Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun (2) or any other persons/places/things associated with it. That's all owned by Camelot. I created the story line you are reading from the deep, dark recesses of my mind. Pretty cool huh?

A/N: Holy smokes I updated! A lot sooner then I thought too… Well, here you go guys. The next installment. Okay, now I can almost say for absolute certainty… We're nearing the last few chapters. Probably three more at the most, after that, All done! However… Until we cross that road… Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXX

Chapter 20: Art of War

The red sun burned the skies over the valleys of Mt. Aleph as Isaac and his crew made their way to the foot hills of the mountain. The freezing night had thawed away as the sun crept slowly into the sky. A small pillar of smoke rose with the sun as well and acted as Isaac's guide.

"There're just over this last hill…" he whispered to the others.

Everyone merely nodded as their weapons were drawn as quietly as possible. Isaac took the lead and crept slowly over the hill. As his eyes were allowed passage to the small plain below, two make shift tents near the tree line that began a forest and a dead fire consumed his vision.

"Alright… everyone pair up with your elements. Felix, Piers, you two protect Kraden…"

Silent nodes came from their heads as they did what Isaac asked. With quick but quiet motions, the groups of adepts had encased the small camp.

Isaac turned to look at them all, each of them giving silent confirmation in their eyes that they were ready.

'Well…' thought Isaac, 'here we go…'

He raised his hand and a large blast of Whirlwind tore through the camp, lifting the tents up and into the skies and out of sight. The adepts braced for an attack as the smoke and dust cleared, but instead were greeted by empty dwellings.

"Expecting to make a surprise attack?" asked Alex who walked casually out of the tree line. "I must admit Isaac, I expected so much more from you…"

Isaac's hands clenched tighter around his sword.

"And I see you've paired up almost all of the adepts into their respective elements that also happen to be their lovers… Are you saying that the bond they share… 'Love'… helps strengthen their resolve and psynergy?"

A slight growl was heard although it was impossible to say who it had come from. The air grew tense as everyone stood their ground waiting for Alex to make his move.

"Because I can say with all honesty Isaac… Love… is what killed Mia…"

The tenseness died instantly as shocked faces looked into the eyes of the one they all hated.

"You're… lying!" growled Isaac, his body leaking psynergy.

"I am not… I'll take you to her… however, the others will stay…"

Isaac didn't need to turn around in order to see how his team mates reacted. Ivan and Sheba were practically screaming at his mind to stop him from thinking what he was. Garet, Jenna, Saturos and Menardi were both consumed in their own flames, the heat licking at Isaac's exposed skin. Piers was emitting frigid blasts of air, wanting to drain the life out of Alex. Felix was the only one he couldn't feel, but he knew what he was thinking.

"Fine…" Isaac said, a mental uproar following his response. "I'll follow you, but you must promise that you won't harm them."

"Done…" Alex remarked without missing a beat, and turned towards the trees.

Isaac looked at Alex with malice before following, not looking back at his companions who were nearly begging him to stay. However, not even they could hinder Isaac, for soon both he and Alex disappeared into the trees.

"Great, now what do we do?" complained Garet.

Jenna was almost in tears. She understood why Isaac left them, but it was reckless without someone else going with him.

"We wait…" she said quietly.

"For what?" snapped Garet.

"We wait for Isaac to return…"

Everyone fell silent, each adept knowing that the chances of that were slim.

"So, I guess we just sit and wait here then…" muttered Garet.

Ivan looked around, his eyes settling on the area of the grey mist.

"Guys…" he murmured. "We've got company…"

Their heads turned in the direction of Ivan's and watched intently. After a few moments of nothing, Garet spoke up.

"Even you're jumpy Ivan! Don't scare us like that!"

They all started to lower their guard when a low, but clearly audible tone was heard, like the sound of a slow beating drum. Its pace didn't quicken, but the sound became noticeably louder. The adepts looked every which way in hopes of pinpointing the source, each one ending up staring at the top of the hill before them. Shapes appeared at the top, hundreds of moving objects.

Felix stepped forward, his sword raised. "So that's what hid in the mist…"

All sorts of different creatures came walking, limping, flapping and stumbling towards the group of nine. All bearing some type of weapon if there bodies couldn't be used as such, slowly descending towards the nine companions with Felix standing between them.

