PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE

Chapter 52: Confessions of a Dark Kind

During lunch period that day, Chibi-Usa brought Hikaru over to meet up with the four sisters upon the primary school's rooftop. Hikaru said to them, "It's been a long time, Sailor Quartet."

"Whoa!" PallaPalla gasped. "I didn't know you became Chibi-Usa's classmate!"

"Neither did I," Chibi-Usa shook her head. "He just showed up this morning without any warning."

CereCere folded her arms and said, "For you to appear to us during the daytime hours must mean something."

"You're right," Hikaru nodded gravely, and the girls tensed up when his dour expression changed the mood. "I came here in person because I have some terrible news concerning a certain someone's dream. I was requested by Miss Kaiou to investigate this person's dreams as Pegasus and see if I can find any information about her. I believe you know her best as Inuken Midori."

The girls yelped in unison, and JunJun exclaimed, "Midori's dreams!?"

Chibi-Usa grabbed his sleeves and begged, "She won't talk to us anymore! How is she doing!? Can you see what's wrong with her in her dreams!?"

They looked at him worriedly, and he continued pensively, "Unfortunately, I am the watcher of lovely dreams. I am not able to enter a world when it full of such darkness. No matter how many times I try, it threatens to swallow me whole. I've tried talking to her numerous times, but I fear my voice has never reached her."

"Midori's dreams are dark?" VesVes was concerned. "You mean she's having nightmares?"

"I'm not certain as to whether it's a lingering nightmare, or something far more sinister sleeping within her. For me to navigate this girl's dream, I would have to fly through a darkness deeper than the deepest void. I regret to say that it is impossible for me alone to fulfill Miss Kaiou's request."

"No…" Chibi-Usa's heart sunk. "So you don't know what's wrong with her…"

"Ahem!" CereCere coughed. "Were you not paying attention? Hikaru just said that Midori has a tremendous amount of darkness in her soul. If that's not 'something wrong with her', then I don't know what is."

"I guess so… But why does she have darkness in her anyway? Why did Miss Michiru want you to investigate?"

VesVes sighed, then remarked, "Actually, I've got a confession to make."

The others glanced at her while she explained, "When I was with Rei last weekend, she told me that she also tried to figure out who Midori was at Michiru's request, but couldn't find anything conclusive. Rei asked me to keep this a secret from you all, but with Hikaru saying all of this, I couldn't help but mention it."

"Miss Rei couldn't find anything either?" PallaPalla whimpered. "It's like no matter how hard we all try to find out who Midori is, something keeps getting in the way…"

"Well, she did see something rather interesting. Apparently she had the vision of a planet covered in green gas clouds, accompanied with some kind of sigil."

VesVes showed them a piece of paper with the drawing Rei made of the symbol. They were perplexed as to what this meant, although JunJun wondered, "It kind of looks like Venus's symbol but with the line running through the heart, and the heart is upside-down… Say, doesn't this almost look like one of the alchemic symbols for arsenic that we learned in science class?"

"Arsenic?" CereCere's dumbfounded question matched the surprise in everyone else's eyes. "You mean… This could be Sailor Arsenic Hyena's sigil?"

"But why would Rei have a vision of that from Midori's mind?"

Hikaru closed his eyes and murmured, "I don't know about the symbol, but I can agree with Miss Hino's vision. Within Midori's dream, I too witnessed the faint image of a green planet covered in thick clouds. It's safe to assume that she actually hails from this unknown world, rather than from Earth."

"But this galaxy doesn't have a planet like that, right?" PallaPalla wondered in confusion.

VesVes narrowed her eyes and glowered, "Don't forget about Alkima Galaxy."

"Oh! So then… Um… So if this planet is not in this galaxy, that means Midori's not from this world."

"Ugh. Hikaru just said that, you numbskull."

"But she said she's from Osaka, right?"

"That was obviously a lie."

"Ohh, I don't get this! Why would Midori lie about that!? Why did Miss Rei see something that's related to Hyena instead of Midori!? Nothing's making sense anymore!"

"Goodness. Do I have to do all of the thinking for you, PallaPalla?" CereCere shrugged in annoyance. "It strongly suggests one thing, and one thing only!"

"And that would be…?"

"That Midori and Sailor Arsenic Hyena are the same person!"

The curtains in the Inuken residence had been kept shut for several days, and no lights were turned on save for one in the bedroom that gave off a dim glow – bright enough to see where to go, yet dark enough for a person to shadow their presence. All doors were locked, and a 'Do Not Disturb' sign hung on the exterior doorknob to drive people away.

That was the same sign Chibi-Usa was greeted with throughout the past week. She felt dejected every time she saw it, made worse with the discussion she had with Hikaru and the sisters that afternoon. CereCere's accusation distracted her so much from concentrating on her schoolwork that she decided to ask for the rest of the day off. She headed home early and walked straight to Midori's apartment door. Many thoughts raced through her mind, but what seemed to worry her most was of Hikaru's claims that Midori's soul was steeped with incredible darkness.

