Golden Sun is owned by Nintendo and Camelot.
The most profuse and humble gratitude I can summon goes out to each person who took the time to review my story: Droory, CD, anon, JamesK716, Tsukasa Arioushi, Noel the mermaid, Tom-Ato13, man that forgot password, goldensun1126, Vidolfnir, DropOfInk, Rizaidym, GraysonPaladin, Wostvely, PinayAngelisaBEAST, DuchessOfDementia, valeshippingftw, LordOfRandomness, yuko1909, Hrvstmn31, Joe, nanotaz, Trauerbrandung, …, Felix (actually my name), ^_^ sweet, tranquil09, allbluewitness, UltaFlame, MartinIII, insoki, mediocre, AxelXIII, CyBeastSaber, The Fox Writer, Rocky0825, SpiritGuardian, AAA, Anonymous, Marahute Sol, Kd7sov, 17th warrior, riais, Grayjack72, bente-unerz36, Lofast, and Frutillas. There have been, by my count, forty-seven individual reviewers of the fifteen chapters thusfar, which is far more of a reach than I ever expected it to have.
My readers – reviewers and lurkers alike – thank you for your patronage and dedication to this story. As I have said many times, were it not for all of you, I would have ceased writing this story a long time ago.
I had to take some… creative license with this chapter. So don't be surprised if things don't match up in terms of gameplay with what's canon. I try very hard to write my stories so that they fit PERFECTLY with the canon, but as this story has developed… Well, I think it's worth it, and I hope you'll agree. Personally, I think it could lead into Dark Dawn, the way it happened, but I digress.
Before you read this chapter, I recommend a reread of the narrative, if you have the time. The previous chapters have undergone extensive revision in order to bring them in line with this one, and personally, I believe you will get more out of it if you do. But, as always, you are the readers, and it is entirely up to you. I promise it will still work if you don't, but I think you will enjoy it much more if you do.
And now, my friends, it is my great pleasure to present to you the final – yes, final – installment of Tundra. It's been a wonderful ride.
Without further ado:
Tundra
Chapter 16: Aerie
Isaac's insistence that they continue shattered the wretched silence in the atrium of the Lighthouse, but for a long moment no one moved. At last, Piers took several steps forward and knelt down at Mia's side to continue his prayer. His lips made only the slightest movements as he did so, and it was not until the last word that anything was audible – it sounded, to Isaac, like Piers had said "…peace".
Garet followed suit, and then one by one they said their final goodbyes to Mia. Felix was last; he knelt for a long time, and did not close his eyes – they were filled with pain, regret, and disbelief. If it was at all possible, the lines on his face grew harder and his posture colder as he stood back up. Felix raised a slab of stone from the ground and picked up Mia's body with machine-like movements. He lifted it to the top of the block, crossing her hands at her waist. The other seven watched as he did this.
As Felix walked back to the rest of the group, every heavy, disgusted step he took announced that his spirit was utterly broken. Isaac noticed this, and when they climbed the stairs that led toward the aerie's teleportation circle, there was not even a thought of disagreement about Isaac's position at the front.
And so they began their journey to light the elemental fires. The onslaught of monsters granted some brief reprieve from the horror of Mia's death as the seven adepts lost themselves in combat, but they all moved more slowly than usual – with simultaneous heaviness and recklessness brought on by a moment so heart-shattering that the body had to help bear the load.
In between the thrusts of his sword and barrages of earth from his palms, Isaac fought against the urge to cease – and was it ever strong. After each blow, his hand pondered for a moment if it was worth lifting his blade again, when he could just give up now. Each time, he felt the smallest inkling of fear of death that forced him to action, but each time the hopelessness came nearer to overpowering his judgment, instinct, and resolve.
But Isaac knew that he had to be strong; he felt the weight of two worlds upon his shoulders. One was the entirety of Weyard, which for the most part was unaware of its plight, and the other was his own personal world – the people he loved and cared for. One of the threads securing it had snapped, and now it was a brutal struggle to maintain its shape before it collapsed without the support it needed. Every moment that he found himself about to give up, every time his heart slipped dangerously close to the abyss, he thought of his mother, of his friends, of Jenna, of the whole world that he had traveled and seen, and he found the strength to continue to fight.
And, like any true leader, Isaac did not see the eyes of his friends behind him draw from his seemingly irrepressible well of resolve. He merely soldiered on to the best of his ability, and his best inspired his companions to hold on to hope as a thousand interconnected battles for the fate of the world raged around them: some internal, some physical; some brash, some subtle; some only minutes old, others ancient.
Why do you attempt this? This confrontation of yours will only end in death.
The only death I fear is that of our world. If I must do so in order to save it, I will release our souls by the power that bound them.
You speak heresies.
You act as though there is a choice. Do you not remember the seven of us? Anything less would render the sacrifices of our friends useless.
Sacrifice…? No. This stems from your failing. Your attachment to the earth-born has blinded you, woman. You turn your power against me to protect him.
…
Do you deny this?
He is as you once were, and as you ought to be.
He does not see as I see, and he has not been made to destroy what I have destroyed. He is not strong enough to save this world if I was not.
Ah… There it is. I have found your heart, love – it is buried beneath your foolish pride. He has passed all my tests, save the one he has not yet taken. He broke free of your gauntlet. Why did you sacrifice the last of my children to impose another test?
Like your son, Felix is not worthy. He is stained by sins of cowardice. I will not show you mercy if you persist in this attack; I will protect what I have sworn to protect, from either Felix or your son.
For you to call a man a coward… mercy was never your strength, my love. I am sorry for the pain I must put you through, but you have forgotten the lessons of your past and replaced them with heartless dogma. I will not see the one I love so corrupted.
What nonsense do you speak? You cannot stand your ground against my power, and you…
If it must be so, then like a stone on the river bed, I swear that I will wear you down to dust! Let the river of my love that you have denied and forgotten quench the angry flames that scald your heart – if I can, I will save you from yourself. I know the pain you were forced to bear, but he does not have to share in your suffering to be worthy.
You cling to such foolish, mortal notions. Put them behind you and accept what you have become.
Come, my love. I would dance with you one last time, across all the oceans and rivers and lakes, from the rain on the tallest mountains to the lowest depths of the earth. I will not abandon love here at the end of all things, even if you have already forsaken me.
Three creatures closed in on Garet near the trigger for the first of the four elemental fires – two from his left and another from his right.
