Creature Changers

And another chapter up! Much faster this time, because the previous one is too short.

I didn't get as many reviews this time... Looks like the older ones really forgot about this fic, or else they wanted Valeshipping and dropped this like a hot potato. (sigh)

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, Camelot does. I wonder how many people asked to buy Isaac from them?

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Princess Viv: Yes, another cliffy. I think by now you'll realise that all my chapters end with a cliffhanger. XD Typing errors are common, and I'm not blaming you, I was just confused. Are you sure you love Mia? I'd expect you to say that Isaac deserves her more. XD; In a way, the mystery seems kind of OOC, but considering what Mia was put through... Well, you'll have to read and see! Most people managed to guess what Mia is. It's rather obvious, and at first I wondered what reactions would there be if I had her change into an octopus. XDDD

Kodoku: Really? You mean it? YAY! I have an unpredictable cliffhanger! (dances) Ahem. Are there signs of mudshipping? Because I hadn't really decided to put romance in yet. I suppose it was the Isaac-being-a-nice-guy bit. What's a zora? Can you describe it? Or is there a picture? (is hopelessly clueless when it comes to Zelda games)

Wolfune: Oh yes. Evil cliffhangers make you want to strangle the author, but you know that if you do, there won't be a next chapter. So no one will be able to kill me for putting up cliffhangers! (raises fingers in victory sign) Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad I'm improving!

raitei: Thank you... Your comments always mean so much to me I'm glad you enjoy Creature Changers so much! Yes, well, most people would've expected Mia to be a mermaid. And like I said in my comment to Viv-hime, what would have happened if Mia was an octopus? XDDD 'Cascade' is supposed to be a verb used to state that a waterfall is splashing down. As for Ivan... His psynergy inspired me! At first I asked a friend for a last name, and she said "Hoe" because of "Ivanhoe". -- Some friend. XDXD I have no idea what mumps are like, I just threw it in. ;

Shiny Milotic: You think Sheba will get a unicorn? Well... wind and unicorn somehow don't seem to fit properly to me. I'm sorry to hear that you're feeling poorly, hope you get well soon! Even for dark pink... I'm not sure. And as for lighthouseshipping, you have to wait and see!

Trixie's girl: Thank you.

Mercury Gold: XD Very nice comment indeed! I laughed my head off when I read it! Siren and mermaid have been confused for each other many times before, due to different beliefs, myths and legends in different cultures and stories. In a way, most changers have been through quite a lot. In a way, that's quite angsty and clichey (I know the word doesn't exist) but it's believable. Here's my update!

Aegis Blade: I already added lots of OCs. All the classmates of Isaac, and the teachers. Unless you mean putting an OC as one of the main characters, but that probably wouldn't happen. Fanfiction is about writing on official work, and if I put in my own character as the main one, then it'd be my story. I don't think other people who are after fanfiction on their favourite characters would be interested in reading about my own character, would they? ; If you want more characters, well, I would definitely be bringing more in.

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Chapter 12: The Past, the Present, and the Future

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The pain pierced him like an arrow, and sadness began to crowd him. Loneliness and confusion stung him repeatedly as soft, lyricless music flowed through his ears.

Isaac forced himself to open his eyes. Bracing himself with his hands, he looked around. Garet was oblivious to what was going on, and was working on his worksheet with a frown. Isaac turned his gaze to Mia, who was still hiding behind her book.

Looking at her, Isaac could tell that she was the one responsible for the song. He winced as he felt her despair. Mia felt alone, unwanted, abandoned. And she was putting it in her song. Through the music, Isaac could feel the heartache she was experiencing, and he was shocked beyond words.

Finally, Mia stopped singing. She abruptly put down her book and looked straight at Isaac. Her blue eyes looked bewildered as she noticed him gasping softly.

"You... felt that?" she asked uncertainly.

Isaac nodded, unsure of what to say. "How... how did that happen?"

"I don't know... I've never done that before..." Mia stammered. Garet finally looked up.

