A/N: It took me a couple of months to write all this up, on and off again. The base concept for this one shot is inspired from the Stargate SG1 episode 'Meridian' (I think I spelt that right). Read and review, please.

Inevitable Sacrifice

By Master of Reality

We all know that it is coming. It is inevitable. But to defeat a great foe, surely you must avoid it? To win a battle, surely you need power? But a hero's worth is decided not by the deeds done in life, but in the sacrifices made in death. One must open their mind to see the truth.

"Get out of the way!" Jenna shouted as she ran through the construction that was New Vale. Behind her, Garet followed, carrying a limp Isaac in his strong arms.

"What's going on here?" "What are you doing?" "What happened?" Were among the many questions asked by the locals, but they were ignored by the two Fire Adepts as they focused on getting through the newly built village, heading directly for the town sanctum. As they reached the stone doors, Ivan caught up with them.

"Isaac! What-" but he was cut off as Jenna turned to speak to him.

"Ivan! Hurry, get the Vale's Sanctum healer!" she ordered, her voice sounding desperate and panicked. "No, get Mia! And Piers! Oh, get all of them! Please, hurry!" Ivan took one look at Isaac's unconscious form, swallowed whatever questions were on his mind, and then shot off through the villagers at his fastest pace, driven by panic and desperation.

The two Mars Adepts entered the sanctum and Garet laid Isaac's body on the stone bed before the altar, where the healing rituals were held. He stepped back and rubbed his sore arms, mumbling something about how heavy bodies were. Jenna sank to her knees beside the fallen Earth Adept and tried to choke back her sobs, tears already forming in her eyes as she looked upon him. She gripped his hand and held it in her own, desperately feeling for warmth, for signs of life, and smiled in gratified relief as she detected some faintly.

"Please, Isaac, be alright." She said shakily through deep, sobbing breaths as she looked at him. "Don't die on me now!"

"Come on, Isaac, ol' buddy, don't let me down." Garet pleaded as he looked down at his unconscious best friend, uncertain he could even hear his words. "You and I have beaten dozens of the world's most powerful monsters, you can't get beaten by this, can't die like this. Pull through, dammit, I know you can!"

Kraden burst into the room, looking fluttered. He looked at Isaac through his glasses, old face crinkled in deep concern. He walked up and laid a reassuring hand on Jenna's shoulder.

"It's alright, dear, don't panic. Everything will be fine." He reassured her softly, sounding very much like a grandfather figure. "I need you to explain to me what happened. Tell me everything."

X

Jenna stood outside her newly built family home, looking at the river flow past her. For the first time in a long time, she felt relaxed and carefree. She wore a simple red dress today, similar yet clearly different to the one she had worn through out her entire journey across Weyard to light the Lighthouses. She was sick of that dress. Still, she liked wearing dresses and couldn't go past her favourite colour, blazing red. So, she found herself wearing a similar dress to her old one. She even wore her hair loose, letting it flow past her shoulders instead of having it tied back in a strong ponytail like she usually did. It helped her feel even more relaxed.

"Hey, Jenna, how are you?" a familiar voice asked behind her. She turned and smiled as she laid eyes on Isaac, standing behind her. As usual, his hair was unbrushed, blowing in the light breeze. He no longer wore the weapons and armour that he had carried on his long journey. Just a simple blue tunic and breeches.

"I'm feeling pretty good." She smiled back. "Just enjoying the day. What are you doing?"

"Nothing, really." Isaac shrugged. "Just about to go for a walk. Want to come with?"

"Sure." She left her standing point and joined him, and together they strolled through the peaceful village. It had been mostly rebuilt now, so the noise of construction was at a minimum.

"So what do you plan to do with you life now that this whole quest thing is over?" Jenna asked to start conversation.

"To be honest, I don't really know." Isaac confessed. "I haven't really thought about it. The whole journey, I only ever thought of how to make the next step, survive the next battle. Sometimes, I didn't even think we'd survive at all."

"I can understand that all to well." She nodded in reply. So many times, they had come close to death, but always managed to pull through. It was a miracle they had all survived. Death is inevitable, but they always avoided its cold grasp.

Isaac looked at the clear blue sky, and sighed. "Sometimes, I just can't get out of the whole mood of it. I still feel like we all need to work together for some grand purpose, and I have to remind myself that that isn't true anymore."

"I know what you mean…" she began giggling slightly. "Felix is training all the time! He's so serious! Every morning, he gets up to practice with that sword of his; I almost want to bring out something for him to carve up!" Isaac chuckled deeply at this.

"Yeah, I'd expect no less from him. I'll bet you a hundred gold coins that Garet is out there with him, probably sparring. Garet really does have a passion for fighting though, it has nothing to do with discipline. He just likes a challenge. I heard he's thinking of even entering the next Colosso tournament."

"Yeah, that sounds like our Garet, always looking for a fight!" she laughed merrily. "Got us into more than a few tight situations, he did." They left the village and followed along the outskirts of the forest, steadily meandering towards the ruins of Mount Aleph.

And destiny.

"You'd almost think they were expecting some evil being to return."

X

Mia rushed into the sanctum now, closely followed by Vale's healer. Ivan followed behind.

"What's wrong with him?" Mia demanded, kneeling beside the Earth Adept.

"I don't know!" Jenna told her. "We found him like this! He was unconscious, as pale as a sheet, his temperature was like ice and we could barely feel his pulse!"

"And you do not know what did this to him?" The Great healer asked, cocking one bushy eyebrow and pulling at his think grey beard.

"No!" Jenna threw back at him in irritation. The Great Healer began focusing intently on Isaac, almost, it seemed, trying to peer into his soul. Mia felt Isaac's forehead, took his pulse, and began fussing through her bag of medicine.

"I think I might have something in here that could help." She murmured.

"So, you know absolutely nothing!" Kraden insisted.

"Well, no… I mean, not exactly." Jenna stammered. "I think I have an idea…" she was unable to tear her gaze away from Isaac. "We were wandering around the Mount Aleph ruins…"

"You know that area has been decreed off limits!" the Great Healer reminded her roughly.

"Yes, I know, but…" Jenna didn't finish what she was saying, but gripped Isaac's hand tightly.

"So, maybe it was Alex…?" Ivan suggested.

"No, that creep is definitely dead, good riddance." The Fire Adept responded firmly.

"I don't understand." Gare shook hi head in disbelief. "Isaac's one of the greatest fighters I know! Nothing could be powerful enough to do this to him!"

"Well, I have an idea…"

"What!" You must tell us!" Kraden insisted.

"Hmm… I think I see now what it is that truly ails him…" the Great healer mused deeply behind them.

x

Isaac and Jenna stopped at the edges of the ruins that were once Mount Aleph. They stared at the site for a few moments, enjoying each others company in the peace and quiet. Off in the distance, away from the ruins, they could see Garet and Felix duelling with wooden practice swords, laughing as they jokingly insulted one another's fighting style.

