Ah... don't ask me why I wrote this instead of revising that prologue.. :>
I'll finish that tomorrow night.. (procrastinator me.. ^^;;) 

Well... read, tell me what you think, etc. :)

~ice
------------------------------------
Forgotten Future, Forbidden Past
Chapter Six
[Insert std. Sailormoon disclaimers, 
Takeuchi-san is kewl, etc.]
------------------------------------

      The tension in the dark room was so thick you could cut it with a knife.
The white-haired woman, however, leaned easily against the doorframe, small,
imperious, smirk on her face. She seemed oblivious to the crazed, anger-filled
stare from the young woman before her, and nodded lazily to the elaborate tank
at the rear of the room. "Mizuno looks much better that way... don't you
think?" 

      "You... you bitch..." Daburu choked out, fists clenched. Minako remained
silent next to her, eyes closed.

      Faustine laughed lightly. "What an impertinent thing you are." She
straightened, eyes dancing playfully. "You're just like your mother. Too
bad..." Dark energy crackled around her fingertips as she raised them. "I'll
have to take care of you like I did her..."

      Minako moved then, shoving Daburu out of the way as a stream of black
light cut across the room, evaporating when it failed to connect. Minako dug
her finger's into Daburu's arm. 

      "Don't get yourself killed," she whispered raggedly. "She's strong, but
she doesn't--"

      "Enough!" Faustine's impatient call came far closer than Minako
expected. "We won't fight in here... Our dear "Ami" is too precious..." 

      Daburu felt a roaring in her ears. She struggled to cry out, but she
felt disembodied somehow, no longer in the correct place. The cold feeling of
the floor against her cheek finally snapped her back into full consciousness.
Her eyes shot open.

      They were in the sub-basement. The walls were gray, undecorated, and
laced with jagged cracks. Daburu swallowed, the air feeling unaccustomly
stale. 

      "Venus--" The beginning of the attack died on the already standing
Minako's lips as she was hurled backwards with a wave of Faustine's hand.

      "Minako!" Daburu cried, enraged. She sprang to her feet, arm already
outraised, gray eyes blazing. "Neo-Moon Star Power, Make-up!"

      The space around her exploded in a burst of blue and red light. Ribbons
snaked around her body, sprouting out in a bow at her chest, and continuing to
cover her with the white and blue-skirted fuku of the Moon. Beams of lights
encircled her fingers, becoming crimson gloves topped with the lunar symbol of
Serenity. Boots slid over her legs, as a silver-coated tiara erected itself on
her forehead. 

      As the red and blue aura faded, she was dropped neatly to the ground, a
snarl marring her elven-like features. "I won't forgive you for this.... Neo-
Moon..." 

      Silvery lines of power gathered around her clasped gloves as she she
raised them in the air, almost in slow motion. The energy expanded,
crystallizing, and taking the shape of a many pointed star. The center began
to glow with a dim lavender light.

      "...Kappa Maelstrom!"

      The crystal spikes coalesced with the now humming lavender light,
filling the entire dank basement with its brightness. It illuminated Daburu's
determined eyes for just a moment... then as she brought her arms down in a
swift chopping motion, it was launched across the empty space between her and
Faustine.

      The white-haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Impressive," she uttered,
just as the lavender-white ball shattered into a million pieces infront of
her. She smirked. "But not impressive enough." 

      Neo-Moon turned pale. Minako, who had struggled up from the ground,
pushed Daburu behind her protectively. 

      "Faustine.." she hissed, clutching a wounded arm. "Leave her alone."

      "Oh.." Faustine laughed again. "I will.. in one sense, or another." 

      Daburu shoved Minako out of the way, and lept at Faustine. The strike
was so sudden that even Faustine was surprised, and dodged it too slowly. A
long streak of blood appeared across her perfect features. Neo-Moon turned to
make another attack, but Faustine grasped her neck, eyes blazing in anger. She
threw her to the side suddenly, and smiled icily as she rubbed the blood off
her face. 

