PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE
Chapter 70: Protection of the Planets
After everyone was certain that Midori would not wake up for some time, they reconvened in the throne room to discuss what to do next. Endymion said, "After careful analysis of the Syndicate's plan, we've determined that their next move is to attack us with upwards of 30 or so brainwashed Sailor Soldiers. No doubt, they will want to strike fear into our hearts about waging war with fellow Soldiers, hoping to use our hesitation to strike us down before moving on to assault Crystal Palace."
"It's unfortunate, but our duty is to protect the queen and princess," Haruka clenched her fist. "We must swallow our pleas and fight them as if they are monsters."
"I really don't like this," Makoto admitted forlornly. "But if we can end their suffering at Eris' hands, then I'll do whatever it takes!"
"You're right," Hotaru agreed. "The Alkima that they cling to is no more. We must free them from the burden of 1000 years of festering hatred while enslaved in that palace."
"Leave the battle to us, Neo Queen Serenity," Setsuna said calmly. "In the names of our guardian planets, we will not let a single enemy breach these sacred chambers."
Rei glanced over at the monitors, noticing some lights blinking down at the corner. She asked Ami, "What's going on?"
The blue-haired woman narrowed her eyes and reported, "Upala Acropolis has deployed a squadron of Sailor Soldiers that are heading this way."
Serenity closed her eyes, feeling heartbroken than she had to put her friends in such a position. But unlike the crybaby teenager of yesteryear who often forced her benevolent opinions upon others, she was now a woman who had to make rational decisions for both her loved ones and her kingdom. Feeling convinced that her guardians could handle this upcoming battle with strong spirits, she opened her eyes and commanded, "Then go! For the continued peace of Crystal Tokyo, fight the enemy with love and courage in your hearts!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the eight guardians saluted and hurried out of the throne room, transforming into their Sailor identities in brilliant flashes of their theme colors. Small Lady clasped her hands tightly and prayed at the bottom of her heart for their safe return.
At the same time, Endymion faced the Four Generals and ordered, "Guard the palace, and be sure to keep an eye on Midori. I'm afraid that she might try to do something reckless in the condition that she's in. Don't let her go anywhere without at least one of you accompanying her."
"Sire!" the four men exclaimed and went throughout the castle to check for any intrusions or suspicious activities. All the while, they kept thinking about their respective female partners and sending silent prayers of their own for their beloved's safety.
Midori regained consciousness. She was still lying in the same bed that Ami and Hotaru had brought her to several hours ago. Although she had slept well thanks to the sedatives, the oppressively heavy depression that literally weighed her chest down refused to subside. She was starving, but didn't have an appetite whatsoever. She remained sitting there for about 10 minutes, listening intently for any activity outside.
It's quiet…
Midori looked over at the sheer curtains obscuring the windows. She pulled them aside and gazed outside at the arctic December skies. A heavy snowfall coated the ground in a thick layer of snow, and the biting winds howled like mourning wolves. She panned her eyes across the horizon, sensing something amiss with this otherwise beautiful white scenery.
There's evil in the air.
She let go of the curtains and sat in a soft rocking chair in front of the dark fireplace. She didn't want to turn on any lights – she actually contemplated best in dark rooms like this. The grandfather clock ticked rhythmically as her weary eyelids closed and her mind drifted off into ambling thoughts.
Serenity's protectors must be out fighting. I wonder if they're going to be okay. Well, when it comes to tooth and nail, I'm sure they will handle the grunts just fine. But what about Eris herself? She's taken in an entire galaxy's worth of hatred and will no doubt use it to infect Earth with blight and despair.
Midori tilted her head up and sighed despondently.
