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. GS couples: Robin/Ivan and Felix/Picard.
Thanks for the review, Ammy-san. I am glad that you like it ^^
Sorry for the delay everyone, but I have been so busy with handing out Valentine's Day gifts to my friends and finishing my essay. I was planning on making this longer…but you know what? Paddy is very tiered and she has had a long, confusing week of boys…and more boys. One more boy and I swear I'll kill him if he touches me.
Chronos: Hug! *starts walking toward Padfoot-chan*
Back off! *freezes Chronos* Paddy just froze Time!
Okami: You also made a pun…*smirks*
I promise to make the third chapter twice as long. Promise…promise…promise…*passes out*
Happy Valentine's Day, minna-san! *hands out candies and plushies*
R+R please.
Padfoot-chan's comment for the chapter: Death to the masses of Love Bugs!
Chapter Two: New things can be fun…and dangerous
Okami woke up early that morning. He had a bad feeling that he was missing something close to him, but for some reason, he just could not place his finger on what that something could possibly be. The fourteen-year-old sat up in his bed and looked out the window, frowning at the pale morning light. It was not just a feeling; something was definitely strange about this morning.
The young cross-Energist closed his eyes and searched the town for anything amiss. No one in his house was feeling ill, so he searched Yoru's place next. Nothing wrong there…Ivan? Okami turned his attention to Hammet's palace and he looked for his friend, 'That can't be right…' thought Okami, frowning, 'I can't sense Ivan anywhere in the palace…where could he possibly be?'
Okami shook his head and lifted himself out of his bed, getting dressed after he quickly took a shower. The youth looked around the room to make sure that no one else was awake and he ran out the door, closing it behind him. Okami looked around the town and found that most of the villagers were still sleeping in their houses. This gave Okami a perfect chance to head up to the palace without anyone asking him what he was up to.
He turned the corner of his house and ran along the path that led directly to the stairs that would take him to the palace. The two guards standing in front were both sleeping, leaning against the side of the palace. Okami smiled to himself as he crept up to them and them slipped through the door after he pushed it open.
The palace was silent, except for the few servants that were preparing for the day. They paid Okami little attention when he swept past them, heading strait to the throne room where he knew Lady Layana would be sitting in her throne, making sure that everything in the town was running smoothly.
Without knocking on the throne doors, Okami threw the large wooden doors open and walked in. Just as he thought, Lady Layana was sitting in her throne, a large book set out in front of her. She jumped when Okami threw the doors open, making them slam against the stonewalls on either side of them. The woman looked up and frowned at the young man that walked toward her, "Okami, what is the meaning of this? You do not just burst in on someone like that."
Okami stood a few feet away from Lady Layana now, "Where is Ivan?" The woman froze and turned back to her book, her back rigid, "Lady Layana, I asked you a question and you would be wise to answer me quickly, before I become angry with you."
"…He is not here, Okami," she said simply, "And you cannot see him for a couple of weeks." Okami harrumphed and turned away from the woman. He was about to leave the throne room when Layana looked up and called out to him. The cross-Energist paused in the doorway and glanced back at the woman without turning around, "What are you thinking about doing, Okami?"
"My thoughts are mine alone, Lady Layana. However, you shall not see me for a very long time. I am going on a journey and that it all…you need to know." he bowed to her and continued through the doorway, letting the doors slam shut behind him.
Okami hurried past the guards, lept down the stairs and ran back to his house after he made sure that everyone was still asleep. He walked up the stairs that led to the second floor and he snuck back into his room, locking his door behind him.
His visions of that room, or cavern, had become stronger and more intense with each passing night and last night, he had just seen a very clear vision. The vision held no people in it like his previous visions; instead, there were four strange, yet oddly familiar statues with their hands held out in front of them. Just like the previous visions, each held a different colored orb in its stone hands.
Okami now knew what those orbs were and that if they had not been taken by now, they would be stolen very soon. He did not have time to sit around Karei Town while this happened. It was his destiny to, as well as Yoru's, to protect the elemental lighthouses and if the four Elemental Stars had been removed from Sol Sanctum, then the elemental lighthouses could be lit using the power of the Stars.
Okami shivered slightly and spun around, running to his bathroom and leaning over the sink to vomit. He could feel it already. It was feeble now, like the powers he felt when he had his visions, but he could tell that it was close at hand. If he did not act now…he might be too late to stop the Stars from being stolen.
Okami wiped his face on a towel and walked out of his bathroom, moving toward his bed on shaky feet. He collapsed on his bed and stared up at the ceiling for a moment before he sat up again and grabbed a bag that sat underneath his bed. Okami scratched his head and looked around his room, wondering what he should take with him. With his magical knowledge, he would not need to bring clothes with him, nor would he have to bring a kindling kit to light the fires at night. All he would really need to carry with him would be his sleeping bag.
Okami stood up, grabbed his light blue sleeping bag from his closet and throw it into his bag. He heard footsteps outside his door and he froze for a moment until he heard the owner hurry down the stairs and into the kitchen. Okami sighed and tied his bag, throwing it back under his bed. He would have to leave at night to make sure that no one found out about it and informed Lady Layana, the less that woman knew, the better.
There was a light tap on Okami's door and he stood up, unlocking it and then throwing it open. Richard stood there wearing his uniform of the palace guards already, "I have to head up to the palace with Yoru's father early this morning, is that okay?" Okami nodded, wondering why Richard would come to his room and tell him this, he usually just left without a word to Okami, "I won't be back until around midnight so take care of your mother and your little sister while I am gone."
Okami frowned slightly at the tone of his voice, "Is something happening?" The man shook his head, laughing slightly.
"No, not to worry, I just do not want you wondering off." This did not seem to have the effect on Okami that Richard was hoping for. Okami stood tall and shrugged his shoulders.
"I am going over to Yoru's house after breakfast, I am going to spend the night there as well." he said quickly. Richard looked taken aback by the suddenness of this news, but not for long, he nodded simply and gave Okami a quick smile. The man turned away from his foster son and walked down the hall. He stopped at the stairway and looked back at the young man.
"I know that you feel that you cannot trust us, Okami, and that may be because of your godfather's influence on you." said Richard, making Okami's eyes flash menacingly, "However, we are there for you and we want to help you in anyway we can. Your godfather probably cannot even say that he is there for you. Then again, do you really think he cares?" Okami placed his hand on the doorknob and slipped out, slamming the door behind him.
"My godfather is the only person left alive that still remembers my parents, he was the one I was supposed to go to once my parents died, but that did not happen, did it?" asked Okami, sweeping past the man and walking down the steps. However, he did not go into the kitchen as he said he would, instead, he hurried out the door without a word to Melissa as she poked her head out of the kitchen.
Okami stopped when he reached the town square and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves before he lost himself to his anger completely. His godfather lived in the village that protected the Elemental Stars, which would have worked out perfectly for him if he had been able to stay with him, but due to some difficulties with the foster home Okami had been sent to, his godfather had been found unsuited for looking after someone as complicated as Okami.
"What's with the long face, kiddo?" asked a voice behind Okami. He smiled as Yoru appeared at his side, leaning on his staff as usual. Okami turned to look up at him and smiled cheerfully at Yoru's golden eyes.
"I never thought that I would see you up this early in the morning, Yoru." teased the younger boy, kicking at Yoru's boots, "What are you doing up so early anyway?" Yoru shrugged his shoulders and led Okami over to one of the large fountains that sat at the foot of the stairs that led up to Hammet's palace. Okami sat down on the edge of the fountain and Yoru leaned over and watched the crystal-clear waters.
"I felt something…" he whispered, "I know that my Air powers are not as strong as yours, but still…" Yoru shot Okami a quick smile before he turned back to stare at the water in front of him. Okami blinked at him a couple of times and let out a tiered sigh.
"Can I stay at your house tonight?" asked Okami, "I told Richard that I was going to stay over at your place."
"Why did you do that?" asked Yoru, surprised, "I thought that you were finally getting along with your foster parents. What happened this time?" Okami shook his head.
