Sailor Pluto, Ch.16

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I am Black Lady, Queen of Nemesis, bow down to me! The fate of planet Earth and its entire future, all of it, rests in my hands," Black Lady yelled.

"We will never yield," shouted Minako as the Inners nodded in agreement.

"I can't keep this up for much longer," Usagi muttered, shaking slightly.

Minako gasped, "Sailor Moon?"

Usagi opened her eyes with a sad glint in them, "Take it, then," she yelled at her daughter, "Take it all!"

Black Lady yelped as Usagi cried, from pain and lack of determination, she let go of the power as she fell to her knees.

"Usagi," shrieked Mikey, his eyes blurred behind tears, his hand shaking as he raised his hand to wipe away his tears.

Endymion looked at him with worry, "Mikey…"

"I've had worse. Don't worry about me…worry about her," Mikey whispered as a single teardrop rolled down Usagi's cheek.

"Take The Legendary Silver Crystal. Take my life if you want it! All that I have, all I ever cared about, I'll give it to you," she yelled, "Just stop being Black Lady!"

Chibi-Usa faltered, Usagi's hands shook as they dug into the ground, and she looked up.

"That's not who you are," Usagi continued, "You are Chibi-Usa! You are sweet, and lonely, and you always drive me crazy. But I can't go on without you!"

Mikey looked at the mother and daughter with sympathy, he stepped forward, Usagi felt his hand trying to touch her shoulder, causing her to jump away, tears rolling down her face.

"U-Usagi," Mikey yelped in worry, his hands held close to his chest, 'I don't want to hurt you…' he thought to himself.

"I've had ENOUGH of this future," Usagi yelled, whimpering as she fell to the floor, "I don't want to see it anymore!"

"Sailor Moon," mumbled King Endymion and Ami in pity.

'Poor girl,' Luna thought to herself.

"Tch…" scoffed Chibi-Usa, she swapped Usagi away like a bug, "Endymion, go."

"No," exclaimed Mikey.

"Shut up, Uncle," Chbi-Usa snapped as she flung him into Minako and Ami.

"Mikey," Minako yelped as she caught and held him in her arms. Minako turned and locked eyes with her princess, "Usagi…be careful!"

"She better be…" whispered Ami, she closed her eyes, she couldn't bear to see what would happen next.

"This is worse than the Shredder," hissed Mikey as he held his head.

"Nothing could amount to this…" added Minako, Mikey nodded in agreement.

"And nothing could've prepared us for this," mumbled Makoto, Rei nodded.

Back to Usagi, she gasped as she saw Mamoru in front of her, his eyes empty and emotionless.

"Mamo…" she mumbled, her eyes shaking in disbelief, suddenly, she yelped as Mamoru swiped her transformer locket, holding it away from her.

"No! Sailor Moon," exclaimed King Endymion as she fell back.

Mikey stood up instantly, "Usagi," he exclaimed as he ran over to his new friend, he used his kusari-fundo fire to surround them both, affectively protecting Usagi's unconscious body.

"M-Mikey," stuttered a surprised Endymion, 'Was not expecting that…' he thought to himself.

Mikey fumbled as he sat down close to Usagi's unmoving body, "U-Usagi, wake up, please," he begged as he lifted her head to his chest, hugging her close.

Mamoru looked at the two, through the fire, then to Usagi's rod, his eyes glimmered with resentment and sympathy, suddenly the emotions disappeared as Chibi-Usa called for him, he handed her the two (past & present) crystals.

She chuckled to herself, she held the past and present crystals in each hand, "Two Silver Crystals. One from the future and one from the past. And they're both mine," she chirped happily.

But suddenly, Chibi gasped as Demande grabbed the crystals from her hands, a crazy glint in his eyes.

"Not so fast," Demande exclaimed, "I've got the Silver Crystals now!"

"Prince Demande," hissed Chibi-Usa in a warning tone.

"What's he doing," asked King Endymion as Sailor Pluto ran over, only to be shocked and frozen on the spot.

"That woman…" she muttered as she looked at Chibi-Usa, "It can't be! Small Lady?!"

"Listen up, Black Lady! You two, Wiseman," started an insane sounding Demande, "The Malefic Black Crystal has unrivaled power. Or so you said. But does it stack up against two Legendary Silver Crystals, whose power can overcome Space-Time?"

"Oh my god…he isn't-" breathed Rei as she stood up, the Inners did the same.

"I no longer trust anyone or anything anymore. I believe in nothing. I follow no one," Demande continued, "I AM MY OWN MASTER!"

"Calm down, please," pleaded Endymion, "You don't want to do anything rash!"

"I don't think he cares, your majesty," stated Mikey as he lowered the fire, standing in front of his unconscious friend in a protective stance.

"You're right. Why should I care," crackled Demande.

"S-Sailor Pluto," gasped Makoto as she looked around to see her elder behind her.

Pluto briefly looked at Makoto, then ahead, "The two crystals must not touch each other! If they do, it will destroy the entire universe!"

"EH," yelped Makoto.

Chibi's eyes widened, "Give them back," she demanded as she rushed toward Demande.

"No, Small Lady," cried Pluto in worry.

"I'm going to end it all! And take all of you with me," Demande screamed as everyone gasped.

"This is the end! The end of everything," yelped Endymion,

"Ohmigosh…" muttered Mikey in a hushed tone.

Everyone anxiously waited as the two crystals grew closer…when suddenly Sailor Pluto raised her rod and froze time.

