AEndlessStrife once again. Sorry for the long wait...all this damn school work has kept me from writing. Glad everyone who reviewed liked it! Makes me try my best to update and write more. So keep on reviewing. Alright now I know that is kinda the ideal length a chapter should be...if not more. Im doing this based on the events ...so..therefore as the novel continues...Im pretty sure the chapters will be longer as well. Not one hundred percent sure but oh well. Thank you to the constant reviewers!
Mercury Gold: Okay let me put it to you bluntly. Your review made my day. Not to mention the shower of cookies XD And yea...I didn't think many people would buy into the idea of Isaac using pebbles to talk. But apparently it worked :P. Thank you I try to add a bit of humor now and then, and Garet allows me to do just that :P
AaronTheOverBurdened: Thank you for your review. Im trying to see how this would work when Isaac does meet Mia, so until then my brain is trying its best to work out the details. And you know I made him mute because it seemed kinda right. I mean he didn't talk in the game, and the yes or no choice could just basically have him nod or shake his head. So I made him mute through other means. Glad you liked it. The length was the longest I've made thus far so I'll try to keep it that way.
Insanity Team: Once again, Im trying with the tense confusion, however I just cant seem to grasp them, Rise who is mentioned below is trying to ram it down my throat :P And yep, the reason I added scenes was strictly for character development. And yes Jenna does have a crush on Isaac and vice versa. Also...I'd like that brownie grins Glad you like it.
Rise: Ah great editor, must you be so analytical? LoL glad you liked it. I will try my utmost best at fixing my tense confusion but I wont guarantee anything. Glad you like it. (Note to all readers... Rise did not edit this chapter or the previous two...Rise is my editor for Kingdom Hearts: A Wonderful Life?)
Now on with the story...
Sol Sanctum
As the newly formed party of four approached the base of Mount Aleph...to find one of the elder priests pacing up and down, guarding it. The three crouched down behind some nearby by bushes. "What do we do now?" Jenna asked Kraden, "He doesn't look like he's leaving anytime soon..." Kraden stroked his white beard, indicating he was thinking. Isaac looked thoughtful... Jenna turned to see what Garet was doing...all to find he wasn't there...but casually strolling towards the priest. "Oh for the love of..." Issac thought, immediately jumping up from behind the bushes, and raced to Garet. He was followed by Jenna.
"Garet? What on Weyard are you doing here?" The priest asked, "You never come here, let alone by yourself..."
"Well you see, I'm not alone," Garet explained, not thinking for once that he was breaking the secret, "and besides, I have to cli..."
Garet could not finish his statment, because Jenna pounced on him, shutting him up. "Garet!" Jenna hissed, "For the last time! My house is not this way!"
Jenna dragged Garet out of the priest's line of vision, Garet didn't go without a fight though, but against Jenna few could do little against her.
Isaac just stood there, putting up a fake smile, once again a huge anime-like sweat drop behind his unruly hair.
The priest doesn't buy the act... "Isaac...you three weren't planning on climbing Mount Aleph...were you?"
Isaac quickly shakes his head, clearly indicating a no.
"...No?" The priest replied, still not buying it, "Well whatever the case...Im keeping my out on you three..."
Isaac quickly bowed, in respect to the elder, and rushed to join Garet and Jenna...hoping Jenna wasn't mauling Garet alive...
"GARET YOU IDIOT!" Jenna was nearly screaming at the top of her lungs...the sound was deafening, "I REALLY DON"T KNOW IF YOU CAN THINK ANYMORE!"
She continued beating on Garet with her staff. "WHY CAN"T YOU EVER THINK BEFORE YOU ACT?"
It was a sad sight to see...to say the least. Garet, a huge strong muscular young man, whimpering and cowering under the wrath known as Jenna. "Can't blame him..." Isaac thought, fighting the sound waves created by Jenna's screaming voice, to save Garet...or what will be left of him.
