The Four Kings

Chapter Two





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I





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The temple grounds were quiet and serene in the early morning. It was normally Kumada Yuuichirou’s favorite time of the day for it was an ideal time for his meditation exercises. The peace and tranquility found amongst the sakura trees and combined with the first light of day was something that old Yuuichirou would have never appreciated. But after five years of being at the Shinto temple and studying under the legendary Zen Master, Yuuichirou had learned to allow peace and harmony in his life.



And it was peaceful at the temple. Harmony could be found in all things from the arrangement of sensei’s sand garden to the simple blowing leaves dancing over the pristine tiles of the courtyard. The temple was as close to nirvana as man would come on earth—Except for the days when Hino family had overnight guests.



The sounds of flesh hitting flesh could be heard from his meditation spot beneath sakura trees that bordered the property.



The sun had barely risen when Yuuichirou first heard them running over the temple’s roof top. The sound of two pairs of small feet tapping lightly over the slate shingles accompanied by sweet child-like laughter of Hino Rei and Aino Minako told him that he would not have a peaceful, harmonious day.



When he left the men’s guest quarters, Yuuichirou looked up at the roof tops of the other structures on the property; the girls were on the main temple. Why they chose to run over the roof tops, leaping and falling from such dangerous heights and more often than not with some dangerous weapon in their delicate hands he never knew. But he knew that this was something special for them. They did not even share this with their other friends, this wild, dangerous game of Chase the Devil was just for them.



 Yuuichirou could admit that it made him somewhat envious of the gorgeous blonde. When Rei was without Minako, she was a quiet, reserved young woman, who conducted herself with the dignified manners of a daughter from prestigious household like the Hino Family. She was delicate and as beautiful as an orchid, many men had praised and rightly so. With her long, dark blackish red hair and deep purple eyes and flawless porcelain complexion, Rei was just beautiful.



Yet when paired with the golden hair Minako, Rei became someone utterly different. Her father did not like it and once forbade Rei from seeing the girl she called her sister. Rei, who never dishonored her father stood before Hino-sama and his colleagues and told him to that he could take his demands to Hades and see if he would obey them, however, she did not intend to ever abandon her family for him.



The loud screeching clash of steel against steel replaced the sound of pounding flesh hitting stone and Yuuichirou clenched his closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath as he tried to block out two girls who had moved onto their favorite form of play. He had watched them as the played with swords before and to his untrained eyes the girls seemed very prominent with the weapons they chose to play with.



Yes, play.



The two fleeted footed gazelles considered this harsh and deadly dance nothing more than a simple game of Chase the Devil. Yet when they were among their friends the girls practiced, all of their friends would be there including one Chiba Mamoru.



Chiba Mamoru, Yuuichirou didn’t know much about the guy except that he was Usagi-chan’s longtime boyfriend now fiancé. He must have come from money, because as long as he had known him, Chiba Mamoru, Yuuichirou had never seen the other man work or complain of a job. Yuuichirou knew that he traveled extensively to places that others deemed too wild or dangerous.



And he was famous. Everyone, no matter the social group knew or knew of the young Chiba. Yuuichirou had often heard Usagi complain of the number of invitations that Mamoru would receive and would turn down because of his obligations to his friends and/or school. Usagi wanted to attend fairy-tale balls in gorgeous gowns that Mamoru would have to purchase for her and the fantastic jewelry that he seemed to shower upon her. She wanted a storybook romance but Mamoru it seemed was not giving it to her, or that was what Yuuichirou had “overheard” when he was sweeping the courtyard on afternoon.



Still Yuuichirou did not understand this man for Mamoru seemed to live in contradictions especially when it came to Usagi and her friends. When he had tending the other man while his friend and the girls were attending classes, Yuuichirou had sorted the young man’s mail. There were invitations for celebrations, dinners, award shows, balls, galas, and more than a few for coronations. Then there were the letters of introduction from politicians, nobility from around the world, along with the wealthy and influential people from just about every where who just wanted to meet this young man.



He wondered then who was this mysterious young man, who appeared to be nothing more than an assuming university student who happened to attracted to a blonde bubbled-brained girl?



Yuuichirou’s peace was shattered as the two girls came running between the sakura trees. Fleet footed and graceful as the wind, the girls raced over the leaf strewn ground, twin streams of shimmering gold and dark ruby rose and twirled as the two girl leapt forward, steel rang on steel as the graces jumped back before coming together again. The air around them burned with an intensity that was rarely displayed to the outside world. The twin daughters of Ares danced through the trees, silent even in their breathing, the sound came from the flutter of their sleeping dresses, their hair as it whipped around them and the metal of their swords as they tried to dominate the other.



