Golden Sun belongs to Nintendo and Camelot, not me. Support them if you like the series! I just write fanstuff. And if you feel like borrowing any of my original ideas, please, go right ahead.


"It was quite a brilliant plan, if I do say so myself. It would have worked, too, if not for that meddling Arcanus."

"I'll admit I kind of saw that coming, actually. Arcanus was never what you would call a 'team player.' "

"I know, but I thought my talents had him in thrall anyway. He certainly acted the part. He simply happened to find the exact moment when he could ruin everything, and did so. That's what's so unnerving about all this."

"He did help, in a way. We would never have initiated the Eclipse without him, and the children could not have gathered the orbs for us if he hadn't helped us band them together."

"But in the end, if I had called him back, we still would have won. Two of our generals, a shadow monster, and a full legion of warriors? Even for offspring of the Warriors of Vale, those should have been insurmountable odds. Arcanus took care of the warriors, though, and even you could not have been expected to fight eight little demigods all alone."

"I mean no offense, brother, but... it still seems like too great of a risk to have them involved at all."

"I agree, but it was required by circumstance. The Apollo Lens still needed the orbs that, as you said, we needed the children to acquire. The Eclipse would have weakened Angara, to be sure. But that was only step one, and we would have had to turn off Luna Tower eventually."

"Did you have a plan for that?"

"Fire the Apollo Lens at it."

"Oh."

"The Lens' effects on the Tower were actually incredibly interesting. I'll have to look into them in more detail when we're done here."

"...Again, what are we doing here?"

"Why, step two, of course."


"What's his problem?"

Karis smacked Tyrell firmly on the back of the head.

"You know damn well what his 'problem' is! Gah, Tyrell, you are SUCH a goon sometimes!" she cried. "Haven't you ever even heard of tact? Maybe breaking things to people slowly? You know that Rief's kind of... kind of a..."

"A momma's boy."

"Yes, that- wait, what?"

Kraden cleared his throat and repeated himself. "Rief is what you would call a momma's boy. There's no use hiding it, not in this situation. To be quite honest, I know him a great deal better than I know Mia, and I will actually vouch for Tyrell's methods; Rief would have either ignored any criticism of her, or broken down as we saw. There would be no middle ground."

Both Karis and Tyrell blinked in surprise at Kraden's frank speech.

"Wait, so I'm right?" Tyrell asked. "Cool, I helped-"

"Not exactly," Kraden continued. "Keep in mind that we now lack a Mercury Adept of any kind. Mia has defected, and Rief has run off. I do believe he will come around in due time, though I cannot predict how... shall we say, clear-headed he will be. Either he'll be a shattered husk of a young man, or he'll find some resolve deep within himself and use it to the benefit of everyone involved.

"But for now, we can only hope that the others inside the palace are unharmed. We lack any effective means of mending wounds until either of our Imilians comes around."

Karis and Tyrell looked at each other nervously. If the adults had gone off to fight one of the Tuaparang generals, it was more than likely that someone would need a doctor before the night was out.

"...What do we do?" Tyrell asked.

Kraden shrugged. "You're the warriors. I just advise."

Karis nodded. "Well, we need to get our priorities straight. We know how much trouble we had with Chalis and Blados. Those generals are dangerous. Even though they're only fighting one of them, our parents could be in for some trouble. That's gotta be our main focus right now – making sure nobody dies."

"I've got an axe now," Tyrell said. "I could head inside and see if I can't get stuck in somewhere. They'll do better with greater numbers, right?"

But Karis shook her head. "No offense, Tyrell, but our parents are probably way better at this than we are. You might get in the way, or worse, McCoy might try to pick you off first. No, I think we need to focus on getting our healers back. Tyrell, how bad has Mia gotten?"

Straining his memory slightly, he tried to think of the last time he saw Mia, back at her home in Imil. She had been an utter sweetheart back then. Snarky, yes, but still sweet. Now she had a serious edge to her. Before, there had always been an undercurrent of benevolence – everything she did, you could tell she did with the best of intentions. Back in the prison, though, it felt like she had a different motive. She still wanted to do the right thing, but now she had a different idea of what that right thing was.

"I can't really say," Tyrell finally croaked. "I don't think she'd hurt us if we tried talking to her, if that's what you mean. But she'd probably try to recruit us to the Tuaparang given an opportunity."