"I told you so." Isaac smiled looking at the two Adepts, striking at one another playfully, not seriously. "As predictable as the rising of the sun." Jenna smiled wordlessly, looking away to the setting sun over the mountains.

"It looks beautiful…" she said softly. "I've never noticed it before, but…" she trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. Isaac nodded in mute understanding. Now he was the one at a loss for words to reply. He looked to Jenna, admired her soft, feminine face, her beautiful eyes, the way her auburn blaze of hair fell about her face.

"You know, you actually look better with you hair like that." He finally said. Jenna gave an abashed smile, and coloured slightly. Rather than look away coyly, she looked directly into his eyes, and smiled warmly.

"Really? You think so? I've decided to let it out after always having it the same way, you know?" Inside she felt flattered that he'd noticed, that he thought that.

"Yeah." They looked at the setting sun over the mountains for a few moments, silence settling in once more.

"You want to keep walking?" he asked.

"Sure, where to?"

"Let's go to the other side of Mount Aleph." Somewhere more private, he wanted to add.

"Okay." She smiled eagerly. "Let's go." She began walking across the strewn rock and rubble that remained of Mount Aleph.

"Hey, are you sure we should go across there?" Isaac asked uncertainly.

"Sure, why not? It's quicker."

"Even though it's forbidden?"

"Who cares?" she challenged. "What's so dangerous? It's just broken rock, now. It's not like Alex is going to pop up, he's quite clearly dead. Now, are you coming or not?" He couldn't very well say 'no' to her. Heck, he'd lie just to get a smile.

Behind them, a change in the wind allowed them to briefly hear what Felix and Garet were saying.

"Wait here a second, I'll go get it, then." Felix's voice said.

"Alright, I'll be right here when you return." Garet's voice replied. Isaac turned to see Felix dashing back to New Vale for whatever it was he was getting, probably some new weapon to show Garet.

"Well?" Jenna snapped Isaac back to her. Garet was still down there and he really wanted to get Jenna alone. Needed to, even.

"All right, I'm coming." She smiled once more, and Isaac felt his heart skip a beat with desire. It was true; she could melt his heart with a single smile. Side by side, they walked along the remnants of Aleph.

'It is true, though. She really does look more beautiful with her hair loose.'

x

"So what is wrong with young Isaac, you suspect?" Kraden queried, fixing his spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

"It is not his body that suffers." The Great Healer's deep voice rumbled. "It is his spirit. His life force as such is failing, much like water draining from a bucket."

"But that doesn't make much sense!" Mia said. "I've been casting Ply to heal his body, and it has been getting better, I can tell!"

"Ah, but body and soul are deeply interconnected. As the spirit wanes, the body fails, damages. You may heal it, but serve only to leave a perfectly healthy body when the life force is all gone and… he dies."

"This is fatal?" Jenna looked at him in terror. "He could die!"

"Indeed." The Great Healer sighed deeply.

"You can save him, right?" she practically shrieked, fresh tears brimming.

"We shall see what we can do." Jenna looked at Isaac tearfully, still gripping his hand tightly. His cold hand.

"How can you know this?" Mia questioned. "I've been a healer all my life, I've mastered almost every Mercury Psynergy known, and even I can't feel a person's life force! It's impossible!"

"Impossible with Psynergy, perhaps." The Great healer answered. "But there are other powers in this world. Have you ever wondered how we are able to remove cursed weaponry from you, when no Psynergy you know permits this? How we can revive a fallen companion without using your Psynergy? Or purge poison?"

"Actually, I've always wondered that…" Mia confessed.

"I think we can forget about this 'other powers' talk for now." Kraden interjected.

"Dammit! You said he'd DYING!" Garet shouted. "Do something!"

"Wait, that spirit think doesn't make any sense." Jenna said. "Isaac's concussion was caused by something physical."

X

Isaac walked along with Jenna across Mount Aleph's remains towards a small grove he spotted on the other side. The perfect place for them to be alone and talk. So he could ask what he wanted to ask. Do what he wanted to do.

"You know, you should really do something with you hair." Jenna suggested. "Instead of leaving it all messy like that."

"Oh?" Jenna's statement caught Isaac completely off guard; he wasn't sure how to respond. He didn't mind her talking to him like that, he was just surprised.

"Yeah, you could look really handsome, you know?" she smiled at him almost seductively. "I mean, you look kind of cute already, but…" Isaac felt his face burning bright crimson; he could only give an embarrassed smile, and looked to the ground.

'I can't believe she said that!' But then he stopped stone cold in his tracks, smiles and blushes fading. He couldn't move, or even think. That incredible feeling of deja-vu. He'd never been here before, but a memory of this exact moment, so perfect and strong came to him.

Memory or dream?

Destiny hit him full force, calling to him. Pulling at him. Forcing him. Powerless to resist. This was it. This moment, this place. He had no idea of what or why. But he knew. Freewill left him, independence of mind gone. A memory gone. A memory or dream… he knew this exactly, knew what came next, what had to be done.
"What is it?" Jenna asked quizzically, looking at him puzzled. Isaac looked at her and knew what came next. He saw her body, and desire overwhelmed him to go against what he would've done to what he should do.

Destiny. He looked at Jenna, and obeyed his urges, his destiny.

He turned away and began moving.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Wait here a moment."

"Isaac-!"

"Stay here, I'll be back in a second." She angrily rebuked him, but he didn't hear it. They had just passed what would've been the centre of Mount Aleph. There was a small crevice in the rock, leading underground, just large enough for him to fit through. That was it.

He began walking to it, all memory and knowledge of destiny and what he must do gone. His freewill was returning, he now chose to continue. He could very well have turned back now if he so chose, but why would he? After that, he just had to see, to know. That strange feeling had left him deeply rattled and uncertain, and he needed answers. Curiosity had killed that cat, maybe; by then, the cat never had moments of destiny tell it what to do, probably.

Isaac descended into the bowels of Mount Aleph, towards Destiny, while Jenna waited for him on the surface, unaware of what was about to transpire.

X

"So after that, I just waited." Jenna concluded. "After a while, I heard him shouting 'come back here', so I went back there, and found him unconscious."

"And what did you do next?" Kraden queried.

"I had to lug him back up!" she pouted. "All the way to the surface!"

"Yeah, but I was the one who carried him all the way back here!" Garet reminded her.

"Wait, so how are you sure he was knocked out physically?" Ivan asked.

"Well, what else could have happened?" Jenna countered. "He goes underground, and gets knocked out by a falling rock or something. Makes the most sense."

