"We will be arriving at our destination in two hours," the automated computer voice says over the speaker system. The computer startled me again. I'm beginning to hate these ships with an AI system built in. Evangeline says it's evil, and I'm beginning to have the same thoughts. It always manages to startle me, even when I'm wide-awake.

Right now Psyche, Eve, and I are headed for the planet Fauna, named so because it's vast oceans that wash over 50% of the planet and warm, dense jungles and rain forests that cover the other 50%.

As I snap awake and walk into the ship's control room Psyche turns the swivel chair around. This startled me even more, for he had reassumed his normal form. He has waist length golden hair that he holds back in a braid. Long bangs drape untamed across his face, and he has a gray-silver cat tail and ears. His eyes are a deep marble that is typical of my people. Psyche wears a strange shiny-yellow shirt that has buttons that sit on a diagonal cut and puffy shiny-yellow pants. As usually he wears his lovely rose-jade pendant on a thick chain. He doesn't seem to have aged a day from his prime, even though his a few hundred years old.

He gives me a half smile and asks, "Surprised?" Then he slowly stands up and walks over to me. Sometimes he seems more imposing in this form since he stands a full head higher than me, and I myself am tall for my race. "You know, you should really put that red ribbon in your hair," he says as he brushes my bangs out of my face and out of the way. "Besides that, it makes you look cute." I blush profusely when he fuses over me like this.

Suddenly a glowing mist surrounds him and it quickly clears away to reveal his lareon form. Eve walks in rubbing her eyes. "It looks like I'm here, but I'm really in La La Land," she tells us, "So if I say anything unusual, just ignore the remark."

"Alright." She's wearing one of my outfits, short denim-simulation shorts and a quarter sleeve shirt with a waistline that ends mid-chest. That's how she describes it, but it sort of confuses me. I'm wearing a red skirt with shorts underneath and a sleeveless. Both of us are wearing knee length flat heel boots, preparing for a mushy hike through the jungles.

"We are entering Fauna's atmosphere. We will land in one hour," the computer says.

~*~*~*~*~

Fauna is very beautiful. I observe it's foliage varies in color from nearly aqua to yellow green as the ship slows it's decent to land. There are even some lovely pinks, purples, and blues as well.

We follow Psyche through the forest quietly. Eve yawns every once in a while, but she generally seems to be the silent type and wouldn't talk much even if she wasn't sleepy.

I see a shadow flicker in the bushes every once in while, but neither Psyche nor Eve seem to notice. Maybe I worry too much.

"Who are you and why do you travel through the Shen's territory?" And.... maybe I don't worry enough. A young woman appears before us, hanging upside down from a tree. She's pointing a slingshot type weapon at us with a sharp rock pulled back in it.

She has long light brown-tan colored hair, it would brush the ground but she has it in many tiny braids, pulled back in a high ponytail and tan skin. Her eyes are a bright lavender color. She's wearing a melon tube top and brown shorts.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to intrude upon your land," I speak up. Eve just stares, apparently her culture wasn't very diverse.

"Could you spare us a meal and board for a night?" Psyche asks.

The girl relaxes her arm, pulls the stone out of the slingshot and tucks the slingshot into a holster at her side. "Yes, follow me." Without righting herself she somehow flips off the branch and lands on both feet with ease. Even I'm a little frightened to try and pull this off. She leads us onto a well-used path and eventually we reach her village. It's only a small collection of a hundred or so cabins bustling with the activity of children running around and adults going about their chores.

There's a larger hut in the center of the village, and this is where the girl seems to be leading us. She pushes aside the weed-grass curtains hat hang in the opened doorway of the hut.

"Ah, Ashlin," a cracking, old, and yet wise sounding voice says from the shadows of the windowless one-room cabin.

"Elderly Mistress, leader of the Shen" the girl replies as she bows and quickly rises. I do as she and so do my companions. "I have brought peaceful visitors to our glorious village."

"Welcome," the old woman greets us. "May I inquire as to what business have you in our territory?"

"We have come to this planet in search of a great and true warrior," Psyche explains.

"And may I now query you further? Tell me who this warrior is," she asks.

"We don't know who she is," Eve responds quickly, "but-"

"You know what she is? She is a Sailor Zodia, yes? We have been expecting a visitor from the stars for many centuries. You have the blessing of all the people of Flora that you find her safely," the woman says.

"Do you know who she is?" I ask excitedly.

"I'm afraid that is one question I do not know the answer to. Ashlin?"

The girl Ashlin quickly steps forward. "Yes Mistress, I am here. How may I be of service to you?"

"You may guide these travelers to the next village when they decide to move on. Before that time be of whatever help you can to them," she directs Ashlin.

