Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: Lord Destroyer, I'm not going to write fluff. I'm more one for subtle hints.

And, to everybody! I'm sorry about how long this chapter took. This time of year is very busy. Also, don't expect any new chapters for a week or two because I will be revamping the first ten or so chapters. They need it.

I awoke bright and early the next morning, feeling cheerful for some reason.

"Ivan! Mia! Garet!" I shouted cheerily, nudging each one in turn to try to wake them.

"What?" wondered Ivan sleepily.

"It's time to get up!" I sang, stretching the word "up" to two syllables.

"Why are you so cheerful?" demanded Mia grumpily, stretching her arms.

I shrugged. "I don't know, but I like it! Breakfast time!"
"What breakfast?" grunted Garet. "A few dumplings?"

"Yeah, but I'm sure we'll be leaving the Lamakan today! Let's go!"

Ivan groaned. "This is going to be a long day."

"Let's go...that way." I chose randomly, pointing to the northeast. I trotted happily in that direction, still wincing at the hot sand.

We reached a circle of stones.

Ivan sighed. "It's just that scorpion we passed earlier."

"Look! There's another!" I shouted, speeding up to a run.

I dived into the pool happily. "This feels great!"
Garet settled in uneasily. "You're really weird today, Isaac."

"I'm just being optimistic!" I protested.

Mia slid down next to Garet. "He's right-you're acting really strange, Isaac. Especially since we're in a desert with a sun so hot-"
"Not another word." Garet ordered hastily.

I dived back under, not listening to their quarreling. I smiled as I thought of last night's dream. That was what had cheered me so.

We headed northwest after about an hour of relaxing in the oasis. We passed another scorpion (Mia shuddered) to reach a hidden chest. Garet pulled out a small bottle. "What's this?" he wondered.

I shrugged.

"Um, Garet? Isaac? Ivan?" Mia called quietly. "We've got a problem."

I spun to face a very ugly looking...thing. It looked like an overlarge worm holding a spear.

"Ragnarok." I murmured. A giant sword pierced the worm, pinning it to the ground. The sword disappeared but the worm didn't move.

We continued on. My feet ached as I forced them to walk to the next circle.

Ivan concentrated, unable to even speak. The vision of a pool floated in front of my eyes. I gratefully splashed into the oasis.

Garet made a noise of satisfaction. "This feels so good..."

"I feel like I'm forgetting something." I admitted.

"What? I mean, we're hopefully almost out of the desert, we learned Reveal..." Mia helped.

"Reveal...Master Hama...Feizhi...Hsu!" I exclaimed. "I can't believe we didn't help Hsu!"
"I'm sure Master Hama can handle it." Ivan assured me, although he didn't sound so sure himself. "She's a much more experienced Adept..."

I sighed. My perfect mood had burst like the bubbles that we made in the oasis as we splashed around. "I guess we'd better head on."

Garet nodded slowly. "You're right."

When we reached the next circle of stones, Ivan revealed...a Djinni?

"Oh, I suppose you're heroes, right?" it asked.

"I guess you could call us that," I agreed. "Why?"
"Well, just so you know, it's hopeless." it continued.

"Hopeless?" repeated Garet.

"Oh, don't listen to Smog." Flint said dismissively, popping into view with the rest. "He's always gloomy."
"I'm just being sensible. I see you joined them in their hopeless quest, Flint." Smog noted gloomily.

"These are brave and noble and chivalrous Adepts!" shrilled Gust.

"Hey, Smog. Aren't they pathetic?" Breeze greeted him.

Smog sighed. "So, what are they trying for? Saving the world? Or saving some girl? A princess, maybe?"
"Both." Breeze answered. "Trying to 'defend the world from Alchemy' or something like that and trying to save some idiot girl named Jenna. That Venus Adept is pitiful, especially."
"Jenna's not an 'idiot girl!'" I exclaimed indignantly. "And I'm not pitiful! And I do have a name, you know."

"Breeze, are you sure that that is really Smog and not a mirage?" asked Zephyr suspiciously.

"It's him, all right." Granite confirmed.

"He wasn't asking you." Breeze shot a glare at Granite.

Quartz, meanwhile, had dashed up to Smog.

"I hear that you secretly like Gust? What do you have to say about it?" she asked eagerly.

"I do not! And even if I did, she wouldn't. Either that, or she'd get killed by a murderous Adept." answered Smog.

Quartz gave a knowing sort of laugh. "Right." she replied, dragging the word out several syllables. "Have you heard any news?"
Smog sighed. "Only about the end of the world."
"Like that matters." Quartz laughed. "By the way, have you-"
"No, I haven't." Smog interrupted. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd shut up so I can be gloomy. How are you planning to save the world, anyway?" he asked the nearest human, which happened to be Ivan.

