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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
- 67
- 68
- 69
"I want to hide the truth; I want to shelter you

But with the beast inside there's nowhere we can hide

No matter what we breed, we still are made of greed

This is my kingdom come,

This is my kingdom come"

Demons (Imagine Dragons "Night Visions")

Dreams of an Absolution
Chapter 61

The scar she'd cleaved in the sea seemed to go on forever. As she drifted along lazily, taking in the endless cascade of crystal blue water pouring into the great canyon she'd created, Blossom's gaze drifted skyward as she rolled over onto her back. The stars overhead were sparkling brighter than she'd ever seen them despite it being early evening, thanks to the equally magnificent tear she carved through the atmosphere with her last attack. There wasn't a sound to disturb her, save for that of the water rushing to fill in the gap she'd left behind.

For a moment, she forgot about her task and closed her eyes, taking in the near perfect silence. The rush of adrenaline that had taken control of her earlier was quickly fading, replaced by something she hadn't truly felt in ages: peace. The rain and earthquakes had ceased, the volcanoes had fallen still, and even her own snow storms were beginning to die down. Blossom took a long, deep breath, and let it out in a content sigh.

The end of the world had come and gone, like it had never happened at all.

"I should hurry so I can get home…" Blossom muttered, cracking her eyes open and giving a begrudging sigh. She rolled back over, picking up the pace, crossing the last distance between Townsville and Monster Island in mere moments. She paused, furrowing her brow in confusion. What she found was nothing like she'd imagined.

Where the great mountainous island had once been, there was nothing left but a lonely stretch of sand. As the redhead touched down on the sand, her feet sank into its rich warmth. She couldn't help but gaze around in wonder as she walked from one end of sandy shore to the other. She closed her eyes and lifted her head up to the sky, taking in the salty scent of the sea and relishing the cool evening breeze as it brushed over her.

"It's somehow still quite beautiful, isn't it?"

Blossom's eyes snapped open hearing that familiar, yet unexpected voice. She turned, unknowingly taking a step away as she caught sight of the voice's owner. There, at the other end of the strip of beach, not much more than ten feet away from her, was Mr. Green.

He was sitting on the shore, hands resting on his knees, staring out at the ocean with a small, somber smile on his lips. He glanced toward her after a moment, then gestured for her to come sit beside him, turning his gaze back to the sea once more.

For the first time in ages, Blossom couldn't think of a response. Licking her lips, trying to will away the needling sensation of uncertainty that was working its way around her heart, she made her way toward her teacher, sliding to the sand and taking a seat beside him. The two sat like that, in complete silence, for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, when the sun began to set, Mr. Green sighed and lowered his head.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here," he pointed out, that same somber smile tugging at his lips once again.

"It...crossed my mind," Blossom admitted. She mentally berated herself for how weak and unsure her voice sounded. That was no way for a queen to speak to her subject. No way for a Goddess to address her follower.

Still smiling, Mr. Green returned his gaze to the sea, "I'm the one you're searching for."

XxXxX

Back at the Utonium House, the battered, but victorious heroes and heroines were tending to their countless injuries and celebrating the cancellation of the apocalypse.

Buttercup was the least torn up of the group, so she sat with the boys as the Professor tended to their injuries, scarfing down the meal her father had prepared for them to refill her empty energy tank. She couldn't help teasing and prodding Brick as he grumbled and whined while Cassandra carefully tended to his badly burnt mitts.

"Stop fussing, Brick, I'm almost done, then you can eat," she gently chided as she continued with her bandaging.

Buttercup chuckled again, "Yeah, dummy, that's what you get for punching something made out of fire!" She just laughed again when Brick kicked her.

"It was a good plan! I totally softened him up before your sister blew its brains out!" Brick trailed off, grumbling a sincere thanks when Cassandra said he was all done. Hopping off the table, he snatched the plate of food that had been set out for him and joined Buttercup, eating like he hadn't seen food in years, hissing and moaning between bites as his hands continued to throb with pain.

"How long is it gonna hurt?" he asked, his mouth full. He coughed, choking on his food, scrambling to get a drink.

