PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE
Chapter 46: What the Hearth Augurs
The three girls headed up the many stone steps leading to the shrine, surrounded by many trees that were losing their leaves and thus gave the place a colorful autumn ambience. Several volunteers, mostly adults but some children too, were running around getting a simple stage ready with decorations. Some parents were there with their very young children dressing them up in kimonos and helping them practice some ritual movements for Saturday's celebration. A young man with short blonde hair wearing a kimono was sweeping away some leaves with a straw broom when he saw the group.
"What's going on here?" he asked Rei. "I thought the shrine was closed for the rest of the day."
"Sorry about this. It's just VesVes and one of her friends coming to pray for a few minutes. Don't worry, I'll entertain them. You may continue what you're doing, Seiji."
"Ah. Well if it's just your companions, then I'll let it slide."
As Seiji left them be, VesVes snorted in a low voice, "'Let it slide'? Hmph! Who does he think he is, lording himself over us like that?"
"He's just on edge because he's so busy monitoring the set-up. He's sometimes too serious when it comes to planning and making sure everything is perfect," Rei smiled. She then told Midori, "That's my partner, Youseki Seiji. He's been helping me with mundane tasks around the shrine after my grandfather passed away, as I'm often too busy attending to fire readings and fortune telling. Things have been quite hectic for me as the head priestess, so Seiji's really been a tremendous help for me."
Midori didn't respond to Rei's introduction of the gentleman other than a mere nod. Rei was mildly disturbed by the girl's tepid behavior, coupled with the bizarre sensation she felt earlier.
"Hey, since you've agreed to 'entertain' us, why not do a reading for us!?" VesVes eagerly suggested. "Praying is fine and good, but a fortune told by Hikawa's head priestess should be a real blast! You oughta see it, Midori! She's kneeling in front of tickling flames, mumbling incantations that we don't understand, and then whoosh! The fire comes to life and shows her something! If you're not into fortune telling, at least that experience would turn you into a believer!"
Rei crossed her arms in annoyance. "Don't treat my family's sacred fire divinations as mere entertainment. Besides, I don't just give those out for free. They're very expensive."
"I know, but… I thought it would help her out a bit. If it's money you're worried about, I can pay for it. Besides," VesVes lightly whispered into the priestess' ear while Midori was out of hearing range, "this is your chance to see if you're right or not."
Rei watched the uninterested Midori approach the offering box and throw a coin into it. She didn't visibly pray, but appeared detached from the lighthearted preparations going on around her. Whatever darkness lurked within her remained silent, which actually unnerved Rei more than if it actually tried to do something.
Michiru was right. It's not the same as Eris and her minions' evil energy. Is this the real reason she's been acting distant towards everyone lately? Is she afraid of everyone finding out about this? Could this be why the Animus Syndicate keeps attacking when she's around? If that's the case, Midori might actually be feeling guilty about being some kind of beacon for evil, even though she herself isn't evil. But then, why does she have this miasma dwelling within her in the first place?
Rei gave in and replied aloud, "Well, I'd be willing to make an exception if Midori is truly bothered by something."
"Awesome!" VesVes barked.
"However! I would like to keep it private between the two of us."
"Aww, man! That's no fun!"
Midori overheard their conversation and pursed her lips. It was the same thing; each of Neo Queen Serenity's guardian Soldiers would pull her aside and ask her some very personal questions, trying to dig as much information out from her as they could. First Ami with her enrolment in an inappropriate grade, then Michiru with the strange darkness in her soul, and now Rei. What sort of secrets was she going to try to dredge this time? There was no way out of this; Midori needed to prepare herself.
"Do you have any objections?" Rei asked her.
"… Do whatever you like. It's clear that VesVes doesn't take no for an answer."
"Man, your attitude's really rotten, you know that?" the red-haired student grumbled. "Well, have at it, you two. I'm gonna talk with Seiji about how we can help out tomorrow."
With that, Midori quietly followed Rei to a building behind Hikawa's haiden, or main hall of worship where the offertory box was and where ceremonies like this Shichi-Go-San celebration would be held. This second structure was the honden, or the most sacred building in the temple dedicated to enshrining the kami, or deity that was being worshipped there. The general public was not allowed access to the honden, so while Midori wasn't thrilled at the idea of partaking in a fire reading, it at least gave her the chance to observe a place that she normally wouldn't be able to.
