Disclaimer: YAY! This is the last time I have to write one of these things! I must admit that I'm a little sad to end my story, since it's been so much fun to write, but all good things must come to an end eventually. As stated in all previous chapters, I don't own Golden Sun--just this story. So without further ado…
*Chapter 12*
The forest was almost completely quiet when the early light of dawn peaked through the leaves. How could the sun be up already? Last night had gone by all too fast, but perhaps that was for the best. Mia wanted to forget all about the Fire Clan and her unpleasant stay in Tartarus. But the events of last night would forever remain fresh in her memory. Sneaking around the village streets, confronting the guards, the battle against Valerdo, and then that final flare arrow that no one had seen in time. It played out like a movie in her mind, as did those sweet words from the one she loved with all her soul. She'd unintentionally fallen asleep shortly after that, which she blamed on both her illness and the sheer exhaustion from the escape.
Freedom felt like a miracle. Normally, she wrote off any good fortune to dumb luck, but this time she knew it was a real, heaven-sent miracle.
A miracle named Isaac.
Her grandfather had once told her that everyone in the world has a soulmate--someone who not only loves you but also completes you. Supposedly, only the most fortunate individuals ever found that soulmate within their lifetimes. If Mia had had any doubts about her love for Isaac or his love for her, the events of last night had totally erased them. They were true soulmates, parts of the same whole, and destined to be together forever.
"Stupid piece of…" Garet sputtered. He was trying to get the ship unstuck from the shore, and everything he'd tried hadn't worked. How were they going to continue their journey when their ride wouldn't budge?
Jenna was sitting on one of the rocks nearby, watching the sky as it started to turn various shades of gold and pink with the beginning of the sunset. She remembered Isaac's words; if I'm not back by sunset tomorrow, go without me. His time limit was almost up. Where was he? He had to come back…he just had to!
"Dammit!" Garet cursed at the boat. "How's a guy supposed to save the world with this piece of junk for his transportation?" He went to join Jenna. "Well, if we can't free the boat, I guess we'll just have to stay here a little longer."
"The sun's going down," said Jenna quietly.
"Really? I hadn't noticed."
She scowled. "Is that all you can say? You idiot! Aren't you worried about him?"
"Hey, I've been pacing the deck just as much as the rest of you. Don't you dare accuse me of not being concerned!"
Jenna sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm just…"
"…Worried? I know. We all are."
They silently watched as the glowing red disc sank lower and lower in the sky. Still no sign of their friend. Jenna felt her heart thumping against her ribcage and her stomach doing flip-flops. How could she have let Isaac go off on his own? And all for that girl no less! Ah, who am I kidding? she thought. If I hadn't chased Mia away, none of this would've happened. And if Isaac never comes back, I'll have no one but myself to blame. Stupid Mia! What do you have that would make him forsake everything else?
"Garet?" she asked. "Are you still mad at me?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. You did start this whole mess, after all, but I guess a part of me understands why you were jealous of Mia."
"Really?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, Isaac's practically my brother. I wouldn't want anyone or anything to ever change that."
"Then doesn't it bother you that he chose Mia over you? That he threw away a lifetime of your loyalty and friendship for a girl he's known less than a year?"
Garet shook his head. "He didn't throw it away."
"How can you say that? You and I both saw him stay behind to risk his life for that girl! How is that not throwing away everything he has with us?"
"Jenna, you and I both know that in a perfect world, the three of us wouldn't ever have to split up. But the world's not always perfect, and things are bound to come up that will divide us. And that includes relationships with other people."
"And you're fine with that?" Jenna demanded. "Discarded just because he got involved with someone out of the circle? What's wrong with you? Why won't you fight for him?"
"You mean like you did?" he implored. "Look what came of that! What's the matter with you, Jenna? Why won't you let him go?"
Jenna's eyes watered. "You can ask me that when everything I held dear was stolen from me in one terrifying instant? I have nothing to return to when this is over! My parents are gone and my brother may as well be. How can I let you and Isaac slip away from me when you're all I have left?"
