Bird Sin Gayle and Gami Tenbo walked down the cumulus paths of Faerieland, both daintily munching on a Cherry Faerie Bubble.  Bird was a thin, yet toned young girl at the age of fifteen going on sixteen standing a little taller then Gami and on the same rung of the social ladder.  When Abbie had mysteriously disappeared, who knew where, and it wasn?t like she would say anything, Gami became the airhead of the particularly perfect group.  Bird didn?t seem to mind being the best friend of the most obnoxious girl in school.  In fact, she was mainly friends with most people being very open minded about the world around her.

            In this case, the main Faerie City had caught her off guard.

            "Thanks so much for the Faerie Bubble," she remarked to Gami as they strode past the large cirrus gates surrounding the focal point of the city.  Gnawing a thin hole in the top of the succulent treat, Bird tilted the bubble above her and began to drink its contents.

            "Is it black or sweet red cherry?" Gami inquired in what seemed as a polite manner.

            "It's black," Bird answer licking her lips to derive the excess cherry juice.

            "Good," Gami replied with some concurrence. "That's my favorite."

            Had school not been let out for the summer holidays, the two friends would not be up in the transparent citadel suspended high above Neopia. The tranquility of the faerie resort was exhilarating and seemed to condense their nerves with the same effect yoga would have. What had appeared as a quiet, tranquil saunter through Neopia's get-away would soon be disrupted by the most liable of people, and the most favorable to be considered utter strangers.  For at that very moment of their pace to Faerie Pet Pets, three more unsuspecting teens driven on the brink of rush sprinted down the marble cobblestone and straight into Gami and Bird's presence.

            "Oomph!" Leslie Tuatara head rammed straight into Bird, knocking herself to the ground. Bird on the other hand looked rather confused and remained to stand erect with her Cherry Faerie Bubble still in hand. Aikouka and Brooke Kinezumi were soon to follow, Brooke going so fast that she too hit Gami hard in the abs.

            Gami looked at them quizzically and then exchanged a rather wry glance at Bird.  "What might your rush be?" she asked in indignation.

            "I . . . uh . . . nothing, really," Leslie fibbed tugging distraughtly at her anomalous cream and forest olive hair. Truthfully, she and her friends were due for an appointment with the Faerie Queen in update about the status report of the Sailor Neopets.

            "Come on, Leslie," Aikouka reassured. "It's not like we have much time where we're going." With that the three comrades rushed off in the direction of the misty fortification bounding the main city together.

            "Acquaintances?" Bird asked with a curious gesture.

            "Rejects," Gami alleged with a manipulative smile. "No personal ties whatsoever."  Had Gami not been a Sailor Neopet herself like Aikouka, Brooke, and Leslie, it was very unproblematic to believe that she was telling the truth.  This, however; applied to most case, but for this one, Bird could see right through her and understood there was something Gami was keeping hidden.

            The Faerie Queen pace restlessly around her veranda overlooking the stern of Faerie City. "I was expecting more, actually.  There should be more."

            "We are sorry, your highness," Leslie apologized leniently.

            "No, child, it is not your fault. Maybe it is for a good cause, yet, at the moment I am uncertain," the Faerie Queen added with a hint of relaxed awareness.

            "It seems as though our adversaries would grow stronger as more of us began to join the team, just to maintain self reliance," Aikouka noted. "Yet, they haven't changed much."

            "This is indeed true, but take the chance of having weak opponents and strike them at their feeblest point," the Faerie Queen advised with a waver of her hands.  "I foresee that your future will be rougher."

            "That's comforting," Aikouka moaned with a sarcastic sigh.

            The Queen looked sternly at her. "There's bound to be more, with each new adversary, we'll match it with ten soldiers."

            "A workforce, to say the least, your highness," Brooke said with a giggle at Aikouka. "She can be a moody one though."

            "So I've noticed," The Queen said giving Aikouka a small bump on the shoulder with her palm. "I urge all of you to remain cohesive through these tribulations.  Aren't you starting high school soon anyway?"

            "Yup," Leslie teased, "where they pull grades from one term to the next."

            "Now that, child," the official figure gestured, "is something not even I can change." She smiled warmly with a brilliant glow before ushering them away. "Go and enjoy your summer, girls, and continue to alert me every so often. Sometimes not even the inventory of the Hidden Tower could keep me as well informed as first hand accounts."

