Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: Well, we've reached Chapter 2. This is where the real story begins.

I want to make a note about something important that I may mess up, so if you catch me doing this, please let me know ASAP! In one of my old, ongoing original stories, my main character was named Ivan. Strangely enough, I began to write that story before Golden Sun came out. Since Ivan is more similar to the GS Isaac than he is to the GS Ivan, I sometimes catch myself typing "Ivan" instead of "Isaac". I know I'm going to mix the names up at least once before I'm done with this story, so be prepared.

There's nothing else to say right now, so here we go.

Chapter 2 – Where One Adventure Ends…

In western Angara, night was slowly beginning to fall over the grassy fields north of Vault. The buzzing of cicadas had nearly faded only to be replaced by the merry chirping of crickets, and the last sepia rays of sun were peeking over the western mountaintops. Another perfect summer day had come to a close. Still, the sound of working hammers and saws could be heard in a small valley south of where the town of Vale once stood. That town, which once prospered at the foot of Mount Aleph, had been crushed underneath continuous landslides when the mountain had sunk into the earth only six months earlier. Miraculously, no one had been injured in that fatal incident. The people of Vale had received a warning shortly before the catastrophe that granted them enough time to escape to the nearby town of Vault. However, the collapse had completely destroyed the area where Vale once stood, and it would be impossible to rebuild the village from its ruins. Still, the people of Vale were spirited and strong, and they would not allow their dreams and aspirations to be crushed merely because returning home was no longer an option. Thus, the construction of a new Vale had begun.

In only half a year's time, an astonishing amount of progress had been made. Angaran lumberjacks and citizens had come from towns as far away as Bilibin and Kolima to help the cause. Thanks to their efforts, many houses had been rebuilt, and former residents of Vale were slowly moving back to a place they could call a hometown. For the time being, those without homes stayed in Vault, which had suddenly become quite a crowded place after the lighting of the beacons. Others shared homes with families already living in the new Vale. It was a chaotic situation at first, but things were improving with the passage of time. People who had never met before were working peacefully together for one objective: Vale's revival.

On that particular summer night, a young Adept was walking slowly through the valley, admiring the tranquil scenery that she passed by. She breathed in the cool night air and hummed quietly to herself. Like most of the villagers, she had been hard at work ever since the reconstruction began. However, her job was much different than what the lumberjacks and men of the village were doing. For the past six months, she had served as a doctor for the town. In addition to caring for the sick and the elderly, she also had her hands full with work injuries and wounds from occasional monster attacks. All day, she ran back and forth from place to place, trying her best to respond to emergencies while maintaining her own sanity. After all, this valley was much larger than her last home, and it was tiring to run from one end to the other several times per day.

Now that the dark had come, most of her regular patients had been cared for and there were much fewer people working dangerous jobs. She only had one patient left, and then she would be free to go home and relax. She also looked forward to visiting this patient, as she would often see a close friend of hers when she stopped by. Lately, she had been so busy with jobs that she had not been able to spend time with anyone besides Sheba, whom she shared a room with. Even then, Sheba was extremely nosy and it was difficult to have a serious conversation with her.

The Adept sighed and looked up at the faint stars. Soon, the sun would be hidden entirely behind the mountains, and the twinkling night sky would expand far above her head and into infinity, uncontaminated by torchlight or the elemental glow of the four lighthouses. This was a nice, quiet place to be, tucked away between the proud mountains and the towering sky above. She loved walking alone here at night – It allowed her mind to breathe.

"It certainly does," laughed someone beside her, and she spun around, startled by this intrusion.

"Sheba! Please don't do things like that!" she gasped. "You frightened me!"

Sheba was giggling uncontrollably. She put a hand on her alarmed friend's shoulder to steady herself before she could speak again.

"You were so deep in thought that you didn't notice I was walking alongside you, so I decided to glance into your mind and see what you were thinking about. Apparently, you were so oblivious to the world that you didn't realize I was doing that much!" she explained, her lips curling into a devilish smirk. "So I'm nosy, am I? Why on earth would you think that?"

The frazzled Adept blushed. She couldn't think of anything to say other than a weak apology. This amused the blonde Jupiter Adept all the more.

"Mia…you're blushing."

"It's embarrassing…"

The two remained in silence for a moment, and Sheba's demonic expression softened. Mia continued to walk, and her friend tagged along beside her.