Garet smiled reassuringly and put an arm around her. "Hey, don't cry, Jenna. We're not going anywhere--at least I'm not. No matter what happens, we'll always be here for you one way or another. But to want Isaac to forsake his own happiness just for you is a selfish request. He's been through a lot too, and I think he deserves to have what he wants. Don't you agree?"
"Yes," she replied, sniffing a bit. She leaned her head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Garet. You may be an oaf, but sometimes you do know what to say."
Sheba and Ivan looked down at their friends from the bow of the ship, smiling. Then they both looked at the fading sun, wondering where their missing companions were and wishing that they'd hurry back. "Do you understand it, Ivan?" she asked.
"Understand what?"
"Why Isaac chose to do what he did. It seems a bit…illogical."
Ivan shrugged. "Perhaps, but then again, I've never been in love."
"It's frightening to think that one emotion could have such a powerful hold over a person." She paused a moment, staring off into space. "Do you think they'll make it back?"
"We can only hope. With any luck, Isaac got in and out of Tartarus without being seen by anyone. But if the guards caught sight of him, he'd be horribly outnumbered." He scratched his head. "Then again, Isaac's at his best when the odds are stacked against him."
Sheba had a lump in her throat. "I should've said something sooner. If I had spoken up, Mia never would've left and none of this would've happened."
"Don't blame yourself, Sheba. It won't do any good. No matter how these events pan out, we can't change the past. All we can do is hope for a decent future."
"I know, but what are we supposed to do without them?"
"We'll continue on to the Mars Lighthouse and find Felix," Ivan replied plainly. "That's what Isaac wanted, so that's what we'll do."
"You're a really good friend, Ivan," she said with a small smile. "I'm glad that I've had this chance to journey with you."
"Likewise. I've felt so much more normal since meeting other Adepts, and meeting another Jupiter Adept is even better. It's as if I finally discovered my real place in the world."
"Me too."
The ocean glittered with reflections of red, pink, orange and gold. Ivan and Sheba went to join Garet and Jenna on the beach and watch the sunset. Normally, this would be a sight to enjoy, but not tonight. The four of them were at a total loss for words as the sun disappeared from sight and the final rays of light began to die away, along with their hopes of Isaac's return. If he had successfully rescued Mia, the two of them should be back by now. The fact that they weren't could only mean one thing. Tears slowly fell down Jenna's face.
"Oh, god!" she whispered, trying to fight off her sorrow and despair. "He's not coming back!"
Garet looked up at the sky, not wanting to accept a future without his best friend. What would he do without Isaac anyway? They'd been together all their lives--practically family. It'd be like missing a part of himself. "Isaac, you idiot," he sighed. "Why'd you have to run off and be so heroic anyway? You know that I do stupid stuff when you're not around."
"Well, I figured I could trust you to man the fort for a day," said a voice from behind. "Don't tell me that was a mistake."
The four whirled to see none other than Isaac and Mia standing near the edge of the woods, both of them smiling away. Garet, Ivan, and Sheba ran to embrace them, but Jenna stayed where she was and stared at them as if they were ghosts. They were OK! It was almost too good to be true.
"You're late!" Garet accused as he squeezed Isaac.
"Ouch!" Isaac yelped. "Be gentle with me please--I'm a little sore."
"Sorry," said Garet. He let Isaac go. "You both look like hell."
"Gee, thanks!" Isaac and Mia said together.
"I'm so glad you're all right!" Sheba exclaimed, hugging Mia. "We were so worried!"
"I'm glad to be back," said Mia. "I missed all of you more than I can say."
"I assume that the rescue mission went smoothly?" Ivan inquired.
"Well, it hit a few bumps," Isaac said.
"A few?" Mia questioned. "Isaac, you took on a small army, not to mention one of their strongest warriors!"
"You mean you got to have all that fun without me?" Garet demanded. "No fair!"