            "We're here to sign in," Gami Tenbo said, a patronizing tone returning to her voice.

            Celeste jiggled the clipboard in front of Gami's nose assuming it was about time for her to grab it. She had, as a matter of fact, snatched it and the pen a few moments later after getting sick of the clerk's annoyance. She signed on a dashed line under a list of proceeding customers before handing it to Bird who repeated the motion.

            "I'll lead you to the springs," the girl replied with their silence. Bird set the board down on the countertop before drifting off lazily to follow the clerk, Celeste Anala by her nametag, escorted them behind double glass doors outside into a yard of small springs branching off from the Water Faerie's Healing Springs nextdoor.  It was like a giant marble veranda with tiny, in ground hot tubs spreading for what seemed at least an acre. Here and there wrought iron lawn sets dotted the marble porch between pools. Celeste dug up two fluffy white towels from the linens closet by the door and a tag with the number 23 on it.  The threesome went to one of the pools towards the center of the area.  Celeste stuck the tag to the closest table along with the towels. "Refreshments are located at the bar next to the door. You've got three hours." With that, the sultry teen slid past to the door and back at her desk inside.

            Gami and Bird grabbed their towels and went to quickly change in the bathrooms.

            "She seemed a bit angst driven," Bird said as she folded up her clothes and took down her hair.

            "Urk, another cliché and mysterious loner, Neopia is full of them," Gami noted taking a hand rag with her.

            As the two began to return to their pool, they noticed the same clerk, Celeste, presenting three girls about their age to pool #24. One with green hair and vanilla ends, the second with silky brunette hair streaked a soft blue/green and the third with two braids lassoing adjacent buns.

            "Say," Bird grinned, elbowing Gami lightly in the ribs, "looks familiar? Those are the girls from earlier!"

            "Oh my heck," Gami scowled whirling around, "Leslie!"

            "Ah, so you do know them!" Bird began to smile wider.

            "Not intentionally!" her friend whined stomping her foot. "I'm not about to give up my three hour spa for their sakes though."

            "Just what I wanted to hear," Bird chuckled as they returned to their pool. By the time they had slid glacially back into their spring, the three girls noticed them.

            "Gami?" Leslie remarked soaking in the warm water.

            "Ah, ah!" Gami refused sticking up her hand. "Just because I happen to know you in many ways, doesn?t mean I find you interesting." She stuck out her tongue and tried to strike up a conversation with Bird.

            "Come on, Gami," Bird said, "she doesn't seem all bad."

            "She's a loner, Bird."

            "It looks as though she's got friends with her. What's her name? Leslie?"

            "If you find that intriguing."

            "Gami! You were acting ridiculous towards that clerk, Celeste, I believe was her name, and now you're poking fun at this Leslie character. It's not like we own school anymore."

            "Humph," Gami huffed crossing her arms and shifting her hair from shoulder to shoulder. She was at loss of words.

            "You seem so insecure sometimes, I swear," Bird paused. "Are you hiding something?"

            "What, do you think I'm a freak or something? Of course no-," Gami was suddenly interrupted by a blood curdling scream and a small explosion inside the spa building. A second explosion occurred actually sending debris flying past them and a tornado of dust setting in.  When the curtain of remains cleared, the looming figure of Sailor Chia hovered before the customers in their spas. To her left was a rather enormous grundo with a frail body slung in its disgusting arms. As it shifted, Celeste Anala's thin face rolled over covered in her matted hair.

            "Oh my gosh!" Bird gasped backing away to the far end of the pool. "Gami, that's Sloth's  Grundo trooper, Garrox5! And . . . and Abira Anion from school!"

            Gami squinted. "Hey . . . I think you're right, but her hair, who would've-ugh! It's just like Leslie's." She continued to ramble on about fashion sense.

            In pool #24 Bird eavesdropped on Aikouka, Brooke, and Leslie talking quickly.

            "Where do we transform at?" Brooke shuddered looking around for shelter.

            "There is still some dust left over towards the bathrooms. We could go there. I wouldn't think anyone would be able to make out who went in and who went out," Leslie urged.

            "It's not as though they would pay attention out of the entire ruckus anyway," Aikouka remarked.

