Mystery of the Maiden

I originally put this fanfic on the GSFFA a long time ago, but the GSFFA ate it and it doesn't look like it will be reappearing any time soon. So, I decided to put it up here. I do not own Golden Sun.

"Rise and shine!"

Garet winced as sunlight streamed down on his face. He scrunched up his eyes and glared up at his older sister, who had just gone and pulled back the curtains.

"What did you do that for, Kay?" Garet grumbled. "I was sleeping..."

"You've got to get up now," Aaron tugged on his blanket. "Jenna said that if you didn't get up, get dressed and get downstairs right now, she would unleash the wrath of Catastrophe on you."

"Catastrophe... the summon Catastrophe?!" Garet sat up, his eyes wide.

"And she also said that if you continued to argue, she would go and get the Tomegathericon and call this... Dollycan... no..."

"Call Dullahan?" Garet whispered. "She really wants me to get up, doesn't she?"

"We all want you up," Kay told him. "Jenna's just being very helpful with thinking up the threats on your life."

"But why does everybody want me up?" Garet asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and rubbing his tired eyes.

"You really don't remember?" Aaron giggled. "Well, you better just make sure you don't end up getting attacked by Duhallan."

"Dullahan," Garet corrected. "A monstrous being created the day the guy who created the summon tablet guardians finally cracked and went nutty!"

"You're the nutty one, brother," Kay ruffled Garet's hair. "Hurry up." She left the room, followed by Aaron who took a moment to shoot a warning glance at Garet.

"I'm not nutty," Garet protested, getting to his feet and walking over to pick up his clothes he had slung on the floor yesterday. Garet got dressed quicker than he ever remembered doing so before, reluctant to invoke the wrath of Jenna.

"What's taking him so long?" Jenna complained, tapping her foot. "Maybe I should go upstairs and check on him."

"Oooh... you're gonna go to Garet's room?" Aaron grinned. He figured that when two people went into a room together, they were going to do naughty things. Why else would his parents lock the door when they did?

"Shut up!" Jenna went red in the face, her eyes widening. "I've been up to his room before! And it's not like... oh, you're too young to understand."

"Jenna and Garet sitting in a tree," Aaron sang, dancing in circles around Jenna. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Who's kissing?" Garet asked, entering the kitchen. "Can I have some breakfast?"

"I'm cooking pancakes!" Kay said brightly.

"You're cooking?" Garet gulped. "Where are Mom and Dad? Good morning, Jenna!"

"Mom and Dad are out shopping," Kay answered. "They left me in charge of cooking."

"Morning, Garet," said Jenna chirpily. "Your jacket is on back to front."

Garet looked down to see that she was indeed right and chuckled nervously. "Er, yeah, heh heh. You're right." He quickly pulled it off, exposing his brown t-shirt underneath and turned the jacket around.

"How on earth did you manage that?" Jenna shook her head.

"Eh, I dunno," Garet shrugged casually as he pulled it back on, right way round this time. "I got dressed in a bit of a hurry. Apparently, you were feeling rather impatient." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Do you know what today is, Garet?" Jenna asked curiously.

"Um... Friday?" Garet suggested tentatively. He had the niggling feeling he was forgetting something important, but he was still only half-awake, so it was hard to remember.

"Yep! Today is Friday!" Aaron smiled. "And today is a very special day! But if you don't know, we're not going to tell you yet."

"You are all meanies." Garet started to look sulky. "Is somebody getting married?"

"When are you two going to get married?" Aaron asked, looking as innocent as he possibly could. Having spookily huge eyes helped.

"We'll get married when you lick your elbow." Jenna folded her arms and smiled menacingly at the young child.

"Cool! I'm going to lick my elbow right now!" Aaron stretched out his arm and started trying to move his head towards his elbow.

"Poor thing," Kay muttered, shaking her head.

"But... I'm not ready to get married!" Garet protested. He almost added he didn't plan on marrying Jenna, but he stopped himself in time before he could make her feel insulted. Garet blinked and stared, as Aaron seemed to be struggling to lick his elbow. A slow grin spread across the teenager's face. "Hah hah! Aaron can't lick his elbow! I can!"

"Show me," said Jenna sceptically, raising an eyebrow.

"Like this!" Garet immediately bent his arm, so that his elbow was about two inches in front of his face. He strained his neck forwards, sticking out his tongue as far as it would go, but he soon realised that it was an impossible task. A bead of sweat rolled down his head. "Okay... so maybe I lied."

"Pancakes are ready!" Kay exclaimed, putting the last pancake onto a plate containing a heap of steaming pancakes, before Jenna could proceed to shout at Garet for telling a lie.

