Author's Note: Most of this chapter is cutscenes, novelized or whatever the proper term is. Anyway, they're written up textually. This chapter was supposed to go through the end of The Lost Age, but I found that with what went on after the final cutscene, it was a bit much. So here, in its glory, is chapter 2! Golden Sun: The Lost Age, the Golden Sun universe, and the characters are © Camelot. "Unchained" is by Van Halen, and is available on their album "Fair Warning" as well as the compilation album "Best of Both Worlds".
Special thanks to Mesoforte for reviewing the previous chapter, and thanks to all my readers.
Chapter 2: Unchained
The climb had been harrowing. The battle against Karst and Agatio in dragon form had drained the Adepts, and Felix in particular seemed to be more determined than ever to light the beacon quickly. The perpetual blizzard was much stronger up here, and only a small wind buffer that Ivan and Sheba had set up using their Psynergy kept the group from blowing away. As they approached the aerie, a voice boomed in their ears. "Betrayers, you have arrived!"
Garet looked around, seeking the source of the voice. "Who said that!?"
Mia looked as well, shielding her eyes from the blizzard. "The wind's too strong!" she shouted. "I can't see anything!"
"I heart it too, but I don't see anyone else up here!" called Sheba, her voice barely echoing over the howling gale.
"Felix!" shouted Piers. "Quick! Cast the Mars Star in before anything has a chance to stop us!" Felix nodded, heading toward the beacon when a strong force pushed him back. It wasn't the wind, he could tell that much by how it pushed.
"So," boomed the unfamiliar voice, "you are still intent on lighting the beacon of Mars Lighthouse?"
Isaac stepped forward, steeling himself against the strengthened winds. "Who said that!?" he called into the storm.
"Have you forgotten me so soon, Isaac?" asked the voice. "And you, Garet?" Isaac and Garet looked at each other in confusion.
"It seems to know you, Isaac," said Ivan, just loudly enough to be heard. "Do you have any idea who it is?" Isaac and Garet both shook their heads.
"Then search your heart, boy!" cried the voice.
Kraden's eyes seemed to spark with realization. "That voice…"
"It's… the Wise One!" shouted Garet, finally seeing the rocky guardian through the blizzard.
Kraden's eyebrows rose into his hair. "Isaac, since when are you on a first-name basis with the Wise One?" he shouted.
"It must have been," whispered Jenna. "Isaac, what happened in Sol Sanctum after we were kidnapped?" she called. The young blond warrior frowned.
"When Saturos and Menardi stole the Elemental Stars, they also triggered a volcanic eruption. The Wise One prevented Mt. Aleph from erupting so that Garet and I could escape," he said.
Ivan looked at Isaac, confused. "But… wait, Mt. Aleph did erupt! There was a huge explosion!" he shouted. "We saw it all the way in Vault!"
Garet turned and looked at the confused Jupiter Adept. "But it would have erupted with us still inside," he explained. "There was no way we could have escaped in time."
"The Wise One held off the eruption until we could escape," continued Isaac. "He even halted the lava flow."
"I can't believe it," said Mia. "Nobody has enough power to do that…" She was clearly awed by this tale.
Garet shook his head. "I know it sounds weird," he said, a note of anger in his voice, "but I was there, and it happened, so you'll just have to believe us!"
"If it can do all that," argued Piers, "this Wise One seems more like a god than an Adept!" The Wise One floated over to the group.
"I did not just save you," he said. "I also tasked you with recovering the four Elemental Stars." Isaac turned and looked at him; the young Venus Adept had been paying more attention to his companions than to the Wise One. "Why have you disobeyed my command? Why have you come to light the beacon?"
"Because Prox will be destroyed if we don't!" shouted Jenna. "We can't let that happen…"
"Prox?" asked the Wise One, a note of disdain in his voice. "They have brought this disaster upon themselves."
"Are you saying we should just abandon them to die?" asked Sheba, astonished. "What did they do to deserve that!?"
"The people of Prox have committed an unforgivable sin," said the Wise One. "They must pay the price."
"For lighting the lighthouses? Is that their sin?" asked Isaac. "Does that warrant total destruction?"
"If we don't light the beacon, Gaia Falls will eventually erode away all of Weyard!" argued Mia. The Wise One narrowed his eye at her objection.
"We have fought for so long to save all the people of our world, and now you would stop us?" questioned Piers.
"Gaia Falls is growing," said Sheba. "It's consuming more and more with each passing day!"
"How can you just allow the world to crumble into nothingness?" asked Jenna. The Wise One's eye widened.
"The seal needs to be broken!" shouted Sheba. "The world will be destroyed if it's not!" The Wise One looked the group over.
"You have learned far too much," he said. The Adepts looked among themselves.
"Wise One!" shouted Kraden, shocked. "You can't continue to protect the lighthouses! You know what's happening! It is your duty to protect all of Weyard! If Weyard is destroyed, you will have failed us all!" The group looked expectantly at The Wise One, but he remained silent.
"Why won't you answer us, Wise One?" asked Jenna.
The Wise One's eye narrowed. "If Alchemy is unleashed, mankind may well destroy all of Weyard itself."
Kraden was visibly angry. "But we can combine our strengths, ensure that Alchemy not be used for evil…"
The Wise One closed his eye and, in a sorrowful tone, proclaimed, "It is inevitable. In time, one man will seek to rule over all. It is human nature, inescapable. He looked to the southeast, glowing with Psynergetic light. "And it shall come sooner than any of you think."
Kraden, ever curious, asked, "Why do you say that?"
