A/N: Okay, it's done. Hope it wasn't too long a wait for y'all. Anyway, I won't waste your time; let's get into it, shall we?

Disclaimer: This document is a work of fiction.

Therefore, all events included within are true.

And by true, I mean false.

They're lies.

All lies.

But they're the good kind of lies.

And in the end, isn't that the real truth?

The answer… is no.

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

FUSION DRAGON

Venus beacon had been lit. The power of the Venus Elemental Star released and focused by the Earth Psynergy of Venus Lighthouse radiated out. The second of the four seals of on Alchemy was broken.

"No…" Isaac breathed. Even after the four of them had beaten the odds to defeat Saturos and Menardi, they still failed to prevent the lighting of the beacon! And he could have stopped it, too, if only he been just a little bit faster. Why did I have to be so cursed slow!

For a long moment, nothing happened as the star fell down the pit. Then, Isaac felt it, a great welling up of earthen power, solid and strong, like the spirit of a mighty mountain rising up out from the ground. The shadows inside the pit began to lighten, and then turn a light green as a solid shaft of pure Venus Psynergetic light shot up out of it and up, rising into the new twilight sky, covering the aerie in a green aura. Isaac could feel the enormity of that power, it would overwhelm even the most powerful Earth Adept, destroy them at a touch. And it was just the beginning. Deep down, inside the Lighthouse, Isaac could feel energy being drawn from the land below to charge up and form the beacon, a recharge to his Psynergy, his stamina and physical body. He felt the level of his Psynergy slowly replenish, his aches and fatigues slowly fade away. Now, he felt, he had some idea of how Mia must've felt atop Mercury Lighthouse. Both the enormous power and the inner despair at seeing it lit. No wonder people had once fought wars over control of Alchemy, so much power right at his fingertips there, and to think, this was just a part of a whole, a quarter, but one of the four Elements power source. Just imagine if someone were to actually control Alchemy, seize the Stone of Sages, and wield the power of the Golden Sun…

To even hold a portion of that power would make one far more powerful than any other fighter…

He was brought back to reality by seeing Saturos and Menardi stirring slowly, drawing themselves together and standing up once more. They didn't seem all that badly injured anymore, by the way they were moving. In fact, they moved fine, without a struggle. And they held themselves with confidence, as though they weren't even beaten. Which is exactly what they said…

To make matters worse, they no longer felt weakened, exhausted. The strength of their Psynergy was slowly returning, their power level slowly increasing. But how could that be? They were beaten! Completely defeated! It couldn't have anything to do with the lighting of the beacon; that was the power of Venus, Saturos and Menardi were both Mars Adepts, wielders of Fire, not Earth.

"They're up again!" Ivan gasped. "Everyone, Saturos and Menardi are up again!"

"But that's impossible!" Mia exclaimed. "No one could possibly stand up after injuries like those, not without serious healing!" How had they managed that? They should be dead!

"Don't you see?" Saturos asked, smiling weakly but gaining strength. "The beacon's power rejuvenates us!"

"That's impossible!" Ivan retorted. "You're both Mars Adepts! How can Venus Psynergy help you?"

Isaac had to agree. The four Elements were all separate, it didn't make sense. They might interact with one another differently, but one would not help another element the same as it would itself; Earth would help Earth, but crumble under Wind, but Fire?

"Don't you foolish kids know anything?" Menardi sneered, standing tall once more. The wound in her chest was gone, now. But how could that be? No one had used any healing Psynergy on them. "Mars and Venus are symbiotic elements, so the light of Venus heals us Fire Adepts, just like you, Earth Adept!"

"No, it can't be!" Isaac denied. The power from the still forming beacon – why was it taking so long? – was flowing into him, easing his hurts and slowly restoring his Psynergy.

"No, they're right, Isaac!" Garet exclaimed. "I can feel it. The power of the beacon is restoring my powers as well! It's true, I can't believe it!"

Isaac looked to Saturos and Menardi in shock, speechless. They were both standing now as though they'd never been injured, bodies glowing light blue with Psynergy. Isaac could sense that most of their power had already been returned.

Venus Beacon can do that! I'm beginning to wish I'd paid more attention to Kraden's lessons back in Vale…

So that was it, they'd failed to defeat those two and stop the beacon from being lit. It was so unfair, their previous victory now counted for absolutely nothing, a complete and utter waste.

Garet's face set determinedly and he held out his axe before him steadily, fire in his eyes. "Then we'll just fight you again! And we'll defeat you again! We'll beat you as many times as we have to! This is it; this is the end for you!"

Isaac stepped up beside his friend, sword held ready, unwavering. He felt strong, hard as stone. They could do this; these two weren't so powerful anymore! "The two of you just aren't enough to beat us, face it. All four of us, all four elements, can't be beaten, as powerful as we are now. Just give up."

Ivan and Mia joined them, rapier and ankh in hand, still fairly full of their respective Psynergies.

"Whoever said anything about fighting you as we are now?" Menardi challenged, taking Saturos's bloody hand in her own. Her Psynergy level had now returned to normal, a bit over his or Garet's limits.

"We're going to fight with our full, fiery power unleashed!" Saturos declared in triumph. His Psynergy was full now, also; slightly higher than Menardi's level.

"If it's anything like you last effort," Garet scoffed, "then I don't think we've got anything to worry about."

