Creature Changers

And a quick update! Since choir practices have stopped, I'm free!

Garet: Liar. You have holiday homework.

Oh be quiet. The holiday homework can wait. I know I only have three weeks left, and I haven't started on anything, but I don't caaaare!

Garet: Liar. You do care. You'll probably end up crying on the last day of holiday trying to finish.

... You must have gotten Ivan to read my mind. Damn. Forget homework, I'm working on Creature Changers. Though I miss choir practice... Since I have the time (ignores Garet's yells of 'Liar!'), I shall write!

Hm... Three people tried to guess my pretty bird. Two asked about the cyclops. No one thought if they might be minor characters. And no one asked about the hare, who might be a major character. Hmm...

EDIT: Turns out I'm posting it after school started. To all those whom I said "Updating soon", I'm sorry! Happy New Year to all!

Disclaimer: The day when roosters drink beer, dress in bathrobes, eat curry jelly and dance the tango with rabid gerbils is the day I own Golden Sun. When that day arrives, please inform me.

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Chapter 15: The Song of Recovery

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Slowly, drowsily, Isaac forced his eyes to open. Pure white nothing stared back at him.

His whole body ached, and he could feel bruises all over him. His insides felt like mashed potatoes, and it hurt every second. His left arm was stiff and unmovable, and a side glance told him that it was in a cast. With much effort, Isaac forced himself to sit up, and his body complained about the strain.

"Isaac! How are you feeling?"

The blond looked up and saw Mia, dressed in a white hospital gown similar to his own, leaning against the end of the bed he was on. She seemed to be unhurt.

"Please lie down! You were badly hurt yesterday!" Mia pushed him gently but firmly back onto the clean white bed, and hit a red button above him. "Listen, this is a simple summary of your condition. Your lungs are slightly punctured, your stomach's bleeding, some bones are broken, and your body is entirely covered with bruises and cuts. So you see, your body needs to rest or you won't recover."

"Where... hospital?" he asked, his throat dry.

"Yes, we're in a hospital. After you fainted last night, the police came with your parents. Though we told them what had happened, I'm not sure if they believed us. The bird and the centaur---Felix, is it?---collapsed like you did. An ambulance brought all of us here."

Isaac sighed. Looking to the side, he was startled to see Sheba covered with bandages, lying on her side.

"Why is Sheba...?"

Mia followed his gaze.

"Her name is Sheba, then? She's the purple bird that helped us last night," she explained. "Apparently, the cyclops had injured her previously, then left her. So when she woke, she attacked him again."

"I see... What about Felix? And Jenna?" Isaac asked anxiously.

"Felix is in a slightly better condition compared to you, but his leg's in a bad way." Mia pointed to a bed on the other side of Sheba. Isaac tried to sit up to look, but Mia pushed his head back down.

"And Jenna?"

Silence.

"Mia?"

"She was still being operated on the last time a nurse came here," Mia replied finally. Her voice shook as she spoke. "The doctors aren't sure if she'll survive..."

No!

"It can't be!"

Felix had shot up straight on his bed. His eyes looked livid as he stared at Mia.

"You're awake!" Isaac said, wincing as Felix's body quivered, no doubt complaining about the sudden movements that ate his energy.

"She's still alive, isn't she?" he demanded, his untied hair hanging untidily around his face.

"Of course!" Mia replied with as much confidence as she could muster. "She'll be fine, she has to be."

Grabbing two crutches that were leaning against the wall, Felix tried to swing both legs to the side of his bed. Trembling, he gripped the handles as tightly as he could, cursing at his right leg, which was heavily bandaged.

"What are you doing!" Isaac asked in alarm, sitting up.

Mia did not bother to stop him either. "You're in no condition to move!"

"I'm going to look for Jenna!"

"SIT DOWN!"

Startled at the new voice and exhausted beyond his wits, Felix fell back onto his bed. He turned to the side to glare at the speaker.

Sheba glared back at him as she sat up. She was in a much better condition to glare; her only injuries seemed to be a leg which was bandaged slightly, and a cheek which was covered with a large plaster.

