So it's taken a while, but I'm finally back, with a new story. This idea came around as I was finishing my previous story 'Shadows at Home'. It occured to me that the only way for Matthew, Tyrell and Karis to get back to the Goma Plateau was to cross through Bilibin. But wasn't Bilibin within the shadow of the Grave Eclipse? What happened there? That is what Matthew and co. in this story find out; the hard way. Feel free to review, I accept both praise and criticism, as long as it's contstructive.

Oh, there are Dawnshipping vibes in this one, but I'm not planning on making it central to the plot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Golden sun dark Dawn, or anything else, etc.

Enjoy!

"I still can't believe you put it back."

Matthew rolled his eyes for the hundredth time, as for the hundredth time Tyrell had brought up the Sol Blade.

"I mean, it was such an awesome weapon," The Mars Adept continued, "Surely it would have been more useful here, with us."

Matthew just ignored his friend and carried on walking. He had often found that this was the best way to get Tyrell to stop talking. Unfortunately, his other companion clearly did not know this.

"Tyrell, for the last time, Matthew left there so that if the Apollo Lens ever needs to be activated again, it can be done without scouring the whole of Weyard, just to find Matthew and his sword."

Matthew smirked at the exasperated tone that had begun to creep into Karis' voice. Usually calm and sometimes smug, it was only when talking to Tyrell that Karis' voice would turn to frustration. However, she wasn't the only one. Both Kraden and Rief had likened talking to Tyrell with trying to converse with a brick wall. Not easy, and certainly not fun. Without breaking stride, Matthew spun round and raised his hands in an effort to placate his friends.

"Come on you two, let's not fight about this. I left the sword at the Sanctum, and that's all there is to it."

Tyrell gave an embarrassed grin, and scratched the back of his head. "I guess you're right. Not much we can do about it now, I suppose."

"Exactly." With the dispute settled, Matthew spun back round, and they continued on their way to the Morgal/Bilibin border. The trio walked on in silence for a while, punctuated only by Tyrell's whistling, which he was prone to do when it got quiet.

"Hey guys." Tyrell had stopped whistling, and had turned around. "Belinsk is gone."

Both Matthew and Karis turned around, and sure enough, Belinsk was no longer in view. Even the newly renamed Sol Tower could not be seen.

"I hope we get to see the other again someday." Karis said in a low, wistful voice.

"Of course we will!" Matthew said, wrapping a comforting arm around the Jupiter Adept's shoulders. "Once we get this Roc feather back to my dad, we'll be able to go travelling again. Next time, however, we won't have to worry about saving the world!"

A hint of red crept into Karis' cheeks. "That would be nice." She said softly, as the three of them continued to look in the direction of Belinsk. After a short while, Matthew glanced at the sky, and gave a small gasp.

"We'd better get a move on guys." He said, releasing Karis and turning back around. "It's getting pretty late, and we still need to find somewhere to camp for the night." With a small sigh, both Tyrell and Karis turned around, and the three friends continued towards the border.

The rest of the day was uneventful, and eventually they came across a spot that Matthew was satisfied with them camping upon. Tyrell quickly got a fire going, and then all three got to work on pitching the tents. Have spent many months travelling now, this didn't take too long, and soon the three adepts were sat around the campfire watching the sunset.

"So," Tyrell began, "What have we got for dinner?"

Matthew gave an amused grin as he reached for his pack. It never took Tyrell long to start thinking about food. After a short while rummaging through his bag, Matthew's smile broadened.

"Here we go." He said with a flourish, revealing dinner.

"… Bread and apples." Tyrell's voice was flat with disappointment. "Don't tell me, for dessert there's cookies."

Matthew's eyes widened in mock surprise. "How… How did you know? Are you secretly a mind reader, like Sveta and Karis' father?"

"Don't make fun of me, Matthew." Tyrell grumbled. "I just wish we had something else, that's all."

"Aaww, poor ickle Tyrell, without his roast beef and potatoes. It must be so hard for you." Matthew reached over to pinch Tyrell's cheek, but his hand was batted away by Tyrell.

"I don't need roast beef and potatoes." He said sullenly, before giving a wry smile and a shrug. "Although, that does sound pretty good."

