Endless Possibilities

Endless Possibilities

Author's Note: Impotent and powerless...until the day, the goddess opened her eyes. Now...there's no turning back.

Chapter 20

XxXxX

Space-to some the final frontier-an endless abyss lit only by passing stars and planets, a monotonous dead zone interrupted only by brief moments of life. The universe was an endless collection of tiny sparkling orbs of fire, and an even greater number of creatures trying to leave their mark among those same stars. To some, space was the final frontier. But now, as the two entities drifted just outside the Earth's atmosphere, the endless darkness was like a blank canvas, waiting for a new beginning.

"Why are we here?" Blossom asked, her voice somehow defying all laws of physics, traveling through the void of space. Aku drifted around her; he flowed for miles, like a sheet of darkness. Blossom stared into his leering eyes, unable to resist the urge to smile. Aku smiled and gently brushed her hair back. He stretched his arm out, gesturing to the planet, cupping his hand as though he could hold it.

"Look, child...take a moment to truly take in the...majesty of this world," Perhaps it was the way he spoke, in a tone that seemed mystified and awed even in spite of his godhood, but Blossom turned and looked at the Earth. It was like seeing it for the first time.

"Think of every living creature...every human that walks this world..." He whispered, and Blossom did just that. As she imagined the billions of humans, every one going about their own way, every one living their own life, it seemed as though the Earth shined. As if the planet itself gave off an impossibly beautiful light.

"What...what is it?" She whispered. Aku narrowed his eyes, his smile growing as he, too, took in the brilliant light that only eyes such as theirs could perceive.

"The greatest power in the universe...it is this power from which we draw our STRENGTH!" Aku flexed his arms and grew several times his previous size. Blossom looked up at him in awe, her face growing darker, her heart pounding.

"This power...it is why mortals exist...to impart it unto us," Aku floated down until his face was even with Blossom. She was barely a speck in his eye. The Powerpuff girl rubbed her chin, staring at the brilliant light. What was it exactly though? She wondered. Aku lifted his hand, lightly wrapping his fingers around Blossom. With a brief smile, she took a seat in the palm of his massive hand.

"Is that why we're here?" Aku closed his eyes and sighed sorrowfully. Briefly, he felt a sting in the pit of his chest, but he buried it with some effort.

"It is a shame...that such power shall be forever lost soon," Blossom gasped and looked up, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"What...what do you mean? Forever lost? You mean...the Earth is going to be..." Aku nodded, opening his eyes and staring directly into hers. His lips were drawn in a thin line, his fangs curling over his lips. His eyes remained unblinking, as he spoke in a soft, but powerful voice.

"The Earth...shall be destroyed," As Blossom began to protest, Aku continued, undeterred, "Unless...we prevent this calamity," Blossom stood up, flying to Aku's eye level. She swallowed and steeled herself, fixing the demon with a determined stare.

"What do we do? I'll do anything!" Aku stared at her. Neither blinked for the longest time. Looking beyond the child, Aku could see the glittery glow of the planet Earth. Slowly, his lips pulled back into a grin.

"Come then child...follow Aku to the source of this disaster...and he shall make all things clear to you," Aku waved his hand and a tear appeared suddenly in space, a swirling impossible fourth dimension behind the scar traced by his giant finger. Blossom looked briefly at the portal, then turned to Aku, whose smile had never faded. She smiled and nodded, entering the hole. Aku turned to the Earth briefly, before chuckling and following after her. The portal closed as the last of his titanic form passed through.

XxXxX

Light-years away from the planet Earth, a gate ripped open in the void of space. A great darkness fell over the unsuspecting solar system, accompanied by a tiny speck with bright red hair. Aku, still a titan of impossible proportions, held out his arms and spoke in a bellowing forte.

"Behold, child! Here dwells the enemies of the planet Earth! The blight that shall eliminate our home shall come from any one of these wicked worlds," Blossom looked around in wide-eyed wonder. A belligerent planet she could understand, but an entire system? She crossed her arms and turned to Aku curiously.

