Disclaimer: By now, you ought to know that I DON'T OWN GOLDEN SUN!!!

A/N: Hurray! Another checked chapter!

We stopped by the mayor's house after eating slightly burnt toasted bread (courtesy of Garet). He thanked us and handed me a small glass jar of what he called "Water of Life". "Are you heading out beyond Goma Range, by any chance?"

I shrugged. "I guess..."

"Look for a cave in the mountains of the Goma Range, northeast of us." he instructed. "Once you've passed it, you'll reach Bilibin." Bilibin? Another town? I didn't know there were so many other towns than Vale!

We left Vault.

"Northeast, northeast," I muttered, so I wouldn't forget.

I'll help you remember! said Flint, who I'd put on set after the battle. NORTHEAST, Isaac! NORTHEAST!!!

I don't need that kind of help! I mentally shouted.

Northeast, northeast! the Djinni chanted. Northeast!

Walking through a grove of trees, we were suddenly attacked. I was scared to see that one of the attackers was a ghost!

I had a sudden idea. "Quake..." I murmured. The ground shook underneath the attackers. After a few sword strikes, it was all over. (I don't know how we hurt a ghost with a sword...)

While we were crossing a bridge, I could see what might have been the entrance to the cave. We crossed a broken bridge, and Garet pushed this big pillar out of the way so we could scale the ladder. I used Move to clear another pillar out of the way.

But then we faced a dead end. A tree trunk was sitting at the only place we could go, and we couldn't Move it. Garet tried burning the vines tying it to the spot but the trunk stayed rooted and the vines didn't burn.

"It's no use!" cried Garet in despair. "Our Psynergy isn't strong enough to free that stump."

"Yeah," I agreed, depressed.

"You want to move the stump, right?" asked a quiet, familiar voice.

I jumped and turned around to see a small blonde boy with huge, observant lavender eyes. He was inspecting the stump. "It looks like it's trapped in the ivy." Ivan observed. Glancing at our upset faces, he added, "Isn't there anything we can do?"

We?

He put on a determined look. Finally, he smiled and exclaimed, "I know!"

"What is it, Ivan?" I asked, but he paid me no attention.

"I have a great idea. Leave it to me!" Ivan turned to the stump and used his Whirlwind Psynergy that he'd used in the battle against the thieves. It cleared away the ivy, freeing the stump.

"All right, Ivan!" cheered Garet.

Ivan looked very proud. "I did it!"

Garet, looking confused, said, "Thanks for the help...But why are you here, Ivan?"

He looked downcast. "I couldn't get into Lunpa..."

"I'm sorry, Ivan." I said sincerely.

"Don't get me wrong!" he explained defensively. "I didn't come to ask for help."

"What did you come for?"

"Your quest has been on my mind ever since I left Vault. I couldn't just leave, not with all those terrible things happening. If I can't rescue Master Hammet, then I want to help you! Please, allow me to join your quest." Ivan was starting to sound rather like Flint.

"Of course, Ivan. We need all the help we can get." I agreed gratefully.

"Are you trying to get to Bilibin through this cave?" asked Ivan.

"Yeah," said Garet.

"Then let's go!"

I Moved the stump easily and we hopped over the gap.

"Looks like we need to use Whirlwind again," Ivan smiled. He cleared away the vine-coated wall to reveal a door.

We entered.