Chapter 7
Yuja: Hi again!
::Angry mob throws stuff at Yuja::
Yuja: What tha'? Hey, I'm finally back with another chapter!
::Angry mob stops wasting food and cheers::
Yuja: Er…O-kaaayyy…
Isaac: My suggestion to you is to either get better at updating or run…very fast.
Yuja: Speaking of running…where's Felix?
Jenna: I think he's still running from the last chapter.
Yuja: Sheesh! Get that guy on a shoe commercial if he can run that long! Jenna? Would you mind taking his job for today?
Jenna: Felix has a job?
Yuja: Yeah. It's called the "Disclaimer".
Jenna: Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun. Well, she does own a copy of each game, but not the rights. If she did, she'd probably start a GS movie or anime series.
Yuja: Not really, but it's fun to think of it. Also, this chapter's a bit longer than normal.
All: A BIT?!?!
*sweatdrop* Well, I had to make up for the wait somehow! I believe the correct phrase for this is "gomen nasai." I think I'm gonna be writing slightly longer chapters than normal for the rest of the story to make up some for the delays.
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"What took you guys so long?" asked Felix when Garet, Isaac, and Mia all entered the large living room. He and Jenna were watching a movie on the big-screen TV.
Garet was the first to answer as the three of them found seats. "Oh, you know how it is. The traffic lights just seem to have it in for me today. And Isaac had some trouble trying to find his things. You know -- with all those boxes and suitcases around his house. Not to mention how he had to call his mom at work to let her know where he would be."
Isaac gave Garet a sideways glance. Not only was he being dishonest, but he was being dishonest to his best friends! Of course, the phone call part had been true.
"Well, I brought some Cheese Doodles from home," said Jenna, holding up an orange bag.
"Ugh. Is that all you can ever eat, Jenna?" complained Felix. "I can't even remember the last time the house was without them!"
"So? At least I don't have an eating disorder like half the other girls at school," retorted his sister.
"Yeah, that's good and all, but," Felix stood up, "there's other snacks than just Cheese Doodles. For example, I believe I smelled a new batch of cookies in the kitchen." He started for the said room.
"Hey! Who said you could eat my cookie supply?!" demanded Garet, and he hurried after Felix, leaving Isaac with Jenna and Mia.
Isaac looked around the room. It was nicely decorated with landscape paintings and a small water fountain hanging from the ceiling by the door. "This is a nice place Garet's got here," he stated, more for himself than anything.
"Yeah. He loves it here," responded Mia. "Too bad he won't ever get it."
Isaac looked back to her. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, Garet's not gonna be the one to inherit the house or property. His parents made up their wills a couple of years ago. You know: in case anything happened to either of them during a business trip. They didn't want any loose ends left behind for the rest of the family. And they've left the house to his big sister." She pointed above the fireplace mantel where several family photos sat in shiny frames. Isaac noticed how most of the photos contained a girl with brownish-red hair. "She's a freshman in college this year, and she's the oldest of the three, so, naturally, she'll get the most."
"Three?" For some reason, Isaac had always thought of Garet as an only child.
"His little brother's staying with his school friends while his parents are out of town," explained Jenna. "Since Garet's already got his license to get him around, his parents think he's ready to take care of himself. It used to be that he just stayed with Felix and me, but now his parents just leave him with what he needs. His mom makes up check lists of all the food and stuff he needs in the house for when they're gone."
"And his father usually leaves some money behind incase Garet needs it. Like to buy extra food or school supplies. The only thing Garet has to worry about buying with his own money is the gas for the car and help with the insurance," added Mia.
"So, Garet pretty much lives the easy life?" asked Isaac.
"In a way," said Mia. "But Garet gets to deal with enough other stuff that it makes up for the rest."
Isaac was about to ask what she meant, but just then Garet and Felix came marching back into the room. Felix was carrying a large plate of chocolate chip cookies, and Garet was following him, mumbling something that sounded like "eating all my snacks".