"By stopping Saturos and Menardi from lighting the Elemental Lighthouses." he answered, sounding puzzled.

"And have they lit any yet?" Smog persisted.

"Well, yes." Ivan admitted. "Mercury."

"It's hopeless." he declared. "Got one lighthouse, you got them all."
Ivan was looking sort of upset, so I put in, "Don't listen to him."

"I'm hungry," complained Garet.

"I'm sleepy," complained Mist.

I heaved a sigh. "Smog, why don't you and the rest of the Djinn go on set, all right?"

"Fine, I'll join your hopeless quest. I Veil a foe's vision in smoke, not like that will ever help you. Farewell, although I know you won't." With those words, the gloomy Djinni disappeared with a pop.

All of the other Djinn followed him and I breathed a sigh. I hadn't wanted trouble with the Djinn.

I spread a blanket on the ground and placed on it the meager amount of bread remaining.

After we ate our small meal in silence, Garet asked, "So...which way?"

"That way." I pointed to the west. "The only place we haven't tried."

All of a sudden, I heard a hissing noise.

"Wh-what is that?" stammered Mia.

The creature looked like a huge, red lizard. But flames licked its mouth.

"A salamander." Ivan whispered.

Ice pelted down from the sky on the lizard. It hissed angrily and breathed flames at Mia.

She gave a small shriek and hopped to the side. She just missed being scorched.

Suddenly the salamander seemed to be spinning itself around. And then the wind of a whirlwind became visible. I grinned.

The ground began shaking beneath the salamander. I could feel the emptiness where the Psynergy had been.

The salamander hissed one last time and slithered off.

We continued on to find cool shade. My feet practically sighed in relief.

But they would have groaned if they could as I dashed across a hot sand waterfall.

After forcing my feet to cross more hot sand, we reached a dead end.

"Don't tell me we came here for nothing." Mia sounded very upset.

"Reveal," Ivan murmured.

I could see the entrance to a cave. Looking considerably happier, Mia led the way, Garet following.

We crossed through the brightly lit cave; looking at the braziers, I wondered who lit them.

Outside, I stepped into the hot sand waterfall. I slid down helplessly.

Garet, Mia, and Ivan slid down after me.

"Oh, please, please, please be an oasis." Mia begged a circle of stones we encountered.

It was. With a joyful yell, I dived deep into the water. I could feel the others diving or sinking in.

I surfaced, feeling the hot sun on my head. "This feels good..." I murmured.

"Ohhhh...yes..." Mia dived back underwater.

It does feel nice, doesn't it? Flint commented.

Hey, you can feel this but not the heat? That's not fair! I thought back.

Flint's tone sounded almost apologetic. I can choose what I feel.

I mentally sighed. So, how are Quartz and Granite? I asked.

Quartz is telling her entire archive of gossip to him, Flint replied.

Sure enough, if I concentrated, I could hear Quartz's eager whispering.

Echo and Steel are rumored to be together, Quartz muttered excitedly.

Uh-huh. Granite sounded miles away.

I stopped concentrating. I felt like I did when I heard part of Garet and Mia's conversation about Alex. Except not quite as intrusive, since this discussion was taking place in my head.

Garet was looking at me strangely. "Djinn?" he guessed.

I nodded.

Garet rolled his eyes. "Flint?" he guessed with a knowing look.

"Yes." I answered, rolling my eyes.

Mia surfaced, gulping in air. "What's going on?" she asked. "Where's Ivan?"
I looked around. Sure enough, the Jupiter Adept was nowhere to be found. "Ivan!" I called.

Garet joined in. "Ivan!"

"I'm over here!" a faint, familiar voice cried.

"Where?" shouted Garet.

"Up here!" was the answer.

I glanced up. Ivan was on a rocky cliff, walking away from us. "Isaac, Garet, Mia, come up here! I think I've figured out how to leave the desert, but I am not sure. And, with the experience in Mogall Forest, I think we should expect a battle in this cave."

I nodded and regretfully climbed out of the oasis. "We're coming!" I called back. "Wait...how did you get up there?"
"I'll come down." he promised.

A minute later, the young Adept came over to the oasis where we'd resettled ourselves.

"This way." Ivan directed, starting off.

We followed him up a ladder, across two scorching hot sand waterfalls, and over to another.

"Reveal," Ivan commanded confidently.

Sure enough, just as Ivan had predicted, a huge creature challenged us.

"What-what is that thing?" stammered Mia.

