Death of a Powerpuff Girl

by OldFogey

A funeral is being held at Townsville Cemetary; almost the entire town has come to pay last respects. A priest and Professor Utonium are at the podium, next to a tiny pink coffin, just the right size for a Kindergartner. The Powerpuff Girls are nowhere to

THE POWERPUFF GIRLS

Fanfic by Stephen J. Cobert ("Old Fogey")
"Death of a Powerpuff Girl" (Story Format)

It was a beautiful Spring day. As the crowd gathered at Townsville Park, the sun shone brightly and the birds sang merrily.

It was a beautiful Spring day... and a stark contrast to the emotions that showed on the face of every Townsville citizen that day.

The crowd that gathered was like no other crowd in the history of Townsville, for it seemed every citizen of the great town had come out to Townsville Park this day; specifically, the north end of the park, where Townsville Cemetary was located. Chairs seemed arranged in rows stretching out forever as the mourners found their places. Citizens great and small, all dressed in black, sat in somber silence.

At the front of the assembly was a small pink coffin, just the right size for a small child... such as a Powerpuff Girl. Mourners filed past to pay their last respects to the deceased. At one point Miss Keane, the teacher at Pokey Oaks Kindergarten, led a group of her children up to the coffin. Few of the children could hold back their tears as they beheld their deceased friend and classmate.

As the last of the mourners took their seats, the minister stepped up to the podium at the side of the coffin. "Dearly beloved," he began, "it is always sad when one so young is taken from us. But the incidents of the past month have touched each of us in a very special way. I would like to ask Professor Utonium to share with us the events that brought us to this day."

The minister stepped back as Professor Utonium took his place at the podium. The Professor was well-known to all in Townsville as the creator of the Powerpuff Girls. The Girls were not with the Professor on this day; in fact, the only evidence of Townsville's resident heroes was a silhouette in the distance of the Girls in their familiar "arms entwined" pose, the pose they had struck so many times for publicity at places such as Townsville Mall. Only now, the silhouette was incomplete: one of the Girls on the side was missing.

The scientist stepped up to the podium and began his eulogy: "As the Reverend said, it is always sad when one so young is taken from us. The sorrow is all the greater when one of our own children is the one taken. As you all know, the deceased was not my daughter... in fact, none of the Powerpuff Girls is my own child, strictly speaking. But I can truthfully say that I..." the Professor paused to dab his eyes "...that I could not have possibly loved her more, even if she were my own.

"It was about a month ago that the events started that brought us to this day. The entire town had come out to watch the dedication of the Powerpuff tribute. Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles were there, as were all of their classmates from Pokey Oaks..."

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of people had come out to Townsville Park that day to witness the unveiling of the Powerpuff statues. The Girls themselves were standing in front of the tribute: a thirty-foot high, realistically colored metal sculpture of the Powerpuffs in their familiar "arms entwined" pose. To their right was the Mayor, dedicating the statue to Townsville's champions.

The Mayor was concluding his speech: "And so it is with great pleasure that I dedicate this solid titanium statue to the girls who have come to our aid so many times, the Powerpuff Girls"
The crowd cheered as the Girls floated up to the podium. (Some of the spectators called out, "Speech! Speech!") As the applause faded, Blossom took the microphone.

"On behalf of myself and Bubbles and Buttercup," Blossom said, "I want to thank you all for this honor. I'd really love to say more, but we have to back to Pokey Oaks by one o'clock for our naps." The crowd laughed as the leader of the Powerpuff Girls concluded, "Anyway, thanks again, and we love you all!"

Blossom looked out over the crowd as the applause resumed. There was Miss Keane and all their friends from Pokey Oaks, clapping with the rest. The pink-clad Powerpuff smiled as she saw Miss Keane standing by a wheelchair with a brown-haired girl. She knew how much Carrie had wanted to be at the tribute that day, and was pleased that the little girl was well enough to make it out to Townsville Park.

Perhaps an hour later, the children of Pokey Oaks were back in their classroom, still chatting excitedly about the ceremony in the park earlier. As the children (including the Powerpuff Girls) took their seats, Miss Keane herself entered the room, pushing the wheelchair with the brown-haired girl in it. The children gasped as they saw their friend being wheeled into their classroom. On the little girl's lap was a plate with blueberry muffins neatly arranged on it.

"Boys and girls," Miss Keane announced, "Carrie is feeling well enough to come to class today! And look what her mother made for us!"

