Small Lady wrote:

Awww poor Artemis. xD I hope that his plight leads to something good?  Can't wait to read the next segment.

And its ok if you double or triple post when your posting new parts of your story. So no need to stress about it. ^_^

As for Artemis, I can honestly say I don't know. I mean I know one way it can go, and I have an idea for something else, but I haven't given that other idea full evaluation yet.

As far as triple posting, I still don't like doing it. Double posting occasionally is one thing, or multiple strings of posts to cover a large discussion (like an argument or fitting a story in a forum where there is a character limit or something). But to me, it feels like talking at a wall. But I am happy to know it isn't against any forum rules or anything.

Anyway, I've got another set of question for all of my readers. I have been considering posting a copy of this story to fanfiction.net. If I were to do so, I would still update this thread here, as I am still writing this in segments and not necessarily in full chapters.

Which brings me to question one: Chapters. I've written lots of scenes, and multiple strings of scenes. But if I were to post what I have currently (and more later) to fanfiction.net, I would need to organize this into proper chapters.

I am not entirely sure how to group the collection of scenes I have so far. Which bunch of them is chapter 1? Where do I stop chapter 1? Which bunch would be chapter 2, and which would be chapter 3? See what I mean?

So I ask those reading this story, can you offer suggestions on how best to organize the parts of the story I have now?

And in addition, I sort of need help with a name. "Luna and Artemis Story" works fine here, and at the time I posted this I couldn't really give it a name. But if I were to post the current text to fanfiction.net, I think I'd want to give it a better name. My current thought is "The First Days On Earth" but I wasn't 100% sure on that. What do you, my readers, think of that title, and if it doesn't work, could you offer me any alternatives?

Thank you

Hmmm as for titles... i am horrible at making up titles so lol don't even ask me.

Hahah you could ref Star Trek and call it "First Contact". xD Anyway as far as Chapter Break Downs go I think you could easily compile Luna's stuff before Artemis contacts her as Ch. 1 and when Artemis shows up that begins Ch.2. Maybe third chapter could cover Artemis's and Luna's "escape" from their care takers. I'm guessing Luna will be much more hesitant to leave and possibly get Artemis to want to stay with her due to her being well cared for and comfy. She'll probably even suggest the large library be their temporary base of operations as they figure out what to do next.

First Contact is sort of interesting, but I have to admit it doesn't really grab my interest a whole lot, even with the Star Trek reference. Thank you for the suggestion though.

As for the chapter structure, you are probably right that it would be best to encompass all the Artemis stuff I have now into a whole chapter. But as far as he Luna stuff... what I have is a lot, and I need to fix this up for FF. So I was thinking of splitting it so chapter 1 might end with You can call me Luna.

Of course, the question remains as to whether the rest of the Luna related stuff works as a separate chapter. If it doesn't I can still do it all together as chapter 1. I just want to see if I can make the editing and preparation a little easier.

As for your other suggestions, well, I'll keep quiet... but I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.

Hehe, i don't really think First contact fits well either, i was just bein silly. if you split the Luna stuff, maybe combine with some of hte Artemis stuff and have it go back and forth for a while? Or do like flash back sorta thing? Not entirely sure, structure is up to you, but throwing ideas out there. xD

Thanks. I don't think alternating will work though, not with the scenes I have now.

Anyway, it looks like I will be sticking with the title The First Days On Earth. And as far as chapters, I will be splitting the Luna stuff into two chapters, and putting all of the Artemis stuff and that last scene with Luna together as the complete chapter 3.

I am working on uploading now, so I should have it done by today.

Hey everybody. I know, I know, this thread's been gathering dust. (cough cough hack)

I'm sorry that I basically forgot this story. With my other ones, it fell by the wayside, and I really don't like thinking about how long it's been. Anyway, I am going to start working on this again, along with a new, less lengthy story than the Tale of Karkinos. I also had a few new segments of this stored away that I'd played with in between.

Looking them over, I think I'm happy with the first one, so I am going to post it here to hopefully start making up for the delays on this. I am still so so so sorry.

So anyway, here it is, little as it may be:

Story


Please Luna, you have to come and get me, Artemis pleaded.

The two ex-advisors were engaged in another telepathic conversation. It had been a week since their first talk. Luna gave the psychic equivalent of a sigh. You keep saying that Artemis, but you don’t actually tell me the precise circumstances of your problem. If you do I might be able to help you get out of there and come to me.

I… Artemis paused. Why can’t you come to me instead? The response was rather weak. He was avoiding her question, though Luna had no idea why.

I told you before Artemis, the distance between our locations is significant. It would require the use of the Earthling’s mass transit and a long distance walk, the ladder of which I would have to start with. Since you are in the hub of mass transit, you are in a better position to make the journey than me. You can access guaranteed transport in my direction. And it would probably be easier for you to slip on board in a high population zone without trouble than it would be for me.

It was a perfectly logical argument; one Luna had worked out in the interval of their conversation. And besides, Luna had gotten used to the quite of this place, and did not wish to move to such a loud and highly populated city. You tell me you are stuck. I could help you solve your problem, and I want to. But I cannot do that without information Artemis. You need to tell me what your situation is.

I’m trapped with a family of Earthlings!

Luna felt a slight ache in her skull. Why was he being so resistant? More specific than that Artemis.

I… Artemis paused, and an awkward mental silence fell between them. Alright, I’m… oh no, she’s back again! I’ll contact you later when I can.

Before Artemis broke off the whole connection, Luna picked up one last stray thought.

Oh no, not the tutu again!

Luna blinked. “Tutu?” What in the name of the Moon was Artemis in the middle of? Luna shook her head. She’d have to wait until another time. Perking up her ears, she listened for Ayako. She’d been busy sort out deliveries and other chores.

Luna wandered out the room, looking for Ayako. It wasn’t long before she spotted her, just as she was answering the door.

“Hello, how can I-“ said Ayako pleasantly before cutting herself off. A man was standing in the doorway. He was short, but heavyset, though most of it appeared to be muscle, with thick arms and a wide face, and short black hair and brown eyes. He was smirking at Ayako.

