Chapter One: Old Friends and New
Rei, Makoto and Minako were walking down the street of Crossroad's on a hot August day. "It's steaming!" Makoto complained. Rei nodded. "Hey, who wants to go to the mall!" Minako said suddenly. Lita sighed. "Oh, think of the air conditioning there!" Rei wiped her forehead and said nothing. She was thinking of an old, old friend. Rei couldn't figure out why she always thought of Katie in August. Makoto touched Rei's shoulder.
"Watcha thinking about?" She asked kindly. Rei looked up at her friend. "I'm thinking about an old acquaintance." She replied. Makoto squinted at her. "A boy, huh?" Rei blushed furiously. "No! She's not a boy!" Rei protested, flustered. Minako winked at Makoto. "Are you sure about that?" Minako asked teasingly. "I've heard a lot about technology nowadays!" Rei put on a cool appearance. "Didn't you guys want to go to the mall? Or did you want to stand here and talk about modern technology. Out in the heat."
Minako and Makoto grinned and started walking for the mall. Rei sighed and wiped her forehead again. "Boy, it's roasting out here!" Makoto complained again. She too was thinking about a friend she used to have. Kay hasn't written in a long time! Makoto thought distractedly. I wonder if she's okay. Maybe I'll get a letter today! It was her birthday a few weeks ago.
"Ah the mall!" Minako said breezily as she flung herself through the automatic doors. "Such wonderful stores, such wonderful air conditioning!" Makoto giggled a little. "So how much money do you have on you?" She teased. Minako face faulted. "I only have a few bucks!" She moaned, tears forming at the bottom of her eyes. "Rei-chan, can I borrow—" Rei snorted. "Of course. You can borrow some money." Minako did a little dance of happiness, making Makoto laugh. "Yay!" Minako shouted, hugging her friend, "Thank you Rei, thank you!!!" Makoto had to sit down.
"Yeah, this is really embarrassing." Rei muttered, sitting down next to her hysterical friend. Then someone in the crowd caught her eye. "What?" A tall girl with short brown hair and blue eyes winked at the priestess and vanished. "Katie??" Rei whispered. Makoto stopped laughing and wiped away the tears. "Ah ha ha." She finished, standing up. "Let's go shop!" Minako and Makoto skipped away happily. Suddenly, Rei felt someone sit next to her. "Funny thing happened, on the way to the mall today." The Priestess-in-training looked up and found the same brown haired, blue eyed girl smiling at her.
"Katie!" Raye exclaimed. "In the flesh!" Katie winked at Rei again. "Long time, no see, Rei-chan. How are things going for you? Are you becoming a priestess like your grandfather?" Rei nodded. "Why didn't you stay in touch, Katie? There have been a lot of things to talk about!" Katie studied Rei for a minute. "Yes, there is a lot of things to talk about. I'm moving in an apartment…." She smiled. "Here in Tokyo. Maybe I could come to the Shrine and talk sometime?" Rei grinned at her and nodded.
"I have some friends you can come meet!" She exclaimed. Katie looked away for a moment. "Hm, that will be nice. See you then, Rei-chan." And she vanished. Raye blinked, and skipped off to find Makoto and Minako.
Makoto was staring in a window of a dress shop. "Well, time does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?" Makoto whirled around. "Kay! Wow, what a surprise!" Kay was as tall as her friend with brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. "Hey, sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been busy." Kay explained, smiling at Makoto. She shook her head. "We have so much to talk about! Have you found a permanent address yet?" Her friend's eyes clouded for a moment. "No… Not yet. Hopefully I'll find a place here in Tokyo, near you." Kay's eyes were sparkling again.
"I've missed you, Mako-chan!" She sighed and patted her friend on the shoulder. "Let me have your phone number, maybe I could call you tomorrow." Makoto scribbled her number out on a sheet of paper. "Okay. Call me!" Kay smiled and vanished into the crowd. Rei came a minute later. "I just met an old friend, Rei!" Makoto said, grabbing up her shopping bag. Rei smiled. "Me too! She's coming over to the shrine, want to come and meet her?" Makoto smiled back and nodded. "I'd love to!"