"So where are you going now? Are you still working?" the blonde asked, changing the topic.

"Yes. I need to visit Dora, and then I'll be done with my work for the night."

"Dora?" she inquired, then paused. "Isn't that Isaac's mother?"

Mia nodded. "Her health began to go downhill after Isaac left on his journey. We thought that things might improve once Isaac and his father returned, but her condition just continued to plummet after that."

"Oh no…How is she now? You've been visiting her every day, right?"

The water adept smiled and answered, "She's gotten a lot better. It has taken a while, but it seems like the disease is finally just about gone."

"That's good to hear. I'm sure Isaac is happy about it too," Sheba responded in a playful tone. Mia nodded and kept her eyes on the path ahead.

"Yes, he is."

Sheba looked over at Mia, who seemed to have entered her dreamy state again. Though she was usually a thoughtful, mature person, Mia seemed even more serious than usual tonight. The temptation to read her mind again was definitely present, but Sheba decided that it would be best not to try it again. She had been able to read minds since she was a young child, and she had learned very early on that there were certain situations where the power should not be used. Mia had something grim on her mind, something which was eating away at her from within. Sheba did not need to read her mind to see this.

"You come from Imil, don't you?" she asked, desperate to distract the healer from whatever it was she was thinking about. Mia turned her head and gave the Jupiter Adept a bemused look.

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just kind of surprised that you haven't gone back home yet. I imagine that you miss the people there."

Mia smiled as she thought of the people of Imil. She missed all of them dearly, and she wondered if Megan and Justin had continued their studies in healing Psynergy.

"Right now, I'm needed here. Imil has the Mercury Lighthouse and its Water of Hermes. My apprentices are also there to help those in need."

Sheba grinned. "But as I said, you must miss the people there. Why don't you visit? No one is going to die…"

"I just don't feel like I can afford to right now. I can rarely find a moment of peace as it is," Mia uttered quickly, not wanting to pursue the subject any more. It was too late. The "nosy" Jupiter Adept had already lured Mia into her trap.

"Are you sure there isn't another reason that you don't want to leave? A certain 'friend' of yours, maybe?"

The water adept took a deep breath and shook her head. This was the precise reason why she felt that Sheba was nosy. Somehow, their conversations always wound up like this.

"Don't be silly, Sheba," she hastily countered, suddenly feeling a bit warm. "And what about you? Faran and the people of Lalivero must be very worried…"

"Kraden told me that he'd send word to Lalivero once he reached Tolbi, so I think this should be all right. I wonder if his trip went smoothly…"

Mia smiled when she thought about the vivacious old scholar. Despite his age, he was always energetic and curious and was willing to risk his life to uncover the truth about Alchemy. She had not known him for very long, but he had seemed like a fun character.

"Well, he left with Piers, so I'm sure that they'll both be fine," continued Sheba. She sighed. "I miss them, though…They both left so soon."

Piers and Kraden had both left shortly after they returned to Angara. Kraden had compiled a massive amount of research throughout his travels that he wanted to present to the researchers in Tolbi, and he also felt that his presence would be needed now that Babi had passed on. Piers, on the other hand, needed to return to Lemuria and report to King Hydros what had happened in the outside world. However, it was thanks to the efforts these two individuals that so many men from faraway Angaran towns had come to help with Vale's reconstruction. Piers had even brought some of the workers on his Lemurian ship.

"Dora's house is just up ahead," Mia said, coming to a halt.

"Dora's? Don't you mean 'Isaac's'?"

"Sheba…"

The mischievous Adept turned around and waved to her friend before setting off.

"This is where we part ways, then. Oh, if you see Isaac, could you do a favor for me?"

Mia nodded, and Sheba tugged on her ear. Turning so that the wind Adept could whisper into it, she listened carefully as her friend made a very unusual request. When she had finished, Sheba backed away and took a look at Mia's face. As expected, she was completely mortified. They exchanged hasty goodbyes, and Sheba dashed off, beaming like a cat. Mia shook her head and tried to forget the humiliation that she now felt. Sheba loved to play these games on people, and the poor water Adept was well aware that her jokes should not be taken to heart. Even so, it seemed that she had an uncanny way of hitting the nail right on the head when it came to Mia, and the truth was agony.

I hope I haven't kept Dora waiting too long, she thought as she approached the door. There was a single candle lit in a window beside the door, but other than that, the house seemed to be dark. Mia knocked loudly and waited for Dora's response.

