Please R&R!

A/N: Out of courtesy to my long-time readers, I posted a more in-depth summary. Feel free to skip it, if you wish.

The science of alchemy manipulates reality. Reality is not only space, but time as well… What if the heroes of GS lost that fight with the Fusion Dragon? What if Sheba fell too far for Felix to catch her—what if Isaac lost everything dear to him? What if the last testament of Saturos and Menardi flew free and unopposed, while the heroes that would of stood ground before it, have been lost to the four corners of Weyard? A pirate… a prisoner… a soldier…an alchemist, slayers, howlers… ghosts; a lone girl, a lone boy… a memory.

…I think of you still…

Alex altered the past upon memories, resulting in an alternate timeline. The fates we knew are no longer sealed, and destiny will soon be re-written.

The people we were meant to be—will not be the ones we turn out to be. For how could we… if the world becomes what its not suppose to be?

Can the remaining lighthouses still be lit? And what will happen when the Golden Sun rises, if it even does at all?

(Alternate re-write of GS2, TLA. Action, adventure, suspense, romance, tragedy. OC's, character changes and event altering.)

Chapter 1: Mere moments in time

Post battle with the Doom Dragon, Post rise of the Golden Sun…

Pre rift in time…

And there Alex laid, deep within the hollows of Sol Sanctum—or at least what remained of it. Sol Sanctum, heart of the now collapsed Mt. Aleph, had all but vanished in a blinding white, a vast emptiness. It had been Alex's prison for the past month, a fate worse than death. There was nothing for him here, which would have driven any man to his own breaking points, insanity. Not Alex however.

There was a sound of silence, its pierce as thin as a needle, stinging him with nothingness. Alex was nothing anymore, and felt nothing, yet everything all at once, ironically. Subsequently, 'everything' to Alex, was in actual fact nothing now—nothing but the blank whiteness. Could this all be a dream?

The four lighthouses had been lit, Alchemy restored, and the Golden Sun was now clearly overhead the land of Weyard. Alex had been there for its dawn, the beginning of an Age of Alchemy, yet he himself did not have his desires quenched. With the blasphemous interventions of the Wise One, it was Isaac who had what Alex wanted. It was Isaac who had the Golden Sun, though not in its entirety… after all, Alex had been there for its daybreak. However a fragment of the Golden Sun was nothing to be proud of in his eyes.

Alex was inanimate in this self-appointed purgatory. He had not moved since the Wise One struck him down that fateful day. Eventually, this cold prison of his would take its toll, and swallow him in its silence. Weyard could do nothing to relieve him of this life-sentence.

Time had rushed in its flow, turning to a crawl in the adept's observant mind. The hours had gone, remembered only as an antagonizing blankness. The pass of eternity clinged to each second, sparing none in its torture.

Distraction had become commonplace, as his mind had a new tendency to wander. His will, whether it spoke criticizing insults or petty reasoning, lost focus in its entirety. It went from one daydream to another, an endless waltzed reverie. Thoughts danced gracefully through Alex's mind, thoughts of the past and of disappointments.

A bird with no song…no other words can describe me as well as such…

Alchemy—those with power…have no idea as to how to use it. They are oblivious to ambition, to possibilities and progression. And for myself, of whom has the potential to change the world… find myself without power, without Alchemy's science.

This world of ours… it is not what it's suppose to be… Even now I wish to go to you Mia…

Wait, science…

By Alex's will alone, he was able to summon the Stone of Sages in his company. The tablet lifted out of the emptiness, flat on its back beneath the adept.

"Science. I had nearly forgotten that fact," he spoke sadly to himself, disappointed that he had nearly dismissed the Stone of Sages. "All hope is not lost… at least not to those with will."

Alex felt the bruised surface of the stone press against his back. He struggled to concentrate, focus his psynergy. His fingers were nimble as he traced the grooves of the stone's face below him. He concentrated further, swearing that he would not die without purpose. No, this was not his fate.

The stone began to vibrate, matching the incessant ringing in his ears. The engraved characters turned to light, and lifted from where they were on the tablet. All the letters were foreign to him, and flew like a twister, taking position in the space above him, line by line.

