Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun. Obviously.

A/N: Rating changed for violence.

Lord Destroyer, the answer is yes.

We had returned to town after defeating another monster. An old couple greeted us happily.

"So, warriors, tell me, where are you headed?" the man asked.

"Um, toward Lama Temple." I answered, surprised. Why did the old man care?

"There should be a passage that leads west at the bottom of the mine." he informed us.

I was filled with new vigor. I marched over to the armor shop to spend some of our hard-earned coins.

"Look! The final entrance!" exclaimed Mia after we exited. She pointed wildly at a cave.

I climbed down the ladder quickly and dashed over to the cavern. There was a door right in front of us, but it was blocked by a gigantic rock. I rushed to the right.

Through another door, into a gloomier looking room. Then into another, brighter, one.

The tracks I'd been following ended, but the passage continued. I reached a split.

"Which one?" wondered Ivan.

"Right." I said on a hunch. I followed the passage.

Another split. I took right again. Three more of the aquatic creatures faced us at the edge of a turn.

I grinned. I leaped forward with my rapier, and took on all three.

"Great." Garet commented as we passed the unconscious monsters.

Into another dimly lit room.

"Look!" Mia exclaimed again. She gestured to a ledge where a Mercury Djinni sat. We couldn't reach it now.

"We'll get it in a minute." I assured her cheerily.

I Moved a pillar; Garet Froze a puddle.

Flip the switch, hop, hop. I went around the room cheerfully. We would get to the temple. We would catch up to Saturos and Menardi.

Get in the cart, lean forward. We reached the Djinni.

"I'll do it!" it cried with resolution. "I'll fight those Adepts! I will become an attack Djinni!"
I exchanged a glance with Garet. He looked skeptical. The Djinni tossed itself at us.

Garet stepped easily out of the way. The Djinni looked angry.

Flint! I summoned mentally.

Flint zoomed forward. Gust spun towards the Mercury Djinni. Fever faintly trudged over to it. And Mist sleepily waddled over.

"I surrender!" The Djinni called.

I raised an eyebrow, and muttered to Mia, "I don't think you want an attack Djinni that surrenders after four attacks."
"You don't understand!" it shouted. "I'm a...I'm a..." It apparently couldn't bring itself to identify it.

Just then Sleet and Fizz popped out.

"It's...it's you, Spritz!" Fizz exclaimed, tears of joy in her eyes.

The remaining Djinn all put themselves on standby, not wanting to miss the excitement.

"Don't I feel loved." Corona commented. "Nobody came out when I joined you guys."

"Don't feel bad." Gust fluttered over to her. "We were asleep."
Mist yawned. "Speaking of sleeping, can Spritz join us already? I'm verrrrrry sleepy." he said, yawning again in the middle of "very."

Spritz looked angry. "I can't believe it. I've got an Adept already, before I could become an attack Djinni."

"What are you?" Mia persisted.

"He's a healing Djinni." Gust answered matter-of-factly. "He can Restore party health with soothing mist."

Spritz hid his face in his hands. "The embarrassment! A...a male Djinni being...a healing Djinni!"

"Why is it embarrassing?" I asked in spite of myself.

Spritz shot a glare at me and refused to answer.

"Really, why?" Garet asked.

Spritz heaved a sigh. "Only...girls are supposed to be healing Djinn. Being a protecting Djinni is perfectly respectable, and I'd love to be a warrior."
"But Gust is an attack Djinni." Ivan pointed out.

"I know. Most females wouldn't be interested, though."

Gust stuck her head high. She made a "hmph!" noise.

Spritz glared at her. "I think I'll retire to my room."

He set himself. He was followed by the rest of the Djinn.

"Four Djinn!" wailed Mia. She clutched her head.

I sent her a sympathetic look. "Are they arguing?"
She nodded.

"I'm sorry." Garet apologized.

She tried to smile. "It's...all right. Let's go."

We rode back on the cart and Froze another puddle, and another.

I spotted three more of the aquatic monsters. "Heads up! Monster alert!" I warned.

The three creatures exchanged glances. One made a whistling noise.

Another creature slithered across to them. It slid ahead and grasped Mia with its tentacles.

Garet severed a tentacle. The creature shrieked in pain and released her.

Gust spun forward angrily. "These virtuous Adepts will destroy you!" I rolled my eyes.

Flint hopped over. "Take this! Ha-ha!" I rolled my eyes again.

Fever coughed. "I deed bore recovery tibe." he said weakly after attacking.

Mist trudged out. "I agree." When the fog cleared, there was no sign of his monster.

I rushed forward and attacked my creature.

By the end of the battle, we didn't look so good. But the monsters looked much worse.

We continued on through the gloomy cave.

It became so narrow that only two of us could fit in the passage side-by-side, and even then we were cramped. So I went first.

A large ghastly green spider faced us. I gulped. "Um, guys? We've, um, got a problem. A...very big problem."
Ivan tried to see over Garet's head, which was of course impossible. "What is it?"
"A spider. A very large spider." I reported.

It creeped closer, clicking its venomous pincers. I dodged them and attempted to cut its pincers off. Struck by an idea, I leaped over the low-lying spider to free it to Garet. It tried to turn where it could attack both of us. But then I used my sword to smash it just as I'd smashed so many normal-sized spiders back in Vale.