It's going to take just as much holy energy to counter so much evil miasma. The only thing that can accomplish that is the Silver Crystal, but…
She thought about Chibi-Usa. The sweet, innocent, and sometimes bratty girl didn't deserve to be dragged into this. Midori would sooner die than allow Chibi-Usa to harness that gorgeous yet ill-omened stone's maximum amount of energy. A Crystal Tokyo without its loving princess was like a carriage without a horse to drive it. Midori had to do something to preserve this kingdom's existence for years to come, and that meant only one thing.
Chibi-Usa is a reliable person, but I can't trust that she can live after using the Silver Crystal's full power. Even with everyone in the court lending their support, I can't imagine her coming back without suffering a great deal. And even if Eris were to be destroyed, there are plenty of other evil stars still lurking within the cosmos, waiting to threaten Earth once again.
Other aspects of Chaos are still out there… like my ancestor…
Midori knew what she needed to do. She had lost her original mission, but now she found a new duty – one that she could firmly believe in without worry of being deceived or toyed about like someone else's puppet. It was one born out of her genuine desire to be a real Sailor Soldier and to protect someone dear to her, despite the misery she wallowed in over her own situation.
This world needs Chibi-Usa. It doesn't need me.
Serenity's eight guardians flew high into the sky to see where the Syndicate's soldiers were coming from. They spotted around 15 grey lights representing enemy troops, and the warriors wasted no time diving straight for them.
"Everyone!" Venus shouted. "We must fight with everything we have! Don't show mercy to them, or else we will just fall into Eris' hands!"
The team separated to intercept the enemies. The Syndicate's fighters laughed at their presence, yet didn't bother with spouting disparaging words at them. They wanted blood, and they wanted it now. The green fragments of Eris' crystalline leaves shone with a sinister aura, possessing the girls with even greater negative influence than ever.
Venus led the charge with a defiant smile, then she winked and summoned an orange heart that changed into a sword, then called out, "Venus Wink Chain Sword!"
She whirled around to gain momentum, then threw the blade. It erupted into a series of chained red beads that barreled for the enemies. They dodged around the whipping chains, forcing them to separate. Saturn twirled the Silence Glaive over her head and pointed it at some minions, shouting, "Silence Buster!"
A pair of strands that twirled like a helix careened from the two-pronged blade and violently penetrated through a mook's abdomen, killing her instantly. Another girl disregarded her dead comrade and fired light bullets from her dual guns, pelting Saturn's skin and causing her to lose her balance. The girl transformed her firearms into a massive rotary cannon akin to the M61 Vulcan, aimed the barrels at Saturn, and gleefully fired a blinding volley of bullets at her.
"Venus Love Me Chain!" Venus called out, sending a string of golden hearts to wrap around Saturn's arm. She jerked hard and pulled her friend away from the onslaught.
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter exclaimed, throwing a disc of raw electricity at the opponent's back. It exploded with such ferocity that it exposed her spine in a gush of blood and flesh, and she fell forward dead. Meanwhile, Uranus and another warrior ran parallel to each other while slashing their swords in the air, sending numerous wind sickles that they each nimbly dodged. It actually served as a distraction for Mars to hold one of her evil-warding charms betwixt her fingers.
"Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen! Evil spirits, begone!" Mars chanted and threw the ofuda at the evil warrior's forehead. A torrent of purifying flames engulfed her body, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream before falling forward.
"Dead Scream," Pluto said and rushed toward a warrior wielding a sword-sized jutte. She whipped the Time Staff in her hands to create magenta-colored swipes of energy that could tear through flesh and bone. Pluto's foe used the jutte's prongs to snag the top of the staff between it. As they were stuck in a stalemate, another enemy, this one dressed more like a ninja, jumped behind Pluto and tossed a bunch tiny shurikens at her unguarded back.
"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury conjured a wave of icy water that drowned out the throwing stars. The girl with the jutte pushed against Pluto, but the Guardian of Time used all of her strength to throw her over her shoulder at the very same moment the ninja warrior threw some additional kunai after Mercury's attack. The kunai mistakenly dug into the jutte user's heart and killed her instantly, but the ninja didn't show any concern as she leapt across some buildings like an experienced parkour athlete to gain some height. What she wasn't expecting was Neptune waiting for her at the top.