As quickly as they had risen, they fell, like rain upon his face. The characters fell through his eyes, and deep into his mind. (A/N: this is similar to finding a summon tablet in the game, but its not the same)

It was then that he understood it all. In an instant he was the master of this science, and knew all the secrets of Alchemy. He bore knowledge of all the elements and knew all of Weyard's history and secrecy.

However a bitter taste grew in Alex's mouth, for he quickly realized that his task was still unfinished.

This was not the power that I intended on having. What good is this knowledge without the capabilities to make my dreams real?

All the knowledge he knew, all the things he learned, needed god-like psynergy to perform, of which he had not.

His last hope was to manipulate reality.

Reality was not only space, but time as well. According to the Sages Stone, time was measured best through the memories of Weyard, Sol and Luna. It would be through his own memories that he would alter time, search through the past for a new 'path to walk', and redo the choices he had made so that he could attain the Golden Sun.

His mind flashed quickly, for he did not have long. He could already feel his thoughts and psynergy strain, his body withering. If only he had the power of the Golden Sun entirely...

Quick realization came upon Alex, as he knew he could push no further, forcing a compromise. He hadn't enough power to travel back in time to the Lost Age of Man, as he was cut-short prematurely, upon Venus lighthouse, shortly before it's igniting.

Alex's ghostly figure floated over Felix, studying him as he turned from his sister and pace towards the stairs. The water adept hovered there in disbelief with his own disembodied state, until realizing that opportunity had finally been founded. Alex followed him into the dark stairwell desperately, and reached out to Felix as he ran down.

His arm ran straight through the Earth adept's back, and out his chest, freezing both their heartbeats at the same instant. Felix fell to the steps before him, lifeless, as he did not make a sound.

Alex stared at his own hand with a puzzling curiosity. "…Did I kill him? No, he lives. I suppose that's fortunate at any rate, for if he were to die, that would not benefit my current dilemma I would think."

And then it happened, a feeling that couldn't be explained, yet known to be true. He could feel his old world begin to change, and his present-self begin to die, as time itself was being re-written.

It would seem that I've done more than enough here. The past has been altered, leaving my timeline no longer existent Hopefully, fate will be much more kinder to me this time around.

Indeed it was true; hope had been renewed. In his last moments, he formed his thoughts into a seed, no bigger than a grain of rice. He sent it to the other side of the wall, a token for the Alex of this timeline, who had just made his entrance before Jenna and Kraden.

"I'm sure that you will need my memories for your own future," Alex spoke, as he peered out of the stairwell from the dark. "Your future: whether master of the Golden Sun, or no different from my own. Either way, the knowledge of the Stone of Sages will benefit you greatly."

Those were his last words as he faded away.

XXXXX

Pre battle with the Fusion Dragon

Post rift in time

"We've spoken long enough already. Let us continue this another time" Alex ended their discussion with haste, feeling uncomfortable with Jenna's persistence. "We should leave the lighthouse now, before the beacon is fired…" Alex spoke to Kraden, avoiding Jenna's blush coloured eyes. Her glare was still piercing, as if questioning his intentions further, looking through his facade.

"I concur… Let's meet at the location we agreed on and wait for Felix" Kraden answered.

Felix.

Alex's eyes became deluded as he began to feel dizzy. For some strange reason he felt guilty, as if he had done something wrong or forgetful.

"All right Kraden, let's go" Jenna responded, cooling her stare at Alex to nod at the old man. The two began to walk towards the exit, as Alex didn't budge. The water Adept looked down quickly at Jenna, as she nodded at him walking by.

She was such an innocent naive little girl, giving him a gentle poke with her index finger after she had passed him. The poke was her way of motioning him to follow; yet still he did not stir. For some strange reason, Alex had an uneasy feeling that Felix was still there, close by. It was odd, because he felt as if Felix was just on the other side of that wall.

He quickly dismissed the thought as he turned his back. He wasn't going to allow his imagination get carried away. There was no possible reason whatsoever for someone to just loiter in a staircase…

XXXXX

Felix's eyes slowly lifted to greet the darkness of the stairwell. For a second he had forgotten where he was, thoughts still forgotten in sleep. It felt like night to him, his crippled awareness told him to go back to sleep and wait for daybreak. However a thought came to realization, as his dreary eyes had continued their slumber. He had already seen the sunrise that day...