Isaac slowly but surely made his way until he was able to grab a hold of Jenna, he pulled slightly on her arm. However he pulled when she was in mid swing with her staff, so all that momentum has got to go somewhere. Jenna turned the direction she was pulled, which was where Isaac was, and fell on top of him. As soon as Jenna opened her eyes, she realized she was on top of Isaac. She immediately blushed a deep red, it really did not help the fact that her face was a few mere inches away from Isaac's. She immediately got off Isaac, and stomped off, or looking like anyhow; she was merely trying to get that blasted blush off of her face.
Isaac didn't know what hit him, he opened his eyes and did a double check, seeing Jenna walk off in the direction where Kraden, Jenna and himself was. He then turned his sights to Garet, he grimaced. If anyone who did not know he was getting beat up by Jenna, saw him now, they would burst out in laughter and probably would not stop laughing. Garet was in a fetal position, curled into a little ball, chanting a faint, "..No more Jenna...no more..." He also twitched like he was being hit, but he wasn't. Isaac pulled him out of the fetal position and attempted to make Garet stand. He was still twitching now and then and chanting for Jenna to stop the pain. Isaac shook him a couple times to get him to snap out of it. But to no avail. Isaac shook harder this time trying again to snap him out. Nothing. "Can't blame him..." Isaac thought again, trying to emphasize Garet's pain. He spelt out 'this is going to hurt you more than me Garet'. Then raised his arm, and brung it down abruptly, connecting with Garet's face. He wasnt twitching anymore, but was still chanting that eery chant. Isaac tried again with all his might this time.
"FOR THE LOVE OF WEYARD!" Garet shouted out in pain, clutching his left cheek, "WHAT IN ALCHEMY'S NAME DID YOU DO THAT FOR!"
'You needed to wake up' Isaac's pebbles spelt out.
"WITH A SLAP IN THE FACE?" Garet shouted at Isaac, "his brain probably dumped all the horrific event because it was too traumatized," Isaac deduced.
'You wouldnt have woke up otherwise' the pebbles spelt out again.
Garet mumbled inaudible curses as he walked in the direction of Vale's square, Isaac wondered were he had learnt such colorful language from.
Isaac threw one of his pebbles at Garet, who turned around in anger, "WHAT NOW!"
Slowly he spelt out with his pebbles 'Mount Aleph...remember?"
"...Uhhh of course!" Garet said, quickly running off to the direction of Kraden's house.
Another throw of a pebble and a brief direction later, Garet and Isaac walked back behind the bush where Jenna and Kraden were discussing how to get past the priest.
"Isaac," Jenna smiled at his return, he gave her a warm smile in return. She quickly turned her head the other way, memories from a few moments ago haunted her head. She quickly added in a cold, "...Garet" to make it look like she turned her head because of Garet. "Im so smart," She thought.
"Ahem" Kraden cleared his throat, and to gain the attention of the three adepts, "So what Jenna and I came up with is a plan of complex proportions..."
Garet frowned upon hearing complex, but Jenna interrupted just before Kraden could continue to elaborate further. "We run past the priest when he's not looking!"
"Uhh...yes..." Kraden murmured.
"So all we have to do is run past him when he can't see us?" Garet asked one of his stupid questions.
"Yes," Jenna replied, annoyance clear in her voice
"Isaac, lead the way" Kraden said, "Your decision on when to run will lead us to Sol Sanctum, or back home."
Isaac nodded, and his pebbles spelt out 'No problem'
The Kraden, Jenna, and Garet, looked at Isaac, as soon as he gave the signal they would all dash towards the base of Mount Aleph before getting caught. Isaac looked like he was deep thought, but in fact was just observing the priest's pace, and if there was a pattern to his guarding. Luckily for them, Isaac found a pattern. He took more time guarding his right side then left, so once he goes a little ways right, they would make a dash for it. "3...2..." Isaac counted in his mind, "1...NOW" Isaac immediately jumped out of the bushes and headed straight for the mountain, as fast as his legs could take him. The three were just behind him, Garet had to carry Kraden because he was old and was not able to run as fast, that and he was the strongest out of the three.
