Leo sat, his eyes closed, the back of his hands on his knees and the tips of his thumb and finger gently touching as he let out a calm breath, then took in another. The rustle of the indoor fountain sitting next to his meditation area soothing him along with the eucalyptus scented candles lit in the darkened room. His wife was enjoying her own bath and the twins were both sleeping on the king sized bed, and his mind was free to wander his inner depths as all was quiet around him.

He hadn't been able to meditate much while on the road, and this was the first time since he had gotten his powers that he had been able to do so. He still knew so little about everything that was going on, still didn't fully understand what had been given to him, but he knew it was there and tried this way to explore it further. He didn't know what to expect and was completely surprised when he sensed wry amusement in a quiet corner of himself that now housed that inner dragon.

'Mizuchi?'

'I see you have found a way to reach me.' Mizuchi's voice echoed quietly in his head. 'I had wondered how long it would take you.'

'Well, I do apologize for making you wait but I didn't even know you were there in my head.'

'You misunderstand waterwalker. I do not reside inside you, as I have told you before I will not do that, but we do share a link through the gem itself. It is through that doorway that I reach out to you now.'

'I'll just take your word for it.'

'You seem troubled.'

'I am.'

'What disturbs you?'

'Everything still I guess. I still don't understand the full potential. I know what we were given will be, already is, a powerful tool. But I can't help but feel that there is more to it. Something that Amaterasu hasn't had the chance to explain to us yet.'

'But that is not all, is it?'

'No, it's not. I freely sacrifice what I must to do this, I have made that very clear. But now my family is in danger, and their lives I will not risk.'

'Not even for the sake of the world?'

It hung there between them a moment before Leo let out a frustrated sigh. 'Why do you all demand so much of us? Isn't what we agreed to enough? Must my family also suffer?'

'Calm yourself waterwalker. I was merely trying to determine the depth of your devotion. I have no intention of letting your loved ones come to harm. I understand that your will will be weakened if that comes to pass, and they have done nothing to deserve that fate. Most gods may be indifferent to the concerns of mortals, but the spirits see things in a different way. What has happened to force these worries upon you?'

'You don't already know?' Leo was a little shocked over that.

'No waterwalker. I may be connected to you, but that does not mean I see everything you do. When you are in your normal form my eyes are closed to your world, only when you take the form of the dragon can I see clearly. The spirit realm is my home, not here. There I can keep with events as they unfold, here I need the guidance of you or Amaterasu.'

Suddenly Leo understood something that had been troubling him since that first change. 'It's you that is blocking Vicky out...'

'Indeed. And I do so for her safety, not out of spite. It is your mind and body I have connected with to help you absorb the power given to you. She has no such protection. If she were to enter your mind when you are in that form, the power would flow across that bond and overwhelm her. I do not wish to see that happen, because the result will be her death.'

Leo swallowed real hard at that revelation. There was definitely more to this than he at first thought. 'I...understand. I don't like it, but I understand. That isn't the only thing though. There has been something set against my family. My children and nephew have already been attacked once and there are implications that it will happen again. They can't fight it. But what ever is guiding it fled with it when I arrived. This is what worries me, if we leave them to fight the heralds...'

'Then they might come under attack again. I see the dilemma.' Leo clearly felt the anger coming from the spirit as he thought that over. 'This is not right, but it is how the agents of chaos operate.'

'But..what can I do...'

'You will not like this answer waterwalker, but there is nothing you can do.'

Leo immediately bristled. That was an answer he was not going to accept.

'So quick to anger over an answer I have not finished giving.' Now he felt that wry amusement again. 'Your task has already been laid out in front of you. But that does not mean others haven't taken on their own tasks. It has been long in knowing that you care deeply for those around you and it has been seen too. I have been sworn not to reveal all to you, but you must trust in me when I say that when the time comes the answers you seek will become clear.'

'Must you be so cryptic?'

'Unfortunately...yes. Let me explain on why. You already know the limitations placed on you by untrusting gods. These same gods have forced certain coercions out of myself and my kin also. We are forbidden to reach out to contact you, out of fear that we may guide you towards the destruction of mankind or some such nonsense.' The sarcasm in his voice was very hard to overlook.

'But you are talking to me now.'

'Because you sought me out waterwalker. That they did not think of, along with other things. Shortsighted fools.'

Leo bit his tongue trying not to laugh. It seems that he wasn't the only one with a low opinion of the gods that helped Amaterasu.