"Richard said that he was going to be at the palace all day and that he wanted me to look after Hamako and Melissa. For some reason, and I don't know why, I told him that I was going to spend the day with you and sleep over at your house…" Yoru waved his finger at Okami.
"Considering that you never did that before, I am sure that he was bound to find that a little weird, Okami." stated Yoru, "But why were you in such a tizzy just now? That little fight you had would not have brought you out of your house so quickly."
"He started to talk about my godfather…" started Okami, "He said that he was influencing me and that he did not care about me." The young cross-Energist shook his head quickly; fighting back the urge to say everything he wanted to about what had happened, "Regardless…of that…you are correct."
"What?" asked Yoru, quickly trying to think about what he had said before that would have caused Okami to say something like that. He did not have to think long; Okami quickly explained to him what he had meant.
"About feeling something, my visions have become clearer now and I can see the Elemental Stars in each of them. The visions are all the same, someone is trying to steal the Elemental Stars, probably to fire the beacons in each of the elemental lighthouses." Yoru jumped and looked down at Okami, sitting down next to his quickly, "Yes…" he whispered, "As we have been taught, if the lighthouses were to be lit, the yamis of the Legendary Warriors will awaken and use their powers to destroy Weyard."
"We have to stop the Elemental Stars from being stolen. How much time do you think we have before your vision comes to pass?" Okami shook his head before resting his face in his hands, thinking back to his vision carefully.
"A week, maybe even less than that. Also…Ivan's gone." announced Okami, "I went up to Hammet's palace this morning when I felt something unusual in the air. Lady Layana told me that he was not in the palace and that he would not be back for a couple of weeks."
"There is only a few places he could have gone, probably with one of Hammet's caravans." Okami cocked his head to the side, trying to remember where Hammet's caravans usually took him, "I suspect they went up north this time, near Haidia Village."
"But I doubt that Haidia Village will be willing to trade with Hammet, not after his little run-in with the mayor a few years ago." Okami pulled out a small map from his tunic and unfolded it, "That leaves…quite a few places. The closest to Karei Town is…Vault. Lord Hammet could have stopped there on his way to a larger town, but I hear that there is a little trouble in Bilibin."
"Trouble? What kind of trouble are we talking about?"
"I do not think that it is the kind of trouble that the Legendary Warriors need to be involved in, we have more important things to worry about other than the simple troubles of townspeople." Yoru shook his head, disapprovingly, "What is it?"
"The peoples troubles are our troubles, Okami. The Legendary warriors are supposed to help everyone out. We would live an extremely boring life if we merely waited around for someone to try to steal the Elemental Stars so they could fire the beacons of the elemental lighthouses." explained the older cross-Energist, "Besides, I know that you like to help people deep down, no matter how much of a tough guy you try to be."
Okami frowned and quickly muttered, "I do not have a clue as to what you are trying to imply, Yoru."
"We should get back to my house then, I promised Lucas that I would take him out to the forest to explore a bit." Okami stood up with Yoru and let him lead him back to Yoru's house.
"I have to…leave tomorrow morning then." said Okami, "To go to Haidia Village and make sure that nothing happens to the Stars. If I do not leave tomorrow, I do not think that I will be able to get there in time to stop my visions from becoming reality. I do not even think that leaving tomorrow will help, the least I will be able to do is prevent the Stars from getting to the first lighthouse."
"Which one is the closest?"
"I believe that it is the Mercury Lighthouse. It's in the north, near a town called Imil." Okami stretched his arms toward the air and leaned against the side of Yoru's house, "I hope that it doesn't take too long for me to reach Haidia, but I know that it will take a long time to reach Imil, so whoever is after the Elemental Stars will have to rest up a lot on the way."
"You know that I am going with you, right? This is a job for the Legendary Warriors, all of us, not just you." said Yoru, rather forcefully, "You always try to push others away from you and that is just not fair. You have to let me come along with you and if you do not, you know that I will follow you." Okami gritted his teeth but decided that it was not worth it to get into an argument with Yoru right now, he would merely keep insisting that Okami let him accompany him on his quest.
"Do whatever you want, Yoru, I will not stop you."
-That night-
Okami pushed his covers off his body after he made sure that Yoru's was still sleeping. He rose off the futon and felt around in the dark for his brown leather boots. The fourteen-year-old pulled them on, laced them up and reached for his sleeping bag. Okami got onto his knees, crawled over to Yoru's bed and poked at his cheek. Yoru was fast asleep and there was no waking him up now.
Okami smiled to himself and quickly made his way to the window. He lifted it, climbed up onto the windowsill and hopped out of the window. The youth landed on the ground gracefully, turned around and with a quick wave of his hand, shut the window to Yoru's bedroom, 'I'm sorry about this, Yoru, but I cannot risk anyone getting hurt. There is something very powerful in the north right now and I fear that if you come with me, we will have to fight that power…I cannot take that risk…'
The cross-Energist wrapped his cloak around his shoulders and tossed his pack around his shoulder, quickly heading for the town gates. The two guards standing on their side of the gates were both sleeping, leaning against the sides of the iron gate. Okami glared at the guards for a moment before passing on through, placing an invisible barrier around the town to protect the townspeople from harm.
-Later-
Okami paused when he heard a deep growl from the bushes a couple of feet in front of him. Two red eyes appeared through the branches of the bush and the cross-Energist dropped his pack on the ground. A bright flash of light lit up the area and a bloody sword appeared in Okami's hand, "Do not delay me from my destiny!" he yelled, charging forward as the thing stepped out of the bushes.
There was a strangled yelp as Okami's sword slashed across the monster's stomach and he rolled to a stop a few feet away from his pack. The sword disappeared and Okami massaged his hand, flinching slightly at the pain of summoning his weapon after so long, 'I really need to keep in practice with that thing or I'll be out of luck.' thought Okami, getting to his feet and lifting his pack off the ground.
The cross-Energist looked around the field to make sure he found the dirt path again and he started for the north again. Hopefully he would run into Ivan before he had to go to Haidia Village, maybe the Air Energist knew something about the Elemental Stars as well. It was always fun to talk with a fellow Air Energist about their visions.
-That morning…Karei Town-
Yoru groaned as he rolled over in his bed, falling out of it and hitting the wooden floor. He flinched, waiting for Okami to yell at him for being so noisy in the morning, but when nothing came, Yoru's eyes fluttered open. The futon Okami had been sleeping in previously was now empty, no note, no nothing. Yoru cursed to himself softly and ran to the window, throwing it open and looking around the town.
He could see a gentle blue glow hanging over the town, meaning that Okami had placed a protective barrier around Karei Town. Yoru shook his head, "Okami…why do you always do this to me?" A gentle breeze blew back Yoru's light blue hair and he turned away from the window, rushing to dresser and grabbing some clothes and then walking into his bathroom.
After he showered and dressed, he grabbed his staff and ran out the door. The cross-Energist lept down the stairs and was about to run out the door when he heard his mother clearing her throat, "And where are you planning on going without Okami?" Yoru froze and turned around, smiling weakly at the small woman.
"Okami isn't here, Mom. I was planning on…going after him." His mother shook her head. The aging woman rose out of the chair she was sitting in and crossed the room until she reached her oldest son. Yoru looked down at his mother, his golden eyes searching her pale gray ones for answers, "Mother…?"
"You make me so proud whenever you call me that…even though I am not your real mother." Yoru's eyes widened at this, his heart stopping for a swift moment. The woman who he had trusted with almost everything, the woman he had called Mother, the woman who had come into his bedroom at nights and comfort him after he had a nightmare when he was younger. She was not his biological mother… Then what of the man he called his father. Was that a lie as well…? Was everything he had been told growing up merely a lie?
"What do you mean you aren't my mother?" he asked as soon as he found his voice, "If you are not my mother…then who is my mother? Is the man that I call Father, really my father or is that a lie too?" The woman in front of him smiled weakly, brushing his light blue bangs out of his golden eyes. Yoru turned his head to the side quickly, and her hand fell back to her side.
"Please do not be like this, Yoru," she begged.
"Is that even my real name? Or is it just something that you came up with?" asked Yoru, his eyes flashing dangerously. He did not get mad very often and it was very hard to anger him, but when someone did manage to ruffle his feathers, it was very hard to appease him once he is mad at them.
