(no subject)

It was over. The lighthouses were lit, Alchemy was returning, and it was time to go home.

They started back to the ship, but before long Felix noticed that Sheba had fallen behind. He turned to look for her and found that she was crouching, evidently quite interested with something on the ground.

"Sheba...?"

She looked up. "Hey, Felix. Come look at this."

He bent over to see what was so interesting. His jaw nearly dropped.

Purple crystals were growing up through the snow. Actually growing, something like a plant, branching and splitting. He reached out a hand and felt an unmistakable tug at the back of his mind.

"Psynergy stones?" he asked, astonished.

Sheba looked up again, grinned, and shook her head. "Alchemy stones. Look around. Has the world ever seemed so alive, so interesting? The seal wasn't just blocking the elements - it was on people's minds, too."

--

Life is a road, and I want to keep going,

(no subject)

Saturos stopped them at the Alpine Crossing. "With the bridge at Vault out, this is the only way to get from northern Angara to Gondowan. If we can keep Isaac's group from coming through we should be free. Alex, Felix, do you think you can block the pass?"

Felix looked around uncertainly. Yes, he could work with earth, but this pass looked very stable. Alex nodded, though, and said, "Of course we can." He gestured for Felix to follow him. "Just do as I say."

Felix watched Alex make water well up in minuscule cracks in the stone. He froze it, then pointed to a particular spot. "Shake things up right there when I say now." Once Felix had nodded Alex turned back to the rock face, concentrating, then barked "Now!"

They repeated this several times at various points, but nothing much looked like it was happening. Then Alex led Felix back to where Saturos and the others were waiting and told him, "Loose the largest quake you can just where that rock is."

Felix started to do so. He was dimly aware that Jenna was shouting something, but all of his concentration was going to his Psynergy. Once the quake was going he realized what she was saying - "No! Stop! He'll be crushed!" - but it was too late to change anything now. Not necessarily too late to help afterward, though. He looked to see where she was pointing, and headed in that direction...

Only to be blocked by Saturos. "Come along. I don't imagine this will stop them forever, not when they have all the elements in their group." He, Menardi, and Alex herded the others onward toward the desert.