Hello one and all. Oracle has come bearing a new chapter.

Jenna: And Jenna has come to stop Oracle going mad.

Me? Mad? Never.

Jenna: Yeah right.

Anyway, here comes chapter 17. Wow, 17. It's a big number.

Jenna: You wanna know what's an even bigger number?

What?

Jenna: Every single one that comes after 17 you thicko!

Time to shut up now.

Mercury Gold: I don't know if it's your computers fault or not, but has your spelling gotten worse? Thanks for your lovely review. You don't think I'm being too mean to the others do you? I tried to make it a nice chapter, but everything kinda went really mean.

KevDawg673: Cool! A new reviewer! Wow, you're as bad as Joker with all the compliments. I don't think I can take it anymore. Just kidding. I'm glad someone else likes my work. By the way, Jenna is very angry that you missed her out.

Jenna: Extremely angry!

I'd watch what you type from now on. Her temper is a little unpredictable.

Joker's Specter: Trust you to find all the little imperfections. Yeah, you were right about the darkness, but it's also the memories of his horrible past: his father supposedly dying, his friends being kidnapped and his mother becoming ill. Also, it's not that Alex is impatient, he just never planned to share the power with Agatio and would have killed him anyway. Thanks for the lovely review Joker and I guess I'll chat to you later on msn.

Sorian: Ah. It wouldn't be a successful chapter without a review from Sorian. Thanks, I think, for your strange way of saying you like my story and I await your next one.

Jenna: Oracle doesn't own Golden Sun, but if she did, I would have to kill myself.

The Golden Sun

Finally, just above the horizon, a bright golden sphere was beginning to rise. It bathed every living thing with its glorious light and chased the shadows out of the world. Even the fiery red sun that already hung in the sky couldn't compete with it.

"At last, I will have my ultimate power."

Alex watched with hungry eyes as the brilliant orb steadily floated up. The one thing that he had wanted all his life was here and he would get what he wanted.

There was suddenly a shudder from deep down in the mountain below him and a sharp spire of rock flew up out of the ground. It would have hit him if he hadn't been waiting for such a thing to happen.

"You're too late," he cried to the group that stood a few metres behind him. "The sun is rising and there's nothing any of you can do to stop me."

"But we can try," Garet yelled back. "We want revenge for what you did to Isaac."

Alex turned to face the adepts and wasn't in the least bit surprised to see them all ready to attack him with all of their strength.

"You can try if you want, but how can you hope to win without the guidance of your leader, Isaac?" taunted Alex. He knew this would strike a soft spot in each of the warriors and was right. They all shifted nervously, averting their gaze. "You can't beat me. Even Karst's friend Agatio couldn't withstand my powers."

Everyone looked in the direction that Alex was pointing in and Karst gave a yelp of pain when her eyes fell on the defeated body of Agatio.

Garet had had enough of the Water Adept and his cruelty. Nearly losing Isaac had made him think a lot more than he would usually. The memory of fighting that Chimera came back to him and he suddenly realised how Isaac must have felt. With this in his mind, he charged forward drawing power from the thought of seeing his best friend again when this was over. He lifted his axe and took a swipe at Alex who simply leaned back and allowed the weapon to sweep over his chest.

"Is that the best you've got?"

In response to the reckless attack, Alex balled his fist and punched Garet in the middle of his chest. He then shot a powerful blast of water that would have hit Garet if Felix and Piers hadn't pulled him out of the way. The three boys fell to the floor in a heap with Garet, breathless and clutching his chest at the top of the pile.

"Stop being stupid Garet. You can't fight him alone," Felix muttered as he shoved the Fire Adept off of his stomach.

"For once in your life shut up and help me, Felix."

Felix couldn't believe what Garet had dared to say to him. How could he say such a thing? But he knew his childhood friend was right. He had never helped Garet even before his sister and the 'oaf' had become a couple. They needed to put their differences aside and fight as a team.

He briefly nodded at Garet who could barely believe his eyes then helped him up. Garet nodded back and smiled before turning back to Alex. Piers had already started his assault, matching each watery blast. But Alex had the upper hand. Even though Piers was managing to defend himself, he hadn't had a chance to attack yet because of Alex's speed. In a single moment, Alex had gotten past Piers defensive wall of water and took a mighty swing at the Lemurian. Garet and Felix had jumped behind Piers to catch him when he fell backwards, but they didn't notice Alex send out a barrage of ice that forced the boys many metres backwards. Each of them was covered with deep cuts and was chilled to the bone yet none of them were badly hurt.

Jenna had run over to heal her brother and Garet, while Piers cast Ply over himself.

"I told you, no one can beat me!" Alex cried out, watching the adepts give him dirty looks with evil pleasure.

"No one?"

