A/N: EDIT: For some reason, this ff.n screwed things up, and started displaying chapter nine instead of eight when you selected this one. Not sure why. Anyway, I re-uploaded this to fix things up, but unfortunately lost all the original authors notes and review replies. Sorry about that. Anyway, hopefully this fixes up that weird problem, and now ALL my chapters are displayed properly the way I intended them to be.

CHAPTER EIGHT

MERCURY LIGHTHOUSE

They walked down the snowy path quickly and found themselves walking between the snow covered houses of Imil. There were few people out on the streets, evidently most people preferred to stay inside their warm houses than outside in the cold air.

"Where are we going to find an Inn for the night?" Isaac asked, a frosty mist coming from his mouth.

"I don't know." Ivan replied. "I've never actually been here before; we'll have to ask around."

"We'll only be able to stay long enough to book a room and leave our packs there, and then we'll have to head straight for the Lighthouse." Isaac told them. They asked a couple of Imilians where the local Inn was and they kindly pointed them in the right direction and commented on how once it was to have travellers in Imil again. Apparently Saturos and Menardi had already been in town. Even now they could've been in Mercury Lighthouse attempting to make their way up.

Isaac found the inn with no problem, in the north west of town, the front doorway swept clean of snow.

Inside, the Innkeeper was eager to take their names and grateful for their presence.

"Ah, it seems good times are upon us!" He told them. "First a party of six foreigners, now another three! Maybe soon, we'll have a thriving business instead of a few customers."

"Well, we'll only be staying for a night or two." Isaac replied. "We intend to see the Lighthouse."

"Ah, well then, you should see Mia, she's our town healer, she could tell you something about it." he replied. "Without her, we'd all be dead, she's a saint! She's in charge of looking after it and healing all the towns' people by herself, ever since her partner left."

"I think we should see this Mia, she might be able to help us with the Lighthouse." Ivan suggested.

"Where is she?" Isaac asked.

"She was here a moment ago, and then she went back to the Sanctum," he said, pointing to a house across the ice covered river, "You should hurry. Leave your packs here; I'll take them to your rooms for you."

"Thank you so much." Isaac replied. He dropped his pack to the ground by the counter, followed by the others, and headed outside, along with Garet and Ivan.

They ran through the snowy streets and across the wooden bridge that spanned the river, and made their way to a small stone building covered in snow. Isaac pushed open the stone door. Hopefully Mia would help them with getting into and through the Lighthouse. It would certainly give them an edge that their villains lacked. Inside was a small square room with an altar at the end. Behind were two young children, a boy and girl, were warming themselves by the fire. They both turned to see them, shivering in the old air that they let in. As Isaac closed the door behind them, the girl asked, "Are you looking for Mia?" Isaac nodded.

"Just over there." The boy pointed over to the far side of the room.

On the far side of the room were two figures standing by a bed, with a sick old man lying in it. The two women kneeling by the bed he guessed to be the man's wife and... Mia.

The town healer Mia was a beautiful young woman only a little less than Isaac's age. She had long blue hair and kind, compassionate aqua eyes. Her dress was snow white with light-blue markings on it that looked both simple but classy, elegant but allowed for free movement.

She was feeding the man a warm liquid that she had just laced herbs into. The man coughed a bit as he swallowed the mixture.

"How do you feel?" she asked sweetly, in a soft, young voice that conveyed concern and at the same time professionalism that only came from years of experience as a healer. The old man tried to put on a brave face, but his continued coughing gave him away. She reached into her bag and brought out a vial of green medicine. She forced him to swallow it, despite his obvious revulsion. As she did this, she suddenly began to glow with Psynergy!

She waved her hand over his forehead, waves of blue healing Psynergy began to flow into him. Abruptly his coughing ceased and he heaved a sigh of relief.

"How do you feel now?" Mia asked, checking the man's temperature with her hand.

"I feel a lot better now, Mia." the old man replied. "Thank you, dear."

"Oh, you are an angel Mia." The old lady added. "Thank you so much." Mia smiled politely.

"Just make sure he stays warm and gets plenty of rest." Mia told her. "You should get plenty of rest to." They said their farewells and as she turned to leave, Mia noticed the Adept trio standing by the door.

"Oh, hello! Who are you?" She asked a little surprised, shock in her blue eyes.

"Uh, hi. I'm Isaac of Vale." he replied, "and these are my partners, Garet," he motioned to the red-haired Fire Adept, who smiled broadly and nodded, "and Ivan, who hails from Kalay." he gestured to the blonde-haired Wind Adept, who smiled and bowed his head politely.

"Well, how may I help you?" she enquired. Isaac was about talk to her about getting help entering the Lighthouse, when all of a sudden they felt rather than saw a Psynergetic flash through the room. The look of the old couple suggested they noticed nothing. Obviously only the three Adepts, and Mia who must have been one, noticed it.

"What was that?" she cried, blue eyes filling with fear. She rushed to the window and looked out to the Lighthouse. "It can't be..." she murmured. "Alex and I are the only ones that can enter the Lighthouse... it must have been... oh no... Alex, what have you done?"

Then she rushed out the door, and headed in the direction of Mercury Lighthouse without a glance towards them.

"Wait!" Isaac called out, but she ignored them. "I guess we've got no choice but to follow her." he sighed, "We're heading that way anyway." They left the house quickly, and followed after the blue-haired healer using her footprints in the snow covered streets to help guide them. They followed her winding through the streets of Imil to the east, always in the direction of the Lighthouse.

Within no time, they'd left town and were heading through the fields of snow towards Mercury Lighthouse. As they ran after her, Isaac's mind thought back to what Mia had said back at that house. She had talked about someone called Alex, the same name as one of Saturos' companions, the blue-haired guy who had teleported into Sol Sanctum. Could they be one and the same? Strange indeed.

"She sure can run through the snow in a dress pretty well!" Garet noted grumpily, huffing.

"She's probably used to it!" Ivan replied. "It snows all year around Imil."

They had a point, Isaac noticed, as they hadn't gained upon her yet, in fact the distance had increased! But they were almost upon the Lighthouse now.

Now that he thought about it, Isaac remembered that people had complained of Mia's companion leaving her, could that be Alex? Was there a connection between them of some sort? They did both have that strange blue hair.

Isaac's thoughts were interrupted as they reached the foot of Mercury Lighthouse. The Lighthouse entry was paved with blue stone and what a appeared to be a dried up fountain stood just a few feet down from the doorway. In front of it was a plaque which read- "When the light shines, the healing waters of Hermes shall flow."

To either side of the entry path of the Lighthouse, two ladders climbed up to ledges on the Lighthouses south-west and south-east faces. Up close, Isaac could see that the Lighthouse was massively thick, several hundred feet at it's base.

And there, in front of the entry door, stood the blue-haired healer, Mia, looking up at the Lighthouse with concern.

"Someone is in here..." Isaac heard her muse to herself. "But only Alex and I are able to enter..."

The three of them rushed up to her, and saw that before the door, stood a large heavy statue of a woman pouring water from a vase. It looked to heavy for even all four of them to move physically.

"This statue is blocking my way!" she complained aloud. "How did it get here?" Obviously, it had been placed there to prevent someone such as her from following them into the Lighthouse, and thus preventing them from lighting the beacon.

"Don't worry; we'll help you get it out of the way!" Isaac told her. She spun around quickly, shocked at seeing them.

"What are you three doing up here?" she asked totally surprised. It was then that Isaac noticed she was holding a long ornate golden staff, with a blue crystal orb mounted on the top end. It was only about half her size in height.

"Well, that's sort of a long story." Ivan started as Isaac strode up towards the statue.

"You see, we're chasing after the people who entered this Lighthouse," Garet told her, "and it's important we stop them."

Before Mia could reply, Isaac started to shift the statue to the side, right palm outstretched, mind focused and his body glowing with Psynergy. He shifted the statue out of the doorway with ease. He was getting better at this, and it became easier as he became stronger. Behind the statue in the doorway, a blue shimmering wall of Psynergetic power blocked the way.

"Did you move that statue?" Mia asked in amazed surprise. Isaac nodded.

"Yes I did." he replied simply.

"I thought so." She replied. "I could see some ghostly force pushing it. The same power that the Mercury Clan uses"

Isaac nodded to himself. Further proof, if any was needed, that Mia was indeed an Adept, and probably a Water Adept, if he had to make an educated guess.

"So, you could see our Psynergy?" Garet asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Psynergy?" She replied, forming the unfamiliar awkwardly. "Is that what you call it?"

She didn't even know its name? Maybe another person born with 'strange powers' she didn't understand. Isaac was surprised.

"We thought you were using Psynergy when you were healing that old man." Ivan replied. He of all of them would know what it was like growing up not understanding the unique powers that Adepts possessed. But Mia shook her head.

"That's a power called Ply." she told them. "It's a power generated through meditation that's been handed down through the Mercury Clan since the beginning."