The Kindergarteners of Pokey Oaks dutifully formed a line in front of Carrie's wheelchair, each taking a muffin as they passed by. Some of the children took a moment to welcome their friend back to class, and even to give her a kiss on her cheek and a hug.

The Professor paused to explain, "Carrie Blumenthal could not show up at the school regularly due to her illness. But she was always friendly and caring, and all the children at Pokey Oaks liked her. She especially liked the Powerpuff Girls, and had made a special effort to show up that day for the dedication ceremony. The other children called her 'Carrie Blueberrie' because of the blueberry muffins her mother made for their snack times."

Snack time had ended, and the children were all lying on the floor for their afternoon nap. Bubbles looked at her all-too-absent friend with a look of concern, and then floated up to Miss Keane's desk.

"Miss Keane?" Bubbles whispered. "How come Carrie is always so sick? Can't her doctor give her some medicine?"

"Well, Bubbles," the teacher replied softly, "it's because she has a disease called leukemia. She goes to her doctor a few times every week to help her get better."

"And the doctor gives her medicine"
"Well, yes, dear. It's a special sort of medicine called che-mo-ther-a-py," Miss Keane carefully pronounced the word for Bubbles. "It helps her get rid of the leukemia."

"Oh, and then she'll be cured and she'll be all healthy, right?"

Miss Keane paused at Bubbles' innocent (and hopeful) question. How could anyone explain such a thing to a five-year-old?

"Bubbles," the teacher explained softly, "No one knows how to cure leukemia yet. Doctors can help Carrie get better for awhile, but they can't make it all go away."

Bubbles stared at Miss Keane; the adult's reply was not the answer she had wanted to hear. Miss Keane then got up from her desk and took Bubbles by the hand.

"Say, Bubbles," she said tenderly as she led the blonde Powerpuff Girl back to her mat, "you're missing your nap time! Let's get some rest so you can play and have fun later!"

"Bubbles couldn't understand why no one had found a cure for Carrie," Professor Utonium continued. "I guess it was only natural that she tried what she did. The Girls had never had a sleepover before, but Carrie's parents thought it would be fun for their daughter to spend the night with Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles."

Professor Utonium carried the plate with cookies and a pitcher of milk toward the Girls' bedroom. He could hear the excited squeals and giggles of the four girls from down the hall. It sounded as if the sleepover was going just fine.

"Okay, Carrie," Bubbles said, "you sleep between me and Blossom!"

"Heyyy!" Buttercup shot back. "I get to sleep next to Carrie Blueberrie!" She took her friends hand as if to keep her close.
"No way, Buttercup!" Blossom replied. "You'll punch her out in your sleep!"

Buttercup wasn't about to lose her spot next to her friend. "No I won't!" she countered. Then she turned to Carrie and asked her, "How'd you like to see how to kick like Bruce Lee?"

Carrie giggled at the Powerpuff Girls' silly antics. "Oh, I don't know," she chuckled. "I just want to give each of you a big hug and go to bed!"

"Okay, but first let's go to the kitchen for a glass of water, okay?" Bubbles suggested.

"Hey, remember, Carrie's supposed to take it easy!" Blossom reminded her sister.

And Buttercup added, "And I still get to sleep next to her!" She wasn't about to let anyone forget that in all the excitement!

At that, Professor Utonium stepped into the room and set the girls' snack on the dresser. He was surprised at the nightie that Carrie was wearing: it was a pastel purple, but was almost exactly the same style as the Powerpuff Girls' nighties! He wondered if they had shared style information at school before the sleepover.

"Girls! Girls!" the Professor said. As the foursome quieted down, he continued, "Let's stop arguing and get into bed." A sleepover could be fun, but he knew he had to keep Carrie's health first and foremost.

Quickly, Bubbles replied, "Fine, Carrie'll sleep between Blossom and Buttercup and I'll sleep on the outside." She then flew out of the room.

The other two Powerpuff Girls looked confused. "That's odd," Blossom commented, "I thought she'd want to sleep next to Carrie."

"Yeah, what's she in such a hurry about?" Buttercup added.
It was only a second later that Bubbles zipped back into the bedroom with a glass of water. Giving the glass to Carrie, she stated, "This is for you!"

Professor Utonium was surprised. "Why, Carrie!" he commented, "I didn't know you'd asked for a glass of water!"

"Well, I didn't," the guest replied. "But it sure was nice of Bubbles to get one for me!"

"Bubbles?" the Professor asked as Carrie drank her water, "didn't you notice I'd brought milk and cookies for your bedtime snack?"

