Searching for a Cat (Luna/Artemis) 12/31 late am

[Luna]

Luna padded along quietly through the halls of the palace, carefully avoiding the servants as they prepared for the evening’s events. Although she knew that Usagi and several of the other senshi were busy helping to prepare for the ball as well, there wasn’t really anything that she would be able to help with. Therefore she was now searching for the one person, or rather cat that had been on her mind all morning long.

She couldn’t seem to shake the conversation she had with Usagi earlier that morning out of her head. Artemis did know that she cared for him didn’t he? He had to know, right?

Luna sighed in frustration and continued down the hall in search of him. The palace was large and she wasn’t exactly certain where he might be at the moment, but she was determined to find him. Her steps slowed the moment she finally spotted him and she softly called, “Artemis ...”

[Artemis]

Artemis was walking deep in thought about what Minako had said about Luna needing him. Could that even be possible? Even after most of my fumbling over myself to just impress her. A faint breeze brushed his face and then he heard a soft voice. He stopped and to his surprise the very cat that he was thinking about a few feet in front of him. He gave his sweet mischevious smile as he approached her.

"Good Morning Luna. You are looking as lovely as ever. You look like you are deep in thought about something. Is everythng all right?"

[Luna]

Her heart fluttered when Artemis smiled her way and started to approach her. She would have blushed at his compliment had she been able to do so, but fortunately being a cat especially one with black fur made that rather impossible.

At Artemis’s question, Luna shifted slightly her whiskers twitching nervously. There wasn’t any way that she would tell him what had really been on her mind. She wasn’t ready for anything like that and so she simply said, “I’ve just been thinking about everything going on recently Artemis, so many things.”

Although the subject wasn’t really what she had been thinking about, the moment she mentioned them her previous thoughts were swept away to be replaced by the ones that had been worrying her since they had begun. She glanced over at her companion and added, “So many things Artemis, why is everything changing so suddenly? I mean I know that the future was never written in stone, but who would have thought that Mamoru would turn out to be someone that Usagi hardly knew? We all trusted him and he’s hurt Usagi so very much and then the Shitennou ... how are we going to deal with their reawakening?”

Luna turned her gaze to the floor and murmured, “Things are just so complicated lately and they were already stressful enough just trying to get the new government up and running.”

She wasn’t exactly certain whether Minako had mentioned all of the events to Artemis or not, but then she was frazzled enough not to really realize that he might not have a clue as to what she was referring to.

[Artemis]

Artemis was proud of himself because he could see his compliment touched her. However her questions dashed his hope that she would need him as anything more than a colleague/confidant and friend. He resolved to sulk later and deal with Luna’s worried mind. The subject on Mamoru-san did not surprise him, but the mention of Shitennou caused his mind to shout swear words but he bit his tongue. So he took a breath and put on his advising cap with being his professional self with Luna. The Shitennou subject was going to be the most difficult to discuss.

“Sadly Luna it is the course of being a government. Did you expect everything to be smooth? Usagi-chan has proven to be a strong, diplomatic woman just as I would think all of us knew she could. Life gets difficult Luna there are no short-cuts even though we think we know what we are doing, more times we fumble but that is what makes us stronger. Minako has been through some trying times with me. I acted like the concerned father when what she really needed was a friend. You are doing the best thing you can for Usagi-chan and that is being honest, and caring.
I think Mamoru-san did not mean to come across as a complete stranger. He just never figured she would be in danger. His actions were poorly planned out, whatever they were, but I have no doubt he cared about her safety above all else. I think that wounds can be healed with a shove from fate and a romantic night.” Oh how I wish that could happen for the two of us Luna. I wish I could show you without being a jerk how much you mean to me. It is not meant to be though. She only needs me as a friend, colleague and confidant.

Artemis paused for a few minuets to try to regain his professional composure. He coughed to eliminate the awkward silence that had taken root. The next subject was a semi-dangerous one even though he was not sure why he felt that. Once he got his thoughts together he decided to gather information first and go on from there.

“The Shitennou has returned? Is that what caused the engagement to cease?”

Artemis wanted to do something to ease Luna’s mind. He cursed his lack of answers for his current situation. No, wonder Luna does not love you, because you are useless at times when she needs you the most.

[Luna]

Luna sighed softly, but she nodded in agreement. She knew that Artemis was right, life in the government was never easy ... especially if you were trying to create a world wide government. Usagi would make it through these rough spots as long as they all continued to support her as the friends and confidants that they were. The best she could do for Usagi was to remain there at her side no matter what happened next. “I suppose you are right Artemis ...”