The Mercury Clan! Isaac thought excitedly. That meant she was a Water Adept! Kraden had said all the Clans of the Lost Age had died out, but there was still some remnant left! Although it seemed that of the once proud, hundreds strong Adepts of the Mercury Clan, all that remained was this Mia, her partner and those 2 kids in Imil Sanctum.

But still, they existed. Then a thought occurred to Isaac.

"So as a Clan member, it's your job to heal the sick of Imil, and protect the Lighthouse from outsiders." he asked her. She nodded at his correct assumption.

"Yes, we are sworn to protect the Lighthouse from intruders. It is said that a great power dwells within the Lighthouse which must not be unleashed."

Isaac knew what she meant. The full power of Mercury Psynergy would be released when the Mercury Star was placed inside the well of power at the top of the Lighthouse. And one of the seals on Alchemy would be lost. She went on. "No-one must enter Mercury Lighthouse. No-one save the Mercury Clan is allowed or even able to enter."

Mia turned to look at the doorway. "I have to go now." she told them, "I have to find whoever entered the Lighthouse."

Then, raising her hand, she used an unrecognizable Psynergy ability, and the shimmering blue wall ceased all it's movement. Then she placed her hand in it, and the entire barrier dissipated after glowing white. Without another word, she ran into the Lighthouse.

"I suppose we're going in to follow her again." Garet muttered.

"We'll have to." Ivan replied, "She's the only one who knows her way around, and can get us to the top."

"Well then, let's go!" Isaac told them, and they ran after the town healer into the Lighthouse. It didn't take long for them to find her. As soon as they entered, they found her standing in the middle of a corridor. On either side of the central pathway were long pools of water, stretching from end to end, and as wide as the pathway. On either side in the water stood three blue crystalline statues of a serene woman pouring a vase of water from her shoulder.

They saw why Mia had stopped. Before her stood a giant monster, a green lizard creature standing like a man head and shoulders above Mia, holding an old sword.

"A monster inside Mercury Lighthouse?" She shrieked, "How could this be?" She clutched her golden staff as though she meant to defend herself with it, and slowly got herself into a battle position.

Isaac's party wasted no time. Ivan immediately unleashed a bolt of lightning from his Shaman's Rod, halting the lizard creature where it stood. Isaac formed a stone spire, launching it from his hand, it slammed into it's belly, piercing it open and spilling its blood causing the monster to step back. To finish it off, Garet launched a wave of searing hot flames, killing the beast.

Mia turned to face them, another look of surprise on her face, whether because they had saved her or because of their powers, Isaac didn't know.

"You saved me!" she exclaimed gratefully.

"It was the least we could do." Isaac replied with a shrug.

"Thank you so much!" she replied, nodding politely, "But I must go!" And with that, she turned heel on them and raced up through the corridor holding up her dress, passed through the door and was gone before Isaac could say anything more.

"Do you think she'll even stop for a minute to hear what we have to say?" Garet complained.

"By the looks of it, no." Ivan replied wryly.

"Strange that, as we both have the same goals, we seem to lack co-ordination." Isaac thought aloud, "Come on, quickly! Let's catch up to her! I'm sure she'll be willing to work with us once she realizes we both want the same thing."

Following after Mia, they all left the water lined corridor through the opposite door, and found themselves in a large square room with a high roof. In the centre of the room was a large, deep pool of water stretching up to the back wall, but leaving wide walkways on the side and front walls. Along the back wall, unreachable by the side-wall walkways, in a large indentation in the wall, was a huge statue of the upper half of a wise, serene woman, with her hands folded, palms facing upward, on the floor in front of her just next to the water pool, and a glowing red orb hanging from her neck. Just in front of her hands, jutting out from the water, was a platform just large enough for four people to stand on.

Just in front of the door stood a plaque, which read- "He who honours the water goddess shall stand in the centre of all, like a swan in a rippling lake."

"What the heck could that mean?" Garet asked no-one in particular. Isaac just shrugged in reply. At the ends of both the side walkways, along the back wall were two doorways, one of which Mia must've entered.

"Which one of those doors did she take?" Ivan asked. Isaac decided to hazard a guess.

"Let's take the right. It's as good as taking the left." They all agreed on this and entered the door.

In the next room, they discovered that both doors entered there anyway. It was a wide room, on each side were wide pools of water, on the far side of which were pathways like this one, which led to more doorways. They went through this and arrived at what Isaac guessed was the central room of the lowest floor of Mercury Lighthouse.

It was a huge room stretching out in every direction. Almost every part was part of a massive pool of water, with platforms of blue stone jutting just above the surface scattered throughout. They stood on one just by the door now.

