Sorry this took so long, guys! I've had exams and all, but now I'm ready to do this!

Disclaimer: Mage of Hope doesn't own Kingdom Hearts series, only the OCs! Mage of Hope also doesn't own the Golden Sun series, which is owned by Nintendo and Camelot Software Planning!

It was practically hell the more the group wandered around in this...unknown area. The heat was unbearable, unidentified skeletons that belonged to either human or monster laying about, rough yet smooth terrains difficult to walk with each passing step along the way, and worse, the group didn't even know if they were heading to the right direction or how far they were from reaching their next destination.

Sweat drippled down their skin the longer they lingered in the heat, their light wounds from their recent battle becoming more and more overwhelming, and their movements being more sluggish the more time passed. It was even harder for those that wore armor, namely Issac, Garet, and Ignis.

"Hell...this...is definitely hell..."

"Ignis...we've only been walking for at least an hour-"

"IT FEELS LIKE 10 YEARS!"

"Oh, gosh! It's so hot!"

"Well, it's no wonder, Miss Eskimo Coat!"

"Take it off, Mia! You'll get heatstroke!"

"Did we really have to go across this area?"

"Ignis, this is the only way to get across! There's no other terrain!"

"Even so, it feels like we've been walking around in circles IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GODDAMN DESERT!"

Now, how did our heroes find themselves in the middle of the desert? That's a story to tell from several hours ago...

Earlier this morning...

At the first sight of sunrise, much to a few others' dismay, the group quickly got ready to leave, eating a quick breakfast beforehand and setting off towards the Altin Peak mines. Because they gathered clues and information from the villagers, Feizhi lead the group towards the secret pathway hidden within the mines. Although there were a few small boulders in the way, with the help of the new Lift Psynergy he possessed thanks to the Lifting Gem, Issac "lifted" the boulders above their heads, clearing the pathway. After they bypassed the boulders, the Lift Psynergy wore off, and the boulders fell down, returning to their previous position and blocking the path back.

"...Why didn't you just push the boulders out of the way?" wondered Ignis.

"I tried, but the boulders just stayed in place like that! The most I could do is just lift them up like before!" protested Issac.

"That Psynergy you got is really not that different from your earth Venus Psynergy. You could have lifted up those boulders even without that Lifting Gem!" pointed out Ignis.

"...But this Psynergy felt a lot lighter," admitted Issac, staring at his palm. "It felt a lot less restrained and more easier to use than simply moving the boulders away with my Venus Psynergy."

"Hmm...I have a theory," suggested Ivan. "I think that because Issac's a Venus Adept, he needs to concentrate and focus on his Venus Psynergy a lot more than usual, putting a bit of a strain in both his physical and mental self. However, with the Lift Psynergy, which I suspect to be non-elemental, you don't have to concentrate as hard as your chosen element, but it does have more restrains and limits than Issac's Venus Psynergy. In exchange for that, though, it's easier to use, like how any Adept can use the non-elemental Psynergy item."

"I think I get what you're trying to say, Ivan," said Mia. "Issac could have used his Venus Psynergy to move those small boulders earlier, but it'll probably take a lot more Psynergy, concentration, and a bit of a strain on his body. With the Lifting Psynergy, which you said was non-elemental, it would barely leave a strain on his body, less concentration, and less Psynergy to use. However, its use is very limited in return."

'Well, that's an easier explanation," commented Garet.

"Whatever case is, we must hurry to Lama Temple! There, we must get to Master Hama and then rush to Hsu immediately!" urged Feizhi. "We've delayed our trip for one night, so Hsu must be so cold and hungry!"

"Then, when we get to Lama Temple, let's grab some food and blankets right before we go rescue him," suggested Ignis.

Feizhi nodded and went ahead of the group. "Follow me! Hurry!"

Upon arriving at Lama Temple, the group immediately noticed the significance resemblance the temple held in comparison to Xian as well as its main dojo. However, because they were in a hurry to rescue Hsu, they took no interest in sightseeing at the moment and followed after a frantic Feizhi, who was trying to stay calm while talking to one of the monks standing guard in front of the main temple.

The monk nodded and opened the doors for Feizhi and her group, stepping in first before turning to them as they entered. "Master Hama is meditating. Please be extremely quiet."

A young, mature woman with a lavender veil over her head turned around, facing Issac and the group. "So, Issac, you and your Adept companions have finally come- Feizhi? I...I did not expect you amongst Issac's companions. This is truly...unexpected. Feizhi, why are you here?"

"I sensed it! Master Hama" burst out Feizhi.

Confused, the young woman named Hama asked, "Sensed it? What did you sense?"

Feizhi got straight to the point. "Hsu is in great danger!"

