Disclaimer: I don't in any way own Golden Sun.

A/N: An entire chapter almost completely out-of-game. Amazing.

Lord Destroyer, again, thank you for reviewing but I'm sticking with Lighthouseshipping. Frankly I despise Duskshipping. Don't worry, there's hardly enough to notice-the focus is on Valeshipping. And it isn't going to be any real romance or anything, just hints. Very obvious hints in some parts. (Like with my Steamshipping in chapter 21. That was Garet's secret, obviously-that he has a huge crush on Mia.)

Feizhi was at the exit to town. She regarded us with solemn eyes, but did not speak.

I shrugged and we continued along the path. We came to a split. A dark brown path went one way and a lighter one went the other.

"Which one?" wondered Ivan.

I shrugged. "Doesn't matter. How about dark brown?"
Mia shrugged also. "Fine with me."
Ivan looked one way, then the other. "I've got a...nevermind. That path is fine with me."
Garet nodded.

We started down the dark brown path. After about 15 yards, we were attacked.

A skeleton and a ghost were our foes. Ivan reacted almost immediately, calling Gust. She flew at the skeleton.

I readied.

Flint?

I'm here, he replied. Ready?

Yeah. I answered.

"Take this!" he squeaked loudly, tossing himself at the ghost. I didn't have time to watch-Garet had just unleashed Fever. I stepped back as the Djinni sneezed.

Mist trudged forward as the air thickened with humidity...thicker, thicker...

I couldn't see anything. When the fog cleared, the ghost was gone.

"Great," I complimented Mist.

The Mercury Djinni yawned. "No problem."

"Let's head on." Ivan said worriedly, glancing up at the skies. "It's still afternoon, but I think it'll storm tonight. We don't want to be caught out in it."

Garet shuddered. "Definitely not. Mmm...I hope those people at that Lama place will have lots of food. We didn't even have lunch!"

"Did you forget that monster breakfast you ate? The innkeepers were glad to be rid of us because of your appetite!" Mia reminded him.

I started thinking of Saturos and Menardi. Had they already reached this "temple", even passed it, maybe?

The path ended abruptly, leading into dense forest.

Ivan looked even more worried. "I...oh, nevermind."

"What?" asked Mia.

Ivan bit his lip. "Just a...feeling."

"What kind of feeling?" asked Garet unexpectedly.

"A...bad feeling." Ivan shrugged. "Don't worry about it."

Mia looked concerned, but she returned to her place among us.

"Well, um, let's go." I broke the silence.

"Right." Garet answered, giving a worried look at Ivan and Mia.

I spared them a glance. Ivan seemed lost in his thoughts, as always. Mia was watching Garet as he followed me into the forest.

I tore my gaze from my companions and returned it to the forest scenery around me as we entered a clearing. It really would seem beautiful if not for the threatening rumblings of distant thunder.

A bird fluttered alongside us, looking fascinated by Gust.

"Hi!" chirped Gust cheerfully. "Do I know you?"
The bird tweeted frantically and shrilly, struggling to fly in the opposite direction.

Gust looked a little confused.

"Watch out! Monster alert!" warned Mia as Garet and I started to brush aside some vines.

I spun quickly to find a bat and mole, although transformed horrifically by the Psynergy Stones.

"Venus!" I cried.

Mia swiped at the bat with her sword.

"Mars!" shouted Garet.

The mole crept back underground and the bat flew off.

"Ply," I heard Mia murmur. "Oh! It just won't work!"

I glanced in the direction of the voice to find Ivan with a wound on his arm.

"The mole got him before I noticed." she explained when she noticed my stare. She looked concerned.

"I...think...it had...poison on its claws." Ivan said weakly.

"But I don't have any antidotes! I just wish I could do something!" Mia's aqua eyes were wide and troubled.

Garet knelt down beside her. "That green stuff's the poison, right?"
"I think so!" she cried shrilly. "I don't know!" Mia twisted the ring on her finger nervously.

"Don't panic, guys." I tried to sound calm.

"Hey! The...the poison is disappearing!" Garet exclaimed.

Mia leaned over Ivan. "You're right!"
Ivan attempted to smile. "Psynergy...it must be...but how?"
My brow furrowed. I knew, I just knew that there was something that had happened in the last few minutes that was tugging at my brain...but what?

"That's it!" I cried suddenly. Mia and Garet stared.

"The ring! Nyunpa's ring! He said it might help...this is what he meant! It destroys poison!" I realized.

Ivan tried to sit up. "You're right! The ring...it has to be."

"I wonder if we can master this Psynergy?" Mia wondered. "I know one thing-I don't want any experience!"