Felix, however, seemed aghast. "No, Saturos… you don't mean… you're going to…"

"Yes, Felix, we are," Saturos growled. Felix stood there as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing. What did that mean? What were they about to do that had him so worried? Sheba's head turned back and forth between Felix and Saturos.

"Felix," she asked, "what's going on? What's he about to do?" Felix opened his mouth as though to explain, but Saturos cut him off.

"Go now, Felix," he ordered. "Remember what I gave you, what I said. It's in your hands now." What did all that mean, Isaac wondered. What did he give him, what did he say, what was in his hands? Saturos and Menardi were still absorbing Psynergy. Their level now was above even their previous limits. How were they getting so much more, now? And unaided? It didn't seem possible.

And their hands… their Psynergy, it feels as though it's somehow linked now.

"But, Saturos, I…"

"Go, Felix, now!" Saturos shouted. "And take Sheba with you; that's an order! We may not be able to protect her after this." Felix gripped Sheba's hand tightly in his own, but hesitated.

"Go, Felix!" Menardi shouted. "We can't protect Sheba as well, you know!" The sky darkened as the sun vanished black clouds above cast green by the light of the shaft of energy bursting from the top of the Lighthouse. A flash of orangey-gold lightning flashed to one side, a loud peal of thunder rolled over them. Its part of the beacon lighting process, he thought, though he wasn't sure how he knew that. And the shaking continued. But why is it all happening so slowly? Mercury Lighthouse wasn't like this!

"But, Menardi…"

"But nothing! GO!" her shouts now sounded vicious. "Or are you reluctant to leave your friends behind? Are you afraid to see poor Isaac and Garet here be killed?"

Felix's face hardened. "No, of course not. My past is dead now."

"But maybe you would be sad to see your childhood friends perish," Saturos suggested in a venom-laced voice. "Your sentimentality gets to you, Felix."

The Earth Adept appeared shocked and hurt. "Is that what you really think of me?" he snarled. "That I would put my own friends and feelings above my duty, is that it?"

"We wouldn't put it past you, Felix," Menardi replied.

"After all," Saturos added. "Just look at what happened with you and Sheba." His eyes seemed teary as he took in those words.

"Fine, then. I'm going. Come on, Sheba." He took the Wind Adept by the hand down the stairs once more, and disappeared for good.

"No, wait!" Isaac called out, but it was too late. They were gone. Now the fiery pair of Saturos and Menardi stood before them, fully healed and full of Psynergy. It can't be! They're both full of twice as much Psynergy as they could wield before! Both of them! Where on Weyard are they getting all this power from?

Several blasts of orangey lightning erupted around the aerie, thunder nearly deafening them. The shaft of light emanating from the aerie to the clouds above was thicker now, brighter. And still the beacon was forming, not yet complete. Why was it taking so long?

"It's over for you, now," Saturos growled from deep within his throat.

"Prepare to experience the most powerful technique ever developed by the Fire Clan of the north!" Menardi shouted.

Fire Clan of the north? Isaac wondered. Is that the old Mars Clan of the Lost Age?

Their Psynergies were now fully linked, Isaac cold only sense one source of power, one fiery Psynergy level of what felt like one Adept who was four times as strong as both Saturos and Menardi combined, impossible as that seemed.

In unison, they shouted, "FUSION DRAGON!"

They were overflowing with Psynergy, so much so that it almost seemed an unsafe amount. Isaac then noticed that their clasped together hands were melding, they were now fusing together. They stepped towards each other and into one another. Two became one, Saturos and Menardi fused together, and their bodies were enveloped in an overawing white light.

One body, one light, one source of Psynergy. What was this? The size of light expanded, growing and growing until Isaac and the other Adepts were forced to fall back several feet. From that great white, Psynergetic glow, two large feet stepped out, glowing with the same light. Two more glowing legs fell heavily to the floor in front of the previous pair.

A long, thick tail whipped out from behind, the singular massive body as it expanded with sheer power. At the front of the body, two long forms stretched out, a pair of fiery glowing orbs at the end of each. Two long necks, two massive heads, one for Saturos and Menardi each.

The intense light faded and vanished to reveal a twenty-foot tall, two headed beast with green, leathery skin and hard scales. Twin pairs of red eyes regarded them from atop two vicious dragon snouts.

The Fusion Dragon. Who could have imagined that these two possessed such power? For a moment, the four of them were too shocked to react; none made any move to attack.

"What is that thing?" Garet gasped. Two heads reared, jaws widening to reveal rows of razor sharp teeth. "Look out everyone, it's about to attack!" he shouted, before running to one side as the other three scattered about randomly. They couldn't attack all four of them if they spread out. As he ran away from the two headed monster, he heard a mighty roar as a wave of heat blasted his back. For a moment, the Earth Adept almost thought he'd been hit, but then, realizing that he hadn't been hit, turned to see bright yellow flames spewing from twin dragon mouths. So intense was the heat from that the very stone beneath them – right where they'd been standing seconds earlier – was melted and warped out of shape.

As the fires subsided, the two heads twisted in different directions, dragon eyes searching out their prey. It looked, and felt Psynergetically as though it had exerted only a minor effort. How were they meant to fight an awesome power like that!

