ENDWORLD: MOON RUN
CHAPTER 12: MEANWHILE....
****************************************************************************

	"Lynx, Melody," Plato scolded, "You are going to spoil those two.
When their owners get back, their not going to want to leave."

	Lynx (you remember him from chapter 1 don't you?) smiled his small
neddle-like teeth at Plato as he gave Artimis another piece of fish and
said, "Don't worry about it.  It's just nice to have someone here who sees
things from our point of view better."

	Melody just smiled a warm smile as she continued to stroke Luna's
fur.  Melody was a mutant too.  In fact she was a female version of Lynx.
She had the same feline-like features, the same green eyes, almost every
feture the same, except for the obvious places that a female differed from a
male.  She wore a saphire blue dress that clung to her form and hung down to
her ankles.

	Luna should have been in heaven as Melody's expert touch relaxed her.
However, she still couldn't completly relax.  She was very worried about the
Sailor Senshi.  Were they all right?  Were they even still alive?

	She jumped out of Melody's arms and ran off for the wild section.
Artimis saw her go and while reluctant to leave all the yummy fish he had
gotten, ran off after her.  "You don't have to worry about them," Melody
chuckled, "they always do that."

	Luna walked through the tall reeds of grass in contemplation.  She
was scared.  What if they never came back?  Artimis came up next to her and
after a quick check to see if no one was around, asked, "What's wrong?  You
haven't been yourself since they left.  It IS about them isn't it?"

	"I'm worried," Luna replied, "What if they don't come back?  What if
we have to spend the rest of our lives here?"


	"You know it wouldn't be all bad if we had to stay here for the rest
of our lives.  There are worse fates.  We might be better off here then back
at home for all we know."

	Luna snapped at him, "How can you say that?!!  Don't you care about
them at all?!!  Or does a few pieces of fish go that far with you?!!"

	Artimis yelled right back with, "I DO care, and I said that because
I'm trying to stop myself from GOING OUT OF MY MIND WITH WORRY!"

	"Who said that, yes?" they heard someone say, "Someone is here, no?"

	Another mutant came stumbling through the brush and looked around
wildly.  He was the fourth and final mutant that was in the Family.  He was
Gremlin.  He wore only a brown loincloth.  His skin was leathry and gray.
He was five feet ten.  A hawklike head sat on a squat neck.  A thin pointy
nose, tiny circles of flesh for ears, a bald head, and a thin slit for a
mouth, made the facial features of this mutant.  His bright red eyes
flickered left to right nervously (which was normal for him).

	He also had been experimented on by a mad scientist called the
Doktor, who's brain surgury on Gremlin had resulted in his rather original
speech pattern.

	Gremlin looked down and seeing Luna and Artimis said to them, "Silly,
yes?  Cats can not speak, no?"

	He sat down next to Luna and Artimis and said as he scratched both of
their heads, "Should take Blades advice, yes?  Should learn to relax more,
no?"

	Luna shot Artimis an "I'm sorry" look and then decided to herself,
"Maybe he's right for once.  Being worried won't help them get back any
sooner and it'll just make me sick.  I guess I should learn to enjoy what I
have here just in case the worst happens..... but I hope it doesn't come to
that."

	At that moment a small childs scream ripped through the air.  All
three of them turned and raced for the source.  Luna and Artimis
outdistanced Gremlin and reached the area first.  What the two of them saw
shocked them.

	The creature that attacked the child had probably been a raven, but
because of the radiation and chemical weapons released during WW III it had
become a mutate.  It's black feathers seemed to be in a constant state of
molting.  The patches of visible skin were covered with large yellow puss
sores.  Its beak was misshappen and the tip was extremly sharp.  It was
larger than average as well, about the size of Luna and Artimis when they
stood on their hind legs.

	The boy it was attacking beat his hands inefectivly at the mutate.
He had multiple slashes on his arms as the creatures sharp tallons cut into
them.  Artimis growled, "So that's a mutate huh?"

	"Yes," Luna confermed, "We must do something."

	Artimis reared back and leaped into the air.  He slammed into the
mutate and the two of them crashed to the ground, rolling over and over
until Artimis was on top.  He unsheated his claws and was about to stab the
creature in the throat, when the mutate brought its wing around and bashed
it into Artimis's face with an incredible force.

	Artimis flew backward and landed in a heap.  Stars filled his vision
and a small trickle of blood fell from his nose.  Then the mutate took to
the air and cut Artimis's back as it dived down with its tallons extended.
Artimis let out a yelp of pain and saw as the mutate prepaired to make
another pass.  "Looks like this is it," he thought as he shut his eyes.

	Luna jumped onto the mutates back and dug her claws in as deep as she
could get them to go.  Yellow puss mixed with red blood from the wound Luna
inflicted.  The mutate screamed and landed on its back, knocking Luna off.
As the mutate tried to take off again, Luna swiped with her claws and
damaged one of its wings.  The creature roared and Luna and it circled each
other cautiously, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

	Luna charged and the mutate brought its beak down on her left front
leg.  It sunk in deep and Luna screamed in agony.  She used her claws on her
right front leg to cut the beasts face and another spurt of the yellowish
red, blood and puss mixture flew as it drew its head back.  They litterally
both parted bloodied.  The mutate brought its undamaged wing around and
smashed Luna in the side.  Luna was knocked back and landed next to Artimis
and saw that the mutate was charging them.  The mutate was opening its beak
to strike the final blow.  The mutate was mere inches away........

	The mutate was suddenly missing its head.  The headless body flopped
backward, twitched a few times and lay still.  Then they heard Gremlin say,
"Learn something new about mutates everyday, yes?  Never knew there were
bird ones, no?"

	Lynx's lisping tone took over as he said, "Me too," then he turned to
the injured child and asked, "Hey kid, you all right?"

	The child nodded weakly and pointed at the two bloodied cats.  "T-
They stopped it from hurting me," he stated, "help them."

	Lynx whirled and saw Luna and Artimis on the ground.  He saw the
slash marks on them, the claw marks on the face of the mutate, which
was still attached to his claws, the yellow puss that was dripping from
Luna's claws and chuckled as he shook the mutates head off his hand, "You
two are quite the little heros."

	Gremlin also chuckled, "Good job they did, yes?  Should make those
two official Warriors for this, no?"

	Melody came and picked the two injured felines up as she said, "I'll
get you to the Healers.  You deserve the best we can give you for a job well
done."

	Artimis winked at Luna, Luna grinned back and then both of them
promptly passed out.

END CHAPTER 12

NEXT: CHAPTER 13: THE FINAL BATTLE PART 1: THE FALL OF PRIMATOR

	Okay, enough of the intermission.  NOW, we go back to Androxia.
We'll see if Sailor Mars is still alive.  We'll see if Pluto and Anne can
destroy the Time Adjuster.  We'll see if Riki and Hickok can just plain old
survive.  Plus, the big battle, the rumble to end all rumbles, Sailor Venus
VS Primator!
To find out what happens..... Read on!

May The Spirit Preserve You!