Isaac made a face. "Garet, you're impossible, you know that?"
"Tell us all the details," said Sheba. "How'd you manage to get in and out of there alive?"
"Can it wait until later?" Isaac begged. "We're both exhausted, and Mia needs to be indoors where it's warm. And how come the ship's not ready to go?"
"Because Garet couldn't get it to move," said Ivan. "I'm telling you, Isaac--we'd fall apart without you."
"Isn't it sweet how much we all rely on you?" Mia implored.
"Now I know how my mom must feel," Isaac sighed. Jenna suddenly hugged him, which he willingly returned this time.
"I'm so sorry for everything, Isaac," she said. "What can I do to make amends for it? I'll do anything I swear! I don't want you to hate me anymore."
"I don't hate you, Jenna," Isaac said. "I'll forgive you if you do two things for me. One, promise that you won't ever do anything like that again."
"Done," said Jenna. "What's the other?"
"Apologize to Mia."
"Oh, Isaac, that's not necessary," Mia said.
"No, he's right," said Jenna, going to Mia. "I was wrong, Mia. It was selfish of me to try to keep you away from him when he clearly loves you more than anything. And I know that he wouldn't feel this strongly about you unless you felt the same way in return. I want Isaac to be happy, and if that's what you do for him, then you two belong together. But I wouldn't blame you if you decided to hate me forever."
Mia smiled. "I forgave you long ago, Jenna. I understood your desire to protect him and keep him close to you from the beginning, because I feel the same way about him. Isaac's very special, and I know that anyone who could care about him as much as you do and be as important to him as you are must also be very special."
Jenna smiled too. "Yes, he is a rare and special friend. And it makes sense that the girl that could capture his heart must be equally so."
"Truce?" Mia asked, extending a hand.
"Truce." And they shook on it.
"Does this mean we won't be seeing any catfights?" Garet asked, sounding disappointed.
Jenna elbowed him in the stomach. "I take back every nice thing I ever said about you." The others laughed.
"Now that that's settled, what's next?" Ivan asked.
"We continue our quest," said Isaac. "Let's see if we can get our ride moving again."
By the following evening, everything was shipshape and the Adepts were at sea once again, continuing their search for Lemuria, Felix, and the Mars Lighthouse, wherever they may be. After dinner, Garet, Jenna, Ivan and Sheba sat around the table in the galley and listened to Isaac's tale about the escape from Tartarus, which held everyone on the edges of their seats.
"You do get to have all the fun," Garet griped when he'd finished. "I'm not letting you go off on your own ever again."
"We shouldn't have let you go alone," Jenna said. "It sounds like you could've used our help."
Isaac shrugged. "In the actual fighting, yes, but getting in and out of there was easier with only Mia and myself to take care of. If you guys had been there, it might've been harder overall. I'm just glad it's over."
"It sounds like you dealt a major blow to the Fire Clan by taking out that Valerdo guy," said Ivan. "Hopefully that means we won't encounter any more of their kind in our travels."
"Something confuses me though," Sheba began. "You said that neither of you had the power to heal your injury and yet you're still here. Was it just not as serious as you thought, or did something else happen?"
"No, it was serious enough," Isaac said. He crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. "I don't really know what happened. We were there in the woods and Mia was crying like crazy, telling me that I couldn't die after all we'd been through to be together. I think I said that I wouldn't abandon her again, and the rest gets fuzzy. I remember seeing a warm green light and feeling the bleeding stop and then I guess I fell asleep. Very weird."
The others looked equally perplexed. "A green light?" Garet asked. "Are you sure it wasn't blue?"
"Positive. It was green."
"But what kind of Psynergy gives off a green color?" Jenna wondered. "All the elements have designated colors that don't ever change. Kraden was certain of it."
"Yeah," Sheba agreed. "I've never heard of such a thing as green Psynergy. Psynergy comes in only one of four colors--yellow, red, blue and purple."
"Maybe you imagined it, Isaac," Garet suggested. "It must've been Mia's powers that healed you and maybe you just thought it was green."