Karis smiled grimly. "Well, I guess that's a risk we have to take, then. If we can convince Mia to co-operate, even temporarily, then getting Rief back should be a synch. Then we can pick up the pieces from our parents' fight in the palace as we plan our next move."

Tyrell's voice held an air of uncertainty. "I, ah, don't think you should bank too hard on Mia coming back to help us, unless you promise that Jenna won't be involved. That would be some seriously bad business."

"What about just getting Rief back?" Karis wondered aloud. "Kraden, what do you think are the chances that he'll pull himself together by the end of the night?"

"Honestly, I cannot even begin to guess," the scholar answered. "Normally I would say that he needs some time alone, but... that girl of his is a wildcard. She might make things better, she might make things far worse. You're right that bringing Mia back would snap Rief out of it quite quickly, but other than that, I feel any interference on our part could be disastrous."

Karis sighed helplessly.

"Well then," Tyrell said, "looks like we should go after Mia and hope for the best!"

"Quick question. If Kraden's sitting out on the decision-making, then would you say I get to be leader in Matthew's place?" Karis asked.

Tyrell shrugged and, thinking it over for a minute, nodded his head yes. She WAS the smart one, after all.

"Then I'm going to have to ask you to stay here."

"What?" Tyrell shouted. "No fair! You just did that to trick me!"

Karis shook her head mournfully. "Tyrell, I'm sorry. I really am. But you have a history with Mia, and let's face it, you have a tendency to think before you act. This is a delicate matter and one wrong outburst could ruin everything. I'll go it alone for now."

"You can't-"

"I can and I will. You said you'd let me take charge, and that's what I'm doing." Karis took a deep breath, steadying herself before she continued. "Try to avoid talking to Rief, if at all possible. And if my dad comes out... just tell him that I'm looking forward to talking with him when this is all over."

She turned an about-face and left before anyone could protest.


"Wait! Stop!" she shouted. "Rief, just... just let me-"

He stopped and spun, dramatically setting his eyes on her just in time for her to collide with him. They fell in a heap on the cobblestone pathway, alone in the dark alley Rief had led them to. He hadn't been walking with any purpose; honestly, he just wanted to get away. He hadn't wanted to be followed, either, and Maddie had had to pester him for a good few minutes before he reacted at all.

Lot of good that had done him.

He groaned, sore all over from the collision. Maddie picked herself up off of his chest and grimaced timidly.

"...Sorry..." she mumbled.

Rief just sighed. He didn't bother trying to stand up, or sit up, or... or anything. He just let himself lie there for a bit, lacking in any motivation to do anything else. He closed his eyes and tried to shut the world out. He ignored the girl's weight on his stomach, he ignored the cold stone at his back, and he especially ignored the throbbing pain in his head from smacking it against the ground.

Really, he deserved what he got. He was just living with the consequences of his own failures, as usual. Tyrell was right. He'd screwed up. He'd left his mother all alone years ago, just assuming she'd get along great as she always had. Then he sees her again after what, five years? And she gets kidnapped immediately. Any caring son would've gone after her regardless of the costs.

Rief naturally went straight in the opposite direction and got himself committed to some girl that wouldn't leave him alone. Go figure.

"You know what? Just, fuckin'..." Rief stopped, searching for the right word. He gave up with a growl of frustration. "Maddie, just get the hell out of here! I didn't want to be followed, and I don't need anyone to try to help me. I made a mistake that cost me my mother. I have to cope with that. ALONE."

"But I... you don't mean-"

"Yeah, I mean! Get off me, go away, go home! You're annoying, and crazy, and I have bigger shit to deal with right now than you."

He opened his eyes and froze at her expression. She looked like someone had just run over her dog. And that meant he was torn – on the one hand, he had WANTED to hurt her feelings. He wanted her to leave. But on the other...

"But... you saved my life, and my brother's life..." she whispered. "And we kissed... I thought you liked me..."

Rief sighed. "Well, I dunno, I DO like you, but-"

"...You called me crazy and annoying..."

"Well, you..."

He stopped. His momentum had run its course. He didn't want to hurt her that badly. If he was honest with himself, then yeah, she was crazy. She was a clingy, obsessed fangirl that wouldn't shut up about how great he was and how they were destined to be together forever.

But he did like her, just a little. And once she had started to calm down, he had liked her more.

