"Always and Forever"
by Andrea Hui





     A baby's loud cry pierced the air. 
     "It's a girl!" the doctor cried, holding up a wet, 
wailing baby. Her tiny fists were clenched, and her face 
was wrinkled.
     "She's beautiful!"
     "Oh my god!"
     "What a tiny miracle!"
     Several women crowded around the doctor, taking turns 
to stare at the small baby. Their eyes were full of tears, 
because they knew exactly who she was. 
     "Her name will be Chibi-usa," the tired mother said, 
sighing. Her face was pale, and her energies were spent from 
hours of labor.
     "I'm so proud of you, Usako," her husband said, kissing 
her forehead and holding her hand. 
     "Oh, Mamo-chan!" she cried. "Our daughter! Finally," 
she said, reaching out. The doctor placed the wet baby on 
her stomach, and it greedily took a nipple and began sucking. 
Everybody laughed whole-heartedly because the baby's consistent 
wailing had halted with the comfort of her mother's milk.
     Two cats wove in and out between the legs of the women 
who surrounded the happy couple. They were a black cat and a 
white cat, and the black one was obviously stressed. She led 
the white cat out into the dark hospital hallway, where there 
were no people to disturb them. They needed to discuss things 
in privacy.
     "Luna," the white cat said, scratching his head. "What's
wrong?"
     "I'm having some difficulty comprehending Chibi-usa's 
birth," Luna replied, pacing back and forth. "Artemis, she 
came into this world earlier than I predicted. I'm worried.
     He rolled his eyes. "Aren't you always? You know Chibi-
usa is going to be okay. She wasn't born early," he said, 
confused.
     "But..." she took a deep breath. "That's not the point. 
What I meant was she came here *years* before what I expected. 
Now I don't have enough time...
     "Enough time for what?" Artemis asked, exasperated.
     "Um...I needed time to think about..." Luna said, 
hesitating. "What about...what about Diana?"
     Artemis's wide blue eyes widened. He giggled nervously. 
"Heh..heh...uh..."
     "She has to come into this world one way or the other," 
Luna informed him, trying her hardest to keep her slipping 
composure. She couldn't believe that she was having this 
conversation with Artemis, but yet she had to. The future 
depended on them.
     "You know that she is Chibi-usa's cat. You know they 
are the same age," Luna said.
     "heh...um..." Artemis sputtered, still unable to say a 
word.
     "I hate knowing about the future, don't you? Now that 
Chibi-usa has come back into our world, we will have to do 
something about Diana," Luna cried.
     "Luna!" Artemis cried. "I hate knowing about the future!"
     Luna rolled her eyes. "I already said that. What are we
going to do?"
     "What do you think?!?" Artemis shouted.
     "What is going on here?" a woman cried, stepping out 
into the hallway. She looked at the cats, and shook her head. 
"Still fighting? You two never stop. It's like both of you 
are a married couple."
     "SHUT UP, MINAKO!" both of the cats shouted.
     She laughed and walked back into the hospital room.
     "I think the Crystal Tower will be a better place to 
discuss this," Luna said.
     "Sure," Artemis said impatiently.
     Both of them left the hospital, with Luna leading the way.


                    *************


     None of them spoke a word on their walk back home. It 
was already night, and the summer weather made them sweat, 
even though their fur was short. By the time they made it 
back to the Tower, both of them were sweating heavily.
     Cold air greeted them in the main hallway. "What a relief!"
Luna cried. 
     "What relief?" Artemis cried.
     "Are you apprehensive about what must happen?"
     "Do you *want* it to happen?"
     "No," Luna said a little too quickly.
     Artemis began walking up the stairs. Luna followed him, 
and realized where he was going. Into Usagi's and Mamoru's 
master bedroom at the top of the tower. "Where do you think 
you're going?" Luna asked frantically.
     "Well, you said that Diana had to come into this world. 
What a better time than now?" Artemis said.
     "NOW?!?!" Luna cried.
     It was Artemis who remained calm this time. "If I can 
recall, you were the one telling me that she had to be the 
same age as Chibi-usa."