"Yes, I will do this for you."

"Thank you child. You are dismissed, and please find our visitors a few spare cabins to spend their nights in."

"Yes." We exit the dark cabin and follow Ashlin to a two-room cabin. A couple of older women carry in three thin looking mattresses, or at least that's what they look like.

"If you need anything," Ashlin tells us, "just ask me or one of the other villagers. We will be more than happy to provide for you what you need."

"Thank you for you help," Psyche says.

~*~*~*~*~

I have no idea of the time as I am strangely aroused from my sleep. When my eyes open I realize that it is very late at night. I hear voices coming from Psyche's room, very soft and almost unrecognizable even for my ears. I drift soundlessly over to the doorway connecting the two rooms and peer in.

The large lavender moon that climbs high into the night sky provides ample light to show me the silhouette of Psyche in his lareon form and another. I'm not quite sure, but the voice sounds like that of Ashlin.

"Kitty," Psyche whispers a little louder, "come, we have things to discuss with our hostess."

I glide over to them and gracefully slide down to the floor. I'm a little confused, but I believe that I will be promptly informed.

"Kitty, I think I have found our next Sailor Zodia, Miss Ashlin here," he whispers to me, yet audibly. I can't blame him for Eve lost much sleep on the space voyage. I don't wish to wake her. "I was about to put her to the test as you walked in."

I sit quietly and wait for the event to commence. Psyches rose-jade pendant begins to glow, and, sure enough, a small silver star with a melon star sapphire appears. The pulsing glow of the star pendant shines of Ashlin's wavy tan hair, now removed of it's braids, and her face seems to radiate with the same amount of energy.

Ashlin reaches out and takes the pendant, which floating in the air, very confidently, as if she knew this moment would come from the day she was born.

"You're Sailor Scorpio," I say softly.

"I take this responsibility with honor," Ashlin tells us. "In the morning the villiage will celebrate, and then we will leave....?"

"You're ready then?" Psyche asks.

"Definitely," Ashlin says with certainty. "Thank you." She gets up and disappears through the door and out into the night without a sound.

As I turn my head and my eyes strain to watch her go, Psyche changes forms again. I yawn and allow my self to playfully fall onto his lap.

"You should get some rest," he informs me.

"But I'm not tired," I moan quietly.

"Yes you are. Go to sleep."

"No. I'm staying up as long as you are."

"Now."

"Fine. Meany."

He pushes me towards the door to my shared bedroom, and I slowly nod off.

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning the people of the village see us off with a large and rather fruit based breakfast. Not particularly to my tastes, but I eat a little something so as not to upset them.

As we leave with our new companion Ashlin, Eve suddenly asks, "Psyche, do you remember where the ship is?"

"Come to think of it.... No," he replies, once more in his lareon state.

"I'll find it!" Ashlin perks up, ready to prove herself.

We all follow her. She seems to know what she's doing, and I'm suddenly remembering certain trees and such we passed by. All goes well, until we hear the all to familiar laugh of Miazan.

"Well hello girls," she says appearing before us, "Another brat come to join the party? You know what they say, the more the merrier!"

She blasts several beams of energy at us, but I nimbly dodge out of the way. Ashlin and Psyche are both a safe distance too. One of the beams grazed Eve and just that much energy was enough to send her fling.. Panic wells inside me as I rush to her side, checking to make sure she's fine.

Ashlin takes a firm grasp on the situation and grasps her pendant. "Zodia Scorpio Power!" She transforms, and her uniform is melon and navy.

A slingshot appears in her hand and she pulls back on the band. "Lethal Sting!" she yells. A small dense ball of energy forms in the slingshot and she fires it at Miazan.

Wow, I'm impressed! This knocks Miazan off her feet, and gives me a chance to transform. "Zodia Leo Power!" In an instant I transform, and attack just as quickly. "Lion's Pride!"

Just as Miazan gets up my attack blows her over. She lands on the ground nearby, and remains motionless.

Eve gets up, holding her arm where Miazan's attack grazed her. "Is - is - is she d -dead?"

We all slowly walk over to her. Just now I realize that she's around my age, much younger than most Dark Dragon Zodia Warriors are. All of a sudden her body begins to jerk slightly, she's…. crying…. and whispering something to herself.

"I can't go back, I'm a failure…."

Psyche's ears prick up. "You don't have to," he says softly.

"What are you babbling about?! Of course I can't go back!" Miazan yells, sill lying exactly as she fell. "The Mistress will banish me!"

"As a matter of fact, she'll kill you," Psyche informs her.

"ARE YOU NUTS?!?!?" she screams in outrage.

"Miazan," Psyche says to her, "You're not going to believe me, but you're Sailor Cancer."