Sunrises and Sunsets
A/N: This one-shot, as I mentioned in the summary, is for Empress Dotdotdot's "Immortal" fic challenge. I'm not particularly happy with how it came out, but I really don't have time to redo it, so . . . meh. This was actually a good exercise and a challenge, and one I wouldn't have done on my own, so I'm glad I entered! Thanks, Dots! ::happy::
Disclaimer: If Vyctori owned Golden Sun, probably the only person happy with the changes she'd make would be her.
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"You're sure you have everything, Mia?" Isaac asked her.
"I'm quite sure, thank you, Isaac." She smiled at him. "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."
"I still don't see why you're not just borrowing the Teleport Lapis from Sheba and warping back to Imil," Jenna remarked for what seemed like hundredth time. "We walked enough in the last year to last any ordinary person a lifetime."
Mia patiently started to give her answer, but Jenna interrupted.
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you didn't get to see the sights the first time round." Jenna grinned. "And is this any way to give you your send-off? Sorry, Mia."
"I don't mind." Mia looked about the streets of Vault for the last time for the next few months. She had spent a little more than four weeks in the quiet town, but the last little while, she had begun to realise that the holiday was over and that she needed to get back to her responsibilities in Imil.
Admittedly, her work was much diminished since the spring in Mercury Lighthouse had been reactivated. However, there was no substitute for a real person, or so she thought, and therefore, she felt the need of her hometown pulling her every day.
"We're going to miss you a lot, Mia." Garet's mildly embarrassed voice brought her back to her surroundings. Apparently, the redhead was uncomfortable showing any so-called emotional weakness.
"And I'm going to miss all of you." She felt herself tearing up slightly, but blinked hard to keep from crying. "And it's not like it's going to be forever. I'll visit as often as I can." She wasn't sure who she said it for—herself, or her friends.
The group, consisting of Garet, Isaac, Jenna, and Felix, stood around awkwardly for a few more moments before Mia took the initiative. Stepping forward, she hugged each one of them gently, then picked up her travelling sack and staff.
"Goodbye," she said simply. "I'll see you again." Then she turned and walked through the gates of Vault and out into the long grass that grew outside of the village.
She heard her friends shout out their farewells until she was out of hearing. She didn't look back. That part of her life was finished, now, and she was about to start anew. She didn't consider returning to her previous life as the old—she was far too changed for that.
Mia thought on that for a bit as she moved along, then gave up philosophical thinking in favour of doing what she really wanted, which was enjoying the beauty of Weyard.
How often did I ignore this, she wondered, as we chased first Saturos and Menardi and then Felix? Well, I'm not going to take the scenery for granted any longer.
And with that resolute thought, she kept walking.
Later, when the dusk was making it difficult to see, Mia chose a good spot to stop for the night. After briefly foraging around for firewood, she set up a small campfire and ate her evening meal. It was odd for her to be on her own. In Imil, there were forever people around her, and later on in her travels, there was always at least one member of her group nearby. She wasn't worried, though. She had to be one of the most powerful Adepts in all of Weyard by now; any other travellers had more to fear from her.
However, just because she was comfortable being on her own didn't mean she wasn't alert. So when she heard the night noises of the animals suddenly cease, she was instantly on her guard.
Grabbing her staff, Mia rose to her feet, prepared for a monster attack. "Hello," she called out, hoping her voice would provoke the creature into attacking so she could defeat it and return to her rest.
She wasn't prepared for what stepped out of the woods. Instead of the type of monster she was expecting, what appeared was . . . Alex.
Mia didn't hesitate. "Ice Missile!"
"Ice Horn." Alex countered the attack calmly. The two Psynergies met in the air and cancelled each other out.
Mia gritted her teeth. Alex had used the weaker version of her strongest attack and yet it was more than enough to negate whatever damage it might have done, with ice pellets to spare.
All right, then, she thought. If I can't beat him flat out in a battle, I'm going to have to try to outthink him.
