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Series One Episode Forty-Six Miles walked slowly down the hospitals corridors with a dejected look gracing her mildly pretty features. Her strawberry blond hair was tied in its usual braid to her feet, and her royal blue eyes were sad, as always. Her brother Jon was in to have his tonsils out, and she'd been dragged along to 'keep him company'. She'd rather be at home, reading, but she didn't want to hurt her brother's feelings. So she's offered to get him some candy before he went under the knife. Now she was hopelessly lost, and she cursed all manner of hospitals. "By the Faerie Queen's Crown, this is ridiculous!" She looked into rooms, trying to find her brother's. But even following the signs she couldn't make heads or tails of the place. As she turned a corner, she ran into a boy not much younger than herself. His blue hair resembled that of a Kiko's, and he scowled at her, but was polite enough to apologize. "Sorry." Miles smiled shyly. "That's all right. I wasn't watching either." The boy smiled a bit too, but scowled once more when he heard his sister's voice behind him. Miles didn't know she was the boy's sister, she just knew the girl look like she had a green JubJub sitting directly on her head. Miles had to try not to laugh. "Kevin! You said you'd get me a drink! I'm not allowed out of my room, you know!" Besides her hair, the girl had bright eyes and a lithe frame that seemed to be ready to fly away at a moment's notice. She continued to berate her brother for a few seconds, then turned her attention to Miles. "Hi!. My name's Jody, and this is my brother Kevin. He was supposed to get me a drink, since I have to stay caged in here, but he apparently forgot!" "I told you, I ran into this girl just now! Stop bugging me!" Miles didn't like to see people fight, so she introduced herself before Jody could get a cutting word in. "My name is . . . Miles Tailor. I'm here for my brother. He's getting his tonsils out. Why are you in for?" She spoke quickly, to keep them from commenting on her name. It would be just awful if these two (who might be friends) made fun of her name like everyone else. But neither seemed fazed, although the girl looked just a tad uncomfortable. "Oh, I'm in for cuts and scrapes, that kind of thing. I got into . . . a fight." Jody hesitated. Miles didn't notice. She was too busy feeling sorry for the girl. She seemed nice enough, who'd want to get in a fight with her? "Are you all right now?" Jody grinned, and Kevin rolled his eyes. "Nothing a little bed-rest can't fix. Hey, since you're here, why don't you meet our mom? She's sitting with me right now." "Oh, I couldn't. I still have to get my brother the candy I promised him. He's totally crazy over milk chocolate lupes. And I'm lost to boot." She tried not to cry, but a few crystal tears squeezed out anyhow. She turned away and sniffled dismally. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jody was smiling at her even wider than before. "That's ok! We can use my room's intercom to call the nurses' station, and your folks can come get you! And you can meet my mom too!" She then dragged a slightly confused Miles into her room, with a disgusted Kevin behind. Jody's room was like Jon's, in most aspects. Sanitized white covered everything, and the only ornaments that came with the room were a vase of fake flowers and a ten dollar painting on the wall. But what differed was that, sitting on the bedside table, were JubJubs in all shapes and sizes. A green one really stood out, and Miles reached out to touch its soft polyester fur before remembering she was a guest. Sitting next to the bed in the standard hospital chair was a normal, nice looking woman, anywhere from her late twenties to early forties. But Miles couldn't be sure. She turned and smiled as the three came in. "Well you two, who's your new friend?" "This is Miles Tailor, and she's lost. Can I use my room's intercom to call the station, so they can call her folks, so she can get back to her brother's room?" Jody talked fast, and seemed to enjoy it. Her mother nodded genteelly. Jody then pulled Miles over to her bed, and sat down with a foomp! She then pushed the little button next to the bed that called the nurses. "Nurse, can you call the folks in room," (Miles mouthed 242) "242 and tell them I've got their daughter? You will? Thanks!" A minute or so passed, and then there was a knock at the door. Kevin got up to answer it, and Miles mother walked in. Mrs. Tailor was short and squat, and had the bearing of a peasant queen. She smiled at Miles with just a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I suppose we can get Jon's candy together." Miles laughed weakly. She then went to the door while Mrs. Tailor and Jody's mother made