Hi. This next chapter's ready to go. Two or three more should wrap this fic up, still not sure if this fic needs to be revised or not, I'll have to think about it.
Disclaimer: As I said before, the Golden Sun series is the product of Nintendo/Camelot. Along with its characters, locations, etc.
Chapter XIX: The Sacred Prism
The group got back onboard the airship and began to discuss their next move. The others were surprised to learn that the Wise One, the being who watched over Vale and the rest of Weyard, had actually been a Adept who controlled what had been called the Philosopher's Stone.
"So the Wise One was once human... That's pretty hard to believe" mussed Felix.
"Regardless, we should keep this information secret. The Wise One is revered as a God, and what we know contradicts that image. The rest of Weyard would likely be thrown into turmoil over this unexpected revelation" said Isaac.
Felix nodded"Agreed."
"Hey, I've been studying the book we borrowed from King Hydros. It mentions Haniel's Ark" said Rief.
"Truly? What does it say?" inquired Himi.
The Mercury Adept replied"It seems like it was some kind of Alchemy Device, much like the ones which summon the Grave Eclipse and the Silver Eclipse, not to mention the devices required to stop them."
"If we're done talking, if we do not make for the Sacred Prism's location soon, the Wise One's life force will vanish from Weyard" spoke Sveta.
"She's right, let's go" said Isaac.
"What's our destination?" spoke Caeden, who was taking a turn at the helm.
"Uranus Lighthouse, it is south of Tua" explained Matthew.
Caeden nodded, and piloted their small airship southwestward. Matthew and Sveta watched together as the barely-visible clouds drifted by. The blond addressed the Beastman Queen"Morgal is probably going to need time to recover from whatever the eclipse is doing, so I've been thinking... Would it be a problem if I move to Belinsk?"
"I... It shouldn't be too much trouble, you are the hero who helped stop the Grace Eclipse as far as my people are concerned" said Sveta.
"It was your brother who ultimately stopped it, though. And I wonder if Bilibin could be persuaded to make peace with your people" said Matthew.
The Queen of Morgal thought for a moment"It would take some doing, but forming peaceful relations between beastmen and humans as a whole would be fairly tiring."
"If it were possible to form a bridge between our races, you and I as a couple wouldn't be a bad example of that" said Matthew.
Sveta smiled, though a bit saddened at the memory of her brother's death"I'd like to agree."
The airship sailed to a small island with a white-colored tower. Alexandra glanced at it"Uranus Lighthouse, I've heard of it. Supposedly, it houses a portion of Light Psynergy. I do hope the relic we need lies there."
"I will go" said Matthew as the ship landed in front of the tower.
"I shall come along" said Sveta.
Tyrell and Rief joined Matthew. Isaac, Kenneth, Alexa and Jenna went to stand near them as they disembarked and walked toward the tower. The building was glowing with greenish light as they approached.
"Hm. This seems to comprise of yet more Light Psynergy" mussed Isaac.
Matthew and Sveta's hands glowed for a moment as light power burst from their bodies and zapped the tower, engulfing it with blinding yellow light, prompting the group to cover their eyes. When it dissipated, the barrier surrounding the lighthouse was gone.
"It seems Light Psynergy was the key to entering" said Isaac, leading the group through a door into the lighthouse. The interior consisted of a green marble stone on the floor and white on the walls.
"This place is amazing" breathed Rief.
"I agree" mussed Kenneth.
The group walked through the entrance hall, up a flight of marble steps. Matthew, Sveta, Kenneth and Alexa glanced here and there in wonder at the majestic lighthouse, it seemed to be even more grand than the Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury lighthouses that Isaac and the other Warriors of Vale visited.
"Look, what's that?" Rief spotted a particular purple statue which seemed to stand very still.
Sveta used her spirit sense"This statue may be more than it seems."
Tyrell walked forward and looked at it"I bet that thing is just an ordinary stone statue." The Fire Adept began walking towards another flight up steps, only for the ground to start shaking a little.
"Tyrell, look out!" shouted Jenna.
Tyrell turned in time to see a purple fist slamming down at him and jumped back"Whoa!"
"Whoever built this place must have stationed sentinels to guard the Prism. Apparently, the sentinels themselves are spirits who control ordinarily inanimate statues. I had thought this a myth, until now" remarked Sveta.
Tyrell summoned a fireball and hurled it, blasting the stone guardian. The sentinel staggered and tried to stomp Tyrell, only for Jenna to blast it with a serpent tongue spell. Matthew unleashed Meggido while Sveta held her ground.
Enraged, the stone statue turned and swung at Matthew and Sveta, who dodged while Isaac finished the monster off with Oddessy.
"Tyrell, your brashness will be the end of you if you are not careful" said Isaac.
"Yeah, I get it" shrugged the male Fire Adept.
The group climbed up another floor to find a pair of smaller, crystal warriors guarding a staircase. Matthew readied his blade as one of the crystal warriors charged and nearly slashed him. Matthew kicked his opponent back and stabbed at it.
Sveta and Isaac duked it out with the other sentinel, evading its attacks and steadily wearing it down. The creature tried to use a spin attack, which they dodged. Tyrell pitched in by burning Isaac and Sveta's opponent to the ground with a Fireball.
Matthew toyed with his opponent, slashing at it when he could before finishing it with a slash of the Sol Blade.
"Easy Peasy" grinned Tyrell.
The group headed upstairs to a puzzle chamber. There were two vines below a higher platform, which Matthew and Isaac used to create a way to climb up by casting Growth. The puzzle on the platform itself contained a small fire which Rief put out with deluge.