"I'm sorry, then," he said. "I hope you'll understand. There's kind of a lot going on, and getting tackled to the ground didn't help matters."

Maddie nodded silently, her expression unchanging and her eyes moist. She rolled off of his stomach and sat down with her back to the nearby wall and her arms around her knees. It was impossible to see her properly in the darkness. The moonlight partially illuminated most of the city, but the alleyway they had found themselves in was almost pitch-black, and in her dark green clothes, she was almost invisible against the wall.

"It's okay," she said, "I get it. I came on too strong. It's just, I really, really like you, and I really do think we're meant to be-"

"Maddie, please..."

"-and I want to be useful in any way I can! I can't fight monsters, and I can't heal wounds or bring back the dead, but I'm here to listen if you want to talk! I'll shut up for you, if you like. I'll never speak a word again if you don't want me to. Just let me help you with this, okay?"

Rief didn't move from where he lay.

"I don't think this is a problem we can solve by talking," he said.

"...That doesn't mean we can't try, right?" she answered.

Right. Of course.

It was worth a try.

"I... I guess what my problem is..." he began, "is that I was never really an attentive son. Looking back, I can see all kinds of situations where I should have helped Mom in some way, or been supportive or something, and just didn't because I figured she could handle it. She was one of the heroes who saved the world, right? She could take care of anything. Dad was never really around, he always had these several-month-long fishing trips, but Mom never made a fuss about it. He was away more often than he was home, but she took care of us as well or better than any two parents could have.

"So when Kraden showed up five years ago, when I was 11 and Nowell was 13, we both asked if we could go with him on his travels around the world. Study psynergy, see the sights, that sort of thing. Mom had taught us both how to use our Mercury abilities, so we were well prepared, and the stories she had told us about her adventures always made us want to be heroes on our own. Dad wasn't around, and he probably didn't care. Mom wanted us to be happy, so she said yes. And it didn't even occur to me to realize that it'd leave her completely alone in the house."

At this point, Rief sat up and pulled himself against the opposite wall. That side of the alleyway was a little more well-lit due to the angle of the moon, but it did make it harder to see into the shadowy section as a result.

"We exchanged letters pretty frequently. I was always telling her about all the stuff we saw on the road. She never had much to say, but she always asked if we were alright, if we had enough food... that sort of thing. She worried a lot about us. I think she wanted us to come back home, but didn't want to make us feel guilty about leaving.

"After the Grave Eclipse, I finally went back to Imil to visit her. They didn't have the same forewarning that Bilibin had-"

"Hmm?"

"Well, Lady McCoy knew it was coming, so she probably had everyone prepare, right? You probably kept everything fully lit so no shadow monsters appeared or anything."

"Mhm."

"Yeah, so," Rief continued, "Imil naturally didn't have that. If Mom hadn't been there, it could've been catastrophic, but she managed to pretty much fight off everything on her own, incredibly enough. It's just the sort of thing she'd do. It also reinforced my opinion of her as an unstoppable heroine, so when Felix showed up and took her away, like, a day later..."

He paused for effect. Maddie made no comment, and he couldn't see her expression, so he continued.

"...I didn't think anything of it. It was a little more complicated than that, I guess, and leaving her was probably the only option, but I was just so careless about it. I took it for granted that she'd come back safely, and... and she didn't. Felix took her, and I imagined that she'd just get up, fight off an army, turn Felix back to the light side, and be back in time for dinner. It feels like if I had been a little more aware, I might have looked for a way to save her. But I didn't even try, and now it's too late.

"So Tyrell was right. I didn't even care, and I wouldn't even accept that anything had gone wrong. Now Mom's gone over to the baddies, which means... I guess I might have to fight her. And I know I'll lose if I try. Or the other adults will handle it, which means that she dies. There's no way to win. Could try talking to her about it, but if she's gone crazy, then... Maddie? You still listening?"

"Mhm."

"...You're allowed to talk. I never said you couldn't-"

"Ugh! I know, but I just had to stop myself from talking, because I kept wanting to jump in and comment, and then it always turns into a thing about myself, but it's not about me right now, it's about you! You don't need to be worried, I'm sure your mom was fine, she probably really cared about you and all that, but she lived, right? And I'm sure you'll get a chance to make it up to her when this is all over!"

"Yeah..." Rief muttered. "Assuming we all make it out okay. Which is a pretty big assumption."

There was a long silence.