"Mia. . . ." Alex began softly.
Mia turned on her heel and ran into the forest, wincing at leaving her fire unattended but telling herself it was needed. Her unexpected action had bought her enough time to make up for the fact that he was dressed in a tunic that permitted easy movement and she in a very long, heavy dress. With difficulty, she swung herself into a tree, climbed for a bit, then waited.
"Mia, come back—I only wish to speak with you." Mia could hear Alex's voice grow louder as he approached her hiding place.
Mia shook her head. She might have been naïve enough to believe that once, but no more. As far as she was concerned, Alex had betrayed her and all of Weyard and could not be trusted.
"Mia." Alex walked directly beneath her tree, still searching for her.
"Ice Missile," she whispered, concentrating as hard as she could.
Alex was unprepared for the sudden torrent of ice that rained down on his head from above. As he shielded his face with his arms, Mia let herself down from her tree, jumped the last short distance, and then prepared to run off.
A strong hand closed over her shoulder. Mia whirled, ready to punch Alex to force him to let go, but he caught her blow with the outstretched palm of his gloved hand. Temporarily thwarted, but not relinquishing the chance for escape, she waited.
"Mia. It is obvious from the way our meeting began that you loathe me—and with good reason," Alex added when she was about to interrupt. "I see your viewpoint and understand why. However, I, too, am returning to Imil. I would ask your permission to travel with you."
"Why?" she demanded. "You cut your ties with our clan more than a year ago."
Alex released her shoulder. "It makes no sense for two people who have the same destination to travel separately. It is much wiser for us to travel together."
"Even though the sight of you makes me physically sick?" Mia stared him straight in the eye.
A faint smile appeared on Alex's face and then left quietly. "Yes, even then. You have to admit to the practicality of the arrangement, Mia. You are an intelligent girl, after all."
Mia gritted her teeth at the slight condescension that tainted his voice. "Fine. Travel with me if you like—I can hardly stop you—but don't expect any conversation."
"I was not planning on it." He sounded satisfied. "Now, we should return to your camp; it is growing dark." He turned and began walking in the appropriate direction.
Mia followed him, fuming inwardly. Alex was one of the only people who could rile her, as was proven by their extremely brief exchange. It appeared as though her peaceful trip back to Imil was to be ruined by Alex's presence.
After the two had eaten that night, Alex brought up a point that Mia had not been looking forward to covering.
"Who shall take first watch?" he asked. "If you do not mind, I would volunteer."
"Do what you want." Mia snatched up her blankets and moved to the edge of the clearing. She dropped a blanket to the ground beneath a tree, plunked herself onto the blanket and leaned back against the trunk, then arranged her other two coverings atop herself to her satisfaction.
"It will be rather difficult to sleep in that position, will it not?" Alex couldn't help but inquire.
"Mind your own business," Mia snapped, uncharacteristically rude.
Alex shrugged indifferently and moved away to a better place to watch for monsters and miscreant humans.
Mia, despite her tiredness, forced herself to stay awake. After Alex's treachery, she didn't trust him in the slightest. For all she knew, he might even slit her throat in her sleep, as she was currently the only one who knew his whereabouts. She shivered slightly.
Mia, why don't you let one of us keep an eye on Alex? Tonic asked in her mind. We got to rest all day, but you didn't. We'll wake you up if he tries anything.
Thanks, everyone, Mia agreed, grateful. I'll try my hardest to do something really nice for you when we get back to Imil.
Make us a feast! Fizz sounded excited. With all sorts of lovely food!
Mia tried not to laugh aloud. A feast it is, then.
Cheered and more than a little touched at her Djinn's kind offer, Mia moved her bedclothes so she was no longer sitting upright, and drifted off to sleep.
