Enter the twelfth chapter. Wow, I had no idea when I started this that people would actually like it!
(Dew): That goes double for me. I don't know how people can like this! I mean, it's not like you can write well...
Ok, Dew.
(Dew): ...or have any special writing skill...
Ok, Dew.
(Dew): ...or have good plot ideas...
OK, Dew...
(Dew): ...or have anything in particular that makes this better than your average fic.
...
(Char): Oh, wait, you have us! That's what makes it better than your average fic!
...I'm going to start the chapter before I do something I may regret...
Some of you may be wondering why I'm posting after just two days... there are three reasons to that. Firstly, I just won an academic award for my grade 10 year, so I'm happy! HAPPY! And hence, I want to write and make other people happy!
Second, Vanilla Coke. Just got some more and...well, you all know what that does.
Thirdly, there are some real eyesores on the front page of the GS section that haven't been removed yet, at least when I'm writing this...they're really stupid (for Really Stupid, hereafter referred to as RS). Anyway, these RS things are making the whole section look stupid, so I'm posting to push them farther down the page until they're on the second page and no one who loads the page has to see this RS crap. Everybody happy with that?
Review Responses:
Ivan of Vault: The old bad guys are awesome, man. Plus, I had a way to bring him back.
Void: Yeah, I know, I hated it too. If anyone can tell me how to post with italics, please let me know, okay?
Midnight C: Menardi? Back? Hmm.... Just kidding! ^_^ ...maybe.
Net Strife: I hope I can satisfy your lust for long chapters with this one...
Akachi: No more cliffs? Uhhh.. You might not want to read this chapter...
Disclaimer: You know, there's a point where you can't say this in a witty or amusing manner any longer. I've reached that point. I don't own Golden Sun.
A/N: CLIFFHANGER AT THE END OF CHAPTER. Read at YOUR OWN RISK.
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Chapter 12
Battle, Again
"I wish we could get just one break, once," Garet said.
"Not likely," Isaac replied. "And this day is going to get a lot worse before it gets better."
"There's Vault," Felix said, as the city came into view.
"What time is it?" Jenna wondered.
"Sol's only just risen," Ivan said. "Five hours."
"Five hours," she repeated.
"This time, we make sure to stay together," Sheba said.
"Got that?" Mia glared at Isaac. He smiled.
"I'll be by your side the whole time." Jenna and Garet looked at each other and smiled.
"Awwwwww," they laughed.
"Sometimes I think they flirt worse than you do," Ivan said to Isaac. Garet reddened.
"Garet," Felix mumbled. "Why not somebody respectable, like Picard?" he said quietly. Picard looked at him, red.
"Why me?" he whispered.
"Why Garet?" he replied.
"Point taken," Picard said, as Garet tripped over Jenna's well-placed staff.
********************
It was mid-morning as the Adepts settled in a meadow outside what would become the battlefield. Garet and Jenna sat around the cooking fire, Jenna trying to prepare a brunch of sorts, and Garet trying to stay near Jenna. Jenna was just about to put some meat on the fire when Garet stood up and knocked it out of her hands. It fell into the sandy terrain, and was covered in dirt, ruined.
"Garet, you oaf!" Jenna cried, rounding on him. Garet outstretched his arms in a sign of apology.
"I'm sorry, Jenna! I'm really sorry!"
"That was supposed to be our food!" she said accusingly. "Now what are we supposed to eat?!"
"Uh...I'm sure we can find something!" he begged.
"Like?!"
"Maybe we can catch some fish?"
"Good idea," Jenna smiled, grabbing Garet by the arm and dragging him to the river which ran nearby.
"Don't we need fishing gear of some sort?" Garet asked.
"You like the current so much, you should be able to get some fish to come to you," Jenna said.
"What?! No! No! I hate water! Isaac! Help me, bud! Isaac! Save me from her!" Garet cried, to no avail.
"Sorry, Garet," Jenna said, "where you're going, Isaac can't help you!"