The earth adept quickly lifted his face, studying the odd curves and grooves that defined the darkness. They were traced outlines of the stairwell, sketched by the light coming from the empty hall below.

"What am I doing here?" Felix scoffed under his breath. He could barely remember where he was, till concern for Sheba came racing back.

His face felt numb, as if his shoulder had been cradling his cheek for hours on end, uncomfortably. He could feel the numbing imprints on the side of his face, made by the embroidery of his traveling vest.

Felix flew to his feet, effortlessly brushing away his cape. The earthly emerald ruffled as it swung, draping his collapsing knees. It all seemed mesmerizing, as he stood for a second, then toppled forward in vertigo. He regained his balance in an instant, stretching and weaving every tendon in his leading leg. Felix tipped to the side, depending on the darkened wall to support his weight.

He was in disbelief at the thought of having fainted, something that would have been new to him. He hadn't known how long he was there, though a guilty wrenching in his side told him otherwise. It told him that much time had passed, and Felix was always one to trust his instincts.

Saturos…

Saturos had expected him to return to the aerie and help fight off any threats. He needed Felix's Venus power in case Isaac had caught up.

That was in actual fact one of the ulterior motives he had for taking young Sheba with them to the beacon. Menardi had deducted that Felix would fight against Isaac, as long as he had incentive to. Sheba's safety was incentive enough for Felix to fight, as she simply became blackmail fodder.

However Felix had other plans. His initial idea was to take Sheba and the Jupiter star from them, before Isaac would show up. Felix despised the idea of following Saturos any further in this crusade.

Now Felix wasn't as confident in his plan anymore, thinking that an opportune moment may have passed already, as he had fainted in the night-like darkness.

XXXXX

Felix reached the aerie, dumbstruck to be greeted with a golden light; the Venus beacon had already been lit!

Saturos had thrown in the star earlier, meaning Felix had probably slept through the igniting. He had probably slept through an 'opportune moment' as well, as Felix knew it was just too late to confront his Proxian companion. He could already hear the screams of Isaac.

"Saturos don't do it! Please!"

"He can't, you monster!"

"Please! Don't drop me! Help!"

"Damn that fool!" Garet fell to his knees, fists clenched. His shoulder dripped a dewy red, but he couldn't allow his bleeding to bother him. His temper was distraction enough.

"Alright alright, I'm dropping my sword, you don't need to do this," Isaac pleaded yet again, out stretching both hands in front of him in negotiations. He could not allow the Laliverian girl to be thrown off the lighthouse

Saturos stood there at the edge, his left arm extended outwards to his side—into an empty sky as he clutched the tiny wrist of Sheba, dangling her over the ledge. His complexion was cut and bruised, gashes all along his armor.

Sheba meanwhile stifled back her tears, glazing her eyes. She was fighting back as best she could, kicking and squirming in mid-air, while clutching onto Saturos' elbow with her free arm. She was afraid of falling, but at the same time would not just hang there helplessly. No, she was a fighter.

"Nothing can be gained by this." Isaac spoke, determination in his expression, as he looked the Proxian up and down and then gave a consoling look to Sheba. "Please just give her to us."

Saturos' brow began to twitch, as he tasted blood. His blood. Droplets trickled down his cheeks, almost melting into the corners of his lips. As self-proclaimed as he was, he was proud enough to enjoy its taste, almost rich with power, his power—conceded pride, all of which became lost in vanity. What was he to do now?

Menardi had fallen in battle, he himself injured, and to make things worse, Felix had never showed up. Either the young man ran into Isaac on his way back, and was now left for dead somewhere in the lighthouse—or the worst had happened, meaning that Felix betrayed them in their time of need like a coward.