"The Water Adept who climbs toward the peak of Mt. Aleph even as we speak… Is he not a friend of yours?" asked the Wise One. Again, the Adepts looked at each other. There was a bright flash. "Alex is his name. Surely, you have not forgotten him?" The Adepts looked at the still-glowing Wise One.
"Alex!?" cried Jenna. "What would he be doing on Mt. Aleph?"
"He understands far more than you do," said the Wise One sadly, closing his eye. "He knows that when the four beacons have been lit… Their light will gather at Sol Sanctum."
"But what would he gain from being there?" asked Kraden.
"When the final beam of light reaches the peak of Mt. Aleph," said the Wise One, looking directly at Kraden, "the Golden Sun shall rise."
"The Golden Sun!?" asked Kraden. "What is that? And what would Alex want with it?" The Wise One turned to face them, looking around the Aerie before answering.
"When the four beams merge into one, they form a golden light, bathing Mt. Aleph's peak."
Ivan's face turned pensive. "Is… Is that Alchemy?" he asked. "I mean, pure Alchemy made real, at the heart of its power?" The Wise One fell silent.
Kraden's brain had made a connection. "And it's that light that gives shape to the Stone of Sages?" he asked. The Wise One suddenly stopped glowing.
"This has been Alex's one true desire from the very start," he said, looking directly at Kraden.
Piers's face had darkened, and he appeared angry. "Alex planned all of this?" he said, his normally calm voice becoming almost rigidly rhythmic. "Then he must have been after this power all along!"
Garet turned to face the southeast and glared. "We've been duped! He used us all! Oh, you'd better believe he's not getting away with this!" yelled the Mars Adept.
Mia's face, meanwhile, held a mix of shock and revulsion. "Alex," she said. "How could he do this? He's… He's one of my own people! I feel sick… disgusted…" Her face, to those watching, had a slightly reddish tint to it.
"None of that matters right now," said Isaac, his voice as cold as iron and sharp as the Sol Blade he now carried. "We still have to light the beacon. We don't have any choice." He looked the Wise One directly in the eye before turning to Felix. The other Adepts looked at him. "If we don't do it now, Prox will be destroyed! Felix… We have to, right?"
"Absolutely," agreed Felix.
"You bet we do!" said Sheba. "The Wise One will have to deal with Alex on his own."
"I cannot interfere in the actions of mankind," said the Wise One, his voice flat and emotionless.
Sheba and Jenna looked at each other, and then Jenna smirked at the Wise One and said, "If you can't interfere, then how about getting out of our way so we can light the beacon, huh?"
Ivan grinned. "Ooo… Good one, Jenna!"
Garet nodded hesitantly. "I don't like doing exactly what Alex wants," he said, "but it's looking like we've got no choice…"
"Don't worry," said Isaac, his voice filled with resolve. "Just throw the Mars Star into the beacon's well! Now!" Felix nodded and approached the well, but the Wise One began glowing with Psynergy. Shocked, Felix backed off.
"Wise One!" admonished Piers. "Didn't you just say that you aren't allowed to interfere with our actions?"
The Wise One closed his eye. "That is correct. I cannot stop you." The eye opened a fraction of an inch. "But… what if some miracle were to occur, one that prevented you from igniting the beacon?"
The Adepts looked at each other again. "Miracle?" asked Piers. "What are you talking about? What kind of miracle?" The Wise One flashed once, then stopped glowing again.
"If you can defeat a miracle," he said, "only then can you ignite the beacon's flame."
"The Wise One is up to something!" called Kraden. "Be wary, everyone! We don't know what he's capable of!" As the Adepts nodded in agreement, the Wise One shrank, vanishing from their view. With a great roar, a three-headed dragon flew and landed on the aerie between the Adepts and the beacon's well.
Sheba stared at the dragon for a moment. "A three-headed dragon? That's your miracle?" she asked, clearly underwhelmed by the recent turn of events.
Piers shook his head. "So you would have us fight for our future?" he asked, a note of anger in his voice. "Fine, then fight we shall!"
"What's he thinking?" asked Garet, his tone exasperated. "We already beat a two-headed dragon. How much tougher can this one be?"
"I don't care how many heads it has," said Mia, looking at the dragon. "Nothing's going to stop us now!"
"Let's do it!" shouted Ivan. "For Prox! For the future of Weyard!"
Kraden looked at the dragon, running through the facts out loud. "Wait a second… Wasn't that two-headed dragon actually… So that means this three-headed dragon must be…" His eyes widened with shock. "Felix! NO! You mustn't fight that dragon! It's–" Garet cut him off.
"Too late, Kraden! We can't get away from it now!"
"Felix, don't!" shouted Kraden. "Stop!!"
With a scream, the dragon attacked them. Sidestepping its massive claw, the Adepts began their assault.
--
The darkness was coming. Karst could feel it, as surely as she could now feel the icy chill on her bones. "N… no…. must… stay… awake…" Her breath was becoming labored, and it was a chore to keep thinking. But she had to keep her mind active, keep breathing, keep living. "A…gatio…"
The heavily armored warrior was having a worse time of it. "Cold… so… close…" He closed his eyes. "I… can feel… my heart… slowing…." He tried to think, but it was becoming so hard… his mind was clouding over… "Karst… why… so long…"
"Trouble… the eye… has…" Karst coughed; a small amount of blood came up with her cough, staining her teeth. "But… perhaps… he will… suc…ceed…" She could feel it too; her heart was beginning its slow, deathly wind-down. "Must… keep… breathing," she whispered. "Must… keep… heartbeat…"
"We… are dying…" whispered Agatio. "It… is… inevitable…" He breathed in; his breath was a choking wheeze. "But first… I… must see… the beacon… restored…" With great effort, Karst turned her head to look at him. The man's eyes were filming over, even as his ragged breaths produced tiny wisps of steam in the frosted tower.
