Golden Sun: Water and Wind

by Datenma

[IsaacIvan, etc] You know the drill. Hero sets out to save the world from destruction. Tiered of that? Let's add a little twist to that. Read and find out what happens! Shonen-ai warning. Don't like, don't read. R&R!

1. Elemental Stars

Water and Wind

By Padfoot-chan

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the GS characters. I only own Okami, Yoru, Ryou, Daisuke, and Mamoru. Aoshi belongs to Ivan and Kanata and Amiko belong to Hoshi (aka Felix-chan ^^).

Notes: Shonen-ai warning! Don't like, don't read. Flames shall be handed to Okami and he shall throw them in the fires of Hell where they belong. I also am quite mad at Kraden, so I make Robin say things that he normally would not around the old man. Anyway, Hammet is also rather rude (especially to Yoru) and you may notice this when you get to later parts. GS couples: Robin/Ivan and Felix/Picard.

R+R and I'll love you forever! ^^

Chapter One: Elemental Stars

Thunder crackled off in the distance and a small boy turned over in his bed, a cold sweat breaking out on his pale face. Voices floated around in his head, but they came and went far too quickly for him to latch onto one and understand what the voices were trying to say to him. The boy sat up in his bed, unable to take the voices any longer. He pushed his sweaty bangs out of his deep blue eyes as he tried to recall bits and pieces of the dream he had been having before the voices and the rumble of thunder had drawn him out of his reverie.

Then he remembered something from the dream. It was as if he were floating above the ground in a large room. Sparkling water filled the chamber on the bottom floor and small pillars scattered around the room led from a large platform with a door on it to four smaller platforms where four statues stood. Each statue held an orb in its stone hands, each a different color. One was a pale azure, the next a golden yellow, the one across from that was a deep violet, and the last one was a fiery crimson. A young man with short, messy dirty blond hair suddenly appeared through the doorway and then the dream faded before he could figure out what it could possible mean.

Before he could think about his dream any further, there was a knock on his door. He turned and muttered a feeble yes. "Okami, it's me, Yoru. Your foster parents asked me to come here, can I come in?" The boy sitting on the bed nodded and said yes once again. The doorknob twisted and the door to Okami's room was slowly pushed open. Yoru, a boy two years older than Okami, walked into the room and crossed the distance from the door to the bed in a few quick strides.

Yoru gazed down at Okami with his fierce golden eyes and smiled. Okami returned the smile, "What are you doing up this late, Yoru? I thought that you would still be in your house, sleeping." The older boy shook his head, tossing his light blue hair from side to side. Okami lifted an eyebrow as he leaned back against his pillow.

"I sensed that something is happening far from here, I was wondering if you sensed it as well." Okami closed his eyes and searched for anything odd happening around his hometown. He had almost given up hope of finding anything when he felt a surge of power emitting from somewhere in the north.

Okami's eyes fluttered open and he turned to Yoru, nodding quickly, "Something is happening. In the far north, a strong power is building." Okami paused for a moment; "It's near the town of Vault…so that means that something in Haidia Village is happening."

"Haidia?" asked Yoru, eyes widening in surprise, "But isn't that where the four Elemental Stars are kept? Someone could be trying to steal the Elemental Stars, don't you think?"

"Even if someone had been trying to steal the Stars, they won't be able to get to them. The Energists of Haidia have guarded them well ever since they were taken out of the Lighthouses and placed in the Sol Sanctum in Mt. Aleph. They will not let anything happen to the Stars as long as they know that the Legendary Warriors are out there," whispered Okami, lowering his voice when he heard movement downstairs, "What would you have us do? It is the middle of the night and Haidia Village is a week's walk away at best. There are bandits on the way as well as animals that could tear us to shreds."

"I know, but it just doesn't feel right sitting around while someone is trying to get to the Elemental Stars. I understand that there isn't anything that we can do from here, but still…" Okami patted him on the shoulder, giving him a reassuring smile, "I should go home now, my parents don't know that I'm out and I would rather keep it that way." Yoru turned away from Okami and walked out the door.

When he heard the door click, Okami turned to look out the window, his eyes narrowing as he turned his attention to the north. He could just barely see a dark cloud hanging over the mountain range near the town of Haidia Village. There was something unusually foreboding about the clouds hanging over the mountains that made the young boy climb out of his bed and walk over to the window, wrapping his blanket around his thin frame.

Movement in the courtyard below him made him looked down. His friend Ivan stood outside, staring off in the same direction of the clouds. Okami lifted the window and leaned out to whisper to his friend, "Ivan, what are you doing outside so late?" The older boy looked up at him, his violet eyes filled with sadness.

"Can't you feel it, Okami? Something has begun, something that is going to change our lives forever." Okami looked away from Ivan and back to the clouds, closing his eyes. Therefore, it was true. The Elemental Stars were in danger and only the Energists could do something about it, 'There isn't anything we can do right now. We just have to wait until our lighthouses call for our help.'

Okami looked back down at his friend and called out to him, "Ivan, you should go back to the palace. Lady Layana is going to be worried about you if she finds out that you're not in bed, or even in the palace." Ivan seemed to break away from his trance and turned his attention away from the ominous clouds that hung over Haidia Village.

"I guess you're right as always, Okami. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, then?" Okami nodded as Ivan turned away and began making his way to Hammet's palace, "Can we talk about what is going on as well?"

"Of course." smiled Okami, knowing that they would forget about whatever was happening coming morning. He preferred it that way. Whatever was going on in Haidia Village, they were not meant to know just yet, but soon, very soon, they would all be dragged into the folds of faith and destiny and there was nothing anyone of them could do about it.

Miles away, at the base of the quiescent volcano known as Mt. Aleph, sat the normally peaceful village of Haidia. However, a terrible storm was attacking the small village and the villagers of Haidia were rushing to safety as the elders held back a destructive boulder that would destroy many lives if they allowed it to continue any further.

One young man in particular, a young Earth Energist, was having trouble getting to safety for one fact. He was asleep in his bed. His mother hurried up the stairs to his room and rushed to his side, shaking him gently to consciousness, "Robin, please wake up dear! There is great danger at Mt. Aleph, a boulder is going to fall!"

The young Energist by the name of Robin merely rolled over in his bed, turning his back to his mother. The youth's mother heaved a sigh and shook her son once more before giving up and turning to her younger son, Mamoru, who was still asleep as well. She hurried to his side and tapped his shoulder, "Mamoru, get up! We have to hurry!"

The blond woke up quickly, jumping in his bed, "Mother, what's wrong?" he asked, timidly. Mamoru jumped when he heard a clap of lightning above them. His mother smiled down at him reassuringly.

"Don't worry, grab your coat and go downstairs to meet your father. He'll help you get to the plaza, that's where everyone else is going to go to get to safety." Mamoru threw on his tunic and then paused at the stairs, looking back at his mother as she tried to wake up his older brother.

"What about Robin?" asked the four-year-old, worried about his sleeping brother. His mother walked over to Robin's bedside and shook him again. This time Robin woke with a start, sitting up in bed and looking around the room wildly. When he spotted his mother, he sighed in relief.

"Don't worry about your brother, we'll join you as soon as you get to the plaza with your father. Go on now, I need to help Robin get out of here." Robin blinked up at his mother, confused as she forced him out of bed and then made him put on his tunic.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying to fight his mother, "What are you doing?" His mother managed to get his tunic on at last and grabbed his arm, dragging him to the staircase, "Mom?"

"We have to get to the plaza, there's a huge boulder that rolled down from Mt. Aleph and the only thing that is stopping it from crushing the village is the elders' Psynergy." explained his mother, when they reached the middle of the stairway, "Mamoru has gone with your father to go down to the plaza now. We need to hurry to catch up with them."

They walked out into the family room and were about to walk out the door when it opened, and Kyle, Robin's father, stood there, soaked from the rain that was pouring outside. He took a step back so that Robin and his mother could walk out and then he hurried out after them, "Dora, Robin, we have to hurry to the plaza. The boulder could fall any minute now."

Dora looked around and then turned back to her husband, "Where's Mamoru? I thought you were going to take him down to the plaza." Kyle shook his head quickly, sending droplets of rainwater flying through the air.

"I have to help evacuate the other villagers. I do not want anyone to get hurt in this storm or by that boulder. There could still be people in their homes," said Kyle, "I couldn't do that and take Mamoru to the plaza so I sent Mamoru off with Amiko and Kanata, they should get to the plaza together safely." Dora nodded but then an idea came to her.

"I can help you evacuate the villagers!"

"It's far too dangerous, besides, who's going to take Robin to the plaza?" asked Kyle, "Just take care of him and I'll be there as soon as I make sure that everyone's safe."

"Robin can go on his own, he knows that way to the plaza." Robin nodded in agreement, not wanting to watch his parents argue in the rain any longer. They were all getting soaked and he could hear the deep rumble of that boulder nearby, they did not have much time left to get the shelter.

"Don't worry about me, Mom, Dad. I can make it to the plaza by myself." he reassured them quickly, brushing his wet bangs out of his eyes only to have them fall back into place, "We should really hurry up if we want to get to the plaza and help all of the villagers."

Dora and Kyle nodded to each other and then kissed Robin's forehead before they ran off. Robin turned around and began to descend the staircase. However, a loud rumble knocked him to the ground and a large boulder rolled into place at the foot of the stairs. Robin jumped up and pushed at the boulder, trying to move it out of the way. When it would not budge, he slumped against it, trying to think of a different way to get to the plaza.

He remembered that he could use the other stairs on the other side of town. It would take a little longer, but he should be able to get there in time. Robin ran back up the stairs and hurried north as fast as he could. He slipped on a bit of grass and slid on his butt, coming to a halt at his friend, Gerald's, house. Robin stood up and brushed the blades of grass from his tunic. He was about to continue on his way, when he heard a familiar voice coming from the back of the house.

He found his friend Gerald standing there, trying to drag a large box along with him. Robin rushed to Gerald's side, "What are you doing, Gerald?" yelled Robin, "If you have failed to notice, there is a rainstorm pouring down on your and the elders are having an extremely hard time holding back a giant boulder that could crush you in a second!"

Gerald dropped the rope to his box and turned to Robin, "But I have to take my stuff with me to the plaza!" yelled Gerald over the howl of the wind that whipped around them. Robin shook his head, exasperated by his friend.

"Gerald, are you really willing to die trying to drag your stuff with you?" he yelled in return, "We have to go or that boulder is going to kill us! What is it going to be, Gerald? Do you really want to die by being smashed into the ground by a giant boulder?" Gerald blinked and shook his head, "I didn't think so, so drop your stuff and let's go to the plaza."

"Okay, let's get to the plaza then." Robin grinned and hurried off to the bridge that led to the other side of the village. Gerald chased after him, his things lying forgotten in the rain.

The two teens had almost made it across the bridge when I loud rumbling stopped them in their tracks. The elders had their backs to them and were standing near the stairway that led up to Sol Sanctum, their arms were raised and they seemed to be using their Psynergy to hold back the large boulder in front of them, "We can't keep this up for much longer!" yelled one of them.

"If our Psynergy runs out, Haidia Village will be destroy! We can't let that happen!" yelled the man next to the first to cry out, "We have to hold on until all the villagers are safe!" The first one to speak turned around when he felt eyes on his back. He jumped when he spotted Robin and Gerald standing on the bridge, watching them.

"Robin, Gerald, what are you doing?" he yelled to them, "You have to get to the plaza before the boulder falls! Go on, you just have to go on a little further!" Robin and Gerald turned to each other and nodded, quickly running along the bridge and along the path.

They were about to move forward, but a large boulder fell into their path and they were stopped again. Robin pushed against it with all his might, but it was no use. He turned back to Gerald and looked around. His light blue eyes spotted the path that led around the boulder and opened up to the other side, 'We can go through here!" he announced. Gerald looked past the trees and nodded.

"It does seem to be the only way to get to the plaza…let's go." They ran past the trees and came to a clearing. Robin froze when a bolt of lightning lit up his surroundings. A man was lying on the ground near the fence and he did not seem to be moving. Robin rushed to his side and knelt next to him, leaning over to get a better look, "Are you all right, mister?"