"Are you...are you sure? All of them?" She whispered, again gazing out at the system. Seventeen planets, an uncountable number of moons, and a sun that dwarfed her own system's Sol. Could every planet really contain an enemy? Then again, she thought gloomily, it seemed as though they never met friendly aliens.

"Yes...come, child," Blossom nodded and followed Aku as they shot through the solar system and landed on the planet nearest the sun. It was a barren desert planet, covered in craters and practically radiating an unbearable heat. Neither deity noticed as they descended.

"What are we going to do?" Blossom asked, observing the growing crowd of natives. They were humanoid lizard creatures...the smallest adult she could pinpoint had to be at least eight feet tall. All had massive, metallic claws...they should have been imposing to look at. The sun, close as it was, was practically drowned in the darkness of Aku's massive body, which filled the sky of the desert world.

"The Drakian race, a militant species of nomadic desert creatures. Very powerful, but not at all bright," Aku droned, his face expressionless. The creatures cowered and dropped to their knees, staring at the towering monstrosity that was Aku. When Blossom landed, many eyes fell on her, filled with the same awe-inspired terror. Aku folded his hands behind his back and stared down at them with stern fiery eyes. Blossom glanced at Aku and quickly adopted a more fierce pose: arms crossed and eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You...were you sent by the Chritchellites? We...we shall not join them!" The largest Drakian, a massive red-skinned creature, nearly fifteen feet in height, cried. He dwarfed the others, but even he wilted under Blossom's rosy-eyed glare.

"Are you the leader of this planet?" Aku asked in a bored tone; a bored tone, but one with an unmistakable menace-Blossom had to silently commend his professionalism. The red Drakian nodded and walked forward, flinching as he turned his eyes down to the small child still glaring at him.

"Y-Yes, I am Dodongo, King of Serpenterra...who are you?" Aku smirked and held out his arms, now fully blocking out the sun. The only light for miles was the flames of his eyebrows.

"I am the Deliverer of Darkness! The Master of Masters! The Shogun of Sorrow! I am Aku..." Dodongo took a step back, massive jaws trembling. He again turned his gaze down on the child.

"Aku...and this...small creature," The entire Drakian race had, by that time, gathered around the two newcomers. They all took a step back as Aku folded his arms behind his back once more, and the child bristled at the tone of King Dodongo's voice.

"This child is the messiah of Aku, a creature of unimaginable power. Do not be fooled by her...DIMINUTIVE stature, she holds more power than the very sun now hiding behind Aku," Blossom crossed her arms tighter, struggling to hide the growing heat in her cheeks, struggling to ignore the way her chest fluttered, struggling to keep from giggling excitedly. It had been a better introduction than she could have thought up on the fly.

King Dodongo swallowed, clutching his jagged saber tighter. Aku noticed and smirked. Blossom noticed, and reacted with far less subtlety. The king howled as his entire hand was blasted off by twin beams of concussive heat from the small child's eyes. The force hit him with such power that he fell back into the sand. The Drakian crowd all readied their weapons, hissing of various pitches filling the hot air.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! Foolish Drakians! Do you truly believe your pitiful weapons can harm Aku or his messiah? Throw down your weapons and listen to Aku! Or else..." Aku shrugged, gesturing to the child, now crackling with pink lightning. The sand swirled at her feet, the wind seemed incapable of touching her. Though they outnumbered the newcomers, the Drakians watched their leader kneel down in front of the child, and quickly followed suit, throwing their weapons to the desert floor. Aku grinned.

"Very good...this day is a MOMENTOUS occasion for you, planet Serpenterra. It is on this day that Aku is offering you a chance to join him," Aku held out his arms, his voice rising with an excited fervor, booming across the desert world. Blossom noticed that he seemed to be growing even larger, "Offer your world and all its resources to Aku and you shall be spared! Refuse, and this world...shall perish," King Dodongo looked up, growling and clutching the bloody stump that was once his left hand.