"The painkillers should kick in in about ten minutes, and don't talk with your mouth full! That's how you choke, you know," Cassandra chided, leaving the room to go tend to Butch, who had promptly fallen asleep once the adrenaline had worn off.

Left alone, the pair's bickering dwindled until they were munching in silence, both of them throwing glances toward the other room, where the Professor was taking care of the Ultratuff Girls.

Buttercup swallowed another bite and began to push her food around on her plate, "Those kids did a pretty good job. For a first time, y'know?"

"Yeah?" Brick perked up, taking another bite and nodding, "Makes sense, they're like, what, clones of Bubbles? Your sister is pretty tough, for a huge crybaby, I mean." Brick smirked when Buttercup laughed, but his smile faded, thinking back to when he'd made fun of the girls' younger sister. As much as he teased her, that moment had shown Brick that Bubbles wasn't someone to take lightly.

"Yeah, got a few good hits in. Heh, though, they did try to punch the fire dog. Unlike you dummies, they realized that was a bad idea," She chuckled when Brick hit her in the shoulder, laughing a bit louder when he winced away and grumbled in pain. Buttercup's expression softened, "They...they're not bad kids. You should have seen them bustin' their butts trying to save everyone."

Brick nodded, pursing his lips. He hated to admit it, but he knew that no one made from Bubbles could ever be bad, "Yeah, guess I'll have to wait till next time."

Buttercup perked up, "You think they're gonna stick around? I mean...having more crybabies sounds annoying, but, I mean...I mean, it'd be kinda cool to, y'know...be a big sister...for real this time." Buttercup trailed off, a small smile coming to her lips again.

XxXxX

Blossom backed away from Mr. Green, scooting back so that she could see him completely, "What are you talking about?"

Mr. Green opened his mouth to respond, but paused for a moment before continuing, "You came to see if there would be any more monsters coming to destroy Townsville, or did I mishear you?"

Blossom's mind was racing, almost as fast as her heart was pounding in her ears. What did he mean? How did he know that? Who...who was he?!

"Where...is Aku?" Blossom asked, climbing to her feet and taking another step back. She mentally slapped herself again. What kind of Goddess backed away in fear?

"Baku is heading to your house. He wanted to make sure your sisters were properly tended to, he…" Mr. Green laughed, shaking his head, "He was worried sick when he saw Buttercup collapse on that rooftop. Oh, but you should have seen the look on his face when Ammit ate you. I thought he was going to turn into a puddle...it's endearing how much he loves you."

Blossom looked around, suddenly worried that she'd walked into some kind of trap. The sun was setting and the ocean was finally beginning to calm down. Overhead, the stars were quickly being outshone by the light of the moon as it rose up over the horizon. She turned back to Mr. Green, her lips trembling as she tried to make sense of all this.

"Why are you here?" she asked, in a weak, panicked voice.

"Please, Blossom, sit down and try to relax. I understand you must be very confused...I have quite a bit to explain. But, I promise, I will answer all of your questions...just, please sit back down." Mr. Green motioned for her to join him again, but frowned when Blossom shook her head.

"No! No, no, no! I do NOT take orders from you! Don't you dare tell me to relax! I order you to tell me what's going on!" Blossom's voice cracked as she struggled to seem as powerful as she'd felt before. Yet, no matter how deep she reached, she couldn't find the strength to fight. All she could feel was a nagging need to run away.

"Sweetie, I'm trying...but, I need you to relax. I'm going to tell you some things that...might upset you. But, I want you to understand that everything I've done, I've done for your sake. I swear that to you on my honor as the King of Monsters." Mr. Green assured her.

"K...King of...of Monsters?" Blossom whimpered. This time, when Mr. Green motioned for her to sit down, she numbly walked back to his side and returned to her spot.

"That's right, I, Barthandelus Green, am the Monster King."

XxXxX

"C-careful! Don't hurt her!" Beauty cried out while the Professor treated Bliss's injuries. The cheerful Ultratuff usual resilience seemed to have run out, as she moaned and whimpered under the Professor's careful, gentle hands.