The man groaned and opened his eyes. They were clouded and he it did not look as if he actually could see Robin. He opened his mouth to speak, looking past the blond, "Rockslide…destroyed fence…Monsters everywhere…I'm hurt pretty badly…Do you think I'll die?" Robin bit his lip and shook his head, whispering a quick no.
"You need to get your rest, mister. Save your strength. We'll go get help for you." Robin was about to get up to leave when the man called out again, making him turn his attention to him again.

"This is awful. I'm left here for the monsters to…" he paused and stood up, making Robin scramble backward, eyes wide, "That's strange…I'm not hurt at all! But I'm serious about the monsters, so be careful on your way to the plaza!" With that said, the man raced past Robin and Gerald and ran off in the direction of the plaza.

Robin and Gerald stared after him, blinking, "Why that little…" started Gerald, looking to Robin now, "He lied to us! Do you think he could be lying about the monsters as well?" Robin smiled, trying to calm his friend down before Gerald lost what little control over his emotions he had.

"Now is not the time to be worrying about monsters, Gerald. We should get to the plaza before the elders run out of Psynergy and that boulder comes crashing down on the village." Gerald nodded and they started to make their way out of the clearing when they heard a rustle in the bushes in front of them. The boys paused and looked at each other, wondering what to do.

Robin squared his shoulders and took a couple of steps forward and reached out to pull back the leaves. Before he could touch the leaves, three people jumped out of the bushes. One of them was his little brother, Mamoru, wearing his tunic. Kanata, a good friend of his, and Amiko, Mamoru's friend, were the other two that had jumped out of the bushes with Mamoru. Robin fell back onto the ground in surprise and clutched at his heart, trying to get over the fright the three had just given him.

Kanata threw back her long, glacier-colored hair and smiled down at Robin, holding out a hand to help him up. Robin took her hand and pushed himself off the ground, dusting himself off for the second time that day. Mamoru ran to his brother's side and hugged him around the waist, "I was worried that you wouldn't make it in time to go to the plaza with us!" he said. Robin ruffled his hair and looked down at Kanata.

"How you three been waiting for us?" asked Robin. Kanata shook her head quickly, reassuring Robin that they had merely jumped in the bushes when that man ran past them. Robin sighed in relief, "Good, now we should get to the plaza before Mom and Dad find out that we aren't there yet."

The group hurried past the rest of the trees until they found the path again. Once there, they hurried along it and then down the stairs to the riverside. They had made it to the bottom when they heard a familiar voice cry out, "On no! My brother!" Robin recognized the voice immediately and his eyes widened in fright.

"Felix!" The next voice they heard coming from behind the house in front of them belonged to Robin's father.

"Hang on, Felix!" he cried. Robin and the others rushed to the water's edge and were met by a frightening sight. Robin's mother and father were standing on the wooden bridge with the father and mother of Jenna and Felix, their friends, as well as Jenna. Felix, Robin's best friend, was in the rushing river, holding onto a small rock.
"Felix will be all right." soothed Dora, turning away from Felix to his parents and his little sister, "We'll find a way to save him…" Just as Dora says this, Felix goes under the water. Jenna cried out in panic and ran to her mother's side.

"The rope won't reach…" said Kyle, trying to throw the rope over to Felix, "We should use Psynergy. Do you have any left?" he asked, turning to Felix's father. The man shook his head.

"I've used all mine up. What about you, Kyle?" Kyle shook his head, eyes betraying his sadness.

"I'm drained from helping the other villagers…" he explained. Dora ran to the door, throwing it open.

"We have to get help." she said to them.

"Can Felix hang on long enough for us to find help?" asked Kyle, looking back at the boy fighting against the water's rough currents that tried to force him under the water again.

"There's nothing else we can do for him here, is there?" asked Dora.

"Then go get help, but be as quick as possible!" said Kyle, glancing at his wife quickly before giving Felix his full attention. Felix's mother pushed Jenna away gently, holding her out by her shoulders.

"Jenna, can you go too? You'll go find help, right?" Jenna looked out at her brother and nodded, determined to help her brother before it was too late to do something about his plight. Jenna ran to Dora's side and they walked back into the house, coming out of the front door.

Jenna went south, toward the plaza and Dora went north, running into Robin, Gerald, Kanata, Amiko, and Mamoru, all still standing near the riverbank. Robin spun around and rushed to his mother's side, "Mom, we can help too! We'll get find someone who can help Felix, bring them back here and they'll be able to help him!"

It took Dora a couple of seconds before she took in all her son had said but she nodded and smiled, "Okay, but make sure that Mamoru and Amiko don't get hurt along the way, okay? Jenna has gone down to the plaza to see if anyone there can help her. Why don't you join her?" The small group nods and Dora hurries off up the stairs, leaving them to find Jenna.

"Mamoru, I think that you and Amiko should stay at the plaza once we get there!" yelled Robin, so his brother would be able to hear him over the wind. It seemed to be getting worse the longer it raged. Mamoru began to protest, but Kanata was on his side with this decision as well.

"It would be the safest if you two just stayed there. There isn't much that you could help us with anyway. All we have to do is get that rope of Felix and then he'll be just fine." she said, smiling at the two brightly. "Besides, I'm sure that you're all very tiered from being woken up in the middle of the night and then having to run all over the village in the pouring rain…If you don't get any rest, you might catch a cold."

Mamoru and Amiko decided that it was no use now that Robin and Kanata were working together against them, so they relented and agreed to stay at the plaza once they reached it. When they did reached the plaza, they found Jenna talking with Gerald's grandfather, the mayor of Haidia Village.

"Go aid the elders! The Boulder is too heavy for them to hold much longer." he was telling the two men in front of him.

"We can't let the Mt. Aleph Boulder destroy our village!" said the first one to the man next to him.

"Let's go help the elders." said the second one and with that, they rushed off to help the elders.

"We're counting on you." the mayor called after them. He sighed and then spotted Gerald and the others.

"Grandpa! Jenna!" yelled Gerald, running over to his grandfather and Jenna.

"Gerald, Kanata, Robin…You came to help me?" asked Jenna, looking at her friends as Robin and Kanata talked one of Kyle's friends, asking them to watch over Amiko and Mamoru in their absence.

"Jenna told me about Felix." said Gerald's grandfather, "Is that why you're all here?" Robin turned away from the man and nodded.

"Yes, my Mom asked us to get helped when we were passing through on our way to the plaza. Now we need someone with Psynergy to get the rope to reach Felix." Gerald's grandfather beamed down at the three teens in front of him.

"I'm proud of all three of you! Jenna could use a hand." the man kneeling next to the Psynergy stone suddenly lept up.

"Great! I'm all charged up!" he exclaimed. Gerald's grandfather turned to look at him.

"How are you? Have you recovered your Psynergy?"

"Enough to save Felix, thanks to the Psynergy Stone." said the man, hopping over the small pond and back to the others. Gerald's grandfather clasped his shoulder and looked back at Jenna and the others.

"Okay, Jenna, you heard him. Now hurry back! The path may be blocked by fallen rocks," he said, turning away from Jenna to Robin, Kanata, and Gerald, "You three can show them the way!" Jenna nodded to Robin and the others.

"…Thank you, Robin." Robin smiled down at her.

"Hey, Felix is my best friend. I cannot just let him drown in that lake. We should hurry and get him out of there." Robin turned around and knelt down next to Mamoru and Amiko as his friends ran back to Felix, "Promise me that the two of you are going to stay here where it's safe. We are going to save Felix and the two of you might get in the way. Okay?"

Mamoru and Amiko looked at each other before nodded, "Okay. Now go inside before you catch pneumonia." He stood up and ran after his friends.

Jenna and the others had stopped on the bridge hanging over the river where Felix was fighting for his life, "Mom! Dad! We're back!" yelled Jenna, leaning over the rope that suspended the bridge over the water. Gerald held his arm out in front of her to make sure that she did not take a dive into the raging waters below. They already had their hands full with saving one person, they did not want to go off and try to save a second one from the river.

Dora had just appeared around the side of the house, out of breath, "Is that you, Jenna?" she called out to them, her eyes squinting slightly through the raindrops.

"Yes, ma'am…" said Jenna slowly. Robin walked past her and ran down the stairs, running to his mother.

"We found someone who can help Felix." Robin looked back up at his friend still on the bridge and the man they had led there took a step to the side, "Is Felix still…"

"Felix is all right. He's hanging in there." soothed Dora, brushing back her son's wet locks, before turning her attention back to the people on the bridge, "Come down here, so we can save Felix!"

Kanata, Gerald, Jenna, and the man made their way along the bridge, down the stairs and around the bend. Just as they were about to help Felix out, a loud crashing came from the north part of town. Robin froze and looked up, "The Boulder's falling!" he cried, falling backwards as the Boulder crashed along the bank and then into the water in front of them.

Robin threw up his hands in front of his face, more as a reflex than anything else and lowered them when all was silent. His eyes widened at the sight in front of him. The bridge where Kyle and Jenna's parents had been standing was now empty and Felix was nowhere to be seen, "W-what happened…?" he asked, blinking, unsure if what he had seen really had happened, "Dad…Felix…T-they're gone…everyone's gone…Felix…dad…"

"Mom, Dad…" Robin turned his head to the side and saw Jenna kneeling next to the riverbank, a dazed look in her fiery eyes, "Felix…Please…Don't leave me all alone…" Tears streamed down her face and she buried her face in her hands, letting the tears flow freely now. Dora was standing a few feet away from Robin before she collapsed to the ground as well, staring at the spot where Kyle had been only moments ago, trying to help Felix from drowning.

"No…" she whispered, her voice barely audible over the loud roar of the wind that beat at them harder now, "It can't be. Kyle…It must be a dream…"

Robin rose to his feet, shaking all over. He spotted Kanata sitting on the ground near Gerald, her purple eyes wide with shock as she tried to regain control over her thoughts. Robin leaned down, offering his hand to her to help her to her feet. She jumped but took his hand and he lifted her to her feet again, "Robin…The Boulder…We need to get help, or everyone will drown…" they heard Gerald say, watching the rushing waters of the river in front of him.

Robin nodded to Kanata, "We should hurry before everyone drowns. Are you going to come with me, Kanata, or are you going to stay here?" Kanata looked at the river for a moment before nodding to Robin.

"Yes, let's go see if we can find some help for Felix and the others." Robin and Kanata raced around the bend, back up the steps and along the bridge, going back to the plaza to see if there was anyone there that could help them. Gerald suddenly noticed that Kanata and Robin were not there.

"Robin, Kanata…I can't let them go on their own…It's times like these when friends have to stick together." Gerald followed the path that Kanata and Robin had just taken and went to their aid.

Robin and Kanata were just about to go down another flight of stairs to go down to the plaza, when they heard a strange voice on the ledge just above them. They froze and listened to the voice, wondering whom it belonged to, "Only the two of us survived…" came the first voice, it seemed to belong to a man.

"How could we have anticipated Sol Sanctum would unleash such fury?" asked a second voice, this one belonged to a woman. The same man answered her.

"It's a miracle that even the two of us were spared…" he replied. The woman's next words seemed to indicate that she was in deep thought about what they had just been through before they arrived on the ledge.

"That switch…" she started to say, "It must have been a trap…"

"But to think it could conjure up a storm this powerful!" exclaimed the man. Kanata and Robin turned to each other in surprised. It seemed that these two strangers, from the far north by their accents, were the cause of this dreadful storm. It was their fault that Felix, Kyle, and Felix's mother and father were…Robin shook his head, shaking the thought out of his mind.

"…Another demonstration of the awesome powers of Alchemy." responded the woman.

"Regardless, we must not fail the next time we challenge Sol Sanctum." Robin and Kanata pressed their backs against the ledge and looked up, trying to hear the man and the woman better.