"We must," she whispered. "And… we… shall…" Her mind continued to fight, though now the darkness was spreading, engulfing her mind. She hoped Felix would light the beacon soon; to die down here, of cold, was a truly ignomious and unsuiting death. She would not be so dishonored.
--
The battle had lasted for nigh-on two hours now, the Dragon having fought long and hard with every last ounce of its energy. Two of its heads lay near it, having been severed from it with explosive Psynergetic blasts. It was a miracle that all the Adepts were still standing. After surviving a particularly harrowing attack, Felix raised his arms. "Mistress of Rainbows, Keeper of the Gates of Heaven, I call your power to me! I summon you, Iris, the Rainbow Goddess!" A giant specter of a figure appeared behind the dragon, and a shadowy landscape showed the Dragon being flung headfirst into the sun.
As the summoned spirit replenished the Adepts' health, Garet raised his sword. "Take this!" he shouted, slicing the final head off. Panting, the Adepts stepped back from the dragon.
The dragon's body and severed heads glowed brightly for several seconds before they disappeared, each head turning into a single person. "…Who are they?" asked Ivan, looking at the bodies.
"That's what I was trying to warn you about!" said Kraden. "It wasn't just the dragon you killed…"
"I remember you warning us," said Garet, furrowing his brow, "but it was too late for us to stop…"
"Kraden, what do you know?" asked Mia. "Why were you trying to stop us from fighting the dragon?"
The aged scholar closed his eyes and hung his head. "It was the Wise One's final trap," he said, his voice bitter.
"Trap?" asked Ivan, glancing for a moment at Kraden. "What do you mean?"
"The Wise One knew he couldn't stop you," explained Kraden, his voice heavy with sorrow, "so he played a cruel, wretched trick on you instead."
Isaac arched an eyebrow at the old man. "Kraden, I don't understand," he said. "What are you trying to tell us?"
Jenna, however, was impatient. "Sheba," she said, "let's see who these people are while they try to sort this out." Kraden's eyes flew open and he turned to look at Jenna.
"No, Jenna!" he shouted. "Don't look! You mustn't look! It will only bring you pain…"
Sheba looked at Kraden while Jenna approached the bodies. "What are you talking about, Kraden?" she asked. "They can't hurt us anymore… We'll just –" Jenna had reached the bodies and brushed the hair off of the face of one when she turned as pale as a ghost, yelped, and backed away, quivering with fear. "What's the matter, Jenna?" she asked. Jenna just stared at the bodies; everyone else looked at her.
"It… can't be," whispered Jenna. "How? How…"
One of the fallen people, a brown-haired man, let out a pained groan. Isaac immediately turned to look at him. "What is it, Isaac?" asked Mia. Isaac said nothing as the brown-haired man groaned again.
"Isaac!" shouted Garet, eyes wide. "I… I know that guy! That's your dad!"
Sheba shot a look at Garet. "Then… does that mean… the other two are…" Garet nodded at her.
"Mom… Dad," whispered Jenna, horrified. Her parents merely groaned as she, Isaac, and Garet ran towards them. Piers then rushed to Jenna's side.
"I'll heal Jenna's parents!" he called. "Quickly, Mia! Tend to Isaac's father!" The two of them positioned themselves near their charges and began healing. For ten minutes they focused, occasionally swapping djinn with the other adepts to gain new Psynergy; there were even a few points where they tried flipping through the Tomegathericon for resuscitation magic.
"If only," Kraden despaired. "If only I'd realized it sooner…" He walked up to the group, standing next to Jenna. He had been something of a surrogate grandfather to her on the trip, and he hoped that his presence was comforting.
After a few more minutes, Piers stopped healing; sweat was dripping from his brow and he was breathing heavily. "What's the matter, Piers?" asked Sheba. "Why did you stop? Jenna's parents need you…" Shortly after she said that, Mia collapsed into a kneeling position, her breath ragged, looking as though she had just completed two marathons with no break.
"Don't give up, Mia," said Ivan encouragingly. "You can't! You have to save them…"
"It's no use, Ivan," said Mia, panting heavily. "I'm tapped…"
"I am, too," said Piers, a few drops of sweat plinking onto the stones of the aerie. "And even if I weren't, it's just too late…"
"What are you saying!?" cried Jenna, grabbing Piers's shoulder. "They're not… They can't be…"
"That's not what I'm saying, Jenna… I…" Piers trailed off as her grip tightened.
"I had finally found them… I was going to be with them again… for the first time in years…" Tears fell from her eyes, staining Piers's headdress. Sheba looked at her friend, reaching for her.
"Jenna…" Jenna, however, was kneeling next to her parents.
"Please… It can't be… Mom… Wake up!" she shouted, tears welled up in her eyes. "It's me… It's Jenna! …Don't leave me…" Another pair of tears leaked from her eyes, these dampening her mother's blouse. Kraden walked over to Jenna and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Jenna, you must prepare yourself for what comes next," he said. "Being transformed into a dragon, fighting in that form… This requires tremendous power." She looked up at him, sniffing and blinking in an attempt to hold back tears.
"What are you saying, Kraden?" she asked. Kraden sighed.
"In fighting you, your parents were forced to use every last ounce of their energy," he said quietly.