"I never thought Sis's cooking would ever turn out well." Garet walked out of the house, looking stunned. "Okay, Jenna, what's the deal with today?"

"Um..." Jenna frantically tried to think of an excuse, but luckily she saw a diversion instead. "Hey, look! There's Isaac over there, why don't you go and talk to him? I need to go and talk to Felix, Sheba, Picard, Ivan and Mia about some... stuff." She hurried away very quickly before Garet could ask any questions.

"Hey, Isaac!" Garet greeted him. "Do you know what today is? Nobody will tell me."

"Well, I'm actually a little surprised you forgot," Isaac admitted. "But at least we had a plan in case this happened," he muttered to himself.

"It's not someone's birthday, is it?" Garet looked guilty. "If it's Jenna or Mia's, I'm so dead. I know it. Oh no... it's not yours, is it?" His eyes widened in panic.

"No, no." Isaac chuckled. "It's okay, Garet. But, um, hey, have you ever heard of the Maiden Seruah of the Nrevac Naragna?"

"... No." Garet looked oddly at him.

"Well..." Isaac chided himself for letting Jenna come up with the name. She'd simply turned 'Angaran Cavern' and 'Haures' backwards, knowing it might trick Garet. They already had Haures, but the cave was close enough for the surprise. "The Nrevac Naragna only appears... today."

"Today?!" Garet's jaw dropped.

"And if someone is lucky enough to find the sacred cave, the Nrevac Naragna," Isaac had to repeat it to get used to the name. "And see the maiden Seruah, they will be blessed with good luck and prosperity of the rest of their life. And... someone should go to find her. She should not be far... and, we've picked you, Garet!"

"Huh?" Garet blinked. "You want ME to find this Seruah? Oh, no way, Isaac! You deserve it more than me..."

"Garet." Isaac smiled placatingly. "We have all decided on this matter. You are the one who will go to find Seruah, meet her at the Nrevac Naragna, and be blessed with good luck and prosperity. You're the one who deserves it for your hard work and everything. Please?"

"... Okay." Garet sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, that's why we're now going to Felix's house, where everybody is right now," Isaac clapped his hand on Garet's shoulder and grinned. "Let's go."

"Isaac?"

"Yeah?"

"What language is Nrevac Naragna?!"

"Seruah has already been sighted right outside the village," Felix told Garet, leaning forwards on the couch. "Clearly, she is waiting for someone to start the chase."

"I have to chase her?" Garet asked uncertainly, looking around the room. Isaac, Sheba, Mia, Picard, Jenna and Ivan sat in a circle, pretending to look interested.

"In a way," Sheba tilted her head. "You'd better be nice about it though."

"You're going to follow her," Mia played with a strand of aquamarine hair, twisting it around her finger. "All the way to the Nrevac Naragna."

"Is she pretty?" Garet wondered.

Jenna chuckled dryly and shook her head.

"Nobody has ever seen Seruah's face," Ivan said seriously. "Those who have seen her have just seen a cloak disappear behind the trees, maybe heard her whispering voice on the wind. Those who got into the Nervous... I mean, Nrevac Naragna, spoke of a blinding white light and an angelic voice. And this voice said..."

"Dude... you've got luck and prosperity!" Piers chuckled at his joke. Everybody turned to look at him very strangely and he cringed. "Never mind. I'll just keep my trap shut."

"Picard." Mia frowned. "You haven't been near any... white, powdery stuff, have you?"

"I used some white powdery stuff in my cooking last night," Jenna recalled. She wasn't really sure what she'd used. It could have been flour, sugar or even salt.

"Suddenly I feel ill." Felix grimaced. He'd already felt ill last night after eating that mystery supper Jenna made them, but now he felt ill again.

"Me too," Sheba chimed in, making a face.

"Garet." Isaac took a deep breath. "Sources tell us that Seruah will only give luck and prosperity to a man so long as he has... um..." He looked frantically around the room, trying to remember what it was that 'Seruah' needed.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue," Piers reminded him.

"What do I need old, new, borrowed and blue stuff for?" Garet frowned. "Do I get to pick?"

"If you like." Ivan shrugged.

"Okay, can I borrow Isaac's scarf?"

"What?" Isaac cried out in a strangled voice. "But-"

"Isaac!" Jenna growled dangerously. "Remember what today is?"

"Oh yeah, of course," Isaac laughed and undid his scarf, mentally vowing to get his own back on Garet. Garet knew that the scarf was Isaac's most treasured possession and he was taking it away from him! Isaac crossly threw the scarf onto Garet's lap and he picked it up, grinning deviously.

