Author's Note:
This is a sequel to Angelic Embrace. I thought about doing it, but I didn't until someone told me they thought a sequel was possible. You will really want to read the first one to find out what's going on.
As we all know the names of the Senshi, there's no need to go there, except to say that I use the Japanese names.
For a review, I'll list the names of the Shitennou:
Keagan Kris MacNeal (Kunzite)
Nick Michael Canter (Nephrite)
Jace Daniel Taencer (Jadeite)
Zale James Indiano (Zoisite)
You can contact me at Guardian4@atlantic.net.
I guess I should mention this, in case it gets confusing about how long it has been since the epilogue of Angelic Embrace. It's been six to seven months, not another year and a half.
The Last Journey
Chapter 3: Last Ninja
She willed her wings into existence. Due to the cumbersome way of sitting with them, they had learned to summon when they were or were not on her Senshi uniform. Leaping high into the air, she surveyed the ruins in rage, looking for the one thing that she wanted to destroy above all else.
Screaming a war cry, she dove, spotting the man hurrying for safety.
"Final BURST!"
The attack more concentrated than she had ever made it, the ball of fire that surrounded her flew down to the scurrying figure away from her terrifying wrath…
Rei sat up, soaked with sweat. A worse nightmare than this she had never had before. Her psychic sense was screaming at her, like a choir of church bells on a Sunday morning.
Jace's arm came up and pulled her back down next to her. As her head touched the pillow, she noticed that he hadn't even opened his eyes or moved any other muscle. "Go to sleep. Tell us in the morning."
"But…I'm worried."
"I thought you would have been tired out by now."
She blushed. "Jace!"
He smiled and finally his eyelids lifted with decidedly wicked gleam. "If you energy to worry, then it should be put to better use."
His lips descended on hers, distracting her until he was settled over top of her. She forgot her worries for the next few subsequent hours.
"Be on your guard then," Kunzite told them seriously after hearing about Rei's alarming premonition.
"Don't we always?" quipped Jace, but this time he was more than half serious.
"Be more so," Venus nearly snapped at him. "This is not the time for joking around."
The group surrounded the monarchs and headed out of the hotel. Their wary eyes didn't spot any would be assassins on the way to the limousine nor on the way into the building. But Venus' nerves were taunt with tension and anxiety. There would be no changing between Senshi and Shitennou. All around protection was the only thing she would afford.
The sight of them so protective aroused the interest and suspicions of the other agents. One approached her as other presidents were arriving. By a possible fluke, it was one of the US president's own. (Another fluke that Serenity and Endymion had gotten to the building early? Venus wasn't entirely sure it was in Serenity's genes to be able to wake up early, but there they were nonetheless).
"A reason for over-precaution?"
She barely gave him a glance. "Mars is psychic; she had a premonition last night. While nothing may happen, I prefer to be on guard."
"Is Mars…?"
"She's my second-in-command and yes, she is an authentic psychic. One does not have to have the gift to know who does."
"Would you recommend the other agents to be on guard as well?" he asked, deadly serious.
Venus hesitated slightly and glanced at Kunzite. Her husband just barely nodded, but it was enough to let her know what he thought was proper. "Yes, I would recommend it. While the premonition specifically detailed about Serenity and Endymion, it gave no real information before or during the actual assassination. I would be on guard, if you will trust a protector with stranger powers than you can ever imagine."
"And with stranger dress too," he joked, laughing at his own witticism.
She was not amused.
"While you may jibe at what I wear, it will provide more protection than what you're wearing."
Looking properly affronted and abashed, he moved away to let his companions know.
"Nice rebuttal, Venus," Zoisite approved. "Correct too, come to think of that."
Not much happened; which did nothing to reassure the ever vigilant commander. If anything, it worried her further. She was jumpy that when Kunzite touched her arm, she nearly punched him. Since the discussions were well underway, it was just as well she managed to contain her nerves by the barest of margins.
"Relax a little. You're so uptight that if something were to happen, you won't be able to act," he whispered in her ear.