Underhand swing of a sword, block behind with shield; brace for contact… There, now psynergy! Fire-fire-fire-fire, focus-focus-focus – too long, stop! Where's the other one? There! Lunge, spin, slash, got him. Now behind you again, focus-focus-focus now fire, explode! Good, two down. One more, one more where? There! Faster, dammit, go! Now wait, stutter-step, it's gonna jump… Go! Now get the head off of it before it gets back up, faster dammit! Shit! No-no-no-no-no don't end up like Mia, don't end up like Mia… Mia… No… Mia, shit! Faster! Faster, stop thinking about it! Don't think about her, don't lose focus! There, five more! Get them all in a line, focus-focus-focus, hold it in, hold it in and shoot the fire! Missed one, shit. Need to aim better. Faster, faster, faster. Stay under control. Faster, faster, faster. Get it right, no mistakes, and one stroke, two strokes, three strokes, too far forward! Back up, back up, get back with everybody. Don't let Isaac outdo you. Come on, you can do better. Focus on Isaac. He's good. Kicking your ass. Don't let him be better than you. Faster. Hit harder. You've got longer reach, so use it. Where is everybody? Jenna-Felix-Ivan-Sheba to the left, Isaac right in front of you, Piers has the back, gotta watch out for Mia make sure nothing gets close to her SHIT you idiot stop it, stop crying, stop it! Fuck, gotta focus on Isaac, don't let him be better than you, move faster, don't let anyone else down, don't let anyone else down…
Weyard's rivers began to churn, and the earthen banks grew wet. Rain began to fall. The ocean currents began to move faster, with more purpose.
The earth rumbled quietly all across the continents. Fault lines under pressure climbed steadily to their critical points. Fissures appeared in strange places. The deserts grew hot and sandstorms brewed.
Trees along the riverbeds of Weyard that had long been stable suddenly found themselves subject to unusually strong currents that ran through the rivers. Their roots, long planted firmly in the soil, began to lose hold.
Still, trees that seemed as though they should have fallen stayed up; old trees that had floated down the rivers aimlessly seemed to find themselves bunched, trapping and damming the currents. Yet still, the rivers did not flood.
All along the coastlines, waves crashed more heavily against the shore than any had in recent memory. It was an unnatural phenomenon, to have such strong waves in the bays without a single sign of a storm on the ocean. In fact, away from the coast, the waters on the surface were calm.
Loud echoes of snapping within the cliffs of Angara scared the local ships out of the bays, but unlike most often when those sounds were heard, the cliffs did not collapse. Sometimes they would shift noticeably, but still they did not fall into the ocean.
Inside the Lighthouse, water seemed more likely to turn to volatile steam near the dragonflames, more likely to freeze in the cracks between the metal, more likely to worm its way through the crevices that had long been left alone. The subtle equilibrium that was the Lighthouse was disturbed, and a million small battles of the elements took place even as the seven young adepts waged their own with the monsters.
Still, the steel of the Lighthouse neither budged nor weakened. The mountains did not lose their sides to the rain. The rivers did not halt. Vapor did not disappear into the sky. The monsters did not slow. The adepts did not stop their climb.
The battles raged on.
Jenna forced herself to concentrate on disarming the trap in front of her. As soon as everyone else was safely past the barrier of flames, she let go of her psynergy and leapt past the wall just as the flames reignited. She stopped to catch her breath for a moment, but as she did so felt the memory of Mia's lifeless body overwhelm her with grief. Mia was the most pure, most beautiful person Jenna had ever laid eyes on – it was not fair that she had been the one to fall. It simply was not.
Jenna felt all at once a surge of equal parts disgust, shame, anger, empathy, and sorrow for her brother. She knew that he was in turmoil – Mia had put her life in his hands, and the trust had been misplaced. That made her question everything – after all, her trust in Felix was the cornerstone of her confidence in them as a group. Who could ever say what it meant that Felix had truly failed?
Even now, it seemed, her brother had not changed after everything that they had all been through. He could not keep his promises, and was a coward when it truly mattered. It broke Jenna's heart to think it, but she thought it all the same. She did not know if it was true or not, but there was nothing she could think to pull her mind out of the loop of despair into which she had fallen.
Felix was right behind her, she knew. As more monsters bore down on them, she chanced a glance at her brother – it was a strange thing, to see his flawless physique and powerful frame acting on instinct in the middle of a battle, and yet to know exactly how broken he was. It weakened her to see him so beaten, so without purpose; she looked away.
It seemed like her family had failed her. Her parents were gone forever, and her brother did not seem able to finish what they had set out to do. It shook her to her core, breaking down her increasingly fragile confidence. Even as she fought against the deadly monsters, she did not know if she would ever see anything else but the amaranthine tower that wrapped around them like a cage. And for a moment, she didn't care. She slowed the pace of her sword, almost inviting death to come and find her.
Then, out of her blind spot came Isaac, throwing himself in front of her without a thought, fighting off the fiendish lizards and flame-spewing birds that had made their homes in the tower. He took several blows, and fought on with a courage that she almost could not comprehend. He did not even glance her way. He was simply… fighting. Not for her, not in anger or in rage, but fighting nonetheless – he moved with purpose.
She caught a glimpse of his bright blue eyes as he whirled around to strike a monster behind him, and she felt a small spark of something that felt like tenderness. He did not seem to be looking at her, but all the same it gave her cause to remember that he was there, for now and for as long as they believed in each other. They would have each other's friendship, company, and trust. They would be there for each other in all things. Even though she had never asked him for such incredible devotion, he still had never failed her, and most incredibly, he believed in her.
And that, Jenna thought, might be just enough to finish this. It isn't much, but it's enough.
It is difficult to say when the tide of the cosmic battle between earth and water began to shift; perhaps it was the tide itself that finally gained an edge on the shoreline, or maybe a lone tree that could bear the anger of the river it bordered no longer. Whatever the case, it was evident that a breaking point had been reached.
In a slow cascade all across Weyard, earth's vengeful arms lost their fire. The same stalwart trees that had hung from the edges of banks fell victim to the currents. The edges of cliffs finally gave way and sunk into the ocean. Clouds came over the desert; sandstorms slowed and abated.
The eddies of the rivers laughed in triumph; the ice in the north seemed to become as hard as diamonds. One mountain in Angara felt the effects of a mudslide, and then so did another one across the continent. A rainstorm finally pushed a river over the floodline, and the greenery beneath it was drowned.
It seemed that everything everywhere was wet or eroding or freezing. Sweat came freely; dirt seemed to fall off the hands of farmers. And, in a strange place untouched by time, a shell made of the essence of earth began to wear away – for a brief moment, the heart of stone was unveiled. For a brief moment, the heart of stone was vulnerable.
And still the battle continued in the Lighthouse: water against earth, the Angel against the Eye, and the adepts against their own despair.
Ivan felt the bile work its way up into his mouth again, and for the umpteenth time choked it back down. He couldn't stop thinking about Mia. It was the only thing on his mind – what else could possibly be on his mind? He had no way of making her disappear – his mind was always in too many places at once, and he could no more convince his mind to look away from Mia than he could stop breathing. He felt the dark sense of loneliness and despair threaten to overwhelm him, and he reached out with all of his might for something – for anything – to hold on to.
Ivan's psynergy skirted the edge of Sheba's consciousness. He hoped that she felt the need to be anything but alone; if she did, then because they were adepts they could speak without words. All they needed was proximity and familiarity, and they could speak in sequences of images, sensations, and concepts. Between thunderbolts, he touched her mind lightly on the shoulder, almost as if saying, "Can I sit here with you?"
