"She looks just like you, Dominion." "Oh, it's more than just looking like him. She has his stubborn temperament too. And the lust for battle...though I wish it wasn't so." "Well either way...that girl's gonna be just fine, she is." "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to her? She has some terrible scratches." "She decided to play hero today...I'll explain later though. First I want to get her into bed." "Oh, of course. She looks completely tuckered out. Follow me. We thought it best she stay with Minako in her room, at least for the first few nights. Things aren't at their best here...and Minako's room has the most protection in case something should happen." "Things are that bad, huh?" "We're not sure yet. But we're not taking any chances. Here it is...is it alright if I don't turn on the light? I don't want to wake Minako up at this time of night. It was hard enough getting her to sleep as it was. She's really been looking forward to having someone else to play with. Since we received word from Serenity...she...hasn't been able to go anywhere or do much. She doesn't understand it's for her own safety." "She's a beautiful little girl Adrian. She's going to be a heartbreaker soon enough. Should I put Makoto down here?" "Yeah, that's fine there. Will she be ok, waking up in a strange bed like that?" "Oh, not a worry there. She's not the type to frighten easily....now...let's go, and you can finally explain to me what's going on here." She's coming. Run. Run Makoto...you can't do this. "I can do this! I'm ready! I won't let her take anymore!" The others thought they were ready too. True, you are stronger than them...but strong enough to stop her? You need to learn your limits. "I won't let her do this! She's already destroyed so much...she killed my mother and father...she killed...she killed...her...I loved her so much...I DON'T CARE IF I DIE! I'M FIGHTING!" You believe you have nothing to live for now? "I don't have anything now....all I have left is a promise to keep...and memories...." You're too emotional to do this. You're blinded by rage a tears waiting to fall. You're the last one left to protect the Princess. That is your duty. You knew the consequences of it when you accepted it, long ago. "My duty?! MY duty was to protect the one I loved! I tried....gods I tried...I wasn't strong enough...I failed her..." Don't ignore your duty to the princess because of personal reasons. "The princess has Endymion! Let him save her! I'll fight now, for my own reasons!" You are a selfish fool. "You're one to talk about selfish. You could have saved her...and instead...you chose to let her die in my arms." Her fate was decided. I am not to interfere with forces that are beyond my realm. Your fate is at a crossroads. I am trying to help you before you go too far. You can go now, and fight, and die. Or you can retreat with the Princess, and find a safe place for her off of the moon. Where do your loyalties lie? "I can't save the princess now...and you know it. There is nothing left for me." Maybe not now, Makoto, but time flows like a river...if somehow all is not lost, I can give you two a second chance, in the future. "I am not the one who can prevent total loss. She's waiting for me now, on the other side...let me go there now, fighting for what little difference I can possibly make. Let me die with honor, Setsuna." Makoto....Makoto... "Makoto. It's ok...wake up Makoto." "Huh...?" A very disoriented Makoto opened her eyes, only to see a pair of the biggest, bluest eyes she's ever seen, gazing down at her in concern. "Wh...who are you? Where am I? Where's mom and dad?" She sat up slowly, looking at her surroundings and not recognizing any of it. The girl with the baby blues giggled. "Silly head....I'm Minako, and you're on Venus. This is my bed, and my room...you get to stay here while your parents are visiting mine." "Huh? Oh...yeah..." Makoto rubbed her eyes and did her best to clear her head. ~So this is Minako...she's very pretty...not that I thought she'd look like that hunchback dude from that cartoon...but... wow... you can tell she's a princess just by looking at her. Even though her bow is crooked...and her hair is kinda tangly..~ "It's still dark...must be pretty late. Sorry I woke you up, Minako. Umm...I'm Makoto. Nice to meet you." ~Ha! See...I have manners.~ Minako giggled again. "I know your name, silly. You were having a bad dream." Her brow drew in concern. "Are you ok?" Makoto tried to remember just what she'd been dreaming about but couldn't. "Yeah, I'm ok. I don't 'member any of it now. But thanks. Sorry I woke you up." Minako gave Makoto a big toothy grin. "You're funny! You already said sorry for wakin' me up, remember? That's ok though...you forget things, but you're nice. And Peeko says that you're nice too. And he knows these things." She nodded to accentuate her point. "Peeko? Who is Peeko?" Makoto asked. She hadn't seen anyone else in the room, and the thought that someone else might be in there made her very uncomfortable. "Oh," Minako said, "I forgot to introduce you." She pulled a plush bunny from beside her pillow and held him up on his hind legs, on her lap. "This is my Peeko. I had him since I was a baby. He tells me when people are good and bad, and he says you're nice." She walked little Peeko up to Makoto and pressed his fuzzy paw into her hand. Then she changed her voice, making it