"So be it…" he murmured, barely audible to the others. He raised his hand and it glowed a brilliant yellow. The ground shook with tremendous force, making the other adepts reset their footing. In an instant the once grassy, smooth hillside became a mixture of upturned earth, mud and gravel. The drum like march had died down, but it didn't cease.

"What in the world is going on!" shouted Garet, his head now darting this way and that in hopes to find the enemy before they found him.

"It's an army!" shouted Kraden as the clanging and clashing of weapons was heard all around them. "Alex summoned an army of monsters!"

"But how?" asked Menardi, her scythe raised and ready.

"It doesn't matter now…" said Felix standing tall. "What matters is that we fight, and get rid of all of them. Alex took Isaac away from us for a reason. It was to make us vulnerable… Now we show him why we are not what he thinks we are!"

XXXXXXXXX

Isaac and Alex were now deep in the forested area. Alex was moving faster then Isaac thought possible and was struggling to keep up. Eventually they came to a small clearing and Isaac ventured to guess that he was a long ways away from his friends. The distance however did not silence the clashing of weapons.

"The others!" Isaac panted, as he whirled around and looked in the direction of the noise.

"Yes… the others…" Alex said with a hint of pride. "The others are now being massacred by the… small… army I've gathered. Those whose minds are already poisoned by my influence are quite easy to control you know…"

Their eyes met,"You promised me! You promised that you wouldn't harm them!"

"My dear boy… I am not harming them. I can't help it if my friends are a little jumpy. They had nothing to eat for a few days you know… they must be awfully hungry…"

Isaac instinctively started making his way back, but before he could get three steps from where he turned around, Alex was standing in front of him.

"You do realize that if you go back Mia will surely be dead if she isn't already… Of course this means you have to choose between the lives of your friends… and the one you love…"

Isaac's face didn't change shape at Alex's words but on the inside he was keeling over. He knew that if he left to help them, Mia would certainly die, while if he helped Mia, all of his friends would be in danger. Isaac's eyes flashed a different color for a moment before he turned around and stiffly walked in the original direction.

"Good…" muttered Alex and Isaac's psynergy jumped a few levels.

They once again started the quick pace that Alex had set before. A good amount of time had passed since the clashing of metal was heard, which was now a slight murmur. The two adepts came into a clearing deep in the forest with Mia lying on the ground.

"Mia!" Isaac yelled as he ran over to her and began applying Potent Cure.

"She put up quite the fight Isaac. She only looks the way she does because she couldn't fight back early this morning…"

"What did you do…" Isaac growled as more psynergy was dumped into Mia.

"Me? All I tried was a little… interrogation… You see my dear friend, if Mercury psynergy is channeled a certain way, the water that forms becomes like knives when it touches your skin…"

Alex's laughter wasn't acknowledged as Isaac studied Mia's body. If Alex was lying, her body was saying otherwise. Paper thin cuts were everywhere, her clothes were torn and her cloak was missing. To be blunt, Mia didn't look like Mia for the first few moments he was there. After awhile, her body started looking normal again as Isaac's anger continued to rise.

"Alex I swear you're going to pay for…"

Isaac stopped in mid sentence because Alex was no longer there. A loud cry of anger sounded through the forest as Isaac forced even more psynergy into Mia.

'No… He took me away from the others… He knew they would die if I left… but then Mia would…'

His mind raced as he looked at Mia's frame which was back to the way he remembred it. He was truly torn as both rage and sorrow ran through his veins. Death to Mia had he not come for he was now there, but because of his leaving, death was now dealt to his friends. A ring of psynergy started to trace its way on the ground around the two adepts as a golden glow encased Isaac, his eyes dividing into the four elemental colors. A rush of air surged into the trees, making birds from all over take flight over the now empty clearing. Isaac and Mia had disappeared.

XXXXXXXXX

"Super Nova!" called Garet and Saturos and the resulting psynergy eliminated half of the visible enemies, but more just took their place.

"It's endless!" called Garet as his sword found its way into the gut of an undead.

"We keep fighting!" called Felix who swung hard at a warrior mouse, cleaving it in two. "We… I… do not accept this… This isn't our end!"

The sudden aggression that Felix was showing silenced all of his friends, even the creatures temporarily stopped to behold the angry Felix, something never before seen.

