"Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe." "'Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!'" Lewis Carol, Through the Looking Glass, 1872 ---An Alternate Reality, the Present--- Minerva slowly knelt down, keeping an eye on the pale woman dressed all in black in front of her. Mistress Nine stood still, not moving, looking at the Senshi with unblinking eyes. "Hoshi." Minerva whispered as she slowly sat back on her calves, "Do you trust me?" The child quickly nodded her head, "Yes, Sailor Minerva-sama. You're one of the Sailor Senshi, one of the good guys." "Good." she said, keeping her voice low, "I want you to listen very carefully. I want you to climb onto my back." "You mean like a piggyback ride?" Hoshi asked. Minerva nodded her head ever so slightly. "Yes, like a piggyback ride. Wrap your arms tightly around my neck Hoshi, and close your eyes. No matter what, try not to let go." The girl was scared. Scared of the skeletons and darkness surrounding her, scared of the woman standing there watching her and the Senshi, and scared most of all by the fact that Sailor Minerva sounded scared. She quickly did as she was told, though. Minerva reached behind her to help her onto her back, and once she had her arms wrapped tightly around the Senshi's neck she then wrapped her legs around her torso as well. Minerva then slowly got to her feet, her mind racing. Setsuna, Usagi and Luna were her main sources of information on the topic of the Death Busters and Pharaoh Ninety, as well as on how close Hotaru had come to loosing her soul to the entity known as Mistress Nine. Michiru, Haruka and Hotaru herself avoided any discussion of that time period like the plague. It was a very sore subject among the Outers, especially among Haruka and Michiru who'd fought so hard to kill their now beloved daughter. Hotaru did talk about that time period once. She confided to Kihomi a few months ago that, while she didn't remember everything prior to her rebirth, she did recall the internal struggle against Mistress Ninety as being the hardest fought battle she'd ever faced. She also admitted that she still had nightmares about when the demon was in control of her, forcing her to say and do things against her will. At the time Kihomi didn't fully understand; how could a Senshi powerful enough to destroy the world have nightmares? As powerful as her beloved mei was, how could she truly know fear. Looking at Mistress Nine, and at the world around her, she now understood. She also now realized what had happened to her. This wasn't the future, but another universe; a different reality in which Hotaru lost in the end to Mistress Nine and the Sailor Senshi failed to stop the silence. She looked at the figure still standing motionless before her, and felt a sudden wave of pity for Haruka's "little Firefly" who was now no more. "You poor, poor child." she said sadly, "I'm so sorry you lost against her." The woman's black lips curled downward into a frown as she started to walk forward, "Poor, poor child?" she asked sarcastically, "She is not to be pitied. She is blessed. All are blessed, all the sad little ants. Blessed are the murderers; they left me less to destroy. Blessed are the pedophiles and rapists; they had their fun before the end. Blessed are the robbers, the thieves, the con artists; they expired with the most toys. All are blessed now with the Beatific Blindness of my Immaculate Silence. That 'poor, poor child' has been transfigured, released from her cocoon and born again as the incarnation of darkness you see before you. Weep not for the worthless, weak worm who surrendered her body to me. Weep for yourselves; still blind to your transgressions, still living the lie of light." Hoshi didn't understand most of what was being said. She knew though that the scary lady was a bad person, and that both she and Sailor Minerva were in great danger. She wanted her parents right now; she wanted them to make the bad lady go away. She didn't like it here; she wanted to go home. Minerva felt the girl on her back tighten her grip, and thought she felt a tear land on the nape of her neck. As Mistress Nine continued to come forward, her eyes started to glow blood red. "Hoshi, hold tight." Minerva whispered, "War Arrows!" she shouted, sending the energy ball of plasma arrows directly at the demon's face. "Great Shield!" she then called, leaping as far back as she could while holding the bronze colored shield in front of her with her left arm, her right hand reaching behind her back to hold Hoshi in place. She landed next to a skeleton