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The next chapter of Neko Mimi is up! This takes place immediately after chapter 2, and fills in a little background information. Please read and enjoy, and any constructive critisicm is appreciated.

"Of course. Got a bunch of beautiful girls waiting for me back in my apartment, I buy a huge amount of food, and the freaking elevator is out of service. Just my luck..."

I pushed open the door to my floor, panting slightly from having hauled up the armload of various breakfast food and a box of coffee up several floors. After becoming Aerilla, feeling so winded after climbing just a few flights steps felt pathetic, but so did the thought of changing into my super form just to make my life a little easier. Instead, I sucked it up and now I was sucking down some wind as I juggled my purchases around. After a little fumbling, I managed to work the knob on my apartment door enough to push it open with my shoulder.

"Girls? I'm back!" I could hear the girls yawning and stirring in my bedroom as I set down the food on the table in the living room.

"Huh?... What the?!..." Guess Sera found my note. The girls started to come out of the room as I grabbed utensils for the food and mugs for the coffee. Sera held up my note, rubbing the spot on her forehead where I stuck it. "Thanks for this."

"Heh; sorry. Didn't want you to worry if you saw I wasn't here." I waved my hand over all the food that I had set out. "Dig in; it's the least I could do for you girls."

"Dig in?" The girls all shared a look of confusion as Astrid spoke, looking over the food spread out on the table. "What are we supposed to dig into?"

"This. Come on, have a bite. I got some fruit, some bacon, egg and cheese on bagels..."

"Bite?... oh! That's nourishment for your species?" Vixie shook her head. "Sorry; we should have told you. Our bodies require another source for nourishment."

"Really?" They did say they were all from different planets, didn't they? Guess I shouldn't have assumed they could eat the same kind of food I could, even if they do look pretty human for the most part. Given everything that had happened in the past couple of days, the idea that they were all aliens from other worlds wasn't much of a stretch to believe.

"Well, what do you girls eat, then?" I asked as I poured myself a glass of orange juice. Gotta get rid of this extra food somehow.

Vixie waited until I taken the first gulp before responding. "Girl cum!"

PPFFFFFHHHTTT!

Except for Sera, the rest of the Sentella giggled at my spit take that sent orange juice spraying all over the floor of the living room. Their laughter was cut short as Sera gave the girls a stern look while I grabbed some napkins and started to clean up the mess I made.

"I'm sorry; that's an old joke they like to play on the new members." Sera sighed as I finished wiping up, getting back to my feet. "We should tell him the truth."

"Thank you, Seraphine." I picked up my glass and started to drink again as Sera continued.

"We need male semen for nourishment."

PPFFFFFHHHHTTT!

All the girls giggled this time as I leaned down and started to clean up the new mess. Having had their fun with the newbie, they came over and started to pick out some items and seated themselves throughout the living room area.

"Sorry; it's just too much fun to pick on the new girl...or guy?" Merit tilted her head a little in confusion as she looked me over. "Sorry, but it's tough to get my head around, having a guy being a part of the group."

"It is for me, too. Well, the whole thing is a bit much to swallow."

"It is a bit rough for everybody in the beginning." Sera nodded her agreement as she unwrapped a bagel sandwich. "How are you holding up with it so far?"

"As well as can be expected, I suppose. I've made it through two battles, and it took some help, but I survived both my scrapes against the darkness so far. What is this darkness; the Shadowed Ones, I think you called it? Who's in charge? What does it want?" I asked.

"We know it wants the total enslavement of planets and the destruction of its opposition. As for any kind of command structure or hierarchy, we know very little." Astrid responded, picking at a muffin. "We've mostly seen mindless monsters or henchmen that get pulled into darkness when we try and capture them for interrogation."

"One thing we do know," Vixie chimed in as she started to peel a banana, "is that whoever is in charge doesn't take failure well. We call her the Shadow Queen, based on most of the servants begging their queen for another chance or for us to save them before the darkness swallows them. We never see anybody claimed by the darkness again."