"You seek to dominate the Drakians? You are no better than the Chritchellites! We will not surrender to anyone!" Aku grinned, hunching down to look King Dodongo in the eye. The massive Drakian was like a mole on the demon's nose.

"These Chritchellites you speak of...they are but mere mortal creatures. I am Aku and Aku is God. Worship and serve Aku, or face utter annihilation. This is the fate of all creatures, even the Chritchellites," The King lowered his head, unable to stand the demon's stare. Aku rose back up, laughing and staring up at the sky. In the distance, he could see the Chritchellites' home world. A cry rang up from the crowd and a Drakian ran forward, much to the protest of his comrades. His blade collided with Blossom's shoulder, drawing the Powerpuff girl's attention away from her titanic mentor. Aku looked down, frowning.

"How unfortunate for you...perhaps, child, these creatures need proof of Aku's might," Blossom narrowed her eyes. Her mind rang with a single phrase, repeated over and over again. With only a moment's hesitation, she lifted her mitt and released her Starburst beam, completely unhindered in her new form. The ray of pink light, a wall of sheer destruction, blanketed half the Drakian crowd. Screams of agony and pain filled the air, blood littered the desert sand, what sand was not blown away by the force of the attack. When the child dropped her hand, over half of the entire Drakian race had been obliterated in a single blow.

"No!" The King shouted, staring in horror at the blood-soaked desert. He trembled as he turned his gaze back to the child, who now fixed her glare on him.

"Will there be any more objections?" She whispered, just loud enough for the king to hear. King Dodongo lowered his head and, trembling, he lowered himself to the ground.

"No...we will...we will serve Aku. Please...spare us," He whispered, his voice cracking. Blossom smiled and looked up at Aku, who spared her a moment of pride before turning back to the surviving Drakians.

"Very good...your world shall be spared. Once, every month, you shall erect a statue in the likeness of Aku, proclaiming to the universe who it is that is your master! Everything you do, you do now in the name of Aku. Every drop of blood you spill, is spilled for Aku. Every meal you eat, shall be eaten with thanks given to Aku. Every morning you awaken, you awaken by the grace of Aku. You belong now and forever to...Aku," The Drakians murmured various praises and thanks, as Aku and Blossom began to ascend to the heavens once more. Blossom quickly flew up to Aku's face, rubbing her head.

"Did I do alright? I should have said more, they probably think I'm stupid, I'm so sorry! What should I do next time? Why are you laughing at me?!" Blossom's arms fell to her sides and a watery frown spread across her face as Aku continued chuckling. Now in the safety of outer space and floating further and further from the sun, a tendril stretched out from Aku's shoulder and comfortingly smoothed Blossom's hair.

"Fear not child...these are learning experiences for you. You have done a great job, delivering a planet to Aku. There is still MUCH for Aku to teach you, come we now venture to the furthest planet from the sun," Blossom nodded and looked up, eying the frozen, dark planet they were now approaching. They hovered over it, Aku's massive form-he seemed to be getting bigger every time she looked away-blocked out any light from the sun that may possibly have reached the wasteland planet.

"What do we do this time? The same thing?" Aku shook his head, stroking his beard.

"This world has yet to be taken by the Chritchellite Empire...ask yourself, child. Why is this?" Blossom tapped her chin, staring down at the planet. There seemed to be absolutely no sign of life. Could that be the reason? She turned to Aku, swallowing nervously when she saw how he stared at her. Blossom blushed and crossed her arms, looking at the planet again. Aku saw the smile on her lips and he, too, grinned.

"Go to this world, child. Aku shall join you shortly," Blossom glanced at him, but nodded and slowly descended into the raging snow storm that wracked the planet relentlessly. Her hair blew haphazardly, but she managed to keep her eyes open in the bitter, cutting wind. Blossom touched down on the snowy surface and gasped when the planet began to shake and tremble. A horrible scream rang out over the wind. Blossom jumped and took a step back, looking around frantically for the source of the scream. It rang out again, more shrill than every. She trembled, and looked up at the sky. Aku was nowhere to be seen.

