*Destiny Steps In*

"Class settle down! Or else I will have to call the Aps!" The teacher said, angered. "OoOoO! The evil Aps! What are they going to do, attack us like last time?" Jenn whispered to Paul sarcastically. Paul laughed, then shot the brown headed girl an odd look. "Last time? What last time?" Paul responded, suddenly very confused. "Forget it," Jenn hissed back, rolling her eyes. "We have a new student with us." A 14-year-old girl walked in. Jenn examined her. The girl had platinum black hair tied in two tight buns, she had dark green eyes that seemed sad, and her complexion was light and tanned. She was pretty, and obviously she was either Chinese or Japanese. "Hello my name is Jade Smith. Its a pleasure." She introduced herself to the surrounding class. "Jade please sit next to Jennifer. Jennifer please stand up." Jenn snapped in attention, shook her head, then stood and smiled sweetly. Jade walked over and sat next to Jenn. English class went by quickly, and soon the lunch bell rang. Jenn stood "Umm jade if you wanna sit with me and my friend you can." Jenn asked the new girl nervously. "Thank you I appreciate it." Jade replied without much enthusiasm. "Ok! Lets go!" "Hey there you are Jenn!" A girl sat at a table waving over to them. She had wavy light brownish, reddish hair, sparkling light blue eyes, and a light complexion. "I thought you got lost or something." She joked. "Oh yeah Skyee, I got lost, I must have gotten caught up in a forest of stands in band hall" Jenn said as she rolled her deep brown eyes. "Oh! You just have to meet my new friend Jade!" Jenn exploded with bubbly enthusiasm. "Hi." Jade said shyly. "¡Que Tol! Im Skyee!" "Sit Jade!" Jenn said impatiently. "So where are you from?" Skyee asked curiously. "What? Oh, Im from Japan." Jade responded quietly. "No way! Im sooooo like jealous!" Jenn wailed. "Do you watch anime a lot? My personal faves are Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z. Hold on! I like Saint Tail, Ranma ½, Magical Girl Sammy-" "Yeah some times. But not really." Jade interupped. "How can you not?!" Jenn stuttered, and for the first time that day, was speech less. "Are you sure youre from Japan?" Jenn asked sarcastically. "Yes, Im pretty sure." Jade giggled. "What made you decide to come to the U.S.?" Skyee asked. The young Japanese girls face went from happy to sad. "My Father is in the air force." She mumbled. "We returned here where he grew up. I guess he cant stand Japan anymore." "Oh, why?" Jenn asked. Jades eyes watered up a little. "My Mom died when I was young, and my dad tries to leave Japan every chance he gets, so we decided I live here with him." "Oh my gosh! Im so sorry I asked." Jenn said apoligectically. "No, its okay." Jade said smiling "Dont worry." Lunch finished and the rest of the day went by quickly. The bell rang signaling the time to go home. "Oh Jade your going to have to meet my cousin Grace sometime! I think you and her would get along great!" Jenn giggled. "Where do you live?" "Oh not far from here." "Okay, well, Ill see you tomorrow Jade!" "Bye!"

Jade inserted the key into its place and turned, it clicked and she opened the door to the house. "So lonely." She sighed and closed the door. She walked up the stairs to her room and closed the door. "I guess I should finish unpacking. She said to herself. she sat rummaging through a box. inside were a few books, pictures and a beautiful black, wooden box with cherry blossom designs on it. she picked it up and sighed. "Oh Mother, why did you leave me?" she asked herself. she then opened it. inside the box was a beautiful Japanese hair clip. she closed her eyes.(flash back) "oh Mommy you look so beautiful!" "aniya-san thank you." "I cant wait till we get to go see the parade, and eat the yummy food!" "(laughing) oh aniya-san one moment, let me put my hair up and then well go!" "oh I love you mo-

"Jade Im home!" a voice called from down stairs. She set the box down and ran towards the voice. "Konnichiwa Daddy!" she ran and hugged him. "What did you bring home for dinner?" "Well, will chicken do?" "Of course I love chicken Dad!" "Then lets eat!"

After the table was picked up, Jade resumed to her room to unpack some more. while going through her things she found something odd. it was a beautiful sterling silver pendant in the shape of a star. "Thats rather odd, I never remember this." she put it on. a strange feeling shot through her, and she began seeing strange visions through her head, several girls in nearly identical suits, strange signs on their foreheads, all chanting different things.

"What was that?" she asked herself aloud. "That was so weird." "Jade time for bed!" Her Father called from down stairs. "Okay Dad!" She yelled back, and began to get ready for bed, quickly forgetting about the odd visions and went to bed.