They made it to the base without the priest catching them. All of them bent over, their breathing fairly quick. Garet was on the ground gasping for air, apparently Kraden was heavier then one would expect...
"We...made ...it...!" Garet managed to say, in between deep breaths.
"That actually worked..." Kraden said thoughtfully
"Let's just go?" Jenna asked, "Lead the way Isaac!"
Isaac nodded and lead the party of four through the jagged mountain known as Mount Aleph. After a fair amount of time, Garet falling off cliffs scaring all of them, then landing on conveniently placed plateaus (A/N: ... ... ), and then having Jenna set Garet in his place every time he fell...they finally reach Sol Sanctum.
Even the stone white doors etched into the side of Mount Aleph Vale could not see, was enough to make Garet stand and be in awe. The doors were magnificently done, there were four goddess like figures on each corner, Kraden deduced that they represented Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, and Mars. One door side had Sol in the middle, the other door had Luna on it.
"By Weyard..." Kraden whispered, he was in awe every time he saw Sol Sanctum's doors, he just couldn't help it.
Garet's mouth just hung open, he was actually in awe...actually!
"Wow..." Jenna barely said, taking it all in.
Isaac stood there looking at the marvel of the door itself, then wondering what the inside would be like... "This is the entrance to Sol Sanctum. This is your first time here, right?" Kraden asked, interrupting Isaac's thought.
"Yeah," Garet replied.
"It's an important relic of our past," Kraden informed, "Take a good look at it."
The three young adepts nodded.
"How the heck are we getting in there though Kraden?" Garet asked bluntly, "I mean you've been here before so you must know...those doors no matter how good looking...are huge!"
"I don't know Garet," Kraden said truthfully, "The way to get into Sol Sanctum changes every time one enters it."
"Oh just great!" Garet sighed, "You mean we came all this way for nothing?"
"Oh shut up Garet," Jenna retorted, "Maybe you should just...I dunno...think?"
"To heck with thinking..." Garet said, as he used his hand placed on the door to hold him up, suddenly the door opened, sending Garet face first into the ground, "What th..."
Jenna fell to the ground laughing her head off. Isaac smirked. It was not until Kraden interrupted them that they found out Garet opened the door to Sol Sanctum.
"Ah..So this time it was just a simple push..." Kraden stated, stroking his white beard.
"So Garet opened the door?" Jenna said as she tried to regain her composure.
"It seems so," Kraden said, walking into Sol Sanctum
"Oww..." Garet moaned as he got back up, "Hey! The doors open! How do you like that 'thinking' Jenna?"
"Oh shut up," Jenna said coldly as she walked past Garet.
Isaac walked beside him and with his pebbles he spelt 'lets go'
"...Harsh..." Garet sighed, his head hung low as he followed Issac into Sol Sanctum.
If they were in awe with just the door, which they were, the were breath taken when they were inside. The walls themselves look spectacular, with a purple-ish jewel like tone to them. It was simply breathtaking, to say the least. "Its so...beautiful..." Jenna said, admiring the beauty.
"Yeah..." Said and equally awestruck Garet.
Isaac was captivated by this place...why had the elders decreed that no one must enter without their permission first anyways?
"Quite spectacular isn't it?" Kraden asked, he was received by three slow nods, they were too entranced by Sol Sanctum.
They continued walking, until they hit a singular room filled with warrior like statues. It doesn't look like it leads anywhere.
"A dead end?" Jenna asked looking at the room.
"Looks like," Garet replied, then noticed Kraden's thoughtful look pose, "What's wrong Kraden?"
"Hmm...those two said there was a hidden passage leading deeper into the sanctum," Kraden explained, "I've come here many times, and I've always thought it looked...strange."
"What do you mean Kraden?" Jenna asked.
