Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun.

We left Imil early the next morning, but before we left we stopped by the Sanctum at Mias' request.

"We were worried you wouldn't come back!" exclaimed the little girl, hugging Mia fiercely.

"I'm so sorry, you two." Mia looked away from them. I felt like an intruder, an uninvited guest, and from the looks on their faces, so did Garet and Ivan.

"Mia! The Mercury Lighthouse has been lit!" The young healer bit his lip.

Mia nodded. "I know."

There was silence. Then the healer asked, "What's the matter? You look strange today, Mia."

Mia looked from the girl to the apprentice, then turned away. "How should I tell you?" she muttered, more to herself than to them.

"You have something to say? What is it?" inquired the girl.

"Um...well...I-" she faltered. She gulped, then continued, "I'll be joining Isaac, Garet, and Ivan in their quest."

"No!" cried the apprentice.

"It's very hard for me to leave you two, Justin and Megan. But it's...the lighthouse." Mia explained.

Justin nodded solemnly. "You said the world would be in danger if the lighthouse was lit, right?"

"Yes."

"Is that why you're leaving? To protect the world?" asked Megan, her blue-green eyes wide.

"Yes. That's right." Mia looked relieved at how well they'd taken the news.

"Then there's nothing we can do." Justin admitted helplessly.

"We won't try to stop you, then." promised Megan. "After all, you are trying to protect our clan."

So they were Mercury Adepts, also. Their powers would be pretty weak, I judged, because they were younger than I was during the accident. But Justin already could act as a healer...

"Yes. I am." Mia replied quietly.

"Then we will protect Imil ourselves. So don't worry, okay?" Justin smiled gently.

"I will try hard and learn to heal as well as you, Mia!"

"I'll leave the village in your hands." Mia looked at the two young healers solemly. Then she turned to Garet, Ivan, and me. We were standing there awkwardly. "We can leave without any worries now. Goodbye, Justin. Goodbye, Megan."
Then she led the way out the door.

On the way out of Imil, many people shouted good-byes to their healer. Mia smiled, but didn't reply.

We walked back through the cave in silence. Mia looked like she might cry, and Garet looked worried. Ivan seemed lost in his own thoughts, and I didn't want to disrupt the others.

By the time we left the cave, it was time to stop for a lunch of leftover bear.

"Yum." commented Garet as he bit into a leg.

Mia poked at her food, not really eating much. She still looked almost at tears.

Ivan was eyeing the meat suspiciously, but finally managed to taste some. After he tasted it he started to eat at a rapid rate.

I was enjoying watching my companions as I ate my share. Garet finished his leg and started watching Mia's meat hungrily. Ivan seemed lost in his thoughts again.

"Here!" cried Mia finally, handing her piece to Garet.

He blinked, surprised. "Uh...thanks." he muttered.

"No problem." she answered coolly.

When we had all eaten as much as we could, I stood up and started walking again, at a slightly slower pace. Ivan followed me slowly.

Mia walked beside Ivan, staring straight ahead and trying to hide her little sobs. Garet lumbered last in line, smiling in contentment.

We passed Bilibin carefully, hoping nobody was watching, knowing that McCoy's men could be trying to keep trespassers away from the barricade.

I discovered that the tree-people at the barricade had toppled, and one was trapped in the river between two rocks. I climbed along the rocks, ignoring the warnings, and pushed the tree-person safely to shore.

Almost automatically, Garet, Ivan, and I clasped hands. Mia looked at us strangely, then joined the circle.

Thank you! exclaimed the tree silently. You saved me from being washed downstream! I doubted it knew that we could hear it.

We continued on, passing Kolima with a shudder, onto Kolima Forest.

We passed the puzzles easily, now that we knew the solutions. Walking up to Tret, I opened the bottle of dark blue Hermes' Water. It had a clean smell.

I poured the healing waters upon Tret's roots.

The forest started glowing psynergetically. I could feel Tret's strength returning to the ground all around me, and, amazingly, even spreading through me. I figured this was a Venus Adept thing, from the look on the other three faces around me.

"I feel a great power spreading through me." stated Tret. His branches swished. "Life flows within me once again!"

"Tret..." called a soft, gentle voice. I realized it was Laurel. "As you have recovered, so has our forest."

"I am sorry to have worried you so, Laurel." apologized Tret sincerely. "And you, young ones. Didn't you have a favor to ask of me?"

"Yes. You have turned the people of Kolima into trees." I explained.

