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PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE
Chapter 8: Judgment of Selene
Out in the farthest corners of the Milky Way Galaxy, undetectable by the solar system’s four Sailor Soldiers charged with protecting the external border, there resided a fantastic castle upon a huge meteorite surrounded by an aura barrier to protect it from the harsh environment of space. This palace was far grander and luxurious than the Crystal Palace, but it lacked the homeliness and inviting nature. Instead, this castle was a blatant symbol of its queen’s power, majesty, and dominance. It was constructed in her image, and if something didn’t suit her extravagant tastes, she would command to have it redone. It was a circular mansion surrounding a huge apple tree with golden apples dangling from its branches.
This was Upala Acropolis, home to the nomadic Animus Syndicate, an evil group led by the undisputed victor of the war that tore apart Alkima Galaxy – Sailor Upala. As she had earned the Victory Crown through acts of greed, corruption, betrayal, manipulation, and sheer strength as a Sailor Soldier, she deemed herself unconquerable in the ways of war and victory. All of Alkima Galaxy answered to her beck and call… and yet, it wasn’t enough.
Sailor Upala had heard from the goddess of victory and her chief advisor Eris that there existed a wondrous crystal that could grant any wish the user desired. However, it was far removed from the Soldier’s area of conquest. Upala couldn’t accept the idea that something more brilliant than herself existed. She had to see this mystical Silver Crystal and discover if its power was real. To that end, she used her power to remove Upala Acropolis and a tremendous chunk of earth from her planet Upala, surrounded it in the barrier, and sent it flying across space towards the Milky Way.
The queen traveled with her entire court and servants of the Animus Syndicate. Her personal servants consisted only of the finest men she chose across Alkima – boys fed her grapes and fanned her, young men carried her around the palace in a fabulously ornate sedia gestatoria, and well-groomed elderly men served as efficient butlers. She had kept the number of female servants to a bare minimum, only allowing a trusted handmaiden who dressed her every morning to remain by her side.
Upala believed that women were jealous creatures who would envy her magnificence and vie for her throne from behind the scenes. Instead, she made her other female courtiers be her personal warriors in the Animus Syndicate. She simply called them the Camarilla – little more than courtiers who surrounded her and had no influence in politics. Even the young boys who brought Upala wine were able to sway her with suggestions on how to spend the day. The Camarilla had no such benefit.
Four of the Camarilla now approached Sailor Upala as she lay upon a jewel-studded velvet hammock stretching across the branches of the gigantic apple tree. The Camarilla wore heavy robes and masks that covered their upper faces, themed after a respective animal. It was another way Upala managed to distance herself from her female warriors – by covering up what made them women and turning them into faceless minions.
In stark contrast, Sailor Upala was the definition of feminine beauty. Her outfit looked more like a ridiculously revealing samba costume than a proper Sailor Soldier uniform, complete with the characteristic colorful feathers flowing from her waist. A sheer capelet flowed from her sailor collar that shimmered in every color of the rainbow, never staying the same color for more than a minute. Upala kept her pale pink hair in complex French braids, and the Victory Crown rested upon her head to serve as a constant reminder as to who was boss around here. If she ever needed to use her pseudonym, it was appropriately called Sailor Opal Peacock.
“Sailor Upala, we bring news,” the lead Camarilla announced. This girl wore blue robes and a mask patterned after a cobra’s head.
One boy fed her a cupcake with thick frosting. Another boy wiped her face clean. After she was done savoring the sweet taste, Upala declared, “Speak, Naja.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The two Erisian scouts we sent have been defeated by Earth’s Sailor Soldiers.”
“Oh. Is that all?”
“There is more. Among their ranks, there appears to be a Soldier who doesn’t hail from Earth, yet is assisting them in defeating the Erisians. We believe she could be from Alkima.”
“A traitor?” Upala furrowed her eyebrow.
“It is most likely. She knows how to defeat them, and has been giving Earth’s warriors advice on how to do the same.”
“If there is one thing I despise, it is one who acts in treason. Who is this Soldier?”
Naja shook her head. “My scout only reported her saying the name Sailor Arsenic Hyena.”