            With little or no controversy left, the anxious trio scampered out of their spa and rushed over to the restrooms, weaving behind umbrellas from the lawn tables.

            "Now where are they going?" Bird spoke softly to herself. Something hard quickly fell atop her head before rolling onto the floor of the pool. "What the?" She leaned over and rummaged around for the object, moments later revealing an eccentric wine glass. Its top opened steadily revealing a mule and navy pen yearning to be placed in her hands. "Gami . . . Gami!" Her companion looked peculiarly at her.

            "What?" she asked impatiently.

            "Look at this odd . . . thing," she pointed out holding it as though it was a used tissue.

            Gami groaned and recognized the girls sneaking over to the bathrooms.  "You don't want to know?"

            "It has something to do with Leslie, eh?"

            "It's the epitome of tacky, rest assured," Gami replied dragging Bird and herself in search of the proceeding girls.

            "What are you babbling about?" Leslie scorned rushing over to Gami. "You're tailing us so slowly people are beginning to notice!"

            "Bird has a pen from the Chalice," Gami groaned dryly. "Much to her dismay."

            "I really don't understand what's going on," Bird said with a hasty laugh. "Is this some sort of insane conspiracy?"

            "Not quite," Brooke giggled issuing her transformation. "Usul Neo Power, Make Up!"

            "Bruce Neo Power, Make Up!"

            "Uni Neo Power, Make Up!"

            "Lupe Neo Power, Make Up!"

            Bird stared, disbelief enveloping her. In frustration she rubbed her eyes trying to calculate things scientifically. "This," she stated trying to appear collected, calm, and above all *smart*, "is not at all possible! Come on Gami, if you really want me to believe you're a Sailor Neopet you'd at least let me see your secret cave or something."

            "As glamorous as it may seem I have no secret cave or hide away," Gami said dripping in sarcasm.

            "So what do you want from me?" Bird proposed not too thrilled about the responsibilities suddenly thrust in her direction. "I've got an Eyrie at home I need to take care of, not the life of a super hero."

            "Listen," Leslie conjured up the obvious excuse, "you're a Sailor Neopet whether you like it or not. Believe me; I've had the same epiphany.  Now tell me what words come to mind."

            "Uh . . . weird?"

            "That wasn't very thrilling," Aikouka said poking Brooke in the ribs with her elbow.

            Brooke responded by knocking her upside the head. "Cut it out, would you?"

            It suddenly came out of no where as more suitable words began flooding Bird's mind. "Eyrie Neo Power, Make Up!" A golden circle molded into a sphere enveloping her, growing from her collar bone to the rest of her body before its demise, revealing a mixture of mule grey with navy clothing. 

            Overhead emerged the silhouette of the impetuous Sailor Chia, the sluggish Grundo trooper to the left hand, along with Celeste appearing on the brink of proverbial death. 

            "Like this is a surprise?" Abbie whined placing her hands on her hips. "I hate to say I'm being outnumbered, but this is getting ridiculous.  Lucky for me, the energy from this girl will be most sufficient for my Lady the Chaos Faerie.  Maybe then can we get some work done around here on my part?"

            "You give us a bad name, Abira!" Leslie gestured to the group.

            "As if I haven't heard that one before?" Sailor Chia pondered out loud with a snap of her fingers. "Garrox5, collect their energy," she paused, "by any means necessary of course."

            The lumbering servant situated Celeste's body around his neck like a faux fox scarf.  Cracking his knuckles with a self-sufficient train of thought, his lethargic persona quickly morphed into something similar to a threatened Cybunny: quick to think, fast, and elusive. Unlike the cottontail equal though, he raised the bar with his strength and posed as quite the adversary than the usual.  Bounding swiftly from his platform next to Sailor Chia, Garrox5 rumbled around the acre of startled citizens only to U-turn and make a charge towards the senshi. The four cornered girls looked about frantically for a platform of safety among the rubble.  Concrete from the main building had blocked their first choice for an exit.

            "Should we try to attack?" Sailor Usul asked looking at Lupe.

            Leslie thought quickly and imposed on Bird's sudden fright. "Sailor Eyrie!"

            "Uh . . . y-yeah?" she responded.

            "You've got wings on your back like Sailor Shoyru!"

