Title: Love For All Time Part 6 Author: Jade Hunter A.N: I apologize for not getting to the kick-ass part of the series where the two meet up, but details need to be settled first. Hang tight. Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer is on Chapters 1 and 4. "talking" **thoughts** <> _emphasis_ ////memories//// ############################################################################# The towering form of the Phantom charged towards them, lacking any hesitation and apparently having been absent when Kami-sama passed out grace. A series of slimy, black footprints were left, marking his passage in his mad run to destroy them. Sailor Uranus and Sailor Pluto, being the fastest of the four, grabbed Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn - respectively - and threw themselves to the sides. "Ooomph!" Saturn grunted as she hit the ground very forcefully. Her small form was still not yet hardened enough to be resiliant to most light pain as the older Senshi were. She scrambled back up, and with her will, summoned her Silence Glaive. And a split second later her instinct, passed down from a thousand years ago took over, as knowledge came upon her, knowledge shehad been blessed with, from her big brother and from one other, one woman whom she could not name, nor recognize anymore. Acting quickly, she used the Glaive's long reach to take a few testing swipes at the Phantom, twirling the large weapon as if she had been handling it forever, and not just barely a year. Her first attack made it, scraping the monster on the arm. It roared before shrugging off the meddlesome cut and concentrating on dodging the rest of the swipes. It succeeded, and Saturn was unable to cut it again. However, she didn't need to, for the others had been waiting for the monster to become distracted. "World Shaking!" "Deep Submerge!" "Dead Scream." Three balls of yellow, turquoise, and magenta energy were propelled towards the Phantom, who was caught off guard. It hissed in pain as it was pushed back into the trees. A mili-second later, it came limping back, eyes whirling with a redish hue for anger, and a greenish hue for pain. "Feeeeeeeeeelll mmyyyyyyyyy missstrrresssssesssss poooowwwweeeeeerrrrr," he snarled, and then threw his arms out and pointed them at the ground. "Mmissstrrressss! Ssshhowwww thhheeeesssse ffooooolssss yyyyooouuurrrr mmmiiighttttt!! Sshhhhadowssss, merrrrgeeee!!!" The Senshi tensed, ready for anything to pop out from his outstretched hands. But what they got was not what they had expected. The shadows, cast by the full moon dancing across the treetops, exploded upwards and captured them, from the neck down. "Deeesssssstrrrrrrroy thhheeeemmm," warbled Phantom. In response, the shadows tightened, making the four Outer Senshi scream in pain from the numbing pressure. They fell to their knees, the shadows extending slightly to accomidate it's prey's new position. "Yeeeeessssssssssss," Phantom slurred gleefully. Sailor Pluto gasped, trying vainly to suck in some air. Her Mini-Phantom squeezed her neck and upper torso once more, causing little spots to appear in her hazy vision. She bit back a scream of pain, not wanting to give their enemy the satisfaction. She was able to make out a cry from Neptune and a choked sob from Saturn, even through the roaring of her ears. She staggered on her knees, almost falling face first to the ground, but barely managing not to by a trick taught to her by her Sensei. "Ryuu-chan," she whispered to herself, pushing past the pain by concentrating on her love. "Ryuu-chan. Help me, please, I cannot go like this." And as clear to her as yesterday, a memory flashed in her mind, along with the pull in her soul she felt whenever her Ryuu-chan had been near her. ////flashback//// "What is your name?" she asked him, a month after the ball. "If I tell you," he joked. "I'd have to kill you." She gasped in mock-horror and swooned slightly 'fright'. He caught her with a steady hand, and began to tickle her. She laughed loudly, then twisted out of his arms. He smiled at her, and began to walk to her, when she backed away and wagged her finger at him. "Uh-uh, not until you tell me your name!" she sing-songed. She giggled in delight when his mask cracked and he pouted slightly. "That won't work on me, young man. I am the almightly Sailor Pluto! I am immune to all face expressions!" He grinned and replied, "Oh, but how can this be? I am the great Elemental Knight, one whom is untouched by the mocking tone of those who do not understand the awsome power of my pout." She shrieked in surprise and happiness at his light banter, and closed her eyes to stick out her tongue at him. She hadn't felt this carefree or acted this young in a very long time, most of her childhood having been spent training for the moment she would take up her duties. He took advantage of this moment to lunge towards her, and succeeded in capturing her, much to her surprise and chargin. "No fair!" she cried, struggling a little. "Well," he smiled. "It was your own fault." She huffed in anger, and then smiled mischeviously. She