We stepped cautiously over the spider's body.

Finally we reached the end of the long passage to enter a large room. Now we had to pass through a maze of rocks. I finally reached a sign, a log, and a dead end. I didn't bother to read the sign, but I used Force, hoping that it might clear the path to Lama Temple.

POW! The log toppled. And then a giant boulder fell.

I stood there, staring at it for a second, and then turned and dashed away after the others. I just got away.

The boulder rolled off the cliff and smashed through the floor. I could hear a creature snarling from the pit.

Ivan gulped. "That could have been us."
"Isaac, what were you thinking?" demanded Mia. "That was something like Garet would do."
Garet glared at her, then switched it to me. "She's right. I mean, about the 'what were you thinking?' part."

I shrugged. "I was hoping it would smash through the wall. It worked, sorta. After all, we have somewhere to go."

Ivan nodded. "We've been in this room before."

"So, come on!" I slid down the short cliff.

Garet slid after me, then Mia, and finally Ivan.

The track had bent to act as a ladder. Mia started down it.

"No!" I protested. "Didn't you hear that snarl? I bet that whatever's down there won't be too happy with us. Garet, tell your Djinn to go on standby. Mia, set all of yours. Same with you, Ivan. Flint, you need to go on set, too."
"Why mine?" asked Garet.

I shrugged again. "The monsters we've been facing have been water creatures. Fire will hurt them the most."
Garet nodded and muttered something. His other two Djinn popped out.

I climbed down first. Past the rough walls of the hole made by the rock, which had been shattered on the floor, were stone walls like in Sol Sanctum. They almost glowed a light lavender. Soon after the walls, the floor and ceiling changed, too, to beautiful tile.

We continued on in awe to more tile, rich purple. And then, glowing on a pedastal, was a magnificent statue. It looked like the monsters we'd faced, only larger and more amazing.

I reached forward to touch it. And it snarled.

I jumped back. Flint! I need you!

"Wahoo!" he squeaked joyfully.

"Tiamat!" shouted Garet.

A huge dragon floated from the sky and seared the statue. Then I realized that all the water monsters had been statues, too. I didn't have time to think about it, as I tried to dodge its attack.

Ouch. I failed.

"Unhand that noble and chivalrous Adept!" Gust commanded, flying at the statue.

Then the monster was immediately covered in what I recognized as sleet.

On a sudden urge, I shouted, "Ragnarok!"

A huge sword dug into the monster's flesh. It snarled.

"Fwrowshh Shhere!" the statue growled. Bubbles exploded from its mouth, concentrating onto the other three.

Garet cried out.

Suddenly, mist surrounded the creature. I could see Mist leaning against Mia's leg, asleep.

I smiled.

"Protected." declared Breeze grumpily, floating above me.

"Volcano," I heard Garet mutter.

A volcano burst through the ground below the statue.

I spared a glance at the others. Ivan's wounds had herb paste on them, and Garet was sweating. I didn't see Mia.

"Drrrrrrrrench." growled the statue. A waterfall of water fell on Ivan, Garet, and me.

Spritz floated over to me. He sighed. "I guess I ought to be glad I can at least do something. Here."
I felt some of my wounds heal. "Thanks!"
GRANITE!

Wow, twice in one day! Granite remarked. I'm coming.

He popped out and waved a stumpy arm. "You're done. Garet next."

I heard the statue shout in a wordless yell. One of the others had attacked.

"Atalanta!" I heard Ivan command.

"Neptune!" Mia ordered.

Granite returned. I joined my voice with the other summoning ones.

"Ramses!"

"Fwrowshh Shhhere..." The statue sounded weak.

I rubbed some pre-made herb paste on my wounds as Ivan crooned, "Sleep...sleep..."

He sighed. "It just won't work! I don't know if it's these monsters or my abilities."

Mia walked over to us. Fizz floated over next to her.

Fizz concentrated. Ivan's wounds healed.

"Than-"

But he was cut off by Garet's yell: "Mars!"

I turned just in time to see the statue collapse into dust.

"I wonder why the guardian statues turned to monsters." wondered Ivan.

Three heads turned with questioning expressions.

"While you were at the herb shop and you two were shopping for armor, I was reading minds." he explained. "Some of the townspeople suspected the statues."
Garet shrugged. "Whatev-hey! Look!"
I looked automatically. A treasure chest was now visible.

I rushed to it. Inside were three items; a bag of coins, a square gem, and a shiny medal.

I handed the bag to Mia, our best bargainer. I slipped the gem in my pack.

Flint!

He popped out. "Ah, you've found another Tolbi game...thingy! This is a "lucky" medal, used for the lucky fountain of Tolbi! They're really rare!"

"Okay, fine." I replied, handing the "lucky" medal to Ivan.

"We've gone all the way through the cave and we still haven't found the way to Lama Temple!" exclaimed Garet.

Mia nodded. "But I bet that gem does some sort of Psynergy that will allow us through."
"That's it!" I realized. "It lifts stones!"

I concentrated, and we spun back to the entrance. I rummaged in my pack for the gem. Holding it out, I concentrated. The boulder flew into the air enthusiastically.

I led the way below the rock, through the door, and away from Altin.