Disclaimer- I don't own Golden Sun.

I know that I have not been updating on time recently, and I apologize. I have had some trouble getting to my stories recently, but that will change soon. Please enjoy this chapter while I get to work on rewriting Nemesis.

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The Enemy Lies Within

Clattering clunks rumbled down Lemuria's streets as Sheba, Ivan, Jenna and Garet rushed back to Piers' home. Their breaths were ragged as they ran past the many buildings, ignoring the beautiful sights surrounding them.

"This way," Sheba sprinted down the cobblestone road, her boots not seeming to touch the ground.

"Right," Ivan ran beside her, keeping pace as the two Jupiter adepts tracked there friends energy.

"Are they okay," Jenna spoke between breaths, following the two adepts.

"No," Ivan stopped running, his eyes looking to the sky.

"Why have we stopped?" Garet gasped as he caught up, completely out of breath.

"Wait," Sheba commanded, her gaze following Ivan's.

The four did not have long to linger as a nearby wall exploded open, the body of Felix flying into the street. Almost immediately, he was followed by Piers, his own weapon imbedded in his stomach.

"Piers!" Jenna knelt beside the Lemurian, pulling out the glaive and concentrating her psynergy on healing his wound. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," he spoke brokenly. "I have never seen anything move that fast before."

"Is it me, or does this guardian have a grudge against us," Felix groaned as he set up, feeling the wall that he was thrown through.

"I don't know," Piers collapsed back onto his back, his eyes closing in exhaustion.

---

"Two down," inside the house, the demon grinned, his pale teeth flashing. "Would you two care to test my abilities further?"

"Why are you doing this?" Isaac demanded, pointing the tip of his sword as the demon.

"The answer is simple, Isaac," the demon used Isaac's name, enjoying the shock it incurred. "I like to watch you suffer."

"Why Isaac?" asked Mia, holding her mace defensively.

The demon ignored her, his gaze falling on Isaac, "Do you know why, Isaac?" The demon took a step forward, his clawed feet cracking the hard stone beneath him. "I was sure that you would recognize me, especially because all the time we were together."

"I'd remember a beast as foul as you," Isaac spat. "Sorry, but I don't recall meeting you before."

"We have never met," the demon admitted, "at least not physically. Do you recall the Equator Blade?"

"Yes," Isaac slackened his grip on the Darksword. "What of it?"

"Do you remember the dark aura that left your body after your were struck with the blade?" time seemed to halt as the memory replayed in Isaac's head, the same scene of Saturos plunging the sword into him. "That is right," the fiend confirmed, sensing what Isaac was thinking. "You and I were one. I am the embodiment of all your anger, fear, and hate. I'm your darker side."

"Why did you protect me on Mercury Lighthouse?" Isaac's face was down, his bangs covering his eyes.

"I needed to defend my only link to the real world. Being trapped within your mind is no paradise for me. Unfortunately, I was unable to assert my control over your entire body. But I was able to seal your mouth, making you unable to speak," the demon admitted, taking another step forward.

"All those deaths," Isaac reminisced on earlier times. "Were all your doing..."

"Correct," the fiend cackled, but stopped short, dodging a swipe from the Darksword. "You are good," Isaac's darker side admitted, "but you are nowhere near my level."

The fiend slashed downward with his sword arm, the force sending Isaac falling to the ground. The claw of his other arm came down for a finishing blow, but was knocked away, Mia's mace breaking the three claws.

"Leave him alone," Mia yelled angrily, her own frustration bearing down of the fiend. "I will not permit you to harm my Isaac anymore."

"You are the girl, correct," the fiend grinned, licking his broken claws, "the one who fell in love with him." His body seemed to liquefy all of his body parts flowing into one. Slowly, it again began to take shape, more human-like appendages molding from the dark mass. A surprising form came into being, the fiend becoming an exact replica of Isaac.

"Mia," even his voice was the same as the newly formed Isaac spread out his arms. "Please finish this."

"No..." Mia dropped her mace, falling to her knees. All was utterly silent as the abomination smiled malevolently, fading away without a word, leaving a torn Mia and unconscious Isaac behind. Quickly, Mia came to her senses though, rushing to Isaac's aide with her ply spell. Little did all of the adepts know, that in that moment of defeat a dark presence imbedded itself within their group, watchful red eyes following their every move.

