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Dreams of an Absolution	By : DeusExProcella Category: +M through R > PowerPuff Girls Views: 9670 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own the Powerpuff Girls or any related characters. All characters exclusive to this story do belong to me. I make no money from these writings.

Chapter List
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"We took the dead man in sheets
To the river, flanked by love
Deep enough to dive...
Deep enough to dive...
Oh, be here now,"
Dam at Otter Creek (Live "Throwing Copper")

Dreams of an Absolution
Chapter 32
For all her strength, Blossom couldn't help screaming as she plummeted through the tunnel of fire, sinking deeper and deeper into the seemingly endless blackness. Seconds stretched to minutes and further into hours as the heat grew more intense, and the darkness came alive. Blossom's eyes rolled back as she began to lose consciousness. Suddenly, the trip came to an end and she was dumped onto the searing, hard ground.
"Oof!" Blossom cried out, shocked to reality once more. Feeling uneasy, she carefully sat up and cradled her head in her hands. Taking long, calming breaths, she finally relaxed to the point when she could open her eyes. Taking one last deep breath, Blossom looked up and around at the Underworld.
The first thing she noticed was the sky: an infinite canvas of swirling red and black, marred by hideous splashes of deep, dark purple. It wasn't what she'd expected at all. Compared to the Earth's normal blue, this multicolored sky could almost pass as beautiful. However, instead of a sense of awe, the twisted sky filled Blossom with cold wonder. It left her feeling confused and uncomfortable. She rose gingerly to her feet and stared deeper into the sky.
Staring upward, she began to notice the sounds of the Underworld. The air itself whispered and moaned, creating a tense, low roar all around her. Occasionally, Blossom would hear a louder, more hysterical scream in the distance, or a loud, booming roar. She tore her gaze away from the sky and looked around, finally taking in her immediate surroundings.
It was a field of stone and decaying plants. The ground was hot ebony littered with cracks and splits, occasional jets of flame shooting up from below. In the less fortunate parts of the landscape, rivers of flame tore through the countryside, slowly devouring the land around them. The trees were petrified, frozen in jagged, monstrous poses. None grew too tall, perhaps also afraid of stretching too far into the air above. At least, the plants seemed afraid. The winged creatures that rushed to and fro seemed unaware of the sky's haunting cry. Without getting closer, Blossom couldn't make out the little monsters too well. There were other, larger monsters stalking the fields: one, a humanoid creature with goat legs and large black wings, another, an eyeless, canine-like creature with a mouth larger than its own body. Blossom looked passed the field and noticed a stone formation rising out over the horizon.
"Aku told me there were cities...maybe that's one of them?" She asked out loud, wandering in that direction. Aku had mentioned off-hand that he didn't know exactly where the servant was being kept. However, he suspected that one of the High Lords might know.
"The Demon High Lords..." she muttered, now entirely lost in her thoughts. There were, now, twelve High Lords. However, there was only one she really needed to concern herself with. Aku had explained that the only Demon Gate he could summon was the one that led to his own realm, Hatred. When the Samurai killed Aku, he had been locked out of his own realm, sealed on Earth. And the High Lord who had taken over Hatred was...
"The Prince of Pain and Misery...what was his name? Her name?" Blossom trailed off, arms crossed and hand at her chin. As she wandered through the lava-stricken wasteland, a dark shadow fell over her and a pair of venomous green eyes narrowed. The figure stalked closer, but the young superheroine remained lost in her thoughts. She blinked, only noticing she was being followed when she heard the ground crunch and felt a gout of flame brush passed her head.
Blossom turned and raised an eyebrow, "What's that? Oh...wow." A surge of power rushed through her veins. A monster...she hadn't fought one in earnest for so long. Would she even remember how? Blossom giggled, which seemed to catch the monster off guard. It was one of the goat men. As she stalked toward it, without a trace of fear in her eyes, the monster took a step back. It puffed up its chest and roared, belching another gush of flame toward her face. It never reached her, lost, instead, in a frigid gale as the Powerpuff girl exhaled.
Would she remember her true power? It was a stupid question. She'd never forgotten.
The demon snarled and took a swing at her. Blossom's arm shot out, snatching the monster's wrist. A horrendous snap sounded across the fields, echoed by the monster's scream. The creature took a step back, howling as it arm hung limp at its side.
Blossom shook her head, "Oh, I'm sorry...that didn't go how you planned, did it?" She giggled, taking a step toward the demon. It belched another gout of flame at her. This time she merely walked through it, a playful spark in her eyes. The monster took another swing at her. She snatched its arm and, with another flick of her wrist, snapped it. The demon fell to its knees, frantically whipping to and fro, struggling to tear free from her iron grip.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Didn't I make my point the first time?" she asked. Before it could attempt another belly full of fire, Blossom smashed her head against the monster's nose, knocking it backward. With a small grunt, she tore the monster's arm off and chucked it aside. Blossom slammed her foot against the demon's chest, forcing it against the jagged ground.