Her mind acknowledged the advance, after a burst of focus that made itself manifest in the form of a great whirlwind had dissipated, and their thoughts sat down together.
Ivan's mind thought of a concept: Mia. non-reality; impossible; why?
Sheba's said at the same time: wish-I-had-known-when/her, regret, who-was-she?
Sheba had no reply for his thought, but Ivan said: in-my-room-after-the-storm telling-jokes, moment-on-the-shipdeck-she-liked-Felix, and also oops-my-bad, followed by a flash of Hama-Mia-Hama-Mia smiling, they-are-gentle-big-sister-faces.
Sheba: soothing, this-helps, more.
Ivan: Mia-with-terribleMONSTER,FOCUS,LIGHTNING-bedhead-every-day, seeming-innocent, first-time-I-met-her.
Sheba: first-time-was-JupiterFIRE,DODGE-she-almost-died-there, finding-her-on-the-ice.
Ivan: already-miss-her, she-was-alone-at-the-end.
Sheba: embrace-you, she-had-Felix
And so they allowed the images – some sad, most happy, and all familiar and comforting – to float back and forth between each other. It wasn't much, but it was something to hold on to, something tangible, and truth be told, it was almost as though she wasn't gone as long as they were able to think of her happily.
That connection, that shared voice, kept the two of them bound to one another. There was a reason to keep fighting – sustaining this memorial of Mia, this pageant to her life that was floating between their two minds, kept them tied to each other, and tied to the battle in front of them. It was a single, tenuous thread, and its lifespan was dangerously finite, but the happy memories of Mia grew stronger and they were able to peer outside of the small world that they had created. They saw that Isaac, who was in front of them, had not lost heart, and that Garet fought with a ferocity that they had never seen from him. It was, in a moment of what had been utter darkness, a light.
Ivan saw this, and shared an image-impression with Sheba: Mia, leaving home to save her people, Mia-always-helps-other-people, Mia-is-our-reason-to-fight-even-harder, this-is-for-her, I-want-to-make-her-a-hero-forever.
Ivan only felt Sheba send one connected thought in return: I-feel-hope.
His instantaneous reply: we-are-the-exact-same-feeling.
As they approached second of the elemental flames, the effects of this exchange were immediately apparent to both Sheba and Ivan – but to each only from the perspective of the other.
Sheba saw, in that moment, Ivan's true self – sometimes teasing, always playful, and eternally positive – displayed in a manner she had never seen before. It was still him, but it was tempered by experience, by an understanding of some truth that can't be put into words – one that can be shown but not taught, explained but not felt without experience. It was so strange to see this from Ivan that it was not until much later she realized that what she saw was wisdom.
Ivan, for his part, began to see how Sheba's veneers had melted away in the tension and heartache of the last few days, and how much strength she had gained because of it. Their dubious connection through her games of matchmaker had fallen down and given way to a relationship with the strength to sustain them both in a time when all their hope seemed lost – it had become something real, almost to the point of tangibility, which was a first for any relationship in Ivan's life. It was a serene and soothing thing in the midst of so much disaster – much like inside the eye of a storm, inside their friendship, Ivan was able to find the strength to endure.
And as they lit the fire of earth, the two Jupiter adepts began to believe.
Water had no shell around its heart – water carried its heart with it, in whatever shape it happened to be. It was unafraid to touch, to be touched. It was sensitive, yet flexible.
Earth kept its heart hidden, encased. When the first current of water, fierce and chilling, brushed across its heart, something awoke in the earth that was not often stirred. The retribution for earth's unhinging was instant and terrible. Weyard's very soul shook as the earth did. What many later remembered as a precursor to the ignition of the Golden Sun was anything but: a low and heavy rumble as the earth let loose its fury.
Mud slowed, baked into clay in an instant. Vines and grass and trees grew thirsty. Rivers grew heavy with silt. Great cliffs that had begun to fall laughed as they blocked harbors; rockslides from mountains pulverized streams
On and on earth and water fought against one another, engaged in a massive and perilous dance throughout the world, across the ether, and in the very hearts of the adepts who approached the summit.
Piers took a brief moment to pray as the group lit the final elemental fire.
"Mother… If you can hear me, there is someone who is coming to join you. I might be joining you soon, but… She has fought too many battles for her youth, and she deserves better than what this place can give her. Please… welcome her as you would welcome me. Help her find peace that she could not find here."
You are beaten, woman. Submit.
Never, my love.
You have failed. The boy has ceased to believe. He is not strong enough.
You would see him fail no matter the cost, you arrogant man. He has strength more than fitting for the task.
His spirit seeps away even as we speak. He is a coward.
He loves. The greatest cowardice is in failing to love, and you have forgotten this. Even if I must die for it, I will give you cause to remember.
Felix's body moved because habit commanded it. He protected, dodged, attacked, and ran because his muscles and limbs knew instinctively what to do. Twice the traps had almost killed him, because he was not focused. And how could he? All that his mind could remember was the montage of his most terrible failings that led up to Mia's death. He had slain her with fire, fire that was the result of a twisted spell that fed off of his sins and inadequacies.
All he could feel was guilt. Mia was… everything that he was not. She was pure. She was supposed to be happy, and he was supposed to give her that happiness. She wasn't supposed to be alone when she left the world – she deserved to have every heart that she had ever touched and every life she had ever changed for the better present to send her off when she finally passed away after years and years of vibrant life. It shouldn't have been her. It should have been him who died alone in the depths of a hateful prison of ice. He deserved that fate. Not her.
He was in the rear of the group, solely because he could not bear to have the eyes of his friends upon him. He couldn't bear the burden of their trust, having so sorely let them down. He couldn't even trust himself anymore. There was no way he could possibly lead the group to the aerie. All he could think was that the group was one member short, that the world's most graceful woman now lay dead at the bottom of the lighthouse, and that the responsibility was entirely his. Even though Garet fought fiercely, even though Isaac's example urged them to press on, Felix could not bring himself to have hope.
He had heard the term "heartbroken" before, but he never truly believed that it was a physical thing until now – every beat of his heart brought a fresh surge of pain to his whole body, reminding him of his failure to protect Mia. Every memory, every moment in her presence, every touch they had shared… All of it stung at Felix like a thousand angry wasps. The frozen air as they ascended to the top of the elevator made the pain even more acute.
Why was this his breaking point? Saturos's abusive treatment in Prox did not crush his spirit; he had broken every tenant of Valean creed in helping to steal the elemental stars and light the Lighthouses with little remorse; he had let his sister believe him to be dead for years and had tried to avoid letting her know otherwise. He had deceived, betrayed, groveled, and slain his way to the top of this Lighthouse. Now, he found himself without strength. Without Mia, the whole endeavor seemed to be without reason.
He had failed her.
He had broken a promise that he had not made until he truly believed that he would keep it to his dying breath. It was not a choice that Felix had made lightly. He would rather face every danger he had ever seen a hundred times over than to break a promise as sacred as the one he had made. Perhaps it was his destiny to fall short – here in the frozen wastelands of Prox, destiny held firm sway over everyone.