"Isaac," Ivan whispered under his breath, motioning with his chin towards the still, Gaia blade on the floor. His expression was reflected clearly on the flat of Isaac's sword, filling the Valean's eyes with swift decisiveness. The earth adept knew well enough to trust Ivan's judgement. He could tell that Ivan had sensed something was going to happen, courtesy of his mind-reading capabilities. Isaac slowly began to reach for his sword and Ivan's reflected complexion; this had to be done quickly.

The negotiating atmosphere left the aerie, as Saturos flinched at the gesture. It would seem that they would fight yet again. A slight grin crept onto the Proxian's face as he sensed that Menardi thought the same, and was secretly healing herself while they were all distracted. He choked back a smirk, statuesque with his stern poker-face still. If they were to fight again, initiative would have to be theirs this time around. To get this was obvious though, as Saturos quick-wittedly planned it all out in his head: throw Sheba off the tower, and then take advantage of Isaac's shock.

Sheba was useless at this moment, and she had to be compromised. The way Felix felt didn't matter anymore. After all, where was he right now? Certainly he wasn't there for Sheba.

Saturos raised his arm quickly, ready to drop the girl—yet it was an angry cry that stayed his grip. The adept had arrived…

A strong, bitter tempered war cry rose deep from within Felix's throat. It was brief for a moment, as he had broken into a gallop, fierce with an eerie silence

Isaac turned swiftly on one heal, staring in astonishment at his childhood friend, charging with sword in hand. A member of Saturos' team had flanked him from behind…

Isaac knew he was caught off guard, and that if Felix wished to, he could kill him in seconds, as it had appeared so. Felix ran straight for the surprised Isaac, as if staring right through him. The younger Valean watched his eyes desperately, the lump in his throat soon swallowing with a familiar relief.

Not once had the two made eye contact. The threat was not for him, and apart of Isaac had always known that.

It will end now Saturos: your reckless leadership, you false solutions of this campaigne, your growing insanity, and my diminishing respect for you… you are no longer the Saturos I knew, and it will be that much easier to see you die…

"No! You can't take him from me!" Mia threw herself into Isaac's chest, in an effort to stand between the two Earth adepts. Her face buried deep, drowning in Isaac's blue vest. She clutched onto his arms coldly, shielding him from Felix.

Isaac was taken a back, as he instinctively held her closer to him. He was disbelieving by her sudden burst of affection towards him, by the selfless act of love that he never expected. All he wanted to do was hold onto her tightly, tell her that she had nothing to fear from Felix, that everything would be fine. But there was no time to do so, for at that moment Ivan jumped in front of Felix defensively.

"You're with them Felix! I won't let you kill Isaac!" Ivan yelled as he spun his sword above his head.

None of them had seen the hidden truth, none but Isaac. To them, the actions of Felix were always unreadable, and now the team was acting on the worst of presumptions. None of them had trust for the mysterious man, all except one Earth adept that had known him too well. Ivan on the other hand, was ready to take Felix's head clear off.

You stupid boy…

Those were the last words that ran through Felix's mind before reaching for his sword. Felix was a warrior, whether it was shown or not under his calm collective appearance. However, his reserved disposition couldn't change the fact that he was trained by Saturos, and had the instincts of a Proxian elite. That was the one thing Saturos had truly passed on to him, the ability to let go, let his instincts take over in disregard—to lose control.

Felix drew his sword from his left, and threw it into a vertical spin as he swung his right arm. The handle of Felix's short sword countered Ivan's Kikuichimonji as the Wind adept brought it downward. Felix continued the spin of his own sword with fluency, landing its blade in the corner of Ivan's jaw. The blow resonated, dislocating his jaw as he hunched over.

Felix had the instincts of a cold-blooded warrior all right, but still had a pure and true heart. He didn't have time for reason, for Sheba was about to fall. He had no choice but to remove Ivan as a threat, yet at the same time knew he wasn't ready to kill. At least not Ivan.

Felix quickly threw his foreleg to the ground from mid-air, and leaped effortlessly over Ivan. He landed on the boys right shoulder blade, and pushed upward hard, pivoting himself off the boy into a wide forward leap; he was bound in Saturos' direction, though the distance was still remarkably far.

