The birth of a new Scout... the loss of a dear friend

By: Shinsei_na_inochi


Disclaimer: Sailor moon's not mine... *sniff

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Pluto...
Yes, Queen Serenity?
The third taboo... you must never stop time... Your garnet rod, it had the power to move time and space... but no matter what happens... You must never stop time. If you should break this taboo...

Forgive me Queen Serenity, she apologized as Diamond brought both of the Silver Imperium Crystal's closer together.
"No" she yelled. She lifted her rod in the air slowly. It's power... forbidden. But she had no choice.

"It's the end! Everything will be destroyed!" King Endymion exclaimed, his eyes were huge as she rushed for Diamond. Serena and the scouts were knocked unconscious.

"Stop, she lifted her rod, TIME! I command you to stop!" she yelled, her voice as she finished those fateful last words

The king braced himself for the end, but...

"Nothing...happened?!" he cautiously opened his eyes. They went huge in surprise. The Crystal's were so close to touching but didn't. This baffled him, then he realized...

"They're frozen, he gasped, Pluto!" his eyes swung to her. Her garnet rod glittered; she looked just as amazed as he. They were silent for a time and gawked at the glittering of the rod.

"Impossible! You stopped time?!" he said horsely. They all awakened again, one by one. First the cats, then Serena, and finally, the scouts.

"I can breathe again" Mercury's hands went to her neck in surprise. All four scouts gasped.
"What's this?" Jupiter demanded.

"Artemis, Luna yelled, Everything... is frozen! Nothing is moving, they turned to Nemesis, Nemesis...! Even the air is as still as death" she gasped.

Time... stopped? Serena asked herself. Tuxedo Mask froze in surprise. What...happened? He stared down at the moon scepter in his hands.

"Buns..." he whispered. Just then, Wicked Lady twitched and fell to the floor with a flop. Pluto gasped before falling down, her rod clattering to the floor.

"Pluto! What's wrong?" Pluto" Venus and Serena ran to her.

"That's insane... to stop time" the King yelled.

"Pluto stopped time? How could she do that?' Mercury asked a confused look on her face.

"You broke the biggest taboo... by yourself Pluto..." he said as he watched her labor to breathe.
"The biggest taboo?" Serena asked.

"Unk... Ah..." Pluto's hand went to her throat.

"Pluto! The biggest taboo? What do you mean?" Sailor Mars asked staring in surprise.

"If Pluto broke that... what happens to her?" Serena asked in a panicked voice.

Pluto...

Pluto could see herself, so young... and so innocent. She could see herself gazing up at Queen Serenity with adoring admiration.

If you break that... you will destroy yourself.

Destroy...yourself?! Serena froze in fear. Her chest starts to ache badly from the shock of the news. It grew stronger as she stared at the scout of time.
"Time... will not... stay stopped... for long Sailor Moon..." Pluto began, her voice emulating the pain she felt.
"Carefully... take the two... Silver Imperium Crystal's... from Prince Diamond" she commanded.
"Pluto!" Serena wanted to say so much.
"Quickly!" Pluto gasped before gasping for breath once more. Serena took one look at Pluto before timidly approaching Prince Diamond. She carefully slipped the two Crystal's from his grip.

"So weak! My body won't move right!" Wicked Lady's mind screamed because her voice wouldn't work. Tuxedo mask only stared.

"Pluto... Look, I've got the two Silver Imperium Crystal's back." She held the two Crystal's in her hands. Pluto's eyes shone with happiness.

"Good" She answered.

"It's because of you, Pluto" Serena's eyes watered up.

"Sailor Moon... the future Neo-Queen Serenity... You were always my idol." Pluto's breath was clear now, and she could feel death's grip firmly taking hold of her. She had to say all she felt now.

"Sailor Moon... Please, she said in a pleading tone of voice, Rescue Small Lady...!" As she said this, Wicked Lady's eyes went huge in surprise. Pluto started hacking, her hand on her neck as small droplets of blood trailed out of her mouth.

"Pluto! Hang in there" Serena yelled.
"Just a little bit... if you can hold on. Just a little big longer Pluto, then" the kind started, his tone low.
"King...I must pay... the price... for my crime" she touched her rod, a faint ringing could be heard by the tiny cat in front of the Door of Time.

Diana...

"Pluto?" the bell on her collar rang as she called out to the Scout of Time. She could feel herself being lifted up and POP! She was no longer at the Door of Time. She landed on the floor her eyes going huge at what she saw.

"Diana..."Pluto called.

"Pluto?" The tiny cat's mouth hung open.

"Thank you... Diana...for guarding the gate for me...'" she patted Diana on her head affectionately.
"Pluto? Hang in there" she squeaked.
"I... was always proud... of my duty... King..." she turned her head toward him. She felt peaceful then.

Your face is so close...
Don't look at me like that...
You lavender cloak...
The beautiful light purple....
Of the morning sunrise...

"King" her voice was low.