Atop the Lighthouse, for miles to the south, there was nothing but snow and the occasional mountaintop. Prox was virtually invisible. To the north and west and east, there was utter nothingness. The infinite blackness ate the snow that fell into it; it bit away at the ground at its edge, slowly marching toward Prox. It was the harshest and bleakest place that Felix had ever seen in his life, perhaps in all of Weyard. It was Abyss, and on the day of his greatest failure, Felix truly felt like he belonged.
As they approached the center of the aerie, Felix, somewhere in the midst of his dark thoughts, realized that their lives might be over in moments, and that their actions might cause the end of the world – but he did not care. In fact, it seemed to him like the world was already over, that he had already lost. What was the survival of countless people across the Weyard worth if it came at the cost of Mia's life? There was nothing Felix could imagine worth such a high price.
"Felix," said Isaac, interrupting his thoughts, "do you have the Mars Star?"
Felix blinked – it was time. Wordlessly, he pulled the small mythril bag out of his pack and handed it over to Isaac.
The blond adept took it from Felix, and walked a couple of steps toward the center before turning back around to face the group. Felix, with nothing else required of him, let his thoughts once again drift back to Mia's lifeless body at the base.
"If this... doesn't work, everyone…" said Isaac, "I just want to say… I-I don't…"
Isaac's voice faltered, and a small tear slid out of his right eye. He took a deep breath to gather himself.
"If this is the end, I'm glad I'm here with… with my friends, a-all of you. With the people I love."
Love.
That word echoed in Felix's heart and mind like the loudest of bells. He had never said it; he had been too afraid.
"I wouldn't have it any other way," agreed Piers, smiling serenely; Sheba nodded in agreement.
Bring your heart with you when you climb the Lighthouse, said Felix's memory.
This was no fairy tale, Felix's mind whispered, berating him – but that word by itself set his heart on fire. Perhaps there was no such thing as a truly happy ending, but if Felix knew anything, it was that something like this could not be ignored.
There was silence for a moment, before Isaac spoke.
"Anyone else have anything to say?" he asked.
Maybe, thought Felix, there was no such thing as a happy ending, but there would never be a better time than now to try to shape his destiny, to make things right, to make an ending. It would be an imperfect one, surely, but it would be his own.
"Everyone…" Felix began.
His friends looked over to him, shocked to hear him speak.
"I'm sorry for… everything. For everything I haven't been able to do. Sheba, for leaving; Isaac, for my blindness; and Jenna, for my cowardice, I'm sorry. And Mia…"
He turned to the south, looking away from the abyss and his companions, and toward the whole of Weyard that he had set out to save, in all of its twilight beauty behind a curtain of snow. His friends looked on, waiting for whatever else he had to say. Felix stared into the distance, struggling to find a way to voice the simple thought that burned inside his chest – that he would rather be with her, wherever she was, than anywhere else in the world.
"Felix…" Isaac said carefully, hefting the Mars Star, "… it's time."
The dark-haired adept turned his head around slightly and nodded in acknowledgement.
"Mia…" he whispered to the air, "if you can hear me… I'm sorry I never said it. I love you."
As the words left his lips, a beam of blue-white light began to hum on the west side of the aerie.
Did you hear that, my love?
… He has failed. He is too late.
No. He has found the hope he lost.
He is tainted.
He is whole.
I will not allow him to light the beacon.
So now it is time for us to interfere? Very well, my love. Let our dance continue.
Felix halted his movement toward the center of the aerie as the beam of white light grew searingly bright, forcing him to shield his face with his hand. Then with a crash that shook the aerie, the Lady appeared.
Felix, she said, you must light the beacon now, before…
Betrayers, you have arrived.
The Wise One's voice echoed in the minds of the eight adepts, though it emanated from where he had materialized, just to the left of the Lady. Their eyes moved wildly back and forth between the two godlike creatures that had appeared before them.
Isaac and Garet, I am disappointed. You have forgotten your duty.
"And you were just going to let the world fade into nothing?" countered Isaac. "We have no choice. Prox will be gone in days."
The punishment for their sins was warranted.
"That's not…" Isaac started.
Enough, interrupted the Lady. You cannot interfere. You know this.
I will not interfere… but, what if some miracle were to occur, one that would prevent them from lighting the Lighthouse?
The Wise One began to pulse with Psynergy.
If you are stronger than a miracle, then perhaps you have a chance, despite your sins.
And with a crack of elemental thunder, a massive three-headed dragon appeared in front of them. It was at least thirty feet tall, and roared as though it were in immense pain. Its heads began to move, and the monster edged slowly toward the Adepts.
At once, Felix knew what the dragon truly was, what the Wise One had wrought.
"NO!" he screamed, and he stepped out in front of the rest of his friends.
The Wise One shifted his large stone eye toward Felix, and the dragon's motion toward the party ceased.
"Take me instead," said Felix. "Please."
The Wise One paused, as though considering.
… You will not suffice.
"They don't deserve this!" Felix yelled. "I made the choices, and I made the mistakes. I betrayed Vale, I helped light all the beacons of my own free will, not them. They were prisoners! I'm the one you want. I'll go through it all again. Let the rest of them fight me instead."
Felix held his gaze on the Wise One, unblinking and unfaltering, and continued.
"I know I'll die this time. I know you'll make me watch it all again, that I'll have to see myself kill Mia, but I can be with her when it's over. I'd rather die than let them kill their parents, you sadist."
Behind him, Jenna's grip on her sword faltered as realization dawned; Garet grew pale. Isaac, however, remained steadfast and calm, as though he had already known both things.
You will not suffice, Felix, the Wise One echoed. It is high time for the sinners before me to repent. Perhaps having you slay the Water-born was not severe enough a punishment.
"You monster," Felix spat, as he settled into a fighting stance. "Everyone, stay back! This battle is mine!"
Isaac gave a grim chuckle as he twirled his blade expertly and stepped up next to Felix.
"Nonsense, Felix," the blond said. "I'm right here with you. You've sacrificed so much; it's about time someone else did their share. If my father is the price I have to pay to help bring everyone else home alive… so be it."
"He's right, Felix," said Jenna as she too stepped forward. "You take care of us; you always take care of us. It's our turn."
"Besides," Sheba jumped in, "you promised you wouldn't leave us again. You didn't forget about that, did you?"
"Your offer is noble, Felix," Piers said with finality, "but none of us made this climb to watch you throw your life away."
Felix's face remained stoic, but a glint of hope appeared behind his eyes for the first time since they had entered Prox.
"This is for Mia," said Ivan, as his fingertips began to hum with electricity.
"For Mia," Garet agreed.
And in the background, the Lady began to glow a soft, blue-white hue.
After what seemed like several days, Mia opened her eyes. She found herself standing on a large, flat stretch of ice and snow. There was nothing but the snow and a thin blue mist in any direction, as far as her eyes could see, except for directly in front of her – there were two small stumps of pine trees, one of which was already occupied by a figure facing away from her.
