I honestly didn't think I had another GS fic in me after finishing "Against All Odds." However, divine inspiration suddenly hit me when I saw the whopping 80 reviews my first published fic got! ^_^ This is sort of a sequel, sort of not (I think one could understand what's going on without reading my other fic first). I'm aiming to make this one quite different in the general theme and tone of the story, though that may change. This is my first stab at major angst, so wish me luck!

Disclaimer: Don't own Golden Sun; I love Camelot--the whole bit.

*Night Fears*

An endless black stretched as far as Isaac's eyes could see. No light, no dark--just a vast emptiness surrounding him in all directions. A blank slate waiting for something to interrupt it. He strolled a few paces; his footsteps creating an eerie echo that couldn't even begin to fill up the emptiness. Where was he?

"Hello?" he asked timidly as he looked around. What a weird place. It was so hollow and silent, devoid of anything sensory or tangible. Yet it felt familiar, as if he'd been here many times before. But how could that be when this place also felt so foreign?

"Isaac…"

Someone was calling to him from the depths of the void. He couldn't find the direction of the sound. It seemed to come from everywhere.

"Isaac…" Now it was close--very close. And that voice…could it be? He slowly turned around and came face to face with his father.

"Dad?" he asked hopefully, a small smile crossing his face. "Is that really you?"

Kyle's face and eyes didn't look the same as Isaac remembered. They were filled with contempt and disappointment, without even a trace of kindness or compassion. "Why, son?" he asked, his deep voice harsh and bitter. "Why couldn't you save me?"

Isaac took several steps back in surprise. It took him a few moments to find his voice. "Dad, I…"

"You failed me, Isaac," Kyle continued. "You failed me and you failed all of Vale. Why did you let us all down when we needed you the most?"

This couldn't be! His father couldn't really believe that, could he? "No, it wasn't like that!" Isaac pleaded, slowly shaking his head from side to side. "I wanted to save you, Dad! I tried to save you!"

"Admit it, Isaac!" Kyle demanded. "Accept responsibility for your actions and admit what you've done. It's your fault! Everything that happened that night is all your fault!"

Hot tears welled up behind Isaac's eyes as he slowly crumpled to his knees. It was true. If he had been faster or stronger that night, no one would've had to die or suffer. He'd always believed that, and had been secretly blaming himself all along. "I'm sorry!" was all he could manage to whisper. He meant it with every ounce of his essence. He'd give anything for the chance to go back in time and make things right, to change the course of history and erase that night completely. Not just for his sake, but for the sake of everyone in Vale, nay the world, who had suffered as a result of that terrifying incident.

"Sorry, huh?" Kyle scoffed. "Is that all you can say? You let our village crumble beneath that boulder and all you can do is say you're sorry?! You're an embarrassment to me, Isaac! An embarrassment and a failure! A real son would've found a way to be there for me!"

"No, please!" Isaac begged, his voice quivering from the tears stuck in his throat. His heart felt like it was cracking in two. "Forgive me, Dad! Please--forgive me!"

"I will never forgive you for this," his father said with a horrid finality. The words felt like teeth gnawing at Isaac's soul. He missed his father more than words could say, and here he was swearing that he'd never be forgiven for that night. It hurt beyond belief. He looked up at his father again, but Kyle simply turned and vanished into the void without a word.

Soon, another familiar figure appeared before him--that of Dora. "Mom? How'd you get here?"

"That wasn't enough, was it Isaac?" she asked, sounding deeply saddened.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not enough that you let your father die, but then you had to break my heart again by leaving me all alone. Don't you care about me at all?"

Again, shock and sorrow washed over Isaac and he had to gather his wits before he was able to speak. "Of course I do!" he insisted. "But what was I supposed to do? The Wise One said that the whole world was in danger! How could I ignore his request?"

"And running off on an adventure is more important to you than your own mother?" Dora demanded. "You're all I have left with your father gone! How could you abandon me like this? Is that the thanks I get for all I've done for you? You're so selfish, Isaac!"

Isaac bowed his head in despair and shame. That was true too--he was a bad son, having failed to save his father's life three years ago and then turning around and leaving his mother all alone when he was handed this crazy quest. They had a right to despise him for making so many mistakes and disappointing them so much. He wanted to set things right with them, to make them proud of him again, but he knew there was no way to make amends for all his failures. Nothing would ever bring his father back. Nothing would ever cure his mother of the loneliness she'd felt in his absence. He was a bad son. He wasn't worthy of their approval. No feeble apology could ever make those mistakes disappear. That was a hard fact.

"Mom, I do love you," he said in desperation. "You believe that, right?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what to believe, Isaac. I only know that I can't believe in you anymore." And she too turned and vanished from sight. Isaac hunched over, shaking his head in disbelief as his parents' words resounded in and around his mind. They stung and stabbed at him like lots of tiny daggers. His fault, his selfishness, his burden to bear. What should he do? How could he make it right?

A hand touched his shoulder, and he glanced over to see Jenna standing above him. "What's the matter, Isaac?" she asked.

"Nothing, Jenna," he said, trying to shove it all off. He couldn't burden her with his problems, not when she'd gone through so much herself.

"Liar," she said playfully. "I know you, Isaac. You can't hide anything from me." She paused, looking around as if there were things in the space to see. "It's about the storm, isn't it? Everyone blames you for what happened that night, don't they?"