They entered a room that was mostly empty except for a shrine containing two lamp posts, several poles with evil-warding charms, and a hearth that had a small fire constantly blazing within it. Midori took in the mystical atmosphere and thought, So that fire must be the shrine's kami. Makes sense, since 'Hikawa' translates into 'fire river'.
Phobos and Deimos had followed the pair inside and roosted upon the lanterns, watching as their master closed the shoji screen with a serious look in her eyes. When the screen clicked shut, she finally made her move:
"Midori, please tell me," Rei pleaded quietly.
"Hm?" the girl murmured while resting on a mat.
"There is something ominous surrounding you, and I believe you know what it is."
"What is this? Weren't you going to perform a divination?"
"I don't need to. I can feel something tremendous from you. I can't say for certain what it is, but it is some kind of miasma born from the deepest depths of your soul."
An ordinary person would have been greatly offended by Rei's words. Midori couldn't tell if she chose those words on purpose to try and rile her, or if it was just a natural part of her speech. Regardless, she remained calm and asked, "Are you're suggesting I'm possessed by some kind of demonic force?"
"That's not what I'm feeling. This miasma is coming from within, rather than from an external evil. I think you're hiding some kind of pain from everyone, and you have no desire to share it with anyone."
Midori stood up and grumbled, "Then why are we having this discussion? If what you say is true, then you're in no position to force me to reveal what those worries are. I certainly don't want you to make any attempt to divine what my feelings are behind my back either."
"I would do no such thing without your permission. But VesVes told me what's been happening to you lately. Every time those monsters from beyond our solar system strike in Tokyo, you were always close by. She thinks you've been stressed out from being involved in so many attacks and being saved by us Sailor Soldiers time and time again. She was hoping I could help figure out a way to calm you. I would very much like to give you a blessing, but only if you allow me."
Midori shifted her eyes away, realizing that her lies were catching up to her. Being attacked over and over again wasn't the issue here. Rei had noticed the same thing that Michiru had and wanted to pressure Midori into confessing what was going on. It was also possible that Michiru could have told Rei about Midori's darkness and asked her to look into it further. Was VesVes' forceful attempt to bring her here also part of some bigger ploy?
If they figure out that Sailor Arsenic Hyena has the same darkness as me, it may ruin my dual identities and make it impossible for me to quietly protect Chibi-Usa. I would have no choice but to decide if I should be loyal to my friends from Alkima or from Earth when they're each other's enemies. And if word gets out to Eris about this dark energy lurking within me, she might try to use it to her advantage. I have to keep 'it' under wraps, no matter what.
"… Very well," Midori replied after a lengthy pause, kneeling back into a seiza pose. "But whatever fortune you may have for me, I request that it remain strictly confidential. No one, and I mean no one, shall learn of what you discover."
"That has always been my policy with private sessions," Rei nodded. "Then let us begin."
The shrine maiden faced the flickering fire and chanted while swinging her gohei side to side. She rested it horizontally upon her palms and concentrated on seeing into Midori's heart. An image slowly started to form in her mind, although it wasn't very clear. It obviously looked like a sigil of some kind, but the edges were too blurry for her to make out immediately. It cleared just enough for her to make out a teal upside-down heart impaled on a cross – almost the opposite of Sailor Venus' planetary symbol.
What is this sign? Rei wondered, but then received an answer when the symbol disappeared and was replaced by a green planet that had tall mountains breaking through noxious-looking clouds. She realized, I see. So that sign belongs to this planet. But it is not one that belongs in this galaxy, which means…
The miko's heart beat faster as she made the grim connection. This planet is alien to us. But if this place is a part of Midori's memories, then she must be alien to us as well!
Such a finding was beyond what she had expected. She opened her eyes and lost her kneeling balance, nearly falling onto her side. Phobos and Deimos cawed in surprise at their owner's sudden fatigue. Midori ran to her side and asked, "Is everything all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," Rei assured, looking straight into Midori's eyes. She lost herself to a flurry of thoughts as she recalled Chibi-Usa saying that Midori was from Osaka. Yet, no memories of the city had ever occurred in the girl's mind, which meant to Rei that it was a flat-out lie. Midori was really from this unknown planet and was obviously going out of her way to not tell anyone about this. Another thought that occurred to Rei was that the Animus Syndicate was also not from this galaxy, and that Sailor Arsenic Hyena had connections with some of its members.