Sveta inspected a crystalline bridge and led the way across to another platform with stone columns and a small gap leading to the other side with a platform in between. Matthew and Isaac proceeded to use the columns to make a bridge to the other side with Push Psynergy.
"The puzzles seemed a bit easy, so far" remarked Rief.
"If so, perhaps the guardian of the lighthouse may be even more formidable than what we faced so far in this place" acknowledged Isaac.
The group walked up the steps on the opposite platform to a large, square room above. An altar with a light purple crystal stood not too far ahead. Next to the altar was a large crystal golem with white sections where its sockets would be.
"Hm. There may be some sort of mechanism we don't understand" Isaac glanced around before walking towards the altar.
"What could there be that we cannot comprehend?" inquire Rief, confused.
"That altar may be rigged, but we do not know for certain" said Sveta, using her Psynergy to try and detect traps.
Isaac inspected the general vicinity of the altar and shrugged"Nothing seems amiss, I suppose there is only one way to find out."
"Do you want me to take the gem, dad?" asked Matthew.
"Nothing's stopping us at the moment. But right now, I feel a bit uneasy about this. Its almost too easy, like the time Felix and I worked together to activate the Mars Lighthouse" replied Isaac.
Matthew reached for the gem and took it, only to trigger a brief quake in the room as a voice rang out"Who are you who seek the Sacred Prism?"
Sveta winced"That voice may be coming from the golem."
Isaac shook for a moment before speaking"I am Isaac, we merely wish to use the Sacred Prism to restore the Wise One and infiltrate Haniel's ark to rescue our comrades and stop the silver eclipse."
The voice replied"I must test your resolve. None may remove the prism from its resting place unhindered. Its Holy Power is too much for most mortals. My name is Xephos."
Before the group's eyes, the crystal statue sprung to life, readied a sword and called forth a pair of silver wings. Tyrell shrugged"What's so scary about him?"
The crystal guardian flew and struck at Tyrell, prompting him to dodge and retaliate with a fireball. The monster rose out of the way and shot out a torrent of Blue Lasers at the group. Matthew and Rief cast a few support spells while Isaac retaliated with Oddessy.
"Right, then" Kenneth hurled his lance, only for the monster to fly back and shoot a white fireball. Alexa knocked Kenneth out of the way and was nicked in his stead.
Sveta focused and transformed (not sure what her transformation looks like In Dark Dawn, I never used it) before launching herself at Xephos, assaulting him with a vicious combo. Matthew took the opportunity to cast Growth, summoning vines to puncture the crystalline silver wings.
"I'm not through, yet" Xephos swatted Sveta aside as he landed and darted at Matthew with a sword slash. Matthew barely dodged and had to heal himself while Tyrell and Rief attacked the crystal guardian with Psynergy. Isaac used his sword to deflect an oncoming sword strike and knock Xephos back.
"Meggido!" Matthew used the Sol Blade's spell, hitting the monster square on the chest. Sveta darted behind Xephos and attempted a double kick, only for Xephos to retaliate with a spin attack.
"Liquifer!" Tyrell tried, burning the monster a bit.
Matthew and Isaac struck the crystal guardian with their blades, only to get knocked back. Sveta quickly zipped into a six-hit combo on Xephos and jump kicked him backwards. Matthew leapt up and brought his sword down onto Xephos's chest.
"Do you think that did it?" wondered Tyrell.
"No, I still sense its life force" said Sveta, watching Xephos begin to pull himself together.
Matthew noticed two small yellow crystals in the crystal guardian's sockets and said"We need to destroy his crystals."
Kenneth retrieved his lance and struck at Zephos's leg, staggering it a bit. Matthew took his chance and launched Meggido at the left crystal, burning it away. Enraged, Xephos slashed wildly, driving the group back. When it was done raging, Sveta leapt up and shattered the other crystal with a mighty jump-kick, turning back into her normal form shortly after. Deprived of its magic source, Xephos crumbled.
"That sentinel was something" remarked Tyrell.
"Indeed. I surmise that there is very little the ancient Adepts who sealed away Alchemy were incapable of" agreed Sveta.
The group headed outside with the Sacred Prism. Isaac addressed his group"We'll have to ready ourselves thoroughly after we restore the Philosopher's Stone. No telling what Alex has in store for us."
Back underneath the Tuaparang Capital, Empyror Lancelot grinned as his body had reincarnated into black and gray body armor with a purple cape'Finally, my spell is cast. All is left to do is terminate Alex and the Warriors of Vale. Ha, ha, ha.'
Warping outside, the High Empyror grinned as he saw Torang and Relena walking around, ensuring there were no more monsters emerging from the Silver Eclipse's deadly enthrall.
Isaac's group returned to the rest of their group. Ivan glanced at the stone when they showed it to him"So now we just need to head back to Mount Aleph and help the Wise One."
"Don't forget the light scepter, we have no idea how to construct one" said Rief.
The group flew back to the ruins of Sol Sanctum, unaware that they were soon to be followed by a third Tuaparang Airship, its occupants ready with a plan of their own. But none knew what would be in store for them in Alex's final refuge.
I'm going to be honest, I had no idea what direction the story should take, nor the scenarios. There may be a character death in the next chapter, but not nearly as many as in TheNinthCircleOfHell's fic: The Final Battle, Alex the six-fold adept.
Matthew and Sveta will get together by this story's end, as for Amiti and Karis... Well, I can't say anything without spoilers. Oh, and Happy Easter.
Please feel free to review.