wearing Sailor Venus' fuku, and lowered her arm to peer over the shield at her enemy. Mistress Nine stood there as before, not moving. The yellow energy ball hung in the air harmlessly in front of her as she examined it curiously. She reached her arm inside the ball and pulled one of the many electric-blue arrows out, electrical sparks encircling the projectile. After studying it for a few moments, she took the arrow and jabbed it through the palm of her left hand, wincing as dark scarlet blood began to trickle down her wrist and forearm while some dripped to the ground. She then took the arrow in her left hand and stabbed her right palm, again gritting her teeth as blood flowed out and fell to the scorched earth below. "I am death." she said as she put the arrow back into the ball with its siblings, "I am the apocalypse and the omega. And now, for your penance..." Stretching her arms out, she started to laugh as the attack now came back full force at Sailor Minerva and Hoshi. Minerva stretched out her force field, but was still knocked backwards by the force of the attack. In midair she twisted her body to make sure the girl on her back wouldn't be hurt. She crashed through the remains of a clothing store, her shield absorbing the impact. Turning back to her enemy, she saw Mistress Nine continue to laugh maniacally as the ground at her feet started to move, bubbling up and rising where her blood had spilt. Suddenly, long oily black tentacles sprang up all around the Messiah of Darkness, making slurping and squishing sounds as they rose from the ground, a mucous-like slime glistening on their smooth surfaces. They then all reached out, as with one mind, towards Minerva and Hoshi. ---Crystal Tokyo, 3043--- She came out here onto the balcony of the palace and looked out over the city. She covered her mouth as she continued to sob, her eyes now stinging from all the tears she'd already shed. A set of footsteps coming up from behind alerted her she had company. "Venus, love." A gentle voice said as the Princess of Love felt her wife's hands wrap around her from behind. She turned to see her raven-haired partner looking at her understandingly, "It's okay. We're all hurting for them." Lady Venus allowed Mars to pull her close. She couldn't stand it anymore; the pain of seeing two people who loved each other so much being taken away from one another so cruelly. And, around the world, hundreds of other lives were being taken away, hundreds of other loves lost. "I... I'm so sorry." she sobbed, "I know I should be stronger, I should be there for them, but it hurts. It hurts too much and I..." "Shhh..." Mars whispered, "It's alright." As she held her wife in her arms, her mind wandered back to a time before they met, when she first learned she was a Senshi. Back then, for a very brief period, she actually had a crush on Tuxedo Kamen of all people. Later, she developed feelings for Usagi. Of course, the fact that Usagi was straight quickly squashed any hopes of a romance. It was when her grandfather died, if she recalled correctly. She was feeling depressed, and while she usually never drank she'd hit the bottle hard that day. Mina-chan came over to the bar she was at purely by accident. She saw her and brought her back to the Shrine. Minako helped her nurse her hangover, and stayed with her all the next day as she wept and talked about her grandfather. It was then that she began to have feelings for the blond. She later learned Mina-chan shared those feelings. Looking back, she should have realized it that day at the Shrine; Minako had held her hair back while she puked into a toilet during her hangover. If that wasn't love, Mars didn't know what was. Back in the present, she looked at her sorrowful mate and tilted her chin up with her finger, "Venus, if... if that were me instead of Lady Minerva drifting off into nonexistence, would you still leave?" The blond looked at her wife with a hurt expression, "How can you even ask that?" she asked, "Of course not. I'd stay with you 'till the end." "And if you were with me, watching me disappear, unable to help, would you want to be alone or have your friends with you for support?" "Well I'd..." she stopped herself when she realized what her wife was getting at. "I... I'm sorry." she whispered, "I've been so..." "So very human." Mars said, kissing Venus' forehead as she wiped away her love's tears, "Come." she said, leading her love back to the vigil taking place around Ladies Minerva and Pluto. ---Tokyo, the Present--- Sailor Neptune was helping Saturn to her feet as Sailors Mars and