Isaac realized that these platforms formed pathways of a sort across the water to other doorways in the walls. The 'pathways' were laid out so that only certain doors could be reached without resorting to swimming, which it was by far too cold for.

They only pathway they could access, however, led to a central support pillar in the middle of the room. Inside this incredibly wide pillar was a staircase spiralling up to the upper floors of Mercury Lighthouse.

Without a second thought, Isaac leaped across the platforms to the staircase pillar, and Ivan followed close behind. Garet, like at the river outside Goma Cave, was reluctant to leap across.

"Come on, Garet!" Ivan called out. "It's only water!"

"We need to hurry!" Isaac added. He didn't want to risk losing Jenna and failing to stop Saturos and Menardi because his friend was afraid of water.

Garet took a deep breath, muttered "I'll kill that Wise One for putting us on this quest!" and then began to leap across to them.

"See, that wasn't so hard!" Ivan teased him.

"Yeah, whatever." Garet muttered in reply. Isaac led them up the spiralling staircase. On the next level, they were forced to double back and follow the corridor as it made it's way through the Lighthouse.

And there they found Mia, standing there forlornly as if she had another problem troubling her. In front of her, again blocking her way was another statue, intentionally shifted to block the way.

"Who could've done this?" she complained to herself, trying in vain to push it away physically.

"Looks like you need a hand there!" Garet called out. Mia turned to see them, at first surprised, but then smiled.

"I should have known you guys would come to save me again!"

"It's only the gentlemanly thing to do," Isaac smiled, mocking a bow, "Now, about that statue…"

"Allow me!" Garet interrupted, "I'm good at this sort of thing!" Glowing with Psynergy, Garet moved the statue out of the way.

"And you've saved me again, haven't you?" she asked with a smile.

"I guess we have." Isaac replied. She looked to the statue.

"I wonder if Alex would have…" She murmured softly, "but no, Alex wouldn't do such a thing. But then… what if he isn't alone?" Isaac wondered if he should get his catch beads ready, in case she tried to run off again.

"Wait, don't go just yet!" Ivan interjected, "We need to talk!"

"Alex isn't alone." Garet told her, "We're tracking him and his friends up here to stop them from unleashing a great power!"

"And we need your help to get through here to stop them." Isaac added. She seemed to look thoughtful for a moment.

"It is my duty to protect the Lighthouse." she murmured. "I'm sure there are more places further up I can't pass without you. I need you're help." She turned to Isaac. "I sense there's something special about you; I feel I can trust you. Let's go!"

"Alright, join the party!" Garet smiled broadly.

"Come on, let's hurry." Isaac called out to them, "Saturos and Alex can't be that far ahead of us."

"Right, Isaac, let's go!" Ivan replied.

"Alex and Sa- who?" Mia asked a little puzzled.

"We'll explain on the way." Garet told her. As they went up through the Lighthouse, Isaac quickly gave Mia a brief overview on what Saturos' group were planning on doing, and why they were trying to stop them. Essentially, he explained, Saturos and Menardi, as well as their cohorts Alex and Felix had kidnapped their friends Jenna and Kraden. Now they were trying to break into the Elemental Lighthouses to unleash their power on the world, obviously so they could wield the full might of Alchemy for themselves, which entitled them to eternal life and unlimited power.

"So we need to stop them as soon as possible." Ivan finished for him.

"We need to get to the top of the Lighthouse before they do, so we can stop them!" Garet added. Mia nodded.

"I know my way around Mercury. Follow me." And she led them through the passages up trough the Lighthouse.

"You know, it's good that you have us with you." Garet told Mia, as hey hurried towards the doorway at the end, "you may be the Guardian of the Lighthouse, but you couldn't defend it against the people who are breaking into it now." She flashed a wry smile, blue aqua eyes twinkling with amusement.

"You underestimate my powers, Garet." she told him, "I'm more than just a simple healer you know, I can look after myself." Passing through the door, they found themselves in a large, wide open, blue room. Along the far wall were several waterfalls, streaming from a hole in the roof, down through into some metal grating along the floor, allowing the water through. There was no other doorway, save the one that they had entered.

"Is the doorway hidden behind one of these waterfalls?" Ivan asked speculatively, second-guessing what Isaac had already thought silently to himself. Mia nodded.

"Oh, great!" Garet quickly complained, "We're going to have to get wet!" Mia gave him a peculiar look.

"It's only water, it's no big deal! If it makes you happy, I'll use my powers so that you don't even get wet!" Garet breathed a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I don't know why someone would be so afraid of water!"

