PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE
Chapter 15: Studying Time
Ami and PallaPalla went upstairs to the doctor's study room. As always, it was neat and tidy, with shelves lined with thick medical textbooks and reference books. Her computer was a smart-looking desk that had a laptop built right into it, so all she had to do was flip open the lid to turn on the monitor and light up a keyboard hidden underneath it. PallaPalla absolutely loved playing games on this 'deskputer', but she had to restrain herself and focus on studying.
Ami found some notebooks and papers relating to PallaPalla's studies and sat at the table with her. For the next half hour, they concentrated on math until PallaPalla was able to solve a difficult problem without Ami's assistance. The young doctor reviewed her pupil's work and smiled, satisfied that she did everything correctly.
"Very good. Let's take a short break," she commented.
"Phew," PallaPalla wiped her brow. "That was really, really hard. I don't know how you make it look so easy, Miss Ami."
"Well, we all have different strengths and weaknesses."
"You mean you have weaknesses too?"
"Of course I do. I might be smart, but I'm still human too."
"Hmm…" PallaPalla nodded, looking as if her mind was on something else.
Ami asked, "Is something bothering you?"
"Maybe... It's about all those fancy words that Midori said earlier. What did she mean when she said something about a left wing? I don't think she was talking about a bird, but what else could wings refer to?"
Ami giggled softly. "Don't worry about it. At least you understand that she was talking about something else. I think you should focus on understanding simpler terms before trying to expand your vocabulary like that."
"Oh, okay. So that means that Midori's 'boukabulerry' was a lot better than mine. I think it's amazing that she used a lot of those hard words, yet she's going into the same grade as us. She's going to cram school during the summer, so maybe she's learning all of that there. Oh! Maybe she's mimicking someone she knows there!"
The young doctor's expression became solemn as she silently placed her opened book down and removed her rimless glasses. "The same grade, you say?"
"Yep! She said she was going to Juuban Municipal Primary School like the rest of us. I don't really know why. Her parents are rich and she could go to the school in Ginza if she wanted. Then again, so could Chibi-Usa!" PallaPalla chuckled.
"You're going into grade five, right?"
"Mm-hmm."
Ami was seemingly lost in thought. "I don't understand it. What she said back there… She definitely knew what she meant, and her tone was very cold. If that's what she believes about Japan's education system, why would she want to attend school anyway? I'm sure she could take aptitude exams to gauge her real IQ and get placed into a higher grade…"
"Miss Ami?" the immature student cocked her head right in front of the troubled woman's face.
"Oh, um… I'm sorry, PallaPalla! I really shouldn't be thinking such things right now. All right, let's get started on some kanji."
"Blehh, I hate kanji!"
"It's like I said before; think of it as drawing fancy pictures."
PallaPalla wanted to complain, but she knew Ami would help her out as best as she could. To lighten the mood a bit, the student exclaimed, "Oh well, at least it's better than what the queen can do!"
"P-P-PallaPalla! Don't say things like that!" Ami blushed profusely, resisting the urge to laugh with her pupil.
As they joked around at Queen Serenity's expense, if either of them had look outside at the dimming night sky, they would have noticed a violet glint in the darkness for a split second…
Way up in Earth's stratosphere, Varan appeared in a flash of purple light shaped like a dragon and gazed upon the blue planet. Although she was impressed by its magnificence, as Apis claimed in her report, she said nothing about it. Varan adjusted the viewfinder in her dragon-themed mask to zoom in on Tokyo, eventually sighting the Mizuno Clinic's sign. She scoured the place for a moment until she came upon a window where she could see Midori clearly.
Varan felt a wave of nostalgia hit her upon seeing the green-haired girl studying intently. She remembered the younger girl from back in the day – always quiet and focused on something, but also appearing tired and listless. Even now to Varan, Midori looked vapid and detached, as if she had shut out the world around her and was only concerned with whatever she concentrated on.
"As to be expected of our former strategist," Varan murmured. "Always so diligent and precise. If only she would return to our side, then Naja would not be so heartbroken…"
With a newfound determination, Varan raised her hand out to materialize an Apple of Discord, then commanded it, "My servant! Find the one named Sailor Arsenic Hyena and bring her back to Upala Acropolis alive! Destroy any and all obstacles that stand in your way!"
She sent the golden apple flying toward Tokyo, and Varan departed the same way she came.
Back downstairs, Midori continued working on her mock thesis, parsing through a book on forensic DNA analysis. Although she understood the basics behind the science, she still needed to understand the more difficult aspects of it such as different DNA profiling systems, the structure of a strand of DNA, and how to cope with unusual circumstances such as chimerism and fake DNA evidence. She figured she wouldn't get too in-depth with those problems until she first sorted out the theory behind this technology she wanted to introduce in her paper.
While deeply engrossed in her work, Midori heard Shougo walking around as he attended to duties like cleaning dishes and organizing the fridge. When he finished his chores, he entered the living room and sat on the sofa nearby. His gaze was fixated on her for a minute or two. It was difficult for him to forget about what she said earlier – about how she compared Japan's educational system to a manufacturing plant and that it made people miserable enough to commit suicide. If Ami was bothered by it, Shougo would do what he could to console his fiancée.
First though, he wanted to talk to Midori about her behavior, but he wasn't sure how to go about it when she was so preoccupied with her work. Fortunately, she gave him the opportunity he needed.
"… Is there something you need from me?" Midori asked without even looking at him.
"This is my house. I should be able to relax wherever I so choose," Shougo coolly replied.
"I suppose."
"But now that you mention it, I do have something I want to ask. Don't you think you were being too harsh to Ami?"
"In what way?"
"She was just concerned for you. Not even her mock theses were as difficult as yours. She was worried that you might be in too over your head."
"What I study is none of her business," Midori said. "There comes a point when concern turns into persistent meddling in others' affairs. I had to put my foot down and declare my independence from Japan's systems – so that her so-called concerns don't drag me into the mindless swarm of flies called society."
"Now you're being rude," Shougo narrowed his eyes and rested his chin upon his hands. "Who gave you the right to hoist yourself on a pedestal and lambast everyone else?"
"My intentions are not as egotistical as you imagine. I don't want to raise or lower myself in comparison with everyone else. I simply wish to separate myself from such a distasteful mindset. Call it intentional segregation, if you'd like."
"Intentional segregation…?" Shougo couldn't help but chuckle a little. "I've never heard of such a thing. I think you just want to be left alone, and you see everyone as chains on your feet dragging you down."
Finally, Midori glanced up from her reading and gave him a sharp glare. It made him feel surprisingly uneasy. After a tense pause, she murmured, "If you are extending a request for me to leave, then I would be more than happy to. I assume you will be responsible for bringing PallaPalla back home."
He retorted, "I never said anything like that. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. But I would like see some friendlier behavior from you in the future, Miss Inuken. I won't allow any arguments of any kind to happen in my home. Is that understood?"
She didn't respond right away, but she could understand his sentiment. He had rules, and he wanted her to follow them. She would expect the same from him if he were to stop by her apartment. She was about to reply in the affirmative, but that was when they suddenly heard a pair of loud shrieks pierce the air from upstairs. They shot to their feet and Shougo shouted, "Ami! PallaPalla!"
He charged straight for the stairs, but quickly turned around and commanded to Midori, "Stay right there! I don't want you getting into any trouble!"
"You mean you don't want me causing any trouble, yes?"
"Grr… I don't have time for this! Ami! Are you all right!?" Shougo yelled. As he retreated out of Midori's sight, he pulled out a pink rose from his pocket and allowed the petals to fly off, transforming his plain clothes into a stark grey military uniform with green trim. He wasn't Masuyoshi Shougo anymore; now he was Zoisite, one of King Endymion's Four Generals.
Zoisite reached the door to Ami's study and tried to pry it open, but it was sealed tight. He found it extremely odd since that door didn't have a lock on it, so something from the inside might have been causing this. He knocked on the door and exclaimed, "Ami! PallaPalla! Are you all right in there!?"
Meanwhile, Midori heard the man frantically yelling upstairs, although she didn't know he had become his Four Generals persona. She figured this was the perfect opportunity to transform into her Sailor Soldier identity. She adjusted the apatite ring on her right ring finger and got ready for the transformation…