turned to him with a small smile on her face. He eyed her suspiciously, and she pushed away all her amusement to concentrate on one single task. His expression faltered slightly, and the struggle was apparent on his face, though his jaw was clenched tightly. "Part of it is Ryuu," he finally consented. "You can call me that, sometimes." She ginned triumpantly, a little surprised that it had worked. "That was evil," he told her. "I know," she replied smugly. "I mean, you know I can't stand the 'puppy dog' look." ////end flashback//// She smiled faintly, her eyes aglow with fondness. Unknown to her, but most surprising to the others, her Plutonian symbol began to glow on her forehead. Pluto felt peace wash over her, and she relaxed in the shadow's death-grip. Another memory came unbiddened to her mind, but she treasured this more than the others. ////flashback//// She crept up behind him, surprised that he hadn't noticed her yet. He seemed to be watching a holo-message, and old one, from how much the edges of the silver stone was cracked. An image of a middle-aged woman with long, dark blue hair and kind grey eyes was floating above the pulsating stone. The woman was smiling up at him, and she was saying something. ".......and know that I will always love you, my son. You have made your father and I very proud." The woman then reached up, her now tiny arm stretching as far as it could go. Setsuna saw Ryuu reach up with his other hand and make slight contact, his palm going through a little. "Remember our secret, my son, and stand strong." Then, the woman began to sing, softly, gently, with a beautiful voice as clear as bells. Setsuna stood still, listening to the song intently, and then drew in a quick breath as Ryuu began to mouthe the words. When the holo-message flickered off a few moments later, she walked up behind him and put her hand on his shoulder. "Want to talk about it?" ////end flashback//// Sailor Pluto was almost on the verge of blacking out, teetering on the point of no return. Sailors Neptune, Saturn, and Uranus were both convulsing once in a while, all of them blinking their eyes rapidly to stay consious. The battle seemed pointless, as Phantom sneered at them as best as it could, and clenched it's fists. This only made the shadows more tighter. All hope seemed lost, when....... "Fear not, I, Tuxedo Kamen, have arrived!" "Vile demon! How dare you attack the allies of Justice! I, Sailor Moon, will not stand for it! In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" "Prepare to taste the thungers of Jupiter!" "You'll feel the heat when I let loose the fires of Mars!" "The ice of Mercury shall clense you!" "Venus is the name, justice is the game!" "Together, we are the Sailor Senshi, and we will-" "SHUT UP AND RESCUE US ALREADY!!" bellowed Sailor Uranus, going blue in the face. "Oh, yeah!" "Oh!" "Whoops!" "Sorry." "I apologize profusely." "Heh, heh. Tux, it's your turn to shine." Tuxedo Kamen, sheepishly let loose a volley of well aimed, steel tipped, red roses, each cutting up the shadows long enough for the Outers to get free. Now, newly angered and gasping in gales of blessed air, the Outer Senshi readied for battle. "Everyone, combine your powers!" shouted Luna from the sidelines where she and Artemis were watching. "Right!" they shouted, and then let loose. "Tuxedo La Smoking Bomber!" "Starlight Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!" "Jupiter Oak Evolution!" "Mars Flame Sniper!" "Mercury Aqua Raphsody!" "Venus Love and Beauty Shock!" "Silence Glaive Surprise!" "Space Sword Blaster!" "Submarine Reflection!" "Cronos Typhoon." The whirwind funnel of powerful attacks slammed into the still wounded Phantom, bringing it to it's knees in pain. Instead of bursting into dust, Phantom melted into the shadows, much as it had appeared. The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen all breathed a sigh of relief. Then.......... ::smack-smack-smack-smack-smack-smack:: "Ow!!!" cried all the Inner Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen. "What was that for?" "Are you all daft???????" asked and incredulous Sailor Uranus, hand still poised from her six-in-a-row hit. "There we were, choking to death, deprived of air, and instead of helping us, you make corny speeches and revealing poses?" "Revealing? Corny?" ***** Phantom slithered painfully from his kneeling position on the floor. A gloved hand smacked it upside the head so hard that it was sent sprawling three feet away. Phantom whimpered in pain, but dared not say anything. "Fool! You dare come back after losing! Your audacity is insulting!" "Mistress, please...." "SILENCE, slave! You have failed. The punishment is DEATH!" As Phantom backed away in horror, the figure waved their hand once, black mist swirling where it went. The mist then grew larger as it sped to Phantom, who howled in pure terror. It wrapped Phantom up, and in a flash, all there was left was smoking remains of the monster. ############################################################################# To be continued in Part 7. ~~~~~Jade Hunter~~~~~