Is she truly related to the Animus Syndicate in a way I can't possibly fathom? Or is she really the mysterious Sailor Soldier who's been helping us so much? If she truly is Hyena, is she afraid of the enemy finding out about whatever darkness is lurking within her? Or could it be that she's been targeted by them and really needs our help?

There weren't any other explanations she could think of. She remembered the time when the Black Moon Clan assailed Crystal Tokyo and she was constantly being targeted by them. She could understand that kind of isolating fear; that she couldn't rely on her parents for protection, and even had to go as far as running 1000 years to the past to escape her tormentors. She must have looked like a mysterious child to Sailor Moon and her guardians as well. But Chibi-Usa also knew that the Black Moon Clan had a reason to go after her. She couldn't figure out what the Animus Syndicate wanted with Midori, and why she would lock herself up like this.

Maybe she won't tell me what's wrong, but I can at least tell her about my own experience. Maybe it'll help her open up to me a little more.

Chibi-Usa hesitantly balled her hand into a fist and knocked on the door, disregarding the sign as she called out, "Are you there, Midori? It's Chibi-Usa. Can I come in and talk with you for a bit?"

She waited for a response, but there was only silence. She tried again a couple of times, getting only the same result. The pink-haired grade-schooler sighed and replied as if talking to an invisible person, "All right, I'll leave you alone. But I'm gonna try again every day until I get to talk to you, okay?"

She turned on her heel and was about to return to her room. That was when she heard the deadbolt click open, then the door creaked. Chibi-Usa's heart leapt, and she turned around to find an utterly exhausted Midori standing there in her robes and slippers. Her long chartreuse hair wasn't in its usual ponytail, so it flowed messily down her back. Chibi-Usa could tell that Midori had not taken good care of herself, judging from her tired gait and heavy eyes.

"You're home early…" she murmured tiredly.

"Midori?" Chibi-Usa gasped, startled to see her with such an unkempt appearance. "A-Are you okay!?"

"… I wish I could say yes…"

"Can I come in!?"

"… Suit yourself…"

Midori almost lost her balance suddenly, so Chibi-Usa caught her shoulders and guided her to the sofa. She noticed the unnaturally shaped flesh on her friend's arm and fingers and realized how emaciated she actually was. Chibi-Usa cried out, "You look terrible! Have you been eating properly!?"

"No…"

"When was the last time you ate?"

"… Last Sunday…? Or was it Monday…?"

"Are you kidding!? Today's Friday! At least have a piece of toast or something!"

"I can't…"

"Why not!? Here, I'll make you some tea and we can talk!"

Midori had no energy to resist her friend's concerns, so she just sat there and cuddled under a blanket. After Chibi-Usa finished preparing their beverages, she sat down next to her and urged, "What's the matter with you? You're not sick again, are you?"

"… No. I've been… depressed…"

Chibi-Usa did not like the sound of that. "Depressed? What's been upsetting you?"

"Well…" Midori drawled, deeply contemplating on what to say next. She stared into her ruby red eyes, as if losing herself to a completely different world. Midori closed her eyes tightly as Rei's, Apis' and Gyps' words came back to antagonize her in an incoherent jumble:

"You're the one deceiving Chibi-Usa with your false claims. As a dear friend of hers, I cannot forgive you for tricking her."

"It's not just Kadmas, either. Kanos, Mangar, Nabar, Upala, every world is gone! Alkima Galaxy is extinct!"

"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."

"Before we knew it, everything had gone completely out of our control. We had no choice but to leave our planets to their fate, hoping that we could obtain the Silver Crystal to revive our loved ones before you could find out."

"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."

"Even if we have to dirty our hands with the blood of Earth's defenders, that is the duty we have accepted as our galaxy's Sailor Soldiers."

"If you tell her the truth, she will understand. Letting go of all these lies may help clear the darkness lurking in your soul and strengthen your friendship with Chibi-Usa."

"Now that you know the truth, you need to make a decision as a Sailor Soldier. Will you side with us to resurrect your home while betraying your new friends, or will you remain loyal to Earth and fight against your Alkiman comrades? Where will your duty as a Soldier take you?"

She clenched her blankets and gasped hard, accidentally dropping her teacup and splashing hot water all over the floor. She had lied to Chibi-Usa this whole time, only to find out she had been tricked by her friends as well. The reason Midori came to Earth – the 'mission' she took immense pride in - was a ridiculous sham, and she had no home to return to should she be successful anyway. Therefore, all of her efforts with keeping her double life secret from everyone on Earth, especially Chibi-Usa, were meaningless. The irony of it all, coupled with Gyps' final ultimatum, reduced this normally cool-headed academic into an emotional wreck.

Who to side with, and who to betray. Struggling with the guilt resulting from such a decision. Finding something or someone to believe in without fear of deception. Where to go once her duty was complete. Reviving Alkima, or protecting Earth. Where her duty as a Sailor Soldier laid.

What the hell was she supposed to do now?

"Midori!" Chibi-Usa yelped and kept her safe from the hot water. "Hang in there!"

There was one thing that kept echoing in Midori's mind that gave her some semblance of solace. It was when Rei said, "She will help you face it with love and justice in her heart."