"Okay, as for something blue..." Garet paused. "A lock of Mia's hair?"

"Sure," Mia tugged her ribbon loose and held a thick strand of blue hair out, which Jenna used the tip of her sword to cut away from her head. Mia helped to tie the hair around Garet's wrist, and he then wrapped the scarf around his neck.

"Old and new..." Garet started wondering.

"Old is easy, take Kraden," Sheba quipped.

"I should have something old at home." Garet got to his feet. "Shall I go back home and look?"

"Yeah." Isaac nodded. "Come back when you've got the stuff. And if you harm that scarf, I'm going to hurt you."

"Isaac!" Felix exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah," Garet airily waved a hand at Isaac. "I hear you. I'll look after your dear scarf. Don't worry." He hurried out of the house and Isaac let out a sigh as the scarf vanished from his sight.

"Okay, Jenna, you better go and get ready," Mia said anxiously. "You haven't got much time."

"Hey, Garet." Kay was standing outside the house, staring at her patch of flowers. "You're back already?"

"I need something old and something new," Garet told her. "Any ideas for something new?"

"Um... this daffodil's new." Kay reached down and picked it out of the earth. "Here you go."

"A... flower?" Garet stared at her incredulously. "But flowers are for girls!"

Kay didn't even blink.

"... Fine," Garet said sulkily. "But I'm going to be mad at you if people laugh at me for wearing a flower." He sighed resignedly and tucked the flower into his belt. "Now I'm going to go and find something old." Garet headed into the house, leaving Kay silently chuckling.

"Hi, Aaron." Garet poked his head into his brother's room. "I'm looking for some old stuff. You got any ideas?"

"Hmm... yeah!" Aaron got up from the drawing he was doodling on paper and scampered over to his dresser. He pulled open the bottom drawer and took out a small blanket, which he carried over to Garet. "This is our old baby comfort blanket. Mom had it when she was a baby, and then Kay had it, then you and finally me. So... it's pretty old."

"Now I'm going to carry around a comfort blanket," Garet rolled his eyes. He took it from Aaron and allowed himself a sniff. "It smells like babies... and diaper poop."

"Nice flower," Aaron commented.

"Don't blame me, blame Sis!" Garet protested. "Anyway, I better head back over to Felix's. See you." He left the room, feeling very embarrassed.

"Hey, I'm back." Garet walked into the room. "Where did Jenna get to?"

"She... ah..." Felix fumbled for an excuse. "Somebody came around asking for Jenna and she just left. Don't know when she'll be back."

"My scarf is still okay." Isaac sighed in relief.

"Heh, Garet's wearing a flower." Ivan chuckled.

"Is that a comfort blanket?" Picard asked curiously.

"Yes," said Garet testily. "The flower is new and the blanket is old. It's all my siblings' fault. I swear they are against me."

"Everybody!" Sheba rushed into the room behind Garet, startling him. He hadn't noticed that Sheba was missing too. "Seruah's been spotted outside Vale again! Garet, you've got all the stuff? You'd better hurry and go to the entrance of Vale, and go after Seruah. She won't wait forever."

"Yikes!" Garet almost panicked. "I guess I'd better go now. See you later, people. Next time you see me, I'll be lucky and prosperous!" He left the house, eager to go after the mysterious 'Seruah'.

"I feel kind of guilty." Mia shook her head. "We're playing on his gullibility."

"I'm sure he'll find his reward worthwhile." Isaac smirked. "I just wish he hadn't asked to borrow the scarf!"

"It's worth it to see Garet wearing a flower and holding a comfort blanket." Ivan leaned back on his chair, smiling.

"Okay, everybody, we've got to start getting everything ready." Felix got to his feet. "Let's stop lazing around."

"Ah!" Garet gasped as he saw a white robed figure disappear behind a tree, just as he left the village. "That must be her... Seruah! Hey, wait!"

No matter how fast Garet ran, he couldn't keep up with her. Eventually, he lost sight of her around the nearby mountain range. Garet sighed as he walked along the narrow trail that led between the mountains, wondering where she had got to.

Suddenly, a melodious voice coming from down the trail floated towards him. Garet's heart skipped a beat as he heard the sound. It was her! He quickened his pace, soon emerging on the other side of the mountain range separating New Vale from the coast. Garet looked back and forth and a movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.

The white robed figure disappearing into a cave.

Garet frowned, wondering if maybe he had seen the cave before. Hadn't they gone to a cave on the coast of Northwest Angara once? Or maybe he was just imagining things and the cave really was the Nrevac Naragna... although it looked rather plain for something that only appeared once a year. Shouldn't this Nrevac Naragna be a big, sparkly castle or something?

