Hey everyone :) This is just a little something to keep you occupied while I wrap up chapter nine of SISJ. Still stuck, but I was able to pop this out. Hope ya like it :D

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Sailor Moon or Inuyasha...sadly...

The Darkness Within

The Gates of Time:

Sailor Pluto stood at the gates looking disdainfully into the never ending darkness. It was incredibly depressing. She sighed and moved her long dark hair to one side. Her eye's seemed dull and dark, as if she were brooding over long forgotten memories. She closed her eyes took a deep breath then exhaled. The dark mists flowed silently around her slender body, and the gates. The air seemed to grow cold, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"You're back..." A dark mist seeped from Sailor Pluto's body. It grew dense and formed a sort of shadow of the depressed guardian. It stood beside her and pulled it's own hair to one side. It was a perfect shadow image of Sailor Pluto. It smirked and revealed its smokey fangs. Then it moved over and wrapped its long arms around Pluto's shoulders. It leaned down and proceeded to whisper in Pluto's ear.

"Of course I'm back. You will never be rid of me. We are one, forever I will live deep within your soul, torturing you in any way I can." Pluto turned to face the shadow, opening her eyes to stare at the shadowy version of herself. Hatred was evident deep within her garnet orbs. She narrowed her eyes and she practically spat her next words.

"Be gone! You have no right to torment me in this fashion! I atoned for my sins!" The Shadow cackled and it's dark eyes glew a malevolent shade of scarlet. Pluto had thrown off the shadow when she spun around. It stepped up next to her, an evil smirk spreading across it's lips.

"Oh my dear Pluto, if you truly had atoned for your sins then I wouldn't be here would I? You would love to believe that you were off the hook, that no one remembered what you had done. But you will never forget, and just your memories are enough to keep me here." The shadow rested it's head on Pluto's shoulders grinning maliciously as the Guardian closed her eyes in an effort the keep the tears back.

"Neo Queen Serenity agreed that I have paid for my actions! I have no reason to feel guilty any longer! It was all in the past!" Sailor Pluto stepped forward pulling away from the shadowy image.

"King Endymion hasn't forgiven you has he? And because he hasn't forgiven you, you will never forgive yourself. Besides you live here, for you the words past, present and future mean nothing! You will relive that moment in your mind forever! Feel the guilt flow through your veins! Let it consume you!" The mist grew and began to envelope Sailor Pluto's body. Tears ran down her face from her closed eyes. The dark misty shadow descended upon her. Then, all of a sudden, Pluto's eyes flew open, they flashed and she jumped away from the ever growing shadow.

"Leave me be! It's done! It's over! Just let me be!" Pluto raised her staff and swung blindly, unable to see through the free-falling tears that covered her face and made her vision hazy. "I was forgiven! You are nothing! Nothing!" Sailor Pluto collapsed, exhausted from swinging her staff. The tears refused to stop coming forward. They fell silently from her face to the 'floor'. The shadow smirked revealing its fangs once more. It began to change shape. The hair became short and well kept, a tuxedo replaced the sailor outfit. The shoulders broadened and the suit filled out, then the mask appeared as the tiara faded. A cane replaced the shadow staff. The Shadow walked over and kicked Sailor Pluto over onto her back. She groaned in pain.

"You're pathetic Sailor Pluto! You finally told me how you felt and now your being consumed by your guilt for it! What did you think would happen? I would leave Serenity and come to this desolate Hell you were banished too? What a foolish woman you are!" The shadow kicked her again she rolled over again, this time she coughed up a little blood. She lay face down sprawled out on the cold 'floor' clutching her side with one hand and her staff in the other.

"No...your not real! Your nothing! All you can do is...Ahh!" The shadow stepped on Pluto's back causing her to cry out in pain. It glared at her with naught but pure hatred in it's icy gaze.

"I am more than real! What you feel is real pain! I am the darkness from within your own heart! I am the part of your soul that hates you! You hate yourself for telling him how you felt! So you are punishing yourself through me! You can't beat me! All you can do is suffer!" The shadow pushed down harder. Pluto cried out in pain again. Then the shadow let up slightly as it heard a sickening crack come from the guardians rib cage.

"I know you are the darkness within myself. And I am..ah.. infuriated at myself for telling him...ahh! But I will face you. You are my cross to bare, and I will face you alone if I must!" Sailor Pluto managed to pull herself into a sitting position. She used her staff to pull herself up to her feet, while clutching her side where a broken rib now pained her. She glared at the shadowy version of Endymion. "I cannot forgive myself for what I have done. Not yet..uhn...but someday I will and when that happens..ugh...you will have no power. Ahh!" Sailor Pluto clutched her staff to keep from falling over. It felt as if the shadow had broken more than just one rib.

"Look at you, you're pathetic. You can't even handle your own darkness." The shadow shrank and turned back into the slender copy of Pluto. It looked at her, its eyes flashing maliciously as they pierced Sailor Pluto's own hate filled ones. "You are weak. And someday I will devour you. The darkness in your heart will overcome what little light you have left. And when that day comes you will become nothing but an empty shell. Unable to feel anything but pain and hatred." Pluto narrowed her eyes at the apparition.

"That day is a long way off. I will continue to fight my demons and I will continue to serve my King and Queen." Sailor Pluto took a deep breath and looked at the shadow. "Now our little discussion is over. I'm through playing your little game. It's time for you to go back where you belong and let me be." The shadow smirked and drifted to the guardians side.

"I can feel her coming too, is that why you wish me to be gone from this physical realm? You don't want her to see the true you?" Sailor Pluto took her hand from her side and grabbed the shadows arm. It jerked in surprise. "Ah!"

"You are not my true self, you are naught but the shadow of the darkness that lies within me. Don't ever presume that you are my true form! Now be gone loathsome apparition!" Sailor Pluto's words were like venom. The shadow leered at her and then nodded in defeat.

"I will come back, and we will finish this."

"Yes we will finish this some day. And some day I will forgive myself, and on that day, I will be rid of you. For good."

"We shall see Sailor Pluto, we shall see..." The shadow faded into a sort of mist and seeped back into Pluto's body just as the gates slid open and the unmistakable head of Rini poked through.

"Puu are you here? I need to talk to you." Sailor Pluto walked slowly over to the Gate as Rini stepped through all the way. She smiled kindly down at the small girl.

"I will always be here for you Small Lady..."

THE END

Hope you enjoyed it, I've had it done for a while now and haven't gotten around to posting it...last time I posted a one-shot I was told it was rather morbid . But this is just basically something to keep the few readers I have left entertained while I finish up chapter nine of Senshi in Sengoku Jidai...hope it worked...

SailorPluto16/ Lady-Rosalyn