"Just a moment…" a voice called back. "Is that you, Mia?"

"Yes. May I come in?"

Dora appeared at the door a second later, smiling gently. Ever since she had come down with her illness, her appearance had changed. She maintained a disheveled look, and her hair was beginning to gray with old age. As she had lost a significant amount of weight while bedridden, her face had become thin and pale. Still, she had a motherly air about her, and she still worked as hard as her body would allow her given her health condition. The interior of the house was kept clean and orderly. Pictures of her husband and son hung on the walls and adorned the mantle of the brick fireplace that had recently been installed. It was cozy and nostalgic, reminding her of days long since past when she had lived in a home like this with people who cared about her. But those years were over, and there was no reason to reminisce about them now.

"Dear, are you all right?" Dora asked softly, and Mia nodded and smiled weakly. Her mind had drifted to another world once again.

"Yes, I'm fine. My apologies."

Dora did not seem very convinced, but she remained quiet and sat down on the edge of her bed, staring into the light of the single candle flickering on the windowsill. Mia fetched an oil lantern from the mantle of the fireplace and brought it over to the window, illuminating the wick with the flame from the other candle.

"You really shouldn't sit in the dark, Dora. You'll damage your eyes."

The lantern quickly filled the room with yellow light, and Mia set it down meticulously on the small table beside the bed. She was careful not to knock over a small picture that Dora had kept beside her at all times ever since the tragedy that had taken Kyle away from her a few years ago. Inside the frame, Dora and her husband stood side-by-side with a young, golden-haired child between them. Looking at this scene always made Mia laugh, for the Isaac in the weathered pictograph bore a childish, immature expression. Though he must have only been ten or eleven at the time when this was taken, it was very difficult for her to imagine that the serious, courageous Isaac that she knew had ever acted so infantile.

"Is Isaac here?" Mia said abruptly, thinking of what she and Sheba had talked about on the way there. Dora shook her head.

"He and Kyle are still out working. I haven't seen either of them since morning. I hope they're not working themselves to death out there…"

Mia giggled. That would not be too unusual for Isaac. He, Garet, and Felix had been hard at work helping to rebuild the town ever since they had returned from Prox. In fact, Isaac had been the first one to suggest that they start rebuilding, even if the new Vale would never be what the old one once was.

"You seem to have something on your mind," Isaac's mother interjected, tearing her away from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry," repeated the Mercury Adept as she focused her attention on the duty at hand. "Now then, how are you feeling, Dora? Are you in any pain or discomfort?"

The jaded mother took a deep breath and flexed her arm triumphantly, beaming from ear to ear. When Mia had examined her six months earlier, she had found that the woman was suffering from a severe type of respiratory disease that Mia had never encountered during her time in northern Angara. She speculated that it had begun as a form of pneumonia and had developed into something much worse from being left untreated. Eventually, the sickly housewife had begun coughing up blood. Thankfully, the quest had reached an end before it was too late.

"Thanks to your Psynergy, I'm feeling the best that I have in years! This town is so fortunate to have a Mercury Adept at last, especially in times like these," Dora complimented joyously. "You've saved my life."

Dora's flattering remarks were a bit much for the modest Mia, who could only offer a smile and repeatedly insist that it was her job as a healer. The mother had taken a liking to the compassionate girl over the past few months, and she spoke to Mia as she would to a close friend. Because she was still recovering from the disease in her lungs, it was rare for her to travel around town and speak to her old friends and acquaintances. The only people she saw on a regular basis outside of her own family were Mia and the members of Garet's family, as they lived right next door.

After a moment of reflection, Dora unexpectedly blurted out, "You know, Isaac should be more appreciative. I'm sure that your healing Psynergy has saved his life time and time again."

At that moment, there was an utter loss for words, and Mia could feel her temperature rising. She played nervously with the smooth fabric of her cloak as she mumbled something about it being her duty as a healer. Lately, this type of reaction had become common for her. She did not know why, but it seemed that even the slightest mention of her friend's name turned her cheeks a lovely shade of pink. Maybe Sheba's rash assumptions were somewhat correct, but what could she do about it?

By the time that Mia realized that Dora was still staring at her with an awestruck visage, it was too late to hide the blush that had crept upon her cheeks. Her patient cleared her throat between a few snickers and Mia sighed. What an awkward situation.