"Don't worry, Honey, I've patched your big sisters up more times than I can count. Bliss is going to be just fine, Beauty," The Professor reassured, flashing her a charming smile when she nodded and relaxed back in her seat. He turned his attention back to the wounded little girl in front of him and sighed, "Wish I wouldn't have to be so good at this…"

Cassandra gently touched Bubbles' shoulder as she slipped into the room.

"How are they?" she asked in a low voice, sitting down beside her daughter.

Bubbles wiped her eyes and smiled, though the teacher could tell it was a strained expression.

"They're doing better...Dad fixed Bright's arms and he's taking care of Bliss now...he says they'll be okay after they rest." She turned her attention back to Bright, who was laying on one of the recovery tables, arms in matching slings and bandages. The Professor had assured Bubbles and Beauty that, due to the Ultratuffs' incredibly strong healing factor, she'd be good as new by morning. While that had settled Beauty down from worrying that her sisters were going to die, it hadn't fully assuaged her anxiety.

"How are you feeling, Bubbles?" Cassandra asked, moving to wipe one of Bubbles' numerous little injuries. The blonde shirked away from her, flashing her another strained smile.

"I'm fine, Mommy! Really!" She turned her attention back to Beauty, who she could see was fighting to stay awake. A warm, loving gaze came over Bubbles, who murmured, "As long as they're okay, I'll be okay."

Beauty jumped up from her seat and rushed over to Bliss's side when the Professor finally stood up and brushed the sweat from his brow.

"Alright, I think Bliss is going to be juuuust fine! Just let her get some rest, okay, sweetie?" He gently reminded Beauty before moving to check on Bright once more.

"I know, I will…" Beauty mumbled, a sleepy slur to her words. She yawned and continued to float next to Bliss, holding her hand tight in her own.

"Beauty, dear, I think it's time for you to set some sleep," Cassandra gently advised her, moving to her side and lightly rubbing her back. The little girl groaned in defiance, but didn't pull away from the older woman's soothing touch, "I know you're worried about them, Beauty, but you need to get your rest. You've had a really long day...they'll be just fine when you wake up, and," she added when Beauty started to protest, "you can sleep down here with them, alright? I bet Bubbles will even stay with you, if you want her to," Cassandra, and Beauty, turned to Bubbles, who beamed.

"Of course I will. Don't worry, Beauty, I promise you're safe here. Mommy and Daddy won't let anyone hurt you, and neither will I," she assured her.

"Bubbles, why don't you go get your nightgowns and some pillows?" Cassandra instructed.

Bubbles nodded, suddenly excited at the thought, "Okay! I'll get us some stuffed animals too! It'll be like a sleepover!" With that said, she hurried shot out of the room.

After Bubbles was gone, Beauty turned her attention back to her sisters. There was a moment of hesitation, before she spoke up, "Mrs. Utonium...is it...really okay for us to be here? You don't...you don't want to throw us out, f...for being…" her voice was just barely above a whisper when she finally managed to say, "b...bad, do you?"

Cassandra couldn't resist wrapping her arms around the little girl, pulling her into a warm, tight hug. She couldn't help, but notice just much she was like Bubbles.

"No, Beauty, we don't want to throw you out," she paused when Beauty snuggled into her arms, accepting the embrace, "You girls haven't been bad. You've been misled. And, what you did today, was very brave, and very, very good. You saved the whole world," Her throat tightened when she heard Beauty hiccup and begin to cry.

"S-so w-we...we are good girls?" Beauty asked, her voice breaking as she struggled to speak.

"You're very good girls...and you're finally home,"

XxXxX

"You know, I didn't want to be king when I was your age," Mr. Green spoke up, breaking the silence the two had been sitting in as the sun set. He chuckled and shook his head, "I actually...have always wanted to be a teacher. Even when I was young and full of possibility...that's what I wanted to do...though, look at me now. The King of no one at all."

Blossom glanced at Mr. Green, clearly confused, "What do you mean? Where...where are all the monsters?"

For the first time, Mr. Green didn't answer immediately. He lowered his head, refusing to speak. After a moment of silence, he finally lifted his head, "They're all gone. The arrival of the Great Old Ones signals the end of the world, the monsters were the first to be wiped out." He gave a short, forced laugh and turned to her with a remorseful smile, "You can relax though...their deaths are not on your hands...they are on mine."

Blossom turned away, a stony look in her eyes, "You don't have to lie to me, I know I'm the Calamity that they came to stop." She turned to Mr. Green, noticing he was shaking his head. "What do you mean? Ammit said that herself."

"Ammit was an eternal being that lived outside time and space, but that didn't give her omniscience. When the Great Old Ones are summoned they are given direction by the one who completes the summoning ritual. A ritual that can only be performed by the King or Queen of Monsters," Mr. Green lowered his head, "I am the one who summoned the Great Old Ones, the one who initiated the End of the Age."

Blossom couldn't help but stare incredulously. Mr. Green had been the one to summon those monsters? He had been the one who directed them to fight her? She turned away from him, cradling her head in her hands, her gaze refusing to move from her feet.

"Y-you...you were the one...bu-but why? Wh-why would you do that? I thought you...I thought you…" There was a sharp whistle starting to build up between her ears, a hazy red fog starting to fill her head.

"I said I believe in you, and the truth of the matter is, I do, Blossom. I do, truly, believe that you have the strength, the determination, and the desire to save the world. To make a world where your sisters and family can be happy and out of harm's way. That, I do believe," Mr. Green explained, choosing each and every one of his words carefully.

"Then...why would you betray me?"

Mr. Green had expected to turn and see the fiery, demon's glare of the Goddess of Death. He had expected her to explode, to threaten to tear him apart. Instead, when he turned to face her, he wasn't met with fire and fury, but with the wounded, frightened voice of a child, tears rolling down her cheeks as she buried her face in her hands and began to cry.

"I haven't betrayed you, Blossom. I didn't do any of this to hurt you, I did it to help you."

"Ho-how did ANY...any of this help me?!" Blossom choked, still refusing to look away from her feet.

"I wanted to teach you...to show you something important, Blossom. I set the end of the world in motion, to give you the ultimate test. With everything on the line, with no time, or reason to hold back...what would you do?" He trailed off, turning back to the ocean. "You keep saying...that you'll do anything to protect your sisters. And, I know...I know deep down, in your heart, you really do mean that. But, something is getting in the way, Blossom."

Blossom rubbed her eyes and wrapped her arms around her knees. The red fog was still building in the back of her mind; the whistle was getting louder.

"What do you mean? I...I will do anything...anything for them…" her voice quivered and she buried her face again, clenching her eyes shut, trying to block out the red.

"Eventually...yes, you will. But, you had the power to destroy Fenrir, Thunderbird, and Ammit in an instant. And, yet...with the end of the world on the line, knowing that if you failed, everything and everyone you loved would be wiped out, you kept holding back." Mr. Green waited for a moment, but sensing no response from Blossom, he kept going, "Why, Blossom?"

"I...they weren't...they weren't in...in danger…"

"But, they got hurt. The Ultratuff Girls, especially, took an absurd amount of injury and pain. In the end, you revealed your true power to everyone, so, clearly, that wasn't what held you back. You simply chose to let the fight drag on, knowing you could end it at any time." Mr. Green took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He could feel his voice becoming sterner, harsher than he meant for it to be. That wasn't what she needed.

"Do you want to know the answer?" Mr. Green offered, turning to look at her. He waited and watched as she shuffled uneasily in the sand, before finally nodding, peeking her head up to look out at the sea, "You hold back to show them that they need you," as soon as the words left his mouth, the Monster King couldn't help but feel regret, seeing the way the redhead flinched and buried her face again.

"I don't think it comes from a bad place, Blossom, but I do think it comes from a hurt place. You want to feel needed; you want to be relied upon. You've been that way since I met you, and again, I don't think it is malicious. I think you're in pain, Blossom."

Blossom didn't respond; she couldn't respond. Every rebuttal, every denial, every word she tried to speak got caught in her throat and made her feel sick at her stomach.