Will she forgive me if I tell her everything? Or rather, will she get angry with me in the first place? Will she understand my position and help me convince my friends to not fight? I don't know… but I can't do this anymore…

"Chibi… Usa…" Midori murmured in a shallow voice.

"It's okay. Take your time," Chibi-Usa held her shivering friend's shoulder.

"I… I have… something to… tell you. No… it's more… like a… confession…"

"Eh? Something to 'confess' to me?"

"The truth is… I… I've been…"

Suddenly the phone's loud ringing shot through the tense atmosphere, spooking both girls out of their anxiety. Midori murmured, "Just a moment," and picked up the phone before answering in her firm voice, "This is Inuken… Yes, that's me. Might I ask who is speaking?"

Chibi-Usa watched her talk on the phone, afraid that she was receiving some kind of bad news. After a five-minute discussion, Midori hung up the phone and said, "Sorry for that interruption."

"What was that about?"

"Nothing much. It's just that a few weeks ago, Crystal Seminar submitted my thesis on my behalf for a competition where the prize is a scholarship for Infinity Academy," Midori explained, and Chibi-Usa noticed that her typical calming manner of speech returned out of nowhere. "Apparently, the board of judges selected mine as one of the five entrants, and they were notifying me of when to present my work during an evening class. Several teachers and members of the student council will be the ones to decide the victor."

"You got in!? How many people entered!?"

"Roughly 200 or so."

"That's incredible!" Chibi-Usa boggled and shook her stoic friend's hand. "Congratulations!"

"Well, I wasn't expecting much anyway. I think Crystal Seminar wanted to do it to boost publicity…"

"Come on, you should be more proud of yourself! Do you have to go by yourself, or are you allowed to bring people with you?"

"I can bring up to three guests. I'm not sure if you would be interested since the discussion will be heavily academic in nature, and I know you don't have an affinity for complicated words and theorems. I have to talk about as many aspects of my work as I can while addressing any concerns or objections that the judges will have. It's not a completed paper either, so I'm not certain if I can satisfy their strict criteria."

"Can you do it even though you've been depressed lately?"

Midori nodded. "Perhaps I should see this as a much-needed distraction."

"If you say so."

"The problem is that I have no idea who to bring with me. Like I said, I don't think you or the sisters will be interested…"

"Are you kidding? Even if it might be boring, I'd be happy to watch you do what you love the most! And then I have a good friend who goes to that school too! I bet she would want to see you if I told her all about your entry! I can bring Hikaru with me, so that makes three!"

"Hikaru?"

"Oh, you weren't at school this week. We got a new classmate today; Shiramura Hikaru."

"Is that so. Are you sure a new classmate would suddenly go with you to a complete stranger's lecture?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. He might be new to you, but I met Hikaru back when I traveled to the past and trained as Sailor Chibi-Moon."

"Really? How so?"

"Um… Well, there's a bit of a story behind that…" Chibi-Usa put her arms behind her back and blushed a little. "But don't worry. He already knows about us Sailor Soldiers, and he's a guardian of Earth himself. I can't really see him often because he's so busy protecting everyone's dreams, but all I have to do is think about him while going to sleep and I'll be able to see him."

"'Protecting everyone's dreams'? What exactly do you mean by that?"

"He can manifest his spirit as Pegasus and enter people's dreams. He likes to keep dreams as beautiful as possible, so he guards them from evil."

Midori didn't seem very convinced as she thought, Sounds like some kind of child's fairy tale to me. Well, Crystal Tokyo itself is the stuff of legends anyway, so I suppose a dream-guarding pegasus shouldn't be too farfetched either.

"By the way, I want to ask you something," Chibi-Usa said. "When you're dreaming, do you ever hear someone calling out to you?"

"Huh? Why would someone try to converse with me in my dream? Are you suggesting this Hikaru fellow has been trying to talk to me without my permission while I sleep?"

"Uh… I guess so," the pink-haired girl uttered, astounded at her strange friend's astuteness.

"In that case, I've heard nothing. I actually don't have any dreams when I sleep."

"I see," was all Chibi-Usa said with little enthusiasm.

Midori let out a good yawn and muttered, "Ugh, all of this has worn me out. I have to make myself presentable for this lecture."

"Then take care of yourself until then. Try not to let whatever's bothering you get in the way, okay?" Chibi-Usa assured, then was about to leave the apartment when she stopped short and remarked, "That's right! Wasn't there something you wanted to 'confess' to me?"

"Oh, that…" Midori grumbled and rubbed her eyes. "Well…"

"If your mind's on the speech, I can always wait until later."

"Yes, we should do that. I promise that I'll finish what I wanted to talk about later. This came up so suddenly, and… Well, this is just so awkward…"

"I know you're the type to keep your promises, so I'll wait as long as you need."

"I'm sorry for the trouble…"

Chibi-Usa wouldn't know it right now, but Midori's apology was more for the trouble she caused with her lies, rather than making her wait for her admission.

"Don't worry about it. Just take care of yourself, all right?"

With that, Chibi-Usa finally departed. Midori frowned hard and headed to the bathroom to freshen herself up.