---

A traditional ceremony was held before the adepts left, to honor all of the Lemurians that had been murdered on that fateful night. The blame had to reside somewhere, but only a few would bear it. Ever Lemurian left alive had grim faces set against one group.

Sheba and Ivan walked down the Lemurian streets, carrying supplies for the next leg of their journey. Both could feel eyes attached to them watching from the remaining buildings, but neither commented on this, only light banter consoling the deep discomforting air around them.

'Aren't we leaving soon?' Sheba connected their minds, afraid to speak out.

'I hope so,' Ivan looked around worriedly. 'I think that we're now longer welcome in Lemuria.'

Sheba nodded knowingly, understanding the seriousness of the situation. 'Is Piers leaving with us?'

'He has to,' Ivan answered. 'The Senate banished him and all outsiders from Lemuria. It seems that they have closed the doors forever.'

---

"We're back," Sheba and Ivan announced as they stepped back on the ship, placing their packages down. Nothing had changed since they'd left. Garet and Felix were still arguing on room arrangements. Piers was still moving boxes with a vengeance, the manual labor distracting. Isaac and Mia were still resting in the prow of the ship, both asleep against the other. Jenna was nowhere in sight, but was assumed to be in the kitchen, cooking the dinner for all.

"If you hadn't sunk your ship, we wouldn't be in this boat!" Felix yelled, jabbing fingers at the remaining cabins on the ship. "So we will have to split the rooms up. You, Isaac and Ivan will have to be in that room, Mia, Jenna and Sheba will sleep in that one, and me and Piers will have that one."

"But what about the extra room?" exclaimed Garet. "We can spread everyone out even further, so we won't be at each others' throats."

"Garet," Felix sighed in frustration, "That's the healing room. We keep all of our healing supplies in there."

"Oh," Garet calmed down, and left to below with a grunt. "Have it your way."

"Those two argue like brothers," Ivan laughed, his sides shaking.

"More like brother-in-laws," Sheba looked completely serious as she said this. "Come on; let's go help Jenna with dinner."

---

The Lemurian ship slowly sailed out of its harbor, the adepts all sitting outside to watch the sunset as Piers piloted it. A somber expression covered his face as he directed the ship outward, but it disappeared when he saw Sheba and Jenna approach.

"How are you feeling Piers?" Sheba asked as the two reached Piers.

"Fine," Piers felt suspicious of the two girls' smiles.

"Piers," Jenna stepped closer, staring deep into his sapphire eyes. "We have all been afraid that we've not been treating you with the proper respect. Perhaps if we knew your age, then we might better be able to."

"You've all been treating me fine," Piers tried to take a step back, but realized that he could not release the wheel in the rocky waters. "There is no need to worry."

"But we do worry," Sheba grinned, giving away there charade. "Why don't you just tell us so we can give you the proper respect?"

"No," Piers yelled, trying to ignore the two. "You both just want to know how old I am! This has nothing to do with respecting me!"

"Hee hee," Jenna and Sheba giggled softly, their joke at an end.

"Felix, could you take over the helm," Piers requested, letting his friend take over. Slowly, he turned on the two girls, his hands finally free. "Douse!"

A small rain cloud formed over Sheba and Jenna, soaking them thoroughly as he retired to his cabin, leaving two very wet and angry adepts behind.

---

The Lemurian ship sailed for many weeks, the adepts facing storms and attacks bravely, until they came upon the continent of Atteka, the Jupiter Lighthouse rising high in the distance, an ominous beacon of the daunting trial ahead.

On the top of the Lighthouse, a Mercury adepts sat, his eyes tracking the tiny speck of the Lemurian ship. Alex smiled bitterly as another one of his plans failed, but his resolve strengthened as he turned to the two people in the shadows behind him.

"They have arrived," he spoke in a cold tone, not letting his anger slip. "Do you two know what to do?"

"Yes," the voice of a stout man, deep and powerful answered, a heavy blade gleaming in the setting sun.

"Just show me to the one called Isaac," a scythe slashed out of the shadows, a woman speaking out. "I will avenge my sister's death!"

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Reviewer's Responses

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Lord Slasher- Thanks for the review.

PyroDragon88- I personally disliked Sentinel, he tore on my nerves in the game. Thanks for the reveiw.

Anime-Master7- He was original character. Thanks for the review,

The 8BTFreek- I forgot about the scroll when I wrote it, sorry. Thanks for the review.

WildfireDreams- I think everything in GS is based on mythology. Thanks for the review.