"Except Isaac is completely uninjured." Mia's serene voice cut it. "Nowhere is there any sign that he as injured physically. Nothing has touched him."

"Then how come he's unconscious and looking so bad?"

"Because the body is becoming weak as the spirit dies, as the Great healer put it."

"His very life force is being sucked away, so the flesh decays." The Great healer explained. "It will be many hours before this kills him, however… if we do not continue to administer healing, the physical decay of his body will kill him very quickly. At best, he would have an hour to live."

There was a still, shocked silence.

"And what can we do?" Ivan asked.

"Continue healing his body with Psynergy." Mia stated flatly. "Keep him alive for as long as his spirit allows."

"And how do we save his soul from dying?" Garet asked desperately. Mia cast her blue eyes to the floor and said nothing. The Great healer spoke for her.

"No Psynergy can save his spirit's life force. We will have to find another method."

"Like?"

"…I don't know. We don't know what it even is that afflicts him; let alone how to cure it."

"If only we knew what had happened to him." Mia sighed.

"I will find out." Ivan declared softly. He moved to sit next to the unconscious Earth Adept, and laid a hand softly on his forehead. "Isaac, listen to me. It's important. If you can hear me, think about what happened, entirely and only on that memory. I will read your mind. Now please, remember, think…" Ivan's body began to glow light blue as he began using Psynergy, and delved into Isaac's mind, only dimly aware of Piers, Felix and Sheba entering the room.

Being sucked in, more like. He felt all consumed, suddenly, by Isaac's mind, his essence… his memory. He wasn't just reading his thoughts, he was feeling them, experiencing them. The world around him was lost as he became engrossed in memory. He didn't just witness, read Isaac reliving his memories, like a dream He became Isaac reliving his memories.

X

Isaac walked down the chasm, between walls of rock, down into a black shadowy pit. He emerged in a large, dark cave, only barely able to make out anything in the faint light. But he saw the uneven surface of the floor, the stone walls, the low hanging roof and the chunks of marble that were once part of Sol Sanctum.

And he saw Alex, standing there in the centre, looking at Isaac expectantly.

"So, you have arrived, as I knew you would."

"You should be dead!"

"And yet, I am not." His voice was calm and cool, as precise as ever. Isaac tensed his body, wishing he had brought his sword, wanting to strike down this manipulative beast. He focused himself, ready to unleash a variety of powerful Psynergy attacks on the Water Adept. If he had to fight him, he would win. He would kill him.

"What do you want?" he demanded coldly. Alex displayed no sign of emotion on his face.

"You need not prepare to fight me; it does not end here, like this. Besides, I mean you no harm. Though you know it not, I cannot yet take your like, nor you, mine."

"Really?" Isaac didn't believe him; couldn't trust him as far as he could throw him. "Then what do you plan to do?"

"This." Alex raised his hand, and a huge amount of Psynergy pulsed from him, touched Isaac, and linked him to his foe. Briefly, he felt as one with him. Then it was gone. Alex let go of his Psynergy. Reality became like a dream.

Although it seemed long, it in fact barely lasted a heartbeat. Isaac immediately put forward to unleash a powerful and devastating attack. Alex teleported and vanished. Isaac was able to stop and holdback without unleashing his attack. No sense in wasting Psynergy attacking empty space.

There was no sign, no feeling, and no sense of Alex anymore being in the cave. He had teleported away, a long way away. He was gone. He had run away, because he knew that he couldn't win. How he knew, Isaac couldn't say. What was that link, what had it done?

But Isaac could win this fight! He could end it right here and now! Euphoria coursed though him, which he attributed to that wave of dizziness that then hit. And Alex had run away like a coward.

He needed to confront him again. To fight him. To kill him.

"Come back here!" he shouted into the darkness. "Come back here! Come back here!" Everything seemed distant, unreal, like a dream. Still he shouted, he thought unheard. He fell to the ground unconscious. Seconds later, Jenna clambered down.

X

Ivan took his hand away in shock, hardly able to believe what he had just seen. And what exactly did all this mean? What had he learned? Piers and Felix were finished talking to everyone, satisfied that they knew now what had happened. They all looked at him expectantly, awaiting him to tell them what he had learned. He cleared his throat and told them everything. When he was finished, there was a moment of shocked silence.

Then, they all began quickly talking over one another about what they should do. Garet immediately declared that they should do out and exact revenge on Alex while they still could, quickly being supported by Felix. Piers called for reason, they should look after Isaac first, immediately supported by Mia. Kraden pleaded for everyone to be quiet, to speak in turn, while Ivan and Sheba were meekly quiet. Oddly enough, even Jenna said nothing, just sitting and looking at Isaac blankly.

"He's dying, isn't he?" she asked flatly.

"That's right." Ivan sighed.

"We can't save him."

"Not yet, but we will." Ivan couldn't truly promise that, of course, but he offered her hope all the same. She hung her head so that her loose red hair hid her face. "He won't die." He couldn't see what her expression was, but suspected she was on the verge of crying.

"SILENCE!" the Great Healer roared, his deep voice cutting through the argument like a knife. "Listen." He spoke normally now. "Isaac is dying. His spirit ebbs away slowly. We must find a way to save him. And I suspect that killing Alex will achieve nothing. If Alex really was so powerful now, then why did he not kill Isaac? Because he can't. But he's done something to do the deed no less, and killing him will therefore not change a thing. We must focus on the issue at hand."

"And do what?" Felix asked.

"First, find a way to save Isaac's life."

X

Isaac looked around the room that he was in. It reminded him somewhat of the Elemental Star Chamber of Sol Sanctum. The walls and roof were fashioned to look like a starry night sky, almost flawless. He couldn't gauge the distance they were from him, they could be near or far. The distance seemed irrelevant. The floor was perfect, smooth marble tiling. Dotted around him were many tall monolithic pillars, also made of marble.

'Welcome, Isaac.' A voice spoke into his mind.

"Who is that?" Isaac asked, his voice echoing in the empty room, though he need not have asked.

'You know the answer.'

"The Wise One." It wasn't a question. He took the silence that followed as a yes. "Why am I here? Where is here?"

'You stand at the middle ground between life and death.' The Wise One explained monotonously. 'You are at a higher plane of existence. I have brought you here, to give you the truth. And a choice.'

"What sort of choice?"

'First, the truth.' The Wise One then appeared before Isaac, gazing into this soul with its unblinking gaze. 'As of now, you lay in New Vale's Sanctum, unconscious and dying, surrounded by your friends and loved ones.'

"Wait, a second, when did this happen?" the last thing Isaac remembered was meeting Alex, getting that weird link spell put on him, then everything going black.

'Right now, you mind is unable to return to you body, as it is dying.' Isaac didn't doubt the Wise One's words.

"So, what am I doing here, then?"