"Next time, we shall certainly…" the woman did not get very far with her sentence. That moment Gerald came running around the bend, calling out for Kanata and Robin to wait for him. Robin and Kanata jumped a foot into the air and glared over at Gerald, motioning him to shut up.

Gerald walked up to them and paused, "…No…Loudmouth Gerald…" muttered Robin under his breath as the younger teen reached Robin's side. The man and woman walked over to the ledge and looked down at the trio, surprised for a mere moment before they smirked.

"You were eavesdropping on us just no, weren't you?" asked the man, his pale blue skin glinting when a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Robin looked at Kanata and then Gerald, telling them that he would handle this.

"Uh…no, no…" he said quickly, "We were just leaving…to go to the plaza. Big storm you know." Gerald tugged on Robin's sleeve, trying to get his attention away from the two strangers standing on the ledge above them.

"Robin…Robin, they look scary," he whispered, making Kanata rolled her eyes, "Are you sure you should be talking to them?"
"It is okay, Gerald," whispered Robin. Kanata nodded in agreement, but she could feel a very strong aura emitting from the two on the ledge.

"Just stay calm, Gerald and we'll get out of here," she whispered over Robin's shoulder before turning back to the man and woman above them.

"You must forget everything you heard," said the woman to them. Robin was about to say something when the man spoke up.

"Don't worry…We'll help you forget!" They jumped from the ledge and Robin, Kanata, and Gerald jumped back. Gerald slipped on the wet grass as he tried to pull out his sword. Robin stood back to back with Kanata as the two strangers surrounded them. Robin unsheathed his sword as Kanata swung her staff out in front of her, defensively.

Robin blocked the first attack for the man and he head metal against metal behind him as Kanata blocked against the woman's attacks. Gerald jumped to his feet and lept for the man's back, but he swung around and blocked Gerald's attack just as Robin lunged forward and stabbed him in the ribs.

His sword grazed the man's armor and Robin lost his footing, falling face forward onto the wet grass. Kanata cried out and tried over Robin, nearly missing being run through with the woman's sword. Gerald had been thrown across the field and had banged his head against a large tree. Robin tried to get up, but the man threw his sword down, hilt first, at Robin's head, knocking him out.

"Robin!" cried Kanata, trying to pick up her staff to help him, but the woman threw it out of her hands with a blast of fire from her palm, "Y-you're an Energist!" gasped Kanata before the man hit her in the back of her head with the hilt of his sword, knocking her out as well.

The two smirked at each other before running off, leaving the three teenagers behind in the rain.

-Three years later…Karei Town-

Okami sat up with a start in his bed, drenched in a cold sweat just as he had when he woke up three years ago. The fourteen-year-old whipped the sweat from his brow and slipped out of bed, grabbing his clothes for the day and walking off to his bathroom. The cross-Energist quickly took a shower and dressed. He walked out of his bathroom and down the stairs where his foster mother was standing in the kitchen, singing while she cooked them breakfast.

His foster mother was a very happy woman, rather round and jolly, and Okami could tell from the way she carried herself that she was a very honest woman and could not tell a lie even to save her daughter's life, least of all her own. Her name was Melissa, but she always told Okami to call her 'Mom'. Even though Okami felt very uncomfortable calling her that, he did as she asked of him.

Melissa had tried to teach Okami how to cook, knowing that he was going to go on a journey one day, and most likely never come back to them, but each time she tried to teach Okami, the stove would always blow up in the boy's face. The only thing that the cross-Energist could cook without burning was green tea, and no matter what he did to it, it would always come out good.

"Do you want to try your hand at cooking again?" she asked sweetly, turning from the stove to her foster child. Okami gave her a sincere smile.

"And have the kitchen blow up in my face again? I think I will pass, Mom," he laughed before sitting at the kitchen table in the chair that faced the window. He saw Ivan walking up the stairs to Hammet's palace with two guards on either side of him and Hammet himself in front of him. Okami made to stand up, but Melissa's daughter, Hamako, suddenly came running down the stairs and jumped into Okami's lap. Okami flinched at the sudden weight and looked down at the young girl in surprise, "What are you doing up so late, sleepyhead?" he teased, poking her nose.

"I heard you wake up, Okami!" she called in her tiny voice. Okami smiled, "Besides, you said that you would take me over to Lucas' house so that I could play with him. You also said that you and Yoru were going to take the two of us to Karei Town Docks and we would go on the boat to Tolbi."

Melissa turned around and looked at them, "Did they now? And when were the two of you planning on telling your parents?" she asked. Okami laughed nervously.

"Well, now. Sorry, Mom, but it slipped my mind. Whenever I did remember, you or Dad were too busy or were somewhere else." explained Okami, "So I really never found an opportune time to tell you that we were going to take a ship into Tolbi." Melissa sighed as she took the pot off the stove and took out four bowls from the cupboard. She sent them out on the counter and started to pour oatmeal into the bowls.

"You and Hamako may go, but promise me that you and Yoru will look after yourselves as well as the kids. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to anyone of you." Okami smiled and started to laugh.

"I am one of the Legendary Warriors, Mom. Yoru is as well, you have nothing to worry about," said Okami, "Legendary Warriors as strong as normal Energists that have seven Djinni. We cannot even carry Djinni because then we would be far too strong for our own good. Like I said, you have nothing to worry about."

Melissa sighed again and carried the bowls to the table. Okami helped Hamako into her chair next to him and put a napkin around her neck so that she would not get her dress dirty, "Now where's your father?"

Richard, Okami's foster father and Hamako's biological father, came down the stairs. He preferred Okami to call him 'Dad', but would allow Okami to call him whatever he wished, so Okami did just that.

"Richard," started Okami, "I was thinking about taking Hamako out to Tolbi with Yoru and Lucas. If we leave after breakfast, when we planned, we should be back around tomorrow morning."

"Did you ask your mother about this?" Okami nodded.

"She said that we could go as long as we be careful. Don't worry about us, we'll be just fine." Richard sighed and nodded.

"Very well then, you and Hamako may go, as long as you be careful." Okami smiled and bowed to him politely.

"Thanks."

Back in the peaceful village of Haidia, the villagers are just beginning to recover from their great losses in the storm of Mt. Aleph three years past. However, three families in particular are having a rather hard time adjusting to the changes the storm brought on them, the deaths of their loved ones.

Robin was kneeling on his roof, repairing the holes the storm had made. His mother was on the ground, continuously asking him if he was done yet. By the tenth time, Robin was getting a little annoyed, "Mom! Calm down, I am almost done with the repairs! I just have patch up this one part and…" he drifted off as he did the repairs.

"You're almost done? Okay then, keep at it!" Robin smiled weakly and heaved a sigh of relief. His little brother, Mamoru, had gone over to Amiko's house to hang out with her for the day while Robin finished fixing their roof.

The young Fire Energist, Jenna, was watching them before the front yard, laughing softly to herself. She walked around Robin's house, up the steps and past Gerald's house, out to the backyard where Gerald usually did his Psynergy training. The fellow Fire Energist was standing in front of a giant pillar, his hand lifted up before him, "Hyaa!" he yelled. A crimson light wrapped around his hand and then shot out at the pillar, slowly pushing it back into a patch of flowers.

"I see that you are still training, Gerald." said Jenna, laughing as she walked closer to her friend. Gerald's palm shot forward another crimson light and pushed the log back further, "You sure do put your heart into it, Gerald!"

Gerald finally spotted Jenna. He smiled at her, whipping the sweat from his brow, "Oh, I'm just finishing up." he explained.

"That's good. It's time to go, and I was about to leave you behind." she teased, making Gerald frown. An idea suddenly came to Jenna, "Say, what exactly happened to you three?" Gerald jumped in surprise at the abrupt question.

"W-what are you talking about?" he asked, trying not to give anything away just yet.

"The accident three years ago…Is that why you've been studying Psynergy?" asked Jenna, leaning forward a bit. Gerald turned away, trying not to say anything, "I appreciate your concern, but…my family's never coming back, and neither is Robin's father…" Jenna shook her head, "I just want to forget that day. I wish everyone would…"

"That awful day…" started Gerald, "We went to get help, but they found us unconscious…" Jenna had started to speak at the same time he had.

"Well, let's go get Robin and Kanata and go to Kraden's…" she paused, looking at Gerald again, "What, Gerald?"

"Nothing."

"Huh? You were about to say something, weren't you?" she pressed; Gerald shook his head, laughing nervously.

"No I wasn't."

"Don't be weird, Gerald!" Jenna turned away, "Whatever."

"Jenna, are you mad at me?" asked Gerald, turning from the pillar in front of him back to Jenna.

"I don't want to talk about it. Come on."

"Huh?"

"Robin and Kanata are waiting for us." she turned to leave but Gerald stopped her, grabbing her wrist so she could walk away.

"But, Jenna…!" she pulled her wrist out of his hand and shook her finger in front of his face.

"I'll leave you behind if you're too slow."

"Jenna…" he smiled and nodded, following her back to Robin's house.

Kanata was now standing next to Dora, watching as Robin lifted a patch and placed it on of the many holes in the roof before kneeling down next to it and patching it together with the rest of the roof. Robin pulled back once he was finished and nodded to Kanata and his mother, "There, it's all done. No more holes." he stood up, stretching his muscles.

Dora climbed up the ladder and onto the roof next to Robin, checking to see if everything was sturdy. When she was done, Kanata climbed up after her and smiled at Robin, "Good job, Robin." said Dora, "You patched it nicely. All right. You're all done. You're very realizable, Robin…just like your father was."

Kanata and Robin exchanged fleeting looks before they both looked away and down at the roof, "Mom…" Dora turned to look at Robin, her eyes full of concern for her oldest son.

"What is it, Robin? Do you still think about the accident?" Robin turned his head to the side and muttered yes. "That's what I thought. I was devastated when Kyle died…I felt alone…It's taken some time, but I'm better now. I still have both you and Mamoru."
She leaned over and pulled Robin into a quick hug, "You're almost seventeen. You're so much like Kyle was when he was young." she said nostalgically, "I'm looking forward to seeing where life takes you." Robin smiled weakly.

"So am I…" Jenna suddenly appeared, climbing off the ladder and onto the roof next to Kanata.

"MA'AAAAM!!!" she called, trying to get Dora's attention away from her son. Dora turned around and smiled at the Fire Energist who had just climbed up onto her roof next to Kanata.

"Hello, Jenna." Jenna bowed, smiling respectfully at Robin's mother.

"Good morning."

"Yes, yes…good morning." she turned just in time to see Gerald climb up the ladder and hop onto the roof in between Jenna and Kanata, "Well, if it isn't Gerald, too. Where do the four of you plan to go today?"

The four Energists looked at each other and back to Dora; "Uh…today we're going…" she looked over at Gerald for help.

"We're going to Mt. Aleph with Kraden." Robin and Kanata nodded at this. Dora sighed.

"Mountain climbing with Kraden, eh? Kids and their games…" Kanata shook her head quickly.

"No, ma'am, it's part of our training. To strengthen our Psynergy," she explained, "It isn't to go mountain climbing." Kanata was going to add that she seriously doubted that Kraden could climb up a small hill, much less a mountain like Mt. Aleph, but she did not want to be rude.

"Ah, yes…You're studying Alchemy, isn't that right?" she asked. Robin nodded, "Alchemy is the foundation of all Psynergy…And you all know Mt. Aleph is the greatest source of Alchemy. They say Kraden is the best teacher around." Dora paused and looked around, deep in thought, "Alchemy…I wonder what use it all is?"

She turned to Robin, her face stern, "Your mother would rather see you grow up to be a happy, ordinary man. But I suppose you still want to go…"

"You can't talk me out of it now, Mom. I've worked on it for far too long now." laughed Robin, shaking his head, "We'll be careful while we're up there, you don't have to worry about us." Dora folded her arms across her chest and set her eyes on Robin before letting out a tiered sigh.

"Well, if that won't persuade you, I guess nothing will!" she turned her head to the side, "You're just as stubborn as your father-!"

She swung her hand a little too much and started to stumble backward. Gerald moved forward to get to her just as Robin held out his hand to grab hers, "Be careful, ma'am!" Dora went over the edge of the house and disappeared for view.