"What's wrong with you two?" he demanded. Both shook their heads.

"It's... complicated," Isaac said. Garet snorted.

"That's what they all say. Out with it," he ordered.

"It's nothing to do with him!" Mia insisted. "He just heard me."

"Heard you doing what? I didn't hear anything at all. There's DEFINITELY something weird going on here. I smell a fish." Garet sat up and folded his arms, raising his eyebrow in a manner saying 'Talk'.

Before Isaac could reply, the hall doors burst open, causing all three changers to jump half a dozen feet into the air. They landed with a bump as Kraden poked his head in.

"I'm back!" he announced cheerily. Entering, he shut the door and stared at his students. "What's the matter?"

"Isaac and Mia are acting strangely," Garet blurted. Kraden looked interested.

"Indeed?"

"It's just that... I think that the mermaid's power lies in her voice," Isaac explained.

Even Mia was stunned.

"Mermaid? Voice? As in, the stories where mermaids lure sailors to their deaths with harps and singing? As in, siren?" Kraden asked, frowning. "How do you know that?"

Isaac was about to explain when he caught Mia's expression. She shook her head lightly; she didn't want to explain.

All right then, he wouldn't tell.

"I... I'm guessing. It comes from the old myths after all," Isaac replied. He noticed Mia's shoulders relax in relief, and wondered why she didn't want to tell.

As well as why she was experiencing so much pain in the first place.

"I'm no music teacher myself... And I have no idea how it works... I'll have to research more on this," Kraden sighed. "Mia, maybe you should just work on theory for now. Change back and read the first chapter of your textbook."

Mia nodded and obediently obeyed. Kraden turned to Garet.

"Finish up your worksheet."

Then he caught hold of Isaac's arm and pulled him off the stage. Surprised, the blond followed him to a corner of the hall.

"Now. I've heard from Jenna what happened yesterday night."

"She... told you?" Isaac was surprised.

"Well... it was more of a report. Nowadays, whenever abnormal things happen, changers get blamed," Kraden rubbed his head absently. "So I'd already heard that some robbers were chased away. I asked Jenna because the robbers had actually tried to report you guys for assault. Even though they were at fault. Djinn were involved according to Jenna. I assume that's why you asked about Zagan?"

Isaac nodded. "I borrowed a book from the library that had a picture of Zagan. He's the one that appeared last night. But Rachel Aishaw said that books with red tags aren't allowed to be borrowed unless a teacher gives permission, so she took it."

"Ah, yes. She's one of the students that help out at the library, and she takes her job very seriously indeed," Kraden rubbed his nose. "Tell you what, I'll go search for that book. Where did you find it?"

"Under 'Medieval'. It's called 'Old Legends'," Isaac replied.

"All right, I'll go see. Now, I hear that you didn't want to attack those robbers because they aren't changers?"

Isaac nodded again. He had already heard from Felix. "Next time, I'll change..."

"Actually, what you did was right," Kraden interrupted. "When your djinn went for those robbers, they reported you. Imagine what would have happened if you had changed."

"But..."

"Yes, you should stand up for yourself. But keep in mind that you have to be sensible as well. After all, if you had changed, and they weren't frightened by the sight of you, do you think you could have defeated them? They, who were armed with guns?"

Isaac was silent.

"You must do what you think is best. But always think before you act. Okay? Now, get back to your book while I lecture Mia on the dangers of coke."

Isaac nodded. Inwardly, he wondered what he thought was best.

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Ivan was sitting on a wooden bench near the sand pit when Isaac arrived. He smiled and patted the wood next to him. Isaac sat down on the mahogany, placing his sling bag on his lap.

"So... what do you want to talk about?"

Ivan sighed. He clasped both hands together.

"You mentioned the name 'Zagan' to Master Kraden, didn't you?" Ivan asked. "I overheard his conversation with Jenna Venus. What made you think that the lion that appeared is Zagan?"