"It's such a pervasive, smothering need that you'd see everyone on the verge of death...just so you can be the one to save them...it's why you'd kill them, just to show them that they could never replace you."

"How...how d-dar-dare...how d-dare you…" Blossom murmured, her thoughts drowning in red haze. The whistle was screaming in her head now. And yet, it all vanished in an instant when she felt Mr. Green's hand on her shoulder. Her lips screwed up and she buried her face again. The red haze was pounding at her brain.

"I don't hate them."

"I never said you did. I know you love them more than anything…but, I know you're full of hate, Blossom. Hate and anger, not with your sisters. No, you worship them because they can do something you can't do...they love you."

The air grew still as the gentle sea breeze died down. The silence in the air was only broken occasionally by the rippling of the water. The air should have grown colder. The sky should have darkened. The clouds should have begun to snow.

But, none of that happened.

XxXxX

"You, boy, are you in good health?" Baku asked as he showed up to the Utonium house, addressing the blue-eyed boy who was sitting on the porch, cradling a red hair bow and staring off into the sky.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, Aku." Boomer responded, moving over to make room for Baku to sit by him.

For a moment, the dark master narrowed his eyes in disgust. And yet, as soon as that feeling came, it passed, and he took the offered seat, joining the younger boy in scanning the horizon.

"It was quite the battle," Baku began, stroking his chin, "You fought quite well. The precision in that last attack was...superb."

Boomer laughed and jumped to his feet, folding his arms behind his head as he turned, "Oh yeah, you saw that? Thanks man! I've been practicing that move like, every day!" He laughed again and this time Baku joined him.

"So, dude, did you see how amazing Blossom was?" Boomer asked, turning to Baku with a beaming grin.

The older boy chuckled again, nodding and closing his eyes, "Yes, she was in perfect form. Her plans were quite devious, and, ultimately, her might was far beyond anything that beast could muster." Aku trailed off, stroking his chin again as he opened his eyes. "How are Bubbles and Buttercup? The others? They took quite a beating, from what I saw."

"Eh, they're fine, man. Me and my brothers burnt our hands, but we're fine. Buttercup is just tired, man, you should see her wolfing food! Mrs. Utonium was losing her mind, trying to keep her from eating everything!" Boomer's grin faded somewhat, his lips pursing, "Bubbles...she's fine. She's just worrying about the Ultratuff kids."

Baku nodded, "That's right, you did bring those three back here...what is the development there? Have they defected from our opponent's army?"

"Yup!" Boomer smirked, "Just like she said they would. I mean, I don't blame 'em."

"Yes, quite...I would surely prefer them as allies than enemies. Having them on our side will be quite a relief to Bubbles. And, stripped of his servants, the Messiah will be nothing before our might! Using the knowledge the Ultratuff Girls must possess, we will be able to track down the assassin, while also pinpointing the location of Hardley's base. He should be obliterated within the week." Baku nodded, still stroking his chin.

"A week? Man, maybe. Soon as they're good to go, you know Blossom's gonna wanna blow him to Hell. I wouldn't give the guy a day," Boomer exclaimed, hitting his fists together.

Baku pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. While that was sure to be Blossom's plan, it would be ill-advised to go rushing into their foe's lair. If the Other was pulling the strings...it could be that the true battle had only just begun.

"Yo, I'm gonna go get some grub, you want any food?" Boomer offered as he shuffled to the door.

Baku nodded, "Anything sweet will do nicely. I will be in momentarily," once Boomer was gone, Baku picked up Blossom's fallen bow and gently massaged the fabric. His eyes drifted to the sky, confusion setting in. Barthandelus had told him to hurry to the Utonium house, certain that Blossom would be eager to see him tonight. Where, then, was she?

XxXxX

Blossom struggled to find anything to say, as she felt her thoughts slowly drowning beneath the red haze in her brain. She couldn't see anything except the ocean; she couldn't hear anything except the sound of the lapping waves. Though she was sure Mr. Green was still sitting beside her, she couldn't feel him at all. After a moment, she managed to force her eyes closed. The whistle was gone...there was nothing except suffocating silence.

