Leo had to shut Vicky out. Her anguish, fear and sadness was too much for him to bear. But it had to be done. If he wanted to save everything he held dear, he had no choice.

"Do you not wish to learn more of what I will give you?" Amaterasu asked slightly surprised at his quick agreement.

"Tell me later." He replied quietly. "The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can all accept it." He closed his eyes as a particularly strong wave from Vicky hit against him. "As it is, I'm having a hard time keeping my resolve up."

Her eyes flickered over to Vicky a moment and nodded in understanding. "Very well." She turned to the other gods. "Is all in readiness?"

The blue clad one spoke up for the first time. "It is Amaterasu."

"Then let us begin Watatsumi."

He gave a curt nod and approached Leo. His face a combination of determination and a hint of awe. "Never before have I seen one such as you. I must admit, I am not so sure I share Kagu-tsuchi's disdain for you."

Leo raised an eyeridge at him. "But not sure enough to keep from ripping me from my family after all is said and done."

He fliched a little at that. Good, at least he felt guilty about it. Leo wanted him to feel guilty about it. It was a shitty deal over all. "I understand why Amaterasu chose you. You do have a noble spirit, even I can see that. But mortals lately have corrupted themselves with any power given to them. So much war and strife fill this planet because of it. It is a valid concern of ours."

"So you just decide to throw us right into the same boat as the rest of them. Regardless that we have fought against some of those corrupt mortals. Fought against some of the worse of them. But hey, to you we are all the same." Leo shook his head. "Just get this over with. And I want you to firmly remember, I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this for my family you plan on tearing apart and for countless others who don't even deserve to die. I don't give a damn what you think of me, god of the sea."

"You know of me?"

"Japanese lore used to be a hobby of mine, your name pops up in it. To bad I spent my time reading up on things that I see now didn't even deserve my attention."

Watatsumi flinched again, then let out a small sigh as the first hints of doubt began to flicker on his face.

Their conversation was cut off by the fact the goddess began to glow a soft white light. As she did, Leo felt movement from his pouch and his sapphire lifted to float in front of him, even as the same happened to his brother's gems. "Sprits! Come forth!" Her voice commanded and the four bowls in the corners of the room began to shake as soon as those words left her lips.

Then, to the shock of everyone here who wasn't a god, the element that was found in each bowl began to rise up into a column before those strands lowered themselves to the floor and seemed to snake their way across the floor like large serpents. Fire made it's way to Raph, even as a small wind tunnel approached Mikey, who was staring back at it with curiosity. The pillar of earth traveled to Donnie, who looked at it as if he was trying to figure out what was holding it together as it did.

Leo was the destination of the water pillar and as it drew closer, he could make out what appeared to be yellows eyes that calmly studied him as it approached. He also noticed that it wasn't quite snakelike after all, just a long snakelike body that was being supported by four legs.

It wrapped it's body around him in a few loose coils before the large head came to a stop in front of Leo's. "You and your brothers are indeed worthy." A strange voice sounded from it, quietly filling the space in front of Leo's head. "It will be an honor to aid you in what is to come. Do not fear me, for I mean neither you, nor your family any harm. I am Mizuchi."

"A river spirit, with a bad reputation."

"At one time, yes." Came the amused acknowledgement. "But no more. I freely follow Amaterasu now and protect the lives I have once poisoned. And have found my life filled with a greater sense of purpose now that I do so."

Leo just nodded at him. Not the first time he's dealt with bad guys who had a change of heart.

"I must merge your life force with these spirits, to better prepare your bodies to receive the gift. Do not be alarmed at what transpires for it will seem strange to you, and there will be some discomfort."

"Oh thanks lady." Raph grumbled at her. "That's really assuring to know."

She didn't answer as her glow brightened, then four beams shot from her upheld hand and hit each gem, passed through them and split again. Connecting each turtle and each spirit to the gem. Then another connected between Leo and Mizuchi, who just calmly watched and waited.

Leo closed his eyes and shuddered violently at the sense of intrusion that seemed to wash over him. He instinctively tried to push it back out again.

'Calm yourself waterwalker.' Mizuchi's voice echoed in his head now. 'It is I who enters your material form. It is a necessary step, but I will not permanently reside here. I am merely opening the door for the power to flow into you that will come soon. And to do that, I need to take a part of you with me.'

Leo had to fight down those instincts very hard to allow the spirit entry into his body, and he was shaking from the effort of it. But true to his word, the spirit didn't stay. But he did feel a piece of him go with the spirit as he withdrew again, and felt that smaller piece merge completely with Mizuchi before the gem in front of him began to glow brightly on it's own.

"It is done mistress." The fire coils around Raph told Amaterasu.

"I understand Futsu, then we may proceed to the next step. Gods of the elements, now is the time for your part of the task. Brace yourselves champions, this will be more than discomfort."

The gods didn't answer, but instead reached out to the gems and held them as they still floated. As soon as Watatsumi's fingers closed around it, a large column of water reached upwards from that hand. Amaterasu reached out with her other hand that wasn't holding out those beams of light and pushed the tops of those columns together. The result from that was a bright flash that made everyone watching cover their eyes. And in them doing so missed the fifth set of coils that formed at the connection point. This one made out of pure light as it glowed brightly in the room.

The head of those shining coils looked calmly at each turtle before turning it's head to Amaterasu, who just smiled and nodded back at it. It nodded in return and pulled the columns from the gods into it, seeming to fuse them with it's own power before they shot back out again, and into the chest of each turtle.

