Felix of Vale

"...which should make the vortex collapse," finishes Felix.

The people he's talking to stir. "So what's the problem?" asks Mia.

( The problem. )

Felix, as has been established, is about to plunge into the unexplored depths of Sol Sanctum in a search for ancient secrets that may save his world - or may, once again, doom it. But that's a concern for after they're found.

There's basically no way to run this the way his canon would; even if people with access to magic had signed up, the text-based nature of LJ, combined with my own limitations art-wise, make most of the types of puzzles Golden Sun uses unfeasible.

So what I'm thinking currently is ( as follows: )

In the darkness, underground, a meter takes its measurement. A threshold is reached, and a message is sent to a control center.

The time has come. Commands are produced, and engines begin to turn over. For the first time in millennia, the machine is operating.

The light is sufficient for the shadow, so the shadow is brought.

All he could think was I wasn't there, I wasn't there.

He'd told her he'd be by her side, and he wasn't. And now he couldn't be.

She was gone, they were putting her in the ground No, don't do that, she needs the wind wants the sky must have the air and there was nothing he could do. Nothing he'd been able to do...

But he should have tried. When had he let impossibility stop him? He stepped forward -

No, he didn't. The others were holding him back. Didn't they understand? He'd promised to be with her. He wanted to explain, but this was a funeral, you didn't talk at funerals.

And then she was gone, and for all the people around he was alone. Completely alone.

--

In the end I want to be standing
At the beginning with you.

She'd been all over the world; he knew that. Most of the places she'd been, he'd been with her.

But somehow, Sheba loved Vale.

Felix didn't really understand it. Even he didn't really love Vale; not now.

But he couldn't deny the joy on her face as she - with the other Adepts who had joined them on the journey - helped the locals clean up and rebuild Vale.

--

I'll be there when the world stops turning!

Felix stopped the ship. "This is where we're supposed to take the Hover Jade, right? I can't find a way to get in, between the rivers and forests."

"That's right," said Sheba distractedly. Felix thought she might be trying to Reveal the route or some such. "Try... up the river. The ship can take it."

Piers winced. "Please... be careful with her. It's true that Lemurian ships are strong, but they are designed for the open ocean."

Felix nodded. He started around the continent again, looking for rivers that might lead all the way through. On his second try he found one that looked wide and deep enough for the ship.

It was odd, sailing up a river in such a way. Felix had never truly grasped how fast the ship was, but now that he could see trees rushing by on both sides he did.

Gradually the current of the river shifted. It started with the engine not needing to work as hard. Soon enough, the flow had actually reversed, and was pushing the ship along. Piers was muttering something about water not working that way, but Felix was too busy with the wheel to pay much attention. Then Sheba started screaming in his ear.

Felix jerked away and turned to look at her. "What's going on?" Sheba didn't seem to be in any danger.

"It's just so exciting!" she responded. "Don't you think so?"

At that moment, the ship reached what Felix could only describe as a bump in the river, and actually went flying for a moment. Felix latched his arms around the rail, but could only stare as Sheba spread her arms and laughed. After a moment, once the ship had settled, he started to chuckle along.

--

Life is a road, now and forever:

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,

Felix was tired. The weather kept getting worse, and the swirling snow kept him from being sure they were even going in the right direction. Finally, he slumped to the ground.

"Felix? What's wrong?" asked Sheba, from a little behind him.

"Are we ever going to get there? Will we ever be able to light Mars?"

"Of course we will. Look." She held his arm and did something - Felix thought it might be based on Reveal, but he wasn't sure - and pointed off to the right.

He looked and saw a blue glow. "You got the stars, and you lit Mercury, didn't you?" she reminded him. "Even though it's the element that opposed most of your group at the time?"

"Well, yes, but Alex was there, and it's not a direct opposition for me," he objected.

"Even so," said Sheba, and Felix could hear a smile in her voice. "Look," she said again, pointing farther right, where Felix could see yellow shining dimly. "Even when the only thing holding you together was the threat of Isaac following you, you made it to Venus. And even when Isaac defeated Saturos, he didn't stop the beacon from being lit."

Felix could only nod; she'd been there for much of that.

She indicated a spot farther still to the right, where purple gleamed through the blizzard. "Then, even though Saturos' ship sank, and Karst was hounding you, you got to Jupiter. And when she and Agatio attacked you, despite the lighthouse opposing you directly this time, you held up fine for a while before Jenna or I got there."

Again, Felix nodded mutely.

Sheba pulled on his arm and turned, so that they were facing each other directly. "So why, when you've overcome all of that, do you think you wouldn't be able to light one more lighthouse? Isaac's helping this time, and it's an allied element for you - your sister's element, for that matter!" She smiled at him, brushed his cheek with her lips, and tugged him up. "Let's go save the world."

--

This is the start!