Golden Sun: The Age of Light

Chapter Four

By: Mokona-Midoki

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden Sun, however all characters, excluding the Gods, are original and belong to me.

Thank you to all those who read and reviewed! Please continue to read. As to the anonymous review I received, you bring up some excellent points. The other gods will be introduced later in the story, so you'll have to wait to see what they think of Alchemy being sealed. For Eclipse not mentioning the decay of the world, that will be discussed later as well, so please keep reading! As for the fate of Anemos, it is said in the game that after alchemy was sealed away, it just disappeared into the sky one day. It is also said that it still flies through the sky. Thank you for your review!

Noa was silent all the way home to Anemos. She had hid the sword inside the saddle bags wrapped up inside her clothes, as she still wore the healer's robes Zephyr had given her. Zephyr tried to talk to her several times, but she remained quiet. Finally he fell silent as well. As they approached the gates of the city, he turned to her. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what?"

"You know about what." Zephyr replied. "About what happened up there!"

Noa shrugged. "There's nothing to discuss."

"Yes, there is." When she didn't reply, he continued. "So, what, are you just going to go off to Angara with no help and no way of where you're going?"

"I know where I'm going." They were passing the guards now. Noa nodded to them as they entered the city.

"Alright, how are you going to get there?"

"I'll take a ship."

"And how will you pay for the ship?"

She looked at him. "It's not like I don't have any money. I'm perfectly capable of paying for my passage."

"And then where will you go? To Mt. Aleph? Noa, you don't even know where it is! This morning, you didn't even know it existed!"

"I'll buy a map." They were at the gates of the Anemos Sanctuary now, which were quickly opened, and they went in.

He suddenly pulled his horse in front of hers, causing her to stop abruptly. "Noa, let me help you!"

She looked at him. "No." She began to maneuver her horse around his.

"Why not?"

"Because you can't leave."

"But-"

She cut him off. "But nothing. You're the next Great Healer, and neither the Great Healer now, nor Ellora can afford to let you leave. They need you here." They arrived at the stables and both dismounted. Stable hands came out to get the horses, and Noa grabbed the bag that held her clothes and the sword.

"They need you as well."

"Not as much as they need you." She looked at him. "I'm only the younger sister of the High Priestess, and anyway, my powers aren't all that amazing. You on the other hand are the first assistant to the Great Healer. People here need your gifts. I won't be missed. It's perfect."

He was quiet. "Nothing I say can change your mind?"

Noa shook her head. "It's better this way."

"So when do you plan to leave?"

"In a day. I've got to get all my stuff together, and make sure I'll be able to leave without getting caught." They were alone now. "Thank you for taking me to the lighthouse. You really helped me today."

"Noa…"

"Ellora will be expecting me soon. Thank you again, Zephyr." She turned and walked out through the gates of the Sanctuary and didn't look back.

"Noa! Noa!"

Noa turned quickly, just in time to catch her younger sister, Ivira, as she slipped on the last three stairs, and fell. She pulled the fourteen-year-old girl to her feet, checking to make sure she hadn't hurt anything serious in the fall. "Ivira! Are you alright?"

Ivira brushed her hands away, impatiently. She hated being treated like a child, even though she was pretty immature. At fourteen, she was Ellora's minature in every way. She had the same long blonde hair, the same purple-blue eyes, the only thing that differed her from her older two sisters was her height. Where Ellora and Noa were both tall, Ivira was very short, not topping five-three. "I'm fine, Noa! Anyway, you should be more worried about yourself."

"Why's that?"

"Why do you think? You've been gone all day, Ellora had no idea where you were; no one did!"

"Don't tell me she got mad." Noa groaned. Ellora was very kind and forgiving, unless you got her mad. Then she went into a towering temper. It was frankly terrifying.

"Uh-huh. You should have seen her."

"Well then, I'd better lay low."

"Noa, she already knows you're here."

"She does?!"

"Yeah, so I came to warn you."

"Great. Just what I needed." She started up the stairs Ivira had just fallen down. "How does she know?"

"One of the servants saw you coming in through the garden, and she told Ellora."

Noa looked at her sister. "And of course, you just happened to be there?"

Ivira glared. "I wasn't spying if that's what you mean."

"Then what were you doing? Playing a game to see how long you could keep your ear pressed against the door?"

"I don't press my ears up against doors anymore!"

Noa rolled her eyes. "Right, now you use your psyenergy to spy on people. What a great way to use the power given to you by the gods."

"Yeah, well what were you doing all day, huh?" Ivira asked her.

"I don't think that's really any of your business Ivira."

They had reached the top of the stairs now, and Noa turned to the hallway that led to Ellora's room. "You'd better go to your room for a while Ivira."