"Well, that's just great. If their own servants are afraid of what will happen to them, I can only imagine what it must have in store for the planet." I sighed, stirring my orange juice a little in my hand. "I mean, I assume you guys must have some pretty advanced technology to come to Earth from another world. If you haven't been able to destroy the darkness, what chance do we have?"

"More than you might think. Traditional weapons like blasters and laser swords tend to have little effect on our opponents. Rather, it's the magic and the weapons powered by our emotions that they fear." Sera's tail swished back and forth slightly. "That, combined with the additional physical strength and agility provided by our animal features, makes us quite capable combatants."

"Exactly. Technology can help us out a bit, but in the end it's about the strength of your spirit and your heart that really makes a difference in battle. Civilizations that are technologically inferior to your planet have been able to hold off the darkness with ease, and some planets with the greatest technology within a hundred galaxies have been overwhelmed within...oh..." Vixie's tone became apologetic as she looked over at Sera. "Sorry, Sera, I didn't mean to..."

"No, it's alright." Sera sighed softly as her tail stopped moving. "What's been done has been done. We just need to focus on keeping it from happening again."

The girls nodded their agreement to that statement. I would have myself, but I was trying to get over the idea of blasters and laser swords being considered, "traditional", weapons. I took a bite of my own sandwich, wondering what I should ask about next.

"Hmm?" Sera started to sniff the air as I opened the box of coffee. "What is that smell? That aroma; it's almost divine."

"This?" I motioned to the box and started to pour out some coffee into the mugs I'd gathered, quickly adding a little milk and sugar before sliding her a mug. "It's called coffee. Here, try some."

Sera bought the mug to her lips slowly, taking a long, careful sip as I poured out some more for the rest of the team. She paused for a second, trying to decide what she thought of it. Judging by how she knocked back the rest of the mug an instant later, she must have liked it.

"So heavenly... is there more?"

"Sure; think there's enough in here for one more cup." I took her mug and poured it out. The way Sera's eyes watched the liquid pouring into the cup, you would think she was waiting for a gift from the gods themselves. The others seemed to enjoy it as well, but Sera barely gave me enough time to add milk and sugar before she took the mug and drank it down in a few big gulps.

"More?" She asked, tapping into her inner kitten to give me a pleading, begging look that would not be denied.

"Well, I don't have anymore here, but my coffee maker should have gone off by now. Let me grab it." I rose and went into the kitchen for a moment, returning a moment later with the full, steaming pot of coffee. Sera's eyes went almost as large as dinner plates when she saw it.

"You have a maker of this coffee?" Sera shot a quick glance at Vixie. "Vixie, analyze the device. I want to know how it works and have a working replica within my quarters."

"On it, Sera!" Vixie started toward the kitchen, but stopped for a brief moment. From somewhere she had produced something that looked like a smart-phone in a pink case. "Almost forgot to give you this."

"A phone?" I took it and looked it over. At first glance, it didn't seem like anything too special. "Thank you. I do already have a cell phone, but an upgrade wouldn't hurt."

"An upgrade?!" Vixie seemed almost offended at that comment. "Comparing my Sentella-phone to anything found on this planet is... uggh! Somebody else explain it to him!"

"Vixie takes a lot of pride in her work." Astrid explained as I watched Vixie stomp off into my kitchen. "Don't worry too much about it, though. She'll forget all about it once she starts taking apart the maker of coffee and trying to figure out how it works."

"Take it apart?! She can put it back together, right?"

"Probably?" Sounds similar to heavy construction started to emanate from the kitchen as Astrid spoke. "Her style of discovery and experimentation is... unorthodox."

"I don't like the sound of that." I sighed. "You can buy coffee makers if you want one, you know."

Merit shook her head. "She's never satisfied with an item as it is. She's always looking for ways to improve or upgrade it. Most of the time, it works out pretty well, like with your S.A.R.A."

At the mention of the name, the phone in my hand turned on. I held it out and watched as a glowing blue circle appeared on the screen, and a shape started to rise. It didn't just appear on the screen; it actually rose out of the phone and stood on the screen.

"Is that... me?" The figure that stood on the screen looked like my cat-girl self in miniature. She bowed slightly to me before speaking in a monotone voice.

