Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun!

A/N: A nice long one!

"We've got to get ready to battle." I informed the others as I woke them up from the temporary daze the statue had put us in.

"So, what should we do, Isaac?" asked Ivan, looking worried.

"You're asking me?"

Mia nodded. "Yes."

Garet looked from Ivan to Mia to me. "Well, I guess I'm outvoted as leader. So...what do we do?"

I tried to sound brave. "Mia, put Sleet and Fizz on standby. We'll be fighting Saturos and/or Menardi, and they're Mars Adepts."

Mia nodded again.

"Ivan...how many herbs do you have?"

"Ten. Enough." he answered simply.

"Garet, you're fine. Let's go."

I hopped onto the tower and ascended the steps. "No..." I gasped in disbelief. This had to be the lighthouse aerie...lit. "It's been lit!"
Garet rushed to follow me. "Isaac's right! We've...failed."

"It can't be!" cried Mia. "I have failed in my only duty. This is terrible." She sounded like she might mimic her Djinni and start sobbing.

"Isaac! Garet!" called a very familiar impatient voice. Jenna!

"Jenna!" I shouted back. "Where are you?"

Then we spotted her. She was standing on the opposite elevator...along with Menardi, Kraden, and Felix. Where was Saturos?

"Isaac!" Jenna yelled again. "Take this!" She threw something in my general direction. I ran forward, catching it neatly.

"So it's you, Isaac." Felix noted coolly. He glared at Jenna momentarily, then glanced back at me.

I looked at the object in my hand. It was a smooth red stone with a shred of purple cloth tied around it. I shrugged and placed it in a built-in pouch in my armor.

"Those kids are still alive?" sneered Menardi. "You came all this way to save Jenna and Kraden?"

"And to stop you!" Garet glared at her. "To stop you lighting the lighthouses!"

"Then we have no choice. Let's take care of them now, before they can do any harm!" Menardi said to somebody.

Jenna apparently was having some sort of arguement with Felix. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I caught my name several times and Garets' a few times.

"Menardi...wait." snarled a familiar evil-sounding voice. I gulped as I saw Saturos appear from behind the ball of blue swirling light.

"But Saturos, they want to..." started Menardi, but Saturos cut her off.

"I know. I heard it all. They were lucky to survive the eruption of Mt. Aleph." Saturos directed a glare in my direction. "You have endured so much, and now you want to throw your lives away? Fine, if that is your wish, prepare to have it granted!"

"Saturos? You will fight them alone?" questioned Menardi. I closed my eyes. Please, please, please say yes.

"Menardi, I can't expect you to leave our hostages alone and help me, can I?" reasoned Saturos.

"That true." she agreed.

"Besides, I want to see how much their powers have developed. Head for the next lighthouse now!"

I saw Jenna put up a fight about leaving, but she finally had to give in and the elevator descended.

"I'm sorry, Isaac! Garet!" Jenna shouted as they disappeared from view.

"Stay alive!" cried Kraden helplessly.

"Jenna! Kraden!" Garet looked worried.

"If you want to save them, you'll have to beat me, first!"

"No, get back, Garet!" worried Mia.

Garet retreated.

"What's the matter?" asked Saturos mockingly.

"He's extremely powerful." Garet said, worry tinging his voice. "I could sense it."

"We have to match his strength." Ivan looked upset.

"Match me? You think you can match the great Saturos?"

Nobody said anything. I held my head high. "Yes," I lied confidently.

"You overestimate your chances." he sneered. "Fine. I'll just teach you all a lesson! Quickly, before this Mercury beacon saps all my Psynergy!"

I gulped. "Uh..Ivan...Breeze."

Breeze grudgingly appeared floating in the air. "Hmph. Having to help a Venus Adept. Things have gone very far down." He flew over to sit on Ivan's shoulder.

Flint!

"Take that for kidnapping Jenna! Wahoo!" squeaked Flint merrily, zipping around Saturos.

Saturos concentrated, and Mia promptly got burnt on the shoulder. She gasped in pain.

"Garet-Forge. Mia...Summon Nereid." Mia looked a little worried at the prospect, but they were all looking at me for guidance.

"Gust. Fever. Mia, use some sort of Mercury Psynergy. I'll heal you."

Saturos countered our attacks with a huge fireball.

"Kirin. Atalanta. Fizz on Ivan, please." Garet nodded happily.

Saturos sliced at Garet with his blade. I saw Garet wince.

"Heal Garet, Ivan. Garet, attack Saturos. Mia, use Sleet. I'll summon Ramses." I declared.

Ivan healed Garet just in time as Saturos tossed a huge fireball at us. Mia managed to dodge it, but it hurt the rest of us deeply.

I attacked Saturos directly after that. His eyes narrowed, and he plunged his blade right into where my heart is. It pierced my armor...and stopped.

The blade had found something it couldn't puncture. Ivan meanwhile was sneaking up on him and gave him a quick gash on the forearm, dancing away.

Saturos winced, and Mia summoned Nereid. The Adept collapsed.

Garet turned to me, excited. "We beat him!"

"Who would have thought Mercury Lighthouse held such great power?" Saturos spat angrily. "If only my Psynergy had been at its full power."

"You said you were weakened. What did you mean?" asked Ivan curiously.

"I...I meant nothing." stuttered Saturos, clearly lying.

"I shall tell you what he means." promised a voice, cool-sounding.

"A-alex?" Mia gasped, her eyes wide.

Alex walked out from behind the swirling ball of light.

He nodded slightly. "It's been a while, Mia."

"Do you realize what you've done?" Mia sounded horrified.

