Creature Changers

I am seriously trying to post updates quickly. But my computer is STILL crazy, and my mother STILL has not gotten enough sympathy for me to get it repaired. So I have to bear with bits and pieces of typing here and there...

Now, in the previous chapter my marks for creatures' speech did not come up. So, I will be using $ $ to represent that. Also, I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but Felix could talk in his normal voice when he was a centaur. Reason, he still owned a face, a mouth, a voice box... So, anything with a human face can talk in this fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, Camelot does. Can you imagine Arthur and Guenevere wearing their old English robes, holding a GBA and playing the game? Maybe Merlin came up with the idea... But the Takahashi brothers were the ones... Magic and technology working together? Hmmm...

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raitei: Hm, yeah, I should have thought of that. This chapter's disclaimer not that good either. I like the djinn too! The Maths teacher Theophilus Mil is actually based on my maths teacher from last year, Mr Lim Seow Cheong. Credits to him! I'm not lying, he did tell ghost stories in class! The one in the previous chapter was told by him! XD Yup, I have a nice, interesting (I hope) battle coming up. Kind of short, I must say, though. Thank you for your support in this fic! Thank you!

crazy-but-fun: Thank you! I'm continuing...!

Princess Viv: I will continue Legend of the Stars. But with my computer unusable (see above) I have lost many of the drafts I did... Right now, I STILL don't know whether to choose mudshipping or valeshipping. As a mudshipping fan, I love Mia/Isaac fics, but I'd like to do valeshipping for a change. Plus there are reviewers asking for valeshipping as well. Most of the time we authors are supposed to write what we want, and not what others want, but... I don't know. I still need to think... Thank you, I like the djinn too! Scroll down to see what happens to Isaac next!

savinglifelessness: Very... small. A snapping turtle is a couple of inches longer than the keyboard of a laptop, and height... always differs because of the shell. I can safely say that it is about the size of a large cushion, and Isaac the dragon is... Not too big. Slightly taller than the average adult human size. Heh, you'd think "Isaac's sure too win!" Well, read on.

person: Thank you! I'm updating!

angel-wings76: Thank you! The idea was derived from a dream where people could turn into animals after planet Venus crashed into Earth... It was a weird dream, and if I tried to tell it I'd take up too much space.

Kodoku: Eheh... I think I can imagine it. I think my disclaimers are starting to fail. (points above) That one came from watching an amazing and polished production of Camelot by Anglo Chinese Junior College. It was marvellous, and I still remember the magnificent dances and songs from it. So hey, King Arthur and Golden Sun. Why not?

Shiny Milotic: Ooooh! I'm guessing your name is taken from that beautiful, exotic evolution of Feebas? I love Milotic myself! As to Lighthouseshipping... Well, I might have it. I'm pretty keen on Felix/Sheba myself, but like said before, I might want to try a different pairing. It all depends on how the story turns out, really. My other fic 'War of the Elements' has Lighthouseshipping, so you might want to check that out (hints for a review). Of course the others are mythicals, you just wait and see! Unicorns and griffins and phoenixes are in, but manticores... I hadn't thought of that. Might put it in... Thank you!

clover: Thank you, I thought the disclaimer was lousy. And don't envy me. Everyone can write. I'm sure you're improving. I'm trying my best to type in perfect English, but typing errors still appear randomly sometimes... Well, the creature instincts do not take over. Rather they gain the senses of the creature. For example, Isaac as a dragon had all the sharp and alert senses of his creature. Those senses made him suspicious of anything, so Kraden would appear as a foe. Knowing that, and knowing also that it would cause Isaac to fight seriously, Kraden pretended to be the foe. So when a 'challenge' was issued, Isaac knew he wanted to win. Sorta... Heaven knows how to explain what I mean.

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Chapter 5: More About Changers; More Than Fun

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The turtle stayed where it was, eyes focused on its opponent. The dragon growled quietly, watching its foe just as suspiciously. Slowly, it moved, circling the small amphibian.

