Always With You

I haven't written anything in a long time now and I wasn't sure if I would write like this again, but I guess I did kind of miss it. I received some notifications recently that people were favoriting and/or following my stories and it was nice to know that some people do still enjoy them. I guess you guys are the reason I ended up writing this story, so I hope you can enjoy this too. This is a mudshipping one shot.

How to read dialogue in my stories:

- "Quote" marks indicate someone is speaking

- Italics indicate thoughts

Legal Stuff:

- I don't own Golden Sun or the affiliate characters

Always With You

Isaac rubbed a gloved hand across his forehead, wiping away beads of sweat that had built up in the impressive desert heat. Adjusting his grip on his sword, the young man steadied his footing and eyed his foe.

A Manticore stood in front of him, currently distracted by Garet as the red haired adept was holding the beast off with a powerful torrent of flame. The creature was certainly not something to be taken lightly, and had already shown how skillful it was by landing glancing blows on the adepts that required medical attention from the healer of the party, Mia.

The leather strips wrapped tightly around the hilt of Isaac's blade protected his hands from the metal that had become untouchable and burning hot from the Lamakan Desert climate. This encounter was less an encounter of skill and had more to due with the endurance of the adepts than their ability to defeat the beast blocking their path.

'Given a fair fight, not in the middle of an insanely hot desert, the manticore might not have stood a chance against us' Isaac considered, shaking away his thoughts to prevent himself from losing focus in battle.

The Jupiter adept of the group, Ivan released a powerful whirlwind to push back the monster and provide Garet with some much needed relief.

'I'm up,' Isaac knew, taking a deep breath and stepping forward. Keenly aware of the positioning of the manticore's sharp claws and tail, he imbued his sword with the power of earthen psynergy and darted in to attack.

The blade sunk deep into the beast, leaving a large gash in its side as the creature roared in pain and turned to face Isaac, swinging in with a huge claw. Bringing his sword around, Isaac deflected the razor sharp talons out of the way and used the recoil from the strike to make another attack, amplified by the power of his psynergy.

His sword once again sunk deep into flesh with a spray of blood indicating the effectiveness of the strike. Isaac attempted to yank the blade out of the thick hide of the manticore, but it was lodged so deeply inside that it barely moved. Another quick tug freed the bloody piece of metal from the creature, but the extra half second cost him dearly.

Attempting to disengage from the manticore as quickly as possible, Isaac only barely saw the tail coming at him out of the corner of his eye. Dodging out of the way at the last second, Isaac could not completely avoid the attack and felt a searing pain across his arm as the barbed tail left behind a small gash.

It didn't look too bad at first glance, but as Isaac backed off and Garet took over in combat, he suddenly began to feel nauseous and feverish. The relatively minor wound burned with an unnatural fire, pain arcing through his body and causing him to clutch his wrist to prevent it from trembling so much that he would drop his sword.

As soon as he did so, he felt the pain and trembling begin to subside and he could feel a cool and gentle touch on his arm. Looking over to determine the source, Isaac saw the cerulean haired girl Mia at his side, concentrating on a healing spell to mend his body.

"It's a poison, but you will be fine in a minute," she explained as she worked to draw the venom out of his body with a spell. The relief from the pain relaxed Isaac as his body began to calm down again. Finishing her healing, Mia reached out a helping hand that Isaac gratefully accepted in order to stand up.

Still somewhat dazed from the aftereffects of the poison and cleansing, Isaac got to his feet and quickly thanked Mia for her help, ready to get back to the battle at hand. She smiled kindly in acknowledgement, but her expression quickly changed as she reached out to Isaac in panic. "Watch out!" she yelled, too late to save the blonde boy, and Isaac felt a gut wrenching pain near his stomach.

