In the remaining days of the twentieth century a great evil attacked the Earth. To combat this evil Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi revealed themselves to the entire world. But this battle had its consequences and the Earth became covered in a blanket of ice and snow. One thousand years later Sailor Moon awakens the world through the power of her Silver Crystal. A great city of crystal had arisen in Tokyo during the darkness. The world now looked to this city and its rulers Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymoin to protect the world. The time is twenty-three years after wakening and a new group of Sailor Senshi is about to emerge.
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"Before you can receive your henshin wand you must first take the Oath of the Senshi." Diana said to the girls.
********
"Do you have any idea why they haven't left you?"
"I think it's because they know who I really am." Apollo said dryly.
********
"Insurance?"
"You know if we ever got caught all I would have to do was show off my crescent like a get out of jail free card and we'd all be let go."
********
"According to our reports the sub space sensors have detected the energy pattern belonging to Chaos himself. It appears that Chaos is trying to regroup." He said a bit louder than normal.
********
"Good luck. The future of our kind depends on you." The commander said as the ship took off.
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Sailor Moon: Senshi in Training
Part Three: The Mysterious Girl
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The threat of Chaos returning to Earth had Queen Serenity and her senshi on alert. The elder senshi began taking an interest in the training their daughters were receiving. Keeping the true reasons for this interest hidden was proving to be very difficult. With the palace on full scale alert Rini, Diana, Apollo, and Ian began to suspect something was up.
The senshi began meeting on regular basis. The tone of the meetings took a light airy feel. Rini and Diana could tell they were reliving the days of their youth when protocol and formality were the farthest things from their minds. The laughter that came from the parlor or the back terrace was a much-welcomed sound in the palace. Even the sound of Lady Mars yelling at the queen and calling her by her birth name brought a smile to the faces of the palace staff.
The younger senshi began meeting as well. They were discussing their training and how to improve themselves. But mostly they were discussing why their mothers were being so secretive about their reasons for wanting to train with their daughters. And why their mothers were acting so strange lately. One way or another Rini and her friends were going to find the answers.
"Okay we know something's up." Rini began "Our mothers don't usually act this weird. And besides when Puu begins to act strange that's a sure sign they're hiding something."
The children of the senshi, Helios, and their guardian and her brother were once again meeting in Rini's room to discuss the situation at hand.
"Tell me about it. My mother never hides anything from me." Jenna said.
"My mother is pretty secretive about things but when she refuses to continue my lessons with the time line I begin to worry." Kerri told them.
"What I don't understand is all this mother daughter bonding time we seem to be having lately." Alex commented.
"You too huh?" Nikki wondered.
"I was told it was because she wanted to stay in top physical condition." Kari said.
"Well whatever the reason one thing's for certain something big is about to happen." Rini added.
********
The queen and her senshi were also having a meeting that day. They were getting an update on the Chaos situation. The queen wanted to know if her friends had detected any new developments with Chaos. It had been some time since palace intelligence had detected movement in Chaos. With their greatest threat on the move once more the senshi had to be extra careful.
"So have you guys come up with anything?" Serenity asked her friends.
"Negative." Ami replied.
"I haven't come up with anything either." Rei told them.
"I've gotten some bits and pieces but the mirror doesn't tell me anything definite." Michiru added.
"I couldn't get anything from the time line. I don't think this will have any effect on the time line." Setsuna said sounding a bit dejected.
"The important thing is we keep our eyes open. We don't know when or even if Chaos will return so we must be prepared at all times." Luna reminded them.
"You're right Luna. We have to be ready no matter what." Mina commented.
********
The small space ship drifted through space. The lone pilot was busy looking over the information his people had on the sol system and his final destination its third planet. Looking over the centuries old information he wondered if the Moon Kingdom still existed. Running his fingers over his tired eyes the pilot decided to take a break from looking at the data. Reaching into his uniform he pulled out a locket and opened it. Inside was a photograph of him with a young woman. The woman with her buttery blonde hair, blue eyes, and gentle smile was the reason he was on this mission.
"Why did you have to do it? Why did you have to become a part of his twisted world?" he said to the locket knowing he would never get an answer.
Looking at the photograph the young pilot recalled the first day he met the remarkable young woman who would eventually become his best friend. Back then he never imagined she would betray her entire race and let the darkness take over her.
********
FLASHBACK:
Orion walked into the gates of the academy and took a good look at his surroundings. The area was immense and foreboding. It was said the academy had been around since the time of their forefathers. Everyone knew they came from outside the star system. And everyone knew they were connected to the great Moon Kingdom.
The academy was the training grounds for the guardians. They were the protectors of their world. In the Moon Kingdom the guardians watched over the royal family and trained the senshi. To become a guardian brought honor to one's home. Taking a deep breath Orion walked towards the barracks and his journey to become a guardian.
Walking into the barracks Orion was greeted by young woman with buttery blonde hair and blue eyes. On her forehead he could see a golden crescent much like the one he bore.
"Hello and welcome. I hope your stay here is a good one." She said with a smile.
"Thank you very much. My name is Orion and you are?" he replied.
"I am Gaia." She told him.
"Gaia huh? So how long have you been here?"
"A year."
"A year, but you look no older than I do."
"I started my lessons at a young age allowing me to advance to the next level a year early."
"Wow that's impressive."
Gaia smiled at Orion's remark. No one at the academy thought anything about someone skipping a year of training. It was seen as a part a life. It amused Gaia to hear Orion give her praise and admiration. Gaia could tell they were going to become good friends.
The years went by and soon Orion and Gaia received their commissioning. Through hard work and dedication Orion was able to graduate the same year as his friend. They were even assigned to the same detail working well with each other. But something went wrong. Somehow Gaia had gone mad with rage. The last mission they were on together saw them become separated on a nearby forest planet. When they reunited Gaia no longer bore the mark of their ancestors and Orion could feel the rage and hatred in her heart. Gaia had even tired to kill him.
"Gaia what has gotten into you?" Orion asked her.
"What has gotten into me? You ask me that little man. I'll tell you what has gotten into me. I have seen my destiny and that destiny is with my lord Chaos. Soon Chaos will reign once more and you can do nothing to stop me." She told him. Orion could detect venom in her voice.
"Your crescent it's gone. But how?" Orion wanted to know.
"Once I gave myself to my lord Chaos I no longer needed that silly little mark in order to change forms. I am no longer a lunar feline I am much more. I am the disciple of Chaos." She explained.
"But why?" he begged her to know.
"You never asked me what my name meant did you? It means earth or more appropriately daughter of Chaos. I was born of Chaos and now I shall serve Chaos."
In a great flash of light Gaia disappeared and Orion never saw her again. It was a year later when the council told him the traitor set in motion the process of bringing Chaos back into the galaxy. They all knew the traitor was once a lunar feline but they didn't know who it was. Only Orion knew the truth behind the traitor's identity and he was determined to stop her at any cost.
********
The tears began streaming down his face. Orion wept for his lost friend. I don't know if I'll ever meet another like you, he thought. Once she was his best friend now she was his mortal enemy. Orion put the locket back under his uniform and got back to the mission at hand. Plotting his course towards the planet called Earth Orion engaged the interdimensional drives. He wasn't going to waist any time.