A small giggle echoed across the camp, and Matthew and Tyrell turned to Karis, silly grins on both their faces.

"You two bicker like an old married couple." She said through her giggles, which only caused Matthew and Tyrell to grin wider, before bursting out with laughter as they caught a glimpse of each other's face. As the laughter began to subside, Matthew- still grinning- turned to Tyrell.

"I wouldn't worry about the food much longer." He said. "We'll be in Border Town by tomorrow afternoon, and you can get a proper meal there."

"For real?" Tyrell punch the air in excitement. "I can't wait!"

This outburst prompted more chuckles from Matthew and Karis, as the bread and the apples were passed around. The meal took a while, as both Matthew and Karis couldn't help but laugh at Tyrell's extravagant meal plans for the next day.

"And I suppose you'll be wanting gravy over all of that?" Karis asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Well of course I will, Karis." Tyrell replied, as if what she had said was the most obvious thing in Weyard.

Matthew chuckled as he stood up, stretched, and then turned back to the other two. "I think it's time for bed, guys. I'll take the first watch." Tyrell grumbled a bit about not being tired, but no real complaints were ushered. Matthew re-seated himself by the fire as both Karis and Tyrell went into their tents.

Peace at last, thought Matthew as he took a bite into his dessert: a cookie.

The night was still young, and Matthew was only halfway through his watch when he heard the sound of canvas moving. Glancing to his left, he noticed Karis getting out of her tent. Her green hair was down, out of that ponytail she always had it in, and slightly tousled, as if she had been rolling around a lot. Squinting and rubbing her eyes as they became accustomed to the firelight, Karis made her way over to the fire, and sat next to Matthew. For several minutes, the two sat in silence, waiting for the other to start talking.

"Couldn't sleep?" Matthew spoke hesitantly, finally deciding to break the silence.

"Uh, yeah. Something like that." Karis' response was vague, and didn't really invite more discussion. However, Matthew couldn't help feeling that there was something on Karis' mind; something she wanted to say to him.

"What was it like?" Karis asked suddenly, just as Matthew had opened his mouth to say something. "When you merged your spirit with Sveta; what was it like?"

"What was it like?" Matthew repeated softly, scratching the back of his head as he thought back to that moment on the Apollo Lens. Having tried and failed three times to activate the lens, Matthew had given the last of his strength to Sveta, so she could climb the device, and fire it at the Eclipse Tower to stop the Grave Eclipse. In the end, Volecheck had activated the lens, sacrificing himself for his sister. However, for those few moments, Matthew and Sveta had been bound together as no beings usually ever are.

"It's a bit tricky to explain." Matthew began, speaking slowly and quietly. "Just imagine suddenly, in an instant, knowing everything about someone. Absolutely everything. Memories, feelings… everything that person ever did, said or felt, ever, has been flooded into your mind in the blink of an eye. Nothing is hidden, everything is laid bare for you to see. From the lies they told their parents, to the deepest, darkest secrets that even they had thought forgotten. Everything. And once your mind comprehends all of that, you realise something even more terrifying: The exact same thing has happened the other way round. The person whose memories you have acquired now know everything about you. Everything you have tried so hard to hide is now known. That is the most terrifying thing of all."

Matthew paused for a moment, and Karis shuffled slightly, moving closer towards the Venus Adept.

"I was woefully unprepared for this when I agreed to help Sveta." Matthew continued. "But fortunately Sveta seemed to have expected that, and so gently guided me through the troubling stages. Once I had gotten past that, the experience was kind of… exhilarating, to be honest. Being that intimate with someone is a very unique and exciting experience."

"I see." Karis' response seemed a little downcast, as if Matthew had said something she hadn't wanted to hear. "I suppose, after returning the roc feather, you'll probably go back to Belinsk."

Matthew blinked, nonplussed. "Well yes, I will. But I thought we all would go back to visit the others."

"That's not what I meant." Karis said with a tired sigh. "It's just now that you and Sveta have this special bond, I thought you two would want to spend more time together… you know, alone."

