Animal Nature
"We're surrounded."
"Mommy, I'm scared."
"Oh, won't a handsome and brave hero save us?"
These and other cries of fear were heard as the panicked citizens huddled ever closer together. On all sides, grey men moved ever closer. They were human in shape, but their frozen faces and jerky movements gave them an otherworldly quality. All evening the grey beasts had stalked their human prey and herded them to this spot. Now all seemed lost as they moved in for the kill.
"Freeze you clay demons!" a deep and authoritative voice called out.
Humans and creatures alike all stopped and looked up to see Sailor Moon standing on a nearby roof. With perfect confidence and grace, the sailor suited hero launched into a flying kick. His foot hit the nearest beast squarely in the chest, causing it to shatter into lifeless fragments. Sailor Moon smirked as its compatriots began to slink backwards in fear.
"I don't think so" Sailor Moon said before hurling himself at another monster. His punch landed again in the center of the chest with the same result. In a flurry of action, he took less than a minute to destroy the entire army of monsters.
The now safe citizens stood in awe for a moment before crowding around their hero with shouts of praise. Sailor Moon accepted their words of adoration while signing autographs and shaking hands. The crowds couldn't get enough of him. Some people wanted pics; he gladly supplied poses from the recent video games and anime about him. The praise continued as people kept coming back to shake hands for a second or even a third time. All in all, it was a typical night for the well-loved guardian of justice.
A sudden scream cut through the jubilant aura. Kaemon opened his eyes and sat up in bed as a second scream reached his ears. He was momentarily annoyed at being awakened from such a wonderful dream when he realized that the cries were coming from his little brother's room.
He stumbled a little as he jumped out of bed and nearly crashed into his panicked parents in the corridor. "Kaemon" his mother asked, "what's going on?"
"I don't know, but Shingo is having a fit!"
Wasting no more time on questions, the family rushed to Shingo's room and burst through the door. The boy was huddled in a corner of his bed in a state of abject terror. At the other end of the bed, looking almost as frightened as Shingo, stood a black cat.
"Luna?!" Kaemon exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing here?"
"You know this beast?" Shingo asked "You brought it into the house? You know how I feel about cats!"
"Yeah, of course I know."
"And yet you've let one into the house?" he asked accusingly.
"I did not!"
"Everybody, please just take a deep breath" Kenji Tsukino said in a firm voice "Kaemon, will you please get that cat off Shingo's bed. Shingo, please try to calm down."
Kaemon scooped Luna somewhat roughly into his arms while Ikuko sat down next to her younger son. "Exactly what happened?" she asked
Shingo took another calming breath and said "I was sleeping soundly when I felt something moving close to me. I opened my eyes and found that thing inches from my face. I barely got away before it mauled me."
"Well, you're alright now" she said soothingly.
Kenji turned to Kaemon and said "Now it's your turn. Will you please explain why you apparently have been keeping a cat in secret when you know the family policy on pets?"
"I haven't. She's been hanging around the house a lot but she's not mine."
"She certainly seems comfortable with you" Kenji remarked as he looked at how calmly Luna sat in Kaemon's arms.
"I've…played with her a bit. She's harmless really…mostly." Shingo glanced up sharply at this final word and Kaemon quickly added "I didn't let her in. Someone must have left a window open."
"A likely story…I bet you were trying to let it kill me."
"Shingo, that is not helping" Kenji said "Kaemon, will you please take that cat out of here?"
"Take it outside and make sure it doesn't come back!" Shingo added
"Your father is right" Ikuko said "That isn't helpful. Just try to sleep, we won't let anything get you tonight."
"Yes" Kenji added "We all need to get some sleep and then we will calmly continue this discussion in the morning.
Shingo got back under the covers with one or two more mean glances at his brother. The family turned the light off and went their separate ways. Kaemon walked back to his room and shut the door. Luna jumped onto the low table in the center of the room and said "What on earth is his problem? He almost gave me a heart attack."
"You probably did the same to him. I guess I never mentioned Shingo's phobia of cats."
"Why on earth is he afraid of cats?"
"When he was very small, a cat scratched him badly. He's been afraid of them ever since."
"That's certainly unfortunate as I need to be near you to train you and guide you on your mission as Sailor Moon."
"Oh dear, I guess it's not going to work out after all. You'll need to find another hero."
"Ha ha very funny. You know perfectly well that you can't back out now."
"Yeah, I know…" he picked up a golden pendant from the top of his dresser. He remembered the three times now he'd faced off against monsters who were bent on stealing human energy. "Nao and the others keep getting themselves into danger…I can't just abandon them."
"Good man!" Luna beamed "Now" she said in a more thoughtful tone "what do we do about the Shingo problem?"
"It was only a problem because you went into his room." Kaemon set the pendant down and sat on the bed to face Luna. "What's up with that?"
"I was familiarizing myself with the house when he found me in his room. As much as I hate to admit it, it does seem that my becoming a family pet could be to our advantage."
"So, you want me to ask my parents to just ignore Shingo's phobia and let me have a pet cat?"
"When you put it that way, it doesn't sound great. Maybe I can help Shingo see how loveable I am." She closed her eyes and twitched her tail in a cute way while softly meowing. Kaemon's expression didn't change.
"If you like but proceed at your own risk" Kaemon yawned. "I need sleep. You can stay if you want but please don't leave this room."
"Of course not. Good night, Kaemon."
"Good night, Luna."
