Disclaimer: I own nothing blah blah blah.

A/N: Thanks to cardcaptor eternity (no more sugar for you! But here is the chapter you wanted!) Lysia Croft (love the enthusiasm, but we might be taking your sugar away, too) Elmedir (you think this is tense? Wait till you see the ending!) kuyaga (I can't help the torture, I am cruel like that), and, always, aiisha.

Her blood looked almost black in the moonlight.

Sailor Pluto knelt beside her princess, and touched her torn forehead. More blood darkened her lips, probably from the force of the attack. But her face looked peaceful.

"Good. I do not want her to suffer."

"Watch over her."

She jumped, the voice like an ice pick through her brain. Queen Serenity's voice, from so long ago.

"You are dead, my Queen," Pluto said. "Dead through the folly of your own weak heart."

"I know she is young, but she will be a good Queen someday."

"Shut up!" Pluto snarled, slamming her staff into the sidewalk. "Leave me be!"

"Promise me, Pluto. You are the oldest of the Senshi. You must act as the bond between the Outer and the Inner Planets. Keep the Outer Senshi loyal to their princess."

"She is a fool, just like you!" Pluto shouted to the moon in the sky. "You almost got us all killed!"

"I know I can trust you, Pluto. You have always been loyal to the Silver Millennium, and a dear friend to me."

"And what did it get me!" she screamed. "A lonely guardianship over the Gates of Time! A home on the farthest planet from the moon! An unending life of watching over her, protecting her, while I remained alone! I love him, too!"

"Please, Pluto. I know I have been unkind to you—"

"Iie, my Queen. You never forced me into this fate. You only asked it of me."

"You did not have to say yes."

"Of course I did," Pluto whispered to the echo of the past. "How could I say no to you?"

"If it is too hard for you, if you cannot…I know how you feel about the Prince…"

"But I loved you more, my Queen." She went to her knees, and stroked back Usagi's hair. "And I love her more. It is just hard, sometimes. But when she looks at him, when she smiles at him…" Pluto smiled. "It is worth it."

"Will you do this for me? Will you protect her, when I am gone?"

She felt something warm on her face. Brushing her fingers quickly over her cheek, she was surprised when they came back wet. She stared for a moment.

Tears.

"Oh, my Queen. My Princess." She buried her face in Usagi's still chest. "My love. Why do I have to choose?"

"The life of a soldier is never easy, Pluto. But it could be worse." A silvery laugh that broke her heart. "You could be a Queen."

"I never wanted to be Queen," she moaned. "You always laughed, always sang and played…and you were always so sad."

Pluto raised her head, and took Usagi's still face in both her hands. "I do not envy you. A Queen's life is dedicated not to herself, but to everyone else. If I did this…I would not even be fit to call myself a Sailor Senshi."

She leaned down, gently touched her lips to Usagi's, and sighed breath into her lungs.

The ribs underneath her hands rose, then fell. Another breath passed from Pluto to her princess, and this time she compressed her chest.

"Come on, Princess. You have to live," she ordered. "I promised your mother, and I would never break my word to her."

A third breath, and suddenly Usagi's chest rose on its own. Her lashes flickered fitfully, her eyelids half rising, then falling shut again.

Pluto sat beside her, wiping another tear from her cheek. Her gloves were dirty, and left black streaks down her face. She did not care.

"The Abyss," she whispered. "How did it get to us? We were so careful."

"You were all fools."

She jerked back so hard she almost fell over, and stared up in horror.

Hair swirling around like blood in water, black eyes spinning riotously, It stood over her with a grin of utter madness. It held out marble white arms, and Pluto recoiled automatically. Something moved under Its skin, black maggots squirming just beneath the surface. For a moment, Its face flickered from a parody of Usagi to something monstrous, a gaping mouth and bloody fangs, then back. It laughed when Pluto's eyes landed on what It clasped in Its claws.

"HOTARU!"

Her surrogate daughter lay limp, head back, eyes and mouth slightly open. Not even by a flicker of lashes did she react to Pluto's scream.

"What have you done?"

It giggled, almost childish. "I saved her."

Pluto staggered up. "Give her to me!"

"Now, that would not be wise," It tittered teasingly. "You have been a very bad guardian. I think I would like to keep her."

"Fiend!"

It shrieked with laughter, Its head falling back, Its whole body shaking with mad mirth. "But she's so very sweet!" Its face flashed again. "And delicious!"

"Monster!"

The heavy garnet orb smashed into the side of Its face. Black blood flew through the air, and It dropped Hotaru, cackling even more manically, face beautiful once again.

"What is the matter, Time Keeper?" It cooed. "You seem angry!"

Pluto spun her staff menacingly. "Murderer!"

Her weapon moved faster than any human could follow, but the Creature spun away. Arms over Its head, It kept spinning, round and round, and singing.

"Come dance with us, Time Keeper!" It called.

"I will not," she snarled.

It let Its arms fall to Its sides and pouted. "Why not? I thought you liked dancing to our tune!"

"BITCH!"

The staff flew straight as an arrow, the point leading the way into Its chest. It crumbled in around the weapon, staggering several steps back. Pluto noted with delight as she advanced on her enemy that her weapon had pierced directly through the beast.

The Creature straightened, and grinned. One tiny, white hand, darkness writhing underneath, grasped the silver rod, and began to pull it free. Pluto stopped, shocked. Blood like ink poured down Its dark dress and stained the ground.

"Temper, Time Keeper!" It admonished playfully. "Now you are in all kinds of trouble. I have your pretty staff, and you are empty handed and alone."

"MERCURY SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

A blast of water slammed into Its back. The Creature tumbled face forward into the street, then rolled, buffeted by streams of silver-blue liquid. The staff clattered to the ground, far from Its reach.

"Mercury!" Pluto cried with relief. "How did you—?"

"Where is the Princess?" Mercury interrupted.

"There!" Pluto pointed. "She's safe and well, I promise."

"What happened to Hotaru?"

Eyes burning, Pluto turned back towards the Creature. "That thing!"

The enemy picked Itself up and shook off some of the water. It grinned, turned to Pluto, and took two steps forward. Then It faltered.

"Iie," It whispered, putting a hand to Its face. "Stop."

Its head jerked back, the pretty face snapping into an inhuman expression. "Shut up, Inanna!"

"Stop it! Leave them alone!"

"IIE!"

"What in the world?" Mercury whispered, watching It scream at Itself.

It lurched forward, landing on Its knees. The fingers over Its face twisted into claws, then shrank back into Usagi's petite hands.

"I won't let you! I won't let you!" It sobbed. "I have never been beaten by you, not in all the millenia you have tried, and I will not give in now!"

Its face snapped to the side, becoming for a second the horrifying mask Pluto saw earlier. "You belong to us!"

Then back to soft and heart shaped. "I will not give in!"

Its whole body writhed with the maggots of darkness. "You are already dead!"

"IIE!"

Black blood flashed, becoming incandescent. Its flesh burned silver, and Its eyes shone gold. The whole body lengthened, growing taller than even Pluto, beautiful hands stretching over Its head towards the stars. Both Senshi fell back, gasping in shock.

The light died, and before them was only the black, negative image of Usagi, cheeks glistening with tears in the starlight.

"What are you?" Pluto demanded.

The Creature looked at them with frighteningly calm eyes. One hand lifted, pointing over their shoulders, to the north. "It is coming.

The Guardian of Time turned to follow her gesture. Behind her, she heard Mercury's stunned voice.

"Oh, shit."

The Abyss fell on them.