"Deep Submerge!" she shouted and thrust a ball of aquatic power at the ninja. It smacked her face-first and dug her body right into the concrete, exploding in a spray of water that both drowned her lungs and blew open her chest. Yet another Syndicate soldier, this one wielding a butterfly knife, quickly dove in and whipped her small blades at Neptune's face, cutting through some of her lovely aqua hair.
Venus saw the commotion after saving Saturn and scurried to help, pointing her finger forward like a gun and shouting, "Crescent Beam!"
A golden beam of light slammed against the opponent's chest and made her lose her balance. Uranus charged in and shouted, "Space Sword Blaster," slashing her bladed Talisman the Space Sword in an arc to create a ripping shockwave that cut through the girl and killed her.
The most tragic of the Syndicate's soldiers was a little girl around 10 years old who wore a large backpack that looked cute with its cartoonish white wings, but was armed with live bombs. She ran straight for Pluto and Mercury while pressing a red switch, shouting, "Glory to Alkima!"
"No!" Mercury cried out.
"It's too late!" Pluto gasped in wide-eyed astonishment.
Mercury clenched her teeth and cried out in a pained voice, "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!"
She strung the blue Mercury Harp in a soothing melody that conjured a powerful stream of water to collide with the girl. She yelped and was drowned out by the cold water. Then the bombs in her backpack went off, obliterating her body in a blast of grey smoke, followed by a smaller puff of red. Pluto whispered, "Unbelievable… To think they would use child suicide bombers…"
"Was that normal in Alkima!?" Mercury angrily shouted.
"Stay strong," Neptune told them. "Even if their way of fighting is cruel, we must not falter."
During the trio's moment of confusion, a few Syndicate warriors zoomed past them straight for Crystal Palace. Mercury screamed, "Stop!"
Small Lady retired to her chambers and stared out the window, thinking of her friends as they fought the deadly battle. She wished she could join them, but Serenity and Endymion explicitly told her not to put herself in further danger until they had a battle plan she could follow. The Sailor Quartet remained posted nearby in case of an emergency.
Diana entered the princess' room, where she found Small Lady holding the Stallion Reve close to her chest. Although not exactly asleep, Small Lady could still keep in contact with Helios while he was maintaining his post in Elysion by meditating and focusing her thoughts on the object to connect her mind with his. She told him what had transpired, then returned her mind to the room where she had been confined.
"Small Lady?" Diana uttered. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, I am," the princess murmured, realizing that she needed to wipe a tear away.
"Is Master Helios doing okay?"
"Yeah. Elysion doesn't appear to be in any danger at the moment."
"Is there anything you need me to get for you?"
"As a matter of fact… Could you bring Midori here? I want to see if she's feeling better now."
"Of course!" Diana performed a feline bow and scurried into the hallway straight for Midori's guest room. Once she arrived, she found the Four Generals standing in front of the entrance with concerned looks on their faces.
"Are you in there!?" Kunzite yelled, struggling to open the chain-locked door. "Open up, Midori!"
"What's wrong?" Diana asked.
"His Majesty told us to keep her under strict observation, but we can't get inside here to see what she's doing."
"Oh no!"
"Midori!" Jadeite shouted. "Open this door now! What are you doing!?"
"Maybe I can squeeze through the gap!" Diana offered.
Kunzite forced the door open as wide as he could to allow the cat to slip through. She tried to run for the bed in the pitch dark room, assuming that Midori would still be fast asleep, but she skidded to a stop when she noticed a figure standing on the outside balcony.
"Midori!?"
The girl had transformed into Sailor Zarnik and stood atop the ornate balustrade surrounding the white balcony. She had her back facing the room, so Diana couldn't see her face. Zarnik's long hair blew in the frigid December winds, and the small kitten shivered from the biting cold.