sound like a bouncy cartoon character. "Hello Makoto, my name is Peeko." She made Peeko shake Makoto's hand. "Pleased to meet you. You know, you're pretty big for only eight years old, but that's ok. It means you can reach up and grab things that are high on the counter, like pies and cookies. Minako likes pies and cookies, ya know." Makoto laughed and played along. "Awwe, I'm not that big, am I?" She whispered conspiratorially into Peeko's ear. "I think maybe...Minako is just extra small...so I seem really big to her." Minako scowled. "Hey! Am not!" She grabbed her pillow and hit Makoto playfully with it. "I'm normal size!" Makoto grabbed her own pillow, and waved it threateningly in front of the now defenseless Minako. "Oh no. You're extra small. Like a little kitten cat." Minako covered her face, expecting a pillow attack. When she didn't receive one however, she smiled again. "I'm not extra small. I'm just the right size. See?" She stealthily sneaked under the pillow and into Makoto's lap. "You're not gonna hit me with that pillow, are you?" she asked, feigning concern. "You're so much bigger than me, it wouldn't be very fair..." Makoto sighed, knowing the blond was right. She was stronger than all the boys her size, never mind a girl smaller than her. "Well...er...I guess not..." Reluctantly she put the pillow down and yawned. Minako looked up at her. "You still sleepy huh?" Makoto nodded. "Yeah...a little. And I have to get up early too..I train with my dad every morning, when the sun isn't even shining yet!" Minako pouted. "You're not doing that while you're here, are you? Because I would be all alone and bored then." Makoto sat quietly for a moment. ~I have to get strong...for the Silver Millennium...I promised I would...but...she looks so sad...and she's not all that bad...actually pretty nice...not all snotty like I thought...but...still...dad says I shouldn't slack...even if I'm still young...habits stay with you...whatever habits are...~ "Well...I don't know Minako...dad says its pretty important for me to work hard most of the time and stuff..." Minako's bottom lip stuck out as she went into full pout mode. "But we can play...it's only for a few days...and then you go home again." She looked up at Makoto with puppy eyes. "Please, Mako-chan?" Makoto's heart melted. ~Mako-chan...no one's ever called me that before...I like it...and...she's...awe well I guess it can't hurt.~ "Alright...alright, I won't work. I'll play with you. But...you better be fun!" Minako rewarded her new friend with a hug. "This is gonna be great! We'll have lots of fun, you'll see." Makoto nodded sleepily. "Alright then. Playtime. No work..." Her eyes drifted shut, against her will. "G'night Minako." Minako gave a small smile. "Goodnight Mako-chan." She whispered quietly. "No more bad dreams tonight." She took Peeko, and slipped him under Makoto's arm. And they slept soundly for the rest of the night, Makoto's bad dreams disappearing entirely. "So," Dominion began, sipping a scotch. "Serenity has had a vision. And you've been at a loss ever since. What's really happening here now, Adrian?" The ruler of Venus sighed and slumped back into his chair. "Serenity's vision...was very...apocalyptic. I think she saw much more than what she told me, but what she told me was enough. She said that if things went the way they are going now, the Silver Millennium will come to a bloody end. There is someone on earth rising in power. Someone born with a black heart and enough sway to cause all of this to come about. Her name is Beryl, and that's all that's known about her as of now." He took a breath. "Serenity...in her vision...she...she saw Venus decimated. By an army led by this woman, with warriors unlike any that have been seen before." Adrian put his head in his hands. "Dominion, I can't let this happen. I have so much here, so many I care for...a wife, and a little girl...and now...suddenly I'm told that unless something drastic is done...they'll end up dead in only a few short years." Dominion leaned forward in his seat, his scotch falling onto the floor. "Adrian, we can-" "Do you know what its like? Looking at your little girl and wondering how long she has to live? Knowing that your wife trusts you implicitly to protect her, and...wondering if you can?! I've never been much of a fighter Dominion, you know that! I can take control...I can order, and I can strategize. But when it comes to blade work...even if its my family, my world I'm trying to save...I don't have enough in me...I never have. You were always the one who fought. Always!" Adrian looked up at Dominion, with tears in his eyes. "I really wish now more than ever, I had chosen the path you did. At least I could hold my head high, knowing I could protect my family. Maybe if I had been stronger, Serenity never would have had this vision." Dominion swallowed hard. Adrian was like a brother to him, in their younger days, they had been inseparable. He had always maintained his composure, he had always been calm and level headed. Dominion was the one who fought, but he never did so rationally. He was controlled by his emotions, and it prevented him from being better than he was. And he knew it. But now here, Adrian was the one breaking under emotion. In a way, it was frightening. "Calm down Adrian. Please. It's not too late for us to stop this yet." Adrian looked at Dominion, nodding. Pulling himself