     Luna kept her mouth shut. She knew that they had to 
conceive Diana tonight, or at least soon. Luna knew the 
inevitable, but something told her that everything was 
going to be all right so long as she believed in herself.
     Her heart beat wildly as Artemis led her into the 
huge  bedroom. The moonlight shot through the clear glass 
surrounding the entire room, and the 360 degree view of 
Crystal Tokyo was breathtaking. A bed the size of a dining 
room was in the middle of the room, with its blue canopies 
that draped gracefully. 
     "I thought that since everybody was at the hospital, 
we can use the best. It might ease your...our nervousness," 
Artemis said.
     Luna leaped through the dark canopies of the bed and 
snuggled herself into the comforting satin blankets. "We're 
cats," Luna said, shaking her head.
     "So?"
     "We don't need beds to...perform the deed."
     "We aren't normal cats, Luna."
     Luna realized that. She sighed and looked at Artemis, who
lay beside her in the middle of the bed. "Artemis...I hope you
don't mind my asking, but weren't you in love with Minako?"
     "I still am."
     "Do you think about her?"
     "What do you mean?"
     "Do you think about her as a man thinks about a woman?"
     Artemis's white cheeks reddened. "Why do you care?"
     "Answer my question."
     He took in a sharp breath. "Yes," he answered. "And what 
about you and Kakeru? You were human for a short while. What 
did you do with him?"
     "He was in love with the Princess Kaguya. I felt the same 
way about him as you do for Mina. Nothing happened between us,"
she said, avoiding Artemis's gaze.
     "Oh that's just great," Artemis said, rolling his eyes for
the umpteenth time.
     "Nothing happened between us," she reiterated. "And as I 
said before, we don't need the beds."
     "And how would you know? Cats can do it anywhere," Artemis  
said lightly. "Have you...been...with Hercules?" he asked.
     "HERCULES?!? When did you hear about him?"
     "Usagi told me a long time ago."
     "No, I've never...never!!"
     "Then how would you know we don't need the comfort of a 
bed?"
     "Cats are just animals. Felines don't enjoy themselves as 
humans do."
     Artemis sighed. "I wish you'd understand. We're not normal
cats. We have human feelings, and unfortunately, human desires."
     Luna blushed to the extreme. 
     "Luna, let's try to forget about our loves. Just pretend.
That will make what we're about to do easier."
     "But WE'RE CATS!"
     Artemis cut her off by placing his kitty lips on hers. 
     "Mrrowww..." Luna meowed. Artemis's small tongue escaped
his lips and began to lick Luna's nose and whiskers. She 
closed her eyes and let him do what he wanted.
     "You're not bad," she said. "I've seen Usagi and Mamoru
several times. Maybe...."
     The crescent moon on Luna's forehead began to glow brightly,
and she snuggled closer to Artemis, rubbing her fur against his.
He could smell the oils coming from her fur. 
     "Let's pretend we love each other," Artemis said, rubbing
his nose against Luna's neck, then biting softly. He knew what
he was doing. Luna rolled over and let him have access to her
nipples, which were a light pink and erect, much like a humans'.
     Artemis pressed his body on top of hers and boldly began 
to lick all over her body, enjoying the unusually clean scent 
of her. Her black fur was sleek, and the oils emanating from 
her skin turned him on tremendously. 
     Their bodies seemed to elongate as they licked each other's
faces. They were appearing to be more human...
     "What's happening?!?" Luna cried in surprise.
     "I think...we're becoming human!" Artemis cried, observing
the legs that Luna was growing. 
     Luna saw Artemis's eyes become smaller until they were a
stunning, pale blue human's eyes. She loved them. The hair on 
his body receded back into his skin, and long hair from his 
head grew out into a long, white shag of hair. He was 
stunningly masculine, and wonderfully sensual.
     "Marvelous," Artemis said softly, watching Luna's body.
Their eyes met, and Luna's deep blue ones sparkled. Long, wavy
black hair framed her face, and looked incredibly silky. 