His voice managed to calm her a little. "You're right, but I can't help it."
A man shifted to her right just as she spoke and her eyes narrowed when she didn't recognize him. He had black hair and an open face. She had no reason to suspect the normally forgettable man, but that was the reason she suspected him. Not once, not even in the Silver Millennium had she ever believed in coincidences. And she didn't believe that he was harmless.
"You see that man, Kunzite?"
"The black haired one?" he responded, never looking at him.
"Yeah. You suspect him too?"
"Absolutely."
The circular room the dignitaries were in threatened to overwhelm her as she thought about how much room she would need to get off one of her attacks. There was no way she would be able physically reach him in time if he chose to attack. A bullet was just as effective as a magical bombardment. More dangerous even, for them anyway.
It wasn't a particularly large room. Windows were set at strategic intervals, one being straight opposite of her. Two were already open, as the day was turning out to be as hot as yesterday. The long bow at her back waved in the nonexistent breeze as she shifted her weight. The star on her choker glinted in the unbearably bright sunlight.
She was so preoccupied with her thoughts she almost didn't move fast enough.
The bullet whined toward Endymion's chest as another headed for his wife's. Jadeite, who happened to be closest to the King, jumped in front and braced himself for the impact of the small but lethal shot. Mars, with an instant thought her white but slightly reddish tinted wings appearing, covered her friend, her back toward the oncoming threat.
Both bullets pinged harmlessly off the armor of Jadeite and the other off of Mars' protective wings.
While that was happening, Venus had lost no time setting off an attack of her own. She only hoped it would avoid hitting any innocent bystanders.
"Star Children!"
She managed to twirl once and concentrate the beams into one massive strike, the stars floating around it in a deadly spiral pattern. The man didn't move, only stared in horror and disbelief at what was heading his way. She could see in his eyes that he had never imagined anything like this ever existed.
There was not even a smote of dust left once the attack had finished. Admittedly, she admitted that perhaps it had too much power in it, but the adrenaline had only added more than she needed. Her anxiety, her fear…their powers fed on their emotions. She was only glad that she had not called on her Silver Dragon. It would have probably destroyed the entire building, feeding off her feelings. It had been a miracle she had had enough control to change her area-effect attack into a single massive beam.
The Prime Minister of England lifted his head slightly and looked behind him, where the man had hidden. His eyes round with fear, he turned and stared at her. Silence filled the room.
Mars straightened, seeing the threat gone and folded her wings. Only then did she notice that Jupiter and Mercury had protected Serenity as well, their wings spread to the limits. It was an added point that Mercury had found out they were impervious to most things and they made an effective shell. Though as Serenity pointed out constantly, one drawback: it could only hold it up for so long against a strong on slot of attack.
Jadeite looked to have no harm come to him, but he had been joined by Nephrite and Zoisite. Kunzite was just putting his throwing dagger away when she turned to him.
"What the hell—?" interrupted the President of the United States shakily.
"That, my dear president," answered Zoisite acidly, "is why we are quite able to take care of our country against any siege or war. We are from a time long ago when magic did flourish. When we were born, we were lucky enough to be bestowed with that power again to protect Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion."
"Do all people in Crystal Tokyo have magic?" demanded the Prime Minister of France, obviously wondering if he should be concerned about an invasion by the 'magical' people.
"No. Only Neo Queen Serenity, King Endymion, the Senshi and the Shitennou have magic," responded Mercury quietly.
"I think we need to conclude today's discussion," Kunzite said at large, with a worried glance at his monarchs, who did not seem to have recovered from the attempted assassination.
A few other dignitaries obviously hadn't either and an all around agreement swept the room.
"Are you sure you two are all right?" Jupiter asked for the third time.
Endymion gave her a weak smile. "We're fine." Slowly he closed the bedroom door.
"I don't believe you," she responded, but quietly. In another moment she had joined them in the main room.
"Congratulations, everyone," Kunzite murmured, leaning back in his chair. "We acted perfectly in a crisis."