"After much debate, I have finally convinced Garet here to perform in the ancient art of sharing!" declared Felix triumphantly, placing the plate on the glass-topped table in front of the others.
**********
"So, Isaac," started Garet, taking another gulp of his soda before continuing, "just what's the deal with that Menardi?"
For the past half-hour, the teenagers had been munching away at the cookies and other various snacks they had found around the house, including Jenna's bag of Cheese Doodles. Garet, Jenna, Mia, and Felix had taken turns making fun of one another and thinking up witty comebacks. For the entire time Isaac had just listened in, occasionally nodding or shaking his head when asked what he thought. And he had been happy. The happiest, in fact, that he had ever been for the past five years. But at the mention of Menardi, Isaac suddenly found himself ready to choke on the Oreo he was eating.
"Way to ruin the moment, Garet!" scolded Jenna on Isaac's right.
"Calm down Jenna," said Felix. "It would've come up sooner or later." He looked to Isaac. "To be honest, I'd like to know myself."
Isaac didn't notice his left hand reaching for his right shoulder. "There's not much to say, really. She just works for that guy back in Tolbi," he stated as if it wasn't anything important.
"But she really got to you," said Mia. "You're usually so quiet. I never thought I'd hear you talk so forcefully to someone. It was almost -- scary."
Isaac let out a sigh. "I'm sorry, Mia. Maybe I should've never let any of you know about this. I should go." He made to stand, but Jenna grabbed the back of his shirt and jerked him back down.
"Don't you dare regret being friends with us over this! And just what's wrong with your arm? What did that jerk mean when she talked about your 'injuries'?"
It was then that Isaac realized he was holding onto his right shoulder and quickly pulled his hand away to place it on his knee instead. "What do you mean? Nothing's wrong with it." Smooth. Real smooth Isaac. You might as well just say you don't have strange powers!
But before Isaac could stop her, Jenna had already lifted the right sleeve of his T-shirt. "What tha - ? When Menardi made those jokes about injuring your arm -- I-I don't know what I expected. Maybe a couple of scratches and bruises, but…" The others moved around to see for themselves. Knowing he couldn't escape if he tried, Isaac found a point on the wall to become interested in.
"Isaac, just what did that Menardi do to you?" asked a concerned Mia. In the area that had been formerly covered by the sleeve was a white, circular scar, a sign of an old burn. It wasn't extremely large, only two inches across, but it was enough.
"It's nothing. Really." He tried to pull his arm away, but to no avail. "Seriously. It's just a mark. Nothing big." But Jenna moved her thumb across the scar, causing Isaac to yelp and try yanking his arm out of her grasp.
"How can you say it's nothing?" demanded Felix. "It obviously still hurts you!"
"It's just a mark!
"Let me see." Mia took his arm from Jenna and gently covered the scar with her right hand. Instead of wincing, Isaac felt a cool tingling sensation in his arm and turned his head to see what was happening. Mia was staring at her hand in surprise, and Isaac soon realized that it was glowing a faint blue!
"Mia…you…have powers?"
Mia let go his arm and backed away. Everyone was staring at her in stunned silence. "I-I've always been good at healing and fixing injuries," she said quietly. "But, I-I thought it was just some natural talent. I've never seen that glow before!"
"Maybe it just hasn't come out until now. Look at my arm!" Everyone now looked back to Isaac and, sure enough, the scar had shrunk and gained some of its color back.
"Mia! You healed him!" cried Jenna with glee.
"Way to go Mia!" exclaimed Garet and Felix at the same time.
Isaac just stared at his arm. It didn't even burn anymore.
**********
"Hey Mia. See if you can heal this bruise."
"What did you do this time, Garet?"
"Nothing!" Mia cocked an eyebrow. "Well, maybe I did walk into a desk…or two…"
Mia grinned and placed her right hand over the bruise on Garet's knee.
"Gee, should we just leave you two alone?" Jenna giggled.
"Shut up Jenna!"
It was around eleven 'o clock, and the five friends had finally decided to lay out their sleeping bags in the upstairs recreational room, not that they were exactly planning on going to sleep anytime soon. Isaac, not being used to the routine, had to borrow a green sleeping bag from Garet, who was using his own red one. Jenna and Felix had brought their personal orange sleeping bags, each with the owner's name stitched into the front. Mia's was a shiny aqua blue and positioned to Garet's right, who in turn was to Isaac's right.
Mia's hand glowed the same pale blue. When she pulled her hand away, the bruise had faded to a faint gray mark.
"Great job, Mia!" cried Felix. Mia smiled, but then closed her eyes and raised a hand to her forehead. "Mia?"
She pulled away the hand and opened her eyes again. "Don't worry. All this healing practice is just wearing me out. That's all."
"I know the feeling," said Isaac casually from two sleeping bags away. "It'll be like that until you develop it some more. It took me a few years before I could make one plant grow two inches without getting the life drained out of me."
"You trained hard, didn't you?" Mia looked him in the eye, wordlessly demanding a true answer.
There was a pause before Isaac answered, looking away. "Yeah. I trained real hard," he replied slowly before sarcastically adding with a slight laugh, "Alotta good it did me, too!"
There was another pause before Jenna broke the silence. "Well, let's get to bed!" Everyone got into their sleeping bags and Garet clapped his hands twice to turn off the light.
"You know what, Garet?" came Jenna's voice in the dark.
"What?"
"No matter how much I come over, I never stop loving those clap-on/clap-off lights."
**********
He was on a dirt trail with a river to his right and a hill of boulders to the left. The straps of his hiking bag dug slightly into his shoulders. He looked around, recognizing where he was the second he heard the water.
"Isaac?"
Isaac turned from gazing down at the rushing waters below to stare at the voice's source, which was standing on the trail before him. "Dad?"
"Why didn't you control it better?"
Isaac drew back slightly. "I'm sorry Dad. Honest! I couldn't control it then, but I know I can now!"
"Can you?" The ground started to vibrate.
"No, Dad! You promised to stay with me every step of the way! You promised!" But it was no use. In a split second, Kyle had been replaced by a wall of boulders. "No! Don't leave me alone again! DAD!!"
**********
The room was dimly lit and the sunlight mostly blocked by the closed blinds over the windows.
"You'd be wise to just accept the offer, Mr. Wood." The voice was cold and spoke slowly. "This is as good as it gets."
But Isaac just continued to glare at the old man silhouetted in the window. "Forget about making me wise," he replied calmly, "You're the old man here, so you should be wise enough to realize that you can't talk me into it."
"Is that so?" The man nodded his head and Isaac could hear Menardi moving behind him.
"You're not the brightest boy in the club, are you?" she said in her usual arrogant, annoying tone.
"I just don't feel like being used and experimented on like some useless lab rat."
"Who said you'd be a lab rat? Other than being used in experiments, lab rats are generally treated quite well." She was standing right behind him now. "In your case, however, we're only interested in your 'magic', not your health."
Isaac felt a hand on his upper right arm and, within seconds, it felt as though a hot iron was being pressed into his skin, the burning feeling spreading down his right arm and across his back. He cried out...
**********
Isaac shouted as a hand pulled away from his arm and he sat bolt upright. The pain lessened, but his upper arm still stung.
"What happened? Who yelled?" There was a yawn and a single clap before the lights turned on. Isaac was bent over, breathing heavily and clutching his arm. "Well?" It was Jenna.
"It's Isaac," answered Garet. His voice was grave. "I think he had a nightmare or something. I was trying to wake him up."
"All that over one nightmare?" asked Jenna jokingly.
Garet ignored her. He was too busy watching Isaac as he started to shiver some. "Isaac?"
By now, Mia and Felix were waking up. "Ugh! It's two in the morning! What's everyone doing up?" asked Felix.
"Garet? What's wrong with Isaac?" questioned Mia.
"I don't know."
Mia leaned over to see around Garet. "Isaac? Are you OK?"