Maddie crawled across the alleyway to sit beside Rief, cautiously putting her hand on his knee. He didn't brush it off, only stared at it for a little while. She meant well, but her pointless optimism was starting to get a little grating. The chances that both Rief and Mia would come out of this alive were... slim. Slim if he let himself get involved, and he HAD to get involved. He had to make it up to her.

"Like I said," Maddie continued unimpeded, "you should try talking, at least. Figure out what went wrong. Explain how you feel, and how sorry you are. Maybe she'll take pity on you and you won't have to fight! You have a mother who loves you, and that won't change, even if she's a little crazy right now."

Rief gave an ironic grin. "Everyone who loves me is crazy, apparently. I wonder how that reflects on me?"

Maddie's hand slipped off of Rief's knee.

His expression fell. "...I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," he said.

"No, it's alright, it was a joke. I get it." But she sighed loudly before continuing. "I envy you, is all. Like I said... you still have a mother who loves you. I don't. So do me a favor and keep her alive, okay? And keep yourself alive, too."

"Will do."

Rief got to his feet and extended a hand. Maddie took it gratefully and pulled herself up.

"I'm gonna head back with the others now," he said. "Thanks for all of your help tonight, but you should really head home. It'd be dangerous to stick around with me any longer. I'll come by when everything's been sorted out, alright?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek that sent butterflies fluttering about inside him. It was a simple, unexpected gesture that just wiped away all the remaining tension within him. It was funny how so little could change so much – all it took was a chat, and she had brought him completely out of the funk he was in. Maybe there was hope yet. Maybe Mia could be saved.

With renewed vigor, Rief grinned and started back toward the palace.

"See you around!" he called happily. She smiled back, and began her trip in the opposite direction.


The best part about being queen – well, Lady – of Bilibin was that Caudgel had been given free reign to add secret passageways and shortcuts wherever she wished to the palace's blueprints. Having used one such shortcut to avoid the angry mob just outside the front gates, she was now planning her escape from the city.

So Bilibin was a bust. Big whoop! With any luck, the Warriors of Vale were crippled as a team now, and Tuaparang would be ready to invade at a moment's notice. The only nations in Angara with any military potential left were Morgal, Kalay, and Bilibin itself. The first two only had might in their Adept strength, which Tuaparang could easily nullify, and the third was rapidly tiring in a pointless war.

Funny how just the previous day, the reports from the frontlines had worried Caudgel. Her troops were fighting an invisible enemy with magical talents no one had ever seen. But they weren't her troops anymore. Now that Bilibin stood no chance of siding with Tuaparang, they were just another obstacle, and if you can't make 'em join you, you should just beat 'em. Thanks, beastmen, she thought, you've really saved me a lot of trouble. If you'd just roll over and die after this, life would be just peachy.

What she had to do now was find a good open space to call for backup. An airship would be dispatched immediately, and she'd be safe in the air within the hour. There was a dropoff point near Bilibin, in fact, that the Tuaparang military had previously arranged. It was often used for deliveries, especially when it came to preparing Bilibin's army for war with Morgal.

In fact, it was entirely possible that an airship would be in or near that location already.

Caudgel made a beeline for the dropoff point, fervently hoping that her luck would hold out.


Karis had no idea where Mia had gone.

It was all well and good announcing that she was going to go after the legendary Adept, but... there wasn't exactly a trail to follow. Maybe on a bright and sunny day over muddy ground, but it was dark, it was a city, and Karis had never been much of a tracker. She didn't even know her way around.

She climbed up a few boxes to reach the roof of a shop, hoping that the greater height would provide some advantage. Maybe she'd be able to pick something out-

Wait, what was that? Movement, a street over. A figure clad in darkness, glancing back every so often as if trying not to be followed. That was odd. Most of the townsfolk were probably either asleep or... well, rioting at the palace gates. Who was this, and why were they acting so suspiciously?

Karis hopped down and carefully approached for a better look.


"I won't hold back," he had said. "Past be damned."

Didn't he realize that change was the way of all things?

Mia paced angrily and impatiently next to the airship she and Felix had arrived in. She had practically carved out a path in the grass, tramping it down further and further as she walked. Eventually she used it as a guideline, trying to stomp it all and grind it into the dirt out of spite. Stupid grass. Stupid everything. Stupid world, always going against her.