"Aku? What is that?! Aku!" Pink eyes searched the sky with growing terror. The scream rang out again and the wind began to part. Blossom gasped and looked up, finding the source of the storm itself. A massive...bird? Bigger than any she had ever seen before. Its wings filled the pitch black sky, glittering icy blue when hit by the scant light that managed to reach the distant world. The bird's frigid eyes seemed to pierce Blossom's soul, there was a definite sense of intellect in this creature.

"What...are you?" She whispered, floating off the ground. She reached the bird's level, staring at it with scientific observation. The bird screamed, emitting a shockwave that nearly dropped Blossom from the sky. She growled and rubbed her ears, glaring at the bird. Her pink eyes began to glow in the darkness. Now, it was the bird who shuddered uncomfortably.

"You! You understand me?" Blossom called, with all previous inhibitions gone her voice was now a force all its own. The bird narrowed its eyes, nodding its head. Blossom stuck her mitt out, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

"I thought so...my name is Blossom. I am the Herald of Aku; surrender to him, to me, or I'll be forced to destroy you!" The bird bristled and cried again. The storm grew more intense, and a beam of glistening frozen wind shot at Blossom. Taking a small breath, she exhaled a wall of fire that obliterated the ice beam.

"If that's your decision," She muttered dangerously. The bird screeched and lunged at her. Blossom managed to duck away from the attack, but was blown back by the gales of wind peeling off the ice bird. She watched it whip back around and charge at her again, the cutting wind now directed directly at the tiny goddess. Blossom steeled herself, pulling back a fist. The bird wasn't just large, it was fast. Her next observation was to find out just how strong it was.

Moments before she would have swung, the bird sped up, ramming into her with the force of a freight train. Blossom landed in the snow, coughing and rubbing her stomach. She scanned the skies, finding the bird again and fixing it with a deathly glare. It was fast alright, but not near strong enough. Blossom shot from the snow, barreling directly into the storm. The bird screamed and tried to fire another beam of ice at her. Blossom plunged into the attack and slammed into the bird, punching it to the ground below. Unfazed by the cold, she dropped down, blowing a sheet of fire at the frozen monster.

The monster dodged the fire breath and swung its wings. The blizzard rammed into the Powerpuff girl with immense force, blowing her back a few feet when she landed on the planet's surface. The two met each other's gaze, like statues in the winter weather. The puff's eyes were glowing...her skin seemed to be glowing in the pitch darkness. The bird trembled and closed its beak. The storm around them began to die down. No more than three minutes into the fight, the creature realized it had no hope of victory. It lowered its head as the storm faded into nothingness. Blossom crossed her arms and tried to appear stern. She couldn't fight the smile breaking her facade.

"You...you surrender?" The bird nodded, crying again. Its voice, no longer strained by combat, was beautiful to behold. Blossom floated over to the bird, which lowered its head further. Blossom smiled and gently patted its feathers; the bird was as frigid as the planet...it was nice and soft.

"You'll serve Aku then?" She asked in a whisper. The bird nodded, lifting its head. Together they watched the darkness descend on the frozen world. Aku laughed heartily, his voice echoing across the entire planet. Mountains cracked and collapsed, and frozen seas caved in, becoming craters.

"You have done well, child! This creature is an ancient spirit, a very powerful foe indeed! And in such a short time...you have shown it your superiority. Aku is most pleased," Blossom blushed and grinned, flying up to Aku. The bird watched her go and nodded. Aku waved his hand and the bird dissolved into powdery snow, the storm whipped up around it as the pair ascended from the planet. Blossom sat on Aku's giant shoulder as they peered out over the solar system.