small-talk (mostly about the hardships of parenting).But before Miles could reach the door to inconspicuously make her getaway, Jody came bounding up to her with another grin. "Say, why don't you come over to my house tomorrow? It'd be nice to get to know you. I can give you my address." Miles was amazed. No one had ever willingly wanted to be her friend. Much less some strange girl with fuzzy hair and a penchant for JubJubs. But she grinned timidly back. "All right . . . I guess." Jody squealed, and ran to her table. She rummaged around in the drawer, until she came up with a pencil and a pad of paper (courtesy of the hospital). She then scribbled an address on a piece, ripped it off, and ceremoniously thrust it into Miles' hand. "Great! You can meet my JubJubs!" Miles nodded, say goodbye to Kevin and their mother, and followed her own out the door. But in her hand was her new friend's address, and in her heart hope was blooming. Miles was standing outside Jody's door. She had put her hair in a bun that cascaded down her back. She was wearing her best outfit (her blue mini-dress and forest green leggings). And she had even painted her nails. She didn't want her potential new friend to think she wasn't with the new trends, even though she really wasn't. But she had heard at school that fuzz was in, so she had painted her nails to look like puffballs. She just hoped she didn't look like she was trying too hard (she was). Now she hesitated to ring the bell. But her mother had already driven off, and she didn't expect to pick up Miles until an hour later. So Miles scrunched up her courage and pushed the button. Almost as soon as it went off into its peals, the door flew open, and Jody stood there. She was wearing a yellow tee-shirt under red overalls, and she grinned devilishly before pulling Miles in after her. She mentioned that her mother and Kevin had gone out shopping, and they could do whatever they wanted. Her pets were with them to get checkups but, since Jody had just gotten out of the hospital, her mother had wanted her to rest up. Not the Jody intended to do so. The girl talked so much Miles had trouble keeping up. But Miles had long ago learned to keep quiet and let others do the talky-talky, so she wasn't too confused. But she was confused, and she was even more so when the window next to Jody's bed shattered inward, with a devilish cackle. "Hello Jody. How have you been?" Miles was frightened beyond belief, but Jody stood her ground defiantly. "You know perfectly well how I've been, Chia." As she spoke, Miles could see her hand inching toward her back pocket. "Oh yes. I remember now. You took quite a beating last time. I'm amazed you're even out of the hospital. And who's your friend? I don't recall her. Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I was just going to kill you while you were vulnerable, but I guess I'll have to kill her too. So, let's begin, shall we? Chia Giggle!" She then launched into a Chia Giggle attack, which was made up of a lot of high-pitched cackling that turned to a beam of energy, aimed directly at Miles. Jody spun like lightening and dived, pushing Miles out of the way in the process. But her leg was badly burned by the blast, and she lay cowering in pain. As she tried to stand, she was cursing under her breath. "I just got OUT of the hospital!" Miles, on the other hand, had ducked behind Jody's bed, and was silently screaming in her mind. She so wanted to help the first real friend she'd found since moving, but her perfectly natural fear held her at bay. So she cried. She could just barely make out Jody's cries of pain as Chia blasted her again, as she covered her ears, crushing them to her head. Finally, it was too much for her, and she stood. As she did, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Jody was inching out her bedroom door to hide, it seemed. She pulled the door shut after her, and Miles felt a little better about the situation. As long as Jody was safe, she could at least put on a show of courage. But she noticed Chia move as if to follow (almost lethargically, for Chia she seemed to be bored with it all), and Miles ran as quick as she could to block her path. Pointing a finger at the evil senshi, she cried out in a trembling voice, but one fraught with anger and strength Miles had never known before. "You stop it! She's never done anything to you before!" Chia laughed menacing, and walked slowly to Miles. Miles stood her ground, although she was about to vomit from fear. A foot from her very nose, Chia halted and sneered a nasty sneer. "Who are you, girl? Her pathetic little wimp sister, not worth killing? I don't remember hr having one. Or are you a leech, the type of loser I'd like to wipe from this planet?" Miles gulped, but answered evenly. "I'm her