The woman shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment before looking back up at the cross-Energist with a pleading look in her frail eyes, "Yes, your name is really Yoru…However, neither your father nor I are your real parents. You came to us almost the same way Ivan arrived here. It was a stormy night, over thirteen years ago. Okami's parents were still alive and they were out traveling the coast, enhancing Okami's powers." she said softly, "On this night, they had just reached the coast near Venus Lighthouse when they heard something out-of-sorts. It was a child crying and that child…was you."
Yoru shook his head. This was too much to take in. Okami had just left for who knows where and now he found out that his parents and probably his so-called little brother were not even his real family. He closed his eyes, resting his face in his hands. Something in his memory flashed back to a strange island surrounded by mist. Images of people with hair and eyes similar to his flashed before his minds eye.
The cross-Energist covered his mouth and opened his eyes again, taking a step back, away from the woman that stood in front of him. He stared at her with fearful eyes before he turned around, grabbed the doorknob and throw the front door open, stepping out into the morning light, "I…I have to go find Okami…" he said, his voice trembling. Before the woman could say or do anything to stop him, Yoru was out the door, slamming it shut behind him.
Yoru tore out across the courtyard until he reached the town gates, leaning on the side of gates. He pressed his forehead against the cool stone of the gates, trying to get his emotions under control. Okami had taught him never to let his emotions run away from him, to always be in control and never to let your emotions control you or you would lose control over your powers and then you could consider yourself dead. "Okami…" he whispered softly, closing his eyes tightly before straightening up and looking out at the open field that led away from Karei Town.
He glanced back at his house, planning to never return there. Yoru shook his head and took a step out of the town gates, a cool breeze passing over him, the protective barrier that Okami had placed around Karei Town washing over him and disappearing as he stepped away from it. The familiar sense left him and now all that remained was a lost, numb feeling.
'This must be how Okami feels…' thought Yoru, his heart tightening painfully in his chest as he leaned heavily on his staff. He shook his head, his golden eyes burning with a new fire, 'I cannot think about that now. I have something important to do now. Okami said that he had a vision about the Elemental Stars being stolen from Sol Sanctum. He may think he can handle it on his own and he may be right, but the least I can do is give him some support. Besides…I don't think that I can stay in Karei Town any longer.'
Yoru took a deep breath and turned to the north, beginning his long journey to Haidia Village where the Sol Sanctum lay in wait.
-A week later and a day later: wherever Robin and the others are-
Robin turned around just in time to see Mamoru collapse to his knees in exhaustion. Kanata and Amiko turned around as Robin hurried to his brother's side, kneeling down next to him to see if he was feeling okay, "I suppose I'm just a little tiered…" came Mamoru's ragged reply. Robin shook his head slowly, glancing up at the sun in the sky.
"We have been walking for a long time, Robin," said Kanata as Gerald and Amiko plopped down onto the grass under a shady tree next to them, "Don't you think it is about time we took a little break?" Robin looked back at Kanata, frowning slightly.
"Yes…it is about time you guys took a break." The Earth Energist picked Mamoru up and set him under the tree in between Gerald and Amiko, "But we still need to catch up with those people who stole the Elemental Stars, so I'll go on ahead of you and you can meet up with me in Vault."
"But Robin, doing that would be dangerous." said Gerald, wondering if the heat along with the hours of walking had finally gotten to his friend, "What if you run into some monsters on the way to Vault? It's still a few hours away, maybe a little more."
"All the more reason for me to keep going." replied Robin, standing up after ruffling Mamoru's hair, "If I do run into a monster, I doubt that it is going to give me much trouble, if it does…I guess I'll just try to run to Vault if I can. Do not worry about me, I will be fine. Take care of Mamoru for me and make sure that you two do not take any wrong paths."
"Can't you stay, Robin?" asked Kanata, trying to think of a way to make the Earth Energist change his mind about continuing on his own, "What if Gerald gets us lost or something? We could spend days in the woods and have to fight our way through monsters and all sorts of other beasts. What if we run into a gang of thieves?" Robin laughed at this.
"I am sure that the four of you have nothing to worry about from a gang of thieves. Kanata, you are a special Energist, remember?" asked the Earth Energist, his light blue eyes lighting up as he knew he would soon win this little argument. Kanata nodded, her frown reaching her eyes, "Just trust me on this and you will be able to get to Vault a couple of hours after me. Rest until you feel like you can travel again. I'll see you in Vault."
Without waiting for his friends to say anything, Robin turned his back to them and walked down the hill in the direction of Vault. Gerald sighed, rolling his eyes at Kanata as she sat down next to Amiko, letting her pack slip to the ground next to her, "His heart is really into this…" she said thoughtfully. Gerald smiled weakly and nodded.
"Probably because Felix is involved with this," said Gerald simply. Kanata blinked, turning to look at the Fire Energist, puzzled. Gerald smiled quickly, "Robin takes this as a personal insult to himself because Felix is his best friend and he trusted him three years ago, that was before we thought he died. Robin may not have shown that he was hurting but he dealt with it in his own way, I suppose we all did."
Kanata turned away, staring at the horizon line, wondering how far Robin could have gotten by know. Knowing him, he would probably be near there by now, "Why do you think Felix is helping them, Gerald? It just does not seem like something that he would do. He really looked out for Robin when we were younger, they were inseparable. It's just a little more than I can handle to think that they could actually have to fight each other one day."
"Both of them are too proud…to back away from a fight like that." said Gerald, "I just hope that that day never comes. I may not be the smartest person in the world but I do not think that Felix is doing this just for the hell of it." Kanata shot Gerald an angry look before glancing down at Mamoru and Amiko, only to be meet by the sight of both Earth Energists lying on the grass, sleeping.
Kanata smiled, "Yes, that does not seem like the Felix we know, but people change and three years is a lot of time for someone to change. You saw how much Robin changed in that amount of time."
"We all changed after what happened three years ago. Jenna thought she lost all her family only to find out that her brother was alive this whole time traveling with those strange people. Robin lost his father in the accident and his best friend." Gerald shook his head, leaning back against the tree trunk, "Even if we do get the Elemental Stars back and Felix returns to Haidia Village with us, do you think that their relationship is going to be like it was before? Too much has happened and now Felix has betrayed Haidia Village and his own sister…"
"It is a lot to think about," muttered Kanata, wondering why Gerald was being so thoughtful and incisive all of the sudden. She smiled to herself. Yep, a lot has happened in three years, "Right now, we should get some rest so that we can catch up with Robin as soon as we can."
"Peh. Mr. Overachiever Robin is going to be just fine by himself." said Gerald, folding his hands behind his head, "Just you wait and see, I am sure that he'll even meet someone there and they'll fall in love." Kanata giggled.
"Robin in love? I would like to see that."
-An hour or so away from Vault-
Robin slid down the side of the hill he had been running along. Normally it would have taken an hour to get where he was now from where he had left his friend, but he had made it there in thirty minutes or less and he could already see the small silhouette of Vault off in the distance.
As the Earth Energist reached the top of the next knoll, he paused, looking out at the small village. There was something calling out to him, something so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time. Robin shook the feeling off quickly, hurrying down the hill until he reached a large open field.
He was about to continue through the field to Vault when he was suddenly surrounded by a group of monsters. The monsters were all at least a foot taller than him and each of them had three, razor sharp claws on their furry paws. Robin took a step back, looking around at the monsters that had formed a tight circle around him. There was no escaping from the monsters now, not unless he thought of something quickly.
Robin reached for his sword and pulled it out of its sheath quickly, holding it out in front of him. He held up his left hand, his brown glove already glowing with a golden light. Three of the monsters charged forward and Robin lifted his hand into the air, causing the earth in front of them to rise out of the ground and impale them. This attack still left around seven monsters left and none of them seemed happy about his last attack.
Robin dodged as two of the monsters came after him. He rolled along the ground and waved his hand at them, summoning rocks to come crashing through their bodies and out again. The two monsters fell to the ground, staining the grass with their purple blood. Robin rose to his feet just in time to avoid being cut by one of the monster's claws.
The Earth Energist ran his sword across the monster's chest, slicing open a gaping wound. The monster he wounded fell to the ground near its companions. Robin turned back to the four monsters that were still left. He was about to charge forward for a physical attack of his own when three sharp claws ran along his back, cutting through his armor, through his light blue tunic, through his dark blue shirt and then slicing three bloody cuts into his pale skin.
Robin fell forward, his eyes wide with the intense pain the monster's claws had brought him. He was about to black out, about to give up all hope when he heard a shout. The voice sounded angelic, even though it carried a lot of force and anger behind it. Robin's eyes lolled just as someone lept in front of him, "COATLICUE!" yelled the voice before Robin passed out.
-Hours later-
A cool washcloth was pressed to Robin's forehead as a pain filled moan escaped his lips; "Do you think he is going to be okay, Okami?" asked a voice nearby, probably belonging to the person who was now brushing his long, dirty blond bangs out of his closed eyes. The was the sound of movement somewhere in the room and then came the voice from before, but this time it was much calmer, a little hint of a carefree attitude mingling with some form of disregard.
"I summoned Coatlicue so he should be just fine with a little rest. I came just in time to save him from those monsters. If I had been at least one second late…" there was a pause as the young man talking shifted his weight uncomfortably to his other leg, "Let's just say it is a good thing that I got there when I did."
"Where do you think he's from?" asked the first person who was sitting in a chair next to the bed where Robin lay, eyes shut in pain. There was a quick laugh, "Why are you laughing, Okami? I just want to know why he was out in the field like that. There have not been many travelers out in these parts ever since Mt. Aleph erupted a couple of days ago."
"Wait until he wakes up, Ivan, then you can ask him all the questions that you want." A smirk crossed the young man's lips, "But I find it quite fascinating that you would show so much interest in someone that you just met…"
"Wha-what do you mean, Okami? You-you're crazy." Robin pressed his hands to his eyes, letting the damp cloth over his eyes slip to the bed. The two young men who had been talking suddenly stopped, a little surprised that the Earth Energist was awake.
Robin sat up, drawing his knees up to his chest so he could rest his chin on one of his knees. He turned his gaze to the closet person to him, his heart skipping a beat at the sight in front of him. Sitting on a small wooden stool next to the bed that Robin was sitting up in was a young man with solemn, violet eyes and dirty blond hair, "Where am I…?" asked Robin once he found his voice.
The young man with violet eyes reddened under the Earth Energist's gaze and turned his head to the side slightly, trying to avoid the light blue stare, "You are among friends…in Vault…" he said in a whisper, "My name is Ivan." He turned to the young man leaning against the wall. He had deep blue eyes that seemed to hold a hidden power, or at least it seemed that way to the young Earth Energist as he spared him a glace, "That is Okami…he was the one who saved you from those monsters a few hours ago. You have been resting in this house ever since he brought you here."
Robin bowed his head to the one named Okami, "I thank you. If it were not for you I would not be here." Okami tossed back his dirty blond hair, pushing off the wall and walking over to the middle of the room, near the door that led to the rest of the house.
"It was no problem. It would have been no problem for you either if you had rested instead of pushing yourself." he said a little bluntly. Robin frowned but he really could not argue with what the young man had just said to him because it was the truth, "Besides, I had to do something to help you, I couldn't just leave you there to die. You have something special to do."
Robin blinked up at Okami, wondering what this special something was that he had to do, "…What do you mean by that?" Okami smiled quickly.
"It may be a little early…" he turned to Ivan, "Can you go see if the Mayor has what I asked him for? I want to make sure that…" Okami paused, glancing at Robin, "I apologize…but we have yet to gain your name."
"Oh, my name is Robin and I am from the village in the north, Haidia Village." Okami nodded to Ivan now as the young man rose to his feet.
"Also, Ivan, do you think that you could go out to the well for me and get more water?" asked Okami, "I'm sorry to ask you for all of this, but-" Ivan shook his head, stopping Okami from saying anything else.
"No, I am happy to help out. I'll be back in a few minutes." He bowed to them and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Okami smiled at the closed door before he turned back to the Earth Energist. Robin turned to him, frowning slightly under his gaze.
"You have yet to answer my question," he said calmly, "For some reason I think I know what you are talking about, and if that is true…how would you possible know about what happened that day?"
"I know a lot more than you do, Earth Energist Robin." Robin gasped but before he could ask him how he knew that he was an Energist, Okami held up his hand to halt any further questions, "I am a Legendary Warrior, one of the four Energists who live in Weyard that are born with two different elements. I am of Water and Air; there is one of Air and Fire, one of Fire and Water, and one of Earth and Air. Each of the four Legendary Warriors, or cross-Energists as some call us, protect and guard one of the elemental lighthouses and their Elemental Stars.
The Elemental Stars were taken from our charge a long time ago and given to the people of a village called Haidia, your village. The reason for this is the special sanctum that was build atop Mt. Aleph years before Haidia Village was ever built. Energists around the world at this time felt that the people of Sol Sanctum would do a better job of protecting the Elemental Stars while the Legendary Warriors would merely protect the elemental lighthouses." explained Okami, pacing in front of Robin as he recalled everything he knew about Sol Sanctum, the Elemental Stars, and the elemental lighthouses.
"I have only met one Legendary Warrior that I can remember, but there was a time when the four of us were called together to relinquish our hold over the Elemental Stars." he bowed his head, "It was supposed to be a great day but something went wrong…A spell was cast on the Elemental Stars and the elemental lighthouses. Do you understand exactly why no one wants the elemental lighthouses lit? They were built and lit at one time, but why would someone want the brilliant fire of the four elemental lighthouses to cease to burn?"
"Kraden told me once that…if the elemental lighthouses' beacons were fired, it would release Alchemy upon Weyard once again and that would mean its destruction." said Robin, a little amazed at everything this young man had told him already. He would be a great ally could feel a strong aura surrounding the man who identified himself as Okami.
Okami smiled, "That is part of the reason, but Alchemy is not a danger, it is merely what we have told people to believe. It is better that way and there is little need for explanation with an excuse like that, don't you agree?" Robin nodded reluctantly, "The real reason we did not want anyone to fire the beacons of the elemental lighthouses was because of the spell that was placed on them.
Sleeping in the heart of each elemental lighthouse is an opposite of the Legendary Warriors, a person who would do everything the Legendary Warriors would never dream of doing. They are evil and the only way to awaken them from their slumber is to…fire the beacons of the lighthouse in which they sleep."
"And which lighthouse do you guard?" asked Robin.
"I guard the Venus Lighthouse," replied Okami, "The reason I said that you had something important to do, is because of the Elemental Star that you carry." Robin glanced at the table next to the bed to find his pack lying there, still closed, "If you are wondering if we went looking through your stuff, rest assured that Ivan stopped me before I could. Even though I saved you, I am sorry to say that I did not trust you and I was very reluctant to bring you into the care of one of my best friends. However, you do seem trustworthy and if the Wise One thought that you were worthy of carrying the Mars Star and setting out to return the other Elemental Stars, I think that helping you out was a very wise choice on my part."
"So you know about the Wise One…how much of what happened back in Sol Sanctum do you know?"
"I know everything. Air Energists can read peoples minds, see the future, and see things for what they really are, besides the basic ability to control the wind." explained Okami, "Ivan is an Air Energist himself, but he felt that it would be a little rude to read your mind while you were sleeping, so I did it instead."
"So Ivan is a…"
"He is an Energist just like us. Actually, since he is a full Air Energist, it would be that he is more like you than me." laughed Okami, "But I think that is besides the point when it comes to the two of you."
"What do you mean by that?" asked Robin, reddening a little bit at the younger teen's statement. Okami waved his hand.
"I can see the future. Ivan on the other hand, has yet to learn that ability as of yet, but he will eventually. That is besides the point…I think that if you have any questions, it would be best to ask them now before Ivan gets back, I have been warned not to tell him anything until the time is right. You, on the other hand, you can learn whatever you need to know merely by asking."
"Well…since you can see into the future, can you tell me if we will be able to get the Elemental Stars back?" he asked, unable to think of anything else.
"If I did that, you might not work hard enough to get the Elemental Stars back to Sol Sanctum." Okami looked down at the ground, his expression suddenly solemn, "But you have something to fight for, don't you? Your friend Jenna, and then there is still the question of where Felix's loyalty lays. Just remember this, Robin; nothing is what it seems and the line of good can sometimes blend into the line of what we deem wrong."
"The line of good…?" asked Robin, "You like to speak in riddles, don't you?" Okami smiled.
"Merely because I have been asked not to say this information on behalf of Felix's own confusion at this point in time." He turned away from Robin and walked over to the door, twisting the knob and pulling the door open. Okami leaned out the door, "Did the Mayor get what I asked him for?"
As Okami pulled out of the doorway, Ivan appeared there holding a small bag in left arm and a small bucket of water in his right hand, "Yeah, but do you think that you will still need it?" The cross-Energist took the bag and the bucket from the Air Energist, walking to the bedside and setting the bucket down on the stool.
"Actually, I think that it is very important now, but if it will work…" Okami paused as he turned back to Ivan, "Did the Mayor say anything about this? I know that it is very hard to find and actually being able to find it…" Ivan shook his head.
"Sorry, Okami, he didn't say a thing about it." Okami nodded and opened the woolen bag, tossing something over to Robin. The Earth Energist caught a small, pale violet crystal.
"A Psynergy Stone…"
"Almost, that is a Psy Crystal, it works about the same way as a Psynergy Stone but this can only be used once to recover all of your Psynergy, or multiple times with only small amounts." explained Okami. He smiled over at Ivan, "Ivan suggested it though. Part of the reason why you took so long to wake up was because those monsters had drained all of your Psynergy. You may not have noticed it while you were fighting them, but they were slowly draining your Psynergy and replacing it with a sort of sedative."
"Sedative?"
"In a sense." said Ivan, laughing, "It was supposed to calm you down enough to make you not want to fight, but I suppose that you were fighting a little too hard for the 'sedative' to work." The Air Energist walked over to the bedside, picked the damp washcloth up from the sheets and dipped it in the bucket of water sitting on the stool. Ivan wrung out the washcloth and handed it back to Robin.
They heard footsteps in the hallway and a little boy suddenly appeared, "Okami, Ivan! Lord Hammet just left with the others!" Ivan and Okami shared a quick glance before Okami tore out of the room, grabbing something in the corner of the room, "Okami, where are you going?"
"Not now, Xenos." The young boy shrugged at Ivan and Robin and disappeared down the hall, hurrying to catch up with Okami. Ivan turned to Robin, frowning slightly at the look on the Earth Energist's face.
"What was all that about? Who is Lord Hammet?" he asked. Ivan moved the bucket of water from the stool, to the floor and he sat down.
"Before I tell you, I suggest that you lay down and put that washcloth on your forehead. You still need to rest after having all of your Psynergy drained," Robin nodded and rested his head back against the pillow, setting the cool washcloth back on his forehead, "Lord Hammet is the lord of Karei Town, where Okami and I are from. Lord Hammet asked me to go on one of his caravans with him over a week ago. Normally he does not ask me to go, but for some reason he asked me to go this time…maybe if I had not come none of this would have ever happened…" he muttered.
"What do you mean by that?"
"A couple of days ago, just after I arrived in Vault with the caravan, things began to come up missing and then Okami came to Vault and said that he heard about a group of thieves headed this way. He suggested to the villagers that it might be the thieves he had heard about." explained Ivan, "Lord Hammet brought a special rod with him on the caravan and…left it in my care. I was careless with it and the thieves stole it." Ivan looked down at his slippers sadly, "If Lord Hammet had let Okami look after the rod he would still have it, so I suggested to stay behind until I found the rod."
"And he just let you stay behind on your own?" asked Robin, nearly sitting up. Ivan held up his hand, stopping Robin from lifting his head from the pillow.
"I asked to stay behind." came the Air Energist's quiet reply, "Besides, Okami says that he is going to stay here with me until we find the rod and if anyone can find that thing, it would be Okami. But…if you do not mind me asking, what are you doing here, Robin?" The Earth Energist smiled in spite of himself.
"Well…"
"Aieee!" Robin stopped before he could say anything else. The scream was familiar, but not enough for him to place it. Ivan on the other hand, knew the scream as soon as he heard it.
"That was Okami," he said, getting to his feet and grabbing a wooden staff from the wall, "Stay here and I'll check it out." Robin shook his as he rose to his feet, grabbing onto the edge of the bedside table to steady himself. The Earth Energist grabbed the leather strap of his sword and slung it over his shoulder.
"I'm coming with you, you don't know what it could be and you may need my help." Ivan was about to protest when he heard another familiar yell and then the roar of what sounded like a giant dragon.
"Fine, but please be careful." Robin nodded and walked over to the door, tripping over his feet along the way. Ivan grabbed his outstretched arm to help him from falling to the ground, "Maybe you really shouldn't…you can barely stand on your own to feet. Robin, why don't you just-"
Robin straightened up just enough to get his eyes level with Ivan's, "I'm fine, Ivan…you heard Okami scream a few minutes ago and from what I gather, a cross-Energist is supposed to be very strong. Who could have enough power to make him scream like that?"
"Regardless of how strong Okami is there are still a few people out there with enough power to defeat even him, especially with his careless nature out of a fight. He said that something was stolen a couple of nights ago, something that holds great importance to him and the other three Legendary Warriors…" Ivan paused, shaking his head; "We do not have time to talk about this right now, let's go."
"Okay."
-Outside of Vault a few minutes before Okami screams-
Okami slipped out of the back gates of Vault and looked around the open field. He had felt a sudden burst of power from the outer walls of Vault and now it had suddenly vanished? Power does not just appear and disappear without a reason. The young cross-Energist had originally come out here to talk to Lord Hammet, but when he got out in the field, the caravan had already headed toward the north, away from Karei Town.
He was just about to head back through the town gates when he felt a strong aura coming from behind him. Okami spun around just in time to see a giant water geyser shoot towards him. He summoned a whirlwind to absorb the attack and rolled along the ground to see a young man with elbow length, light blue hair and turquoise eyes.
The man smiled as Okami rose to his feet, both hands extended and already building up energy for a summon, "It seems you already know what I have." he said, motioning to the three pouches at his side. Okami's eyes widened, faltering in his summon, "Now, now, now. It is not good to lose your cool like that. Boreas!"
Okami looked up into the sky to see ice hurdling down toward him. The cross-Energist held up his hands to defeat against the attack, but as soon as the attack hit him, he collapsed to the ground, "Aieee!"
A bow made of Psynergy appeared in the man's hands along with an arrow made of ice. He fired one shot at Okami and then two more, breaking the ice that had now wrapped it self around the young cross-Energist. Okami fell backwards onto the floor, cradling his head in his hands, "Boreas…" he said in a pained voice, "I have never met a Mercury Energist who could summon him…"
"I am a special case, I suppose. However, that is not what you really want to know, is it?" he asked, "You want to know why someone would go to Sol Sanctum and steal the Elemental Stars, or try to steal the Elemental Stars at the very least. There are greater forces than you can ever being to comprehend at work here, dear Okami."
Okami looked up at the man, clutching the side of his ribs, "How did you know my name…?" he cross-Energist searched the man's turquoise eyes, trying to read his mind. The man waved his finger at Okami, smirking slightly.
"I would not try to do that if I were you." the man pulled out a chain that hung around his neck and showed Okami a violet jewel, "This is from the Jupiter Lighthouse in Atteka, it protects the wearer from any Air Energists who try to read their minds."
"If you are using a stone from Atteka, there must be a lot to protect." snapped Okami, "Why would you want to bring about the destruction of Weyard by firing the elemental lighthouses' beacons?" The man laughed.
"You still believe that the elemental lighthouses will mean the destruction of Weyard. Why would I be foolish enough to destroy the very place I call my home?" he asked, "There is a lot more going on around here than you know, Okami. I could tell you, but he wants you to figure it out for yourself, and you will figure everything out before long."
Okami gritted his teeth, "I've had enough of you and your cryptic shit." spat Okami, getting to his feet. He lifted his hands into the air, "Eclipse!" The azure sky above them darkened to a midnight blue and the puffy clouds parted to let a golden light seep through. A giant, golden dragon appeared in a sudden burst of blue violet light.
The man took a step back as the dragon flew over them, the gust of wind blowing his hair back, "Dammit." he muttered, talking another step back and looking over at Okami, "Be careful, Okami. I want us to meet again so that we can finish this." With that, he turned around and disappeared.
Okami looked up at the dragon and held out his arm. A golden light began to surround the giant dragon, causing it to shrink down to the size of a large bird and then it circled over Okami before finally landing on Okami's outstretched arm. The cross-Energist smiled at the dragon, reaching out a gloved hand to stroke its golden scales, "Sorry I have not summoned you in such a long time, Eclipse, but you are far too strong for the people I have been fighting against thus far…" he smiled. "Then again, I think that I am going to be able to summon you and Coatlicue more often now."
That is just fine, Lord Okami, said Eclipse, bowing its regal head, Coatlicue and I understand what is going on and that you now need our services. The other summons have yet to be awakened yet, however, do you believe that the other Legendary Warriors are going to join you in your quest to retrieve the other Elemental Stars?
Okami smiled at the golden dragon, "Yoru will not be aiding in this little adventure, he is still safe and sound in Karei Town. Catastrophe and Moloch may not be too happy about that, though. As for the Legendary Warrior of Mercury and Legendary Warrior of Jupiter, I do not know if they even are aware of the dangers that have arisen." He shook his head, "However, they will be warned soon enough, that man said that he planned on lighting the four elemental lighthouses. The Legendary Warriors will know as soon as someone enters their lighthouses. No one has been inside any of the four elemental lighthouses since the Dark Ages when the Elemental Stars were stolen from the lighthouses and the summons where created by the first Legendary Warriors."
Ah, what a wonderful time the Dark Ages were. said Eclipse, thoughtfully, making Okami laugh, You are a lot nicer than my original master, of course, Lord Okami. I am proud to serve under you.
"Thank you, Eclipse."
"Okami!" came a yell from within Vault. Okami spun around to see Ivan and Robin making their way to him, rather awkwardly. Robin was leaning on Ivan with the Air Energist supporting most of his weight. The cross-Energist turned to Eclipse and lifted his arm into the air, letting the dragon take flight.
'I shall summon you as soon as I leave Vault, Eclipse, tell Coatlicue that I may be in need of her services soon as well.' The dragon let out a little roar and disappeared behind a puffy cloud. Okami hurried over to Ivan and Robin before they could reach the town gates, "What are you two doing out here? It was not a very wise idea to let Robin get up and move, Ivan, I am surprised at you."
The Air Energist made a little squeak at this, "I asked Robin to stay but he insisted on coming with me." he said quickly, "Besides, I was more worried about you. Why did you scream?" Okami blinked at Ivan, wondering what he could possibly tell his friend.
"Oh, that?" he asked, grinning nervously, "Well, I had a little trouble with a passing stranger, but he's gone now. I was looking for Lord Hammet when I got out here. He was heading north, I think it was toward Lunpa." Ivan let out a gasp.
"But why would Lord Hammet go there? Someone as rich as him should not even go anywhere near Lunpa!" said Ivan, nearly running around in distress, "Dodonpa would not pass up a chance like that…"
"There is nothing that we can do right now." said Okami, keeping a level head, "There are more important things going on around Weyard that demands our direct attention, besides, I doubt that Dodonpa is going to hurt Lord Hammet. Do you know how much money Lord Hammet has? Dodonpa may be corrupt but he is not a fool, he knows not to pass up a chance like this when someone as rich as Lord Hammet walks into his arms openly."
"I suppose you are right, but I do not know whether to be assured or even more worried about Dodonpa using Lord Hammet to obtain his money," said Ivan weakly. Okami shook his head.
"We cannot worry about that, the thing is that Dodonpa will not harm Lord Hammet as long as he gets what he wants. This gives us time to finish what we have to do and once we are done we can help Lord Hammet if need be." he replied calmly, "Right now we have to get the Shaman Rod from those thieves and then we can leave Vault and go to Mercury Lighthouse."
"What?" asked Robin, straightening up for a moment and then slumping back against Ivan. It seemed that his strength had yet to return, "What…about the Mercury Lighthouse?"
"Mercury Lighthouse is the closest elemental lighthouse to Vault and it would make the most sense since…" the cross-Energist paused for a moment, "since there is only one other lighthouse on this continent and that is in the far south. Venus Lighthouse takes nearly a month to reach a little less if you barely rest, but the monsters there are horrifyingly strong and it would be suicide to travel through there with little rest. There is a large desert, the Suhalla Desert that one must pass to get to the Venus Lighthouse, there are dangerous whirlwinds there that can take you to other islands…" Okami sighed, "That is besides the point, I want to make sure that whoever has taken the Elemental Stars does not even reach Mercury Lighthouse. Allowing them to get that far would be dangerous in itself." Okami turned to Ivan and smiled quickly, "Let's go find the Shaman Rod so we can get out of here and continue with that journey I promised you."
Ivan nodded and glanced up at Robin before turning to Okami again, "And what about Robin? He does not seem in the shape to help us look around town and I have a feeling that the people who have stolen the Shaman Rod will not give it up without a fight." he started in a solemn voice, "I do not wish to have Robin injured further because he was helping us."
"It is my decision," said Robin quickly, "This sounds really important to you and I cannot leave Vault until my friends arrive so I might as well help the two of you. I may not be a Legendary Warrior but I have trained my Psynergy for three years." Okami turned away, trying to hide his smile, "What?"
"Nothing, it is merely that I have been training with my Psynergy since before I was five…" he said, laughing softly, "But I have seen it in your eyes, there is an immense power deep within you and it seems that you have no problem using it as long as you concentrate on it, do you understand that power?" The Earth Energist blinked, closing his eyes for a second.
"Could it possibly be…?" Robin paused as his eyes locked with Okami's. The cross-Energist nodded, turning back to Vault.
"We should hurry and look for the Shaman Rod. Ivan, you and Robin take the west side of town and I shall take the east. If you two find anything, meet me back at the well around noon and I shall be there if I find anything out about the thieves." said Okami. Robin and Ivan nodded to him and the three Energists walked into town, only to part ways once they reached the alley.
-A couple of hours later: a few miles from Vault-
"Gerald, I have one question and one question alone for you and depending on how you answer it, you will either live or I shall make sure that you never have children." said Katana, carrying Amiko on her back. Gerald was walking in front of her, holding Mamoru in his arms, both of the young Earth Energists had fallen asleep a couple of hours after they had started to head travel toward Vault again.
The Fire Energist glanced back at Katana, afraid that she would already attack him, "Y-yes, Katana?" he asked, eye twitching in fright.
"Are we lost?"
"…Well…uh…um…" started Gerald, looking around the landscape wildly, trying to find something that looked even remotely familiar, "Well…"
"Yes, you said that already." snapped Kanata, tapping her foot on the soft ground, "Gerald, do you know where we are or not? I would like an answer today." The Fire Energist turned around to glance back at the cross-Energist, "Well, what are you waiting for, Gerald?"
"I…think we are lost."
"WHAT!?"
-Vault-
Okami lept down from a slender tree right in front of one of the men who had arrived in Vault just a couple of days before him, right when Ivan said that the Shaman Rod was taken. The cross-Energist moved toward the man, his cape flying back as a gust of wind blew across the plane.
The man was looking out at the town, safely hidden behind a group of bushes that grew on the very edge of the cliff. Okami folded his arms over his chest, eyes burning into the back of the man's head, Mind Read. The words passed through Okami with little effort, unlike some other Air Energists, he had very little trouble controlling his air based powers, even though those called for the most concentration since they centered around the power and strength of the brain unlike the other elements where they can use the things around them. Reading someone's mind was a little more complex. It was not as if you read ones mind like a book. No. More like their feelings at that point in time when you search them.
Those two brats that came around here earlier…it seems as if they knew that we were the ones who took those stuff. It looks like they are onto us. We had better leave town as soon as possible.
Okami narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. The man jumped and turned around, "Who the hell are you?" The cross-Energist stood tall, summoning his staff and pointing it at the man's throat.
"Legendary Warrior of Water and Air, sole guardian of the Venus Lighthouse and it looks as if you have gotten yourself into a bit of trouble, hasn't it?" asked Okami, smirking slightly, "Gather your friends and meet me at your hideout at noon, if you want to live. If you do not show up at noon at the place I have given, I will hunt you down like the dogs you are and kill you with my bare hands, savvy?"
The man nodded and in a burst of brilliant blue light, Okami's staff disappeared. He turned away from the man and swept past the tree, walking along the plateau. It was not what he would have called a real fight, but when it was a battle with someone who could yell out in pain and cry for mercy, it was always better than a battle with monsters who could merely unleash guttural moans of pain.
When the young Legendary Warrior reached the well, Robin and Ivan were already there waiting for him. The Earth Energist was starting to look better, but would he be able to last in a battle? The thieves may not look like much, but looks can be deceiving and if they found using tricks…
"Robin, maybe Ivan was right, there is going to be a battle soon-" Ivan interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.
"We found out who took the Shaman Rod and the other items." he said, happily, "It was those three strange men that I was telling you about when you got here. Robin and I cornered two of them in the Inn and I Mind Read one of them and we found out that they are hiding everything somewhere in the Inn."
"We looked everywhere we could," said Robin, leaning back against the edge of the well, "but the stuff is nowhere in sight. I really did not think that looking around in the lobby would be such a good idea with all those people around to watch us, so we have to look around when everyone has gone to bed."
"That will not be necessary," replied Okami, bowing his head, "I know where they are keeping the things that they have stolen, but the thing is… they know that I know. I told the leader, or so I think, that I will fight him in his hideout for the items. However, in your condition, Robin, I think that you fighting would just be a distraction for me and Ivan."
Ivan frowned, turning his head away from Okami. The cross-Energist caught this movement and let out a sigh, "You have to fight sometime, Ivan. Weyard is changing thanks to the eruption of Mt. Aleph, and if the lighthouse beacons are fired, do you really think that the yamis are going to sit around and allow everyone to live peacefully? No, they are going to want to destroy everything in sight until they destroy the whole of Weyard, until nothing is left of anything. Everything will be gone, everything that you seem around you will not even be a memory." Okami's eyes narrowed, "I am sorry to be telling you this, Ivan. I hate it as much as you do, maybe even more because I will be responsible for it, all of it if this happens. Because I know I have the ability to stop it. Are you with me or not, Ivan?"
The Air Energist closed his eyes, thoughts racing through his head faster than he could comprehend. He shook his head once, trying to clear his thoughts and looked up at Okami, "I am with you, Okami."
Okami walked over to Robin, lifting his hands to the Earth Energist, "You seem very determined about helping Ivan out with his quest to retrieve the Shaman Rod. I admire that quality in you, please do not lose it." The cross-Energist waved his hands in front of Robin and the Energist was surrounded by a golden glow. The glow soon died down, leaving Robin to blink the ghosts of faint lights out of his eyes.
"What was that?" he coughed, a little surprised by the sudden glowing lights. Okami smirked, lifting an eyebrow.
"I must say that I am a little surprised, if not disappointed that an Earth Energist would not even recognize a healing spell based on the earth element. I do not often use what little Earth powers that I have received from Venus Lighthouse, but I thought that it would be more befitting of an Earth Energist, don't you?" Robin nodded.
Ivan smiled, clapping his hands together to call attention to himself, "So, where is the hideout, Okami?"
"Follow me."
-Loft-
As the trio enter the hideout, they find a man sitting on the ground with his back to them. His arms are tied together around his back, along with his legs in front and his mouth is gagged, probably so he could not cry out for help. Robin rushes over to the man, pulling out his sword and cutting the ropes that bound the man. He removed the gag and helped him to his feet.
"What were you doing up here?" asked Robin, frowning.
"I came into this loft while I was fixing the roof…" started the man, "But I found I couldn't get all the way to the back of the loft…So I was looking into it when WHAM! Someone whacked me in the head from behind! When I came to, I was all tied up." He looked around the room as Okami stuck out his tongue and rolled his eyes behind the man's back, muttering something about crazy adults not getting enough oxygen, "Strange…I don't remember all these crates being up here before!"
"Maybe all that stolen stuff is in these crates…" mused Ivan, taking a step toward the crates. Okami held out his hand, his sword suddenly appearing in the hand that he held out to stop his friend, "Okami?"
"It seems that we have company, prepare yourself for battle, Ivan."
"It appears that we have been found out!" said a harsh voice as three men appeared through the doorway that they had come through mere moments before. Robin drew his sword once again and stood before Ivan, almost protectively.
"You're pretty persistent for one of Hammet's whelps, kid!" some one of the men, smirking evilly at Ivan.
"Why are you working so hard for Hammet?" asked another, "What's it to you?"
"Anyway, Hammet's already been caught by a worse bunch of thieves than us!"
"…I know, he went to Lunpa…" muttered Ivan.
"Dodonpa is a truly vicious man who has no morals. It seems that he is going to use Hammet for his little…money tree, so to say." said one of men that now stood in a prefect line in front of Robin, Ivan, and Okami. If Okami could just…
A leaf suddenly sprouted out of the side of the wall, making Okami gasp out from the intense concentration it took to summon that amount of his Earth Psynergy.
"See, we're not so bad." continued one of the thieves, unaware of what the cross-Energist was planning on doing, "How about it? Will you let us go?" Robin narrowed his light blue eyes.
"And allow you to continue to steal from other people?" he spat, "I think not. I shall not allow you to leave this town."
"What? You mean, even if we return everything that we stole and apologize, it is still a crime?"
"Do you just think that giving everything back is going to make it all better?" asked Ivan, "That still does not change the fact that you stole the things in the first place? If we do allow you to go free, what would be stopping you from doing this all over again? No, you cannot leave even if you return everything and apologize for the crimes that you have committed." Okami would have contributed something to this, but he was too busy placing his full attention on the task at hand, using a vast amount of the powers he had received during his trips to the Venus Lighthouse.
"You must be joking! We stole this stuff fair and square!"
"We'll just have to keep you quiet!"
"And there's only one way to do that! Get 'em!!!" The three men jumped out at the Energists, just as Robin lifted his sword to block their three attacks, sending them back across the room. Ivan lifted his hands, pinning them against the wall with his Psynergy.
With a quick smirk, Okami waved a slender finger, the side of the building breaking open to reveal a mass of vines winding around the three men, "That was easy." laughed Okami. Ivan fell back onto the ground, his breath a little ragged from the effort of controlling so much Psynergy. Robin knelt down next to him, placing his hand on the Air Energist's shoulder.
"Are you all right, Ivan?" Ivan's cheeks reddened and he nodded.
"After all the trouble we went to, stealing all this
stuff…What the hell are you…?"
"I told you," said Okami, walking over to the man and holding the end
of his staff inches from his face, "I am a Legendary Warrior." The
end of this staff connected with the man's skull, knocking him out, "Never
make me repeat myself twice."
The man who Robin had untied slipped out of the room as Okami slammed his staff into one of the thieves skulls, saying that he was going to bring the mayor back to the loft.
Robin helped Ivan to his feet and the younger teen nodded to him, "If you'll give me Lord Hammet's rod, I shall be heading to Lunpa now." He gripped the Earth Energist's gloved hand before he let go, "What will you be doing, Robin?"
"I have to wait for my friends, but as soon as they arrive in Vault, I suppose that we will have to finish our journey…" Ivan glanced at Okami, who nodded his head. Ivan blinked and turned back to Robin, closing his eyes and whispering two simple words.
Mind Read…
"What are you going to be doing, Okami?" asked Robin, blushing slightly as the Air Energist in front of him read his mind. Okami shrugged his shoulders elegantly as his staff disappeared into the air.