"That was a spirit? What do you mean? Why...why did you want me to fight it?" Aku smiled as they began to cross the system at a sedate pace. The Chritchellite home world was in his sights.

"The spirit is now bound to serve you, and in serving you it is bound to serve Aku. A powerful creature such as this will be MOST BENEFICIAL to Aku's plans..." Blossom frowned, rubbing the side of her head.

"You mean...saving the world...right?" Aku stopped, blocking out the light around their next target. He closed his eyes and sighed. A painful sting wracked his gargantuan form, but he forced it down again.

"Child...we shall discuss this later. Go now, deliver the Chritchellites to Aku. If they resist...destroy them," Blossom swallowed and stood up, covering her mouth. She turned to Aku and sighed, dropping her arms to her sides.

"Aku...is this...the right thing to do? We're taking over...but..." Aku lifted one of his massive hands, cutting her off.

"Child...you are letting your programming control you. You, child, are a god. Aku, he is also a god. Are we to be bound by mortal ideals?" Blossom lowered her head, sighing.

"But..." Aku kept his eyes forward, speaking in a dry, factual tone.

"Do you not trust Aku?" Blossom gasped and stared at him in shock. How could he even suggest that? She had come to him, and only him, when her life was in danger. She had followed him, she had listened to him...of course she believed him.

"Of course...of course I trust you!" Aku folded his arms, keeping his eyes forward. Blossom leaned against his head, sighing, "I'm sorry...I believe you. I'll make them believe in you too!" Aku smiled and watched Blossom descend. He grit his teeth and clutched his chest. This child...she was both a blessing and a curse.

The Chritchellite home world was a technological utopia. The capital city was made up of a thousand chrome buildings, rising up into the sky for miles. Everything was made of the same silvery-blue metal, completely with flying cars, hover-scooters, everything that could be found in a science fiction novel. Blossom felt almost ancient as she landed in the center of the city square, staring at the dull statue of Emperor Erypidus, the first Chritchellite lord. She looked around, frowning when she realized that the statue was a complete joke. The Chritchellites were only a bit taller than she was. They had blue skin and were very scrawny looking.

"Hey! Hey, hey! What do you think you're doing? Where'd you come from?" Two guards, dressed in white uniforms with yellow visors, approached her with electrical tridents. Blossom raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips, glaring at them.

"My name is Blossom, I am the Herald of Aku. Where is your leader?" The Chritchellites looked at each other and shared a laugh, they approached the child, one pointing his trident in her face.

"Herald of what? No one sees the Emperor! Especially not some freaky little bug-eyed alien!" Blossom narrowed her eyes and grabbed his trident jerking it away from him. The guard gasped and took a step back, while the other prepared to strike.

"You little brat! Give that back!" Blossom threw the trident down and began to advance on the now retreating guards.

"I won't ask again...where is your leader?" The guards traded a look at laughed nervously. One hurried away while the other stayed behind, hiding behind his trident.

"Uh...okay, we'll get the leader...just settle down, freak!" The Chritchellite puffed his chest up and stood up straight, glaring at her. The condescending leer met Blossom's unamused glare, the former faltering. Sirens began to go off as the streets filled with more guards, all armed with sparking tridents. The original guard smirked and leveled his spear with Blossom's face. Even as more and more of the city's defenses reared their heads-plasma cannons, laser rifles, turrets, even robotic sentries-the little girl stayed unfazed. Trumpets sounded and the crowd parted. A Chritchellite, dressed in gold rather than white, walked through the crowd and glared at Blossom. He crossed his arms. More and more guards filled the streets.

"Alright, alright! What's all this commotion about? Who is this freak?" Blossom rolled her eyes and glanced to the sky. In the depths of space, her companion was waiting patiently. This was a test...she was good at taking tests. She smirked and shook her head, sneering at the Emperor.