"Well, yeah," she replied, "but I sort of thought Carrie would like a glass of water anyway."

It was Bubbles' nature to do kind, thoughtful things for her friends, so the Professor didn't give the matter any more thought for the moment. "Well, right now it's time to go to bed," he said.
As Blossom and Buttercup started to get into their bed, Bubbles spoke up: "But first I get to hug Carrie Blueberrie!" She then floated over to Carrie and gave her a hug."

Carrie smiled as she returned her friend's hug. "This is so good!" she exclaimed. "I always wanted to... to..."

To Bubbles' shock, Carrie's arms lost all strength and fell lifelessly to her sides. Not a second later, her tiny body went limp.

"Carrie?" Blossom asked, alarmed. "What's the matter?"

At that, the purple-clad girl collapsed to the floor. The Professor ran over to her and put his hand on her cheek. "She's burning up with fever!" he said. "I've got to call her doctor!

Blossom and Buttercup looked at each other, and then looked at Bubbles. They both wondered if their sister had done something to bring this on. "Bubbles!" Buttercup asked, "Did you put something in her water?"

The blue-clad Powerpuff Girl looked from Buttercup to Blossom, mutely.

"Bubbles!" Blossom demanded. "Tell us!"

Bubbles stammered out, "I... I... I put a drop of Chemical X in her water."

The others looked in shock at Bubbles' revelation. "You didn't!" Buttercup yelled in disbelief.

"How could you?" Blossom added.

"Bubbles, don't you know Chemical X has unpredictable results when taken by humans?" the Professor said as he picked up Carrie. "In the wrong dose it can even be poisonous!"

"No it can't!" Bubbles defended herself. "It brought me and Blossom and Buttercup to life!"

"Maybe nobody told you," Buttercup snapped, "but we're not exactly normal everyday kids!"

The Professor had wrapped Carrie's body in a blanket. "We can't waste time arguing!" he declared. "We've got to get Carrie to the hospital right away!"

As their guardian carried the sick little girl out of their bedroom, Blossom and Buttercup looked crossly at Bubbles. The blonde girl could only hang her head in sorrow. "I'm sorry," she began, holding back tears. "I heard Carrie's medicine wouldn't cure her and I thought"

Bubbles explanation was cut short as an explosion rocked the house, and a flash of bright white light burst into the Girls' bedroom. "That came from the kitchen!" exclaimed Blossom. The trio flew into the kitchen... and their jaws dropped as they purveyed the scene.

The Professor was lying against the far counter, obviously thrown by whatever explosion had taken place. He was startled, but uninjured. The refrigerator was also lying on its side, another "victim" of the explosion. But to the Girls' delight, Carrie was standing in the middle of the kitchen, confused but alive and well.
"Carrie Blueberrie!" Buttercup asked, "What happened"
"Well," Carrie replied, still getting her bearings, "after Bubbles hugged me, the next thing I knew there was a big flash, and I was in here"
"But what's important is that you're okay!" Blossom commented. She floated over to her friend and gave her a long hug. After a moment she added, "We kind of have to pick up the fridge, but we can do that later"
"I'm sorry I knocked it down," Carrie said. "Let me get it!"

As the Professor got up, Carrie stepped away from Blossom to the refrigerator. The Girls were about to ask the Professor if he was all right, when they all turned to watch what Carrie was doing. To their amazement, the little girl picked up the refrigerator with her right hand, using the left to steady it in her grip! The Girls and the Professor watched with open mouths as Carrie effortlessly returned the massive appliance to its spot, gently replacing it with one hand.

Bubbles could not believe what she had seen. "Carrie?" she asked, perplexed.

"What?" Carrie replied matter-of-factly. Suddenly it dawned on her what she had just done. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "Did I just"
Buttercup had a hunch about what had just taken place. She floated up to Carrie, touched her on the shoulder and yelled, "Tag, you're it!" She then flew off at jet speed.

Once again, instictively Carrie flew after Buttercup. Blossom and Bubbles flew after them, following Carrie's purple trail to the living room.

Buttercup had just stopped as Carrie caught up with her and tagged her back. "Carrie!" the black-haired Powerpuff exclaimed, "You can fly"
"And you've got Powerpuff speed!" Bubbles added.
"Carrie," Blossom exclaimed, "you're a Powerpuff Girl!"

