Dawn and Twilight

AN: I so love having this story finished already. Except then I forget the days when I plan to post the chapters, but this works out better anyway.

Midnight: It was supposed to be up Tuesday, I swear. But I hope this is soon enough for you. And there's slightly less outright funny in this, but a bit more deceptively hidden funny which is I suppose what you mean by 'humor like no one else.'

Elena: You win…uh…faster updates on MWY??? I dunno!

Shiro: Actually, for all the stuff they leave behind, Garet and the others get to use it surprisingly not often. …That sentence was off. Oh well!

Griffinkhan: Ah, the muse actually takes credit for the 'foot' line in the rock-paper-scissors scene. …Briggs? Erm…yeah, I feel sorry for him too…(especially after *stops* Oh, no, mustn't tell about that, that we mustn't). Air's rock person deserves to…be smoten with a heavy stick. That place was creepy. (FFTA is Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, which is cool even though I've never played any other Final Fantasy game before.)

Jupiter Sprite: Ah, that's part of the grand design! To keep it from you is to keep you wanting more!!! *Evil laughing*

Well, you know the drill. Hop to it!

Chapter Three: Hesperian Fire

"Hesperia!" said Mia, echoing Isaac's warning call and Sheba's excited answer. Garet, having heard this, sprang from belowdecks and leapt right off the side of the ship, landing on the sand.

            "Hesperia!" he cried in relief, the same way someone lost in the desert for days would say 'water' upon suddenly finding an oasis. Sheba, Isaac and Mia were quick to follow him in disembarking.

            Mia had told them all what Kraden had said, in response to Sheba's question of, "Why can't we just Teleport there?"

            They were looking for a town that had been lost to the ages, and it was in a forested area in the west, far from Shaman Village, which was their sole Teleport point on Hesperia. These people would be, according to Kraden, mostly Jupiter Adepts, perhaps with the odd Venus, Mars or Mercury mixed in. That was assuming, of course, that the people still existed.

            "I knew there was a catch," Garet had said upon hearing this.

            "Remember," Isaac warned as they started into the forest, "not only are there dangerous beasts and such around here, but these people may not be so keen on letting us just barge in. Keep your eyes—and your mind, Sheba—open."

            There was a general chorus of, "Sure Isaac," and the four Adepts became silent, one watching the left, one the right, one straight ahead and the last one lost in her own thoughts.

            Sheba, though barely aware of what was going on, reacted fast enough (to Isaac it appeared to be a blur) to pull Garet out of the way as he nearly walked into a tree.

            "Thanks, Sheba," he said sheepishly.

            "No problem," she replied distantly. There was something up ahead, something with a power that at least resembled Psynergy…but it wasn't any Adept. "Enemy ahead," she warned, suddenly quite focused on the here and now.

            "What kind?" Isaac asked in a quiet voice.

            "Something big," was the best Sheba could offer. Her Psynergy was pretty drained from Hovering all the way from Champa to the western shores of Hesperia—everyone's was. Well, with the exception of Garet.

            Isaac, walking in front, suddenly held up a hand. The others stopped behind him, Garet coming up next to him to see why Isaac had halted them. He just barely stopped himself from giving a long, low whistle.

            "Slayers," Isaac whispered, peering thought the trees. "About a dozen. Big."

            "We covered 'big' earlier," Mia hissed. "No one mentioned 'numerous.'"

            "Those things never travel alone," Garet argued.

            "Point. Should we rush 'em?"

            "We might try to go around," Sheba suggested. "We're almost Psynergy-less, and I doubt we could rush anything and come out on top, even if it is just twelve Slayers." Isaac seemed about to question her but Garet shook his head. The Slayers had stopped doing whatever it was they had been doing and were looking their way.

            After a few moments they went back to what they had been doing. Isaac motioned to his head, and Sheba raised a hand and cast Mind Read.

            What do you mean 'only' twelve? Twelve is a lot! Isaac thought strongly, and Sheba smiled.

            Twelve is nothing for the four of us, she argued, letting them all hear her thoughts, and Garet grinned.

            "They're gone," Mia whispered urgently, and the others' heads virtually snapped back to where the Slayers had been. "All twelve of them," Mia continued, gripping her staff with both hands and glancing around. There was a rustle in the bushes behind her, and she spun as Garet fired off a Heat Wave, singeing the ends of her hair and blasting the attacking Slayer into a nearby tree.

            "Mistreating the forest," Isaac said in a chiding tone, but he was grinning nonetheless. He raised a hand and called on Clay Spire, smashing two of the Slayers as they emerged behind Garet.