Jupiter came over to Uranus and Sailor Moon. "That blond." Sailor Jupiter began, "I take it that was the woman claiming to be Usagi's older sister?" Sailor Moon nodded her head, "Yes. She's on our side." Mars' eyes narrowed, "That remains to be seen." she quipped, motioning with her head over to Saturn and Mercury, "Still, I sensed no evil in her..." Uranus was about to say something, when a man and woman ran over to them. Both were distraught, and the woman was crying uncontrollably. "Our... Our daughter..." the father began, "Please, we know you're good people, and our daughter, she... she's gone. That evil woman..." Sailor Mars looked down uncomfortably as both Sailors Moon and Jupiter looked sadly at the couple. Sailor Uranus walked over to them. She rarely showed her more vulnerable side, especially in public. But something about the look of grief on their faces, and the tears of the mother, touched her deeply. That, and the thought of what once almost happened to Hotaru at the hands of Babylon. "Don't cry." she said to the mother. Her usually low, husky voice sounded just the tiniest bit softer, "We'll get the woman who did this, and we'll save your daughter. As a parent myself, I give you my word." The woman looked up at the tall Senshi with the sandy blond hair and smiled ever so slightly as hope shown in her eyes, "Thank you." she choked out, "I..." her husband pulled her close as she started to weep again. Uranus turned away, deliberately avoiding the other's eyes as she went to check up on Saturn. ------ "Hey, quit shoving!" "Stupid bitch!" "Look where you're going!" Saeko was gasping for air, and her legs were burning as she ran toward the entrance of the subway depot, pushing and shoving aside anyone that got in her way. It was rush hour, and the sidewalks were packed with commuters. She looked quickly behind her and saw the Senshi in disguise chasing after her through the busy streets of Tokyo. She was a block away and closing. As she was looking back she bumped clumsily into a middle aged businesswoman. "Oof! Hey, watch it!" the woman scolded. As Saeko tried to move forward the woman grabbed her arm, "I'm not done with you yet young lady. I..." she was cut off as Saeko punched her as hard as she could in the nose. As the woman clutched her face and sunk to her knees, Saeko quickly forced her way past the rest of the crowd and ran into the subway entrance, avoiding the hands of angry witnesses wishing to come to the businesswoman's aid. -- Sailor Mercury was running as fast as she could after the creep who knocked her two friends and fellow Senshi down. Sailor Venus was right behind her. "Mercury!" Venus yelled, "What..." "It's that blond!" the shorter Senshi yelled back, "She hurt Saturn and Pluto!" As she ran, Mercury found herself silently cursing the commuters in the way between her and "Usagi's sister." The woman was obviously in league with that nutcase with the metal ball who zapped Kihomi. She could see the blond in front of her, closing in on her accomplice. There were too many people in the way for her to use any of her attacks on the two, but the moment she was free to she vowed to make them both pay. Sailor Venus meanwhile was becoming separated from Mercury by an old man who'd inadvertently found himself in her way as he exited an antique store. As she pushed him aside, her mind flashed back to the grocery store parking lot where the blond appeared out of nowhere, shooting off electric bolts and... Electric bolts! "Mercury!" Venus yelled, hoping that she'd be heard over the crowd. "Mercury, wait! I think she's..." "I know; she's getting away!" Mercury yelled back, just as another old person got in Venus' way and slowed her down again. -- Lady Jupiter saw Saeko disappear into the subway entrance. "Don't push me." "My nose! Did you see what that woman did to..." "You're running down the wrong side of the sidewalk you stupid..." "That's it!" she shouted angrily as she sent a painful electric charge out for five feet in all directions. Suddenly the people in front of her moved out of the way like the parting of the red sea. She ran into the station and saw her prey waiting in line for a subway train that was coming to a stop. "Desperate times." she whispered. "Jupiter Current Absorption!" she shouted. The train came to a stop just as every light, walkman, cell phone, and all other electrical devices went out. In the darkness the men and women of the cramped Tokyo subway griped because of the automatic doors failing to open to let them out. In the terminal a woman looked back and screamed as she