"I-I'm fine," stammered Isaac, coming out of his state of shock. "It was nothing. Really."
Garet growled quietly under his breath. "You know, I'm getting real tired of all this 'nothing' crap! It's amazing you even managed to stay in your bag with all the rolling around you were doing! Of course, it was the talking in your sleep that woke me up."
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't know what it was. You were mumbling a lot of stuff."
"Like what? What did you hear?" demanded Isaac, his eyes looking desperate and angry.
Garet faltered a bit before answering. This wasn't like Isaac. "I-I don't know for sure. I only caught a few words like 'promise' and 'experiment'. And I think you mentioned something about your dad."
Isaac caught his breath at that last part. He didn't care if his new friends found out about the story behind Menardi, but he had hoped to keep his father's death to himself. To simply think about what really happened felt like admitting that it had happened and that it was his fault, and he still wasn't ready to admit that fact.
"Isaac?"
Isaac let out a sigh. He might as well humor them some. He turned around on his sleeping bag to join the circle that had formed behind him. "I first met Menardi about a month or so ago. She and her boss had me called to the office for a meeting. Since he's so rich and famous, they had no problem getting the principal to loan them his office."
"Who is this rich guy, anyway?" asked Mia. "You still haven't told us his name."
"He was once the mayor of Tolbi, but that was at least over 20 years ago."
"You're not going to tell us, are you?"
"Nope." Mia shook her head but said nothing more. "Anyways," continued Isaac, "this ex-mayor had been on my case for several months already. When I didn't cooperate with him at our first meeting, he started making all these great offers to try convincing me to work for him. The meeting in the principal's office was the last time I saw him. They made me a really great offer, but Mom had already told me not to accept, no matter how great the prize. When I refused him again, that was when Menardi burned my arm."
"That creep!" exclaimed Jenna. "Just because you didn't want to help him doesn't give him the right to threaten and hurt you!"
Felix pondered for a moment before speaking. "You said that Menardi can control fire. Could she have used some fire 'attack' to burn you and leave a mark like that?"
"I wouldn't doubt it," said Isaac. "A normal burn of that magnitude doesn't leave a scar that small. And I know it wasn't some small flame. She only held my arm for a second or so before it felt like it and my back were both on fire. And the burning stayed with the scar until tonight when Mia healed it."
"You mean, your arm's been hurting you this entire time?!" questioned Garet.
Isaac nodded. "It wasn't that bad. It was really dull. I got used to it a while back. It only bothered me when something rubbed up against it."
"I wonder why my healing abilities didn't kick in until I saw your scar," said Mia.
"It was probably the first time you've ever been exposed to someone else with powers. Until tonight, those abilities have probably just been lying dormant inside you," explained Isaac.
Everyone was silent for a bit as they thought about all of this, but then Garet remembered the question he had been wanting to ask for almost two weeks. "You still haven't told us about what happened to your dad."
Again, Isaac felt himself freezing up. Even just the rumors surrounding his father's death had cost him all the friends and playmates he once had, leaving him open for the usual teasings from the bullies. While his mind fought to stay closed and keep the secrets within, his heart finally started crying out to unleash the memories and sorrow that had torn at it for so long.
"All right," said Isaac slowly, giving in. "I can't give every detail, but…I guess I could tell the basic story. We were out hiking when he brought up the idea of making me train. I couldn't control my powers so well back then, if even at all. I practiced real quick on a dandelion, but then my powers let loose and started an earthquake around us. That caused a bunch of boulders on a hill to slip, and they fell across the path and into the river…taking Dad with them." His head was lowered, and he had to blink a lot to hold back the tears that were trying to form. Everyone was staring at him.