Weeks passed. As the two Adepts came ever closer to their destination, Mia slowly became more civil towards Alex. At the beginning of their trek together, she wouldn't even allow him to walk next to her and would always charge ahead of him, ignoring all his increasingly sparse attempts to begin conversations. With time, though, Mia could manage to talk to him about simple things, like picking a site to rest for the night or what type of food they wanted to buy in the villages they passed, without wanting to punch him silly.
One morning, when the two were close enough to Imil that the temperature was noticeably cooler since her departure from Vale, Mia awoke early. The sun had yet to rise, but soft pastel colours of yellow, blue, and pink were brushed across the sky.
Mia, who loved sunrises, looked about and saw a small hill not too far away. Climbing it was a matter of minutes. When she reached the top, however, she saw Alex studying the sky with an unusual calm. It wasn't his usual self-assurance, but rather a quiet enjoyment of natural beauty.
After some personal debate, Mia decided to sit next to him. It truly would be a shame to miss such a lovely sunrise.
Besides, I can just ignore him, Mia told herself.
For a while, the two Mercury Adepts sat side by side, quietly watching the colours deepen as the sun came closer to appearing.
Then Alex murmured, "Mia . . . what are you thinking right now?"
Mia answered honestly, "I'm wondering what made you do—what you did."
Alex was silent for a moment. "I do not think I can give an explanation that would satisfy you as you are now, Mia. My apologies."
"Well, then . . . would you do it again, knowing what you do now?" She half-held her breath.
Mia watched a flicker of some nameless emotion—almost a spasm of sorts—cross Alex's face. The bright morning sunlight that illuminated his face cast deep shadows.
"I do not know," he replied finally. "It is something I have asked myself many times."
The pale sun had finished its journey to appear and had risen enough so not a part of it appeared to touch the ground. And Mia, disappointed, spoke not a word.
". . . and, above all, a healer must have a caring, forgiving heart." Mia smiled at Megan and Justin as she finished her speech. "Any questions for today?"
"I do!" Megan waved her hand energetically. "It's about the forgiveness part. Why does a healer have to be forgiving?"
"Well, carrying a grudge sours the heart," Mia explained. "What if someone you were really, really mad at got hurt? Would you want to heal them? It isn't a healer's duty to judge—only to cure."
"Yes, but. . . ." Megan looked as if she were thinking about pressing the point. ". . . Never mind."
"No, what is it, Megan? I want to know." Mia waited patiently for the response.
The healer-in-training's words, when they came, spurted out in a rush. "Then why haven't you forgiven Alex yet? It's been four months since you two came back to Imil, but you won't even talk to him anymore."
Mia stared at Megan, caught completely off-guard. "I . . . I. . . ."
"Way to go, Megan. You made her mad." Justin sounded irritated on his teacher's behalf.
Megan winced. "I'm sorry, Mia! I didn't mean to upset you!"
"No, Megan . . . I'm not angry. You just—startled me, that's all," Mia reassured her.
Didn't someone once say that children are the wisest of us all? she wondered to herself. I've been so—
She quickly cut off that thought. "Well, is there anything else you want to talk about? Or would you rather go play in the snow?"
Justin grinned. "No more questions! Want to come with us, Mia?"
"Maybe some other time. I have something I need to do that should have been done long and ever ago." Mia walked to the door and reached for her heavy cloak. Smiling distractedly, she watched as her two pupils practically tumbled over each other in their eagerness to get outside and play.
It was an unusually warm day for late fall in Imil. The sky was mostly blanketed in clouds, but from the way the light wind was blowing, it was probable that most of them would be gone by the end of the day. Snow slushy under her booted feet, Mia headed for Alex's house near the edge of town.
Arriving, she removed one pale blue glove to knock sharply on the wooden door. There was no reply. About to try again, she heard another door opening. Turning, she noticed one of Alex's neighbours, whom she had recently healed of a slight cough.
"Hello, Luke," Mia greeted him. "How are you feeling? No further problems?"
