ILadyIce@aol.com wrote:
Notes follow, and --as always-- C&C, MSTs, etc. would be greatly
appreciated. ^_^
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Forgotten Future, Forbidden Past
Chapter Eight
[Sm belongs to Takeuchi-sama
and Kodansha. Don't sue me. ^_^;]
Previous chapters can be found at:
http://members.tripod.com/~tina97
(singing: Thank yoouu, Erriiin~)
Thanks for reading. :)
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"Emmeline..."
Her head hurt. Hurt like it had been trampled on by a herd of elephants,
Cliche'd
and now was being used as a drum. But she dimly recollected that it was a
-good- kind of hurt: it meant that she wasn't dead. And that was always the
best kind of realization...
"Emmeline, please! We don't have much time."
She groaned as she felt something cold on her forehead, but cracked an
eye open accordingly. Violet eyes attached to a pale face swam into view.
"Hotaru..." she muttered. "Where am I?"
The other woman frowned. "In the palace. I had to sneak you in through
the back. There's something going on..." She paused, her eyes narrowing. "Do
you remember what happened?"
"narrowing"? Does that mean Hotaru is suspicious of Emmeline?
"The barracks..." Emmeline's breath caught in her throat as the memories
flooded her mind. Someone knew. Someone knew of the secret she had kept
hidden for so long. Or at least suspected it. That damn doctor... Her eyes
squeezed shut. No, more likely Faustine. It was a chilling thought. "Yes, I
remember," she managed, not opening her eyes.
"I healed you as best I could, but..." Hotaru's face twisted with some
peculiar emotion. "You haven't been responding well. It's almost as if your
body was rejecting a cure..." She trailed off, then continued more
forcefully, "You should be fine in an hour, Emmeline. However, we can't wait
that long."
Emmeline eyes snapped open. "You tried to -heal-..." So that's where the
headache had come from. How stupid of her to put herself in this position!
She struggled to sit up, and winced as her body creaked in protest. Her hand
went involuntarily to her bandaged arm. It seemed in somewhat better shape,
but that was only because of the fuku's powers. "Don't -ever- touch me
again," she growled, her ashen hair concealing almost fearful amber eyes.
Hotaru looked mildly amused. "Remind me you said that the next time I try
to save you. Now," she said, standing up and offering Emmeline a hand, "I
Doesn't that count as a touch?
suggest we get out of here before we're caught, and the -whole- plan is shot
to hell..."
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Daburu's eyes slowly opened. Her face was wet with tears, but she didn't
bother trying to wipe them away. Minako. Minako was dead, and -she-,
apparently, had killed her. Wasn't that what the apparition had said? She had
killed her best friend, and failed to avenge her mother. There was no reason
for her to continue living. She would have to give herself up, or throw
herself from the top of the palace like she had always been meant to...
Someone shook her, hard, jarring her out of her reverie. "Daburu! Snap
out of it." A rusty black-haired woman lay cool fingertips on her forehead,
concern playing across her face. "Dammit," she swore softly, "what did
Faustine do to you?"
Faustine? She dimly recalled a Faustine, but couldn't exactly place it...
"Neo-Moon!" the woman suddenly shouted, becoming frustrated. "Enough! Say
something, you stupid little fool! It's Akasia. Neo-Mercury..." She touched
her own forehead, and a sigil blazed to life.
That sigil... she recognized it. The sigil of Mercury... "Mother," she
gasped, "I couldn't help you."
Akasia's eyes softened. "Your mother... Ami Mizuno? I heard about her...
and Minako Aino." She clenched her fists, and shook her head sharply.
"Daburu, I'm sorry, but you'll have to wallow in self-pity later. Lady Hino
has organized a search party, and they're out for blood. I barely got you out
of the sub-basement before they came to collect Elder Venus..."
Daburu was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea. They had come to "collect"
Minako. She struggled to her feet, turning away from the surprised woman.
"What an apathetic thing to say," she whispered hoarsely. "Just like you,
"unfeeling" not "apathetic"
Akasia."