Professor Utonium continued his eulogy: "We learned that Carrie loved the Powerpuff Girls and had even dreamt of being a Powerpuff herself. Her parents were delighted at the idea that her cancer might have been cured by Bubbles' innocent action. The Girls took it upon themselves to train Carrie to be a crimefighter."

"Come in! Come in!" Mrs. Blumenthal called out to the Powerpuff Girls. As the threesome entered the Blumenthal house, they noticed Professor Utonium was sitting at the kitchen table with Carrie's parents.

"Professor!" Blossom exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Well," he replied, "I was telling Mr. and Mrs. Blumenthal that I was researching the possibility that Chemical X could be used as a cure for leukemia. I'll have to do some testing, but I think it looks promising. And I've also been talking with them about that little matter we discussed last night at dinner."

"That's what we're here for," Buttercup said. She held out a neatly folded purple garment and added, "We wanted to present this to Carrie today!"

"Well, I think she'll be so happy to see you and to see what you brought her," Mr. Blumenthal answered. He then turned and called out, "Carrie! You've got some friends to see you!"

Only a moment later, the newest Powerpuff Girl came flying into the kitchen. "Blossom! Buttercup! Bubbles!" she exclaimed as she landed next to the table. "It's so great to see you again!"

Buttercup stepped up to her and told her, "We want to invite you to join us in fighting crime and the forces of evil." Handing the folded dress to Carrie, she asked, "Will you accept your place as the fourth member of our team?"

As Carrie held up the dress, she gave a little gasp and her eyes grew wide. It was a purple jumper with a wide black band around the waist, in just the same style as the other Girls' uniforms! "It's my own Powerpuff uniform!" she replied joyfully. Looking at her parents, she asked, "Mom? Dad? Can I...?"

Mrs. Blumenthal replied, "By all means, Carrie! We'd love to see how you look in your new outfit."

For the next second, Carrie was a blur as she changed from her everyday clothes to her Powerpuff uniform at superspeed. Barely a second later, Carrie stood there in her new purple dress.

"Goodness me!" exclaimed Mr. Blumenthal with a bit of a chuckle. "It's still such a surprise to see you using all your new powers!"

"Your Powerpuff dress looks wonderful, Carrie," her mother added. "It looks just like you were meant to wear it all your life!"

Bubbles stood next to her brown-haired friend and announced, "We now present to you the newest member of the Powerpuff Girls team! Presenting... BLUEBERRIE!"

The three veteran Powerpuffs and the adults all applauded as Carrie, now Blueberrie, smiled shyly. As the clapping ended, Buttercup stepped up and said, "Now that you're a Powerpuff Girl, you'll need to learn all the right ways to fight our foes. Let's go to your room for a little Powerpuff training!"

As the girls flew to Blueberrie's bedroom, Professor Utonium had one more comment to make to the Blumenthals. "I would be negligent as a guardian," he said softly, "if I didn't admit some of the Girls' predicaments have me worried for their health and safety, even as long as they've been fighting crime. Some of the things your daughter could be called upon to do might put her in serious harm's way, Powerpuff powers or no."

"Professor," Mr. Blumenthal replied, "to be a Powerpuff Girl is a dream our daughter has had ever since she learned about them. Now that she has the powers, we would never deny her the chance to be a part of the team with your girls."

"Our doctors didn't expect Carrie to even live through her Kindergarten year," Mrs. Blumenthal added, holding back tears. "Even if she doesn't m-make it through this year, we want to see our little girl happy in the time she has." Her husband took her hand as she continued, "We certainly hope that your Chemical X cures her leukemia, or at least gives her a few more years. But just to see her so much happier and full of life is such a blessing to us."

Bubbles wrapped the cloth around the top of the toy monkey's head. She had just finished as Buttercup and Blossom came into the room. "Bubbles!" Buttercup yelled, "Mojo doesn't wear a turban! He wears a skullcap!"

Bubbles retorted, "Well, there's nothing here in her toybox that looks like a skullcap. And Mojo's cap sort of looks like a turban from a distance."

"It's okay," Blossom said. "I think we're ready for Blueberrie's first test."

The threesome stepped to the sides of the room as Bubbles called out, "Blueberrie! Mojo Jojo is stealing the Anubus Doghead!"

Blueberrie flew into the room and confronted the toy monkey. She seemed poised to strike, but then hesitated. Dropping her guard, she pointed at the toy and said crossly, "That's not a very nice thing to do, Mr. Jojo! You should be a good person and leave that alone!"