Isaac sheathed his sword across his back. He wouldn't need it, their was no way a simple weapon like that would be effective again this Fusion Dragon, he'd be lucky if he even got close enough to actually use it without being fried to a crisp, never mind how much damage it would actually do to that thick, dragon scaled skin.

Long range Psynergy attacks would be their best option against this enemy, he deduced.

"Attack it from a distance!" he shouted to his companions. The twin heads turned to face him; he'd attracted its attention.

At once the Fusion Dragon was assaulted from all sides by fire, lightning and ice. Purple electricity struck at its back and the dragon heads let out a deafening, double roar of pain. A huge wave of red flames engulfed one half of its massive body and although there was evidently some damage done, for the most part the tongues of flame rolled off harmlessly. Mia's water steamed of the surface of the dragon's opposite flank as it burned into its side, shards of sharp icicles burying deeply into its hide, drawing out thick rivulets of blood.

Isaac raised his hands and released hard stone spires, which launched themselves at hight velocity at his foe, slamming heavily point first into its chest and driving it back a step after his third missile.

That's it! Hit it with everything we've got, don't stop the assault. Bring it – them – down!

The Fusion Dragon didn't even wait for the assault to end before counter-attacking. A powerful tail, long and thick, lashed out at Ivan like a whip, hurling the small Wind Adept of his feet, and sending him sprawling on his back several feet away from where he'd been standing. One head turned on its long neck to face Garet, the other to Mia. Their large powerful jaws were wide open hungrily, showing rows of razor sharp teeth. Huge balls of fire formed inside, and were breathed out at the two Adepts wither side of the beast.

Garet summoned the full strength of his Fire Psynergy to hold back the assault just long enough to get out of its path of destruction and hide behind one of the statues that ringed the aerie.

Mia held of her attack for a bit longer with a bit more success. Her Water Psynergy formed a powerful torrent of blue liquid that forced the powerful flames to a standstill. A transparent blue Mercuric dome formed about her body long enough for her to leap out of the way, unharmed, while the attack passed where she had been. The fireballs were much diminished in both size and strength, but were still powerful enough to kill an individual with a single blow.

Isaac wasn't idle while the Fusion Dragon was attacking his friends, however. Focusing the full power of his Venus Psynergy, he stretched out his hand and started to form an immense Gaia attack in the aerie floor beneath the Dragon's feet. The purple bricks began emitting a golden light before giving up their earthly energy and exploding with incredible brute force, dazzling his vision momentarily. When his eyes cleared, a huge gaping hole in the aerie occupied where the dragon had been.

Did I… is it dead?

But, of course, it wasn't that easy. A loud roar rumbled up from the new pit and two green lizard-like heads with fiery red eyes popped up on long necks. The rest of its body soon followed as the Fusion Dragon climbed back out. Its underside was deeply wounded and heavily bleeding. Chunks and jagged shards of broken stone had embedded themselves in its underbelly and legs. Twin heads glared at him with primal fury, fiery hatred burning in both sets of eyes. With a loud roar, it charged heavily towards Isaac, breathing fire from sharp toothed, powerful jaws.

Great, now I've got it angry. Isaac ran about a stone statue behind him, and hid behind it, hoping it would afford him some small measure of protection from the impending attack. He felt the enormous Psynergy of the beast as it charged up an attack. A fireball powerful enough to shatter the statue and incinerate him. Unless…

I think I have an idea. He placed a hand on the statue, focused and melded his Psynergy into it, hardening it and making it more durable. He used his element to make it stronger. The powerful fireball exploded on the statues opposite side, but rather than breaking it apart from the force of the impact, or melting it from the heat, his Psynergy held it together and kept it strong.

It worked! He released his Psynergy on the statue shield. And then the Fusion Dragon's two heads appeared on either side of him from around the statue, snarling aggressively. Either one of those heads was a large as his body. No time to attack them both. If I go for one, the other will get me from behind!

A loud peal of thunder rolled over him, and the two heads withdrew, screeching in agony. Ivan had hit it. Isaac came out from behind the statue to face his opponent once more. Mia ran up to join him at his side.

"It's too powerful!" she panted. "We can't face it – them – like this!"

"I know…" Isaac replied regretfully. "But what can we do? Maybe we'll have to separate them somehow…"

White bolts of lightning came down out of nowhere upon the Fusion Dragon, while about the aerie orange bolts of Venus Psynergy crackled from black storm clouds in the night and the Lighthouse trembled mightily from the exertions of forming the beacon. The wind howled about Ivan's lightning attacks as he went on an all out offensive from behind the beast, clutching his ribs in pain and holding his Elven Rapier in the other. He was incredibly powerful, even without his Shaman's Rod to aid him. In fact, it seemed like he no longer needed it anymore to reach his full potential. The two heads turned, readying to breathe fiery death upon this little nuisance.

"Oh no, you don't!" Garet roared as he charged the dragon, battle axe held up high. "If my flames won't hurt you, then maybe my axe will!" He swung the heavy blade deep into one hind leg, and then pulled it out for another swing. The opposite back leg pulled up and kicked him square in the chest, hurling the Fire Adept over Mia and Isaac.

"Take care of Garet, Mia," Isaac ordered. "Then give it everything you've got, don't hold back."

"What are you doing, Isaac?" she asked.