********
Apollo used the secret entrance to the palace to sneak past the palace guards and head out into the city. It was a regular occurrence for him to sneak out night after night and roam around the city. The guards never noticed him sneaking out. And since his parents and the queen had not said anything about stopping him from going out they didn't even try to. It was the perfect situation.
Luna and Artimes had been indeed spending more time with their son. They had found out why he went out night after night but even though they knew the reason it still didn't help any. Apollo still went out each night and he still hung around his so-called friends.
The strays waited for Apollo in a nearby alley. The moment the young lunar feline joined the group they were on their way. The large orange tabby that declared himself leader of the group headed towards their first destination with the others in tow. Apollo wondered what was on tonight's agenda. The sight of the restaurant district answered his question.
"More rummaging and begging. Great just great." Apollo mumbled.
The tabby turned and hissed at him in an attempt to tell Apollo to shut his mouth. Apollo didn't attempt to argue with the tabby. He was not in the mood to fight this evening. Why even bother trying you know they outnumber you, he thought.
There didn't need to be any vocal conversation between Apollo and the other cats. The gestures and movements they made were conversation enough. And lately these movements told Apollo he had better do as he was told or suffer the consequences. In the back alley behind the Rose Café Apollo slipped away from the strays and shifted back to humanoid form. He needed some time alone.
Apollo popped out from alley behind the café headed towards the park. Little did he know Chloe was heading home from her shift at the café. The eldest daughter of Jupiter caught sight of the lunar feline and decided to grab his attention. She figured she could use the company on her walk home from work.
"Hey Apollo!" she said getting his attention.
Turning around Apollo recognized who the voice belonged to.
"Chloe what brings you out this night?" he asked with a smile.
"I was on my way home from work. I saw you and wondered if you'd like to give me some company. What do you say?" she replied.
"Sure why not. Being with you and the others certainly beats the usual crowd." Apollo said.
"Those idiots going through our dumpsters no fun any more?"
"No and there doesn't seem any way to leave them."
"You left them now."
"Yes but they'll eventually find out that I'm gone and come looking for me. And when they do find me they'll end up making a mess out of me."
"What a shame."
********
"Little brother has left the building. Little brother has left the building." Diana yelled as she ran through the halls of the palace.
"Again?" Rini asked as she stuck her head into the hall.
Diana nodded and Rini began to wonder how her best friend knew her brother had snuck out.
"How'd you find out he left?" she asked as she ran after the lunar feline.
"Simple I had him bugged." Came the reply.
"How in the world did you pull that off?"
"I replaced one of his cufflinks with a small tracking device."
"Diana you are a genius." Rini complimented with a giggle.
"Gee thanks."
********
Luna and Artimes were sitting in the palace parlor reading when Diana and Rini came into the room. The look on Rini's face told them Diana was up to something. They knew their daughter all too well and knew that she had some information she was dying to tell them. The smile on her face was a dead giveaway. Diana was dying to let the cat out of the bag.
"Diana what's going on?" Luna asked her daughter.
"It's Apollo mom. He snuck out yet again." Diana told her.
"Gee this is serious. If he can sneak out with the palace guards on extra alert then just think WHO could get in past them." Artimes said to Luna.
"It's not that I'm worried about. It's the strays that has me concern." Luna replied to him.
"I don't see why he still hangs around them." Diana commented.
"I don't either." Rini added.
"Diana how did you know your brother snuck out again?" Artimes asked her.
"I replaced his cufflink with a small tracking device and when he left presto I knew." She explained to her parents.
"Diana you know that was a sneaky thing to do. But I'm glad you did it." Luna said with a sigh.
********
Apollo walked with Chloe to the apartment building where her family lived. The lavish building was a step up from the one Lita used to live in but it wasn't like the one Ami grew up in. As the two friends stopped at the door they smiled and hugged. The walk from the café to the apartment complex was just what they both needed. Chloe needed a bit of company and Apollo needed a friend to talk to. The more he thought about that the more he realized Chloe was one of his true friends.
"Thanks a lot." They said at the same time.
The two friends laughed when they realized what they had done.
"For what?" Apollo asked her.
"For the company. How about you?" she replied.
"For listening to me. I have a lot of problems right now and it feels good to talk to someone other than my family." He told her.
"That's what I'm here for. It's part of the job description as your friend."
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."
"See you then my friend."
Apollo watched as Chloe walked into the entryway of the building. The doorman opened the door to the lobby and smiled at her. Knowing that his friend was safely home Apollo then decided to continue his walk through the city. He needed to confirm a suspicion running in his mind. He needed to go to the temple on Cherry Hill in the Hikawa district.
Walking past the shops and stores Apollo checked out the nighttime activities. People were having a grand time going from movie theaters to coffee shops and ice cream parlors to sit and talk. Some people even went to nightclubs and karaoke bars to have a bit of fun with friends and loved ones. The human side of him longed for this type of nighttime activity. But the feline side told him all he would ever be able to do was rummage through garbage and beg for scraps.
Stopping at the entrance to the temple Apollo took a deep breath and wondered who might be up at this hour. Looking down at his watch Apollo saw that it was only half past nine. There was a good chance the entire Kumada family would be up. Walking up the temple stairs Apollo went straight to the prayer bells and gave them a ring.
"I've never really done this before." He said to the spirits, "I'm not a religious person. It's not that I don't believe some higher being it's just that I can't believe in one version of that being."
"Listen whoever you are I'm in a bit of a mess right now and I could certainly use some help. For one thing I lack the courage to walk away from the situation I've gotten myself in. And another thing I seem to lack the wisdom to see who my true friends are. If you could help me find that wisdom and that courage it would be most appreciated."
Danni, who happened to be sitting on the porch of the main house, heard the plea for help to the spirits and went to investigate. Placing a makeshift bookmark in her book Danni walked over to the main temple grounds. There she saw someone she had never seen at the temple but clearly recognized.
"So you finally trying the religious thing?" she asked him.
"I just needed someone to talk to. And these guys," Apollo said pointing out the statues, "just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
"That's what they're here for. They're great listeners."
"Well they helped me figure one thing out."
"Oh and what's that?" Danni asked a bit curious.
"They've shown me one of my true friends." He told her.
"Who?"
"You."
"You uh want a real person or two to talk to Apollo?"
"If you're offering then yeah I'd love it."
"Great I'll go get my brother and we can sit out on the porch. It's a great night for it."
Apollo had to admit to himself the mid July night was perfect. The stars were out and there was a warm gentle breeze. And he had to admit to himself that he did have real friends who liked him for who he was and not where he lived.
********
The cats were finished looking through the dumpsters behind the café. Turning to address his followers the orange tabby noticed Apollo was missing from the group. This did not please the plump feline one bit. His meal ticket tried to leave them again and he wasn't going to stand for it. Looking for the lunar feline was going to put a dent in his plans for evening. Then again he could have two of his followers look for the wayward feline while he continued with his plans. Walking over to a pair of Russian Blue Siamese mixes the tabby issued his orders.
"The black crescent has left again. I need you two to find him and teach him a lesson." The tabby commanded through a series of gestures and meows.
The twin cats folded back their ears and crouched low in a response that told the tabby they understood and would carry out his orders. Then in a flash the sleek gray blue cats were off on the hunt. Apollo, the black crescent, was going to get it.