It was the middle of the night, and the Smart Tech offices were nearly empty. Only the security guards roamed the halls at this hour, but they weren't roaming now. In fact, the guards were all fast asleep in their office. One was slumped near a monitor clearly displaying someone working late, but this was no employee.
Jadeite sat at one of the largest and most powerful computers typing fervently. As lines of code filled the screen, his eyes glowed with an eerie light. He smiled to himself as he contemplated his latest plan. It was pure genius if he did say so himself.
Suddenly, a little box appeared on the screen. Jadeite's smile faltered as he read the words "ZoiChan wants to chat." He rolled his eyes and clicked the accept button.
Hi there J-Dite!
Are these screennames necessary? Jadeite typed back
I believe, if you're going to do something, you do it properly
Whatever. What do you want?
No need to be rude. I'm just checking in and seeing how the plan is going. Is my program helping?
Yes. I must admit that it is speeding up the process. Just remember though, this is my plan.
There's no need to be like that, J-Dite. We're on the same side
Yes, but you're not the one with King Beryl breathing down your neck for results
Oh, I totally get it. That's why I offered my help in the first place
I do thank you for that.
Yay!
Anyway, the plan is going smoothly. I'm just about done with the tedious part and then the fun can begin
Excellent! I'll leave you to it. Catch ya later!
Jadeite signed off and returned to his coding with vigor. Soon, his smile was back in place, and he was chuckling merrily to himself.
Breakfast at the Tsukino residence started as a quiet affair. Everyone was still a little sleepy due to their interrupted night. Kaemon gave an enormous yawn as his mother served breakfast.
"My goodness, I almost saw your tonsils on that one."
"Ha Ha…this is why I like to sleep in as much as I can."
"Well, I appreciate your efforts these days to be on time in the morning" She gave her eldest an affection hair ruffle before taking her own place at the table.
Shingo gave his older brother an odd look. "You are being a little better behaved these days. Why is that?"
"Can't it simply be that I'm growing as a person?"
"No" Kaemon shot Shingo a dirty look, but the younger brother plowed on "I bet you're trying to butter Mom and Dad up so you can keep that stupid cat. Well, it won't work! I won't live with a cat!"
"Shingo, that's enough" their father said from across the table "Please calm down everyone."
"Well, it does make sense" Shingo said, "He's been trying to soften you up while he kept that cat in his room."
"She doesn't live in my room" Kaemon shot back
"Do you want her to?" Shingo asked. The whole family turned to look at Kaemon as he considered his answer.
"Well…" he slowly began "I want to say upfront that there is no scheme, like Shingo seems to think. However, I have grown kind of close to Luna and a pet would be nice."
"Nice?" Shingo replied, "Respecting the traumas of others, that's what's nice."
"Be quiet just a moment, Shingo" Mr. Tsukino ordered. He considered in silence for a moment before exchanging a few whispered words with his wife. He turned to Kaemon. "If this were to happen" he held a hand up to silence Shingo "Would you be willing to take all the responsibilities of owning a cat? Would you feed her, clean out her litter box, see that's she's healthy, all of it?"
"Yes, Dad, I would."
"Ha. A flake like you?"
"Shingo, I asked for quiet."
"But Dad, you can't be considering this!"
"We personally don't see anything wrong with this" Mrs. Tsukino said as her husband nodded. "We do understand how you feel, but Kaemon already knew about your feelings. I don't mean to say he's disregarding them; I'm pointing out that he's already vouched that Luna is a well-behaved cat."
"In short" Mr. Tsukino said "We are leaving this decision up to the two of you. If you can reach an agreement, then Kaemon will have a pet and will be expected to take full responsibility. If you can't reach an agreement, then I assume the result is obvious."
"Yes sir" Kaemon said with a bow and a serious tone.
"Well, here's the only thing I can agree to" Shingo said as he stood up from the table and grabbed his school bag. "No cats! And that's final!"
Shingo ran from the room before his family could respond. He stopped to put his shoes on, but something caught the corner of his eye. Shingo turned and noticed Luna sitting innocently on the stairs. He screamed so loudly that dust fell from the ceiling, and he tripped over his own school bag.
"It's" (Luna bristled indignantly at this word but no one noticed) "been in the house the entire time!"
"I didn't want to just toss her out last night, so she slept in my room" Kaemon said, "The door was firmly shut all night."
"Grrr…I hate you, Kaemon!"
His family all gasped, and Kaemon looked hurt, as Shingo gathered his things and ran out the door. The boy sprinted through the gate and made a beeline for his school. His thoughts were a jumble. How could they all turn on him like this?
He was so distracted and angry, that it was a complete surprise when he slammed into someone near the elementary school gates. "Hey watch it…oh! Hi, Mika."
Shingo's face turned deep red from embarrassment and affection. He had bumped right into Mika Kayama; the prettiest and nicest girl in his grade. She had been Shingo's friend for some time, but he personally wouldn't have minded a deeper relationship.
"Oh no, are you alright?" Mika asked as they helped each other to their feet.
"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm totally sorry for running into you. Are you hurt?"
"I'm ok, just a little surprised. Why were you running so quickly?"
"Uh…I was upset at my family. My jerk brother wants a cat. I hate cats."
"I think you've mentioned that before. Why don't you like cats?"
"Well, er, it's a long story. The point is that my family is ganging up on me and totally ignoring me in this decision."
"I'm sorry. That's not right at all."
"No, it isn't."