The force from Felix's jump continued to push Ivan forward off balance, in the other direction. It was then that he heard a blood curdling scream and last warnings from Isaac. As he continued to fall, Ivan turned around enough to catch a glimpse of Menardi…

As soon as Felix had launched himself off of the young boy, Menardi had dashed from where she lay, taking advantage of the young man's surprise entry. She had shoved both Isaac and Mia to the floor, lunging beneath the sky-bound Felix, straight towards a crippling Ivan.

She was directly below Felix, yet he took no notice of her. His eyes stayed focused on Saturos. In return, the ruby eyes of the male Proxian stared back with malice. This moment was shared by the two, a moment for them alone. The world around them turned completely black as their death stare for one another intensified.

Saturos knew my responsibilities toward the girl…he knew how I felt…

Felix that fool, I see him for what he is now, a spoiled little boy… how could this girl weaken him so…

How could he…

How could he…

A chill ran down Isaac's spine as Menardi charged in with her scythe. Ivan tried to lift his sword as he continued to stumble, but then felt a sharp pain, an excruciating strain that left him numb. Felix's sword had not run deep, yet it had imbedded a strong enough shock to his neck, disabling him from a fight. That had been Felix's intentions, except that no one had thought that Menardi would finish off what he had started…

The tip of the scythe caught the boy by his left shoulder, and kept him from falling. It had gone deep into his inner chest, and slowly began to kill him. Ivan's eyes grew empty as he rested his face to his left, against Menardi's blood stained blade.

"Nooooo!" Isaac screamed as he began to scramble to his feet once again, leaving Mia on the floor.

"Come and claim it, the one reason you have betrayed us now!" Saturos screamed, lifting the girl higher on his left.

"Felix!"

"Sheba!"

"Nooo!" Sheba screamed as Saturos let her drop. She would have fallen if not for Felix's quick instincts. Before she had slipped from his fingers, Felix summoned a minor quake, throwing Saturos off balance to the right. Sheba fell from his grip, barely grabbing onto the trembling ledge. She struggled to pull herself up but found it hard enough to cling on.

"I don't have time for you child!" the Proxian whispered as he gathered psynergy in his left fist, pointing it at her.

Felix ran towards the edge as well, throwing his sword down onto Saturos' blade. Felix locked swords with his former companion, then ducked low as Saturos shot fire at him instead. Now, gripping his sword with his left, he gave a right hook towards Saturos' side, planting his fist into a sword wound Isaac had previously made. He could feel smooth mythril in his fingertips and instinctively grabbed at it…

"Felix!" Sheba strained in a whisper, as one by one her fingers slipped, finally giving way entirely. Saturos screamed in agony at the cheap pain Felix had inflicted, and soon caught a glimpse of Menardi leaping to his aid.

With his back still turned to the rest of the aerie, Felix sensed an attack, instinctively lifting his sword up, still locked with that of Saturos. There was a loud clang as Menardi's scythe was defended, the knees of the two male adepts trembling from the blow. Now all three blades were locked together.

All three had trained hard together in the Northern badlands.

The two Proxians even grew to like Felix, and trust him as if he were one of their own. Saturos had always believed that Felix was more kind hearted, was a better person. He remembered how he was the most childlike between him and Agatio, a sort of little brother you could always tease. It always seemed like Felix was too compassionate, always sympathetic or distressed about the cold climate of Prox. It had always seemed like he needed Saturos and Agaito as older brothers. However in actual fact, it was more like Saturos needing him as a younger brother.

Menardi was different on the other hand. When Felix was young, he was quite taken with her. He was not as attracted to her as Saturos had been; he was just taken in awe by her beauty. However that was when they had first met, and were still getting to know each other. Now, three years later he had long lost that image of her, for she had grown older, her features maturing more into that of a warrior's rather than of a young women. But that childlike awe was remembered, which was why now as a young man he still felt like he could confine in her.

However all of these memories were long dismissed. So many people had entered the lives of these three… Isaac, Jenna, Alex, Sheba. What ties which once existed, were forgotten, as all three blades remained locked together in strife.

Felix faced both Proxians, back against the edge of the aerie. It had all happened in an instant. Mere seconds had past since Sheba's fall, and no one expected Felix to do the unthinkable. His body was still as he leapt backwards out of the fray. It was truly unthinkable.