“Hey there. Did you miss me?”

And then Luna saw an odd change in Ayako. Her whole body stiffened, and her tone as she spoke her next words was harsher than Luna had ever heard before.

“What do you think you’re doing here Kenta?”

The man shrugged. “I came back into town and thought I’d see how you were doing. I thought maybe I’d see if you wanted to have dinner together.”

Ayako narrowed her eyes at him. “If you think I’m going to get back together with you then you’re sadly mistaken. I told you I didn’t want to see you again. Now get away from my house.”

“Oh come on Ayako, it’s been months. Don’t tell me you’re still upset.” He leaned on the doorframe. “We used to have something didn’t we? I loved you. I never stopped. And you said you loved me too.”

“I thought I loved you, and I thought you loved me. But you didn’t Kenta, not really. You just cared about yourself.”

Kenta groaned. “You’re really still on that again are you? Geez, when are you going to get over it? You always seemed to care more about that stupid thing more than me!”

Ayako free hand balled into a white-knuckled fist. “You know what Kenta? You’re right. But that’s because you never really cared about me. You never understood or thought of my feelings at all, did you?” She knocked him away from the doorframe with her broom. “You better listen to me Kenta. Go away, and don’t come back. There’s nothing here anymore. If you try this again, or if you even touch me, I’ll call the cops. Do you understand me? Now leave!”

Ayako shut the door in his face, ignoring any of his protests. Setting her broom down, she turned around, away from the door. Seeing Luna entering the room, her angry expression softened.

“I hope you didn’t see all of that.” She walked over to Luna and scratched behind her ear. “Don’t worry about him. He’s old news. Now let’s do something fun. I could use a little relaxation.”

Ayako walked off toward her room, and Luna followed close behind.

*********

End of story. Like I said, it's not much I know, but since it seemed complete, I thought it best to put it here. I hope to have more of this done ASAP.

Omg i forgot about this story. xD i'm so glad you are continuing.

Me too. I forgot it too, for all intents and purposes anyway. I didn't ACTUALLY forget it existed, but....well, you get the idea.

Again, so very sorry that I let it slide so long. But I WILL finish it. I don't want it to sit there incomplete.

Hello everyone, and Merry Christmas. Here's the next few scenes of the story. Actually, it includes the last one with alterations. As I was working on the next, I realized I needed to make some changes. But since it's late and I'm feeling a bit lazy, I'm just reposting it rather than editing the previous post. XD

Story

Please Luna, you have to come and get me, Artemis pleaded.

The two ex-advisors were engaged in another telepathic conversation. It had been a week since their first talk. Luna gave the psychic equivalent of a sigh. You keep saying that Artemis, but you don’t actually tell me the precise circumstances of your problem. If you do I might be able to help you get out of there and come to me.

I… Artemis paused. Why can’t you come to me instead? The response was rather weak. He was avoiding her question, though Luna had no idea why.

I told you before Artemis, the distance between our locations is significant. It would require the use of the Earthling’s mass transit and a long distance walk, the ladder of which I would have to start with. Since you are in the hub of mass transit, you are in a better position to make the journey than me. You can access guaranteed transport in my direction. And it would probably be easier for you to slip on board in a high population zone without trouble than it would be for me.

It was a perfectly logical argument; one Luna had worked out in the interval of their conversation. And besides, Luna had gotten used to the quite of this place, and did not wish to move to such a loud and highly populated city. You tell me you are stuck. I could help you solve your problem, and I want to. But I cannot do that without information Artemis. You need to tell me what your situation is.

I’m trapped with a family of Earthlings!

Luna felt a slight ache in her skull. Why was he being so resistant? More specific than that Artemis.

I… Artemis paused, and an awkward mental silence fell between them. Alright, I’m… oh no, she’s back again! I’ll contact you later when I can.

Before Artemis broke off the whole connection, Luna picked up one last stray thought.

Oh no, not the tutu again!

Luna blinked. “Tutu?” What in the name of the Moon was Artemis in the middle of? Luna shook her head. She’d have to wait until another time. Perking up her ears, she listened for Ayako. She’d been busy sort out deliveries and other chores.

Luna wandered out the room, looking for Ayako. It wasn’t long before she spotted her, just as she was answering the door.

“Hello, how can I-“ said Ayako pleasantly before cutting herself off. A man was standing in the doorway. He was short, but heavyset, though most of it appeared to be muscle, with thick arms and a wide face, and short black hair and brown eyes. He was smirking at Ayako.

“Hey there babe. Did you miss me?”

And then Luna saw an odd change in Ayako. Her whole body stiffened, and her tone as she spoke her next words was harsher than Luna had ever heard before.

“What do you think you’re doing here Kenta?”

The man shrugged. “I came back into town and thought I’d see how you were doing. I thought maybe I’d see if you wanted to have dinner together.”

Ayako narrowed her eyes at him. “If you think I’m going to get back together with you then you’re sadly mistaken. I told you I didn’t want to see you again. Now get away from my house.”

“Oh come on Ayako, it’s been months. Don’t tell me you’re still upset.” He leaned on the doorframe. “We used to have something didn’t we? I loved you. I never stopped. And you said you loved me too.”

“I thought I loved you, and I thought you loved me. But you didn’t Kenta, not really. You just cared about yourself.”

Kenta groaned. “You’re really still on that again are you? Geez, when are you going to get over it? You always seemed to care more about that stupid thing more than me!”

Ayako free hand balled into a white-knuckled fist. “You know what Kenta? You’re right. But that’s because you never really cared about me. You never understood or thought of my feelings at all, did you?”

The young man’s eyes just narrowed. “Of course I did babe. And I’ll show you. Now come with me.”

“No,” replied Ayako firmly.

Kenta growled. “Okay, that’s it. You’re coming with me right now.” He reached out and grabbed her hand tightly before pulling her towards him.

Luna took a step forward, but Ayako was faster. When she couldn’t dig her feet in hard enough, she struck Kenta’s hand with the broom handle. This caused him to let go.

“Geez Ayako. Knock it off!” he cried.