"I really expected better..." she whispered, more to herself than to mock the monster. Blossom sighed and blasted the monster with her heat rays. Its scream only lasted a moment. When she stopped, only a charred lower body remained. Though the fight only lasted a few moments, it was enough to grab the attention of every creature in the vicinity. The Powerpuff girl paid them no mind. She turned on her heel and marched off to the stone formation in the distance.
"Maybe someone there can tell me where to find the High Lord," she muttered. One of the flying monsters dove for her, screaming like a banshee. Just before the demon could strike, it suddenly split in two and fell to the ground in a spray of innards and blood.
XxXxX
The rocky formation, it turned out, was what remained of a city. The streets were made of frozen fire, like the Pit of Hate. Here and there the fire had unfrozen, and was spraying hundreds of feet into the air, raining ember. Buildings that must have been taller than even the highest skyscrapers back in her world had been torn apart, strewn across the wasteland. One such building had been cleaved into five segments. That was the building she'd been following for the last hour.
And the monsters. Blossom had fought many monsters in her young life, but never this many. The dog monsters had proven relentless. They roamed in packs of eight or nine, each with a massive alpha leading them. The moment even one saw her, they all pounced, slobbering and making a strange sound like a person trying to laugh while choking. Their spit, she'd discovered, was incredibly acidic, able to melt through almost anything. And, while they roamed in packs, the monsters didn't seem to have any qualms over eating their fallen comrades. In fact, it seemed to make them stronger.
Yet another hound hit the ground, its head severed through its massive, gaping mouth. The blood sank into the frozen fire, releasing a new flaming geyser from below. Blossom, her hands long soaked red, stopped in front of one of the few buildings that seemed somewhat in tact. It was small, especially compared to the others. There were strange symbols over the doorway, possibly a name for whatever business it might have been. A stone slab, from one of the other buildings, had fallen in front of the entrance.
With a heave, Blossom shoved it out of the way. A predatory scream sounded behind her. Blossom gave the flying creature only a passing glance before heading into the building. The creature's body collided with the building, falling to the ground in bloody ribbons.
"It's a library," she gasped. The shelves were crumbling, and many of the books were tattered and destroyed, but Blossom was sure of it. She took to the air, hovering over the wreckage. Most of the books were charred and torn beyond repair, but...she couldn't shake the feeling that there was at least one in tact. She rounded a corner, stepping back to avoid a massive swing from a goat man. The monster bleated and made a mad charge for her.
Not for the first time, Blossom noticed the creature's eyes. Just like the flying creatures, the goat monster's eyes were unfocused and foggy. The monster wasn't protecting itself, but she didn't get the impression it was trying to eat her either. No, what Blossom saw in the eyes of these monsters—well, the ones with eyes, that is—was utter fury. They were all furious that she even existed. They were all filled...
She smashed her fist into the creature's face, snapping its neck and dropping it to the ground, "Hatred. All of them are attacking me because they hate the sight of me," It made sense, she was in the realm of Hatred itself. "They're products of this world," Blossom thought, putting her hand to her chin, "They can't feel anything but hatred for everything. But...what about this place?" The city, the library, the books. These things were not the product of pure hatred. They were carefully constructed. They were built to honor something, or someone.
"Aku..." she whispered with a smile. Blossom gasped. She'd reached the back of the library, where a small table sat in the corner. There was a book lying on the ground next to the table. It was frayed, but it was in tact! She made a mad dive for it, scooping it up into her arms.
"Yes! This is it! Maybe...oh, I'll never be able to read it," Blossom's excitement faded as soon as it came. She hadn't been able to read the symbols on the building, what use would the book be? Blossom opened the book. Just as she suspected. The words were unknowable. She sighed and lightly touched the page. Her eyes widened and unfocused.
The construction is nearly complete. The Sovereign of Hate is pleased as his excellence can be with the progress. Already, our efforts have subjugated nearly a thousand mortal worlds. Despite their best attempts, not even the Vanguard can halt our progress. Once the Gate is finished, the full might of Hatred will pour into the Mortal Realm. Then, our Sovereign will put an end to this petty grandstanding. All knees will bend, all heads will bow before His might.
Blossom's eyes focused once more. She stared down at her mitt, which had turned black as night. Trembling, she flipped to another, random, page and touched it. Her eyes unfocused once more.
This is not as planned. The Sovereign has been betrayed! No...no, without His presence, even Hatred will grow cold and temperate. Even now, I can feel my mind slipping, I can feel my heart growing heavy and hot. No, I will not allow myself to return to that! I am the keeper of the Sovereign! I am the leader of his armies! I am the grandmaster of war! I will preserve this journal, I will preserve myself! I will wait for you, my Sovereign. When you return, call and I will answer.