HR
Usagi Tsukino, Bunny to her friends, was walking down the street when she saw a tall dark headed boy walking her way. "Mamo-chan!" Bunny sang out. The boy turned around in surprise. "Bunny!" He laughed, hugging her. Mamoru was eighteen, and had just started his first year of med school. "Who bought the apartment next to yours, Mamoru?" Bunny asked, grasping his hand. Mamoru shrugged. "I don't know, but they're a real animal fanatic." Bunny scratched her head. "What do you mean?" Mamoru smiled. "This morning, I saw crates after crates of animals go into the house." He explained. "Mostly they were dogs and cats, though I might have seen an odd bird or two." Bunny grinned. "Well, maybe I could cook something for them and bring it over tonight!" She said enthusiastically. Mamoru sweat dropped. "Ah… Sure, Bunny." He said, putting his hand behind his head. "Why don't you have Makoto cook something too." Bunny pouted. "You don't like my cooking?" She moaned. Mamoru rushed to assure her. "No, that's not it… Its just I don't want them to think bad of us on the first day…" Actually, I just don't want the new neighbors to die… A giggle sounded from behind them "Chibi-Usa!" Bunny shouted, turning on the pink haired child, "How dare you interrupt our private moment!!!" Chibi-Usa giggled again and climbed up on Mamoru's shoulders.
"Seems to me like you were arguing instead of sharing a private moment." She said in an annoyingly cute voice. Bunny stomped off angrily. Mamoru smiled his thanks up to Rini. "I would have never survived Bunny's wrath, Chibi-Usa. Thanks." He said. Chibi-Usa grinned and hugged Mamoru's neck. "No problem!" She said in that annoying voice.
HR
"Wolf! WOLF! Can you answer the door please? I'm cooking supper!" Kat yelled from the door of the kitchen. Her little sister, Wolf, hopped up and swung the door open. "Uh, hi. My name is Mamoru and I live next door. I wanted to give you these as a house warming present." The boy at the door said. Wolf blushed. "Well, thanks!" She said, holding open the door. "Won't you come in? Kat, my sister, was just fixing dinner!" Wolf led Mamoru into the dining room. Kat smiled at him and waved. "Hello! I'm Katie Dobutsa. You can call me Kat." She said, holding out her semi-dirty hand. Darien didn't mind. "I'm Chiba Mamoru." He said, shaking her hand. "That's your little sister, huh?" He asked thumbing towards Wolf. "Yeah, that's Wolf. Her real name is Mori." He sat down at the kitchen table.
"Hey, these cookies are good, Mamoru-san." Wolf said with her mouthful. "Where'd you buy them?" Mamoru blushed. "Actually, my friend made them for me." He said. Kat grinned. "We're having hamburgers for dinner. Would you like to join us?" Mamoru nodded. "I want to show you something." He opened a door on the side of their apartment. "This connects your apartment to mine!" He shouted from the other side. "Cool!" Wolf called back. "So if you need anything, just knock." He grinned. "Watch this." He jogged to the other end of the apartment, and knocked on the door there. A boy about his age with blonde hair answered the door. "What's up?" He said, opening the door. "Kat, Wolf, this is Motokoi. He runs the Arcade." Kat and her sister waved shyly at him.
"Hey, that smells good!" Motokoi called. Wolf grinned. "Come and join us!" Kat yelled. Motokoi shrugged. "If you don't mind!" Kat shook her head. A few minutes later, Two guys and two girls sat down to a non-healthy meal of hamburgers and fries. (Wolf's was a veggie burger.)
"Wow, this is great!" Motokoi said after his first bite. Kat blushed again. "Its just a hamburger." She mumbled. Mamoru sampled a fry. "Wow, if I could eat like this everyday, I wouldn't leave my apartment!" He said nicely. Kat blushed harder. Wolf giggled. "Kat, you're as red as your ketchup!" Mamoru smiled.