Confused, Hama corrected her young student. "But...Hsu left this place a long time ago."

"I know...But Hsu did not return to Xian."

Realization formed onto Hama's expression. "The boulders in the mountain!"

Feizhi nodded. "I sensed it. Me and my friends came through the mines to seek your aid!"

"...I sensed nothing, as I was focused on Issac's arrival," admitted Hama. "It's true that I did pass a power onto you, Feizhi, but...why has the power come to you now, after all this time?"

"Gems fell from the sky, and one hit me in the head," explained Feizhi.

"Oh, here we go again. Definitely has to be one of those Psynergy Stones," spoke up Ignis.

"Please, help Hsu!"

Hama nodded. "Of course. But, before that, I have something urgent to tell Issac and his friends. It will be quick, I promise. And then, we will go and rescue Hsu."

"Oh yeah, didn't we say that we'd get food and blankets for that guy since he must have been all alone all night?" Ignis reminded.

Feizhi gasped. "Oh! You're right! That had slipped my mind!"

Hama turned to the monk guard still in the room and said, "Please escort Feizhi to the pantry and help her take out some food and blankets. This is an emergency."

"Yes, Master Hama!"

After Feizhi left the room to go with the monk guard, Hama was left alone with Issac and the rest of his companions. "Now, until they return, I believe we do have time to talk."

"Earlier, you mentioned that we finally came," reminded Garet. "Were you expecting us or something?"

"I had anticipated your arrival," answered Hama.

"You knew we were coming, then?" wondered Mia.

Hama nodded. "I have been waiting a long while for you. You come seeking the Elemental Stars."

Surprised, Ivan exclaimed, "You know about the Elemental Stars, too? Who...Who are you?"

"I am a Jupiter Adept, just like Ivan," revealed Hama, surprising everyone with this new revelations. "Ivan, do you not have the power to read minds? Well, this power is unique to Jupiter Adepts."

"You predicted our coming...is that also Psynergy?" wondered Mia.

"Yes. The ability to foresee events also belongs to Jupiter Adepts."

"Wow, it seems like Jupiter Adepts are more OP than the other elemental Adepts!" complimented Ignis. "Hey, wait! Does that mean that Ivan can foresee events, too? I mean, he probably can't right now, but can he?"

"He already has," assured Hama.

Everyone turned to Ivan, who frantically shook his head. "W-What? No! I don't even-"

"You do," Hama said, firmly. "You merely do not yet know that you have it."

"That's...that's confusing," said Ignis, scratching her head.

"The power of Jupiter must be great if it lets you see into the future," said Garet.

"Oh, but Ivan can learn to use an even greater power!" said Hama.

"A power even more greater than predicting the future? Now this, I gotta see!" Ignis said excitedly. "What's it called?"

"Reveal."

"...Uh, what am I supposed to reveal?"

Hama chuckled. "Oh, no. Not that. The power I just explained is called Reveal."

"Reveal?" repeated Ivan, curious.

"Yes. I have waited long to pass the power of true sight onto you."

"You waited here in Lama Temple just to teach Reveal to Ivan?" wondered Mia.

Hama nodded. "You will need Reveal if you are to achieve your goals. Jupiter Adepts can learn Reveal on their own, over time..."

"But, we don't have time, right?" said Ignis.

"Yes. That, and because that power alone will not help you find Saturos as his company moves on. In fact, it was Saturos and his companions who blocked Silk Road."

"You mean that landslide?"

Angered, Garet shouted, "Felix and the rest of them, huh? Those cowards!"

"No," said Hama, shaking her head with a saddened expression. "Felix bears a terrible burden, a burden I would not wish on any man."

"A burden? What do you mean?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot say anymore on the matter. Now, we must focus on the power of Reveal. You will need the power of Reveal to cross the evil Lamakan Desert."

"An evil desert? Is that even possible?" wondered Garet.

"I mean, we did save an 'evil' forest before," reminded Ignis. "Oh, god, what if we have to face evil, talking sandstorms or something?"

"It is nothing that drastic, but nevertheless, still dangerous," assured Hama.

"Why do we need Reveal to cross the desert?" asked Ivan.

"Crossing Lamakan Desert was hard enough with the extreme heat," Hama explained, recalling her past experiences. "But evil has taken hold of the desert, and its heat has become unbearable. Entering the desert now is asking nothing short of death."

"Then, how can Saturos cross such a deadly place?" wondered Ivan.

"Saturos and Menardi are Mars Adepts," Hama explained. "I am merely guessing, but their powers might help them suppress the heat as they cross."

"If that's the case, then maybe Garet can use his own powers to help suppress the heat!" said Ignis.