********
Luna and Artimes were curious as to where their son might be. Diana had pulled out the GPS based receiver and turned it on. The small blip that represented their son appeared on the screen. Pushing the info button Diana got a list of things she could get information on. Selecting the restaurant heading Diana got a list of all the restaurants in the area. One restaurant in particular caught the attention of the group. The Rose Café was on the list on front of them. Diana noted this on a pad of paper and went back to map mode on the GPS.
The blip moved once more heading towards an area that was not too far from the large park in the Juban district of town. The group was curious about this and wondered what it could mean.
"Maybe he ran into Chloe or Nicole and walked them home." Rini suggested grabbing for straws.
The rest of the group agreed with her suggestion and Diana noted it on her pad. The blip stayed stationary for a couple of minutes before beginning to move once more. This time the blip went through the park and into the Hikawa district. The group had a pretty good idea where he was headed.
"I wonder how he knows were the temple is located?" Diana asked.
"It's one of the five crystal points of the city so it's pretty hard not to know where it is." Rini explained to her friend.
"What do you think he could be doing there?" Artimes wondered.
"Maybe he's talking to Eric and Danni. I don't think he'd go there for spiritual enlightenment." Diana told her parents.
"In a situation like his you never know what someone might do." Luna reminded them.
"You know I'm just speculating here but it seems to me not only is he looking for someone to talk to but he could be trying to avoid those cats." Rini added.
"You might be right there Rini. Those cats have not been seen in that area." Artimes replied.
The blip stayed in the area of the temple of some time and the group figured it would be best get back to what they were doing until he moved again. Rini and Diana went to grab a snack from the kitchen while Luna and Artimes went back to reading. This was going to be a long night.
********
Danni had let her parents know Apollo had stopped by to talk before grabbing her brother. Rei and Chad didn't mind visitors to the temple at night as long as they knew who was there. Eric wondered what could be bothering the young feline.
"Hey, what's up?" Eric asked as he sat down on the porch.
"Besides my number not much." Apollo replied.
"What makes you believe that?" Danni wanted to know.
"Well, I have a pretty good reason to believe that someone is going to be out and about looking for me. And if it's not my parents then it's someone I'd rather not see right now." He replied.
"Who would that be?" Eric wanted to know.
"The cats." Apollo said.
Danni and Eric had to think for a moment before figuring out what Apollo meant by his answer.
"Why would they be after you?" Danni asked trying to understand the situation.
"They don't like insubordination. I've seen them do some pretty nasty things to those who try to leave. It's real freaky at times." He explained to them.
"They sound more like the Yakuza than a bunch of strays." Eric commented.
********
Orion woke to the view of the Earth outside the ship. It was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. The blue and green orb that floated in space looked peaceful and calm. The closer he got to the planet the more beautiful it seemed. Upon closer view the surface of the planet looked like it was covered with millions of sparkling diamonds.
Orion put the tiny ship into standard orbit around the planet and turned on the cloaking device. Scanning the surface of the planet he found the perfect place to transport to, a large city made of crystal. Setting in the coordinates Orion went to the transporter and was sent to the surface of the planet.
The crystal city was the most beautiful sight Orion had ever seen. In the center of the city a large structure made entirely out of crystal stood towering over the city. Radiating from the center of the city were five points that, when viewed from above, made the city look like a star. At the entrance to these points were two crystal obelisks that resembled scaled down versions of the Washington Monument. It was amazing to see how advance the inhabitants of the city and the planet were.
"Come on old boy you know better than to act like someone on a sightseeing tour. You have a mission to complete." He said to himself.
Shifting to feline form Orion began his search of the city. He knew he could move ten times faster in feline form than humanoid form. Somewhere in this city was someone could help him defeat Chaos and his loyal follower. Right now he needed all the help he could get.
********
Apollo felt better about himself as he said his good-byes to his friends at the temple. After spending what seemed like a good solid hour talking about his situation and other related things Apollo was ready to go home. He didn't want to deal with the wrath of the orange tabby he affectionately referred to as Big Orange. Big Orange and his gang just weren't his cup of tea anymore.
As Apollo walked along the street he noticed two identical cats running in and out of every back alley in town. Oh this is just great; he thought when he caught sight of the cats. The two nasty looking cats were a part of Big Orange's gang. In fact they were Big Orange's personal hit men. Apollo did not want to run into the twins right now.
One of the twins caught sight of Apollo and looked at him closely. At first it appeared as though he didn't recognize the lunar feline in his humanoid form. But upon closer inspection the light of recognition could be seen in the eyes of the twin on the right.
"That's him, the black crescent!" the right twin motioned to his brother.
"Are you sure it's him?" the left twin questioned with a glance.
"Take a whiff and you'll know it's him." the right one answered sniffing at the air.
The pair of strays sniffed the air catching Apollo's distinct odor. The left twin then got the same look on his face the right one had. Looking from each other to their victim Apollo could tell they were formulating a plan of attack. The twins began pushing Apollo towards a nearby wall. There was no way they were letting him get away.
Apollo thought there was no way to get out of this situation unharmed. He knew these cats would follow Big Orange's orders to the tea. A look of dread came over his face when he heard the loud hissing coming from the twins. Once again Apollo began praying to the spirits to get him out of his current situation. As if his prayers were answered something slammed into the twins knocking them down.
Apollo watched the fight that resulted from the twins' fall. The lone figure that dared to take on Big Orange's cronies overpowered the brothers with ease. The look in his rescuer's eyes had Apollo freaked out. He didn't know what to make of it. The strange buttery yellow cat glared at the twins with blue eyes that glowed like a flashlight shining through a block of ice. The twins took one look at the cat and decided to flee the scene rather than stay and get beaten up.
Apollo nervously and slowly moved towards the feline. Putting his hand out he let the cat get a good whiff of him and see that he was completely harmless. The cat smiled and looked Apollo in the eyes before doing the one thing that surprised him the most, the cat spoke.
"That was a close one." She said, the cat was definitely female.
"You can talk?" Apollo asked her quite shocked at what he heard.
"Not all mystical cats are lunar felines." She explained before she shifted forms.
Apollo was amazed at what he saw. The woman standing before him was exquisite. Her buttery blonde hair fell past her shoulders in cascade of curls and was held in place by a simple silver hairpin. Her blue eyes sparkled like twin lakes in the moonlight and she wore a simple short sleeveless red dress that hugged every curve of her body and black boots.
"So do you have a name to go with that body of yours?" Apollo asked going back into his Mr. Suave routine.
"My name is Gaia what's yours?" she replied running her hand through his black hair.
"Uh...um...it's Apollo." He told her trying to keep his composure.
Up on a nearby rooftop a shadowy figure resembling a cat watched as the scene unfolded itself below him. Swearing under his breath the cat knew he had to do something before Gaia's influence got the best of the lunar feline she was seducing.
"Damn you. You don't know what you're getting yourself into." He said.
Gaia closed the deal by planting a seductive kiss on Apollo's lips leaving him totally speechless.
"I'll see you around tiger." Gaia said as she left the speechless Apollo.
********
Diana sat in the rec room a bit bored as she waited for her bother to start moving again. She didn't mind the break in the action but the thousand year old reruns of Sailor V were getting a bit boring at the moment. She knew every single plot line for every Sailor V episode and movie ever made. It took the surprise out of it to know what happens before it even happened. Changing the channel she caught sight of a Simpsons rerun she thought she hadn't seen yet. And even tough she had seen this particular episode Diana still watched it because it was better than the stale Sailor V show.
