Hmm...several people seemed to think that this would be the last chapter.

Crystal: If only they knew...

Mist: How utterly naive. Apparently they haven't figured out just how evil Midnight can be.

...That's not nice.

Mist: Well, someone had to say it since Shade is on "vacation."

When's he due back anyway?

Crystal: They said they'd ship him back to us as soon as he's gotten his aggression under control. Knowing Shade, that could take awhile.

He can take his sweet time. It's a lot easier dealing with only two little hellions!

Mist + Crystal: Hey!

*Miracles*

As the colored beams from the four Lighthouses converged above the towering Mt. Aleph, a familiar figure was hurrying to the summit. Alex scurried the last few feet up the rocky face, panting heavily, and waited for the moment he'd been longing for. He outstretched his arms and laughed as the light of the Golden Sun shone down upon him. Instantly, he felt immense power begin to seep into every inch of his body—power greater than he had ever imagined. The light transformed Mt. Aleph into solid gold, shiny and brilliant.

"At last I have it!" Alex cried triumphantly as the light faded. "Eternal life and limitless power! At last, the power of nature is mine to control as I will!" He raised his arms above his head, ready to try out his newly acquired power. "Rise, storms! Rise up and unleash your might upon Vale and the foothills of Mt. Aleph!"

Much to his surprise, nothing happened. He tried again and still, the winds and waters remained calm, refusing to obey his command. Alex paced, frustrated and curious. "That's odd..." he muttered. "I should have limitless power, so why can't I call up a simple storm?" Once again he pressed his palms skyward. "Listen to me, elements! Obey your rightful master! Unleash your might upon the village of Vale!"

It was then that the Wise One suddenly appeared before him. Alex took a slight step back in fear, then looked annoyed. "Who are you?"

"I am called the Wise One."

"The Wise One? Vale's protector?"

"You wish to have limitless power?" the Wise One inquired.

"Wish to?" Alex scoffed. "I just got it!"

The Wise One blinked its massive eye. "No. Your power is nearly limitless, but it has boundaries."

"Nearly limitless? You speak in riddles. Can't you see? The power is mine!"

"True, your Psynergy is somewhat stronger..." the guardian trailed.

Alex frowned in further annoyance. "If you are trying to anger me, have a little taste of exactly how much power I have attained!" He lifted his hand and his whole body began to glow with blue light. Slowly, he started to force the floating eye-rock away from the mountain. "Look at me!" he laughed. "My body is brimming with power!"

At this, the Wise One suddenly unleashed a mighty blast of Psynergy and smacked Alex to the ground. "You are not all-powerful, Alex," it said. "Your power has its limits, as does your life."

The Mercury Adept couldn't even move, though he was in no pain. "This cannot be!" He tried to get up but couldn't, nor could he cast any Psynergy to heal himself. "Who is responsible for this treachery?!" he demanded. "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 explained. "It rests even now in the hands of young Isaac."

"Isaac?!" Alex thundered, now getting angered beyond comprehension. "That little wretch? Why have you done this? How have you done this?!"

But there was no time for an explanation. Mt. Aleph began to tremble violently as the heavens and the earth reacted to the newly unleashed power of Alchemy. The Wise One looked around a few moments, sensing the cataclysm that was to come. "The heavens and earth are changing, Alex!" it exclaimed. "Mt. Aleph will soon be drawn into the heart of the earth! You must flee or join it forever!"

"Flee?!" Alex cried in both anger and fear. "I can't flee! I can't even move!"

"Ah, yes…" the Wise One said wistfully. "You now see the limits of your power. If you are swallowed by the earth, you may not survive. But if you do survive, perhaps we will meet again someday..." And with those words, the guardian floated away from the great mountain.

Alex could feel the ground beneath him sinking, but there was nothing he could do to fight it. His dream, his long sought desire to become all-powerful, had been shattered by a floating rock and one impudent Venus Adept! But the anger he'd initially felt at this fact waned, and a smile crossed his face. Even as the world beneath him crumbled, he began to laugh. A long, genuine and eerie laugh.