Matthew finally saw where this part of the conversation was going. "It's not quite that simple, Karis. Yes, we have this 'special bond', but that doesn't mean we're necessarily going to want to spend 'alone time' together. To be honest, with what I know about Sveta, and what I know she knows about me, sometimes I can't even look her in the eye."

Karis gave a small chuckle, before turning to face Matthew, her purple eyes locking onto his bright blue eyes. "So you don't want to spend more time with Sveta than say… Himi? Or Eoleo?"

"Of course not." Matthew smiled gently. "They're all my friends, and I couldn't put any of them above the others. You and Tyrell are exceptions to that, of course."

Karis gave another small chuckle. "Of course." She said, half to herself.

Having apparently heard everything she needed to hear, Karis got up, softly said good night and made her way back to her tent. Just as she was about to go inside, Matthew called out.

"Karis, is everything alright?" He asked, concern showing in his voice and on his face.

Karis smiled faintly. "Yes, everything's fine; especially now."

Matthew smiled back. "Good, I'm glad. Good night, Karis."

"Good night, Matthew."

"Wow, those guards really didn't want us to cross this bridge, did they?" Tyrell said with a chuckle.

"Well, they don't have the best of relationships with Bilibin. Who knows how that has been affected by the Grave Eclipse." Karis' explanation was not nearly as frustrated as it would have been the previous day. Walking beside Karis, Matthew spoke up.

"Well, it doesn't hurt that we have the Royal Seal. They were never going to go against that."

Tyrell chuckled again. "You're right about that!"

"It would have helped if you had managed to wipe off all the gravy from your face." Karis said with a mischievous grin. Tyrell turned and glared at Karis, who only giggled and pointed to a spot on her face, indicating Tyrell still hadn't gotten rid of all the gravy. Giggles turned to laughter as both Karis and Matthew couldn't hold it in, watching Tyrell search for the imaginary speck of gravy.

"Not funny guys." He muttered angrily as he turned back around. They approached the gates barring entry into Bilibin and paused to look around.

"Odd…" Matthew half whispered. Both Karis and Tyrell looked at him, curious as to what was 'odd'. "Where are the guards? Surely they'd have seen us crossing the bridge…" The Adepts stood in silence for a while, scanning the walls and windows for a sign of life.

Nothing.

Cautiously, Tyrell made his way to the door, rapping firmly with his knuckles on the wooden frame. The door swung open with a slight creak, and the three friends looked at each other; worry, confusion and a little fear showing in their expressions. Gripping the hilt of his sword, Matthew slowly poked his head round the door, before silently motioning the other two to follow him in.

The Adepts crept slowly along the hallway. As the silence continued, Matthew spared a look back at his friends. Karis stood behind him, arrow notched in her bow, with a look of fearful determination in her eyes. Tyrell's right hand was over his shoulder, resting gently on the haft of his axe, a similar look in his eyes. Matthew gave them both an encouraging smile before turning back around, and the three of them carried on their way.

Everything looked in relative order. The doors they passed were ajar, but the contents of each room appeared relatively neat. No sign of any struggle; no sign of anyone, either. They reached the main hall without any problems, and the deep sense of foreboding began to fade somewhat. Looking back at his friends, Matthew could see the relief on their faces. With a smile, Matthew turned and began to cross the hall towards the exit.

Then the door knocked.

Fear gripped the adepts as the hurriedly drew their weapons. Matthew and Tyrell placed themselves in front of Karis, whose bow was drawn and aiming at the door.

The door knocked again, heavier this time.

Matthew slowly inched towards the door, the other two following his lead. Tyrell gulped and shifted his grip on his axe. Karis focussed on the door, trying her best to ignore the cold beads of sweat that were dripping down past her eyes.

Then, for a lack of a better word, the door exploded.

Bursting through the door was a creature none of them had seen before. Standing at approximately nine feet tall, the pale, hairless beast towered over the three Adepts. It right arm was heavily muscled, and its left was scaly and clawed. Its short legs gave it an almost comical appearance, if it hadn't been for the face.