"This day just gets weirder and weirder," Garet headed towards the cave and stepped in. He found himself passing through door after door, going around and around. "Okay, this is getting annoying. When am I- whoah!" Garet had found himself in front of an actual wooden door, not just a door-shaped hole in the cave wall. "This really does seem familiar."

Garet pushed open the door and immediately flung up his hand to shield his eyes. The entire cave was radiating with red light, and little red spheres were flying around everywhere. Hadn't Ivan said the light would be white? Maybe he was wrong. Even if Ivan was clever, he couldn't possibly be right all the time. Those light balls looked suspiciously familiar...

"Garet of Vale," A melodious voice spoke to him. "On this special day, I, Seruah of the Nrevac Naragna, hereby present you with the sacred gift of good luck and prosperity. May you use it well."

The light faded to reveal a white robed figure. Even her face was covered.

"Um, thank you," Garet said uncertainly, wondering where the lights had gone. Hadn't they gone into her... kind of like... nah, they weren't Djinn. That was silly. "Um, Seruah... can I ask you... are you pretty?"

"Why don't you be the judge of that?" The female stepped forwards and yanked the white cloth off her head. Rich waves of maroon hair spilled out over her shoulders. Jenna smiled at the expression on Garet's face.

"Jenna?" Garet blinked. "So... they were Djinn! And... this is the Angaran Cavern, isn't it? This is where we got Haures... oh! Seruah is Haures backwards... and Nrevac Naragna... Angaran Cavern... hah, you really got me there..."

"Happy birthday, Garet." Jenna wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek. "I can't give you luck and prosperity, but I can at least give you that."

"My birthday?" Garet was stunned. "Today's my birthday? How was I possibly able to forget that?" He blushed. "Um... so... everybody knew?"

"Of course." Jenna took his hand. "Come on, we better head back to Vale."

"Here's a flower for you." Garet pulled the daffodil out of his belt and handed it to her.

"Thank you." Jenna took the flower and smiled.

"Where is everybody?" exclaimed Garet, as they walked into Vale. When he had left, people had been walking around the plaza. Now it was just empty. "This place is like a ghost town!"

"I wonder," Jenna said innocently. "We should look around."

And so, Jenna and Garet proceeded to search every building in the village. They found nobody, and eventually came right up to the sanctum building. It was the largest building in the village and could most likely accommodate everybody who lived in Vale.

"Hmm..." Garet put his ear up to the door but only heard silence. "You think they really might be in here?"

"We won't know until we look," Jenna told him. "Might as well look."

"Yeah," Garet slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GARET!!"

"Whoah!" Garet stumbled backwards, surprised at how everybody had just jumped out of nowhere and yelled at him. Everybody was there after all, his family, his friends, everybody who lived in Vale, all in the sanctum. It had even been decorated with streamers and everything, and there was a banner hanging from the ceiling with 'Happy birthday, Garet' written on it. "Wow... this is so awesome! A birthday party for me?"

"Of course, you big lunk." Jenna pushed him in, a big grin on her face. "We've been planning all this behind your back for ages and you never suspected a thing." She pushed the door shut behind her and beamed. "Now enjoy your party. It's all for you."

"Thanks... everybody," Garet smiled. "I don't know why you're all doing this for me, but... I appreciate it."

"Well, why not?" Isaac grinned. "It's not every day it's your birthday, and we felt you deserved it. Here's my present." He stepped forwards and presented a wrapped gift. Garet wordlessly took it in his hands, and soon found himself inundated with gifts, until he couldn't hold them all and had to stick them in a corner of the sanctum so that he could get down to partying.

The party went pretty well. The food was good. The adults had spent most of the morning going out to the further away towns such as Kalay to get the food, hence the absence of Garet's parents that morning. And the cake was huge. Garet couldn't wait to eat it, but unfortunately he wouldn't be able to eat it until after they had finished with the food, or eaten as much as they could.

"So, how has this birthday party been?" Jenna asked, as the party was coming to an end. The sanctum was quickly emptying with people leaving and the food had mostly disappeared by now.

"It was great," Garet replied, looking happy. "I'm glad that everyone remembered my birthday, even if I didn't remember it myself."

"Yeah, you really need to work on your memory," Jenna commented, raising an eyebrow. "Don't forget my birthday when it comes, okay?"

"I won't." Garet smiled, a bead of sweat appearing on his head. Note to self, he thought, ask Isaac when Jenna's birthday is...