Mika's face lit up and she pulled her cell phone out of her bag. "I think I know a cat you'd like."
"I doubt it."
"Just a moment" she said as she touched the screen a few times. She smiled and said, "Look at this."
Shingo looked at her screen and shivered slightly. A very cute, chibi style creature that resembled a black cat was rolling around on a virtual cushion. It stopped; a thought bubble containing a fish appeared above its head and it meowed up at them.
"Isn't that cute? She's hungry. Here you go, Neko-chan."
She selected a food icon and Neko-chan did a happy flip while the thought bubbled was replaced with a heart. The digital kitty began to eat, and Mika giggled.
"Is this an app?"
"Yes, it's called Digi Pets. It was suggested to me by the app store first thing this morning and I checked it out right away. It's amazing. You answer some questions, and it generates a pet for you. No expense, no mess, just a virtual friend to love and play with. The program is supposed to somehow generate the perfect pet for each user. Based on Neko-chan, I think it works."
"Huh…" Shingo was watching the cat still. Apart from his initial reaction, he didn't feel afraid. Possibly because it couldn't hurt him in any way, and, he had to admit, it was adorable. "Interesting."
"I can send you the link if you like."
"Hmm…ok."
The first bell rang, and both children jumped. "Oh dear" Mika said "We need to get to class. There" she said, a few seconds before a chime rang from Shingo's bag "I hope you enjoy your Digi Pet."
"Thanks Mika" Shingo replied before running to the door of the school.
They made it to their desks in the nick of time. Shingo tried to pay attention to the lesson, but his mind kept drifting into other areas. He gently pulled his phone out and sat it on his knee under the desk. He tapped the link for Digi Pets and then hit the download button. He glanced up to see the teacher writing something on the board. Shingo pushed the Digi Pet icon.
A colorful title screen was displayed for a few seconds and music began to play. Shingo panicked as he muted his phone. The teacher, Mr. Minamino, turned around sharply and scanned the room.
"What was that?" he asked.
No one answered. Everyone just looked at him innocently.
"Does someone have a device out in class?"
Again, he was met by polite and silent puzzlement. Shingo was inwardly praying that he wouldn't investigate further. He was relieved when the teacher simply turned around and resumed his writing on the board. Shingo glanced around the room in relief. His eyes briefly met Mika's, but she merely gave him a nervous smile. He quickly smiled back and then looked at his phone again.
An animated boy of about ten was smiling up at Shingo from the screen. He had wild brown hair and khaki safari clothes. He was standing there with a word bubble that said "Hi! Welcome to Digi Pets!" At the bottom of the screen a continue button was lightly flashing. Shingo glanced up to ensure that his teacher was absorbed in the less and he clicked it.
The smiling mascot waved, and a series of word bubbles flashed above him (Shingo was grateful that he didn't need the sound for this part.) "Hi" the mascot silently exclaimed "I'm Tai, the Pet Guy. Nice to meet you! I'll be your guide to the world of Digi Pets. What's your name?"
Shingo was about to start typing but he heard a cough next to him. He glanced to his left and saw his friend Kyuusuke fake coughing with his eyes darting to the front of the room. Shingo looked forward; Mr. Minamino was starting to pace the aisles as he lectured. Kyuusuke quickly stopped coughing as Shingo stowed his phone in the nick of time.
"Are you paying attention boys?"
"Yes Sensei" Kyuusuke and Shingo chorused.
"Good"
He continued his lecture. The boys glanced at each other. Kyuusuke winked, both boys grinned and silently giggled.
The rest of the morning passed slowly for Shingo. He wanted to continue playing with the new app, but his phone remained in his bag, safely out of sight of teachers. He was surprised to see Mika risking a teacher's wrath by checking her phone once or twice. She was a model student who never broke classroom rules without a good reason. Shingo could only conclude that she was simply that interested in the Digi Pets app.
His desire to explore the app increased exponentially. He smiled to himself as he imagined himself and Mika bonding over Digi Pets. He was so wrapped up in his daydreams that he had to be told the bell for lunch had just rung.
"Uh, oh, thanks Kyuusuke."
"It's not like you to have to be told it's time to eat. Hey, wanna eat quick and see if the guys want to play soccer?"
"Ummm…not today. I have something I want to check out."
As they were heading out into the school yard with the other kids, Shingo had already taken his phone out. He fired the app back up and Kyuusuke peered at the screen.
"What's that? Is it a game?"
"It's a digital pet app. Mika showed it to me."
"Ooooh" Kyuusuke grinned and threw an arm around Shingo's shoulders. "It seems our little Shingo is growing up. He's chasing the ladies now."
"Get off me!" Shingo said as he squirmed free. "It's not like that at all."
"Ok, if you say so" Kyuusuke said, still grinning. He turned and ran to join some other boys. Shingo made an angry face at his retreating friend and then sat down under a tree with his lunchbox. Phone in one hand and chopsticks in the other, Shingo booted up Digi Pets again.
"Hello again!" Tai the Pet Guy waved at Shingo from the screen. "Ready to meet your new Digi Pet? It'll change your life."
Shingo thought that was laying it on a bit thick, but he couldn't help but smile at Tai's enthusiasm.
"What's your name?" Shingo typed for a moment and then Tai continued "Great to meet you Shingo! If you tell me a little bit more about yourself, I'll find a Digi Pet for you."