"Yes," he said reluctantly.

Jenna smiled. "Well, people say the truth is supposed to hurt." Her expression changed to a combination of sadness and anger. "You didn't save my family that night. It's your fault my parents are gone, and your fault that Felix disappeared for three years and joined up with Saturos!"

"I know," Isaac said miserably. Not Jenna too! This was almost too much to handle. "What do you want me to say to you? Nothing's going to change the past."

She nodded. "I understand that. I was willing to forgive your failures that night, but then you led me into Sol Sanctum and stood idly by while Saturos took me hostage! How could you let that happen, Isaac? I thought I was your friend! I thought I meant something to you!"

"You are my friend! I never intended to lead you into danger, Jenna! I would've saved you from Saturos if the Elemental Star Chamber hadn't collapsed!"

"A likely story," she sniffed. "I decided now that I don't need any friends like you--it would be too dangerous for me! You're horrible, Isaac! You think you can protect everyone, but really everyone needs to be protected from you!" She rubbed at her eyes. "I hate you! I hate you for dragging me into this mess. I hate you for what happened three years ago. But most of all, I hate you for pretending to be my friend when you're the cause of all my sorrows!"

"Jenna!" Isaac pleaded.

"Don't say anything!" she cried. "I hate you, Isaac! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She ran away into the blackness. No sooner had she vanished from sight than he heard her scream.

"Jenna?" he called. Silence. Deadly silence. He stood up and walked in the direction of the scream. What he found made him want to scream as well.

Carnage. Garet, Jenna, Ivan and Sheba all lay slain before him, their blood an intensely bright red against all the blackness. Isaac backed away from the massacre, unable to speak or do anything else. It was so awful he didn't want to see it, yet he couldn't peal his eyes away. His muscles constricted and his head felt like it was spinning. And then he realized he was holding his sword, though he didn't recall drawing it. He looked at the blade and found it coated and dripping with blood. It clattered to the ground.

"No!" Isaac exclaimed in shock and disbelief, his voice barely audible. That was his sword covered with their blood! It couldn't be true! He would never hurt them--they were his most precious friends. But no one else was here in this void. Who else could've done it? His tunic was covered with their blood too, as if it had splattered there while he did the murderous deed. The spots pressed on his ribcage as if they weighed thousands of pounds. He'd killed them all! He'd killed his own friends with his own hands! His fault, his massacre, his victims. How could he? How could he have let this happen? He couldn't think, couldn't react, couldn't do anything at all. The scene and the realization had him frozen like a statue.

"Isaac…" He quickly whirled, knowing that heavenly voice anywhere. There she was, her soothing, angelic aura radiating off of her in a faint blue light. She penetrated the blank void with her presence, her feathered white wings making her a true vision of the gods. He didn't dare approach her. He already knew that she was there to reprimand him for all of his unforgivable actions.

"Don't say it, Mia!" he begged. "I know it's my fault--I just can't bear to hear you say it!"

Mia smiled gently and took a few steps towards him. "It's OK, Isaac. I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you." She outstretched her arms. "Everything's all right now, I promise."

He almost couldn't believe it. Everything did seem all right after hearing her kind words and seeing her beautiful smile. Isaac embraced her and Mia gladly returned it. For a few moments, all of his guilt and despair melted away as he lost himself in the sense of tranquillity she gave him. That feeling, however, was quickly replaced by utter horror as Mia's body suddenly went limp. She made some sort of shocked cry, but it was very faint. Isaac slipped to the ground with her, cradling her in his arms, and saw the blood coming from behind her head--right where his hands had been.

"No!" he cried. "No Mia--not you too!"

Tears streamed from her beautiful eyes, and she mouthed a single word--"why?" And then all life silently escaped from her. Her aqua eyes gave a blank, empty stare into his. The blood soaked his hands, running in rivers down his arms and all around him. It felt like a raging inferno.

"MIA!" Isaac screamed, his voice thundering over the void. His love, his soulmate, his one and only--he'd killed her! Every drop of her blood that ran over him burned his body and his soul like tongues of the hottest flames of hell. But that couldn't compare to the knives stabbing and ripping him to pieces from the inside out. He clutched her lifeless form tightly, sobbing into her chest. Of all the things his tainted and cursed hands could destroy, why did it have to be this sweet angel? The one thing he wanted to protect more than anything else now dead in his arms. Why?

Her body slowly dissolved into blue sparkles and vanished completely. Only her blood remained in a large pool surrounding him, still searing his body. Now he was really alone. But he realized that would be better for everyone. Everything he loved, everything he valued, needed to be protected from his failed and cursed existence. What he wanted to protect ended up being destroyed or hurt in some way--his parents, his village, his friends, and even his love. Truly, they were all better off far away from him, safe from his failures. The best thing he could do for the whole world was to remain alone in this emptiness where he couldn't hurt anyone else. This was his punishment for everything he'd done. Loneliness was all he deserved to have. He stared at his bloodstained hands as they shimmered before his eyes. Now he knew why this place seemed so familiar; it was precisely how the depths of his soul truly felt.

Empty.

Alone.

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Different from before, right? Just to be clear, this is supposed to be Isaac's nightmare (hence the title "Night Fears"). Anyway, any and all critiques are welcome. Chapter 2 will come as soon as I have enough time away from my obnoxious classes!