Kraden lifted one foot and stepped towards Isaac. Instantly, the younger changer reacted, swiftly moving to the other side of Kraden. Raising several claws, he attempted to slice the turtle. But just as quickly, Kraden moved out of the way. Isaac staggered forward with his own force, but thought fast and spun into a somersault, bringing his tail down with as much force as he could. Kraden again jumped neatly out of the way, moving with surprising agility. His neck reached out and bit into hard, glistening scales.

Isaac howled with pain, and the sound echoed around the large hall. He staggered to his feet and glared at Kraden. The bite had only caused pain, rather than injury, but Isaac was still pissed. Lunging forward, he swiped at Kraden with right claws. Kraden dodged back and to the right. Isaac smiled to himself, and countered back with the long blade on his elbow. He swiped it back towards the right immediately, not giving Kraden time to regain his balance and avoid the attack.

Caught unaware, Kraden withdrew into his shell and allowed himself to be slashed at. Isaac's blade added a cut to his shell, and he was momentarily paralysed by the impact, but otherwise unharmed. Sticking his body out again, Kraden grinned at the frustrated look on the dragon's face.

Isaac flew forward again, intent on knocking the turtle out of its shell. Kraden scuttled under his feet to the back, then opened his mouth and stuck out a long, slimy tongue. It wrapped around Isaac's foot and prevented him from moving. Isaac tripped and fell flat on his face with a yell. With a thump, Kraden jumped onto his back.

$I think this match is over,$ Kraden said, chuckling. Breathing heavily, Isaac nodded. Kraden climbed off and changed back to his usual white haired self. Taking deep breaths, Isaac willed himself to change back. Slowly, his senses dulled and he felt himself shrinking. His scales melted away to reveal human skin. The blades on his body retracted. Quietly, he looked up.

Kraden smiled. "That was exellent, Isaac. Are you sure you haven't done it before?"

Isaac shook his head silently. In the end, he still lost.

As if he could read minds, Kraden patted him on the shoulder. "You've done very well for a beginner. Most don't even know what they have. You adapted to your dragon form quickly, and instead of just using your claws and teeth, you could wield your tail and elbow blades as weapons as well. If that isn't called good I don't know what is."

Isaac gave a half-grin. He heard cheers and applause behind him when Kraden finished. Startled, he turned.

Garet was giving extremely enthusiastic applause, grinning excitedly.

"Knew you could do it! Great job!" he yelled. Isaac smiled. He turned to the person beside Garet and froze.

It was Piers.

"Well, looks like all three of you have Changing classes on Suisanday together," Kraden said cheerfully. "Isaac, this is Piers Mercury. Piers, this is Isaac Gaia."

"We've already met," Piers said in his clear voice. He was eyeing Isaac with much interest. "Garet got lost with him yesterday."

"I did not!" Garet exclaimed hotly. Kraden laughed.

"Well, seeing that both of you have wasted about twenty minutes watching Isaac and me, perhaps you'd like to get down to work now," he said. Piers and Garet nodded. They sat down with their feet together and closed their eyes. Kraden then turned to Isaac.

"Now, I'd like to start you on the basic theory lesson for Changers. Please have a seat," he said, settling down on the stage as well. Isaac sat down. "First of all, the Changer Rules. Rule number one, no abusing of your special powers. Rule number two, you must be responsible for whatever damage you cause to property that does not belong to you. Rule number three, never use your Changing powers against normal people unless you have an extremely valid reason, and even so it's best not to do anything. For one it would be like shooting an unarmed man. For another it would give the normal people reason to hate us. We do not want a war between changers and the rest of the world. Got that?"

Isaac nodded. He remembered seeing the similar sentences in the school diary.

"Now, you must remember to stay away from coke," Kraden said, his face perfectly straight.

"...! Why?" Isaac looked incredulous. He never really liked coke, but neither did he have a grudge against it.

"Because 100g of coke will stop you from changing for a whole hour. I doubt you'd want that," Kraden said seriously. "Scientists are still trying to find out why. But for now, unless you don't mind being stuck as a human, stay away from coke."

The way Kraden was speaking, it was as if he liked changing. Again, Isaac could not understand. He felt nothing for it, felt nothing against it. It was just something he could do.