She glared at Artemis the moment he said that Mamoru hadn’t meant to come across as a complete stranger. Perhaps he hadn’t meant it, but that was what happened when you kept such big secrets from the people you care about. She was willing to believe that he might not have meant for any of this to happen, but according to Usagi he hadn’t even attempted to explain why he had done what he did. “I don’t think a romantic night is going to fix this Artemis,” she spat angrily. “He’s been keeping a very big secret from Usagi for ten long years now Artemis and I seriously doubt he would have brought it up now if Rei hadn’t found out about it. You don’t do that to the people you love, not if you expect them to trust you and if you can’t trust someone then you certainly don’t need to be marrying them. He might not have been a traitor, but he certainly came dangerously close to being one.”

Luna simply stared at Artemis in surprise after his last question, all anger flowing away from her as quickly as it had risen. It was then that she remembered that neither Minako, nor Artemis had been in that meeting. It was entirely possible that neither one of them knew about the Shitennou awakening, or even why Usagi had really broken off the engagement in the first place.

She smiled apologetically at him and said, “I’m sorry Artemis ... I didn’t mean to yell at you. I had forgotten that you might not know the whole story.”

Luna glanced around the hall before deciding that this wasn’t the place for a discussion like this one. Usagi had gotten rid of one of the gossipers that morning, but that didn’t mean that there weren’t more hiding around the palace. She leaned closer and whispered, “This isn’t the place for a discussion like this, come on and I’ll fill you in better.”

Luna moved past Artemis, brushing close to him as she did so before heading off to a more private place.

[Artemis]

Artemis reeled when Luna had showed anger at his idea. He still figured wounds could begin to heal if an understanding could be reached. His confidence matched the size of a mouse as he was being scolded.
After his question, he noticed her tone changed. He smiled at her apology but did not blame her for showing anger.
Even though Luna and Usagi-chan were upset with Mamoru-san, he felt sorry for him. Artemis knew all too well how secrets can destroy valuable relationships. Artemis thought if Mamoru-san managed to find a way to reconcile his wrongs as he had done with Minako. Perhaps Usagi and Mamoru could start again as friends and see where fate takes them. When Luna rubbed against him it caused Artemis to blush. That caught his attention; his blush was replaced with a mischievous smile. Oh two can play the flirty game Luna. He walked closely beside Luna and had his tail touch hers. As they were walking he decided to talk about something slightly lighter.

“Your advice helped me Luna when I talked with Minako. Thank you for being honest and consistent. I did not mean to upset you earlier but I am also a guy. I can understand Mamoru-san’s side a bit better; forgiveness is not an easy achievement. Luna it is true we should not hold secrets from those we love but other reasons tend to cloud our judgment. Minako has told me she is to rule until Usagi-chan is of age and she has been named as the heir. When was this decided?”

[Luna]

Artemis was right of course, in fact she had been trying to tell Usagi that very thing earlier. She knew that Mamoru might have had his reasons for keeping his secret, though it didn’t make it any less wrong. He had hurt Usagi and unless Usagi herself forgave him Luna didn’t have any plans to do so and even then she might be reluctant. All thoughts of Mamoru flew out of her mind the moment Artemis walked close to her side, tail touching hers. She couldn’t suppress a small shiver of delight, though she didn’t react other then that. She simply continued on down the hall, until she reached her destination.

As she walked she glanced back at her companion and happily said, “I’m glad that you were able to make up with Minako Artemis, that’s one less thing that I have to worry about. I figured it would work, as for Mamoru ... I don’t know. Regardless of why, he hurt Usagi ... I won’t begin to forgive him until Usagi herself does.”

She halted her steps the moment she heard Artemis ask about Minako being the heir. She hadn’t actually been aware of this, she didn’t know all of Usagi’s business after all. Finally she just shrugged, continuing on her way as she said, “I hadn’t actually heard that yet Artemis but it makes sense. Usagi doesn’t have an heir, nor does she have any way to get one at this time. If anything ever happened to her she would want to ensure Crystal Tokyo’s survival and Minako is the leader of the senshi is she not?”

[Artemis]

Artemis smiled at her enjoyment and understood Luna’s side on the Mamoru-san subject. He was surprised that Luna had not heard that. When he thought about it again, it would make sense that Usagi would decide that but he wondered about Minako’s hopes and dreams. He kept that part to himself as he answered his dear companion.
“Yes it is true and I have no doubt Minako could handle it. When Minako told me that it was a bit of a shocker but it was sensible on Usagi-chan’s part. Is there somewhere specific we are going Luna?”