Artemis's eyes leveled down to her breasts, which appeared 
soft yet firm and pressed against his chest. 
     "Why is this happening?" Artemis asked quietly.
     "Sailor Moon needed to use her Crystal to get us into this
form. I don't know how..." Luna asked, bewildered. She suddenly 
noticed that Artemis's naked *human* body was on top of hers,
and his hands were grasping hers. She wriggled out from under
his weight and dove under the covers, sticking her head out.
     "Maybe it's because we willed ourselves to become human.
Our feelings were human. Our desires were human," Artemis said,
not affected by the fact that he was naked. He moved over to
Luna and touched her face with his hand gently. "You're very
pretty," he said, smiling.
     "Thanks. You're not so bad yourself."
     "When was the last time we became human? Several years 
ago," Artemis speculated. "I never noticed your beauty."
     "I didn't even notice you," Luna replied.
     Artemis smiled again. "Wait here. I have just the thing.
You and I are going to celebrate controlling our transformations,"
he said, pulling back the canopy and leaving the room.
     Luna sighed and rubbed her head. It was a weird feeling
to be touching human skin and missing the texture of her old
fur. She was happy that she could be able to become a human,
but was embarrassed that it had to be at a time like this. 
     "What am I doing?" she asked herself, burying her head
into a plush pillow. "Here I am in Usagi-chan's bedroom, and
I'm about to have sex with Artemis. And I thought I was a 
'good' cat. No, correct that. I'm a human now."
     Her hands felt her face, which had baby-soft skin and a
perky little nose. Her hair was undeniably soft and fluffy, 
and she ran her fingers through the tendrils that floated above
her face. Her hands then wandered down her neck, shoulders,
and...
     "Ecchi!" she cried, looking down at her chest. She noticed
that her nipples were still erect from Artemis's expert tongue,
and her loins tingled pleasantly. Quickly, she pulled the satin
covers over her bosom and placed her arms over them. She couldn't
let Artemis see her like this.
     The canopies were drawn open, and Artemis appeared, holding
two glasses and a bottle of champagne. "What do you think you're
doing?" Luna asked, warily eyeing the bottle.
     "Since nobody is going to come back for a while, I went down
to the wine cellar and picked out a good wine for us. Cabernet 
Sauvignon's great," he said smiling wickedly. "I've had some
before. We should enjoy ourselves to a certain degree, don't you 
think?"
     Artemis popped the bottle open and managed not to spill 
anything. Carefully, he poured a glass for Luna and one for 
himself. He set the bottle near the floor of the bed and then 
sat next to Luna.
     "To our humanity," Artemis said, raising his glass.
     "To our sanity," Luna said, and they clinked glasses.
     Luna had never even tasted wine before, but was pleased
with the new sensation of warmth that spread down her chest as
she drank up. "Good stuff," she said. 
     Artemis took Luna's hand in his. He kissed it slowly, and
a few drops of wine lingered on her skin. "You're so sweet," he 
said, smiling. "Just like wine."
     "Don't do anything too drastic," she said, and let Artemis
take away her wine glass.
     "I'll be gentle."
     Their mouths met again, but it was wholly different from
when they were still in their feline form. Their kissing was
awkward at first, but they soon became comfortable in a few
moments. The thin satin sheet separated them, but Artemis could
clearly feel Luna's nipples poking through.
     "It's not that hard to make love. Just let me," Artemis 
said, peeling the satin sheet away. 
     There was no sending him away. She might have resisted a
seduction. She could have refused a demand. But she was powerless
against a need. 
     Suddenly, his mouth was instantly desperate, crushing down
on her until both of them were reeling. His tongue penetrated her
moist lips, licking her teeth and playing with her tongue. Luna
felt her heart beat even faster.
     She kissed him back, twisting her lips to his. Never had
she kissed anybody with such fervor, such possessiveness. What
she offered she would never give back. She sensed the urgency
bursting from Artemis's kissing and the way his hands roamed
up and down her side.