"Greetings. I am your Sentella Augmented Reality Assistant, or S.A.R.A. for short. It is my duty to assist you in both your normal life and your work as a member of the Sentella. Though I currently look like your Sentella alter-ego, this is merely my default form. I can be modified to your desire."

"Oh. Well, thank you, S.A.R.A." Great, now I'm talking to a super computer program. "What exactly can you do?"

"There are many things I can do. I constantly monitor your vitals to ensure you're at peak health, and constantly observe your activities and environment to develop programs to help ease the burden of your regular and Sentella work."

"Yes, S.A.R.A. is a great help to us, but she is also correct about this work being a burden." Sera gave me a serious look. "We have to lie to our friends and family about what we do. Our Crystal Stars protect our identities, but if we tell others, it can put them in danger. We understand that you have a life here and that suddenly been thrown into a battle for the survival of your planet is a shock, and we'll do our best to make it as easy on you as possible, but you'll always need to be ready in case we need you. You've seen the monsters we face; you'll be hurt, and death is a distinct possibility, and the consequences for failure... pray you never know. But we need you, need your help. Can we count on you?"

"Yipe. Might wanna try and sugar-coat that kind of information next time..." Can't say that she said anything wrong, though. She also left out the overall weirdness of going from plain, boring guy to a super magical catgirl. I've wondered what it would be like to be female, probably more than most guys would, but it's more about experiencing something different and getting a different perspective on things, not filling some void in my heart or correcting some cosmic mistake. I never felt like I was born the wrong gender, and have had no desire to wear woman's clothes or makeup or anything like that. Sure, I'm out of shape, don't have a ton of friends, and I have to work way too hard for way too little, but while I would definitely like to make some changes to my life, being a girl, especially a catgirl, was definitely not one of them.

"I'm not gonna lie, girls. I really don't want this. My life's difficult enough as it is without the whole, 'save the planet' thing. With great power comes great responsibility; I'm sure you've heard that line before." That got a look of confusion from everyone. "Or maybe you haven't. I've watched friends and co-workers crack under the weight of new responsibilities in their lives, or become total jerks and abuse power that they get from one source or another. It isn't perfect, but I'm content with my little place in the world, and I'd really don't wanna leave it."

I let out a long sigh before continuing. "Having said all that; I'm in. I wish I could just ignore all this and go back to my normal life, but now I know about it, and I know I can do something about it. If that means becoming a catgirl everyone once in a while, so be it. I'll take my place on the Sentella and do what I have to do to protect Earth."

"Hmm..." I almost jumped when Regina, who had been almost completely silent from her seated position on the floor, suddenly spoke up. "You speak of your lack of desire for power and responsibility negatively, but perhaps they are exactly the reasons you do have power."

"Huh?" Now it was my turn to have the confused look. "Sorry, I don't follow."

"It's not as odd as it may seem. While not always the case, typically those who actively seek power and responsibility are the ones who are least suited to wield it correctly. Even if their intents are noble, they often fail to understand how great the responsibility they take on is until it's too late, and those who desire power usually do so for personal gain. They may start out with good intentions and ideas, but power can corrupt and twist those good intentions easily."

"By contrast, your lack of desire for power may make you well suited to handle it. You may not wish to have the extra responsibility, but you're willing to accept it, even if it does feel as though it were forced upon you. You speak of caution and understand the burden that comes with power, which may make you less likely to use it when necessary, but also less likely to abuse it for personal gain." Regina's blue eyes, almost a perfect match to her uniform, searched me up and down slowly as she continued. "You seem to be quite knowledgeable on the subject, perhaps from past experience?..."

"Past experience? Hmm..." I shook my head after a moment. "Sorry; can't think of anything."

"Hmm." Regina shrugged. "It could also just mean you're lazy and have read too many comic books; it's hard to be certain."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I do mean it, though. As weird as this all is, I'll help as a member of the Sentella and protect the Earth."

Sera smiled and nodded. "Thank you. Our job is not easy, but it's not without its benefits. Here, let me show you one."

