Garet finally looked away from distance, land and sky, that seemed to tunnel on forever in front of them. "Isaac, I don't understand. What mistake are you talking about?"

"I left. Twice." Isacc's tone was one of someone who felt strong belief in their conviction and Garet knew he would have to tread carefully.

"I still don't understand."

Isaac sighed, regret flashing in his eyes. "At the town when warned about the storm, I should have decided for us to stay put."

Garet regarded his friend intently. "Isaac, you know we all decided that. Everyone wanted to leave, anyway. No one was that worried. Even at the town, they made it sound like the storm would blow over in a day or two and that people traveled through them all the time."

"Maybe," Isaac conceded. "But regardless if everyone was willing and even wanting to leave, it was still ultimately my decision. If I had wanted to stay everyone would have stayed. I led us into that."

Garet shook his head. "Isaac, you are shouldering all the blame for leaving the town. It's shared. There was no way any of us could have known how horrible this storm was, much less that some strange creature would come out during it. That is no one's fault. It's simply bad luck." He looked down at the wet grass he was crouching in. "That's all."

"Don't we make our own luck in life?" Isaac queried, not in the least convinced that things wouldn't have been much better if he had just insisted they wait the storm out. "We should have stayed."

"Maybe. But it doesn't matter. And we only make our luck sometimes. When you say it like that, what are you saying about Ivan?" Garet demanded. He knew it would hurt to hear, but felt his friend should truly consider his words and thoughts more carefully.

Isaac's eyes widened in understanding. What was he saying about their deceased friend when he put it like that? "That's hardly fair," he quietly accused Garet.

"Yes, it is!" Garet protested. "It's perfectly fair."

"But then I left again when I should have stayed."

"I have no idea what you're talking about now."

Isaac leaned back on his stump, looking up at the rainclouds through the light rain that had started to drizzle down on them. Any moment now, he was sure the clouds would burst forth with their fury as they always did. "We left Ivan and Mia because I wanted to. I thought we were doing what was best, but we should have stayed in order to defend them in case the monster went there. Obviously, they would be targets. They were the weakest members and injured; Ivan was completely immobile and Mia couldn't even stand. We didn't know that monster well enough to leave their sides. But I did. And I brought you with me."

Garet was silent for several long seconds, understanding very well what his friend was saying. He understood that hindsight was twenty-twenty. After the battle had taken place and after everything had happened, it was much easier to plan for the next battle especially if it were to be with the same creature. But when a battle is sprung on you like that and a creature has tricks you've never seen, its much harder to plan in the moment, no matter how clear everything becomes to you after its all said and done. He stood up, staring at the clouds as well. "That's hardly fair, Isaac." He told his friend before turning to leave him with this thoughts. Before he was out of earshot, he added, "And you know it."

Isaac turned and watched his friend's back as he retreated to their tent. Garet's words rolled around in his head, and though Isaac understood it, he just couldn't accept it. It just didn't seem right to so easily accept what had happened and to just move on. To have that what's done is done attitude and learn to live with it, the attitude Garet had so easily slipped into unquestioningly. He knew it kept his friend from falling apart and strong, but Isaac's own personality just couldn't seem to mold with that outlook on life.

He looked back up at the sky, that feeling of fate mocking them again shoved in his face. Faintly, he could see the outline of the barrier that now protected them. It didn't keep the weather out, only monsters. Ironic that Ivan's cremation had taken place here, a place free of monsters. If they had only found this place earlier or sped up then there would be no need to even have a marker for Ivan at all. Guilt wracked Isaac again, knowing the reason they had slowed so much was due to his horrible coughing fits.

Laughter still rang in Isaac's ears every time he thought on the unfairness of it all and he wondered if that creature was laughing at them even in the afterlife. There had been a couple times, Isaac knew they probably could have continued on with their travel. There had been enough of a lapse in the storm, but he still refused to leave. He just couldn't come to peace with leaving things the way they were and it seemed unfair to leave Ivan all the way out here. He knew the body wasn't there and it was just a stone, but it was still the last spot Ivan's body had lain. Out here, in the middle of nowhere, under the barrier that had failed to protect him while he was still alive.

Adding further insult to it all, was the golden energy Isaac could still feel bouncing around in him. He had yet to cast any psynergy spells since everything had happened, fearful of a repeat occurrence. Mia was terrified of her own psynergy as well. He wasn't absolutely sure, but suspected that golden light that teasingly warmed his body was what was keeping both of them in decent health. The barrier had been well stocked with herbs, but even with those he suspected he and Mia should have fallen victim to the weather. Garet had developed a light cough and runny nose but he and Mia were perfectly fine despite having been in much worse shape before being bathed with that golden light. Every time he stood before Ivan's marker, he could feel it bounce around and it sickened him.

-Ω-

Garet shot Isaac one last glance before going into their tent. Mia was still there, sleeping. He sat on his sleeping bag, replaying Isaac's words in his head, wondering if he could have done or said anything different to penetrate his friend's unbelievable stubbornness. I thought I was stubborn, he thought ruefully. Isaac continued to blame himself for them ever having been in the situation in the first place and Garet saw no point in laying blame anywhere. Everyone was upset and no one had wanted this. He knew that Isaac had done his absolute best and had simply run into horrible and uncontrollable circumstances even if Isaac himself didn't see that. He always worried over their safety and spent much time preparing for their travels. Sometimes, all the preparation in the world couldn't prepare you for what the world threw at you and this was the perfect example.