"What are you doing!? Please get down from there!" Diana begged.
No response. Zarnik didn't even turn around to regard the cat's pleas. Diana screamed at the top of her tiny lungs, "HELP! Someone help!"
Outside the bedroom door, the Four Generals could hear her cries. Kunzite muttered, "No choice but to break through."
With one concentrated effort, the four men forced their way through the chain locked door and discovered Zarnik still standing in that exact pose.
"Stop right there!" Nephrite commanded. "You can't go anywhere like that!"
"Get down this instant, or we'll be forced to apprehend you!" Zoisite warned.
Still nothing. Jadeite was the closest to her, so he dashed toward her in an attempt to at least grab her legs. When she heard his frantic footsteps, she leaned forward and leapt off the balcony in what looked to be an apparent suicide dive. Jadeite was just milliseconds too late to stop her, and he watched her fall in sheer disbelief. However, Zarnik's body glowed a deep green as she surrounded herself in an energy bubble and flew away from the palace.
"COME BACK, MIDORI!" he screamed, but it was futile. He clenched his teeth and slammed the railing in frustration.
"What in the world is she thinking!? If she goes out alone like that, she'll be easy pickings for the Syndicate!" Nephrite exclaimed.
"At any rate, we need to report her escape to the king," Kunzite said and left hurriedly to find his master.
"I don't know if we'll be able to dedicate anyone to finding her," Zoisite wondered. "We need every capable fighter available to battle the enemy, and all of the citizens have been evacuated."
"Midori…" Diana whimpered. "Please don't leave Small Lady alone like this…"
Then out of nowhere, the palace's alarms flared to life and drowned every room in deafening sounds. The three remaining generals looked up and gasped, noticing several more energy bubbles in the sky heading their direction. These ones were grayish in color, and each one contained a grey-garbed Syndicate Sailor Soldier who had abandoned the light and turned to darkness. The men could see the crazed look of glee in the women's eyes as they approached the open room. It wasn't a group of more than five or six, but it was enough to make the unprepared generals worried.
"They're here!" Zoisite declared and brandished his sword. "Get ready for battle! Defend the palace at all costs!"
Jadeite snatched Diana and quickly tossed her outside before closing the door, hoping to keep the fight sealed inside the room. Although the kitten was scared to death, she got on her paws and dashed through the hallways to Small Lady's room. The princess emerged, and Diana screamed, "It's the enemy! The enemy's here!"
"What!?"
That was when King Endymion, Kunzite, and a small group of armed guards rounded the corner and ran straight for the room where the invasion took place.
"Wait a minute! Isn't that where Midori is staying!?" Small Lady's eyes widened in horror.
She tried to follow Endymion, but he shouted in an uncharacteristically stern voice, "Stay there! Don't follow until I say so!"
"But Midori-!"
"The Syndicate's assassins are here! Stay in your room until I say otherwise!"
"Papa…" the scared princess watched her father run into the bedroom.
Diana jumped into her arms and nervously said, "Midori's… not in there…"
"What do you mean?"
"She ran away from here just now…"
Small Lady stared at her feline friend in total confusion. "What are you talking about? The palace is in total lockdown. There's no way anyone should be able to get in or out."
"But Midori jumped from the balcony before the Four Generals could stop her, and then those evil women suddenly arrived."
"What…? Are you saying Midori killed herself!?"
"No, no, no! She used her power to fly away into the city!"
"Oh, no…" the princess' eyes welled with tears as she realized what was going on. "Midori's trying to…"
"Small Lady?" Diana squeaked.
"I have to tell Mama and the others! Midori's going to try to fight Eris all by herself!"
"Are you serious!? She can't do that!"
"No, Diana. She can… with that power she used against Upala. But if she does…"
"If she does?"
Small Lady wouldn't answer Diana's question, but the cat could tell from the dire look in her eyes that it was extremely serious.