Episode 5

The New Kid

(Nova is out by the horse cabin practicing by herself)

Nova:  Come on, Butterjewel!  Try again!  Use your hoofs or something.  Attack Power!  (Butterjewel grunts and kicks the dummy.  It moves more than a foot) Well, at least it moved a little more.  Ok, let’s try again.  Steady…set…

Police:  (surprisingly pops up) Hey, you!  Hands up, you’re under arrest!

Nova:  (nervously turns around) Hmm?  (Nova’s Butterjewel, also startled, shoots it’s a red beam that knocks the cap off one of the policeman’s head) (exactly) Oooh!  That was it!  You got it! (hugs Butterjewel)

Police:  (annoyed)  Kid, I don’t know where the h… you came from, but someone like you shouldn’t be running around lose.  You’re under arrest for destroying Yakke Gyousan.

Nova:  (quickly) Butterjewel, memory lost power!  (red glow shines and all the cops pass out)  (surprisingly)  That was a real attack?  Uh…I thought I was just making it up.  (turns bright red; several worried tear drops appear on the back of her head)

Police:  (slowly get up; confused) Where am I?  What am I doing here?  (looks at Nova and screams)  It’s an alien!  We’ve been adducted!  (they all start running around crazily, clunk into each other, and fall down)

Nova:  (embarrassed; teardrop on forehead again) Ut, oh.  Oops…well, this certainly isn’t good.  Well, if I can make him confused, maybe I can reverse it.  Stardust, can you take orders from my Earth form?  (Stardust just stares at her)  Well, guess I should just give it a shot.  (gets on Stardust and takes off her necklace)

Noelle: Ok, if I can make them lose their memory, surely I can make them get it back.  Butterjewel, memory return power!  (Stardust just sits there and does absolutely nothing.  Noelle puts her face in front of her) Come on!  (startled, Stardust throws Noelle off her back) Aaaaah!!!  (she falls and lands on the pile of police officers.  Angrily, she takes off the ring) Well, now would be a good time to run…(she takes off with Stardust galloping behind her)

*********************************************************

(dream sequence; Tsuki and Nova are 6 years old and are in a field of flowers and tress)

Tsuki:  Tag!  You’re it!

Nova:  I’m a princess, so I have the right to not be it!  Hey, get back here!

Tsuki:  Hey, you’re not the boss of me! (sticks out tongue and keeps running)

Nova:  (tries to tag Tsuki who ducks; giggling)  Hey!  (runs and trips over a rock) Oh! (her elbow is bleeding)

Tsuki:  (startled; runs over to Nova) Nova! Are you ok? 

Nova:  (sniffles; starts crying)  It hurts!

Tsuki:  I’ll go get my mommy.  (takes off)

Shadow figure:  (a 10 year old) Don’t cry, Nova!  (wraps her arm with a handkerchief)

Nova:  (sniffling) Thanks-you.

Shadow:  You’re welcome.  If you ever need help, I’ll always be there for you, Nova.

Nova: When we’re big people, you’ll marry me, right?

Shadow:  (smiling) Perhaps.  (Nova giggles; Noelle suddenly wakes up)

Noelle:  (startled; sits up in bed for a moment) Well, that was a disturbing dream.  (pauses; pondering) Wonder who that shadow guy was?

Grandmother:  Noelle!  Are you up yet?

Noelle:  Coming Grandmother!  (quickly leaves the room)

*********************************************************

(classroom)

Mrs. Suisho:  Good morning, class.  We have a new student today.  This is Kaigara.  (Kaigara is a shy girl with blond hair and glasses)  Why don’t you introduce yourself, Kaigara?

Kaigara:  (quietly steps up in front of the class; there is some giggling; when everyone is quiet, she starts speaking) Well, my mommy and daddy and my older brother Wakaru have lived here since I was born.  I was going to another school, but my mommy didn’t like it so now I’m going to this school.  (some kids start snickering)

Mrs. Suisho:  That was very nice.  How about you take a seat by Noelle over there?  (Noelle stops laughing.  Another teacher pops his head in)

Teacher:  Mrs. Suisho?  Can I see you for a sec.?

