Golden Sun: The Sands of Time

Chapter 28: One Heart

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Wha-? The first thing that registered in Sheba's mind upon awakening was that she was currently staring straight down into empty blackness. The second was that her right arm was feeling a fair amount of strain, with something or someone holding onto it with a vice-like grip.

Just before she could move or ask anyone anything, she felt a jolt and a shudder, and she was suddenly in freefall.

Pure instinct led her to twist in midair, catching sight of a cerulean blur as she did so – Mia? – and raise her arms to the sky. "Whorl!"

The Djinni fluttered to the air, gave a start at the situation, and began to inhale.

Sheba was yanked back by the power of the gales created by the tiny creature's inhalations, and behind her, Mia was similarly caught up in the windstorm as well.

Turning again, she focused, and a blast of wind exploded from her hands. "Whirlwind!" The second gust of wind altered their direction, letting the two of them collapse onto the edge of the yawning gulf.

As Sheba panted for breath and shakily began climbing to her feet, Mia rubbed her head and winced. "Th – thanks." She finally managed.

"Anytime. Where are we?" She glanced around the forbidding desert landscape. "Outside?"

"Yeah. Just now-" Whatever Mia had been planning to say was cut off by a roaring scream to their left. Both female adepts' heads swiveled simultaneously to see the Dragon painfully clamber to it's feet.

"What on Weyard?" Was all Sheba could manage.

Isaac stared.

The Dragon was wounded. The holy fire had seared deep into the muscle and sinew of the great beast, and vast swathes of the beast's scaly hide were covered in glowing red burns. The dark waves had washed over it, eating through flesh and bone. Dark blood poured from it's mouth, where it pooled to the ground in brown pools. It's head hung low, and the creature growled weakly. It's chest heaved as it fought for breath, and it's right rear leg hung uselessly.

Yet still it stood. As the Venus adept gazed in consternation, the beast took one shuddering step forward. It's crimson eyes roiled around, seeking those that had sought to kill it earlier.

Still, the massive power of the twin summons had seemingly halted the Dragon's ability to heal itself, at least temporarily. Isaac nodded. "Let's go, Felix. We have to finish-"

He was cut off as he felt his knees impact with the ground, and the rest of his body followed soon after. After lying stunned for several seconds, he let out a sad chuckle.

"Summons… they use too much energy." He muttered to no one in particular.

Felix stepped into his line of view. "Don't worry." He said to his weakened friend. "The rest of us can handle this."

Thus saying, Felix raised his sword and charged.

Garet leaned against a rocky outcropping, his chest heaving as he struggled not to pass out.

"This would be… a whole lot more… satisfying… if we… had managed… to kill… that thing." He mumbled in between pants.

Jenna shook her head in dismay. "How? That Proxian was weak enough for Isaac to defeat him alone. There's no way his dragon should be powerful enough to have withstood that.

Garet shook his head. Most of the group was exhausted or completely out of commission. In the distance, he saw Picard drawing his blade and running full-out towards the Dragon, with Davion keeping pace.

"Jenna… we have to end this… here and now."

Jenna chewed at her lip for a moment before nodding. "I know." Rummaging in her pack, she drew out a Psy Crystal. "Here. It's my last one." She said. "Use it to recharge your energy, and then we'll go together."

"Just like… we always do." Garet chuckled as he reached for the golden crystal.

"What is that thing?" Sheba cried as Mia struggled to her feet.

"In the tunnels of Snarlgrin… we met a Proxian. He was the mastermind behind everything, I can only presume." Mia said wearily. "Isaac defeated him… But he apparently managed to transform himself into dragon form before he died."

Sheba shook her head. "I've met him already." Shifting her gaze, she stared over the foreboding landscape at the rest of her friends.

Davion finding a rocky outcropping to loose arrow after arrow at the already wounded areas on the dragon…

Picard taking a running jump to impale Masamune deep into the shoulder of the Dragon, earning a roar of rage…

Garet and Jenna summoning great waves of fire to rain down on the unprotected back of the beast…

Isaac lying on the ground, and slowly dragging himself towards a nearby rock formation…

Felix slashing at the back legs of the Dragon, trying to unbalance it further…

Sheba squinted, looking over the general area again. "Ivan…" She murmured.

"Where's Ivan? Wasn't he fighting Geldor – the Proxian?" She turned to Mia, an imploring look in her eyes. "Did you see him?"

Mia frowned. "No… I thought he was a prisoner or something inside the fortress… We'll have to search for him later-"

"No, Mia! You don't understand!" Sheba cried. "I found Ivan! He promised me… he promised me he'd deal with Geldor. If he wasn't with Geldor when you saw him… he couldn't…"

Mia was silent for a moment as the implications of that sank in. Finally, she began to speak in a low and measured tone.

"Have faith in Ivan. He wouldn't lose to someone like him so easily."

Sheba managed a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Of course not. Let's go."

Retrieving her staff from the ground where it lay, she raised over her head and gave an experimental twirl. Then, turning to face the Dragon, she broke into a run, psynergy already gathering-

Sheba?

She stumbled in mid-stride, nearly sending herself careening to the ground. She knew that voice. "I-Ivan?"

Sheba… help me…

"Help you? What are you- Where are you, Ivan?" Sheba glanced around frantically, before a vital truth wormed it's way into her mind.

She hadn't heard Ivan. Not with her ears. He had been speaking to her through her mind.

It… hurts… it hurts so… much…

Despearately, Sheba closed her eyes and tried to focus, over the rising scream of the Dragon as the Adepts pummeled it with sword and spell, desperate to bring the creature to its knees. Expanding her consciousness as much as she could managed, she reached out to touch Ivan's own, wherever he was.

Then her eyes flew open, and her jaw dropped.

Using his sword as a crutch, Isaac was able to barely stagger to his feet. Taking an experimental step forward, he winced as he ended up swaying and wobbling. Closing his eyes and shaking his head, he was about to continue forward when he heard a cry.

"Sheba?" He said wearily. And indeed, the Jupiter Adept was running up to him, a distressed expression on her face.

"I need your help," She said as soon as she got within hearing range. "Ivan's in trouble."

Sorry for the short chapter.