Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Hearts in time ❯ The Tides of Time ( Chapter 19 )

Hearts in Time part 19: The Tides of Time
By
Lance the Flamesniper

Wraith and Matt were running late. After the battle at Tokyo Tower, Lance had declared that the next morning they were going to take the battle to Necros. He had also said he was going to have people to help with that.

"You forgot to set the alarm clock!" Matt growled as they got out of the taxi.

"What about you, 'Mr. I-have-a-perfect-sense-of-time?' " Wraith countered.

The two ran up the steps to the ocean side mansion, only to run faster as they heard the sounds of combat from the back yard. They rounded the corner into the back yard in time to see Lance flip Amara Ten'ou onto her back with ease.

"Six thousand years and you still dance like drunken bull in a china shop," Lance sighed.

"You always did know the right things to say to a lady," Amara grumbled as she began again with a flurry of punches. Lance blocked them with ease, then surprised Amara when he caught her attempt at a kick. Lance flashed her an infuriating grin as he then used her trapped leg to toss her once again.

"Amara dear, I think you should quit while you're ahead," Michelle replied drawing Matt and Wraiths eyes to the eight other people in the back yard.

"Yeah," Raye added. "You've yet to land a punch on him."

"That shouldn't be surprising," Setsuna replied.

"Oh? Why's that?" Amy asked.

"Back in the Silver Millennium, Lance taught Amara how to fight," Setsuna replied with a smile.

"More like he tossed me around like Pizza dough until I learned," Amara grumbled. She still didn't trust Matt and Wraith but if they could help put this Necros guy on the shelf then so be it.

"Ah good! You two are finally here!" Lance replied. He was infuriatingly bright eyed and even had the gall to smile.

"It's five a.m.," Matt grumbled.

"I'm surprised you're even up this early Lance. You must have gotten up a midnight to get here this early on foot," Wraith retorted.

"Actually, I just kinda stayed here last night," Lance intoned sheepishly. "Anyway let's get going shall we?"

"Sure but where's this back up you were telling us about?" Wraith responded.

Lance smiled and motioned with his arm to the girls in the back yard. Judging from the looks on Wraith and Matt's face, they'd yet put all the pieces together.

"Oh hell no," Matt muttered.

"Uhm Lance?" Wraith inquired.

"Yes?"

"Please tell me you're kidding. I mean I know your, uh, significant other is good in a fight. And I know we can count on Mina and Lita in a pinch," Wraith whispered. "But what are these other normal girls going to do?"

"Why, their shock troops," Lance replied as he watched Amara bristle at being referred to as normal, then added mentally 'And the only person whose going to be more shocked than our enemies, is going to be you.'

"Shock troops? Lance if these girls go with us they're going to get slaughtered!" Matt replied, causing Amara to bristle even more. Being called Normal was one thing but to be reduced to JUST a 'girl'? She wasn't having that, if they lived through this Matt Blackheart and Wraith Wills would find out the hard way who was just anything.

"I guess some lessons must be learned the hard way," Lance sighed. "Still, I would have figured having seen what you've seen, you'd have pieced it together by now Ladies if you would?"

"Moon Crystal Power!"

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mars Star Power!"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

"Venus Star Power"

"Uranus Planet Power!"

"Neptune Planet Power!"

"Pluto Planet Power!"

"Saturn Planet Power!"

Matt and Wraith were momentarily blinded by the light show but when the light faded they found themselves surrounded by nine fuku-clad women. When Matt was done putting his eyes back in his head he shot the now armored Lance an acidic glance.

"You knew!?" He accused. "This whole time you knew who they were and didn't tell us!"

"I didn't piece it all together until after Malachite stabbed me. After which I was sworn to remain silent about it. But trust me when I say these nine women have enough skill, power and experience to take Necros by themselves," Lance replied.

"Add in a Swordmaster and you two and we should have an easy go," Sailor Pluto stated. "Though I must warn you the Tides of Time are a danger in and of themselves. If you fall off the paths there you could be lost forever."

"Just what is the Tides of Time?" Wraith asked.

"Do you remember when I made you listen to the Trans-Siberian's Orchestra's Beethoven's Last Night?" Lance asked.

"Yes. You made me read the story that came with it too. What's that got to do with this?" Wraith countered.

" 'It was then that Beethoven noticed the hands on the clock were turning faster than they should. When he brought it to Mephistopheles’ attention he smiled. "Consider that one final gift. For where you’re going they don't turn at all!" ' " Answered Lance.

"What?" Both men replied.

"The Tides of Time is a place outside of time. A realm that touches past present and future all at once," Setsuna replied helpfully.

"Oh this is getting better by the minute," Wraith mumbled.

"We don't have time for this," Lance said in a tone that was all business.

"He's right," Sailor Mercury added. "If we are going to do this, waiting around hurts us."

"Very well. How do we get to this 'Tides of Time' place?" Matt asked.

"We'll have to use the Time Gate to get there. Everyone join hands in a circle and brace yourselves. This could get a little rough," Setsuna advised.

*********
Necros paced nervously. Granted he was related to Chaos and granted he was powerful. He was six foot two with ratty black hair, pale complexion and red eyes. He did know how to use a Naginata and was in fairly good shape, however he had never been tested in combat. He'd never had a need to actually fight, that's what he had youmas for.

"That fool Malachite has ruined everything! Jayd wasn't supposed to come here! I wasn't supposed to have to fight him!" Necros hissed.

He knew about Weapon Masters. They were trained warriors skilled in martial arts as well as with their weapons. But, they weren't berserkers they used fighting as a last resort. They were skilled in diplomacy, philosophy and were well disciplined. It was for these reasons that Weapon Masters were often dispatched by the Moon Queen to settle disputes and worked as undercover agents for the Queen. Unfortunately, Necros was pretty sure Lance Jayd would not be coming to discuss this 'dispute' over tea.

Necros looked to his last three youmas. One was a giant spider another was a boar looking youma with monstrous tusks and the third started life as an anaconda. "You three are to keep the Senshi and Princes busy. Kill them if you must but Sailor Pluto is not to be harmed."

The three youma bowed and disappeared, leaving Necros to his thoughts and his prisoner.

*******
Time travel via Senshi teleport through the time gate seemed to Wraith to be something akin to riding a roller coaster while going through the spin cycle of a washing machine. Colors shifted, flowed and spun wildly around the group so fast that the Texan was sure his mind was going to overload trying to decipher exactly what his eyes were tracking. Then with jarring swiftness they stopped and Wraith, who didn't brace himself, found himself crumpling to his knees from the impact.

"You really should have listened Wraith," Matt admonished as he looked around. The area they'd landed in looked like something out of a Salvador Dali painting surrounded by what looked like a hurricane of shifting colors and images of past present and future. But it didn't stop there. Other timelines played themselves out as he watched as well.

"Be careful not to fall in Matt," Lance intoned. "We'd never be able to find when or where you ended up."

It was then that Wraith checked his watch. What he found was that for one it's compass was spinning like a top as the minute hand first spun forward then reversed motion at a dizzying pace. "What the hell is wrong with this watch!?"

"I'd explain it but I don't think you'd believe it. Here shortly the thing will stop completely," Lance replied. "Besides, we have company."

The group looked up in time to see more of the fodder troops along with what looked like living suits of armor. The suits of armor were exactly that: armor lost to time that were animated by Necros' slave Sorceress Adept. Once animated, she couldn't control them though.

"Spread out Senshi! This most likely a stalling tactic," Lance growled as he hacked through the nearest of the living armors.

'What am I doing here?' Wraith mentally growled as he set to work on the Fodder. 'What are any of us doing in this mess? When this is over, like it or not, we're all going home. Lance has proved his point.'

Matt was in warrior's heaven. Never in all his life had he ever dreamed he'd find himself in a life or death situation like this. Nor did he ever think he'd enjoy it THIS much. He kicked away the wreckage of some living armor then glanced at Lance.

Lance and Setsuna stood back to back, each one defending the other. They didn't just move; they seemed flow, trading places, switching opponents without missing a stroke of either blade of staff. It was as if they were dancing, not fighting. The rest of the battlefield was a mess of Oak Evolutions, Flame snipers, Aqua Rhapsodies, Love and Beauty Shocks, World Shakings, Deep Submerges and flying youma parts. But for Sailor Pluto and her Prince there was nothing but each other and the targets before them.