"Pluto...!" The king's eyes started to water up.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect... Small Lady" Wicked Lady still had a surprised look on her face.
"Small Lady..." Pluto whispered holding her Time Key towards her. She used her last breath to utter the name of her only friend. Her hand went down the Time Key slipping from her grip.

"Pluto, Serena screamed violently, Open your eyes!! Noooooo!" She yelled while looking down at the dead woman. Wicked Lady couldn't understand why they'd be so sad. But... that woman's voice haunted her.

...Small Lady...

The tone of that woman's voice, was there... sadness in the beautiful voice of that pretty woman.
"I... am Wicked Lady... I have no friends or family... I am... alone" She whispered to herself. It was odd then, the feeling she got as she gazed at the Key of Time...

-Flash-

At that time...

"Small Lady?!"... That name again... and that woman. Who was that running towards her? A girl in a sailor uniform. The girl lifted up a cat toy she held tightly in her arms.

Luna P...

How did she know its name? That's right... it's because...

The 'Luna P' produces a blinding breath taking smoke screen. The girl took a key from the chain on the woman's hip.

"Small Lady!" the woman said while in the midst of coughing.

-Flash-


Wicked Lady stared at the Time Key blankly. That's right... the girl in the vision was her... When she was small... and weak... and unloved.

-Flash-

The key I stole from Pluto...

Pluto! I like you! You're my only friend! She saw herself hugging the woman smiling.

-Flash-

"Mama yelled at me for coming to see you Pluto. Even though I told her you were my special friend" she saw her self-grasping that Luna P, a sad look on her face.
"I wonder... if Mama really likes me..." she asked herself.

Pluto is small lady bothering you?
Can we let her go by herself to see you?
Pluto knew, even though the Queen's voice was severe, she took note of the worried tone. She smiled at the girl.
"Holding you close, and giving you kisses... aren't the only symbols of love, Small Lady. Quietly watching over someone from afar, is a kind of love too." She had looked at the Scout with questioning eyes. She didn't understand.

-Flash-

What is this feeling... welling within me? Why... am I crying? She asked herself this when she felt hot salty tears streaming down her face.

"Wicked Lady?" Serena saw these tears.

My most important friend...

"Pluto, she whispered, Pluto!" She yelled, her heart throbbing with pain. Her Dark Crystal earrings shattered replaced with shining pearl earrings. The Future Silver Imperium Crystal appeared in front of her. Pluto's stopping of time ceased and all time flows resumed normally.

"The Silver Imperium Crystals? What happened?" Diamond gasped. This light...? Ohhh! This light. Nemesis rumbled then, as if in pain. Rini? This light. Shoooom!!
"Rini?!" Serena called to the girl. Flash! As soon as Rini transformed, the Queen's eyes opened from her long slumber.
"Small Lady?" the kind whispered.
"You Morphed" Diana gasped.
"Rini!" Serena yelled smiling happily.
"Bunny...?" Rini looked at herself in surprise.
"The birth... of a new Sailor Scout to take over as Sailor Moon" Darien finally spoke.
"Darien!" Serena smiled happily. Rini turned towards Pluto smiling proudly.

"Pluto look! I finally morphed" she waited for that soothing voice... and tight embrace of her friend. But...nothing.
"Look at me! Pluto?" Nothing, the woman was still.
"Pluto?" her eyes watered up, a terrible feeling welling up inside of her.
"I finally morphed, she whispered, but I don't care! Open your eyes! Pluto!" she yelled as loud as she could. Nothing still, her friend was motionless.
"Rini...!" Serena blinked, the girl didn't remember. Pluto's sacrifice for her friend was great. Her own life, for the girl and for all of them. Such courage... but something horrible had been don't. Serena clenched her hands, a new strange anger filling her.
"How dare you play with someone's innocent hear by controlling them!" her voice shook with anger as she grasped her locket. She glared at Nemesis with a deep hate; her hand trembled.
"How dare you drag in people who don't have to fight! I won't forgive you! Moon Crystal Power...! MAKE UP!" The air shone with the Silver Imperium Crystal's light. From that the legendary Sailor Moon emerged in a pose.
"I, Sailor Moon, will change by the moon, to punish you! Nemesis!" she screamed at it. Rrrumble.

WHHHSSHHHHH!

The Black poison crystal power was warded off by sailor moon.

Sailor Moon...

Rini stood there surprised. She had such a strong heart... I have to face this enemy! I have to be strong!

"I won't let anyone else die Nemesis! I won't let you have your way with this planet anymore," Sailor Moon yelled as Nemesis drew ever closer. She wouldn't let Pluto's death be in vain. She would save the future... and the present. It was a promise... This she thought as she could see Pluto's last smile clearly. She would defeat this enemy... no matter what. She stood proud and tall as Nemesis devoured them all in its darkness that cold metallic laugh surrounding them in all directions. This is when they formally me their enemy...

The Death Phantom...

A Solitary King of Nemesis...

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Author's note: Whooo hooo! I'm finally done! Well... I hope you liked my little story...