     Her hands went through his hair, and she brought his head
closer to hers, lavishing the feel of his smooth skin against
her cheek as he trailed tiny kisses along her ear. She held him
tighter, for the fear that he might spring quickly away from
her. She knew he wouldn't. They needed each other.
     Their lips met again, and they ravished each other. Luna
poured herself into him through the kiss, and it grew deep and
totally involved. His lewd hands slowed down and then just 
caressed her cheekbones as they kissed. Both of them were 
growing calmer.
     Luna floated on a cloud. She felt the crave of lust, but
she was relaxed with Artemis. She didn't know that a man could
bring out so many foreign emotions to her. What she felt for
Artemis was completely different from what she had felt for
Kakeru. She wanted intimacy she had never known before. 
     Her hands explored his smooth back, running over his
strong, rippling muscles. She loved the way he felt. Her
legs shifted a little bit, and she became aware of a lump
that pressed against her pubis.
     "Oh...god.." Luna groaned as Artemis descended down her
neck. His tongue wetted her skin, and he tasted her. Sweet,
he decided. Like the flower she is.
     Delicately, he brushed his lips against her collarbone,
and kissed her shoulders. Seeking, but no longer desperate,
he lowered his head to her bare breasts and kissed the 
flushed top. 
     A wave of desire flooded Luna, and her hands cradled
Artemis's head as he kissed her breasts, taking his time
between each one. He cupped her right breast with his hands,
admiring its just right shape. His mouth craved for her, and
he lowered it tentatively to her nipple, taking a small 
sampling of her taste.
     She shuddered, and the warmth within her began to spread
to her stomach, and between her legs. His tongue ran over her
nipple, flicking over it again and again, carefully watching 
Luna's reactions to his touch. She let him take her deeper,
slowly, with not so much tenderness as thoroughness. That
was for later, when the heat had subsided a little and the
desire less intense.
     "I'm...beginning to like this," Luna said, moaning as
Artemis traced his thumb under the curve of her breast. Her
skin was dry and hot, but Artemis soon fixed that. His 
breath moistened her skin as he placed his entire mouth on
her taut nipple, sucking like a baby. He grinded his tongue 
against the hard pebble, and Luna cried out, yearning for more.
     Harder he sucked, pulling the entire top of her breast
into his mouth. Luna cried out again, and arched her back a 
little to give Artemis more leniency. She suddenly felt a
shock of love grab her when Artemis stopped his sucking and
looked up into her eyes. The love in his eyes touched her 
heart. 
     "Do you feel it too?" he asked.
     "Yes," she said.
     "Maybe we *were* meant to be," he muttered as buried his
face in her cleavage. The flavor there was dark, heated, drawing
him to her. He could still smell the musk that she had before,
combined with the sweetness of her skin and the scent coming
from under the sheet that covered her hips.
     A storm was building. All she felt was rocketing pleasure
as his hands became more rough, massaging her waist and then
clutching her buttocks, caressing them. Luna could feel his
erection press with more urgency against her pubis as she
rubbed against him from under his weight.
     "You feel so good," Artemis commented as he ran his hands
up her back, letting them feel her strength. His pectorals pressed
against her nipples, which had become even more desirably erect.
She felt the craving in his kiss when they embraced once more.
     He had successfully seduced her. And more, she was enjoying
it. She kissed him back bruisingly, and brutally. It was her turn
to show him that she also had power.
     Artemis moaned and moved with the kiss. Her body was already
answering, moving under him, agreeing, demanding. The breath moaned
out of her lips into his. He slid his hand over her breast again,
and down her hips, caressing her thighs. Slim and strong. Her 
fingers gripped his shoulders tightly, and her body was awakening
yet again with desire for him.
     He kissed her ear, sucking an earlobe into her mouth. She
liked the way his warm breath blew into her ear as he sucked
contentedly. "Artemis," she said.
     Stopping his sucking, he looked at Luna. He could see 
the needy look in her eyes. "Yes?" he asked.
     "Where did you learn how to touch me in just the right 
places?" she asked, smiling with half open, blissful eyes.