"She's my sister!" Felix argued.

"You don't even know where she is!" Sheba yelled back. "Running out there and destroying what's left of you won't help her! She might still be under operation! And if you just dash in and interrupt the doctors she'll be in trouble! So just sit down and WAIT! There's nothing you can do!"

Both Mia and Isaac watched the two warily. It occured to Isaac that Sheba did not seem like the type to shout. Felix seemed taken aback that someone other than Jenna had just yelled at him. Sheba was breathing heavily as she stopped.

"I'm sorry for yelling," she finally said. "I guess I got a little worked up. I know you're worried, but it's really not going to help. If anything happens to you, your sister will be all alone. You have to take care of yourself."

Isaac agreed with everything that Sheba had said. Glancing at Mia, he knew she felt the same.

Felix was different. Slightly.

"..."

"I'm sure your sister will be fine. Please, just lie down and wait." Sheba seemed to have quietened down after the loud outburst.

Felix turned away. Without replying, he let himself collapse onto the bed. Sheba smiled slightly.

"Isaac, you should lie down too," she pointed out. Mia stared at him, then gave him yet another push.

"If my condition worsens, it'll be your fault," Isaac said as he allowed himself to be shoved onto the bed.

Mia chuckled. "You can tell the doctor that."

Right on cue, the door opened and two doctors entered, flanked by nurses in light pink.

"Ah, all of you are awake...?" one of them asked. He was thin and timid looking, with black hair parted neatly in the center.

"How's Jenna? The redheaded female?" Felix demanded, sitting up again.

"She's probably fine now. There's still a danger period until a couple of hours later, so she's being watched for now," the black haired doctor replied. Two nurses went straight to Mia and pulled her behind a screen.

What are they doing? Isaac wondered. "Are we allowed to see her?"

"Later," the second doctor snapped. His brown busy eyebrows narrowed as he scanned them with a green visor. "All of you seem to be on the heal, so I won't stay. Rest here until the major wounds have recovered."

Taking off the visor, he exited the room.

"What's wrong with him?" Sheba asked, arching an eyebrow and wincing as the action pulled at a scratch on her face.

"He's a... he's got a grudge..." the first doctor said quietly. "His girlfriend was killed by a Changer..."

No one seemed to know what to say to that.

"What are those nurses doing with Mia?" Isaac asked, breaking the silence.

"They're... checking her. She apparently recovered from her injuries more quickly than possible... We're wondering about that, so..."

"Dr. Martin!" the screen was pushed back as the nurse called. "She's... fully healed."

Mia headed back towards the other changers, looking confused.

"Strange... tell Dr. Ferdinand as soon as he is unoccupied," Dr. Martin instructed. The nurse nodded. "The rest of you, please rest for the time being. Isaac Gaia, your parents are waiting in the lobby, so... I'll send them in, all right?"

Isaac nodded. Dr. Martin left. The nurses fiddled with certain equipment, fussed over Felix's hair, made Mia sit on an empty bed, then left as well.

Ten minutes later, the door burst open again. Dora and Kyle rushed straight to their son; the former crying and embracing, the latter crying and demanding answers.

"Isaac! Are you all right! Does it hurt anywhere!"

"What happened?"

Several men in blue uniform had followed them in, and one stepped up. "Sir, I think we should be the one questioning."

"Mom, Dad, I'm fine," Isaac said patiently, sitting up. Dora frowned.

"Mr. Iaka, please. These children are hurt and need to rest," she said. "I think interrogation should be left for another day."

"Madam, this is important. I insist that it be done now, before things go wrong," the constable replied. Turning, he barked at the other four policemen who had entered with him.

"Watch the doors!"

Immediately, they scooted to obey. A feeling of acute dislike struck Isaac, and he stared as the constable glared around at the changers.

"All of you, sit up!"

With much difficulty, Felix struggled up while Sheba and Mia both glared at the constable with the same dislike that Isaac felt.

"Why were you at Fern Mansion last night? It's an abandoned house, where you shouldn't have been trespassing. Furthermore, it was late at night. Why would you people be walking there?"

"We were lured there by a strange smell, we've already told you that last night," Sheba said, looking irritated.

"Do you expect me to believe that?" Mr. Iaka snorted. "Fine, I'll overlook it for now. How did you destroy that whole mansion?"

"It wasn't us alone, that cyclops had a say in it," said Mia quietly. "He was trying to hurt us, so of course we had to retaliate. While engaging in combat, we damaged the mansion."

A notebook was whipped out, and notes were made. Mr. Iaka then looked up again.

"Do you have any idea who the cyclops Changer is?"

"No." All the changers replied simultaneously.

"Why was he trying to hurt you?"

"Some scientists deduced that Changers can gain abilities of others if they can defeat them. This cyclops wanted to get our abilities, so he tried to defeat us," Felix replied.

More notes.

"Right, that will be all for now," Mr. Iaka said finally. "Two watchmen will be assigned outside your room, for safety reasons."

"What about the cyclops?" Isaac asked.

"Of course we're keeping him under watch. You need not worry about him any longer." Snapping the notebook shut, the constable departed.

The door closed with a click.

"'Safety reasons'? Seems more like he thinks you guys are the wicked plotters behind this," Kyle remarked.

"Dad, Mom, what exactly happened last night?" Isaac asked.

"Flint and Ground woke when you disappeared. They informed us immediately, and we phoned the police," Dora explained. "They're at home now, hiding."

"How did you find us?" Sheba asked.

"Other changers had also disappeared, apparently, and their disappearance was reported by their families. One of them owned a bloodhound, who led us to the mansion," Kyle continued.

"An ambulance brought everyone here. Nearly all of you had to be operated on, so us parents were told to wait in the lobby." Like Mia, Dora made Isaac lie down. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, just a little sore."

Just then, a fat, brunette nurse entered.

"The patients are supposed to rest now. No visitors will be allowed until 5.00pm. Please leave," she announced.

"We're his parents!" Dora protested.

"They need rest. MAKE YOUR WAY OUT NOW."

Kyle ruffled his son's already messy hair. "We'll be back soon. Come on, Dora."

Still protesting, Dora was steered out by Kyle and the nurse.

"All of you are to sleep. Doctor's orders," the nurse said sternly. "Lie down and do as instructed, everyone of you."

Meekly, the changers crept down and pulled their blankets over themselves. The nurse nodded, satisfied. She exited the room.

The door slammed.

Immediately, everyone sat up in their beds.

"That snail is right, you know," Mia announced.

"You mean Mr. Iaka?" Isaac asked.

"Of course. Why did that smell lure us? Only us?"

"Ivan's told me about it before..." Sheba started.

"Who's Ivan?" Both Mia and Felix asked.

"He's a new mythical from school. What did Ivan say?" Isaac asked.

"The Changertract potion attracts changers and puts them in a trance. It does affect only changers, but no one has any idea why," Sheba said. "It's made by mixing and heating garlic, onions, flour, soy sauce, rubber ducks, mushroom soup, sheets of newspaper, purple dyed silk threads, sardines, gingerbeer and strawberry milk."

There was silence. The air conditioner blew.

"Who in his right mind would try brewing something like that and still come up with results?" Felix voiced what both Mia and Isaac were thinking.

"No idea," Sheba shrugged. "I don't think anyone knows who came up with it in the first place either."

"Why didn't the... 'potion'... affect the cyclops then?" Isaac asked.

"Didn't you notice that the cyclops has no nose? He can't smell the mixture," Sheba said.

More silence.

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Mia said, shaking her head in disbelief. "How does he breathe then?"

"By some other method obviously. Fishes don't have noses either and they breathe fine," Sheba replied.

"Point taken," Felix sighed and stared at the door. "I wonder how Jenna is."

"She was really badly hurt, wasn't she? That cyclops had better be punished for it," Mia said. Sheba stared at her. And stared again.

"Mia, is it? You... don't seem to have taken any damage at all."

"I did, last night. My arm was even broken. But they seemed to have healed quickly..." Mia said. "Like that nurse said just now, all of my bruises and cuts are fully healed."

"That's strange, why would it be that way?" Isaac frowned in bewilderment.

"Maybe it's a Changer ability, but the rest of us don't have that," Felix said.

"What's your creature, Mia?" Sheba asked.

"Mermaid."

"Well, that should explain it," Sheba said, thinking hard. "Mermaids were immortals in the old legends. I remember reading about them. If they manage to reach 14 years old without getting killed, they would attain immortality. They would not die of old age or diseases, and nothing can kill them. They will only turn to foam when they reach three hundred."

"So you're saying... I recover faster than others because I'm unkillable?" Mia said uncertainly.

"That's probably it," Sheba said. "I think..."

Nobody ever found out what she thought. The door burst open as Kraden ran in.

"Everyone! How have you been?" he asked, staring around at them as he dumped a large basket of fruits on Felix's table.

"We're fine, Kraden," Isaac said. "Just a little sore."

"All sorts of rumours have been flying around. What exactly happened?" Kraden asked.

"It's a long story," Mia replied. "The short version; a cyclops changer believed that changers could gain others' abilities by defeating them, and used the Changertract potion to lure us to Fern Mansion. All of us here attacked him, and won, but we took too much damage and landed in here."

"I see..." Kraden shook his head. "What Changers will do with their powers... I must report this to the principal..."

He gave a start as he turned to Mia.

"You attacked him? How?"

"Isaac was right about the singing. I sang to stop him moving, and it worked," Mia explained.

"Really? Ohhh I must study mermaids! How exactly did you stop him? Did you hypnotise him? Put him to sleep? What else can your voice do? Can you do damage? Burst eardrums maybe? Or the opposite? Can you heal wounds? Can you..."

"OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUT OUUUUUUUT!"

The fierce nurse burst into the room, her fair face red with anger.

"I said NO VISITORS!" she bellowed. Glaring at the changers, she continued, "I said SLEEP!"

Hurriedly, the changers laid down and hid under their blankets.

Turning to Kraden, the nurse repeated her words. "DIDN'T I SAY 'NO VISITORS'!"

"But they're my..."

"I don't CARE if they're yours! Yelling like that in the middle of a hospital room!"

"You're yelling too, and I..."

"OUT! THIS INSTANT!"

"But..."

The nurse lifted an injection needle from a tray by the side. Holding it like a dagger, she glared at Kraden with an evil look in her eye.

"Do you want some of this?"

Kraden eyed the needle nervously.

The next moment, he was running.

"NOOOO! GET THAT POINTY STICK AWAY FROM ME!"

The nurse smiled triumphantly.

"Huh. I know that type. They're all afraid of one tiny needle and its tiny pain, no matter how old they become."

Turning, she eyed the lumps of bedsheets.

"The redheaded girl is probably fine. She's inside the ICU now and needs rest. So do you. You will be permitted to see her in the evening ONLY if you sleep," she announced.

A soft snore came from Felix's bed. The nurse smiled sweetly.

"Sleep well!"

The door closed behind her.

"Felix, you snore?" Isaac asked from beneath his blanket.

Sheba gave a squeal of laughter while Mia coughed a cough that sounded suspiciously like 'Felixcoughsnorescough'.

"Shut up, Isaac," Felix said, his voice muffled by the sheets. "I want to see Jenna even if you don't."

"Isn't that just an excuse to change the Snoring Subject?" Sheba asked innocently.

"SLEEP."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Mia slipped the blanket down and looked out. The brunette nurse was sitting on a chair at the doorway, snoozing.

Quietly, she crept out of bed and stood up. The nurse frowned. Quick as a flash, she knelt down and hid behind Isaac's bed. Thankfully, the nurse continued sleeping.

Nearest person is... Isaac. I hope Kraden's right.

Glancing at the sleeping Isaac, she sat down and changed. Keeping her voice as low as possible, she sang.

"Major wounds, minor wounds
Let me whistle you away

Horrible pain, terrible pain

In this body you must not stay

Hear this song, hear this voice,
It shall heal and mend your life

For this song, and this voice

Wishes you will stay alive."