************

"Isaac..."

Darkness spread out before Isaac, swallowing everything. The voice resonated all across the space, beckoning him to come closer, but it was impossible to tell which direction it was coming from. It could be anywhere. He felt no solid ground beneath his feet, like he was floating in water, and it was so cold it was hard to breathe.

"Isaac..."

"Mia?" he asked, recognizing her dulcet tone. "Mia, where are you?"

"Isaac...please stay with me...please don't go!" Even from here, it sounded like she was crying. He whipped around, looking desperately for some sign of her, but there was only darkness.

"Mia, I'm here!" he called. "Don't cry—I'm coming for you!" He tried to move but couldn't. The cold held him suspended in free space, unable to do anything except listen to her faint sobs coming from all directions. There were other muffled voices in the distance too, but he couldn't make out anything they were saying or inflecting. Hers was the only one that reached his ear in perfect clarity. A pulsing 'thump' sound, like a heartbeat, also echoed around him, and he began to feel genuinely afraid. He'd seen a lot of bizarre places in his life but this one was the first to give him such an uneasy feeling.

"Mia, I'm sorry..." he whispered.

Suddenly, an actual light appeared in the distance and it began to get closer and closer, consuming the darkness and apparently ready to consume him as well. There was nothing he could do to escape it. The light was before him. But instead of sucking him in or devouring him, it took on the familiar shape of a large rock with a lone eye. Isaac stared at the guardian in complete surprise.

"Listen carefully to what I must tell you, Isaac," it said.

"What's going on here?" he asked. "Where am I?"

"The flames of the Lighthouses have been ignited once again, and the Golden Sun has risen over Weyard," the Wise One said, purposely ignoring his questions. "If this world is to be protected from human nature, there must be one righteous enough to safeguard Alchemy's power."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"I have imbued the Mars Star with some of the power of the Golden Sun, and this I give to you. As long as you hold this, no individual will be able to claim the unlimited power Alchemy can bestow. Guard it well, young Isaac, lest Weyard be destroyed by the corrupt and the greedy."

A new red light began emanating from within Isaac's chest and he felt warmth returning to him. Radiant, life-saving warmth. Given the immense cold in this void, the sensation from this new heat was incredible. He reveled in it a moment before looking back at the guardian. "Why are you giving this to me?" he questioned. "I defied your orders and ignited the beacons!"

The Wise One was retreating back into the darkness, its voice fading away with it. "Because I believe that you are our light of hope..."

************

Mia tried to rub the sleep from her now very bloodshot eyes again. She sat in the large armchair in the Captain's cabin back on the ship, alternating between losing herself in thought and watching Isaac sleep on the bed beside her. Healer instincts and duty demanded that she do the latter, but she was nearly overwhelmed by fatigue and worry now, so it was difficult to stay focused. She brought her knees up to her chin and sighed.

I just don't understand how Alex could've done this, she thought. How could he have known so much about Alchemy? We didn't have any books about it in all of Imil...only the scant teachings handed down through our Clan. Her eyes watered. How could he betray me this way? As if going behind my back and lighting the Mercury Beacon weren't enough, he wanted to obtain the full power of the Golden Sun too! He used to say I was the most important thing to him...so why would he hurt me this way? A tear escaped from her eye. I guess it was just words. Now I don't think I ever mattered to him. It was all a lie.

She looked over at Isaac, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he slept on. Even when he didn't say a word, his mere presence made her feel somewhat better. But it was hard to ignore the huge scar the Doom Dragon's attack had left behind. Isaac had already accumulated several scars all over his body from various injuries he'd sustained throughout their journey, but those all seemed insignificant compared to the massive pink mark spanning the length of his chest. Mia wrinkled her forehead and moved to sit on the bed, taking his hand. I blame Alex for this, she thought. He may not have created that monster, but he's the one who wanted to twist all of our good intentions into something dangerous. I will never forgive him for that. And I'll never forgive him for what happened to you, Isaac.

