Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun.

A/N: Well, revamping the first ten chapters didn't take that long! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter-I know the characters did...

Second, hurray! This is the 30th chapter! Originally I only planned for this novelization to be thirty-six chapters, but somehow it grew, and grew, and grew...

Lord Destroyer, I'm glad you like my hints. Just wait til you see Ember! Remember that hint waaaaay back in the chapter when we meet Gust for the first time, courtesy of Flint?

I took in a deep gulp of air as I stepped out of the cave. I moved over to make room for Ivan, the next one to pass through the exit.

"This is nice," he commented, glancing around. "And it seems...familiar."
I shrugged. "Maybe you traveled here with...what was his name again? Master Hammo?"
"Hammet." corrected Ivan. "Maybe. But I don't think so."

Garet came out next, looking around appreciatively. "Green again, finally." he noted.

Mia was the last. She gave one look around and sighed happily. "Ahh..." she murmured. "Real land, finally!"
Ivan was looking towards the two bridges crossing the river. "Which do you think we should take?" he asked me.

Before I had time to answer, Garet put in, "The northern one."

"But the last time we followed Garet, we ended up at a dead end." I added, referring to Sol Sanctum.

Mia gave me a strange look. "When was that?"
"Back in Sol Sanctum." answered Ivan before I could do more than open my mouth.

"Hey! One time when we followed you we ended up lost for a day!" protested Garet.

"At least we got a Djinni out of the deal!" I shot back.

Garet snorted. "That's hardly a reward."

Flint popped out angrily. "Are you insulting us?"

Granite and Quartz appeared after him. "Yeah, are you insulting us?" Granite demanded.

Quartz eyed Garet angrily. "Remember, Gust told me your most secret secret. Would you like me to tell it in front of everybody?"
Garet paled. "Uh, no! But..."
Next Ivan's Djinn put themselves on standby.

"You are not such a noble Adept!" shrilled Gust angrily.

"Trust a friend of a Venus Adept to insult all of Djinnkind." sniffed Breeze.

Zephyr glanced at Garet. "I never trusted him..."
Smog sighed. "I should have known such misfortune would occur on me."
Even Garet's Djinn turned against him, popping up next.

"I can't believe you." muttered Forge.

"I...achoo!...am very...achoo!...annoyed." sneezed Fever.

"And I was the Djinni that you got." snapped Corona.

Garet was backing away quickly. "I didn't mean..."
But, interrupting him, the Mercury Djinn suddenly put themselves on standby.

Tears ran down Fizz's cheeks. "I told Mia she shouldn't trust you!" she wailed. "Insulting all of Djinnkind..."

"Not worth it." muttered Sleet, casting dark glares at Garet.

Mist yawned. "I can't believe..." here he yawned again, "that you would do something like that."

"And you call yourself a warrior!" scoffed Spritz.

"Silence!" I boomed as loudly as I could. The Djinn got very quiet, even Flint.

"It was an innocent comment, and please don't blame Garet for it." I said loudly. "Now, please, all of you, go on set immediately."
I heard the noise of fourteen pops. Satisfied, I turned to Garet. "Fine, we'll go your way. North it is."

Garet nodded. "Um...sorry."

I heaved a sigh. "Just...never insult the Djinn again, okay? Even if it's true. Flint, I'm not saying it is, you got that?"

We began to follow the path northward.

We walked mostly in silence, though I could still hear Ivan occasionally spurt a fact about Alchemy, or hear Garet grumble about the Djinn. But mostly the only noises were the birds singing cheerily.

Across the bridge, we discovered that, unfortunately, it was, in fact, the wrong way. Sighing, I began to lead the way back...when a Venus Djinni popped out from one of the bushes!

"Gotcha!" it shrieked in delight, collapsing in hysterics.

Garet sent me a strange look. I replied with a shrug.

Suddenly serious, the Djinni straightened up. "Now...we fight!"

Flint!

Flint stepped out, dashed over to the Djinni...and exclaimed, "Vine!"
"Flint!" Vine declared happily. He extended a long ear, apparently some Djinn custom. Flint responded by touching his ear to Vine's, and then for some strange reason began to float in the air.

Vine burst out laughing again. "Like it? Mold invented it. It's really earthy, isn't it?"

"Yeah!" agreed Flint. "Hey, how is Mold doing?"
"Oh, all right. He wanted to go somewhere cooler. I think he's somewhere up in Prox."
"Prox, you say?" Flint pondered thoughtfully. "Oh, and by the way-could you let me down?"

"Oh, sure." Vine extended his other ear. "Just grab it."
Flint immediately fell to the ground. "Thanks."

"Vine!" exclaimed Granite joyfully. He reached out to touch ears, but then drew back. "Oh, I see that you've got one of Mold's float-joys."
"Yeah." admitted Vine. "How'd you know?"

Granite grinned. "I have one myself."
"Vine!" Quartz shouted joyfully. "Tell me-have you heard anything?"
"Well, no." Vine looked confused.

"Hi, Vine." came a moody voice. Forge slumped over to the four Djinn.

"Oh, hi!" Vine replied.

"Ah...ah...ahchoo! Vide!" sneezed Fever.

"Oh...um, Fever, isn't it?" Vine guessed.

Fever nodded. "Yup."

"Hey, who's the new Djinn?" Corona wondered.

"Vine," answered Gust. "Vine, are you planning to join this brave band of chivalrous knights? For lo! they saved me from my peril, and for that I am forever indebted to them."
Ivan hid his face in his hands.

"V-vine?" wondered Fizz. "Why...why can't it be a Mercury Djinni?"
"Hello, Vine. I'm surprised you survived this long." Smog said gloomily.

Vine looked a little taken aback. "How many are there with these Adepts?"
"There are fourteen brave Djinn joining these wonderful knights on their perilous yet noble quest." answered Gust proudly. "Fifteen if Vine will graciously join our party."
Ivan groaned.

"Who is that? An enemy?" asked Zephyr suspiciously.

"Nah, it's Vine!" exclaimed Flint.

"Oh, no, not another Venus Djinni," complained Breeze.

"Oh, a Djinni? Vine, you say? Well, Vine, could you just join us already?" wondered Mist. "Because I'm missing my afternoon nap."

"Are you an attack Djinni?" asked Spritz curiously.

"We better not have to fight him, that's all I have to say." Sleet said crabbily.

"Will I have a chance to play jokes?" Vine wanted to know.

Gust looked a little confused, then she brightened. "Yes, the brave and noble knights will fight many evil and dangerous creatures. If Vine shall join us, he may jest as much as he likes."
Ivan made a choking noise.

"All right then, I'll join you." Vine decided. "Let's go!"

Ivan looked quite relieved when all the Djinn had gone.

"Fifteen, wow." Mia murmured. "I wonder how many there are?"
Seventy-two, to be exact. came Flint's answer.

"Seventy-two." I answered.

Garet gave me a strange look. "How-oh. Right."

"Well, um, let's go on, then." Mia decided briskly. "Not a moment to waste."

As we continued on, her words repeated in my head, "Not a moment to waste..."