"I have a plan. Hold it off for me!" He left the two of them as he dashed to one side of the Fusion Dragon, unleashing several Ragnarok blasts at its flank in the hopes of distracting it from Ivan, whom it was now focused on. The Venus energy swords exploded against its bulk and it roared in pain, as Ivan's own onslaught continued to do damage.

A mighty gale force wind blew out from Ivan's outstretched palm, strong enough that it even managed to slow down the massive Fusion Dragon, while dozens of bolts of lightning lashed at its green scaly hide, slowly tearing it apart and preventing it from attacking in return.

But this onslaught was taking its toll on the small Wind Adept. Isaac could feel his Psynergy level dropping, he was exhausted. He couldn't keep up the assault much longer. Abruptly, the Fusion Dragon regained control of itself, and two massive fireballs of incredible Fire Psynergy were launched at the boy. Ivan waved his hand and bolts of liquid blue plasma burst from his fingertips, igniting the fireballs in a huge explosion while a powerful whirlwind about him kept him safe from the flames.

He sagged to his knees. He didn't have much left. The Dragon heads went in for the kill. He had to hold on for just a while longer.

Isaac reached the tail lying along the broken stone of the aerie. Come on, this has to work. Just as the two gaping jaws were about to consume him, Ivan let out one last devastating attack of brilliant white lightning bolts and the twin heads pulled back. Then Ivan collapsed to the ground, completely and utterly spent.

The heads roared loudly into the sky in rage, and the powerful tail whipped from side to side, first away from Isaac, then right into his chest with the full force of a mighty hammer. It pulled him off his feet, but he clung tightly to it desperately, holding on as it whipped back and forth in the air. He couldn't let go now. That blow had winded him, but his chest armour had saved him from any broken ribs.

One of the forepaws of the dragon reached out and grabbed Ivan by the leg, lifted him up high into the air, then hurled him aside like he was a piece of garbage. The Wind Adept slammed into one of the stone statues and then fell to the floor. He didn't move again.

It took all the determination Isaac had to focus his mind enough to cast a medium level Venus healing technique upon himself, repairing his bruised and winded chest. Then, with grim determination, he began climbing slowly up onto its back, using the spiny ridges as hand holds.

Garet and Mia have to hold it off for me. Ivan seems to have injured it, but only to a small degree, the two of them better do some serious damage. Mia especially.

One head descended to feast upon the unmoving Ivan and Isaac hurled a stone spire at it. Shattering on impact the dragon head was knocked aside, then turned to glare at him. Right then, one of Garet's fireballs sizzled past it to slam into the other head in a fiery impact. A moment later, and Mia's ice prisms slammed against its body.

Garet and Mia both launched even more powerful attacks, but huge heatwaves of flame bellowed forth from their mouths, exploding Garet's fireball and melting Mia's ice into mist.

Don't hold back! Isaac prayed. Give it everything that you have, you have to weaken it enough for this to work.

He continued holding tightly onto the dragon tail to avoid being thrown off. With his chest healed again and all his attention focused on scaling the dragon, Isaac was able to get back on top. This had to work!

Not wasting any time, Garet charged straight for the dragon, deflecting fiery blasts from the mouths with his Psynergy while Mia gave him cover. But it was clear the two weren't a match for the Fusion Dragon's brute power.

The dragon roared painfully and staggered from side to side; Garet must have been attacking its legs and underbelly with his axe, where it was unable to defend itself. Mia raised her Angelic Ankh, the crystal orb at the end glowing with a blue light, as she began charging a powerful attack.

Isaac could sense the tremendous difference in the Psynergy level between the Water Adept and the Fusion Dragon, and realised that, even with her elemental advantage, she didn't have a chance; she would be crushed.

She needs for it to be distracted while she attacks, and more than just what Garet is doing; after all, it was more than one head.

Already, one head was lowering down to attack Garet beneath it, while the other charged up yet another fireball against Mia.

Now! Standing up on the Fusion Dragon's back, just past the point where the spine became the tail, Isaac focused his Venus Psynergy into forming, out of thin air, a powerful stone spire, launching it through the air at high velocity. It slammed into the back of the right head with a heavy impact, knocking it forward. It turned to face him with fiery red eyes, mouth full of flames.

Around Mia, blue Mercury Psynergy began to grow as she put forward everything she had into charging up one massive assault. Water formed and ice froze; whatever it was, even the Fusion Dragon would feel it.

Continuing his attack, Isaac unleashed a mighty Ragnarok right into its face, temporarily blinding it as it exploded with a brilliant light. Its shook its large head, trying to clear its vision. From beneath the body a loud roar emanated and the head shot back up, a large axe cut slanting across one side of its face, hot blood spilling out. Garet ran out from underneath the beast, red dragon blood steaming of his axe blade.

Mia still isn't ready yet. Focusing his power, Isaac formed another solid stone spire, razor sharp point down and hurled it down into the Fusion Dragon's back, the tip partially embedded in its thick skin. The spire crumbled apart into dust and vanished, leaving a gaping, bleeding wound. The dragon heads roared in unison at the pain they felt, but quickly seemed to recover.

Already, he could feel the Psynergy slowly returning to him inside in a trickle. He imagined it would feel like a river when the beacon was fully lit. But still, the solid beam of golden light shot out from the pit, orange lightning exploded in the black night clouds and the ground beneath the Lighthouse shook violently.