His eyes burned like fire as yellow psynergy ripped around him tearing the ground apart. The hilt of his sword was clenched tight as the blade began to glow with his body. A loud piercing noise was heard, for the blade was resonating. The creatures advanced towards Felix who was now completely encased in yellow flames, his eyes glowing yellow orbs.

"Try this… Titan's Blade!"

A massive sword appeared behind him, glowing and riddled with yellow lightning. Felix raised his own sword as the one behind him began moving towards the mass of foes before it. In a quick downward thrust of his own blade the gigantic sword of psynergy rocketed through the enemy ranks, taking out everything in its path and incinerating anything unfortunate enough to be close.

Felix stood panting as the sword disappeared and more enemies then before came and took the places of the fallen.

"Felix!" shouted Saturos as he watched Felix collapse on his knees, the creatures surrounding the exhausted warrior.

In a heroic attempt, Saturos charged at the oncoming line and with his long sword cutting away at everything that he passed. An encounter with an earth gollum sped up his progress for it grabbed him and threw him into Felix, knocking the wind out of both of them.

"Saturos!" yelled Menardi getting everyone's attention. They all instinctively started making their way to their fallen comrades. Menardi's eyes went from fear to anger as her eyes burned red, so did the enemies around her. Jenna and Garet took turns in melee combat while the other blasted everything else with Flare Wall. Sheba and Ivan exhibited the more powerful psynergy attacks. Waves of plasma tore through the enemy ranks as all the heroes made their way towards Felix and Saturos.

XXXXXXXXX

"I must… get help…" panted Kraden as he ran the from the battle field. Before Felix had gotten himself into the fix that everyone was now trying to get him out of, he told Kraden to find aid if possible. He was nearing Vale when a voice came out from behind him.

"And where do you think you're going Kraden?"

Kraden's eyes went wide, "Alex!" He turned around hoping his ears were deceiving him, however there stood Alex, a slight gold glow to his body.

"You see Kraden? Raging war is like trying to figure out how to climb the lighthouses… You just need to understand what makes things tick…"

"What do you mean?" asked Kraden, his own small sword drawn.

Alex laughed, "The greatest weakness of any power… is the power itself… I knew that if Isaac stayed with you, his small group would overpower my entire army of… loyal subjects… So… I separated you… Come now, even you, a scholar, can appreciate the strategies I have implicated. It is… the Art of War… sophisticated and yet ridiculously simplistic. Remove the leader… and hopelessness and despair takes over. You can not win Kraden. Even if Isaac were to return, my monsters are too numerous. The Grey Mists continuously summon and conjure monsters of worthy caliber… Once I'm finished with you… I'll take my war to Weyard and all the free peoples in it… No one stands a chance against the power of the Golden Sun! Once I implicate my final plan, nothing will stop me!"

Kraden merely looked at Alex in horror, a realization coming to him that he never thought possible.

"We're… going… to…"

"WIN!" shouted voices from what seemed like everywhere.

Slowly, adepts, tribesman, and wolves left the tree lines that surrounded Kraden and Alex.

"Sleep! Delude!" yelled two voices. The spells flew towards their intended target and hit him hard. Alex fell over, a mist covering his eyes and asleep.

"Hamma! Fiezhi! What are you doing here?" asked a bewildered Kraden

"Does that mean you do not wish for our aid?" asked Maha who joined them.

"Master Maha! You are here too?"

"Many of us have come Kraden, for we do not want the heir of the King to fight for Weyard alone…" said Hydros as he, Akafubu, Susa and Moapa walked out into the clearing.

Kraden's face went from one of utter surprise to growing confidence. "We… We do have a chance…! Quickly everyone, the others are in danger!"

With that Kraden turned and ran back towards the battle, the ground humming behind him as the army of Weyard came to greet Alex's own.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Keep fighting!" yelled Jenna as she swung her staff and it found its mark.

"There's so many!" called Menardi. "How are we supposed to beat them all?"

"One at a time!" answered Saturos as he blocked an attack on Felix.

The adepts were pinned down, enemies surrounded them. All of them were back to back, fending for each other.

"Alright… this is it…" said Ivan, accepting the reality of what was to come. He grabbed Sheba's hand and held it tight. Her eyes flew to meet his, a look of understanding sweeping over them moments later.