The beast lurched forward, and with a great yell, Matthew leapt to meet it, Tyrell close behind. The sound of a bowstring twang echoed through the hall, and an arrow lodged itself in the creature's right shoulder. Without slowing, the creature blocked the swing of Matthew's sword with his scaled arm, using its strength to send Matthew sprawling across the room. In the same movement its right arm swung around, and Tyrell barley managed to block it with the flat of his axe. Still, the force of the blow sent him flying across the hall, landing heavily on his side.

Matthew forced himself to his feet as another arrow lodged into the beast's right shoulder. "Karis!" The Venus Adept yelled "Doldrum!" Without even waiting for a response Matthew leapt forward at the beast once again. The creature turned to meet him, and froze on the spot. Doldrum's powers were working, holding the beast fast. Infusing Flint into his blade, Matthew swung his sword with all his might at the beast's midriff. The power of Flint sent the beast flying into a wall, and then it fell, hitting the ground hard. Matthew looked around for Tyrell, and saw him rising unsteadily to his feet.

"Matthew! Look!" Karis' shout spun Matthew round, and he looked on in horror as the creature rose from the floor.

"Not even a scratch…" He said in fearful wonder. With a bestial roar, the monster charged at Matthew, ignoring the third arrow embedded in its shoulder. Gripping his sword, Matthew unleashed Chasm, and beast's claws slid past him, ineffective. As the momentum of its charge carried the creature past him, Matthew cast Grand Gaia, before unleashing Geode. The ground exploded around the monster, and the power of Geode collected the debris, and hurled it at the beast. Stumbling backwards, the beast was sent flying forwards by Tyrell's Pyroclasm, before being slammed into the ground by the power of Karis' Spark Plasma.

"Did that do it?" Tyrell asked fearfully.

"Apparently not." Matthew's reply was cold as the beast rose yet again. "Guys, I need speed, and I need a distraction. Can you do it?" The other two nodded, fiercely determined to bring the monster down.

With another great roar the beast rose to its full height, seeking out the foes that sought to do it harm. Matthew rolled to the left as the clawed arm raked down, scoring great marks into the stone floor. Karis unleashed Fleet, and suddenly both she and Tyrell were running rings around the monster, as its arms flailed in a useless attempt to hit the two Adepts. A fourth and a fifth arrow entered the beast's shoulder, but still it was unfazed. Tyrell unleashed Fever, and the creature staggered backwards as feverish delusions clouded its vision. Matthew unleashed Vine, and the beast fell onto its back. Leaping high, Matthew called upon his djinn.

"Judgement!"

With a great and deafening bang, the summon appeared. It gazed upon the beast lying on the floor, before aiming its shield. The power unleashed sent Matthew, Tyrell and Karis flying into a wall, and all Matthew could think of as the world went dark was: I hope that killed the beast…

It was dark before Matthew finally regained consciousness. Tyrell and Karis were already back on their feet, and tents had been pitched. Tyrell had even started a fire.

"Matthew!" Karis exclaimed, relief evident in both her voice and face. She gripped his hand tightly, and smiled as he gripped back.

"The beast?" Matthew asked, his voice hoarse and his throat sore.

"Defeated." Said Tyrell, pointing over to a large pile of rubble. "You see that? That's what is left of both the beast and the border tower. I checked myself." Matthew breathed a sigh of relief and lay his head down.

"Thank Sol." He murmured. "That thing was terrifying." Tyrell nodded in agreement.

"Did you see its face?" Karis asked suddenly. The other two looked at her, confused.

"It's face?" Tyrell said. "To be honest, Karis, I was a little preoccupied keeping an eye on those bloody big arms. You know, the ones that knocked both me and Matthew around like we were nothing?" Matthew grunted and nodded in agreement, before turning back to Karis.

"What about its face Karis?"

Karis gripped his hand even tighter.

"The face… That creature…"

She looked straight at Matthew.

"... Was human."

Author's Note: I know that Matthew seems pretty talkative in parts, but he has a lot that he needs to say. Don't expect this from him all the time! I'm pretty happy with this piece. My favourite part I think is the beginning. Hopefully it helps to illustrate how great the bonds between these three are. I had another scene at Border Town planned out in my head, but decided not to go with it, as it didn't really add anything to the story, so would just have been filler material. Might write it out later, as a special treat or something! Anyway, I hope you like it, and as I said at the top, please fell free to review!