"My name is Blossom, I was sent here to deliver an ultimatum from your new God," The blue aliens stared at her incredulously. The Emperor's lips twitched and soon, he broke into snickers. The laughter spread, until soon the entire crowd was laughing. She could pick out various insults from the crowd-most all insulting her intelligence, she noted with growing fury.

"New god? Yeah, whatever you say, we don't have a god and don't need a new one! Don't you know freak? Gods are just a figment of your imagination! It's poison for your brain!" The Emperor explained, tapping his head and closing the distance between the two of them. Blossom looked down, closing her eyes.

"You don't believe there are such things as gods?" She asked, slowly opening her eyes. She kept her gaze fixed on the chrome plated street. The crowd began to laugh again. Some civilians had joined the royal guard, also joining in mocking the newcomer.

"Of course not! We've done tests, freak. Really complicated scientific tests! We know they don't exist! If you ask those idiot creatures on Chritchellite 4 and Chritchellite 5, they'll tell you that we're gods!" Blossom smirked and shook her head. Just outside the planet's atmosphere, Aku grin-a dark, sinister expression. He approved, he approved greatly.

"So you're saying...that I don't exist?" She asked, looking the Emperor right in the eye. He smirked and crossed his arms.

"You think you're a god? Why don't you prove it then?" Blossom closed her eyes and smirked. She slowly raised her fist, holding it over her head with her eyes still closed. The Chritchellites readied their weapons. The Emperor jumped back, hiding behind his guards.

"I'll give you a choice...you can be smart like the Drakians and choose to serve Aku, the greatest of all the gods or...I will destroy your entire planet with one touch," She opened her eyes and stared at the Chritchellite Emperor, her eyes narrowed. She knew what his answer was going to be...she couldn't deny just how...excited she was.

"What are you on? Comparing us to the Drakians? We aren't idiots like those reptiles!" Blossom giggled and clenched her fist. All of her awesome power, completely in her control. It was a thrill she hadn't experienced since birth. It was a forbidden pleasure she had been denied...just how powerful was she now?

"Fine, here's your proof that I'm a god," Blossom threw her fist down with all her strength. Her mitt had become harder than any alloy, more powerful than any celestial force. The moment it collided with the chrome street, the entire planet trembled. The ground split, imploded, and a shockwave of titanic magnitude surged through the center of Chritchellite Prime. The blue aliens screamed as fire began to erupt from the ground, as the entire planet began to shake uncontrollably. In mere seconds, the shockwave exploded through the other end of the planet.

Half of the planet shifted downward, falling several miles instantly. Blossom floated away from the surface and stared in awe, grinning wildly. It happened so fast, there was no chance any of the Chritchellites could survive. Mere moments after the punch, the planet erupted in pillars of fire, and unrelenting storms. The blue creatures screamed and tried to make their escape, but were quickly incinerated by the rising fire walls. Blossom gasped, just as the core completely erupted in a massive explosion.

Blossom breathed heavily, observing the destruction around her. The debris was endless, of every shape and size. Bits and pieces of metal were floating through space, but aside from herself, there was no sight of a single living creature. She squealed as the immense darkness fell over her and a smiling face greeted her.

"You have learned very well, child..." He whispered as she landed in the palm of his hand. Blossom looked up at him with a grin.

"Well...learning is my strong point," They both chuckled, turning to face the remaining planets: the rest of the Chritchellite Empire.

XxXxX

The city of Townsville had gone to bed very late. Save for those men and women who were hard at work putting the city back together, the citizens were fast asleep. At the home of the Powerpuff Girls, Cassandra Keane was still awake, sitting on the couch in a daze. The day had been hectic...moreso than any other she could image. At least, the most hectic since the girls had been born. She shuddered, trying to forget how the city had been before James Utonium saved them all.

"James..." She whispered. He had been gone for so long now. Just how was he doing? Was he safe? The last time they spoke, earlier the previous night, he had mentioned that there was a mountain he was supposed to climb. Ms. Keane sighed...he could be hurt, and there would be no way for anyone to help him.