"How old are you, Wolf?" He asked politely. "I am 15. In ninth grade." She said proudly. "I'm seventeen, going into 12th grade." Kat said, focusing on her plate. "Do you want anything to drink?" Motokoi said he'd have a coke, and Mamoru'd like some water. "Apple juice, please." Wolf said politely. Kat left. Later, the four new friends sat down in their parlor to talk. "So where are you going to go for high school, Kat?" Andrew asked. "My sister Unazasuki is attending Crossroad's High School." Kat nodded. "I'm going to go to Brookdale's School for Girls." She consented, looking embarrassed. "Wolf is going to Mugen Gakuen." Mamoru smiled. "So you must have a lot of money." He joked. Wolf choked. Kat laughed nervously. "Yeah… Right, anyways, so where do go to school, Mamo-chan?" Mamoru smiled. "I am a first year med student at KO University."
"Oh!" Kat's eyes got starry. (*_*) "I've always wanted to be a veterinarian." Mamoru beamed at her. "You'll make it!" He said, winking. (^_^) "Do you have any animals?" Kat sweat dropped. "You would not believe…" Motokoi looked around with interest. "Where do you keep them all?" He asked. "They aren't invisible, are they?" Wolf giggled. (^_^;) "We keep them in our room, so as not to disturb guests." (oh boy…) Mamoru sat up straighter. "What kind of pets do you have???" He asked incredulously. "You'd have to see them to believe it." Kat muttered.
"Can we see them?" Motokoi asked. Wolf and Kat shared a glance of sly inquiry. Wolf shrugged. "Okay, if you really want too."
"Can't say we didn't warn you." Kat lead the two boys to the door of her bedroom. "Prepare your selves for a sight that will astound you!" Wolf said in a false baritone. "Hold on a sec." Kat said, and slipped inside the door. Mamoru and Motokoi exchanged puzzled looks. "Okay! Wolf let them in!" Kat said from inside. Wolf opened the door slowly, a mischievous grin on her face. "Go right on in!" She giggled. Mamoru went in first, followed closely by Motokoi and Wolf. [Authors' Note: Notice how Wolf trails behind Motokoi. What a cute butt!] "What the—" Mamoru yelped. "Whoa Nelly!" Motokoi quipped. There before there eyes, was a spectacle of cats. Cats of every size and color. Rare cats, like a snow leopard perched on the bedpost, or the Asian lynx sitting on the windowsill. A tiger was curled up next to Kat, who was sitting primly on the bed, smiling serenely at them. There eyes bugged out of their heads. "You sure have a lot of cats!" Mamoru stuttered, gazing around him. Lion, panther, jaguar, lynx, tiger, leopard, Siamese, tabby, tomcats, Persians. Then Motokoi noticed a small kitten sitting by herself. "Aww, that one's cute! Why is it sitting by itself?" Kat scrunched up her face. "That's Aurora." She said breezily, "She prefers to be a loner." Mamoru heard the cat growl in response. "Wow!" Motokoi said, coming out of the room with quite a lot more sweat than he had gone in with. "Do you have any pets, Wolf?" Wolf blushed. "Uh, yeah, right this way." She mumbled under her breath. She didn't pause in her doorway, or let Kat give a theatrical tension thingy. She walked right through the door. Motokoi and Mamoru gasped again in surprised. Kat giggled from behind. "These are my pets." Wolf said daintily, and plopped on the bed, next to a large gray wolf. Andrew glanced around the room. There were foxes, a coyote, many, MANY dogs, two birds, and a cat, sitting on the window sill.
"Uh oh, Kat!" Motokoi teased, "you have a runaway cat!" Kat peeked through the doorway. "No I don't!" Wolf walked over and picked up the cat. "This isn't her cat, Motokoi, " Wolf said, holding the cat up, "This is Nana, my cat!" Motokoi grinned and patted the cat tentatively on the head. Nana purred loudly. "I think she likes you." Wolf chuckled and put the cat down. "Well, I think it's about time for me to go." Mamoru said, heading towards his door. "I have a date with some friends of mine. See ya later!" Kat waved a hearty goodbye. Motokoi blushed. "I gotta go too, " he explained, "I have to go unlock the arcade." Wolf glanced quickly around. "Um, ah, Motokoi? We're getting a piano moved in here Saturday. Would you come over to help put it in?" Motokoi smiled winningly. "Sure, I'll come over for coffee that morning." He said, and exited through his door. Kat glared at her sister. "Where the heck are we going to get a piano by Saturday?" She said heatedly.