"Please wake up soon, Isaac," she whispered, laying her head on his chest. "Come back to me..."

One often feels a certain floating, dreamy sensation when coming out of a deep sleep. It was a pleasant, relaxed sort of feeling, and Isaac found himself slowly and rather unwillingly falling back into reality. But he could not resist the siren's call. Whether awake or asleep, he would know that voice anywhere. He opened his eyes.

"Mia..." he whispered, seeing her angelic face above him. She smiled and a veil of worry lifted from her expression.

"Welcome back." She inched closer. "You have to stop doing this to me, Isaac. At this rate, I'm going to be gray and wrinkled before my twentieth birthday from worry!"

He laughed slightly and took in what he could see of his surroundings. The wooden walls, the small circular windows, the wooden table and chairs, and the large bed he lay in. "I'm on the ship?" he asked in surprise. "How'd I get back here?"

"We brought you here, of course," Mia replied. "There wasn't much point in hanging around Prox, and the others were anxious to get going, so we decided to start back for Vale once you seemed to be on the mend." She paused a moment, demanding her voice to remain steady. "You lost a great deal of blood from that injury you sustained. You probably can't tell the difference, but you've been out for almost two days." She lowered her voice to barely a whisper and a few tears rolled down her face. "For awhile I thought you were going to leave me."

Isaac gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry, Mia. I didn't mean to make you worry."

"I know." She propped him up on the pillows so he could sit. "How do you feel?"

"A bit tired but otherwise not bad. I've certainly been worse off, and it's always invigorating knowing I'm in the hands of the world's greatest healer."

Mia smiled again. "You're very good at making sure all my healing skills stay in top form. You're not allowed to get hurt anymore because I need a vacation!"

"Yes ma'am!" Isaac said in feigned fear. "I'll be good, I promise!"

"Glad to hear it. I think we've both earned a little rest from all this adventuring. It'll be nice to go back to living a quiet, peaceful life and put all of this chaos behind us for good."

"Felix did light the beacon, didn't he?"

"Yes. That's one of the reasons why everyone wanted to head back to Vale. We could see the beams of red, blue and purple light heading south towards Mt. Aleph, and those would form the Golden Sun like the Wise One said."

Isaac looked away towards the wall. "It's over, then," he whispered. "It's really over..." He touched his chest briefly and wondered if he had dreamed that message from the Wise One or if it had been real. It was hard to tell. It all seemed a part of some horrible nightmare, one that he was still living. The images of the battle against the Doom Dragon began to rapidly seep back into his mind, bringing tears to his eyes. "I never thought it would end this way."

Mia squeezed his hand. "Isaac..."

"I guess this is my punishment for defying the Wise One. I should be a man and take it, but..." He looked back to Mia helplessly. "...It hurts, Mia."

She hugged him. "Isaac, there's something you should know...about your father..."

"What else is there to know, Mia? I killed him! I picked up my sword and I killed him—my own father! How can I justify that?"

"Well..."

The sound of a knock on the door interrupted her. She got up and opened it a crack to see who was there. "Excuse me a moment," she said over her shoulder, and she stepped out and shut the door. Isaac could hear the muffled voices beyond, but he didn't care to try and discern what they were saying. He clutched his knees and scrubbed at his eyes, fighting the heartache that was splitting him apart. The pain he'd felt after the boulder incident seemed like a pinprick compared to what he felt now. To think that for all these sorrowful years his father had been alive and waiting to come home, and now...now he was really gone...and it was all his fault! His fault.

Mia came back in. "Isaac, do you think you're up for a visitor? I don't want to push you if you don't feel well enough."

"It would suit me if I never saw the light of day again," he muttered. "Whoever it is, tell them I'm still asleep."

"Well, I won't force you, but I really think this is one visitor you'll want to see. You'll be pleasantly surprised."