Yuuichirou was unaware of the girls’ deeper connection. He wasn’t as privileged as Mamoru or even Furuhata Motokito know who these young women really were. He just knew enough to know that their something going on that more than even the most bizarre of the rumors the tabloids spread about Minako’s and Rei’s relationship.



He knew without a doubt that these two were not nor had ever been lovers.



 But what they were he did not know.





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II





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It was rare for Yuuichirou to be invited to outing by Rei’s friends, it was almost unheard of that he would be with them all and Chiba Mamoru was apart of the group. But there they all were, the ballroom of the Hotel Okura, watching Usagi cavort about the dance floor with her tenth or twentieth partner for the night, with her friends in very close proximity as they always were when they out in public. Yuuichirou having lost Rei for the second time that night to another man chose to make his retreat to the garden.



He had not gone far when he came across Chiba Mamoru and his flat mate, Furuhata Motoki in the hotel gardens. A bottle of champagne was in Chiba’s left hand, a cigarette in his right, this young man who held the world enthralled by his sheer presence had escaped in from the lavish bash that had been thrown in his honour (not that Usagi or the other girls were aware of that fact). The young man did not look happy—no, Yuuichirou had never seen Chiba happy. His expressions when Yuuichirou had had the opportunity to observe the other always seemed to border on amused contempt.



But this was Chiba in a completely unguarded moment, relaxed and being a young man enjoying the company of his good friend and some how Yuuichirou found himself seated in a diner watching Mamoru pour good brandy into his coffee from a flask as he told another off-color joke about a guy in Lesbos looking for lesbians.



It was almost three in the morning. They had dropped the girls off at the Makoto’s home before Mamoru announced that he was starving and he wanted waffles and Spam. They found an American style diner that served anything and everything for the home sick tourist and crazy drunks like Chiba Mamoru.



So there they sat three hours later talking shit, laughing like idiots with more people coming by their booth, some staying for the conversation and the bonhomie the three young men exuded. But it was Mamoru’s charm, his quick sliver smiles, his mirth and that devilish twinkle in his dark blue eyes was what drew everyone in the place to him.



All too soon the coffee cups were empty and Mamoru’s flask was empty along with several bottles of a nearby restaurant’s finest Irish whiskey, it was time to go home. Mamoru stood up with his wallet in hand despite the diner’s owner telling Mamoru that his money was no good in there—but Mamoru, still slightly drunk and half asleep on his feet, declared that he was paying for everyone, except for himself of course. This must have not been something new for him, for Yuuichirou could only stare at Motoki who did nothing to stop his young friend, so he too, sat back and watched Mamoru hand a black American Express card to their waitress as the diner’s patrons cheer him.



While she was ringing up his bill, Mamoru picked up the empty bread bowl and put every yen he had in wallet into the bowl and passed it around collecting tips for the wait-staff. They left, Mamoru’s new batch of admirers and friends who were calling them back, but Mamoru just waved them off saying that he class later that morning before bidding them all a good morning.





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o.O.o





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Two weeks later Mamoru was at the Hino temple.



Usagi had come to join Rei and Minako in an afternoon of shopping then having high tea at Tokyo Ritz Hotel. Mamoru was to accompany them into the city but not in the shopping, Usagi knew just how much he detested shopping, he was to join them for tea.



“Mamo-chan always manages to obtain reservations for whatever I want, no matter how exclusive or expensive.” Usagi confided to Yuuichirou with a merry little laugh. “He spoils me outrageously.”



“It is because you are my most beloved and most cherished treasure, hime,” Mamoru told her.



Usagi either did ignored or did not see the look of pure possessiveness that darken eyes and coloured his tone, but Yuuichirou did not miss it and he was shocked by the other man’s intensity. Usagi laughed again before stepping away, leaving to join her two friends in Rei’s room.



A tired sigh escaped Mamoru. Yuuichirou offered him a seat inside only to have the other politely decline.



Thinking that they had nothing more to say, Yuuichirou moved to leave Mamoru waiting for the girls but stopped when the other called out to him. Yuuichirou did not know why, but knew whatever Mamoru was going to say next was going to change his life forever.