"Time! I command thee. Stop!"

Endymion's eyes widened as he looked around, everything and everyone were frozen, 'Nothing is moving,' he realized.

"Puu," whispered Mikey, Endymion flinched, he looked back.

"Mikey," he asked, Endymion was confused.

"What's she doing," Mikey asked softly.

"Hm? Pluto? She didn't…she stopped time!"

Mikey's eyes widened, he looked at the king in shock, "She can do that?!"

Endymion remained silent.

Mikey flinched as he felt Usagi stir, she slowly opened her eyes.

Everyone, the good guys, gasped as they were unfrozen.

"Why is it suddenly so calm," asked Ami.

"Everything is completely motionless," noted Artemis.

"And not just Nemesis…" started Luna, "The very air itself is completely still, like it's all been frozen!"

"Has time stopped," quipped Usagi, Mikey practically jumped into her arms.

"You're okay! I mean…you sound and look okay," he stated fastly.

Usagi placed her hands on Mikey's shoulders, "Mikey…buddy, slow down!"

Mikey flushed, "M-My bad…" he mumbled.

They gasped when, out of the corner of their eyes, they saw Mamoru awaken.

Mamoru raised the rod, Sailor Moon's rod, "Usagi," he muttered as Chibi-Usa fell gracefully onto the ground, she gasped.

"Chibi…Pluto," yelped Usagi, as Sailor Pluto's rod fell, crashed onto the floor. As did she.

Mikey gasped as he, and Usagi, ran over.

"Ohmigosh! Puu!"

"Pluto, are you alright?!"

"I can't believe you stopped time," gushed Endymion as he too ran over, "How could you do something so reckless?!"

"Huh," questioned the Inners, who were all around Pluto, Usagi, and Mikey.

Endymion sighed, "Pluto has broken the most sacred law of time!"

"By stopping it," clarified Ami.

Endymion nodded.

"Why is that wrong," asked Makoto.

"Yeah, she saved us all," added Mikey.

"What does, 'the most sacred law,' mean," questioned Usagi as she tilted her head.

"Is something bad going to happen," asked Minako.

"To her," added Usagi.

"Yeah, TO HER," agreed a fearful Minako.

Pluto groaned.

"Puu," gasped Mikey as he rubbed her back.

She smiled weakly, "Queen Serenity warned me not to," she whispered

"Because…" trailed Mikey.

"It would cost me my life," continued Pluto.

"Cost you your life," gasped Usagi.

Pluto nodded, "Time has stopped. But not for very long. Please hurry, before it restarts."

"Eh? Restarts," repeated Rei, she looked at Ami, who shrugged.

"Sailor Moon," started Pluto.

"Hm?"

"Go to Demande, retrieve the two Legendary Silver Crystals from him, and be very careful not to let them touch. Only you can do this, Sailor Moon."

"But Pluto-"

"Go quickly!"

Usagi gasped, she quickly stood up and ran over to Demande, panting.

She gently pulled the crystals from his hands, running back to her friends, "Pluto," she yelled, "I got both Silver Crystals back, just like you told me to. They're right here!"

Pluto sighed from relief, "Thank goodness."

Usagi kneeled before Pluto, "Yes, Pluto. It's all thanks to you."

"I always wanted to serve you as a guardian, to help you, the way your friends are. I had long hoped to fight alongside you, and now that's been fulfilled."

"Don't talk like that," mumbled Usagi.

"Sailor Moon, future Neo-Queen Serenity, I always admired you for your inner strength, and the size of your heart. So, please, Sailor Moon, I beg of you…save Small Lady. She needs you."

"Oh, I forgot about her," muttered Mikey.

Endymion side eyed him, "Not the time."

Mikey pouted, "So cranky…" Mikey gasped when suddenly, Pluto coughed hard and painfully

"Pluto! Please stay with us," cried a desperate Usagi.

"Let us help you," added Endymion.

"No, my King, I broke the law," Pluto said gently, "I committed this crime of my own volition. And now I must atone for my sin."

"Puu…" mumbled Mikey as Minako hugged him for comfort, she knew how much this situation must be for him, how confused he must be.

Pluto shakingly raised her rod, "Diana," she called weakly.

Diana appeared out of thin air, "Pluto! What happened to you, Pluto? Are you badly hurt?"

Pluto smiled sadly, "Thank you so much, Diana. You did a fine job guarding the door in my place," she said as she petted Diana, causing her to purr.

Pluto looked up at her king, "Guarding time and being keeper of the door, they were my duties, but I also took a great deal of pride in them."

'King Endymion, I can see your face so clearly.'

"Do not be sad, My King. This is as it should be."

'I've never seen your cloak this close up before. Such a beautiful lavender. Like the color of a sunrise.'

"My King…" whimpered Pluto as her eyes teared up, "I failed you. I wasn't able to protect Small Lady."

Endymion gasped.

"Please forgive me," cried Pluto.

Pluto choked as she held up a key, "Small Lady…" she grunted, when suddenly her hand fell to the ground, cold.

Chibi-Usa's eyes shook in disbelief and grief, "N…No…"

"P-Puu…" mumbled Mikey, his hand lifted above Pluto's nose, he gasped, "No breath!"

"No! Open your eyes, Pluto," exclaimed Usagi as her eyes bawled.

Minako's hold on Mikey tightened as Mikey silently sobbed into her shoulder…