"They don't have the strength to…" Jenna couldn't hold back the tears anymore; she hid her face, as if she thought she could keep everyone from knowing that she was weeping.
"Even if they had won the battle," said Kraden, "they would not have survived… You cannot blame yourself…"
Garet, disgusted and angry, walked down the stairs that led to the well, stopping halfway. ""You monster!!" he shouted to the wind. "Why did you do this? Why did you make us fight Jenna's parents?"
"You're no god!" shouted Sheba, casting her voice to the winds. "You're no protector! You're evil!"
Piers, meanwhile, turned from Jenna to call out to the heavens. "You don't understand the pain you have caused, Wise One. You have no idea the damage done to a child who learns she has destroyed her parents."
"That's enough," said Isaac, his voice quiet but firm. "I knew what I was doing the moment I raised my sword." Felix looked at him and nodded. "We defied the Wise One in order to save the world. Our parents would understand. Don't you think so, Felix?"
"I do," said Felix quietly, nodding as he locked eyes with Isaac.
"You're right," said Jenna, reaching for Piers's arm. "It hurts, but it's true. We didn't do this for ourselves. We did it for all of Weyard."
Garet looked at Felix. "We still have a chance to save Prox," he remarked.
Sheba frowned. "Perhaps we can't save your parents, but we can save countless others," she said.
"Kyle and the others saved them, too," said Ivan, his face sorrowful. "They sacrificed their lives so that we could go on."
"I never imagined that my actions would help save the world," muttered Piers, holding Jenna's hand in a comforting manner.
"Even though lighting the beacon may create wars and strife," said Mia, "I regret none of this." She stood up, taking a deep breath.
"There's little time left, Felix," said Kraden. "Use the Mars Star and light the beacon."
"All right," said Felix, walking over to the beacon and carefully casting the round sphere in. As he did, he thought of Karst, and her sacrifice to Prox to make sure the beacon was lit. The Lighthouse split in four, from base to aerie, and a great red sphere of Mars Psynergy rose, pulsing and flashing.
"The beacon is lit!" cried Mia, looking at it as it bathed everything in a brilliant red light.
"And to think," said Ivan, marveling at it, "I joined this quest hoping to prevent exactly this from happening…"
"And I began this quest as a prisoner," said Sheba, "taken against my will." Its sheer beauty had captivated her.
"And if that tidal wave hadn't sent me far off course, I wouldn't even be here now," said Piers; the beacon's light at once attracted and repelled him. It was a strange thing.
"How many lives have been taken and changed forever just to light this beacon?" asked Garet. Everyone nodded.
Jenna sighed, half relieved and half sorrowful. "Mom… Dad… Weyard is safe now," she said, smiling sadly.
"You're right!" shouted a young boy's voice. "I hear voices, too!" Everyone looked around the aerie, half-expecting someone to be standing there.
"I told you… I told you I could hear them!" shouted a young girl's voice.
"Who said that?" asked Isaac. "Where are you?!"
"We're in Imil!" said the girl. "We're at the base of Mercury Lighthouse!"
"You… You can't be!" said Mia.
--
At the base of Mercury Lighthouse, Megan and Justin stood blocking the entrance, much to the irritation of an elderly man and woman who had come to see inside the place. "You… You can't be!" came Mia's voice. Justin jumped up and down.
"Hey! I know that voice!" he shouted excitedly. "It's Mia, I just know it! Mia!!"
"It's you!" said Mia, her voice amazed. Megan and Justin grinned at each other.
"Of course it's us!" shouted Megan. "We can hear you, Mia! You're all right! I'm so happy!"
The old woman looked at the old man. "Who are those two kids talking to?" she asked.
"I don't know," he said. "They've been standing here telling everyone to leave the lighthouse… Weird couple of kids if you ask me!"
Mia's voice echoed in Megan and Justin's ears. "How is it that we can hear you?" she asked.
"I don't know," said Megan, "but he told us we'd be able to talk to you if we came here now."
"He?" asked Mia. "Who's 'he'?"
"I don't know," said Justin. "We were sleeping, and he came to us in a dream… He said, 'Go to the lighthouse!'" Justin shrugged.
"The lighthouse?" asked Mia. "Why?"
"He said that we have to deliver a message… He was too busy to do it himself," said Justin quietly.
"What message?"
"We have to warn everyone to stay clear of the lighthouses!" said Megan, looking at the two old people.
"What's going to happen?" asked Mia.
"I don't know," said Justin, "but he told us to warn people away from Mt. Aleph as well!"
"But who is 'he'!?" shouted Garet. "You still haven't told us!!"
"You're a meanie!" shouted Megan, sticking out her tongue. "I don't tell meanies anything!"
"Don't pay any attention to him," said Mia. "It's me, Mia… Can you tell me who spoke to you?"
Before Megan could say anything, Justin said, "I told you, I don't know, but he looked like a big rock… with a big, rocky eye!"
"The Wise One!" shouted Sheba.
--
Back on Mars Lighthouse's aerie, the others were looking in Imil's direction. "What could he be doing?" asked Sheba. Kraden was rubbing his chin, a ponderous expression on his face.
"Of course!" he suddenly exclaimed. "I understand… The Wise One said that when all four lighthouses have been lit, the Golden Sun will shine… When that happens, Mt. Aleph and the lighthouses will probably become quite dangerous…"
Piers looked at Kraden. "So, the Wise One is warning people in dreams, telling them to seek refuge?" he asked. Kraden nodded.