"It's because of his element." Isaac explained, "His element is- Mia, look out!"

Suddenly, some weird, dangerous looking blue blobs oozed their way out of the metal grating on the floor, and quickly moved to attack them. They slowly took shape, and formed themselves into blue, watery, slimy snake-like creatures with beady blue eyes and pointed horns atop their head. There were four of them.

Ivan, with the fastest reaction speed, blasted them back with a gust of wind before they could attack them. Their presence seemed to resonate Psynergy. More monsters inside the Lighthouse, but what on Weyard were the ooze things?

Mia raised her hand, palm outward, and to Isaac's surprise, water formed out of nothing, blasting out as though by a powerful pump, sending one crashing into the back of the wall.

Isaac quickly drew his sword, and noticed out of the corner of his eye, Ivan do the same and Garet get his double-edged battle axe out. Garet hurled a fireball at one of them, scoring a direct hit, but it had little effect on it, probably because their bodies were made of water.

Ivan, not to confident with his sword handling skills, gripped his Shaman's Rod with his other hand, and unleashed a bolt of lightning at another, seemingly killing it, as it's body melted back into water.

Isaac blasted the Ooze nearest to him with a heavy stone spire, and then swung at it with his sword, severing it in two and killing it. The Ooze that Garet had attempted to fry now launched itself at Mia, horn pointed forward to pierce her young body.

But Mia was ready, holding her golden staff ready, she channelled Psynergy into it, causing the clear spherical orb at the end to glow blue. She swung with all her might, sending the Ooze flying back with a terrific blast of white-blue Psynergy, transforming the Ooze's watery body into ice before it shattered on impact with the wall. The left one last one by the wall, that Mia had blasted back moments before. This time Garet lashed out more flames at it from his hands than before, then attempted to destroy it with his red hot axe. Within seconds, he had decimated the Ooze.

"Are you Adepts of the other elements?" Mia asked now that the battle was over. Isaac nodded.

"Yes, in fact, I don't think we've even properly introduced ourselves. I'm Isaac, Venus Adept of the Earth element. That big guy with the axe is Garet, Mars Adept of the Fire element. And this short kid with the rod is Ivan, Jupiter Adept of the Wind element."
Mia nodded. "Well, you obviously already know who I am. I am Mia, healer of Imil, last of the Mercury Clan and Adept of the Water Element."

"Well, now that the introductions are done," Garet stated, "Can we find a way up?"

"He's right," Ivan added, "We can't waste anymore time."

"Right," Mia replied, "Follow me." She immediately ran up to a waterfall without even investigating the others, stood on the metal grating and raised her staff, her body glowing with Psynergy. Obeying the light of her staffs glowing orb, the curtain of water parted to show behind it a passage deeper into the lighthouse's interior.

"Hurry." she told them. Sheathing their weapons, they followed her across the grating. As he walked across it, Isaac looked down and noticed that the falling water drifted down beyond Isaac's eyesight into the blackness below, the sound of its splashing echoing up the chasm. It was a long way down. Isaac focused his eyes ahead of him and didn't look down again. After they has all passed through, Mia let the curtain of water fall back down, and continued to lead them up through the passages of Mercury Lighthouse.

"I don't know how there could possibly be monsters in this Lighthouse!" she complained aloud, "It's not right, it makes no sense."

"We don't really understand either." Isaac admitted.

"I think we should still be careful and on our guard the whole way through, though." Ivan added. "We should try to be a bit quieter, maybe." Isaac immediately saw the sense in that. The less noise they made, the less monsters they would have to deal with, and thus the better condition they would be in to confront Saturos and Menardi.

"That's a good idea, Ivan. Everyone, keep quiet. Mia, lead the way, if you please."

"Of course." she replied. "I know the quickest way. If we follow this way, it'll take us to a place where I can use my power to make a shortcut through the Lighthouse, allowing us to find the aerie quicker. I'll show you." She led them quickly, but quietly through the blue stone corridors of Mercury Lighthouse. Several times they ran into lone blue-scaled lizard-men, or blobs of watery, slimy ooze creatures, but always they were able to defeat them with ease. There were more rooms with hidden passages behind waterfalls, and rooms that required various puzzles to be solved, but Mia always knew the way through. Isaac noticed that the monsters were always Water Psynergy based, possibly because of the Lighthouses power. But soon, under the cerulean-haired healer's navigation, they found their way to a square room with a single hole in the middle of the room. Mia motioned towards it.

"We have to go down there." she told them.

