Sato and Ai walked into the Kingdom which much to their surprise looked exactly the same. Sato looked around dumbfounded, "Um, Ai. Are you sure we''re in the right place? ''Cause Miriea Kingdom doesn''t look any different at all."


    Ai watched the citizens go about their everyday lives, talking and playing before answering. "Yeah, I''m pretty sure Kaoru has taken over all seven Kingdoms. Although how he changed this one is beyond me."


    The two walk into the castle where grave mood fills the room. King Goro was sitting on his throne with Mizuki standing next to him. "Sato and Ai of the Heroic Four." The King begins solemnly. "Come, we have important matters to discuss.


    "Like what?" Sato felt a little uneasy as he walked over to the King. It was unusual to see King Goro in such a serious mood.


    King Goro rubbed his chin. "You see, I agreed to let Kaoru take over my Kingdom as long as he left the people in the dark about it. But the one condition he had for me was to kill you."


    Sato jumped back immediately getting into a fighting stance. But Goro just waved his hand aside. "Don''t worry. I''m not actually gonna listen to that bastard."


    Sato sighed relieved, "But what if he finds out?" He''ll turn your Kingdom into some tyrannical mess and throw you in a dungeon."


    Goro nodded, "Yes I know. Which is why we must band together to defeat him."


    "Right." Sato agreed. "So where is he?"


    "Usually at this time of day, he goes to the shore." King Goro informed him.


    "We should probably get going." Mizuki spoke up. "He won''t be staying there for too much longer."


    Sato had spaced out as he felt the golden key in his pockets. I wonder which key this Kaoru has. Come to think of it, I still have no idea how this one works."


    "Sato, are you ready?" Ai''s voice broke into the teenager''s mind.


    "Um, yeah." He responded as he slowly came out of his daze.


    Sato, Ai, Mizuki, and Goro all raced out of the castle. They eventually reached the shoreline where Kaoru''s back was facing them. Sato grunted, "Kaoru."


    Kaoru chuckled as he turned towards the four. He held a golden key in his hand. "What''s the matter, Sato? Still mad about before? You should be grateful, I left her alive!"


    Sato was ready to charge but King Goro stooped him before he could, placing his large hand over Sato''s shoulder. The King shook his head. "Rushing head in is not a bright idea."


    "You''re right." Sato muttered.


    "It is if you want to know where your friends, Sakura and Arashi are." Kaoru tempted him.


    Apparently the temptation worked because Sato charged straight for Kaoru. "Bastard! Where the hell are they?!"


    Kaoru grinned madly, "You''ll have to beat me first." The dark haired man turned the key in his hand. "I open my contract with the Spirit of Water!"


    The water behind Kaoru formed into dangerously sharp knives. They all dived straight for Sato. "SO that''s how you use i."Sato thought as he carefully dodged the liquid knives. He winced as one of them struck him ripping thorough his shoulder. Blood shout out from the area where Sato had been wounded.


    Sato placed his hand over the wound. "I didn''t know water could be so dangerous."This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    King Goro bursted out laughing. "Why of course it is my boy! Plus it''s good for your body!" Sato smiled at this. He was glad the King was back to his usual self.


    "Now let me show you the true power of water, Kaoru!" A veil of water began to surround Goro as he dashed across the sand for Kaoru. He swung his watery claw at the villain, knocking him into the air.


    Kaoru laughed in mid-air as his back arched over. "Please, your water is impressive, I''ll give you that much. But are you forgetting whose power I possess?" A geyser of water saved Kaoru from falling. He jumped off the geyser and grinned wildly, "I have the Spirit of Water on my side!" Kaoru threw up his arms as if to command the water. The liquid in the ocean began to surge.


    Ai got caught in the water; it began to drift her into the ocean. "Help!" She shrieked


    Sato grunted a she felt through his pocket. "I guess I''m gonna have to use this after all." He took out his own golden key. Sato turned the key the way Kaoru had done previously, as if he was opening a lock. "I open my contract with the Spirit of Wind!"