(a week later, after school) "Hey Jade!" someone called from behind her. "Oh! Hey Jenn!" Jade called back and stopped to wait for the short bubbly girl. When she finally caught up, it turned out that she wasnt alone. "Jade this is my cousin Grace!" Jade examined the girl. she was tall, had golden blond hair, brown eyes, and a complexion tanned from obvious outdoor activities. "Hi! Ive been wanting to meet you since Jenns told me all about you over the phone!" she said ecstatically. "I hope your not scared by me, Im quite the chatter box sometimes, okay, not sometimes, but all the time!" She giggled. Jade already knew she was going to like this girl, and secretly envied her for her openness. Grace continued talking about utter nonsense until she blurted out, "Wanna go for some ice-cream?" "Grace!" Jenn said, and apologized for her cousins lack of focusing on one subject. "Sorry Jenn Im just so hungry thats all! So how bout it Jade?" she giggled. "Ice-cream sounds really good right about now. Where do we go to get some?" Jade asked as she smiled. "Well go to the Ice Cream Palace of course! Where Jenns absolute favorite guys parents own! Oops! I dont think I was supposed to say that!" Grace yelled. Jenn glared at Grace and said, "Leave Andrew out of this! Hes just a friend! Besides, Im going to work there one day" then Jenn thought to herself, "Yeah, Grace and Jade are going to get along great!"

(at the ice-cream palace) "Mmm thish is sho good!" grace said happily biting into her ice-cream king deluxe. Jade stared in utter amazement at how much food went into Graces mouth at once. "Im sho showy if I eat like a pwig." Grace gulped. "Oh no, its okay." Jade smiled, then turned to look at Jenn. Jade giggled at the sight of Jenn. She leaned against the counter talking to a dark-haired boy, obiously flirting. "So, this must be the famous Andrew Grace was talking about,"

About then, the enemy Leo sat at a different booth holding her pocket energy finder. "Hmm, wonder who the lucky energy giver will be today." She cackled to herself. She tapped a few buttons and turned a few knobs till the screen flashed showing her the new victim. "Excellent!"