There was an urgency in Ivan's voice. He needed to know what was happening.

"I borrowed a book from the library this morning," Isaac explained. "It showed a picture of the lion, and said that Zagan was one of the Grand Gods."

Ivan clenched his fingers. He looked up. Isaac saw his purple eyes tense.

"Do your djinn know anything about Zagan?" he asked.

"No. They seem to have lost their memories of the past," Isaac replied. He was beginning to feel worried as well.

"And Zagan... what did he do when he appeared?"

"He attacked those robbers with his axe. Then... I suppose he disappeared," Isaac replied, thinking hard. "I can't remember... I don't think I noticed. Flint and Ground don't know either. They say that it was the first time they saw Zagan."

Ivan stared at the sand, clutching both hands so hard that his knuckles turned white. He mumbled to himself as he creased his forehead. Then he turned to Isaac.

"I'm going to explain as much as I know. But I must ask you to keep it under your hat, is that okay?" he asked.

"I don't really wear hats, but okay."

Ivan smiled slightly. Then his expression reverted to 'solemn'.

"Long ago, immortals called the Creators created the world. They created Earth, they created the elements, and they created the dinosaurs. They are frequently referred to as gods. But in actual fact, they are not perfect either. They were known as Iris, Ezul, Charon and Catastrophe."

"But why would a creator be called 'Catastrophe'? Isaac asked, confused. "It doesn't make sense."

"Well, it does if you look at it differently. They create the balance on Earth. For the same amount of positive power, there must be an equal amount of negative power to balance things. So disasters were often thrown in," Ivan explained. A red ball belonging to several toddlers flew towards him. Catching it absently and throwing it back to its owners, he continued.

"The Creators created other immortals. They walked the Earth, doing as they pleased, playing with the dinosaurs and so on. They never aged, hence their title, though they weren't immune to death. Out of the many immortals that existed, eight were named Grand Gods. They each upheld a certain virtue of the heart... I'm not so sure about that either. Basically, they were in charge of making sure that peace was kept within the world."

Ivan paused. A frown entered his face.

"But through an accident, a powerful evil immortal was created. He called himself Doom, and he did everything he could to ruin the peace on Earth. Wanting to mock the Grand Gods, Doom created an immortal himself. He named his creation Neptune, to be in charge of 'Fate', because he said that fate cannot be defied. Neptune was indeed powerful; once he said he would win, he was unbeatable. Many immortals were killed by him. The immortals quickly tried to create someone who could defeat Neptune. They wanted to create someone who held 'Miracles'."

"Why miracles?" Isaac asked.

"Because only a miracle can defy fate," Ivan explained patiently. "One of the Grand Gods, Thor, was a Seer. He had a premonition that Neptune would rise and take over the world in the future, when the immortals no longer exist to stop him. Worried, Thor wrote two books to warn the future. He began to create humans and animals, while the other immortals worked on the Miracles immortal, named the Wise One. But then, the immortals disappeared. No one ever heard of them again."

He stopped. Isaac was silent. He didn't know whether to believe Ivan's unbelievable story or not. It sounded extremely farfetched.

"How do you know all that?"

"My sister found one of Thor's books. She... she seems to have inherited Thor's ability of seeing into the future," Ivan replied rather hesitantly. "She could faintly see the world filled with darkness... due to Neptune."

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Isaac was feeling overwhelmed with information and rather blank at the same time.

"It's up to you whether you believe it or not. The thing is, Zagan was one of the Grand Gods. When you mentioned him, I wondered if he was still alive. With the Grand Gods, we still have a chance of defeating Neptune if he rises. Without them..."

"Ivan. Listen. Can I voice my opinion?" Isaac asked. Seeing his companion's nod, he went on. "I don't think anyone has ever heard of these immortals. You said yourself that they disappeared. Is it possible that Neptune and Doom disappeared with them as well? We don't have to worry about them if they don't exist. I know Thor saw Neptune in his, um, premonition, but if something unexpected had happened, he wouldn't have had time to write it down, would he?"