"Ahh!" Garet cried, somewhat melodramatically, and they soon were far away enough from the camp that their argument couldn't be heard.
********************
Meanwhile, Felix and Picard sat perched on some rocks a short distance from the fire. Picard shook his head at the retreating Mars Adepts and chuckled.
"He makes her happy, at least," Picard smiled. Felix closed his eyes, and would have crossed his arms if they weren't already crossed.
"Hmph," Felix muttered.
"And that makes you happy, doesn't it, Felix?" Picard pried. Felix didn't reply. "Admit it," Picard said, "as much as you can't believe it, your sister likes him, and you like him for making her happy."
"Poor Garet," Felix said after some while. Picard looked at him. "He has no idea what he's getting into." Picard laughed.
"I think he knows exactly what he's getting into," Picard said. Felix nodded.
"One deep river."
********************
Under the shade of a rather large oak tree, Isaac and Mia lay quite still and quietly, content to be in each other's company.
Isaac started thinking about the last time he had been in battle like what he would soon face. The unexpectedness of it all; the death surrounding him; the pain, the suffering, the injury; being alone, and falling in battle.
What was the driving factor? What instinct told him to fight, even when he would like nothing more than to stay home in peace?
And suddenly, an image, of far away. A memory so faded it was difficult to see. Isaac wasn't even sure it was even him that experienced it.
He was looking down from a ceiling. Beneath him someone cried and hit someone else with a staff.
But the other person didn't move. He just grabbed her and threw her against a wall, partially strangling her. He drew his sword and thrust at her heart.
And the memory froze. He couldn't let this happen, could he? No, Isaac had to stop this!
And he leaped down from the ceiling and drew his sword. He slashed at the person and he fell and greyed out. And the girl stood, spared from the danger that confronted her. The memory ended.
And Isaac remembered why he was fighting. He remembered what it was that drove him, that told him no matter what he had to fight for.
She was laying on his arm.
********************
The pair of young Wind Adepts were sitting atop a hill, letting the wind blow their hair and caress their cloaks, enjoying the morning breeze and hoping it would not be their last.
'Do you think we'll get out of this one better than we did last time?' Sheba asked to his mind.
'I hope so,' Ivan said. 'I'd hate to lose someone else.'
'Not someone else,' Sheba said. 'We never lost anyone.'
'Right,' Ivan said. 'Let's hope that doesn't change.' Sheba chuckled.
'We have Mia with us this time. You know she isn't going to let Isaac out of her sight.'
'Point taken,' Ivan said. 'Same with Jenna and Garet this time around, I'd expect.'
'And same with us,' Sheba looked at him warmly. Ivan nodded.
'Same with us.'
********************
The sound of rolling thunder was heard in the distance.
And soon, the sight of an army appeared along with it.
The second battle between Dodonpa's army and Kalay's Defence was about to begin.
********************
After a morning of relaxation and reminiscing, not to mention a nice fish lunch provided by Garet, the Adepts found themselves overlooking the battlefield. The armies were terribly close now, and it appeared as though they would finally meet in less than a minute.
"So are we going to try the same thing we did last time?" Ivan said. "Because that didn't really have the best results."
"Regardless, the plan is the same again. We break them up, and with a bit of luck, we'll have a day until the next battle to end this," Isaac said. "Besides, I have some Water of Life in case someone falls, so we shouldn't need to worry as much this time."
"I still don't want to force you to use it," Garet said.
"Ditto," Jenna nodded.
"Then let's go," Felix said. The Adepts leaped from the sidelines and ran forward. Just before they would reach the main battle, Mia pulled at Isaac's tunic.
"Is there anything I should know about this?" Mia asked him. "I haven't done this yet, and it sounds horrible." She looked at him worriedly. "What do I need to know?"
"I'll be watching over you the whole time," Isaac said. She blushed, and nodded.
****************
Ivan and Sheba, being the fastest, were the first on the field. Not wasting time this time around, they began firing Tornados into the enemy ranks, trying to slow them up. Unfortunately, they couldn't stop enough of the rows, and the armies joined.