            "They're resistant to Venus," Sheba pointed out as the pair rose again, virtually unharmed. "And they're seriously armored."

            "You noticed?" asked Mia frostily, casting Ice Missile. Those same two fell again and did not stand. The one that Garet had Heat Waved had been joined by two others, and the remaining seven were grouped two, two and three, each small group heading for an Adept.

            "They're trying to break us off," Isaac said, and immediately the four of them drew closer together. "Garet, you've got the most Psynergy, try and take some of them."

            "Right. Maybe there was a point to being banished to the hold. Pyroclasm!" Several pillars of flame erupted and did indeed go everywhere; Sheba herself narrowly missed being roasted by one. Three of the Slayers also fell to the violent Mars Psynergy, though, leaving seven to form an almost-complete circle around the Adepts.

            "Venus-resistant means weak to Jupiter," Sheba said, a somewhat evil smile spreading on her face. "Destruct Ray!" Several bolts of lightning rained down on the Slayers, taking three more.

            "We really are getting better at this," Mia commented. "Four left. Isaac?"

            "Actually, something's been bugging me for a while now. Unleash Bane!" The Venus Djinni materialized and struck, sending poison flowing through the Slayer he took out. Sheba and Garet had worked together to rid themselves of the other three, and turned to see what in the world Mia and Isaac were staring at, because they certainly were watching something interesting.

            "Isaac," Mia said quietly, and Isaac nodded. "It's…it's human…"

            "And a girl, too," he observed, looking down at the Slayer that Bane had struck. "But how?"

            "Perhaps they belong to the people Kraden was telling us about?" Sheba guessed as Mia knelt by the now-helmetless girl. "That doesn't make sense, though. We've fought numerous Slayers before now, and none of them have been human that I know."

            "Yes, but none of these Slayers has just disappeared without a trace, either," Garet said, staring down at one.

            "That might only mean they aren't dead," Sheba argued. "They could just be stunned."

            "Pyroclasm isn't just a stunning thing," Isaac said, and immediately Sheba found herself in agreement. That was Isaac's personality—when he said something, anyone with him automatically agreed. Aside from the enemy, of course. And Faran. Faran had had a problem with Isaac's authority, she'd been told.

            "Mia, what are you doing?" asked a frustrated—and currently perched on Isaac's head—Bane. "No offense meant, of course, but…are you crazy?"

            "What? What's she doing?" Garet asked, looking at Mia. Her eyes were closed and she was surrounded by the faint blue aura that signaled use of her healing Psynergy.

            "Are you crazy, Mia?" Isaac asked incredulously.

            "I'm only trying to help. If she does belong to this village or town or whatever it is, we can at least make ourselves out as friends and not enemies." Mia, finished, rose and picked up her staff. "If you want to object, go right ahead, and when we find out they're like the Kibombo or the Madrans then we'll just see what happens."

            "The Madrans aren't aggressive," Garet protested.

            "They took an unconscious man from a boat far from their town and just threw him in prison without reason, and without even making sure he was alright, simply because they couldn't catch the true criminals and needed someone to blame. That's aggressive," Mia said, and Sheba nodded her agreement.

            "As though they couldn't tell he wasn't Champa by looking at his hair," Sheba said scornfully. "And the Kibombo weren't much better—they would have killed Picard if he had tried to ask for his Orb back."

            "Are we taking along a fifth member on this little trip, Mia?" Isaac asked, raising a questioning eyebrow. Mia sighed and seemed to think carefully about her reply.

            "We can. We're all out of Psynergy probably until the morning so I doubt we can do more than what I've done, but she'll live, and we can't just leave her out here with…them," Mia added, motioning to the eleven other Slayers that, ironically enough, lay slain.

            "Come on, then," Isaac said, and Garet lifted the girl, removing her heavy armor first. "There's a river where we can camp for the night. And then we should…" Isaac, looking at the map by the fading light, trailed off abruptly.

            "Something wrong, Isaac?" Sheba asked.

            "We came in right there," Isaac said, pointing, "by where it says Hesperia Settlement."

            "And?"

            "And it wasn't there when we went across the beach," Mia said, picking up on Isaac's line of thinking. "But why?"

            "Never mind how," Isaac added.

            "Puzzle later," Garet said, walking considerably slower than the others. "Find a place to stop soon."

            "She heavy or something?" Isaac asked jokingly. Garet only glared. "Hey, we could still be on water right now, floating instead of having Hovered all the way here. Be grateful."

            "Oh yeah. I'm grateful," Garet muttered. "Real grateful."