Shocked, Isaac glanced down and saw a claw withdrawing from a gaping wound it created by plunging straight through his torso. The pain hit him like a tidal wave and he collapsed, his sword dropping from his grip into his sand below. Isaac could barely perceive a burst of psynergy behind him used to distract the manticore once again, as he fell into Mia's arms. Losing any strength to move, Isaac heard Mia's rapidly increasing heartbeat in his ears as he lay against her, vision fading out into blackness.

Isaac jerked back to consciousness with a start, keenly aware of his heart beating rapidly in his chest, adrenaline rushing through his body as one hand instinctively clutched at the wound in his stomach and the other trying to find the sword he had dropped in the sand to defend himself against the Manticore once more.

His panicked and rapid breaths drew much needed oxygen to Isaac's head as his body restarted itself. His hand did not find the sand it expect as Isaac felt around for the sword that should have been nearby, desperate for a way to protect himself from any further attacks from the manticore.

Quickly glancing around, Isaac did not recognize his surroundings and that confused him. His vision was still blurred and it was hard to make out shapes, but it was evident he was no longer in the desert. I was just fighting the manticore… the blonde boy recalled, unsure why he would suddenly be in a different place.

Seeing motion out of his blurry vision, Isaac reacted, ready to defend himself despite his condition. He felt hands grab his wrists firmly and hold them still to prevent him from moving them in defense. A voice spoke, and though he couldn't understand the words, Isaac felt that they were directed to him.

Isaac's eyes could see a blueish color in front of him, blurred out by his faulty vision. A sky blue? Or maybe it's Cerulean…? Isaac's mind wondered, trying to identify why it was there. I've always liked that color….

His heartbeat slowed slightly and his breathing became more regular as the calming colors he could see reached his mind. The hands holding his wrists let go and the blonde boy felt their gentle touch on his chest and back, supporting him, but also pushing him back down to a lying position.

The blur of color definitely seemed more cerulean than anything else to the blonde boy now and as it moved closer to him, he could feel the sensation of a strand of hair touching his face. The voice spoke again and this time he could understand it. "Isaac...take it easy," the voice whispered softly into his ear.

The calming effect was instantaneous, and Isaac's eyes went wide as he recognized who it was. Mia! What's happening? He wondered, unable to form the words to ask her what was going on. The Mercury adept must have recognized his attempt to speak and shushed him as she ran her hand down to where his was lying at his side and held it gently in her own.

As his body calmed down and his breathing and vision returned to normal, Isaac could make out the figure of Mia sitting beside him with a slightly sad, but caring smile on her face, looking down at him.

She looks...relieved… Isaac recognized, allowing himself to close his eyes for a moment to process everything he knew about the situation. He wasn't in danger anymore and recognized that fact based on Mia's presence and calming touch.

Satisfied with his safety, Isaac used his free hand to feel his stomach where the wound should have been and found nothing but his skin as it was before the injury. Healing psynergy is really something else… Isaac mused as he sat up slightly and inspected Mia's healing work on his stomach.

"The wound is gone, but it will take time to fully heal and will certainly be painful for a time," Mia explained as she observed him looking over his body. Isaac nodded. "Thanks Mia," the blonde boy finally said, lying back down as he did so.

"I don't know what I would do without you," he stated, not noticing the tinge of pink that appeared in Mia's cheeks as he made that statement.

The cerulean haired girl felt her heart skip a beat as her mind presented an alternative interpretation of what he said, despite knowing exactly how he meant it. Shaking off that thought, she looked over the boy in front of her with relief, finally knowing for sure that he would be ok.

"I was just doing my best to keep you alive," she stated humbly in response to Isaac's praise.

Isaac just glanced at her and gave her a smile. "Well you did an excellent job," he told her. "I might know some healing psynergy, but there's no way I can do what you just did in terms of healing."

Mia allowed herself to accept the flattery and sat in silence for a few moments with the blonde boy. "Aren't you worried about where you are?" she asked, changing the subject.

Isaac looked around again at his surroundings, noticing that he was on a bed in what looked like an inn room. He gave a slight shrug of his shoulder and gave a straightforward answer.