Why is it taking so long? And why so violently? And then, the Fusion Dragon began galloping after Garet. He ran fast and hard, but the dragon caught up to him quickly and easily. I have to slow it down so Mia can attack.

Reaching down to the aerie stone with his Psynergy while holding onto the scaled back for support, Isaac began casting growth. Thick, powerful green vines with large sharp thorns formed and grew out of the stone. Several vines each lashed tightly around all four legs, tearing into the flesh and holding it down, giving Garet the opportunity needed to escape the hungry jaws.

The dragon stopped and looked down at the Psynergetically formed plants then, with ease of brute strength, tore all four legs free of the bricks that they were bound to. But the thorny vines remained tightly wrapped about its limbs. With a breath of fire, the vines were instantly incinerated.

And I put so much strength into them! But the attack had served its purpose; Mia was ready to attack. A massive hail of huge blocks of ice slammed into the Fusion Dragon's body, and freezing around it like a massive glacier, held it firmly in place. All up its legs, right up to its body the Fusion Dragon was frozen solid. Isaac felt the air about him drop in temperature dramatically.

Mia, however, had expended all of her energy. The orb's light faded and vanished, the ankh clattered to the floor beneath her. Then she, too, fell down, exhausted and unconscious. The ice continued growing, freezing up along the monsters back up to its neck, slowly but inexorably imprisoning it in a tomb of ice. Even the powerful dragon muscles were unable to summon up the strength to break the cold, hard ice.

That's it! He thought triumphantly. But, it wasn't. The Fusion Dragon managed to bring up its enormous supply of Mars Psynergy, and began radiating intense heat from its skin, thawing and cracking the ice. Deciding it would be wide to defend himself, Isaac formed a small defensive barrier of golden Venus energy between his boots and the small patch of unfrozen skin that he stood on. As soon as the ice was thin enough, the Fusion Dragon gave a mighty flex of its body, shattering the ice into thousands of tiny shards.

But that attack weakened it, he realised. The Mercury energy greatly reduced its Mars, I can feel the difference.

Garet ran over to Mia's fallen body, gently picked up her fragile frame and carried her away to behind one of the statues where she'd be relatively safe for the time being. He saw that he'd already done the same for Ivan. It's only us two now… only us two.

The Fusion Dragon began moving again, albeit slower, heading towards Garet. Without hesitation, Isaac launched another Ragnarok into the previous wound he'd made, then, while the dragon had stopped, cast Gaia with his full strength beneath its feet. While the light from the previous Ragnarok blast was still fading from his eyes, the ground beneath exploded in a powerful blast as the earth gave up its energy.

The Fusion Dragon roared in pain as it tumbled down into the hole in the aerie, Isaac clinging on desperately to avoid being thrown off. That had to have seriously injured it.

But the mighty monster still didn't seem ready to fall down, and began climbing back out of the pit Isaac had made that it had fallen into.

Isaac began thinking in dismay that it was just hopeless, that maybe they really couldn't beat it; maybe it was really just invincible. No matter what they attacked it with, it just didn't die. After all the beasts they'd faced and vanquished, perhaps they'd finally met their match. Already, Ivan and Mia, arguably their best assets element wise against this foe, were down, and he and Garet couldn't keep on going like this, even with the aid of the partially lit beacon.

No, we can't give up, no matter what! We will beat this thing! The Fusion Dragon was now fully out of the hole, both heads faced towards Garet as though he were no more than a bothersome insect on its back. Garet stood tall and proud, unafraid of the beast that stood before him despite the fact he clearly couldn't beat it on his own. He was outclassed completely.

Despite this, he displayed no fear, throwing his bloodied axe to one side. "Isaac, if you've got a way to stop this thing from up there, you'd better do it quick! I'll do what I can to hold it off for you, and weaken it, but you have to kill it somehow." With that, Garet began to glow light blue as he focused the full might of his Mars Psynergy, and prepared to unleash a powerful attack, as flames blazed about him.

The twin heads reared, jaws agape, as Psynergy fanned the inferno in their mouths to searing temperatures.

This is it, time for me to make this work. He ran along the spin to the point just behind where the two necks joined the spine. He'd already figured that their best bet to defeating this Fusion Dragon would be, not to destroy it in toe to toe combat – they evidently couldn't possibly survive that – but to somehow find a way to sever the connection that fused Saturos and Menardi; thereby breaking the dragon and, hopefully, returning the duo back to their human forms.

A risky, difficult plan to execute, with no way of knowing whether or not it would succeed, but the Earth Adept figured it was their best bet. He wasn't sure entirely how to go about it, but he had a rough idea that might work.

Sever the spinal cord that connected the two heads.

Let's hope for the best. The two heads shot forward, belching out their full inferno like a small volcano. Garet thrust his hands out, a massive fireball of equal size that consumed all the strength he had and more.

The explosion was blindingly brilliant, the force almost enough to knock him off and the heat felt as though it might scorch his skin. When the burning tempest subsided, he opened his eyes to see Garet, completely exhausted and expended, on his knees before his foe.

I'm surprised he had the strength to hold that attack off. The energy of the partially lit beacon must have been enough to give him just the added boost to his power needed to thwart the attack Any less, and the flames likely would have pushed on to kill him.

