Title: Partners - Artemis's story part V
Author: Ree
Theme: Cats (Greater than)
Genre: General
Version: Manga/Anime
Rating: G

The cats and all their friends are all from the imaginations of Takeuchi Naoko. I'm not that creative.

Partners
Artemis's story part V

Artemis shifted back to his normal form once he was in his stateroom. Sitting on the dresser was a large case. When he opened it, he found all the files about the Silver Millennium empire, and information about the Moon Kingdom. He let the case fall shut. He wasn't quite ready to go through all of that yet. As he was hopping down , he saw his reflection in the mirror. He turned back around and hopped back up to look again. There in the middle of his forehead was a crescent moon. 'The symbol of my position is visible even when I'm not in a human shape.' Smiling he jumped back down to the floor, and headed out the door to find Luna.

'She is supposed to be my assistant. Why do I need an assistant? Why isn't she my partner?' A thought bubbled up. 'I hope this is nothing like Joshu said some worlds do. When they send an ambassador off to a planet of a totally different race, they send an assistant of the opposite gender with them. The assistant doesn't need to know anything, except how to relieve stress, and how to keep the ambassador happy. I don't want that! Well she is cute, but... I want her to be a partner, to be helpful.'

He search lead him to the observation deck. She, too, was back in her Maun shape, laying down , and staring out the window in the direction of home. He walked over and looked out the window. He had stayed here and watch his home fade from sight earlier. He looked back down at Luna, and then curled up off to the side. "Hi."

Her blue eyes flickered over to him, and then she shifted so that her back was to him.

Taking a moment to wash his paw, Artemis continued. "So, do you not want to be an ambassador, or do you not want to go to the Moon Kingdom?"

Luna looked over her shoulder at him. "Ambassador assistant. And I don't want to go that far from home! I graduated top of my class, excellence in everything! And I'm here because I took one semester of the Solar system's language and passed." She jerked her head around and started bathing her front paws.

Artemis sat contemplating her back for a moment. 'She obviously doesn't want to be my assistant. Would she be okay as my partner? I wonder if we could pull that off. Do they know how many ambassadors are coming from Mau?' He pondered a moment longer before reaching a decision. 'I have to live with her, or at least work with her for the next couple of years, and if she did graduate top of her class, she deserves far more than this.'

Getting up he walked around her until he was facing her. "You graduated top of your class, too?" When Luna nodded he continued. Looking right at the emblem, the crescent on her forehead, he spoke. "Then your greater than an assistant, and that symbol shows it. The ambassador symbol will only show up on the forehead of an ambassador, not his assistant, nor anyone else in his party."

Luna's eyes widened. "There is a crescent on my forehead?"

Artemis nodded. "Just like mine." He watched while his words sank in. Luna sat up straighter, and she looked a little more dignified."So, Ambassador Luna, do you want to go read the large file of information in my room, or see what surprises they left in yours?"

Luna looked pleased at the title. "I've already checked mine. They left me nothing. So ,I guess we should study what was left for you."

As they trotted into his room, Artemis noticed that the room was designed for a humanoid, not a Maun. Sighing, he looked over to Luna. "I guess we should get used to our other shape during this trip. An old friend told me once that people react better to a familiar shape. If we want them to treat us with respect, we are going to have to look like them. I also think we need to practice the language. So lets try speaking it exclusively for a while."

Luna wrinkled her nose, but nodded in agreement. After shifting forms, they settled down to look through the documentation.

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The trip was longer and harder than Artemis had anticipated. Luna's command of the language was coming along rapidly, but he didn't think she was ready for a formal introduction yet. And from what he was hearing, they were going to have a formal welcoming.

As the ship docked, the two ambassadors looked at each other nervously. Artemis was worried that they would not accept Luna as an ambassador. If they denounced her, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. But, he knew she was certainly far greater than an assistant. Carefully they walked off the ship, and Artemis was glad that they were not immediately greeted. They had a few moments to compose themselves on the trip to the palace. Once there, they were escorted into a long hall. At the end of the hall stood the Queen, her daughter, and different members of her court.

Walking carefully, they crossed the distance between them. When they were almost there, Artemis scanned the faces of the court, and stopped for a split second. There next to the princess was Joshu. He was sure of it. He continued walking. 'Joshu can't be here! He was going to Venus. That is the second planet in this system. This is the moon of the third planet.' He discreetly peered closer, and realized it was a girl who looked like his friend.

Once they reached the Queen, they were formally introduced. They herald called their names loud and clear.

"Your majesty. These are the ambassadors from the planet Mau, Ambassador Artemis and Ambassador Luna."

Making sure to bow properly, Artemis held his breath. He waited for someone to say there was only one ambassador from Mau, not two. But it never happened. Instead the queen's soft voice greeted them.

"Welcome. Let me introduce my daughter and her entourage." She gestured towards a girl that looked remarkable like her. "This is my daughter, Princess Serenity. Next to her is the Princess of Mars, then Jupiter, and then Mercury. On the other side of her is the Princess of Venus." She smiled at them. "I'm sure you will have plenty of time to meet every one later this evening. Why don't you take this afternoon and get settled in?" She gestured to the herald. "Show them to their suites so they can rest."

Artemis took one last look at the Princess of Venus before he followed the herald. 'That is why she looks like Joshu. She is his niece.'

When they entered their suite, Luna and Artemis stared. It was designed for a citizen of Mau to live in comfortably. Pleased, they transformed back into their normal forms, and went to settle in.