Sera rose from her spot on the couch and moved over a nearby wall. She closed her eyes for a moment and placed her hand against the wall. Her Crystal Star started to glow as she started to chant.

"These walls protect and support with all their might. Now they block sound as well as sight!"

When she finished, a small red burst of energy emanated from her hand and spread across the entire surface of the wall. The glow quickly spread across all the walls of the apartment for a brief moment, then faded away as if nothing happened. I approached the nearest part of the wall. My own Crystal Star started to pulse and glow as I reached my hand toward it, and I could feel some sort of energy wrapped around it.

"There's a lot we can do with our magic. Though we don't really need words or movements, it takes much more of our power to do so without them. Besides our basic energy blasts, creating something out of nothing takes a lot of energy too." Sera explained as she motioned toward the wall. "Enchanting your walls to be soundproof in addition to blocking sight, by contrast, is a relatively minor use of our power."

"You mean I can do real magic?! That's awesome!" My smile changed to a look of confusion after a moment. "Wait; why did you make my walls soundproof? Are you afraid someone might be spying on us?"

Merit shook her head as Sera took her spot on the couch again. "That's unlikely. Unless we actually transform in front of someone, our Crystals prevent us from being identified or traced by any magical means. Even if they notice similarities between our human and Sentella forms, our magic prevents most people's brains from making the connection. Not to mention that your change is so extreme, I doubt anybody would believe you and Aerilla are the same person even if you told them."

Sera nodded her approval. "I did it because, given how things usually go about this point, it's about to get rather loud in here, and we don't want anyone to start investigating or being concerned about what's happening in this apartment. You may want to come over here with the rest of us; it's about to get very hot."

Sera exchanged a knowing glance with the rest of the Sentella, who smiled or nodded in response. What were they talking about? What could possibly happen that would get so loud that the neighbors might hear? Sera smiled at me innocently, which only served to put me on edge more in my confusion.

A sudden possibility flashed through my mind as I recalled how things ended between Sera and I after my first battle. Is she talking about... wait, does that mean that they're all?... oh man! I blushed furiously at the thought at being involved with all of them like that. It was intriguing, certainly, but also very daunting. I mean, sure, there was that time with Sera, and Hathor's girls, but I had been sort of taken by surprise both times. Should I say yes? No? Transform? Stay as myself?

*Sniff**Sniff*

"Hey, does anybody else smell something?" That wasn't just a dodge; I could smell something burning coming from the kitchen.

"Come on." Merit came over and took my hand, gently guiding me back toward the center of the living room. "Sera's right; it's going to get very hot over there."

"S-Sure..." I blushed more as she bought me back with the rest of the team.

"Good. Now, stay right here while..."

KA-BOOM!

"Holy crap!" The small explosion reverberated throughout the apartment, and a visible cloud of smoke started drifting out of the kitchen. I started toward the kitchen, but Merit held my hand tight and kept me from moving. "Vixie! Are you O.K?!"

"Yup; I'm fine! This happens all the time!" Vixie responded, seemingly unfazed. "The maker of coffee's not doing so well, though."

"But there was an explosion..." I looked back at the rest of the Sentella, who seemed completely nonchalant and unconcerned. "Um, shouldn't somebody check on her?"

"I did tell you her style of experimentation was unorthodox." Astrid reminded me.

"I used to jump as well when I heard them." Regina responded. "After the first dozen or so, you'll understand that when the explosions stop is when you need to be concerned."

"But I didn't think there was anything even in the coffee maker that could possibly do that..." I said, still concerned for her and the fate of my coffee maker.

"That's our Vixie! She always manages to do the unbelievable!" Merit smiled as she led me down onto my chair before resuming her place on the couch. After a pause, she added, "Not that that's always a good thing."

"Aw, come on Merit!" Vixie called out from the kitchen. "You're making me sound like some kind of crazy scientist! And it's not so bad in here; it's a little scorched, but it's still in one piece, and I think...gah!"

KA-BOOM!

"*Koff**Koff* Um, never mind."

