PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE

Chapter 28: Gathering of Suspicions

As Haruka continued driving along the freeway, Chibi-Usa said, "Thanks for coming all this way to pick us up. We could have taken a taxi if we wanted to."

"Don't be silly. A real princess deserves to be escorted in style."

"S-Stop it, you're making me blush…"

"Heh heh. That's not really hard to do, you know."

As Chibi-Usa fought to hide her embarrassment, Midori watched the exchange between them with dull interest. Haruka could tease Chibi-Usa all she wanted, but the moment she tried to make any moves against Midori, she would be met with swift verbal punishment. The sharp stare in Midori's eyes told Haruka all of that and more.

Even so, Haruka attempted to be friendly with Midori again by asking, "So when did you move to Ginza from Osaka, Miss Inuken?"

"A couple of months ago. I wanted to get to know the locals before starting school."

"Is that so? You know, the Little Lady's become quite smitten with you. I hear that she talks about you a lot to my friend Setsuna. I apologize for my earlier rudeness, but I wanted to see what kind of person the Little Lady has such a keen interest with. I wasn't expecting you to be such a stick in the mud though."

"You make it sound like that's a bad thing."

"Not at all. I have admiration for those who can balance between opening up to others while still remaining alert for those who would take advantage of them."

"Just so we're clear on this," Midori stated firmly, "I only feel relaxed around Chibi-Usa and the Yoeda sisters, and even then I need to be careful of their enemies attacking at any time. This whole fiasco with her being Crystal Tokyo's princess has, admittedly, gotten me more on edge than usual."

"I see. You've been involved in a lot of the Animus Syndicate's attacks. I can understand that you might be a bit stressed out. But don't worry about tonight. I would very much like to see you loosen up a bit, and that's no flirt," Haruka assured.

"I'll see what I can do," Midori murmured, but still didn't feel convinced.

Not only was she worried about the Camarilla striking at such a perfect time, there was also the potential of constant surveillance from the three Outer Sailor Soldiers. Perhaps the queen's personal protectors and the princess' four guardians were more lax in their behaviors overall, but Midori knew that Sailors Uranus, Neptune and Pluto would not be so easy to fool. If this trio was known for anything, it was always being on alert for threats external to the solar system, and the Animus Syndicate definitely fit that situation. Midori couldn't guarantee that she, as Sailor Arsenic Hyena, counted as a danger to Chibi-Usa from their point of view.

Midori gazed out the window, watching the road zoom by beneath them as Haruka kept driving along. They could see the faint outline of a large house situated atop a hill. Many lights were turned on to illuminate the windows, and some garden lamps lit up the well-maintained shrubs and flowers.

"We're almost there!" Chibi-Usa announced eagerly.

"Yeah… Almost there…" Midori muttered with little enthusiasm. Suddenly, the Ferrari jolted from some kind of popping noise so hard that Chibi-Usa smacked her head on the roof. Midori almost bit her tongue accidentally.

"Damn it!" Haruka cursed, deftly swerving the vehicle to get it back under her control. She managed to safely park it on the side of the road, then got out to cool down for a moment before examining her car. Chibi-Usa and Midori glanced at each other, silently wondering if they should get out and help too.


Naja flew high above the stricken Ferrari and watched Haruka get out. She heard Eris' voice explain within her mind, "That is one of the Outer Sailor Soldiers, Sailor Uranus. If you seek to break apart their formation prior to your battle, I highly recommend you give the Black Apple to that one."

"I intended to use it on the princess."

"Pointless. She has the Silver Crystal. She can use its infernal power to destroy the Black Apple should it come into contact with her. But if you oh-so quietly plant it within one of her friends, the Silver Crystal will not react. It does not care about anyone except those possessing Selene's bloodline."

"Hmph. I suppose I have no choice. Just remember; I'm not doing this because you told me to."

"Do whatever suits your duty, my dear."

With Eris' voice fading away, Naja dropped the Black Apple and it absorbed itself through Haruka's back without anyone seeing. With that task out of the way, Naja soared away from the accident site towards a darkened part of the mansion where the party was being held. She commanded her blue robes to transform into an elegant ultramarine party dress that hugged her curvature and showed off copious amounts of skin without being too scandalous. Her heart beat with anticipation.

I'm finally going to see Hyena again. I must ready myself for this long-awaited reunion…


"Damn it!" Haruka cursed and opened the trunk of her car, all while struggling with a sudden headache. Chibi-Usa and Midori exited the vehicle, and the former asked, "What happened?"

"One of the front tires has a flat. I just replaced this stupid thing too!"

"Uh… Miss Haruka?" Chibi-Usa wondered, noticing an uncharacteristic anger in her older friend's eyes. "P-Please try to calm down. There's still plenty of time to-"

"Be quiet already! My head hurts just listening to you!"