back together. "I know...I'm sorry...that's the first time I've ever been able to just...let go since this all happened. But I know you're right, its not too late yet. That's why I called you here so quickly." "You have everything I can give you Adrian. Name what you want." Adrian sat back, his breathing returning to normal. He looked older then, much older than his thirty-five years. "Don't be so quick to assure me, Dominion. I have an idea, but I'm not sure it's one you'll agree to so quickly." "What is it?" Dominion asked. "...I want our planets to unite. I know...it won't be so easy, considering the distance between them...but it can be done. Venus has the capital, and your planet has the military strength and manpower. If we joined...I think we could be strong enough to take out this Beryl woman before she ever leaves Earth." Dominion was thoughtful for a moment. "It...could be done, but...have you really thought this through? Although Jupiter and Venus have always been allies, in many ways the two planets live very differently. How do you think the people will react to this?" "I think it will be alright, once they've gotten used to it. No one has to change their way of life...and the planets are far enough apart that one lifestyle won't likely affect the other. The only real difference is we're far more powerful. I know it'll take time to push everything through...I'm not expecting an overnight job. And I will discuss it with my people first. But Serenity said we have a few years before this will occur. We have time if we start now." "Alright. You seem to have thought this through...but what about rulership? If the planets join, there will be only one ruler. Where will that leave Makoto and Minako?" Adrian got a wicked glint in his eye. "Where will that leave Makoto and Minako and the next little one you have on the way you mean?" Dominion turned red. "Uh...well...yes...umm..." he coughed. "Sarin's not that far along yet...we didn't think it was too noticeable." Adrian laughed. "Actually it was my wife who noticed. It seems to be one of those women things...they have X-Ray vision or something when it comes to that. Do you know what it's going to be? And does your daughter know about it yet?" Dominion shook his head. "Oh, no, she doesn't know yet. Though she has mentioned to me that 'mommy has been having too much ice cream' lately...she was worried Sarin was getting fat!" He laughed at the recollection, then continued. "And we're not sure if it's a girl or boy yet. We want it to be a surprise." "Ah, well that's always nice too. I would think you'd be hoping for a son, but seeing Makoto, I'm guessing you have just as much fun with her as you would a lad anyway." "Yes, she's not overly feminine...which works to her advantage in a lot of ways. I've been training her, Adrian...and I can't believe it. She takes everything dished out and throws it right back. She's also incredibly strong for her age. None of the boys I'm teaching can keep up. It's like having the best of both world sometimes...she's following in my footsteps as a son, but she has the quiet empathy and level-headedness of a daughter. She hasn't taken well to any of the protocol teachings she's been getting though...it has Sarin and I a little concerned." Adrian waved his hand. "It'll come soon enough. She's young yet...I've been lucky in that department. Minako has an aptitude for it. But...you were concerned about the throne. Well...I have thought about it Dominion, and I think we should wait and see how this visit goes. And if it looks like Minako and Makoto get along...I was thinking we could betroth them." Dominion's eyes widened. "Betroth them?!" "Dominion.." Adrian whispered quietly. "Please don't tell me you carry around some of Earth's disgusting prejudices." "No!" Dominion shook his head. "It's not that...it's just...I really don't know if they'd go for that. They're only eight years old. That's a big decision for us to make for them." "Well...Minako understands that when she's older, she'll have to get married at some point. It's part of ruling." "But Makoto...she..." Dominion paused, trying to find the best way to explain. "It'll be hard for something like that to work with her. She can't be told what to do like that...she rebels. Something as old fashioned as a betrothal won't appeal to her at all, no matter how much she may like Minako. It'll just be the point with her...she doesn't like taking orders." Adrian sighed. "I knew it sounded too easy. Maybe we can discuss this with Sarin and Samantha tomorrow. Women seem to be better at matters concerning love entanglements anyway." Before Dominion could reply, laughter was heard coming from the doorway. Samantha poked her head in and motioned for Adrian and Dominion to follow her and Sarin. "Silly boys....always making a big deal out of simple things." They walked up the stairs and down the hall, to Minako's room. "Here...why don't you just look at this." She said softly, and opened the door. The two father's peeked inside. Minako was snuggled beside Makoto, who had her arm around her protectively, with Minako's favorite toy Peeko by their sides. "Now." Sarin said. "Here's an idea. How about we just let them be, and let nature run its course hmm? As you can see...they've already taken care of matters."
Back to A Time and a Place for Everything Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction