PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE
Chapter 31: Three-Way Valiance
A familiar silver arrow charged with a tornado of poisonous green wind struck Sailor Uranus' energy slice, causing both attacks to dispel each other. Neptune looked back and up at the upstairs balcony to find the short-statured archer standing on the railing, calm and poised with her bow after having fired the shot.
"There you are, Sailor Arsenic Hyena!" Naja declared.
Neptune demanded, "You know who this Soldier is!?"
"Of course I do! There's no Alkiman Soldier that we don't know about!"
"No doubt so that you can brainwash them all to do your bidding, much like what you've done to Uranus and various other Soldiers from my world," Hyena snapped.
"Brainwashing…" Neptune grimaced, recalling the dark energy she felt surrounding Haruka earlier.
"Yes. Unlike the Erisians we've fought before, that is a power we Alkimans cannot defeat using regular means. Use your mirror if you want to be certain," Hyena suggested.
Neptune nodded and brought forth her Deep Aqua Mirror, holding it directly in front of Uranus and chanting, "Submarine Reflection!"
Uranus grimaced as soothing energy flowed from the mirror, and what was reflected surprised Neptune. Uranus' soul was strained by the presence of a pitch-black apple, corrupting whatever purity she had. Neptune uttered, "What in the world is that?"
"The Black Apple," Hyena explained. "From past reconnaissance, I learned that it is an extension of Eris that's far more powerful than the golden Apples of Discord, but is also far rarer for her to produce."
Naja smiled. "Glad to see I'm not the only one who knows what's going on around here. As I said, the Black Apple is that 'sweet fruit of absolute power'. A seed is planted into a person's soul, and from there it uses that person as fertilizer to elevate their negativity. Soon enough, the victim's mind degenerates so much that the Black Apple can completely dominate them, turning them into an Erisian."
"Essentially, an Apple of Discord possesses inanimate objects and grants it the evil spirit's hatred, while a Black Apple possesses a living person and amplifies their own natural vices, turning them into the evil spirit."
"If you want to be that basic, then yes, that is the main difference between them."
Neptune scowled at her enemy for using such a foul tactic to gain the advantage in this battle. Hyena noticed the sharp glare in her eyes and told her, "I will keep Naja away from you."
"Sailor Arsenic Hyena…" the nervous Sailor Soldier quivered. "Although I appreciate the assistance, it doesn't mean I fully trust you."
"Whether you trust me or not is irrelevant at this moment. I simply have business with Sailor Uranus' puppet master."
"Do you know of a way to free Uranus?"
"The only possible thing would be for you to destroy the Black Apple before her soul can be completely devoured. Unfortunately, I'm not aware of any method that exists for eliminating an intangible source of evil. I suppose it wouldn't be much different than what you folks call 'exorcising' someone."
"I see. Thank you for the advice." Despite the potentially poor outcome of this fight, Neptune would do anything she could to save Uranus' mind. Even so, she still had an idea in mind.
Only the Silver Crystal can purify Erisians. Apples of Discord and Black Apples may function differently, but they are still born from Eris herself. If that's the case, Chibi-Moon should be able to cleanse Haruka's soul the same way she eliminates Erisians… Then the only thing I can do is weaken Haruka so she doesn't threaten Chibi-Moon during the purification process.
"Hah!" Uranus let out a war cry as she swung her leg at Neptune's head with frightening speed. Neptune was ready for the assault and countered with her own high kick, making them appear symmetrical for a brief moment. Although Uranus' martial arts skills relied heavily on momentum providing strength, Neptune preferred graceful dodging movements and striking at just the right time. She found an opportunity to jam her elbow against Uranus' ribcage, forcing her to reel back and clutch her abdomen.
"Dolphin Wave!" Neptune called out, generating aquatic energy from her palm and summoning a magical dolphin to rapidly swim at the stunned Uranus, knocking her off her feet. Uranus retaliated by throwing the Space Sword like a dart at Neptune's head while flying back, forcing her to gasp and duck aside in shock just in time, although the blade nicked her cheek a bit. The sword stuck itself in the wall, and Neptune took this chance to grab it and sheath it on her back so Uranus couldn't use it anymore.
Uranus deftly vaulted back up and angrily readied another World Shaking, and Neptune responded by getting into her fighting stance and glaring intently at her opponent.
"Garnet Ball!" Pluto chanted, generating a protective orb around herself and Chibi-Moon to protect them from the Erisian's punches. It kept striking the barrier numerous times, determined to break it down and slaughter the two Soldiers. Pluto strained to keep it intact, but a few cracks began to form.
"Pink Lady's Heart Barrage!" Chibi-Moon shouted, raising the Pink Lady's Regalia high above her head and sending dozens of explosive pink hearts at the monster's head. It howled in agony and stopped attacking to grab its bleeding face. Pluto let down her barrier and whispered, "Dead Scream," creating a ruby orb of energy upon the Garnet Orb, leaping high, and jamming the energized Time Staff right on the Erisian's head. The double blow of powerful attacks nearly destroyed its head, leaving little but a gaping hole where it used to be.