Akasia slammed her palms down angrily. The shrill sound echoed
throughout, the empty room, as shrill as the dark-haired woman's next words.
"Minako Aino is dead! Ami Mizuno is dead! And unless you listen to me, you
will be too! Don't you understand that?" Daburu remained silent. Akasia
slowly got to her feet, her face a mixture of disbelief and suspicion.
"Daburu... you've always been stronger than this."
There was a buzzing in her ears. A part of her agreed with Akasia, while
the other insisted she should retreat into that dark corner at the edge of
her mind, and let what happen, happen. What right did
-she--killermurderervillain--have to live?
What right did she...
What right...
What?
She recalled the image of the green-haired woman, those somber eyes. Her
lips were moving, yet she couldn't hear the words. Another voice had invaded
the vision. A smug, throaty, sinister voice...
You killed Minako. You killedMinako. YoukilledMinakoyoukilledMother...
"No!" Daburu cried, cradling her head in her hands. Abruptly, the words
faded, and the green-haired woman glared at her from mere inches away.
You're stronger than this, child. Stronger than you know.
Daburu blinked, her hands dropping to her sides.
Fight her. Listen to --
"--me," Akasia was saying.
Daburu shakily straightened, her eyes sharpening with sudden clarity. She
wouldn't be disposed of so easily. Not like this... If Faustine wanted to get
her out of the way, she would have to kill her with her own two hands.
Akasia gripped Daburu's shoulders, smiling strangely. "I never realized
what lovely green eyes you had..."
"Huh?"
Akasia shrugged, still smiling in that same twisted fashion. "Let's find
Hotaru, shall we? I think I've descried the first child..."
Confusing
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Iroiro's jaw was dropped. Literally, dropped. She stared open-mouthed at
the pair of new arrivals, speechless.
It didn't suit her, Shinju thought, to be so completely taken by
surprise. She seemed like the kind of woman who would dispense surprises, and
therefore didn't much care for them herself. He swallowed, unnerved by her
shock. But, he comforted himself, it was nice to see her quiet for a change...
"I'm sorry to just appear like this," the man at Haruka's side started
hesitantly.
"You know that the time is almost upon us," Haruka interrupted sharply,
her hand squeezing his. "We needed to show ourselves now, before..."
"The time?" Shinju repeated faintly. "What time is that? Time to get a
new watch? Ha ha ha... ha ha... ha." He cleared his throat, and averted his
eyes from their dubious stares. "Well... just trying to lighten the mood," he
mumbled.
The man smiled. "Reminds me of..." The smile dropped. "Usagi."
"Don't torture yourself, Seiya," Haruka snapped, releasing his hand. "She
hasn't been 'Usagi' for more than thirty years."
"So," Iroiro spoke up briskly, regaining her composure, "this is Seiya
Kou? But I don't understand... why are you together?"
"What kind of a fool are you?" Haruka stared at her. The wind picked up,
blowing her shoulder-length tawny hair across her face. "You're not... her."
Iroiro looked stung. "No, I --"
"She's not a fool," Shinju insisted, wincing as the breeze played over
his injured shoulder. "She's here to help."
Iroiro glanced at him, eyes widening. "Shinju..." She bowed her head, her
sleek green hair covering her expression. "No, I'm not your Setsuna,
Tenou-san. But I am trying to be a worthy replacement..."
"You're from Faustine's world then?" Seiya said softly, looking
interested. "I have to admit, I've always wondered what kind of a place could
produce something like her..."
Iroiro bit her lip. "Many things have gone wrong in my dimension, but..."
She looked up at Shinju, and smiled. "There are some redeeming qualities."
Haruka gestured impatiently. "We need to speak. Somewhere less... open."
She frowned at the deserted streets surrounding them, rubbing her arms. "As
far from the palace as possible."
Iroiro nodded, and held her arm out to Shinju. "Lean on me, ok?" she
whispered.
He accepted the offer gratefully, the pain in his shoulder almost
lessening as he touched her.
Iroiro turned to Haruka and Seiya, about to say something more, and
stopped dead in her tracks.
"Mama?" a tremulous voice from behind Haruka inquired. "Can I come out
now?"