     "We've been together for so long. It's only natural that
our union can become so close. A rapport we share. I think 
I can feel what you can feel," he answered solemnly.
     "Yes," she moaned, making Artemis grin. "Do you want to...
try anything?" she asked cautiously.    
     "Oh? Like what?" he asked, moving to her stomach. His
breath bounced off her firm muscles, and he made his way
lower and lower. "Like this," he answered for himself, 
bringing the blanket down over Luna's legs.
     His shoulder rested against her inner thigh as he gently 
spread her legs apart. He saw the glistening moisture escaping
from her womanhood, and felt himself getting hotter. 
     Luna's legs had a seductive womanly softness to them as
his body brushed against them. She became delirious from his
small caresses near the vee of her thighs. He then proceeded
to touch the folds of her womanhood. 
     "You're delicious," he said, inhaling the musky, woodsy
scent of her private areas. Her scent seduced him, and he 
touched the throbbing petals with his index finger. He 
squeezed them between his fingers, making them slick 
with her escaping juices.
     "oh!" she cried, feeling the new, raw, ravishing ecstasy.
     Her legs spread wider, and her scent enveloped Artemis's
senses. He slipped a finger into her vagina and began to 
slide it in and out at a leisurely pace. Her virgin muscles 
gripped his finger tightly, like a vacuum. "Luna...you're so 
wet....so *tight!*" he said, observing the movement of her 
vaginal muscles work with his fingers. He touched her where 
she wanted to be touched; he brought her total gratification.
     Within seconds, her body was overcome with incredible 
shudders, ice and fire in turn. Her mind exploded, leaving her 
weak and vulnerable. "Artemis..." she moaned, closing her eyes.
     "You are so perfect. I never knew a human woman could
be so wonderful. It's even more wonderful I know you as my
best friend," he said as he let his tongue zigzag over her 
entire flower. His thumb and forefinger pinched her little 
kernel of glistening flesh, sending Luna into another
trembling, convulsive spasm. 
     "Oh...my..." she moaned, writhing. 
     His tongue entered her, licking up the juices that gathered
in the lips, and diluting it with his own saliva. Around and around
in circles he went, driving her insane with his teasing. He
pushed his tongue harder, and was grateful that it was so strong
from using it so much when he was in feline form.
     Luna's sweet juices dripped out evenly, coating Artemis's
chin. He rubbed his nose against her clitoris as he began a
series of cat-like licking on her labia lips. Luna groaned
loudly and purred, allowing her legs to spread even wider for
Artemis's tongue.
     He felt Luna shiver with delight as he let his tongue
delve deeper into her womanhood. He loved the taste of her.
He never dreamed that she would be this good. He had always
thought of her on a friendly basis, and now he was breaking
the barrier and wandering onto the uncharted territory of
love.
     The muscles in her womanhood tightened around his tongue
with each thrust of it. He could hear his name trembling out
of her lips between raw, gasping breaths. He found the center
of her pleasure, and drove her to peak after peak. Her back 
arched off the bed, and she gripped onto his shoulders, 
digging her still-sharp nails into the skin and leaving welts. 
     She reached yet another maddening, consuming orgasm which
crashed wave after wave of pure pleasure in her body. She 
shrieked and was unable to stop shuddering. Her virgin
muscles gripped Artemis's tongue, and he loved that sensation.
     In a few moments, she sighed and calmed down, letting
her body fall back into the bed. Artemis pulled his tongue
out and tasted her juices that lingered and mixed with the
slight flavor of wine that still stayed in his mouth.
     "I guess the pussy got your tongue," Luna joked.
     Artemis groaned and then laughed. "Now you know first hand
what it's like to be human," he said, taking her body and hugging
her with an easy friendliness.
     "Not all humans could have what we have. A close friendship,"
she said seriously. 
     "Yes. That only makes everything easier...and more
satisfying," Artemis replied in a low tone of voice.
     Their lips met in another smoldering kiss, their 
passion fueled by the fire that burned brightly in their
bodies and souls. Artemis's lips, coated with Luna's juices,
grazed her cheek, trailing a dewy film across her cheek.
