~Ch. 19: Before The Showdown With Death Phantom~

Prince Demande was standing in front of Usagi. His blue/white hair shined with sweat, his third eye destroying the small power of Nemesis that tried to escape and destroy.

"Prince Demande," Mikey shrieked, his hand resting on his weapon, readying to strike if needed.

"Kono baka..." King Endymion muttered from behind Mikey.

"Your tricks might fool them, but they won't fool me! I know you," shouted Demande accusingly.

Nemesis chuckled, "Fool them? Oh, how naive you are, Prince Demande. You have picked a fate similar to that of your former brother."

"Kusottare," Demande said in a low and husky voice.

Mikey groaned as he walked in front of Demande, "Being naive isn't a bad quality, you know," he murmured halfheartedly.

Demande gasped as he looked downwards at the smaller male, he breathed loudly to calm himself, "What are you doing," he hissed, "This is supposed to be MY fight not YOURS."

Mikey rolled his eyes and summoned orange—radiating yellow light—fire to his hands. He sighed dramatically as he blasted Nemesis. Said planet growled in response. "Even this weirdo," he gestured to Demande, "doesn't deserve to die."

"No one does," added Usagi as she also stood in front of Demande. She added, once again, her own power to the blast.

White light merged with orange and collided with the planet.

"My Queen," whispered Demande, he activated his third eye and pushed the two omegas aside, causing them to yelp.

"Woah, dude! Not a cool way to say thank you," shouted Mikey as he got on his knees.

Demande smirked as he stood taller and used all his strength to disintegrate the planet.

"This is only the beginning," Nemesis stated darkly as he disappeared.

Demande growled, "Dumbass." The air lingered with darkness as the Prince fell to his knees, "I couldn't let him take what belonged to me," he looked up at Sailor Moon, "My Queen is mine. She's MINE to kill…"

"Now wait just a minute. We saved you and THIS is our th-" Mikey started when suddenly black and purple fog surrounded the senshi, along with the cats and Endymion. "H-How?! We killed him," Mikey yelled.

"H…" started Demande but started choking.

"D-Demande," asked Usagi worriedly. She stepped closer to the alpha and attempted to reach her hand out to him. She gasped when Demande whimpered. For he had dissolved into thin air.

Mikey screamed so loud everyone's ears rang, "Holy meatballs, he's dead!"

Rei sighed as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "That's the least of our worries, little man. Ami, what's our status?"

"Malefic Black Crystal entry levels are spiking off the charts," Ami stated fearfully, "I…it's all too much."

Usagi shivered, she rubbed her hands against her forearms, "We're trapped in distorted space! The Malefic Black Crystal is surrounding us on all sides!"

"All it would take is the slightest shift of my mass," Nemesis started, "and I could smash you all to pieces!"

"Wise guy…you've really outdone yourself," Mikey murmured looking around.

Usagi gasped, "The distortion! It's getting worse and worse!"

Mikey tilted his head and nodded in *understanding*. He didn't really understand but he DID know that this was bad..- "Ah!"

"Ōji-sama," yelled Makoto as Mikey screamed. Realizing why he had screamed, she joined in.

Usagi lunged and held onto Mikey protectively as everyone started to fall.

"Now what," yelped Rei as she fell, her long raven hair that was flowing wildly hit Mamoru in the face repeatedly.

Mamoru swatted away the hair, "I don't know..-" he drawed out.

"What's happening," asked Makoto while Chibi-Usa screamed very loudly. It was deafening.

"The darkness," Usagi's voice was muffled by Mikey's hair, "It's sucking us in!"

"Mikey," called out Rei, "use your Kusari-fundo to get us out!"

Mikey tried to wrap his weapon around something sturdy and solid. But there was nothing. "No use. T-There's nothin' for me to grab onto."

"Are we going to die here," questioned Chibi-Usa in a high pitched tone. She was still screaming.

"I don't want to die," cried Mianko in response, "I'm too pretty to die!"

