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@cox.net.

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The Last Journey

Chapter 12: Finding Valkyrie

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"So it is him," Minako murmured when she heard the news.

"Yes. And now we must prepare for he has some plan that we do not know of," Setsuna replied agitatedly.

It was the only time that Zale had ever seen her fidget before and it sent him into a state of near paralyzing fear. If she was having worries, then it was time to seriously look at what was going to be happening real soon.

"But what is he trying to accomplish exactly?" questioned Jace.

"The only one who can possibly tell is Rei," Keagan said. "Let's hope she can see something in her Sacred Fire. Is she there now, Jace?"

"Yes. She's been there for nearly three hours now."

"Since Setsuna can't see anything in the timeline, she's our only hope."

~~~~~~~~

Her inner sight strained to pick out something among a multitude of nothings. He just wasn't there…!

Rei sighed and calmed her mind, glancing behind her at her son, sleeping on a blanket. Poor baby, she thought. I just haven't had the time to be with you…and neither has Jace. I always thought that protecting someone would have a strain on relationships and marriages, but I never once thought about how it would affect the children of those doing the protecting.

She turned her attention back to the burning flames in front of her, calm at the Hikawa Shrine. Ojii-chan, help me out on this one, she prayed and sent her psyche down into the depths of the fire.

It was almost as if she wandered there forever, trying to find something. But her desperateness was distorting everything she saw…her feelings were getting in the way…Just as she was about to pull away again, something caught her sight. It was almost as though she had just seen a blinking light from far away, something that drew her to it as her last hope.

And just as she had calmed down, thinking that this could be what she sought, the vision overtook her…

@~~~~~~~

Her body wasn't hers anymore, something else but she was controlling her, making her go places and see things. She was a prisoner in her own body…couldn't control what she was doing in the vision.

 The feet that weren't hers anymore strode with purpose to the throne room of the Crystal Palace, searching for her Queen.

She was on her dais, but the way she sat was almost as if she was a prisoner there. The Ginzuishou, which was always in her staff before, sat on a cushion across the room and surrounded by a glass box that had a lock on it.

The Soldier looked around the room, seeing only Mercury, Saturn, and Pluto. They appeared haggard and the gentle laugh lines around their eyes and mouths were gone, as it they didn't even smile anymore.

But sitting next to Serenity was not Endymion.

He was a relatively tall man, with white hair that fell to his shoulders. Around his neck was a silver key that glinted in the light. His hands manicured and perfected, and his pristine white suit had not a single wrinkle in it. He lounged in the throne as if he had been born in it, with a hand tightly gripping Serenity's wrist. Standing on his right was a man with dark sapphire hair. There was a resemblance between them, only he wore a blue jacket over his white pants, unlike the man on the throne.

"Mars."

She turned to see Mercury approaching her. "Yes?"

"There's been some revolting in the west. Should we send in the droids?"

Her eyebrows drew together and she asked, "In the US? Why should we get involved in their affairs?"

Mercury quickly looked around in fear, but no one had noticed them or their conversation. "Are you all right, Mars?"

"I'm fine. And why are we asking me? Where's Venus?"

The name caught some attention and the people near the throne, Serenity included, looked at the two of them.

Surprising her with the strength, Mercury grabbed her arm and nearly dragged her from the room. "What is wrong with you, Mars?" she hissed.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Mars retorted.

"You know as well as I do just where Venus is!"

"Oh yeah? Then enlighten me as to what I know!"

"She's dead!"

Though it was whispered rather than yelled, the two words felt like a scream in Mars' ears. "What…what about Kunzite and the others? What about Jadeite?" she stuttered.

Her friend's eyes filled with tears. "I don't know why you don't know, but they're dead too. You should know they died with Endymion."

"What happened here?"

"Follow me."

Numb, she did as told and they ended up in the computer surveillance room. The Soldier of Wisdom threw everyone out as Mars looked at the screens. Nearly thousands of screens, which was a hundred times more than what she knew they had, displayed areas all over the world. The Tower of Pisa was half destroyed; there were areas she recognized from the US in the next screen over. Why was Crystal Tokyo caring about what happened in the other countries?

The door locked and Mercury stared at her hard. "Let's refresh your memory a bit. I know you've had the habit of disappearing lately and you may have just hit your head. Around five years ago, there was a world war, but it was not like any other. Just after King Demando took the throne, he set about to conquer the world. And he did. Now Crystal Tokyo is the only power in the world. His droids did most of the work while we stood by and commanded them."

"When he took the throne?! What about Endymion? And the Shitennou?"

Again, Mercury's eyes filled with tears. "I'm not sure how he infiltrated into the palace or how he managed to get the Ginzuishou and Golden Crystal away from Serenity and Endymion, but…he did. He captured Endymion and threatened Serenity, saying that if she wanted him to stay alive, she would marry him. In fear and believing him, she did so. No sooner had the ceremony ended did he set about as a wedding gift: in front of the entire world, who had been watching the ceremony, he murdered Endymion as a message that someone new was on the throne. Then the Shitennou, who had not made a move for fear Endymion would die, were each executed horrifically for trying to avenge his death. Venus, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune were killed in front of the world not two months later when they tried to stage a coup de tat."

"And…why didn't we help them?" she asked breathlessly, fighting the pain she felt at the news of Jadeite's death.

"Venus wanted some Senshi to stay behind in case it didn't work, so there would still be someone to protect Serenity. You gave her a fight, but she ended up being right. It wasn't three days into the marriage that he had already set about his plan to conquer the world with his right hands: Sapphire, his brother, and Rubeus and Esmeraude."

"What about Chibiusa? Pyralis?"

"Chibiusa…she had an 'accident' and…died even as I tried to save her. Pyralis…he had an 'accident' too. And when I gave birth, Demando had my child killed too."

"Why?!"

Mercury sighed heavily and wiped away some of the tears. "Because Chibiusa wasn't his daughter…she was Endymion's. And he had Pyralis and my baby killed because they were the children of the Shitennou. He didn't want any chance for revolt especially not from within Crystal Tokyo. Now he's trying to get Serenity pregnant."

"And will he?" she demanded, angry.

A satisfied gleam grew in her eyes. "Not in this life," she whispered harshly. "When Serenity came to me, telling me what he wanted, I gave her something to drink every night for a week that would, when finished, destroy her chances for ever having birth to a child again. He won't have any children with Serenity!"

"Why is the Ginzuishou locked up? And where is the Golden Crystal?"

"It's a way of controlling Serenity. She can't use it unless he tells her to. As for the Golden Crystal…nobody knows. Endymion didn't have it when he was murdered and none of the Shitennou had it. We don't know where it is."

Mars took a moment to assimilate what she had been told and her knees shook even as she stood still. "Where are Luna and Artemis?"

"Locked up in the dungeon he's installed. They're hanging on by a thread and will die soon." Tears threatened at her eyes again. "By the time I realized they were being poisoned, it was too late. Now all we can do is make them comfortable for their last days."

"Was the man next to…Demando his brother?"

"Yes, that was Sapphire." She paused and listened. "We must stop talking now; we're going to be listened in soon by one of Demando's right hands."

"We're going to kill him, Mercury. We're going to kill him if I have to do it myself."

"That's what Venus said and she's dead now."

The Soldier of Wisdom exited the room, leaving Mars alone with her horrible thoughts…

@~~~~~~~~

Rei jerked out of the vision so violently that she landed hard on her back. Fear gripped her tightly. With shaking but quick hands, she picked up her son and almost ran back to the palace.

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End Chapter 12.

Ooh, bad vision huh? Look for Chapter 13 soon to see what the Senshi and Shitennou are going to do to prevent it.