I sighed as Vixie, her short brown hair blown backward and slightly blackened in places, came out of the kitchen and started opening some windows to air out my apartment. A part of me wanted me to be really mad at her, but coffee makers aren't really that expensive, and I was just happy that she wasn't seriously hurt. I did make a mental note to not leave her alone with anything in my apartment, especially the microwave.

"Sorry about that. I'll come back in a little bit and dispose of what's left. I don't think you need to be concerned, but you probably shouldn't handle it yourself. Or look at it. Or probably be in the same room with it." She glanced back at the kitchen nervously for a brief moment, then smiled at me. "Don't worry, though; once I figure it out, I'll make you a custom one!"

"You don't have to do that..." If this is the norm for her, I'd probably be afraid to use it anyway.

"Please, I insist! I'll be back in a bit!" Vixie held her hands over her Crystal Star, and with a brief flash of light she was gone.

"Her development process is rough, but the end results are always something to behold." Merit glanced at the clock. "Oh! It's getting late. I have to get to work. Thanks for breakfast, Dan!"

"I should go as well." Regina slowly rose as Merit teleported out the same way as Vixie. "Before I do, Seraphine, I wish to make a formal request to be Aerilla's primary trainer."

"You would?" Sera seemed a little surprised. "I'm alright with it if Astrid is. It is her turn to train the new member."

"Do you mind, Astrid? I know your schedule is quite full, and I would not wish for further Sentella duties to complicate your life here. Besides, there's something about this one that I find..." Regina looked me up and down, a sly smile on her face. "...Intriguing."

"Hmph." Astrid gave me a look of contempt before nodding her approval. "It is quite fine with me."

"Good. Then I shall contact you soon about your training through the Sentella-phone. Thank you for your hospitality." Regina bowed gently before teleporting out herself.

"Hmm...Astrid? Do you mind if I talk alone with him for a few minutes?" Astrid's eyes went up in surprise for a moment before they turned into daggers aimed at me. "We're just going to talk; there are a few things I'd like to tell and know about him, that's all."

"If you must. The smell of smoke was starting to bother me, anyway." She touched her own Crystal Star for a moment, but then paused. "Thank you for the meal."

"Sure, no problem..." After she made her own way out, I turned to look at Sera. "Did I do something to upset her? I'm getting the feeling she doesn't like me very much."

"It's not you. Astrid has a little bit of a crush on me, and she sees you as competition." Sera sighed a little as she swirled her mug of coffee. "I've tried to reassure her that what happened back at the convention was strictly a part of my duties as leader of the Sentella, but I don't think it helped."

"You mean, what happened between you and me?" I took a seat on the other end of the couch from Sera. "Us being... intimate... like that was a part of your job?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but yes." Sera nodded. "You needed to power up quickly to change back, and no offense, but judging from how you acted around your girlfriend, I got the feeling you were not well experienced in the art of feminine pleasure. I merely led by example."

"Girlfriend? Oh, Rachel!?" I shook my head furiously. "She's not my girlfriend, she's just a friend."

"But you would like her to be your girlfriend, wouldn't you? We saw the way you kept sneaking peeks at her. You're clearly attracted to her."

"Was it that obvious? She's been my friend since middle school; we've always hung out, watched shows and played games together, been there for one another through rough times, and she's so beautiful and smart..." I sighed gently. "If I could ever find the words, I would tell her as much. Of course, now it may not be such a good idea to get too involved with anyone with my new Sentella duties."

"I'm sorry." Sera's ears drooped slightly. "If it's any consolation, I know she's concerned about your well being."

"You do? Did some kind of magic from our Crystals tell you that?"

Sera shook her head. "No, just my words. After we'd finished, I went out and transformed back to my normal form. Your friend was coming to and was looking for you. I told her I saw someone matching your description being chased by the monster after he yelled and threw things at it, almost like he was trying to keep its attention on him and off someone else. I didn't spell it out for her, but I tried to hint you were protecting her. She took off running where I'd said you'd probably be after that."

"Really?" I smiled a little; guess Rachel must really care about me on some level, too. "Wonder why she didn't mention any of this to me, though."

"Maybe she didn't want you to get the wrong idea like you just did with us." Sera smiled. "We don't have big lesbian orgies all the time, in case you were wondering."