Jenn and Grace were both giggling about something when Leo chanted something to herself, Jade noticed how everyone began to drop to the floor. Grace and Jenn realized that too and quickly got up scanning the place for the enemy. "Where are you whoever you are?!" Grace yelled searching frantically. "How rude you never welcome me with smiles." Someone in the shadows said. "Thats because you dont deserve smiles!" Jenn yelled. "Come on Grace!" "You Bet! Grace Crystal Reincarnation!" A crystal appeared and shattered into million piece's melting away Grace's outfit into a glowing white protector suit she flipped into a waterfall and her protector colors bled into her outfit, her lip-gloss was painted on and she did a few twists and she finished in her Grace pose. "Melody Mystical Harmony!" Red and Yellow lights flooded around Jenn. On came a white Protectors uniform, the colors then bled into her skirt and top, a few twists and turns, then she stood in her pose. "We are the guardians of Gods merciful Grace and the Earths beautiful Melodies! Whatever you are here for, you better know you wont succeed!" They both yelled in unison. "Dont worry! Im not after you!" Leo yelled. She disappeared for a moment then reappeared holding Jade. "Im only after this pretty little thing!" "Dont hurt her, please!" Jenn pleaded. "Dont worry! I know she holds the item of complete terror and destruction! With it we will rule the universe!" Leo cackled. "What on earth are you talking about?!?" Jenn yelled, confusion and fury filled her voice. "I told you already! Are you Protectors just profoundly dumb or something?!?" Leo said to them, angered at Jenns question. "Even a Protector should know this one! If you arent fighting to protect this little girl, then what on earth are you even doing here?" Leo continued. Both Jenn and Grace were speechless. Leo laughed. "This girl holds the power to either save or destroy the entire galaxy! And thats what weve been after! Unfortunatly, we havent ever been able to locate her with our electornics. But ever since she moved here, everything has lead straight on! After we get her powers, we wont hold back any longer!" "What will happen to Jade?" Grace asked turning paler by the second. "Well, she will die! Thats right die! Without her power, she has no strengh left to live as a normal human being. Her soul with be forevber enslaved by our forces!" "No!" Grace yelled. "You will not do such a thing! In the name of Grace, you shall surely pay!" Grace yelled at Leo, who was laughing furiously. "Dont worry Grace! Nothing like thats going to happen!" Jenn told the worried girl. Jenn took a deep breath. "Melodies Death Rhapsody!" As her flute appeared, Jenn grabbed it and lunged at Leo, a bean of shimmering red light shooting out of her flute. Grace tapped into her communicator to call I the other Protectors. "You guys! This is an emergency! Come quick!" she said, despratly trying to get a response from the others, but the radio frequency was too broken up. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Jade, who was laying lifelessly on the floor, her black hair sparkling with sweat. "Forget saving your friend! Its too late, for all of you!" Leo cackled, "For the first and very last time, the Protectors have failed! And I, Leo, shall be the one to take all the credit!" Leo drew her hands together and glared in the direction of Jade. A white, hot beam came from her palms and shot towards Jades chest. The young girl began to scream. "Jade!" Jenn yelled, trying not to let her tears break free. Jade continued to wail. Just then, the other Protectors came bursting in. "Hey! We got your call, whats happen-" a lighted figure came out from Jades chest. "I knew it!" Leo yelled happily. "She is the one!" the lighted item then quickly changed itself to a deadly black scythe. "What is that?" Kim, the Protector of Love, asked speechlessly. Jade saw it, then turned to see Jenn right before she fell down to the ground, unconscious. "Jade!" Jenn called and ran over to her. "I have it!" Leo screamed "I have it!" she grasped hold of the scythe. "The item of absolute power is mine!" "Grace Butterfly Discus!" a beam shot at Leo making her drop the scythe to the ground. She turned around angrily in time before Kims attack came "Loves Winged Hearts, attack!" dozens of pinks hearts with wings surrounded Leo. "Lifes desturcking Blow!" Skyee attacked Leo with a wave of electric power formed around Leo. "Dream Sparkling Duster!" "Entertainment Sudden Stardom!" All the attacks hit Leo at once. Grace ran over to Jade and summoned her globe. "Grace World-Wide Protection!" The wave of shockingly white light hit Jade like a bolt of lightning. Jade stirred but didnt get up. "She's alive!" Kim smiled, hearing Jades deep, rythmic beathing. "Mommy?" Jade asked. In her mind, visions of the past were occurring. Five-year-old Jade sitting next to a bed crying holding a womans hand. "aniya-san remember this: you are a star among all you shine bright with the aura of the stars. Let them guide you Jades eyes shot open, filled with emotion, and a blackish colored star shone brightly on her forehead. "Is she a, Protector?" Grace asked. "I dont know." Jenn answered slowly. "What is going on?" Leo demanded, still weak from the attacks earlier. The silver star on Jades necklace lit up as Jade said, "Destiny Mystical Magic! Everything around the girls turned black, then Jade appeared in white, stars begin circling around her body and a white Protectors uniform appeared. "No way!" Tara gasped. Black and green stars appeared, and she spun into them as the colors bled into her uniform. "It cant be!" Daphne said, amazed. Two more stars appeared at her feet, and in an upward motion, boots appeared. "Is it actually possible? Jade, a Protector?" Skyee said mechanically. Two more stars appeared at her fingers and in an upward movement, gloves appeared. "How can this be! She is supposed to be working for us! Not against!" Leo exclaimed in pure horror. Two stars appeared in her hair to clip up her black hair, her black and green star-shaped earrings snapped on, and she opened her eyes as lip gloss was painted on, does a back flip and lands in a pose.

"Jade! Of course!" Grace yelled excitedly. "No! It cant be!" Leo gasped. "I am the guardian of Destiny. Let the stars be my guide!" the new Protector yelled. "Let me teach you a little lesson!" "Hah! You may not be the one Im looking for, but youre just a new little pest thats all you are!" Leo said mockingly, still holding on to Jades black scythe. She aimed it at Jade. She screamed, the shock of emotion flooded the scythe, causing it to blas, but destiny quickly jumped. "Dang it! With that thing, we cant touch her!" Jade said and quickly studied Grace. "You guys do what I do ok?" "Ok!" came the response. "Destiny!" as she yelled, the star on her forehead lit up. The others did the same, she pointed towards Grace and the others confused yet followed her moves. "Oh great. So now they all attack me." Grace said, now utterly confused. "Grace yell out, Gracing Presence and hurry!" Jade yelled. "Ok whatever!" As Grace agreed, a spirit welled up within her. God, bless us with your gifts! GRACING PRESENCE!" All the powers of the Protectors flew to Grace. She held out her hands and a purple orb appeared in her hands, glowing with power. "Wow..." She said in awe. "Grace, use it! Quickly!" Jade yelled frantically. As if she knew the words already she summoned the power of all the protectors with the words: "Gracious Forgivness!" The light from the orb was immense and drowned Leo, but luckily for her, Virgo came and snatched her right before the light swallowed her entirely. The scythe fell absently to the ground before it disappeared. Jade and the rest of the Protectors untransformed and went to look at the orb. "Wow Jade! How did you know about the orb thing?" Skyee asked curiously. "Well, with the dark comes light." Jade answered, the turned to Grace. "Its yours Grace. But dont use too much of its power." Grace shot the girl an odd look and said to her, "Jade, I cant take it. It came from you." Jade shook her head. "No Grace, it came from all of us."