"I want to go with you!"

"No. Stay away from Ellora's room." She begin walking down the hall, leaving Ivira in her wake. "And don't even think about eavesdropping, Ivira. You shouldn't waste your power."

"Yeah well, I hope you get it from Ellora!" Ivira called after her.

"I'm sure I will." Noa muttered.

She reached the door that led to Ellora's room, and taking a deep breath, knocked gently on the wooden surface.

"You may come in." Came Ellora's voice.

Grasping the brass doorknob, Noa turned it and pulled open the door.

Ellora's room was large and airy. It faced to the east side of the house, so that the sun shone through her windows in the morning. The windows were draped in pale shades of blue and purple, and the walls were lined with tapestries, paintings and one wall was covered by a large bookcase from the floor to ceiling. The room's occupant sat on the purple and blue bed, reading a book. As Noa closed the door, Ellora looked up, and Noa was relieved to see that she did not look angry.

"Hi Ella." She said, calling her sister by her nickname.

"Come over here, Noa." Her sister told her, motioning to the bed.

Noa climbed up onto it, and sat cross-legged, facing her older sister.

"Now, why are you here?" Ellora asked her.

"Because Ivira said you wanted to see me."

Ellora nodded. "Ah, yes. Ivira would know about that, wouldn't she?"

"She's getting worse, you know." Noa told her.

Her sister waved her hand. "Yes. I know. But right now, we're talking about you." She looked into Noa's face. "So, would you care to explain where you were all day long?"

"I went out into the city. I met with Zephyr, and we spent the day together. I didn't think you'd worry too much." Noa told her, her face completely straight.

"The guards said you left the city in the morning."

"Well, yes. We went for a ride, and we didn't get back until about half-an-hour ago."

Ellora looked critically at her, as if deciding whether to believe her story or not.

"I'm sorry, if I had known you'd worry this much, I would have told you where we were going."

Ellora pursed her lips. "Well…"

"You're not going to mind-read me, are you?" Noa asked her.

Ellora shook her head. "No, of course not, you know I wouldn't do that." She paused, and then went on. "It's just, I worry about you Noa. You almost never tell me anything, and you're always going out by yourself. I just wish, I just wish you would tell me what's going on."

"I'm sorry, Ellora." She said. And truly, Noa was sorry. Ever since their parents had died, seven years ago, Ellora had struggled to act as mother and father to her two younger sisters. But coupled with the duties she had as a priestess, as well as her own loneliness, she hadn't been able to be with them much. As a result of this, Noa had pulled more and more inside herself, while Ivira had started sneaking around more and more, as no one ever told her anything. Despite all this, Ellora had held her sisters together, and had worked until she was able to provide a good life for them. Noa hated to cause her sister worry, but she usually made her worry more than anyone else.

Ellora smiled, and brushed Noa's hair out of her eyes. "Oh, Noa. Whatever will I do with you?" She pulled her sister into a tight hug, which Noa returned. They held each other for a minute then, Ellora pulled back and smiled at her. "Now, you've had a long day, so you should probably go and lay down until dinner, alright?"

Noa nodded. "Alright Ella." She slid off the bed, and crossed over to the door. Just before she left, she turned back. "I love you Ella."

"I love you too, Noa."

Noa opened the door and left, pulling it shut behind her. "I'm sorry Ellora." She whispered. "I'm so sorry."

It was midnight, and everything in the city of Anemos was still. Even the guards on top of the wall dozed, not paying attention to much. The only thing that moved was a shadow across the yard of the house of the high priestess.

Noa crept quietly across the courtyard, trying to stay in the shadows as much as possible. Slung across her back was the sword Megaera had given her, and in her arms was a bag that held a change of clothes, a bedroll, a bag full of money, and anything else she had thought useful. She reached the stables, and as quickly as she could, entered in.

They were quiet, and smelled of horses and straw. She went to where her horse, a palomino stallion named Ciro, slept. Quickly, she woke him up. He whickered softly as if asking why his mistress had roused him so late at night, but stood patiently as she saddled him, and as quietly as she could, led him out of the stables, across the yard, through the side door, and out into the alley beyond. Still walking, Noa led her horse through the numerous side streets and alleys in Anemos. Finally, after fifteen minutes of quick walking, she found what she was looking for.

It was the one of the canal entrances into the city. The canals ran all around the city, providing water for its citizens. There were many coming from all directions. The build was simple: a tunnel with walkways on both sides, and an iron gate across the canal to keep anything from getting in or out. The only way through was a small iron gate, big enough for one person to fit through. For Noa, however, it was enough. This canal entrance was old, and no one paid attention to it anymore. The gate was rusted, and old. Perfect for sneaking through. As Noa approached the gate however, a voice came from behind.