For the next few minutes Shingo filled in all the information Tai kept asking for. The animated guide gave a thumbs up and said "You're a cool guy, Shingo. I think you'll have lots of fun with this little dude."
Tai clapped and was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. The smoke quickly cleared to reveal a blue chubby rabbit. It twitched its ears and smiled up at Shingo. Then it stood up on its hind legs and did a cartwheel. Shingo laughed.
"I think he likes you, Shingo." Tai said from off screen. "What are you going to name him?"
Shingo paused as a keyboard popped up. He wasn't sure what name would fit. Something generic just wasn't very fun. The blue rabbit kept peeking over the edges of the keyboard as he thought. At one point, it popped up in front of it with a "pay attention to me" expression.
"Out of the way buster." Shingo said, imitating something he'd heard on an old TV show. Shingo's smile suddenly grew wider. As soon as the pet ducked out of the way, he typed in "Buster" and confirmed his choice.
"That's a great name." Tai said, "Buster seems to like it."
Indeed, Buster was hopping in place with a big smile. Shingo laughed out loud.
For the rest of the lunch period, Shingo discovered how to take care of Buster and play with him. He was so absorbed that he jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Aaahh! What, what is it?"
Shingo looked up to see Kyuusuke standing there with Mika not far behind him. "Jeez" Kyuusuke said "You're becoming as spacey as your brother."
"Take that back!" Shingo said in indignation.
Kyuusuke just laughed while Mika said "The bell just rang. We need to get to class."
"Oh no, I didn't hear it." Shingo quickly threw everything in his bag and popped up. "I was enjoying Digi Pets too much."
"Oh, I knew you would!" Mika exclaimed "Will you show me your pet?"
"Later" Kyuusuke said "Class. Remember?"
The trio ran for their desks and only just made it. The rest of the afternoon passed slowly for Shingo. His hand kept twitching for his phone. Buster was so cute and energetic; Shingo really wanted to play with him some more. As soon as the period ended, the app was already up, and Shingo was feeding Buster some carrots. Across the room, Mika was doing the same thing with her pet. Kyuusuke was glancing between them in bewilderment. Knowing that it would be another few minutes before the next lesson, Kyuusuke pulled out his own phone and searched Digi Pets in his app store.
That evening Kaemon was sitting on the couch with papers and notebooks spread all over the coffee table. He was chewing the end of his pencil in frustration while Shingo was curled up in an armchair, phone in hand. Shingo twitched every time his brother made an annoying sound, which was becoming more frequent. He just wanted to enjoy his new digital pet.
"Arrrgh!" Kaemon exclaimed, as he snapped his pencil in half. "I hate this!"
"Hey, what's going on?" Kenji poked his head into the room and observed his sons. One was looking in surprise at the two halves of his pencil while the younger one was rolling his eyes and sighing.
"Uh, hi dad" Kaemon answered, "I'm just trying to tackle some homework."
"It sounds like it's tackling you. Here, maybe I can help."
Kenji sat down on the couch and observed the messy pile of notes and papers. He struggled to maintain a neutral expression as he observed the disorganization and sloppy handwriting. "Ok, so what are you working on?"
"English. It's my absolute worst subject. Why can't everyone in the world just speak Japanese?"
Kenji laughed and said, "That would be nice, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, it would."
"Kaemon would still find a way to fail even then" Shingo muttered.
"Shingo! That's not very nice." Kenji admonished while Kaemon glared daggers at his sibling.
"I'm not wrong though. He's a major screwup and everyone knows it. What a worthless big brother!"
"Shingo!" Kaemon gasped. He blinked several times as he felt tears forming.
Kenji stood up and approached Shingo. "That's very uncalled for. You owe your brother an apology."
"Why?" Shingo glanced up with an unfeeling expression. "Telling the truth is a crime now?"
"Shingo" Kenji asked in a softer voice "Is something bothering you? I know you two bicker a lot, but this isn't like you?"
"Is there a problem?" Ikuko asked as she joined the family in the sitting room.
"I'm fine" Shingo said. He turned and said "Kaemon, I apologize if I was too harsh."
"Thank you" Kaemon said with a slight sniffle.
Shingo put his face in his hands to hide his frustration. Why did he have to have such a crybaby for a brother.
"You still haven't answered my question" Kenji prompted "Is something the matter?"
"No, I don't think so."
Ikuko asked "Are you still upset over Kaemon asking for a cat?"
Shingo's eye twitched but he said nothing. He gasped as his phone beeped at him. "Oh no, I have a low battery! I need my charger!"
He jumped up and tried to run for the stairs, but Kenji stopped him. "Hold it, young man. We're not finished here. Your phone can wait."
"No, it can't! Buster needs food soon."
"Buster?" The rest of the family exclaimed in confusion.
"He's my new Digi Pet" Shingo answered. "He's much better than a dumb cat" he said with a glance at Kaemon. Kaemon turned red.
"Luna isn't dumb! You're dumb!"
"Boys, stop it!" Ikuko demanded. "Please don't fight."
Kenji nodded and added "Yes, that's not going to solve anything. I think we all need to cool down. Why don't the two of you go to your rooms for a little while."
"You're punishing us?" Kaemon wailed.
"I didn't do anything!" Shingo shouted.
"It's not a punishment!" Kenji cut in. "It's just a time out for the whole family. We'll discuss this again later when everyone is calm."
Shingo was already halfway up the stairs. "Come on, Buster. We'll be happier up in our room anyway."