"It certainly is a possibility, I'll admit. However, because Saturos and Menardi are much more skilled and experienced Mars Adepts, it was easier for them to suppress the heat, especially since there was two of them."

"Awww..."

"I still don't understand," said Mia. "How will Reveal help us in such an evil place?"

"Reveal will help you find oases to cool you against the heat," replied Hama.

"But...deserts naturally always have oases," said Ignis. "Sure, it might be a bit difficult to track them down, but..."

"Why would we need Reveal for that?" asked Garet. "Won't we be able to see the oases?"

"Don't you know what mirages are?" said Hama. "Intense heat creates a curtain of air that distorts the terrain. Mirages will deceive your eyes, preventing you from finding any oases."

"Sounds like we should have Ivan learn Reveal, then," Garet said.

Ivan nodded. "Yes, I feel that it is important. Master Hama, please teach me!"

Hama walked up to Ivan. "Yes. After all, it seems that I succeeded in passing my power to Feizhi. You will be fine."

It took a brief moment, but in that brief moment, Hama concentrated and sent a surge of her Psynergy onto Ivan, making the younger Jupiter Adept feel as though he's unlocked a new power from within thanks to Hama.

"...This should do it," assured Hama. "Use Reveal to cross the desert. However, your Reveal may not be that strong yet. The oases may not appear."

"Aw, that's okay. If we get really hot, then we'll just cast some ice or water magic on ourselves," said Ignis casually.

"Ignis, I can't cast that all the time. We may need my Mercury Psynergy for healing and for battling the monsters in the desert," scolded Mia. "The same goes for you, too."

"Awww!"

"The rest is up to Ivan's abilities," said Hama. "Ivan, I am very glad to see you have grown to be such a strong man."

Before anyone could ask what she meant, the doors burst opened, and Feizhi, along with the monk guard that she was with, entered while carrying supplies in their arms. "Master Hama! We're ready!"

"Ah! I see. Yes, let us hurry!"

Once they left, only Issac;s group remained inside the temple. "...Ivan, do you and Master Hama...know each other?" wondered Mia.

Ivan shook his head. "No, but...she doesn't feel like a stranger."

"Maybe you two met long ago, when you were a kid, but you probably can't remember because you were too young at the time," theorized Ignis.

"T-That could be it..." admitted Ivan.

Garet spoke up. "Felix and the others must be far ahead of us by now."

"Yeah, pretty much," said Issac, nodding his head.

"Then, we'd better get going! Let's go!"

"We can't just leave like this!" protested Mia loudly. "Hama might need our help! She only has Feizhi to assist her. Shouldn't we help, too?"

"Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to provide them with a little bit more assistance," agreed Ignis.

"I'm more worried about Felix and the others," admitted Garet. "But I'm not opposed to rescuing Hsu."

"Yeah! I know we have to catch up to those bad guys, but I'm sure we can spare a little bit of time rescuing Hsu!"

"Then, it's decided. We'll go and rescue Hsu, and once we finish, we'll set out for the desert Master Hama was talking about," decided Issac.

It took them a while to reach the other side of the Alpine Crossing, but when they did, they saw Hama and Feizhi comforting and doing their best to pull a tired and red-faced Hsu out of a boulder that was on top of most of his body, thus rendering him unable to move.

"Hsu, are you okay?" asked Hama.

"Master Hama, I am okay. But the boulder...I cannot move," admitted Hsu.

"Hsu seems unhurt. You must be glad, Feizhi," Hama told Feizhi.

"Uh...Unhurt? There's a boulder on his back!" Ignis muttered under her breath.

Having heard her, Mia replied, "Don't worry. Once we get that boulder off him, I'll heal him."

Feizhi said, "How can we free him, Master?"

Ignis patted Issac on the back. "Alright, Issac! Now's your turn to shine! Just use that Life Psynergy!"

Issac nodded and approached Hsu before focusing on his Life Psynergy, easily "lifting" up the boulder as it floated in mid-air, though it wouldn't last long. As quickly as possible, Hama and Feizhi grabbed Hsu by the arms and pulled him out of the way before the Life effect on the boulder wore off and the boulder crashed from where Hsu had previously been lying.

As soon as Hsu was out of harm's range, both Feizhi and Hama helped Hsu lean up against the wall as Mia tended to his care, healing his wounds with her Mercury Psynergy.

"Master Hama, I shall inform my Father what has transpired and have him help clean up the rocks!" suggested Feizhi.

Hama nodded. "Excellent. If Silk Road remains blocked, everyone will suffer. Thank you, everyone. We will take it from here. Go and continue on your journey."

"Are you sure?" asked Issac just as Mia finished healing Hsu's wounds.