I shrugged. It stood about Garet's height, not counting the scorpion tail that arched high above its head. It had bat-like wings, four legs, and paws with lethal claws. Strangely enough, its head resembled an old man.

"A manticore," murmured Ivan in awe.

Garet gave him a strange look. "How did you know that?"
"It was in my book, Alchemy in Action." Ivan replied, keeping his eyes trained on the ferocious beast. The monster seemed to be waiting for us to start the battle.

I took in a deep breath.

Granite? I mentally shouted.

I'll be right there, was the reply.

A second later he trudged out. "There. Done." he declared after pacing around the four of us. He climbed up onto my shoulder.

Next, Smog gloomily fluttered out. "Oh, a manticore. It's hopeless." But the Jupiter Djinni still flew towards the manticore, smoke trailing behind him.

Then Fever blew himself out, sneezing violently.

The manticore shot an evil glare at the four of us. "You...will...pay..." it rasped. "Dehhhhhhloooood."

Mia clutched her head. "No...no...Garet! Don't...die..." she cried, as if in a nightmare.

Garet rushed to her side. "I'm all right, don't worry. What's wrong, Mia?"
"No! Don't...kill...Garet..." she shouted in a faint voice. "You'll die if you kill Garet!"
Garet looked very worried. "What do we do when our healer is feverish?" he wondered.

"Garet! Isaac! No..." Mia murmured weakly.

Despite Mia's hallucinations, Mist sleepily stepped over to the beast to attack.

"Ivan...no! He's trying to poison you!" she shouted angrily.

"Gooood idea..." growled the manticore appreciatively. "Poisooooon."

It turned sharply, slamming its scorpion tail into Garet. Garet barely seemed to notice. But Mia did.

"No! Garet..." She grasped her pack and pulled out her weapon. She dashed forward, plunging her staff wildly into the air.

"Mia, it's all right." Garet soothed.

Ivan tossed a small bottle towards the two. "Try the elixir!" he shouted as he danced forward with his own staff.

Garet nodded gratefully. "Thanks." He popped open the bottle and poured it into Mia's mouth.

All of a sudden, the manticore froze on the spot.

"What happened?" I wondered in confusion as I mentally summoned Flint.

Flint flew forward, regardless of Mia's plight and the manticore's sudden freezing. "Wahoo!" he squeaked.

"Garet...Garet! What...what happened?" wondered Mia sleepily.

"You're not feverish any more!" exclaimed Garet.

"Well...yes...Garet! Is that...poison on that wound?" Mia leaned forward to examine Garet's arm. "It is! Here..."
Mia twisted Nyunpa's ring.

"Hark! You shall not harm these chivalrous Adepts! They are as noble as the knights of old, and they saved me from my eternal imprisonment!" Gust shouted.

I rolled my eyes. "Ivan, what have you been reading?"
He sighed. "She kept pestering me in Kolima to buy a book about noble knights, and so I did, just to make her be quiet. But it didn't exactly work."

"I noticed." I agreed dryly.

"Mars!" Garet cried.

The frozen manticore seemed to glare at all of us.

"Ramses!" I shouted in turn.

"You know, you don't have to shout it out." remarked Ivan.

I nodded. "But it tends to help."

"True." Ivan reflected. "But if you silently-or at least quietly-say or think the effect or name of the Psynergy or summon, then you have the element of surprise."
The manticore began to flex its wings.

"Frost..." I heard Garet mutter.

The manticore shuddered as its body grew cold.

Ivan closed his eyes and concentrated. Deadly arrows began raining down onto the manticore.

"You will not beat me." the manticore muttered confidently.

"Let's see about that." I replied, casting Psynergy mentally.

A huge sword fell from the sky straight onto the beast. It cried in pain. In revenge, it twisted and hit Mia with its giant scorpion tail.

"Ah...ah...ahchoo!" sneezed Fever, his violent sneeze propelling him towards the manticore. Angrily, the manticore slammed into Mia with one of its huge paws.

"There's nothing I can do!" wailed Garet in despair. "I don't have any herbs!"
I rushed over. I felt my Psynergy lessen as Mia's wounds healed.

Garet stared at me in amazement. "I didn't know you could heal with Psynergy!"
I shrugged. "I didn't, either."

"You will pay for this, boy." muttered the manticore. "For ruining my plans...curse you! I curse you!"

Apparently that was the trigger to some sort of monstrous Psynergy, but it didn't work. The manticore's old-man face scowled. "Why won't it work?" it demanded.

I took my opportunity as the manticore was discracted. I plunged my giant blade into the manticore's heart. The creature shrieked.

We continued into the cave.