The small receiver beeped indicating Apollo was on the move once more. Diana glanced over at the device on the table next to her noting her brother's direction. He was heading back in the direction of the palace. Whatever went on at the temple gave Apollo the idea to come back home. Wow, this is early even for him to be coming home, she thought.
Watching the blip Diana noticed it stop momentarily and then start to move once more. She wondered why he made the brief stop. Checking what was in the area Diana could not see anything that would warrant the stop. This had her a bit puzzled. Figuring there wasn't going to be anything worth watching Diana turned off the GPS and went to talk to her parents.
"Mom dad can I talk to you." Diana said as she went back to the parlor.
"Certainly Diana. What do you need to discuss?" Luna asked.
"Well I don't know what happened tonight but Apollo is headed back to the palace as we speak. I wouldn't try and seek him out at the moment because he has no idea what I did. If he wants to talk to us let him make the decision." Diana told them.
"We understand and thanks for letting us know Diana." Artimes replied as he gave her a hug.
********
Artimes had let the front gate know his son might try and come home without sneaking in. He asked them to let Apollo in without a big deal. Artimes also asked the guards not to let Apollo know they knew he was coming back. He didn't want his son to suspect anything was going on.
Apollo was on cloud nine. He had met the most beautiful girl in his life. He didn't care that she had saved him from being beaten up. He didn't care that she was possibly stronger then he was. All he cared about was that she was interested in him and had given him the most passionate kiss he ever received.
As he walked up to the palace Apollo decided to use the front gate instead of sneaking in. He was in too good a mood to care if he got caught for sneaking out. If he were grounded for life it would be worth it. Much to his surprise the guards didn't make a big deal when he walked up to the gate.
"Mr. Apollo welcome home. I trust you had a good evening." One of the guards said as he grabbed the bill of his hat and gave a nod.
"I had a pretty good night." Apollo replied.
"And what did you do this evening?" the second guard asked.
"I ran into Lady Jupiter's oldest daughter and accompanied her home from work. Then I decided to pop over to the temple on Cherry Hill and spend some time with Lady Mars' twins. I'd say it was a pretty good evening." He told them giving the guards only part of the story.
The guards smiled as Apollo left them to head into the palace. They were happy for him because for once he did not spend any time with the stray cats seen around town.
"It's about time he had some real friends. He needs them right now." The second guard commented to the first.
Apollo was quite surprised to hear what the guard had said. Someone actually cared he was happy. Someone actually wanted to see him with the right kind of friends.
********
Orion ran from rooftop to rooftop following the young lunar feline to his next destination. He had to warn him about Gaia. He had to let him know how dangerous she was and who she served. He couldn't let another lunar feline be taken over by Chaos's darkness. Orion was determined this mission not fail for it meant the fate of the entire galaxy.
Orion stopped and watched the lunar feline enter into the large crystal building at the center of the city. If his information was still right this building was the palace of the Earth king leader of the Crystal Kingdom. He had no idea who the current inhabitants of the building really were. Orion needed to find a way to get inside and warn the inhabitants of the building. They needed to know about Chaos and about Gaia.
It was useless for Orion to try and warn them tonight. They would probably all be asleep by now. Orion decided to wait until morning and see if there was another way into the building besides the front gate. He couldn't run the risk of getting caught by the humans watching over the gate. If they caught him he would fail in his mission and Chaos would reign supreme.
"A little shut eye would be perfect right now." He said with a yawn before drifting off to sleep.
********
Diana walked into the kitchen to grab some breakfast before the others arrived. She noticed her brother sitting on one of the stools near the counter. Upon his face he wore a goofy looking grin. Diana wondered what was on his mind and just what had happened the night before.
"You seem to be in good mood." She said to Apollo.
"Good doesn't even describe it." He told her.
"Really now. You care to let me in on what happened last night little brother."
Diana grabbed a frappacino out of the fridge.
"I met someone. Someone wonderful."
"Okay," Diana began not wanting to let him know what she did, "just when and were did you meet this wonderful individual."
"On my way home after I left the temple on Cherry Hill."
"Go on now. So what's she like?"
"Absolutely amazing she has the most interesting blue eyes, fabulous butter blonde hair, and a body that won't quit. I've never met anyone like her."
"So this means you're swearing off felines."
Diana grabbed an English muffin toasted and buttered it.
"No."
"Then she's a cat."
"Sometimes."
"Then she's a human."
"Sometimes."
"Well, she can't be both because we're the last of our kind."
"But she is. Maybe she's some sort of exotic species but whatever she is she's unlike anything I've ever seen in my entire life."
"Little brother you have got it bad."
********
Orion could feel the warm morning sun beat down on his fur. Waking up from his night of sleep he looked over the city. In the morning light the city was absolutely exquisite, the light bouncing off the buildings catching each facet in just the right way. The city sparkled like a jewel in the sunlight.
As he looked down at the building below Orion could see a vehicle heading towards the palace. He knew from what he saw the prior night that the vehicle would have to stop at the gate. The men watching over the gate were changing shifts. A new set of individuals came to relieve the old ones. Orion devised a plan to get inside the gates and into the building. He figured if he could hang onto the bottom of the vehicle he would get past the gate unnoticed.
Leaping down from the rooftops Orion ran for the stopped vehicle. Running underneath the vehicle Orion grabbed onto the underside of the car. When the vehicle stopped once more Orion let go of the drive shaft and ran off into the shrubs. Checking his surroundings Orion watched as a young woman got out of the car and was greeted by two other young women. Something about one of the young women intrigued Orion. One of them had a tail.
Orion decided to follow the three young women. They were a different bunch. One had corn yellow blonde hair pulled back at the nape of the neck with a red bow. The second had two long pink pigtails done up in such a way that they resembled rabbit ears. And the last one had silvery gray hair with two tiny buns and a matching tail.
The girls, for he figured they were no older than sixteen, looked happy. They giggled and laughed about this and that. They talked about cute guys and which girl they knew had a crush on the most popular guy of the day. It was then the one with the tail mentioned her brother being infatuated with a woman he saw the night before. The others were completely taken by surprise.
"But that's impossible! How can there be another feline like you and your family Diana?" The rabbit haired girl said in denial.
"I don't know how but he claims that's what she is." The girl with the tail told them.
"Wow she must be some woman if she can take his mind off the jerks he normally hangs around with." The blonde commented.
Orion wondered if the brother of the tailed girl was the lunar feline he saw with Gaia the prior night. And if he was those girls needed to be told about her right away. He had to tell someone and they were the perfect candidates.
Orion followed the girls throughout the palace grounds to a large patio and watched them sit down at a table to drink lemonade. Deciding now was the perfect opportunity to confront the girls Orion leapt from the bushes onto the table. The girls gave out a startled gasp when they saw him land. Turning to face the girl with the tail Orion looked her right in the eye. She was the most beautiful thing he ever saw.
"Oh my god we're not the last ones." She said in complete and utter shock.