On she went, occasionally looking up to watch the nurse. Slowly, she felt something well up inside of her. Not daring to stop, Mia sang on. Her hands felt wet, and she thought it was perspiration.

But they became wetter. Astonished, Mia lifted her hands. Water was appearing on her palms, seemingly seeping out from them.

The crystal clear water swirled as she sang. As her voice trembled, the water disappeared. Panicking, Mia pulled herself from the surprise and continued singing softly. Drops of the water flowed towards Isaac, moving towards the bandages and cuts on his body. More water flowed, and soon streams of water was moving randomly from Mia's hands towards Isaac.

Hardly breathing, Mia watched as water sank into a bruise on Isaac's cheek. The swell went down and disappeared. A small red cut on his forehead also disappeared.

It's working...!

"Though the injuries may have hurt you
Though you may have suffered, my friend

It's the end of pain, you will rise again

Fully healed, for this is the end."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Isaac opened his eyes and sat up. He felt cooled. As if I had just been drenched by water...

He noticed Mia beside his bed.

"Mia? What are you doing?" he asked.

Mia felt tired. "How do you feel? How are your wounds?"

"They..." Isaac stopped. He touched his face and swung his arm. "They... don't hurt at all... What on earth...!"

"I did it...!" Mia's face broke out into a smile. "Kraden gave me the idea that my voice could heal injuries. After all, my own were healed without trouble, so I figured a mermaid would be able to heal others."

"You... really?" Isaac examined the rest of him cautiously. There was no pain, no soreness, no tiredness. "I feel perfectly fine. So... your song can heal?"

"Apparently so," Mia changed back and stood up. "I'm glad it worked. I'd like to heal everyone else. That girl, Jenna... She's the one who needs help most."

"You think you can heal Jenna?" Isaac asked.

"Jenna? Is it time to see her yet?"

Isaac and Mia looked towards the mumbler. Felix tossed and opened his eyes sleepily.

"Felix, wake up." Isaac went towards his bed. His movements weren't slow and stiff like how it was hours ago. "Listen, Mia managed to heal me with her mermaid abilities. She should be able to heal Jenna too. We're going to try."

Wide awake, Felix stared at Isaac and where his injuries once were. Grabbing his crutches, he hopped up.

"Let's go."

Fortunately for them, the nurse did not notice as they snuck out.

The ICU, or Intensive Care Unit, was clearly labelled, so they found it with no difficulties.

There was also a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door.

They went in anyway.

"Jenna...?"

"She's wrapped like a mummy," Mia whispered. "Is it that bad?"

Jenna was not totally covered by bandages, but close enough. Metal braces was strapped to her back, and several casts were held up by pulleys. A small X-ray machine was held directly above her, and a screen nearby showed the many broken bones in her body, along with blood clots, bruises, and other things the inexperienced changers could not recognise.

Mia raised both hands towards Jenna. She started singing, and the water began to flow like before.

Felix and Isaac watched in disbelief as the water entered Jenna. One broken bone on the screen melded together slowly, and soon became smooth and unbroken. According to the screen, the rest of Jenna's body began to heal as well.

"... Hear my voice, hear my song

And feel the water's power

Healing you and strengthening you
So that you will recover... recover..."

The flowing streams of water suddenly disappeared, and Mia collapsed in a heap on the ground, unconscious. The screen began to blink continuously.

"Body temperature rising. Blood pressure rising. Warning!" the mechanical voice of the machine rang out.

"What's happening!" Felix cried in alarm. Isaac stared at the screen worriedly.

"Mia? Jenna!"

Flames crept out from underneath Jenna's shoulder blades. They expanded and grew, forming wings of fire. They touched everything around, yet nothing was burnt or charred. They folded around Jenna, engulfing her in flames.

"JENNA!"

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Finally done! And now I have to do a Social Studies project before I sleep...

Ah well, that's what comes of writing before homework is finished... (sweatdrops sheepishly)

This one wasn't as long as the previous, but it'll do. I think. I hope. At least it had plot stuff.

Until next time (probably a long time away now that school's started)!

Daidairo