I don't own Golden Sun or its characters, said things belong to Camelot. Besides, I'm only a mere teenager, I wouldn't be able to drive a gaming company without completely demolishing it...

''Oh...crap,'' Tyrell said, as Matthew pointed silently at a rather massive (not to mention growing) psynergy vortex.

The very air around it distorted, sucked into its large mass of dark energy. This was, by far, the largest vortex the trio of adepts had ever seen, easily greater than all three of the ones they had seen on their adventure put together. Nature within close proximity was becoming twisted, gnarled by the abomination. The trio of young Adepts could feel their energy being sapped slowly out of them, despite having a reasonable distance between them and the swirling monster.

And all they could do was watch mutely as it grew gradually bigger...

''Matthew!'' The heroes turned to find Isaac, Matthew's father, running towards them from the Lookout Cabin, Garet in tow.
The men looked as though they had been in a major scuffle, bruises, scratches and all, but otherwise alright. The cabin itself, on the other hand...

The roof was completely caved in, the walls fractured, all of the windows shattered, and the door hung on a single hinge. The humble household Matthew once called home was, to put it simply, a complete wreck.

''M-mr. Isaac!'' Karis stammered. ''What happened here?''

''That's what we were going ask you three,'' Garet said. ''What happened out there?'' He suddenly turned a suspicious eye on them. ''...Were the three of you responsible of the darkness?''

''What, is it that every time that something happens, we're the ones who caused it?'' Tyrell asked defiantly. ''I'm offended, Dad.''

''Enough,'' Isaac said abruptly. Everything became focused him, as if he had supreme authority over them. ''We all have something to explain,'' he continued. ''But it would be ideal to head into the cabin, it is too dangerous to loiter near this vortex,'' he said, motioning towards the swirling ball of dark matter. ''Let's get inside, where we can exchange stories at a more leisurely pace.''

And with that, he walked off to the ruined home, everyone else following shortly afterward.

The inside of the Lookout Cabin was not in a much better condition than the outside. If anything, it was even worse, with books scattered across the floor, tables broken, bookshelves demolished, kitchen supplies shattered. The stairs leading to the telescope on the upper floor had been smashed into the ground, and Matthew's room, according to Garet, was so messy that it was practically impossible to maneuver in.

The only thing Isaac did as Karis explained the events of the past few months was nod occasionally, not wanting to miss a single detail. Garet, on the other hand, was constantly opening his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but Isaac always shot a glare in his direction each time he did so.

When Karis finished, the entire room was utterly silent, save for the humming of the psynergy vortex outside.

''...Shit,'' Garet swore, breaking the deafening silence. ''I should have known that Alex would still be alive. That no-good, power-hungry, son of a bi-''

''It seems that he still is exactly the same as he was thirty years ago,'' Isaac said, interrupting Garet mid-swear. ''Manipulating everyone around him to get what he wants. The question is, what is his objective?'' He sat still, musing silently.

''Didn't you say that he was after the full power of alchemy?'' Matthew asked. ''It would make sense if he's going after it again, right?''

''No, Matthew.'' Karis shook her head. ''The Golden Sun already rose thirty years ago. I sincerely doubt that it can rise again.''

''Karis is right,'' Isaac said. ''Alex is chasing something else now. What it is, we can't be sure, but we have to intercept it as soon as possible.'' His brow furrowed, deep in thought. ''Just give me some time, I can come up with something.''

''Oh, great,'' Garet grumbled. ''Not another one of his plans. Son, please tell me that Matthew here didn't inherit his father's 'idea' making.''

''Sorry, Dad,'' Tyrell said, scratching the back of his head. ''Matt did. I personally think they were brilliant, most of the time,anyway.''

''But things would've gone better if he listened to my advice,'' Karis said with a huff. ''But he always insisted on doing things completely outside of reason.''

''He once ordered us to sleep on the cold floor in the base of a tree, under the assumption that doing so would save Kolima,'' Tyrell said. ''I always thought Matthew was a little gullible, but that,'' he continued, holding in a laugh. ''That was the last straw.''

''You guys are all talking like I'm not here,'' Matthew said flatly.

''No offense, man, but you don't talk much,'' Tyrell said matter-of-factly.

''Everyone, listen up,'' Isaac said. ''I've come to a conclusion.''

''Yipeee...'' Garet grumbled.

Isaac, ignoring him, continued. ''Me and Garet will head into Kalay and help Ivan build the new Soarwing from the Mountain Roc feather the three of you got for us,'' he said. ''This feather has been burned severely, so it will take much time and dedication to build the Soarwing.'' At this, Karis glared at Tyrell, who grinned sheepishly at her as an apology.

''What about us?'' Mattew asked.

''You three are to go north to Bilibin, then even further to Imi-''

''Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, are you serious here?'' Tyrell interrupted angrily. ''We already got your feather, how much punishment are you going to give me for destroying your old Soarwing?''

''Tyrell, this is no time for silly punishments,''Karis said grimly. ''This task is very important in the future of the world. Alex is on the loose and, as you may know, the last Mourning Moon was exactly ten years ago. Seeing as it always came once every decade, it is safe to assume that it is very close at hand.'' She paused, signaling for Isaac to continue.