     Artemis rolled Luna over and raised her buttocks to his
groin. His erection was hot, hard, and needing for Luna's
silky insides to caress it. He kneeled up and held her hips
with his hands, running his hands across her stomach.
     Luna was on thin ice, ready to fall into the depths of
ecstasy at any moment. Artemis nudged her moist virgin lips
with the tip of his burning erection, and all Luna could do
was nod unconsciously. She raised her ass even further up,
putting her back into a lovely, erotic arch.
     Slowly he entered her, taking time to submerge himself
into the wonderful feelings of her womanhood tugging at him
and enjoying the way she gripped him and enveloped him. Her
black hair was draped across her back, and shone in the
moonlight that seeped in through the blue canopy.
     Shocking electricity touched all points of Luna's body,
starting at her love box and then traveling to her breasts
and then to her eyes. She was tingling, and sexual need
flooded her. Her hands reached out and grabbed a pillow,
almost to the point of ripping the expensive satin apart.
     Artemis began a slow, affectionate pumping motion while
holding onto her hips for support. He didn't know how else
to make love to her. It was pure, loving instinct. He could
even hear Luna purring softly, mixing in with her moans. 
Soon, he reached a thin membrane that blocked him from going
any further.
     "Please..." Luna moaned, pressing her buttocks onto
Artemis's groin. He rammed into her at once, breaking her 
virginity. Luna cried out, but the slight pain that accompanied
losing her virginity diminished as another wave of lust
washed over her.
     "Uhh..." Artemis moaned, and his rhythmical pumping
began to quicken. As she tightened around him, he responded
ravenously, bringing his thrusting to a fast tempo. She 
cried out and began to breathe in short, little gasps. 
     Luna's responsiveness overwhelmed him, taking him
beyond his own desire. He wanted her to experience every
thrust of pleasure he could give. She was sensitive to
every touch, every thought, that he gave her. Bathed in
vague moonlight, her skin was a creamy, bluish hue, 
which felt like liquid fire under his roaming hands.
A need for her, a *love* for her, vibrated through 
him. Each time gave a cry, each time she moaned his name,
the shock of the realization shot through his very heart.
     Both of them moved together, an undulation swinging
in time and space. Artemis thrust deeper and faster, 
sinking in again and again until he had completely lost
count of how many times he had pumped, or how many times
Luna had cried out his name. 
     Luna's moans were muffled by a pillow as she buried
her face in. She came, seizuring with the climax as 
Artemis reached the place within her that brought so 
much pleasant luxury. She screamed, and that was muted
by the pillow. Tears came out of eyes from the sheer
intensity of what she just went through.
     "Artemis," she groaned, moving against him once 
again. She was vulnerable, defenseless, for Artemis only.
Artemis hadn't known that there was such passion under the
strict control that she had always shown him. She was his.
     Artemis pushed faster and harder against her, slapping
his balls against her clitoris. His stroking became more
urgent, and he felt himself losing control as pleasure
began to seize him. He gave a short groan each time he
sank into her. His hips rotated forward and back, keeping
a good rhythm. Luna squeezed him with each thrust forward,
pulling him deeper and farther into the warm, wet depths
of her body.
     "Oh my god," Artemis cried as Luna slammed her buttocks
against his crotch, forcing him in deeper than he ever 
imagined. He generously grinded his crotch against her, 
pushing in his manhood into the hilt. 
     He was spinning. There was nobody else in the world
except for him and Luna. One united soul brought together
by the need of the future, only to find out that their
relationship had always meant to be much more intimate than
friendship. It was just the sea of love and the both of them
floating enlessly.
     Luna's body was burning with the orgasms that had
taken over her time and time again. They never stopped,
but became more frequent and intense. She thought she
would explode from all the pleasure that had built up
inside of her. Her muscles contracted around Artemis's
penis, pulling him deeper and deeper.
     Screams were mixed with groans as Luna closed her
eyes and let her body accept Artemis. Her mouth hung
open, becoming dryer by the minute. Tears trailed down
her cheeks and soaked the pillow under her chin as
Artemis brought her to an exhilarating climaxes more
times than she could keep track of.