"How long can you keep firing Tornados?" Ivan called to Sheba.
"How long do you need me to?" she retorted.
"However long you can."
"Deal."
********************
At the same time, Felix and Picard were dancing in and out of soldiers, dropping one after the other.
"This is terrible," Picard kept whispering.
"Not the most pleasant of things, is it?" Felix asked.
"When you live to be as old as I am, you learn to appreciate life," Picard said. "This is a gross use for everything I've learned about life."
"And then, this may be just the thing about life that people wait for," Felix said, ducking under a slash form a soldier and retaliating with his own.
"What do you mean?" Picard asked.
"Maybe all anybody needs to make life worthwhile is something to stand up for and defend," Felix said. "Something to rise up and fight for, with all their hearts and souls, like these people are."
"Wow," Picard said.
"What?"
"You're starting to sound way too much like Isaac."
"It's scaring me, too."
********************
Meanwhile, Isaac, Mia, Garet and Jenna were all off fighting together. Isaac was keeping a very close watch on Mia, and Garet on Jenna. Of course, they kept close eyes on those two even when they weren't in potential danger.
"So you just want us to drop them, right, Isaac?" Garet asked.
"If you can help it," he replied. "Don't put yourself in any unnecessary danger." He spun around close to Mia. "That goes double for you," he whispered. Mia responded by raising her Meditation Rod and smacking a soldier's lights out.
Jenna was watching Garet's back, as the warrior Mars Adept was often prone to forgetting to watch his own. It came as a total surprise, therefore, when he came darting past her and slashed a soldier that was sneaking up on her.
"And here I was thinking you couldn't watch someone's back," Jenna looked at him.
"Some backs are nicer than others," he smirked.
Isaac and Mia, meanwhile, were back to back, and striking out with staff and flat of blade.
"Getting tired?" Mia panted.
"Not at all," he replied. "Are you?"
"If I can handle walking across continents, I should be okay for now," she said. And suddenly, a scream and a cry came from beside them.
"Jenna!" Garet cried. Isaac turned and saw Jenna fall with a fatal sword wound in her. Before Mia could even react, Jenna fell, dead. Garet turned to face Isaac.
"Isaac!" he cried, desperate. "Can you...Revive her...? Please?!"
"I can't Revive," he responded. "I've only got one djinni Set to me." Garet mouthed wordlessly. "I've the Water, though." Garet sighed.
Isaac fumbled for it, but before he could get it, he heard a cry from behind him, and saw, much in a similar fashion, Mia fall to the ground with a sword in her chest, dead.
"Mia!" Isaac cried.
"Oh, no," Garet said. "Oh, please, no." Isaac ignored the battle raging around him, and focussed totally on the Water of Life in his hands.
"I...can't save them both..."
"Isaac," Garet said, choking on the words, lowering his gaze. "Do what your heart tells you," he said, resigned to knowing that his friend would rather save his love than the love of his best friend.
And as Isaac thought it over, he knew that he wanted to save Mia, too.
But the more he thought about it, about which one he wanted to save...
He knew it couldn't be Mia.
"Garet," Isaac said, head down, tears falling down his face. Garet turned to face him. Isaac tossed the Water of Life towards him. Garet stared at him, blinking.
"I...Isaac, I..."
"Just shut up and use it!!" Isaac burst. Garet spilled the water over Jenna and her eyes fluttered open.
And Isaac sunk to his knees over Mia, looking at her still body, still bleeding, and felt himself break.
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(Dew): Oh, come ON!
I need to end chapters eventually, you know!
(Char): But that...you ended it... GAH!
That's what the reviewers are going to say, in addition to death threats and such. *looking at the reviewers* Geez, you're not going to be nice one bit, are you?
(Char): I would normally hurt you, but I'll leave that up to the reviewers. Reviewers, you have my total permission to MAUL HIM IN ANY WAY YOU WANT.
AAACK!!!!