The green-haired girl blinked, perplexed that the shrine maiden was staring at her for such an unusually long time. Impatient, she curtly said, "You know it's rude to glare at people like that."
"Oh, pardon me," Rei apologized and straightened herself up.
"So what did you see?"
"I have seen the truth…" the diviner murmured, then shot her glare directly at the girl's eyes. The truth that she uttered was firm and completely unexpected:
"That you are lying to all of us."
A heavy silence surrounded them after Rei said those incriminating words. Midori's eyes narrowed. This was the first time that one of Earth's Sailor Soldiers directly challenged her identity. Michiru tried to ask her about it before, but was obviously being more delicate about it. Rei clearly had no intention of dancing around with this issue however, which made it extremely difficult for Midori to lie her way out of this confrontation. It was now a genuine battle of wits between the logical and the supernatural.
"Lying? Weren't you saying that I was 'hiding' something? Lying and hiding the truth may sound the same, but they are completely different," Midori argued. "You wanted to know the nature behind this 'darkness' that I'm hiding from everyone, and you should have gotten your answer. Why, then, are you accusing me of outright lying, rather than hiding a truth?"
"Hmph," Rei smirked and stood up. "You said it yourself; no one, and I mean absolutely no one, will learn about what I discover."
"Warping my words to benefit yourself? How unapologetically shallow. There's no point in divining if you don't share the results with your client."
"Say what you will, but I will not divulge the truth I have found to a compulsive liar."
"So part of that 'truth' of yours is that I lie?"
"Yes. Of course, you should know that as well as I do. After all, you're the one deceiving Chibi-Usa with your false claims, so you should know what your own lies are. As a dear friend of hers, I cannot forgive you for tricking her."
"Even if that lie is for a good reason?" Midori countered.
Rei frowned as hard as she could. "No reason is good enough to lie to someone as sweet and innocent as her. If you really see her as your friend, then you will remove your own veil of secrecy and tell her the truth. If not, then it's clear to me that you see her as little more than a disposable tool for whatever you need her for."
"So… I take it that you will hang this 'truth' over my head and force me to tell her everything. If not, then you will do it against my will. That is the classic definition of blackmail."
Rei didn't like how that sounded whatsoever. Midori continued, "You don't even care about the danger the truth may bring upon me as long as Chibi-Usa is happy, huh?"
"What kind of danger would befall you?"
"Oh? You asking that means you weren't able to see that."
The shrine maiden bit her lip as she argued, "I can't see every possible thing."
"I guess not. Well whatever the case may be, just know that this very same threat will find Chibi-Usa and devour her alive if she were to find out too much. You know how impetuous she tends to be - if she finds out who I am, she will do what she can to set things right, which will make her an easy victim. You and I can agree that that's no lie."
"I completely agree with you, but Chibi-Usa is much stronger than you think. She will not succumb to whatever danger looms over you. She will help you face it with love and justice in her heart. We Sailor Soldiers wish to do the same thing for you, but we can't do so if we don't know who you are."
Midori closed her eyes. "So you want to break through the barriers I worked so hard to build. I did so precisely because I was afraid of involving her in my affairs too much."
"There's nothing to be afraid of. If you tell her the truth, she will understand. I don't want to force you into a corner, but this is also for your own well-being. Letting go of all these lies may help clear the darkness lurking in your soul and strengthen your friendship with Chibi-Usa."
"The darkness, huh…?" Midori murmured, then stood up and got ready to leave while saying, "I'll consider it."
"Thank you," Rei bowed, then added, "Oh, by the way, there is one thing I am willing to tell you."
"What would that be?"
"Your naturally youthful appearance is an excellent disguise. No one would ever suspect that you're supposed to be in college rather than grade school."
Midori scoffed silently and left the honden. She thought about Rei's suggestion and whether or not she should follow up on it. Then again, Rei could likewise tell Chibi-Usa, or even Neo Queen Serenity, behind her back. If there was going to be a mess down the road, Midori would prefer to cause it herself so that she knew how to clean it up after wards.
VesVes' kind gesture to bring me to Hikawa Shrine doesn't appear to have been part of some elaborate trap, but it's clear that Michiru must have contacted Rei about her concerns for me prior to today. I wonder if it was their idea to blackmail me, or if it was only Rei's. Killing her to ensure her silence is out of the question, since it would only benefit Eris. Either way, I need to make a decision as soon as possible.