"Why would he do that!?" shouted Garet, bewildered irritation filling his voice. "You saw what he did to us… He can't be up to anything good…"
Hama's voice echoed throughout the aerie. "Have you not learned? One's actions do not always reveal one's intentions."
"Hama," whispered Ivan. "Sister…"
"Master Hama!" said Isaac. "Did you receive a message, too?"
"Yes," she said. "I was called to Jupiter Lighthouse in a dream. You have completed your quest, but I see it comes with a great loss… Your suffering has been almost unbearable."
Jenna nodded. "Master Hama… My parents…"
"I know, Jenna," said Hama, "and I am sorry. But do not give up hope for them just yet…"
"What do you mean, Master Hama?" asked Jenna, looking at Isaac, who shrugged at her.
"Appearances can be an illusion," she said. "The Wise One has a caring heart."
"He forced us to fight Isaac's and Jenna's parents!" shouted Garet. "What's so 'caring' about that!?"
"If the Wise One were truly evil," reasoned Hama, "he would not be warning me of danger in my dreams."
"Well," said Garet, backing down, "I… I guess not… But then, what's he up to?"
"We do not have time to discuss it right now," replied Hama, a note of urgency in her voice.
"She's right, said Kraden. "If the Wise One said it's not safe to be near the lighthouses, then I think we should listen." The others nodded.
"I am heading for safety, too," said Hama. "All of you must get away from the lighthouse now."
Kraden made for the aerie stairs. "Hurry, everyone!" he shouted. "Let's go!"
"What about our parents?" asked Jenna, not moving from her mother's side.
"We can't leave them behind," protested Isaac.
"I understand how you feel," said Piers, "but we won't make it if we have to take them with us!"
"Make the decision, Felix! Should we take them with us?" asked Ivan.
"Of course we should!" shouted Felix, running toward his own father.
"It's far too dangerous," said Garet, looking at the beacon as it changed from a reddish color to a black-and-gold coloration. From underneath, he could see a bright source of light streaming into it. "The Golden Sun is forming!"
"A ray of light is emanating from the beacon… from the Mars Star!" cried Piers.
"What will happen?" shouted Sheba as the lighthouse began to shake, rumbling loudly.
"The power of Alchemy will be unleashed upon the world!" shouted Kraden.
"We must take Isaac's father and Jenna's parents and flee!" said Mia, dashing for Isaac's father.
"Stop it!" shouted Garet, tugging at something. "Let go of my wrist!" The others looked at him.
"Garet, get a grip!" shouted Isaac. "No one's touching you!"
"I'm serious!" said Garet. "I…"
"The beacon!" shouted Mia.
"Jenna," said Piers, his voice reflecting the urgency of the situation. "We have to move your parents!"
"Mom!" shouted Jenna. "Dad!"
"What's happening?" asked Ivan, looking around frightened.
"There's no time for questions!" shouted Kraden. "Just carry them! Carry them and go!" As he shouted this, a wave of red-and-gold light roared up from the well and swept across the aerie, blanketing the groups in its light. They rushed to the elevator, riding it down to the base. Once there, they rushed to Prox, fleeing the still-rumbling lighthouse.
--
There was a sound behind the dragon's head statue, that of something falling. Karst could still hear it… and she could feel warmth emanating from the dragon's head statue. The source of heat drifted upwards, and Karst could see Agatio's breath-steam slow to a mere puff every few seconds. "It… is… lit," he muttered. "Finally… In peace…"
"No…" said Karst. "Not… not yet…" She was trying to stave off the darkness; there was a tunnel forming from her vision. She could still see some things, but these things were getting blurry, moving further away, turning into a light… her heart was barely beating, her breath was becoming painful, but her soul refused to leave, could not bear to leave this body, would not leave it until there was no other option…
She could feel the beacon, it called out to her, it echoed within her… Aid me, she thought at it. Aid me… I must survive… The cold had turned her hands and feet numb, was numbing her arms and legs, her nose and ears… She turned to look at Agatio once more. His breath no longer made vapor, she couldn't see his eyes, she could barely make him out from the stone floor.
It was at that moment that the dragon's head statue glowed red, firing a wave of brilliant red Psynergy at the both of them. Karst shuddered; her eyes were becoming focused, and she could again feel her arms and legs. Laboring, she pushed herself into a seated position, looking around. The lighthouse was filled with this strange heat… A golden light spewed from the dragon's head statue. It blinded her, filled her with Mars Psynergy… the whole lighthouse must have been overflowing for it to reach down here. She began healing herself as best she could, eventually becoming strong enough to stand again. Looking at Agatio's body, she sighed. The legendary Gauntlet Warrior of Prox would rise no more.
Suddenly, a fear took hold of her. Mars Psynergy overflowing in her body had transformed her into a dragon last time. If she transformed into a dragon again, she might not be able to survive. She had to exit the lighthouse – but she couldn't leave Agatio there, not if the lighthouse was going to be flooded with Mars Psynergy. The warrior deserved a proper burial. Grabbing his body, her own body filled with an unusual strength that she recognized as the beginning of turning into a dragon, she raced for the exit. She would occasionally glance at herself to make sure that her skin, already somewhat scaly due to the nature of those born in Prox, didn't transform into fully draconic scale. Upon exiting the lighthouse, she ran further, faster than she had ever run before. She could see Prox, but she didn't want to return; a return would be filled with the shame of failure. She would find somewhere to begin anew.