"I've been waiting for you, Mia."
It was a woman's voice, and soft like a well-worn blanket.
"Who… who are you?" the Imilian girl asked.
"You don't know me," the woman admitted as she turned around, "but I've been watching you closely. You've been traveling with my little boy."
The woman did not look very old – in fact, she did not look much older than Mia herself. However, the ornate, flowing robes she wore, which were blue enough to match the woman's hair, gave away her identity immediately.
"You're Piers's mother?" Mia asked.
"Yes, dear, yes I am," the woman replied, "but you may call me Coriela."
"But if you're Piers's mother, then…" Mia started.
"Yes," Coriela said consolingly, "You have passed on."
Mia didn't know what to say, so she said nothing The fact that she was dead was not easy to believe.
"I understand if you need a minute to think, dear," the Lemurian said. "It's not an easy thing to come to terms with. I was in your shoes not too long ago, after all. Piers did ask that I welcome you as I would welcome him, though, so I came to find you as soon as I could."
"You… came to find me?" Mia questioned. "How did you…"
"He prayed for you, my dear," she replied, as though it were obvious, "and asked me to take care of you. So, here I am. Now, I'm sure you have a hundred questions for me, and I will answer all that I can in due time, but first, you need to follow me. Come, this way."
Mia followed Coreila for nearly five minutes, until they came to a small pile of rocks that seemed purposefully placed – and indeed, when Mia looked over them, there was a small pool of still, crystal-clear water about two meters in diameter just beneath the level of the rocks at her waist.
"Look into the water, dear," insisted Coreila.
Mia obliged, and gazed at the glassy surface of the water, hoping to see her friends.
The water did not hold the image she expected – what appeared instead was the Lady.
Hello, my daughter, the Lady's voice echoed.
"You…" Mia stuttered, "You're… Ply. Y-You're the…"
Yes, she replied, the mother of your people, one of the adepts responsible for sealing the elements, the guardian of Mercury Lighthouse, and the keeper of the Water of Life. I am all of these.
Mia's mind exploded with questions. "Why…"
Hush, my child. Your questions are important, but there is little time. Your arrogant brother has sinned greatly. He intends to gather the powers of alchemy for himself. I must sacrifice myself to stop him, and to save Felix.
"Felix! What's wrong with him?" Mia said, lurching closer to the water's surface. Thoughts of Alex left her mind at the mention of Felix's name.
He is in danger. But he has given all for you, my daughter. His sacrifice has made mine possible. Out of love for you, for Felix, and for Alex, I will give of myself.
Mia was silent, confused.
I love you, my daughter. But watch now: I will show you what great miracles love can work.
Mia stared into the basin, with Coreila's hand on her shoulder, as the scene faded to the battle that took place on the Lighthouse aerie. The blue mist that surrounded them began to gather around Mia, and from there was absorbed by the pool itself.
Felix, said the Lady as she turned to him, you have done well. For your courage and your sacrifice, I thank you. You are truly a hero, and have done all that I could ask for my daughter. Now, I will do the same for you.
The hue that the Lady radiated became a much sharper blue as she turned toward the Wise One.
Your warped judgment has no place here! she said.
They have sinned gravely – this will be their penance, and the balance will be protected.
You pretend you are some god. Your right to judge is forfeit. I am sorry, my love – I tried to call you, but you would not listen. It is time for us to go.
You would not dare!
Oh, my love, but I would. Come – I will lay our weary souls to rest.
And so the battle began. The Wise One and the Lady rose into the air above the Lighthouse while the adepts battled on the ground, and compared to the battle above them, the eight companions were ants.
The Lady and the Eye fought ferociously. Some of the battle was visible – blue-white lines of the essence of water arced across the sky, slashing and crossing with similar bronze lines of the purest earth – but much of it was more subtle, hidden in the folds of time and in between the minds of the two demigods. Even though the battle between them was a display of unmatched mastery and control, such was their combined power that the energy from their blows often landed on the battle below them.
Still, the adepts below fought bravely, with Mia in the forefront of their minds. Fire followed blade followed storm into the maw of the three-headed beast; it seemed unstoppable, despite the best efforts of the seven warriors. For every blow that landed, the dragon was able to unleash a fearsome barrage of power upon them.
Though it seemed to take hours, Garet was finally able to saw off one of the dragon's great heads with a blast of concentrated flame – the decapitated head fell off to the side and turned to dust. However, this injury seemed to anger the dragon more than it did hurt it. If anything, its attacks grew stronger and more frequent, as did the sprays of power that came from the battle above.
At a point, Isaac took a blow to the side while unleashing his Psynergy; Piers stepped in to heal him. A moment later, Ivan set a ward as Jenna moved in to attack. Felix put his shield between Sheba and a blast of Psynergy from the beast. The walls between them that had risen up since Magma Rock came down like an avalanche. Although the beast's strength was immense, the hope that they had rekindled within themselves would not be outdone.
When Piers severed the second head with a graceful swordstroke, the dragon reacted with unforeseeable violence, unleashing a barrage of Psynergy so powerful that Piers fell instantly unconscious. The group reacted and moved to protect his body, but the jump in power was even greater than the one that had followed the first head's departure. Even though they adjusted to the increased ferocity, their Psynergy – already sapped – began to reach the breaking point.
Sheba was the next to fall as she took a dive to protect Ivan; her unconscious body fell next to Piers. Garet and Ivan in turn did their best to absorb the blows directed at their two friends while the others continued the attack, but the dragon's relentless attacks eventually forced them to the ground, depleted.
"Jenna!" shouted Felix, as he saw Isaac begin his attack from the corner of his eye.
"On it!" his sister replied, pouring her healing power into her friends on the ground.
As Isaac finished his attack, Felix readied his Psynergy and moved toward the beast. However, instead of focusing its attack on one of the Venus adepts, the dragon's head shot towards Jenna. Felix was already in the middle of releasing his own attack, and Isaac had not yet had time to move close enough to protect Jenna. Her Psynergy flared up to protect her from the dragon's teeth, and then she collapsed.
Isaac and Felix both began to sprint toward Jenna.
"GO!" the blond shouted to Felix, pointing madly at the dragon.
Felix hesitated for a moment…. His sister…
But Felix relinquished the thought, trusting Isaac, and began to gather his power.
The dragon took Isaac's bait, and pounded the blond with a devastating beam of Psynergy as Felix moved forward. Felix chanced a glance as he sprinted, and saw that Isaac – impressively – still stood after the first attack, though Felix knew that his companion could not endure another.
Felix forced his Psynergy to gather faster – they could not lose now.
The dragon let go of another beam of energy, and Felix knew that Isaac had fallen. Time slowed as Felix processed the surroundings.
Six steps from the dragon. The dragon's head turned away from his friends' downed figures and faced him. There! He had gathered too much energy to hold it any longer.