If she knew how to fly the ship, she'd have gone straight back to Tuaparang with Karst in tow. She'd have made a great gift for the Empyror, and maybe he'd have forgiven Mia for running off like that. Well, okay, she didn't run off, per se... but maybe it would have shown that she had wanted to go back, and...

Ugh, such rubbish! Why didn't anyone want to come with her? How had it turned into such a big confrontation? Isaac was her best friend! Why had he threatened to kill her?

And why the hell was it taking Felix so long to get back here and fly the damn plane?

Mia kicked a dandelion far enough away that she didn't see it hit the ground. She had meant well, of course! Sveta would already be dead if Mia hadn't done what needed to be done. And Jenna was the biggest bitch in the world. She deserved to be shoved once in a while. Maybe if Mia had shoved Jenna that night four years ago, then she would've backed off, and Isaac would've remained happy, and none of this would ever have happened.

A girl could dream.

Peeking inside the open doorway for a moment, Mia made sure that Karst was still asleep. She was, of course; those sleeping spells tended to last for a good long time if the recipient wasn't disturbed. Mia didn't know what Felix saw in that damn Proxian, anyway. All Karst ever did was shout and hold grudges. What a hypocrite! If anything, Mia, Isaac, Garet and Ivan should've held a grudge after Karst nearly killed them all at Jupiter Lighthouse.

Hmm. There was a thought.

Mia stopped pacing for a moment and wandered inside the airship. She stopped at Karst's head, and considered her options.

Wouldn't it be so much easier on everyone if Karst just... stopped living? The daft woman made death threats so often that it seemed inevitable for her to eventually follow through on one. Really, killing her now would probably save lives. Felix would be sad, sure, but he'd move on eventually. And Karst was likely a massive drain on Tuaparang's resources, what with how the Empyror's scientists were working so hard to cure her disability.

It would be so simple to just finish it all. A quick smother, or a slash across the neck, maybe. She wouldn't even feel it! The old Mia probably would have expressed some concern over casually ending a life, but Karst was an invalid! She was always whining about her useless legs. Killing her would free her from her misery! It was the best thing for everyone, really.

Mia smiled peacefully. Screw what everyone else thinks, I'm a force for good, she thought to herself. She then proceeded to search the cabin for a sharp enough object to sever Karst's jugular vein.

A twig snapping outside interrupted Mia's search.


Caudgel grinned. Perfect! There was an airship in perfect condition, parked exactly in the middle of the clearing, just as she had hoped. An easy escape lay ahead. It seemed a little strange that there weren't any Tuaparang warriors around, or in fact anyone at all who could have been in charge of the vessel. But Caudgel was not one to take such a gift for granted. She ran gleefully toward the open passenger door.

She nearly tripped over herself when a head wreathed in blue poked outside.

"Hello!" the new face asked. "Who might you be?"

Caudgel froze like a scared deer. That face, and that hair... it was familiar. Too familiar. It was another one of them, dammit, and she was right there, right on the path to freedom! Mia, it looked like. One of the Warriors of Vale, Mercury-aligned. She specialized in healing psynergy, but could easily hold her own with magic in combat.

"Uh... hello!" Caudgel answered hesitantly. Best to appear friendly. Now, the Warriors of Vale would be on the lookout for Lady McCoy, so... "My name's Caudgel. I don't believe we've met."

She crossed her fingers behind her back. Just in case, it would be best to be prepared. Her knife was in the front of her robes, as it always was. She still had some spark shuriken up her sleeves, but not many; those would have to be used wisely. She rubbed her neck quickly, checking to make sure the protective choker was still there; it was, of course, and it had no reason not to be.

Now what knowledge did she have that she could use against Mia? Well, Mia's children had left with Kraden at an early age, so that could be twisted into some manner of guilt attack... and the older of the two had actually fallen for Mia's associate, had she not? Nowell and Piers! That was definitely useable.

Caudgel's heart stopped as Mia gave a knowing grin.

"Hold on," the blue-haired woman said. "I know exactly who you are. You're Lady McCoy, the last of the generals of the Tuaparang. No one else would be out here this late at night. I can't read your vitals either, which means you have a device on you that drains psynergy. Only Tuaparang has that technology."

So it was to be a hostile encounter, then... regrettable. She had almost made it out unscathed.

"Mia," Caudgel began with an evil smile, "Tell me about your husband. What do you think of his-"

"This is perfect! Now you can take me back to The High Empyror!" Mia cried.