Probably Garet with some fool prank up his sleeve, he thought. But to Mia, he said, "Whatever. Let them in." He kept his eyes averted from the door as he tried to swallow his tears. Mia giggled very softly as she ushered in the visitor, though he couldn't imagine what would make her laugh at a time like this.

"All right, Isaac," she said. "Brace yourself."

Nothing could've prepared him for what he saw when he looked up. The shock paralyzed him completely and he could not move nor speak nor think. All he could do was stare wide-eyed at the figure before him. It simply couldn't be...it was impossible!

"What's the matter, son?" Kyle asked, smiling. "Did you see a ghost?"

"Dad..." Isaac trailed, his voice barely audible. "But that's...it can't...you're...!"

"I warned you to brace yourself," Mia mused as she grinned ear to ear.

Dazed, Isaac slowly stumbled out of bed, despite Mia's protests, and took hold of his father's arms. Even when he made that physical contact, it still didn't quite register that he was touching something real and not dreaming or hallucinating. And coherent speech still eluded him. "You're...is it really you?"

Kyle nodded. "Hello, Isaac."

At that point, the realization finally clicked and Isaac threw his arms around his father, simultaneously laughing and choking back happy tears. "You're alive! You're really alive!" Kyle didn't say anything, but he was also emitting the same sort of laugh under his breath. Mia watched the two of them, still grinning madly and getting a bit misty-eyed herself. She could almost see the weights of sorrow and loss roll off of Isaac's shoulders. After nearly four years apart, four years of waiting, wondering, mourning and longing, father and son were at last reunited.

"I…I don't understand," Isaac said when he'd finally collected his wits enough to think straight. "How can this be? The Doom Dragon…"

"Alchemy's power created a miracle," said Mia. "Or at least that's Kraden's guess. When Felix lit the beacon, it released intense levels of Psynergy—more than you could ever imagine. And since Kyle's an Adept, he absorbed some of that power and it restored his life. A little Mercury magic was all it took to get him back on his feet."

"And Jenna's parents," Isaac began. "They're alive too?"

"Yes," Kyle said. "We're all here and accounted for. I dare say that the three of us came away from that fight in better shape than you did."

"As a healer, I'd have to agree on that." Mia gave a feigned glare of contempt to her fiancé. "I can honestly say that you'd die without me around to watch over you!"

Isaac laughed again, unable to help himself. It was all so impossibly wonderful! "I'd never deny that I'd be lost without you, Mia." He hugged his father again. "I just can't believe it. You're really here—you're really OK!"

"It is rather miraculous, isn't it?" Kyle inquired. He squeezed his son, a small part of him not believing that this young man was the same offspring he'd helped bring into this world so long ago. He wasn't just older—he seemed different in other ways too. "I've missed you, Isaac. You've grown so much since the last time I saw you."

"I've missed you too," Isaac whispered. "More than you'll ever know."

Rough footsteps were coming down the hallway and a shrill female voice was coming with them. "Mia! You're coming out of that room even if I have to drag you out by your ears!" Jenna appeared in the doorway. "The stale air isn't good for you—oh! Isaac, you're awake!"

"Hi, Jenna. I see you're back in your usual spirits too."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"Nothing."

Jenna made a face. "Lucky for you I'm in a good mood and I'm willing to let that slide." She smiled and threw her arms around Isaac. "Can you believe that we're really heading home? And that everything turned out so perfectly?"

"We don't know that for sure, Jenna," Mia said. "We don't know what's been going on in Vale since the Lighthouses were lit."

"But the Wise One warned people away from Mt. Aleph, remember?" said Jenna. "Everything will be fine. Vale will be exactly as we left it and everyone will be there to greet us. I can't wait!"

"It'll be good to get back home," Kyle mused. "Part of me was starting to forget Vale." He laughed a bit. "I think Dora will be surprised to see me!"

"Dad, I don't think 'surprised' is quite the right word."

"More like completely blown away," Jenna giggled. "I can practically see the look on her face!"