Rei, Makoto and Minako were walking down the street of Crossroad's on a hot August day. "It's steaming!" Makoto complained. Rei nodded. "Hey, who wants to go to the mall!" Minako said suddenly. Lita sighed. "Oh, think of the air conditioning there!" Rei wiped her forehead and said nothing. She was thinking of an old, old friend. Rei couldn't figure out why she always thought of Katie in August. Makoto touched Rei's shoulder.
"Watcha thinking about?" She asked kindly. Rei looked up at her friend. "I'm thinking about an old acquaintance." She replied. Makoto squinted at her. "A boy, huh?" Rei blushed furiously. "No! She's not a boy!" Rei protested, flustered. Minako winked at Makoto. "Are you sure about that?" Minako asked teasingly. "I've heard a lot about technology nowadays!" Rei put on a cool appearance. "Didn't you guys want to go to the mall? Or did you want to stand here and talk about modern technology. Out in the heat."
Minako and Makoto grinned and started walking for the mall. Rei sighed and wiped her forehead again. "Boy, it's roasting out here!" Makoto complained again. She too was thinking about a friend she used to have. Kay hasn't written in a long time! Makoto thought distractedly. I wonder if she's okay. Maybe I'll get a letter today! It was her birthday a few weeks ago.
"Ah the mall!" Minako said breezily as she flung herself through the automatic doors. "Such wonderful stores, such wonderful air conditioning!" Makoto giggled a little. "So how much money do you have on you?" She teased. Minako face faulted. "I only have a few bucks!" She moaned, tears forming at the bottom of her eyes. "Rei-chan, can I borrow—" Rei snorted. "Of course. You can borrow some money." Minako did a little dance of happiness, making Makoto laugh. "Yay!" Minako shouted, hugging her friend, "Thank you Rei, thank you!!!" Makoto had to sit down.
"Yeah, this is really embarrassing." Rei muttered, sitting down next to her hysterical friend. Then someone in the crowd caught her eye. "What?" A tall girl with short brown hair and blue eyes winked at the priestess and vanished. "Katie??" Rei whispered. Makoto stopped laughing and wiped away the tears. "Ah ha ha." She finished, standing up. "Let's go shop!" Minako and Makoto skipped away happily. Suddenly, Rei felt someone sit next to her. "Funny thing happened, on the way to the mall today." The Priestess-in-training looked up and found the same brown haired, blue eyed girl smiling at her.
"Katie!" Raye exclaimed. "In the flesh!" Katie winked at Rei again. "Long time, no see, Rei-chan. How are things going for you? Are you becoming a priestess like your grandfather?" Rei nodded. "Why didn't you stay in touch, Katie? There have been a lot of things to talk about!" Katie studied Rei for a minute. "Yes, there is a lot of things to talk about. I'm moving in an apartment…." She smiled. "Here in Tokyo. Maybe I could come to the Shrine and talk sometime?" Rei grinned at her and nodded.
"I have some friends you can come meet!" She exclaimed. Katie looked away for a moment. "Hm, that will be nice. See you then, Rei-chan." And she vanished. Raye blinked, and skipped off to find Makoto and Minako.
Makoto was staring in a window of a dress shop. "Well, time does fly when you're having fun, doesn't it?" Makoto whirled around. "Kay! Wow, what a surprise!" Kay was as tall as her friend with brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. "Hey, sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been busy." Kay explained, smiling at Makoto. She shook her head. "We have so much to talk about! Have you found a permanent address yet?" Her friend's eyes clouded for a moment. "No… Not yet. Hopefully I'll find a place here in Tokyo, near you." Kay's eyes were sparkling again.
"I've missed you, Mako-chan!" She sighed and patted her friend on the shoulder. "Let me have your phone number, maybe I could call you tomorrow." Makoto scribbled her number out on a sheet of paper. "Okay. Call me!" Kay smiled and vanished into the crowd. Rei came a minute later. "I just met an old friend, Rei!" Makoto said, grabbing up her shopping bag. Rei smiled. "Me too! She's coming over to the shrine, want to come and meet her?" Makoto smiled back and nodded. "I'd love to!"