At that, Blossom squinted her eyes, put her hand on her forehead and sighed deeply. Blueberrie knew, without the red-haired girl saying it, "That was NOT the right answer!"

"Well, we don't have to punch him out every time, do we?" Blueberrie protested. "Maybe all he needs is a little reminder once in awhile!"

Buttercup floated over to Blueberrie and put her arm around the new girl's shoulder. "Uhh, Blueberrie?" she said, nonchalantly, "We need to talk..."

"Sometimes, it seemed that Blueberrie was too gentle hearted to make it as a Powerpuff," Professor Utonium continued. "But when it came time to prove herself, Blueberrie rose to the occasion."

Miss Keane had finally gotten the children settled down to practicing their handwriting. It was the first day back at school since Blueberrie had gotten her new powers, and all the children were excited about their friend becoming a Powerpuff Girl. But the teacher was experienced in quieting down excited Kindergarteners, and the class was back in order.

It wasn't long before the Hot Line rang; there was always something going on in Townsville, it seemed. Blossom floated over to the phone to answer it. "Hi, Mayor? What's up? Fuzzy Lumkins is trying to take over City Hall? We're on our way!"

Before one of the other girls could ask, Blueberrie spoke up excitedly: "May I say it? May I? Pleeeeeze?"

The other three Girls grinned. Blossom said, "Go ahead, Blueberrie!"

The four Powerpuff Girls floated to Miss Keane, and Blueberrie asked, "Miss Keane? May we be excused to save the world?"

By now Miss Keane was smiling as well. "Yes, you may!" she replied. "Just don't"

Without waiting for the rest of their teacher's reply, Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup zoomed off, crashing through the ceiling. But to Miss Keane's surprise, Blueberrie was still floating in place.

"Just don't what, Miss Keane?" the purple-clad Girl asked.

The teacher could hardly believe it; this was the first time any Powerpuff Girl had EVER waited to hear what they weren't supposed to do! "Umm..." Miss Keane stammed out, "I was going to tell them not to crash through the ceiling."

At that, Blueberrie zipped to front door, opened it and flew off, closing the door behind her. The other children all gathered at the window by the door, waving to her.

"She can fly, just like a Powerpuff Girl!" Julie said.

"I hope that Chemical X got rid of that dumb old leukemia!" Mitch added.

Miss Keane could only think of how, FINALLY, one of the Girls had not flown through the ceiling. "There may be hope for them yet!" she sighed.

Meanwhile, at City Hall, the Mayor was confronting Fuzzy Lumkins, who was gathering up items from around the office. "Now, now, Fuzzy," he gasped, "you know I won fair and square when we 'rasselled' for my position!"

"Oh, I don't reckon I much care fer yer office, Mister Mayor," Fuzzy replied. "I jest figgered some'a this here stuff might as well be mine, seein' as you don't much use it."

The backwoodsman had only gathered up a few items when Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup crashed through the door. "Hold it right there, Fuzzy Lumkins!" Blossom demanded.

"Aw, shucks," Fuzzy drawled, "you girls ain't gonna try and stop me now, are you?"

"We're gonna do a lot more than try!" Buttercup challenged the villain. The three veteran Powerpuff launched into attack against Fuzzy. But before they could reach their foe, they were caught by what looked like three giant Venus flytraps. With three loud "snaps", each Girl was caught with only her head sticking out of a giant bulb.

"I kinda reckoned you little ladies'd be by," Fuzzy explained, "so I brung a little present my cousin Clem sent me from the Ozarks. They grow 'em big there, ya know. Anyways, I ain't been too good about feedin' 'em, so I s'pose they're mighty hungry by now."

"You won't get away with this, Fuzzy Lumkins!" Blossom warned their enemy.

Fuzzy chuckled at the Girls' predicament; for once, he had them helpless. "Aw, gee," he deadpanned, "I am so scared. What are you gonna do, call yer mommies and tell"

Suddenly, Blueberrie flew through the door. The last thing Fuzzy was expecting was a fourth Powerpuff Girl to reckon with! "What in tarnation...?" he exclaimed as Blueberrie gave him a flying punch to the jaw. The force sent Fuzzy sailing across the room, where he smashed against the far wall.

"You mess with one Powerpuff Girl," the newest member of the team warned, "you answer to ALL of us!"

"All right Blueberrie!" called out Bubbles.

Fuzzy just looked at the purple-clad Powerpuff and drawled, "Good lawd awmighty, there's a new one!"

"Hey, get us out of these things!" Buttercup called out.

