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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.

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"I'm so tired of being here

Suppressed by all my childish fears

And if you have to leave

I wish that you would just leave

Cause your presence still lingers here

And it won't leave me alone,"

My Immortal (Evanescence "Fallen")

Dreams of an Absolution

Chapter 46

When they left, Townsville was chilly, with just the hint of winter on the horizon. Now, as the sisters rode along silently in the backseat of the Utonium family station wagon, the city was blanketed in a healthy cover of white. The Professor chattered from the front, glancing back at his angels whenever he had the chance. While he continued to smile and jabber on cheerfully, there was a certain sadness in his eyes. The girls just hadn't been themselves since they arrived in town.

Bubbles laid her head against the window, counting the snowflakes. Every ten or so, her mind wandered and she lost count. Her mitts tugged at her winter jacket restlessly. Every so often she bit her lip and kicked her legs. Whenever she lost count of her snowflakes, her lips quivered and she closed her eyes. Outside of a small sigh every so often, she kept quiet.

At the other side of the seat, Buttercup had her arms crossed tight across her chest, while she stared at the floor with an uneasy expression across her face. Whenever Bubbles kicked her legs, she flinched, her eyes darting to throw a hasty glare at the blonde sister. The corner of her mouth twitched, as if she had something to say, but it never quite made it out.

In the center, Blossom hadn't lifted her head since they left the helicopter. Her mitts laid in her lap. Her blank stare stayed focused on them. Whenever Buttercup would huff, or Bubbles would sigh, Blossom would visibly flinch. Her eyes were heavy, always on the verge of closing, but she could never bring herself to drift off. Whenever the Professor spoke to her, she gave no indication that she heard him, where her sisters would grunt or hum in response.

The Professor sighed and shut off the car, turning to them with a bright smile, "Well, we're finally home! You girls must be exhausted...why don't you lay down for a while, and I'll make dinner?" Bubbles nodded and Buttercup grunted in response. Blossom simply shuffled out of the car, trailing behind the other two as they marched through the snow and into the house.

It was warm and cheerful, with the Professor's favorite Christmas album humming softly from the living room. The tree was already up and decorated and their stockings hung by the chimney. The Professor slid out of his jacket and popped on a bright red Santa hat, beaming expectantly at the girls. Buttercup muttered something about the room looking nice and collapsed on the couch, staring at the fourth showing of "It's a Wonderful Life" playing on the television. Bubbles forced a smile and gave the Professor a small hug around his leg, before hovering up the stairs to her room.

Blossom continued to stand at the door, staring down at her feet with the same wide, but tired, eyed expression. She flinched when the Professor touched her shoulder, kneeling down next to her. With a gentle touch, he tilted her chin back until her gaze met his, and smiled.

"Go get some rest, Honey. Ms. Keane will be over to visit later," he said with a kiss on her cheek and a pat on her back, nudging her toward the stairs. Blossom's lips twitched, but she didn't refuse, shuffling up the stairs. Her gaze fell back to her feet as she walked.

The house was warm, and cheerful and colorful. The Professor had really gone over-the-top to make it exciting and inviting for when the girls got home. The walls were decorated in different colored snowflakes, there was tinsel wrapped around every doorway. Even the hallway was decorated with old pictures the girls had drawn and photos of the family celebrating their last two holidays.

Blossom hugged herself and shivered, glancing toward the closed door to her sisters' room. She tore her gaze away and shuffled further down the hall to her own room.

She glanced up in confusion. Normally, her room was cold and chilly; the heater had never worked well to warm her room, and it had always been a bit drafty. Now, though, there was a small space heater in the corner, keeping it toasty and warm. Her bed had been redone with nice black and pink sheets and a fluffy pink comforter. Blossom paused at the foot of the bed, running her mitt along the warm cover. Her lip quivered and her chest tightened. Lying near the head of the bed was her Devil Blossom doll, waiting for her.

With a small sob, she threw herself down on the bed and pulled the doll close to her chest. Her body hitched and she buried her face in the soft new pillows, sobbing as quietly as she could manage.

XxXxX

The classroom was quieter than usual, which was notable for Uka-sensei's class. While the monstrous instructor had been overjoyed to see the return of his favorite pupil and her sisters, his joyous mood was constantly thrown off-guard by the red-haired girl's disinterest in his lectures. When he called on her, she refused to answer. When he spoke her name, she refused to look. Her gaze never left her desk. Every so often, her shoulders would hitch and her lips would quiver, but Blossom kept her composure, biting it back down.

