//------------------------------//
// Chapter 20: Luna's Resolve 
// Story: Red Clouds: The Strangers of Fate 
// by Akatsuki God 
//------------------------------//

{Near Manehatten}

With more than half of her guards wiped out and another being stabbed in her place, Luna was now in shock at the situation before her. "Why would you...do this..." she asked the guard in front of her that had just been stabbed in her place.

The guard was panting, trying to catch his breath as his strength was beginning to fade away. "Because...I swore an oath..." he then coughed up some blood before it began to seep down his chin from both ends of his mouth as his pants steadily grew heavier. "to protect you...even at the cost of my own life..." he then finished. 

Luna shed a tear upon hearing this as she closed her eyes. "You didn't have to let yourself die for my sake..." she responded.

Sasuke then grinned. "Relax, this isn't going to kill him right away." he then said to her before pulling his sword out of his chest, causing him to almost cringe and stumble forward before he was kicked out of the way by Sasuke several feet to the side. "However, if he isn't treated, he will die." he then pointed his blood stained sword at her. "I haven't killed your friends so they will have to watch you die here by my hand." he said as she stared wide eyed at him in disbelief.

Luna then looked around at the remaining guards. She didn't want any of them to confront him as she could easily tell that they were no match for him, even if they were to work together as they have already done. "Guards, stay back!" she commanded, causing them to back off instantly. They stared at her for a moment, worried about what she may be thinking and, when she took a few steps forward, it became clear to them that she intended to face him alone. Her expression showed fearlessness and she was determined to stop his relentless attack without having to kill him.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why are you stepping forward?" he asked her. "Is it to offer your life in exchange for those pathetic guards of yours? Or is it that you intend to kill me for what I've done to them?"

"I'm not going to offer you my life, as I have not yet done enough to help my subjects in this war." She responded. "But, I am not going to kill you either...I will find a way to stop you without killing you."

Sasuke stepped back for a moment with flashes of a spiky headed blond boy about his age and size had rushed through his mind all the while hearing a voice. "I will find a way to stop you and bring you back to the village with me!" was what played in his head before another sounded. "I won't kill you, that just isn't an option for me because your'e my best friend!"

"Shut up, you sound just as annoying as Naruto." Sasuke then said in response.

To this, Luna was caught off guard, she never heard of Naruto from him or Itachi, yet for some reason, she felt that he had a major influence on him before coming to Equestria. She stood still for a moment before lowering her head and closing her eyes for a brief moment. "I see..." She then looked back up to him while her head still hang slightly. "So this Naruto you speakist of...he must have really cared about you to wish to take you back to the village that you both come from."

Immediately, Sasuke stepped back as his eyes shot open in surprise. "H-How do you know about that?" he responded in a low whisper. "How the hell do you know about that!?" he then yelled as he swung his free hand to the side at nothing in particular.

Luna stared at him for a moment before answering. "I have the ability to peer into one's mind, which allows me to see one's memories and to make out what they are thinking at the time." she explained as the air between them grew more intense. "Also, while peering into your mind, I was able to see your state of mind, which has been thrown into chaos because of you past with your older brother and-" before she could finish, Sasuke charched at her in anger and was aiming the tip of his blade to her heart. Reflexively however, she had pulled a sword from the ground with her magic and blocked his attack.

"Shut the hell up...don't even say a single word about Itachi or my clan!" he yelled before jumping back and preparing his lightning attack, making a few hand signs before holding his right hand down and open while grabbing just past his wrist on his right arm with his other hand as the lightning began to appear in his right hand. "I'll kill you here and now with this attack!" he blurted out in anger before finally taking off and charging straight at her all the while yelling out, nothing in particular until he came nearly within striking distance. At that moment, he pushed his lightning filled hand toward her without slowing his charge even slightly so as to minimize her chance of escape as she only stared at him with a rather serious expression. "Die!"

At that, a large ploom of dust and dirt was sent flying several meters into the air as the guards watched with uncertainty. To them, it was unmistakable that the shinobi they had confronted, had made contact with and even killed their beloved princess. However for some reason, they stared at where the impact was made, hoping and praying the she was alright while acting nervously. One, swallowing the lump in his throught while most of them had began to sweet profusely.

Moments later, the dark figure of the two had become visible to them along with a few small zaps of electricity discharged within a small radious inside the dust and a moment later, their view of the two combatents grew more clear as the were able to make out a shocking sight, the blade had made contact, however not with her flesh but rather with another blade, the blade of a halberd made from black and cold steel which was being handled with magic from the princess and appeared to have completely blocked Sasuke's attack.

Sasuke jumped back, staring at her unusual weapon. What is that weapon? he thought as he continued to stare, now shifting his gaze to her weapon. She summoned it right before she blocked my attack. Does that mean it has special powers of it's own?

"It has been quite some time since I last used this." She said aloud as she stared him down, willing to take the full force of his unrelenting fury as silence and anticipation enveloped the area, leaving the only sounds being of the wind and the trees it shook.