She knocked him away from the doorframe with her broom. “You should knock it off Kenta! Now you better listen to me this time. Go away, and don’t come back. There’s nothing here anymore. If you try this again, or if you even touch me again, I’ll call the cops. Do you understand me? Now leave!”

Ayako shut the door in his face, ignoring any of his protests. Outside the young man could be heard screaming “Ayako! Ayako open this stupid door!” The protests continued for a few minutes before being replaced by the sound of stomping feet.

Setting her broom down, Ayako turned around, away from the door. Seeing Luna entering the room, her angry expression softened.

“I hope you didn’t see all of that.” She walked over to Luna and scratched behind her ear. “Don’t worry about him. He’s old news. Now let’s do something fun. I could use a little relaxation.”

Ayako walked off toward her room, and Luna followed close behind.

*********

“Eight, nine, ten…”

Ayako’s room was filled with traces of steam. They had spent part of the evening watching a very entertaining show on TV before Ayako took to her room for a nice hot shower. Still wearing her bathrobe, she’d sat down at her vanity to brush out her hair. After the bibliophile had finished, she invited Luna to sit on her lap for her own round of brushing. 

So here Luna was, sitting there as Ayako stroked her fur. And it felt absolutely divine. She found herself letting out several, perhaps undignified, mews of pleasure at the feel of the bristles going through her coat. When was the last time she let someone brush her fur? She certainly never let the servants at the palace do such a thing for her. The last time had to have been with her mother when Luna was still a kitten on Mau.

 Luna found herself reflexively pulling closer to Ayako. The girl gave a chuckle as she dragged the brush from Luna’s head to the tip of her tail. “I guess you really like being brushed huh? That’s good. I’ve known several cats around here that absolutely hate it.”

Quite the contrary, I could sit here like this all day.

But to Luna’s eminent disappointment, Ayako eventually stopped brushing. “There, done.” Setting down the brush on the vanity, she held Luna up by the arm pits. “You are one very pretty kitty Luna.” Ayako then kissed Luna’s forehead, an act that made Luna turn tomato red. “Mrs. Hamato may be right about you being fit for show. Well, if I knew what your breed was.”

Keeping Luna in her arms, Ayako gave a sigh. “Listen Luna, about that man at the door earlier. That was my ex-boyfriend. He and I didn’t break up on good terms. If you see him around, I want you to stay away from him, you understand? His temper seems to have only gotten worse.”

Luna could already tell from Ayako’s reaction earlier that the pair were most certainly on bad terms. She didn’t need to be told twice to stay away from him, especially if he might be prone to more aggressive behavior. The faint worried edge in Ayako’s voice only served to solidify Luna’s belief that that was the case.

Ayako set herself down on her mattress, but not before putting Luna in her own makeshift bed. “Goodnight Luna,” she said. As Luna drifted off, she made a mental note to look around tomorrow and see if Kenta was in the vicinity of the house. Even if she didn’t seek him out, it was best to make sure that the man wouldn’t try anything stupid or dangerous.

Those were her last thoughts before the world of dreams claimed her.

*********
Ow!

Far away in Tokyo, Artemis too found himself being brushed by his new human acquaintance…

Ouch!

…With much different results.

The Mauian tomcat gritted his teeth as the brush went through his fur again. Emi was pressing so hard he could feel the bristles scraping his skin. If she kept this up his fur would turn pink from abrasions. Then again, she might like that. He suppressed another moan of pain.

“Isn’t brushing fun Miruku?” declared the girl. She sat cross-legged on her bed with him in her lap, one arm wrapped around his torso to keep him from escaping. “I always love it when Mommy brushes my hair. She says it’s a good way to relax. And you need to relax. You seem so antsy.”

Gee, I wonder why…. Artemis grit his teeth as he felt those bristles scrape his skin again, holding back a foul Mauian expletive.

“I wish your fur was longer though. Ooh, maybe that groomer lady near here has something that will make it grow. Then I’d be able to put bows in!”

I’d jump out the window before I’d let you do that. I don’t care if I’d break my legs doing it. Save me some dignity will you.

“Or maybe she can give you tiger stripes. Ooh that would be so pretty!” Emi ran the brush through again, her imagination not slowing her down a bit. “I wish I was a tiger. But my sign is a rat. Or is it a pig? Well I don’t want to be an icky rat or a fat piggy. I want to be a tiger!” Emi bounced a little on her bed, giving Artemis an uncomfortable jolt when her knee hit his stomach.

But before Emi could do anymore, there was a knock at the door. It opened to reveal Emi’s mother, adorned in what was clearly an evening gown, and several pieces of glittering jewelry.

“Emi dear, you’re father and I are going out to our party now. You should be heading to bed.”

“But Mommy, I was brushing Miruku!” protested the eight year old.

“It’s late Emi. You can play with him more in the morning. You need to get to bed. Did you brush your teeth?”

“No Mommy.”

“Then do it now and get to bed sweetheart. Margaret will be here if you need anything, okay?”

“Alright Mommy.”

Emi left the room, shutting the door behind her, and leaving Artemis on the bed. But Artemis chose not to take the opportunity in front of him. He was still too sore from her attempts at brushing him and everything else she’d put him through today. Instead, he savored the softness of the bed and the peace and quiet he’d been given.

There will be more opportunities anyway, he reasoned. He rolled over and let the soft bedding soothe his back. He wished Emi would go out more like her parents did. If she did, he’d have more rest from her constant hyperactive torture, and a better chance of getting out of here.

Really, what was wrong with her? Why did she feel the need to stick around him so much?

It didn’t take the subject of his thoughts long to come back, much to his disappointment. She climbed back onto the bed and drew her blankets back.

“Mommy and Daddy go to so many fancy parties,” said Emi as she pulled her blankets up towards herself. She paused for a moment, before whispering, “I wish I got invited to parties. But nobody ever invites me.”

Her head hit the mass of pillows and she pulled Artemis to her, as she usually did. And as usual, she fell unconscious in record time. But Artemis found sleep harder to come by.

The tone of Emi’s voice, in those last few words, struck a chord in him. It sounded….well quite frankly it sounded out of place coming from the mouth of the normally excitable child.