'You are here, in spirit only. This is, in fact, much like a very realistic dream.'

"Seems real enough to me." Isaac shrugged.

'Only because your mind makes it real.' That sounded rather philosophical, he thought.

"Okay then. So this is the truth?"

'No, this is merely an explanation of the current situation to ease your no doubt puzzled mind. The truth I have to give is far more important, regarding what has and will happen to you.'

"Okay, go ahead." He sat down to make himself more comfortable.

'When Alchemy was released, the Golden Sun was formed above Mount Aleph's peak.'

"And absorbed by Alex, right?" The Wise One didn't move, but its gaze seemed to convey a sense of nodding.

'Correct. However, he did not get it all. I imbued half of its power into the Mars Star, a power that you now carry.'

"I have half the power of the Golden Sun!" Isaac exclaimed. But it seemed trued. It explained why Alex had targeted him. That feeling of destiny.

'Indeed. Because both halves did not join, the Stone of Sages could not reform. It is this object that Alex seeks. He needs your half to do so.'

"So he wants me dead, right?" Isaac figured. "To get my power. Then, when we met, why didn't he try to kill me?" Then realisation dawned on him. "He couldn't, could he? He's not powerful enough, we're both equally matched, it's too risky. So he's trying another method to kill me…"

'You are partially correct.' The Wise One intoned. 'True, victory through battle is uncertain, however, that is why he will not kill you.'

"What do you mean! He's killing me right now, isn't he?"

'Yes, but, it is not as simple as that. When you were both given the Golden Sun, it replaced the life force in your bodies. You both need it to survive.'

"And this is stopping Alex from killing me, why…?" Isaac cocked a questioning eyebrow.

'Because the two halves are linked together, so are you life forces. If one dies, the other shares that death.'

"So, he can't kill me without killing himself." Isaac realised

'Correct.'

"But wait. Isn't he killing me now? Didn't you say that my real body was laying somewhere, dying? From what Alex did to me, I assume." Isaac still felt thoroughly confused.

'In a manner of speaking, he is not killing you.' The Wise One told him cryptically. 'At least, not directly. Rather, your dying is a result of what he is doing to you.'

"Which is…?"

'He is sucking away your life force… your part of the Golden Sun. As you lose more, you die physically. Once he has the full force of the Golden Sun, you will die.'

"But won't he die as well?" Isaac asked.

'Once he possesses all of the Golden Sun, his life is no longer linked to yours as there is nothing to link it.'

"I see…" Isaac mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully, staring at the floor in deep though. "So let me get this straight. Alex is sucking away my life force and when he's done, he'll have the Golden Sun and be all powerful, while I'm dead?"

'Correct.' The Wise One continued looking at Isaac, as though waiting for something.

"But there's more to it, isn't there?" Isaac slowly realised.

'You are correct; there is one more detail that you must know. That is your physical body. As your life force is sucked away, your body slowly dies.'

"Figures." Isaac shrugged.

'However,' the Wise One continued as though Isaac had not spoken, 'the body is dying faster than it is losing life force. Alex knows this, and deliberately left you to be found by your friends so that he could use them. They are healing you, keeping you alive. By doing so, they are ensuring that you will live long enough to give all of your life force. If not for them, Alex's plan would fail.'

"That monster…" Isaac growled softly.

'It will come to a point where you will have so little life force; you will rely entirely on their healing to live. But they cannot save you, and you will die.'

"Well, that sounds pretty hopeless." Isaac sighed. "What can I do?"

'There is not way to reverse the process once it had begun, ceasing it now will only kill you both.'

"So that's it! That's all the truth that I must know?"

'That is all of it.'

"But, wait… you mentioned a choice." Isaac regarded the Wise One curiously.

'Indeed. You can choose to remain as you are, and let Alex get what he wants. Or, you can choose to stop the process, sacrifice yourself, but kill Alex and see to it that no one gets the Golden Sun.'

"You mean, I have to choose between life and death?"

'Death is inevitable. What you must choose is what you will sacrifice in death.'

X

Kyle and Dora had joined he group huddled around Isaac's still form, awaiting news of his condition. Mia pulled the bottle of mystic water away from the Earth Adept's lips, and corked it. Hermes's Water could work wonders, had already healed Isaac's body, but it had its limits. Already, she could feel his body beginning to die again. At this rate, the Water would be gone very soon. They could always get more, true, but what they needed was a cure, not a life extending medicine.

The Great Healer was trying to sooth everyone's fears, but seemed to be failing. Kyle and Dora desperately wanted to know if he could be saved. Mia sighed, wiped away a single tear as it rolled down her cheek, and stood up. The truth had to be told, sooner or later.

"What is it, Mia?" Piers asked softly, instantly recognising her hurt expression.

"He can be saved, can't he?" Dora pleaded; not wanting to hear what she suspected was coming. Kyle worked hard to maintain a strong expression, but was clearly having trouble doing even that much. Mia took a deep breath, and prepared herself for the hardest thing she had ever had to say.

"We've done everything that we can." she started. "But, we are struggling as it is to keep him alive, and we can find no cure for it. We should use what time we have left to say what needs to be said, before…" she choked on her sobs, unable to finish, but she did not need to. They all understood well enough as the black truth settled over them.

Isaac had been a dear friend to all of them. Unable to hold back tears any longer, Mia turned away from them, leaving the others to deal with the grim truth on their own.

X

Isaac sat in the mysterious chamber that was a dream silently. The Wise One continued to float above him, watching with eternal patience. Inside, his mind struggled to come to an answer to his problem. Stay where he was and die, let Alex get ultimate power of Weyard, or die early, but save the world. At first, it seemed to obvious choice was the latter, until he consulted with the Wise One further.

Apparently, if they both died, the Golden Sun would reform where Aleph used to be. This would leave Weyard in the same position as in the Lost Age, with war being waged for control of the Stone of Sages until Alchemy was sealed once more. All their hard work would be for nothing. "The Cycle of Repetition", the Wise One had called it. It was a choice of two dooms, and Isaac struggled to figure out which was the best choice. Neither appeared very good.

'You have the power to break the cycle.' The Wise One advised, as though wanting to try and help. But, the problem was, it didn't.

"The only way to break this cycle, which has supposedly gripped Weyard since creation, is to just sit here and let Alex get the Stone. Won't that doom the world?"

'You focus your mind, and do not see what the other possibilities are.'

"Which are…?" Isaac motioned for it to continue.

'If you are worthy, you will find out.' That seemed to say outright that he wasn't worthy, or else, why couldn't he see?

"If there was a way to keep the Stone of Sages safe… not let evil doers get to it…" Isaac mused. He knew it was impossible, however, as he couldn't even communicate with the real world. This left him solely with two choices to doom Weyard. A good outcome was simply impossible.