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Makoto was unsure of what to do. She could see Rei and her growing lynch
mob far below, their movements angry and erratic, and knew it would be
difficult, if not impossible, to stop them. And what if they were right? What
if Daburu...
She squeezed her eyes shut, inhaling the relaxing vapors of her
cigarette. That couldn't be. She would never believe it. Daburu had always
been the best of the Neo-Senshi, smart and adaptable, just like her mother.
"Ami," Makoto whispered, "where are you? Why the hell aren't you standing
up for her?" She jabbed the cigarette into the window sill, then tossed it
over the ledge, along with the now full ashtray. "I hope it hits you, Rei."
She turned away, gathering up her emerald skirts, and strode down the
hallway. She had no particular destination in mind, just somewhere quiet, so
she could finally have some peace. It seemed like every corner of the palace
was patrolled by Faustine's pale-faced servants, eager to annoy her in some
new and diabolical way. There was that one --what had she called herself?
Hokuto, that was it-- who had started a very long, and involved discussion on
20th century airplanes, a topic she seemed to know an endless amount about.
Makoto remembered feeling something peculiar in the pit of her stomach, like
the feeling she got when she was out of cigarettes for too long.
Makoto stopped suddenly. Her green skirts dropped around her with a
gentle swishing sound, and she ran a hand over the velvet covering of the
wall. Neon letters glowed to life, proclaiming "Alpha Neo-Senshi Quarters.
Level 10."
Strange that she would end up in this place. "Computer," Makoto murmured,
"who's at home?" She clasped her hands in front of her, staring down the
dimly lit corridor.
"One moment," the computer replied, in its flat, feminine voice, "Room 1,
Neo-Moon's quarters, unoccupied. Room 2, Neo-Mercury's quarters, unoccupied.
Room 3, Neo-Mars' quarters, unoccupied. Room 4, Neo-Jupiter's quarters
....unknown. Room --"
"Computer," Makoto interrupted, "what do you mean 'unknown'? Who's in
Neo-Jupiter's quarters?"
"....unable to comply. Error 707. Abort, retry?"
"No... nevermind." Makoto picked up her skirts, pulling them above her
ankles so as not to make any noise, and edged down the hallway.
Who could be in Neo-Jupiter's quarters? Hurting someone would do her
good. She could feel her heartbeat quickening, that delicious shock running
through her. The cold navy coating of the wall brushed against her bare
shoulder, causing goosebumps to appear up and down her arms. When she had
passed Room 4, she flattened herself against the side, wondering if she
should attempt to override the door's controls, or just try to kick it down.
In the end, common sense won. She would have to kick it down.
She leapt in front of the Room 5's entrance, her muscles tensing. A one,
a two, a --
The door slid open.
"Hello, Mako-chan," Hotaru said, smiling slightly. "You're right on time.
We were just about to leave."
Makoto sweatdropped. "Er. Hello, Hotaru." She peered over the other
woman's head, trying to decipher who the other part of the "we" was. Surely
not...
"Elder Jupiter." Emmeline peeked around the corner, frowning. "How lovely
it is to see you."
Makoto mirrored the frown. Emmeline's face was as ashen as her hair, and
neither looked like they had been having some tea and getting to know one
another. "Aftermath of a battle?" she muttered. "You look like hell,
Emmeline. What have the two of you been doing?"
"Oh, channeling spirits, playing Go, concocting plans to take over the
universe," Hotaru replied cheerily. "You know, the usual."
"Your peculiar sense of humor is rubbing off, Emmeline," Makoto said,
raising an eyebrow.
Emmeline glared at her, then turned to Hotaru suspiciously. "Why are you
in such a good mood?"
Hotaru's expression became distant. "I have almost fulfilled my
promise..." She shook her head, then stared up at Makoto. "You were once my
friend, and my fellow senshi. For this, for all the memories of our past,
will you help me?"
Makoto's eyes widened, suddenly struck by the immediacy of everything
going on around her. "Hotaru... Yes. Yes, I'll help you," she said suddenly,
knowing she would be there for this woman, whatever the request.