"Sol Sanctum was built in honor of the sun. There ought to be something here to reflect that," Kraden explained, "I was always puzzled why there wasn't. If there is a hidden passage, then maybe it leads to...well! Lets see if we can find it!"
Garet turns and whispers to Isaac, "I think he's serious! Should we help him?"
Isaac thinks for a second, well, they already had come this far, why not? He nods.
"But it's too dangerous to split up," Garet said, "We'd better stick together."
"What the heck are you talking about Garet?" Isaac thought, "I never mentioned to split up...did I?"
"It might help if we took a closer look at the statues..." Jenna suggested.
"Brilliant idea!" Kraden said, immediately rushing towards one of the warrior like statues.
After several frustrating minutes the party of four sat on the cold floor, tired and frustrated. "This is going to take forever..." Jenna complained.
"Maybe we overlooked something?" Kraden asked.
Isaac sat there on the floor, pondering as what to do next. "Cant leave after we've come this far.." he thought, "But it's a dead end here..."
"I cant take it anymore!" Garet yelled, "All this doing nothing is making me insane!"
"Garet Shut up!" Jenna retorted, "Some of us are actually trying to think!"
"Bah," Garet muttered, "Im going to practice my psynergy, call me if you actually figure something out."
"...Idiot..." Jenna muttered when Garet was out of hearing distance, Isaac smiled a weak smile.
Kraden just continued to stroke his bread.
"Hey what can we do?" Jenna asked, "Maybe if we look at all the ways available to us...
"...Guys..." Garet said,
"Shut up Garet," Jenna shouted, "So like I was saying...if we look at all the ways available to us then we may..."
"...Guys..." Garet said again.
"GARET FOR WEYARD'S S...a...k...e" Jenna slowly stopped her speech all together.
They all stood in silence for a moment. It seemed Garet's psynergy, which was 'Move', had caused one of the insanely huge warrior statues to move out of its way...revealing a secret passage. "Garet my boy!" Kraden exclaimed, "You've done it!"
Garet flashed his cocky grin, "I know, what do you have to say about that Jenna?"
Jenna rolled her eyes, "Come on Isaac lets go."
Isaac nodded, and lead the way into the secret passage, throughout the whole trip up the never ending stairs, Garet was teasing Jenna about his...smarts. "Come on Jenna, admit it," Garet said in a mock voice, "You know I did good."
Jenna stopped, and so did Garet. Isaac and Kraden turned around to see what was the hold up. "Garet..." Jenna said in a calm voice
"...Yeah?" Garet asked, uncertainty flowing through his absent minded brain.
"Look out below," She said with a evil smile.
"Wha..." Garet said, before Jenna kicked him down the flight of stairs. "J-e-n-n-a!"
Jenna laughed as she heard the moans of pain that echoed back, before a loud thud. "Lets go,"
"...ahem...yes.." Kraden said, with uncertainty.
Isaac nodded, a classic anime style sweat drop formed behind his head (A/N: I love using it so don't blame me if it happens a lot).
They did not move far though away from the entrance of stairs, a deep chasm separated the room. They were on one side of the room, and needed to cross to the other, using only tiny little square blocks that seemed suspended in the air. "You think those can hold us up?" Jenna asked.
"I don't know Jenna," Kraden answered.
Finally Garet made it up the stairs...out of breath, seemed like he ran all the way up. "Jenna...you'll...pay..." he managed to say in between deep breaths.
"You think those squares will hold us up?" Jenna asked, totally ignoring Garet.
Isaac thought for a moment...it did seem like the only way to go to the other side.
"Look Isaac," Kraden said, "More statues, it looks like Minotaur heads...strange...and there seems to be three different ways to go..."
Isaac saw that Kraden was right, but which way to go? Left, Right, or in the middle?
"Left..." Isaac decided.
"Isaac which way should we go?" Jenna asked.