Leo bit back the scream of pain as the now glowing water surged into him. His fists clenched tight enough to cause his whole arm to shake as the agony rippled throughout his body. His teeth ground down hard enough that he was sure a few of them would break from the strain. Then just as sudden as the pain hit, it was gone. He opened eyes he didn't know he had even closed as his struggled to calm his breathing down. It took him a few moments to notice that all the magical lights had dimmed and the cavern seemed so dark to him now despite the numerous torches.

Mizuchi had also tightened his coils to where he was supporting the shaken turtle up, otherwise Leo was sure he'd find himself on the floor. "It is done now. The pain is past waterwalker."

Watatsumi walked closer and handed Leo's trembling hand the sapphire. "This is the vessel that will house the spirit, he will now forever be by your side. Do not let your companion or any of your children touch it, for they are not allowed. Only the elemental walkers and the gods binded to them may handle the gems. But, the other walkers may hold yours and you theirs. This may be needed if the event should arise that our presence is required and one of you can not summon us."

"Oh? Don't trust us so we need a leash?"

"No, that is not the reason regardless of what you think of us. Even this power has limitations, and if you push past them you will drain your life force. We can activate the gem to reach the portion of you locked inside to infuse it back into you to sustain you. This was Amaterasu's amendment for us placing restrictions and terms on you." He looked at Leo a little sadly. "Once we would have given this without any restrictions, but humanity in general is losing our trust to do so now. Even for you and your kin."

"Foolish restrictions." Mizuchi growled out. "And idiotic terms. One wonders if it is the lack of trust in humanity, or the lack of humanity that is rapidly growing in the gods."

Watatsumi didn't answer, but quietly stepped away to join the other gods in the center of the room again.

"Leo?"

He turned his head to see Vicky walking carefully towards him, eyeing the talking column of water warily.

Mizuchi tilted his head curiously at her approach. "Come closer, water companion. I shall not harm you."

She looked wide eyed at the spirit, but did come closer. Mizuchi even lowered his supporting coils enough to where she could reach out to Leo, tentatively taking his hand in hers. Leo smiled a little at her expression even as his hand firmly wrapped around hers. "He is a bit to take in, isn't he?"

She just dumbly nodded, but her other hand reached out towards that head, and Mizuchi lowered it. Vicky's palm rested on that long snout like structure and her eyes filled with wonder as it didn't slip inside that watery shape, but rested firmly on it. She looked at Leo in confusion and he shrugged, not sure what to tell her.

Mizuchi gave out a rumbling chuckling noise at her befuddled look. "I can make my form as solid or as fluid as I wish. Getting you both wet would serve no purpose at the moment, so I wish it solid."

Finally she let out a warm smile. A welcome sight on her tear streaked face. "You seem nice enough. I think I like you."

"That would be a good thing, for your companion is now bound with me."

"At least...he'll have someone to watch over him when...when..." She couldn't finish that thought as fresh tears welled up in her eyes.

Leo quickly pulled her over those water coils and into his arms. His eyes closed as he tried to fight back his own emotions.

Neither one of them saw Mizuchi's eyes narrow in anger before he looked at the other spirits. He met three sets of yellow eyes that were echoing his own thoughts at that moment. They were all in agreement. This was not right.

Before any of them could bring the subject up however, Amaterasu spoke again in a weary voice. "Unicron thrives on chaos, as does his heralds. We have given you the power of balance to combat it. The balance of the elements, a life giving force. For without these elements working together, the fire that molds the rocks and earth, the waters to cool it and sustain the organisms that grow and the winds to spread the seeds to barren lands, life would not be possible here. You four share that same balance in your group, and this is why you have been chosen."

"Does that mean I have wind powers!" Mikey excitedly asked, then held out his hand. "Blow!" He looked disappointed when nothing happened.

Amaterasu actually laughed. "That is not how to bring it forth windwalker. You carry the power now inside you, but you must undergo a critical step to reach it."

"I think it's time you filled us in then." Donnie told her. "Because it's not going to do us much good if we have them but can't use them."

She only had time to nod her agreement before the whole cavern began to shake, violently. The gold molding along the wall began to crack and break away in pieces as those tremors picked up.

Amaterasu spun to the brown clad god, her eyes furious. "Nai-No-Kami! This is not the time!"

"It is not I Amaterasu! Another outside forces the earth to quake!"

Immediately she adjusted her focus from him to the group gathered in the room. "Quickly! All of you must leave! This cavern is no longer safe!"

"But...what about-" Mikey tried to ask.

"You will find out soon enough windwalker, but I do not have the time to teach you. Not anymore. Go now!"

Leo was already pulling Vicky out of the protective coils of the spirit, but before he could run out of the room he found his way blocked by that watery tail as Mizuchi again brought his head around to face him. "When the time comes, reach deep inside of yourself. When the need is great enough, you will know what to do." Then his watery form turned into mist before it flowed into the gem Leo still held in his hand.

Leo had just enough time to tuck it back into his pouch before he once again began dragging Vicky out of the cavern and out towards whatever was trying to bring the roof down on their heads. The growl of anger that came from his throat was far deeper than anything he had ever sounded out before, but it was lost in the general commotion going on around him. Mizuchi, now tucked away in that tiny gem, heard it however and his long snout sported a knowing grin. No, it wouldn't take them long at all. This group would learn very quickly. Oh yes, they were in deed worthy. Amaterasu had placed her trust in the right ones, he was confident of that.