Pluto landed, and Chibi-Moon cheered, "We did it!"
"Not yet!" the older Soldier warned. "We still have to destroy the core!"
"I know! Then together now, Pluto!"
Chibi-Moon extended the Pink Lady's Regalia into a long rod that resembled the Time Staff. Both of them performed the motions for Dead Scream, with Pluto generating the real thing while Chibi-Moon created a glittering pink parody of it.
"Sweet Cupid's Eternal Love!"
The pair of destructive orbs immediately merged into one massive heart that shot at the wounded creature. To the Soldiers' astonishment, it wrapped its crystalline hands over the bleeding stub and successfully defended itself from the explosive joint attack.
"No way!" Pluto exclaimed. "It's already gotten strong enough to resist being purified!?"
"Not quite. It must be feeding off of the fear we create during battle," Chibi-Moon said. "Even if we fatally wounded it, it can regenerate lost limbs using that negative energy."
Although the creature survived, its hands didn't escape unscathed. Hundreds of shattered crystals now littered the floor, and some blood seeped out of massive gashes across its knuckles.
"Let's try it again, Small Lady," Pluto suggested. Chibi-Moon nodded and they attempted to try another combo attack. However, the Erisian reacted fast enough to swipe its bleeding claw at Pluto. She gasped and tried to erect another Garnet Ball barrier, but it was too late. The swipe sent her tumbling against a table and breaking it, and she winced in agony from internal injuries. While Chibi-Moon stared in shock at her dear friend, the monster dug its hands into the ground and created dozens of crystalline spikes that shot up beneath her feet, throwing her clean into the air and lacerating her skin faster than she realized what had just happened. Chibi-Moon fell back-first onto the ground near Pluto and seethed in pain.
As the two Soldiers struggled to regain their footing, the angry monster reared its hand back, clenched it into a giant spiky fist, and prepared to punch them into little more than unidentifiable meat.
While the two other battles waged on, Naja rolled aside just as Hyena fired an arrow where she previously stood. The archer slid down the staircase railing and leapt off while Naja generated another ice snake and sent it to bite the railing into splinters.
"Dew of Death," Hyena whispered, firing her charged shot at the ice snake as it turned its head and attempted to bite her to death. The arrow went right inside the creature's mouth and exploded, raining ice crystals around the pair. Hyena landed in front of her former comrade and said, "You're doing this all wrong, Cobra."
"What part about trying to survive such impossible odds is 'wrong', may I ask?"
"I won't question you joining the Syndicate to survive the war. It's something that you had no control over, and I understand that. But this whole time, we were wrong about Selene and her progeny. I guarantee that Neo Queen Serenity won't punish you if you defect from the Syndicate right now."
"What makes you so sure of that? That woman possesses the Silver Crystal. She can do whatever she pleases with it, and she chooses to hide in her castle like a sloth and grant prosperity to one lone planet. Meanwhile, she remains wonderfully oblivious to the ruin that her own mother caused!"
"They're not as ignorant as you think!" Hyena argued. "My time with Small Lady Serenity has shown me their dedication to protecting others! The princess is even willing to correct the mistake that Selene caused! I'm sure she'll vouch for you four if I plead my case to her, but you need to stop doing these cruel things to them! If you don't, then it's only natural that you'll be punished for your deeds!"
Naja frowned a little. "So you're saying that we'll be forgiven if we defect. Maybe that's true."
Hyena felt her heart lifting…
"But can you guarantee that the queen will use the Silver Crystal to save Alkima?"
"What do you mean?" the Soldier asked dejectedly.
"Clearly, she only has room in her heart for those closest to her, whether it's her family, friends, or Earth itself. Can you speak with absolute certainty that she will grant a selfish, war-ridden, evil-infested galaxy that's millions of light years away such gifts as well?"
Hyena couldn't answer with anything but, "I don't know. I can't speak for her character. I only met her that one time at Crystal Palace."
"See?" Naja shrugged. "You can't prove that to me because she's become such a recluse."
"But that's precisely why you sent me to Earth in the first place. If I explain everything to the king and queen in a rational manner, then-"
"Nothing you say will make me change my mind, Hyena. I am committed to obtaining the Silver Crystal to save Alkima, no matter what the cost! The others have given me their full support in this endeavor as well! As for you, I hereby terminate your mission and give you a new one; to become a Camarilla and join us in acquiring the Silver Crystal!"
Hyena shivered. Those words were like a heavy rock being thrown against a pane of glass. She didn't know how to contend with this shattering feeling. She stood there in total silence, staring at her feet.
"So you're really doing this…" she murmured.
"That's enough. You don't need to do this to yourself anymore. Come back to Upala Acropolis with me." The Camarilla reached her hand forth once again, hoping that Hyena would accept it once and for all.