Isaac spelt out a 'left' and to everyone's surprise, he jumped onto one of the floating tiles.
"Isaac!" Jenna yelled in alarm...all to find that the tile was holding up Isaac. Isaac just smiled, and continued jumping until he hit the left side of the room, he beckoned them to do the same.
Jenna followed suit, leaving a panting Garet and Kraden over the other side.
"Come on Garet carry Kraden!" Jenna shouted.
"You're kidding?" Garet said in disbelief, "It held up both of you because you were one person, how can we tell if it will hold up two?"
"Just go you big sissy," Jenna shouted back in mock tone.
"Come on now Garet," Kraden said, "Don't you want to find out more of Sol Sanctum?"
"Yeah..." Garet muttered, "...but I don't wanna die from it..."
"Splendid!" Kraden said enthusiastically, "Now carry me across and we can be well on our way!"
"Easier said then done..." Garet muttered, bending down to let Kraden on his back. Once on, Garet hesitated.
"You sure there isn't any other wa..." Garet couldn't finish his sentence for Jenna yelled back, "JUST GO!"
"Fine..." Garet muttered. Taking a deep breath, and a silent pray, he jumped onto one of the square tiles.
"Am I dead?" Garet thought to himself, "So this must be the weight of dying..man it's heavy..."
"GARET YOU IDIOT, MOVE!" Jenna yelled
"Huh?" Garet said as he opened his eyes, revealing that he alive and that the tile held up the combined weight of himself and Kraden.
"Lets get a move on now shall we?" Kraden suggested.
"R-right" Garet replied, and continued to jump from tile to tile until he met up with Isaac and an impatient Jenna.
"Long enough!" Jenna said coldly.
Garet, too tired to give a retort, just continued walking.
"Its no fun when you don't do anything!" Jenna sighed.
They walked for a few minutes until they discovered a statue of a Minotaur's head, encrusted on it was a red ruby jewel.
"Lets take it," Garet said, reaching for it.
"No!" Jenna shouted, stopping Garet, "What if it's a trap?"
"Heh...heh..." Garet laughed uneasily, holding up the red ruby jewel in his hand, "Too late."
Suddenly a rumble and some monsters appeared out of nowhere.
Isaac whipped out his machete, and assumed led, 'Kraden behind!' he spelt out.
Kraden did what he was told and went behind the three, Garet had also took out his machete, and Jenna her staff.
"Garet after this you are so dead!" Jenna
"Ahh...to lose to these monsters...or Jenna?" Garet said, finding himself in quite a predicament
"What was that suppose to mean!" Jenna yelled.
'fight now, talk later!' Isaac spelt
The three dispatched the monsters with ease, all that training really payed off. Isaac wiped some off his forehead.
"Garet you idiot!" Jenna scolded, "Don't ever do something like that again!"
"...Yeah...yeah..." Garet muttered, going back the way they came, "I wonder what this red jewel is all about anyways..."
"A puzzle maybe?" Kraden suggested, stroking his beard once again.
"Maybe..." Jenna said.
As the party of four made their way back to the beginning, they retraced their steps and jumped the tiles in a different route this time.
"Hey!" Garet shouted, "This looks exactly like the other statue...only without the jewel..."
"Could it mean anything?" Jenna asked.
Isaac thought for a moment...it looked like the Minotaur statue was missing an eye...
Isaac quickly spelt out 'Stone please'
Garet handed Isaac the stone, "You got an idea Isaac?"
Isaac nodded and walked towards the statue.
"I hope you know what you're doing Isaac," Jenna said worriedly.
Isaac inserted the small jewel into the left eye socket of the statue...suddenly there was an earthquake like rumble...then it all stopped.
"Whoa..." Garet muttered.
"What was that?" Jenna wondered.
"I believe something huge and stone like moved..." Kraden deduced, "Let us try the third way Isaac."
Isaac nodded, and the companions again retraced their steps and went through a door and down a flight of stairs.