"Not really," he replied, much to Mia's confusion. Curious, Mia looked at him, silently asking the reasoning behind that thought.

Isaac smiled. "As long as you're here with me, I know it's going to be okay no matter where I am," he stated.

Mia flushed a deep scarlet at those words, taken by surprise in a completely unexpected way. Isaac definitely noticed this time and let out a laugh at her embarrassment. The blonde boy shifted his hand in Mia's and pulled the girl closer to him for a quick hug.

"Thanks for saving me," Isaac told her with a more somber, serious expression as he put his arms around Mia for a brief moment before letting her go. This time there was no blush from Mia, just the silent recognition that she really was the reason Isaac was still there, living and breathing along with her.

"I wasn't about to let you die," Mia replied in kind, her professional demeanor starting to crack a little bit. "I was worried about you...since you didn't wake up for a while."

Isaac frowned. "How long was I out for?" he asked the girl sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Two days," Mia said in a somewhat hushed voice.

Two days? Isaac asked himself. I've been out for that long…? Isaac felt Mia's hand tremble slightly in his own and could tell just how much this was weighing on her mind the last couple of days.

"There were times...I didn't think...I didn't know if you were going to…" she fell short of finishing her sentence, unwilling to consider the possibility again. Mia raised a hand to her face to hide her watery eyes, wiping them away before they could turn into tears.

Mia…. Isaac thought, unsure how he could console the girl before him, to let her know that everything would be okay from then on. I've always known what to do...I can always come up with a plan of action...but this? This is something else and I'm at a loss…

"I...I care for you," Mia told Isaac with a strained voice, bringing a fisted hand to her chest, right above her heart. Her eyes were back under control and though they were still wet, she was determined not to cry. "When I looked at you and thought about the possibility of you not waking up these past few days…"

"Shhh…." Isaac said gently, squeezing Mia's hand that he was still holding in an effort to comfort her. "I'm still here with you okay?" he asked. "I just missed you while I was asleep," Isaac added in an attempt at humor to help her even a little bit.

It seemed to work and Mia gave a slight smile with a small laugh. "How could you miss me if you were asleep?" she replied, playing along with Isaac for a quick moment.

"Sometimes, it's not important to worry about the details Mia," Isaac said in a tone that almost mocked that of a lecture. Mia just smiled and looked down at her hand interlocked with Isaac's.

Following her gaze, Isaac took note of the fact they had not wanted to let go of each other since he had woken up and that he didn't even really think about it at all up until this point. Wanting to be sure Mia didn't mind it, the blonde boy looked up to Mia's face and attempted to find the answer in her deep blue eyes.

She doesn't seem to be bothered by it… Isaac decided. There's something else there though... Isaac felt, trying to discern the cause of his concern.

It's almost like she seems...weary. Tired… Mia's eyes met his and for a moment he forgot his thoughts.

"What is it Isaac?" Mia asked him curiously, unsure why he was looking at her so intently. Shaking his head to clear his captivation, Isaac focused back on what he was thinking about.

She would have slept right? Isaac asked himself. Surely she wouldn't be as crazy as to not sleep these last few days...right? Trying to convince himself that was true, Isaac attempted to shake off the feeling, but curiosity got the best of him.

"It's nothing Mia…." he replied to her question. "I just...You DID sleep these last few days right…?" Isaac asked her, hoping she had the common sense to take care of herself.

Mia looked away for a few seconds before answering, which was all the answer Isaac needed. She didn't! I knew it… Isaac sighed.

"I...tried to sleep a bit," Mia replied hesitatingly.

Isaac stared at her. "Mia...you need to take care of yourself too. It's touching that you cared for me like that but please be sure to take care of yourself as well," Isaac pleaded.

Mia tried to come up with an excuse to answer him. "I was concerned and I didn't want to not be awake for you when you woke up…" she tried to say.