The girl was astonished into silence. As Haruka operated the car jack, she put all of her frustration and strength into ramping up the car while muttering obscenities under her breath. Her headache intensified while working, and it was all she could do to concentrate. Chibi-Usa approached her one more time and asked, "Is there anything I can do to help, Miss Ha-?"

"SHUT UP!"

Haruka instantly whipped around and tried to slap the stunned Chibi-Usa's cheek. Luckily, Midori had gotten in behind Haruka when she wasn't looking and snatched her wrist. Haruka couldn't believe that Midori had snuck by when she wasn't looking, and was more surprised by her glare; it was sharp enough to cut through diamond.

"That's enough."

Midori's grip tightened every time the young woman resisted. Haruka very much wanted to pound Midori into the ground, but her migraine prevented her from even standing up straight. Once she was sure that Haruka calmed down, Midori let her go and said in a terse tone, "We'll walk. It's not much farther anyway. If we remained here, we would only be an encumbrance to you."

Haruka twitched her eye in annoyance, then replied, "Do what you want."

Without another word, Midori walked along the road to the mansion. Chibi-Usa frantically darted her eyes back and forth between them, and then decided to go after Midori. As they walked together, Midori asked, "Is she usually this short-tempered?"

"She is rather passionate at times, yet she doesn't let small things like that get to her. But she also likes vehicles and maintaining them, especially that Ferrari, so she must be upset that her prized car broke down after taking such good care of it. I must have pushed her too hard with my nagging."

"I thought for a moment that Miss Haruka's reaction was excessive, considering it was a mere flat tire. You're lucky I noticed that hint of dominance within her eyes and moved in to stop her."

Chibi-Usa frowned sullenly. "Maybe we shouldn't bother Miss Haruka for the rest of the night."

"Well said. I'll think about calling a taxi when it's time to head home."

The duo eventually reached the front gates where a butler greeted incoming guests. They showed him their invites, then a maid escorted them to a spare room where they could change into their gowns. Chibi-Usa's outfit was an adorable pink taffeta dress with the fabric over her shoulders shaped to resemble roses. Midori's was a simpler pale green skirt with long sleeves that bore leaf patterns, and she wore black pantyhose and green shoes. Chibi-Usa mask was a pink Venetian style with pastel butterflies, while Midori's was a simple green mask adorned with some black and green plumage.

Once they were ready, they followed the maid to the main hall. Already they could hear lovely violin music permeating through the closed doors, and the soothing sounds hit them at full strength once those doors opened. The elegant sounds from the world famous Stradivarius were produced by Michiru, who sat upon her chair with lithe eloquence while manipulating the bow. Michiru had her eyes closed during most of the performance, but she somehow sensed that the pair had arrived and opened them. Her gaze met Midori's, and it appeared to be a mixture of coldness and concern. Midori had no idea how to interpret such a vague expression.

They're making the first move, Midori thought tensely.

Chibi-Usa rested her hands upon her chest and sighed. "What pretty music… Miss Michiru really is a genius. She's the type of lady I want to become when I grow up."

"You haven't told me much about her. What does she excel in? Aside from the violin, of course."

"She's a really good artist. See that painting over there?"

Chibi-Usa pointed to a picture hanging over the fireplace mantle of an abstract whale splashing about in rainbow waters. "She did that one while still in junior high! Some of her latest works have sold for thousands lately! She also used to go to Infinity High with Miss Haruka, and that school only accepts super-smart geniuses of a field. Miss Michiru is also a great swimmer. It's like she's a mermaid when she dives underwater! Really, she really is perfect at everything she does!"

"I see. A mermaid…" Midori whispered. It made sense to her since Michiru was Sailor Neptune in civilian guise, and Neptune had dominion over the sea and the creative arts.

"But I sometimes worry about her," Chibi-Usa continued in a concerned tone. "She doesn't have many friends she can hang out with, and some people have called her snobby behind her back. She's told me though that as long as she has Miss Haruka, she won't feel lonely. It's hard for me to understand their relationship as lovers, and neither of them want to explain it to me, passing it off as an 'adult thing'."

"They're soul mates? But Miss Haruka is also a woman."

"Well… It's kind of hard to explain, but Miss Haruka is popular for having male and female traits."

Midori looked puzzled and spent a minute figuring out what she meant, then surmised, "So you're suggesting that while she possesses purely female reproductive organs, her temperament charms others into believing she behaves more masculine than typical women do."

"If you want to put it like that, I guess…"

"It is best to clearly define something as ambiguous as 'having male and female traits', or else you are opening the door for mass misinterpretation. By properly comprehending what you meant, I am thus able to interpret Miss Haruka as someone who would fit into the Takarazuka Revue, rather than someone possessing the physical reproductive qualities of both genders."