            "Who?"

            "Nevermind that," Sailor Bruce pointed out, "can you use them to get us higher up?"

            "What do you mean?" Bird said in utter shock.

            "Can you pick us up and move us on top of those cement blocks!" Gami shouted irately.  She pointed towards a pile of crumbling concrete.  "Use your wings!"

            Not knowing quite how she did it, Bird flapped her wings questioning their strength and quickly grabbed Leslie around the waist. "It's worth a try," she said with some doubt in her voice, gently letting her wings teleport her atop the poorly constructed platform.  By now the fierce Garrox5 had tumbled his way back and was moments away from crushing the remaining three girls. "Gosh, you sure are heavy," Sailor Eyrie whined jumping down to level ground hoisting Gami into the proper position. "I don't know how long I can do this!"

            "Just hurry!" Aikouka said preparing an attack to ward off the oncoming grundo.

            Eyrie teleported each senshi one by one, aching more than she would've liked, and getting slower by the minute.

            "That's odd," Sailor Lupe said, "Ji doesn't get tired like Bird does."

            "She probably has to pull her own strength," Gami noted. "Come on, I want this thing gone so I can get back to my life!"

            Bird bent over breathing heavily to retrieve her energy. "Is that all you can think about? Celeste might as well be dead." At that moment, Garrox5 slammed into their little less than stable pillar of sanctuary, knocking Sailor Eyrie to the ground well within squashing distance of the grundo's feet. She cried out and strained her back to get up, yet transporting four other senshi while drawing in more energy had worn her out already.  Sailor Chia looked down at her minion fumbling around to attack the remaining Sailor Neopets and saw her chance to take Eyrie out herself. 

            "Hmm, what attack shall I use today?" Abbie pondered aloud, looming threateningly over the helpless Bird. "I haven't used Chia Giggle in a while . . . I wonder if it still has potential?" She cocked her head back and laughed, energy gathering at the base of her hands.  It fired on command striking Bird's denim blue wings she had attempted to shield herself with.  The bottommost rows were singed completely off. Sailor Chia frowned. "What, no counter attack? No snazzy saying and matching action, or are you just surrendering now let?s try this again . . . Chia Chaos Ruin!" A billowing storm protruded from her hands growing in capacity. 

            "Eyrie...Feather!" Sailor Eyrie was encased in an expanse of feathers and then a shield of radiant gold that sprang forth to knock the gale away.  Though both attacks were truly formidable enough for them selves, there still was an after effect: a blast of energy for Sailor Chia and pummeling force to weaken Bird.

            Abbie staggered to her feet as she leaned against a ruined mass of cement. "You're a bit stronger than you appear."

            "Because I have actual initiative to use my forces for something greater than what you're doing," Sailor Eyrie moaned as she dodged Garrox5's stumpy feet.

            "It's not worthwhile, you're near coma anyway. Why not just join up with me . . . you could do things with your knowledge and ability?" Abbie said with a wry smirk.

            "Lupe Lunge!"

            "Usul Scratch!"

            "Bruce Jive!"

            "Uni Horn Attack!"

            Garrox5 turned his head in search for his targets, only to blow Abbie away with a sound kick of his feet.

            "You infernal lummox!" she cried scrambling away to dodge the oncoming attacks.  "Steal their energy quickly, we're leaving!"  Garrox reached out in attempt to grab the girls, only to unsuccessfully stumble over Bird.

            "Wait . . . I'll go with you!" Sailor Eyrie proclaimed crawling to Abbie's feet.

            "What??" the airhead deviant stuttered.

            "I'm joining your side, I'm coming with you.  I want to . . . uh . . . develop this power you're talking about," she replied looking around frantically.  Abbie paused contemplating the possibilities.

            "Garrox, we're going home. Take Celeste's body and get us out of here."

            "What?!" Aikouka shouted.

            "You traitor!" Brooke yelled irately slamming her foot in frenzy.

            When Sailor Chia's maniacal back was turned, Bird mouthed as precisely as possible to Leslie.

            "What on Neopia did she say?" Gami whined throwing up her hands.  Leslie nodded absently before turning to them.

            "It'll be ok," she whispered continuing to watch them until they were teleported away, "she's going to get that girl's body back."