Kaemon hurried out of the room as well. Both parents noticed that he had left his school things behind. They sighed but decided to let it go for the moment.
"What happened in here, dear?" Ikuko asked.
"I was going to help Kaemon with his homework…"
"I hope you prayed for strength first" his wife joked. "That boy is not the world's best student."
He didn't laugh. "Ikuko, Shingo was saying similar things, only he was kind of vicious."
"Oh my. Well, they have always had a somewhat volatile relationship. They truly do love each other though."
"Yes, I know. I'm glad about that." Kenji took his glasses off and began to clean them. "Dear, have you heard of a Digi Pet?"
"No, not at all. Shingo, did mention one earlier, come to think of it."
"Hmmmm" he put his glasses back on. "I don't like how he freaked out about his phone. We might have to keep an eye on this."
"Oh Kenji, your magazine is making you cynical. Kids obsess about games all the time. Then they move on to the next fad."
"I'm sure you're right." He glanced down at the coffee table. "Do you want to remind him that his homework still isn't done or should I?" He looked up to see his wife quickly leaving the room. "Ikuko, that's not funny!"
"Yes, it is." She laughed and soon he was laughing too.
A few days later, Shingo was again struggling to pay attention in class. Being away from Buster was sheer torture. He wasn't the only jittery student either; roughly half of the class was twitchy and inattentive. Some even had their phones out with varying degrees of subtly.
Kyuusuke suddenly leapt out of his chair, bouncing and grinning like a monkey.
"Sarashina!" Mr. Minamino exclaimed in indignation "What is the meaning of this?"
Kyuusuke froze in place and blinked several times. The class laughed and Kyuusuke turned red.
"Well, Mr. Sarashina, I'm waiting for an explanation."
"I, uh, I really need to go to the bathroom. May I have the hall pass?"
The class laughed again, and Mr. Minamino was momentarily nonplussed. "Um, yes, of course you may have it." Kyuusuke ran to the front of the room to receive the pass, but Mr. Minamino said, more composed now, "Next time, though, please just raise your hand."
"Yes Sensei. I'm sorry Sensei."
Kyuusuke left the room, and the lesson resumed. After a little while, Shingo noticed that he hadn't come back. Mr. Minamino suddenly looked at the clock and then glanced at the classroom door. Shingo found his hand reaching for his pocket. Maybe just a little Digi Pet time…
Mr. Minamino again glanced at the door and back at the clock. The lesson was almost over, so he decided to let it go. He made a mental note to speak to Kyuusuke later though.
The bell rang and it was time for lunch. Mr. Minamino made for the classroom door, but he noticed that phones and tablets were being retrieved, not lunchboxes. He shook his head and left the classroom.
"Finally!" Mika cried out. "Poor Neko-chan, I'm here now."
At the front of the room, a studious boy named Sarano was talking to an owl themed pet. "Archimedes, forgive me for neglecting you."
"Sarano, you too?" A girl next to him was starting in surprise. "I thought you always said internet games distracted you from studying."
"Not this one. Archimedes helps me study…sometimes. Sometimes I just like looking at how cute he is."
"Helps you study?" she said in amazement. "Wow. Is Digi Pets really that…"
"Please excuse us" Sarano said with an unexpectedly hard tone. "I'm playing with my pet now."
"Oh…I'm sorry."
She glanced around. Most of the class was either playing with their Digi Pets or looking over the shoulders of students with Digi Pets.
"Thank goodness it's the weekend tomorrow" Shingo was muttering. "I can be with Buster all day long."
The classroom door slid open again. Mr. Minamino entered, dragging Kyuusuke by the arm.
"You can't take my phone! I need it!"
"Don't raise your voice to me. I thought maybe you were ill, so I checked on you in the bathroom, but I found you playing on this silly game."
"It's not silly!"
"How dare you raise your voice to a teacher! This is very serious…"
He trailed off as he noticed his class and all the kids playing with their various devices. They looked obsessed, Sarano was drooling as he played with his pet.
"See?" Kyuusuke said "I'm not the only one."
"What…is this?"
"It's Digi Pets, and it's awesome, and can I please have my phone back?"
"The proper grammar is "may I have my phone back."
"Well, may I?" Kyuusuke spoke quickly, sounding anxious now.
"I…I suppose. This time I'll be lenient…"
"Thank you, Sensei!" Kyuusuke rapidly replied as he snatched his phone and ran to his desk. After a minute of tapping, Kyuusuke grinned and began laughing in a very monkey like way. "Oh, Wukong, you're the best!"
Mr. Minamino stared at his students for a moment longer before backing out of the classroom. He quickly made his way to the staff room and discovered other teachers discussing this Digi Pet thing.
"What is going on?" he asked himself quietly.
"Home at last!" Kaemon declared as he breezed through the front door and kicked his shoes off. "Now for an after-school snack. Mom's text said she'd be out this evening, so cookies and pie, here I come!"
Kaemon smiled and skipped his way to the kitchen. He froze on one foot in the doorway. Shingo was crouched in front of an open refrigerator with his phone in one hand and a carrot in the other. His bloodshot eyes were glued to the screen while he rapidly nibbled the carrot like a rabbit in a cartoon.
"Eh" Kaemon cautiously started "What's up, Shingo?"
Shingo didn't respond. He kept nibbling while using his thumb to enter commands on his phone. A youthful voice came out of the speaker saying "That's a good boy, Shingo. Eat it all up now."