Both Proxians ran to the ledge, looking down.

"Felix…" Saturos whispered under his breath, slightly noticing the guilt Menardi had in her eyes.

"Fine. It was his decision," Menardi spoke callously, brushing off the regret that had been shown so clearly in her face. "We have our own problems," she continued, motioning to the group back on the aerie.

"How could Felix of…" words slipped off Isaac's tongue, as he continued to debate as to whether or not that had actually happened. "We'll take them together," he finally declared to Garet at his side. "Starting with Saturos. He hasn't had a chance to heal himself from the previous battle." He glanced over his shoulder as he noticed Garet leave Ivan's side.

"Who fights that way, striking down Ivan then running away?" Garet himself had engaged Menardi after she struck Ivan, but she had been too evasive for him. Both Garet and Isaac went forth, reluctantly glancing one more time at Mia, still on her knees holding the wind adept.

"Do not dare mock the strongest of the Mars clan," Saturos growled.

"Unlike you, the most powerful of our clan understand how strong a bond there is between yourself and the one that stands beside you in battle." Menardi hissed in Saturos' stead, confidence quenching her lips.

"Fire and Earth share a symbiotic relationship… the advantage you thought you had Isaac, no longer exists when you fight us at our strongest! The battle is far from over!"

XXXXX

The short sword slipped from Felix's hand as he shot both arms out in a dive. The wind watered his eyes, making his vision foggy. He soared downward through the sky, cold air suffocating his lungs. Felix screamed out to tell her that he was there, only to have his words muffled by the sharp whistling sound of his fall through the sky.

Sheba had not heard him, but had clearly seen his body get larger and larger as it chased her fall. She screamed to him, not knowing what else to do.

Gust after gust struggled to keep her from falling further, yet could not deny gravity's hold. She couldn't understand how much faster Felix flew off the lighthouse, quickly catching up to her.

Slight relief came over Felix's face, as he was only a few arm lengths away from her. The world behind her as she fell moved faster and faster as they drew closer to their own inevitable impact.

XXXXX

The Venus aerie was swept into a blinding light, and shook terribly, as both Proxians were the epicenters. Both Saturos and Menardi became seduced with the one drive to win, thus sacrificing their bodies for the sake of victory—becoming consumed by the dragon they fused into.

The lighthouse shook violently, the beacons power reaching ecstasy. As the fusion grew, the beacon began to bend and wane, the perfect sphere becoming rippled by their growth. They had been far too close to the beacon when they began the fusion, earth and fire colliding unnaturally.

It was blinding to the adepts that stopped short in their charge. Though they had not seen the results of Saturos' threats, they had clearly heard its echoing cry, as well as feel its warm haze upon their faces and through the many layers they wore upon their chests.

"What is that?" Garet cried as the light vanished leaving the dragon before them.

"I don't know," Isaac replied.

It was overwhelming to look at, its enormous stature towering over both Isaac and Garet. The coat of white throughout its body was dull, with darker patches near its limbs, resembling the white of a young newborn horse. It had a brilliant violet mane upon both of its heads, as well as many rows of teeth. Its wingspan swooped over the two, embracing them as it advanced toward their reach.

Isaac's back was against Garet's as they watched the towering wings carefully.

"What now?" Garet asked in curiosity.

"Get out of there!" Mia screamed as her companions disappeared from sight.

XXXXX

I'm almost there…

Sheba's hand reached out to Felix, fingers trembling from the stretch. She was doing all she could. The rest was left up to him.

Both arms were forward as he ducked his head even lower, increasing the speed of his fall. It was too much for his sight to bear, cold drops of water leaking from the wind in his eyes. They traced the top of his cheek, before leaping off into his long earth brown bangs.

XXXXX

There was an eerie pause atop the lighthouse, which felt like an eternity in Mia's heart. It was heart wrenching for her.

The beacon grew larger, as the lighthouse began to tremble and crack. The fusion had affected the Venus light in undeniable ways. The sphere resonated with golden light, singing like a living heart, growing and expanding with every beat. The earth around the lighthouse began to vibrate; the cry of the sea echoing while the howl of the wind gave signal to darker skies.