[Luna]

“Of course she can Artemis, Minako is a strong girl and anyway as long as nothing happens to Usagi it won’t ever matter.”

Luna nodded and added, “Usagi has become very sensible and mature these days. She’s handling being queen very well, I’m very proud of her.”

She flicked her tail uneasily as she remembered everything that had happened earlier that morning. Usagi was handling being a queen very well, but there were things that were starting to get to her. The whole Mamoru/Shitennou thing was very upsetting to her, but also the fact that so many people were out to get her not to mention the ugly crowd of suitors outside the palace grounds this morning. These things were hard on Usagi, but still Luna had faith that everything would turn out ok. Usagi was an exceptional queen and once she put her mind to it she would be able to get past all of these stressful things especially with the help of her friends.

Luna pulled herself out of her thoughts when she heard Artemis ask where they were going and grinned teasingly. “You really do need to learn the palace Artemis, or you are going to become so lost one of these days that no one is going to be able to find you.” She gestured in front of her and said, “I’m going to one of the conference rooms. They should be empty with everyone getting ready for tonight and no one should bother us there.”

[Artemis]

He was glad that Luna agreed and he could tell Usagi had matured quite a bit. However he could detect Luna was worried about something else concerning Usagi-chan. He knew she would not want to disclose her feelings to him until she is ready. He resolved to wait and just be supportive of her.

Artemis caught her tease and replied, “I will take your advice into consideration if you would kindly point out a place where I can get a map or you could teach me the ends and outs.” He added a sugary sweet smile at his second suggestion. When she guided him into the Conference Room it was inviting with the beige colors with a powder blue boarder. Artemis jumped in a chair and it was comfortable to him as he got comfortable. The air got thick with anticipation about the next subject they would discuss.

[Luna]

Luna grinned and happily continued the banter. “I don’t think they’ve made a palace map just yet Artemis, we just learned how to get around by trial and error. Practice makes perfect after all, but you should bring it up to someone ... they might could make one specially for you. As for me, well you know my duties are rather time consuming at times, but perhaps I could schedule you in next week.”

She nudged the door partially shut, taking care not to close it all the way. It certainly wouldn’t do to have them stuck in here, they might never be found until after the festivities were over. Luna then leaped into a nearby chair and prepared to tell Artemis everything that had been going on while he had been away.

Luna kept quiet for a long moment, trying to put her thoughts in order. She stared at the table thoughtfully, ignoring the tense atmosphere as she tried to figure out how best to go about relaying the tale to Artemis. There were certain bits of information that she couldn’t pass on, Artemis really didn’t need to know how Rei had said she had first met Hiroki after all. It was Rei’s business and she had no intention of breaking her confidences in such a manner.

Finally she said, “Two days before you arrived, Rei was visited by a man named Hiroki. He eventually reawakened into Jadeite, obviously causing a lot of concern for Rei. She apparently called for Mamoru, who then proceeded to tell her that he had been keeping the souls of his Shitennou in the form of stones in his possession since the time of the Dark Kingdom. Evidently he has been taking advice from them ever since then, advice from our former enemies. A fact that he neglected to mention to anyone until he was forced to do so.”

Luna paused to give Artemis time to ask questions and to fully comprehend what she had said so far.

[Artemis]

Artemis wished the playful banter could have continued. Even though he knew they would have to deal with the impending Shitennou. He was happy to have stability that touring did not provide. When Luna told him about Rei’s encounter with Jadeite and Mamoru-san’s action he had to catch his breath. Now he understood why both Luna and Minako were tense about the situation. The first concern on his mind was whether these men would try to attack the Senshi again. He still felt sympathy for Mamoru because he had done something similar to Minako. Even though he did not withhold pertinent information but he avoided the situation that needed attention. So many thoughts passed through even the occasional strangling Mamoru and putting bells on each of the girls. Once he finally let the information sink in he finally found his voice to recreate the scene.

“It would seem the drama has become intense which seems to be the case in prosperity. So Rei-chan has come face to face with a Shitennou, and Mamoru-san had to be forced to disclose information. Sounds like a recipe for discord and distrust. I can see why Usagi-chan ended the engagement and Rei would resort to calling Mamoru out. If my suspicions are correct Rei went directly to the Queen and after Rei’s visit. Usagi confronted Mamoru-san that ended up not going well for either side, and the engagement was called off. Do we know if there are any other Shitennou sightings? Have there been any major attacks on the Senshi such as kidnappings or bodily harm? What are your thoughts Luna?”