HR
Usagi Tsukino, Bunny to her friends, was walking down the street when she saw a tall dark headed boy walking her way. "Mamo-chan!" Bunny sang out. The boy turned around in surprise. "Bunny!" He laughed, hugging her. Mamoru was eighteen, and had just started his first year of med school. "Who bought the apartment next to yours, Mamoru?" Bunny asked, grasping his hand. Mamoru shrugged. "I don't know, but they're a real animal fanatic." Bunny scratched her head. "What do you mean?" Mamoru smiled. "This morning, I saw crates after crates of animals go into the house." He explained. "Mostly they were dogs and cats, though I might have seen an odd bird or two." Bunny grinned. "Well, maybe I could cook something for them and bring it over tonight!" She said enthusiastically. Mamoru sweat dropped. "Ah… Sure, Bunny." He said, putting his hand behind his head. "Why don't you have Makoto cook something too." Bunny pouted. "You don't like my cooking?" She moaned. Mamoru rushed to assure her. "No, that's not it… Its just I don't want them to think bad of us on the first day…" Actually, I just don't want the new neighbors to die… A giggle sounded from behind them "Chibi-Usa!" Bunny shouted, turning on the pink haired child, "How dare you interrupt our private moment!!!" Chibi-Usa giggled again and climbed up on Mamoru's shoulders.
"Seems to me like you were arguing instead of sharing a private moment." She said in an annoyingly cute voice. Bunny stomped off angrily. Mamoru smiled his thanks up to Rini. "I would have never survived Bunny's wrath, Chibi-Usa. Thanks." He said. Chibi-Usa grinned and hugged Mamoru's neck. "No problem!" She said in that annoying voice.
HR
"Wolf! WOLF! Can you answer the door please? I'm cooking supper!" Kat yelled from the door of the kitchen. Her little sister, Wolf, hopped up and swung the door open. "Uh, hi. My name is Mamoru and I live next door. I wanted to give you these as a house warming present." The boy at the door said. Wolf blushed. "Well, thanks!" She said, holding open the door. "Won't you come in? Kat, my sister, was just fixing dinner!" Wolf led Mamoru into the dining room. Kat smiled at him and waved. "Hello! I'm Katie Dobutsa. You can call me Kat." She said, holding out her semi-dirty hand. Darien didn't mind. "I'm Chiba Mamoru." He said, shaking her hand. "That's your little sister, huh?" He asked thumbing towards Wolf. "Yeah, that's Wolf. Her real name is Mori." He sat down at the kitchen table.
"Hey, these cookies are good, Mamoru-san." Wolf said with her mouthful. "Where'd you buy them?" Mamoru blushed. "Actually, my friend made them for me." He said. Kat grinned. "We're having hamburgers for dinner. Would you like to join us?" Mamoru nodded. "I want to show you something." He opened a door on the side of their apartment. "This connects your apartment to mine!" He shouted from the other side. "Cool!" Wolf called back. "So if you need anything, just knock." He grinned. "Watch this." He jogged to the other end of the apartment, and knocked on the door there. A boy about his age with blonde hair answered the door. "What's up?" He said, opening the door. "Kat, Wolf, this is Motokoi. He runs the Arcade." Kat and her sister waved shyly at him.
"Hey, that smells good!" Motokoi called. Wolf grinned. "Come and join us!" Kat yelled. Motokoi shrugged. "If you don't mind!" Kat shook her head. A few minutes later, Two guys and two girls sat down to a non-healthy meal of hamburgers and fries. (Wolf's was a veggie burger.)
"Wow, this is great!" Motokoi said after his first bite. Kat blushed again. "Its just a hamburger." She mumbled. Mamoru sampled a fry. "Wow, if I could eat like this everyday, I wouldn't leave my apartment!" He said nicely. Kat blushed harder. Wolf giggled. "Kat, you're as red as your ketchup!" Mamoru smiled.
