Posted: 6-1-05

Chapter 4: Regrouping

AN: Heh, reading my old ANs is funny. If you didn't notice, sometimes I just leave what I used to have and/or add on. This whole one wasn't able to stay, though. Oh well! I still don't own Golden Sun, and I know I said that! Oh yeah! More "I didn't know" stories. I, frankly, rarely flew the boat unless I had to when I first played the game, since I didn't realize that it made things go faster and that it was more practical, except for their PP, but still. So, that's why they're sailing a lot. It's because of my horrible video gaming skills. I just thought you should know.

The boat headed toward a place where it had been docked before. The last time it had been in this area was when the Adepts were going to see what had become of Vale, and then later made plans on their futures. Sheba and Piers stood on the deck watching the shoreline for any sign if someone they knew.

"So what do you think we'll be doing once we reach shore?" Sheba asked, leaning over the railing to get a closer look at the land.

"It depends," Piers replied. "If Ivan's waiting for us, we'll probably start going straight to Contigo today if he wants to. If not, we'll find the others and stay with them. That is, if they're still in the area."

"Good point," Sheba answered, still trying to see if the one of the other Adepts was there waiting to leave or give them a message.

"So, what exactly do you want to do?" Piers said, taking another glance away from the water and the wheel to help her look. "I never really asked you that. What are your plans to find out about your past?"

"Well," Sheba replied slowly, "I'm not really sure. I think Contigo might be the best place to look. Now that the excitement with your boat and with the lighthouses is over, they might be more willing to talk about the history of the Jupiter Adepts."

"That makes sense," Piers answered, looking over again. "Hey, is that someone on the shore?"

"Where?"

"North, north east of where we are."

"Uh, I think so. Maybe it's Ivan."

"Well, I'll head to shore. If it isn't anyone we know, or if it isn't anyone at all, we may dock the boat and try walking."

"Aw..."

"Well, you're certainly lazy today!"

They sailed toward where Piers had seen what looked like a person. As they neared the coast of Angara, the fact that a human being was standing there could not be denied. The problem was telling who it was. The boat continued to come closer and the view became clearer for Sheba, as Piers was focusing all of his attention on sailing now. They came within a thousand yards or so away and Sheba thought she could make something out.

"It looks like there's two of them," she suddenly said. "I still can't tell you who, though."

"That's fine," Piers answered. "It's probably nothing to worry about. They might be messengers or somebody helping Ivan."

"Yeah, well, I'm still looking."

A few minutes later, the boat had landed beside where the two now identified people stood. Piers lowered the gang plank and he and Sheba made their way on to the land, looking questioningly at who they had just run into and getting a similar look back.

"Sheba?" Ivan exclaimed, who had his things ready to travel. "But, I thought you were going to Lalivero."

"I did," she replied, "but I just couldn't stay knowing that there's a chance of me figuring out where I come from and why I was left alone."

"I think the biggest question should be what are you doing here with all of your things," Piers said, turning to Ivan's companion. "What's going on?"

"I've been having this strange feeling that I should come with you," he replied. "Then when Ivan came back from Contigo last week he said that he felt the same way. I figured that if a Jupiter Adept thought I should come along, then I should."

"But what about your family?" Sheba asked, looking a little worried. "You just were reunited. Don't you want to stay with them."

"My parents don't mind," he answered. "I talked to them and they said that it would probably be best to go since both Ivan and I thought so."

"Yeah, plus you've probably had more time with your each of your parents separately than they have with each other," Ivan added. "They're not too worried about Isaac leaving."

"So..." Piers began awkwardly, only planning on having half this many passengers on the journey to Contigo, "what happened to the others?"

Isaac sighed. "The people of Vale still can't figure out what we're going to do. Some people came back and that they've found a place where we can resettle, but others think we can still rebuild near where Mt. Aleph was. They're trying to decide which would work the best."

"Well, that's not good," Sheba replied. "What will happen if you return and you don't know which they chose?"