But no one felt like celebrating, least of all Venus.
"Well, we may have, but Endymion and Serenity certainly didn't," responded Jadeite, voicing everyone's concern.
"I thought they were in shock for a moment myself," admitted Nephrite. "I worried they had been injured, they didn't move for so long. Endymion's in a better state than Serenity, but not by much."
"I think the fact that there was an assassination on them is what did it," Mercury finally said. "It's just so implausible back at Crystal Tokyo and it never happened in the Silver Millennium. Neither was prepared for it. Sure, we told them to worry about assassination attempts, but I don't think, in their heart of hearts, they took us seriously."
"I want to know who bungled the security!" protested Mars angrily. "How could the police let a man with a gun into the building?!"
"Maybe the guard was bought?" Venus suggested gloomily. "It's not inconceivable. It happens all the time."
"But what would have happened if we hadn't been there? Or if one of us wasn't there?" demanded Zoisite.
"Serenity and Endymion would have died," her husband whispered, a mixture of emotions in his voice.
"That's my point! They should be thinking about that!"
"We can't do anything about it now. How's your armor, Jadeite?" questioned Venus, turning to things she could understand.
The warrior looked down at his breastplate. "Just the smallest of dents. It'll be fixed once I take it off."
"How about you Mars? No injuries?"
She shook her head. "Not one. It didn't get past the protective shielding of my wings."
"Mercury, how many bullets would it have protected Serenity from?"
Soldier of Wisdom hesitantly answered. "About three bullets each pair of wings."
"So you're saying that if it was three bullets each and all four of us were standing in front of Serenity and Endymion," Jupiter began, "then we could stop twelve bullets without being injured?"
"Yes. Once those three bullets hit, the shield will break down and the bullets will hit us. It will hold longer than that against a magical barrage, since that is what it is designed for, but for only a certain amount of time, which varies depending on how powerful the magic is."
"Let's get some rest."
She crawled into bed and felt her husband slide in next to her. His lips touched the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine and arousing her. But she turned quickly and held him off. He sat up on his elbow slightly. "What's the matter?"
Minako left the bed and flipped on the light. Her pale gold underwear and short golden shirt shifted slightly as she stared at him. "Keagan, why?"
"Why what?" he asked, his eyes trailing up and down her form. They melted with passion and longing.
She understood how he felt; she couldn't help feeling it whenever she saw him, covers clumped at his waist and his pale bronze chest rippling with well-developed muscles.
"Why do you stay with me? I can't bear you any children."
He sat up completely, instantly serious and the longing, though in evident, pushed as far back as he could. "Minako, what is this about?"
She paced. "You should be with someone who can bear you children. I know you want them."
"I stay with you because I love you, Minako!" he hissed, and she was surprised to hear well-hidden anger in his voice. "So you can't have children. So what? You want me to leave you, my soulmate, just because you can't have children? Do you think so lowly of me as that?"
Her feet stopped pacing and she stared at him, further shocked at the slight wetness on his cheek.
"Keagan," she whispered, crawling up next to him and putting her arms around him, "I'm sorry. I…just thought that I wasn't worthy of you. Especially since…we both want children and I can't have any."
"No offense, Minako, but you don't have any right to choose who is worthy of me and who is not. I say who is worthy of me, not anyone else." His eyes, when he locked eyes with her, filled with suppressed tears. "Please don't let the fact that you can't have children ruin our marriage! I love you, more than life, but I don't want to spend my entire life with someone who feels guilty because she can't have children."
She buried her face in his chest, unable to see his tears any longer. "I didn't know I was making you so unhappy. I don't mean to brood about it, but..."
"Just because you can't have children doesn't mean I don't love you."
Her grip tightened around his shoulders. "I know; I'm sorry."
Keagan laid her down slowly and touched his forehead to hers. "I'm just glad we got that out of the way."
Minako smiled and kissed him, pulling him close…
End Chapter 3.
Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I've been trying to finish up Army of Immortals. A little Minako/Kunzite action for shippers of that couple. (Wink).