Kaemon felt a shiver go down his spine. This was downright creepy. He was starting to fear that this was deeper than just a phone app craze.
"Ok Shingo" he said as he crossed the room. "I know I'm not usually the voice of reason, but I think you've had enough screentime."
He grabbed his little brother's phone and finally got a reaction out of the boy. Shingo glared up at Kaemon and snapped "Let go! It's mine!"
"Can't do that, kid"
Kaemon gave the phone a hard yank, and it was released from Shingo's grip. Kaemon had just enough time to see an annoyed boy with googles on the screen before he was distracted by a piercing pain.
"Ouch!" Kaemon screamed. He looked down in shock and horror to see Shingo's teeth clamped onto his free hand. Kaemon dropped the phone as his brain struggled to catch up to these events. Shingo caught the device before it hit the ground. He bolted from the kitchen and could be heard racing up the stairs.
Kaemon stared blankly at his arm for another second before crying out again "Ouch! I'm bleeding!"
He ran to the kitchen sink and put his wound under the running water. His already misty eyes released tears as the bite stung. "Owie ow ow! I am going to kill that kid!"
"He's not the one to attack" Kaemon turned and found Luna on the floor behind him.
"He bit me, Luna! Shingo actually bit me. All over a stupid phone."
"I know. I saw the whole thing. I suspect Shingo is a victim of the Dark Kingdom. Just like your classmates, as well as the gym patrons."
"What?" Kaemon's anger turned into concern. Slightly blinded by his tears, Kaemon fumbled as he opened a kitchen drawer to retrieve some bandages. He rapidly rubbed his eyes and turned to face Luna as he finished tending to the bite. "Those monster guys have him under a spell?"
"It would account for all the evidence of the last few days. I've been monitoring the situation, and according to the media your brother isn't the only one showing negative personality changes."
"An evil phone app. That's just messed up! We definitely have to get that phone away from him!"
"We need to do more than that, Kaemon. Anyone can download a phone app; they are designed to be used by the masses. Thousands of children could be affected across Tokyo. And that's just a conservative estimate. We must cut this off at the source right now by infiltrating Smart Tech and shutting this app down!"
Kaemon's eyes were as big as saucers. He rubbed his face with both hands to clear away his tears as well as to get his mind in gear. "Can we do that?"
"Yes, there is a way. Let's go!"
"Wait a minute." Kaemon paused and Luna looked at him curiously. "We can't leave Shingo alone, not like this."
Before Luna could reply, the human and the cat both heard rapid footsteps on the stairs followed by the front door swinging open.
"Shingo?" Kaemon sprinted out the open front door and looked in all directions. "Shingo? Shingo! Damn it!" Kaemon was shaking with emotion, fresh tears forming in his eyes.
Luna leapt to the wall by the front gate to speak to Kaemon at eye level. "Calm down. You'll need that anger later but right now you can help Shingo best by focusing. I have a strong hunch where he's going, and it ties right into our plan."
With a mighty sniff, Kaemon nodded. One hand clutched his golden transformation pendant like a talisman.
It turned out that the Smart Tech offices were only a bus ride away. Kaemon and Luna were soon disembarking at the bus stop just across the street.
"Ok" Kaemon said as he looked up at the office building. "Now what?"
"Over here. Quickly!" Luna called from a nearby alleyway. Kaemon followed her into the shadows as the crescent moon on her forehead began to glow. It emitted a brilliant flash, and the cat was now holding a pen in her mouth. It was red with a gold pocket clip as well as gold bands around the middle and top. The top band was capped with a pink jewel.
Luna tossed the pen towards Kaemon, who caught it with a confused expression.
"That's the Disguise Pen" Luna explained. "If you say 'Moon Power', that pen will give you a disguise of your choosing."
Kaemon's face lit up. "Awesome! I'm going to have fun with this!"
"That's a tool, not a toy! Right now, we need its power to get inside those offices and carry out our mission."
Sobering up, Kaemon nodded. "Of course." He held the pen above his head and cried out "Moon Power! Turn me into a Smart Tech executive!"
The pink jewel instantly responded, bathing Kaemon in its light. Seconds later the light faded to reveal a tall, mustached man wearing an expensive suit, stylish glasses, and holding a briefcase. An official looking ID badge was clipped to his front pocket.
"Oh wow!" Kaemon said as he looked at and felt himself. "This is weird."
"You look great." Luna said, "Now let's go."
"Wait" Kaemon said with a slight twinkle in his eye. "I doubt they allow cats."
He unlatched the briefcase and placed a protesting Luna inside. "Be quiet. It's just for a little bit."
Kaemon marched swiftly across the street and tried to look calm as he passed through the front doors. He crossed the lobby, glanced at a directory, and stepped into the elevator. He could feel Luna moving nervously inside the case. "We're almost there" Kaemon reassured her.
The doors slid open and Kaemon power walked across the room. He was a little surprised to see the reception desk empty but didn't break stride. Walking down a corridor brought him to an open area with lots of workstations, each with a computer. This room too was empty.
"It's not that late" Kaemon muttered. "Are they closed?"
"Let me out!" Luna cried as the briefcase shook violently. Kaemon complied and she leapt onto a nearby desk, taking deep breaths. "Next time you can ride in an airless box!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. Where is everyone?"
"That's a good question" Luna said as she glanced around. "Something doesn't feel right."