"Me neither. I don't want to die, too," yelled Usagi as she gripped tighter to Mikey.

"I would prefer not to die as well," added Ami, she covered her eyes with her hands, "Oh Phoebus…"

"I have a confession…I am in love with Motoki Furuhata!" Makoto exclaimed as she blushed.

…

Everyone was dead silent. No one could move. The random remark—for some reason— made everyone freeze. Though the information didn't really impact much, it was still a shock.

Artemis coughed to break the awkward silence; causing Luna to scowl in annoyance.

"What," shrieked Minako. Her eyes bulged out of her head from the shocking news. She curled up into a ball and flapped her arms, attempting to get closer to her friend. She failed.

Makoto blushed, "I-"

"A skull. Ohmigosh…that's a SKULL," gasped Mikey as he pointed downwards.

"What the hell is that," yelped Mamoru, he looked down to see a large white and red skull.

"A skull. I JUST said that," Mikey hissed as he pouted at the older man.

Usagi rolled her eyes and held Mikey closer as they fell, "What are you, Wiseman? Are we finally seeing your true form?"

The skull rumbled, "My name is Death Phantom," is all it said. Though the words were spoken as strongly as a storm.

King Endymion blinked hard in shock, "THAT'S Death Phantom?!"

"It makes sense," mused Rei, "Death Phantom being a huge skull. I mean, the guy's name does have the word death in it," she shrugged.

"Wait…so, Wiseman is Nemesis and Nemesis is Death Phantom," asked Mikey.

"Sōda yo, Mitsuki ōji. Jissai, watashi ga batsu o ukete iru no wa anata no haigūsha no seidesu. Kare to neo kuīn Serenity no mono," said the skull.

Mikey blinked rapidly in confusion. Mikey just nodded and sheepishly grinned. 'Uh…I don't understand. I do speak, for real, Japanese; but he's talking TOO fast,' he thought to himself.

Usagi, however— fluent in her mother tongue—understood, she gritted her teeth, "If you weren't such an evil maniac maybe my future self wouldn't have had to go through such lengths to trap you!"

The skull's arua darkened, "You sound just like her, princess. Neo-Queen Serenity…"

"STOP IT," Chibi-Usa screamed.

The skull rumbled, "Oh?"

"Please," begged the young princess.

"As you wish," the skull purred out in a sickening manner.

Everyone gasped as they all fell onto the floor. They all looked at each other in panic and suspicion.

Mamoru gently placed a shaking Chibi-Usa into his lap as everyone sat in silence.

Chibi-Usa sniffed, "Wiseman…" she whimpered as she began to sob into Mamoru's chest.

Usagi angrily looked at the skull, "Don't you know not to upset an omegan mother by hurting their pup," she spat out, "don't make me go feral on you."

"Your warning does not fill me with fear, puny human."

"It should. I am your future and rightful queen."

"Sagi…" whispered Mikey as he placed a hand on Usagi's shoulder, "Now's not the time to talk. This is a battle. Don't anger him with your words and we might have a chance at beating him."

Usagi sighed as she placed her own hand on top of Mikey's, she smiled at him warily, "I know, buddy. You're right."

"Oh, how sweet. The royal siblings are bonding. If I didn't have to kill you, this moment, I would have enjoyed it," the skull teased as the fog thickened.

Mikey scowled, "You and your jokes. Why don't you fight us and quit acting like a coward. Fight us like a man. I mean…I assume you're still one."

"Oh, how feisty you are! Mitsuki ōji, Zemoriah ōji ga anata no naka ni mite iru mono ga wakarimasu. Anata no ishi."

"Who…ugh, nevermind! I don't know if you heard me or not, but I just said no chit chat. I also just said to stop being a coward. Stop stalling, Wise guy. It's pathetic."

The skull rumbles once more when it suddenly comes to a stop. Purple rays of light glowed around the group. Everyone was memorized and entranced by the light's beauty. And then they were falling…again.