'But it restricts me enough to where I cannot reveal all. I do not wish to clue in the gods that we do have contact despite their efforts to hinder it. We must act as if you only know what was revealed to you by the goddess in the cave or they will try and sever this form of communication. Anything I do tell you is something you will eventually figure out on your own, it just saves time if I guide your thinking in the right direction beforehand.'

'I really don't like being led around by the nose.'

"Nor do I like doing so. It breeds mistrust where it is not wanted. But you have my word of honor that I will do everything I can to help you, and so shall my kin.'

'I appreciate that.'

'I know.'

'I do have a question though. You said my worries about my family have been seen too, but yet the children were on their own.'

'They were not. Were you and your brothers not near?'

'Yes, we were.'

'Then that was all that was needed.'

'Are you serious? Do you have any idea what could have happened to them if I didn't show up?!'

'But you did show and foiled that attempt. Again, I cannot reveal more on the matter. I told you you would not like the answer, but it is all I can give.'

'You have got to be kidding me...'

'I did not make these foolish rules waterwalker, do not blame me.'

'Fine...' Leo was getting a damn headache from all this bullshit.

'One more thing. This from Amaterasu personally. She somehow sensed that you would be able to find a way around this restriction at least and wanted me to pass on a few words of hers to you.'

'And that is?'

'You are correct. There is more to what was given to you. Again, I cannot fully divulge the secret, I can just guide you on the path to unlock it.'

Leo sighed. More riddles. 'I'm listening.'

'You do understand that it is the essence of elemental balance that has been given to you, correct?'

'Yes. I do understand that. She told us that it reflects what is in us.'

'Indeed it does. You are very well matched with your elements. Do not let the might of the dragons force you into forgetting how you have overcome all the other obstacles you faced. Fight as dragons as you would fight as normal mortals.'

'What? You want us to fight as turtles? I...don't understand...'

'You will when the time comes you silly thing. And that is not what I said. I did not say revert to your true form, I said fight the same way you would in those forms. And when you do the full might of your power will be revealed.'

'I thought it already was...'

Mizuchi actually laughed in amusement. 'Not quite.'

That revelation actually stunned Leo into silence. What more could there possibly be to this? Wasn't the dragons and the abilities to control the elements enough? Apparently not. And that had him wondering again just what exactly were they facing.

'Something that no other has yet been able to defeat. You and your brothers are not the first to recieve this power waterwalker. Many before you have held the power on worlds you do not even know about, and never will due to their destruction. But you are different. You have something the other champions did not have.'

'I'm scared to ask what it is.'

'As if you do not already know. The answer is known to you, it just has been buried deep inside as your family grew. But the original core remains just as strong as it did that first time you rose up from the depths below and started your war against those who wish innocents harm. Where the other champions have faced this threat alone, you have the core of brotherhood at your center. This gives Amaterasu hope that you will succeed where the others have failed.'

'But also puts a great burden on our shoulders.'

'That I do not disagree with. The task will be far from easy.'

'But easier now that I understand it a bit better...somewhat. I still wish we didn't have to tiptoe around every damn topic.'

Mizuchi chuckled in reply. 'Trust me waterwalker, the gods are not as clever as they seem to think they are. There are ways around all restrictions if the game is played right.'

Leo just sighed. He was tired of games all together. 'Will you always be available if I need you?'

'Only when you silence your mind as you have done now. Otherwise I will have to come to you, and this breaks the agreement. But know that if you do have a quiet moment, I shall be waiting.' Mizuchi grew quiet then and Leo knew the conversation was over.

When he opened his eyes again he found Vicky standing in front of him now clean, in frsh clothes and her damp hair surrounding her face, watching quietly. "You closed the door on me. I thought Ratchet came in here to try and take the twins and you went dragon on him or something."

He smiled at her. "No dear one. There would have been roars and fires and half the building collapsing on your head if that's what happened."

"Smartass."

He shrugged. "We all have our Mikey moments."

"So what were you doing then?"

Leo grew quiet a moment as he quickly thought over the conversation he just had. "Getting some advice." He finally answered.

"I don't suppose you feel like telling me from who."

"I don't think I should, not right now anyway."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, did you at least get something useful out of it?"

"Yes...and no." He sighed as he stood up then went to take the brush from her hand. He did it so often that he didn't even think about it anymore as he began to work it through her hair. "I know I'm going to have to leave all of you to do what needs to be done, there is no way around that."

"What about that...thing?" She asked, her anger quickly riseing. And for good reason. "How are we supposed to fight that off?"

He shook his head, not sure what to tell her. Because he didn't even know the clear answer to that. But he did trust the spirit, he just wished that these damn gods didn't play this stupid fucking game. It made everything so much harder to deal with for everyone.