Her sisters weren't so composed. Not an hour into the first lesson, Bubbles began to sob uncontrollably and had to be escorted out of the room. She didn't return until after lunch, and even then she couldn't bring herself to focus. When Uka-sensei tried to call on her, she clamped her mouth shut, covered it with her hands and shook her head frantically, mumbling apologies into her mitts.

During her first written assignment, Buttercup's pencil snapped. The crack of the wood in her hand startled her, causing her to strike at her desk, smashing it in half. When she realized what she'd done, it was all she could do to hold back her own tears. She apologized again and again, even when Uka-sensei promised her it wasn't an issue to concern herself with.

And so, each day that class dragged on, Uka-sensei's concern for the trio of superheroines grew with every outburst or accident. And, in the case of his favorite, his heart began to ache as she remained apathetic and indifferent to his lessons and, more importantly, his attempts to reach out to her. It was a Thursday when, as the final bell rang, Uka-sensei asked Blossom to stay behind.

When the last student marched out the door, it slid shut behind him and Uka-sensei's disguise melted away. Aku knelt down in front of the desk, trying to look into her distant, unfocused eyes.

"Blossom? Child, is something troubling you? You've...not spoken to Aku since your return." his voice shook with worry. What could have brought her to such a state? In all the time he'd known Blossom, he'd never seen or imagined that she could be so...unfeeling? He wasn't sure how to describe her state, save for that it troubled him deeply. One of the many things he'd admired, and loved, about Blossom was her determination, her absolute adherence to giving her all in everything she did. To see her simply...not even try, scared him.

Aku cleared his throat, brushing the hair away from her face. She hadn't worn her bow since returning either, "Please, Blossom, say anything to ease Aku's worries. Is there anything at all he can do to aid you? Blossom?" with every word, he grew more desperate.

Blossom suddenly rose from her seat, chewing on her lip. She shook her head, walking on stiff legs toward the door, leaving her books and backpack behind. Aku caught her mitt with one of his tendrils, gently turning her to face him. He cocked his head in confusion, struggling to find the words to say to let her know that he cared. To let her know that nothing was too much to ask of him. His words caught in his throat, and his chest began to heat up.

There were tears in her eyes, tears she wouldn't dare shed with anyone around to see. Her teeth were clenched and her chest trembled with every breath she took. She slowly shook her head and shut her eyes tight, fighting back the few tears leaking down her cheeks. Blossom opened her mouth to speak but only a small sob came out, quickly silenced by her mitts flying to her mouth. She shook her head, sliding to her knees.

Aku wasn't sure what else to do, except but pull her into his arms and hold her while she cried. He wrapped his mighty arms around her, hugging her with all the strength he had. But, feeling her body shake against his, hearing the pain and distress in her sobs, Aku found what strength he had dwindling. Closing his eyes and burying his nose in her hair, he held her.

XxXxX

"So I was thinking, Ms. Honeydew wanted to have a Christmas party with your dad. You know, cause like...her family isn't here and like, you guys have a really cool house. So, I was wondering if we could invite Pop…" Boomer trailed off, finally noticing that Blossom hadn't heard a word he was saying.

What did they do to her? He thought. On some level, he knew, even if the girls had refused to talk to anyone so far. Whenever one tried, well...they never got far into an explanation. The best they'd been able to get so far was from Bubbles, who began screaming "It wasn't our fault, we tried to save her!" the last time Agent Honeydew asked about what the girls had been through. So, Boomer knew what had happened, at least, enough to know why she had become like this again.

Bunny was gone.

Now, Blossom was sad again. Like she had been when Aku was gone. She didn't cry around him, but he knew she cried. She never wanted him worrying. She didn't want him to see her like that. That wasn't important though. What was important was that she was happy. How was he going to enjoy Christmas if Blossom was sad? Wasn't Christmas about being happy? That's how he felt, at least.

Boomer pursed his lips and lightly pushed her shoulder, "Hey, I'm stuck on this one...can you help me?" he whispered. Blossom snapped out of her daze, turning to look at him so suddenly, he was afraid she was going to fall out of her seat. Her mouth fell open and her eyes widened. It lasted all of a second, but it was all Boomer needed to see to feel like a monster. He blushed and turned away, rubbing his hands together. The library was colder than normal, "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay," she responded, her voice just the ghost of a whisper. She slid closer to him and stared down at his work sheet. Boomer had already figured it out, but he thought maybe, if he asked for help, she'd feel better. Blossom loved being smart, and she loved helping him. So, maybe if he let her know he needed her, she would be happy again. His small smile faltered when she continued to stare at the page. Her eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched.