The moment soon took a turn for the worse; as the dragon's wings flung back to the dragon's side, fire emptying from its throat.

XXXXX

Her eyes widened to see that she was within Felix's fingertips, warmth beginning to rush over her cheeks. However shock and terror filled her heart, as suddenly an ominous figure appeared behind the Earth adept. It teleported from the empty sky, faster than anything she had ever seen before. It was quick upon him, and as it drew near to the both of them, it became aware, as if it had been dormant for a time. Its presence became spine tingling to the girl, as its psynergy levels rose, eyelid widening, blue rings enveloping its body, enveloping her body.

In an instant Sheba was gone, slipping away before Felix could grab her. She was snatched away, leaving Felix to fall alone, with the cold touch of harsh waves upon his face.

XXXXX

Isaac threw his palm to the floor, summoning a large quake sphere. The surface of the aerie changed its flat composer, forming a wave swaying towards both him and Garet. The psynergy quake brought his friend to his knees, then threw the both of them to the sky, escaping the reaches of the blanketing fire.

They soared to eye level with the dragon, mere flies before a rabid dog.

Gold and ruby flashed brilliantly, as their attacks struck their own respective head targets—Isaac striking to the left, Garet to the right. The dragon cringed from the shock, damage only being cosmetic to the face.

The two Valeans landed on either side before the Fusion Dragon, amazed by its resistance. "This is gonna be a lot harder than before," Garet stated.

Mia took one last look at Ivan, who still lay motionless in her arms. She had wasted most of her psynergy trying to heal him, but it was to no avail. His blood was all over her lightly coloured sleeves, yet her eyes were again locked on the final battle. She released the boy, drawing her mace to her side and charging to join the others. She could do no more for Ivan.

The beast swung its heads to the side, exhaling toxins at Isaac. A thick cloud flew low towards the adept, ready to consume him. He summoned yet another quake, launching his body further to the left, flanking the creature. The Fusion Dragon continued to move its two heads, all eyes following Isaac to his fixed landing position.

Isaac was dumbfounded as he saw himself land into the deadly gas. His attempt in leaping away had failed, as the cloud then died down to waist level. He brought his arms up to cover his face, already choking. His eyes became bloodshot, images blurry.

"Isaac!" Garet charged at the beast, only to be swiped at by its tail. He was thrown ten feet from where he was, as his previous shoulder wound ripped even further. He lifted to his knees, clutching at his pain, in the middle of the aerie

Mia had caught up to Garet, only to see the floor begin to crack beneath him.

"Watch out!" She grabbed at his shoulders with both hands, warning him that the floor was going to give way. The crack grew incredibly, parting the aerie into two.

The Water adept swung her weight into pulling Garet to the right, not being strong enough to pull him away. She tumbled to the safety of hard marble, while Garet tipped over as well. He had not cleared the tear in the floor, and had fallen in half way, struggling to hold on with his good arm.

The Venus lighthouse had finally given into the pressure of the beacon. With the sound of thunder, the lighthouse cracked in two. From top to bottom, it split in half.

Garet was caught in the middle, Mia trying her best to pull him up. Isaac was trapped on the other side alone with the dragon. She watched in horror, as the Fusion Dragon began to take quick swipes at the blinded young man. He swung his sword wildly in defense, only to miss and get struck down.

His sight began to clear, as he realized that his eyes had strayed, locking now on Mia, worry strong in hers. The dragon was too much for him alone. Ivan was dead, and Garet was struggling to hold onto the edge. He found himself whispering quiet words for her to leave. Isaac had lost. He reached into his vest, emptying the mars star from the mythril bag. He rose to his feet, winding his arm back as if to throw. He didn't want to do this to her, but she alone had to continue on. It would break his heart to see her die here.

He shot his arm forward, the grip on the star beginning to loosen with the throw.

Good-bye. I'm sorry my fair princess. I wanted to give you so much more…

Isaac depressingly smiled at this thought, readying himself for death, as he let the star slip from his fingers.