Isaac shook his head. "And how do you think I would feel if I woke up and you had collapsed from exhaustion while looking over me?" he admonished her in a gentle way.

Mia frowned slightly, but looked at him. "I...didn't really think of it that way…" she replied.

Isaac closed his eyes for a minute and opened them to look at her again. "You must be exhausted Mia," he stated, getting a candid nod from the girl in reply. "You should lay down a bit and get some rest then," Isaac said.

"I know….I know I should…" Mia replied. "I still need to watch over you though...even if I am tired. I shouldn't be leaving you alone right now…"

"Then you don't have to," Isaac said, and with great effort, moved his body slightly to the far side of the bed.

ACK! Isaac contained himself from yelling out as he moved, gritting his teeth. That was extremely painful... Mia was right about how it's going to hurt for a while…

"Isaac!" Mia said firmly. "You shouldn't be moving around yet. This is exactly why I have to watch you, because I know you'll try to do things you shouldn't yet!" she said, raising her voice in concern.

Isaac smiled back at her trying to defuse her concern over his well being for a moment and try to get her to think about herself. Indicating the open space on the bed next to him Isaac said, "Well now you can do both. You can still watch over me from here but you can also get the rest you need as well."

"But Isaac….you need-" Mia tried to say, however Isaac stopped her.

"Mia...I will be more at ease knowing that you are taking care of yourself as well," Isaac said, taking her hand and pulling it slightly toward himself to indicate she should lay down. You've always been stubborn when it comes to your own well being...yet you always insist the opposite for everyone else… Isaac smiled a let out a small chuckle at the thought.

"What was that about?" Mia asked the blonde boy in the bed.

"Nothing," Isaac replied with a grin. "I was just thinking about how this situation is just so like you. You're always caring for me...and everyone else without regard for your own well being."

Mia looked away for a minute and then replied. "I...suppose you're right," she stated, with a short pause before admitting it. "This is a little bit like me isn't it?" She hesitantly shifted her body and climbed into the bed next to Isaac, laying down facing the blonde boy.

Seeing her like this surprised Isaac, despite it being at his suggestion, and his face flushed pink as he noticed how close in proximity they were. That's to be expected… Isaac thought trying to calm himself down. After all this bed wasn't really made with two in mind…

Fortunately for him, Mia didn't seem to notice as she was busy being careful not to disturb him or cause any pain as she adjusted herself. Isaac did notice that she kept ahold of his hand the entire time and did not seem like she wanted to let it go. I suppose she did almost lose me back there...so that's not surprising… he decided, smiling despite the circumstances.

Mia looked over at Isaac, captivating the blonde boy with her eyes as she looked at him. Isaac gave her a smile and broke out of his trance, squeezing her hand gently. "Don't be afraid to rest Mia," Isaac told her.

Mia continued to look over at the blond boy next to her, studying him as if she needed to remember everything about the moment for all eternity. She blinked and Isaac could tell how tired she actually was. She ran herself to the limits of her endurance staying awake like this…

"Isaac?" Mia asked softly, a hint of sleepiness in her voice.

"Yes Mia?" Isaac replied.

"You will be here when I wake up right?" the cerulean haired girl asked Isaac as her eyes drooped and finally closed.

"Of course Mia," Isaac replied, slightly amused by the way his companion was acting.

The weary Mia began drifting off to sleep, trying to mutter a reply while only half awake. "Good….Please don't leave….I'd like it if you are there when I wake up…."

As she spoke, Mia unconsciously pulled Isaac's hand to her chest, wrapping her arms around it and holding onto it as if it was something precious that she didn't want to lose.

Isaac's eyes widened slightly in surprise as she did so and he allowed himself a smile as he felt her breathing slow, watching her drift into a deep sleep.

"I'll be here for you when you wake up Mia," Isaac whispered to the sleeping girl next to him, knowing she wouldn't hear him. I'll always be there for you.