Out of breath, she collapsed onto the snow. She had to release this newfound energy before it transformed her into a dragon. In a great burst of Psynergy, she shattered the ground with a massive explosion. Agatio fell into the gap, as did a great amount of earth and snow; a large stone conveniently rolled into place atop the grave. Upon the stone, Karst inscribed, "Here lies Agatio, the Gauntlet Warrior of Prox. May the Dragon God keep his soul safe." Sighing, she walked south and east, towards Imil. Perhaps there she could begin a new life.
It wasn't until she reached the mountains that she realized that her scales were no longer as pale as snow; rather, they seemed to be almost the color of Felix's skin. Scratching proved that they were still scales; they had merely changed color. She wondered if this was an effect of the golden blast of light in Mars Lighthouse; shrugging it off, she continued her journey.
--
As Alex ascended Mt. Aleph, the blue-haired Adept noticed a brilliant flash to the northwest. "The Golden Sun," he muttered excitedly. 'The very quintessence of Alchemy's power! It's beginning! Wait for me!" He continued climbing. "Please, wait! Wait until I reach the summit of Mt. Aleph!"
Four beams streaked toward Mt. Aleph. The first came from Mars Lighthouse, a brilliant red light. The second came moments later from Mercury Lighthouse, its blue light rocketing across the sky. The third was from Venus Lighthouse, a great green beam that split the sky. Finally, the beacon from Jupiter Lighthouse rocketed into place, a purple light that filled the sky above Vale. As the four beams converged, they formed a blast of golden light.
Standing atop Mt. Aleph was Alex, right beneath the center of the beams' convergence. "At last!" he shouted, still bathed in the light of the Golden Sun. "I have it! Eternal life… and limitless power! At last, the power of nature is mine to control as I will!" He walked to the edge of Mt. Aleph, raising his arms dramatically. "Rise, storms!" he bellowed. "Rise up and unleash your might upon Vale and the foothills of Mt. Aleph!" He was greeted with silence; after a few moments he looked around. "That's odd… I should have limitless power… So why can't I call up a simple storm?" The Wise One floated up to him, gazing impassively at the Mercury Adept. "Wh-who are you?" asked Alex.
The Wise One answered in a breathy whisper. "I am called the Wise One…"
"The Wise One?" asked Alex. "Vale's protector?"
"You wish to have limitless power?" whispered the Wise One in the same mockingly-breathy tone of voice.
"Wish to?" asked Alex. "I just got it!"
"No," whispered the Wise One. "Your power is nearly limitless, but it has boundaries."
"Nearly limitless?" asked Alex. "You speak in riddles. Can't you see? The power is mine!" He grinned as he looked at his hands.
"Yes," whispered the Wise One. "You also have nearly endless life. And your Psynergy is… somewhat stronger."
Alex's face twisted with rage. "If you are trying to anger me, have a little taste of exactly how much power I have attained!" His Psynergy flowed through his hand, almost overflowing as he used it to push the Wise One back a few inches. He smiled. "Look at me! My body is brimming with power!" The Wise One said nothing, using his Psynergy to thrust Alex into the ground, binding him to the earth. "How!?" cried Alex. "What's going on? I should be all-powerful! How can you defeat me?!"
The Wise One picked up Alex and slammed him back into the ground; there was a sickening crack as several of Alex's bones broke. "You are not all-powerful, Alex. Your power has limits, as does your life." The Wise One's whisper had gained a threatening quality, possibly growing from his breathy-voicedness.
"That cannot be!" shouted Alex, trying to struggle despite the pain. "Who is responsible for this treachery? Who has robbed me of my dream?"
"I, the Wise One, imbued the Mars Star with some of the power of the forming Golden Sun. It rests even now in the hands of young Isaac."
"Why?" asked Alex, not understanding this strange turn of events. He should have been all-powerful! Why didn't it work?!
The Wise One looked around as Mt. Aleph began to shake. "The heavens and earth are changing, Alex!" The breathy whisper now sounded sadistically gleeful. "You must flee now!"
"Wha-what!?" shouted Alex, eyes wide with fear.
"Mt. Aleph will soon be drawn into the heart of the earth! You must flee or join it forever!"
"Flee?!" Alex's eyes widened further. "I can't flee! I can't even move!"
"Ah, yes," whispered the Wise One. "You now see the limits of your power. If you are swallowed by the earth, you may not survive. If you survive, perhaps we shall meet again someday…" Alex looked around, his eyes moving wildly as Mt. Aleph sank quickly into the earth, a caldera of boiling lava surrounding it. Frightened, Alex's body overflowed with Psynergy, which healed him as the mountain continued to sink, though its pace had slowed slightly.
--
Isaac, Felix, and Kraden were meeting with the Elder of Prox; two days had passed since the lighting of Mars Lighthouse. "Thank you, Felix," said the Elder. "And you too, Isaac and Kraden. By lighting Mars Lighthouse, you stopped Gaia Falls from devouring our town."
"We're just glad to have helped save Weyard," replied Isaac, smiling at the Elder's statement. Master Puelle, the leader of the Proxian Defense Force, nodded.
"You've been through many trials, more than any of us can ever know," he said, his long red hair blowing in the slight breeze that played through the window.
"We ad no idea what to expect when we lit the final beacon," said Kraden, nodding at both of the Proxians. One of the others in the room, a woman, shook her head slightly.
"When we saw the flash of the beacon, we had no idea what you suffered to light it," she said.
"I thought we were done for," said Isaac. "There was n way we could escape with our parents' bodies."
"Well," conceded Kraden, "not if we hadn't pulled together and overcome our sorrows."
A young boy in the corner added, "That light was brilliant!"