Four steps. The sky grew bright as the two demigods reached the climax of their battle, and the power of earth collided with the power of water head-on. Felix let go of his hold on his Psynergy.
Two steps. Felix unleashed the power he had gathered through every pore of his body, and let loose every ounce of everything he knew and believed and loved in one consummate blow, aimed at the dragon's throat. Simultaneously, the dragon bombarded Felix with Psynergy, and Felix forced himself to hang on to consciousness long enough to strike.
The sky turned brown; the Lady's heart let out a desperate cry as the Wise One began crack her defenses.
Felix brought his sword down into the dragon's neck with all his might; the dragon roared as it fell, and growing bright, shimmered away until all that was left were the shapes of three adults. Felix felt a stab of pain in his chest as he saw his parents.
You would give all for my daughter, Felix, Felix heard the Lady's voice in his mind, as though she were in intense pain. Now I will give all for you. When I give the word, throw the Star into the Lighthouse.
Then her voice vanished. Felix watched the two godlike figures above as a blue mist began to crawl onto the aerie.
My power has not been weakened by foolishness like yours, woman. You are at my mercy.
And you are a fool, my love. Even in his victory, you do not acknowledge Felix's strength. He has succeeded where you failed!
The Earth-born is weak. His own strength has not been tested–merely that of his friends. My hand holds no mercy for him; only judgment.
And so you fall.
Learn your place! I will do my duty – I will pass my judgment on him and on that power-hungry Water-born.
The Lighthouse shook as the Wise One unleashed a torrent of earthen energy at the Lady. She shrieked with what had to be pain; steam bellowed from her form, as though the water itself was trying to escape the Wise One's wrath: it was so brutal and violent that his fury was nearly palpable.
Felix, now!
He sprinted toward Isaac's downed figure, grabbed the bag from the inside of his companion's vest, and lunged toward the center. Not two steps later, he felt the most intense, excruciating pain of his life as the Wise One's aimed his pure energy at Felix – it began to peel his skin from his bones. He cried out in pain, fighting against the urge to fall unconscious, and took another step forward. All he had to do was drop the star into the Lighthouse, and he could be with Mia again. All he had to do was finish, and then he could die.
He took another step, and another, and one more. Each step was a harder battle than any he had fought to that point. His Psynergy ran on overdrive to protect him, but yet the Wise One's power still sliced off his skin, exposing what was beneath. He began to bleed, but he still inched forward.
The blue mist that had crept on to the lighthouse grew thicker, enveloping Felix. It was a soothing balm; the pain from the Wise One's attack slowed and then abated altogether. The Lady's voice grew loud in Felix's ear – it resonated like it had before, carrying a weight behind it that belied her fearsome power, though this time it sounded caustic, fraught with betrayal.
You have scorned my love for long enough. Now it is my time to judge.
Felix took a glance up at the Lady – her features had morphed. The blue mist had taken shape around her, forming ethereal claws and fangs so dense that Felix could scarcely differentiate them from her actual body.
Now, Felix! she repeated.
Felix took the final step forward, dropping the Mars Star into the bottomless pit.
The Lady's body accelerated toward the Wise One's figure, claws extended. She stuck their sharp ends into him like a fork, and they flew beautifully, gracefully into the center of the Lighthouse.
For love I die, and for love I sacrifice, she said as she sailed by. For love I will work miracles.
The blue mist disappeared.
The Wise One's palpable anger dissipated.
The Lighthouse erupted into a massive red pyre.
On the top of the Lighthouse, the beacon's light bathed the adepts with a soft, warm glow. Everyone slowly began to regain consciousness. Jenna grabbed her side in pain as she stood up, and it began to bleed. Behind her, Isaac, Ivan, and Sheba began to awaken.
"Mom… Dad…" Jenna whispered as she clutched her side, falling to her knees at her parents' bodies. "I was so close. We were almost together again."
Felix pulled his sister close to him.
"I'm here," he whispered to her.
Off to the side, Ivan helped Isaac up. The Venus adept looked down at his father.
"Dad, I did it. We saved the world. I don't know how I'm going to tell Mom that you didn't make it, but… I hope you're proud."
"I'm sure he would be, Isaac," Ivan said.
"I agree," said Piers, as he helped Garet up. "We've all fought bravely."
"Ivan? Ivan, is that you?"
Ivan spun around. He knew that voice.
"Hama?" he asked, bewildered.
"Ivan, I was called to Jupiter Lighthouse in a dream. I must warn you… I see that you all have suffered greatly. Your friends' parents… Mia… Do not give up hope just yet."
"A woman cloaked in white called me here to the Lighthouse. She warned me to get everyone away from there, that it would be dangerous when the beacon was lit. She also asked that I give Isaac, Jenna, and Felix hope."
"The Lady…." thought Felix.
"They told us too," said a young boy's voice. "We've been telling people to leave for hours!"
"You… You're Mia's pupil, from Imil!" exclaimed Isaac.
"Yeah, that's us," said a girl's voice. "We have to go now too, because otherwise it will be too dangerous. That's what the Angel-Lady said."
"So that Lady who was fighting with the Wise One was warning people in dreams?" Sheba asked.
"It would appear so, yes. But you all must flee, now," said Hama. "The Lighthouses will not be safe."
"What about our parents?" asked Jenna. "We can't just leave them here."
"You must go!" said Hama, before her voice disappeared.
"Come on," shouted Isaac as he lifted his father's body over his shoulder. "To the elevator!"
Piers grabbed Felix and Jenna's father, while Garet carried their mother. Felix carried Jenna, whose side still bled openly.
As the elevator stopped at the top, the entire Lighthouse began to hum with energy. The group hurriedly jumped onto the elevator as the light behind them increased in intensity. Felix willed the elevator to move faster. They had to get clear of the Lighthouse before…
A loud, low noise accompanied a massive release of energy from the beacon as a red beam shot across the sky. It shook the foundations of the Lighthouse just as the elevator neared the bottom. The force of the blast knocked the adepts off to the elevator, onto the snow below, where they fell unconscious.
We have warned everyone to stay clear of the Lighthouses, and of Mt. Aleph. The power of the Mars beacon will revive their parents.
….
We have one more task, my love.
…. Yes.
You had not forgotten. I knew you would not betray his sacrifice.
I will do my duty.
After it is finished, we both shall die.
… I will redeem myself. We both shall sacrifice – for something new, and bigger than ourselves.
That we will. Thank you, my great love.
Far away, on a mountaintop high above the village of Vale, a lone man climbed feverishly.
"No..." he said to himself, as the Golden Sun began to take shape. "I am so close!"
A blue mist began to form around him.
You prideful fool, a voice said, powerful and masculine. I will not permit a sinner such as you to access a power that you have not earned.
This will be your undoing, my prodigal son, came a woman's voice.
Still the man pulled himself to the peak's plateau.
You cannot resist us, said the woman's voice as her angelic figure, along with a large eye of stone, appeared above the peak, levitating in the sky.