"I won't touch coke," he promised.

"Good. Next thing," Kraden's hand went to his stomach. "Never let anyone touch your birthmark."

"Why?" Isaac asked again. His own hand instinctinvely reached for the mark beneath his collar.

Kraden sighed softly. "It's one irritating trait of us all. If our birthmark is harshly attacked when we're human, we will be paralysed for about fifteen minutes. Needless to say, during that period, we will be unable to change. If stabbed through the birthmark... it could be fatal. We haven't tried anything yet."

Isaac gulped. He thought thankfully about the golden yellow scarf he always wore when not in school uniform. It hid his birthmark, and the collar of the uniform did the same.

"Also, when you are in creature form, your birthmark will remain. Much smaller, but still there. If touched, however gently, on the direct spot when you're in creature form, you will change back instantly and be paralysed. So always be careful who you show your birthmark to. Seeing as you have to touch it lightly when you change, try to keep the exact spot out of side and keep yourself away from your opponent. Understand?"

Isaac nodded again. He hadn't known that Changers had these weak spots. Again, he felt grateful for his scarf, remembering several tumbles in his life that could have struck his birthmark. The scarf had acted as a protector more than once. Isaac made up his mind to always treat it with respect and care from then on.

"Now. To change, Changers need energy. Pretend that changing is like running. Without energy, we cannot run. Same goes for changing. Let me give you an example. Mr Changer has ten points of energy. Changing from human to creature will take about one point of energy. If Mr Changer stays in his creature form, his points of energy will deplete a little faster than if he stays in human. When he changes back to human, he'll use about one point of energy," Kraden paused and looked at Isaac.

"What happens if Mr Changer does not change back until all ten points are gone?" Isaac asked.

"When energy points reach zero, the changer's body will protest and automatically change back. If the Changer attempts to change back into creature form, the body might try to hold out for a few more minutes," Kraden replied softly. "After that, the changer might get stuck between human and creature form. Best result, he turns back to human automatically and earns a few animal attributes. Worst result, he stays as the creature permanantly."

Isaac was horrified. He had no idea that the power of a changer could be a curse.

"However amazing the animal is, I don't think anyone wants to get stuck," Kraden said, giving a forced smile. "Even those that purposely do it regret it later on. There is no way to change back. So take my advice: Always change back to human to rest if you feel tired. Even if your mind can take it, if your body can't, don't force it. This is extremely important. Do you understand?"

Isaac nodded silently. Kraden relaxed.

"Now, those are the most important ground rules. If you stick to that, you won't go wrong. And Changing is fun, seriously," he said, smiling. "Now, relax. Don't look so stiff. You'll now go through the same procedure as Garet and Piers. Close your eyes and relax. Take deep breaths. Clear your mind."

Isaac tried to do as instructed. With the fresh information about changers still swimming in his head, however, it was difficult to clear them.

"Relax. Think of nothing. Meditation will help you store and conserve your energy for change," Kraden said calmly. Isaac sensed the teacher leave quietly.

"Garet, Piers, your turn. I want to see how much energy your can conserve. Remember the previous lesson?"

Isaac tried not to listen, tried to focus on not focusing.

Don't think of anything. Keep your mind blank. Don't think of anything. Keep your blank mind. Think of anything. Don't...

"All right, that's it for today," Kraden said cheerfully, shaking him on the shoulder. Isaac looked up, startled. Glancing at the grandfather clock near the stage, he was amazed to see that twenty-five minutes had passed since he started meditating. Hastily, he picked up his sling bag as the bell went, ringing clearly and brightly.

"See you!" Garet said enthusiastically, waving at Piers and Kraden. Turning to Isaac, he asked, "What's the next lesson?"

"Geography, taken by Mr Christopher Quertz," Isaac replied, glancing at his timetable.

"Oh. Mr Quertz is nice," Garet said in relief. "He takes the Soccer Club."

"What clubs are there in this school?" Isaac asked. In his previous school, he had taken up basketball. Would be nice to play without your team members ignoring you...