Kraden sighed. "You know," he said, "I shall always regret that I didn't get to look upon the beacon's light from afar…"
The Elder smiled. "I understand your regret… As a scholar of Alchemy, you would have been most impressed," he said.
"I saw the beams of blue, red, and purple streaming out toward the southeast," said Isaac slowly.
"That's the direction in which Vale lies, is it not?" asked the woman. "Was the light headed to your hometown?" Isaac nodded.
"Indeed it was," he said. "The Wise One said the beams were going to merge into one above Mt. Aleph." Felix nodded worriedly.
"The orb of golden light we saw," said the Elder. "That was shining directly over Vale?" Kraden nodded.
"Yes. That was the Golden Sun forming over Mt. Aleph," said the scholar, a pensive expression planted firmly on his face.
"If I remember the tales correctly," said Puelle, staring into space as if trying to drudge up some lost memory. "The Golden Sun is the blast of light emitted at the very moment the Stone of Sages forms…"
Kraden's eyes widened. "Such legends exist even here? I wish I'd known that sooner!"
"I fear for Vale," said the Elder, "to think that all this energy is being released right over your hometown." Isaac and Felix nodded.
"We're all worried about that," said Isaac. "We're hoping we can return to Vale as quickly as possible." Puelle's face fell slightly.
"Oh… Is there nothing we can do to convince you to stay?" he asked.
"We had hoped you might stay in Prox a while," said the Elder, "but that sounds unlikely…"
"Don't worry," reassured Isaac. "We plan on returning as soon as things quiet down, don't we?"
"Hopefully very soon," added Felix, nodding.
"Our village will not soon forget that you saved us from the edge of destruction," said the Elder, smiling. "Do visit us again."
"When that time comes," said Kraden sadly, "I may no longer be in this world."
"Don't say that," said Puelle, clapping Kraden on the shoulder. "I'm sure a long life awaits you."
"Well, I suppose we should be departing for Vale soon," said Kraden, nodding at Isaac and Felix.
"You're right, Kraden," said Isaac. "If we don't, you-know-who might start causing trouble…"
"At least some of your cares have been remedied," said the Elder. "You must be glad to know we've brought all three back from the brink of death."
"I would not have thought it possible had I not seen it," added Puelle, grinning at Isaac and Felix.
"Even I do not fully understand it," said Kraden. "But there can be no doubt. The fire Psynergy released by the beacon rekindled their spirits. I hadn't expected so much Psynergy to be released by the lighthouse's beam… I have no real explanation other than that their life force had not been fully extinguished." He smiled. "It was a miracle, but the fire Psynergy seems to have recharged them somehow."
"And had your parents not been Adepts," said the Elder, "the wave of Psynergy would have passed them by."
Jenna's voice suddenly echoed from outside. "Isaac! What's taking you two so long? Don't keep me waiting!" Felix sighed.
"Uh-oh!" said Kraden. "It's Jenna… We're late, and she looks rather displeased with us."
"Should I tell her we're leaving now?" Isaac asked Felix. The older Venus Adept shook his head.
"There are still another couple farewells I need to say." Isaac nodded understandingly.
"I'm sorry, Jenna!" he called. "It sounds like things are going to take just a little bit longer…"
Jenna yelled her reply. "Well, I'm not going to wait much longer! If you don't come out soon, we're all leaving without you!" Felix just shook his head.
"I'll wait outside with them," said the young Proxian boy.
"I don't think they want to wait anymore, Felix," said Isaac. "We're all set to head home…"
"They have no patience whatsoever," said Kraden. "Ah, well… I suppose it is time to leave."
Puelle nodded at them. "May your journey home be safe and uneventful…"
"We shall never forget what you have done for Prox," added the Elder. The three visitors nodded before heading out. As Isaac and Kraden headed toward the ship, Felix walked over to a small pair of hastily-made headstones. One said "Agatio the Powerful", while the other said "Karst the Brilliant". Kneeling before each, Felix put a stone on their graves – though their bodies had yet to be found, it was expected they would be deep within Mars Lighthouse. After a few moments of silent praying, Felix placed a small dagger in front of Karst's grave, point buried in the snow.
"Goodbye," whispered Felix as he got up and walked to where Isaac and Kraden were waiting for him. Slowly, the three made their way to where the other Adepts were.
"What took so long?" asked Jenna once they had finally arrived. "Mom and Dad are tired of waiting for you…"
Felix's mother laughed. "That's not true, Felix. You take as long as you need to say goodbye to the people of Prox." Jenna sighed.
"Don't worry about us, Felix," agreed his father. "Puelle and the others took good care of us."
Jenna clenched her teeth. "Don't tell him that!" she said. "We'll be stuck here forever!"
Sheba smiled. "You look like you're feeling back to your old self, Jenna!"
Piers nodded, smiling at her. "You were weeping such mournful tears after the battle," he added.
Jenna glared at him. "What!? As if!" she said. "You can't prove anything!"
Mia sighed. "Go easy on her," she added. "You have to remember, she thought that both of her parents had died."
Jenna's mother smiled at her. "Oh, were you crying, Jenna?" she asked.
"No!" shouted Jenna. "I said… I said I wasn't!"
Garet frowned. "Now you've got me thinking about my family… I didn't think I'd miss them this much," he said, looking at the ground.
Ivan looked down as well "I only hope that they're all safe back in Vale," he murmured.
"I just want to be home again," said Isaac, looking towards Vale. "I want to see how my mother is doing…" There was a note of worry in his voice.
"Don't worry, Son," said Kyle, grinning. "I'm sure Dora's doing fine. She's a strong woman."