"Even if I don't trust Thor, I trust my sister," Ivan replied. His eyes were full of trust as he spoke of her. "She would never lie to me about such things... And if she saw Neptune causing trouble, I believe that Neptune will cause trouble. And he can strike anytime."

Silence reigned as Isaac tried to understand the information that were flooding his mind. More kids were entering and leaving the playground, laughing, shouting, enjoying themselves; totally unaware of the terrible plight the Earth was in according to Ivan.

"So... what are you going to do about it?" Isaac asked, breaking the silence.

"I have no idea. I had hoped that the immortals were alive... but we have to ask the djinn. Otherwise, we just have to wait for Neptune to strike, and make sure we are ready to defend ourselves."

"So... wouldn't it be better to let other people know about this?" Isaac asked.

"If Neptune knew that we knew of his plans, he would probably attack now," Ivan objected. "It's better to bide our time and wait. We also have to find the other book that Thor wrote. I believe it might say something more."

He stared at Isaac significantly.

"You think... you think the book I borrowed is the one that Thor wrote?" Isaac asked, taken aback. "Kraden said he'll look for it."

"We'll have to check it out. Are you going to school tomorrow?" Ivan asked.

"Yes. Club orientation, and I'm a new student," Isaac replied.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then. Remember, tell no one what I said," Ivan said quietly. He got up and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Isaac called. He stood up as well. Ivan turned and stared at him inquiringly.

"Why did you trust me? The fact that I knew about Zagan could mean that I'm an accomplice of Neptune," Isaac said. Ivan eyed him.

"Because I didn't think you're the sort," Ivan answered. With that confusing sentence, he turned and left. Isaac stared after him, puzzled.

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"Immortals?" Flint looked thoughtful. "Nope, haven't heard of them."

He had recovered from the stunt he pulled with Shine the night before, much to Isaac's relief.

"We really really don't know who that Zagan lion guy is," Ground agreed.

"It's really strange..." Isaac rested his chin on his left knee as he stared down at the djinn on his bed.

"We could try doing it again," Flint suggested.

"No way." Isaac's voice was firm. "I won't allow you to risk your safety."

"But Isaac, how will you find Zagan then?" Flint insisted.

"There'll be another solution. We just have to find that book," Isaac said, much more confidently than he felt.

"Hopefully," Ground stared at Flint. He nodded back.

"Well then, have an early night. You still have school tomorrow, right?" Flint said.

"Yup. Choosing clubs."

"Going for the potball again?" Ground asked excitedly. "You'll be the star!"

Isaac laughed.

"Nah, I'm not that good. But yes, basketball is fun. I might try for soccer, though. Garet said it's fun too."

"Uh huh, uh huh. And if Dora says Dance Club is fun you'd join Dance too," Ground said. "Really, really, you have to decide for yourself!"

"Yes, yes, I know, I know. Gosh, I'm starting to sound like you, Ground!" Isaac said in mock horror. "Now the world is coming to an end!"

Flint laughed. Ground looked exasperated.

Isaac grinned.

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Isaac looked around the basketball court. He was amazed at the number of people interested in joining Basketball. The court design was simple but effective, and Isaac could tell that much money had been spent on it.

The teacher in charge was a tall blond boy in a red sleeveless shirt and long track pants. He had dark green eyes and was holding a blue clipboard. Smiling at the new students around, he raised his voice to get their attention.

"All right, everyone! Gather for instructions, please!" he called.

As Isaac began to move towards him, he sensed something behind him. Instinctively, he turned and raised his right hand.

It was orange, and it was spinning.

Isaac whacked it.

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A/N: Well, that's it! Evil cliffhanger again, ho ho ho!

Piers: You're not even old enough to be Santa.

Oh be quiet. Now, I'm hungry for reviews! Even though I'll probably update regardless of the review count, I still long for reviews... So press that cute button there that's inviting you to.

Cheers!

Daidairo