"Yes, Tret." agreed Laurel. "You must turn the people of Kolima into humans again."

"That's right. I must hurry." Tret concentrated and I could feel the Psynergy spreading through the forest and out to Kolima, the barricade, Bilibin.

"That should do it. The people of Kolima are cursed no more." Tret sounded happy.

"Tret did not always possess this horrible power." Laurels' voice was soothing.

"It only started when those strange gemstones fell from the sky." continued Tret.

"Gems from the sky..." murmured Garet.

"Psynergy Stones." I supplied.

Garet looked worried. "You really think Psynergy Stones caused all this trouble?"

Tret swished his branches again, almost angrily. "I was indeed angry that men had laid waste to my forest. They had even taken their axes to me! Then those gems fell into my branches, and my fury overwhelmed me. I was lost in anger!"

Laurel spoke again, sorrowfully. "The gem reached me when I was filled with sadness. Our actions spoke our hearts' desires, but we had no idea..." Her voice trailed off.

"Those gems twisted my anger into a force beyond my control." Tret rumbled.

"Have any of the saplings been transformed by the stones, Tret?" wondered Laurel.

"No. Only the elder trees were affected by the falling...Psynergy Stones." answered Tret.

"There are others that this happened to?" Garet asked.

Ivan's violet eyes were wide, and his voice was higher than usual, which I knew meant he was excited. "So the same thing could be happening elsewhere!"

"You must have battled many monstrous creatures on your way here." Laurel said.

"Yes." I answered, realizing. "Those monsters...they were animals, once?"

"Once, they were pure of heart. Those gems have brought a great evil to the world." intoned Tret.

I could feel Psynergy coursing through the ground, but it was different than Trets'.

"Laurel, you were given powers, too?" asked Ivan.

"Different from my own, but stemming from the same source." Tret confirmed before Laurel could speak.

Ivan stared at Laurel. "What in the world are you doing?"

"Wait." requested Tret. "You will soon see."

Laurel stopped using the Psynergy, and I could feel her relax.

"What did you see, Laurel?"

"It's true. Even the animals have become monsters. And beyond the river..." She sounded worried again.

"The river that feeds our forest?" Tret sounded upset, too.

"Yes. An evil forest has risen up to the south of the river." she explained.

"Will you be heading south across the river?" Tret asked us.

"I guess so," I shrugged.

"That area will probably get worse as time passes. You'd do best to hurry."

"All right." I prepared to leave, but Tret stopped me.

"I owe you a great debt. You have saved Kolima, the forest, and me." he said solemnly.

"May your roots dig deep and your branches reach high." wished Laurel.

"Uh, right. May your roots dig deep and your branches reach high." I repeated.

"Let's go to Kolima!" Garet exclaimed after I used my Retreat.

I shrugged. "Fine with me. Let's go see the people we just saved."

A cheerful man met us at the entrance. "This is Kolima, town of lumberjacks! I'll shout it loud! Kolima!" he cheered happily.

A bit enthusiastic, isn't he? Flint observed.

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Flint, you scared me! I scolded silently.

Sorry! I've been asleep. I was having this marvelous dream that you had all of us and we helped you beat the bad guys! Yay! Flint chattered.

"Let's go to the Inn," suggested Ivan. "We usually can find some good information there. Maybe Saturos and Menardi came through here.

"I'm only a merchant, but I got turned into a tree just for staying here! I think I'll head to Xian now that I'm a man again." a merchant informed us happily.

"Where's that?" Garet asked.

"It's south of the river." he told us.

After wandering around town a bit, we returned to the barricade.

Two boys and a girl, about our age, were gazing into the water. "Hey, you're that guy!" exclaimed one of the boys.

"Jill, are these the people that saved you?" the other boy asked the girl.

Jill smiled. "Remember me? I was that tree! I would have been swept down the river if it wasn't for you. Please, take this. It's a small token of my appreciation."

She handed me a nut. At first I thought it was a Druminat, but I realized my folly when I examined it more closely. "A Maronat! Thanks!"

The first boy nodded his head. "I will never forget what you've done for us. Thank you!"

I showed it to the others. "See the hard shell? It strengthens your skin! I think I can crack it with this." I pulled my brand-new axe out and hacked at the nut. "It worked! Here, Ivan, you take it."

"Thanks," he remarked, popping it in his mouth. "I think we'd better head to Bilibin."

"Yeah. Let's go."

"I just hope that lord-guy won't be too angry at us..."