They lowered their weapons, their eyes dead set on the creatures before them.

"Ivan! Sheba! What are you doing!" called Saturos, but he got his answer.

The two Jupiter adepts started glowing a brilliant violet, lightning streaking from their fingertips.

"We are all heirs to a great legacy… We would do our ancestors wrong… if we don't leave this world without taking as many of them with us as we can…"

Ivan's words cut through the remaining resolve of the group. In that instant they came to understand… they weren't going to make it.

"Sheba and I are going to unleash all of our psynergy at once, after that… it will be up to you guys to clean up what's left…"

Lightning now traveled around Ivan and Sheba as if they were one, Plasma forming in the sky. Just as they were about to unleash everything they had, a loud roar was heard from over the hill the adepts had first come down. The noise redirected Ivan and Sheba's powers, thus canceling what they were about to do.

Ivan squinted his eyes as a figure stood on the top of the hill, a bluish cloak blowing in the wind. His eyes opened wide as he realized who it was. "Hydros!"

Although Ivan could not see, Hydros was smiling.

"So… the King has gone to save the one he loves…" He shook his head and laughed. "No point in living if the one who gives you life leaves you…" Hydros turned his head to look behind and shouted his next words.

"Which is why we have come! To protect the ones the king holds dear, so that his life may not end!"

A call for blood echoed throughout the valley as Hydros revealed his weapon, a blue staff that looked as if it held the waters of the ocean, churning and begging to be released. More objects appeared on the hill, forming a long line that encompassed the entire hill top.

"Now… People of Weyard! WE FIGHT!"

A battle cry was heard and the warriors readied themselves for the blood shed that was inevitable. Hydros raised his staff slightly above the ground, and the world became deathly quite.

"Feel the might… of the Waters of Lemuria…"

He brought his staff down hard onto the ground and it split apart. From the spot that the staff had touched, water sprang up and out of the ground. It continued to build into a small wave that flew down the hill only to wash over some of the creatures. When the waters receded the enemy laughed a bone splitting laugh at Hydros' small display of psynergy. He only smiled as he brought his staff back into the air, now glowing a brilliant blue and a roar of thunder now being heard. The creatures looked all around to see what was coming, eventually beholding the tidal wave that was roaring over the mountains to greet them. The wave spilt apart to allow safe passage for the adepts on the plain. The waters rushed over the entire area and as they receded, bodies lie everywhere.

"Hydros… you… did it!" cried Kraden.

Hydros looked over the opposing hill and saw the mist was still there, a louder, more deafening sound of drum beats now echoing through the mountains.

Hydros turned to look at Kraden whose face became sullen.

"No Kraden… This is but the beginning…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Isaac reappeared at the edge of the tree line with Mia in his arms. The carnage that greeted him was unreal. Everything looked as if a storm had come and gone and dumped massive amounts of water on the world before him. Isaac smiled lightly as he saw everyone was still okay and there were others who had come to fight. From what he could tell Hydros lead the others in a charge down the hill. It must have been quite a sight, for now Isaac's followers and those of Alex now intermingled.

His smile faded.

He watched for a moment as he saw the armies from the mists overwhelm many of those who came to help. His side was loosing, and now Felix's group was again surrounded, this time with Hydros, Susa, Fiezhi and everyone else. He laid Mia down against a tree, out of the sight of the sharpest eyes. He ran his hand across her face, pushing her hair out of her closed eyes.

"Don't worry Mia… I will end this… and we can all finally live in the peace we all fought for when we lit Mars…"

With that he stepped out of the trees, his eyes still cut in fours by the colors of the elements. He drew his sword and the sky darkened and everyone took notice of the large glowing ball of psynergy making its way towards the battle.

"Isaac!" called Ivan, everyone's eyes going wide at the power he was displaying. Half of the creatures that had surrounded Felix's group tore away from them and the rest of the battle to fight against Isaac. He stopped, bringing his sword to his right, he held it as if he was just going to swing it like a stick. The creatures were in range, Isaac's face was directed down and staring at the ground as the army of monsters now surrounded him. They were about to run him through and through, but he brought his gaze up to look at them and silence filled their ranks. His eyes were now golden, the sword glowing the same color as his eyes. He brought the sword up and with a slashing motion swung at the creatures in front of him. The blade never touched any other them, but the psynergy that the sword unleashed cut through four, five ranks before another followed it. He swung the blade as if cornered in every possible angle, touching nothing, but killing everything that got caught in the psynergy.