Mrs. Suisho:  Sure.  Class, I’ll be right back.  (leaves)

Raimei:  Look at her?  What a weirdo!  (there’s a lot of laughing and snickering)

Ichigo:  Look at her hair?

Kanshin:  She’s even geakier looking than Noelle!  (Noelle angrily gets up and kicks Kanshin in the face)

Noelle:  Say that again, and I promise I’ll kick much lower!!  (Kanshin falls over; everyone quickly returns to their seats) (to Kaigara) Don’t let them bother you.  They’re just jerks.  (holds out hand)  My name’s Noelle, and this is my friend Tsuta.  (Kaigara looks at hand with tears in her eyes, and turns her head the other way)  (surprised)  I know you’re upset…you’re welcome to join us for lunch…(pauses to see Kaigara crying.  Noelle turns around feeling helpless)

*********************************************************

(at lunch outside)

Tsuta:  I feel sorry for the new kid.

Noelle:  I wonder if she will come over and sit with us.

Tsuta:  (Kaigara starts looking for a place to sit)  Hey, Kaigara!  Over here!

Kaigara:  Um, that’s ok.  I just want to sit by myself.

Tsuta:  Really?

Noelle:  Come on, Kaigara.  We won’t be mean.  We just want to be your friends…

Kaigara:  No!  I just want to be by myself!  Leave me alone!  (sits by herself)

Noelle:  (bitterly) Well someone has a real attitude.

Tsuta:  She’s just shy.  This is her first time at this school and she’s been harassed already.  Let’s just go talk to her.  (gets up and walks over to her.)  Hey, Kaigara!  Sorry about what happened in class.  Those kids always give Noelle trouble.  (notices Kaigara is drawing something)  Hey, what are you drawing?

Kaigara:  (blushes; embarrassed.  Puts hands over drawing)  Oh, it’s nothing really.

Tsuta:  Oh, come on!  Let me see!  (tries to pry Kaigara from the picture)

Kaigara: No, please!  (Tsuta manages to get hold of the picture)

Tsuta:  (surprised) Hmm?  (Noelle looks over her shoulder to see, too)

Noelle:  It’s a Pegasus.

Tsuta:  It’s beautiful!  Why would you be so embarrassed about showing it?  It’s great!

Kaigara:  You really think so?

Tsuta:  Yeah!  I love it!  (Noelle is still staring at it.  It resembles to her Butterjewels, only it has dark gray skin, a light gray mane and tail, and a different shape.  She’s perplexed)

Kaigara:  I can’t believer you like it!  Sometimes at night, I’ll see it below my window.  It has a unicorn and wings and a star shaped jewel on its head.  I love it so much, I’m always drawing pictures of it.  I hope some day I can meet it, or ride it…or something!  (Tsuta and Noelle are staring at her baffled)

Tsuta:  Can’t you get a picture of it?

Kaigara:  No, it disappears too quickly.  Besides that, I only see it at night.

Voice:  Kaigara!  (a 15 year old boy comes up to them)  Why do you always have to tell those stupid stories?  You really have some vivid dreams.

Kaigara:  (angrily) Wakaru! 

Wakaru:  You know Mom and Dad have been real worried about you.  That’s why you changed schools…so you won’t keep mixing up reality and fiction.

Kaigara:  (frustrated and angry) But I’m not making it up!  I really do see it!  (Noelle and Tsuta have worried drops on their foreheads)

Wakaru: You’re lying.  It’s getting to be a really bad habit.

Kaigara: (in tears) I’m not lying!  It’s true!  I’ll prove it to you one day!

Wakaru: You’ve said that before, and you haven’t yet.

Kaigara:  (starts crying) I hate you! (throws picture down on ground)

Noelle: Hey, that’s pretty mean of you!  So what if she believes in unicorns?  Who are you anyway? (Tsuta’s even more worried now)

Wakaru:  I’m Wakaru, Kaigara’s older brother.  And I’m not being mean.  It’s one thing to believe in something just for fun and another thing to truly believe in something you know doesn’t exist.  Our parents have done everything for her, but she won’t quit with her nonsense stories.

Noelle:  Well, how do you know they don’t exist?  Huh?

Tsuta:  Noelle?  You mean you believe her?

