I don't own Sailor Moon, nor did I create it. Naoko Takeuchi created Sailor Moon, this is just my alternate universe version, a sort of "If I created Sailor Moon" story...

Note: Any dialogue written like this is in a foreign language, the language , unless Japanese, will be specified.

CHAPTER 30: HOW I SPENT MY SUMMER VACATION #1

JOHN'S GUARDIAN FELINE

JUNE 28, 1987

Ami Mizuno had just finished breakfast, and was getting dressed when she heard a cat meowing outside her bedroom window. She went to the window, and saw a small gray kitten with blue eyes, and a bell around his neck, on a blue collar. "Good morning, kitty," she said, as she opened the window.

"Good morning," the kitten said. "I'm wondering if you can help me."

"I'll do what I can," Ami said.

"I need to find John McCoy," the kitten said.

"I can definitely help you out with that," Ami said, removing the screen from the window. "Come on in, and I'll help you find him."

"Thank you," the kitten said. "My name is Armstrong, by the way."

"And I'm Ami Mizuno," Ami said. "I don't know where exactly John would be right now, but I have a couple ideas."

Ami replaced the screen and closed her bedroom window, and took Armstrong outside. They first went to Tuffree Park. "What are we doing here?" Armstrong asked.

"John sometimes hangs out here," Ami said. "There's two parks here, sometimes he hangs out at one or the other."

As Ami and Armstrong were going to Tri City Park, they were greeted by Artemis. "Good morning, Ami," Artemis said. "Who's your little feline friend there?"

"His name's Armstrong," Ami said.

"Hi dad," Armstrong said.

"Dad?" Artemis asked. "You must have me mistaken for some other cat."

"No," Armstrong said. "I have the right cat. Your name is Artemis, right."

"Yes," Artemis said. "But I can't be your father."

"What's this about you being a father?" Luna asked, as she approached them.

"It has to be a mistake," Artemis said. "I've never seen this kitten before."

"He has a crescent moon on his forehead, and he speaks," Luna said. "So he has to be your son."

You have a crescent moon on your forehead, and you speak, Artemis thought to himself.

"With everything we've been through together all these years, and this is how I find out you've been two-timing me?" Luna asked, obviously upset. "How many kittens do you have out there, you... Alley cat!" She punctuated that last remark by slapping Artemis across the face with her paw, and running off in a huff.

"At least give me a chance to explain myself!" Artemis said, to no avail.

You really stepped in it this time, Ami said, and went back home, leaving Armstrong with Artemis.

"Well," Artemis said, "looks like the two of us are stuck with each other for the time being. So what exactly was Ami helping you with, anyways?"

"I'm trying to find John McCoy," Armstrong said.

"He just lives right across the street, Artemis said, leading Armstrong back onto the street where John and Ami live. "See that house on the corner, with the red Mustang convertible in the driveway?"

"Yeah, I see it, dad," Armstrong said.

"Anyways," Artemis said, "there are two windows above the garage. John's bedroom is the window on the right. Sit on the ledge, and meow. If he's home, he should come to the window and let you in. If not, see that house with the blue Acura Legend in the driveway?"

"Yes," Armstrong said.

"That's where Ami lives," Artemis said.

"I've been to Ami's before," Armstrong said. "She's the one who helped me."

"And if she's not available," Artemis said, "there's a side street up the way, the third house on the left, that's where I live, with a girl named Mina. If it helps, it's the first one story house you see on that side of the street. Mina's bedroom is at the side of the house, but there is a ledge outside her window. If you see a woman with strawberry blonde hair or a bald man with a mustache out front, they're her parents. And don't worry, they are aware that I speak. Anyways, I have to go, just remember what I just told you."

"Okay, dad," Armstrong said.

A minute later, John was getting dressed. He had on a pair of jams shorts, a turquoise pair decorated with multicolored abstract boomerangs and atoms, and had picked out a white tank top, with the logo for Maui and Sons on the back. As he was putting it on, he heard a cat meowing outside his bedroom window. He went to the window, and saw Armstrong there. "What's new, pussycat?" John asked.

"My name's Armstrong," Armstrong said. "I'm your guardian cat."

"My guardian cat?" John asked.

"Yes," Armstrong said. "I'll explain everything."

"Okay," John said, removing the screen to let Armstrong in. He was about to put the screen back, when he saw Luna climb up on the ledge. "Come on in, Luna," he said. "You look a bit upset, want to talk about it?"

Meanwhile, at Mina's house, Artemis came in through the window. "I'm back," he said.

"I have a few questions for you," Mina Aino said. "First off, who feeds you, gives you shelter, all that stuff?"

"You do," Artemis said.

"And who is your partner in a never ending war on crime and the forces of evil?" Mina asked.

"You are?" Artemis asked.

"And are you aware that partners don't keep secrets from one another?" Mina asked.

"Are you talking about my putting claw holes in your favorite sweater?" Artemis asked.

"No," Mina said "Besides, I can't wear that sweater anymore, my mom accidentally shrunk it in the wash. I'm talking about something else."

"What about accidentally breaking the coffee mug your mom bought you at Disneyland?" Artemis asked.

"Not that," Mina said. "That mug already had a crack in it, I was about to throw it away anyways. This is about something major."

"What exactly could I have done?" Artemis asked.