"I did my best… Isaac…" He collapsed, knocked out. Isaac reached over his right shoulder and drew the sword that he'd carried this entire journey and had served him well. He held it up, point down and drove it into the flesh as hard as he could. He focused his Psynergy into the blade, making the metal hard, sharp and glowing with white light. It pierced the tough green dragon scales as easily as a knife through butter, passing through the thick flesh and driving into the tip of the spinal cord.

The Fusion Dragon roared deafeningly in agony, shaking from side to side. Isaac clung tightly to the sword hilt in a white knuckled tight grip, desperate to stay on. The sword twisted painfully in the Fusion Dragon's spine.

The mighty beast gave a terrible howl and then sank to the ground as its legs gave way, landing with a shuddering thud. It had finally been dealt a mortal blow, now Isaac just had to press the advantage. Reacting to his Psynergy, thick vines with sharp thorns formed from crude stone lashed over the dragon body – around Isaac – and tightly held it down, tearing into the flesh bloodily. Solid stone spires wrenched themselves from the aerie floor, and slammed heavily into its bulk, its neck. He wearily raised a hand and fired first one, then another Ragnarok into the two heads. Attack after attack he drove into the beast with all his strength.

Having finally used his Psynergy to near exhaustion, he relinquished his assault and wrenched his now blood soaked sword out as the vines crumbled to dust about him.

Panting heavily, he sank to his knees on its back, worn from the exhaustion. That had to have brought it to the point of defeat. Now beast could surely take so much punishment, and use so much energy without exhausting itself.

But he was wrong. With great growls of effort, he felt corded back muscles, tighten as its body moved and two heads slowly rose up, turning to face him.

No… its power just doesn't end! Surely there must be a way to kill it! Two mouths full of serrated teeth opened and mighty jets of flame shot out straight for him, powerful enough to incinerate him in an instant. He didn't have time to focus an attack or defence. No… this is it!

Panicky, desperate to survive, he felt his Psynergy – instinctive, Involuntary Psynergy, like in Kolima – flow out of him and form a golden protective dome about him. The flames passed over and around him without his even feeling the heat. As soon as the flames subsided, he felt the energy dissipate and the shield vanish. Now he was fully exhausted of Psynergy.

But he could feel it slowly returning to him in a trickle from the beacon. A much thicker, faster trickle. The beacon was getting nearer to full power.

It saved me… that involuntary Psynergy thing saved me. But now he was exhausted, with nothing left to give. And the Fusion Dragon still wasn't dead, despite suffering severe injuries.

The heads reared back, the jaws opened wide, fireballs formed inside. This was it… unless… a small amount of Psynergy had already returned to him from the beacon and a wild idea formed in his head.

I have no idea if this will work or not… He jammed the sword into his sheath, raised both hands – one towards each head – put forward his full strength and more and used his Psynergy to fire two ragnaroks simultaneously at each, bright with power. His aim was true, and each exploded with dazzling brilliance – sparks of energy scattered everywhere – right inside their mouths, destroying the fireballs within at the same time.

The intensity of the explosion was such that it wrenched open their jaws and threw the heads back, tearing them apart in the fiery energy blaze. They fell heavily to the floor and did not get up. The whole body sagged and fell down, beaten and exhausted. Isaac felt its Psynergy begin to drain away and fade.

And his Psynergy began flowing into yet faster, stronger, and he again felt the strength needed to continue fighting when he should be utterly spent. He pulled out his sword one last time, and jammed it down as hard as he could into the spinal wound he'd inflicted to the beast. It screamed in agony, and Isaac channelled all the energy that had returned to him from the beacon, and blasted a Ragnarok right into the Fusion Dragon's inner spine.

The explosion was blinding, loud enough to nearly leave his ears ringing, and the force of it threw him off the dragon's back. He landed heavily on the aeries stone floor. Looking up, he saw that the Fusion Dragon was collapsing to the ground, and unable to get up.

For a moment, it seemed to struggle on, hold onto its Psynergy. Then, its energy seemed to split, become two again… one again in a flicker, then broke apart into two separate sources of power. The entire body collapsed, unmoving and the life seemed to drain from the red eyes of the heads. Slowly, it began to break apart down the centre and split apart into two as its skin crumble off and shrank slowly into its original human forms.

That's it… I beat it! I killed the Fusion Dragon! They'd won! Victory! He would have cried for joy and whopped in celebration, but he was too worn out. He struggled to get up, using nothing but his dwindling strength to remain upright and moving.

They'd done it! Weyard was saved; Saturos and Menardi were defeated, their Fusion Dragon form slain. He could scarcely believe it. Just like powerful, mighty warriors of legend, they'd saved the entire world with their powers.

It's ironic…if it hadn't been for the beacon, I wouldn't have had the strength to defeat it.

There was now only just the matter of retrieving the Jupiter Star – adding it to the Mars Star that he still carried – and the other loose ends, but that could all wait for now.

He had to take care of his friends. This victory belonged to all of them, the four elements working together.

He helped Garet sit up weakly. "You okay there, Garet?"

"Just fine, Isaac," he replied, managing a smile. "I'll be fine… but, we beat them! We actually beat them! And that dragon, too! And they seemed so impossibly powerful when we first started, now look at them! You know what this means? We're the most powerful Adepts in the world, now! No one can beat us!" He sagged. "Gee, it feels good to have it all finally over with, have the weight of the world off my shoulders."