Everyone turned to find the source of a strangely familiar voice. In between Ivan and Mia, as lively as ever, was Isaac. Alex's strangled gasp couldn't be heard over the cries of joy from the other adepts as they ran to their leader. Sheba and Jenna both launched themselves at his chest and hugged him as tightly as possible with the boys and Karst following much slower. The ice seemed to have done more damage than they'd realised, but that wasn't going to stop them from getting to their friend. Felix stuck out his hand to shake Isaac's and was surprised when the younger boy flung his arms around him. Piers tried to do the same only to be pulled into a just as tight hug.

At the edge of the little ring, Garet was still wincing in pain whenever he moved, but constantly stared at Isaac just in case this was all an illusion and the Venus Adept would suddenly fall to the floor, dead like before. When Isaac turned to Garet, the redhead tried to pull himself up to his full height, continuing to grimace from the pain. Isaac's grin simply increased and he pressed his gloved hand onto Garet's chest. Almost instantly, the pain had vanished and it felt as if he'd never fought at all.

"Isaac..." Garet started, but was interrupted by the silent stop signal Isaac made with his hand. The best friends hurled themselves forward into an emotional embrace.

When Isaac had also hugged Karst, despite her protest, he turned and stared intently at Alex. The Water Adept did not return the gaze though. His eyes were fixed on the sky.

"Look!" he cried out. "Now even the unconquerable Isaac will not be able to stop me. In but a mere few seconds, the power of Alchemy will be mine and mine alone."

What he said was true. The Golden Sun was already high in the sky, nearly the same height as the actually sun that seemed ready to fuse with its golden copy.

"Too bad, Alex. I won't let you have the power. I will make sure that no one like you will ever get it," Isaac claimed. He meant every word and would do exactly what he said until his body or mind failed him.

"But you don't understand. You're too late!"

Alex spread out his arms to receive his power as the light slowly crept up the mountain. Without a thought in his head, Isaac did what his heart told him and began running towards Alex.

"Felix!" Ivan cried, suddenly turning to the older boy. "You have to go too!"

"Why?" was the stunned answer.

"It's your destiny and you know it."

Felix did know it. The thought had been at the back off his mind for a while now ever since he had innocently eavesdropped on a conversation Ivan had been having with Sheba. Ivan had said something about two chosen ones saving Weyard and how he thought those two were Isaac and himself.

Bracing himself for anything, he ran out after Isaac, much to the dismay of Jenna.

"It's his destiny," Ivan repeated. Sheba gripped his hand and Ivan's mind went blank.

Sheba? What are you doing?

Allowing you to see the future.

The dream Sheba had had so long ago quickly flew past his eyes. Destruction and pain filled his senses leaving him breathless and numb.

That was the future?

A possible future.

Well, let's hope they succeed then.

The colourful world appeared around him once more and he set his gaze on the two boys who had only just reached Alex.

"Let's hope they succeed," he repeated under his breath, while Sheba squeezed his hand.

The two adepts of the earth reached Alex with time to spare, but without any idea of how they would stop him. The Golden Sun finally reached its highest point in the sky, met the fiery sun that had warmed the world since the beginning of time and merged with it in a blinding flash of white light. This light shone over each of the adepts sending them all to the hard ground except Isaac, Felix and Alex. These three remained standing as they were bathed in the brilliant light.

A minute passed by and the light disappeared allowing those on the floor to peer around in wonder. Mia's eyes widened with fear when she saw Isaac standing as still as can be next to Felix and Alex.

Alex cried out in clear rage, cursing the two adepts for ruining his plans.

"The power is mine! I will not allow you to take it away from me!"

He drew energy from the light around him and shot a beam of pure psynergy straight at them. Caught off guard, they were forced backwards with the full force of attack searing their clothes and skin.

Their friends came to their aid, healing them and helping them up, each of them wanting to help in some way.

"Let us help you," Garet insisted.

"You can't possibly fight him alone. He has too much power," Piers added.

"No, we can not allow you to get hurt. This is our fight."

"This is everyone's fight." Sheba's emerald eyes looked up at Isaac filled with so much wisdom for someone so young. "Everyone here is involved and the only chance we have to defeat Alex is to work together and combine our psynergy. I saw it in a vision."

"I don't want my friends to get hurt, Sheba, whether you saw it in a vision or not. I can not allow you to help."

"I'm the Leader of Jupiter. I won't get hurt."

"But if I allowed you, Mia and Karst to fight, the others would want to as well."

"Too right we would!" called out Jenna from her brother's side.

"Exactly. I..."

Their conversation was cut short as another beam of light shot towards them. Isaac and Felix both held up their hands and unleashed their newly acquired powers to create a large shield around them. In front of them, Alex sneered and prepared to attack again. Everyone, including Garet, Jenna, Ivan and Piers spread out in a wide arc.