Artemis needed to know how his companion was dealing with this. He was not thrilled about the development but he can not change what has happened. It was a massive mess and attention needed to be called to this. He would not hesitate to do everything he could to protect the girls but he also had to trust them to have good judgment. He looked in Luna’s eyes and hoped they would figure out something to manage the mess.

[Luna]

Luna waited patiently until Artemis had run out of words before responding. Once again she carefully put her thoughts in order before saying a word, not wanting to miss anything important. Finally she nodded and said, “That’s right Artemis, Rei told Usagi all about it the very day that she found out. Usagi talked to Mamoru afterwards, but instead of explaining why he had decided to do what he did he only wanted to give excuses. He refused to see that he had done anything wrong. Usagi feels like she doesn’t know him, that he’s a stranger to her, and so she called off the engagement.”

She paused momentarily before adding, “I know that both Kunzite and Nephrite have possibly been spotted. Kunzite I saw myself, the man was eerily familiar though at first I wasn’t certain why. I don’t know about Zoisite, I certainly don’t know anything about him but he might have been spotted by now. With the exception of Jadeite, I don’t think they know who they are or were at the moment.”

Luna paused uneasily at the mention of major attacks on the senshi, remembering her conversation with Lucan and Usagi earlier that morning. She was now uncomfortably aware that there were more dangers to the senshi then she had previously thought, but none of that had anything to do with the Shitennou and so she decided to stay quiet about them for the moment. There was no sense in ruining anyone’s festivities today, they could all be brought up to date on everything tomorrow.

“The Shitennou haven’t proven whether they are threats or not, as I said most of them don’t even know that they are Shitennou at this time. Mamoru seems inclined to trust them, but well I’m not sure we can trust him at this moment so I don’t know ...”

[Artemis]

Artemis knew why Luna held animosity against Mamoru-san but the Shitennou had not attacked. He felt a sense of relieve even though he figured it was temporary. Artemis while Luna had recited the tale his look was pensive. He wondered if anything was done since the information was released. So his pensive look changed to a curious one. He looked in Luna’s blue eyes and gave a curious smile.

“What has been done with this information? Has the Senshi talked with their queen about this development? Has there been any discussion with the exception of Rei-chan? What measures have been taken? Has anyone advised the Senshi and their queen?”

Artemis hoped that things are in motion for protection of them. He would not be happy with himself if something were to happen to the Senshi. He had lost track of the days and he felt embarrassed to ask this. “Luna what day is it?”

[Luna]

Luna immediately ignored the fluttering of her heart when Artemis gave her that curious smile and said, “Usagi held a meeting the day after breaking off the engagement to discuss both the fact that she had broken off the engagement and the return of the Shitennou, that was three days ago. Minako missed that meeting and so I’m not certain whether she knows about them or not. You would have to ask her.” She glanced at her companion in annoyance before adding, “Considering the fact that you didn’t know about any of this, who else would have advised Usagi and the senshi other then me? I haven’t had the faintest idea how to go about handling them, after all I’ve already told you that I wasn’t even certain whether they could be trusted or not. Anyway, the senshi have been very capable in knowing how to handle the situation. They aren’t going into anything blindly. Ami set out to discuss things with Mamoru, which she should have already done. I don’t know how that went, but I assume that she would have told the girls what she learned from him. Usagi wants to keep up a professional working relationship with him.”

She hesitated briefly remembering the discussion she and Usagi had the evening before wth Lucan before continuing, “Last night Usagi and I discussed the situation with Lucan, that’s the head of security here. You haven’t met him yet, but you probably should seek him out sometime. He’s a rather interesting fellow, but anyway I’ve gotten off topic. He was especially worried over the fact that Usagi will have to be meeting with Khalid again, the man we assume to be Kunzite. He insists that he and probably myself be there the next time they meet and I agreed with him. He was also bothered about the fact that Iyashii, that would be Jadeite, works in the palace as some sort of computer tech. However, I believe he also intends to watch him closely. Lucan is a professional when it comes to keeping people safe and so I figure he knows what he’s talking about.”

Luna simply stared at Artemis in surprise when he asked what day it was. Finally she said, “Artemis tell me that you have at least noticed some of the preparations for the coming festivities tonight?” She shook her head in mild exasperation and added, “Today is December 31, New Year’s Eve. There is going to be a ball hosted here at the palace tonight.”