"But the last time I saw her, she looked so sick, so weak," argued Isaac quietly. "Even if nothing happened to Vale, I'm still worried…"
"Don't worry, Isaac," said Kyle, winking at his son. "I'm sure she's in wonderful shape. I think she'll be surprised to see me!" He smiled broadly and warmly.
"Sorry to keep you all waiting," apologized Kraden. "At last, the time has come for us to return to Vale… As soon as we leave Prox, we'll head toward Angara, and from there, to Vale…"
Felix's mother smiled. "I can't wait to see this winged ship of yours! It sounds so incredible!" she said.
"I remember so little of our trip to Prox… This is really my first voyage on a ship," muttered Felix's dad.
"I've heard that the wind and waves make the boat rock," said Kyle, a hint of nervousness in his voice. "I hope I don't get sick…"
"This ancient ship of ours actually flies above the ocean," said Kraden. "It's quite a cozy ride."
"It looks like we've got an exciting last trip ahead of us, doesn't it?" Isaac asked Felix.
"Yeah, it does," said Felix, laughing a little at his parents' exuberance and Kyle's worries.
"Wow," muttered Isaac. "Setting out like this takes me back to our own quest's start… It was so long ago."
"If you keep talking like this, we'll never go anywhere!" shouted Jenna. "Let's go, Felix!" Everyone began heading for the ship, but Isaac and Felix stayed behind, almost reluctant to put an end to this quest that had consumed eight months of their lives.
"What's the matter, boys?" asked Kraden. Garet and Jenna turned to look at them, pausing in their tracks. "Are you reluctant to depart?" continued the sage.
"Yeah, a bit," said Felix; Isaac nodded in agreement.
"It's a bit hard to believe that our quest is almost at its end," said Kraden. "I know how you feel."
"I just hope that Vale count out of this in as good a condition as Prox did," said Isaac, looking again to the southeast.
"We won't know until we get there," said Kraden, also looking in that direction.
"I can't stop thinking about how my parents are doing," said Garet, looking at Isaac.
"Were both of them in Vale?" asked Kraden. Garet nodded.
"Can't you make a guess, Kraden?" asked Jenna. "Will Vale still be standing when we arrive?"
Kraden shook his head. "Not even I can know that," he said, looking up at the sky.
Garet stared at Kraden for a moment before he gave the old sage an accusatory look. "I can see it in your eyes, Kraden!" he said. "You think something's happened, don't you?"
Kraden nodded. "It's a possibility," he said. "One that cannot be ignored…"
"If it's not there," said Isaac, "then what's the point in even going back?"
Kraden glared at Isaac. "Is that really how you feel, Isaac? What about you, Felix?"
"No," Felix said, shaking his head.
"You remember, don't you, Felix?" asked Kraden. Felix nodded. "Think about it for a moment, Isaac."
Garet arched an eyebrow at Kraden. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Our conversation with Hama after we ignited the beacon," replied Kraden.
Jenna looked at Garet, confused. "Don't you remember us talking to the children from Imil at the base of Mercury Lighthouse?" Garet paused, then nodded.
"When they were warning people away from the lighthouses?" asked Isaac. Kraden nodded.
"Yes," said the sage. "The Wise One instructed everyone to seek refuge." Garet paused, then looked at Kraden.
"Yeah," he said, "so what about it?"
A vein throbbed in Kraden's forehead, which sometimes happened while trying to teach Garet a concept the young Mars Adept just didn't quite get. "You still don't see, Garet?" he asked, half-exasperated. "Even if Vale were destroyed, I'd expect that the villagers have all escaped to safety."
Jenna nodded slowly. "I guess that's true," she said. "They might still be all right."
"That's true," agreed Garet. "So whatever happens, my family's alive!" He grinned.
"Garet," said Jenna, "can you make sure everyone else knows that?" Garet nodded and went off, Jenna following close behind. Kraden sighed with relief, now that that question had been taken care of.
"OK," he said, "let's go. The both of you! We have to catch up to everyone." And with that, the scholar began walking off. Isaac and Felix exchanged glances.
"Kraden," called Isaac. The scholar stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Why did the Wise one change our parents into a dragon? Why did he make us fight them?" he asked. "I mean, we almost killed them… He tried to make us kill our own parents. Why?"
Kraden frowned. "Do you think that he intended for them to die from the start?" he asked. Felix shook his head.
"No, that's not it," he said.
"Ah," said Kraden. "You don't understand why he put you through all this if he knew they'd survive…" Kraden paced back and forth. "We cannot hope to fathom the motives of a being as all-powerful as the Wise One…"
"You don't know either, Kraden?" asked Isaac.
Kraden nodded. "I can only hazard a guess," he said. "The Wise One… wanted to test you." Isaac and Felix exchanged glances.
"What do you mean, test us?" asked Isaac.
Kraden continued to pace. "I cannot tell you more… It is up to you to find the answer," he said. "Will we use Alchemy to wage war, to raise armies? Or will we use it to grow wise, to rise above our petty feuds and perform great deeds?" Kraden paused and looked at them. "You were willing to sacrifice everything for your quest. I'd say you've risen to this challenge." He paused and looked toward the boat; the others were already almost halway there. "Oops! Are they already that far ahead of us? We'd better hurry and catch up to the others before they leave us behind!" He gave a side glance to the two Venus Adepts. "After all, I'm not terribly interested in trying to walk all the way back to Vale. If you feel the same, then we'd better be hurrying." He grinned. "Isaac! Felix! We're off!" With his words, the three ran to catch up with the others. Next stop: Vale.