The man basked in the light of the Golden Sun at the peak's zenith.
"No one can stand against me now!" proclaimed Alex. "I am the most powerful adept in the world! I will call storms upon this pathetic village below me, and I strike you down, whoever you are."
He pointed his hand at the massive, one-eyed orb that had appeared in front of him. He began to glow blue.
The Wise One glanced to his right and left for a moment, unmoved by Alex's power. With massive force, he smote Alex to the ground, and then froze him in the air.
"My power is… limitless… Why?"
Not limitless, said the Wise One. Some of what you say is your power now rests in the hands of Isaac. His heart is pure. Your sins warrant punishment.
The earth began to shake.
Mt. Aleph will be swallowed into the earth. If you flee now, you can escape it.
"Flee?! I can't move!" Alex shouted desperately.
Then it will be very difficult for you to flee, the Wise One said. But, if you succeed, I will consider your penance paid.
"NO!" Alex cried.
Mt. Aleph sank into the earth.
Goodbye, my son.
….
…
It is finished.
I have one more task. I will be with you shortly.
… I see. I will wait for you a little longer then… my love.
...
Felix was the first of the adepts to awaken. He recognized his surroundings – this was the same bed he had slept in while he had lived in Prox. The elderly grandma who took care of the house had even kept the same sheets on it for him, although by their pine-scented smell, they had been cleaned since he left.
Felix looked around him – no one else was in the room. He was dressed only in his underwear. He found his clothes folded neatly on a desk to his left, and saw his armor arranged on the other side of the room.
He immediately pulled on his clothes and hurried out the door of the basement even as he strapped on his knife-belt. On his way to the front door, however, he ran into Kraden.
"Felix!" the old scholar exclaimed. "I was just coming to check on you. I'm so glad you're awake!"
"Kraden, it's good to see you," Felix said warmly, "but where is everyone?"
"You're the first of our young champions to wake up! Everyone else is still sleeping. There weren't enough beds to keep you all in here, so we brought you to a few different places."
"How did you find us?" Felix asked.
"Puelle dragged me out of my potion-induced sleep to tell me that you had rashly gone to the Lighthouse without me!" Kraden accused. "So of course, I followed as fast as I could, with several of Puelle's men to guide me there. But as we came up on the Lighthouse, the beacon's light was ignited. We saw one of the elevators activate, and rushed that way. We were maybe halfway there when the beams from each of the four Lighthouses converged on Mt. Aleph."
"I'm sorry, my friend," apologized Felix, "I did not mean for anyone to follow me. I have… many stories for you."
"I have no doubt that I will find your answers satisfying, Felix," said Kraden, "but, that really isn't too important right now. I'm sure it can wait – I have good news and bad news."
"Mia…?" Felix asked.
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that," said Kraden. "We found all of you but Mia before we lost the light from the beacon. We still haven't found her."
Felix said nothing. His heart sank. He had hoped that someone would have found her body so that she could have a proper burial.
"But I'm sure we'll find her soon. Now, I have wonderful news! Come with me. I think you'll be excited to see this."
The scholar giggled like a schoolboy as he led Felix across the street and into the next house. Felix had long since learned to refrain from question the man when he had a surprise.
"The formation of the Golden Sun had some… interesting effects," said Kraden as he opened the door.
Felix looked at what was in front of him in shock. No less than seven of Prox's adepts sat, exhausted, around three bodies, all of whom breathed slowly and deeply: Isaac's father, and then Felix's father and mother.
Kraden looked on gleaming.
"The light of the beacon must have rekindled the spark of their life. It restored everyone who was exposed to it – I'm not even ill anymore! Such powerful alchemy… It's like a miracle."
It took Felix a moment to realize the full implications of what Kraden had just said. Ideas and images slowly connected in Felix's mind. As soon as they did, Felix bounded out the door.
"FELIX!" shouted Kraden. "Where are you going?"
But Felix was already gone, heading north toward the Lighthouse. He sprinted as fast as his powerful legs could carry him. He could scarcely believe what he had seen – his parents were alive. What the Lady had said about working miracles… He could scarcely dare to hope.
At a near sprint, he arrived at the base of the Lighthouse fifteen minutes later. It seemed less foreboding, as though the light of the beacon had soothed the anger and pain that was housed in the foundations. Though he had sprinted there, he entered the Lighthouse slowly, cautiously – he was too nervous that he might be wrong. The blinding morning sun reflecting off of the snow gave way to the torches that lit the central chamber. There in the center was the stone slab that Felix had raised to hold Mia the previous night.
And on top of it was her body, still silent.
Felix's heart fell. He had been foolish to hope. His parents had not been dead when the beacon was ignited. Mia had probably been dead for hours, and she was not even exposed to it. She had been buried in the Lighthouse.
He sighed deeply, and knelt down beside her corpse. It would be a long, lonely life without her in it; he wanted to take the time to say a proper goodbye.
He sat there for a long time, thinking of all that the two of them had been through together in so short a time. Traveling back and forth across the seas, gathering as much power as they could muster before they finally made their way to Prox, only to find the way blocked. They had journeyed to Magma Rock, fought their way to the bottom of that miserable dungeon amidst all of the fumes and lava. They had eaten, worked, and laughed together. They survived for days out on the tundra. He had found someone who truly completed him.
Now, she was gone. They had been so close… If not for his mistakes, Mia would have been alive at the end of it all, and they would be returning home triumphantly instead of in sadness. What more could he have done to save her?
You have done all that I have asked and more, Felix.
The Lady's voice might as well have been a thunderclap in his ear – he stood up immediately, looking around for the source.
He found her angelic figure at the entrance to the Lighthouse; it was much less bright than when he had first seen her.
You notice that I am fading, I see, she said. I am leaving soon. This world will be without those who have protected it for millennia. But love is a great power, Felix, greater even than Alchemy's strength. You have never forgotten this, and this is a credit to you, my young hero.
Felix said nothing, and listened. She seemed serene, despite her statements.
Your actions have proven you worthy twice over. I am sure you have many questions. I will give you the answers you seek. But I made you another promise. I promised to give all for you, as you did for my daughter.
Felix's hands sat on his knees, gripping tightly. The Lady paused, looking him in the eye.
Goodbye, Felix. Go to the aerie one last time, and all your questions will be answered. This I promise you. Leave your weapon here.
Though it wasn't answers he sought, Felix disarmed himself, leaving the small knife by Mia's altar, and made his way to the elevator nonetheless. He would see whatever he was meant to see, and then he would go home. Even if he never was able to find someone else whom he could understand like he did Mia, he would still have his family, and his friends. Maybe this would be some small closure.
The elevator rose to the top of the red colossus, and Felix scanned the environment for the source of whatever answers he was promised. As he moved closer to the beacon at the center of the aerie, his eyesight began to flash, and the same blue mist that had engulfed him during the battle appeared again.