And in front of his mother of all people…

Dora clasped her hands together and rose to her feet, seeming eerily satisfied. Like a cat rolling on a bed of catnip, she absentmindedly picked up the lantern and pranced toward the dim fireplace, placing it upon the mantle.

"Well, dear, you should be on your way. It's getting dark out, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you. The monsters around here have become so aggressive lately," she suggested, though her jovial face seemed to betray the concern in her words. She knew very well that Mia was a competent fighter, and warning her was probably unnecessary. The Adept timidly bowed and began to head for the door.

"Have a good night then, Dora. I'll come to check on you tomorrow evening as well."

Dora laughed. "Why don't you take the day off for a change? If you keep working yourself to death, you'll be an old lady before you know it."

It was easy to see that Mia was uncertain about this idea, but Dora was determined.

"While they may not be as skilled as you, we still have the healers from the Sanctum in case anything goes wrong. Besides, all of these folks are strong. They've come from all over just to help us rebuild our little town."

Mia beamed. Perhaps Dora was right. A day off would not hurt, and it might even give her some peace of mind. Maybe she would see how Jenna was doing, or Felix or Garet or maybe even Ivan if he was visiting from Vault.

Once she had exchanged goodbyes with Dora, she closed the door tightly behind her and looked up at the sky. It was now completely dark, and the stars glistened like diamonds in a velvet drape. The moon, a bright crystal shimmering high above the sleeping mountains, flooded the valley with mellow light. The following night, it would be at its fullest – A sight to behold in such a beautiful sky. Mia had come to admire the moon during her travels with Isaac. On restless nights when she was plagued by fearsome and anxious thoughts, she had managed to find solace by gazing at it. Every night, it took another step forward in an endless cycle. It had so many phases, so many forms. And, unlike the relentless sun, the light of the moon was always so soothing and calm…

I'm sure no one will mind if I take the long way home, Mia thought to herself as she crossed the wooden bridge that extended from one side of the valley to the other. Once she had reached the center, she turned to the north and gazed off into the distance. It was a clear night, and she had a perfect view of the area where Mount Aleph had once stood with Vale at its base. A chill ran down her spine when she thought of the ancient mountain. She could not help but remember the words that the Wise One had spoken at the aerie of Mars Lighthouse.

If what he said is true, then Alex…What happened to him?

It was six months after the fact, but it still bothered her immensely to think that Alex truly used all of their efforts for his own gain. Deep down, she wanted to believe that it was not true. They had once been members of the same clan, and it was under her guidance that he had begun to study Psynergy. They had both sworn the same oath as members of the Mercury Clan; they had both shared a common way of life. She knew better than anyone else that Alex was not one to do things without reason. So why had he betrayed her? Why had he sought the power of the Golden Sun?

Mia pondered over these questions, just as she had been doing for the past half-year, and sighed. It was not as if all of the answers were magically going to appear in front of her. And Alex, the only person who would know the truth, was nowhere to be found. She had nothing to go by other than the Wise One's claim that he had scaled Mount Aleph for the Golden Sun. And the area where Mount Aleph and Vale once stood was now off-limits to everyone. Even if she somehow managed to slip past the guards stationed around the area, she knew that her chances of finding information linked to Alex were extremely slim. But perhaps…

"Mia?"

The Adept froze and listened to the sound of footsteps slowly approaching on the unsteady wooden planks. She did not need to turn her head to see who it was. It was typical of her luck that she should run into him at a time like this, especially after Sheba's bizarre request and the episode with Dora. When he was within a few paces of her, he stopped.

"What? Is something wrong?" Isaac asked, and then came a long pause. "…Is something wrong with my mom?"

Mia took a deep breath to calm her nerves and shook her head. She had talked to Isaac many times before, and this was no different.

"No, Dora is doing well. Her condition seems to be gone at last."

Her comrade breathed a sigh of relief and took a step or two more. She heard the rustle of his clothes, and he appeared out of the corner of her left eye. He seemed to be leaning on the ropes that formed chest-high railings on both sides of the bridge. Far below them, Mia could hear the burbling of a small stream. A tender breeze ran through her silky aquamarine hair, which was tied back with her favorite white ribbon, and whispered in her ears as she stood beside Isaac, who seemed to be brooding over something as well. Deciding to take the risk, she glimpsed at him. Ashen moonlight illuminated his face and his amber hair. He was still in rugged work clothes, and he seemed weary after such a long, sultry day. Before she could look away, he peered over at her and gave her a perplexed look.