"Yes. We can handle the rest. You do have some people you must catch up to, correct?"

"I...We'll take our leave then, Master Hama!"

As they left the area and headed to their next destination, Ignis wondered out loud, "I wonder what the desert's like? I mean, I know it's pretty hot, but I've never really been to one before!"

"Master Hama did say that the desert nowadays was corrupted, so it might prove to be a bit of an obstacle for us," reminded Ivan.

"Still, I'm sure we'll be just fine on our own!" said Ignis.

Now back to the present...

"We are NOT fine!" Ignis complained for who knows how many times that day. "Damnit, I wish we could use water magic to drink off of!"

"Why can't we?" wondered Garet. "Both you and Mia are experts on water!"

"First off, I'm not an expert on water magic. In fact, water magic is one of the few magics that I suck at! I'm lucky to be able to cast even the simplest water spell! Second, I actually tried drinking water magic, and I ended up with a horrible stomachache!"

Mia nodded. "It's true...Even I tried drinking my own Mercury Psynergy when I was a child and it was something I deeply regretted. Ugh...All those days sick in bed because of one simple curiosity..."

"Yeah, I understand ya," said Ignis casually. "I remember the times when I got sick in bed because I experimented and screwed a lot when testing magic...Ugh...All those lectures and scolding from Master Eraqus…"

"Master Eraqus? Didn't you mention before that he was your master or something?" wondered Issac.

Ignis nodded. "He taught me the way of the sword and magic. Not just me though, but my other...friends, too. Aqua, Terra, and Ven. My defensive sword style is very similar to his. He's my role model."

"I'd like to meet him someday."

"Yeah! If he taught you those sick sweet sword moves, then I wanna learn from a master, too!" said Garet.

Ivan sweatdropped. "Uh...I think that's...impossible, guys. Ignis...told me that she lived far, far away where access to her homeland is...practically impossible.

Ignis nodded, happy that Ivan was upholding his promise of keeping her secret of where her origins came from. "Goddamnit…! It is SO hot! Why haven't we found an oasis yet? In fact, with everything drying, how can an oasis exist in a desert? I mean, it's a body of water that should have been shriveled up long ago if this is how hot a desert is!"

"I heard that oases come from underground sources, so maybe that's part of why oases can exist in deserts," panted Ivan.

"How can Master Hama expect us to use Reveal on oases? We haven't found even a single hint of water anywhere!" complained Garet.

Issac spotted a large monster, specifically a Ant Lion, rushing up to them. "Everyone! Get ready for battle!"

"Oh, come on!" complained Ignis, summoning Phoenix Fairy before realizing something. "Hey, Ivan! Maybe you should use Reveal on that monster! Maybe you'll be able to find its weak points!"

"Oh, good idea, Ignis!" said Ivan, closing his eyes and concentrating on his newest Psynergy he received from Hama.

"Everyone, protect Ivan as he's casting Reveal! Garet, you and I will attack the monster headfirst! Mia, Ignis, support us from the back!" commanded Issac.

"Haste!" Ignis casted a speed-based spell onto Garet, seeing as he was having trouble catching up to Issac, who wore lighter-weighted armor. While Garet was still slightly slower than Issac, he still managed to catch up to him to create a pincher attack with him; his strength making up for his speed.

Just as the Ant Lion was about to retaliate, Mia casted her Mercury Psynergy to shield them and attack the monster at the same time. "Froth Sphere!" Her aquatic Psynergy blocked the Ant Lion's attack and caused the Psynergy to explode in front of the Ant Lion, driving it back and dazing it. That brought both boys enjoy time to finish off the Ant Lion with another pincher strike.

"God, why do I feel hotter than before!" cried out Ignis as more sweat dripped off her body.

"I think it's 'cause we moved around a lot," said Garet, also suffering under the heat. "Damnit! We're supposed to be all warmed up when we move and exercise a lot, but it's taking the total opposite in this situation! Mia, are you certain you can't cool us down?"

"I told you guys a number of times! I need to save up my Psynergy for battle and healing!" argued Mia.

"If not Mia, then what about Ivan? I can he can conjure up a cool breeze!" said Ignis.

"Considering the heat in the air, I think that's going to have the exact opposite effect," admitted Issac. "Ivan? Did that Reveal help? Did it...um...What was it you asked Ivan to do again, Ignis?"

"Scan the enemy for any weaknesses!" repeated Ignis.

"Right, that. Did Reveal help?"

"Well, I didn't really find any weaknesses, but I have some good news!" chirped Ivan. "I found an oasis!"

Garet and Ignis gasped, rushing up to Ivan with bright expressions and stars in their eyes. "Really?! Where?!"

"There!" Ivan pointed to...a large pile of sand.