It looks like we will be fighting after all, Isaac, said Sheba's voice in his mind. Anger swelled up inside Isaac, but he had other things to think about now. He lifted his head up towards the sky and began chanting a language he did not even know he knew. The words slipped through his lips as if he'd spoken them his whole life. To this left, he heard Felix do the same and watched as his friends around him began to glow. Wings sprouted from the backs of the other leaders and those without wings slowly floated up into the air so that they could keep up with the fight that would most likely take part in the air.

The heat of Alex's attack made Isaac look forward in time to see a ball of the bluest light hurtling towards him. He raised his arms to protect himself only to feel something else push him aside. He lifted himself up and smiled at Mia who'd landed on top of him.

"Thanks."

"You should really be more careful," she joked as they got to their feet.

Above them, the fight had already begun without them with Felix leading the attack. It was nothing more than a mass of bodies, psynergy and cries of pain. Alex was putting up a better fight than anyone could have imagined and easily fought all seven of them without breaking a sweat. Even when Isaac and Mia joined them, he still continued effortlessly.

"With all my power merged together, you weaklings don't stand a chance!" he yelled cockily, casually shooting a steady stream of water at them.

"We can't win," Felix muttered to Isaac as they both breathed heavily. "He's too fast, too strong, too powerful."

"He's only winning because we're letting him. We don't know we can win because of Sheba's vision."

"You saw it then?"

"As soon as the Golden Sun shone on my body. Listen, we have to stop thinking we can win. We have to know we can win. If you can, tell the others that."

(AN. Just in case you were wondering, I kinda got that little bit from 'The Matrix' which I don't own either. It confused me.)

With a newfound hope growing inside him, Felix flew over to Jenna and began whispering in her ear. Isaac smiled at this. He never thought he could inspire someone so much. Taking a deep breath, he glided towards Alex, reaching for his sword as he did. But his hand gripped empty air. His Gaia Blade was missing from his side. The scar across his chest tinged slightly and he suddenly remembered what had happened to it.

"Isaac!" Felix called out from above. As Isaac looked up, the familiar blade flew through the air towards him. Instead of catching it, he clenched his fist and watched the sword soar past him under his control. It sped forwards and would have embedded itself in Alex's own chest if he hadn't summoned a shield of light around himself.

"You'll have to do better than that," the Water Adept sneered before grabbing the sword and throwing it back at its owner. Isaac caught it with ease and held it in his tight grip.

A huge bolt of lightning blasted down from the sky and completely surrounded Alex. A jet of flames followed it, which twisted in the air making it look like a huge dragon that roared at its opponent. Finally, a sphere of ice formed around Alex, trapping him.

Looking up, Isaac saw all of his friends grinning back at him. Sheba and Ivan still held each others hand after combining their Jupiter Psynergy, Garet, Jenna and Karst were lowering their owns hands and Mia was standing next to Piers probably smiling the most.

Only when he heard the loud crash of ice breaking did Isaac turn around. Alex was floating in a ball of bright angry red light that shone without a source. His eyes burned and his fists shook with rage.

"I have had enough of this. It's time to end this." The light changed from red to white and spread to his hands until only they shone. He held them in front of him and began chanting in the same language Isaac and Felix had used. Both Venus Adepts heard and understood what he was doing and cried out in fear. They glided towards each other and hovered protectively before their friends in a last attempt to protect them.

"Isaac!" Mia shouted. "What are you doing? What's going to happen?"

Isaac twisted his head back and their eyes met. He flashed a small grin, but his tear covered cheeks showed his real feelings. Mia could only just see him mouth the words, 'I love you,' before he turned away.

"They're going to sacrifice themselves for our protection," said Sheba in a voice so quiet she could barely even hear herself, but to Mia, it was as if she'd shouted them in her ear. She dove down, crying to her soul mate all the way as Felix and him prepared attacks similar to Alex's.

Even though it was tearing him apart, Isaac continued. He had too. Felix felt exactly the same way. Jenna's voice screamed from above as well as someone else's. His eyes darted up and landed on Karst. She was flying down with Jenna and the others. To his amazement, there were actually tears in her eyes and her voice was high pitched from her terror. But this didn't stop him. His hands glowed next to Isaac's, almost ready, almost finished.

Alex growled in anger adding this emotion to the ball of energy in his hands.

I will win. I will have my power. No one can stop me!

The ball of energy burst forward at an amazing speed and headed towards the two boys.

"NO!" cried out seven voices.

At the last second, Isaac and Felix released their own energy balls and watched as the three attacks merged, creating a more powerful force that covered the mountain and the adepts in its light.

I think I'll leave it there.

Jenna: You know how much I hate cliffhangers!

I do, but it's necessary for the drama contained within my delicately put together plot.

Jenna: You have a plot?!

I'm gonna ignore you know. Just so you know, reviews are like tiny little animals that are dying out. Please, you just have to give more reviews to help them live, you've just gotta! Hehe, R&R!