Curiosity got the better of him. So he closed his eyes and focused, reaching out into Emi’s sleeping mind for answers. He reached into the parts of the parts of the brain he knew controlled long-term memory. It was a simple enough process, simply connect to the memory centers, pose mental questions, and receive answers. In a way, it was just like searching for files on a computer.

He felt Emi’s grip on him tighten. Clearly he was disturbing the dream process. Luna wouldn’t have that sort of problem, he mused. It was true of course. In their time as advisors, there had been a number of less than….honest sorts that had sought Her Majesty’s audience, some of which stayed at the palace for a time.

One particular case came to mind, of a bold (or stupid, depending on how you looked at it) countess who had wanted to purchase a patch of crown-owned land near her disused summer home. Something in her demeanor seemed wrong, and the two advisors discovered she intended to mine it for rare alloys she was going to unofficially sell, even though it would have caused the ground to collapse under a nearby village.

Luna always did the searching. She had a deft telepathic touch, while his own efforts were horribly ungraceful by comparison. Nevertheless, he found what he was looking for. At his question of friends, Emi’s mind came up with….nothing.

He found the faces of school acquaintances, but no one that seemed truly friendly. Along with images came the emotional impressions. Rejection, irritation, hostility, mockery…

Emi groaned in her sleep. Artemis could hear her heart accelerate. When he picked up footsteps in the hallways outside the room, Artemis knew he had to break the connection.

The door creaked open to reveal Margaret. She was no doubt checking on the sleeping girl. As Margaret drew closer to the bed, Artemis pretended to be asleep. He felt something cold hit his ear as Margaret came around to his side.

“Emi, are you alright?” Margaret sounded worried, and Artemis opened one eye to see Margaret taking hold of the girl, and that Emi was crying.

“I…I had a bad dream,” said the now half-awake child, giving a sniffle.

“There there, it’s alright. The dream is gone now. You’re fine” whispered Margaret. It took a few minutes before Emi settled down and the housekeeper set her back to bed. All that time, Artemis lay there, barely moving.

As he settled into proper sleep, he felt an ache in his chest.

*********
End of story

Tell me what you all think. And again, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Well, what's left of them. But you know what I mean. And hey, there's still the rest of the twelve days of Christmas.

AW MAN THAT LOST PART KINDA HIT ME IN THE FEELS. Good job. xD

Hi again. Well, sorry for the delay, but here it is, the last scene of chapter 4. I hope you enjoy it.

Story
The next morning, Luna was left alone while Ayako was at work. The young woman had trusted Luna enough to leave her alone.

Luna took the opportunity to check the house and make sure everything was secure. Walking up to the front door, she closed her eyes, and focused her senses, reaching out beyond the boundaries of the house. She could hear the thoughts of the people outside.

Slowly, Luna sifted through them. She recognized some of the neighbors now. She spread her search out farther, looking for Kenta.

Finally, she found a stray thought, and recognized his voice. There he was, standing across the street under a tree.

Stupid Ayako…she threw me out! I should teach her a lesson.

Luna’s eyes went flat. Well, he was still an unpleasant sort. The rest of his thoughts veered into ideas for revenge ranging from petty to particularly mean spirited.

…And then they changed to plans to visit some sort of bar and visit a woman who, from the mental images that accompanied the thought, was quite poorly attired. The thoughts that followed were rather crass, and Luna shut them out immediately. How Ayako could have ever fallen for him was a mystery, and Luna thanked the great Lunar Goddess that Ayako had changed her mind.

Luna felt a vein begin to throb in her head. This man reminded her so much of the stereotypes that surrounded men on the Moon and Venus, stereotypes many other men were trying to fight against.

She remembered dear Artemis Antonius, and how polite and considerate he was. When he first introduced himself to Serenity, he spoke to her, Luna, and Artemis at length about the literacy gap between the genders, how 30% of boys across the kingdom were functionally illiterate, and the studies he brought to validate the number. 

The difference between him and Kenta was practically a canyon.

Best to try and get him to go away on his own. So Luna reached into his brain and prodded his amygdala with a fear response. Nothing overpowering, but a subtle sense of unease about the house that would make him walk away and stay away, for a while at least.

Some individuals she knew on the Moon would have realized if or when Luna tried something like this. Generally if someone had a strong enough mind, or was a telepath themselves, they would be able to resist. Neptunians most certainly wouldn’t fall for something like this easily, even for someone with Luna’s ESP skills.

But Kenta? Luna snorted. She hadn’t been around him for very long, but from the general impression, she highly doubted he possessed the self-awareness or mental fortitude to even know he was being manipulated.

Luna’s assessment turned out to be correct. Kenta’s thoughts turned uncertain, and she sensed his presence moving away from the neighborhood, out of her range.

Good, that Neanderthal is gone. Now to make sure the house is secure.

She made a loop around the house. The alarm system seemed sufficient enough. It wasn’t like the alarm systems back during the Silver Millennium, but it was perfectly effective for what it had to do. The door was solid as well, along with the lock.

She went through each room, bottom to top, checking every window. All of them had locks on them, and all of those were in good shape.

Everything seems secure. At least there’s no particular opportunities for him to get in.

It was while Luna was on the second floor that she noticed the rope dangling from the ceiling. Hadn’t Ayako mentioned something about an attic?

As unlikely as it was, the attic could still be a point of entry. So Luna hopped up on a file cabinet in the hallway and grabbed at the rope. A wooden folding ladder came down smoothly before touching the hallway floor.

Luna hopped up the stairs into the attic. Everything seemed especially dusty. Ayako must not have gone up here in quite some time.

The attic only had one window, situated from across the room. It was equally coated in dust, filtering the sunlight that came through it. Boxes of all sorts, and an old vanity desk, stood piled under and next to the window.

Luna moved across the filthy floor before hopping up on the vanity before moving to the window sill. The lock was old, and simple in design. It didn’t seem as solid as the other locks, and Luna wasn’t sure if the house alarm was connected to it.

But then again, the lock wasn’t flimsy looking, and it would certainly be difficult for Kenta to access this window in either the day or night time. It was at the front of the house, and he’d need a rather tall ladder. On top of that, the items pushed in front of the window sill would make entry more difficult.

Still, she should sent a telepathic hint to Ayako to make sure the alarm was connected here.

Luna backed away, reading to move on from the attic, when her paw slipped on the dust and grime of the window sill. Suddenly she found herself falling backwards and falling right into a large cardboard box, dust kicking up in her wake.

She coughed. “Well, that wasn’t one of my best landings,” she muttered. As she got back on her paws, she took a look at the contents that had cushioned her fall. The item she was laying on appeared, ironically enough, to be a small blue colored round bed with a cushion for a mattress. It was a thick cushion, but not too hard, and the entire bed was covered in a thin layer of dust.

She saw something that was small and tree shaped, with a platform on top and a tunnel leading up to it from the base. What it was for, she wasn’t really sure.

There was a plastic ball of some sort, multicolored and five inches across, that jingled when she pushed against it. It was less of a “ball” and more of a polyhedron. Some of the sides had mirrors, some had rubber pieces that looked fairly chewed, and still other sides were covered in soft material of some sort.

There were also several stuffed mice scattered throughout the box. As she stepped on some in order to look around, some of them squeaked. And a few others had the faint scent of something absolutely delightful.

Finally, Luna spotted what appeared to be a small, cyan leather collar. She picked it up. The metal tag attached to it jingled. The characters engraved on the little silver tag read “Hana”.

“What’s this doing open?”

Luna turned her head. That was Ayako’s voice. She must have forgotten something. Luna tried to leap out of the box, but failed on the first attempt. As she readied herself to try again, Ayako’s face hovered over her.

The bibliophile looked at her in awkward silence, her eyes wide, but her actual gaze strangely far away. Luna gave a light mew to try and dissuade any reprimand. Ayako usually found that adorable. She knew it was rather pathetic. But it was better to play the part of the innocent cat. The collar was still hanging off one of her paws.

In a flash, Ayako pulled Luna free, hoisting her into the air by her armpits. “What do you think you’re doing in there?!”

The sheer volume of the question made Luna wince. The young woman had never spoken to her like that before, nor had she looked at Luna so…coldly.

It came as another shock when Luna was practically thrown to the floor. Luna just made a proper landing to avoid true injury and turned back to stare at Ayako slack jawed.

“Don’t you ever go in there again Luna. Do you understand me? Never.” Ayako said icily, her entire form stiff. “That was very, very bad. And stay out of the attic. You should never be up here. Now get out.”

Luna stood there, frozen, uncomprehending of this sharp change in demeanor. What in the world had gotten into her?

When she didn’t move, Ayako’s cool demeanor cracked, revealing pure rage. Luna received another shock when Ayako grabbed a nearby broom and swung it at her. “GET OUT!”

Luna barely dodged it and fled down the attic steps as fast as she could. As she bolted away, unsure what had come over the normally kind woman, she could hear the sounds of heavy sobbing behind her.

End of story

What do you guys think? Do you think I went overboard with Kenta there?

Okay time to gather me thoughts.

I already mentioned the formatting of hte paragraphs but that seems to be due to copy/pasting issues. That did make it a bit hard to read (so many spaces, so spread apart my eyes @_@).

I think the stuff you described with Kenta was fine, that didn't really bother me. The only thing that did bother me was Ayako's reaction to Luna in the attic. I get what you are doing and setting up here and clearly its for dramatics and all, but it just felt...not right. As a cat owner myself, it seems odd to me to get that angry at a cat that stumbled into something she wasn't supposed to (even though it is clearly from a deceased pet). I can understand Ayako getting upset about seeing her deceased pets things and Luna in them but I found the yelling at Luna just out of character, especially the swinging of the broom. It was overkill. I get angry at my cats when they do particularly bad things (like chewing up wires of expensive headsets or peeing all over my curtains or attacking each other so bad to where I HAVE to yell and do somethiing to stop the fighting...) but I think that would be something where I'd actually want the comfort of the new pet to help with the pain. Also just from Ayako's character it seems really odd for her to react that way. However, since you ahven't revealed the full story yet, it might actually be fitting and I Just won't realize it until the big picture is revealed.

Other than that, I did like the reveal of the previous cat and Luna in the attic and her messing with Kenta's mind. xD Those were pretty awesome. I await the next chapter!

Hi. I am SO so so sorry I didn't update this sooner, and that I haven't been here. There was school, and I had massive technical issues with my laptop, and then school started to wrap up with projects, and I had more technical issues. Ugh, I haven't written anything for any story in a while...I feel so rusty.

Anyway, I'd never really thought about the spaces hurting people's eyes. I'm just trying to avoid a text wall and paragraphs that are too thick. Maybe I overdo it then.

I see what you mean about Ayako. Like you said, you could be wrong, but you made me think about it, and thank you for that. But just to make sure I didn't do something wrong, I wrote up a rough draft of a next scene. It's my trying to explain why that happened, and it's not perfect. But it's not bad, and I really need to get back into this.

Here it is:

Scene

For the next hour or so, Luna stayed out of Ayako’s way, actively avoiding her in the house. After the initial shock, Luna tried to make sense of what had happened. It finally dawned on her that Ayako must have had another pet of some sort. But why had she had such a sharp reaction?

Finally, Luna heard activity in the library, and her curiosity got the better of her. She pushed open the already ajar door. Ayako was seated in the arm chair, legs tucked in, staring down at her lap. The curtain of her hair kept Luna from seeing her face.

Luna took a step closer, and Ayako turned her head. The Mauian could clearly see the wet streak’s on the woman’s face, even at that distance, along with her red, puffy eyes. Luna stopped, ready to leave in case Ayako still didn’t want her around.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered. “Come here Luna, please.” The last word was so soft and desperate, and Luna complied, hopping up into the woman’s lap. She stroked Luna’s fur slowly.

“I’m so sorry Luna. I…shouldn’t have treated you that way. I just…” Her body shook, and Luna nuzzled her cheek against her hand. Ayako smiled at the sign of encouragement.