The sound of crickets filled the evening air.

"Bwuh?" Caudgel asked.

"You know how to fly this thing, right?" Mia asked. "Because I don't. Felix took Karst and I here, and I kind of want to go back now. You're going anyway, right? I'd really appreciate it if you took me along."

"...Bwuh?" Caudgel repeated.

Mia sighed. "I met His Highness, and we got along great. He convinced me that you guys are in the right. Felix apparently changed his mind somewhere along the way and kidnapped me. Now I'm free, and you've come along just in time to give me a ride back!"

Mia's smile, almost sickeningly wide, was completely at odds with the tension that filled the air. Caudgel had no idea how to react. Maybe it was a trap, or... or a ploy to get her guard down. This just sounded too good to be true, and that was always a warning sign. She couldn't go through with it. It was a terrible idea.

"Oh," Caudgel said. "Well then I guess we'd better get going."

Laziness prevailed.

"Great! Oh, but before we go, I guess I just gotta finish something. Wait right here," Mia said.

Caudgel hurried up to the doorway. "What is it? Will it take long?"

Mia shook her head and gestured at the sleeping Karst lying across several seats.

"Well, I was kind of planning to end this crazy little demon-woman," Mia spat. "She isn't doing any harm now, but when she wakes up we'll never hear the end of it."

Caudgel stuck her tongue out in disgust. "Ugh, Karst. I despise her."

"I know, right! Massive stick-in-the-mud! Never shuts up about revenge!"

"Worst temper on her, too!"

"I know!"

"Look, I have a knife right here and everything. We can just-"

"Oh, fantastic! I didn't have anything sharp on me either, this'll save so much time!"

"Is that what you were doing before I showed up?"

"Yeah, geez, you'd think this kind of ship would have an emergency medical kit with, like, a scalpel or something-"

"Mia! DON'T LISTEN TO HER!"

Caudgel and Mia stopped mid-conversation as they turned to look at the third woman that stood just outside the airship. The onboard lights made her determined expression plainly visible, her green hair just a little bit out-of-place, but the rapier in her hand extended and at the ready.

"She's Tuaparang!" Karis cried. "You heard her just now! She admitted it! She'll kill you the first chance she gets!"

"Oh, hey, Karis," Mia said. "Are you coming too?"

Caudgel suppressed a snicker. This was far more fun than it had any right to be.

"Oh, my dear Karis," Caudgel said, "This has all been such a tragic misunderstanding. You think I'm out to hurt you, and hurt the people you love, is that it?"

"Well... yeah!" the girl responded. "You're here, which means my dad and his friends failed to finish you off. For all I know, they could be dead! All you people ever do is kill and mislead-"

"Ivan is alive. That much I can guarantee," the Lady spoke. "He is quite unharmed, and I can take you to him when I complete my chore here. But for now, Mia wishes to be taken to Tuaparang, and... well, she was here first."

Karis pointed her rapier at the general. "You're lying!"

"I am not. I wish I could prove it to you, but..." Caudgel gave a pitiful frown. "You didn't inherit your father's Mind Read ability, did you? Oh, you poor dear..."

"Don't mock me!"

"I'm not mocking you. It's terrible. You live up to your father's legacy in so many ways, and yet... yet you can't follow in his footsteps. It's a cruel trick of fate."

Karis bared her teeth. "Dad's happy that I don't have his curse! People always hated and feared him for it, he told me himself!"

"But dear-" Caudgel stepped forward, and Karis tensed, extending her rapier threateningly. Caudgel shook her head and gently pointed the blade aside. "Dear. The ability to read minds is not a curse. It is a gift, and it is a gift your father dearly wishes he could give to you. He tells you it is a curse to protect your feelings, but inside-"

"Shut up!"

"Inside," Caudgel continued, "he knows that if he could do it for you, he would in an instant. He would give you his gift and never look back. It's like your gift of Psynergy, in fact. People hate and fear you for that, do they not? And yet it is still a gift."

"You hate Adepts!" Karis shouted. "You've tried to murder every one of us that you can find!"

"Of course not!" Caudgel said with a gasp. "That would be pure evil! You've heard that every Adept I catch is executed in the morning, right? Well, they never have the chance! I send them to Tuaparang, where they can practice their skills in secret, and teach our scientists how alchemy works.