********
Orion reveals his true nature to the girls and warns them of Chaos's plan. Rini then begins to question her mother's faith in her and her senshi. Meanwhile, Gaia puts Chaos's plan into motion and recruits Big Orange and his gang of cats to become the soldiers of Chaos. While Apollo tries to go see her against the wishes of his sister. Next on Sailor Moon: Senshi in Training Part Four: Orion's Warring.
********
"Before you can receive your henshin wand you must first take the Oath of the Senshi." Diana said to the girls.
********
"Do you have any idea why they haven't left you?"
"I think it's because they know who I really am." Apollo said dryly.
********
"Insurance?"
"You know if we ever got caught all I would have to do was show off my crescent like a get out of jail free card and we'd all be let go."
********
"According to our reports the sub space sensors have detected the energy pattern belonging to Chaos himself. It appears that Chaos is trying to regroup." He said a bit louder than normal.
********
"Good luck. The future of our kind depends on you." The commander said as the ship took off.
********
Sailor Moon: Senshi in Training
Part Three: The Mysterious Girl
********
The threat of Chaos returning to Earth had Queen Serenity and her senshi on alert. The elder senshi began taking an interest in the training their daughters were receiving. Keeping the true reasons for this interest hidden was proving to be very difficult. With the palace on full scale alert Rini, Diana, Apollo, and Ian began to suspect something was up.
The senshi began meeting on regular basis. The tone of the meetings took a light airy feel. Rini and Diana could tell they were reliving the days of their youth when protocol and formality were the farthest things from their minds. The laughter that came from the parlor or the back terrace was a much-welcomed sound in the palace. Even the sound of Lady Mars yelling at the queen and calling her by her birth name brought a smile to the faces of the palace staff.
The younger senshi began meeting as well. They were discussing their training and how to improve themselves. But mostly they were discussing why their mothers were being so secretive about their reasons for wanting to train with their daughters. And why their mothers were acting so strange lately. One way or another Rini and her friends were going to find the answers.
"Okay we know something's up." Rini began "Our mothers don't usually act this weird. And besides when Puu begins to act strange that's a sure sign they're hiding something."
The children of the senshi, Helios, and their guardian and her brother were once again meeting in Rini's room to discuss the situation at hand.
"Tell me about it. My mother never hides anything from me." Jenna said.
"My mother is pretty secretive about things but when she refuses to continue my lessons with the time line I begin to worry." Kerri told them.
"What I don't understand is all this mother daughter bonding time we seem to be having lately." Alex commented.
"You too huh?" Nikki wondered.
"I was told it was because she wanted to stay in top physical condition." Kari said.
"Well whatever the reason one thing's for certain something big is about to happen." Rini added.
********
The queen and her senshi were also having a meeting that day. They were getting an update on the Chaos situation. The queen wanted to know if her friends had detected any new developments with Chaos. It had been some time since palace intelligence had detected movement in Chaos. With their greatest threat on the move once more the senshi had to be extra careful.
"So have you guys come up with anything?" Serenity asked her friends.
"Negative." Ami replied.
"I haven't come up with anything either." Rei told them.
"I've gotten some bits and pieces but the mirror doesn't tell me anything definite." Michiru added.
"I couldn't get anything from the time line. I don't think this will have any effect on the time line." Setsuna said sounding a bit dejected.
"The important thing is we keep our eyes open. We don't know when or even if Chaos will return so we must be prepared at all times." Luna reminded them.
"You're right Luna. We have to be ready no matter what." Mina commented.
********
The small space ship drifted through space. The lone pilot was busy looking over the information his people had on the sol system and his final destination its third planet. Looking over the centuries old information he wondered if the Moon Kingdom still existed. Running his fingers over his tired eyes the pilot decided to take a break from looking at the data. Reaching into his uniform he pulled out a locket and opened it. Inside was a photograph of him with a young woman. The woman with her buttery blonde hair, blue eyes, and gentle smile was the reason he was on this mission.
"Why did you have to do it? Why did you have to become a part of his twisted world?" he said to the locket knowing he would never get an answer.
Looking at the photograph the young pilot recalled the first day he met the remarkable young woman who would eventually become his best friend. Back then he never imagined she would betray her entire race and let the darkness take over her.
********
FLASHBACK:
Orion walked into the gates of the academy and took a good look at his surroundings. The area was immense and foreboding. It was said the academy had been around since the time of their forefathers. Everyone knew they came from outside the star system. And everyone knew they were connected to the great Moon Kingdom.
The academy was the training grounds for the guardians. They were the protectors of their world. In the Moon Kingdom the guardians watched over the royal family and trained the senshi. To become a guardian brought honor to one's home. Taking a deep breath Orion walked towards the barracks and his journey to become a guardian.
Walking into the barracks Orion was greeted by young woman with buttery blonde hair and blue eyes. On her forehead he could see a golden crescent much like the one he bore.
"Hello and welcome. I hope your stay here is a good one." She said with a smile.
"Thank you very much. My name is Orion and you are?" he replied.
"I am Gaia." She told him.
"Gaia huh? So how long have you been here?"
"A year."
"A year, but you look no older than I do."
"I started my lessons at a young age allowing me to advance to the next level a year early."
"Wow that's impressive."
Gaia smiled at Orion's remark. No one at the academy thought anything about someone skipping a year of training. It was seen as a part a life. It amused Gaia to hear Orion give her praise and admiration. Gaia could tell they were going to become good friends.
The years went by and soon Orion and Gaia received their commissioning. Through hard work and dedication Orion was able to graduate the same year as his friend. They were even assigned to the same detail working well with each other. But something went wrong. Somehow Gaia had gone mad with rage. The last mission they were on together saw them become separated on a nearby forest planet. When they reunited Gaia no longer bore the mark of their ancestors and Orion could feel the rage and hatred in her heart. Gaia had even tired to kill him.
"Gaia what has gotten into you?" Orion asked her.
"What has gotten into me? You ask me that little man. I'll tell you what has gotten into me. I have seen my destiny and that destiny is with my lord Chaos. Soon Chaos will reign once more and you can do nothing to stop me." She told him. Orion could detect venom in her voice.
"Your crescent it's gone. But how?" Orion wanted to know.
"Once I gave myself to my lord Chaos I no longer needed that silly little mark in order to change forms. I am no longer a lunar feline I am much more. I am the disciple of Chaos." She explained.
"But why?" he begged her to know.
"You never asked me what my name meant did you? It means earth or more appropriately daughter of Chaos. I was born of Chaos and now I shall serve Chaos."
In a great flash of light Gaia disappeared and Orion never saw her again. It was a year later when the council told him the traitor set in motion the process of bringing Chaos back into the galaxy. They all knew the traitor was once a lunar feline but they didn't know who it was. Only Orion knew the truth behind the traitor's identity and he was determined to stop her at any cost.
********
The tears began streaming down his face. Orion wept for his lost friend. I don't know if I'll ever meet another like you, he thought. Once she was his best friend now she was his mortal enemy. Orion put the locket back under his uniform and got back to the mission at hand. Plotting his course towards the planet called Earth Orion engaged the interdimensional drives. He wasn't going to waist any time.
********
Apollo used the secret entrance to the palace to sneak past the palace guards and head out into the city. It was a regular occurrence for him to sneak out night after night and roam around the city. The guards never noticed him sneaking out. And since his parents and the queen had not said anything about stopping him from going out they didn't even try to. It was the perfect situation.