            They reached the river and Garet set the girl-Slayer down, setting fire to some branches as Isaac, Mia and Sheba laid out blankets. The three of them lay down, Isaac saying, "You can take first watch, right Gar'?"

            "Oh sure," Garet said grumpily, sitting with his back to the flames and his face to the forest nearby. "First watch until midnight or one, then I get to wake up someone who's only gonna be grumpy at me, then I won't be able to sleep to save my life because I'll have been up too long…"

            This grumbling continued unfailingly for several minutes, though he knew the other Adepts were asleep before he was very far into it.

            "That's alright you three just fall asleep and leave me out here to face the danger because I'm the biggest when Picard's not around and I have lots of Psynergy but only because you three practically locked me in the hold until we got here—" Garet cut himself off, having heard a noise somewhere in the trees. He waited a few moments, though his thoughts continued to ramble.

            Oh great job Garet now you're hearing things maybe you really are psycho hearing rustling in the trees and it's probably just some bird or a squirrel or something stupid like that get a hold of yourself—

            What are you talking about?

            Oh great now you're hearing voices too—

            No, you idiot. It's me, Flash.

            Oh. Sorry.

            Stop your rambling! There is something out there, and it won't be pretty!

            Why?

            Because you're not watching it come straight for you! Flash's voice screamed in his mind, and instantly his attention snapped back to the present, as another, smaller set of Slayers came charging for him. He leapt to his feet, lost his balance and stumbled forward, then found it again and stood upright.

            "If you're like her," he said, motioning to the girl-Slayer on the ground, "then don't hurt me. Myself and my friends helped your partner here."

            The lead Slayer made a series of sounds that were hard to decipher behind his armor. Garet took them roughly to mean, "Screw you," because right after that the six or so Slayers charged ahead.

            "Flare Storm!" Garet said, wiping out two of the Slayers with one attack. Neither of them faded away, either. Another Flare Storm took down the three others, leaving just the Slayer-in-the-lead. Garet hefted his Fire Brand as the Slayer raised his short swords.

            "No Psynergy," he said quite clearly, and Garet nodded in agreement. Somehow this had turned into quite the macho-man battle. There were flashes of fire-on-steel as the weapons clanged against one another, and as the sword struck armor. Several times the two swords sliced at Garet, and about half of those were bad enough to concern him.

            He had his swords high, and Garet kicked out, his foot connecting with the other man's stomach and sending him flying backwards. Garet brought the Fire Brand around in a final, smashing blow, and the Slayer did not rise again.

            However, Garet didn't feel much like celebrating. Actually, he felt like just lying down and letting the darkness show up.

            No way Mars boy, said a voice in his head.

            And now I hear Jenna's voice in my mind? Maybe I am going crazy.

            It isn't Jenna, it's Coal. Learn the difference. And I did not spend such a long time wandering around with those four and not pick up on a few things. Like maybe it isn't smart to take on someone in armor when all you're wearing for protection is a Mithril Shirt.

            Hey, he didn't slice anything but my actual shirt, when he tried getting me there, Garet protested. Ignoring Coal as she continued to verbally assault his strategies (or what posed as strategies), Garet crouched and shook Isaac's shoulder.

            Isaac opened bleary eyes, squinting up at his friend. "Your watch," Garet said quietly. "And move over fast, will you?" he added as Isaac slowly rose. Blinking away the sleep, Isaac got a better look at his friend in the light of the fire.

            "Garet, what in the world happened?" Isaac asked in a voice that was a combination of concern and shock.

            "I saved your…" Garet began, but he was too tired to continue, and began drifting off.

            "Venus help me, my friend's a real idiot," Isaac said exasperatedly. "Do you know how bad you're hurt, Garet? You look like someone's been trying to slice you like a loaf of bread!"

            "Yeah…he…was…" Garet mumbled quietly. The small part of his mind that was still coherent registered the appearance of Flash and Coal, and wondered what they were doing outside of his head. Then even that part of him fell into sleep.

            Isaac concentrated, but he barely had enough Psynergy to use something simple like Quake. Still…it was enough…holding out a hand, he cast Cure. Sitting in much the same position that Garet had moments ago, only facing the fire instead of having his back to it, Isaac listened to the Djinn recount what had gone on.

            "That explains the five bodies over there," Isaac said casually. "Sometimes it makes me wish Garet had bothered to look into learning Aura."