The two redheads' expressions dampened to that of disappointment. "...That's not an oasis."

"No, I'm serious! It is!"

"Ivan, I think the heat is getting to you, because that's clearly a pile of useless, stupid, sand," said Garet.

"For once, I agree. All I see is sand as well," sighed Mia, tugging at her collar as more sweat trailed down.

"No, just-everyone, hold hands with me. I'm going to cast Reveal then and show you what I mean," ordered Ivan, offering his arm. Once everyone locked hands with each other, Ivan closed his eyes and focused on Reveal, expanding his focus on the area they were in.

For a moment, everything was still and grayish-colored, and from the spot where the large pile of sand was, there laid a refreshing, cool oasis just begging to be used.

Canceling out Reveal, Ivan turned to his stunned friends. "See? What did I tell you?"

Ignis and Garet glanced at one another...before wrestling with each other. "Gyaaaah! Mine! I'm going first!" shouted Ignis, tugging on Garet's hair.

"No! I saw it first! I'm jumping in first! I NEED THIS!" yelled Garet, pulling on Ignis' hair and trying to bite her arm.

"Jeez, you both can go in first! Actually, the oasis is pretty big, so it can fit pretty much all of us," said Issac, watching Mia head towards the hidden oasis first to touch it in order to confirm that it was indeed real. Upon seeing her drenched arm after she pulled it out of the hidden oasis, it was indeed confirmed that there was an oasis disguised as a pile of sand. "Alright, let's go!"

It didn't take long for everyone to cool down upon arriving at the oasis and helping themselves to drinks and even washing parts of their bodies with the desert water.

"Ah...Heaven. This is definitely heaven," sighed Ignis upon taking a long, refreshing drink from the oasis.

"Earlier, you said it was hell," said Issac, raising an eyebrow at her and smirking.

"Yeah, but that was because I discovered the beauty of an oasis..."

"This desert actually could be an ideal place for Mars Adepts to live in," said Ivan, glancing around the desert.

"Oh, hell no! There's no way I would even think about living in this place!" said Garet, shaking his head.

"No, no, no, no! Let me finish! I get it; the desert is hot and nobody would want to live in this type of environment, and I agree! But, this place is also ideal because the weather increases Mars Psynergy and fire magic."

"Oh, I see!" said Mia. "Back in Imil, my Mercury Psynergy was much stronger because it was in a cold environment. I noticed the differences as we traveled to different environments, and how my Mercury Psynergy seems a lot weaker around here because it's a desert."

"Terrain advantage, huh?" said Ignis. "Well, I guess I wouldn't live in a desert because of how frickin' hot it is, but I guess this would make an ideal training ground...kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Put lots of oases and ice in the desert, and we're good to go!"

"First off, ice would immediately melt in the desert," spoke Mia. "Second, I'm pretty sure you'd be distracted with the oases all around."

"Yeah but...Hold on. A thought occurs," said Ignis. "Ivan, you said that deserts are ideal places for Mars Psynergy and fire magic to increase their power, right?"

"Um...yeah?"

"And technically, this is also a place where fire users could become stronger, right?"

"...Technically, yes. What are you going with this?"

"If my fire magic increases in this hellhole, then that'll make it more ideal for me to get stronger!" said Ignis. "And-! And, I can even take advantage of this to improve my Summoning Magic! Especially since it's clear my Attribute for my Familiar is fire-based! Yahoo! Let's go kill some more monsters!"

"Huh, I never thought of it that way," admitted Ivan, rubbing his chin. "...But yeah, this could prove an opportunity for your Summoning Magic. Who knows, maybe today's the day that you'll finally be able to summon your Familiar with the right environment conditions. Okay, I'm on board, too."

"Just don't get carried away, Ignis," warned Issac. "We wouldn't want you to tire yourself out."

"No worries!~ I've got this!" said Ignis.

"The same warning goes to you too, Garet."

"Me?" wondered Garet. "Well, yeah, I guess so. Consdering my temper and the fact that-"

"That you'd easily take advantage of the fire-increase terrain advantage and possibly tire yourself out," interrupted Mia. "But, we'll look out for you and everyone else when the time comes. I think we had enough rest, so shall we get going?"

"I'll be on the lookout for more oases the more we travel down the desert, though I don't know how big the desert is," admitted Ivan.

"Why didn't we just buy a map or something?" wondered Ignis.

"Maybe because nobody's been brave enough to scale out the entire desert and map it out?" suggested Garet. "I mean, I wouldn't."

"I honestly wouldn't blame them," said Issac, splashing his face with the oasis water. "Now, come on. Let's go."

Several hours later...