She turned to the computer next to her and jiggled the mouse. The screen lit up and Luna began typing away as fast as her paws could move. Kaemon gazed on with a slack jaw.
"Woah…who knew a cat could be a hacker?"
"There's a lot about me that you don't know." Her eyes narrowed as she continued to click and type. "Everything here looks normal, but it can't be. Wait a minute…what is this?"
The screen went dark and the form of the goggles kid from the app appeared. He whispered "Your heart and soul are mine. You are my pet. You are a servant of the Dark Kingdom. Come gather my pets!"
"Gather?" Kaemon cried as he peered at the screen. "Gather where?"
"Who are you?" a new voice interrupted them. "I thought I had all the employees safely tucked away this evening."
Kaemon spun around, his glasses sliding down his nose. He quickly regained his composure and met the eyes of the military style uniform clad newcomer. "I, um, I'm a regional director!"
"Really Mr. Director?" the newcomer sneered "Is it Bring Your Cat to Work Day?"
Kaemon glanced at Luna. She was peering at the imposing man with narrowed eyes.
The newcomer peered back at her. "That mark…a moon." He turned to Kaemon and said "That would make you…wait, I sense a glamour. Your identity is concealed."
Kaemon smirked. "I guess that puts you at a disadvantage, Mr. Jerkface."
"My name is Jadeite, and the advantage is still mine. Those children are still mine."
"So, you are the one who did this!" Kaemon snarled "That's all I needed to hear. Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"
The disguise shattered in a display of light and red ribbons. Within seconds, Jadeite found himself looking at a very angry Sailor Moon.
"Children love using technology for fun and relaxation. They play games and laugh with their friends. You perverted that! You used cute pets and fun mascots to twist the souls of innocent children, turning them into your pawns. That's unforgiveable! I am Sailor Moon, the Handsome Soldier who fights for Truth and Justice. In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"
"Oh, I'm so afraid" Jadeite mocked "You've foiled my plans a few times now, but this time will be different. If you care about those innocent children so much, then save them! They're right out back."
Jadeite vanished. Kaemon blinked in surprise. "That coward!"
"Look here Sailor Moon!" Luna cried. The computer screen now showed a live feed of a parking garage. The Digi Pet mascot was surrounded by dozens of deranged children. The mascot grinned and beckoned with a finger.
"That must be behind the building" Luna said.
"I'm on my way!" Kaemon shouted
He and Luna raced backdown stairs and emerged near the crowd of children. They were drooling, snarling, and seemed more like animals than children. Shingo was near the front of the crowd, but he was altered. The shadow of an anthropomorphic rabbit cloaked his body.
"Shingo!" Kaemon ran forward but the mascot boy landed between them.
"Hi Sailor Moon! The kids call me Tai, but you can call me Agu."
"Your name is going to be mud if you don't turn those kids back to normal right now!"
"Umm" Agu acted like he was considering this order with mocking gestures "…don't wanna!" The boy laughed as he began to bulk up and change colors. His clothes dissolved revealing an orange scaled beast with sharp claws, fangs, a long tail, and glowing red eyes. The only remnant of his human form was the mop of brown hair.
"Get him my petssss!" Agu hissed in a creepy voice.
Kaemon gasped as an army of animal/child hybrids raced toward him. He thought he recognized Shingo's friend Mika. Her shadowy additions gave her the appearance of a cat girl. Mika leapt at Kaemon with a snarling meow, nails ready for the kill.
Kaemon stumbled out of the way, arms flailing. Suddenly, someone above him grabbed his hands and held them above his head. Kaemon looked up to see Kyuusuke suspended from a monkey's tail that was wrapped around a pipe above them. Mika leapt again with a loud "Meow." Kaemon screamed as her claws raked his torso. The shirt of his magical sailor suit afforded some protection, but he still keenly felt every scratch.
"Get off of me, you little brats!" Kaemon cried more kids bit and clawed at him.
Luna ran up Kaemon's body and leapt at Kyuusuke. The boy gave a simian screech as he and cat fell together onto the other kids. Kaemon extracted himself from the human mass and ran sideways into a clear area.
"Careful hero!" Agu exclaimed "You wouldn't want to hurt these precioussss little kidssss."
"Put a sock in it, Godzilla! It's you I want to hurt!"
Agu grinned and said, "How interesting you ssshould call me that."
The lizard creature jumped nearly to the ceiling. He faced Kaemon as a fireball erupted from his mouth. Kaemon screamed again and jumped back right into the wall.
"Ow! Huh? What's that?" He could feel something moving above him. He looked up as a small girl faded into view. She was clinging to the wall with reptilian features. "A chameleon…of course."
The chameleon girl tackled Kaemon. They rolled to the floor with Kaemon on the bottom. More children swarmed and soon the hero was completely pinned.
"Look out Sailor Moon" Luna's voice rang out. Kaemon blinked up through a gap in the pile of children to see Agu looking back down at him.
"Sssshould I roast you, or sssslice you?" The monster mused as he wiggled his wicked claws.
Kaemon ignored the question and struggled to escape the cackling children. Agu was suddenly distracted as Luna threw herself at the monster's face. Agu stumbled backwards and grabbed the cat with one hand.
"Luna! No!" Kaemon screamed.
Agu was about to rip Luna apart but screeched as a rose embedded itself deeply into the base of his tail. Luna wriggled to freedom as the Masked Rose landed right by Kaemon's head. The kids looked up at this newcomer and backed away as she threateningly twirled a cane over them.