'Is it truly impossible?' the Wise One questioned, reading his mind. 'Perhaps you need a guide to help you see the truth. Someone whom you know."

X

"Isaac, son, I know you can do this, you can pull through. I need you to survive." Kyle looked down at his son, comforting Dora beside him. "I haven't been much of a father for the last three years. I wasn't even there for you. I didn't get to see you grow up, or become a man, and I feel really bad about that. It wasn't my fault, but still… I want to get to know you again, and I can't do that it you die."

Isaac's parents cried over him, over his dying and their inability to help him. His skin was a deathly white and his breathing was shallow. He was getting worse, and they couldn't help him. Mia took a jar, and slowly tipped a trickle of its contents into the weakened Isaac's mouth. The Water of Hermes did its work and the breathing became easier and more regular. She had precious little of the magical water left. But just getting more wouldn't help. Her Psynergy would make a perfect substitute, but that wasn't what she needed. They needed a cure and, she hated to admit, they couldn't find one. The Great Healer was right; they needed a spiritual healing, not physical. But how they were going to do that was beyond her.

A sob escaped her. How could they possibly save him?

X

Isaac sat cross legged on the hard floor, not seeing the marble pillars around the room stretching up into the infinity of the starry night sky roof and walls, reminiscent of the Elemental Star Chamber in Sol Sanctum. And across from him sat Master Nyunpa.

Nyunpa still looked the same as when Isaac had first met him in Fuchin Temple. Thin grey hair and beard upon an aged and wrinkled face and wise eyes that seemed to glance at him and know what he was thinking.

"So, you are a dream as well?" Isaac asked.

"No, I am as real as you or the Wise One." Nyunpa replied.

"But… is this place, this experience, a dream?" the Earth Adept pressed.

"Your mind makes it real." Nyunpa answered cryptically.

"Well, regardless, why are you here?" he queried.

"To open your mind, and attempt to guide you."

"What does that mean?"

"You shall see." Nyunpa's face remained stoic, a semblance of wise serenity. "Isaac of Vale, do you remember when first we met?"

"Yeah, you wouldn't talk or react at all when we first tried to talk to you." Isaac nodded.

"I was fasting, and deep in meditation." The old monk reminded him.

"And praying for our journey." Isaac realised.

"And also that of another." Isaac did not have to ask whose that was, but he did anyway. "Saturos and Menardi's?" Nyunpa nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yet, you did manage to speak with me, did you not?"

"Yes, Ivan had to read your mind…" Isaac answered. "And when he did, you knew what he was doing straight away."

"Correct."

"And you were expecting us, too." Isaac continued. "You told us to go into that grotto, and get the Ord of Force. Then when we got back, you told us to cross Mogall Forest, and also how to do it."

"Despite the fact that I had never even been there." Nyunpa smiled in amusement.

"And when we left, you called me by name." Isaac added. "Even though I hadn't even told you what it was. And when I expressed surprise at this, you just cryptically told us that Ivan wasn't the only one that could read minds."

"And do you not question how I did this?" Nyunpa cocked an eyebrow.

"Well, Master Hama could do those things," Isaac replied, "and so could Feizhi."

"But they are both Jupiter Adepts." The monk elder interjected.

"While you are…" Isaac trailed off as realisation dawned on him. "… are not an Adept at all. Yet, no non-Adept could do those things at all… so…" he thought for a moment as an answer slowly came to him. "There must be other powers than Psynergy."

"Ah, but indeed!" Nyunpa clapped his hands together in achievement. "How simple and obvious the truth must seem when one has at last laid eyes upon it and lifted the veil of ignorance!"

"And this conversation then is all about Alex sucking the Golden Sun from me and killing me in the process?" Isaac realised.

"And yet another revelation!" Nyunpa gave a pleased smile. "Your insight serves you well."

"But, I don't understand." Isaac shook his head.

"It only seems confusing until your eyes have seen the reasoning." Nyunpa replied cryptically. "There is only chaos until you have grasped order."

"Okay, that really doesn't help." The Venus Adept sighed.

"Only because you do not yet see it." The monk told him, again, frustratingly cryptic.

"Yeah, I got that…"

"Let go! Stop searching!" Nyunpa urged. "Start knowing! Open your mind!"

"Okay, so what are you saying?" Isaac asked.

"Close your eyes, open your heart, and feel the truth." Isaac closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing. He tried to do the rest, but really didn't know how.

"Alex is sucking away your half of the Golden Sun, and subsequently, your life force." Nyunpa explained. "If he completes this task, you will die; and Alex will possess a power unimaginable. However, you can elect to sacrifice yourself, killing both you and Alex, and allowing the Golden Sun to reform over the ruins of Mount Aleph. But, as you already know, this will continue a cycle of repetition that has devastated Weyard. With Alchemy, your world is torn by war. Without it, you world withers and dies."

"Sounds like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't." Isaac muttered. Nyunpa continued.

"So, Weyard faces two dooms, and you must make a choice. But, there is the third option of salvation that you may yet see."

"But I don't!" Isaac protested.

"Then we are all doomed, for unless you elect sacrifice, Alex will destroy all. Sacrifice allows for a possible future salvation." Isaac pondered this. Could he really kill himself to save others? It was a difficult choice to make, and it meant losing everything he held dear and loved… including Jenna.

'But then, I'm going to die anyway.'

"You talk of possible salvation." Isaac began, "yet, you want it now, and somehow I can do it. How?"

"Unearned knowledge is perilous." Nyunpa offered. "You must realise the truth for yourself."

"But I can't…" Isaac sighed in defeat.

"Hmmm… perhaps some guidance is called for…" Nyunpa mused. "You have seen and understood that there are other powers than Psynergy, correct?" Isaac nodded. "It is more spiritual than elemental, and is only achieved through enlightenment. To fully grasp it, one must let go of their living body and "ascend" to a higher plane of existence. They must make a great sacrifice in dying. Do you remember when we parted in Fuchin Temple?"

Isaac nodded. Nyunpa was fasting and praying for their journey. Some of the monks were worried that he might wither away to nothing…

"You're dead!" Isaac finally realised.

"Finally, you see!" Nyunpa smiled in delight. "But rather, I made a great sacrifice in dying. By praying for your journey, I ensured your success. When I died, I ascended. Through my ascended existence, I was able to guide your actions on a spiritual plane, as you pursued Felix across the seas."

"So… you were my gut instinct?" Isaac questioned. "My intuition?"

"Indeed, all intuition is in fact guidance from the ascended. A way of ensuring destiny is fulfilled. This is a spiritual power… not Psynergy, which is just one of the powers of the world."

"Okay, then… so, how does this help me?" Isaac asked, confused.