The group decided to thank Hama for her assistance the next time they met her, because she was certainly right in the fact that Reveal was absolutely necessary to cross the dreadful desert. Whenever they all began to feel extremely fatigued and sweaty, they would stop, use Reveal to locate any hidden oases, and then rest at that oasis.

However, not all oases were safe, much to their disdain. Some were occupied by monsters that they were forced to fight against, some were the size of puddles, and some had quicksand traps that were quickly disarmed thanks to Issac and Ignis' Venus Psynergy/earth magic. They did get lucky by finding a Jupiter Djinn named Smog that quickly got into Ivan's possession.

Because of their discovery of the various oases in the desert, their fighting attitude had improved significantly as well as their morale, The Lamakan Desert heat still made their movements sluggish and their focus detached at times, but they still worked well as a team and grew stronger together with new enemies popping up from cliffs or the sand.

"Gah! One of them stabbed me in the leg!" cried out Garet, kneeling down as the Rat Fighter snickered and leapt away to get away from Garet, flinging away the blood on its spear.

Ignis finished off a Grub monster with her Keyblade before locking blades with a Bee Fighter who was about to take a swing at Mia. "Mia! Can you handle Garet's injury?"

"Of course!" agreed Mia, running towards Garet before she began the healing process.

Issac casted Spire at the Rat Fighter who attacked Garet previously, killing it before hearing a loud cry. He whirled his head and saw Ivan pinned to the ground by an Orc, holding up his staff to block out the Orc's shamshir. This gave Issac the opportunity to whip out his sword and stab the Orc through the chest, causing the monster to literally drop dead right next to Ivan.

"Are you okay?" asked Issac, offering his hand to his Jupiter Adept friend.

"Of course! Thank you, Issac!" Ivan happily took Issac's hand before noticing the cut on Issac's face that he received in battle. "Oh, Issac! You're hurt! Here, I have a Herb with me! Take it! You need it!"

"Thanks."

The battle came to a close when Ignis slashed the Bee Fighter in two; its bisected corpse falling to the ground. "Whew! Is everyone alright?" called out Ignis.

"We're good!" said Mia, helping Garet stand up.

"Yeah...Damn small thing got me in the leg, but it's all healed up," said Garet.

"Here, let me try and find an oasis again," said Ivan. It didn't take him long to find something, though it wasn't an oasis. "Um...I didn't find an oasis, but there's a hidden cave right there."

"That means we're making progress! Let's go!" encouraged Ignis.

It was quite heated inside the hidden cave, understandably since it was a cave in the middle of a hot, scorching desert, but the temperature was less hotter than outdoors in the desert, allowing the others to rest as they walked down the cavern pathways.

"By the way, Ivan?" called out Garet.

"Hmm?"

"Back then, why didn't you ask Master Hama what she meant when she spoke so fondly of you?"

Remembering their conversation, Mia understood what Garet meant. "Oh, yeah! We do not know when we will be able to see Master Hama again."

"Yeah, what she said last time really bothered me! I don't mean like, in a bad way, but I'm pretty curious to see what she knows about you, Ivan!" said Garet.

Ivan paused, and from this simple action, everyone stopped and turned to him, seeing him lift up his face and smile. "Thank you, everyone...but I think it's better if we leave that subject be for now."

"Huh? Why?" wondered Ignis. "I mean, I know we can't ask Master Hama because she isn't here with us right now, but..."

"The whole time we talked, Master Hama hasn't looked me in the eyes since she spoke those words," revealed Ivan.

"Well, what just makes me even more curious!" said Garet.

"Yeah, I'm with Garet on this one," Ignis agreed, patting him on the shoulder.

Ivan shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I doubt she would even tell me if I asked."

"Still, doesn't it frustrate you, not knowing something that you might deserve to know?" asked Issac, crossing his arms.

Ivan simply answered, "Master Hama will tell me when we have completed our mission. I have to believe that. Besides, our mission is more important than finding out answers that only Master Hama knows."

"Yeah, you're probably right," said Ignis, scratching her head. "Okay! Then, let's hurry and get out of this desert, then! That'll complete one step to our journey!"

"Yes. Let's go."

After exiting the cavern, they found themselves in another portion of the Lamakan Desert, much to their disappointment, as they hoped the cavern would lead them out of the desert for good. Instead, they found themselves in a small area with a large waterfall of endless sand cascading downwards into the sandy grounds they were in.

"...So, what now?" wondered Garet. "We've reached a dead end!"

"One word, Garet. Reveal," reminded Ignis. "Ivan, would you be a dear and cast Reveal for us?"

"Sure!"