In the weeks and months to following that afternoon, Yuuichirou had found his world forever altered. He had done things that challenged his perceptions of who he was as man and what he could endure physically and mentally. Who in their right mind would go to southern Chile in the middle of Spring? Or who would backpacking in the Mojave and call it camping? Yuuichirou and Motoki followed Mamoru were he wanted to go, often at a moments noticed which though Yuuichirou to always have a backpack prepared with extra clothes, money, and his passport.



 It was always different and unexpected, like their last adventure when they spent a month with a tribe of Bushmen in Southern Uganda in Africa or the Inuktitut in the Canadian Territories the month before that.



It was no matter. Where ever they went, no matter the company, Mamoru was always treated as a prince, a wise and respected leader, and equal to all manner of folk. Yuuichirou stopped questioning this when he accompanied Mamoru to the United States, when nearly all the world leaders were there for a conference at the United Nations. Mamoru had a legitimated reason for going, of course. World health and the prevention of major diseases as well as hunger were topics that he was most passionate about. Therefore, when one of professors asked him to invited several of his students to come along and play aides to him (the professor was there to address the assemblage about the new advances in treating malaria and was seeking funding) Mamoru was one of the lucky few. Motoki could not leave because of his classes but Yuuichirou was free.



It was not every day one had the world laid out at your feet. But Mamoru, the mysterious living paradox had such power. Still how he kept it from his fiancée and her friends was a mystery.



Who was Chiba Mamoru?



And why was he and Motoki ever devoted to him as if he were their liege?



Yuuichirou lowered his gaze from the bare branches of the sakura trees as he pulled his down jacket closer to him. Spring had passed, summer was set and now it was late fall. The air had a little bite to it. It was not as bad as the Yukon; still it was warranted heavier clothes and jacket.



As he made his way back to the housing quarters, Yuuichirou stopped when as he saw Rei standing in the gardens. Kino Makoto had been allowed to plant a vegetable garden on the temple grounds with promise of twice a month preparing a meal for Hino-san. Much to Yuuichirou’s delight tonight was one of those nights that Makoto was cooking at the temple.







Rei stood in the center of the garden with a delicious squash in her hands and basket of herbs on her right arm. She looked up as soon as she felt his eyes on her a small frown marred her clear brow. Self-conscience under her undisguised scrutiny, Yuuichirou reached up to push his heavy bangs from his eyes. The golden strains inter-mixed with light brown fell back into his hazel eyes. Just weeks ago Mizuno Ami had asked him if he were wearing colored contacts and Makoto had jokingly commented on his hair color. He had noticed that he was becoming blond and attributed it to his being out in the extreme climates. But the same could not be said about his eye colour.



It wasn’t everyday that a person’s eye colour changed from dark brown to blue.



Rei stared at him for long moment; her penetrating stare seemed to pierce his soul. Yuuichirou’s sudden friendship with Mamoru confused her. The two men had nothing in common but they were now fast friends.



Motoki often warned him about the girls, never say too much about what they did or what he saw and most especially, he should never discuss Mamoru, the one the world saw and knew with the girls.



For in this world of constant dangers, it was in his own circle that their Prince’s enemies lay, the voice whispered in the back of his mind.



A goofy grin graced Yuuichirou’s features, the mask of bumbling, wannabe rocker was easily played as the cold, calculating mind turned to discover new ways to throw the girls off of lord—off of Mamoru’s scent.



Watching Yuuichirou walk away, Rei fought down the shudder that traced her spine. It was only in recent weeks, since he had returned from his last trip with Mamoru and Motoki that Rei had sensed that Yuuichirou was changing. She could not explain it, but it was hard to ignore that whenever Yuuichirou would cross her path, his expression would be the normal slightly-addled brained Yuuichirou, and then it become blank, a cold-hardness would flit across his features before becoming a mask of an idiot.









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It was as if he did not know her—or he knew too much. And then he would pretend that he had never let it slipped.



It was the same with Motoki.



Motoki had all but severed his ties with the Senshi expect for their Princess.



Mina wanted him watched, she wanted to know what Mamoru was saying to outsiders and she needed to know if Motoki was going to be a threat. All insurgent actives had to be neutralized and soon if they were to rebuild Silver Millennium on the Earth. Time was running shor, there was much to be done, and it needed to done now. Serenity was happy and so was Mamoru, he wanted to share his world with them and Serenity was going to create Utopia here.



It was going to happen. Rei vowed that her Princess and her lover would have their happiness, for it was her scared duty as one of the chose protectors of the crown.



It was their duty as well.



They would never allow another to take their lord’s kingdom from Endymion.



Terra was theirs.