Mia rolled over and began to moan. Garet watched her for several seconds, wondering if he should awake her now or see if she would go back to sleep.

In her dream, Mia saw Ivan's body shaking beneath her hands, smoke engulfing them. Horrified purple eyes stared up at her. Blood was everywhere. She remembered Ivan's hair being matted with blood, mud, and grass. She saw Garet viciously dust those creature's ashes of their friend's body. Isaac's shock and disbelief shining so clearly through his blue eyes. Ivan's screams echoed throughout her nightmare along that creatures howls. Screams of the dead that had hurt her ears so bad in the light box played over and over again. Shine plasma would sometimes be the only thing she could see, barely able to make out the image of Isaac, Ivan, or Garet through it all.

After what seemed like an eternity, the shine plasma faded into nothingness. Whiteness was the only thing around her.

Warily, she searched the area, dread creeping over her being. This did not bode well. A shadowy figure approached her before blurring and then taking on a solid shape. Ivan.

"You fool," he harshly called her. "You used that psynergy on me, hurting me even more and then you left me, vulnerable to that monster. You couldn't even fend it off for several moments?"

"No, I-" Mia cut herself off, knowing the denial was pointless. It was all true. In her frantic panic, she had relied on her instincts. It had been instinctual to cast a healing spell on a dying friend. She couldn't deny that much. To top it off, it had been a weak casting after having had suffered through that continuous shine plasma attack. Yet, he had gone on forever and shocked and hurt her to the core. She didn't even want to imagine how painful it must have been for Ivan. "

"No? Funny, from what I remember that is exactly what happened."

"I-I didn't mean for that to happen," Mia quietly protested, desperate to be granted peace from her friend's spirit. She wasn't sure how to put it to rest.

"Of course you didn't mean for it to happen. But it did happen," Ivan pointed out. "Didn't it?" He outstretched his arms, palms forward quirked his brows at her. "What is that saying again? A pound of flesh, an eye for an eye, a life for a life? I forget how it goes."

Mia backed away, familiar with his position. "Please," she begged. "I'm so sorry, please don't." Her plea fell on deaf ears and Ivan smirked before calling down his wrath.

"Shine Plasma!"

Mia screamed and didn't stop.

-Ω-

"Mia!" Garet violently shook, relief flooding him when her eyes finally snapped open, wide with fright. "Good, you're finally awake." It had taken him several minutes of shaking and shouting. He had even resorted to slapping her cheek at some point, hoping it would make her come to. He wasn't sure what had finally brought her back into the world of the living, but was grateful for it.

She clung to Garet's arms like a ship to a harbor. Her gaze bore into Garet's. "He-he wanted to kill me. It's all my fault. I should be the one with a marker out here. I should be! I-" she cut herself off, dissolving into hysterical tears.

Garet tightened his grip, rocking her gently. "Shh, it's okay, it's okay," he tried shushing her, offering reassurances that he knew wouldn't reach her ears.

Isaac watched the exchange take place before soundlessly walking away, leaving the two of them alone. He had been ready to turn in for the night when he'd heard Garet start yelling, trying to waken her. Guilt ate away at him. Like he blamed himself for Ivan's death, he held himself responsible for Mia's current state of being. Despite the fault he felt, he couldn't find it in himself to comfort her the way Garet was so effortlessly able to do. He found one of the few, scattered trees underneath the barrier and leaned heavily against it, looking upwards and staring at the night sky through the branches, letting rain splatter on his face. He stayed like that for countless minutes, wishing the rain would wash away all his misgivings about himself and all the mistakes he'd made. Wishing on the stars for a second chance, but knowing his wishes would never be granted. The stars didn't hang in the sky to grant wishes.

Thunder boomed around him and lightning cracked, an eerie imitation of some of Ivan's psynergy. Pushing himself off the tree, he resolutely set off back to their tent, knowing he needed to get some sleep and wanting shelter from the rain.

-Ω-

The next day, Mia groaned inwardly while trying to force soup down her throat. It was the only thing they had really. All their other food had run out several days ago. It was probably for the best since Garet was the only one cooking food and he managed to not burn it. Mia felt her face heat up with memories of last night. She always felt like such a fool when she finally returned to the real world to find Garet holding her, looking down at her with extreme concern and Isaac usually nearby, about to burst from worry. Last night, though, Isaac hadn't been nearby and it unsettled her.

She mechanically forced another spoonful of soup into her mouth, trying to tell herself it was no big deal. She could only see Garet using his flames to cook the soup and then flashes of him using his flames to cremate their friend shot through her mind and she felt sick again. Her spoon clattered to the table and she stared down at her bowl, wide-eyed.

Garet looked over at her. "You need to eat, Mia, please?" After a couple moments of silence, he smiled sadly. "Would you eat it if Isaac made it?"

Mia's head snapped up and her wide eyes met Garet's somber ones. It was easy to read her expression: How did you know? She tried to deny it. "No, I-I like your soup."

"That's not it, is it?" Garet asked, cocking his head, returning her shocked expression with a doleful one. "It's hard. I get it. I-I understand."

"It's not-I just..." Mia trailed off, having no way to explain herself without knowledge that it would probably hurt Garet. Of course, just my actions have already hurt him. Did I make it that obvious?

Garet quietly took her bowl away. "I'm going to be okay. Just worry about yourself right now, not me. I'm fine." I just want to hear you and Isaac say those words, too.