Just as Demande was bringing the Crystals closer, Black Lady and Emerald Lady rushed towards him, and everything...froze. Neo-Queen Gaia cracked an eye open as the world became still. "Nothing's moving..." She thought. Her eyes then widened, and her head snapped towards the Time Guardian. "She couldn't have....Pluto! She stopped time!" Sparks filtered from the Garnet Rod, releasing Usagi, the Sailor Guardians, Tuxedo Mask, Luna, Artemis, Malachite, Topaz, Sailor Earth, Black Lady and Emerald Lady.
"Why is it suddenly so calm?" Mercury asked, looking around.
"Everything is completely motionless." Artemis commented.
"The air is still." Malachite agreed.
"Nemesis isn't approaching." Topaz added, looking up at the sky to the dark planet.
"Everything's been frozen." Luna finished. Kumiko took a step as she un-froze, but she stopped short when the Moon Rod in her hand started to shine. Kumiko lifted it up...and her eyes became clear.
"Usa...ko..." She muttered. There was a clatter as Pluto dropped her Garnet Rod, and collapsed.
"Pluto!" Usagi exclaimed, running over to her. "Are you alright?" The rest of the Guardians, the cats, Tuxedo Mask and Neo-Queen Gaia rushed over.
"I can't believe you did that, Pluto." Neo-Queen Gaia said, astonished. "That was extremely reckless, how could you do something like that? You broke the most sacred law of time!"
"By stopping it?" Mercury asked.
"Why is that wrong?" Jupiter wondered. "She saved us all."
"What does breaking 'the most sacred law' mean?" Usagi questioned. "What's going to happen to her?"
"Queen...Serenity...warned me not to..." Pluto whimpered. "She said it would....cost me...my life..."
"Cost you...your life?" Usagi breathed.
"Time has stopped, but not for very long. Please hurry, before it restarts. Go to Demande, retrieve the four Legendary Crystals from him, and be very careful not to let them touch. Only you can do this, Sailor Moon."
"But Pluto-" Usagi started to protest.
"Go, quickly!" Usagi then quickly turned and rushed over to Demande, taking all four Crystals from him. From the sidelines, Kumiko, Black Lady and Emerald Lady watched the scene unfold.
"I got all the Crystals back, just like you told me too." Usagi said, showing them to the Time Guardian. "They're right here."
"Thank goodness..." Pluto breathed. Usagi knelt next to her.
"Yes, Pluto, it's all thanks to you."
"I always wanted to serve you as a Guardian." Pluto admitted to the blonde Princess. "To be of help, the way your friends are. I had long hoped to fight alongside you, and now that's been fulfilled." Tears started to form in garnet eyes. "Sailor Moon...future Neo-Queen Serenity...I have always admired you for your inner strength, and the size of your heart. So, please, Sailor Moon, I beg of you...save the Small Ladies, they need you." Pluto let out a string of chesty coughs.
"Pluto, stay with us!" Usagi begged.
"Please, Pluto, let us find a way to help you." Neo-Queen Gaia requested. Pluto turned her head to the Earthan Queen.
"No, my Queen, I broke the law." Pluto reminded her. "I committed this crime of my own volition. And now, I must attone for my sin." Pluto shakily gripped the Garnet Rod beside her, and lifted it to the air. "Diana, Amber..." She called softly. The two felines appeared in bubbles above the Guardian and dropped onto her.
"Pluto!" Diana gasped.
"What happened to you, Pluto?" Amber questioned.
"Are you badly hurt?"
"Diana, Amber, thank you so much." Pluto said softly, "You both did a fine job of guarding the Door in my place." Pluto turned to look at Neo-Queen Gaia. "Guarding time, and being keeper of the Door, they were my duties...but I also took a great deal of pride in them." Tears started to well up in Pluto's eyes, "My Queen, I failed you. I wasn't able to protect either of the Princesses...please forgive me." Pluto turned to look past the group, "Small...Ladies..." She whimpered, holding out the Space-Time key towards where she was looking. Her arm dropped as she took her last breath.