"Mom!" he turned and saw Gerald, "Gerald, watch out!"

"Don't step there!" warned Kanata, moving forward to stop him. However, it was too late. Gerald's boot stuck into the roof and his leg fell through. Robin glared at him before rolling his eyes and turning to see his mother poke her head over the edge of the roof, smiling and laughing softly.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as Robin leaned over and helped her to her feet, "That was exciting! I'm sorry I scared you like that." Robin sighed again and looked over at Gerald.
"That's okay, Mom, but you made Gerald poke another hole in the roof." Dora followed Robin's gaze, over to where Gerald stood with half his leg sunk deep into the roof. She clicked her tongue impatiently and tapped her leather bound foot lightly on the roof.

"Well! Gerald, what do you have to say for yourself?" Gerald looked down at his feet, his ears turning a bright red as everyone turned their eyes to him, waiting to see what he had to say.

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am," he started after a rather long paused, before grabbing his leg and pulling it out of the roof, "I'll get out of your way right away!" The Fire Energist started to move to the side, but Jenna cried out at the same time as Kanata.

"Wait! Not there, Gerald!"

"Huh? What's wrong with-" just as Gerald said this, the roof under his right foot gave out and his leg feel through for a second time. Robin rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, watching his friend as he tried to pull himself free once more.

Dora let out an exasperated sigh, "Oh, never mind…" she turned to Robin, "But you had better get going…" Robin gave her a questioning look before she explained herself, "This old house will fall apart if you stay much longer. I'll get this fixed up. You don't have to hang around here."

Robin smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Mother." Jenna and Kanata bowed to Dora.

"Thank you, ma'am." Dora smiled and waved a hand at the two girls.

"Please, call me Dora." Gerald finally pulled his leg out of the second hole and hurried over to the ladder before he could cause any more damage than he already had to Dora's roof.

"We'll get going right away!" he said hurriedly, sliding down the ladder and onto the ground. Jenna climbed down the ladder after Gerald, standing next to him so she could playfully punch his arm. Kanata bowed to Dora again and climbed down the ladder gracefully, watching Gerald and Jenna with an amused look on her face. Robin let his mother go first and then climbed down after her.

Robin turned to Kanata and the others, "You guys go on ahead to Kraden's, and I'll catch up with you in a second. I just want to say good-bye to my Mom first." Kanata nodded and the three walked up path to the bridge that would take them to Kraden's house. Dora watched until the three teenagers reached Gerald's house. She smiled to herself and turned to look up at Robin.

"I told that clumsy Gerald it would be all right…" she sighed, "But what am I going to do about these holes in the roof?" The Venus Energist took a step back so that he could see the two holes in the roof and he cocked his head to the side before turning away from the roof and back to his mother.

"I'll try to fix the holes when I get back from Kraden's place. I don't think we are going to take too long today, so I should be back in time to fix the roof before the sun goes down." Dora smiled fondly at Robin, standing on tiptoes to ruffle his already messy hair.

"Oh, Robin…" she kissed his forehead, "Go on now, you don't want to be late."

"Okay, Mom." Robin nodded to her and hurried off to catch up with Kanata and the others. He found them standing next to the bridge that led to the other side of the village. Kanata smiled and waved to him as he climbed up the hill and stopped next to them, "Were you all waiting for me?" he asked.

Kanata shook her head quickly, "Gerald was thinking about heading up to Mt. Aleph before we visited Kraden. Well, that priest over there," she waved her hand at the man who was walking around on the ledge above them, "was standing behind that tree that's in front of the steps that you need to take to Mt. Aleph and he chased Gerald all the way back to the stairs."
Jenna giggled, "Yes, and now he's keeping an eye out for Gerald because of it." Robin joined in their laughter at Gerald's expense, but stopped, whipping the tears of mirth from his light blue eyes.

"Sorry, Gerald, but I can picture you running away from that old man and you don't understand how funny it is." Gerald puffed up his cheeks and turned his head to the side, crossing his arms over his chest and tapping his foot on the ground impatiently, "I'm sorry. We should get going or Kraden will be mad."

Kanata smirked, "And we wouldn't want Kraden to get mad, would we?" she laughed softly and turned, walking across the wooden bridge. Jenna shook her head, smiling.

They entered the small clearing where Kraden's cottage was built and were about to head up the stairs when the four teens hear two voices up ahead of them. Robin, Kanata, and Gerald recognized the voices almost immediately. They belong to the strangers who had fought them three years ago, "They seem to know little of Sol Sanctum's mysteries."

"I know that voice," whispered Robin, looking from Kanata to Gerald, who nodded in agreement.

"The elders of Haidia Village must not permit anyone to enter it, not even Kraden," said a man.

"Kraden…Can we use him?" asked a man.

"Hmm…His knowledge is no meager thing," stated the man, "…We can use him."

"But he's more stubborn than we expected…" sighed the woman.

"And cunning too…Cunning beyond measure."

"If he won't go willingly, then we can always…" she paused and turned around suddenly, spotting Robin and the others.

"You there! What are you doing?" yelled the man, walking toward them. Robin took a step back, his hand moving back to his sword reflexively. Gerald turned to Robin and whispered.

"What are we doing?"

"Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" asked the woman. Robin smirked, looking down at her.

"Actually, yes we were, do you have a problem with that?" The woman started to laugh evilly.

"Oh ho! Well…I can't permit you to continue your spying." Kanata shook her head, taking a step forward so she could stand at Robin's side.

"You're the ones who are sneaking around, you shouldn't even be in Haidia Village."

"Sneaking…Who are you, to accuse me!" Kanata nodded to Robin.

"I am Robin and I have important business with Kraden."

"So, Kraden's engagement was with you…"

"Yes, we're off to meet with him right now." cut in Jenna, jabbing her staff in the ground. The man crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the four teenagers before setting his gaze on Robin.

"And this appointment is important enough to drive us away." He nodded, "Pfeh! If your errand is more important than our own, then…" the man took a step to the side, allowing Robin and his friends passage to Kraden's cottage, "Go…" Jenna looked at the man skeptically.

"You're letting us go?" The woman next to him looked up at him, puzzled.

"Are you sure, Satyuros?" she asked in a whisper, but the four Energists in front of them could still hear every word she said to her companion. Satyuros turned to her and shook his head.

"Menadi, we have no reason to delay these children any further." Gerald pushed Robin in the back gently, trying to make him move forward.

"Let's…Let's go, Robin." Robin glared at Satyuros and Menadi before he nodded to Gerald and started walking down the path to where Kraden's cottage sat on a small hill.

Robin led the others up the hill and they spotted Kraden standing before his cottage, pacing back and forth. Jenna was about to call out to him when they heard speaking, "Just who were they?" he started, turning and walking back along the path in front of his house, "They already know too much about Sol Sanctum…things that even the elders of Haidia Village don't know. And what were they saying about the elements? The elements of Alchemy: earth, wind, water, and fire…They plan to set them into motion? And the four Elemental Stars are the key? These are things even I, a trained Alchemy sage, do not know."

Robin stepped into the old man's path and cleared his throat, "Uh…Kraden?" The old man jumped at the sudden voice and turned to see who had spoken to him. He smiled when he saw Robin, Kanata, Gerald, and Jenna standing near a couple of trees that surrounded the small clearing.

"Oh! Robin…" Jenna leaned forward, her hands behind her back.

"You look like something's bothering you," she put in softly.

"Me? Ah, well…" he broke off into deep thought, returning to pacing in front of the small group of Energists. Gerald shrugged his shoulders at Robin before he spoke up.

"It's those two in the clearing in front of your house, isn't it?" he asked. Robin blinked.

"They said their names were Satyuros and Menadi."

"They definitely don't look like they're from around here or anywhere close to Haidia Village," said Kanata thoughtfully, "They must come from some other place." Kraden stopped his pacing and looked up at Robin.

"Are they still out there?" The Earth Energist nodded solemnly, "They're very persistent…"

"Did they want something from you, Kraden?" asked Jenna; suddenly worried about what the two strangers they had just met.

"That seems to be the case…" muttered Kraden, skeptically. He continued to pace in front of them as they exchanged confused glances. Jenna shook her head.

"Seems to be? What do you mean by that?" Kraden glanced at her as he turned and started to pace in the opposite direction.

"Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum…" he whispered, continuing as if he had not heard the Fire Energist's question at all, "They spoke as if they're seen them with their own eyes…"

"But how can that be? They shouldn't even be able to go up to Sol Sanctum without one of the elders stopping them." said Robin. Kanata nodded in agreement.

"They could be, but those two, Satyuros and Menadi, they seem very strong, and there's something strange and foreboding about them." Kraden stopped again and took a step closer to Robin and Kanata.

"The two of you find it strange, don't you?"

"Of course we find it strange," said Kanata rather quickly, "I doubt that they had a very good reason for entering Sol Sanctum."

"Exactly. You cannot enter Mt. Aleph without a very good reason."

"And if they entered secretly, then they might be thieves!" said Jenna, jumping slightly at the thought of thieves in their very own village.

"We have to go tell the high elders and the villagers!" yelled Gerald, turning around and preparing to go to the elders. Robin, Kanata, and Jenna turned to follow him, but Kraden called out to them.

"Wait everyone!" The group turned around to face the old man once again, confused as to why he had made them stop, "I still don't know how accurate the things they said were…" he let out a tiered sigh, "We can do nothing until we confirm what they told me."

Jenna shook her head, "Then what should we do?"

"Well, we go confirm it," said Kraden simply.

"…Do you mean we should go into Sol Sanctum ourselves?" asked Gerald.

"But that's impossible, isn't it?" asked Jenna, nodding to the others.

"Why would it be?" asked the old man, shrugging his shoulders, "Just because climbing Mt. Aleph is forbidden?" Robin nodded.

"Well, yeah, not to mention that is my mother ever found out, she would probably skin me alive for doing that." Kanata smiled and laughed at the thought.

"We're just going to see whether they've been to the mountain. Surely, that would be acceptable!" suggested Kraden hopefully. Robin folded his arms over his chest, frowning slightly.

"We'll be find if they don't see us, right?" asked Gerald, turning to look at Robin. Robin sighed.

"I suppose…if you don't blow up the mountain, Gerald." he finished, teasingly.

"Right. We won't do anything bad up there." smiled Kanata, waving her finger at Gerald before he could start anything.

"This will just be our little secret, okay?" asked Jenna.

"Secret…? Uh…sure…I suppose…but I'm telling you, if my mother finds out, I'm dead." said Robin, finally giving up.

"Then it's decided!" said Kraden, happily, "We'll make you the leader, okay, Robin?" Robin was about to protest, but Gerald prodded him in the back and he glared back at the Fire Energist.

"Fine, I'll be the leader."

"There are some dangerous places between Mt. Aleph and Sol Sanctum, but you can handle it right, Robin?" asked Gerald, smirking.

"Well…" started Robin, but Jenna cut him off.

"You're more cautious than Gerald is, Robin, so you'll be fine!" Gerald harrumphed and turned away.

"You don't have to be so blunt…"

"Don't you think that we should get going now? I don't want Amiko or Mamoru to come looking for us." said Kanata. Robin nodded.

"Knowing those two, they might just find out where we went and go to Mt. Aleph to find us." Kraden walked away from the group and through the open door to his cottage, "Where are those two anyway?"

"I think…they might be at the plaza, playing near the Psynergy Stone."

Kraden came back out after a few minutes and closed the door behind him, "All right! Let's go!"

-Sol Sanctum-

They arrived at the entrance to the Sanctum without any major problems, although, the priest guarding the stairway to Mt. Aleph nearly caught up to them, but they managed to run up the hill stairs just in time to avoid being seen by him. Kraden turned to look at Robin, Kanata, Jenna, and Gerald once they reached the middle hallway leading to the rest of the Sanctum, "This is the entrance to Sol Sanctum. This is your first time here, right?"

"Of course it is."

"It's an important relic of our past. Take a good look at it." The four nodded and they continued down the long hallway.