“Che. Using a moniker to hide her guardian planet…” Upala sounded displeased as she swiped a chalice of wine from a tray and gulped the beverage down. “Well, it doesn’t really matter where she’s from. All I care is that this distasteful ‘hyena’ be obliterated along with the rest of Earth’s protectors. Isn’t that right, Lady Eris?”
She glanced high up at the apple tree where hundreds of Apples of Discord hung above them. A deep woman’s voice echoed in a hoarse tone, “That is right, my dear. Those who protect the Silver Crystal in any capacity must be shown the full extent of your power. Whether they are natives to Earth or traitors of Alkima is of no consequence.”
“See? Even the goddess of victory smiles upon me,” Upala grinned in delight. Suddenly she chucked her wine chalice at Naja’s head. The golden cup bounced off her mask and clattered to the ground. The Camarilla didn’t react whatsoever as a butler proceeded to pick up the discarded chalice.
She ordered in her loudest voice, “Naja! Gyps! Apis! Varan! You four will be responsible for eliminating Earth’s Sailor Soldiers! I don’t care what methods you use to dispose of them, so long as they are out of my way! Also, I would like to meet this Arsenic Hyena character and subject her to the gallows personally. Her death should serve as a reminder to what happens if I am ever betrayed.”
“By the order of Sailor Upala, we the Camarilla shall heed her command!” the four robed warriors chimed in unison, then left the orchard. They could hear their leader playfully cooing into one of her younger servant’s ear, but didn’t stick around for much longer than that.
The red-robed Camarilla, Gyps, clenched her teeth angrily and growled, “Who the hell does that jailbait think she is?” She adjusted her vulture-themed mask and continued, “Eris says this, Eris says that. Upala isn’t fooling anyone with her pomp and ceremony. We all know who the real leader of the Animus Syndicate is.”
Apis, the gold-dressed member, replied, “You’d best keep your voice down. Eris can observe everything that goes on in the acropolis and report it to Upala.”
The purple-garbed member Varan wiped Naja’s hair and asked, “Are you all right?”
“That was nothing. I’ve gotten used to her bratty behavior,” the blue-clothed woman smiled, although the others understood the pain hiding behind it. “Besides, I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
“Indeed,” Varan said as the quartet reached their personal chambers and approached an apple-shaped mirror from which they could observe Earth. “She managed to reach the blue planet alive. Though, I wish we could have intercepted her while she was still in the capsule.”
“Damn, I was surprised when I heard the name Sailor Arsenic Hyena,” Gyps crossed her arms. “Only she would use that moniker. How long has it been since we last saw her?”
“But…” Apis frowned sadly, “She would be devastated if she found out what has happened to Alkima.”
“There is nothing to fear,” Varan said. “Once we obtain the Silver Crystal, we can undo the damage that has wrought our fair galaxy asunder. But what of our friend? It appears she has taken their side.”
Naja replied, “She is only bound to the mission we gave her. If we can show her the truth, we can convince her to join the Camarilla and be spared Upala’s jealous wrath. I have no mercy for Earth’s warriors, but I do not wish to kill our comrade if we can avoid it.”
“Damn…” Gyps cursed, flexing her bony claw-like fingers. “Things just got a lot harder for us, hasn’t it?”
“But we get to reunite with her. The effort will definitely be worth it,” Apis grinned behind her bee-themed mask.
“Yes,” Naja nodded with hope in her voice. “The goddess Selene will do nothing for Alkima – it is little more than her personal dumping ground. It is our duty to save the galaxy. We must accomplish this impossible task with our own hands.”
**
The next morning in Ginza arrived to a somewhat dreary, rainy day. The Yoeda sisters left the apartment complex to go buy some much-needed groceries, and Midori was gone for the day to a popular cram school in Azabu-Juuban called Crystal Seminar. This gave Chibi-Usa the private time she needed to fiddle with Luna-P’s antenna, and the toy’s blue eyes glowed until a protection screen shone on the nearby wall. The image of two cats, one black and the other white, with crescent moons on their forehead emerged.
“Luna! Artemis! It’s good to see you!” she beamed.