"Keep going! We're almost through!" Lance yell over the din as the dozen made it to a clearing.

********

Arachnia smiled as the dozen heroes came into view. Necros had arranged it so there would be three rings of defense. The first ring was a battalion of fodder and living suits followed by her. Ring two was the rest of the fodder, some more living suits and Constrictor, followed by more Living suits and Iron Tusk. If by some miracle the heroes made it past Iron tusk it would be up to Necros. None of them saw the flaw in the plan.

Lance saw the massive spider first. "Any ideas how to handle this?"

"Divide and conquer?" offered Raye.

"Sounds good to me," Matt growled.

"Then it's settled. Sailors Moon and Venus. You and Wraith deal with this then catch up!" Lance requested.

The three nodded as the other nine warriors press through into the next ring.

*******

"Are you sure it's a good idea to leave them alone?" Mercury asked as the battle raged around her.

"No, but this is Lance's show and I trust him," Jupiter answered as more suits fell to their assault.

"It's most likely that at the end of this group there'll be another Youma," Uranus replied as she pulled her Space sword from a now destroyed Living suit.

"Then it's a game of wear down," Lance hissed. "Necros would have these fodder and suits to wear us down and then a Youma to take us down afterwards."

"Sounds cowardly to me," Uranus mumbled.

"Indeed it does," Sailor Pluto agreed as she and Saturn smashed through the last of the defending fodder.

Suddenly looming before them was a massive snake. "You will not get passsssst me," It intoned.

"Lance, keep going. We'll handle this," Matt replied as Jupiter and Mercury nodded.

Lance grinned at his friend. "May good fortune smile on you then my friends."

********
Lance and the outers did not waste time going hand to hand with the Battalion of Living suits that waited for them. Once they passed the big snake it was time for a show of power all their own.

"Celestial Blade Slash!"

"Dead Scream!"

"Silence Glaive surprise!"

"Deep Submerge!"

"World Shaking!"

The effect of the five attacks were simply staggering.

**********

The windows of Necros' tower suddenly lit up as hurricane gale shook the tower, pelting it with Living suit shrapnel.

Necros rushed to one of the windows in time to see a mana induced Mushroom cloud blossom in the wastelands outside the gate.

"An omen. It has to be," Necros muttered.

"Indeed it is Necros," a cultured voice agreed.

"Chronos!" Necros spat. "What are you doing here? My tower is under attack."

"Why Necros I came to finish our game," Chronos replied, looking hurt.

"Now really isn't a good time," Necros began.

"Nonsense! Now is the best time of all for the End Game," Chronos replied as he placed a Necros shaped piece onto the game board.

"What are you doing?" Necros replied as his eyes widened.

"Well my pieces are attacking you aren't they? I will admit I enjoyed our game. It was very much amusing. Still, I will be glad to be rid of you. And I most sincerely hope my daughter and Lance give me many, many grandchildren," Laughed Chronos.

"You'll pay for this Chronos! I swear you will!"

Chronos' response was merely a mocking smile as he disappeared.

***********

The dust had just begun to settle when the Outers and Lance charged through. The youma at the gate took that moment to charge as well.

"Keep going you two," Sailor Uranus called as her spacesword clashed with the beast's massive tusks.

"Are you sure?" Lance asked.

"Saturn, Neptune and I will handle this," Uranus snapped. "You save your sister and put an end to this problem!"

"Very well," Lance responded with a nod as he and Sailor Pluto charged the gate.

"On three?" Sailor Pluto suggested as the approached the closed and bolted gate.

"Definitely," Lance replied his blade already crackling with power.

"One.... two.... three," Sailor Pluto counted.

"Celestial Blade Slash!"

"Dead Scream!"

The massive gate buckled in then exploded into a mass of splinters. Not that the two attackers noticed. They rushed through the courtyard and up the steps of the tower. They entered the central room on top of the tower where they found Necros.

"Ah Lance! Welcome! I've been expecting you," Necros replied as he twirled his naginata over his head before snapping it into a low guard stance. "Say your goodbyes to Sailor Pluto. You won't leave here alive!"

Lance narrowed his eyes as he caught a glimpse of the hooded Sorceress Adept. "We'll see about that."

TBC
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