Important Note: The parts in italics near the end are direct quotes from the game with slight tweaking done by me. I do not own Golden Sun or any of the characters except for the names Elder Jaysan, Alaena, Erran and Deren.
-Saya1450-

Part III – Tragedy

Alaena pulled the deep hood of her cloak up over her head, veiling her lengths of auburn hair from the gently falling rain upon the plaza. The storm was not as vicious down here as it was near her home at the northern edge of the village. She shivered and hurried through the mud toward the Psynergy stone at the center of the plaza where her grandfather, Elder Jaysan, supervised the use of its healing powers. Her parents and Grandmother wished for her to coax the frail old man out of the rain and into the warmth and security of their home. Alaena knew it was hopeless, her Grandfather was a stubborn man, but she went anyway to please the adults. It was certainly miserable and wet outside though.

Her feet slid precariously across the mud as she neared the stone. Only one adept at a time could renew their Psynergy at the stone, but even with that set precedent only two people were waiting in line for the use of the stone. Most people would have to be crazy to be out in a storm like this, Alaena thought grimly, stepping up beside her grandfather, but the Elder's need help and not many are willing to give it. Deren, the town's young blacksmith who had only six years on Alaena's sixteen, was taking his turn at the Psynergy stone, forehead and thick callused hands from long hours at the forge pressed firmly up against the crystal.

"Grandfather," She spoke quietly, laying a gentle hand on the old man's arm.

The white haired Elder jumped in surprise and turned his gray-blue eyes on his young granddaughter whom he had not yet noticed. "Oh, hello Alaena," The old man murmured absently. It was clear that his mind was elsewhere, "What are you doing out here on this Mars forsaken night? You should be back at the cottage with your Grandmother."

Alaena smiled and shook her head fondly at the old man, "Grandmother and Mother and Father sent me out here to you. They wa –"

She broke off sharply as an unidentified shout rang out from the mist at her back, "Elder Jaysan!" followed by another voice calling, "Grandfather!"

Alaena squinted into the rain, "Oh Mars, its Garet, Grandfather. The stupid lump-head told us to leave him behind for Mars knows what wool-headed reason when we fled the house. It's a wonder Mother and Father let him go, and Erran did not attempt to tag along behind my foolish brother."

"Ah yes, our Garet has always been rash and sometimes even a little foolish," Grandfather smiled slightly, barely even glancing off into the rain," He's not alone though Granddaughter, and my eyes are not what they used to be. Who else is with him?" Alaena nodded again in agreement as a grin spread across her soft features; the old man was not even trying.

She squinted again, straining to make out the three hazy figures dashing toward them through the thick curtain of rain, "Well, I know one is Garet, and the smaller one is most likely Jenna, but I…oh, no, I see him now, it's Isaac—I think it is Isaac at least."

Her grandfather nodded before turning his gaze back up to the sky, "This storm is terrible, not so much down here, but up there…something bad must have happened to send those three young ones down here in such a hurry." Alaena had no time to reply as her brother and his friends came panting up to them, completely soaked with rain, and eyes wild with terror.

Garet's normally healthily flushed cheeks were pale and drained of blood, "Grandfather! Help is needed desperately over by-,"

"My brother fell in the river Elder Jaysan! You must help him! If he isn't pulled out soon he'll die, or drown, or be crushed by a giant log, or be smashed against the sides, or washed away!" Jenna cut in desperately; her normally cheerful face was creased with terror, and her voice filled with hysterics, "Oh you must help him! Father and Mother, and Isaac's parents too, are up there trying to help him, but none of them have any Psynergy left and I don't know what to do!"

"It's all right Jenna," The white haired Elder soothed the terrified girl gently, patting her on the back, "We'll get you some help as soon as possible. Don't you worry."

Deren hopped across the sunken stones creating a scattered pathway across the center of the pond from the Psynergy Crystal and came to stand by the anxious little group. "My Psynergy is fully restored Elder Jaysan," He nodded respectfully toward Alaena's grandfather and then at her, his usually relaxed demeanor a mask of grave seriousness, "I believe I shall return to aid the Elder's on Mt. Aleph if I may."