"Down there?" Garet asked cocking an eyebrow. Mia nodded.

"Down there."

"What's down there?" Ivan asked quizzically.

"I'll show you." And she jumped down the hole, leaving the three male Adepts staring after her.

"We'd better follow her if we're to find out where she's headed." Isaac told them, and then jumped down after her. He flew down fast, his yellow scarf trailing behind him. After only a couple of seconds, he landed heavily on a hard surface. It was a square yellowed stone surrounded by a large pool of water. He noticed that Mia was already standing on a nearby platform by a huge statue. Looking around, Isaac realized that this was the first room that they had found in the Lighthouse, with the plaque that stated "He who honours the goddess shall stand at the centre of all, like a swan in a rippling lake."

What were they doing all the way back here? How was this a shortcut?

"Coming down!" Garet called, and Isaac got out of the way just in time to avoid having the large, heavy-set Mars Adept from landing on him. Ignoring his friends rash actions, Isaac leaped to the platform where Mia was standing, staring at the large statue, large ruby set in it's forehead.

"Come on Ivan, I'll catch you!" he heard Garet call out to their remaining member.

"It seems like kind of a waste of time to go all the way around here." he told her, "If this is the shortcut you were referring to, why not just swim across? Sure, it's cold and wet, but time-wise…"

"No." she interrupted, "The powers of the Lighthouse will not allow it. The water… prevents such things. You would not understand." Isaac heard a loud thump and a surprised grunt, and turned to see Ivan atop a shocked Garet.

"I thought you said you'd catch me!" exclaimed a shocked and resentful Ivan.

"Well, it's not my fault I was a little slow!" Garet muttered in reply ruefully.

Isaac ignored them, and turned back to Mia.

"So, what do we do here to make this shortcut?" he asked her. She eyed the large statue of the calm faced woman.

"We honour the Goddess." She replied simply.

"And how do we do that?" he asked, as Ivan and Garet hopped onto the open hands to join them.

"Let me show you." Her body began to fill with Psynergy as she raised her hand towards the amulet in the chest, she cast her Ply ability into it. It began to glow a bright red, emanating waves of Psynergy which passed through the Lighthouse, reacting with its power.

"What did that do?" Garet questioned, looking about the room.

"It opened up the water pathways." Mia explained as she stepped onto the now golden glowing platform sticking up out of the water. As she stood, to Isaac's shock, blue-watery Psynergy seemed to flow up out of it through Mia's body. Without giving any sign this was anything out of the ordinary, she stepped lithely onto the rippling waters surface and stood on it! The water was holding her up, that platform gave her the power to walk on water!

Isaac couldn't believe it. With two more quick steps, she reached the pathway on the other side of the pool. With each step, the power in her body dissipated somewhat, and when she reached the pathway, it had disappeared completely. Turning to face them, she beckoned for them to follow.

"Step quickly, the Lighthouses power will only allow you to take three steps. After that you will sink, if you do, Mercury will not permit you to remain in the water."

"This is just plain weird!" Garet muttered.

"Well, let's just give it a try." Ivan shrugged. Isaac stepped onto the platform without a word, and immediately felt power flow up through into him. Tentatively, unsure of how well it would work, he stepped onto the waters surface. It held up his weight, as though it were some sort of flexible solid, refusing to give under him. He could feel power leaving him, entering the water to support his weight.

'Only allow you to take three steps…'

Holding his breath, he leaped the last two steps to stand next to Mia. Ivan volunteered to go next, noting Garet's anxiety. He strode across the water apprehensively, being careful no to get his robes wet.

That left Garet to cross. He managed to get to the glowing platform, filling himself with its power, easily enough. But he seemed reluctant to walk the water. Before anyone could say anything to encourage him though, his bulky frame leapt across the water quickly in three broad strides.

"There, I did it!" he breathed, as if to reassure himself.

"Quickly, we must hurry; they could be someway ahead of us still." Mia warned them. Not wasting any time, they followed her through the familiar passages. They again reached the large room, where they had ascended, with the many doorways, and pathways over water that were inaccessible.

But not anymore. Mia showed them to another power platform that they could use to reach another over the water, and subsequently others. Suddenly, to Isaac's eyes, many new pathways through the Lighthouse had now opened up. Using the platform to fill her with Mercury's power, Mia hopped across the water to another platform in the water. Isaac followed likewise, using Mercury's power to walk water to where Mia stood. Garet and Ivan immediately followed, this time without Garet's added grumbling.