The instant Ivan casted Reveal...everything went downhill immediately. What Reveal showed them that was hidden behind the sandfall...was a large Manticore creature just waiting for any unfortunate soul to appear so it could strike them down. When it realized that the human travelers could see it, it sprung into action, bursting out from the sandfall and aiming straight for the person closest; Ivan.

Ivan was frozen in place, not expecting a powerful-looking creature to spring out from within the sandfall to attack him. He closed his eyes and tightly gripped his staff in hopes of defending himself and felt...nothing.

Opening his eyes, he saw that Ignis had leapt over in front of him in time to cast a Barrier spell to block the assault and protect him. "Gh-! Guys, a little help?!" called out Ignis.

Snapping out of the shock of witnessing an ambush attack, Issac took out his sword and charged. "Everyone, attack!"

The Manticore paid no more attention to Ivan and Ignis as it now focused on Mia, Issac, and Garet. Mia jumped back to dodge a green projectile that was shot from the Manticore's tail as Issac and Garet served their roles as the front-liners, dashing across the legs, striking it with their weapons. However, its hide was tougher than it looked, making them inflict very light wounds. Still, their actions gave Ivan and Ignis enough time to cease the Barrier spell and back away to join Mia for long-ranged support.

Irritated by the wounds the humans inflicted onto it, the Manticore sent Issac and Garet flying with a Mad Blast attack, blasting them with close-ranged explosives that had them tumbling around the sand. Before the Manticore could slash down at the boys, it was assaulted by a barrage of offensive Jupiter/Mercury Psynergy and fire magic; courtesy of Ivan, Mia, and Ignis.

"It's tougher than it looks! It's probably the strongest monster in the desert!" shouted Issac as he and Garet rushed up to their companions.

"Luckily for us, it's only one monster! That means we get to focus more of our efforts onto this big guy!" said Ignis. "Issac, can you use some kind of Sand Psynergy?"

Issac shook his head. "If I could, I would have already taken advantage of it! What about you and your magic?"

"Sadly, none of my magic textbooks said anything about sand magic!"

"Guys, that thing's growing irritated! We need a plan!" cried out Ivan before being blasted in the chest by the same green projectile that Mia was hit with. "Aaah!"

"Ivan!" everyone cried out before Mia knelt down and checked his condition.

"He's alright!" assured Mia. "But, he's been poisoned! Luckily, I have a Cure Poison spell! Please, buy me time!"

Glancing at the Manticore, Ignis noticed a sort of green mist surrounding the tip of the stinger tail and assume that was how Ivan got poisoned. "Issac, Garet! We gotta move! Try to cut down the tail! And maybe even cut off its eyesight, too!"

The three nodded and charged through, tightly gripping their weapons as they went for a frontal assault. Issac reached there first just as the Manticore slashed with one of its claws. He blocked with his sword and thrusted a palm out, sending a Spire spell to hit the Manticore's face. The Manticore tried to counter with its other claw, but Garet slashed at its palm with his axe, making it cover its injured palm with its other palm. That gave Issac the chance the strike at it, piercing its shoulder as it regained its sight back from its temporary blindness.

Ignis advanced, brandishing Phoenix Fairy as she swift past Garet and Issac while the two boys were keeping the Manticore's claws at bay. She leapt onto its back and began hacking and slashing down onto it multiple times with her Keyblade. When the Manticore lashed out with its stinger, Ignis nimbly dodged and grabbed onto it as it brought it up in the air, swinging it back and forth rapidly to get the Keyblade wielder off, even going so far as to utilize its poison on Ignis, especially since she's at close-range of its poison.

Feeling the sting from the poison, as well as the effects of the poison effect, Ignis released her grip on the tail just as it did a full body jerk, throwing Ignis off and causing her to crash at a rocky wall.

"Catch!" called out Issac, using the power of the Catch Beads to activate Catch Psynergy to catch Ignis from falling.

Noticing that Issac was distracted saving Ignis, the Manticore approached him at a fast pace and swing its claws down onto the Adept, only for one of the claws to be blocked by Garet's axe. The other claw attack managed to cut Garet in the chest, making him grunt in pain, yet stand tall in order to protect his friend, who was saving another friend.

Just then, a lightning ray attack fired from afar thanks to a fully recovered Ivan, forcing the Manticore to shield itself with its arms. It made the mistake of lowering its guard as well as its arms, because as soon as it did, an icicle pike pierced through one of its eyes, causing it to roar and stumble back in pain.

Mia, having casted Ice Horn at the Manticore, let out a breath of relief as she succeeded in taking out half of the monster's eyesight. Seeing Issac tending to a poisoned Ignis, she rushed over and proceeded to cast Cure Poison on her. "I've got this! Go help the others!"