"Get up Sailor Moon!"
"Uh" Kaemon felt his blood surge as he stared up at the curvy warrior standing above him. Luna gave an angry yowl, and he snapped out of it. "Yes! Thank you."
He pushed the still distracted kids off him and quickly stood up. He looked at Agu, who had extracted the rose and was holding it.
"Take thissss, interloper!" Agu breathed a stream of fire onto the flower and tossed the ignited bloom back at Masked Rose.
Knowing the children were still behind her, Masked Rose raised her cape as a shield. The rose struck it, and the flames spread.
"Masked Rose!" Kaemon cried out.
"Don't worry about me. Finish this foul creature quickly." With that she dropped to the concrete floor and rolled to put out the flames.
Kaemon was still hesitating, Agu was racing toward him, claws at the ready. Behind him, most of the children had recovered, and were also pouncing. Acting without thought, Kaemon charged forward and tackled the monster. Agu's eyes grew wide in surprise. Kaemon slammed into him, and they tumbled to the floor. Thinking only of now avoiding the attacks of the children, Kaemon rolled to the side as the zombified youths crushed Agu.
Kaemon was climbing to his wobbly feet, his boomerang in his hand. He held it ready, but one boy with thick glasses separated from the squirming mass and rose into the air. He spread his spectral wings and screeched like an owl. Kaemon gulped and ducked as the boy soared over head.
"Look out kid" Kaemon screamed as the child soared towards a stone column. However, the boy landed gracefully against the side and launched himself for a second round. Kaemon barely moved to the side in time; he felt the boy's fingers brush his face as he flew past.
"Enough!" the hero screamed. He stepped out of the flight path while turning to face Agu again. By this time, the monster was on his feet. "Moon Boomerang Action!"
Agu gasped in fear but leaned to the side just in time. "Missssed! You misssssed me, but my little friend won't missssss you!"
The owl boy was swooping yet again. He slammed into Kaemon, who threw a foot behind himself for balance and, by some miracle, managed to stay on his feet. He wrapped his arms around the kid and held him in a bear hug.
"The thing about boomerangs" Masked Rose called out "Is that they always come back."
Agu turned to face her but screamed as he instead received a face full off golden projectile. Every child in the garage froze like statues as the decapitated Agu crumbled into harmless sand. Kaemon caught the weapon with one hand; stumbling under the weight of the boy in his arms. He gently set the now unconscious child down as the others fell to the floor around them. Kaemon sighed with relief as the spectral animal features faded.
"Oh snap, that was tough."
"Yet you once again stand triumphant." Masked Rose declared with a smile.
Luna approached the caped lady. "You've helped us a few times now but who are you? Can we trust you?"
"I never asked you to trust me, did I? Perhaps we will meet again."
With that she turned on the spot and sped into the shadows.
Luna's expression was momentarily pensive before she turned to face Kaemon. "Great job, Sailor Moon! You saved the children."
"I couldn't have done it without you lovely ladies" he replied with a chuckle. The children twitched and he became serious. "Shingo."
Kaemon closed his eyes and concentrated. His sailor suit dissolved into ribbons of light which quickly reformed into his school uniform. Kaemon rushed to his brother's side and raised him into a half sitting position. Luna smiled as she slipped into the shadows. Shingo awoke to find himself reclining in Kaemon's arms.
"K…Kaemon?"
"Shingo, are you ok?"
"I think so. I…I remember! I wasn't myself. I don't know what was happening to me, but I was doing all kinds of weird things."
"I think it was monster." Kaemon spared a glance at Agu's remains. All around them, the other children were slowly waking up. "When you ran out of the house like that, I followed you here. Sailor Moon and his friends saved us all."
"You followed me all the way here? Really?"
"Of course I did, dummy."
Shingo looked down at Kaemon's bandaged left hand. "That's where I…"
"Forget it!" Kaemon interrupted him. "You were possessed. You were even eating carrots. Yuck!"
Despite his many swirling emotions, Shingo burst out laughing. Kaemon joined in.
"Hey, what's the joke?" a new voice asked. Kyuusuke was now standing nearby with Mika and other classmates of Shingo's.
Shingo gasped and quickly got to his feet. He looked down at the still kneeling Kaemon and said, "Get off me."
Kyuusuke and a few others laughed. However, many of the kids were still looking scared and bewildered. A few called out for their mothers and ran off. As Kaemon stood up, and said "I think it's time we made sure everyone was on their way home."
Late that evening, it was bath time for Kaemon and Shingo. Kaemon had tried to dismiss his scratches and bruises, but Shingo correctly assumed the monster had roughed him up a bit. He shuddered as he scrubbed his big brother's back.
"To think, that you could have been killed if Sailor Moon hadn't shown up."
"I was more worried about you, honestly" Kaemon replied in a low voice. "Your turn, Shingo, turn around."
Shingo was quiet for a moment longer before saying "Kaemon?"
"Yeah what?"
"I've had enough of digital pets for a while. I think I might be ready to try a real one if you still want."
Kaemon gasped and almost dropped the washcloth. "What about your phobia?"
"Somehow, I don't think a cat is going to be that scary anymore. I'm willing to try at least."
"You're the best Shingo!"
"No Kaemon, you're the best."
Kaemon responded by dumping a bucket of water over Shingo's head to rinse him off. The boy blinked and sputtered as Kaemon got in the tub. The older sibling grinned at the younger and soon both were laughing uncontrollably.