It was not long before they came to a small room with a checkered floor. Kraden looked around the room, inspecting the floors and the many statues that seemed to be standing guard, "What's wrong, Kraden?" asked Gerald, talking a step further into the room to look around himself.

"Hmm…Those two said there was a hidden passage leading deeper into the sanctum." The old man rested his hand on one of the statues and shook his head, "I've come here many times, and I've always thought it looked…strange. I had always imagined Sol Sanctum would look different, somehow."

"What do you mean?" asked Jenna, looking from the ceiling to the roof. Kanata walked over to the right side of the room and stared at one of the lone statues standing in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall.

"Sol Sanctum was built in honor of the sun. There ought to be something here to reflect that." explained Kraden, waving his hand around at the dull room, "I was always puzzled why there wasn't. If there is a hidden passage, then maybe it leads to…" He broke off and turned to Jenna and Gerald, "Well! Let's see if we can find it!"

"I think he's serious! Should we help him, Robin? Robin?" Gerald looked around until he spotted Robin standing next to Kanata, studying the same statue, "Did you hear me?"

Robin jumped a little and turned around, laughing slightly, "Ye-yeah, have we got anything better to do? Besides, I like this place." Gerald nodded.

"But it's too dangerous for us to split up. We should stay together."

Robin turned to Kanata again, "There's something strange about this statue, do you think it could lead deeper into the sanctum?" Kanata smiled.

"You read my mind. Let's see if we can move it out of the way."

-Later in the Sol Room-

"This is it!" yelled Kraden when they entered a golden room with a giant image of Sol on the floor, "We've found it! Clearly, this is the mark of the sun…the heart of Sol Sanctum. It's just as I'd imagined…which means those two were telling the truth!"

"But if what they said was true," started Jenna, looking around, "then that means they must have been…"

"They were thieves!" shouted Gerald, making Kanata and Jenna jump, "They came to rob the sanctum!"

"Let's hurry back to the village and tell everyone." said Kanata, suddenly worried about the villagers.

"They could even harm everyone to get what they want," whispered Robin. He clenched his hand into a fist and looked at his friends, "We have to go back now." They made to leave the Sol Room, but then they noticed Kraden had not moved from the middle of the room to leave with them.

"Kraden, what's the matter?" asked Gerald, turning around, "We have to go warn everyone."

"We're so close…" he whispered cryptically.

"Close?" asked Jenna, "Close to what?"

"We've come all the way to the heart of Sol Sanctum. To merely turn our backs on it and leave…" Kraden shook his head woefully.

"There's something wrong with that?" asked Gerald, frowning. Robin narrowed his eyes at Kraden, wondering what he was getting at now.
"Sol Sanctum holds the origins of Alchemy. It would be a waist to…" he did not finish his sentence and turned to Robin, looking hopeful now, "What do you think? Shall we go a little further?" Robin sighed, looking from Kanata to Jenna.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt to just go a little further, as long as we don't stay too long. We really should be getting back to the village to warn everyone about Satyuros and Menadi."

"Thank you!" Kraden exclaimed, running up to hug Robin. The Earth Energist held out his gloved hand and stopped the old man in his tracks.

"Don't touch me please," he said calmly, almost menacingly. Kanata smiled, trying to hold back her laughter as she patted Robin's shoulder.

"You're right, Robin. It won't hurt if we just take a little look around this place. It doesn't look that big, I'm sure that it won't take too long." Jenna and Gerald nodded.

"Really? We'll just go a little bit further!" The Energists nodded, "Good! It's decided. Let's move ahead!"

They walked to the middle of the room and looked around before Kanata spotted something off to the right. The group moved through a small doorway and found themselves bathed in a pale blue, sparkling light that filled the room. This room was similar to the one they had just stepped out of, however, instead of having an image of Sol on the floor, there was an image of Luna in its place.

Kraden moved away from the teenagers again and looked around this room, inspecting the blue walls that surrounded the small room, "Wh-what is this room? There's a moon in the center…A picture of Luna," he whispered in awe at the sight, "This must symbolize night…These rooms must be connected somehow, don't you think?"

Robin simply nodded. He took a step forward and his footstep echoed on the walls around them, multiplying the sound, "Luna and Sol…These rooms must hide some secret. What could it possibly be?" The Earth Energist leaned back against one of the blue walls and lifted an eyebrow as he watched the old man walking around the room, asking a few questions to the four teens here and there.

'And he calls himself an Alchemy sage…Ugh…I know more about the elements than he does then.' thought Robin, closing his eyes for a moment, loosing himself in his thoughts, 'The elements of water and wind are ruled by the moon, Luna, and the elements of earth and fire are ruled by the sun, Sol.'

Kraden suddenly paused in his explorations and looked over at Robin, "What does it all mean?" he asked the teen. Robin opened one eye and then the other, "Robin, would you look farther up the passage?"

"As long as it doesn't take too long…" he turned to Kanata and the others, "Let's get this over with then."

-In the room with the trap-

Robin and the others looked around the wide room for a couple of minutes before Gerald started to give up, "It's hopeless. There's nothing in this room except a bunch of old statues. But the view is great…" The Fire Energist rested his hand on one of the statues and leaned against it. Robin turned around just in time to see the statue move back against Gerald's weight and then they heard something click as Gerald fell forward and landed in the shallow water. Gerald sat up in the water and pushed back his hair, "That statue moved!"

"Thank you for stating the obvious; Gerald." teased Kanata as Robin leaned down to held his friend out of the water, "But why do you think it's like that?"

"Dunno…maybe it's like a puzzle." suggested Jenna hopefully, "Do you think that anything is going to happen…?" Kanata shrugged.

"All we can do right now is wait and see. Besides, I'm tiered of running around this old sanctum." Kanata sat down on the tiled floor near the open wall over looking Haidia Village. The village looked so small from this high up, almost little a little doll village.

Before the others could get comfortable, they heard footsteps rushing towards them. Robin and Gerald tore out their swords and stood in front of the passage, preparing for an attack. Kraden suddenly appeared around the corner just as the two Energists swung their swords forward, missing the old man by a couple of inches, "Wait, Robin!" he yelled.

Robin stared at Kraden, eyes wide, "Are you insane?" yelled Robin, "You don't just go running around this place. There are monsters all over." he let out a sigh as he sheathed his sword, "What is it, Kraden?"

"This is a most interesting mechanism you've found, Robin." started Kraden, motioning to the statues that stood in front of them, "But this is clearly…some kind of trap." The four teenagers blinked as Kanata rose to her feet and hurried over to join Robin and Gerald.

"This is…a trap?" asked Gerald, unsure of what the old man was telling them.

"Go look in the Luna room, and you'll understand." he said simply, "You've done well. Finding this means you're looking in the right place. However, if you just move one statues, you'll be caught in the sanctum's trap."

"But why would anyone put a trap here, anyway?" asked Jenna, watching as Kraden searched the room for more clues.

"I don't know who did it…" he said walking back to where he had been standing before, "but they've hidden something very important. Perhaps…they've hidden the key to Alchemy itself. Should I tell you more?"

"Do we really have time for anymore of your lectures, Kraden?" asked Kanata, rolling her eyes.

"Hmm…Honestly, I doubt you could understand it if I explained now." Robin leaned over and whispered to Kanata.

"Meaning he knows absolutely nothing about it."

"Like that element-thing." she whispered back.

"We must try to find a solution to this mystery," continued Kraden.

"Sheesh…Another mystery?" complained Gerald.

"I'll keep checking the Luna room. You continue exploring the sanctum," said Kraden, "My intuition tells me…that light must be the key to this secret…We should test it." The old man nodded to them and walked back to the Luna room to leave the four teens alone to figure out what the mystery was.

"Robin, let's see if we can't figure this out ourselves, Kraden was no help." said Jenna, tapping her friend's shoulder. Robin smiled and nodded, turning away from the passage and walking back into the room with statues.

"I think I have an idea…"

-Later-

The four Energists finally figured out a way to disarm the trap and were now standing in the middle of the Luna room with Kraden. Instead of the normal, pale blue light they had seen before when they had passed through the room, this time the room had a golden glow and instead of the image of Luna on the tiles, there was an image of Sol in its place.

"Look, Robin! The picture of Luna changed to Sol! However, other than that, nothing looks different…" said Kraden, waving his hand to the four teenagers. Kanata prodded the image of Luna with her staff and shrugged her shoulders at Robin when nothing happened to the room.

"I don't know what to tell you, Robin." she said, "We could look in the Sol room that we were in before, maybe something in there has changed."

"I guess you could be right." came Robin's reply. He turned around and led the group back into the room to the left.

The golden glow was gone now, and so was the image of Sol. The pale blue light that was in the Luna room was now in this room, and the image of Sol had been transformed into an image of Luna. Robin took a couple of steps into the room before he paused. There was something shooting out of the middle of the floor, a bright blue light that led to the wall to his right. He walked over to the wall, prodded the wall, and was suddenly thrown back by a huge force. He stumble back but caught himself before he hit the floor.

"What was that, Robin?" asked Kanata, rushing to his side. Robin shook his head and stared at the wall, as a blue light in the shape of a doorway appeared where he had poked the wall. The Earth Energist moved towards it and lifted his hand to it before turning back to his friends, smiling.

"We're never going to find out by just standing here. Let's check it out." without another word, Robin stepped through the portal and disappeared. Kanata ran forward and did not stop, running straight through the portal.

"Robin! Kanata!" cried Jenna out. She spun around and grabbed Gerald's arm, "Well just don't stand there, Gerald! Let's go help out friends!" She dragged the older Fire Energist over to the portal, pushed him in and quickly followed in after him.

Kraden jumped as Jenna disappeared through the portal as well, leaving the man alone in the strange room, "Wait for me, everyone…I'm on my way!"

Robin stumbled into a large cavern. Gentle lights sparkled on the platform he was standing on, there was a rushing sound far below him and he took a step toward the ledge, leaning over to look down. At the bottom of the cavern was a large body of water that seemed to go on forever. Robin watched in awe, mesmerized by the water below. He only backed away from the ledge when he heard Kanata call out to him.

"Robin! What are you doing?" she asked, walking over to the ledge and looked down at the water as well, "Wow…this place is beautiful…"

"Yeah…I don't think I've ever seen that much water in my entire life…" muttered Robin. He turned when he heard Gerald stumble through the portal, soon followed by Jenna, "Gerald? Jenna?"

Jenna looked around, her eyes widening, "Wow…it's so pretty here…" she whispered. Kanata suddenly spotted something off in the corner of the cavern at the same time Robin saw something opposite it.

"What do you think that is over there?" asked Robin, pointed over to a pale golden light. Kanata glanced around and looked at it.

"Whatever it is, there's one of over there was well." she pointed over to the violet light she saw, "For some reason…it looks so familiar…I wonder what it could be."

Robin shrugged his shoulders and looked around the room. He could see pillars leading away from the platform they were standing on to smaller platforms where statues stood holding different colored orbs, "I don't know, but I'm going to find out what those things are." Robin hopped onto the pillar next to the platform, slipping a little and then getting his footing once again.

"Robin, are you sure that's such a good idea?" asked Jenna, talking a step back so she was now in the middle of the platform, "It could be dangerous." Before Robin could protest, Kraden appeared through the portal.

The old man looked around the cavern, surprised, "Wha-where are we?" he asked. Everyone looked back at him; "Is that…the ocean?" asked Kraden as he walked over to the ledge and looked down at the sparkling water below, "No, it couldn't be…The ocean has waves."

"The ocean…" started Gerald, "What's that?" Robin and Jenna shrugged but Kanata kept quiet.

"The ocean is a thing of endless water at the end of the world. You would not understand…" he said simply, "Someday, I'll show it to you myself. The Elemental Stars…They really exist…The Elemental Stars exist!"

Kanata turned around to look back at the lights she had seen, 'Then those are the Elemental Stars…? The Stars that will bring destruction to all of Weyard if they were to leave this room and do what they were created to do…' she shook her head, 'Those two people must be after the Elemental Stars so they can fire the beacons of the elemental lighthouses. As one of the four Legendary Warriors, I cannot allow that to happen.'

"You taught us about those…" said Jenna to Kraden, "Elements are the foundations of all matter."

"Stones, wood, even us…" listed Gerald, "All things are made from those four elements. Did I get that right, Robin?" Robin nodded.

"Yes, you did, Gerald." Kraden nodded as well.

"Exactly…As I have told you many times, the elements are the source of all matter. Earth, wind, fire, and water-these are the four elements. Legend holds that the four Elemental Stars contain the purified essence of each element. And now, those legendary stones are before us!" Kraden moved near to where Robin was standing, "The Venus Star…The elemental stone of earth!" He moved over to the other side of Robin, "Mercury Star, possessing the power of water's many forms!" The old man walked over the other side of the platform to where Kanata was standing, "There is the Mars Star, glowing red with the fire contained within it!" He now moved to the spot where Kanata was, "And Jupiter Star, bound with the wind's fury!!!"

"Kraden…" blinked Jenna, "Why are you getting so excited?" Kraden rounded on her, making her jump a little.

"How can you be so calm in the face of such wonders? You're looking at the very source of Alchemy!" he said, "…Haven't I told you all this before?" Robin shrugged.

"I suppose so…"

"What?" asked Gerald, "I must have fallen asleep, then, because I don't have a clue what he's talking about!"

"The Wisdom Stone…" Kraden was saying now, "the Stone of Sages. This stone dominates everything…It can transmute crude matter into gold, even thwart death itself! You understand now, don't you?"

"I think I do understand now."

"The study of Alchemy began with the search for this very stone," said Kraden, nodding to everyone. Jenna shook her head.

"I don't really get how it works, but they have enormous power, right?" she asked.

"Beyond enormous…With a single gem, one could conquer the world!" said Kraden, "Now, perhaps, you begin to understand." Kanata turned back to the old man when he said this and thought about it for a moment.

"Don't scare us like that, Kraden." said Gerald, "I totally thought you were serious. Heh…Conquering the world…" The old man sighed.

"Who can say what the truth is? That's why I've been searching for the Elemental Stars. I seek to learn the truth about these stones. Now they lie before me…" he jumped onto one of the pillars that led to the Jupiter Star. Kraden started to slid on the pillar, "Whoa…"

"Be careful, Kraden!" warned Jenna, "It looks slippery."

"But I must examine the Elemental Stars…" said Kraden, hopping back onto the platform.

"Make the boys do it!" she said, pointing over to Robin and Gerald.

"What!?" they yelled in unison. Robin glared at Jenna.

"Oh, I couldn't ask…" Kraden turned to Robin, "Would you mind?" Robin folded his arms over his chest, thinking about it.

"Well…"

"He'd be glad to get the stones for you, right, Robin?" Robin gritted his teeth and tried to hold back from saying what was on his mind. Kanata hurried over and hopped onto the pillar he was standing on.

"I'll go with them," she said quickly, patting Robin's shoulder to try to calm the Earth Energist down.

"…Very well then…" he muttered.

"Thank you!"

"Whatever…" Kraden walked over to Robin and handed him four bags, "What are these?"

"You'll need these, Robin."

"You brought those from your cottage, right, Kraden?" asked Jenna, leaning over his shoulder to examine the silvery bags.

"What are those bags?" asked Gerald, walking over to them.

"They're made of woven threads of Mythril."

"Mythril?"

"I prepared them for just such an occasion." explained Kraden, "Now, go fetch the Elemental Stars and put them in those bags." Robin sighed and led the way to the first statue he had spotted, the one that held the Star of his element, Venus.

Robin reached up and pulled the golden orb out of the statue's hold and slipped it into the first bag, tying it around his belt, "Good, good! Now, go fetch the others!"

Kanata rolled her eyes, "I don't a good feeling about this," she said, "Are you sure we should be following Kraden's orders? How many times has he been right?" Robin and Gerald shrugged.

"I don't know about this either, but what else can we do? It would be better for us to have these Stars than those two strangers that were talking about Sol Sanctum," said Robin, "If we have them, then we could probably protect them from harm a little better than we can when they are hidden here. I mean we cannot stay here forever."

Kanata sighed, defeated, "Very well, but they were put here for a very important reason. Taking them away might not be such a good idea." she shook her head, "Never mind, let's go get that Mercury Star."

They jumped back along the pillars and up to the platform where the statue that held the Mercury Star stood. Kanata hold one of the Mythril bags open as Robin took the Mercury Star out of its hands. He slipped it into the Mythril bag and tied it around his belt next to the Venus Star. The ground underneath them began to rumble and then they heard pillars shoot out of the water, "Good, good!" they heard Kraden yell, "Now, go fetch the others!"

Robin, Kanata, and Gerald hopped along the pillars back to the main platform and made their way to the smaller platform where the Jupiter Stars was. Kanata held one of the other Mythril bags open and Robin placed the Jupiter Star inside. The ground rumbled again and they heard the sound of more pillars shooting out of the sparkling waters. They waited for Kraden to say something again, but when it never came, Robin leaned around the statue to see what was going on.

On the main platform, Kraden and Jenna stood in the middle of it, surrounded by three people. Robin knew two of the three people immediately. The two people were Satyuros and Menadi, however, the third person, standing by Jenna, was wearing a strange mask, and Robin could not figure out whom he was.

Robin motioned for Kanata and Gerald to stand on either side of him and he pointed out the people around their friend and their mentor, "What the hell do you want!?" yelled Robin, glaring at Satyuros and Menadi.

"It looks like they've spotted us," sighed Satyuros.

"I thought we'd be safe until they'd gotten all the Elemental Stars." said Menadi, shrugging her shoulders.

"You! You mean to steal the Elemental Stars!" yelled Kraden.

"Master Kraden…" started Satyuros, turning to the old man in the middle of the platform, "Are you calling us thieves?"

"As I recall, aren't you the one who stole our information?" asked Menadi, smirking. Jenna shook her head.

"What will you do with us once you've got the Elemental Stars?"

"I'm sure they'll do us in one they no longer need us!" yelled Kraden angrily. The man in the mask shook his head.

"Relax…You will not be hurt." he said in a soothing voice, "That was our agreement, was it not?" The man looked over at Satyuros.

"That all depends on how well they cooperate."

"They'll be safe, as long as they hand over the Elemental Stars." said Menadi, "Isn't that enough?"

"You heard us…" yelled Satyuros over to Robin and the others, "If you wish to save your friends, then give us the Elemental Stars!"

"Do you accept our terms?" asked Menadi. Robin looked at Kanata and nodded.

"I do not!" he yelled, "How do I know you will keep your word after I hand over the Elemental Stars? You tried to kill me and my friends three years ago!"

"Very good, Robin! You must not give them the Elemental Stars!" said Kraden.

"Why would you deny us?" asked Satyuros, mildly surprised, "Don't you want your friends to be safe?"

"What guarantee do we have once we've given you the Elemental Stars?" asked Kraden, looking at Satyuros now.

"Guarantee…Ah." said Menadi as an idea came to her, "I have one." She turned to the man in the mask, "You will have to remove your mask."

"Th-that means…" whispered the man, shaking his head.

"Ah, of course. A fine idea…" started Satyuros, "He will be our guarantee. Under the circumstances, we have little choice. Felix! Remove your mask!"

"What? What did he say, Robin?" asked Gerald, "He called that guy Felix…That's what he said, isn't it?" Robin shook his head.

"N-no…it can't be…" he muttered still shaking his head, "…it has to be someone else…it has to be…"

"But that's what I heard." said Gerald, watching the people on the platform, "Felix? It can't be…That day…The Boulder…We saw him die, didn't we?"

Kanata shook her head, "No…we didn't see Felix die…"

"We searched for weeks, but we still couldn't fine him," said Gerald.

"What's wrong, Felix…" asked Menadi, "Don't you want them to feel safe?"

"Felix…wasn't that the name of your brother?" asked Kraden, turning to look at Jenna.

"But that accident…my brother, he…"

"I'll do it," said the man, "I'll…take off my mask." He lifted his left hand and pulled the mask away from his face, throwing it down to the floor. Jenna gasped.

"I-It's not possible…" she whispered.

"Felix!" cried Kanata, "What is he…?"

"Is he…" started Kraden.

"I know I've caused you much grief, Jenna," said Felix, "It was a miracle that I survived that day…"

"We are the ones who saved him," explained Satyuros.

"We saw him floating unconscious in the river as we passed." finished Menadi.

"I've been with them ever since…I've experienced a lot," whispered Felix, waving his hand at them.

"But why? Why did you leave me all alone…?" she asked starting to cry. Felix reached out to touch her shoulder but held back, shaking his head.

"Jenna…"

"My own brother…" she whispered, looking up at him now, "I thought you were dead!"

"Save this teary reunion for later." snapped Satyuros, getting annoyed at the delay now.

"That's right. The Elemental Stars come first," said Menadi, looking back at Robin, Kanata, and Gerald.

"Is this acceptable?" asked Satyuros, "Felix would never allow us to harm you…or his sister."

"Felix will be our guarantee." Menadi replied, "Now, give us the Elemental Stars!" Gerald turned to Robin and Kanata.

"We don't have any choice. Should we give them the Elemental Stars?" he asked. Robin and Kanata shared a quick glance before turning to look back at the Fire Energist.

"We always have a choice." started Kanata.

"Felix is alive, there must be a better way than handing over the Elemental Stars. They are way too powerful and too important to just be handed over to a bunch of strangers," continued Robin, "They are not from Haidia Village, they do not deserve to be here, asking for what our people have protected for so long."

Gerald shook his head in disbelief, "If you don't hand them over, they won't let Jenna go!" he yelled.

"Stop following your heart, and think things through first, Gerald!" snapped Robin, glaring up at the Fire Energist, "I know that you like Jenna and all, but protecting the world from harm is more important."

"I can't believe you, Robin! She's our friend!" he shook his head and took step toward Robin. Robin stood his ground until Gerald pushed him down to the floor and grabbed the Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter Stars. He shook his head and started to back away as Kanata knelt down next to Robin, trying to help him off the ground. Gerald hopped back along the pillars and made his way to the main platform.

Before the Fire Energist could reach the main platform where Jenna and Kraden were held hostage, a man with long, light blue hair and turquoise eyes appeared floating a few inches off the ground in front of Gerald, "Will you permit me to relieve you of those Elemental Stars?"

"Oh, Alex…You're late!" yelled Satyuros, "Alex is another of our companions. Hand the stones to him." Gerald shook his head and glared up at Alex.

"Oh, great. After we did all that work…" he handed the three bags over to Alex. The young man shook his head, tossing his long blue hair.

"I am afraid that I must apologize in advance…" he said in a gentle voice, "For you will be bringing us the remaining Elemental Stars, as well." Alex started to float away but Gerald stops him.

"Wait a second!" he yelled, "You want us to grab the other one for you, too?"

"Oh, did you not understand me?" asked Alex.

"You said you'd set Jenna free once we gave you the Elemental Stars." said Gerald, "You promised…"

"No, my friend…" started Satyuros, "We want you to bring us ALL the Elemental Stars!"

"Stop grumbling and bring us the last Star!" yelled Menadi. Gerald frowned and nodded.

"Fine."

"Thank you for your cooperation." said Alex, bowing his head, "We'll be waiting for the rest." Gerald turned around as Alex returned to the main platform. He hopped back over to Robin and Kanata.

"Robin…" he muttered. Robin shook his head.

"Forget about it, Gerald, let's just go." said Robin rather stiffly. He led the way back to the platform and then along the path that took them to the Mars Star.

The Earth Energist reached up, removed the Star from the statue and slipped it into the final Mythril bag. Robin tied it to his belt and the three Energists were about to return to the main platform, but the ground began to tremble violently. Robin stumbled back into the statue, grabbing onto it to stop himself from falling into the waters below. Kanata looked around wildly, leaning on her staff so she would not fall to the ground.

"What's the matter?" asked Menadi, looking around the cavern as well, "What happened?"

"No!" yelled Satyuros, taking a step back, away from the ledge, "Not again!"

"The water's gone!" gasped Jenna, seeing that the ground below them no longer sparkled with a majestic glow.

"Without the energy of the Elemental Stars, the chamber is collapsing!" yelled Alex, his voice strained slightly.

"Is this the 'terrible retribution' the villagers spoke of?" asked Kraden, "No, this must be more of Alchemy's power!" The rumbling suddenly stopped and everyone seemed to relax.

"Whew!" exclaimed Menadi, "It's over…But what was it?" Jenna began to shake her head when she suddenly saw something floating above the ground near the platform they were standing on.

"What is that?!?" she yelled. Satyuros turned and his eyes widened.

"No!"

"That rock…" started Gerald, staring at the giant boulder floating in the air, "It's floating…Do you know what it is, Robin?" Robin rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, it's a rock and it's floating." he spat sarcastically.

"Yeah, I know it's a rock, stupid!"

"Could this be…the Wise One?!?" asked Kraden, staring at the floating boulders like the others. The boulder turned around the room, trying to stop the cavern from shaking.

"Such power…Incredible!" exclaimed Alex.

"Wow…" whispered Jenna in awe.

"It must be the guardian of the Elemental Stars!" yelled Satyuros.

"This doesn't look good…" muttered Felix, turning away from the Wise One and looking over at Satyuros and Menadi, "Maybe we should just escape while we can."

"But we need the Mars Star." said Menadi, "We cannot leave it behind!"

"I agree with Felix," said Alex calmly, "We are no match for the guardian."

"The Mars Star will have to wait for another day," said Satyuros with a sigh.

"What about Robin, Gerald, and Kanata?" asked Jenna, looking over at her friends, "You can't just leave them here!"

"Forget about them. They won't make it out alive."

"But, Satyuros, there's still a chance they might survive." said Menadi.

"Anything is possible…" agreed Satyuros, he looked over at Alex, "So what do you suggest we do?"

"We take this 'Jenna' with us…If they survive, they will want her back." said Alex, "And if they want her back, they will bring us the Star. Regardless, Kraden must come with us. He is connected to all this."

"Alex…Are you breaking our promise?" asked Felix, turning to the blue-haired man. Alex shook his head.

"Conditions have changed since we made that promise, Felix."

"Jenna's not any part of this," said Felix, taking a step forward, "I won't let you hurt her!"

"Do what you will with me," started Kraden, turning to Satyuros, "just let Jenna go!"

"Your bravery speaks well of you, old man, but you cannot help Jenna now."

"If we leave Jenna, she will surely die." explained Menadi, "Is that what you want, Felix?" Felix turned away and shook his head.

"Perhaps we ought to continue this elsewhere, Felix." said Alex.

"Felix…" whispered Jenna, looking up at her brother.

"Please…can we go now?" pleaded Alex.

"Okay…"

"Let's make haste!" said Menadi, pushing Jenna. The Fire Energist tripped and Felix caught her, glaring back at Menadi.

"Hey, don't push my sister!"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" asked Menadi, "You owe us your life!"

"Menadi!" yelled Satyuros before he turned to Kraden, "Master Kraden, you will be joining us, of course!" He and Menadi stood on either side of Kraden and the three walked into the portal.

"Robin, Kanata, Gerald! Don't die!" yelled Jenna as she entered the portal with Felix. Alex paused at the portal and looked back over to where the Mars Star was.

"The Mars Star…" he sighed, "It's a pity that we have to leave it, but perhaps we'll be seeing it soon…" With that, he entered the portal and disappeared.

Robin, Kanata, and Gerald leaned around the statue to make sure that everything was safe and then they hopped out from behind it, looking around "Well, this turned out badly, wouldn't you say?"

"I don't think it could get any worse, if that's want you mean." sighed Kanata, examining her staff for a moment.

"It's a miracle we survived," continued Gerald and then he looked over at the main platform, "Jenna and Kraden are gone! You don't think they'll hurt Jenna and Kraden, do you?"

"We have no guarantee that they are going to keep either of the safe." said Robin, leaning against the statue and folding his arms over his chest, "By the time we get out of here, they're probably going to be long gone."

"Thanks a lot…" snorted Gerald, "But seriously, Jenna and Kraden should be fine. Felix is with them…" Kanata shook her head.

"Felix…" Gerald looked around the cavern.

"This really is terrible…" he muttered, "We've got a long way to go if we're gonna make it out of here. We're in big trouble." Robin nodded in agreement, "Let's get out of here…" Gerald made to leave, but both Robin and Kanata were frozen in place, staring up at something.

"Uh…um…uh…" they both started to say, pointing up at that something.

"Hey, Robin, Kanata…" said Gerald, waving his hand in front of their faces, "Robin, Kanata, I'm over here. Come on, we've gotta go." He turned to look at what they were staring at and gasped. The Wise One was floating in the air next to them, still trying to hold back the rumbling.

"Why are you standing there?" he asked in an preternatural voice, "This place has become dangerous."

"You're the dangerous one!" yelled Gerald.

"The volcano will soon erupt…" said the Wise One, "I cannot hold it long. You must leave this place. The Elemental Djinn…they have returned…Take out the Elemental Star." Robin did as the Wise One asked him and removed the Mars Star from the lone Mythril bag he had tied around his belt.

The Wise One started to glow, "Return it to its bag." Robin nodded and put it away, "The Elemental Stars are…moving away from here…" explained the Wise One, "Without the power of the Elemental Stars to contain it, the magma flows freely once again, and this chamber is collapsing. There will be no chamber of the Elemental Stars to return to…The world will be exposed to the threat of Alchemy."

"Alchemy?" asked Gerald, "A threat?"

"It can be a dangerous power if it is misused…" continued the Wise One, "If the Elemental Stars ignite the flames of the four lighthouses, that power will be released. As long as the four lighthouses remain until…" The Wise One could not continue, the rumbling had returned and his power could not contain it any longer, "The volcano…It's erupting…Flee, now!"

Robin, Kanata, and Gerald looked at each other and then back to the Wise One, "But how can we escape in time…?" asked Robin, motioning to the falling rocks around them.

"Ah. I see…" he muttered, "I will help you." The Wise One began to glow again and then everything disappeared. When Robin opened his eyes again, he found himself with Kanata and Gerald outside of the Elemental Room again, in the Luna room.

"Did that floating eye thing save us?" asked Gerald.

"I suppose that he did…" started Robin. A huge rock fell on the ground next to him, making him jump back, "Aie! We have to get out of here right now!" Kanata and Gerald nodded.

"Yeah, right! Let's get out of here…" With that, they ran out of the Luna room and back to the entrance of Sol Sanctum.

-Haidia Village…near the stairway to Sol Sanctum-

"I thought Mt. Aleph was inactive…" said the high priest, looking up at the erupting mountain.

"Oooh, my grandson!" the mayor exclaimed, "Will Gerald be safe in this eruption?!?"

"Grandpa, we don't even know if he's up there!" yelled Gerald's sister over the rumbling earth.

"But, Sis, someone saw him and his friends climbing Mt. Aleph." said her little brother.

"They were hanging around here while I was on guard duty." started one of the priests. Dora shook her head, holding the hand of her youngest son, Mamoru.

"Robin and Gerald went to Kraden's house," she said as Mamoru tried to get away from her hold and run up the mountain to find his brother. Dora held her grip on her son's hand, not wanting to lose sight of him.

"Didn't they say they were studying Alchemy?" asked the mayor, turning to Dora.

"Yes, they did…but…what does that have to do with the eruption?" asked Dora, puzzled.

Robin, Kanata, and Gerald finally made it down the mountainside and to the bottom of the stairway, "Uh-oh! It's Grandpa and the others." Robin searched the crowd until he found his mother and little brother.

"My Mom's with them too, I told you! I told you!" he exclaimed, wanting to bang his head against the side of the tree in front of them, "What are we going to do now?"

Kanata shrugged, "We could either go down and explain what happened to them or go back and take our chances with Mt. Aleph." Robin and Gerald looked at each other.

"Yes, I'd rather take my chances with Mt. Aleph than with my Mother." said Robin, "Let's go back up."

They were about to head back up the stairway when they heard Mamoru call out to them, "Robin!" followed by Amiko and then Gerald's little brother.

"Kanata!"

"Gerald!"

"You're safe!" exclaimed the high priest.

"Come over here, the three of you!" yelled the mayor. The three Energists walked over to the adults, heads hung low, "Where have you been?"

"What happened?" asked the high priest before they could answer.

"…Well…" started Robin.

"Yeah…" nodded Gerald.

"Weren't Jenna and Kraden with you?" asked Dora, walking over to them, still holding onto Mamoru's hand. Robin waved to his little brother and then paused.

"They were taken away," he replied. The adults looked at each other, surprised and puzzled by the Earth Energist's answer.

"They were taken away?" repeated the high priest, "By whom?"

"Uh…well…you see…" started Kanata, looking from her friends back to the high priest.

"This is all very complicated," muttered the mayor.

"We'll need you to tell us exactly what happened on the mountain." said the high priest, "Come into the sanctum, all three of you." The high priest, and the mayor led the way to the sanctum and Robin, Kanata, and Gerald followed them. Dora made to go after them but she remembered Mamoru.

"You stay out here with Amiko, this is a little too big for the both of you." she said, letting go of Mamoru's hand and going in after Gerald. Mamoru ran after his mother but the door closed behind her, locking him out.

Mamoru pouted and turned around to look at his friend, "What are we going to do now, Amiko? I want to hear about what happened on Mt. Aleph." Amiko nodded in agreement.

"Follow me, Mamoru, I know where we can hear everything they are going to say without them even knowing we're listening in on them!" she led her fellow Earth Energist to the side of the sanctum and them they hopped up onto some wooden crates and looked through the open window, "See?" she whispered to Mamoru.

"I can't hear anything…" he complained.

"Just wait a second."

-Later-

After a long time of explaining everything that had happened that day, Robin, Kanata, and Gerald stood back to let everything sink in, "We had no idea…" whispered the mayor, "The true sanctum…"

"And Jenna and Kraden…" started Dora, "They're prisoners?"

"Yes," whispered Robin, "I do not know what role Felix plays in all of this yet, though…"
"I am sure that he just wants to help his little sister." said Kanata hopefully, "I mean, you of all people know what goes on in Felix's head, Robin."

"That was three years ago," said Robin, rather harshly, "People can change a lot in that amount of time." Dora continued, ignoring the two teenagers.

"They've been taken against their will…How awful!"

"Do you think they can be saved?" asked one of the priests.

"Depends on who you send to try to save them, but yes, I do believe that they can be saved." said Robin, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. It had been a long day and so much had happened in such a short amount of time, it was surprising.

"Jenna's brother, Felix, will protect them, won't he?" asked the same priest. Robin shrugged his strong shoulders.

"I do not know, but I hope that he will at least protect his own sister." The mayor turned to look at the high priest, wondering why he had not said anything this whole time.

"What is it, Great Healer?" he asked, "You have been very quiet."

"It's like you're a thousand miles away." put in Dora.

"That hovering stone, the one that appeared before Robin…" started the high priest.

"What about it?" asked the mayor.

"I have seen it before in my dreams." explained the high priest, "In my mind's eye, it appeared again just now and spoke to me."

"You saw it just now?" asked Gerald.

"It must be the Wise One, guardian of the Elemental Stars. It told me what happened to you in Sol Sanctum."

"So, what does the Wise One say about the eruption?" asked the mayor.

"Will the volcano destroy Haidia Village?" asked Dora, now worried.

"It is impossible to stop the eruption now," whispered the high priest.

"Will Haidia Village be safe…?" asked one of the priests. The high priest bowed his head for a moment and then turned back to the others.

"Haidia will be safe." he said, "The Wise One will prevent the lava from reaching us." The high priest turned away again, a solemn look masking his face.

"What's the matter, Great Healer?" asked the mayor, worried about the high priest's silence.