“How has Tokyo been so far, Chibi-Usa?” Luna, the black cat, asked.
“It’s been fine. Ginza is a huge place, but our neighbor has been a huge help to us.”
“Who is it?” Artemis wondered.
“Her name’s Inuken Midori. She kind of verbose and blunt, but she has her nice moments. She’s shown us around a bit, so we’ve gotten adjusted to Ginza a lot faster than I thought. She almost got caught up in yesterday’s battle, but we managed to get her to safety before fighting it.”
“That’s good. But don’t forget that you have to hide your royal lineage and Sailor Soldier identity from her. She may be a friend, but don’t be too open with her,” Luna warned her.
“I know. More importantly, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” Chibi-Usa began. “The Quartet and I finally managed to talk to the mystery Soldier after the fight. She said her name was Sailor Arsenic Hyena.”
“Really!?” Artemis exclaimed. “So she’s an agent of Shadow Galactica as well!?”
“No, no!” the princess implored, then went on to explain everything that Hyena had told her yesterday. She finished by saying, “She doesn’t look to be an enemy, but she doesn’t trust us either.”
“I see. If you’re right, then she isn’t who we should be focusing on,” Luna said. “We need to worry about those monsters – the Erisians - if we’re to believe what Arsenic Hyena told you.”
Artemis frowned and piped in, “I don’t think she’s lying.”
“Why not?”
“I remember the tales surrounding Eris, the goddess of discord. She was the one who caused the events leading up to the Trojan War of ancient times. In the Moon Kingdom long before the Silver Millennium, the goddess Selene and her fiancé Tsukuyomi were to be wed, but Eris was not invited to the celebration due to her troublemaking ways. Upset from being snubbed, Eris tossed in a golden apple inscribed with the words ‘To the Fairest One’. The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite thus quarreled over who should have the apple.
“Zeus appointed Paris, the Prince of Troy, to decide who to give the apple to. He chose Aphrodite, as she had promised for him to marry the most beautiful woman in the world; Helen of Sparta. Things got really messy because Aphrodite neglected to mention that Helen was already married, so Paris invaded Sparta to take Helen away. Her husband Menelaus was furious and marched his army against Troy to retrieve her, thus starting the war.”
Luna sighed. “I can see where Princess Venus gets her forgetful tendencies from.”
“Heh heh…” Chibi-Usa chuckled a little, then said, “I can’t believe Eris caused so much trouble among the gods.”
“Yeah,” Artemis nodded. “Upset that her wedding was sabotaged, Selene greatly weakened Eris and banished her out of the kingdom, sending her into the abyss with no hope of return. But now you say that these golden apples are fragments of Eris, the same goddess that Selene exiled. It’s safe to assume that Eris has regained some of her power and is exacting revenge against Selene’s kingdom.”
“It would seem that way,” Luna replied. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with an alien Sailor Soldier coming to Earth to help us fight these Erisians.”
“Maybe Eris caused trouble in her home world,” Chibi-Usa suggested. “Selene did send her ‘into the abyss’, but that could have been where Sailor Arsenic Hyena’s world was. Eris might have used her world to regain her energy before attempting to return here.”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t Hyena actually want revenge against Selene for practically dumping Eris in her home world?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe she doesn’t know… Or maybe that’s why she doesn’t trust us.”
“That could be it,” Artemis mulled. “She definitely hates Eris for whatever happened to her world, but she could also harbor a grudge against Selene for sending Eris there in the first place.”
Chibi-Usa thought about Hyena again, vividly imagining her vapid and bitter expression. Sure, Hyena said that she felt like Earth’s Sailor Soldiers were too unreliable for her to depend on, but Chibi-Usa believed that wasn’t the real reason. After this discussion however, she could now pinpoint a more logical reason behind the Soldier’s harsh words and aloof demeanor. She suddenly felt like she needed to owe her a much needed apology.
Luna interrupted her. “In any case, you five should continue monitoring Tokyo for any more Erisians. Keep trying to glean more information out of Sailor Arsenic Hyena as much as you can without angering her. We’ll talk to the king and queen about this new development and plan accordingly.”