      A breeze began to blow. Faustine's cloak wavered around her as her eyes
turned inky black. Minako sent a wild-eyed look at Daburu. 

      "Daburu, I..."

      Faustine's arms shot out suddenly. Daburu didn't even get a chance to
cry out as wave upon wave of psionic energy hit her. The last thing she heard
before unconsciousness claimed her was "Star.." screamed by the triumphant
Faustine...
---------------------------------------------

      "HA!" Iroiro grinned as she surveyed the odd scene around her. "It
worked!"

      Two gray and white fuku-clad Senshi, a burly man, and a dog in half-leap
stood completely motionless around Iroiro and Shinju. As Iroiro snickered
incessantly, and poked all of the frozen figures, Shinju blinked.

      And blinked again.

      "Eh?" She looked over at him, finally noticing his awestruck expression.
"Shinju? You... ok?" She waved a hand in front of his face.

      "I.. suppose so," he croaked out. He was feeling dizzy all of a sudden,
and wondered dismally if Iroiro would consider it rude if he just sat down for
a moment...

      "Shinju!" She rushed to his side as he collapsed, clutching his back,
and grimacing slightly. "Oh.. wound's worse that I expected." She winced.
"Sorry, I'm not the most collected of people. Should've told me..." she
trailed off, eyes concerned. 

      "Concerned about losing me, or the help you wanted me to give?" He
sighed. 

      Iroiro gave him a disappointed expression. "Don't be silly, Shinju-kun.
I lo-- I mean," she corrected herself furiously, small expression of pain
flitting across her eyes, "I don't want anything to happen to you." She stood
up slowly, allowing him to use her shoulder for support. "The effects of the
time capsule won't last long, we better get moving."

      "'Time capsule'?" Shinju said wearily. "What did you do to them?"

      "Oh.." She waved her hand nonchalantly. "It's not a big deal. It's a
time-altering device I cooked up in the 20th century. It displaces and freezes
everything within a one-mile radius."

      "Then what about us..?"

      "I locked in our patterns as untouchable. Anyone else who's misfortunate
enough to step into the altered space, however," she frowned, "don't think
something good'll happen."

      Shinju stayed silent as she half-dragged him around the corner, and into
an abandoned alleyway. There she gently pushed him against the wall, and stood
back, looking rather sheepish. 

       "Alot of stuff got.. mixed up in my head over time. I'm not exactly
where I'm supposed to be," she sent him a helpless glance, as if she didn't
know how to explain. "A... woman from my world meddled in your past events,
causing a colliding of sorts... that's how I got here, I guess."

      "What woman?" Shinju rubbed his shoulder absentmindedly, thinking of
Makoto.

      "Um... your leader," she mumbled. "I don't know if I can tell you...
Look, your Pluto has to be found... she was trapped in the Time Gate, I think.
But we have to retrieve the time staff... one of your Senshi has it. We have
to work quickly... before the prophecy comes true."

      "What prophecy?" Shinju asked, now utterly baffled.

      "The woman has a companion on this planet, a replica of her, so to
speak. One that is destined to turn out exactly like her... she planned it
this way. And when that comes to pass... all hell will break loose..."
---------------------------------------------

      The man had put on a new dress uniform, crisp and clean, giving no
indication of the fear he had witnessed not long before. He liked it that way.
Let them think he was infallible... incapable of feeling fright. He needed
that boost... they made fun of him incessantly, anyway...

      He wiped a sweaty brow as his fingers fumbled to jerk the lock open. It
finally gave way with a eerily resounding click, and he pulled back the door.
He adjusted his glasses, at the same time wrinkling his nose as an oddly
familiar smell hit him. 

      He hesitantly proceeded further into the room, running his fingers
against the wall for a lightswitch. He did so hate the medieval-like qualities
of the sub-basements. Imagine, having to turn on lights manually like in the
20th century..?