"If you make a great sacrifice, your own life to stop Alex, then you can ascend and, in a manner of speaking, live on." Nyunpa regarded him seriously. "But you can never see the ones you love again, as they will no longer be with you. You must make your pact with Sol, just as I have… and the Wise One, too."

"To not interfere in the lives of the living?" Isaac guessed.

"Correct."

"What about the Wise One, then?" Isaac questioned. "He interfered a fair bit during our quest."

"Only to fulfil destiny." Nyunpa answered.

"I see… interesting." Isaac mused. "But… what use would it be?" I mean, won't this just result in war over Weyard for control of the Stone of Sages?"

"Depending on what pact you make with Sol." Nyunpa answered cryptically.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"That you must discover for yourself." Nyunpa shrugged. "For now, our talk must come to an end. May you make the right decision."

And then the old monk vanished, as though he never was. Isaac had never felt so lost.

X

Garet paced up and down outside the village, unable to contain his frustration. It just wasn't fair! Isaac was the greatest fighter he'd ever known!

WOOSH!

A nearby shrub was incinerated, as Garet vented his frustration. "Killed by some stupid disease!" he raged in disbelief. "After all we've done!"

A tree burnt to ashes with another display of raw anger. "This is all because of Alex! I'll kill that slimy jerk myself!"

Felix sat nearby, watching Garet and feeling the same way. He tried to push the feelings deep down inside of him, but failed to mask it. Instead, he just ended up looking sad and forlorn.

"If you die, Isaac…" he whispered. "This world will have lost one of its greatest fighters of justice."

X

Mia poured the last of the Hermes's Water into Isaac's mouth. He was getting worse. His internal bleeding just wouldn't stop. She'd heal it, and later on it would start up again. Along with organ failure. And the timing between his needing healing was lessening. Soon, she would have to be continuously using healing Psynergy every second just to keep him alive. And then, not even that would save him.

She was fighting an uphill battle, which was fast becoming an up mountain battle… and then an impossible cliff scaling battle.

"I haven't lost a patient yet, Isaac, and I won't lose you."

Jenna looked at Isaac with fire in her eyes. "We won't lose you. Come on, pull through and show that scumbag Alex what you're made of!" The Earth Adept's body made no movement of reaction. "We must be able to do something!"

But the truth was, they couldn't. Nothing worked. Mia realised this with cold dread. The Great Healer of Vale had been right. It must be something spiritual. That was his speciality, healing the soul with some power other than Psynergy. Removing curses… but he couldn't do anything now… nothing could stop the drain of Isaac's life-force.

"He must find a way out himself." Was all he had answered with a shrug, leaving Mia to do her best to keep Isaac alive, for even just a little while longer. Piers helped when he could, but it seemed there was only so much they could do.

It was inevitable.

X

Isaac was still in the strange chamber that was a dream when someone he hadn't expected appeared.

Karst was walking towards him, followed by her big sister, Menardi. Or rather, their ghosts approached him, because he knew them to be dead. Both of them.

Karst stood in front of Isaac, looking directly into his eyes, while Menardi stood some way behind her. The last time Isaac had seen her, her eyes had been full of raging, murderous hatred… but now they seemed strangely calm and peaceful.

"Uh… hello, Karst." Isaac said slowly, not sure if he should expect to be attacked.

"Hi, Isaac." She smiled in return, sounding happier and light-hearted than last they met. Back then, she had sounded cold, brutal and unforgiving.

"So… what brings you here?" It seemed almost absurd to talk so casually given the situation, but he was beyond trying to make sense of things, now.

"I came to see you."

"And how are you here?" Isaac had to ask.

"Same as Nyunpa." She shrugged. "Agatio and I made some pretty big sacrifices… and got killed for it. Having earned our honour… we ascended, to help guide the living."

"Uh huh…" Isaac sounded entirely uncertain. "So… you want to help… guide me?"

"No, silly!" she laughed playfully, a sound Isaac had never heard before from her, and never would have believed he would. "I can't tell you anything that Nyunpa hasn't already. I'm here to tell you something else, instead."

"What's that?"

"I forgive you." She said simply.

"For what?" Isaac asked, puzzled.

"For killing Menardi." Karst answered. "But it's kind of ironic… when you and your friends killed me… I felt I'd failed, but you actually reunited us." Karst nodded to Menardi, who stood someway off, arms folded across her chest, seeming strangely happy and content. "And… it's so much happier here… dying isn't really so bad when you know what awaits you."

"I wouldn't know." Isaac shrugged, looking down to the ground.

"Hey, just follow your heart… you may not live, but you can do more if you ascend like us…"

Then Isaac felt a presence leaving him, looked up and saw that Karst had vanished leaving no trace.

"Where did she go?" Isaac wondered aloud. Menardi approached.

"Hey, don't worry about it." She smiled. "It's not important. I'll just say that I'm glad you pulled through in the end with the Lighthouses. Me and Saturos probably wouldn't have done it ourselves. But listen to what Karst said… I only ascended because I essentially gave up my life to turn into the Fusion Dragon atop Venus. But we were only doing what we felt was right for Weyard."

"Yeah, I know that now…"

"Anyway, goodbye for now… kid." And then, she, too, was gone, leaving Isaac alone… but only briefly.

"Well, I guess I can assume everything between us is forgiven now?" A voice asked behind him. Isaac whirled to see Saturos standing there, casually leaning against one of the pillars, arms folded. Next to him stood his friend, Agatio. Both seemed oddly relaxed and carefree to how Isaac remembered them.

"Saturos! Agatio!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What are you two doing here?"

"Same as the girls." Saturos answered. "Just a quick chat."

"And a slight bit of advice." Agatio added.

"First of all, congratulations on releasing Alchemy." Saturos began. "But, we all know how that ended. And the choice you have to make."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Isaac muttered.

"So, the point is kid," Agatio started, "ya gotta think outside the two."

"What, die and let Alex win, or die sooner and let wars destroy Weyard?" Isaac asked bitterly.

"It would require a great sacrifice to stop Alex…" Agatio mused, seemingly innocently.

"Yes, but what would it really achieve…" Isaac started, and then stopped. Suddenly, it seemed obvious.

'How simple and obvious the truth must seem…'

"Wait; when we were atop Mars Lighthouse… did one of you just happen to give Garet a tug? Some invisible force pulling him and not letting go?"

Saturos grinned triumphantly. "You wouldn't have made it out in time otherwise."

"So… when 'ascended', you can affect the living world?"

"Hey, the Wise One does it a fair bit." Agatio shrugged. "Even though he's not supposed to interfere at all. But we bend the rules when it suits us." He smiled humorously.

"So, if I ascend… I can let Alex die with me, and take the Golden Sun when it reforms?"

"See, I told you he was a smart one." Saturos said, turning to Agatio.

