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Description
Jiemba had skipped the first day of training to return to earth and take care of the people camping outside of her clinic. Many of the villagers inquired about her absence, but she apologized and assured them that an “emergency” had come up that she needed to attend to, and everything was fine...”Yes,” she insisted to them, “I’m ok, everything is fine.”
Now, as she ran the track in the training field with a bucket of rocks in each hand, she realized the full weight of her lie: everything was fine? No, everything was terrible.

The tightness in Jiemba’s chest alerted her to slow her pace. Sweat had already drenched her clothes, most of it dripping from her face. As she ran she felt the heavy bucket handles cut into her palms with each bounce. Her mouth felt dry and hot, her lungs gasped for air. ‘I’m too old for this,’ she thought to herself. It was a cloudy day on the track field, at least, and a cool breeze provided some relief.
One by one Jiemba saw her fellow senshi pass by…then pass by again…and then a third time. ‘Third lap?!’ she thought incredulously, ‘Who were these people in their earth life?!’ She couldn’t take it anymore—she had to slow down to a walk. Everything ached and burned.
“Jiemba?” a sweet, familiar voice asked from behind her.

Jiemba glanced back and saw Cuyen running down the track quite impressively with her own buckets of rocks. She must have just started her laps because Jiemba hadn’t seen the girl all day.

“Oh, g’day Cuyen,” puffed Jiemba (her attempts to not sound winded failed miserably).

Cuyen was obviously concerned. She slowed down her pace to run beside Jiemba and asked, “How many laps have you ran?”

Jiemba marveled at how a 14 year old was taking this kind of torture in stride as she admitted with some embarrassment, “I’m still on my first lap.”

Suddenly, a shot rang out and something struck near Cuyen’s feet. The young girl jumped and squeaked, “I think that means run faster.”

“You better go ahead, then,” Jiemba urged, once again repeating the lie, “I’m fine.”

Cuyen reluctantly ran ahead, looking back at Jiemba with concerned eyes. This made Jiemba feel even worse.

When Jiemba heard the sound of shoes powerfully hitting gravel behind her, she immediately identified the runner. She couldn’t remember if this was his third or fourth lap, but Manolo’s style was very distinctive.

“You’re almost to the end of the lap!” Manolo shouted encouragingly as he ran past her.

“That’s--the best news--I’ve heard--all day,” huffed Jiemba, the sight of his muscular, shirtless upper body making her face heat up a little more.

When Manolo passed Cuyen he paused and turned to look back with a big smile. “If you need some motivation,” he called out, “pretend that you’re the easter bunny carrying buckets of eggs and you have to run as fast as you can to deliver them—or else billions of kids will cry.”

Libra huffed in weak outrage, straining to keep her grip on the handles of the buckets, “What--the heck--are these kids—getting--for easter?!”

“You tell me. You’re the Easter Bunny,” he retorted with a rueful smile.

Cuyen burst out laughing.

Another shot rang out, this time striking near Manolo’s feet.

Jiemba chuckled. “You better--get going—Manolo,” she said between gasps, “Thanks—for—the tip.”

Manolo shrugged a salute. “Anytime, Mrs. Cottontail,” he jested with a wink before he turned back around to continue the lap.

Jiemba watched him and Cuyen jog farther and farther away. Many other senshi ran past her, offering encouragement. Some were almost as winded as she; others looked like they were born for this. But Jiemba couldn’t help feeling like she was the weakest senshi in the Cloaked World.

‘I can’t run…I don’t know the first thing about fighting,’ she thought to herself, ‘And anything I was on earth is useless here. What good am I? How could I possibly contribute to this war? If anything, I’d probably just slow everyone down…’

The last few feet marking the end of the lap felt like hours. Her hands had gone numb from holding the buckets, and her chest burned. She cast the buckets aside and flopped down underneath a tree, breathing heavily. Her limbs were shaking uncontrollably.

‘I can’t do this,’ Jiemba thought to herself as she slipped out of consciousness.