Luna and Artimes had been indeed spending more time with their son. They had found out why he went out night after night but even though they knew the reason it still didn't help any. Apollo still went out each night and he still hung around his so-called friends.
The strays waited for Apollo in a nearby alley. The moment the young lunar feline joined the group they were on their way. The large orange tabby that declared himself leader of the group headed towards their first destination with the others in tow. Apollo wondered what was on tonight's agenda. The sight of the restaurant district answered his question.
"More rummaging and begging. Great just great." Apollo mumbled.
The tabby turned and hissed at him in an attempt to tell Apollo to shut his mouth. Apollo didn't attempt to argue with the tabby. He was not in the mood to fight this evening. Why even bother trying you know they outnumber you, he thought.
There didn't need to be any vocal conversation between Apollo and the other cats. The gestures and movements they made were conversation enough. And lately these movements told Apollo he had better do as he was told or suffer the consequences. In the back alley behind the Rose Café Apollo slipped away from the strays and shifted back to humanoid form. He needed some time alone.
Apollo popped out from alley behind the café headed towards the park. Little did he know Chloe was heading home from her shift at the café. The eldest daughter of Jupiter caught sight of the lunar feline and decided to grab his attention. She figured she could use the company on her walk home from work.
"Hey Apollo!" she said getting his attention.
Turning around Apollo recognized who the voice belonged to.
"Chloe what brings you out this night?" he asked with a smile.
"I was on my way home from work. I saw you and wondered if you'd like to give me some company. What do you say?" she replied.
"Sure why not. Being with you and the others certainly beats the usual crowd." Apollo said.
"Those idiots going through our dumpsters no fun any more?"
"No and there doesn't seem any way to leave them."
"You left them now."
"Yes but they'll eventually find out that I'm gone and come looking for me. And when they do find me they'll end up making a mess out of me."
"What a shame."
********
"Little brother has left the building. Little brother has left the building." Diana yelled as she ran through the halls of the palace.
"Again?" Rini asked as she stuck her head into the hall.
Diana nodded and Rini began to wonder how her best friend knew her brother had snuck out.
"How'd you find out he left?" she asked as she ran after the lunar feline.
"Simple I had him bugged." Came the reply.
"How in the world did you pull that off?"
"I replaced one of his cufflinks with a small tracking device."
"Diana you are a genius." Rini complimented with a giggle.
"Gee thanks."
********
Luna and Artimes were sitting in the palace parlor reading when Diana and Rini came into the room. The look on Rini's face told them Diana was up to something. They knew their daughter all too well and knew that she had some information she was dying to tell them. The smile on her face was a dead giveaway. Diana was dying to let the cat out of the bag.
"Diana what's going on?" Luna asked her daughter.
"It's Apollo mom. He snuck out yet again." Diana told her.
"Gee this is serious. If he can sneak out with the palace guards on extra alert then just think WHO could get in past them." Artimes said to Luna.
"It's not that I'm worried about. It's the strays that has me concern." Luna replied to him.
"I don't see why he still hangs around them." Diana commented.
"I don't either." Rini added.
"Diana how did you know your brother snuck out again?" Artimes asked her.
"I replaced his cufflink with a small tracking device and when he left presto I knew." She explained to her parents.
"Diana you know that was a sneaky thing to do. But I'm glad you did it." Luna said with a sigh.
********
Apollo walked with Chloe to the apartment building where her family lived. The lavish building was a step up from the one Lita used to live in but it wasn't like the one Ami grew up in. As the two friends stopped at the door they smiled and hugged. The walk from the café to the apartment complex was just what they both needed. Chloe needed a bit of company and Apollo needed a friend to talk to. The more he thought about that the more he realized Chloe was one of his true friends.
"Thanks a lot." They said at the same time.
The two friends laughed when they realized what they had done.
"For what?" Apollo asked her.
"For the company. How about you?" she replied.
"For listening to me. I have a lot of problems right now and it feels good to talk to someone other than my family." He told her.
"That's what I'm here for. It's part of the job description as your friend."
"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."
"See you then my friend."
Apollo watched as Chloe walked into the entryway of the building. The doorman opened the door to the lobby and smiled at her. Knowing that his friend was safely home Apollo then decided to continue his walk through the city. He needed to confirm a suspicion running in his mind. He needed to go to the temple on Cherry Hill in the Hikawa district.
Walking past the shops and stores Apollo checked out the nighttime activities. People were having a grand time going from movie theaters to coffee shops and ice cream parlors to sit and talk. Some people even went to nightclubs and karaoke bars to have a bit of fun with friends and loved ones. The human side of him longed for this type of nighttime activity. But the feline side told him all he would ever be able to do was rummage through garbage and beg for scraps.
Stopping at the entrance to the temple Apollo took a deep breath and wondered who might be up at this hour. Looking down at his watch Apollo saw that it was only half past nine. There was a good chance the entire Kumada family would be up. Walking up the temple stairs Apollo went straight to the prayer bells and gave them a ring.
"I've never really done this before." He said to the spirits, "I'm not a religious person. It's not that I don't believe some higher being it's just that I can't believe in one version of that being."
"Listen whoever you are I'm in a bit of a mess right now and I could certainly use some help. For one thing I lack the courage to walk away from the situation I've gotten myself in. And another thing I seem to lack the wisdom to see who my true friends are. If you could help me find that wisdom and that courage it would be most appreciated."
Danni, who happened to be sitting on the porch of the main house, heard the plea for help to the spirits and went to investigate. Placing a makeshift bookmark in her book Danni walked over to the main temple grounds. There she saw someone she had never seen at the temple but clearly recognized.
"So you finally trying the religious thing?" she asked him.
"I just needed someone to talk to. And these guys," Apollo said pointing out the statues, "just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
"That's what they're here for. They're great listeners."
"Well they helped me figure one thing out."
"Oh and what's that?" Danni asked a bit curious.
"They've shown me one of my true friends." He told her.
"Who?"
"You."
"You uh want a real person or two to talk to Apollo?"
"If you're offering then yeah I'd love it."
"Great I'll go get my brother and we can sit out on the porch. It's a great night for it."
Apollo had to admit to himself the mid July night was perfect. The stars were out and there was a warm gentle breeze. And he had to admit to himself that he did have real friends who liked him for who he was and not where he lived.
********
The cats were finished looking through the dumpsters behind the café. Turning to address his followers the orange tabby noticed Apollo was missing from the group. This did not please the plump feline one bit. His meal ticket tried to leave them again and he wasn't going to stand for it. Looking for the lunar feline was going to put a dent in his plans for evening. Then again he could have two of his followers look for the wayward feline while he continued with his plans. Walking over to a pair of Russian Blue Siamese mixes the tabby issued his orders.
"The black crescent has left again. I need you two to find him and teach him a lesson." The tabby commanded through a series of gestures and meows.
The twin cats folded back their ears and crouched low in a response that told the tabby they understood and would carry out his orders. Then in a flash the sleek gray blue cats were off on the hunt. Apollo, the black crescent, was going to get it.
********
Luna and Artimes were curious as to where their son might be. Diana had pulled out the GPS based receiver and turned it on. The small blip that represented their son appeared on the screen. Pushing the info button Diana got a list of things she could get information on. Selecting the restaurant heading Diana got a list of all the restaurants in the area. One restaurant in particular caught the attention of the group. The Rose Café was on the list on front of them. Diana noted this on a pad of paper and went back to map mode on the GPS.