"How about two-timing Luna with some alley cat?" Mina asked. "Yeah, I just talked with both Luna and Ami, they told me that you have a son."

"This is all a big misunderstanding," Artemis said.

"Luna said some kitten called you dad," Mina said. "He had a crescent moon on his forehead, and he could speak. All this time, I've looked up to you, I've seen you as a mentor, a partner, and as a friend. Now I find you've been lying to me all this time."

"Honestly," Artemis said, "I didn't even know I was a father."

"That's no excuse," Mina said. "Now quit being a deadbeat dad, and start taking care of your responsibilities. You helped bring a kitten into this world, you need to man up and be a responsible father."

"I can't catch a break today," Artemis said, as he left.

A minute later, Mina gets a phone call. "Hey Mina, this is Usagi," Usagi Tsukino said. "You seen Luna this morning?"

"She was here a bit ago," Mina said. "She was really pissed off."

"What did I do?" Usagi asked.

"Don't worry," Mina said. "She wasn't mad at you. She was mad at Artemis."

"What did Artemis do?" Usagi asked.

"According to Luna," Mina said, "some cat."

"I don't get it," Usagi said.

"Luna told me that Artemis has a son," Mina said. "She said she saw Artemis in Tri City Park this morning, he was with Ami and some kitten, the kitten had a crescent moon on his forehead, and he could speak."

"Luna has a crescent moon on her forehead, and she can speak," Usagi said.

"Are you implying what I think you're implying?" Mina asked. "Because if you are, I should remind you that Luna is a female cat. And even though she treats us all like we were her kittens, you should also know, being a female yourself, if Luna had a kitten, she would definitely know about it."

"Remember a couple days ago when we went to the future?" Usagi asked. "With Chibi-Usa? We found out that Chibi-Usa is my daughter from the future."

"So you're saying that Artemis and Luna have a kitten in the future?" Mina asked. "That actually makes perfect sense."

"Yeah," Usagi said.

"I have to go," Mina said. "I just tore Artemis a new asshole for being a deadbeat dad, and I need to find him. I just hope he can forgive me."

"I'll be there in a bit," Usagi said. "I'll help you find him."

Meanwhile, back at John's house, both Armstrong and Luna had just shown up. "So what's wrong?" John asked Luna.

"Artemis," Luna said. "Apparently, he's been two-timing me."

"What makes you say that?" John asked.

"Apparently," Luna said, "he has a son."

"You mean Armstrong?" John asked.

"That's what Ami called him," Luna said.

"I don't suppose he has gray fur, blue eyes, and a blue collar with a bell on it?" John asked.

"Exactly," Luna said. "How did you know?"

"He showed up just before you did," John said.

"Really, mom," Armstrong said. "You're being a real drama queen today."

"Excuse me?" Luna said. "What did you just call me?"

"Drama queen?" Armstrong asked.

"No," Luna said.

"Uh, Armstrong," John said, "Luna may treat us like her kittens sometimes, but trust me, she definitely would know if she had a kitten."

"Thank you, John," Luna said. "Now why would you call me mom?"

"Because I'm your son," Armstrong said.

"John was correct," Luna said. "If I had a kitten, I would definitely know about it."

"I am your kitten," Armstrong said. "Or, at least I will be someday."

"Now you lost me," Luna said.

"In the future," Armstrong said, "You and Artemis get together, and have twins. My sister Diana is one, and I'm the other one. I was sent here to be John's guardian cat."

"So the cat I accused Artemis of hooking up with was me," Luna said. "I have to go. I have to find Artemis and apologize to him."

"I'll go with you," John said. "If Mina knows, I'll bet she already told Mina, and dollars to donuts, she probably ripped Artemis a new asshole."

"What are we waiting for?" Luna asked.

John and Luna went downstairs, John carrying Armstrong. Just as they walked out the front door, they were met by Mina, Usagi, and Ami. "Have you seen Artemis this morning?" Mina asked.

"No," John said. "But Luna's with me right now, she told me about Artemis having a son. She also told me who the mother is."

"Luna?" Usagi asked.

"Yes," John said. "Apparently, sometime in the future, Luna and Artemis get together, and one of the results of that union is Armstrong here."

"One of the results?" Ami asked.

"Armstrong has a twin sister," John said. "Now a little less yapping, we have a feline to find. I don't think he got very far, though. I mean, he's just a cat."

"I'm sorry for causing you all this trouble," Armstrong said.

"It wasn't your fault," Luna said.

"Right," John said. "I suggest we start looking in Tri City Park."

When they got to the park, they split up, Usagi, Ami, and Mina on the ground, John transformed and did an aerial scan, while Luna checked the treetops. Within a few minutes, they found Artemis, in one of the trees. "You come to yell at me some more?" Artemis asked.

"No," Luna said. "We came to apologize. We know the whole story now."

"I hope you can explain it to me," Artemis said.

"Armstrong's not your son," Luna said. "He's our son."

"Our son?" Artemis asked. "How can that be?"

"You and I get together in the future," Luna said. "According to Armstrong, we not only have a son, but a daughter as well."

"One thing I don't understand," Artemis said. "All us cats have names relating to the Moon. Luna is the most obvious, her name means moon. And both Diana and I are named after goddesses of the Moon. But where did Armstrong come from?"

"The history book," John said.

"He's right," Armstrong said. "I was named after Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon."

À SUIVRE...