     Artemis couldn't contain himself any longer. He
had kept the brewing storm under control for a while,
and now it was time to let loose the demon. 
     "NNnnnnnnnnnggghhrmm....Uh!" he cried as he let
himself burst within her, shooting out his desire in
several hot, scalding loads.
     "Aaaa!!" Luna screamed, reaching the most stunning,
rocketing climax of the warm summer night.
     None of them knew when the spasms began, or when
they ended. Time stood still for them, and there was
neither a past nor a future. They had each other; that's
all that mattered.
     Exhausted, Artemis collapsed on top of Luna, flattening
her down. She rolled out from under him, and swallowed with
difficulty. Both of them were glistening with pearly sweat,
and their breathing was labored.
     It took quite some time before Luna could bring her
heart rate down enough to speak. "Artemis, I never knew
that making love could be so pure and wonderful," she
said softly, reaching for his limp hand.     
     Artemis turned his body to her and stared into her dark
blue eyes. He smiled and brushed a tendril of hair away
from her face.
     "You're right. It's not called 'lovemaking' unless you 
really love someone," Artemis replied.
     Luna looked at him, tears in her eyes. "Do you love me?" 
she asked, the stern edge to her voice gone.
     "Yes. Not only as a friend," he said, placing her hand on
his heart, "but as a lover."
     They kissed again, but only gently and contently. He
wrapped his strong arms around her body, holding her close
and securely.
     "I'm happy with you," Luna said. "I love you too. 
I think it was just the years of living with you and working
with you that got to me. The love has always been there, 
but it was buried inside my heart."
     "Same with me. But now we both know."
     "I'm so glad you were my friend," Luna said, snuggling
up against him.
     "And I'm so glad you were mine," Artemis replied.

                    *************

Several Months Later...

     "Diana," Luna cried, holding a newborn baby to her breast.
     "She's absolutely beautiful," Artemis said, smiling and
touching the soft, wet head.
     The hospital room was uplifted by the presence of flowers
and happiness of a new life. There were only four people and 
the new baby to be left alone to bring the closeness between
them even closer.
     "Congratulations, new daddy," Mamoru said, giving Artemis
a friendly pat on the shoulder.
     Both Luna and Artemis were in human form. They decided 
to stay that way, learning the enjoyments they had missed after
being cats for too many years. Even though they were in cats'
bodies, their minds were human. As were their desires.
     "She and Chibi-usa will have a good life together," Usagi
said, smiling at Luna. "I never imagined that I would be here
for this moment. I want to thank you for always pulling me out
of a rut. You made me see that I could become whatever I wanted
to become. And now...I'm so blessed to be here with you," she
added, tears flowing down her cheeks.
     "Usagi-chan, you're welcome," Luna replied, looking down
at her new baby. "I also want to thank you for giving me an
opportunity to experience humanity. I believed in myself,
and now I can stay that way."
     Diana sucked contently on her mother's breast, drinking
in the life-giving milk. The day of her birth was exactly one 
year after Chibi-usa's. It was also the anniversary of Luna 
and Artemis's realization of love.
     "Artemis," Luna said, letting him kiss her forehead. 
     "I love you, Luna."
     "And I, you," she said, kissing his lips.
     Artemis smiled and hugged her. He kissed his new daughter's
head, crying at the fact that he was a father. He would cherish
his daughter, and love her more than he could bear.
     "Friends forever. I'll always love you," Artemis said
softly, touching Luna's face. 
     "Love starts with friendship. Ours was one to remember,"
she said, smiling.
     "Yes. At least our Diana problem is solved!"
     Both of them laughed, much to the bewilderment of Usagi
and Mamoru. Luna and Artemis were finally relieved and happy.
Nothing would ever change their love. Nothing would ever
change their friendship.


~Finis~
     
     
     




NOTE:
1. Email me! aerdnahu@ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu
2. This story is dedicated to Steve and Melissa, who deserve
everything. *^_^*