PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE
Chapter 27: Insidious Collaboration
On the early evening of that Friday, Chibi-Usa and Midori waited outside the entrance to the apartment complex. They each carried a suitcase containing their dresses, as Midori had felt uncomfortable walking around in public with her outfit on. The palace's fitter and stylist had arrived during the day and helped them get ready. With their hair and makeup done, all the girls had to do was put the dresses back on and select a mask at the mansion.
The duo struck up a conversation as Midori asked, "Say, why did your parents not want to come to this event? It sounds like something they would be expected to attend."
"Mama and Papa would have gone, but Mama caught the flu and Papa insists upon staying in the palace to take care of her… Yet again."
"Are you implying they feign illness on a regular basis?"
"Every single time there's a party outside of the castle, either one or both of them wind up getting sick, and I have to go in their place. I think they just want to spend some alone time together while everyone else is away to not bother them. That, or Mama is such a klutz that she can't dance properly and doesn't want to embarrass herself in public."
"The queen is clumsy?"
"That, and a ditzy crybaby who doesn't even know how to write basic kanji."
Midori was quite befuddled that Crystal Tokyo's princess was badmouthing her own mother, who was considered by many to be the ideal image of a benevolent ruler. Chibi-Usa chuckled at her stoic friend's puzzled gaze and said, "It's a long story, but one of the palace's Sailor Soldiers can control time, and I was able to go back to the past and meet Mama when she was a teenager."
"Oh. So Neo Queen Serenity was a radically different person prior to hitting her maturing years, which left a huge impression on you."
"Yeah… But don't get me wrong! I still love her, no matter which time I go to! But I'm gonna strive to not be someone like what Mama used to be! Papa was way cooler and mature than Mama was back then! I'm working hard to become someone more like him, although I still have trouble with English and writing kanji like Mama does…"
"It doesn't necessarily mean you have to copy your father's personality down to the last detail. You can still possess some of your mother's intellectual weaknesses, as long as you maintain your affable charm."
"Midori!" Chibi-Usa gasped and put her hands on her cheeks in embarrassment. "You think I'm charming!?"
"In as far as it's a hereditary trait from your mother."
"Oh…" the pink-haired girl pouted. Then she asked, "What about your parents? They're still in Osaka, right?"
Midori nodded and said, "I don't have much contact with them. If you intend to discuss what traits I share with them, it would be futile. It's almost like they are total strangers to me. I wouldn't recognize them if they walked past me on the street."
Chibi-Usa grew concerned with her friend's lack of parental support. Regardless, it wasn't her business to butt into, and Midori could take care of herself despite entering grade five with Chibi-Usa and the Yoedas come Monday morning. From Midori's point of view, she was satisfied that her friend bought that fib and wouldn't pry into her imaginary 'family life'.
That was when Chibi-Usa spotted an expensive-looking car turning the street corner and directed Midori's attention to it, exclaiming, "Here's Miss Haruka!"
The vehicle was a yellow Toyota 2000GT with its roof retracted so the androgynous driver could feel the wind rushing through her short dirty blonde hair. Haruka opened the door and called out, "Hey there, Little Lady."
"Good evening, Miss Haruka!" Chibi-Usa bowed.
Haruka turned her attention to Midori and said in a playful manner, "Hello there, cute lady. What's your name?"
The other girl tensed up and told her firmly, "Inuken Midori. And I would prefer that you not use such flirtatious antics on me. I have no patience for pointlessly playful behavior like that."
"Aww, I got shot down," Haruka joked with a light smile. "You have nothing to worry about - I don't bite."
Midori faced Chibi-Usa and sourly muttered, "If I have to endure this nonsense for the whole night, then I may as well not attend."
"Hey, come on! She was only kidding! She already has someone in her life!"
"Does she now? Then I will have to suggest to her soul mate to reign in her affinity for toying with others' emotions."
"Hey, hey," Haruka sweated, suddenly feeling awkward.
"Uh…" Chibi-Usa fumbled, totally surprised that Midori had such a poor sense of humor. The pair got into the car, and Haruka drove through the city until they got onto the turnpike.
Naja had left Upala Acropolis and traversed the distance between there and Earth in silence. She felt relieved that the burden of getting the Silver Crystal was lessened, and that she now had a legitimate reason to go after her friend. Yet at the same time, she was worried about how Upala would treat Hyena once she became her servant, or even if she would agree to join forces with her in the first place. Naja had to think about what to say to Hyena to convince her otherwise, should her fears be realized of Hyena becoming close friends with Crystal Tokyo's princess during her mission.
I'm sure our friendship will last even after all of this. I know Hyena won't betray me…
About halfway through her journey while passing by Jupiter, something made Naja stop in mid-flight. Someone's voice kept calling her name in a faint tone. She looked around, but couldn't see anything.
"Who there!?" the Camarilla demanded.
"… hear me… last… Naja…"
"If you want to speak with me, then show yourself first!"
Just then, she could make out the shape of a red orb flying towards her from way behind in the distance. Once it reached several yards away from her, the voice became a lot clearer as it said, "I've managed to catch up with you, my little snake."
"You're… Eris!?" Naja recognized the woman's haughty tone and belittling manner of speech. "What are you doing way out here!?"
"You don't need to be so hostile with me. I only wanted to have a one-on-one chat with you."
The Camarilla scowled a little and snapped, "Upala has given me an assignment. I must finish it in due time, or else my punishment will be severe."
"Now, now, you don't need to worry. I just need five minutes of your time. I'm sure even that violent little upstart would forgive you for having a short talk with me. I'll even vouch in your favor, if need be."
"Fine, but make it quick."
To Naja's surprise, Eris callously said, "That mystery Sailor Soldier is causing your heart to shift. I, as a goddess, can sense even the faintest tremor of emotion within you. I wonder if those small ripples will turn into a storm, causing you to inevitably fail your mission."
The Camarilla shuddered out of fear and anger. "W-We have nothing to do with each other…"
"I don't appreciate it when people lie to me. I'll make this simple for you; that girl is extremely important to you, isn't she? Yes, I seem to recall her a little."
"'Recall' her?"
"She was the final member that you recruited into the Toxicum Sailor Soldiers. Her call name was Sailor Arsenic Hyena, but perhaps you would fondly remember her more as Sailor-"
"Be quiet!" Naja screamed, batting the jewel away. "All of this is your fault! If it wasn't for you showing up in Alkima, we would still be living as Sailor Soldiers protecting the galaxy hand-in-hand! Even if you ruin Alkima, use Sailor Upala, and laugh at us as we despair, I won't allow you to sully my precious friend's name, you filthy witch!"
"My, you're grasping for what little pride you can salvage, aren't you?"
"Don't make me laugh!"
Eris sighed and muttered, "Don't forget that Selene was the one who banished me to Alkima, and Upala escalated the war to such disastrous proportions for her own benefit. If you have anyone to hold a grudge against, it's them. They both live in everlasting glory at the sacrifice of worlds such as yours."
Naja trembled and replied, "I know that…"
"Then why have you sent your dear friend to reside on the same planet as Selene and her people?"
"That's not for you to know!"
"Maybe. But whatever plan you may have with her, it won't work. If you put your faith in me, I can help make your dream a reality."
"Shut up! You're absolutely disgusting!"
"You're a poor judge of character, my dear. You should know that I have waited a long time to extend my hand to you."
The Camarilla's eyes widened with shock. "What do you mean?"
Eris let out a small chuckle and said, "To be honest, I've always admired you and your comrades for standing up against Alkima's many injustices. Even before my arrival, I understand that your worlds always suffered from social hierarchies. You five lived right at the bottom of such a cruel tier system, scraping for what little you could to help sustain your homes. It is just like me; I was turned into everyone's favorite scapegoat if any semblance of discord arose. I always suffered from rejection and was cast into darkness. It is inevitable that we who have entire societies turn their backs to us will resort to desperate measures to survive. Isn't that right?"
Naja gasped and clutched her robes. She could never forget the many times that she, as Sailor Cyanide Cobra, had to grovel before Sailor Soldiers of richer lands, begging for their assistance in providing resources for her friends' planets. Some rulers would accept, but many others would not see the point in answering Cobra's pleas – even going so far as to call them trash. Even though she had been turned away so many times, she always held on to hope that someone would be kind enough to save them.
But with the war between Sailor Soldiers breaking out, Cobra realized that her dream was impossible to achieve. Her despair caused her to seek Sailor Upala out as a final gamble for survival. The Toxicum Sailor Soldiers would help her win the war with their espionage abilities, and she would help them revitalize their planets using whatever methods she could, fair or foul. That was how the four remaining members had begrudgingly become the Camarilla.
Now with Eris – an evil goddess, but a goddess nonetheless – offering to help her behind Upala's back, Naja found the temptation nearly impossible to resist, even though it sickened her to her stomach. Upala was indeed much stronger than the four Camarilla combined, so Naja need to gain the Silver Crystal for herself if she stood any chance of resisting her 'master'. If Eris would betray Upala for the much weaker Camarilla…
Eris interrupted the confused girl by saying, "It seems you need more than me waxing poetic to convince you. Then how about we use these?"
The red crystal glowed, creating a pair of hand-sized portals by its sides. Two Apples of Discord emerged and rested on Naja's hands, but while one was the usual golden color, the other was almost ethereal in nature, with mixtures of black and grey running across the skin like oil and water droplets trying to mix together.
"The first one is your average Erisian. The second one is quite rare, called a Black Apple. It is a special type of apple that does not possess physical form. It is made entirely of raw emotions heightened to their absolute peak. While regular apples can possess objects, these ones can directly affect a person's mind."
Naja's blood chilled as she was transfixed on the ghostly fruit. "Then if they're corrupted enough, will that person turn into an Erisian?"
"Precisely. All you have to do is find a target and implant the Black Apple upon them. It will handle the rest from there. Of course, humans are not able to see the Black Apple, so they have no way of knowing that they have been infected."
The Camarilla became quiet for a while. Maybe this was what she needed to ensure her success in capturing Hyena. Earth's Sailor Soldiers would be preoccupied with handling two different types of monsters, leaving her free to convince Hyena to return to Upala Acropolis with her without a fight. The possibilities were too tempting for her to refuse Eris' surprisingly magnanimous gesture.
"I'll give it a try," Naja finally replied. "But this is only for Hyena's sake! I don't want to form any kind of alliance with you if I don't have to!"
"Well, we can leave it at that for now, my dear," Eris said. "Be sure to take good care of the Black Apple. As I said, it's an extremely rare type of Apple of Discord."
Naja nodded and then continued on her way to Earth, leaving the red orb behind. Once she was done projecting her consciousness through it, Eris caused the gem to shatter into pieces.
"You better succeed, for your own sake… My newest little pawn…"