Elder Jaysan shook his bearded head at the young blacksmith, "No Deren, I have another more urgent use for your restored powers. Accompany these three young ones back to the Falls," He said, gesturing toward Jenna, Isaac and Garet's tight faces, "Felix, it seems, has foolishly managed to fall into the river and must be retrieved immediately."

"Yes, immediately!" Jenna agreed hurriedly, latching tightly on to the startled Deren's hand and towing him as fast as she could manage in the slick mud toward where her brother clung for dear life in the river, "We must hurry and reach my brother in time! We must save him!"

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Jenna was exhausted and trembling by the time she and the three young men had hurried back through the pounding rain to the scene of her brother's possible death. A great wave of uncontrolled relief almost knocked her off her feet when her weary eyes confirmed her brother's placement in the muddy swirling river. At least he was alive—for now.

"Felix!" She shouted over another deafening peal of thunder, racing at the head of the small rescue group to reach the river's edge closer to where here brother was trapped, "Felix, we're coming! Hang on for just a little longer!"

Dora, Isaac's plump kindly mother, met them half way, her expression grim. Jenna shuddered as yet another icy gust of wind seared directly through her thick and somewhat water resistant cloak. As a Mars Adept like Garet she absolutely detested the cold and wet.

"Thank goodness you have returned with help!" Dora exclaimed exhaustion and fear straining her normally pleasant features, "I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever return. Jenna's parents and my Kyle have tried everything to reach Felix but nothing has even come close! You must help him Deren!"

Deren nodded gravely, and began to speak in a reassuring tone to the middle aged woman, "I will ma'm," He promised, "I-."

It was like a dream.

There were panicked shouts and screams and an ear shattering roaring that seemed to cut off every other audible sound. An indescribable terror hung in the air, and time seemed to be suspended in one dreadful prolonged age.

And there was fear.

"Felix!" She screamed.

He was in the river.

And then he was not.

And then there was nothing.

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Isaac was numb. He could not move, could not speak, as he stared dumbly at the splintered remains of what had once been the river deck of Jenna's home and the eddying river and its scarred banks. The sudden and unexpected release of the boulder had knocked them all off their feet and into the mud of the river bank. Deren lay on the ground, covered in mud, moaning. His mother was weeping.

Felix was gone, swept mercilessly away by that Venus cursed boulder. So were Jenna's parents. And his father. There were no tears, but Isaac knew in that one instant that he had to get out of there, away from this terrible place of slaughter.

He dashed off through the rain, heedless of the direction his muddy boots slipping precariously on the flooded earth took him. Spears of freezing cold rain cut under his hood and onto his face numbing his nose instantly. This could not be happening, not to him; his father could not be gone. This all had to be a dream, some kind of terrible nightmare that if he tried hard enough he could wake from. He knew, though, deep in his heart that this was no dream; this was reality at its bluntest.

Exhaustion began to drag down on him; the night had been long, filled with much running too and fro, anxiety and tragedy, and it was finally catching up to him. Isaac panted to a stop, falling onto his knees in the mud. He did not know how long he sat there, shivering in the cold rain, waiting for the tears that would not come, but almost out of nowhere voices, disembodied in the dark, drifted into his hearing. He closed his eyes, attempting to melt into the sheer rock face at his back. He did not want anyone to find him. He wanted to be alone, wallowing in the despair and confusion brought on by his father's sudden…he clenched and unclenched his fingers tightly in the mud.

"Only the two of us have survived…" A man's dark voice wheedled its way into his consciousness from above. Isaac hunched back deeper into the shadows.

"How could we have anticipated Sol Sanctum would unleash such fury?" A second voice, undoubtedly female, replied tersely through the wind and the rain. Isaac's neck began to prickle at the mention of Sol Sanctum, the sacred place of secrets.

"It's a miracle that even the two of us were spared…" The man said his voice sad.

"That switch," The woman continued, "it must have been a trap." Isaac stiffened, his whole body becoming rigid as the gravity of the exchange he was overhearing first penetrated his half conscious mind.

"But to think it could conjure up a storm this powerful!" The first man continued carelessly, and Isaac's heart turned to ice. His fingers trembled slightly as he drew himself up against the slick rock face of the cliff into the full blast of the gale at hand. These were the villains who had caused all this grief and destruction! Not only that but they had deliberately violated the forbidden halls of the sacred Sanctum!