Wakaru:  Kids.  They’ll believe anything.  (starts walking away)

Noelle: (angrily)  I’m not finished with you yet!  (starts running toward Wakaru, but Tsuta is holding her back)  Come back here!  (Wakaru takes a quick glance at Noelle, turns around, and keeps walking)

Tsuta:  (holding down an angry Noelle)  Noelle, I think you’ve practiced your karate moves on enough people for today, ok?

************************************************************

(sun is setting; Noelle and Kaigara are heading toward the cabin)

Kaigara: Hey, Noelle?  What do you want to show me?

Noelle:  Sssh!  This is a secret between Tsuta and me.  You must promise not to tell a soul…or I’ll do the same to you as I did to Kanshin.

Kaigara:  (teardrop) I’m sure you will.

Noelle:  (at cabin) It’s in here.

Kaigara: This old place?  This would be perfect to hide something!  (Tsuta is inside; Kaigara’s eyes light up)  Oh, wow!  A horse!

Noelle:  This is my secret horse.  I found her one day and Tsuta is helping me take care of her.  My mother and grandparents are clueless of it!

Kaigara:  She’s so beautiful!  (starts petting muzzle)  What’s her name?

Tsuta:  Noelle named her Stardust.  Mine’s Glory; she’s back at my house.

Kaigara:  This is so cool!  Thanks for showing her to me, Noelle.

Noelle:  No problem!

Kaigara:  (gets up slowly)  Noelle, thanks for standing up for me today.  I’m sorry about the way I acted…Wakaru is always giving me grief and I can’t stand it.

Noelle: (smiling)  It’s ok, Kaigara.  I can understand; especially with that jerky brother of yours.  (Kaigara smiles)

Tsuta:  (speaks up) Hey, Noelle?  Remember the manager at that coat store?  Maybe he saw the same thing that Kaigara sees at night.  The descriptions did seem to match…

Noelle:  Um, yeah.  Maybe…

Kaigara:  You mean someone else has seen it too?  Oh, wow!  That’s great!  That means I’m not the only one!  I’ll have to tell Wakaru.  That’ll show him!

Tsuta:  (teardrop)  Um, it’s getting dark.  We probably should start heading home.  (gets up)  See you guys tomorrow!  (leaves; Noelle and Kaigara start to get up)

Kaigara:  Noelle?  Thanks.

Noelle:  (smiling) Sure!  Anytime!

Kaigara:  Noelle?  Do you really believe my story?

Noelle:  I believe anything can happen.  You just got to have faith in yourself and dream.  Never stop dreaming, Kaigara.  That’s what makes that creature you see at night real.

Kaigara:  Thanks, Noelle.  You really don’t know just how happy I am!  Bye!  (she takes off.  Noelle turns around and stares at Stardust)

Noelle: (thoughts) Is there someone else on this planet who has a Jewel too?  Am I not alone?  (closes the door and quietly leaves.  Starts making her way back when she hears something behind her.  Noelle quickly turns around but sees nothing.  Wearily, she keeps on walking until she hears a strange noise again.  She turns around to see Daraku right in front of her face.  Startled, she falls back)  Daraku!

Daraku:  It’s getting dark and I wanted to make sure you would get home safely.

Noelle:  Home safely???  The only thing I have to worry about is YOU!!!!!!!  You were stalking me, weren’t you?

Daraku:  (teardrop on forehead)  Well….

Noelle:  (quickly grabs his shirt collar)  Tell me everything you know!!!!!

Daraku:  Honestly, I just came out.  (Noelle stares at him angrily and lets go; Daraku takes in a deep breath)  I just saw that new girl run by.

Noelle:  You mean Kaigara?

Daraku:  (nods head)  Yes.  I saw one of her pictures today…

Noelle:  Is there someone else besides me and Tsuki?

Daraku:  I’m not too sure…it there is, this person must have snuck to Earth.  We’re the only ones who should be here.

Noelle:  Why are you telling me this?

Daraku:  Well…(teardrop again)

Noelle:  (angrily)  Do you think I would be stupid enough to tell you any information?  Even if I know who the some else is, I would never tell you!  (runs off)

Daraku: (shrugs shoulders)  Well, it was worth a shot.  (runs off, too.  A shadow from behind takes off into the night)

Back to the Main page