When she spoke, she surprised both of them, "Why am I broken?"

Mr. Green took a long deep breath and slowly let it out. He licked his lips before beginning, "Because you never learned how to get put back together...you always found it easier to ignore the cracks spreading around your heart because...to fix them, you'd need to ask for help. And...doing that would be admitting you weren't perfect."

The Perfect Little Girl. Those words exploded in Blossom's thoughts, echoing throughout the red haze, until they became a roar. One word kept repeating, over and over again: Perfect.

"No one is perfect, Blossom. Everyone has to ask for help sometimes. It's a part of life, failure is. We fail, so that we can learn to overcome failure. There's no shame in that. And, you know that, don't you? But...there's a voice in your head, that keeps saying, "If you ask for help, if you fail, no one will want you." That voice, that's what's holding you back." Mr. Green finally slid to his feet, groaning and stretching his back, reaching up to the sky. With a yawn, he crossed his arms and stared out at the horizon.

"And, that voice isn't alone."

Hearing those words seemed to jolt Blossom from her numb. She stumbled to her feet, rubbing the tears away from her face. The red haze was getting thicker; the whistle between her eyes had come back, shriller than ever.

"What?" She could barely hear her own voice over the screeching sound.

"You've felt it...haven't you?" Mr. Green asked, turning to fully face her.

Blossom's hands rose to her head again. Mr. Green was becoming blurry. The whistle was getting louder. The red haze was-

Suddenly, it all stopped and everything came clear again when Mr. Green took Blossom's wrists and gently, tenderly pulled them away from her head. He offered her a small smile.

"It's not Aku...Aku would never…" Blossom rambled, the gears in her mind moving at lightspeed, but her every thought somehow avoiding the answer she knew was right in front of her.

"Heavens, no!" Mr. Green chuckled, "Aku loves you too much to ever do anything like that again. If you were to tell him you were done with world domination and wanted to be a housewife, he'd have an application in at WacArnolds within five minutes to support you."

Blossom's blood ran cold. She looked around her, suddenly in a panic. She couldn't see the answer, even though it was on the tip of her tongue.

"It's...h-how do...how do I stop it?" she pleaded, her breathing getting heavier. She settled slightly when the Monster King gave her a tight hug.

"You have to ask for help, Blossom. Trust your sisters, trust that their love is real and that it will never fade. You don't have to be perfect, they've never asked for that. All they want is for you to trust them...then, you can overcome this spell."

Spell. That word set off warning bells in Blossom's mind. She pulled away from Mr. Green for a moment, grabbing her head once more. But, the whistle and the haze returned, heavier than ever, until he reached out and touched her shoulder once more.

"Blossom, I...Honey, I would give anything to be there for you through all of this...but, I'm out of time and you need to go home," Mr. Green's voice was soft, with an infinite sadness.

Blossom shook her head and tried to focus.

"What do you mean? I...No, no you can't leave! Y-you know who's doing this! Y-you know what's happening to me! You have to...you have to he…" the words caught in her throat. The red haze was spilling in, despite Mr. Green's touch. The whistle was becoming a siren.

"Blossom, as the King of Monsters, I...am the final thing standing between you and preventing the end of the world. As long as I live, the storms and disasters you've managed to stop will come back. I imagine they'll start again in less then five minutes...and this time, not even you will be able to stop them."

His words were crystal clear, even through the fog. Blossom shook her head, snatching his wrist.

"N-no...no I can't. You're supposed to...you're supposed to help me!" Blossom's eyes lit up like wildfires, she could feel her fangs clenching and her heart racing. Even as the red fog began to turn to a red haze of anger, Mr. Green smiled and pulled her into another hug.

"That's exactly what I'm doing…" He murmured, his words cut off by the sound of his breath getting caught in his throat. And, still he smiled, even when his body went limp against hers. Slowly, Blossom pulled her blade from his chest and gently lowered him to the sand. The sirens blaring in her mind, and the red fog, were beginning to fade.

Soon, the only sound was the gentle lapping of the waves, joined by painful sobbing.
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Dreams of an Absolution