    A strong gust of wind begins to surround Sato as dust begins blowing up. "Ai, I''m coming!" Sato shoots up into the sky. He soared through the air until he was above Ai as she continued travelling downstream.


    "Help!" She shouted again.


    An air current suddenly began to pick her up. It carried her all they across the water back to the shore. She noticed Sato was the one steering the wind. "He figured out how to use the Sacred Key."


    Sato hovered in front of Kaoru. "Kaoru, I''m gonna kick your ass." Sato released gust of wind from the palm of his hand blowing Kaoru back, knocking him into the water.


    Kaoru began controlling the ocean again as the water began to surge. Sato inhaled deeply then before the attack hit he deflected the water back towards Kaoru. The teen rushed across the water, jumping into the air at the last second before bringing his leg around to kick Kaoru in the mid-section, slamming the dark haired man into the water. This caused an eruption which overflowed onto the land where Ai was standing. The key fell out of Kaoru''s hand as he began to vanish.


    The golden key spun through the air until it landed in Ai''s hands as the wave crashed onto her. Suddenly the white haired girl was underwater. But it had a sort of magical feel to it. Many sea-creatures swam through the sea peacefully. She could hear the sound of a waterfall just above her. "Where am I?" The young Magic Bakemono wondered.


    A whirlpool began to form in front of Ai as a woman who appeared to be made out of liquid vapor came out from it. "You''re in my realm, the Realm of Water. Princess Ai of Sihalia.


    "Oh, so then you must be. The Spirit of Water." Ai guessed.


    The woman nodded, "Yes, I am indeed. So I sense you have not signed the contract yet. Do you wish to?" The Water Sprit asked emotionlessly.


    "Um." Ai hesitated. "You see, the thing is, I''m not really much of a fighter yet."


    "No worries. The water shall guide you." The woman informed her.


    Ai looked up at the Water Spirit. "Okay, so what are the rules of the contract?


    "Rule number one." The Water Sprit began. Never forget how dangerous water can be. Rule number two. Always think of the water as your friend, never your enemy. Rule number three, stay calm while using the power of water."


    Ai nodded, "I swear I will follow all the rules of the Water."


    "Good." The woman said plainly as she disappeared into the sea.


    Ai blinked her eyes open as Sato, Goro, and Mizuki were staring at her."


    "Hello, earth to Ai." Mizuki waved her hand in front of Ai''s face.


    "Sorry everyone. I sort of spaced out for a second." Ai told everyone. "I was in the Realm of Water."


    "The Realm of Water? What''s that? Sato wondered.


    AI sighed, "For someone who mad a contract with the Spirit of Wind, you''re surprisingly uniformed Sato."


    "Allow me to explain." Goro began. "You see as with the seven sacred keys, each element has its own realms in Spirit in which guards said realms. In case you didn''t know, the elements are Wind, Water, Earth, Fire, Strength, Speed, and Yin/Yang." The King explained. "So the Realm of Water is obviously where the Spirit of Water resides. And considering Ai has that element''s key in her hand, I assume she''s mad a contracts."


    "So Ai, you can use the Spirit of Water''s powers now?" Sato asked her.


    Ai nodded, "Yep, that''s how it works. As long as I don''t break any of the rules in the contract, that is."


    Goro laughed, "Yes, exactly. Otherwise you''ll get sent to Water Prison."


    Mizuki sighed, "Dad is everything a joke to you?"


    The King expression quickly became serious again. "Actually, there are some important matters I must discuss with Sato alone. Can you and Ai go back inside the castle for a while?"


    Mizuki nodded, "Uh, sure." She and Ai headed back into the castle."


    King Goro turned back to Sato. "King Akio didn''t want the new generation knowing about this until the time was right. Sato, you''re not who you think you are."


    Sato looked very concern, "What do you mean King Goro?"


    "You have Darkness locked in your soul. You must be very wary of this power."


    "I still don''t understand. How or why do I have this Darkness inside of me?"


    King Goro shook his head, "I wasn''t there. Only King Akio, Ryo and the King of Gloria know. However since only one of them is even still alive, I''d suggest you travel to Gloria next for more information. Kaoru should also be there as well.