"Pluto no!" Usagi wailed. "Open your eyes!" Across the field, Black Lady and Emerald Lady were staring at Pluto's corpse, their hearts thudding in in their chest. They were Black Lady and Emerald Lady...no one ever cared about them...they had no friends...no family at all...all they had was each other...the two recalled the moment they stole the Space Time key from their friend...their friend...why were these memories coming back...why were tears running down their cheeks.
"Pluto!" Twin voices cried. Two pairs of Malefic Black Earings shattered, and light shone from the two, causing everyone to turn to the twins. Time started once more, and the young princesses returned to their former selves, that of children, still yet to grow, each with a Legendary Crystal of the past. Chibi-Usa held that of the Moon Kingdom, while her sister, Chibi-Kumi, possessed that of the Earth Kingdom.
"What light is this?" Nemesis demanded of the golden and silver lights that radiated over the desolate field. Then, ribbons and vines tangled throughout the air, covering Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Kumi in pink and green. Finally, after 900 years, the sisters had done it, they had managed to harness the power of their Legendary Crystals...and transformed, witnessed by all eyes. The two looked at each other in awe.
"They did it..." Neo-Queen Gaia breathed. "Their powers have awakened..."
"They can transform now!" The kittens choroused.
"Chibi-Usa...and Chibi-Kumi..." Kumiko muttered. "They managed to harness the powers of their Crystals..."
"This is the birth of new Guardians." Tuxedo Mask finished. "To carry on the legacies of Sailor Moon and Sailor Earth."
"Chibi-Usa, Chibi-Kumi!" Usagi gasped.
"Usagi!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed.
"Mama!" Chibi-Kumi cried happily. Their eyes fell to Pluto. They rushed up to her.
"We did it Pluto, look at us!"
"We were able to transform! See! We're just like you now!"
"Come on, why won't you open your eyes." Chibi-Usa said shakily, tears starting to form in her eyes. The sisters fell to their knees beside Pluto.
"We can finally transform after all these years..." Chibi-Kumi sobbed. "But...why...whats the point if you're not alive to even see it! Wake up Pluto! Plese!"
"I'm so sorry..." Usagi said through her own tears.
"You were both given the greatest power in the universe and you both threw it away!" Nemesis snarled. "I had such high hopes for you, Black Lady, Emerald Lady. What a waste!"
"Nemesis..." Usagi started softly. "How dare you toy with the hearts of innocent girls, and manipulate them to do your dirty work!" Her voice became louder with each passing word. "Their best friend is gone, all because of your lust for power! I'll never forgive you!" Usagi raised the Legendary Silver Crystal from the past. "Moon Crystal Power! Make Up!" She shouted, and in a flash, Sailor Moon stood before everyone. Sha glared up at the forbidden planet. "You're going to pay for what you've done to Chibi-Usa and Chibi-Kumi." She declared. "And for Pluto's death as well! I am the Pretty Guardian, who fights for Love and for Justice, I am Sailor Moon! And now in the name of the moon, I'll punish you!" In a quick flash of light, the Moon Rod was out of Kumiko's hand and in Sailor Moon's. "Moon Princess! Halation!" She cried. The bright light shot up towards Nemeis. Sailor Moon kept a tight grip on the Moon Rod, her fingers also gripping the Legendary Golden Crystal.
"You managed to reel my Darkness?" Nemesis chuckled. "What Marvelous power! But do you really think you stand a chance against me now?"
"No one esle is going to die on my watch! Earth is my home! It's my planet! And I won't let you keep doing what you want with it!"
"Puny human!" Waves of darkness shot towards Sailor Moon, causing her to grunt and squeeze her eyes shut. Suddenly, a pair of warm arms wrapped themselves around Sailor Moon, holding her close. The blonde opened her eyes and they filled with joy at the sight of her beloved.
"Kumi, you're back!" She exclaimed.