“Her name was Hana,” Ayako said finally. “She was the cat I had before you. I named her that because she was born in spring.” Fresh tears pricked her eyes. “She hadn’t been born long before I got her. We were together so long, and she was so small. She used to sit in my lap when I read, just like you.”

Ayako reached for a nearby tissue box and blew her nose. “But she wasn’t entirely healthy. After a while, the veterinarians found she had a heart condition. They gave me the medicine for it and I gave it to her on time, every time, like clockwork. But then…”

Her voice cracked. “But then one day last year, I was going out to a soccer match with Kenta. He was off schedule, and it was close to Hana’s medicine time when we were close to leaving. I wanted to take a few minutes and give it to her a little early, but Kenta insisted we had to leave, and I could just give it to her later. He practically pushed me out the door.”

The woman’s face twisted into a grimace. “He told me that if I really loved him, I wouldn’t make us late. He was the one off schedule, but I listened to him anyway. I wish I hadn’t. When I got home…” her gaze turned to the shelves, growing distant. “Hana was dead. She’d had a heart attack.”

So that was it. Luna’s heart went out to the poor girl. Though she supposed it explained a few things, now that Luna thought about it. It explained how Ayako already had cat food for Luna to eat on that very first day. And it explained the odd exchange between her and Mai that first day at the bookstore.

Ayako pulled Luna closer. “It was all my fault. If I’d taken those extra minutes to give Hana her medication, she might not have died. She died because of me, and the worst part is that she died all alone.”

“I felt so guilty, and so angry at myself. But Kenta didn’t really care. I realized what he was and threw him out. I…I couldn’t even look at Hana’s things anymore. So I just threw them in a box in the attic.”

She stroked Luna again. “When I saw you in there, I felt all that anger and sadness come back. I never wanted to hurt you, I just…I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

End scene

So, with this in mind, do you think there's still a problem with Ayako's reaction? I mean, does this work?

I read your story bit by bit when I come to this thread and I must say you're a good, good, excellent writer, you do better than me when it comes to fan fiction stories I happened to write up myself.

I replied to you via PM but yes, I feel this helps explain what happened a bit better and it makes me want to kick Kenta in the you know what xD

Hi everybody. Wow, it's been a long time. SOOOOOOOO sorry about that. Things have been particularly chaotic the last few months. But I finally got chapter 5 done. Although to be fair, I have managed to put out a fanfic for the Naruto fandom, The Lost Boy.


But anyway, here's chapter 5

Story

Chapter 5: Loneliness

For the next hour or so, Luna stayed out of Ayako’s way, actively avoiding her in the house. The young woman seemed to have completely abandoned the idea of going back into work, instead doing various chores, going from room to room.

After the initial shock, Luna tried to make sense of what had happened. Why had she had such a sharp reaction? Luna didn’t even need a psychic connection to feel the pain and misery coming off of the young woman like ocean waves.

Finally, after so much oppressive silence, Luna heard activity in the library, and her curiosity got the better of her. She pushed open the already ajar door. Ayako was seated in the arm chair, legs tucked in, staring down at her lap. The curtain of her hair kept Luna from seeing her face.

Luna took a step closer, and Ayako turned her head. The Mauian could clearly see the wet streak’s on the woman’s face, even at that distance, placed as they were below a pair of red, puffy eyes. Luna stopped, ready to leave in case Ayako still didn’t want her around.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered. “Come here Luna, please.” The last word was so soft and desperate, and Luna complied, hopping up into the woman’s lap. She stroked Luna’s fur slowly.

“I’m so sorry Luna. I…shouldn’t have treated you that way. I just…” Her body shook, and Luna nuzzled her cheek against her hand. Ayako smiled at the sign of encouragement.

“Her name was Hana,” Ayako said finally. “She was the cat I had before you. I named her that because she was born in spring.” Fresh tears pricked her eyes. “She hadn’t been born long before I got her. We were together so long, and she was so small. She used to sit in my lap when I read, just like you.”

Ayako reached for a nearby tissue box and blew her nose. “She wasn’t entirely healthy. After a while, the veterinarians found she had a heart condition. They gave me the medicine for it and I gave it to her on time, every time, like clockwork. But then…”

Her voice cracked. “Then one day last year, I was going out to a soccer match with Kenta. He’d just gotten the tickets that morning and sprung it on me. But I said I’d go.

“But he ended up being off schedule, and it pulled me off schedule too. It was close to Hana’s medicine time when we were about to leave. I wanted to take a few minutes and give it to her a little early, but Kenta insisted we had to go, and I could just give it to her later. He practically pushed me out the door.”

The woman’s face twisted into a grimace. “He told me that if I really loved him, I wouldn’t make us late. He was the one that threw us off, but I listened to him anyway. I… I wish I hadn’t. When I got home…” her gaze turned to the shelves, growing distant. “Hana was dead. She’d had a heart attack.”

Luna’s chest ached, and she found herself pulling closer to the girl in response. It explained a few things, things Luna hadn’t paid much attention to before, how Ayako already had cat food for Luna to eat on that very first day, the odd exchange between her and Mai that time in the bookstore, and Ayako’s nightmare.

Ayako reciprocated Luna’s actions by hugging the cat tighter. “It was all my fault. If I’d taken those extra minutes to give Hana her medication, she might not have died. She died because of me, and the worst part is that she died all alone.”

“I felt so guilty, so… angry at myself. But Kenta didn’t really care. I realized what he was and threw him out. I…I couldn’t even look at Hana’s things anymore. So I just threw them in a box in the attic.”

She stroked Luna again. “When I saw you in there, I felt all that anger and sadness come back. I never wanted to hurt you, I just… I’m so sorry. Please forgive me.”

Her chest ached again, like an icicle had been jammed into her heart. A part of her wanted to calm the girl as she did that first night. Even now, the feverish words of that nightmare took on a new, saturnine weight. But the logical part of her brain just managed to stop her. It was too dangerous to try that when she was awake. So instead, she just nuzzled her cheek against Ayako’s arm. 

Ayako let out a small sob. “Thank you, Luna.”

*********

The morning after was an awkward one for Artemis. If Emi had any lingering problems from the nightmares he’d accidentally induced the night before, it didn’t show. She was still the same ball of energy that bounced in her seat at the thought of going to the park with her parents, and still just as frustrating and painful in her interactions with him.

And yet, Artemis knew now, the real reason she gave him so much attention was because she lacked anyone else to give it to.

These thoughts stayed at the forefront of his mind, even as he was dragged along on the outing. Ironically enough, it was the very same park she’d found him in.

The warm sun felt good on his skin after spending so much time inside. It was a small gift Artemis was thankful for, even as Emi proceeded to play on the playground area, dragging him along in her ever strong, ever constant grip.

Emi’s parents were seated on one of the multitude of nearby benches, chatting among themselves as they kept an eye on their daughter. In between being spun around in Emi’s arms, Artemis saw Emi’s mother suddenly pointing over to her right.

“Dear, aren’t those the Inoguchis over there?”

“I think you’re right. Emi, come along, we need to speak to some friends.”

Emi had been in the middle of another pirouette when her parents had called. She stopped sharply to face her parents. “Okay Daddy,” she answered with some disappointment.

Artemis allowed his dizziness to fade before he observed the couple. They were young, both around mid to late twenties if Artemis had to guess, though Artemis wasn’t entirely sure. Human ages were harder to get a fix on after a certain point, what with their seemingly short lifespans and faster rate of aging after maturity.

They certainly seemed to be in the same social position as Emi’s parents, what with the similarities in clothing quality. Artemis also noted the rather ornate necklace hanging around the woman’s neck, complimented by a pair of shimmering earrings. A bright ruby ring also sparkled in the sunlight, though Artemis almost missed it, obscured as it was by the husband’s hand which was wrapped gently around hers. 

Greetings were given, and Artemis received a few compliments his way, as well as some gentle petting from the woman, who he learned was Kiko Inoguchi.

The collective conversation between the four adults quickly turned to what Artemis could tell was some sort of business venture, though without context many of the details were lost on him. Noticing that Emi had been strangely still, he looked up at her from his position in her arms.

Her face was stuck in a frown, and she shifted slightly. The look in her eyes was one Artemis recognized all too well.

It was one of complete and utter boredom that children often got when stuck somewhere with their parents. He recalled Princess Serenity having that look, though her features were hard to pin down.

He also recalled Princess Mina having that look many, many times. With her, it often meant trouble, and her two caretakers were always quick to spot that face and take preventative measures before she could think of something to alleviate her boredom that would no doubt cause a potential headache, or a spectacular mess, whichever came first.

Without a word to her parents, Emi wandered back over to where she’d been. “I hate it when Mommy and Daddy start talking about stuff like that. They’ll be talking forever.” The last word was spoken with a distinct whine only children were capable of.

She took another glance back at the quartet. “I wanted them to play with me today…” she muttered, loneliness clouding her eyes.

Artemis felt a stab at his heart. But at that same moment, a faint sound reached his ears, a voice far enough away that only his feline ears could pick up.

“I wish we hadn’t moved.” Accompanying the phrase was a thought that was strong enough and loud enough that Artemis picked it up without any mental effort. I wish I had someone to play with.

An idea suddenly presented itself to Artemis, and he focused his mind to find the source of the voice and thought. It didn’t take long to locate them. He made a quick mental inquiry as Emi walked around the park, and when he’d finished, Artemis smiled to himself.

What he did next was a bit of telekinetic manipulation. He applied a mental shove to the inert air around them, creating a simple current.

Applying telekinetic force to solid objects wasn’t hard at all for most of the cats on Mau. It was a lot like grabbing an object with your actual paws. But manipulating air molecules? That was something his kind found quite difficult.

Most who tried it accomplished the task by creating a wall of psychic energy, much like the way others used a spoon or shovel. This technique however, was obvious to spot, since solid psychic walls tended to be fairly visible.

Artemis however, had developed a level of skill so he could manipulate air molecules without doing something so conspicuous. It was something he’d been able to do for several years.

His efforts were rewarded when Emi’s sunhat was blown off of her head. “Hey, come back here!” she shouted, chasing after the hat as it was whisked away further into the park.

Artemis, still trapped in her arms, was jostled by her movements. It took every bit of his concentration to keep up the illusion he’d created.

When a high-pitched “oomph” was heard, Emi came to a sudden stop, and Artemis practically bit his tongue to avoid yelling. I think I just got whiplash.

What the two of them had found was another girl. She was the same age as Emi, though a couple inches taller and thinner. Her hair, which fell to the middle of her back, was a deep jet black. Emi’s sun hat was clutched in her hands, having whacked her in the face.

Her brown eyes looked at Emi curiously, then back at the hat, before returning to Emi. “Is this yours?” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s mine,” replied Emi, suddenly shy. “The wind blew it away.”

Artemis chose that moment to let out a small mew, drawing the new girl’s attention. She smiled when she looked down at him. “He’s cute. What’s his name?” she asked as she petted him on the head.

Emi’s shyness seemed to ebb away. “I call him Miruku ‘cause he’s milk colored. I found him in this park all alone.”

“Awww, poor kitty” replied the girl as she scratched under his chin.

Since both girls had their attention on him, Artemis took the chance to use his telekinesis again and whip the wind back up, toppling over the bag the other girl had set on the grass.

“Hey!” cried the girl as looked back over at the bag. “Stupid wind…”

“I don’t know what’s with it either,” replied Emi. “Mommy said there wasn’t supposed to be any today.”

“I just got this too,” complained the girl as she bent down to pick up the contents that had fallen out.

Emi took one look at the green and blue item of clothing in the girl’s hand. “You take gymnastics class?” she asked, pointing at the leotard.

“Not yet,” answered the girl. “My mom and I just moved here, and she just signed me up for a class. I haven’t even met Mrs. Tarumi.”

At this statement, Emi’s face lit up in surprise. “You’re in Mrs. Tarumi’s gymnastics class too?!”

The girl nodded “Uh huh.” The girl’s feet shifted. “What’s she like?”

Emi’s face brightened even more, seeming every bit like a miniature star. “She’s great! She’s really nice and really fun and whenever it’s anybody’s birthday she always has a cake brought in. The trampoline is super fun!”