"For in truth, young Karis, we want what you want. We want everyone in the world to have the gifts of psynergy. We have been learning how, too. You could help. And in return... we could help you."

"You expect me to believe you? You had Sveta and Matthew imprisoned!"

Caudgel narrowed her eyes in reflex, but already had a retort prepared. "Yes, because they attacked me!" she cried. "They jumped to conclusions, just as you did, and I defended myself! If I truly wanted to 'murder every one of you', then why would I have put them in prison instead of finishing them where they laid?"

Karis blinked, her sword wavering. In truth, Caudgel had wanted to make an example out of the Queen of Morgal via public execution, but Karis didn't need to know that.

"B-but..." the young girl stammered, "the Grave Eclipse. You guys caused so much damage-"

"Correction," Caudgel interrupted, "Blados and Chalis caused so much damage. They were working more-or-less on their own. Sure, the Empyror had sent them out in the first place, but they... went rogue, so to speak. The Eclipse was a deviation from the original plan, and I think you'll agree that those two deserved what they got."

Karis lowered her sword completely, too dumbfounded and confused to make a decision. She looked from Caudgel to Mia, to Karst, and then back to Caudgel. Caudgel maintained her poker face, put a hand on Mia's shoulder, and gave her a leave-this-to-me look.

"Karis, we appreciate what you and your friends did for the world with our guidance. We led you along the path to activate the devices of Alchemy in hopes of improving the lives of those in Angara. If the Grave Eclipse hadn't happened, we would have sent you to the other continents, too, so you could help the people there. And eventually, we would have brought you back to our own city in the clouds, to reward you as the heroes you truly are."

Mia was beginning to look more and more impatient as the speech dragged on. She sat down across from Karst, eyeing Caudgel's knife greedily. The spy slipped it into her sleeve defensively. Karis was oblivious, of course; she was staring at the ground in a combination of shame and disbelief.

"So you were helping us all along? And we already dealt with the real villains?" Karis shivered. "I don't... I don't know about all this. I gotta go back, I gotta talk with the others about what you've said to me. It just doesn't make sense. And yet..."

"And yet you want to believe me," Caudgel finished for her. "You desperately want to think that we've all been acting for the greater good, and that it's all been a misunderstanding. And you're in luck, because we HAVE. Mia knows it, and Felix knew it, too, before he got those crazy ideas in his head. With a little help, we can all make the world a better place. With your help, specifically, we can let the others know that Tuaparang means well."

"...Dad too?"

"Of course, my dear. We will find your father, and bring him with us – completely willingly, of course – and we will study his mind reading technique. We will study it, and then we will find a way to pass it onto you."

Caudgel approached Karis, her arms outstretched. Her long, graceful strides held no hostility, no hatred, and her gaze held only love and hope.

"You can teach me to do what Dad does?" she asked. Her purple-irised eyes filled with tears. "You can't- I mean... can you? Can you really?"

Caudgel took Karis into a caring embrace. For an instant, there was a glimmer of metal in her right hand as she palmed the weapon she had hidden.

"Oh my dear, sweet Karis..." Caudgel cooed.

Her hand hovered an inch away from Karis's exposed back, her knife gleaming in the moonlight.

"Of course not."

Karis's gasp was cut off in an instant. Her eyes widened in shock for a half-second before they fell shut. All the strength left her limbs as she fell limp in Caudgel's arms.

Her rapier clattered to the ground.


AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Alternate title for this chapter: "Chapter Dialog", or "Everyone just shut up, please shut up for a second." Trust me, I thought long and hard about how to make it a little more action-packed, but these groups are having a quiet moment for now. Next chapter will have a little less conversation and a little more action.

I don't remember getting many comments on the mysterious speech-only section back in Chapter 40 (now italicized for extra stand-out-ness). It's the same characters here, and it shouldn't be too hard to guess who they are if you read between the lines. Their conversation is happening more-or-less at the time it shows up in the story.

...Finally, can you guys do me a favor? Pretty please? There's this brilliant little GS fic on the site known as Seekers. It has a tragically low number of reviews. It is also brilliantly done, and I suspect that one of the main reasons it has so few readers is because it sort of looks like an OC fic when you read the first chapter (it isn't, they're canon characters with pseudonyms). So I ask you, check that fic out, GIVE IT A FAIR CHANCE, and maybe leave a review or something! It deserves some friggin' recognition.