"Well, there's Soccer, obviously. Basketball as well," Garet led the way to the wide staircase that was becoming increasingly familiar to Isaac. "There's the Dance Club, Choir, Drama Club... what else... Archery, Media Club and Health Club. In here."

They turned into the third classroom on the third floor. A tanned, well-built man stood writing on the board. He wore an indigo T-shirt and black shorts with matching indigo and black spike shoes.

"Mr Mars, where're the rest of your class?" he asked, continuing to write on the board.

"Somewhere behind," Garet said discontentedly. "How come you can always tell when I'm around?"

"Because." Mr Quertz said, putting a full-stop at the end of his sentence. He turned, then looked curious. "And who are you, Mr Toothpick?"

Isaac felt extremely indignant.

"This is Isaac Gaia. New student," Garet said fiercely. "And he's not a toothpick, he fights good."

"You mean, he fights well." Mr Quertz corrected, continuing to observe Isaac from the corner of his eye. Satisfied with the serious, responsible look, he smiled. "Go sit down in a nice, good seat before the others quarrel with you for it."

Garet whooped. Grabbing Isaac by one hand, he threw him into a chair right at the back and sat down beside him. "Thanks, Mr Quertz!"

The rest of the class soon appeared, chattering loudly. Geography lesson went on pretty normal, with normal teaching methods by a fairly normal teacher. Rachel and Joash Goldring joined them for the simple project they had to do on water conservation. Nothing was said about Isaac and Garet being mythicals, and Isaac quickly observed that Rachel was a cheery, bright and sensible girl. Joash was nearly opposite, never serious and always cracking lame jokes under his breath so that teachers would not hear.

As the bell rang, Garet threw his books into the air enthusiastically.

"BREAK!" he yelled happily, grabbing his bag. "Come on, Isaac!"

The two boys squeezed their way through the class and towards the staircase.

"Where are we going?" Isaac yelled over the noise of the crowds.

"Locker!" Garet yelled back. "Miss Malvonite's classroom!"

They continued squeezing their way down to the second floor, then reached for the sixth classroom. Metal lockers stood outside as usual.

"Index number?" Garet asked, twirling the numbers on his new locker, labelled '17'.

"Seven, Dave said," Isaac replied, reading through the instructions rapidly. Opening his new locker, which was above Garet's, he entered a new combination. Two... five... one.

"Right. There's no need for Geography, Maths or Changing anymore..." Garet dumped a pile of books in the locker. "After break there's only history... Bother."

Isaac arranged his books neatly in the locker before he closed and locked it. Garet slammed his locker with a bang and locked it.

"Right, let's go," Garet said, lifting his much smaller school bag.

"Now where are we going?" Isaac asked."Canteen. It's break, and I'm starving!" Garet said. Isaac shook his head and laughed. They went down two flights of stairs to see familiar blue doors. As they entered, Isaac noticed that the different shops all had different numbers of students waiting in line. They chose what food they wanted from the shops.

"Back in my old school, we couldn't choose our food," Isaac remarked, grabbing a sandwich off a shop with no line. Smiling at the old shop woman, he stepped out of the queue for Garet to pile a plate with noodles, fish, egg and nuggets.

"Ehhh? That's sad!" Garet said, grabbing plastic fork, spoon and knife. He led the way to a round table at the side. Isaac recognised Piers' long blue braid. He was sitting next to a girl with long red hair.

"Not really," Isaac said, stopping uncertainly as Garet sat down with his plate. Piers turned and smiled.

"Isaac. Won't you sit down?"

The girl turned and froze.

"It's you!" she exclaimed, then grinned. "I didn't believe you when you said dragon... You've got a mythical, haven't you?"

"Yeah. Jenna, isn't it?" Isaac recalled, grinning back. He sat down on the other seat of the round table.

"Whoa. Do you know all the people in this school who are mythicals?" Garet asked, shoving a piece of egg into his mouth.

"He doesn't know Felix," Piers objected.

"Yes, I do," Isaac said. "He whacked Briggs."

Jenna snorted, sending orange juice out of her nose and over Piers.

"My brother did WHAT?"

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Not a very long chapter, and quite pointless except to go through the normal school life. Hope you've enjoyed it!

Daidairo