The girl then returned Emi’s smile. Whatever tension had come over her was gone, banished by Emi’s words and sudden enthusiasm.

“I’m Emi. What’s your name?”

“I’m Hitomi,” answered the girl.

At that moment, something seemed to occur to Emi, and her smile dimmed just a fraction. “Do… Do you want to come over to my house? I have lots of toys we could play with, and I could show you some of the things Mrs. Tarumi has taught us how to do.”

The other girl just nodded her head. “Sure.”

Emi’s smile threatened to break off her face and launch skyward. “Really?!”

Hitomi nodded again. “Uh huh. I-“

“Emi! There you are!” cried Emi’s mother as she caught up to the girl. “You really shouldn’t wander off like that without saying anything.”

“Mommy, this is Hitomi. She’s going to be in my gymnastics class. Can she come over today, please?”

The older woman blinked, turning her gaze from her daughter to the other girl. She started to say something, only to stop, her brain stalling at the alien idea of her daughter having someone to invite over to their home.

“Um… o-of course sweetie. But we’ll have to check with her parents first.”

Emi let out a cheer, and as Artemis watched silently in her arms, it took everything he had not to smile with her.


 *********

The rest of the day was filled with ups and downs for Luna and her human friend, not unlike riding on a stormy sea. Ayako’s tears lasted for ten more minutes before she decided to get back to her normal routine.

Well, not entirely normal. Ayako left for work once again, but decided to take Luna with her. The young woman offered an apologetic smile to every customer that asked about her late opening, giving them some excuse about a little disaster involving a mess in her kitchen.

“Are you sure that’s what happened?” asked Mai when she stopped by that day.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” replied Ayako, smiling again.

“Your eyes are red and puffy,” shot back her friend flatly.

“It’s just allergies. Trust me,” she gave a fleeting glance at Luna, “I’m fine.”

Mai gave her a dubious expression that indicated anything but belief, but she seemed to accept it.

Ayako spent her lunch break curled up next to Luna in that same chair, reading whatever book came to her mind. At one point, Ayako froze on a page, and Luna could see a tremor in her hands. A telepathic glance into her mind revealed sparks of the earlier anguish, little nagging thoughts that were trying to burn their way back to the surface.

The Mauian didn’t know what set it off, and in truth, it didn’t particularly matter to her. What mattered was keeping it from taking hold. She let out an excited mew, pawing at Ayako’s hand.

Ayako blinked, startled by the sudden contact. “Oh, sorry Luna” she said, before continuing on, and scratching behind her ear as a means of additional apology.

The day went on like that, Luna giving little nudges whenever Ayako’s thoughts seemed to drift, doing her best to pull her from the deep pit that had been formed of her sorrows. It was a task that required some vigilance.

But in this case, Luna didn’t mind at all. It was the least she could do for the kind young woman that had taken her in.

By the time the two left back for Ayako’s house, her moments of relapse became far less frequent. A bright smile was back on her face as she rode back home.

Dinner was served, and the two ended their night with another TV marathon. The subject was some mystery series which managed to stump Luna several times.

When Ayako had turned out the lights, Luna found herself nestling into her own little bed. She didn’t need to pull the blankets very tight. The night air outside had turned chilly, and Ayako had kept the house warmer in response.

As Luna closed her eyes, she took a glance at the young woman’s care free dreaming face, and smiled. Perhaps, with this emotional wound starting to heal, things could go back to being the peaceful, normal life Luna had actually come to enjoy. 

*********

The air was cold. No, not simply cold. It was frigid. Snow crunched between her paws, a thick blanket that she somehow knew was yards deep.

She was in some sort of arctic environment, but something in it seemed off. Wintery places like this, while harsh, had their own sort of beauty to them. The poles of Mercury were a prime example. The aurora glimmering against the snow and stars made for a spectacular view.

This place, however, was simply harsh. The freezing wind whipped as a gale against her coat, cutting through to her core. Here, there was no aurora. There were no stars, not even a sun or moon. All that was here was an expanse of pure darkness against snow. Not a single soul was there besides her, not a heartbeat in the miles the snow seemed to stretch on.

It was a frozen, empty wasteland.

“Hello?” she called out. The only thing to reply to her was the wind, screaming in her ears as it blasted against her face, making her shut her eyes against the terrible sting.

But mixed with the howling winds, Luna heard something else.  Buried deep within was another sound, something like a growl, or maybe a hiss.

And yet, the sound wasn’t just a sound. It was a feeling too, sound and feeling at all once. It was a psychic tug on Luna’s mind, beckoning her forward. She grit her teeth in an effort to stop her legs.

In the distance, she saw a light. She moved towards it, crawling against the wind. For all that the air hurt, her limbs, strangely, felt no numbness.

She climbed up to the crest of a hill. Looking down, she saw the endless white expanse was broken by a large, deep crater. Patches of rock and earth were covered in layers of ice.

At the very center was a white crystal, standing upright and buried deep into the hard soil. It was massive in size, at least fifteen feet tall. It glowed, and pulsed with light, but only faintly, seeming somehow like a creature struggling for breath. Its front possessed a long, deep crack.
 
Before she could take another step, the wind whipped again, and the feeling grew stronger. It was like a call, a message echoing in her skull.

…Come to me. Come to me. Set me free. Come… come… come…

The sensation of cold on her skin was overtaken by a feeling of both fear and nausea. She shuddered, feeling as if something had slithered across her body.

Luna knew this feeling. She’d felt it before upon the Moon, those countless eons ago, dark and terrible. It had been…

In that instant, the ground itself shook, and the dark, empty sky filled with two red eyes. She knew those eyes. They were the eyes of that thing, the creature that had stood among the ruins of the Moon’s capital, the creature Queen Serenity had battled.

Its mouth opened, looking like a deep red gash in the heavens. Its eyes seemed to focus on her, bore into her as it loomed overhead.

The creature in the sky roared, and a wave of darkness came crashing down like an avalanche.



End of story


I hope you all enjoyed it. Tell me what you think.

EDIT: Oh, and Happy Halloween to everybody! Here's my treat for you all.