Isaac sat on the edge of the bed and thought about home. The word seemed to carry more meaning now. How long have I been gone? he wondered. I lost track of the weeks after that chaos at the Venus Lighthouse. What had been going on in Vale during this whole affair? And what about his mother? He creased his forehead in worry as he recollected the last time he'd seen her, during a brief visit to Vale on his journey.

***Flashback***

With a lump in his throat, Isaac slowly opened the door to his house and quietly slipped inside while his friends stayed behind. Dora was asleep in her bed looking wan and frail, worse than he'd imagined from what Garet's parents had said. He went to her side and shook her gently until she stirred.

"Dinnertime already, Ida?" she muttered.

"No, Mom," Isaac said. "It's me."

Dora sat bolt upright and stared at her son as if he were a ghost or a figment of her imagination. Then she threw her arms around him and squeezed him tightly. Isaac couldn't remember the last time she'd hugged him like this.

"Oh, Isaac!" she exclaimed. "I can't believe you're really here! I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too. How are you feeling?"

"A lot better now. I've been a bit under the weather, but it's nothing a little rest won't cure." She smiled. "Isaac, you don't know how good it is to finally have you home safe and sound. Now we can put all this silly Alchemy business behind us and live normal lives again."

Isaac stayed silent. He wasn't quite sure how to break it to his mother that he had to leave again. It was so good to be back in his own house, but he couldn't help but feel guilty knowing that he'd broken that promise.

"What is it?" Dora asked, sensing something behind his silence. "You are finished your journey, right?"

"Well, nearly done," Isaac replied with a faint grin. "We were just in the area, so Garet thought it would be nice to come back for a visit. And then Ida said you were sick and..."

"...And you got worried, right?" she finished for him. He nodded slowly and she frowned. "Did you forget about the promise you made before you left?"

"No, of course not, but I–"

"You thought it was all right to go back on your word because you were worried about me," she said, her voice rising a little. "I'm very disappointed in you, Isaac. You can't go around breaking your promises just out of fear or worry. A man is only as good as his word, remember?"

His father's personal mantra—how could he forget? "Mom, I didn't want to go back on my word, but there wasn't any way I could concentrate on my quest knowing you were ill. Please don't be mad."

"I am mad!" Dora declared. "How could you hurt me this way? Getting my hopes up that you're finally home and then telling me you have to leave again? What would your poor father say if he were here to see this?"

Isaac shrank away from her, suddenly feeling very small and very hurt. She hadn't yelled at him like this since he was little and he hadn't taken it well then either. He'd always hated having either of his parents mad at him, and now that his mother was his only family, it seemed to hurt more. Couldn't she see that that was the reason why he'd broken his promise—that he couldn't bear the thought of losing her too? He never should've come back home, not if it meant having her hate him.

She seemed to soften her demeanor a bit. "You don't need to waste your time worrying about me," she said as she stood up. "I'm fine, see? I'm willing to forgive you if you head back out that door and promise not to return until you've finished your quest. We'll just forget this whole thing happened, OK?"

"Are you sure you're all right?" he asked softly.

"Right as rain," Dora assured him. "Now run along, Isaac. I'll see you when you get back." Without another word, she turned and went into the kitchen. Isaac's heart sank to his feet. She didn't even say goodbye.

***End Flashback***

"What's the matter, Isaac?" his father asked.

"Nothing," he said absently. "I was just…thinking…about the last time I saw Mom. It seems like ages ago."

Mia vividly remembered that trip to Vale, even though it had been months ago. While she hadn't witnessed what passed between Isaac and his mother that day, she knew it hadn't been anything good. He'd been depressed for days afterwards and refused to speak about it. She could see the same expression he'd worn back then returning to his face now.

"You homesick, Isaac?" Jenna teased.

"Jenna!" Mia shot a warning glance that instantly silenced the Mars Adept. Isaac forced a smile.

"I guess I am," he said.