When they were all there, Mia continued to lead them deeper into the heart of the Lighthouse. After more "water hopping" through the large room, Mia led them into one of the doorways, up a flight of stairs and through more of Mercury's corridors. Several times, the came across Psynergy creatures, which they were always quick to dispatch. Water blue Ooze creatures, blue-skinned Lizard Men. All creatures warped by accidental infusions with Psynergy Stones blasted from Mount Aleph's eruption. And always wielding Water Psynergy. Somehow the power of Mercury Lighthouse ensured that they would be water-based Psynergy creatures. But Isaac could find no explanation for it.

But they were easily drawn off all the same. However, their job was made somewhat easier for them- often they found burned and charred body's of various creatures the Saturos' party had killed, so they didn't have to face as many as they'd feared.

Mia showed them the quickest way to the top. Through multitudes of corridors, up many stairways, up and up the many floors of the Lighthouse. Slowly the made their way to the top of the Lighthouse, to the aerie to intercept Saturos' crew.

They crossed so many power platform linked pathways, that they soon lost all appeal and wonder in Isaac's eyes, and even Garet stopped caring to complain. Often they found sealed doors that could only be opened by Mia's power. More times than he cared to count, there were hidden passageways, "shortcuts" as they were, behind waterfalls that only Mia could find. And always she would show them the way by placing her golden staff, blue crystal orb first, into the falling water and, channelling her Psynergy, split the water current so they could walk through perfectly dry.

Isaac soon lost track of where they were going, or how far they'd been. All he knew was that they would attempt to retrieve the Elemental Stars, rescue Jenna and Kraden and end this whole mess. But how, exactly? What would they DO when the met them? Surely they wouldn't just surrender the Stars without a fight. And rescuing Jenna would not be easy. True, he could just give them the Mars Star, but that would not help at all. It would be handing them the one remaining thing they lacked to assure their diabolical plans. They could not allow that. The Elders of Vale, and even the Wise One himself had tasked them with the retrieval of the Stars and the defence of the Mars Star.

But Isaac knew in his heart that he would even do that to get Jenna back. He had to be strong. They would have to fight Saturos and his crew somehow. But Saturos and Menardi were very powerful, the two most powerful of the group evidently. Alex, he was unsure of his strength, Mia hadn't said anything about him yet, assuming that this Alex was really the one she knew. And Felix… how strong was he, now? He had changed so much from the kid that Isaac had known. Felix had been such a good, honest kid. Why had he changed? And how were they going to defeat them? Of what element were they? Alex may have been a Water Adept. But what of the others? Isaac didn't know. Too many questions, too few answers.

Isaac and Garet's strength had increased since leaving Vale. And Ivan and Mia both seemed to be about equal strength with them. But was it enough? But still, they had Adepts of each of the four elements, surely they would have some advantage? They would find a way somehow. They had to.

They entered one more large square room, hardly any different form any other. But there was a large group of monsters standing around. Half a dozen blue, slimey Oozes, three large blue scaled Lizard-like men. They blocked the only other door within the room.

"How did so many of these things get in the Lighthouse?" Mia shrieked out loud in frustration at seeing more of the things. They had already fought so many of these things; surely they had slain most of them by now?

"Hopefully these are the last within here." Isaac muttered as he gripped his sword.

"What do we have to fear from these things?" Garet exclaimed confidently, "We've taken care of so many before."

"And we've used a lot of Psynergy doing that." Ivan reminded him, "We should be careful."

They didn't have a chance to say anything else, as the creatures came at them at that moment. Two Oozes squirmed towards each Adept, and the three Lizard-men started to surround slowly, hissing and growling challenges to the four youths. Isaac immediately flung away the two Oozes with his Psynergy, and lunged for the Lizard creature with his sword. Behind him, he heard the others joining the battle, the sound of Garet's flames, Ivan's lightning bolts, Mia's ice missiles. But the lizard was agile, cautious. Repeatedly it dodged his swings, and lunged at him when he let down his guard, but he was always able to defend himself. He decided to try using a Psynergy attack.

Before he could think of one though, one of the Ooze creatures wrapped itself around his leg, constricting his movements. The Lizard-man then lunged at Isaac. Not wasting a moment, he raised his blade, and the Lizard-Man impaled itself upon the weapon. Blasting the Ooze of his leg with Psynergy, Isaac swung his sword, severing in two the other one as it tried to lunge at him with its horn. Then he stabbed the other one at his foot before it had a chance to get up. Turning around he saw the others just finishing their battles with the other creatures. It was already over. But they were all beginning to run low on their Psynergy supplies. They had used a great deal slaying monsters and opening their way through the Lighthouse. Isaac hoped that they still had enough to face off against Saturos and his crew. It would have to be.