            "You're joking, right?" asked Quartz, interested in the conversation and currently making herself at home in Isaac's hair. "Garet can barely mention anything like that. If he had to learn everything that goes with having a healing Psynergy—you know it's not all just 'say the words and they do the job for you,' Isaac—he'd probably either forget it all and kill someone or be too afraid to ever use it."

            "How is it that you always make the good points?" Flash asked.

            "Ooh. Djinn jealousy," Isaac mocked. "The three of you, back into your respective…wait, no. I like the company." Flash and Coal felt a sense of pride, then. Rarely did an Adept mention enjoying their presence when actually in their presence. Especially one weak to their element.

            Hours later, the sun began to rise above the trees. The three Djinn had long ago disappeared. Isaac stretched, standing, then stopped when he felt something quite sharp pressing against his back.

            "Do not move," said a cool voice, vaguely reminiscent of both Picard's and Mia's. "What are you doing here, and why have you murdered our leader?"

            "I haven't," Isaac said, wincing as whatever it was poking him began to poke him harder, and making some quick and risky assumptions about the nature of this person behind him. "We are here looking for a village of Jupiter Adepts, and none of us would have hurt any of what must be your people if they had not come at us first."
            "We do not take kindly to outsiders," said a different voice. "Not even those who appear friendly. Eventually they all betray us."

            "Please, at least let me turn around and talk to you face-to-face," Isaac said calmly. "It will be easier for me to explain if I know who I'm talking to."

            "Fine," said the first voice. "Turn."

            Isaac turned, and his mouth dropped open in shock. He was facing a Mercury Adept, there was no question. The blue hair and silvery-violet eyes were a dead giveaway. And she had a bit of a smile on her face, for all her harsh words.

            "We came on advice from a friend, looking for a town that apparently doesn't exist anymore, but once belonged to a group of Jupiter Adepts," Isaac began, ignoring the faces of the others, scowling and glaring at him. "We are trying, and have been trying for a few months, to locate the origin of one of my companions, who is a Jupiter Adept and has never known her past."

            "What advice led you here?" asked the Mercury girl coldly.

            "A…an old man named Kraden told us of a village in this area," Isaac ventured, and he watched the scowls deepen.

            "Kraden. We have been told, through generations, about this man Kraden and how he has betrayed the secrets of the village that was once our home," said one of the men angrily.

            "Calm yourself," said the Mercury Adept, and the man instantly stopped talking. "I am Iasa," she said to Isaac. "You are?"

            "Isaac," he said, glad that for once he could introduce himself and not have one of the others doing it for him. "Those on the ground are Mia—she's a Mercury Adept, like you I assume—Sheba, the one who doesn't know her past, and Garet…who apparently killed your leader and several of your other men. I apologize—when last we fought Slayers, they were monsters, disappearing into nothing whenever we defeated them."

            "It is alright," said Iasa, a look of awe on her face. "Wake this Garet. I have something of utmost importance to tell him."

            "I don't know if that's a good idea," said Mia, who had been awake for a while and, upon hearing what Garet had done, had quietly risen and gone over to him. "Whatever he did, he got pretty well beat up in the process, and I haven't got the Psynergy to fix it, at the moment."

            "I have," said Iasa, standing next to Garet and gesturing with a hand. "Pure Ply," she said, and Mia stared up at her, Garet completely forgotten.

            "Something about you…looks familiar…" Mia said, though she couldn't for the life of her bring to mind what it could be.

            "Reminds you of Picard, doesn't she?" Sheba asked. Mia thought for a moment, then nodded.

            "Picard?" Iasa asked, and the three awake Adepts nodded. "I've never heard of any Picard before. But then, I don't really belong here. Apparently some time in the past, my great-grandmother came here, and her descendants have lived here ever since. I'm the only Mercury Adept in this place—the rest are Jupiter and Venus. Our Venus Adepts are what you call Slayers."

            "What'd I miss?" Garet asked, having heard the tail end of this conversation and abruptly sat up.

            "Garet!" Isaac cautioned, but stopped when he saw the entire horde of Slayers on their knees, even Iasa. "What are you doing?" he asked them.

            "Garet, warrior of…" Iasa began, but she stopped, unsure.

            "Mars," he supplied. "Fire Adept and such." There was a collective gasp.

            "Garet, warrior of Mars," Iasa continued with a smile, "has defeated our leader in battle. He is our new leader, and must live up to that title until such time as another new leader arises."

            The four Adepts looked at one another, then together looked at Iasa and cried, "WHAT?!"

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You guys didn't see that coming (except for the few I've told). There was no way you saw that coming. I hope. As for any other questions…all will be revealed in due time. But only if you review, of course. ;)