Another loud roar came from the remaining defenders of Weyard as they acknowledged Isaac's presence and continued hacking away on their own. The fight continued like this for a time, Isaac's group finally showing signs of victory when all the creatures suddenly stopped. They withdrew from the battle and formed a large circle to encompass those who were left from Isaac's party.

"What do you think their doing?" asked Maha, his claws and teeth stained with blood.

"I don't know," replied Hydros, "Jupiter adepts, what do you sense?"

Ivan, Sheba, Hamma, and Fiezhi shut their eyes, all four bodies encased by psynergy.

Isaac walked over to them, a slight smile on his face, but not loosing his serious look.

"What's going on Hydros?"

"I'm not sure… perhaps they can tell us… What do you sense?"

The four adepts' eyes all shot open at once,

"ALEX!"

A loud thunder crack announced his arrival to the battle. He stood on the hilltop that Hydros did awhile before. A look beyond words pierced the minds of Isaac and his friends, a rush of wind and lightning greeting them. His eyes held a distinctive red outline and the markings on his face seemed to pulse psynergy, however his voice indicated he was still the same Alex, only very angry.

"So… You think you can come back here and just simply beat me and my army down without any trouble at all?"

Isaac held his sword, positioned and ready to attack Alex once given the chance. He looked at Alex with utter hatred, and Alex was quite surprised to see a smirk forming on his face.

"Actually… Alex… That's exactly what we intend to do…"

Alex's laughter was unreal, it sounded human and yet devilish at the same time.

"Fine… Show me what you got!"

Both bodies of the adepts disappeared.

"Where'd they go?" yelled Garet looking widely around.

A ways away half of the mountain side erupted in stone and water, followed by trees falling here and there and the sky turning black with thunder clouds.

"There're moving so fast…" muttered Ivan who seemed to be following the events.

"You can see them?" asked Hydros, nearly as stunned as the others.

"Only by focusing all my psynergy into finding their positions, yes… But to me, I only see shapes and slivers in space. They're moving so fast…"

Another mound of dirt followed by a rush of water erupted from near by.

"Unbelievable…" uttered Felix.

Isaac and Alex were thrashing at each other, sword against sword, psynergy against psynergy.

"You… won't win!" yelled Isaac.

"I already have…" replied Alex.

They both stopped suddenly and appeared in front of Isaac's group startling everyone but Ivan.

"Mia is as good as dead…"

Alex turned towards the direction where Mia's body was lying and Isaac's eyes went wide.

"NO!" he yelled as he put all his speed, power and ability into his feet.

He was behind Alex by a few yards, the line of trees right before them when suddenly Alex turned around and threw everything he had into a well placed punch that sent Isaac flying. He caught up with Isaac's body and Isaac was barely able to dodge the attacks as the sword cut into him. They both ended up relatively close to where they began before. Alex held out his hand and plasma arched from it only to meet a stunned Isaac. The screams of pain seemed to last hours and then died as Alex smiled with a look of content; Isaac was exhausted.

He was about to finish him when a blue glow encased Isaac, his wounds beginning to heal.

He reeled around to find Mia standing with the others, her hand outstretched and glowing.

"Grrrr… I should have killed you when I had all those chances!"

"Too bad you didn't…" Mia replied calmly.

Alex turned around to face Isaac who was now standing, but barely. Alex's smile returned to his face.

"You don't stand a chance Isaac… Your body may be healed, but you have exhausted so much psynergy…"

Isaac was panting hard, his psynergy levels were low. He was about to say something when he felt a familiar feeling.

Alex's smile lessened when psynergy began pouring out of Isaac, his strength was returning.

Isaac was frantically searching both physically and mentally for the reason behind the power growing within him, unsure if Alex was doing something or if his friends had a trick up their sleeves. His answer came from within his mind in the form of a familiar voice.

'Isaac… We're back…'

XXXXXXXXXX

A/N: Well… that's it for now… Before I forget again like I did before, thanks to everyone who read and review and to those especially who wished me well in college. You guys are the best! I want to know how I did with this chapter. I can't help but feel as if this one wasn't as good as the others. Let me know!