"Um, well, the thought had crossed my mind." My face flushed a deep red as I responded. It was kind of weird talking about sexuality with a relative stranger, an alien stranger at that, but something about Sera made me feel safe and comfortable talking about it. "I mean, when you said it was about to get loud and hot, I certainly didn't think you meant an explosion from the kitchen."

Sera smiled a little. "Hang out with Vixie long enough and you'll get used to thinking that way."

"I guess." I sighed a little. "Still, what happened between us didn't mean anything to you at all?"

"Well, maybe not anything." She blushed a little before continuing. "I do have a thing for blondes."

"O-Oh..." I kinda do too, what with Rachel and now Silver. He's a platinum blonde, but still, I couldn't deny my feelings for him.

Or were they Aerilla's feelings? Sure, I still felt like I had a crush on Silver, but my thoughts turned to him and Aerilla together, not Dan the human. But I was Aerilla too, just not all the time. Was she a part of me that the Crystal Star unlocked, and hence the same person? Or are Dan and Aerilla two separate people, and one just disappeared when the other one came out?

I groaned and rubbed my forehead gently. The only thing I was sure of now was that trying to figure all this out was giving me a headache.

"Are you O.K?" Sera asked, her head tilting slightly in confusion.

"I don't know about O.K., but I'll manage." I glanced over at the kitchen, where an orange glow was now clearly visible.

"Hmm..." Sera glanced back at the glow. "That's new. Maybe you better go wait in your bedroom until Vixie gets back."

"You're not coming?" I asked as I grabbed my Sentella-phone.

"Sorry, but if Vixie comes back and sees the two of us together in your bedroom, it might make the others jealous. I don't want them to get the wrong idea. Plus I think it might be having some effect on me." Sera glanced down at her hand, which was starting to tremble slightly. "My body feels all tingly and kind of jittery. It's weird, but I kind of like it."

"That's actually probably just the caffeine from the coffee, but yeah, I understand your point. But wait; I thought you said you girls weren't... you know, gay."

"No; I said we don't have big lesbian orgies all the time. When you fight alongside somebody, and put your lives in each others hands, you can grow very close to them." Sera gave me a sly smile as she reached for her Crystal Star. "And I didn't say we never have them, either."

With a wink, Sera touched her Crystal Star and disappeared, leaving me alone, stunned and wondering what the future held for me.

A strange hum from the kitchen snapped me out of my daze, and I retreated back into my bedroom.

"Why did you lie?"

"Huh?" S.A.R.A emerged from the phone as I closed the door to my bedroom, giving me a puzzled look.

"I detected an increase in your stress levels and heart rate when you told the girls you couldn't think of anything from past experience that shaped your views on power and responsibility. You lied."

I sighed; no point in lying to a computer program. "Yeah, I did. Will you tell the girls?..."

The miniature me shook her head. "I am your S.A.R.A. and yours alone. Unless I determine it would put the rest of the Sentella in danger, I am forbidden from disclosing such sensitive information without your consent. Everything else you spoke was the truth, so I have not signaled your lie to the rest of the Sentella."

"Thank you, S.A.R.A. I'm sorry; I didn't want to lie, it's just..." I sighed, trying to keep from dredging up painful memories. "I think I know exactly what it was that shaped my views so. It was from a very bad part of my life, and the few people I shared it with before, people I thought I could trust, I don't speak to anymore. I wish I could, but I'm struggling to deal with it myself."

"Forcing you to deal with something you are not ready for would be detrimental to your well being, so I will not query any further. If you are ready, I will do what I can to help."

"Thank you, S.A.R.A." I smiled gently and put her down. I could hear Vixie back in the kitchen, so I laid back on my bed and waited for the all clear from her as I tried to focus on anything but those painful memories.

I gently held my Crystal Star in my hand, feeling its warmth and light. Maybe this light will help me illuminate some of the darkness in my heart and banish it like I've been trying to do on my own for so long. Keeping a secret identity will be tough, but I think I can handle it.

I have years of experience in keeping secrets to fall back on.