"Isaac…" Mia watched him, feeling more sorry for him by the second. "I-I had no idea. But…you…you can't be blamed for it. It was completely out of your control-"
"He promised that he would help me! He said that he'd always be there for me!" Isaac hugged his knees to his chest. "I should've controlled it! I did control it, but that last shake sent the whole hill falling! It's not fair! I could heal a stupid flower easily, but I couldn't save my own Dad!" The tears stung the corners of his eyes, refusing to stay hidden and falling to his knees. Curse it. Why was he telling them all of this? He had only meant to tell what had happened to his dad, so why was he now blurting out all the mixed up feelings he had kept inside for the past five years?
A hand rested on his left shoulder. Isaac looked up to find himself face to face with Garet. "It wasn't your fault. You can't be held responsible for something you couldn't control. You were only twelve, for crying out loud!"
"Does your mom know about it?" asked Felix.
Isaac bowed his head again. "No. She only knows that I can make plants grow. I've never told anyone."
"Why didn't you ever tell her?"
Garet felt Isaac's shoulder shaking. "A-After Dad disappeared, n-no one really wanted much to do with me. They knew I was different. They didn't know what, but they knew there was something. I-I was scared of what she would think of me."
"So, you just kept it bottled up inside of you…for five years…" Mia fell silent as she took this in.
"Have you ever had nightmares like that before?" asked Garet.
Isaac hesitated, but he finally nodded his head. "Every night," he whispered.
"Every night?!"
"But they've never been of Menardi. It's always been about Dad disappearing."
It was then that Garet remembered what had happened during Isaac's third day of school. "Isaac, when you started zoning out during math class on your third day here, were you thinking of your dad then too?"
Isaac was silent for a moment as he remembered. He nodded. "I was thinking about how quickly I had started to fit in here, but then I started thinking back to why I was here. From that point, I completely fazed out and started remembering again."
"You really fazed out. The teacher called on you at least three times before hitting your desk with the ruler. It looked like you had some kind of heart attack when she did that." Garet grinned, and, for some reason Isaac couldn't explain, Isaac felt the loneliness inside him gradually fading away. He smiled back.
**********
Isaac lay awake in his sleeping bag. The clock on the wall read about 4:25, the hands barely visible in the dim morning light. He couldn't get back to sleep. Garet had tried staying awake incase Isaac had another nightmare, but the lack of sleep had finally caught up with him and he was now snoring lightly to Isaac's right. Isaac tried keeping his thoughts clear, but his burn kept stinging faintly. It wasn't enough to hurt him, but it did annoy him. Finally, sleep overcame him and, for the first time in five years, he could honestly say later that he had slept well.
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Yuja: That was different. I'm not that good at picking genres, but I'm glad I changed this one's at least to drama. Here's something REALLY pathetic on my part: I'm the author of this story, yet it wasn't until now that I realized how close to the game's storyline I've made Kyle's death in this storyline! I mean, in the game, Kyle gets knocked into the river by one big boulder. In this story, Kyle gets knocked into the river by several smaller but nicely-sized boulders. And in both stories, Isaac feels responsible for it all…I think…
Isaac: I have issues.
Yuja: Sorry. It's turning out sadder than I thought it would. Oh well. I'm a pretty dramatic person when it comes to writing. And there will be more on Isaac's flash-back dreams in the next chapter. I have most of it written on paper already, so now I just have to finish it and start typing it (I'll do my best to have this one out quicker). And Ivan and Sheba will return in the next chapter. There will also be some hints at some other characters and events that are still a couple chapters away.
Isaac: This is gonna be a long story if she keeps going at this rate.
To save time, I'll make the review responses quick:
*No, I haven't decided on a pairing. I'm thinking that I'm just going to drop that topic for now and see just where this story goes. To be honest, I stink when it comes to writing romance of any degree.
*Yes, more GS characters will be entering the story soon.
*About the Psynergy, I know what I'm doing with it, but I think I'll leave that question to be answered by the story.
Yuja: Anyway, thanks for all the reviews. My sincerest apologies for the delay. (3 months?!?!?! What the heck happened to the time?!?)
Isaac: Maybe you could just blame it on your science homework.
Yuja: I already blame everything on it. I swear, it's a great class (I have a pyromaniac teacher), but the homework is murder!