"Going somewhere, Noa?"

She spun around, startled. There was no one there.

Then the shadows shifted, and suddenly Zephyr was standing there, an unreadable expression on his face. "A bit late to be going on a nighttime ride, isn't it?"

"Zephyr, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Noa. I thought you were leaving in a day or two?" He raised his eyebrows. "Or were you lying?"

"Yeah, I was lying. I was planning on leaving tonight."

"Why?" He asked her, that same unreadable expression on.

She looked straight at him. "Because no one can know what I have to do. Not Ellora, not Ivira, not even you Zephyr."

"Why not?"

"Because you wouldn't understand." Noa told him.

"I understand that you're leaving your only two family members left in this world alone, without an explanation."

Noa glared at him. "I didn't leave without an explanation!"

"Then they know what you're up to?"

"They will tomorrow, when they find the letters. But by then, I'll be gone."

"That's rather selfish, Noa."

"I'm leaving Zephyr, and you're not stopping me."

He gave her a sad smile then. "I know. I just wanted to know why you had to leave like this."

She looked down. "I, Zephyr, I'm going to do something horrible, and you can't be involved."

"What do you have to do that's so horrible?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I'm going to seal alchemy away, Zephyr. I'm going to end this paradise. It's me Ellora spoke about in the prophecy. It's me who's going to end it. And you can't come, because, because you're too, you're too good." She ended in a sob.

"And you're not?" He asked gently.

"Look at what I'm going to do, Zephyr! Look at what I'm planning!"

"I have, Noa. And if this is what the gods have ordered, then it must be done. This will not end the world, this will save it. I suppose you have not heard the rest of the prophecy."

She looked up at him. "The rest of the prophecy?"

"You know of the shortened version, the one that Ellora allowed the city to hear. But the real prophecy holds more."

"What does it say?"

"Here, why don't you read it for yourself." He told her. Then reaching into his robes, he pulled out two scrolls. He handed them to her.

With shaking hands, Noa unrolled the first scroll. It read:The age of Alchemy must end. The foolishness of men will bring it about. Four warriors will rise. With their powers combined, the beacons will dim, the stars will be sealed, and the golden sun will set. Ultimately, they are the ones who will bring about the age of man. And ultimately they will be the ones who save the world. Even though the world will rage against them and their quest, they are the ones who will be the salvation of Weyard

"You see? You're not evil, Noa. Nor is your quest evil. In fact you are the one who will save us all."

"Ella knew didn't she? She knew it would be me."

"I believe so. She never said it out loud, but she alluded to it enough."

A warmth spread through Noa. "Then, what's this?" She asked, looking at the second scroll.

"A copy of the most detailed map I could find, along a letter to let you get a ship this late at night."

"How'd you know I would be leaving tonight?"

Zephyr shrugged. "It's not in your nature to stay still once you've got a goal." He told her.

She was quiet for a long moment. "Thank you Zephyr."

He smiled. "There's no need to thank me, Noa. I'm doing what I can. I only wish I could do more."

Noa then did something unexpected. She ran forward and threw her arms around him. "Goodbye Zephyr."

He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close for a few short moments. "Goodbye Noa. Be safe."

"I will."

They stepped back, and Zephyr smiled sadly at her. "You'd better go before someone finds us."

Noa nodded, and turned back to the rusted gate. Holding her hand up, she concentrated her psyenergy into her hand. "Slash." She said. At once, a blade formed of circling winds appeared in her hand, and she shot it outward at the gate, it sliced through the rusted bars effortlessly. With a soft clatter, they fell to the ground. She strode forward, leading Ciro with her. Before she passed through the gate, she threw one last glance back, but Zephyr was already gone. Then, steeling herself for whatever lay ahead, she turned and walked forward through the gate.

Footnotes:

The port of Atteka: The only way to get from Atteka to the other continents is too take a ship out of the port, or go through one of the rivers out of Atteka. In the game you are provided with a ship, but Noa will have to pay for passage on one.

Mind-Reading: One of the most basic powers of a Jupiter Adept is mind-reading. If a jupiter adept joins powers with another adept they too can mind read.

Ciro: Means Ancient Egyptian Wind in Greek. Why is it an ancient Egyptian wind? Don't ask me. He's a palomino cause I think palomino horses are pretty!

Cloak: A certain psyenergy that allows the user to cloak themselves in shadow, basically becoming invisible. It wears off when you step into light. In the game you have to have the cloak ball in order to use this move. However like I said earlier all moves that need the item to use them can be used naturally, without the item.

Slash: A wind psyenergy attack. You can use it in the game if you are a certain class. However, like with items, Noa and company will be able to use any psyenergy attack they need to. (Also technically, you can't use Slash outside of battle)