Author's Notes:

Yep, finally the follow-up to "Of Gods and Mortals". Don't feel that you need to read that one to understand this story, though. Basically, "Of Gods and Mortals" just drops some hints of the troubles Felix will be facing in this story. It is a quick read, and an enjoyable one(according to the reviews, anyway), but it's not essential.

In general, a new chapter of this fic will be published every two weeks. I will warn you all in advance of any breaks in the schedule. Due to the shortness of chapter 1, chapter 2 will appear one week from now. Both praise and constructive criticism are, of course, much appreciated.

By the way, be sure to check out the new Golden Sun discussion forum The Land of Ice and Fire, which covers everything and everyone Prox-related. I'll most likely request reader input on certain plot points in the forum, so watch for that.

The milieu and characters of this fanfic are property of Nintendo and Camelot. This story is set shortly after The Lost Age.


How the Barefoot Gentleman Pursued the Free Woman

plot and script - Martin III


- Chapter 1: Next Stop, Prox -

Looking down at Sheba's little hand clinging to his as they stood together on the edge of the ship, Felix thought, This must be my punishment for all the evil I condoned while I was traveling with Saturos and Menardi.

The wind blew harshly into his face, making his eyes water. Even a grunt like me can appreciate the poetic justice. The same kid I helped abduct from her sheltered and happy existence, the same kid I almost brought to a painful death at the bottom of Venus Lighthouse, has become a bigger pain in my ass than I ever thought I'd have to deal with.

And now comes the worst of it. Unless I betray my own heart, I'm going to make her hate me for the rest of her life.

Sheba pointed. "Look, Felix! You can see Prox from here now!"

He squinted. "Yep."

Maybe I should just tell her now, tell her the real reason we're going to Prox. I'm not doing either one of us any favors by dragging this out.

Sheba looked up at him, her mushroom cap of hair blowing wildly in the breeze, yet not once getting caught in her eyes. "It's almost like a second home for you, isn't it?"

Poor kid. She thinks she knows me. "You could say that," he answered, a lump in his throat.

The truth was, Prox was his only true home now. He'd known that when he snuck into Vale and raided Sol Sanctum. In one moment of illumination, he had realized that Saturos and Menardi didn't have to hold his parents hostage to make him do those things. He'd have done them anyway, to save Prox. The place where he'd finally become a man. ...No, more than a place. Prox was the people who had showed him how to fight, who had given him the liberation of being able to stand up for himself and others, the power to be something other than helpless. The people who had shown him the glory of being strong.

He belonged in Prox. He wasn't sure that he would choose to live anywhere else even if Karst turned out to...

Felix felt a familiar tugging at the edge of his brain. His expression turned to a hard frown.

Don't mind-read me, Sheba. I'm not in the mood.

He must have come off pretty harsh, because Sheba walked away from him without saying anything. That made him feel a bit guilty, as he'd never really discouraged her from reading his mind. He probably should have, but he usually didn't care if people knew exactly what he thought.

Perhaps it was better that she started to hate him now. It would make the blow easier on her.

New footsteps sounded on the deck behind him. "Is something wrong, Felix?"

It was Piers. Had Felix given the word, they could have dropped him off in Lemuria first. But he had wanted the old man around; aside from Kraden, there was no one he relied on more for advice. He trusted the wisdom of the elder of Prox more, but the elder wouldn't understand his emotional loyalties. He could already guess that the elder would tell him to simply be true to himself, that Sheba's emotional reactions were her own affair.

"You could say that," Felix answered. "Piers, I... You've probably guessed the real reason why I'm returning to Prox, haven't you?"

Piers regarded him, one eye squinting while the brow of the other eye lifted. "It wasn't to help the village recover from the advance of Gaia Falls?"

"Well... yes, that was a reason, but..." It would have been the main reason, except that Felix wasn't the sort who rebuilt things. He'd give it a shot, of course, but he couldn't change his nature.

"Yes?" Piers's tone was not prodding; he was only reassuring Felix that he was still listening.

"...Never mind." He wasn't ready to tell him.

"Perhaps we'll talk about it later?"

"Yeah."

Of course, there was no more time for "later". The ship would land outside Prox in just minutes. From there, he would simply let the chips fall where they may.