"How old are you, Wolf?" He asked politely. "I am 15. In ninth grade." She said proudly. "I'm seventeen, going into 12th grade." Kat said, focusing on her plate. "Do you want anything to drink?" Motokoi said he'd have a coke, and Mamoru'd like some water. "Apple juice, please." Wolf said politely. Kat left. Later, the four new friends sat down in their parlor to talk. "So where are you going to go for high school, Kat?" Andrew asked. "My sister Unazasuki is attending Crossroad's High School." Kat nodded. "I'm going to go to Brookdale's School for Girls." She consented, looking embarrassed. "Wolf is going to Mugen Gakuen." Mamoru smiled. "So you must have a lot of money." He joked. Wolf choked. Kat laughed nervously. "Yeah… Right, anyways, so where do go to school, Mamo-chan?" Mamoru smiled. "I am a first year med student at KO University."
"Oh!" Kat's eyes got starry. (*_*) "I've always wanted to be a veterinarian." Mamoru beamed at her. "You'll make it!" He said, winking. (^_^) "Do you have any animals?" Kat sweat dropped. "You would not believe…" Motokoi looked around with interest. "Where do you keep them all?" He asked. "They aren't invisible, are they?" Wolf giggled. (^_^;) "We keep them in our room, so as not to disturb guests." (oh boy…) Mamoru sat up straighter. "What kind of pets do you have???" He asked incredulously. "You'd have to see them to believe it." Kat muttered.
"Can we see them?" Motokoi asked. Wolf and Kat shared a glance of sly inquiry. Wolf shrugged. "Okay, if you really want too."
"Can't say we didn't warn you." Kat lead the two boys to the door of her bedroom. "Prepare your selves for a sight that will astound you!" Wolf said in a false baritone. "Hold on a sec." Kat said, and slipped inside the door. Mamoru and Motokoi exchanged puzzled looks. "Okay! Wolf let them in!" Kat said from inside. Wolf opened the door slowly, a mischievous grin on her face. "Go right on in!" She giggled. Mamoru went in first, followed closely by Motokoi and Wolf. [Authors' Note: Notice how Wolf trails behind Motokoi. What a cute butt!] "What the—" Mamoru yelped. "Whoa Nelly!" Motokoi quipped. There before there eyes, was a spectacle of cats. Cats of every size and color. Rare cats, like a snow leopard perched on the bedpost, or the Asian lynx sitting on the windowsill. A tiger was curled up next to Kat, who was sitting primly on the bed, smiling serenely at them. There eyes bugged out of their heads. "You sure have a lot of cats!" Mamoru stuttered, gazing around him. Lion, panther, jaguar, lynx, tiger, leopard, Siamese, tabby, tomcats, Persians. Then Motokoi noticed a small kitten sitting by herself. "Aww, that one's cute! Why is it sitting by itself?" Kat scrunched up her face. "That's Aurora." She said breezily, "She prefers to be a loner." Mamoru heard the cat growl in response. "Wow!" Motokoi said, coming out of the room with quite a lot more sweat than he had gone in with. "Do you have any pets, Wolf?" Wolf blushed. "Uh, yeah, right this way." She mumbled under her breath. She didn't pause in her doorway, or let Kat give a theatrical tension thingy. She walked right through the door. Motokoi and Mamoru gasped again in surprised. Kat giggled from behind. "These are my pets." Wolf said daintily, and plopped on the bed, next to a large gray wolf. Andrew glanced around the room. There were foxes, a coyote, many, MANY dogs, two birds, and a cat, sitting on the window sill.
"Uh oh, Kat!" Motokoi teased, "you have a runaway cat!" Kat peeked through the doorway. "No I don't!" Wolf walked over and picked up the cat. "This isn't her cat, Motokoi, " Wolf said, holding the cat up, "This is Nana, my cat!" Motokoi grinned and patted the cat tentatively on the head. Nana purred loudly. "I think she likes you." Wolf chuckled and put the cat down. "Well, I think it's about time for me to go." Mamoru said, heading towards his door. "I have a date with some friends of mine. See ya later!" Kat waved a hearty goodbye. Motokoi blushed. "I gotta go too, " he explained, "I have to go unlock the arcade." Wolf glanced quickly around. "Um, ah, Motokoi? We're getting a piano moved in here Saturday. Would you come over to help put it in?" Motokoi smiled winningly. "Sure, I'll come over for coffee that morning." He said, and exited through his door. Kat glared at her sister. "Where the heck are we going to get a piano by Saturday?" She said heatedly.