He saw a vision of Alex climbing Mt. Aleph, and of the Wise One and the Lady stripping him of his powers. He saw, in a vision made of brilliant, contrasting colors, what the Lady had known all along: that the Lighthouse's beacon would revive their parents, and that their parents' transformation had been a test for Isaac, not for him. Then, he felt a lurch as he was warped back into a memory from ages past.
Seven warriors stood at the base of the mountain that in the years to come would be known as Mt. Aleph. They were the seven most powerful adepts in the world, and hailed from the most respected families in the clans of great power all across the world.
Five of these warriors were men; two were women.
There was the Princess of the Anemos, who was called Sentinel, and the Wellspring, the Angel of the North, whose name was Ply. With her was her lover, Thrace, the proud Adept under the Mountain. The Star Mage was called Orion, and he was of Lemurian blood. Also there was the Dullahan, the Dark Warrior, blessed by the Night. Finally, there were the cousins: Valukar, who was known as the Crucible and the Desert Snake, and then Helios, who was the Sage of the Sun.
Ceaseless war had scarred the lands and left the world without hope. Alliances lost their strength, kings were murdered, and peace was but a distant memory.
The seven adepts, called together by the Sage of the Sun, traveled as a group, aiming to bring peace through mediation, and conflict only if necessary. Their renown spread far and wide, though with unintended consequences: desire to use the Seven as tools of war and conquest mitigated the desire for peace. An attack fronted by an infamous pirate king eventually forced the Sage's hand: the Seven had refused to fight for his country's army, and were subsequently ambushed. Dullahan had used his dark powers to curse him to the Forgotten Isle until the end of time.
It was this betrayal that led the Sage of the Sun to make a startling announcement: the powers of Alchemy would be sealed away, in order to prevent its use for war. Though many nations backed the Sage, it was apparent that not all agreed with his decision. The four nations that built the Lighthouses were constantly attacked by the nations that did not wish the power to be sealed away. It was only through the ingenuity and vigilance of the seven warriors that all the Lighthouses were able to be finished. Even the Anemos, who had long been supporters of a move toward peace – even going so far as to aid in building one of the Lighthouses – raised their city into the sky in retaliation to the seal, leaving behind a vile, smoking crater as their parting gift.
Thrace, the Mountain Adept, had offered his former home as the place that would house the powers of the elements. It was there that these seven adepts stood, preparing to place the final seal on the powers of Alchemy.
"My friends," said Helios, his face somber, "you have done so much. You have given your homes, your lives, to this cause. All have placed their hope in us. Now I, in turn, place my hope in you."
"What nonsense do you speak, Helios?" asked Thrace. "We have forced out all of our foes, defeated. The Lighthouses are completed, and no more will alchemy wreak havoc on the world. This is a time for celebration!"
"My friend," the Sage replied, "you are a powerful warrior, a brave ally, and above all a wise man. I am sure you know what I must do."
"The rest of the world has pledged to protect the seal! You need not do this!"
"Be still, my love!" Ply interrupted.
"No! I will not allow it! Let me go in your stead!"
"It cannot be, my friend. I must use all of my power to place this seal. You all must protect it, for the world is a fickle thing – those whom I love are the only ones I can trust, for only love can possibly outlast the ages."
No one said a word.
"My brothers and sisters," the Sage continued, "I charge you with the keeping of the powers that we will seal here today. I will give up my life so that you all may live forever, with the strength to protect these powers until the end of time."
He paused.
"Valukar, my cousin: you will guard the power of fire. Bring it back to our homeland, and seal it away in the desert."
Valukar nodded once, understanding.
"Sentinel, I entrust to you the power of your people. Keep it safe."
"I will guard it until my last breath, my great friend," the princess replied.
"Dullahan, I give you the sun's own power. Bring it deep into the earth, where neither sun nor moon will touch it."
"I will not fail, Helios," he replied.
"Ply and Orion," the Sage said, "you will guard the sources of the Waters of Life. Orion, you must take the power I give you deep into the sea."
"It will be done," said the wizened man from beneath his cowl. Already, he plotted to enact his King's final order: to save the waters of life for the Lemurian people.
"Ply, yours will be sealed within the Lighthouse. I know that your people depend on its power to survive, but the power must be locked away. I can only promise that your children will not lose the powers that come from the Well of Life."
"If it must be done, then let it be," the Lady replied.
"Thrace…" the Sage began.
"My friend, what would you ask of me?" the Venus adept said.
"You will remain in your mountain home. You have the gravest duty: you must guard the essence of the elements, the keys to igniting the Lighthouses, should some great disaster arise that we have not foreseen. You are the wisest friend I have, and because you are here can I leave this world with the faith that it will survive."
"I will protect them until the end of time," Thrace said solemnly.
"Then let us seal the elements away, for once and for all."
And so they began. For six days, they forced their power into the mountain, and the next morning, the Sage grew a golden aura. He announced to them that their work was finished and apotheosed, shimmering away into the midday sun with one final thought on his lips:
"Goodbye, my friends. I love you."
And then he was gone. The remaining six began to grow auras as well.
"What awesome power!" exclaimed Orion.
"What an incredible thing Helios has done," said Valukar as he hefted his scythe.
"Our children will tell these stories for generations," Thrace added, as he looked at his wife. "May the memory of Helios live on forever."
"We must never forget," said the Lady, as they began to disappear, "what great miracles that love can work."
Felix awoke from the vision, his heart pulsating in response to the intensity of what he had just witnessed. The blue mist still surrounded his feet, but the sky was clear. He took a long look to the southeast, towards his home.
He would give Mia a proper burial, and then it would be time to leave Prox and its bad memories behind. He could start again in Vale, away from the wicked and unforgiving tundra, and leave some of the pain behind him. He could leave Saturos's abuse and his family's hardships here on the ice, and even though he would never forget Mia, he could bring her memory somewhere that it could do what she had done best in life – to cause things to flourish, to be filled up with devotion and joy.
Even as he thought this, the blue mist began to move with a purpose. It moved like a vortex down the center of the Lighthouse, leaving the air behind it turbulent. Then, all was still. Felix wondered what had happened. His eyebrows furrowed as he observed his surroundings, watching and listening.
After a moment, he thought he heard something, but the wind at the Lighthouse's zenith was too strong for him to know for sure. He cupped his hand to his ear again, this time listening carefully.
He heard the noise again. It was coming from the base of the Lighthouse. Had someone come after him? He realized that his departure had probably worried Kraden.
He got back on the elevator. As it carried him back to the surface, he heard the noise again, this time with much more clarity.
"FELIX!"
It was high-pitched, but of more than that, Felix couldn't be sure.
The elevator came to a slow halt at the ground.
"FELIX!" he heard again.
There was no mistaking it, but Felix hardly dared to believe. He sprinted toward the antechamber.
"FELIX!"
He came to a halt at the front of the entrance to the Lighthouse. He couldn't convince his throat to make a sound as a pair of azure eyes stared back at him from just inside the chamber.
He stood, heart racing, unable to believe it was true. For the first time since he could remember, he found himself with tears in his eyes.
"Mia…"
FIN