friend, and I won't let you hurt her anymore." Chia laughed again, peals and peals that ripped into her soul. "Her friend? Her FRIEND? I've been watching you since you came into this room, and just from the look of you I can tell you're a nerdy, geeky, little wuss that can't even grovel right. I bet you don't have a single friend, do you? Well, except for the pity-friends that use you for kicks. I'm surprised you're even here. I wouldn't have thought an idiot like you would have the guts to ring the bell." Miles glared daggers at Chia, who tossed her short hair in contempt. "I'd kill you, but I'd rather kill the senshi first. Then I can use you for bait." But as she turned to finish Jody off a blast of fuzz bombarded Chia, knocking her to the ground. "JubJub Fuzz!" There before them stood Sailor JubJub. She was scowling in anger. "How DARE you hurt this innocent girl to fight me! Have you sunk even lower?" Chia grinned as she raised up and went into a fighting stance. "I was never that high to begin with. Chia Giggle!" And the fight began. JubJub fought with every ounce she had, but Miles could tell she was weakening. And as she looked down to find something to use as a club (and help Jody), she saw a large burn, partially hidden by JubJub's skirt, gracing the senshi's thigh. And it all clicked. Jody had disappeared . . . JubJub had arrived. They looked alike, and they had the same wound (not even remembering the identical bruises and burns from JubJub's last battle). And Chia had even called Jody a senshi. Of course! Jody hadn't hidden, she had transformed! And as Miles watched JubJub being defeated, she wished so much to help. As she frantically scanned the ground for anything to use as a weapon, she saw cup of some sort sitting quietly to the side of Jody's table. She was drawn to it and, even with the battle raging around her, found herself calming and silently picking it up. It seemed to call to her. In a trance she pulled from it a wand. The wand was grey in two shades, and it bore the letter N. As she held it in her hand, she felt it pulse to life. In her mind, she thought she heard a strong, feminine voice cry to her. "Call out Kacheek Neo Power, Make Up! You wish will then be granted." Miles answered the voice back, without saying a word. "But what will happen to me?" "You will be endowed with the Power of the Sailor NeoPets, but your life will forever be changed. You will be bound by the call and duty that is yours by right. You will be a fighter for justice until the passing of your power." The voice was kind but firm. Miles weighed the consequences. To be a senshi . . . a soldier. She had heard rumors of the Sailor NeoPets, and she'd had idolized them so much. But to become one, to never be normal again? Was she willing to give up her life for the thrill of being able to defend herself at last? And what of her family? They'd be in mortal danger, should an enemy discover her true identity. Was she able to do that to them? But even as she tried to fight it, she knew her choice. She would never again be ridiculed. Never again would she cower in fear when someone bigger and meaner came to call. She would fight evil in all its forms, and she would triumph in that endeavor. And even deeper in her heart, she knew she had no choice in the matter. So she nodded to the unseen seer, her eyes cleared, and she called out her power phrase. "Kacheek Neo Power, Make Up!" Lights swirled for a second, and there stood Sailor Kacheek. She wore an uniform of light and dark grey, and her hair was once again in her trademark braid. She stepped purposefully from around the bed, stood ready, and then yelled her attack. "Kachhek slide!" As she called it out, she slid faster than sound into the evil senshi, and the impact tore up the floor. When the dust cleared, Kacheek stood over a dazed Chia. Her eyes burned with hate, and her hair whipped about her in an unseen breeze. "I am the pretty suited soldier of cunning, Sailor Kacheek. For your transgressions, I will defeat you!" And she powered up again. But Chia, seeing she was outnumbered and winded, shimmered way from Kacheek before the words hit the air. She then reappeared a few feet away. "Don't worry about defeating me just yet, brat. I'll come back, and when I do, you can bet it's going to be YOUR bloody carcass on this floor!" And she shimmered away. Sailor JubJub limped over to Kacheek, and stared before inquiring. "Miles?" Kacheek nodded sadly, and transformed back to her civilian form. Then, she fainted. It was all JubJub could do to stop her from crashing to the floor, and even so she hurt her bad leg even worse. She sighed and gazed down at her new friend and ally before changing back herself. As she rested, one thought skipped through her mind. "It's a good thing Mom isn't home." |