"It sure does, Garet," Isaac whispered in reply, smiling. "It sure does." He helped over Ivan and Mia next using a small amount of the Psynergy that had returned to him to heal them just enough for them to sit up weakly.

"So, it's over," Ivan whispered. "It's finally over. Good work, Isaac." Behind them, the body of the Fusion Dragon continued to crumble and shrink as it reverted back to Saturos and Menardi.

"We saved the world," Mia sighed. "What a wonderful thing to have done."

Isaac and Garet were able to stand up still; so the Fire Adept helped Ivan up with their arms across each other's shoulders, while the Earth Adept did the same to help keep Mia upright.

The body of the Fusion Dragon ceased to exist and Saturos and Menardi were left standing there. Their bodies were pale, bloodied and naked. Disbelief formed on Saturos's expression.

"They beat us… they actually beat us… even after all that…"

A single tear rolled down Menardi's cheek, and she breathed, "I failed… Karst, forgive me…" Their legs gave under them and they fell back, tumbling down into the pit and were gone forever.

We… we did it! Isaac thought in gleeful disbelief. I can't believe it! Even when they turned into that Fusion Dragon, we did it! It almost seemed surreal; it was hard to believe that it was really happening.

"The quest is over," he sighed. "It's finally over." The others smiled and gave relieved smiles, but were too tired to say anything, barely even standing as they were.

"And that means we're heroes!" Garet said finally. "We should call you 'Isaac Dragonslayer'."

Isaac managed a smile at that. Fame and heroics weren't for him, but it did seem a fitting end to everything that they'd been through. Then realization struck. Only, it's not over yet. Not all of it.

Jenna tugged at his heart, she still needed rescuing. And Kraden. And Faran had made them promise to rescue Sheba. And then there was the Jupiter Star still left to retrieve. And I thought defeating those two would solve all our problems.

"Uh… Isaac…" Ivan said slowly. "Over there…" He looked to where the Wind Adept pointed and gasped in shock. Felix!

The traitorous Earth Adept stood on the far side of the aerie at the top of the stone stairs, paralysed with surprise and disbelief. Isaac thought that he caught a sight of tears glistening in his eyes. Sheba stood as his side, clinging onto his arm. Her attention was all on him, her expression full of concern and worry.

Why did he come back? Isaac wondered.

"They're… they're gone…" he breathed. "You really killed them!" He scrubbed at his eyes with his sleeve. "I know how truly powerful they were. If you were able to defeat them, Isaac, then clearly I am no match for you." He looked to the four of them, to the outside elevator, as if judging whether or not he could run away.

"There's no more use in running, Felix," Garet called out. "You won't make it, and the only other way is through us."

"You can come with us," Isaac suggested. "There's no more quest for you. Let Sheba go free, back to Lalivero and Faran. And Jenna and Kraden, they aren't as part of this anymore." Felix's face hardened with every word. "She's your sister, Felix!" Please don't let her be hurt. "Do you really want to do this to her?"

"Isaac, you fool! You have no idea!" Felix spat.

"Sheba, don't you want to be released?" Mia asked. The Laliveran Wind Adept shook her head.

"I'm going with Felix," she replied.

"But why?" No answer.

"What is it going to be, Felix?" Isaac asked.

"I'm going to keep lighting the Lighthouses," he replied without hesitation.

"What!" they all exclaimed.

"But that's crazy!" Garet protested. "You know what will happen if you release Alchemy! War, power and the end of the world, remember?" Felix simply nodded, expressionless. "And you're still going to do it? But why? Saturos and Menardi are dead, now! You don't have to do what they want anymore! You're free now!"

"Be that as it may," he said slowly, deliberately, "I'm still going to do it. I have to. You could never understand why."
"Why?" Garet demanded. "Try me, Felix. Why? What'll happen?"

"Just wait and see. Isaac… I need the Mars Star."

The Earth Adept reached and touched the pouch at his side. "You have to be kidding. You know I can't give that up." He paused, trying to work out what to say next. "Felix… you realise that by doing this, it makes you an enemy. And that means I'll have to fight you to stop you." He reached up with his right hand to grasp the sword hilt jutting over his shoulder. "I don't want to… but if I have to, I will…"

The hand that Sheba wasn't holding onto reached for Felix's sword at his side. "I felt you'd say that, Isaac. But still, I will do what I must." He turned; ready to descend the stairs to the elevator.

"You can't do it, Felix," Isaac said, and he stopped. "Think about it. Even if you did get out of here, and somehow lit Jupiter Beacon, what would you do, then? You can't get the Mars Star of us; you can't fully release Alchemy without it."

"I know, Isaac, but when the other two come… but enough of this! I'm going now, so don't try to stop me!" He stalked don't the stairs, Sheba following closely beside.

"Wait, Felix-!" he managed to take one step forward, and then everything happened at once. The energy beam of Venus Psynergy – which had been slowly building up – suddenly exploded in a brilliant flash of light and energy. He felt himself thrown back roughly onto the floor. He heard a loud crack of stone breaking, momentarily drowning out the sound of Garet cursing and Sheba screaming.