      It took a few moments for his eyes to become adjusted to the light. A
few moments for his brain to actually process the scene before him. He
silently gaped when his vision fully cleared, mouth twitching somewhat oddly.

      It was a Senshi, that was evident by the sailor-like uniform, short
skirt and all. Thick blue hair framed her face pleasantly, giving her almost
an ethereal look at first glance. And she clutched something in her hand.....

      There was someone else. Long blonde hair... mark on her forehead. So
familiar... She was sprawled beneath the Senshi, something protruding from her
chest....

      A knife. The Senshi clutched a knife in her strong, determined hand, a
knife that was lodged securely in the blonde's chest. Red streaked the
victim's dress, soaking it's fine silk texture....

      The man adjusted his glasses. "Well. Have to report this to A.M.I....."
He walked out, mumbling, without another glance in the direction of the stone-
cold room.

      Somewhere high within the palace walls, a cold, triumphant laugh rang
out... a laugh that would even chill the dead..
---------------------------------------------

      Neo-Mars and Venus stood at attention, hands clasped tighly behind their
backs, making an impressive sight... if it hadn't been for their eyes. Mars's
were red-rimmed, as if she'd been crying, and refused to look up, while Venus
blinked rapidly, as if fighting off tears herself. It had taken all of their
courage just to come up here...

      "What can I do for you, ladies?" Rei Hino asked icily from the chair she
had draped herself upon. 

      "G-general Mars.." Venus finally got out, swallowing nervously, "We're..
concerned about our fellow.." She seemed to be struggling for the right words,
and Rei looked at her curiously.

      "Spit it out, Amaryllis, I haven't got all day," Rei said calmly. "Who
are you concerned about?"

      "The other Neo-Senshi," Neo-Mars responded meekly, her eyes becoming
slightly mixed with that awe she had always felt in General Hino's presence.
"We.. we haven't had any contact from them in awhile."

      "Is that so, Odori?" Rei frowned, looking genuinely troubled. "Neo-
Moon.."

      "We haven't heard from her, either, ma'am," Venus said hesitantly.
"That's why we thought we should come to you..."

      Rei nodded. "Yes, yes, all good and well. Have you tapped into the
database... well, of course you haven't," she said with some irritation upon
seeing their confused faces. "On the wall." She gestured to a small pad. "Type
in your clearance code, and request data on the whereabouts of the Neo-
Senshi." 

      Amaryllis complied, and slowly punched her access code and commands in.
A loud screech could be heard, followed by a feminine voice. Rei drummed her
fingers against the edge of her chair impatiently.

      "I greet you, Sailor Neo-Venus. The information you requested is as
follows... One moment please." 

      The pad emitted a merry little tune, until the voice came back online.
Neo-Venus looked up eagerly.

      "Location of Sailor Neo-Mercury: Unknown. Location of Sailor Neo-Mars:
Elder Mars's quarters, west wing, level 7. Location of Sailor Neo-Jupiter:
...... Classified Information. Please retry with a higher code."

      Rei sighed loudly. "Computer, location of Sailor Neo-Moon?"

      The pad remained silent.

      "Computer.. clearance level MarsGK1729," she said forcefully, obviously
annoyed. "Location of Sailor Neo-Moon!"

      "Complied, Elder Mars. One moment..."

      The pad suddenly emitted a short screeching sound. "Location of Sailor
Neo-Moon: Currently Unknown. Considered highly dangerous. Wanted for Murder of
Elder Senshi Venus... Assault of a High Official..."

      The silence in the room was unending.
----------------------------------------

Author's Notes: No.. don't make fun of Neo-Moon's attack...^_- Um.. maybe
it'll morph into an attack with lil' Kappa the Imps running around... err..
maybe not. 
Anyway.. isn't Faustine just EVIL? Setting up Daburu like that.. ::shakes her
head:: Well, you might be surprised how Rei's going to respond to
this..interesting little fiasco... 

Hm.. uh... well.. I'm going now. ;)