The blip moved once more heading towards an area that was not too far from the large park in the Juban district of town. The group was curious about this and wondered what it could mean.
"Maybe he ran into Chloe or Nicole and walked them home." Rini suggested grabbing for straws.
The rest of the group agreed with her suggestion and Diana noted it on her pad. The blip stayed stationary for a couple of minutes before beginning to move once more. This time the blip went through the park and into the Hikawa district. The group had a pretty good idea where he was headed.
"I wonder how he knows were the temple is located?" Diana asked.
"It's one of the five crystal points of the city so it's pretty hard not to know where it is." Rini explained to her friend.
"What do you think he could be doing there?" Artimes wondered.
"Maybe he's talking to Eric and Danni. I don't think he'd go there for spiritual enlightenment." Diana told her parents.
"In a situation like his you never know what someone might do." Luna reminded them.
"You know I'm just speculating here but it seems to me not only is he looking for someone to talk to but he could be trying to avoid those cats." Rini added.
"You might be right there Rini. Those cats have not been seen in that area." Artimes replied.
The blip stayed in the area of the temple of some time and the group figured it would be best get back to what they were doing until he moved again. Rini and Diana went to grab a snack from the kitchen while Luna and Artimes went back to reading. This was going to be a long night.
********
Danni had let her parents know Apollo had stopped by to talk before grabbing her brother. Rei and Chad didn't mind visitors to the temple at night as long as they knew who was there. Eric wondered what could be bothering the young feline.
"Hey, what's up?" Eric asked as he sat down on the porch.
"Besides my number not much." Apollo replied.
"What makes you believe that?" Danni wanted to know.
"Well, I have a pretty good reason to believe that someone is going to be out and about looking for me. And if it's not my parents then it's someone I'd rather not see right now." He replied.
"Who would that be?" Eric wanted to know.
"The cats." Apollo said.
Danni and Eric had to think for a moment before figuring out what Apollo meant by his answer.
"Why would they be after you?" Danni asked trying to understand the situation.
"They don't like insubordination. I've seen them do some pretty nasty things to those who try to leave. It's real freaky at times." He explained to them.
"They sound more like the Yakuza than a bunch of strays." Eric commented.
********
Orion woke to the view of the Earth outside the ship. It was one of the most beautiful sights he had ever seen. The blue and green orb that floated in space looked peaceful and calm. The closer he got to the planet the more beautiful it seemed. Upon closer view the surface of the planet looked like it was covered with millions of sparkling diamonds.
Orion put the tiny ship into standard orbit around the planet and turned on the cloaking device. Scanning the surface of the planet he found the perfect place to transport to, a large city made of crystal. Setting in the coordinates Orion went to the transporter and was sent to the surface of the planet.
The crystal city was the most beautiful sight Orion had ever seen. In the center of the city a large structure made entirely out of crystal stood towering over the city. Radiating from the center of the city were five points that, when viewed from above, made the city look like a star. At the entrance to these points were two crystal obelisks that resembled scaled down versions of the Washington Monument. It was amazing to see how advance the inhabitants of the city and the planet were.
"Come on old boy you know better than to act like someone on a sightseeing tour. You have a mission to complete." He said to himself.
Shifting to feline form Orion began his search of the city. He knew he could move ten times faster in feline form than humanoid form. Somewhere in this city was someone could help him defeat Chaos and his loyal follower. Right now he needed all the help he could get.
********
Apollo felt better about himself as he said his good-byes to his friends at the temple. After spending what seemed like a good solid hour talking about his situation and other related things Apollo was ready to go home. He didn't want to deal with the wrath of the orange tabby he affectionately referred to as Big Orange. Big Orange and his gang just weren't his cup of tea anymore.
As Apollo walked along the street he noticed two identical cats running in and out of every back alley in town. Oh this is just great; he thought when he caught sight of the cats. The two nasty looking cats were a part of Big Orange's gang. In fact they were Big Orange's personal hit men. Apollo did not want to run into the twins right now.
One of the twins caught sight of Apollo and looked at him closely. At first it appeared as though he didn't recognize the lunar feline in his humanoid form. But upon closer inspection the light of recognition could be seen in the eyes of the twin on the right.
"That's him, the black crescent!" the right twin motioned to his brother.
"Are you sure it's him?" the left twin questioned with a glance.
"Take a whiff and you'll know it's him." the right one answered sniffing at the air.
The pair of strays sniffed the air catching Apollo's distinct odor. The left twin then got the same look on his face the right one had. Looking from each other to their victim Apollo could tell they were formulating a plan of attack. The twins began pushing Apollo towards a nearby wall. There was no way they were letting him get away.
Apollo thought there was no way to get out of this situation unharmed. He knew these cats would follow Big Orange's orders to the tea. A look of dread came over his face when he heard the loud hissing coming from the twins. Once again Apollo began praying to the spirits to get him out of his current situation. As if his prayers were answered something slammed into the twins knocking them down.
Apollo watched the fight that resulted from the twins' fall. The lone figure that dared to take on Big Orange's cronies overpowered the brothers with ease. The look in his rescuer's eyes had Apollo freaked out. He didn't know what to make of it. The strange buttery yellow cat glared at the twins with blue eyes that glowed like a flashlight shining through a block of ice. The twins took one look at the cat and decided to flee the scene rather than stay and get beaten up.
Apollo nervously and slowly moved towards the feline. Putting his hand out he let the cat get a good whiff of him and see that he was completely harmless. The cat smiled and looked Apollo in the eyes before doing the one thing that surprised him the most, the cat spoke.
"That was a close one." She said, the cat was definitely female.
"You can talk?" Apollo asked her quite shocked at what he heard.
"Not all mystical cats are lunar felines." She explained before she shifted forms.
Apollo was amazed at what he saw. The woman standing before him was exquisite. Her buttery blonde hair fell past her shoulders in cascade of curls and was held in place by a simple silver hairpin. Her blue eyes sparkled like twin lakes in the moonlight and she wore a simple short sleeveless red dress that hugged every curve of her body and black boots.
"So do you have a name to go with that body of yours?" Apollo asked going back into his Mr. Suave routine.
"My name is Gaia what's yours?" she replied running her hand through his black hair.
"Uh...um...it's Apollo." He told her trying to keep his composure.
Up on a nearby rooftop a shadowy figure resembling a cat watched as the scene unfolded itself below him. Swearing under his breath the cat knew he had to do something before Gaia's influence got the best of the lunar feline she was seducing.
"Damn you. You don't know what you're getting yourself into." He said.
Gaia closed the deal by planting a seductive kiss on Apollo's lips leaving him totally speechless.
"I'll see you around tiger." Gaia said as she left the speechless Apollo.
********
Diana sat in the rec room a bit bored as she waited for her bother to start moving again. She didn't mind the break in the action but the thousand year old reruns of Sailor V were getting a bit boring at the moment. She knew every single plot line for every Sailor V episode and movie ever made. It took the surprise out of it to know what happens before it even happened. Changing the channel she caught sight of a Simpsons rerun she thought she hadn't seen yet. And even tough she had seen this particular episode Diana still watched it because it was better than the stale Sailor V show.