"Guess you were right." Agatio replied, and then turned to Isaac. "See ya round, kid." Then the two vanished from sight before him.

"Okay, Wise One, I'm ready."

X

Everyone was sitting around Isaac, for perhaps the last time, as he lay in his death bed. Ivan, Felix, Garet, Sheba, Jenna, Mia, Piers, Kyle and Dora.

Mia now had to exert a constant effort to cast an indefinite healing spell on the fallen Adept jut to keep him alive- and he was still failing. If it weren't for the Psynergy Stones brought to her, she would have long since depleted her Psynergy supply. But she couldn't just keep replenishing her Psynergy with the stones; her body would eventually need rest. Her fatigue was clearly beginning to show itself on her face. But still, she kept on trying to keep Isaac alive with unwavering resolve.

"I've never lost a patient yet, and I'm not going to lose one now!" she would say if anyone tried to tell her to take a rest. Piers and even Felix helped out where they could, but nothing could delay the inevitable.

"It's hopeless." she finally admitted. "There's nothing we can do. There isn't much time left." A grim silence hung in the air. "His life force has dwindled to the point where I'm the only thing keeping him alive. It's been almost completely drained. And when it is…" She didn't continue, but didn't need to. Not even all the Psynergy in the world would keep him alive, then. No one said anything for awhile. Mia continued pumping her healing Psynergy into Isaac. At this point, Ivan got the idea that, if ever they wanted to try and reach Isaac one last time, then this was it.

The others began talking softly, but Ivan didn't hear them. He pushed their noise out of his head as he focused his mind, placed his hand on Isaac's forehead, and cast Mind Read.

X

Immediately, he felt his conscious self being pulled into a dreamlike world, as though being taken into Isaac's unconscious dwelling. He found himself in a place that seemed as though it wasn't quite real. A perfectly flat, level floor stretched on as far as his eyes could see. Placed at even intervals, seemingly stretching up into infinity, were fluted marble columns. Above him, arched what looked like a starry night sky.

Isaac stood just in front of him, looking determined, yet somewhat nervous and apprehensive.

"Isaac?" Ivan asked in disbelief.

"Hi, Ivan." Isaac replied, trying to sound calm.

"Uh… Where are we?" he asked, looking around, not sure if it was real.

"Somewhere that's… a dream, or something." The Earth Adept replied with a shrug. "I don't really know either, but it's not important. What's important is what I've got to tell you."

"What's that?"

"You're mind reading me right now, just find out. It'll be quicker."

"But, I…" he began, and then stopped. Of course, he was already mind reading right now. He couldn't very well mind read inside a mind read now, could he? Could he? Didn't matter, all he had to do was probe for what he needed, or rather, read the thought that Isaac sent to him. He quickly learned from Isaac's memories what had happened. Everything from Isaac's conversations with the Wise One, Master Nyunpa and the Proxians.

"So… what are you going to do?" Ivan finally asked, after taking all this in.

"Let me go." Isaac said simply.

"What!"

"Let me die." Isaac said more specifically.

"We can't do that!" Ivan protested. "After all we've done to keep you alive! It would be a waste!"

"It's not." The Earth Adept assured him. "You brought me the time needed to come to the right decision. But wait any longer, and I'll die anyway, and Alex will get just what he wants- the full Golden Sun. He's manipulating us again. He's using you to keep me alive until he can get it all from me."

"So, you want us to let you die, just to stop him?" Ivan asked softly. "But… if the Golden Sun reforms… didn't the Wise One say that it would just start wars, like last time?"

"Not if I can help it." Isaac told him. "The Wise One told me that I can break the cycle of repetition that now captivates Weyard."

"So… you're going to… ascend? Ivan asked. Isaac nodded. "Will we ever see you again?" Isaac shrugged.

"I don't know."

"Then… this is good bye?" Tears began forming in Ivan's eyes.

"Yes… you've been a great friend to me, Ivan, I'll miss you. All of you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." Ivan said succinctly, sniffing back his tears. Isaac was like a brother to him! They clasped hands tightly. Then they let go and the dream faded.

X

Ivan suddenly found himself back in reality, standing next to Isaac's death bed. Mia was still giving her all to heal Isaac, now the only link keeping the Earth Adept alive. All she needed to do was keep healing for a few more minutes, and Alex would win. The tension in the air was palpable, the icy silence was uncomfortable. Everyone's attention was on Isaac. Finally, Sheba broke the silence, shattering it like delicate glass.

"Ivan, what did he say?" she asked softly, lightly laying a hand on the Wind Adept's shoulder, surprising him back to reality. Tears he hadn't realised he'd shed glistened on his cheek, and he looked at Isaac blankly. A true friend, if ever there had been one.

"Ivan?" she repeated, but still he said nothing. He couldn't. Let Isaac die?

But it's the only way. When he said nothing, he felt Sheba start using Mind Read. He didn't resist, opened the truth in his mind to her. It was easy to think it; he couldn't get it out of his head. But he could not articulate it. Her mind read ceased, and he felt her reel back in shock.

"Oh, no…" he pictured her clasping her hands over her mouth in shock.

"What is it?" Kyle asked from beside a weeping Dora.

Finally, Ivan worked up the courage to open his mouth and begin speaking. "Let him go." He said softly, a note of resignation in his voice.

"What!" Mia shrieked in disbelief, echoed by others.

"Let him go." Ivan repeated slightly more firm.

"It's what he wants." Sheba added.

"We can't just give up now!" Mia spat. "After we've worked so hard!"

"No, don't let him die!" Dora pleaded, followed by similar protests from the others.

"It's what he told me to do!" Ivan shouted over the uproar.

"There's no time to explain!" Sheba added loudly. "We can't save him anyway! Let his death at least mean something!"

There was an ominous silence in the room. Mia, continuing to keep Isaac alive with her healing powers, seemed torn between her two decisions. Keep him alive, as was a healer's duty? Or let him die, as was Isaac's wish? Her natural instincts to preserve life won out in the end, though. Or rather, should have.

Even though they didn't realise it, there was a spiritual change in the air. The 'ascended', as they had before, helped to guide their hearts in the right direction one last time.

Mia, not entirely sure why she was doing what she was doing, ceased her spell, her Psynergy dissipating. Isaac breathed in once without her aid, breathed out, and lay still. He was finally dead.

It was a solemn moment for all in the room.

Everyone was driven to shed tears. Kyle and Dora sobbed uncontrollably, and Jenna did, much as she tried to hold back to appear strong. Piers took of his Lemurian headdress, and held it to his chest in silent respect. Felix tried, but failed, to appear stoic, gripping his sword hilt so tightly that his knuckles were white. Garet stood dumbstruck a while, grief and rage raging across his expression, until finally he stormed out of the room, slamming his fist into the wall as hard as he could in anger.