Chapter 8: Judgment of Selene
Out in the farthest corners of the Milky Way Galaxy, undetectable by the solar system’s four Sailor Soldiers charged with protecting the external border, there resided a fantastic castle upon a huge meteorite surrounded by an aura barrier to protect it from the harsh environment of space. This palace was far grander and luxurious than the Crystal Palace, but it lacked the homeliness and inviting nature. Instead, this castle was a blatant symbol of its queen’s power, majesty, and dominance. It was constructed in her image, and if something didn’t suit her extravagant tastes, she would command to have it redone. It was a circular mansion surrounding a huge apple tree with golden apples dangling from its branches.
This was Upala Acropolis, home to the nomadic Animus Syndicate, an evil group led by the undisputed victor of the war that tore apart Alkima Galaxy – Sailor Upala. As she had earned the Victory Crown through acts of greed, corruption, betrayal, manipulation, and sheer strength as a Sailor Soldier, she deemed herself unconquerable in the ways of war and victory. All of Alkima Galaxy answered to her beck and call… and yet, it wasn’t enough.
Sailor Upala had heard from the goddess of victory and her chief advisor Eris that there existed a wondrous crystal that could grant any wish the user desired. However, it was far removed from the Soldier’s area of conquest. Upala couldn’t accept the idea that something more brilliant than herself existed. She had to see this mystical Silver Crystal and discover if its power was real. To that end, she used her power to remove Upala Acropolis and a tremendous chunk of earth from her planet Upala, surrounded it in the barrier, and sent it flying across space towards the Milky Way.
The queen traveled with her entire court and servants of the Animus Syndicate. Her personal servants consisted only of the finest men she chose across Alkima – boys fed her grapes and fanned her, young men carried her around the palace in a fabulously ornate sedia gestatoria, and well-groomed elderly men served as efficient butlers. She had kept the number of female servants to a bare minimum, only allowing a trusted handmaiden who dressed her every morning to remain by her side.
Upala believed that women were jealous creatures who would envy her magnificence and vie for her throne from behind the scenes. Instead, she made her other female courtiers be her personal warriors in the Animus Syndicate. She simply called them the Camarilla – little more than courtiers who surrounded her and had no influence in politics. Even the young boys who brought Upala wine were able to sway her with suggestions on how to spend the day. The Camarilla had no such benefit.
Four of the Camarilla now approached Sailor Upala as she lay upon a jewel-studded velvet hammock stretching across the branches of the gigantic apple tree. The Camarilla wore heavy robes and masks that covered their upper faces, themed after a respective animal. It was another way Upala managed to distance herself from her female warriors – by covering up what made them women and turning them into faceless minions.
In stark contrast, Sailor Upala was the definition of feminine beauty. Her outfit looked more like a ridiculously revealing samba costume than a proper Sailor Soldier uniform, complete with the characteristic colorful feathers flowing from her waist. A sheer capelet flowed from her sailor collar that shimmered in every color of the rainbow, never staying the same color for more than a minute. Upala kept her pale pink hair in complex French braids, and the Victory Crown rested upon her head to serve as a constant reminder as to who was boss around here. If she ever needed to use her pseudonym, it was appropriately called Sailor Opal Peacock.
“Sailor Upala, we bring news,” the lead Camarilla announced. This girl wore blue robes and a mask patterned after a cobra’s head.
One boy fed her a cupcake with thick frosting. Another boy wiped her face clean. After she was done savoring the sweet taste, Upala declared, “Speak, Naja.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The two Erisian scouts we sent have been defeated by Earth’s Sailor Soldiers.”
“Oh. Is that all?”
“There is more. Among their ranks, there appears to be a Soldier who doesn’t hail from Earth, yet is assisting them in defeating the Erisians. We believe she could be from Alkima.”
“A traitor?” Upala furrowed her eyebrow.
“It is most likely. She knows how to defeat them, and has been giving Earth’s warriors advice on how to do the same.”
“If there is one thing I despise, it is one who acts in treason. Who is this Soldier?”
Naja shook her head. “My scout only reported her saying the name Sailor Arsenic Hyena.”