"There was no way Mia healed me," Isaac said. "Believe me, she tried with all her might and nothing happened."
Ivan strummed his fingers against the table, thinking. "Earth is yellow, water is blue. And if one combines the colors yellow and blue, green is the result. Call me crazy, but I think Isaac really did see green Psynergy. I'll bet it was the result of his power combining with Mia's."
"But neither one of them had any Psynergy left!" Sheba exclaimed.
"You can't combine something that's not there," Garet added.
"Remember that time we were in Kolima village and our Psynergy protected us from Tret's curse?" Ivan implored. "We weren't controlling it, but our powers made us immune to Tret's glamour and we determined that some Psynergy must work only when it's needed. Maybe that's what happened here."
"So since neither Isaac nor Mia had enough power to heal his injury, their Psynergy chose to combine in order to heal him?" Jenna asked. "That's a little far-fetched, don't you think?"
Ivan shrugged. "It's just a theory, but I don't think it's that odd when you consider how much Mia and Isaac love each other. Their fervent desire to be together could've allowed them to tap any hidden resources they had."
Sheba sighed longingly. "Then their love saved the day! That's so romantic!"
Garet groaned. "That's so corny! I think I'm going to be seasick!"
Isaac laughed to himself and silently slipped out of the galley, leaving the others to debate the matter as much as they pleased. He walked the short distance to the Captain's quarters--the plush stateroom that no one used. They'd been unable to figure out a fair way to determine who got it, since it was so much nicer than the regular cabins. For now, however, it served as Mia's room so she wouldn't risk giving her flu to anyone else. He opened the door as quietly as he could, but she hadn't been sleeping very soundly and stirred at the soft creaking noise.
"Hi, Isaac," she said as she sat up. "I was hoping you'd come visit me before you turned in for the night."
"I'm sorry--I didn't mean to wake you." He shut the door. "How are you feeling?"
"Better. It's amazing what a warm bed and a good night's sleep can do." The color was already returning to her face. She smiled broadly. "Did the others like the story of how my brave, handsome, completely wonderful knight-at-arms risked everything to save me from the most fearsome creatures in the entire world?"
Isaac grinned, chuckling and blushing a bit. "They were on the edges of their seats."
"Good." Mia lightly patted the bed to beckon him over. "This still feels a bit like a dream. I know we were only apart for a few days, but it felt like forever. I don't want to be away from you ever again."
"Me either." He sat down on the edge of the bed. "Like I said--I want us to always be together."
Mia looked crestfallen. "I'd never forget that promise we made, but those Fire Clan guards took the ring you gave me. I'm sorry, Isaac. I didn't ever want to take it off."
"Well, maybe this will make it up to you." Isaac rifled through his pocket and pulled out another ring. It was blue like the first, but this one also had a beautiful sparkling diamond.
"Oh, Isaac!" she gasped in complete surprise. "It's gorgeous! Wherever did you get it?"
"Would you believe I found it in the Jupiter Lighthouse? It was adorning a statue in one of the treasure shrines we found. I saw it and knew it was perfect for you." He smiled. "This ring seems more worthy of our vow, don't you think?"
"It's a little overwhelming. I've never owned anything so glamorous."
Isaac placed the ring on her finger. "Well, now you do. Mia, if any good has come of this mess, it's that now I have no doubts about us at all. I know with every ounce of my being that we belong together."
"Me too. We're soulmates, Isaac. You and I are one, now and forever."
"Then there's only one thing left for us to do. What do you say, Mia? When our quest ends and all our duties are done, will you give me the honor of becoming your husband?"
She threw her arms around him, laughing in complete elation. "YES!" She pulled him in for a long kiss. Together at last as it was meant to be, they soon lost themselves in that sweet surrender.
OK, so it was incredibly mushy, but what can I say--it's a love story! Thanks so much to all of you who read this and gave me those wonderful reviews. I hope you enjoyed my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.