''Thank you, Karis. As I was saying, your job is to go north to Imil,'' Isaac continued. ''Look for Mia, she's a good friend of ours. You are to bring her back to Kalay, where I will give you further instructions.''

''She journeyed with you thirty years ago, right?'' Karis asked. ''Why do you need her in Kalay?''

''Because,'' Isaac said with a smirk. ''I think its about time the 'Warriors of Vale' regrouped.''

''And why exactly do we need to do that?'' Garet asked.

''We never fought Alex before, Garet,'' Isaac reminded him. ''If we are to do so in the near future, we need all the people we can get. If he could survive being on Mt. Aleph as it sank to the ground, there is a high chance that he is strong enough to defeat most of us combined. But we might stand a chance if all of us are there facing him.''

''But wait,'' Tyell interrupted again. ''Why do you need us to do it? Can't you send one your weird carrier pigeons to deliver a message or something?''

Isaac shook his head. ''No, the weather up north is too harsh for a mere bird. And besides,'' he added. ''I'm not sure how Kraden does it, but I can't get my pigeons to fly across the continent. Small distances are fine, but across a major landmass... well, let's just say it usually doesn't end well.'' As he said this,the faintest shade of red began creeping along his cheeks. Tyrell decided wisely not to question further.

''Um, Mr. Isaac?'' Karis asked nervously. ''I was actually hoping I could help my father build the Soarwing. I wanted to show him how much I learned.''

''That's all right,'' Isaac said, regaining his composure. ''We need all the hands we can get anyway.''

''Hey, can I stay behind too?'' Tyrell asked hopefully.

''...Eh, no offense, son, but we don't want you burning the Soarwing while we're building it,'' Garet said.

''Psh, figures,'' Tyrell grumbled.

''All right, we go north to Imil, pick up Mia, and take her back to Kalay, right?'' Matthew asked. Isaac nodded.

''We will split up on the way to Kalay,'' Isaac said.

They gathered their belongings, went outside, and headed of Kalay, leaving only the psynergy vortex behind as it slowly sucked the life out of the landscape...

The small band of adventurers now stood at a crossroads, Goma Highlands to the north, Kalay to the south, and Carver's Camp to the east.

Matthew confirmed his directions to Isaac, Karis had one last conversation with her friends, and Tyrell asked once more if he could stay, to which Isaac refused. The group of warriors exchanged their farewells and went their separate ways, Isaac, Garet, and Karis going to Kalay, while Matthew and Tyrell heading for Carver's Camp.

''Welp, looks like we're on the road again,'' Tyrell said as they walked down the beaten path. ''Here I was, thinking we would finally get some rest, only to go on another adventure.'' He sighed. ''Next thing we know, we'll be sidetracked into to saving the universe from a giant, multicolored, world eating alien or something.''

''The directions are a lot simpler than the ones we had for getting Roc feather, Tyrell,'' Matthew said with a laugh. ''I doubt we'll get sidetracked.''

''Yeah, I guess,'' Tyrell admitted. ''I'm just cranky 'cuz I couldn't sleep on my own bed for once.''

''Hey, you have to remember that those who work harder, get higher rewards,'' Matthew said optimistically.

''How poetic,'' Tyrell said sarcastically. ''When we get back, I'm expecting a new bed and a Sanan buffet, same quality as the one in Tonfon.''

''Eh, that's kinda pushing it, but, whatever,'' Matthew said with a sigh. He suddenly frowned. ''In all seriousness though,'' he added. ''This mission is extremely important in the future of Angara. Hell, maybe for all of Weyard as well. We can't go around complaining just because we couldn't take a nice rest. This is dangerous business.''

''...You know what? Your right,'' Tyrell agreed. ''Sorry about being kind of a dick right now, that was just uncool.''

They walked in silence for a short while, observing the scenery that the great Angarian plains offered.

''Hey, Tyrell,'' Matthew said, breaking the silence. ''You know how Karis always wanted us to make logical choices on our adventure?''

''Yeah,'' Tyrell replied.

Matthew suddenly smirked very widely. '' For the time that she isn't here, why don't we do things our way? You know, act first, plan later?'' he suggested.

Tyrell broke into a huge grin. ''Now, that's what I'm talking about!'' he said enthusiastically.

And with renewed confidence, the two friends, practically brothers, began their new journey, oblivious to the threats that would inevitably face them...

Or maybe, they just didn't care.

AN: So yeah, this is the very first chapter of my very first story anywhere on the Web. Please state your thoughts with a review, tell me if I'm doing something wrong, or something like that. But please, not too harsh!

Matthew, in this story, is going to be a generally optimistic lad who often doesn't make decisions according to reason, instead opting to go with what feels right, logical or not. He also has an unfortunate habit of hiding his true emotions in certain situations. Just wanted to throw that out there, cuz' in-game, he doesn't have much personality.

For people who are looking for a more serious fic in a sea of fluff and humor (other than demonsshade's Risen-which is an awesome read by the way, I strongly recommend it), I can assure you that most chapters after this one will not follow it's example of sort of light-heartedness, and that it will get darker.

If you have any questions, I'll answer them in the next chapter. See ya!