***

Cuyen belongs to GabiStar
Manolo belongs to MorningStarLily

Description
Jiemba had skipped the first day of training to return to earth and take care of the people camping outside of her clinic. Many of the villagers inquired about her absence, but she apologized and assured them that an “emergency” had come up that she needed to attend to, and everything was fine...”Yes,” she insisted to them, “I’m ok, everything is fine.”
Now, as she ran the track in the training field with a bucket of rocks in each hand, she realized the full weight of her lie: everything was fine? No, everything was terrible.

The tightness in Jiemba’s chest alerted her to slow her pace. Sweat had already drenched her clothes, most of it dripping from her face. As she ran she felt the heavy bucket handles cut into her palms with each bounce. Her mouth felt dry and hot, her lungs gasped for air. ‘I’m too old for this,’ she thought to herself. It was a cloudy day on the track field, at least, and a cool breeze provided some relief.
One by one Jiemba saw her fellow senshi pass by…then pass by again…and then a third time. ‘Third lap?!’ she thought incredulously, ‘Who were these people in their earth life?!’ She couldn’t take it anymore—she had to slow down to a walk. Everything ached and burned.
“Jiemba?” a sweet, familiar voice asked from behind her.

Jiemba glanced back and saw Cuyen running down the track quite impressively with her own buckets of rocks. She must have just started her laps because Jiemba hadn’t seen the girl all day.

“Oh, g’day Cuyen,” puffed Jiemba (her attempts to not sound winded failed miserably).

Cuyen was obviously concerned. She slowed down her pace to run beside Jiemba and asked, “How many laps have you ran?”

Jiemba marveled at how a 14 year old was taking this kind of torture in stride as she admitted with some embarrassment, “I’m still on my first lap.”

Suddenly, a shot rang out and something struck near Cuyen’s feet. The young girl jumped and squeaked, “I think that means run faster.”

“You better go ahead, then,” Jiemba urged, once again repeating the lie, “I’m fine.”

Cuyen reluctantly ran ahead, looking back at Jiemba with concerned eyes. This made Jiemba feel even worse.

When Jiemba heard the sound of shoes powerfully hitting gravel behind her, she immediately identified the runner. She couldn’t remember if this was his third or fourth lap, but Manolo’s style was very distinctive.

“You’re almost to the end of the lap!” Manolo shouted encouragingly as he ran past her.

“That’s--the best news--I’ve heard--all day,” huffed Jiemba, the sight of his muscular, shirtless upper body making her face heat up a little more.

When Manolo passed Cuyen he paused and turned to look back with a big smile. “If you need some motivation,” he called out, “pretend that you’re the easter bunny carrying buckets of eggs and you have to run as fast as you can to deliver them—or else billions of kids will cry.”

Libra huffed in weak outrage, straining to keep her grip on the handles of the buckets, “What--the heck--are these kids—getting--for easter?!”

“You tell me. You’re the Easter Bunny,” he retorted with a rueful smile.

Cuyen burst out laughing.

Another shot rang out, this time striking near Manolo’s feet.

Jiemba chuckled. “You better--get going—Manolo,” she said between gasps, “Thanks—for—the tip.”

Manolo shrugged a salute. “Anytime, Mrs. Cottontail,” he jested with a wink before he turned back around to continue the lap.

Jiemba watched him and Cuyen jog farther and farther away. Many other senshi ran past her, offering encouragement. Some were almost as winded as she; others looked like they were born for this. But Jiemba couldn’t help feeling like she was the weakest senshi in the Cloaked World.

‘I can’t run…I don’t know the first thing about fighting,’ she thought to herself, ‘And anything I was on earth is useless here. What good am I? How could I possibly contribute to this war? If anything, I’d probably just slow everyone down…’

The last few feet marking the end of the lap felt like hours. Her hands had gone numb from holding the buckets, and her chest burned. She cast the buckets aside and flopped down underneath a tree, breathing heavily. Her limbs were shaking uncontrollably.

‘I can’t do this,’ Jiemba thought to herself as she slipped out of consciousness.

***

Cuyen belongs to GabiStar
Manolo belongs to MorningStarLily