"I never wanted you to see me die like…Ugh!" Isaac's faint whispers were drowned out as the dragon roared, swooping in from behind. Its bite embraced his right arm, as well as the thrown star. A cold chill ran down his back before painful stabs seeped in.

The dragon's right head lifted up, pulling Isaac up in its jaw. He swallowed back a scream, as his body hung there, his limb beginning to rip at the shoulder. Mia screamed out to him, summoning shards of ice that flew at the dragon. They struck with a misty shatter, attracting it to her alone.

Its second head turned to her, shooting toxic gases through the air.

"No!" Garet screamed, half of his body laying on the edge while his lower half still dangled. Red psynergy hit the flammable gas, and a grand explosion threw Mia backwards, consuming Garet in its burn.

Garet had always been a good friend to Isaac. He was the only Valean to follow him in his quest after Jenna, and he was the first to discover Isaac's true feelings toward Mia. Since then he had always tried to look out for her in their journey, a sort of bodyguard, out of loyalty to his friend.

Now, he had surrendered his life to protect a girl Isaac loved. He was a true friend.

The Fusion Dragon flipped its head back, tossing Isaac's body over its shoulder. His limp frame tumbled from the throw, before he finally slammed into one of the aerie statues. The dragon then took flight, skipping to the right side of the lighthouse. It stood before Mia, who stood alone and scared. Steam leaked from its mouth, its cold eyes staring down on her.

Isaac laid there in immense pain. His arm was still there, yet he couldn't feel it. If it hadn't been for his eyes, he would have never realized that his hand was naked, the star no longer in his grip.

A light grew within the dragon, its white collar growing to become a rose red. It had consumed the star, and the heat began to burn at the violet mane. Light shot from both mouths, an echoing shrill accompanying it. Its body turned to light, both heads flailing in chaos.

Mia took advantage of its predicament, and sprang to her feet running towards Isaac. The crack still separated them, so she screamed out to him in desperation. He tried to answer, but his voice was drained.

It was then that the dragon's body became faint, the light turning humid and red. Its outline began to transform into the ever-moving shape of a blaze. It was from this blaze that a new silhouette emitted, its image anew.

The dragon became a cruel black, deeper than that of a midnight's contrast. Its full spine and body was shelled with template scales, each intricately grooved to a ridge. Its under belly was crimson, while its wings were bat-like and black; all parts of which were painted with faint washes of purple.

Its limbs were lizard-like, while all its talons were chipped in a decaying yellow; the hind leg claws existing bigger in comparison. Along the sides of the beast were reptilian fins, most of which were folded, parallel to its horizontal middle. It had a long black, naked, tail; a tail pointed at the end with a bony sickle.

The dragon had two heads, each one locked at the end of their own individual serpent-like necks. The necks had bold crocodile-shaped hides, all smothered in black and crimson. As for the actual heads, they were magnificently identical, each one rigidly sculpted, while their cheekbones poked and stretched at the fleshless skin, producing an ivory fade. More silvery-white fins shot downwards behind each head, rooting from the joint in which the neck bone met the skull. They formed an upside-down, fan-like shape, concealing the under part of each throat

It was truly sinister.

Isaac's name was sung, so gently amidst the roaring winds. It was Mia who called for him, straining the beautiful notes of her voice, as if plucking a harp violently. Not once did she show fear though, as she looked to Isaac, watching him watch her, as the fires took her away from him…

Not once had she screamed in death.

He too awaited death, yet it never found him. The beacon reached out to Isaac, in a ribbon of light that twisted and turned. It took Isaac by the waist, and whipped him back into the golden core of the faint Venus sphere.

Isaac could hear the dragon's roar, as if lulling him to sleep—as if claiming all of Weyard as its own. However the explosion ruled the aerie, and the golden Venus light, along with Isaac himself, vanished…

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the ch. Inspiration for the Fusion Dragon's upgrade came from: Tiamat and Eclipse (both summons from the game), the dragon's from "Escaflowne"(you'll see why in the future), and finally the vampires from "Blade 2"(again, you'll know why in the future). The dragon had to have an upgrade, or this fic would have seemed cheap. Please write me a review!

Peace and good love