"…The village will be destroyed, won't it?" asked Dora.

"Something even more dreadful than Haidia's destruction looms ahead," said the old man.

"What could be worse than the destruction of Haidia?" asked Gerald.

"A terrible power. The Elemental Star gems house incredible power."

"…And Haidia has been guarding those gems?" asked the mayor.

"The elemental lighthouses will loose that power upon the world," said the high priest, "Once the power of the gems has been released, the whole world will…"

"The Wise One wants us to get the gems back, doesn't he?" asked Dora, knowingly.

"This world is ours, to save or to destroy." said the high priest, "Our inaction may bring about its destruction."

"What a pity…" muttered the mayor.

"We cannot hope for salvation. We must save ourselves…"

"Then what can we do?" asked Dora.

"Acquiring the Elemental Stars is their fate alone," said the high priest, walking over to Robin, Kanata, and Gerald.

"Are you suggesting that we place the fate of the world…in the hands of Robin, Kanata, and Gerald?" asked Dora, flabbergasted. Robin spun around and looked at his mother.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Gerald is only a child," said the mayor, "You can't expect him to bear such a burden."

"Grandpa…" started Gerald.

"The Wise One has spoken," said the high priest, "Each of you shares responsibility for this. Now, each of you must make your own decision!" Kanata bowed her head.

"As one of the Legendary Warriors and guardian of the Jupiter Lighthouse, I have no choice whether to stay or to go. I have to complete my destiny and return the Elemental Stars to their rightful place." she said, "I must go." Gerald turned to Robin, sweating.

"I don't know what to do." he said, "Robin, you decide."

"Robin, will you accept responsibility for the fate of the land?" asked the high priest.

"…Yes, I want to know what is wrong with Felix. I also want to protect Weyard from harm." the Earth Energist turned around to look at his mother, "Is…that okay?"

"…It is your decision, Robin." Robin nodded and turned back to the high priest, nodding.

"You accept?" asked Gerald, "Oh, Robin…You can't mean it…"

"You chose to leave you decision to Robin," said the mayor, "There shall be no further discussion." The high priest turned around, walked to the altar and lifted his hand up.

"O, Wise One, these three have accepted your quest." he said, "Give us your next command!" There was a long pause before a shadowy image of the Wise One appeared above them.

"You three are quite brave to take on this quest. I shall be watching you. Choose your destiny wisely, young ones." with that said, he disappeared.

"That was the Wise One…" breathed Dora.

"What did the Wise One say?" asked the mayor.

"Felix must unlock the power," said the high priest, "Find the lighthouses…You'll have the guidance of the Elemental Star…"

"Um…then what?" asked Gerald. The high priest looked from Gerald to the others, wondering what they wanted him to say.

"What should they do there?" asked Dora.

"Surely, that cannot be all the advice you can offer them, Great Healer…" joined the mayor. The high priest nodded.

"Look for the other Legendary Warriors, they are the ones who guard and protect the elemental lighthouses. They will definitely be of great help in your quest. However, one of them may not be willing to join your party. Much will have to happen before he will join you."

"Isn't there anything else?" asked Gerald.

"That is all."

"That's it!?" asked the mayor, "Isn't there anything else you can tell them?"

"That is all, Mayor. I leave it up to you, Robin, Kanata…Gerald." the high priest bowed his head to them and then walked out of the sanctum. One of the priests looked over at the priest next to him.

"H-hey, isn't it almost…time to meditate?" he asked.

"Oh yeah! Meditation! Let's go!" they walked out the sanctum just as Amiko and Mamoru ran in. Mamoru ran to Robin, throwing his arms around his brother's waist.

"Let me go with you, Robin!" he cried as Robin tried to remove his hold on his waist. Amiko ran over to Kanata and tugged on her arm.

"Please, let me go with you, too, Kanata! If you go, what am I supposed to do here?" she asked. Kanata smiled and nodded, ruffling the seven-year-old's hair.
"Of course you can come with me, Amiko, as long as you stay with me and never leave my sight." Amiko nodded and turned to watch Mamoru and Robin. Robin knelt down in front of his brother, putting his hands on his shoulders.

"You could get hurt." he was saying now, "And do you really want to leave Mom all alone?" Mamoru looked back at Dora and shook her head.

"But I want to go with you! I could help! And this is the perfect way for me to learn more about the world and about my powers." said Mamoru, "You just have to let me go with you!" Robin stood up again and looked over at his mother.

"It's Mom's decision not mine," he said simply. Dora shook her head.

"Let me think about it."

"When should they go?" asked the mayor, changing the subject.

"It doesn't sound like we can afford to wait," said Dora.

"Tomorrow, then?" asked the mayor.

"Tomorrow?" she looked at Robin and nodded, "Yes."

-That night-

Robin slipped his dark blue, long-sleeved shirt over his head and sat down on his bed, getting ready to rest up to leave his home tomorrow. It was a little surprising really. Just that morning, he was only worried about fixing the holes in the roof and now, he had to go off and save the world from destruction. Could he really pull it off? Sure he had Kanata, Gerald, and Amiko accompanying him and maybe even his own brother, but still he felt that there was something he was doing wrong.

The Earth Energist kicked off his boots and laid his head back on his pillow. He was about to close his pale blue eyes when there was a knock at his door. Robin sat up, reaching for his shirt when the door opened and Mamoru ran in, and hopping onto his brother's bed, "Robin! Mom said that I could go with you!"

Robin dropped his shirt where he had thrown it and blinked, "She's letting you go with us tomorrow?" Mamoru nodded happily, "That's…great, Mamoru." he said, forcing a smile. Mamoru nodded again and hopped off Robin's bed.

"Mom's packing everything that I'll need for the trip now. This is going to be so much fun!" Mamoru ran off, closing the door behind him. Robin heard Mamoru bouncing down the stairs and then run into their mother's room. Robin fell back onto his pillow and stared up at the ceiling.

Now he was responsible for making sure that Mamoru remained safe. He closed his eyes and turned over in his bed, looking out the window. Then something made him feel calm, something far from Haidia Village and he smiled to himself, 'I can do this…I just have to do this…'

-Tomorrow-

Robin, Kanata, Gerald, Amiko, and Mamoru stood out in front of the gate, making sure that they said all their good-byes and have everything that they needed for the trip to the next town, and in case they did not make it to Vault in time, they had more. The high priest smiled proudly at the group, "We are counting on you, Robin." he said, "We are counting on all of you."

"Don't drink the water if it smells funny." said Gerald's sister.

"I know not to drink stagnant water, Sis!" snapped Gerald. His brother walked over to Robin.

"Don't listen to him, Robin!" he said, "He's a pig! He'll eat anything that's not tied down!" One of the priests turned around and looked at the crowd of people that had gathered to say good-bye to the Energists.

"Hmm…Dora is very late…" Robin looked around and shook his head. Mamoru tugged on the edge of Robin's tunic.

"Is Mom going to see us off, Robin?" he asked.

"I don't thing so, Mamoru," whispered Robin, ruffling Mamoru's hair.

"I guess we're all set to go, huh, Robin?" asked Gerald.

"What do you mean?"

"Think again, Gerald!" his sister said, "It must be very difficult for Dora…"

"As Gerald's mother, I know how Dora must be feeling. But I still have Gerald's father, while Dora has only you and Mamoru. She doesn't want the two of you to go, Robin, but she knows both of you have to, and it hurts to see you to leave."

"They can't keep standing around here like this, or they'll leave. So, one final farewell!" said the mayor.

"FAREWELL!" Kanata smiled and shook her head.

"We have to get going soon or Satyuros, the others are going to get ahead of us, and then we'll never be able to catch up with them in time to stop them." she said.

"I agree." said Robin, "We do not have time to stick around in one place for too long. It is going to take us a couple of days to reach Vault and restock our replies."

They turned around, waved to the villagers and walked through the gates, taking their first steps into a very long journey.

-A week ago…Karei Town-

Ivan sat in his room, a thick, leather bound book sitting in front of him. There was not much to do that day and he kept thinking about something that Okami had told him a few days ago, something about that storm that happened near a place called Haidia Village. The storm was important to the people all over Weyard, but the younger teen refused to go into it anymore than that. Ivan turned the page of his book just as someone knocked on his door.

The Air Energist stood up and walked over to the door. He opened it and blinked up at the guard that stood out in the hallway in front of his door, "Yes…?"

"Lady Layana and Lord Hammet wish to see you, Ivan." The guard turned around and walked back down the corridor. Ivan stared after him, puzzled and then made his way to the throne room.

Ivan opened the door to the throne room and took a couple of steps into the large room before bowing to Hammet and Layana, "You wished to see me, Lord Hammet, Lady Layana."

"Yes, Ivan. I am going on a caravan to Vault, would you like to accompany me?" asked Hammet. Ivan looked up, surprised at the sudden offer.

"…You are…asking me to come with you…?" he asked, unsure of what he heard. Hammet nodded, "But…why?"

"I thought that it would be nice if you could see how the rest of Weiard works. It might be a very useful experience for you. You could learn a lot by traveling," said Hammet. Layana smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Ivan. This could be a very good thing for you. You have not left Karei Town before, have you?" Ivan was about to nod, but thought better of it.

He had left the protective walls of Karei Town before. Okami had talked him into leaving the town for a short time and they had taken a ship to Tolbi, to see what happened in the other continent. Ivan shook his head, "No, this would be the first time that I left Karei Town…"

"Wouldn't you like to visit another town? You could meet someone new." said Layana, making Ivan blush slightly.

"If I will not be a bother…I would like to accompany you on the caravan…" said Ivan softly. Hammet smiled.

"Very good. I only have one request." Ivan nodded, "You cannot tell Okami or Yoru about this or where you are going." Ivan's violet eyes widened.

"But they are my friends. Why can't I tell them where I am going? It takes a long time to get to Vault and back, they are going to start to worry about me if I do not inform them on where I am going to be." Hammet waved his hand.

"I doubt that that Okami would worry about you. He does not strike me as the kind of person who would worry about other people," said Hammet, waving his hand at Ivan, "So you have nothing to worry about. As for Yoru, he will be too worried about getting Okami to notice him, the gay bastard."

Ivan jumped a little at the harshness in his voice and he was about to say that Yoru was not when Layana shook her head, telling him that it would be best to let Hammet think what he wanted to think, "Get ready for a long trip then, Ivan. You, Hammet and the others are going to be leaving tonight so that you get to Vault in a week from now." Ivan bowed to Layana and Hammet again and excused himself so he could get ready.

'I won't be able to see Okami and Yoru for two weeks, maybe even more than that…' thought Ivan as he walked back to his room to get his things together. Regardless of what Hammet said, he knew that Okami would begin to worry about him within a couple hours time. Ivan usually hung out with Okami around noon and if he did not meet the young cross-Energist, Okami would look around town for him, 'If he finds out that I left without telling him…he'll be so mad…'

-That night-

Ivan tied his cape around his shoulders and looked out at the silent town. He could see a couple of candle still burning in a couple of rooms, but they soon went out as the owners finally went to bed. Hammet sat down in the seat and Ivan climbed into the seat of the wagon behind his, "We are going to use the secret passage out of here so that no one sees us leaving town." Ivan nodded, not really hearing what Hammet was saying to him. He just wanted to get this trip over with.

Then he felt it. Something was telling him that he was supposed to be going to Vault, and that something…someone would be meeting him very soon, someone that would change his life forever in a very special way.

-TBC-

A/N: That was long, I know, but I got into it this time. We all should know who this person is who is going to change Ivan's life in a "special" way. Just in case you have not guessed…its ROBIN! *innocent smile* Plus, my heart goes out to Gackt-sama for his loss. A close friend of mine informed me about this recently and it is just so sad, she was almost in tears telling me about this *bows*

The next chapter will take a while to be updated because I am sure that it will be almost, if not as long as this chapter, but hopefully this chapter made up for me not updating any of my stories in a long time. I have been writing, but mainly stories that I cannot post. …Not anything hentai if that is what you are thinking.