Notes: Episode 148, "Shadows of the Great Evil! The Trio is Cornered". Or, "The one with Mamoru's dream mirror."

Episode 148

As a general rule, Makoto never planned her day. She had things she had to do, of course: cook, do dishes, clean her apartment. Everyday chores that were part of her routine, like "get out of bed" and "brush teeth". A loose, open day full of possibilities suited Mako best. Anything could happen!

So to say that she didn't expect to be carrying a kitten in a handbag did not completely sell the appropriate lack of expectation.

But then, Mako was having an odd day.

It started normal enough. She was tending to the plants that filled her apartment. "The Amazon Jungle," Minako called it, always finding it far funnier than she should. Mako thoroughly enjoyed this time with her plants though. She checked them for any spots or changes, removed dead or dying leaves, watered them just enough, and if she sang to them and her voice was just a bit off-key, well, they never seemed to mind. It was a beautiful summer day and the cross-breeze from her open windows made it seem like the plants were waving to her.

"Hello!" Mako said cheerfully to a fern.

"Hello, Makoto-sama!" the plant replied.

As a general rule, Mako was not a screamer. Yell, sure. Maybe roar a bit. A bellow or two. But not scream.

Mako SCREAMED.

Mako screamed a high-pitched noise of pure shock. The watering can flew into the air, upended as it went, bounced off of the wall and landed with a splash directly on Artemis' head.

"Father!" Diana cried, running from behind the plant Mako had unexpectedly been talking with.

Mako blinked without comprehension as Diana tried unsuccessfully to lift the watering can. Artemis joined in, but his head had somehow managed to get well and truly wedged in, and his sopping wet paws weren't giving him much purchase against the slick plastic.

"Makoto-sama!" Diana squeaked, demanding full attention.

The piercing little kitten voice cut through Mako's stunned stupor, and she quickly joined in. A few careful moments later, and Artemis was free. He tried his best to look dignified while wiping water from his eyes.

Mako didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't working, and scrambled to find a topic to fill the uncomfortable void. "Hey! Uh, so! How did you guys get—"

"Window," Artemis said, indicating over his shoulder.

They'd had this conversation before, Mako dimly noted. "Oh. Right."

"Diana wanted to spend the day with you," continued Artemis in a clipped tone that wanted to add "I have no idea why".

"Yes!"

As Mako watched, Diana arched her back into a concave with her adorable tail in the air. She wiggled it and Mako swore she saw a little pink tongue sticking out in concentration. Then Diana leapt.

It was less a leap and more a fully committed tossing of herself in Mako's general direction. It seemed likely that Diana was trying to jump from the windowsill on to Mako's shoulder. It seemed just as likely that she'd either dramatically overestimated her jumping ability or underestimated Mako's height. Either way she was never going to make it, but still gave a cry of joy as she sailed through the air. Mako caught her, barely, and couldn't help smiling at Diana's delighted giggles.

Artemis was already halfway out the window, his swishing tail sending water in every direction. "I have a possible lead on our enemies so I'll leave you to it."

"You want a towel or something?" Mako called after him, but there were only a few unintelligible mutters and he was gone. "I think he's pissed," she said mostly to herself, then flushed as she remembered the kitten in her arms. "Uh! Angry!"

"It will be fine!" Diana insisted as she wriggled out of Mako's arms and began to climb. Little paws with sharp claws jabbed at Mako in uncomfortable places, but finally Diana had conquered Mt. Kino and flopped triumphantly on top of her head. "I did it!"

"You sure did!" Mako agreed. Careful not to move too quickly, she knelt to mop up the puddle of water. "So what brings you here?"

Mako felt Diana shift, and imagined the little cat puffing herself up with pride. "I wish to use my time in the past to better understand every honoured Senshi!"

It was impossible to hear Diana talk about, well, anything really, and not find it adorable. Still, Mako felt the faint fingers of distress trying to crawl into her head. The future – more accurately their limited, dismal view of it – haunted Mako more than she liked to admit. Such a dark, dead place couldn't really be their destiny, could it? Mako told herself again and again that it wasn't, but …

"Are we really that hard to know?" Mako asked, trying her best to sound casual, knowing she was failing.

Diana didn't seem to notice. "Mother insists that everyone is very proper at all times but I do not believe that is true!" Her voice carried a note of offense. "There have been times where things are not proper at all!"

Mako was in the kitchen now and nearly dropped a dish as she suddenly heard Diana's tiny voice whispering directly into her ear. "I have seen Neo-Queen Serenity-sama and Mars-sama sticking their tongues at each other for nearly a minute before Mother insisted I leave the room!"

The indignity of it all was so prominently on display that Mako had to laugh. Whether Diana was upset at seeing the Queen so unqueenly or at being forced to leave when it was getting interesting, Mako didn't know. What she did know, beyond any doubt, was how clearly she could picture the image in her mind, and the comfort it brought. Whatever else might be wrong in the future, if they still had that, there was hope.

"I am going to know the true Senshi while I am here!" Diana vowed. "And today, I will know Makoto-sama!"

It was all Mako could do to keep from snatching Diana and squeezing her in a giant hug. She suspected that might undercut the kitten's earnest declaration, however. Another form of gratitude might be betters suited. "Well let's get started on that," she said. "Are you hungry? I can make fishcakes."

"Fishcakes!" Diana's voice hit a pitch so high Mako almost couldn't hear it. "Jupiter-sama makes them for me all the time! I have missed them so!"

"Well then!" Mako plucked Diana and placed her on the kitchen counter and opened her refrigerator. "What kind of fish do you like best? I've got—"

That was when Mako's communicator began to beep. Immediately she snatched it from the table and flipped it open. "Makoto here. What's the emergency?"

A small, digitized image of Minako appeared in the screen. "Shopping!" she said, in a tinny voice.

All the tension drained out of Mako and she slumped. "Minako-chan, that's not an emergency."

"Mamoru's going too," Minako replied, "so oh yes it is. Get down here! He wants to look for pet fish or something, I don't even know."

"But I kind of have company," Mako began to say, only to jump once again as Diana was suddenly on the table in front of her.

"Shopping!" she exclaimed. "Fish shopping! Oh I should very much like to see this!"

"Good, be here in fifteen, see you soon!" and then Minako was gone before Mako could protest further.

But there was still the issue of Diana. She was gazing at Mako with huge, adoring eyes, and Mako rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "Uh, I don't think they'll let a cat into a fish store."

"I will hide!" Diana leapt from the table to a chair and then onto the floor. She ran across to Mako's purse and batted at it until the magnetic latched released. Without hesitation, she hopped inside, then a moment later her head and front paws stuck out of the top. "I will be very quiet while we experience shopping!"

It wasn't how Mako expected to spend her day. But then hadn't Mako pretty much given up on the idea of having expectations soon after moving to Tokyo?

She carefully picked up her purse and threw the strap over her head. "Okay then. Are you ready?"

Her answer was a muffled but elated cheer, from the tiny talking kitten from the future hiding in her purse.

Yeah, expectations were overrated.