The small receiver beeped indicating Apollo was on the move once more. Diana glanced over at the device on the table next to her noting her brother's direction. He was heading back in the direction of the palace. Whatever went on at the temple gave Apollo the idea to come back home. Wow, this is early even for him to be coming home, she thought.
Watching the blip Diana noticed it stop momentarily and then start to move once more. She wondered why he made the brief stop. Checking what was in the area Diana could not see anything that would warrant the stop. This had her a bit puzzled. Figuring there wasn't going to be anything worth watching Diana turned off the GPS and went to talk to her parents.
"Mom dad can I talk to you." Diana said as she went back to the parlor.
"Certainly Diana. What do you need to discuss?" Luna asked.
"Well I don't know what happened tonight but Apollo is headed back to the palace as we speak. I wouldn't try and seek him out at the moment because he has no idea what I did. If he wants to talk to us let him make the decision." Diana told them.
"We understand and thanks for letting us know Diana." Artimes replied as he gave her a hug.
********
Artimes had let the front gate know his son might try and come home without sneaking in. He asked them to let Apollo in without a big deal. Artimes also asked the guards not to let Apollo know they knew he was coming back. He didn't want his son to suspect anything was going on.
Apollo was on cloud nine. He had met the most beautiful girl in his life. He didn't care that she had saved him from being beaten up. He didn't care that she was possibly stronger then he was. All he cared about was that she was interested in him and had given him the most passionate kiss he ever received.
As he walked up to the palace Apollo decided to use the front gate instead of sneaking in. He was in too good a mood to care if he got caught for sneaking out. If he were grounded for life it would be worth it. Much to his surprise the guards didn't make a big deal when he walked up to the gate.
"Mr. Apollo welcome home. I trust you had a good evening." One of the guards said as he grabbed the bill of his hat and gave a nod.
"I had a pretty good night." Apollo replied.
"And what did you do this evening?" the second guard asked.
"I ran into Lady Jupiter's oldest daughter and accompanied her home from work. Then I decided to pop over to the temple on Cherry Hill and spend some time with Lady Mars' twins. I'd say it was a pretty good evening." He told them giving the guards only part of the story.
The guards smiled as Apollo left them to head into the palace. They were happy for him because for once he did not spend any time with the stray cats seen around town.
"It's about time he had some real friends. He needs them right now." The second guard commented to the first.
Apollo was quite surprised to hear what the guard had said. Someone actually cared he was happy. Someone actually wanted to see him with the right kind of friends.
********
Orion ran from rooftop to rooftop following the young lunar feline to his next destination. He had to warn him about Gaia. He had to let him know how dangerous she was and who she served. He couldn't let another lunar feline be taken over by Chaos's darkness. Orion was determined this mission not fail for it meant the fate of the entire galaxy.
Orion stopped and watched the lunar feline enter into the large crystal building at the center of the city. If his information was still right this building was the palace of the Earth king leader of the Crystal Kingdom. He had no idea who the current inhabitants of the building really were. Orion needed to find a way to get inside and warn the inhabitants of the building. They needed to know about Chaos and about Gaia.
It was useless for Orion to try and warn them tonight. They would probably all be asleep by now. Orion decided to wait until morning and see if there was another way into the building besides the front gate. He couldn't run the risk of getting caught by the humans watching over the gate. If they caught him he would fail in his mission and Chaos would reign supreme.
"A little shut eye would be perfect right now." He said with a yawn before drifting off to sleep.
********
Diana walked into the kitchen to grab some breakfast before the others arrived. She noticed her brother sitting on one of the stools near the counter. Upon his face he wore a goofy looking grin. Diana wondered what was on his mind and just what had happened the night before.
"You seem to be in good mood." She said to Apollo.
"Good doesn't even describe it." He told her.
"Really now. You care to let me in on what happened last night little brother."
Diana grabbed a frappacino out of the fridge.
"I met someone. Someone wonderful."
"Okay," Diana began not wanting to let him know what she did, "just when and were did you meet this wonderful individual."
"On my way home after I left the temple on Cherry Hill."
"Go on now. So what's she like?"
"Absolutely amazing she has the most interesting blue eyes, fabulous butter blonde hair, and a body that won't quit. I've never met anyone like her."
"So this means you're swearing off felines."
Diana grabbed an English muffin toasted and buttered it.
"No."
"Then she's a cat."
"Sometimes."
"Then she's a human."
"Sometimes."
"Well, she can't be both because we're the last of our kind."
"But she is. Maybe she's some sort of exotic species but whatever she is she's unlike anything I've ever seen in my entire life."
"Little brother you have got it bad."
********
Orion could feel the warm morning sun beat down on his fur. Waking up from his night of sleep he looked over the city. In the morning light the city was absolutely exquisite, the light bouncing off the buildings catching each facet in just the right way. The city sparkled like a jewel in the sunlight.
As he looked down at the building below Orion could see a vehicle heading towards the palace. He knew from what he saw the prior night that the vehicle would have to stop at the gate. The men watching over the gate were changing shifts. A new set of individuals came to relieve the old ones. Orion devised a plan to get inside the gates and into the building. He figured if he could hang onto the bottom of the vehicle he would get past the gate unnoticed.
Leaping down from the rooftops Orion ran for the stopped vehicle. Running underneath the vehicle Orion grabbed onto the underside of the car. When the vehicle stopped once more Orion let go of the drive shaft and ran off into the shrubs. Checking his surroundings Orion watched as a young woman got out of the car and was greeted by two other young women. Something about one of the young women intrigued Orion. One of them had a tail.
Orion decided to follow the three young women. They were a different bunch. One had corn yellow blonde hair pulled back at the nape of the neck with a red bow. The second had two long pink pigtails done up in such a way that they resembled rabbit ears. And the last one had silvery gray hair with two tiny buns and a matching tail.
The girls, for he figured they were no older than sixteen, looked happy. They giggled and laughed about this and that. They talked about cute guys and which girl they knew had a crush on the most popular guy of the day. It was then the one with the tail mentioned her brother being infatuated with a woman he saw the night before. The others were completely taken by surprise.
"But that's impossible! How can there be another feline like you and your family Diana?" The rabbit haired girl said in denial.
"I don't know how but he claims that's what she is." The girl with the tail told them.
"Wow she must be some woman if she can take his mind off the jerks he normally hangs around with." The blonde commented.
Orion wondered if the brother of the tailed girl was the lunar feline he saw with Gaia the prior night. And if he was those girls needed to be told about her right away. He had to tell someone and they were the perfect candidates.
Orion followed the girls throughout the palace grounds to a large patio and watched them sit down at a table to drink lemonade. Deciding now was the perfect opportunity to confront the girls Orion leapt from the bushes onto the table. The girls gave out a startled gasp when they saw him land. Turning to face the girl with the tail Orion looked her right in the eye. She was the most beautiful thing he ever saw.
"Oh my god we're not the last ones." She said in complete and utter shock.
********
Orion reveals his true nature to the girls and warns them of Chaos's plan. Rini then begins to question her mother's faith in her and her senshi. Meanwhile, Gaia puts Chaos's plan into motion and recruits Big Orange and his gang of cats to become the soldiers of Chaos. While Apollo tries to go see her against the wishes of his sister. Next on Sailor Moon: Senshi in Training Part Four: Orion's Warring.