"I'm so sorry, Usako." Kumiko apologised, slipping the Legendary Golden Crystal from Sailor Moon's fingers and into her own..In a quick flash, Kumiko became Sailor Earth.
"It's ok." Sailor Moon assured. She turned to her Moon Rod as it shone brighter. "Our combined power is repairing it!" From the corner of my eye, the duo noticed Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Venus and Tuxedo Mask shoot off their own attacks towards Nemesis. The Planet groaned, and the light grew brighter. Nemesis let out a final cry of pain, and disappeared. Everyone was still, waiting for the next move. Sailor Earth eyed the Malefic Black Crystals that liuttered the horison...until a beam of purple energy shot forward, but ws being repelled by Demande's Third Eye. "Prince Demande!"
"You're tricks might fool them but they won't fool me!" The silver-haired man declared, glaring at the origin of the beam. "I know you!"
"Demande! Why do you interfere!?" Nemesis demanded.
"I won't let you take what belongs to me! Sailor Moon is mine! I'll be the one to kill her!" Sailor Earth angled herself in between the prince and the Moon Guardian.
"Over my dead body!" She snarled.
"And if anyone walks away from this with the Silver Crystal or the Golden Crystal, it's going to be me!"
"You may have been bewitched by the beauty of the Queen..." Nemesis taunted. "But make no mistake, you are my puppet and nothing more!" The purple beam grew stronger. "I gave you your power, I can take it away! And leave you to be consumed by your own darkness!" The beam overwhelmed emande, and he was caught in it's grip. "Poor Prince Demande, so naive, so immature, such delusions of grandeur. How could he think he ever stood a chance against me? With that insignificant level of power...Die!" There was a flash, and Demande turned to ash, Nemesis letting out a deep and satisfied laugh. "One must wait an overwhelmingly long time, hundreds of years before one first starts obtaining power. I gave them Dark Energy, guidance, everything that they need to reshape history into the future of their dreams, they squandered it all!" The world around everyone warped, and they looked around on high allert.
"Whats going on?" Venus demanded.
"I regret to inform you, but wether you like it or not you insignificant little creatures are already within my grasp." Mercury pulled up her visor.
"Malefic Black Crystal energy levels are spiking off the charts!" She reported.
"We're trapped in distorted space!" Sailor Moon realised.
"The Darkness those Malefic Black Crystals are emmitting are pressing us from all sides." Sailor Earth added, looking around. "It's like someone's standing on my chest."
"All it would take is th slightest shift of my mass, and I could smash you all into pieces!" Nemesis shouted. Suddenly, everyone started to fall.
"The Darkness, it's sucking us in!" Sailor Moon said. Suddenly, the withered face of Nemesis appeared, chuckling lowly.
"What the hell is that?" Tuxedo Mask demanded.
"Don't tell me that's Wiseman?" Sailor Earth demanded. "What are you!"
"Are we finally seeing your true form?" Sailor Moon asked.
"My name...is Death Phantom." The large head revealed.
"Is this truly him?" Neo-Queen Solaris wondered. "The man we banished so long ago?"
"Defeated in battle for the blue planet, I was exiled to this cold, dark place. Alone in the universe with nothing but blackness and hate. I became the King of Soitude. But now...I am the planet! I am Nemesis! Nemesis is me! As an invincible planet filled with Malefic Black Crystal, I own the greatest power that exists! With this power, the past, the future and the entire universe are all mine! And I will do with them whatever I wish!"
"Death Phantom's all consuming hatred soaked into Nemesis for so many hundreds of years that it's now fused with the planet." Mercury said.
"If that shpless evil thing wants planet Earth, it's going to have to go through me first!" Sailor Moon declared.
"The Earth is my kingdom!" Sailor Earth added, summoning her staff. "If I let it fall, then I've failed my people!""Take your best shots, Queens of the Earth." Death Phantom taunted. "Future Neo-Queen Serenity and Neo-Queen Gaia! I am invincible! You can not defeat me!""Oh yes we can." The future Queens choroused. "You're evil plans are going to end right here!" Sailor Moon stated.