"Of course! I have freed a great power that has long been sealed away." Alex explained in that calm voice, devoid of emotion. "Mercury, the lighthouse of water. What a mighty force."

"Alex...are you mad?" demanded Mia.

"No! Mia, do you not understand?" Alex sounded almost surprised. "The lighthouse granted you great power during your battle with Saturos."
"It's true." admitted Mia. "I could use my...Psynergy...without ever depleting it."

"Don't you see? The Mercury Lighthouse supplied you with limitless Psynergy!"

"Tell me, Alex. Why wasn't Saturos able to use his full power?!" Ivan seemed intent on discovering this.

"I shall explain it all." sneered Alex. "Saturos is aligned with Mars, the clan of fire. Fire and water are opposing elements. His full power was bound by the Mercury Psynergy of the lighthouse."

Ivan looked satisfied, but Mia wondered, "Didn't Saturos know that?"

"Of course he knew. However, he failed to appreciate the power of this lighthouse. As did I." Alex seemed lost in his thoughts.

"So...we could defeat Saturos because he was weakened by the opposing power of the lighthouse." I repeated.

"There is more to it. I stood by, watching your battle from afar."

"You were watching us?" Ivan asked, startled.

"Yes. I did not help Saturos because I was certain you would win. But I was wrong. You have become such powerful fighters in such a short time!" Alex exclaimed.

At that moment, Saturos sat up, then pushed himself to a standing position weakly.

"Saturos is up again?" Ivan cried in amazement. "But we beat him!"

"I lost to the lighthouse, not you!" snarled Saturos.

Alex had a vague smirk on his face. "I was merely stalling you until Saturos regained his strength."

"You were just buying time! That's not fair, Alex!" Mia looked upset.

I smiled, wishing Jenna had been here. She'd have set Alex on fire by now for sure.

Saturos gestured to Alex, and Alex stood next to him, letting the limping Saturos lean on him.

"I won't let you escape!" shouted Garet.

"Oh? And just what are you going to do? Will you finish him off?"

"No. No, not here, not now. You're here, and you're a Mercury Adept, aren't you? This beacon has strengthened your Psynergy. It would be folly to kill him." I answered.

"Yes, Isaac. You seem like a smart warrior. And I doubt you are the type to 'finish' anyone off!" mocked Alex.

"Of course, you are welcome to believe whatever you want." Saturos said weakly.

Alex and Saturos disappeared, only to reappear down the steps.

"Not again! He warped again!" cried Garet angrily.

"Again? He's done that before?" Mia looked puzzled.

"Yeah, in Sol Sanctum." Garet confirmed.

"Does that mean Mia can use it?" wondered Ivan.

"No, it's impossible! Even Alex didn't have this kind of power before."

"Ah, well. I can't stay the same Alex you knew forever..." Alex smirked.

Just then, the elevator that had carried Jenna, Kraden, Felix, and Menardi returned to the top.

"Hmm, it seems my ride has returned as we are speaking." Alex turned to us. "And so, I bid you adieu."

Ivan gripped my arm. "Isaac, Saturos still has the Stars!"

"We can't get them now," I said sensibly. "They'd kill us."

"Menardi has the Elemental Stars, anyway!" reasoned Saturos.

"That reminds me. Do you still have the Mars Star?"
I saw no reason to lie. "Yes, we do."

"I appreciate your honesty." Alex smiled, then warped himself back to the elevator. "I suppose you'll pursue us for the Elemental Stars?"

"Yes. We will." I answered as calmly as I could, trying not to let my fear show.

"I look forward to it. I shall see you four soon, then." Alex replied as calmly as if we'd arranged an afternoon tea. "Good bye."

"I look forward to our next battle." Saturos grinned evilly, and the two rode down the elevator. We were all silent. Now that they were gone, I realized...I'd failed. Failed. Failed. The word beat in my head. Failed.

"They're gone," said Ivan quietly.

"We couldn't even save Jenna." I murmured.

"I don't deserve to be a healer." Mia berated herself. "We couldn't stop them from lighting the beacon. I've failed my clan, failed my one duty."

"That's not true!" comforted Ivan. "We can still beat them, right, Isaac?"

I took a deep breath. "Yes."

"That's right! All we have to do is stop them from lighting all the lighthouses!" Ivan said reasonably. "The beacon of Mercury Lighthouse has been lit, but we'll stop them next time."

"That's right." agreed Garet.

Mia smiled. "We won't let Alex get away with this. Let's go after them now!"

"Now?" I raised an eyebrow, but Garet had a different qualm.

"We? You're coming with us?" asked Garet eagerly.

She nodded.

"But the people of Imil need you!" protested Ivan.

"It will be okay." she assured us. "'The fountain shall be filled as long as light fills the lighthouse'. That's an old saying. The fountain will run over with healing waters now."

"For Tret!" I exclaimed.

"Yes. I have mixed feelings about leaving, but Imil will be fine as long as the fountain continues to flow with the Water of Hermes. We should hurry if we're going to follow them."

"Once we get some rest," I reminded her. "It's late." I led the way to the elevator, yawning.

The people of Imil apparently didn't care that it was night; they gathered around the pool eagerly. I filled the bottle the old couple had given us earlier today and I thought about all that had gone on since then.

I paid the innkeeper, and laid down on the Inn bed. I felt something hard in the pocket of my armor. I reached inside to discover Jenna's stone visible through a small hole.

I realized the stone had saved me. I looked at the piece of cloth that had been tied around it.

Happy Birthday, Isaac! it read.

I fell asleep with the stone in my hand and a smile on my face.