*Tears* Wow. It makes me feel great for you guys to say all that. But this time, get off your lazy butts and bust out the red pen. If were doing this, were doing it right, ja?
Moving on, the chapters of the story will become much longer from this point on. The preface was only short, because it was, well, a preface.
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Golden Sun or Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Those rights are property of Camelot and Nintendo. Any additional characters that are not property of Camelot or Nintendo or any other copyrighted materiel are my own work, and may not be used without my permission. Like anyone would do that.
Torn Hopes and Dreams
Chapter Two – A Face to Remember
Isaac was enthralled to hear of the upcoming New Years party. Vale, which had never had large celebrations because they had always been struggling to simply support themselves in the small mountain town, would be stunned by this event. This New Years party was being held for all of the new students at the Tolbi University, and it would start in but two days. He and Garet had received the small, cheaply printed invitations which were issued to all the students, and immediately prepared to go. It was truly a first for each of the young boys, and they greeted the event with extensive enthusiasm. All over the city students were preparing for this occasion, to be held outside of the University on the Grand Lawn, all evening long, and into the next morning. Isaac marveled at the stories he had heard from the students of earlier years, and anticipation welled inside him as he looked idly at the bed, attempting to decide which of his magnificent yellow scarves he would wear.
Suddenly he heard a quick and rapid tapping against his door. He hefted the scarves into a bag, and quickly turned around the deal with the intrusion that had come. He grasped the door handle, intrigued by who would be visiting him at this time of day. Garet would be gone all day, looking for enough wax to keep his hair standing up through New Years, and Isaac didn't yet know anyone in the city yet, for he had only been here for three days. Cautiously, he cracked open the door, and peaked through.
"Come on Isaac, you scared little baby, open the door." At the sound of the young feminine voice, Isaac swung the door open and quickly grasped the speaker in a hug. Letting go, he took in the sight before him. A shorter girl with dark red hair and an impeccable grin stood there, with a bright look in her eyes.
"Jenna!" Isaac looked at his old friend with an energetic gaze in his eyes. "What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in ages!" The expression was a true one. Jenna, quick witted youth, as well as a long time crush of Garet's, had been absent from Vale for the last two years, after she left the mountain town to explore the world. Apparently her ventures had led her far away to Tolbi. Isaac took another glance, and noticed how much older she looked. Her eyes portrayed an intelligence that he had never seen before, as if the enlightened look portrayed Jenna as an entire new person.
She smiled again, apparently enjoying the surprise that she had dealt to Isaac. "Well? Are you going to sit here all day and not invite me in? And where's Garet? I owe the oaf a punch in the stomach. I'm sure he deserves it for something."
Isaac just smiled, still taken aback by her surprise visit. In fact, he was so lost in the nostalgia of the moment that he never even noticed as Garet, sly despite his klutzy demeanor and large size, sneak up behind Jenna. Isaac leapt into the air when the red haired giant enveloped the young girl in a hug from behind, causing her to shriek and nearly knock Garet senseless before realizing what had happened. Turning, she stared affectionately at him, and then quickly proceeded to punch him in the stomach.
After recovering from the shock, as well as regaining his wind, Garet frowned, and looked at Jenna. "What did I do?!" he demanded, dazed as to why she had just attacked him.
Jenna just looked at him, and her expression of faked malice quickly switched over to a beaming grin as she embraced Garet in a willing squeeze, and pecked him on the cheek. "I don't know what you did Garet, but knowing you, you deserved it." She leapt down from his arms and gave another smirk.
"I can't believe I found you two here! It's been so long," she said, sighing lightly. "Too long. But it looks like you are going to the New Years party! This is perfect." She gave a subtle wink at Garet. "But now, I have to leave you two. Work calls, and if I'm late again, who knows what will happen! See you soon!" At this she turned around and hurried out the door, pecking Garet on the cheek, and striking him in the stomach again on the way out.
Once she was out the door, Isaac quickly glanced at Garet, and punching his friend on the shoulder, he muttered, "I can't tell if that girl loves you or hates you."
"Neither can I Isaac. Neither can I."
***
The choking smell seemed to oppress Mia as she sat outside her apartment building reading a small leather-bound book. The air seemed to be even more corrosive inside the building, so the young girl had retreated to the foot of the staircase. Her hardback in hand, she had temporarily found reserve from the dank output of the city. That is, until a crimson haired girl came bounding down the staircase of the next door high-rise. Completely unaware of her sudden antagonist, Mia was stunned when she suddenly found herself falling over with Jenna on the ground a few feet away.
Grasping her head lightly, Mia seized her book and stood up. She quickly looked at the girl who was sitting up and trying to figure out what had just happened. As Mia watched, Jenna hopped up and looked over at Mia, visibly embarrassed.
"I'm so sorry!" Both girls exclaimed in the same instant. Suddenly they both looked startled at their matching exclamations, and began to laugh.
"No, that was my fault," Jenna quickly explained, "I don't know what's wrong with me! I'm wretched, aren't I? Here let me make it up to you! How though. . ." A thoughtful look crossed Jenna's face. Then her eyes twitched, and she smiled. "You're going to be a student at the university right?"
"Well, yes, I am." Mia looked confounded as to what was happening. This girl comes out of nowhere, she thought, and I don't even know her name, but she's asking me questions as if she's know me forever! Mia quickly became intrigued as to who this person was.
"Great! Then you'll go to the New Years party correct? Well, let me make this up to you by finding you your dress! I work as a part time clothing designer and seamstress! I can make it for you. Please let me do that!"
Mia looked stunned. This was the first kind person she had met in Tolbi, and she had been knocked down, bumped into, and pushed away by many without ever an apology, much less one of this magnitude. She looked up again and said sweetly, "I . . . I don't know what to say. I never really intended on going to the celebration. But you've been so kind to many. I hope there are more benevolent people out there just like you in this city, because I haven't seen enough of them. What is your name?"
Jenna was taken aback, before she realized she did not know this girls name either. She laughed shortly, and smiled at Mia again. "My name is Jenna. Maybe you should tell me yours and your dress size as well."
Mia laughed, still recovering from the shock of the situation. "My name is Mia. And Jenna. . . Thank you."
***
He stood six feet tall, had thinning gray hair, a beard that was quickly losing its color as well, and he was enraged. Mia's father stood looking at her as if she had committed the greatest tragedy in family history, and had disgraced their name entirely.
"I bring you into this town to learn, and not even two days in you want to go to a party?!" His demands came out, as spittle was flung from his mouth, and his icy blue eyes looked intently at Mia with a menacing gaze. This had been going on since they had arrived the previous day. Her father wished to argue over everything, as if her life in this wretched place was for nothing other than studying, although the school had not yet even opened its doors for classes to begin. And now it had become too much.
Mia studied her father for a moment, although she had no reason to, other than avert her attention and stop herself from falling forward in tears on the spot.
"Look at you! You are not cut out for parties Mia! You are a lady of Imil!" His tone seemed to shift from anger to pleading, as he spoke to her.
"Yes father! I am a lady of Imil! And you took me away from that place! Now I'm forced to stay here, among this thriving rat hole of a city, because you stole my home from me! So if I have to make the best of this place, I won't let you ruin that too!" She quickly turned away and hurried out of the door, with her new dress, a long white kimono laced with blue patterns, hung over her shoulder.
***
Jenna sat at her spinning wheel, quite content with how her day had gone. After meeting Mia the day before, she had found her the perfect dress, an old design that she had made over three months ago. That girl seemed to have a true affinity for the color blue, and the crystal snowflakes seemed to match her perfectly, Jenna thought to herself. She had begun another, identical kimono, planning to give the old one to Mia, who did not look like she had a fancy outfit to wear at all. And tomorrow, she thought to herself serenely, will go even better. The only down side to the day seemed to be that no one had answered her request for a room mate. Forgetting about it, she let her mind wonder, thinking of the tall haired boy with a klutzy demeanor and fiery attitude. It had been many years since she had seen Garet, but her love for him hadn't changed at all. Over the long time, no one she met could seem to make her as happy, and in the end she always fell back to thinking of him. Seeing him again was like waking up from a dream, she merrily thought.
The pounding knock came to her door so suddenly, that Jenna was jolted right out of her dreaming state. Confused, and slightly annoyed that she had been surprised by the interruption, she hastily made her way to the door and flung it open, and was surprised to see Mia standing in front of her.
"Mia! What are you doing here?" Despite her surprise, Jenna was quite excited to see her new friend in the doorway, but upon inspecting Mia's face closely, she noticed that she had not come as a social call.
"It's my father." Jenna had heard all about Mia's father. Over their long hours together the day before, Jenna had learned much of Mia's life, causing her to fell as if she had known her for years.
"What happened?" Jenna could plainly see that tears were building up in Mia's face, and some great travesty had occurred.
"We . . . We had another fight. He forbade me from going to the party, and I left the house. Please Jenna . . . I need a place to stay." Mia felt terrible, Jenna could see. "I can do anything you want me to. And I plan on getting a job soon, so I can help pay the rent. You did say you were looking for a roommate."
Jenna suddenly saw that this was perfect. Mia may not be able to help her pay right away, but it would keep her off the streets, for she surly wouldn't go back to her father now. And once she got working, Jenna would have the roommate she wanted, and it wouldn't be some random who-knows-what off the street. Jenna opened the door, and stepping to the side said "Welcome to your new home Mia."