Once again, Chibi-Usa grew uncomfortable with Midori's stiff, to-the-book approach towards understanding the world around them. Even though she didn't care for her academic methods, she did agree with needing to explain herself if she wanted her message to be understood. Midori was socially awkward and literal to a fault, and Chibi-Usa needed to do her best to put abstract concepts into words that she could understand. Midori interrupted her thoughts by saying, "In any case, with the way Miss Haruka acted back there, do you think Miss Michiru will be all right?"

"Maybe Miss Haruka will calm down once she gets here."

"You don't sound so sure."

"Hmm… Should we tell Miss Michiru what happened when she's done her song?"

Midori nodded, and the pair observed the small orchestra as they continued playing. They heard someone walking behind them in high heels, and then Chibi-Usa felt a pair of hands touch her shoulders.

"Ah-!" she gasped, alerting Midori.

A soft-mannered woman's voice said, "You're finally here, Small Lady."

They turned around to find Setsuna wearing a simple black cocktail dress that reached the floor, long black gloves, and large ruby earrings shaped like teardrops.

"Puu!" Chibi-Usa rushed in to hug the gorgeous woman. "I was so looking forward to seeing you again!"

"The same here, Small Lady," Setsuna smiled, then glanced at Midori. She found that glint of contempt in Setsuna's eyes as much as she saw it in Michiru and Haruka's. Midori remained firm though, showing Setsuna that she would not crumple under the pressure. Setsuna maintained the air of cordiality by saying, "So you're Inuken Midori, the author of that mock thesis that Dr. Mizuno showed me."

"I wouldn't put too much stock into it, since it is just a trial dissertation. Tonight, I'm little more than Chibi-Usa's escort. We were waiting for her friend Miss Kaiou to finish her song."

"Yes, it's quite moving, isn't it?"

It took another five minutes for the band to finish their ensemble. Eventually, Michiru broke from the group to meet up with Chibi-Usa and Setsuna, yet kept her eyes on Midori. The green-dressed girl caught her gaze and focused on her in a manner that felt unnatural to Michiru.

"Hello there," she smiled at Chibi-Usa. "Didn't you come here with Haruka?"

"We did, but we had some problems along the way."

Chibi-Usa explained everything that happened to her and Setsuna, and Michiru put a finger to her lip in concern, murmuring, "Haruka almost hit you? Are you sure we're still talking about the same person?"

To her surprise, Midori asked boldly, "Are you doubting Chibi-Usa? She has no reason to lie."

"Of course I'm not…" Michiru felt put off by the harsh question.

"I'm sorry. Midori protected me from Miss Haruka, plus they didn't get off to a good start in Ginza, so she's become a little sour after this whole mess," Chibi-Usa apologized.

"Well, that's understandable. Haruka should be here by now, so I'll go and meet up with her. I have some questions to ask regarding her behavior towards you two after all."

The princess couldn't help but utter, "Please be careful."

"Don't worry. I'm tougher than I look."

Before Michiru left, she walked past Setsuna and whispered in her ear, "Take care of things here."

"Of course," her partner replied, and they parted ways. With that settled, Setsuna took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray and offered it to Midori, saying, "You should try to relax a little. Small Lady appears to be enamored by the feast tables, so why don't we sit down and talk a bit about academia. I'm studying physics at K.O. University. I know physics and forensics don't mesh that much, but we can still discuss theories and-"

As Setsuna rambled on, Midori glared at the glass of alcohol and pondered, So they intend to have me spill my secrets by making me lose my sobriety. Clearly my status as an up-and-coming fifth grader doesn't mean much in their little Spy vs. Spy games.

"Miss Setsuna," Midori stopped her. "First of all, I'll pass on the beverage. I believe that alcohol in any form turns you into an idiot."

"Oh, all right…"

"Secondly, and I wish for Chibi-Usa not to hear this," The girl beckoned Setsuna to lean in so she was in direct earshot, and then whispered, "But I don't believe your intention was to invite me to this lavish party just to talk about boring dissertations. What is it that you really want from me? Does it have to do with staying too close to your princess? Are you dubious of me being part of the enemy's forces?"

Setsuna was astonished, both by Midori's astuteness and the notion that she would accuse her of something insidious apropos of nothing. She didn't know how to respond to these intense questions.

"Puu! Puu!" they heard Chibi-Usa exclaim from nearby. Midori shrugged and said, "She's calling for you. I'll keep myself scarce, so you're free to have her for the evening."

"No, wait a moment-" Setsuna tried to stop her, but Chibi-Usa yelled, "Hey, Puu! What are you doing? Your favorite tea cakes are going fast!"

Setsuna looked back at the elated child, then returned her focus to Midori, only to realize that the stoic girl had turned around and mingled within the crowd, her petite form vanishing between the many guests and servants. She grew worried about having distanced Midori even further than before, yet was also nervous about her suspicions being pointed out so bluntly by her target. Setsuna decided to stay with Chibi-Usa while watching Midori from the distance. Her job was to protect the princess; she figured that Haruka and Michiru would handle Midori once they returned.