Emmeline glanced wildly between the two. "What -are- you talking about? I
won't get involved in this..."
"Emmeline, you are already very much involved in this," Hotaru replied
flatly, walking slowly out into the hallway. "Makoto," she asked abruptly,
"where are the other Neo-Senshi?"
Makoto winced. "You... don't know?"
"Don't know what?" Emmeline said impatiently.
"Rei has accused Daburu of... killing Minako." Makoto's mouth was
suddenly dry. She hadn't thought of Minako as -dead- until that moment.
Minako was gone. Minako... her friend. She would never hear that infectious
laugh, see that long blonde hair; and suddenly, Makoto knew why she hadn't
wanted to think of her. Minako reminded her of Usagi, the old, sweet,
carefree Usagi, the one who had died. They were both gone now. Both gone...
and she didn't want to face it.
"Minako," Hotaru whispered, looking shocked. "I wouldn't have thought..."
"Daburu?" Emmeline blinked. "That's... absurd! They were just having a
talk a few days ago..." She immediately regretted the words. It wouldn't do
her any good to let them know of her nasty habit... Especially since Elder
Jupiter happened to be the target of her eavesdropping a great deal of the
time.
Makoto hugged herself, trying to numb the emotions that were attempting
to burst free. "A talk? About what, Emmeline?" There, she had managed speak
missing word
without wavering, but she couldn't rid herself of the sting in her eyes.
"Well," Emmeline cleared her throat, "I was just passing by... but I
think I heard something about Daburu's mother. Something about her missing..."
"Ami..." Hotaru muttered. "No, it wasn't because of her. She wanted
Daburu out of the way... until the child is born."
"What?" Emmeline asked.
"Serenity's child. One of destruction, or salvation."
What's the timeframe? Who's the father?
"I had forgotten..." Makoto trailed off. "What do you mean? Why would
Faustine want Daburu out of the way?"
"I don't know everything," Hotaru said simply. "Only what I'm told.
Serenity's child could fix our world..."
"You hope it's Chibi-usa, don't you?" Makoto said softly.
Hotaru pursed her lips. "That's not... possible. And I'm more concerned
about the fact that her child could be ten times worse than Faustine... a
reincarnation of two twisted souls, both bent on annihilation. The only way
we can stop this is by finding the children... the triumvirate, and then..."
Hotaru sighed. "We'll repair all that has come undone."
Makoto stared at her for a few long moments. "Children? What do you..."
Hotaru disappeared inside the room, and came out with a bag slung around
her shoulder. "You'll find out soon enough. First, we have to stop Rei from
doing something she'll regret..."
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Faustine lounged on the window sill of the northernmost room in the
palace, her legs dangling dangerously into empty space. She enjoyed the cold
wind on her bare skin, the feeling both delicious and terrifying, and made it
a habit to sit there, if only to unnerve the people watching below. This
dress that she wore, one of Serenity's finest, had the interesting quality of
being able to billow and stay in place at once. It was quite lovely, indeed...
She turned slightly, sensing Serenity's presence behind her. "My," she
said, smiling wickedly, "aren't you getting large?" She laughed sharply,
poking at the rotund belly. "Not long now, hmm, my dear?"
Serenity stared blankly ahead, the smile she held on her face both
charming and dull. Her eyes, too, were a flat blue, concealed by a gay
twinkling.
"Yes," Faustine murmured, turning back to her sky, "not long now. And I
still have my two most powerful pieces to play -- the pretty rat ... and the
little senshi who thinks she's so smart. Mistress Mars..." She laughed again,
delighted by her ingenuity.
"We'll let righteous Rei and her band of mindless senshi discharge that
bothersome Neo-Moon; then Hokuto will earn her keep. The Time Staff will be
mine." She paused. "Faustine, Guardian of Time. How does that sound to you,
Serenity, hmm?" She laughed and laughed, the shrill sound echoing throughout
the Crystal Palace.
Serenity, her demeanor unaltered, continued to stare blankly ahead. 'Yes,
Mamo-chan, that sounds wonderful....'
Creepy.