"It's okay," he answered. "I know where the second spot is, so if no one's living in the old town, I can just look there. And Piers can help me if he doesn't want to go back home."

"I told you I'm in no hurry," the Lemurian said. "If you'd like me to accompany you on the way back, I'll be glad to. But let's cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yeah, let's stop standing around get on the boat!" Ivan exclaimed. "We're not getting any closer." With a slight laugh, they boarded the boat and within ten minutes had set sail again, this time toward the not quite as distant continent of Atteka.

After Hovering over the second set of rocks, the boat sailed toward the dock at the Atteka Inlet, the closest and easiest way to Contigo. "Are you sure they won't do anything to my boat this time?" Piers asked as they landed on the shore where they had once seen many people building and moving the giant wings that now donned the sides of the Lemurian vessel.

"Probably not," Ivan replied. "They were following the prophecy and I don't think there's anymore to it now that we've finished lighting the lighthouses. They'll probably just want to look at the boat and see it fly or something."

"Okay," Piers sighed. "I'm just a little worried. I really don't know what will happen when everyone back home sees what happened while I've been away, if I ever can go home."

"Everyone else has!" Isaac exclaimed. "Oh, wait. Sorry, Sheba."

"What?" she answered. "I went to Lalivero, and even though it's not where I'm originally from, it's still my home."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Speaking of going home, let's get going to Contigo!"

"I can't believe I'm finally going to my real home for good," Ivan said happily, not paying attention to his three friends who didn't know when or where they would be returning to their families and birthplaces. "If you had told me a year ago that I would be coming to a town on another continent where I'm famous or that I had a sister, I would have said you were crazy!"

"That's nice Ivan, can we please get off the boat before we're noticed?" Piers said quickly. "I don't want them getting on it again. It took me two weeks to clean everything last time."

"It'll be fine!" Ivan replied. "Now hurry up. If you're staying here for a while you might want to grab some of your things, especially if you're as paranoid as Piers is."

"I'm not paranoid! I just don't want anything to happen to my boat again! We don't even have cannons in Lemuria, and I'd hate to see what the people of Contigo would try to do with it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Can we just go?" Isaac interrupted, not wanting a fight to break out over something stupid. So, they calmed down and collected what they thought they would need for their stay in Contigo, Ivan obviously taking everything, and left the boat, Piers trying his best to secure the gang plank so that they could get back on but no one else could.

They walked through the hilly shore line and began the trek across the continent to Contigo, which wasn't that far away, but far enough to be described like that. As evening approached, they came upon the small but powerful village that was a similar distance to what they had just gone from the source of the element of wind.

From the moment the town came into view, Ivan hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut. He seemed to have forgotten that his friends were not so lucky as to know where they came from and where they would be living next. Every subtle and not so subtle hint to get him to be quiet was completely overlooked by the excited boy, so the fact that the moment they set foot inside of Contigo people started crowding around them and saying everything imaginable, which kept him from talking, was very welcomed.

The focus of the citizens was obviously on Ivan, although Isaac, Sheba, and Piers did get their share of questions, such as where they were from and what they had done on Ivan's journey, which is how they referred to it. After about half an hour of this, the people finally calmed down and realized that it was getting late and that they were probably tired. "So, do you want to go with me to see Hama?" Ivan asked once he was able to talk to his friends again.

"Sure," Isaac replied with a little bit of sarcasm. "If we aren't around you, they'll probably ask us what it's like to be your side kicks."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, let's go." The four headed to the house in the northwest corner of the village.

AN: Another broken up chappie! Lol, that's how things are going in this, as I said. By the way, I think I recall someone mentioning people being out of character at some point when I first started with this. I just wanted to point out that, really, the only aspect of their personalities that we get come from the few times they talk during the game. I've taken those and made my own assumptions. If it varies from other fics, I'm sorry, but that's how I write! Like, Ivan's my favorite character, so I think that affects his part. And I just had this vision of Piers treating his boat like some people treat their cars, and Isaac liking to make wise cracks and stuff. Heh, I'm being so weird.