"DAMN YOU, ALEX!"

Felix followed shortly after. No one would see either again for the rest of the day.

Mia hid her face in her hands, and sobbed softly. "…I'm a failure… I don't deserve to call myself a healer…"

Ivan fell to his seat in shock… he wasn't sad. Well, he was, but that wasn't quite it. He knew the truth he hadn't yet explained to the others. Isaac wasn't truly dead… at least, not in the conventional sense. He was… 'ascended', whatever that meant exactly.

So, rather than being sad, he was shocked. Because he knew the truth.

Because he had made a noble, inevitable sacrifice. Alex would be killed, and somehow, Isaac would ensure that the Golden Sun was never used for war.

Sheba laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. She understood his shock, she had seen.

Now was the time to grieve.

X

Alex sat in the deepest, darkest cave beneath the ruins of old Mount Aleph greedily sucking away Isaac's part of the Golden Sun. Power flooded into him; when he was done, he would be so powerful!

Just a little bit more and he would be done…

Suddenly, the flow of power ceased abruptly without a warning, Alex's link to the Earth Adept snapping like a whip crack.

No, he can't have… he can't die yet! His friends are with him, I left him to them! They're supposed to keep him alive!

A cold, black feeling like a morbid omen crept into Alex's heart and he knew what it was. Death.

He was sharing Isaac's death.

"No… it's not fair…" he muttered, but already his words were becoming soft. He fell to the ground, his body suddenly becoming tired and weak. He felt cold all over, and reality seemed to become ever so distant.

He thought of Mia, and how he'd hurt and betrayed her. Used everyone… and it had all been a failure.

At least they will destroy themselves and their world when they fight to control the Golden Sun. But it was cold comfort. The black, cold grip of death tore away the last remains of his life-force, and Alex breathed his last as the Golden Sun left his body.

X

Above the rocky ruins of Mount Aleph, far above the dank and lonely crypt that served as Alex's final resting place, a great change took place. It was a starry night sky on the verge of a new dawn.

The dawn of the Golden Sun.

The environment lit up in a beautiful, glorious golden light. The very quintessence of Alchemy, the source of all Psynergy, formed as a golden energy in a spherical shape above the ruins of Aleph. The Golden Sun.

And in its heart was the Stone of Sages.

Spectres, like ghosts, of Saturos, Menardi, Agatio and Karst appeared nearby, to watch on even after death, the fulfilment of all their hard work and sacrifices as the salvation of Weyard took place. Nearby, the ghostly spirit of Nyunpa sat and watched with a mixture of satisfaction and relief that his guidance had all finally paid off.

Above all, the Wise One looked on as the culmination of all his plans and altered destinies finally came to fruition. They had all been puppets in a manner of speaking, Alex and Isaac especially, but his ultimate goal could now be realised.

The spectre of Isaac, his 'ascended' form, walked up to the full Golden Sun, and absorbed it into his soul. When it was finally done, night was once more upon the area.

The four Proxians and Nyunpa faded away as they returned to their 'higher plane of existence'. The Wise One, with a sense of fulfilment in his ominous gaze then vanished too. Finally Isaac, after gazing at the mortal world one last time, faded and returned also.

It was done.

Now, the great hero Isaac, with the power of the Golden Sun, would continue his noble deeds in the next dimension, and one day he would be joined by his fellow heroes after they died. His part in the events of this world was almost over.

There was only one deed left to do now.

X

The next day after these momentous events that many never even knew of, Isaac's funeral was held. It was a low key, simple ceremony, carried out with dignity and respect. There was much crying from all who knew and loved him. A few made short speeches of the man, his great deeds, facing and defeating countless dread monsters, and helping to save Weyard. When at last the fallen Earth Adept was laid to rest, and everyone had said their final goodbyes, his seven fellow Adept friends left in silence to all go their own ways.

Jenna, reliving what it was like to have a loved one die, went to her new home, and lay in her bed, not really sure what to do next. After laying there miserably for awhile, she eventually found a temporary solace in sleep.

X

"Jenna" he called out to her, voice filled with warmth and love.

"Isaac?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"Where are you?" she couldn't see anything, but it wasn't blackness. This was a dream, two voice communicating mentally.

"I've ascended." He said as though it explained everything.

"What did you do?" He knew what she meant.

"After Alex died," he explained, "the Golden Sun reformed, and I claimed it for myself. It still exists, so Weyard won't whither, but it's not on this level of existence, so wars can't be fought to try and claim it. I've saved Weyard permanently, and become the Hero that the Wise One always meant for me to be."

"What about us?" she asked.

"We all have a purpose in life." He responded. "And a purpose in the afterlife. When you do die, you will see and understand, and become a hero in the next world."

"But what about here? Now?"

"For now, just enjoy life." And then he was gone, and the dream was over.

X

Upon waking, Jenna, in a confusing swirl of emotion, got up and left the house. She needed a walk. She needed to clear her head.

As she was walking through the new plaza of Vale, she saw the rest of the crew sitting around, solemnly silent. She went over and joined them.

"Did you get a vision from Isaac?" Felix asked straightaway.

"No… I had a dream, though, but I guess it's all the same." Felix nodded.

"We all just received visions from Isaac." Mia explained. "He told us what happened."

"It seems that there really is an afterlife…" Sheba mused.

"'Death is just the first step of our journey.'" Ivan quoted. "Master Nyunpa once said that."

"I can't believe it." Garet muttered, shaking his head, more from shock that disbelief. "We finish one journey in life, only for another in death!"

"It's funny…" Piers started. "We always fear the inevitable… death. It's the reason we Lemurians invented our draught… yet, we don't really know anything about it. How can we fear death, when we haven't even glimpsed the afterlife?"

"But Isaac did give us a hint of it." Jenna pointed out. "And that makes me feel… better, I guess. It's a weight of my shoulders to know that the world is safe forever, and there is really something more waiting for us in the afterlife." The others all agreed.

"After all this, I almost wonder why I ever feared dying." Sheba said, earning agreeing nods from the others.

"And I have to wonder why I ever cherished life so much, if there's an afterlife we can all enjoy." Mia said almost distantly.

"What's to fear?" Ivan asked. "Isaac has shown us why we should fear no more."

"True." Felix nodded. "Remember what being on our quest was like? Sure, there were moments of fear, but at the end of it all, wasn't it all worth it? Didn't we enjoy it? Because we were heroes, and we had a purpose. And something like that just as grand, if not more so, awaits us in the afterlife. That's something almost to look forward to."

"You're right." Jenna agreed. "It's good to know that. Life may be meant to be enjoyed, but I'm not afraid of death anymore."

And then she though, But for now I'm happier being alive.

MoR