He finally saw that her eyes were wet. A drip hit his paper and Blossom tore away from him, slipping to her feet and hurrying away from the table, "I'm sorry, I can't, I'm sorry," she whispered again and again as she hurried away from the table.

Boomer wanted to follow her. He rubbed his mitts together again and bit the inside of his cheek. With a shaking hand, he wrote down the correct answer, careful to wipe her tear away first. He set his pencil down and glanced off in the direction she'd run. Suddenly, he couldn't concentrate either.

XxXxX

"What should I do, Cassie? I want to help them, but...nothing I try seems to work. Am I doing something wrong?"

Blossom held Devil Blossom against her chest, staring at the swirling ceiling fan above her. She could see her breath in the air, with each small puff from her chest. The space heater hadn't been on in days. There were snowflakes fluttering in the air around her, more joining them with each puff of air from her lips. She could see ice forming on her window. Her eyes remained focused on the ceiling fan, while her mind wandered back downstairs.

"Jim, it's nothing you're doing. The girls must have…" Ms. Keane's breath caught in her throat. She cleared it, but Blossom could hear a hitch in her voice, "been through something terrible. They were gone for over a week...God only knows what happened. And…" she sighed.

"Their sister...I know,"

Tears began to form in Blossom's eyes. They quickly froze as they rolled down her cheeks. She took a deep breath and gave a great sigh, blowing a chilly sheet of wind into the air. Icicles were growing from her ceiling. She held Devil Blossom closer. Her lips quivered and more tears streamed down her cheeks, only to freeze before they could make it to the comforter beneath her.

"I just want to see them smile again, I just...want to do something to make my girls happy again," He was crying. Blossom bit her lip and began to cry harder herself.

Her mind drifted across the hall, where she could hear Buttercup sobbing in the closet, smothering her tears in her favorite blanket. To the bed, where she could hear Bubbles crying into Octi, who continued to stare at the ceiling as uncaring and vapid as he'd ever been. It quickly slipped back to the kitchen when she heard Ms. Keane again.

"I know...so do I, Jim…"

The darkness in her room grew darker, and a great warm shadow fell over her. It shrunk and a warm body pressed up against hers. Blossom laid her head against Baku's shoulder and buried herself in his arms. He hugged her as tight as he could, kissing her head and running his hand through her hair.

He didn't say anything. She was glad he didn't. For once, just once, she couldn't bear to hear his voice. She couldn't stand to hear how she was hurting him. She couldn't keep her mind from drifting, from the kitchen to her sisters' room, back to her own room. She couldn't answer their questions if she tried. And she knew she'd tried, she tried so hard to put it into words.

She tried to tell them that she had failed. Tried to tell them it was her fault. Tried to tell them, but couldn't find her voice buried under her own selfish sadness, the smothering, selfish ache in her chest. The building pain that stretched from the tips of her feet to the tips of her mitts. She closed her eyes shut tight and cried until she fell asleep, for the first time since returning, in Baku's arms.

XxXxX

Blossom was standing in a grassy field. Flowers were fresh in bloom, with birds singing and butterflies fluttering around her. She almost managed to smile, until she noticed something in the distance. It was Townsville, her hometown. The city that had created her. The city she had come to hate with all her heart.

High over the city, she saw a great bright light, the brightest blue she'd ever known. So bright, it seemed to make the warm Spring night light up like the middle of the day. The light stretched for miles, but through it Blossom could see the stars blazing like fireflies. They were growing brighter, as the blue light began to consume Townsville. It was reaching out to her.

Deep within the blue light, Blossom could make out three figures. At first, she was certain they were men. Massive, muscular creatures, with incredible anatomies and daunting power. Each rode a great beast and bore terrible weapons, instruments so powerful they could even stand against her.

She blinked.

The men were gone. No, instead she saw something far more terrifying. At the heart of the blue light, she saw three little girls with familiar anatomies. Their eyes were the source of the blue light. It radiated from their eyes, straight from the depths of their hearts. Each of them glared at her in disgust and hatred.

They were coming for her.
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Dreams of an Absolution