"I am going to go after the Elemental Stars, it is my destiny, but before that, I have to make sure that Ivan remains safe, and after…" Okami smirked, "Ivan is going to accompany me in my quest to return the Elemental Stars to Sol Sanctum, which means…yours paths might cross again, won't it?"
Robin was about to ask Okami what was his real meaning behind that when violet eyes suddenly opened before him, freezing him in place, "I see…" whispered Ivan, "So that is what happened in Mt. Aleph…" Robin's eyes softened as he nodded.
"Yes…"
The man was back now and he had brought the mayor, another man, and the Healer of Vault with him, "These are the thieves, Mayor…" The mayor swept past the man and looked down at the thieves, a little shocked to see what bad condition one of them was in. He glanced back and smirked when he spotted Okami, smiling sweetly.
"I should have guessed when I saw this man's face…" he muttered before turning back to the two conscious thieves, "What you did was horrid. Stealing? In the middle of a disaster!?!"
"Hey, you're the ones who left all your doors open! You were practically begging us to-OUCH!" The man that had come in with them had kicked the thief in the side.
"Sorry…I couldn't help myself…" The Healer shook his head before turning to the mayor.
"What should we do with them?"
"We're going to lock them up for a long, long time."
"Hey, wake up! Let's go-get up! Get up!" yelled the one man, trying to get the thieves off the ground. Okami smiled again, taking a step forward.
"Allow me." He waved his hand and the vines lifted the three men off the ground, a greenish light glittering around the sparkling leaves.
"Hey, you!" one of the thieves called out before the men took them away, "Robin, right? I won't forget this!" Robin narrowed his eyes.
"I would advise you to forget about this if you want to keep your life." he said calmly, "Come after me and I promise that I will kill you without a second thought."
"Take them away!" yelled the mayor, turning to Robin after the three men were dragged out of the loft, "Thank you for catching the thieves! You have our sincerest gratitude."
"Really, you were a big help!"
"Let's take a look at what they stole." The mayor walked past the three Energists and over to the crates. Prying them open, he found an urn in the first one, the one that he had been looking for.
"Mayor, isn't that your family's urn?"
"My precious urn had been returned." he said softly before turning to the next crate and prying that one open, finding a golden statue in this one, "Hey, that belongs in the…They stole from our Sanctum? Those monsters! The town's treasures…They're back at last…"
"Mayor, we found another chest over here, you see?" The mayor walked over to the chest just as Ivan ran over to them, nearly tripping over his feet in his hurry to reach them. The mayor opened the last crate and pulled out a rod. Ivan let out a sigh of relief when he spotted the rod.
"Ivan, isn't this what you were looking for? Now, you can return to Lord Hammet!" the mayor paused, suddenly turning quite serious, "That's right! I heard that Lord Hammet was seen heading toward Lunpa!" Ivan took the Shaman Rod from the mayor and nodded simply.
"I know, Xenos came in and told us that Lord Hammet left already. Okami went out to stop him but he said that he saw him heading for Lunpa. Dodonpa has already kidnapped him, or so we have heard. Lady Layana must be worried sick by now if the news has reached her already."
"Eclipse has just informed me that a messenger left from Lunpa a little before noon, Lady Layana should hear something from one of Dodonpa's men in a weeks time, if not less." said Okami grimly.
"How can we rescue Lord Hammet?" asked Ivan, turning back to look at Okami. The cross-Energist shrugged. There was no point in telling Ivan that he did not want to save Lord Hammet yet, not at all for that matter. He knew that Lord Hammet hated Yoru, and Yoru was the nicest person in the world as long as you did not anger him. Besides, they still had the Elemental Stars to worry about.
"No one can enter Lunpa once the gates are closed." explained the mayor.
"What will happen to Lord Hammet?" he asked, his voice strained with worry.
"Calm down, Ivan." soothed the mayor, "Lord Hammet is probably still alive and unharmed. Dodonpa knows that he can use Hammet to extort a ransom from Karei Town. We can't do much until Dodonpa makes his move, but at least we know Hammet's safe…for now." Robin shook his head, turning to Ivan and patting his shoulder.
"Do not worry, people like Dodonpa would want to keep Lord Hammet alive as long as possible…" he said, hoping this would comfort the young Air Energist, it did seem to calm him down a little bit. The mayor turned to Robin after glancing between him and Ivan.
"Your name is Robin, correct?" Robin nodded.
"Thank you. You have my deepest gratitude. Oh, there are some people at my house who say that they know you. They are waiting in the family room with my wife." Robin blinked as the mayor walked out of the door.
"Took them long enough." he said finally, laughing. Ivan let out a sigh, leaning against his rod now. Robin frowned, "I wish there was something that I could do to cheer you up, Ivan…You look so depressed…"
"I just want to rescue Lord Hammet…that's all…" he whispered, "But I couldn't ask you to help me. You have to get the Elemental Stars, and your friends are waiting for you at the Mayor's house."
"You could ask me to help, you never know what I might say." said Robin, smiling.
"You have a very…important mission, right?" asked Ivan, blushing slightly, "I saw it in your mind. I had no idea that the volcano's eruption held such a secret!"
"Yes, Ivan, but you do understand that I am going to go after the Elemental Stars as well," said Okami softly, "I understand that you want to save Lord Hammet but the safety of everyone in Weyard depends on us retrieving the Elemental Stars before those people get to fire the elemental lighthouse. It is not that I doubt Robin's abilities, however, as a Legendary Warrior it is my sworn duty to protect the Elemental Stars and the elemental lighthouse." Okami paused, "What is the name of Venus…have I been repeating myself?"
Ivan smiled and laughed softly before turning back to Robin, "It seems that I have to go to Lunpa and at least try to rescue Lord Hammet from Dodonpa. I suppose this is good-bye then…"
"No, I said that I was going to help you. I may have helped you rescue that little rod of yours, but from where I stand, it looks like you still are in need of my services."
"No, you have already done so much for me. I couldn't impose on you any further." said Ivan quickly, glancing over at Okami who was taking a couple of steps to the door.
"You really would not be imposing…" said Robin. Ivan shook his head.
"I shall never forget this town's hospitality…I wish you the best, Robin." The Air Energist seemed hesitant to say his real good-byes to Robin.
"Be careful on your journey, Ivan. I hope our paths do cross again."
"As do I, Robin, as do I." Ivan turned to Okami, nodding. The cross-Energist shook his head.
"I have an idea. Since you have to go to Mercury Lighthouse, Robin, you would have to take Goma Cave. The path to Goma Cave is the same one that you take to get to Lunpa, why don't our groups team up this once so that we can all have a little more time together? It seems that you two just do not want to say good-bye, doesn't it?"
Robin and Ivan blushed, "N-now what is that supposed to mean, Okami?" asked Ivan, turning crimson, "I would have expected something like this from Hamako but not you." Okami grinned and walked out of the room, whistling to himself.
Ivan sighed and turned back to look at Robin, offering him a shy smile, "Well, I suppose Okami has decided it for us. Shall we go together then?" Robin smiled back at him.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
-TBC-
A/N: Why? Because if I write any more, I will pass
out while listening to my Coldplay CD and it deserves to be listened to! ^^0
Anyway…I was planning on writing more but that would have taken so long and I
want this up before V-day and I only have an hour left until then, so this is
good enough for right now. Besides, this is more than I had in the last story
and we haven't even left Vault yet, aren't you just so proud of your little
Paddy-chan?
Chronos: I am! Hug! *walks towards Padfoot again*
*kicks Chronos out* Get out of my house now. *sighs* I'll get to writing the third chapter on Sunday or Monday, but my friend is having a b-day party…so I dunno. I want to go, but…busy, busy, busy. I hope everyone liked this, and I am sorry that it wasn't as longs as I had planned. Gomen ne. Next one will be longer. I promise by…Balmung of the Azure Sky, descendant of Fianna, Mr. stick up his arse!
Balmung: I hate you…
^^ Until next time, Alex is a whore!
Alex: I hate you too…
If I hurt you, I never meant those words I said…
I love you more than you can ever imagine
And all I want right now is to be in your arms
Protected by your golden light…
Forever in your arms…
Just like that first, sweet night…
~Padfoot-chan