After moments of walking, the four discover a sort of plaza like place. A mosaic of Sol etched into the ground, surrounding it were four beautifully created goddess like statues. Kraden could not contain his excitement, "This is it! We've found it!"
"Whoa..." Garet managed to get out.
"Clearly this is the mark of the sun...the heart of Sol Sanctum," Kraden said, in a awed tone, "It's just as I imagined...which mean...that those two were indeed telling the truth!"
"But if what they said was true..." Jenna started.
"They're thieves!" Garet shouted in an angry tone, "They came to rob the Sanctum!"
"Let's get back quick and tell everyone!" Jenna said, turning and begun walking the opposite direction, Garet and Isaac followed.
"Kraden?" Garet asked, noticing he wasn't going anywhere, "What's the matter?"
"We're so close..." Kraden said in almost a whisper.
"Close to what?" Jenna asked.
"We've come all this way to the heart of Sol Sanctum," Kraden stated, "To turn our backs now..."
"Anything wrong with that?" Garet asked.
"Sol Sanctum holds the origins of Alchemy itself. All this would be a waste...if we stopped now...don't you think?" Kraden asked, "Shall we go just a little farther?"
Jenna and Garet turned their heads to their oh so fearless leader.
Isaac looked unsure... they should tell the villagers and elders of Vale what was going on...but he also wanted to look farther. He spelt out a 'I don't think it's a good idea'
"Im with Isaac on this one..." Garet agreed
"Me too," Jenna seconded.
"Then you can go back to Vale without me," Kraden said sternly, turning his back to exam more of the room.
The three looked at each other, then sighed. "If you put it that way, we don't have much choice," Jenna said.
"Well, I'm a little curious about what's inside anyways..." Garet confessed.
"Really?" Kraden asked, lightening up, there was no way he would be able to explore with monsters lurking about, "We'll just go a bit further! Let's move on!"
After exploring all to see in the Sol room, the companion of four travel into the adjacent room, this room similar to the last one, but with one big difference, the mosaic etched into the middle of room was not Sol, but Luna.
"Wh-what is this room?" Kraden asked, surprised, he didnt expect to see the sign of Luna in Sol Sanctum, "These rooms may very well be connected somehow, don't you think Isaac?"
Isaac thought for a bit...surely a room for Luna and a room for Sol in the same building couldn't be mere coincidence. So Isaac nodded, agreeing with Kraden.
Kraden then proceeded to stroke his snow white beard, "Luna and Sol...there must be a secret...but what?"
The three just looked around this room, again taking notice of how stunningly beautiful the statues on each corner were.
"Isaac, could you possibly check farther down that passage?" Kraden asked, and pointed in a direction of yet another passage leading deeper into the sanctum, "Perhaps you may find something there?"
Isaac nodded and beckoned Jenna and Garet to follow.
They discover a flight of stairs leading to another floor in the sanctum. When they arrived at the top, again their breaths were taken away. It was like the previous rooms they had encountered below, however this one looked even more spectacular. Again four elegant statues were placed on the corners of another mosaic of Sol. The mosaic itself was surrounded by crystal clean water, so it looked like a moat of some sort, the sun's rays reflected by the water to illuminate the room, gave the observers a majestic feeling. Past the statues was a breath taking view of what lied behind Mt. Aleph, forests as far as the eye could see, surrounded by mountains.
They looked at the beautiful scenery for a good ten minutes, until Garet ruined the mood: "Now what?"
Okay...SOOOOO SORRY IT TOOK ME THIS LONG...I KINDA HAD WRITERS BLOCK AND SCHOOL WASN'T HELPING EITHER.
Okay I will update soon, this is just part one of two for Sol Sanctum. Review please and let me know if Im doing well, and if I can do better thanks!
Oh by the way I left it off here because it would be extremely long if I had written Sol Sanctum in one chapter...that and I was kinda getting tired about it.
Oh well cya, and Review!
EndlessStrife