Blossom's eyes regained focus. This wasn't him...the Soul Collector didn't exist until after Aku returned to challenge Jack. Then...was there another? Another servant she should seek out? Perhaps, if there was, maybe that servant could help her find the High Lord? He could help her find the Soul Collector!
"Call and I will answer? That's the last thing written in here," Blossom paced back and forth, flipping through various pages. Each was filled with utter adulation for Aku, and complete devotion to his cause. It described some...plan, to leave this realm and invade the Mortal Realm. Even without leaving, it seemed they had proven so formidable that a group called the Vanguard seemed determine to destroy him.
Blossom paused, "The gods...Ra, Vishnu, and Odin. Aku said they were the ones who nearly killed him, and the ones who forged the sword. They must be the Vanguard," She nodded. That made sense. But who could have betrayed Aku? He said he was the leader of the Underworld, the most respected and feared of the High Lords. If he was on the verge of conquering the Mortal Realm and defeating this Vanguard, who would have betrayed him?
"Call and I will answer..." Blossom had finally finished reading the journal. She hadn't found anything else important. It was all too personal to be of much use. Whoever had written it had served Aku loyally, "The leader of his armies...grandmaster at war. We need this demon! But, how? Aku can't return to the Underworld," Blossom flipped to the last page, with that phrase. There were still several pages after that one, she noticed. Blossom began flipping the pages, running her hand from top to bottom on each one. Halfway between the last written line and the last page, she found something. As her hand touched the page, her eyes unfocused.
A map, a drawing of the entire city. There were nine points at each end of the city. Each point had a word written over it, a different weapon. The library she stood in now was labeled "Knowledge," and was the bottom left point. All nine points led to a point in the center. There was a word in the center:
"Ugh!" Blossom's eyes focused once more. That word...what was it? She touched the page again, but before she could read that word, her eyes refocused and they became just scratchy symbols once more, "It must be important," she reasoned. Blossom took a moment to give the rest of the library a look over. Finding nothing else of interest, Blossom found her way to the exit and looked at the diagram once more. She nodded and flew straight into the air. The whispering in the wind grew louder the higher she ascended, until it was practically screaming. In an instant, all of the flying creatures wandering the fields turned and made a beeline for her. Blossom took a deep breath and began sizing up the city. Referencing the diagram, she measured the distance from the library to the nearest point on the map. Once she'd found all nine points—and most of them were craters by now—she found the point in the exact center. Blossom nodded. The point with the unreadable word was actually in the lower left of the city, nowhere near the center.
"Found you!" she chirped. One of the flying monsters screamed, finally catching her attention, "You just don't get it, do you?" Blossom snarled. She narrowed her eyes and tapped her mitts together. Electricity surged through her arms, sparks danced between her hands, "I don't have time for you!" She screamed, thrusting her hands out. The sky lit up, bathed in explosive arcs of lightning that tore through everything they passed through, living or otherwise. Bodies rained from above, drawing in crowds of the goat creatures and dog creatures. But, not even the earthbound monsters were safe, as stray bolts collided with them, setting them ablaze if not simply incinerating them where they stood.
Blossom snorted and dropped her arms. The air had grown silent; not even the sky dared to whisper. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and took off to the ground. She landed and checked the book again. This time, the word appeared crystal clear.
"Chamberlain," she whispered. The sky screamed and a blast of lightning shot from the void above, hitting with enough force to drive Blossom back a step. It drilled into the frozen fire mercilessly, tearing apart the streets and releasing torrents of flame into the air. The shrill howl in the air was joined by a new voice. This one soft at first, but growing in intensity. The low roar escalated into a thunderous shout. A single ray of light rose up from the underground, through the relentless lightning blast. The sky's scream faded as the lightning fizzled out. More fires were breaking through the street; the thunderous yell was growing louder still.
With a last shout, the ground opened up and a figured hovered out from the depths. The shadowy figure was tall, at least seven feet high, dwarfing the little Powerpuff girl. He touched down and gave a low moan; the light finally faded. Blossom crossed her arms, getting a good look at him. He was tall, with long arms. He wore the same uniform she'd seen Aku's other minions in, a hooded gi over spiked shoulder paldrons, though his was uniform blue instead of the usual red. Blossom blinked. The other minions must have been made in his image.
"You are not the Sovereign of Hatred," he spoke, opening his piercing yellow eyes.
Blossom nodded, "That's correct, I am-" he cut her off, unfolding his four arms. A sword appeared in each of his upper hands, while his lower left hand pulsed with dark energy, and the lower right hand caught on fire.