"Are you forgetting something?" Garet prompted.

"What...oh! Right! Ply..." She concentrated. I could see a small fairy floating above Ivan.

"That feels so much better!" he exclaimed, sitting up and then standing. "Let's go!"

I looked at Ivan skeptically.

"Really, I feel fine!" he insisted.

I exchanged a glance with Garet. He shrugged. I did the same.

"Well, c'mon, then." I said finally, leading the way deeper into the forest.

Through the trees, this way, that. Finally, we reached a bridge. It was early evening now, as the sky and my stomach informed me.

"I'm hungry." complained Garet.

"We all are." Mia snapped. Then she looked surprised. "Oh...I'm sorry. I'm just hungry and tired."
"Join the party." I muttered.

"I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news, but we've got a problem." reported Ivan, returned from his scout trip over the bridge.

"Only one?" I joked lamely.

"Well, another one." Ivan corrected. "We've got monsters."
Garet groaned. "Just what we need."

"What are they?" I asked.

"A monster like in Mogall Forest and another mole." Ivan replied. "And they're heading our way."

Just then, we heard a savage shriek.

The mogall (Mia's name, not mine) bounded over the bridge. I met it with my sword.

The mole lumbered across the bridge, and I rushed to meet it when they both burst into flame.

"Good one!" I called back to Garet.

"Jupiter!" shouted Ivan.

"Tundra!" yelled Mia.

The monsters decided that we were too tough for them and slunk off.

"Tundra?" I asked Mia as we regrouped.

She shrugged. "It just...came to me."

Across the bridge we found we were on an island.

I groaned. "A dead end! We'll have to camp here...with the storm coming on and night falling."

Garet made a face. "No supper!"
"Except for fruit." pointed out Ivan, grabbing a pear and munching it. "Want one?"
Garet sighed and took one.

I sank down onto the soft grass of the meadow, refusing any food. I'd led us wrong.

You're gloomier than Smog, remarked Flint.

I'm not in the mood for your jabbering, I told him crabbily.

You never are, are you? Granite observed.

How interesting. noted Quartz.

"Isaac!" called Garet.

I sighed and stood up. "I'm coming!"

"Quickly!" shouted Mia urgently.

I dashed towards them. "What is it?"
Garet wordlessly pointed at the Mars Djinni in front of them. "It doesn't seem friendly."

The Djinni stared at Garet. "You don't seem friendly." it mocked.

Gust whirled forward. "Do not lay a hand on these virtuous, chivalrous Adepts!"

The Djinni glared. "I had hoped we'd get along." It flicked its hand (sort of) almost lazily, sending an explosion at the other three.

But it was distracted, so I used the blue gem.

"Douse!" it spat.

Sleet trudged forward. "Oh, it's you, Corona." He brightened, then withered. "But...I have to attack you." Sleet piled down on Corona.

She must have shrugged, because some of the sleet slipped off. "I forgive you."

"Mars!" cried Garet.

Ivan had just finished applying herbs to his burns.

"These guys are tough." Corona commented. She turned and started to dash away, but Ivan blocked her exit.

"Fine." she growled, then shrieked as I used my sword.

"Nereid!" Mia shouted.

After the effects of Nereid wore off, except for the Djinni being slightly dazed, Garet rushed forward with his mace.

"Fine! I give up!" Corona cried. "I Boost party defense with a heat aura. 'Bye."

I looked at her, confused. She was no doubt the strangest Djinni we'd ever encountered-because she was normal.

She disappeared with a pop.

BOOM! I jumped as I heard the thunder.

"I-I'm going to bed, everyone." I stuttered.

Ivan nodded. "I'll be the lookout."
I hid myself under my few blankets, shivering, and not just because of the chilly temperatures.

BOOM! Lightning flashed, thunder pounded. I burrowed deeper.

I remembered how I'd spent every storm since the accident with Garet and Jenna. And I realized with a jolt that this was the first storm since the kidnapping.

BOOM! Even through my closed eyes, I saw the lightning flick.

Deeper. Jenna'd been terrified of storms, and who could blame her? I was, too, but not as scared as Jenna. That's why at the first storm after the accident, I had offered for the three of us to "camp out" in my house.

BOOM! They were becoming more frequent. During our campouts, we'd pretended we were off on an adventure, to rescue a princess or find an elixir or something heroic like that.

BOOM! I was as deep into my blankets as I could go. I was only thankful it wasn't raining. Garet and I had solemnly promised to always spend the storms with Jenna, wherever we were...I only wished we could.

BOOM! Sleep, I ordered myself. Sleep...

A/N: Everyone who hasn't reviewed, please do, and everyone who has, thank you, and please keep reading!