"I hope that's the last of these horrible creatures that are in here." Mia exclaimed.

"It should hopefully be," Ivan replied. "There can't be an unlimited amount of them."

"We've been climbing this Lighthouse for ages!" Garet moaned, "How much further to the top?"

"We're very nearly on the top floor." Mia replied coolly, "Just a bit more through this way and we're there."

"Good, I was getting worried we'd never get there!" Isaac said. Mia immediately made for the door, channelling her Psynergy into it before she even got there, so that the door would open to admit one of the Mercury Clan. They shuffled through the corridor beyond silently, the blue stone door shutting behind them, sealing out all others. It didn't take long to find the end of the hallway, blocked of by a falling sheet of water. Mia parted the clear liquid with her Psynergy and they entered a solitary room.

Apart from the waterfall doorway, and the steel grating it passed through, the only other feature of the blue stone room was a statue standing opposite them. It was like many of the other statues they had seen, a care-free woman in mid-motion pouring a jug of water, from over her shoulder. Upon the base, there was inscribed

"He who honours the Goddess of Rainbows shall be guided to the heavens upon wings of fluid grace."

As Isaac looked around, he became aware that a shimmering rainbow stretched from the head of the statue to the waterfall, so faint that Isaac could hardly see it. Noticing where his gaze was directed, Mia asked him, "Do you see the rainbow?"

"Yes, it's very faint though." He replied.

"I can see it to," Ivan added, "But it seems fairly distinct to me."

"What rainbow?" Garet asked incredulously, "I don't see any rainbow! How do you get a rainbow inside here?"

"It's formed by the same power that you name Psynergy." Mia told them, "Although only wielders of this power can see it. And from you reactions, it also depends on your clan element." She motioned to Isaac, "Venus can only barely discern it, while Jupiter sees it well." She pointed to Ivan and then to Garet, "While Mars, the opposite of Mercury, cannot see it at all. I myself can probably see it more clearly than all of you."

"Well, that makes sense." Isaac replied, "Wind is supposed to be symbiotic with Water, while Earth is indifferent to the power."

"This, I assume, is another way of making sure that only those of the Mercury Clan can reach the top of the Lighthouse."

"Yes," replied Mia, "You are of the three other elements. Are you… from the other Clans?" Isaac shook his head.

"No, we thought all the Clans had died out. We were surprised to find that the Mercury Clan still lived on in you." She sighed.

"I had hoped that maybe with your powers, you might be from them to help. We believed the same extinctions of the others, we didn't know, had no contact with those of the outside world. Well then, where are you-"

"Let's stop wasting time!" Garet exclaimed, "We need to stop Saturos from lighting the beacon. If he does that while we stand around and talk… well let's just get to that aerie before he does so we can defend it!" For once, there was common sense in Garet's impatience.

"He's right, Mia, would you open the way?" Isaac asked. Mia nodded.

"Of course, this will take us straight there." Standing before the statue, she projected her Psynergy into it. It reacted and sent a beam of blue power along the rainbow into the waterfall. Abruptly, to Isaac's surprise, the water stopped falling, and then started travelling up!

"This will take us straight to the aerie. Let's go." Mia said, then she stepped into the raising water current that had been the waterfall, and it sucked her in, carried her up and she vanished.

"We have to do THAT?" Garet exclaimed incredulously.

"Looks like it." Ivan replied, "Let's go." And he stepped in and like Mia, was carried up through the water's original source in the roof and vanished.

"Go on Garet." Isaac told his friend, "Don't be a coward."

"Coward?" Garet spat as though insulted, even though he knew Isaac was joking, "I'll show you who's a coward!" Then he jumped in, and was immediately carried up like the others. Not wasting a second, Isaac jumped in after him, and immediately felt the water wrap itself around him, and carry him up as though he weighed nothing.

"On wings of fluid grace."

Holding his breath, he suddenly became aware that he couldn't sense anything.

Isaac opened his eyes groggily, as he became aware of the wind in his face. The wind? He found they were outside, under a misty sky, all around he could see mist. They were atop the Lighthouse!

All four Adepts quickly stood up and gazed around. Not quite the very top, there was another level to their right which stood up a bit higher. Isaac could see an enormous flow of Psynergy form there.

There, at the very top centre of the Lighthouse, was a massive, pulsing orb of powerful blue light, radiating Psynergy.

"It's too late!" Garet exclaimed with shock. "The Lighthouse has already been lit!"