“Che. Using a moniker to hide her guardian planet…” Upala sounded displeased as she swiped a chalice of wine from a tray and gulped the beverage down. “Well, it doesn’t really matter where she’s from. All I care is that this distasteful ‘hyena’ be obliterated along with the rest of Earth’s protectors. Isn’t that right, Lady Eris?”
She glanced high up at the apple tree where hundreds of Apples of Discord hung above them. A deep woman’s voice echoed in a hoarse tone, “That is right, my dear. Those who protect the Silver Crystal in any capacity must be shown the full extent of your power. Whether they are natives to Earth or traitors of Alkima is of no consequence.”
“See? Even the goddess of victory smiles upon me,” Upala grinned in delight. Suddenly she chucked her wine chalice at Naja’s head. The golden cup bounced off her mask and clattered to the ground. The Camarilla didn’t react whatsoever as a butler proceeded to pick up the discarded chalice.
She ordered in her loudest voice, “Naja! Gyps! Apis! Varan! You four will be responsible for eliminating Earth’s Sailor Soldiers! I don’t care what methods you use to dispose of them, so long as they are out of my way! Also, I would like to meet this Arsenic Hyena character and subject her to the gallows personally. Her death should serve as a reminder to what happens if I am ever betrayed.”
“By the order of Sailor Upala, we the Camarilla shall heed her command!” the four robed warriors chimed in unison, then left the orchard. They could hear their leader playfully cooing into one of her younger servant’s ear, but didn’t stick around for much longer than that.
The red-robed Camarilla, Gyps, clenched her teeth angrily and growled, “Who the hell does that jailbait think she is?” She adjusted her vulture-themed mask and continued, “Eris says this, Eris says that. Upala isn’t fooling anyone with her pomp and ceremony. We all know who the real leader of the Animus Syndicate is.”
Apis, the gold-dressed member, replied, “You’d best keep your voice down. Eris can observe everything that goes on in the acropolis and report it to Upala.”
The purple-garbed member Varan wiped Naja’s hair and asked, “Are you all right?”
“That was nothing. I’ve gotten used to her bratty behavior,” the blue-clothed woman smiled, although the others understood the pain hiding behind it. “Besides, I haven’t been this happy in a long time.”
“Indeed,” Varan said as the quartet reached their personal chambers and approached an apple-shaped mirror from which they could observe Earth. “She managed to reach the blue planet alive. Though, I wish we could have intercepted her while she was still in the capsule.”
“Damn, I was surprised when I heard the name Sailor Arsenic Hyena,” Gyps crossed her arms. “Only she would use that moniker. How long has it been since we last saw her?”
“But…” Apis frowned sadly, “She would be devastated if she found out what has happened to Alkima.”
“There is nothing to fear,” Varan said. “Once we obtain the Silver Crystal, we can undo the damage that has wrought our fair galaxy asunder. But what of our friend? It appears she has taken their side.”
Naja replied, “She is only bound to the mission we gave her. If we can show her the truth, we can convince her to join the Camarilla and be spared Upala’s jealous wrath. I have no mercy for Earth’s warriors, but I do not wish to kill our comrade if we can avoid it.”
“Damn…” Gyps cursed, flexing her bony claw-like fingers. “Things just got a lot harder for us, hasn’t it?”
“But we get to reunite with her. The effort will definitely be worth it,” Apis grinned behind her bee-themed mask.
“Yes,” Naja nodded with hope in her voice. “The goddess Selene will do nothing for Alkima – it is little more than her personal dumping ground. It is our duty to save the galaxy. We must accomplish this impossible task with our own hands.”
**
The next morning in Ginza arrived to a somewhat dreary, rainy day. The Yoeda sisters left the apartment complex to go buy some much-needed groceries, and Midori was gone for the day to a popular cram school in Azabu-Juuban called Crystal Seminar. This gave Chibi-Usa the private time she needed to fiddle with Luna-P’s antenna, and the toy’s blue eyes glowed until a protection screen shone on the nearby wall. The image of two cats, one black and the other white, with crescent moons on their forehead emerged.
“Luna! Artemis! It’s good to see you!” she beamed.
“How has Tokyo been so far, Chibi-Usa?” Luna, the black cat, asked.
