It had all started so simply. Iris had been patrolling, making her rounds through the streets as she usually did. Maybe it had been the fact something had been bothering her mind for approximately a week that Iris seemed to be making the efforts to patrol. Maybe subconsciously, she had hoped she'd see a certain tailless freak of a cat who wore a bell collar while cruising the alleyways. If these had been her intentions, the world would probably never know. It wasn't like the yellow-suited Senshi to confess to such things. After all, why would the Senshi of Rainbows be looking for a cat of all things?

Yet, when she managed to catch a sight of pale fur scamper past and heard the sound of a bell lightly echoing through against the walls, the tomboy followed it, cautiously calling out "Cat... is that you?"

There was no answer initially, which only spurred the blonde into going further in her approach. "Come on... *********... I need t'talk!"

A small head peered out from a nearby garbage bin, green eyes almost seeming to sparkle. "Oh my! This must be a special occasion! Pray tell, what is so special that you are actually looking for me, Sailor Iris?"

Rather than look the cat in the eye, the senshi spun around, leaning her back against the dumpster and kicking her heel against the side. Her arms crossed as if she was just trying to look cool with a rather lengthy pause following the cat's prompting. Eventually, Iris' lips parted and the question seemed to fall out.

"Have ya ever been t'space before?"

The manx seemed to beam for a moment, wading over the trash to try and make her way to the back of the senshi's head. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd approach me about that?"

The spikey blonde hair right in front of where the cat was sitting now spun around to reveal two gold eyes almost glaring at her now. "Wait... how'd ya know 'bout that?"

Not even remotely daunted by the senshi's intense looks, ********* simply replied "I spoke to another senshi who had been there when you met... I think she mentioned Kurma was his name, yes?" She nodded her head as if confirming it to herself. "She mentioned many senshi who had been there. I knew quite a few of you."

The next question was one the cat had been expecting. "So... if ya knew, why didn't ya ask me 'bout it?"

"I knew you'd tell me when you were ready to." A small giggle escaped the cat as she pressed both of her forepaws up against the lid of the trash bin. "I know you pretty well. Would you have been okay with me asking you something like that before you mentioned it to me?" The tomboy didn't have to mention it. The answer was obvious to both of them. Iris would have yelled and probably attempted to ignore the manx obstinately.

"Come now... pick me up... unless you like smelling the garbage?"

"I should leave ya 'ere and jus' go by myself..." Reluctantly, her gloved hands reached in and scooped out the cat awkwardly as ever. Iris was definitely not trained in the ways of picking up animals like cats. With the cat's hind legs flailing slightly, the girl wandered forward a bit. With her free hand, she reached behind her and miraculously pulled out her cell phone. She flipped the screen open, then closed her eyes.

"I'm takin' ya with me this time... I need answers..."

Perking up slightly, the cat squirmed as she almost squealed like a child. "Oh, a field trip?! Ohhhh, that sounds fun... let's go, let's go, LET'S GO!!!!"

"Calm down, cat!" Iris muttered.

"*********," the cat corrected.

"Whatever." Her eyes were closed still as she listened. The moment she heard a small laugh, her finger touched one button, and the pair vanished from sight.

One moment they were on Earth in an alleyway on a well lit street corner. The next, they were in space in complete darkness, the senshi standing in sand.

"Oh, this is interesting... yes... quite interesting!" The cat squirmed further until she somehow managed to break free from the feathery senshi's hold. She landed on the ground heavily upon her paws, causing a miniature dust cloud to puff up. With a light playful laugh, she began to prance about like a proud little pony. "It is almost like a giant sandbox, Iris!"

"Oh god, PLEASE DON'T PISS ON THE ASTEROID!!!!" Under normal circumstances, the girl would have been able to run after the cat and catch up rather easily, since she did have longer legs. However, the whole area was darker than night on Earth. So instead of chasing, the girl stood firmly in place.

Sniffing slightly, ********* pointed out "I have really good bladder control! Don't worry, I wouldn't soil this place." She continued to move forward, her feline eyes already adjusting to the scant amount of light. The manx eventually paused and turned back towards Iris.

"You know, you could use your ribbon or slicer to at least provide a little light for now."

"I could..." The senshi's voice sounded a bit distant. However, she didn't budge, didn't even lift a hand. No, she remained in place, eyes upon the ground as she attempted to let her eyes adjust.

"So... is this yer first time out in space?"

"I think so... why do you ask?" Since Iris was not moving, the cat, in all of her wisdom, decided to wander back in her direction.

"...well..." A white boot kicked at the sand beneath her. "I wasn't sure... last time I came 'ere... I thought I saw ya..."

The cat paused in step. Rather than address what had been mentioned, the feline instead asked the senshi to do something strange. "Hey, Iris, I want you to walk forward. There isn't anything in your path, I promise. Try to keep your hands to your sides instead of in front of you in an effort to feel your way around."

"What?" Eyes lifted from the ground and looked towards the direction that ********* voice came from. Unable to find the cat visually, she shook her head before doing as told. In fact, it was pretty easy, since Iris wasn't weighed down by the possibility of walking into things. There were advantages to not thinking too much about what could be.

"Alright, now stop in place and turn about 45 degrees to the right."

The cat's voice was closer this time. Halting immediately, she turned a bit again.

If only ********* was taller in this form, she could have said she was face to face with the Senshi. Instead, it was truer that ********* face was approximately about bust level compared to the tomboy. She reached out a hand and took up the gloved hand. "Well, it is nice to know you trust me at least." The very first thing the senshi would see was the smiling face of a more human-like ********* a giggle, her fingers curled over the gloved hand. "Now, tell me... what exactly did you see? What did you experience?"

Sailor Iris sighed grudgingly. "This is so gay."

"Everything's gay with you."

Another sigh and the senshi eventually spilled her guts about the whole experience. How she had seen *********, how she had heard her own voice even acknowledge the fact it was the manx, and how she had spoken without even really speaking. It was difficult to describe, but the whole time the silvery haired girl with the top hat listened, eyes eagerly upon Iris', head bobbing up and down every so often when she seemed to note something worthwhile.

"...So... what do ya think?"

"Well, I definitely was not in outer space recently, so you didn't see me, so to speak." The girl flashed her teeth in a sort of smile. "However, I don't know what to really suggest. Maybe you were suffering from deja vu? Or maybe you remembered something?"

Golden eyes were looking at the cat blankly.

"What?"

She shrugged, her shoulders causing her neck bell to jostle enough to make a slight sound again. "Dunno! I have to be honest... I don't remember this place, but the smell of this place is familiar somehow."

The senshi blinked.

And then again. "Oh... I have one more question..."

The cat's smile didn't seem to falter any. "Go ahead..."

"Kurma mentioned something about a Mau, and mentioned cats... what... or where is Mau?"

The cat laughed her airy laugh and then shrunk down back to her usual form. "Ah... if only I had the answers to that one, Iris! I must confess, I don't have all the answers. I just do as my heart seems to guide me."

Iris was about to say "Gay" but the cat managed to say it at the exact same time as she did. The teenager sighed heavily. "God damn it..." Her eyes had only been adjusted for a short amount of time, and now the cat ruined the mood.

"We're goin' back now..."

The feline rather quickly rubbed up against the senshi's legs, begging to be picked up without words. "It's up to you, Sailor Iris!"

Just like before, the teen picked up the cat, and once more she pulled out her phone. And just like before, the pair seemed to fade out. They returned back to the alleyway they had abandoned before. Letting go of the cat, the senshi then began to walk away. However, before she left, she offered one word under her breath.

"Thanks..."

The tailless spotted cat just smiled as she watched.