"Are you all right?" he repeated as Mia's beryl eyes became interlocked with his. "You seem so distracted."

As had been the case when Dora had mentioned him, Mia found herself fidgeting and her heartbeat quickened. Thank goodness that it was dark out, or he might have noticed the shade of her cheeks!

"I'm fine," she insisted with a timid smile. She gazed off in the direction of Mount Aleph again. "I had something on my mind, but it's nothing important."

Isaac followed her glance and prepared to say something, then hesitated. She seemed to be focused on something on the horizon, though Vale and the famous mountain no longer stood there. Her gaze held some kind of intent – She was not just staring into space.

"Tell me what it is. I'm curious," he demanded. Mia lowered her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her. Lying would not do her any good, but how could she talk about Alex with him? Isaac had never known him as the honest, hard-working boy that he had once been. Alex was a fragment of her own past, not Isaac's. Ultimately, however, Mia had too fragile a heart to be dishonest.

"My former apprentice, Alex," she stated boldly. Isaac scratched his head and made a faint noise that sounded kind of like an 'Oh'. Mia turned to face him and met his eyes. "The Wise One said that he climbed Mount Aleph when the beacons were lit. I wonder if he was somehow involved with the mountain sinking into the earth…"

Isaac shook his head and sighed.

"Mia, he was a traitor! He used all of us for his own gain!"

The water Adept swallowed a lump in her throat. Isaac's words were daggers rending her flesh, and sadly, she could not deny them. She averted her eyes and tried to find the confidence to make a comeback.

"I don't know why Alex changed, and I don't know what he hoped to do with the power of Alchemy…but Alex was never one to act without thinking."

"When you think about it, he was two steps ahead of us from the beginning. We were all pawns in his grand scheme," agreed Isaac, "but it seems like he failed in the end. If he had the Golden Sun and escaped from Mount Aleph alive, I doubt that he would sit still and do nothing."

A ghostly wind blew from the north, howling as it passed through the trees and under the cliffs. A few wisps of hair caressed the fair skin of Mia's face, but she was too taken aback to notice.

"So what you're saying is that…" she began hesitantly, "…Alex might be dead?"

Isaac nodded. Truth be told, she had thought of this before on her own. Unwilling to believe that it might be true, she had pushed it to the back of her mind. Now that they had been spoken by another person's lips, she realized the gravity of those words. Alex had done so many unspeakably wrong things, and she was disgusted with him. Even so, he was still an important person from her past…

"We can't know for sure," he consoled her, seeing the effect that his words had had on her. "But you would do best just to forget him. If he's still alive, he's our enemy now."

Mia bowed her head, crestfallen, and walked past Isaac in silence. She did not care to talk about this subject any more. Confused, Isaac turned to apologize, but Mia had already held up a hand to silence him.

"It's all right, Isaac. It's getting late, and I should start to head back or else Sheba will come searching for me. Your mother is waiting for you too." A pause, and Mia's empty smile transformed into a concerned frown. "I wish I knew where to start, but I'll find the truth with my own two hands. I want to know why he changed…And I want to know why he chose the path that he did. As a member of the Mercury Clan, I can't just ignore this."

With that, they bid each other their farewells and Mia went on her way. Isaac remained on the bridge, staring after her as she hurried down the dirt path and away from him. It was strange that, half a year after returning from their adventure, this was the first time that she had mentioned Alex. He himself wondered what had become of the powerful Mercury Adept, but part of him did not really want to know. After a long and arduous journey, he was finally home, and he did not want to leave to chase after someone else just yet.

Mia, on the other hand, was having different thoughts as she hurried along the dusty path with moonlight bearing down upon her shoulders.

Tomorrow, she decided, I will go to Mount Aleph and start my search.

-End of Chapter 2-

A/N: For the wonderful readers who stuck with me to the end during this dry yet necessary chapter, I have a surprise for you:

Special, not-necessarily-true preview of Chapter 3: Mia is led to Candy Mountain by strangely-colored unicorns. There, she jumps off a cliff, but the Wise One transforms into a disco ball and uses its powers of the funk to save her. Then, it teaches her that music and dance can solve all the problems of the world! (D/C: I don't own Charlie the Unicorn, or funk, or disco…)

…Or not! Well, look forward to the next chapter.