"Well don't worry," said Jenna. "We're sailing as fast as we can towards Angara. We'll be there before you know it and then everything in our lives can go back to normal! And I'll bet the villagers will throw us a huge party too—one that will last for days!"

Mia smiled helplessly, shaking her head. "Jenna, you're just too much."

"Am I?" she asked innocently. "Well, I came in here with a purpose and that was to drag you outside for some air. You've been in this room since we left, and now that Isaac's fine, you need to relax." She grabbed Mia's hand. "Come on!"

"But I—"

"No buts! And you should hurry up and join us too, Isaac! Everyone will want to see you." And Jenna left, dragging a very reluctant Mia behind her and shutting the door of the cabin.

"It's good to see Jenna hasn't lost a drop of her fiery spirit," Kyle said.

Isaac rose and pulled the rest of his clothes back on, his mind still greatly muddled with everything that had happened. It was a lot to absorb and it felt very much like he was still asleep and would be jerked awake at any moment. As he tied his scarf, he turned back around very slowly to face the thin man now sitting on the edge of the bed. Their eyes met and for a moment, all was silent.

"There is something on your mind," said Kyle. "I can tell."

"I'm worried about Mom. The last time I saw her was months ago, and she was sick..."

"Your mother's a lot tougher than you give her credit for. You'll see—she'll be just fine when we get home."

"You say that with such certainty."

"Well you can't be married to a woman for so many years and not know a few things about her." There was something rather enigmatic about Kyle's warm smile, but his son couldn't put his finger on it. "But that's not the only thing you're worried about, is it?"

"No, it's nothing, really," Isaac said with a forced guffaw. He fidgeted with the end of his scarf, a mix of emotions fighting for control over him. There was the anxiety and sadness he felt over his previous visit with his mother combined with the relief, joy, confusion and strange unease he felt at being here with his father. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel. Kyle was sitting just a few feet from him but it seemed like he was thousands of miles away; a rift four years wide. He made himself stop fidgeting and cautiously looked back up.

"Nothing, huh?" Kyle inquired, lifting one eyebrow. "Your expression indicates otherwise from this angle. You never were very good at lying, Isaac." He chuckled. "And for that I'm grateful, because it made it very easy to tell when you'd gotten yourself into trouble!"

Isaac smiled a genuine smile. "Which was very unfortunate for Garet, since he was always my accomplice." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I just can't believe you're really here. It's like a dream I had over and over again. I keep thinking that..." He swallowed hard. "...That I'll wake up...or that if I blink or look away you'll disappear."

Kyle shook his head. "This is coming from the hardened warrior who risked everything to save the world. It's good to see that your journey didn't change you completely. But I assure you I'm not going anywhere." He stood up and approached his son, placing his hands on his shoulders. "I know it's strange. We've missed out on a lot of time together—time that we'll never be able to get back. But we've been given a second chance, Isaac, and I for one don't intend to waste a moment of it."

"Me either," Isaac found himself saying. He smiled again. Improbable or not, he couldn't have asked for a better outcome for his journey. If he didn't know better, he'd swear that the gods had chosen to reward him for his struggle.

"Come on then," said Kyle as he rumpled Isaac's hair. "No sense in staying cooped up in here for the rest of this trip. Let's go join the others."

"Right." He followed his father out of the cabin and down the narrow corridors towards the main deck of the ship. As they approached the last door, Isaac heard something distinctive in the distance; a rich, full sound he hadn't had the pleasure of hearing in years yet would still know anywhere.

It was the sound of Felix's laughter.

--------------------------------------------------

Mist: How touching.

Crystal: Does this mean everything's going to be all warm and fuzzy for the rest of the story?

Not saying. I can't give my plot bunnies away, you know!

Mist + Crystal: Figures.

Oh, and before I forget I should mention that I carried the names for Jenna's parents and Garet's parents over from "The Silent Angel's Decree." Uncreative, perhaps, but I hate thinking up new names! That's all for now—I'll get to work on chapter 11 post-haste!