An explosion startled the two of them as they turned and saw Ivan and Garet badly injured from receiving a fully-powered Nova Psynergy blast from the Manticore. Trusting Mia to tend to Ignis, Issac charged back into battle, casting Rockfall on top of the Manticore, sending a volley of rocks specifically on the stinger area just before sliding across the sand to dodge another long-ranged poison attack.

The Manticore was proving more and more resilient as time passed on, and though Ivan, Issac, and Garet were doing their best to wear it down, it appears that the Manticore was wearing them down more effectively than they were doing to the monster. So far, Ivan got Curse, Garet had Delusion, and Issac got himself poisoned.

"Garet! Watch where you're swinging that axe!" shouted Ivan; pale-faced and gasping from the Curse effect.

Because he was inflicted with Delusion, Garet couldn't see anything properly and was randomly swinging around his weapon, as though his efforts will actually hit the Manticore. Issac struggled to keep things together even with his poisoned state as the Manticore was eyeing him, snarling as it prepared to dive in and finish him off.

Suddenly, Phoenix Fairy swooped out of nowhere and sliced the stinger off the Manticore's tail, having it land and stab a bit into the Manticore's back, not only injuring it severely, but also poisoning it. Phoenix Fairy disappeared and was re-summoned back to its master's hand, Ignis, who had recovered thanks to Mia.

Deciding to play the role of healer for a little while, Ignis raised Phoenix Fairy in the air and began casting healing and supportive spells. "Curaga! Curaga! Curaga! Esuna! Esuna! Esuna!" Her spells not only snapped the injured trio out of their status effects, but healed them completely, even if it did caused a big drain out of Ignis' magic power.

The Manticore was about to rush at the group once more, but was unable to move upon feeling the stiff coldness on its forearms being completely frozen thanks to Mia's Mercury Psynergy. Seeing the Manticore charging up for another Mars-based Psynergy attack, Ignis moved in right after Mia.

"Seal!" she casted a basic sealing magic spell onto the Manticore, successfully sealing off its Psynergy. However, she underestimated its strength, as it didn't take long for the Manticore to break free so quickly. "Shit!"

"You know, maybe we should have started using our Djinns earlier," spoke up Ivan.

"Even so, the monster's already weakened! Let's finish this!" ordered Issac. "Flint!"

"Fever!" shouted Garet. Both him and Issac struck at the Manticore's sides with their offensive, elemental Djinns, and unlike their previous physical strikes, the Djinn-based attacks dug deeper and were more damaging, making the Manticore roar. As the two were dodging the Manticore's attacks, Ivan felt his body strengthened in strength, speed, and defense and turned his head to see Ignis boosting him up with supportive spells as Mia was trying to keep the Manticore in place with her ice Mercury Psynergy.

"Go for it, Ivan!" called out Ignis.

Ivan nodded and glared straight at the Manticore straight in its one, remaining eye before running forward and raising his staff above his head. "Smog!" he called upon his newest Jupiter Djinn to enhance his weapon and finish off the Manticore.

With one final blow, while he didn't destroy the Manticore's only eye left, he did succeed in blinding it before the final blow ended the Manticore's life.

"Oh, jeez..." panted Garet, falling on his behind. "Ivan...please tell me there's an oasis around here..."

"I...I checked, and there's no oasis around. But, there is a hidden cave right behind the sandfall," said Ivan, pointing to the spot where the Manticore had first emerged for its ambush on him previously.

"...You know, I wanna get outta of this heat just as much as anyone," admitted Ignis, speaking up. "But I don't want sand on my hair, on my armor, my boots-! Issac, are you absolutely sure you can't use Sand Psynergy?"

"Even if I could, I can't right now. I'm all out of Psynergy," said Issac, shaking his head.

"Goddamnit!"

"...Oh! I remember now!" cried out Ivan, snapping his fingers. "Lamakan Desert is close to Kalay, the town I grew up in with Master Hammet and Lady Layana!"

"Kalay? I've heard of that town before," said Issac. "If only I can remember what..."

"Well, it is quite a well-known place, as well as one of Master Hammet's greatest achievements! Because of his merchant skills, Kalay is a successful, prosperous town!"

"Hey, not to be rude or anything, but how about we continue talking about this right after we get out of the desert?" complained Garet loudly.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Yes, let's get going!"

To everyone's relief, it didn't take long to reach the exit of the desert as well as reach Kalay afterwards. Like Ivan said earlier, it was indeed a blooming, prosperous town that was plenty busy and noisy all around, as there were several merchants and markets all around. Because it was getting late and the entire party was tired, exhausted, and sweaty, they decided to rest at a nearby inn and visit Ivan's home within Kalay the next day, unknown of what's to happen to them the very next day...

Yay! All my exams are done, so I'll have more time doing this! Read and review!