The night had been stressful. Once the discussion had turned to Blossom, it seemed any happiness that had come from defeating Mojo evaporated. Where was she? Ms. Keane held her head, trying to hold back tears. She needed to be the adult, she needed to be strong, even if she was worried. But her maternal instinct was killing her. Blossom was somewhere, alone, and she had been hurting. All of the kids had noticed that, though none of them said it before tonight. Ms. Keane had noticed as well. Blossom was in pain; she tried to hide it, but...

"I should have talked to her..." She whispered. Why hadn't she? Ms. Keane bit her lip, fresh tears leaking through her defenses, trickling down her cheeks. She had been afraid. Ms. Keane held her face in her hand and sobbed silently. She had been afraid of her best student, of a little girl who had looked up to her like a mother. She had...ultimately let her down.

"Hm? Who...who could that be?" She looked at the clock and shook her head. Who could possibly be knocking on the door this early in the morning? Ms. Keane wiped her eyes and sniffled, slowly peaking through the peep hole.

"Hello?"

"Cassie...it's me," Ms. Keane's heart stopped. She threw the door open and nearly tackled the man on the other side. Professor Utonium dropped his luggage and held her close, taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it out. She wrapped her arms as tightly as she could, burying her face in his shoulder. The Professor swallowed and smiled giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"James...James you're finally home..." James Utonium nodded and pulled away from her.

"Yes...yes, and I have the answer. We can beat this Cassie, we can-" He was cut off, abruptly, when she closed the distance between them, pressing her lips fiercely against his. Lit only by the pale street lamps lining the street, the two held each other, locked in a desperate, heartfelt kiss. Valentino scurried down the stairs and watched them curiously. The Professor flinched, but couldn't deny how comforting it felt when the cat purred and rubbed against his leg.

It was good to be home.

XxXxX

Blossom and Aku floated over what remained of the solar system. Five of the seventeen planets had surrendered to Aku. They had been spared, moved through space with by Aku's massive, powerful hands, transferred to another galaxy through various portals. What remained was a sea of debris, the remaining planets had all be destroyed by Blossom, who now sat in the palm of Aku's hand, staring into the massive white sun.

"Did I do a good job?" She asked. Aku nodded, smiling and stroking his beard.

"You did a very good job, child. You have made Aku very proud..." Aku sighed and lowered his hand. Blossom sighed and laid back on her hands. She turned up to look at Aku, blushing.

"What do we do now?"

"That depends on you, child..." Blossom frowned and lowered her head, pulling her knees up to her chest. That accusatory tone to his voice...the way he refused to look at her. He was questioning her faith again...wasn't he? She looked at the fiery star, only vaguely realizing there were tears leaking down her face.

"I...I want to...to be like you. I want to be free, I want to...to be with you,"

"Do you believe in Aku?"

"Yes! Of course I do! I wouldn't...I wouldn't do all this if I didn't!" Blossom sniffled and wiped her eyes. He had saved her life, he had freed her. Why wouldn't she believe in him? Why wouldn't she want to do...to do anything and everything for him?

"You will do anything for him?"

"Yes! I will!" Blossom, on her hands and knees, tried to look into his eyes. He still refused to look at her. She narrowed her eyes, gritting her teeth. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to hit him over and over again until he stopped judging her. But...he was the only one who wasn't judging her...wasn't he? He didn't judge her...he saved her. She owed him her faith...her...she owed him her love, right?

"You wish to be with Aku? You wish to be a god, like Aku?" His tone had become more gentle, more caring. He brought her up to his face, looking her in the eyes. Blossom smiled and blushed, lowering her head. Aku rubbed his chest, smiling at the child. She was right...he had no reason to question her.

"I do..." She whispered, lightly stroking his beard. The heat in her cheeks, the way her heart beat, the way her pulse raced when he simply looked at her. The Shogun of Sorrow had no right or reason to question the Red Child. She belonged to him.