"No, thank you very much, Mia. I've been much better since you healed me." The middle-aged man seemed pleased. "Are you looking for Alex?"
"Yes, I am, actually. Do you know where he is?" Mia asked. After seeing her own actions through Megan's eyes, she felt she had to talk to him as soon as possible; her conscience wouldn't let her rest easily, otherwise.
"He was heading out of town," was the reply. "I asked him where he was going, and he said he was off to Mercury Lighthouse."
"Thank you; I'll talk to you again." With a cheerful wave meant to disguise her inward restlessness, Mia walked away, heading back to her home. She stopped just long enough to pick up her staff and cover herself in a few more layers of clothing before leaving on the journey of several hours.
As she walked, she hoped no one needed her healing services. But until she could speak to Alex, there was no way she could give any task her full attention. . . .
The sun had just set as she approached Mercury Lighthouse. The western wind that had been pulling her hair across her face and causing her robes to billow to one side had gradually calmed, then ceased shortly before the last of the sun had sunk below the sea. Most of the clouds that day were gone, with only enough remaining to enhance, not obscure, the display of deepening and darkening colours.
And standing facing west was someone that even in the approaching night Mia had no trouble recognising as Alex. She walked steadily towards him. Though he must have heard her due to the soft crunching her feet made in the refreezing snow, he didn't make a move, nor did he turn. She stopped when she reached his side. From where he was standing, all that was to be seen was the snowy ground, sea, and sky. It looked like the world ended not too far away, though Mia knew from experience it wasn't the case.
For several long, long minutes, they stood together in the stillness, watching clear, dark blue take over the sky and absorb the fiery colours of the sunset.
Finally, Mia felt ready. "Alex."
He turned to look at her, face always inscrutable. "Yes, Mia?"
She felt her eyes slip downwards, then, rebelling against her shame, raised them to look Alex straight in his aqua eyes. "I'd like to ask for your forgiveness."
"Why?" For almost the first time since she could remember, Alex was caught by surprise.
"I've wronged you. By carrying a grudge against you for so long, even when you seemed ready to make amends. . . ." Mia bit her lip. Though she had rehearsed this scene in her mind over and over on her walk to the lighthouse, now, suddenly, she wasn't sure how to go on.
Alex took a slight step forward. "Mia, I am uncertain as to what prompted this, but . . . you should not blame yourself. What I did was truly difficult to forgive. To be honest, I do not know if I would be as courageous as you, were our situations reversed.
"I never wanted to hurt you, Mia," he continued. "I almost turned back, once, because I could see how I was paining you."
"But you didn't." She felt her sense of peace, drawn from finally asking for forgiveness, slowly ebb away.
"No . . . I did not," he agreed softly. "But, were I presented with the decision to make again, today . . . now, I am not sure I could do the same thing again."
Either he stepped forward, or she did, because suddenly, they were holding each other and together looking west. And Mia realised that a sunset wasn't an ending. It was a passage to the cool, refreshing, renewing night, which flowed into the bright morning.
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Okay! ::smiles:: Normally, I'm a Mudshipper, and I don't like pairing anyone with Alex, post-TLA. I'll read Imilshipping that takes place pre-Golden Sun, but afterwards is a no-no. I find the "Mia finds Alex in the ruins of Mount Aleph, nurses him back to health, and falls in love with him" plotline not only way overused, but extremely improbable. Mia isn't as weak as she's often portrayed. In fact, in my opinion, I think that if Mia actually did find Alex in the rubble, at that point, she'd be mad enough that she'd probably just bash him over the head with a rock and run off. ::shrugs::
I would've written Windshipping, since that's my absolute, all-time least favourite Golden Sun pairing, but I . . . couldn't. There was no way I could've made it realistic, so I settled for this instead.
Alex: Does this mean that your feelings towards me are softening?
Vyctori: Nope. Unlike Mia, I bear grudges for a long, long time. Probably longer than you're going to be my muse.
Alex: ::sighs::