"I will serve no one, save the Sovereign! You will rue this misstep against His might!" With speed that even Blossom hadn't expected, He lunged at her, taking a swing with his swords. Blossom jumped over the attack, only to find herself staring into a pulsating dark energy blast. With a grunt, she spun in mid air, just in time to dodge the attack. Before she could land, he was at her throat again, now wielding four swords with impeccable skill. Blossom jogged backward, dodging each slash with wide eyes.
"You're fast," she commented. Chamberlain lifted the four swords, which merged into a single massive ax. With all four arms, he brought it down at her. Blossom rolled to the side and watched the blow cleave a scar in the ground, "And strong," she muttered. Chamberlain grunted and the ax vanished. Arms flailing, he hurled a rain of fireballs down on her. Blossom weaved and dodged her way through the assault, freezing any that came to close with a puff of her ice breath.
Chamberlain landed and summoned a bow, firing a flurry of arrows in her direction as he approached, "You, what are you? Who are you to stand against the Hatred's Might?" A particularly well-fired arrow went straight for her face. Blossom snatched it out of the air, raising her eyebrow.
"Nice shot," she commented. Her smug smile only further infuriated Chamberlain. He rubbed his head, his eyes taking on a glassy haze. Blossom recognized it as the same veil of hatred that blinded the other monsters, "Hey, let's talk about this. I think we have a misunderstanding," Chamberlain roared and vanished in a puff of smoke. He appeared in front of her, releasing a pulse of darkness that knocked her back a step. Four swords in hand once more, Chamberlain descended on her in an enraged assault.
"Shut your mouth, child! I will hear none of your nonsense!" he roared. Blossom smacked one of the swords aside, causing it to shatter. A spear burst from the hilt of the sword; the other swords vanished. Chamberlain dove at her, swinging the spear with devastating strength, cleaving a haphazard path through the city street. Any building caught by one of the blows was cleaved asunder. The ground, every time Blossom dodged a strike, split and released a gout of flame.
Blossom narrowed her eyes, "I'm not a child,"
"Then what are you!?" Chamberlain's spear burst into black light, becoming a sword of impossible size. He swung it with all his might, only to have it cleaved in two by a vicious slash from the Powerpuff girl. Her arm had become a solid black blade that easily shattered his own weapon. Chamberlain dropped the sword and fell to his knees, staring wide-eyed at the appendage. Blossom's eyes were alight with crackling pink flame.
"My name is Blossom," She pointed her sword at Chamberlain, who's breath caught in his throat. His eyes had lost their glassy haze, now filled with fear instead.
"The Sovereign of Hate? That power...you...you are," Blossom lowered her arm, shifting it back to its normal shape. The black faded, returning to flesh.
"His...girlfriend," She explained, a blush appearing on her cheeks. Chamberlain didn't seem to notice, instead falling face first to the ground, trembling.
"My Lady! Forgive my insolence! Please, I beg you! H-Had I known, I'd have never...I am yours! My Lady, please, direct my hand! In the name of my Sovereign, I am yours!" he cried. Blossom's glare softened. She gently touched his shoulder. Chamberlain refused to look up at her.
"I forgive you...I should have said something sooner. But, I have to admit...I did want to see your strength for myself. I didn't expect to find someone else still loyal to Aku in this place," she explained. Chamberlain rose to one knee, taking her hand.
"He has taken a name?" the demon asked. Blossom nodded; Chamberlain nodded, "The Sovereign, rather, Lord Aku has long been forgotten in this realm. Since the Prince of Pain came, the servants of Hatred have lost themselves to their basic nature," Chamberlain lowered his head, "On their behalf, I humbly beg your forgiveness,"
Blossom smiled, "Chamberlain, I've already forgiven you. But, you can help me. I'm here to set a demon free...Aku called him the Soul Collector," Chamberlain stroked his chin, mimicking the way Aku stroked his beard.
"I am afraid I have not heard of this demon. However, if we confront the Prince of Pain, I am sure he would know," he offered.
Blossom nodded, "Exactly. Take me to him. Once we have the Soul Collector, we can go back to my world," she blushed and touched her lips, "Back to Aku," Chamberlain nodded and rose to his feet. He bowed once more.
"In my Sovereign's...no, in Lord Aku's name, I will serve you, Lady Blossom. It is a modest journey, let us go," Blossom nodded, still holding Chamberlain's hand as they ventured out from the city. The demon noticed and cast a nervous glance in his new mistress' direction. Blossom only smiled and continued to hold his hand. Truth be told, she was glad to not be alone anymore.
What was this Prince of Pain though? Aku hadn't spoken highly of him...and the look on Chamberlain's face was less than promising. Whatever it was, he was powerful enough to usurp Aku's realm, and drive its inhabitants to madness. Blossom narrowed her eyes. Whatever he was, he was going to give her the information she needed. One way or another.
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Dreams of an Absolution