"Yet another demonstration of the awesome powers of Alchemy," The woman continued, her voice flecked with wonder and awe.

"Regardless," The man said, his voice brisk with reminder, "We must not fail the next time we challenge Sol Sanctum." Isaac stiffened at these words. These two lying murdering scoundrels would never see even the outskirts of Vale again if he had his way about it! In fact, he would make sure they never returned to Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum again personally! He knew, however, that his hopes were only the wishful thinking of a word weary young boy. His father could not be—he shook his head violently to clear that thought away.

"Next time," The woman went on, "we shall certainly—"

"Isaac? Isaac! Hey Isaac, wait up!" Garet's voice rang loudly into the cold night. The ominous figures speaking on the cliff top above him broke off sharply as the oblivious red head appeared around the corner. Isaac groaned, realizing his well-meaning friend had just given away his position.

Barely a second passed before the storm-inducing strangers were in front of him, staring at the two boys suspiciously, even as Garet panted up to his friend's side. The man was tall, taller than most Valeans, and he was garbed in a strange gray robe of the likes Isaac had never set eyes on before; it was certainly not Angaran. His hair was a strange smoky blue and his eyes a piercing gray, a definite contrast to the woman's pale colored hair and crimson eyes.

"You were eavesdropping on us just now weren't you?" The man accused, his gray eyes narrowing as he shoved his finger forcefully into Isaac's chest. The yellow haired boy staggered back a few steps until his back was pressed flat up against the rock wall.

"N-no," He stuttered, averting his gaze nervously to the muddy ground while attempting to feign innocence. The two threatening strangers were not convinced.

"Isaac…" Garet began, glancing dubiously between his friend and the strangers, "Isaac…they look scary. Are you sure you should be talking to them?"

Isaac shot his friend a smoldering glare and did not reply. Garet stared at him, hurt and oblivious.

The woman was shaking her head decisively at the boys, "You must forget everything you just heard," She threatened; her eyes were full of warning.

Garet was confused, that much was obvious, but Isaac did not say anything as a stab of fear tugged at his chest.

"Don't worry," The man whispered whispered, "We'll help you forget!"

With that he jumped limberly backwards, grinning crazily at Isaac, "You're going to have to fight for your life boy, and it's not going to be pleasant!"

Isaac drew his sturdy belt knife swiftly and glanced over at his life-time friend, checking to make sure Garet was adequately equipped. The young Mars Adept had, like Isaac, drawn his own belt knife and was glaring up at the two strangers vehemently. The blue haired man grinned smugly at the two battle ready boys, and the malicious expression masking the woman's pale features drove a knife of fear deep into his chest. These are the people who killed my father, he reminded himself harshly, the waking anger shoving back the blanket of fear shrouding his senses, and they deserve to die.

He darted forward fluidly, raising his dagger to slash randomly out at the man. The stranger's amused expression only deepened as he stepped lithely away from Isaac's futile attack, appearing to have used no effort at all.

"You're only embarrassing yourself boy," The blue haired man shook his head and crossed his arms smugly, "Give up and you will be spared a lot of pain."

Isaac growled angrily, the man's haughty sneer only fueling his smoldering rage, "I will never surrender to the likes of you!" He spat, and took another badly aimed stab at the man. The stranger caught his hand easily in mid slash and twisted his arm around, thrusting him to the ground. Isaac grunted and snarled at the haughty stranger.

"I should just end this once and for all," The man sighed, sounding weary, "This is a useless battle young one. You cannot win."

With that the man shoved Isaac back into Garet forcefully with his foot and raised his hands above his head. It took no genius to recognize the crackling flows of Fire wrapping up around the man's arms, forming a glowing dragon of Fire that did not even react to the pouring rain. Isaac found himself shivering, both from fear and cold, and he closed his eyes, waiting for the searing wave of Psynergy that was certain to come.

It did not take long. The man was shouting incomprehensibly, and heat and flame engulfed him, searing, buring, inflicting pain. He could not bare it any longer!

Isaac screamed, one long, piercing scream, and knew no more.