Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon: Future

Chapter 33: Duties and Intentions

PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON: FUTURE

Chapter 33: Duties and Intentions

The resounding sound of a hand smacking against skin reverberated throughout the halls of Upala Acropolis. It came from the Camarilla's chambers, where a furious Sailor Upala had once again slapped Naja for her failure. This strike was far more vicious than usual though as the stricken woman lost her balance and collapsed to the ground, almost hitting her head against the bed post. It also exacerbated her existing injuries, and Naja squealed in agony. Varan crouched next to her and gave her support.

"Why did you bother coming back?" Upala demanded harshly. "Hearing that you died in battle would have satisfied me more than having to deal with your excuses."

"I'm so sorry, Your Highness," Naja apologized. "E-Even with the Black Apple and the Erisian, I couldn't-"

"Such a waste of precious resources. You'll be doing everyone a favor if you just shut up and die. At least then you could be used as fertilizer for Lady Eris' tree."

"......"

"Ah, speaking of which, how did a lowly subject like yourself got your hands on one of the Goddess' legendary Black Apples when she doesn't even let me use them?" Upala scratched her chin and glared at her subordinate accusingly. "Don't tell me you've been sneaking into the orchard to pilfer them when I'm not looking."

"Of course I wouldn't! Lady Eris would have noticed if I tried to steal from her tree! It's because she gave it to me herself and-"

Upala suddenly kicked Naja's chin, causing some blood to fly onto the sheets. The angry Soldier stared at her pristine high heels and glowered, "Ugh, now I've got my feet filthy. It truly is a dirty job having to remind you how much I don't appreciate lies."

"I-I'm not... lying..." Naja gasped.

"Hah! So says the snake in the Garden of Eden! Maybe I should demote you to the royal foot rest and have someone else take leadership of your little team."

"Your Highness, please reconsider..."

"Oh really? Then perhaps you should be the royal whipping target. I've been getting out of practice lately. Oh yes, I can see it now – you're tied to Lady Eris' tree, and you squeal as hard as you can while I whip you so many times that you bleed to death from all of the welts! That would be absolutely delightful! Perhaps I should summon the boys to get that ready for-"

Suddenly, Upala jerked her head back and snarled, stopping in mid-sentence. The angry Varan had pointed her lance directly at the queen's throat, just millimeters away from piercing her skin.

"Even if you are our master, I shall not permit such unwarranted mistreatment," the Camarilla snapped.

Upala's eye twitched, then she smirked confidently and said, "So that's how fragile our alliance is."

"So says the sovereign of betrayal herself."

"Please spare me the liturgy. You four also abandoned the Peripheral Planets Alliance to join my side. I'm sure even you understand the necessity of culling hundreds of barbaric, unsophisticated Sailor Soldiers and keeping them beneath the heel of someone deemed almighty. In the end, we're all in the same situation here, so don't go pointing that thing at me while being some self-absorbed hypocrite."

"We Camarilla are so 'unsophisticated' that we must also be 'culled' beneath your 'almighty foot'? I assumed that only applied to Sailor Soldiers who refused to be your conscripts."

"If you keep failing to get the Silver Crystal for me like this, then yes, I have every right to enact justice for enduring your incompetence. That is my duty as queen; to ensure my subjects work to their fullest to achieve a common goal. If you four have a problem with that, then I have no issue with replacing you lot. There are plenty of other lesser Soldiers begging to be worthwhile Camarilla just to escape the hell that is their insignificant lives."