“It’s been fine. Ginza is a huge place, but our neighbor has been a huge help to us.”
“Who is it?” Artemis wondered.
“Her name’s Inuken Midori. She kind of verbose and blunt, but she has her nice moments. She’s shown us around a bit, so we’ve gotten adjusted to Ginza a lot faster than I thought. She almost got caught up in yesterday’s battle, but we managed to get her to safety before fighting it.”
“That’s good. But don’t forget that you have to hide your royal lineage and Sailor Soldier identity from her. She may be a friend, but don’t be too open with her,” Luna warned her.
“I know. More importantly, there’s something I wanted to ask you,” Chibi-Usa began. “The Quartet and I finally managed to talk to the mystery Soldier after the fight. She said her name was Sailor Arsenic Hyena.”
“Really!?” Artemis exclaimed. “So she’s an agent of Shadow Galactica as well!?”
“No, no!” the princess implored, then went on to explain everything that Hyena had told her yesterday. She finished by saying, “She doesn’t look to be an enemy, but she doesn’t trust us either.”
“I see. If you’re right, then she isn’t who we should be focusing on,” Luna said. “We need to worry about those monsters – the Erisians - if we’re to believe what Arsenic Hyena told you.”
Artemis frowned and piped in, “I don’t think she’s lying.”
“Why not?”
“I remember the tales surrounding Eris, the goddess of discord. She was the one who caused the events leading up to the Trojan War of ancient times. In the Moon Kingdom long before the Silver Millennium, the goddess Selene and her fiancé Tsukuyomi were to be wed, but Eris was not invited to the celebration due to her troublemaking ways. Upset from being snubbed, Eris tossed in a golden apple inscribed with the words ‘To the Fairest One’. The goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite thus quarreled over who should have the apple.
“Zeus appointed Paris, the Prince of Troy, to decide who to give the apple to. He chose Aphrodite, as she had promised for him to marry the most beautiful woman in the world; Helen of Sparta. Things got really messy because Aphrodite neglected to mention that Helen was already married, so Paris invaded Sparta to take Helen away. Her husband Menelaus was furious and marched his army against Troy to retrieve her, thus starting the war.”
Luna sighed. “I can see where Princess Venus gets her forgetful tendencies from.”
“Heh heh…” Chibi-Usa chuckled a little, then said, “I can’t believe Eris caused so much trouble among the gods.”
“Yeah,” Artemis nodded. “Upset that her wedding was sabotaged, Selene greatly weakened Eris and banished her out of the kingdom, sending her into the abyss with no hope of return. But now you say that these golden apples are fragments of Eris, the same goddess that Selene exiled. It’s safe to assume that Eris has regained some of her power and is exacting revenge against Selene’s kingdom.”
“It would seem that way,” Luna replied. “I still don’t understand what this has to do with an alien Sailor Soldier coming to Earth to help us fight these Erisians.”
“Maybe Eris caused trouble in her home world,” Chibi-Usa suggested. “Selene did send her ‘into the abyss’, but that could have been where Sailor Arsenic Hyena’s world was. Eris might have used her world to regain her energy before attempting to return here.”
“If that’s the case, then wouldn’t Hyena actually want revenge against Selene for practically dumping Eris in her home world?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe she doesn’t know… Or maybe that’s why she doesn’t trust us.”
“That could be it,” Artemis mulled. “She definitely hates Eris for whatever happened to her world, but she could also harbor a grudge against Selene for sending Eris there in the first place.”
Chibi-Usa thought about Hyena again, vividly imagining her vapid and bitter expression. Sure, Hyena said that she felt like Earth’s Sailor Soldiers were too unreliable for her to depend on, but Chibi-Usa believed that wasn’t the real reason. After this discussion however, she could now pinpoint a more logical reason behind the Soldier’s harsh words and aloof demeanor. She suddenly felt like she needed to owe her a much needed apology.
Luna interrupted her. “In any case, you five should continue monitoring Tokyo for any more Erisians. Keep trying to glean more information out of Sailor Arsenic Hyena as much as you can without angering her. We’ll talk to the king and queen about this new development and plan accordingly.”
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