His vision cleared and Isaac stood slowly. The other three were down, too dazed to stand. The Lighthouse… Isaac gasped. It had shattered into four equal pieces! One giant crack ran straight north and south, another east and west, intersecting in the centre of the aerie pit. They were on the south eastern quadrant of the tower, which shook mightily as the earth and the four pieces slowly moved apart.

It's already too far to jump to the next bit. Felix and Sheba were right across from him, on the south-western quadrant.

Sheba had almost been knocked completely off the aerie by the force of the blast; she clung onto the edge by her fingertips, the only thing preventing her from falling to her death. The trembles of the earthquake only made it harder for her to hang on.

"Sheba!" Felix was just getting up from where he lay. "Sheba!" He scrambled to his feet, and ran to her but was knocked over by another tremor. With desperate ferocity, Sheba clung on.

"It's just as I foresaw, Felix," she said, with sad acceptance in her voice. "Thank you for everything, Felix… and goodbye." One hand lost its grip as the shaking continued.

"Dammit, Sheba, no!" he cried, crawling to his feet and dashing for her again, ignoring the earthquake. "I won't let you go like this!" Sheba lost her grip. She fell. "NOO!" He reached down to grab her… a half second to late. His hand passed by hers mere inches away as she fell to her death. "Sheba!" Tears sprang from his eyes. "NO!" Isaac could scarcely believe what he saw next. Felix leaped off the edge after her, as though intending to catch her on the way down. Or die with her.

No! We promised Faran we'd save her! I promised myself…He looked away; he didn't want to watch them die. He felt tears form in his eyes. This wasn't the way it should be! She, at least, deserved better. He felt a mighty lurch in the Lighthouse beneath him. Looking south, he saw that a massive tidal wave had struck against Venus Lighthouse from the ocean in response to the earthquake. Now, there won't even be any bodies to bury, they'll be washed out to sea…

The mountain range between Suhulla Gate and the Idejima Peninsula had been rent in half by the force of the earthquake. A huge crack, rapidly filling with seawater, separated the two. He watched in shocked rapture as the entire Idejima Peninsula was rent from the mainland and began floating away on its own. A floating island…

Looking north, he found he could see the town of Lalivero and the half built Babi Lighthouse. The huge pillar of stone was buckling and collapsing from the earthquake and a thick cloud of dust rose up as Babi Lighthouse fell apart into ruin. So much for that project…

The shaking had stopped, all was still now. It was over. Really over. But what a bittersweet victory…

They'd failed to rescue Jenna or Kraden or the Jupiter Start, Sheba and Felix were dead… and Alchemy was halfway released. We did the best we could. The Wise One and the Elders of Vale will have to be happy with that.

"I can't believe it," Garet said after a while, breaking the silence that had formed. "Felix actually did that!" Isaac grunted in reply, he was momentarily lost for words.

"That was unexpectedly kind of him…" Mia murmured.

"He wasn't like Saturos at all…" Ivan mused.

"What a waste!" Isaac sighed. It wasn't fair, maybe if Felix was so desperate to help her like that, he could've been brought around, made to realise his mistakes…

But none of that matters at all, now. Then Isaac felt Venus Beacon. Or perhaps he'd only just started paying enough attention to notice. A huge, glowing ball of pure Earth Psynergy rose up from between the four parts of the Lighthouse glowing with green light.

Isaac was suddenly full of Psynergy, he felt as though he had unlimited power. He stood up and felt strong, as though all the might of the earth were within him. So this was what it felt like to have unlimited power.

He focused all of his power onto himself, healing every single injury, no matter how minor, till he was perfectly and fully healed. Such an effort should have drained him, but it required only half his strength, and that rapidly returned anyway.

He then turned to his friends and healed all three in turn to the utmost of his abilities with his Psynergy which quickly refilled. They stood up, seemingly unharmed now. But still tired, they all felt weary and exhausted after that battle, no matter how well healed they were. And Isaac was the only one with any Psynergy left.

They stood in sombre silence for a time. Night had set in; the green light of the beacon illuminated them. It was Garet who finally broke the silence.

"So… what now?"

"I don't know…" Isaac replied, thinking. "We're all pretty tired, I think. We should go back to Lalivero and rest up. We'll work out what to do after that."

"Which brings up another point…" Ivan started. "How exactly are we getting down?" Isaac looked around and realised that, trapped on this one piece, there was no way down.

"That's a good point…" Mia murmured, worried. As if on cue, the four pieces shook, shifted and slammed together. Venus Psynergy ran along the cracks and they were gone as though they never were. The Lighthouse was perfectly repaired once more, in every way.

"Okay… that was convenient," Garet muttered.

"And now Venus is fully lit," Ivan sighed.

"Alex is still out there…" Mia spoke softly to herself.

"And so are Jenna and Kraden," Isaac added. Jenna. "We can still save them, they're out there somewhere." With a sigh, he smiled. "Come on, guys, let's get out of here."

A/N: Phewy, it's done! By golly! Well, there's still one more chap, just a short epilogue. I don't anticipate that this'll take long, its fairly short, and doesn't contain anything complicated to write so I shouldn't have any difficulties. There are a lot of things I'd like to say, but I'll save it for the end when I can have a nice big long rant and talk about things in the afterword. Until then, appreciate all your support, and feel free to leave a review containing your honest reflections regarding this work. Until next time, May The Force Be With You!