his courage once more, and he stood.
"That's it!" he said to himself. "I'm going to go to Imil fight now and tell her."
It wasn't until five minutes later, on his way back to Prox that he remembered two things: the guarding of the lighthouse, and how to get to Imil. The first he solved almost immediately. When he reached Prox, he called together the strongest fighters and told them to guard the lighthouse for them. The second was solved just as he finished with the first, when a blue-haired person entered the town.
"Piers? What are you doing here?" Garet asked as the Lemurian greeted the Proxians.
"Visiting all of you. I figured it would be boring with nothing to do all day, and King Hydros let me go after that last Senate meeting. So I brought the latest news and…"
Quickly, Garet interrupted. "Look, I need a favor. Can you take me to Imil as soon as possible?"
"Uh…" Piers looked surprised, and said, "What about the lighthouse? Has something gone wrong?"
"No, but it's kinda important… And the Proxians can watch the lighthouse until I get back."
With a shrug, the Water Adept replied, "If you're sure…"
Fifteen minutes later, they were back at the Lemurian ship, and were leaving the Northern Reaches, heading back to Angara…
Meanwhile…
Deep within the earth, beneath the scar that was all that was left of Mt. Aleph, a cold voice spoke, heard only by itself.
"Your preparations are amusing…but futile, my dear Adepts. Even bow, the guardian of Mars wanders, following his heart instead of his mind… And now that my seal is weakening, he will regret it deeply…for more than one reason…"
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Originally, I meant for this to be one-shot, but I got this idea today and had to write it. As for anyone who thinks that Garet sounds out of character…well, let's just say that this is the serious Garet and leave it at that. ^-^ Review!