saw a blond who was glowing like a flashlight in the darkness run down the steps to the platform, zapping anyone in her way to make them move. "A ghost!" "It's a youma!" Lady Jupiter began to feel her head pound as people ran in terror away from her. As she reached the platform, a second set of footsteps started coming down the steps. "Stop now, both of you!" Sailor Mercury cried angrily, "Don't either of you move!" Saeko quickly aimed the orb at the young woman and pushed the button to fire. Nothing happened. She then turned to the glowing woman staring angrily at her. "It's you, isn't it?" she hissed, "You're absorbing all the electricity in the area, including my dimensional ball." "Mercury," the blond called out to the Senshi standing at the bottom of the stairs, "Listen to me, I..." "You hurt Pluto and Saturn!" Mercury said angrily, "I cannot forgive you for that!" A second set of footsteps signaled the arrival of Sailor Venus. Saeko quickly reached into her coat pocket. "Look at you!" she sneered at the blond, "You're straining yourself so much to keep me from getting on the subway you can't even move anymore, or your concentration will falter. And your own true love over there is ready to do us both in." she said as she started to giggle. "Shut up!" the blond growled angrily. Sailor Mercury was wondering what the dark-haired woman was talking about when Venus finally reached her, breathing hard as she tried to catch her breath. "M... Mercury, wait." she gasped, "The... the blond... I think she's..." Before she could complete her sentence, Saeko pulled out the last of the flash grenades. A quick bolt of electricity knocked it from her hand however, and it fell to the ground harmlessly. The scientist looked back over to the blond. "Damn you, Jupiter!" she screeched, "Damn you!" The strain of absorbing all the electricity into herself and keeping her disguise up was proving too much for her. Jupiter gritted her teeth as her face turned red from the strain. As the blood vessels in her eyes suddenly burst from the tension she allowed the disguise to fade, falling to one knee as she clenched her fists and blood started slowly running down her cheeks from her eyes. As both Sailors Venus and Mercury gasped, Saeko started to laugh. "Ha! So much for protecting the future!" she shouted triumphantly. Looking more serious, she aimed the orb now at the Senshi from the future, "You can't absorb the localized electrical field forever Lady Jupiter; the strain is already showing in your face! Once you can no longer hold it, I'll..." "Venus Love-Me Chain!" the Senshi of Love cried. The scientist found herself wrapped up in a chain of hearts, quickly falling to the ground as she lost her balance. As Sailor Mercury rushed forward, Lady Jupiter let out a cry of agony as she fell forward onto her hands and the glow from her body ceased. Suddenly all the electricity in the subway terminal came back on. Not surprisingly, no one ventured to get off the subway when the doors opened. They closed again, and the subway sped to its next stop. "M... Mako-chan?" Sailor Mercury asked as she looked at the metallic green arm showing underneath the woman's white glove, "Is that really you?" "Stop!" an extremely irate voice shouted as Sailor Pluto came rushing down the steps. "Anyone moves and I'll..." her voice trailed off as she saw the scientist restrained and the three Senshi. She did a double take when she saw Lady Jupiter. "You?" she asked as the Senshi of Lightning slowly got to her feet. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she addressed the Senshi from the future, "I... I sent you back, didn't I?" Lady Jupiter slowly nodded her head as she wearily walked over and picked up the orb and brought it over to Mercury. Wiping the blood from her cheeks, her eyes now red and stinging, she placed the object in the young med student's hands. She then went over to Saeko and picked her up by her collar. "Where is she?" Lady Jupiter demanded, "What have you done to Lady Minerva?" "I told you; I liberated..." "You keep saying that." she said angrily, cutting the scientist off, "How, damn it? How have you liberated her?" "By sending her to meet the Mistress." Saeko answered. Sailor Pluto now came over, her eyes narrowing dangerously as she looked over Lady Jupiter's shoulder. "What Mistress?" she asked angrily, "Who have you sent her to meet?" Saeko looked straight into Pluto's violet eyes as she smiled joyfully, "Mistress Nine, of course."
Back to Sailor Minerva: Rules of Engagement Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction