Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun, but soon my time machine will be complete!

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Forest of Romance

The cluster of buildings that composed the Fuchin Temple faded in the distance as the adepts marched to the mysterious Mogall Forest. An aged man watched the fading figures in the distance, waiting for Sol to set.

"Have the three adepts made it here yet?" three shadows formed behind the old man and the central spoke in a gruff voice.

"They have just left Auron, and it seems that Tret was right. The boy will decide the future for better or worse. I pity him, for the weight of Weyward rests on his shoulders," he turned to face the shadows, but only the flash of a crimson cloak imprinted in his vision before all three disappeared.

The full face of Luna rose over the Mogall, exposing a small campsite. A tiny fire burned as Ivan and Garet stirred the stew for dinner.

"I wonder where Isaac and Mia are at." Ivan said.

"Maybe they got lost while looking for firewood, Garet put in while he brought the ladle up to his mouth.

"We don't eat until they get back!" Ivan slapped Garet's hand away.

'We're lost,' Isaac said for the third time.

"No we are not lost," Mia started and looked up to both paths at the fork. "I know exactly where we are," she plopped down beside a rock and sighed, "here."

Isaac smiled and sat beside her, 'Maybe Ivan will start looking for us after awhile.'

The night slowly passed as both adepts watched the stars through the boughs of the trees. A shooting star passed through the sky and both Isaac and Mia gazed in wonder at its beauty. Isaac's gaze slowly shifted to the cerulean haired beauty beside him. He smiled as her sapphire eyes fluttered closed and she rested calmly on his shoulder. Isaac soundlessly yawned as he joined Mia in sleep.

"Isaac. . . Mia," Ivan yelled while Garet forged a new path through the forest.

They both had set out when Sol had risen, but still found no sign of Isaac or Mia. The foliage ahead faded as they came to a forest meadow.

"Isaac," Ivan stopped short as he looked around the clearing.

A rock a few feet away caught his attention for the two elusive adepts were lying against it. Ivan restrained his laughter while he looked at their compromising position. Mia with her head on Isaac's shoulder and his head resting in her hair could only be described by one word, blackmail. With a sinister smile, Ivan reached forward to wake Isaac, but his hand jumped back as if struck.

The glowing color of Isaac's crimson eyes pierced Ivan to his soul, but a blink later, they reverted to midnight blue. Slowly, Isaac pried himself free of Mia and stood to greet Garet and Ivan.

"I think we found a way out of this accursed forest," Ivan said happily. "The town of Xian is close so we will be able to stay in an inn tonight."

"Great, I'm tired of sleeping on the ground," the three adepts jumped at Mia's voice. "Well don't just stand there, let's go!"

The town of Xian was small, but the buildings had such ornate designs, that no traveler passed over without a second glance. The buildings' hooked roofs and paper-like walls were one of a kind in the world of Weyward.

In the center of Xian stood a beautifully organized botanical garden with a small waterfall that ran through the vibrant colors. The group of adepts stood stunned at the natural beauty of the town.

"Wow," was all Ivan could say.

"Beautiful," Mia put in.

"Humph," Garet turned from the spectacular sight.

". . ." and Isaac was characteristically silent.

Isaac rolled over on the paper-thin mattress on the floor of his small room. They had enough money to get a room each and the hot springs nearby made the inn well worth it. Finally, he rolled to a sitting position and rummaged through his nearby pack. Producing a towel, he stood and walked through the sliding door.

Mia relaxed herself in the soft suds of the hot springs. The calming heat washed both the dirt and her worries away. Looking to her quickly pruning hands, she decided to step out. Just as the towel bearing Mia reached the sliding door, it snapped open and she collided with a very solid object.

(A cookie to whoever guesses what happens next.)

Isaac stood there, holding the half-naked Mia against his bare chest. The warmth from the hot springs spread from Mia into his cool body. Isaac pulled his face from Mia's azure hair and gazed into her sparkling sapphire eyes.

Slowly, each closed the distance between the other, bringing their lips ever closer. The heat from both bodies flowed into the room about and burned the air around them. Now, their lips were so close that their breaths mingled together.

A spark of electricity momentarily started, but instantly faded at Ivan's voice, "Hey Isaac, do you have the map?"

Isaac begrudgingly relinquished his hold on Mia to have a 'talk' with his friend.

The sun set over the distant mountains as the adepts looked for a place to bed down for the night. On the horizon, Ivan could see the shadow of a few buildings. He looked to his friends to find Garet in his usual mood, and that Isaac and Mia were not able to meet each other's gaze.

'I will have to find out about that later,' he thought mischievously before speaking.

"I think I see a town towards the mountains," he pointed northeast and the others followed his finger.

The sprawl of buildings that was the Lama Temple was unnervingly quiet as Isaac, Mia, Ivan, and Garet walked through the gates. Their muffled footsteps went unseen in the misty air. They were guided by the sightless eyes if the monks to the central building. The ancient wooden doors opened of their own accord and the cautious adepts stepped into the dark room with their weapons drawn.

"Calm down friends. No one in this temple has reason to harm you," a feminine voice halted the adepts as a dark figure released itself from the shadows.

The woman that formed from the darkness was obviously the master of the temple by the silken robes she wore. Her lithe form curved up to her eyes that matched her bonnet of light lavender hair.

"I am Master Hama, it is a pleasure to meet you all; Isaac, Mia, Garet, and of course you Ivan." The adepts jumped back in shock at the mention of their names.

"Do not be frightened friends, I bear you no ire." They seemed to calm somewhat, but still held their stances.

"You must be tired from your journey, so please follow me," her soothing voice dropped a great weight on the adepts' limbs as she led them off to sleep.

Ivan sat awake, watching the unmoving ceiling and pondering over Hama. Ivan seemed to remember her face from somewhere, but could not place it in his fragmented memories. Suddenly he gave up and brought his attention to a more current matter. He silently stood and walked over to Mia's bed.

'Time to find out what happened,' he thought sinisterly before entering her mind.

The glow of the lavender light faded as a blushing Ivan came out of his trance. He smiled evilly and rubbed his hands together, 'there must be a way to force them together.'

"The Lamakran Desert is evil to the core," Hama described the adepts' next leg of the quest. "You will need a special power to survive the overbearing heat."

She walked over to Ivan and glowed lilac. When Hama stopped, she spoke to him, "The ability to see what is hidden from the world is my gift to you, use it well."

The adepts smiled and said their thanks, but Ivan became immobilized at the sound of Hama's voice in his mind, 'I always knew you would grow into a fine young man, Ivan.'

After regaining his composure, he ran ahead to join his friends as they entered the Lamakran Desert.

Sol's unrelenting rays bore down on the four adepts as they crossed the burning sands. The sweat that poured from their bodies evaporated with a hiss before even reaching the ground. Garet dealt with the heat the best and was supporting Ivan, who was not fairing as well.

Isaac and Mia supported each other as they swayed behind Garet. Both seemed to be affected badly by the heat. With Mia and Isaac were used to cold winters and dressed for that season. This made them both more vulnerable to the heat.

After many hours of hiking, through the burning sands, the adepts made it to one final sand waterfall. With hopes of no manticores behind it, Garet raised Ivan's hand while Ivan concentrated. The world's colors faded into shadows and the sand waterfall slowly disappeared revealing. . .

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Now, the thanks to the reviewers:

Net Stife- It's good to hear that you will update. ^_^ Thanks for the review.

bladegryphon- all will be revealed, in time. Thanks for the review.

fotissamo- It might be gloomy, but there are some ups. Thanks for the review.

BTFreek- Thanks for the review. I think I will start shamelessly promoting my story in my reviews for your story.

luner- It does, kinda. Thanks for the review.