In response, Blueberrie flew to Buttercup's trap and tried to pry it open. To her surprise, even with Powerpuff strength the jaws of the giant plant wouldn't open up. Then she had an idea. "Let me try this," she said. Flying back a few feet, she fired a burst of laser fire at the stalk of the plant. The trap wilted and the bulb opened, freeing Buttercup. The two girls then used their laser vision to release Bubbles and Blossom from their traps.

"Way to go, Blueberrie!" called out Bubbles as she hugged the newest team member.

The Mayor was confused. "Girls," he asked, "maybe I missed something, but didn't there use to be three of you?"

"Sir, this is Carrie Blumenthal, or perhaps now I should say this is Blueberrie, the fourth Powerpuff Girl." In the excitement of the fight, the Mayor had not noticed that his assistant, Sara Bellum, had entered the room. She knelt down next to Blueberrie, who was standing with her fellow Powerpuffs. "I think you did very well today, Blueberrie," Miss Bellum told the new girl. "You have the makings of a really good team member."

"Thanks, Miss Bellum!" replied Blueberrie, with a bit of a blush.

"Well, I think this is just fine," the Mayor added. "I wish more girls would try out for the Powerpuff Girls."

Fuzzy Lumkins could only lie back and watch what was going on. "Like I didn't have enuff problems," he commented wearily, "now there's four of 'em!"

Shortly after her first adventure with the Powerpuff Girls, Blueberrie had another chance to put her training to use. The Hot Line at Pokey Oaks rang, and this time the other Girls let Blueberrie answer it: "Powerpuff Girls! Hello? What's that? The Gangrene Gang is rolling spare tires onto the freeway? We're on it!"

The four Powerpuff Girls flew out to the location on the freeway they had been told about. True to Miss Bellum's word, the highway was a tangle of stopped cars and spare tires. The Girls saw the Gangrene Gang at the top of a nearby hill, next to a huge pile of tires. They would have to be caught, of course; but it was at least as important to restore some order to the freeway.

At the top of the hill, the Gangrenes looked over the mayhem they had caused.

"Hey, this is fun!" yelled Snake.

"Daw, yeah, I could do this all day!" added Big Billy as he bounced a tire to the far lane.

Gang member Lil Arturo prepared to roll another tire, when he saw Buttercup, Bubbles and Blossom gathering up the tires they had already rolled down. "Hey, cheeze it! It's the goils!" he shouted.

"Relax!" gang leader Ace replied smoothly. "They're gonna be so busy, we'll be long gone before they get to us!"

Ace kicked another tire down the hill and reached for another one from the pile. Before he could get it, though, he heard the sound of a little girl clearing her throat. Turning around, there was Blueberrie, smiling and with her hands behind her back. "Not so fast, Gangrene Gang!" she recited, trying to sound the way Buttercup had taught her.

Perhaps Buttercup had taught her a little TOO well. Big Billy looked down at her and replied nervously, "Duhh... awp... hi, Buttercup. Gotcher hair done different, huh?" (Then again, Big Billy never was exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.)

Ace elbowed the Gang's biggest member and whispered, "It ain't Buttercup, ya lug!" Then turning his attention to the purple-clad Girl, he said, "Why, hello there, little girl! You really like the Powerpuff Girls, don'tcha?"

"Oh, I really am one now!" Blueberrie replied proudly. "How did I sound?"

Ace knelt down to address Blueberrie at her own level. "Oh, I shoulda knew," he replied. "You'se got your cute little outfit and everything! But ya can't be a REAL Powerpuff Girl until you learn how to fly!" Standing up, he turned to Big Billy and snapped, "Give the brat a flying lesson!"

Big Billy picked up the newest Powerpuff Girl in his right hand and replied, "Uhh, sure, Boss! Maybe I could"

By now Blueberrie realized the Gangrenes had been patronizing her, and she was none too pleased with it. Without waiting for Billy to finish his sentence, she freed herself from his grip, looped around and socked him in the gut. The force of her punch sent him flying into Ace and the rest of the Gang.

"What the...?" Lil Arturo gasped.

"Uhh, Boss," Big Billy said as he got up, "I tink maybe she IS a Powerpuff Goil!"

As the Gangrene Gang watched, a purple ribbon wove in and out of the stack of tires. Just moments later, the stack had disappeared! Before the Gang could spend too much time wondering what had happened, they heard Blueberrie say from behind them, "Hey, you're right! This IS fun!" The quintet turned around to see the newest Powerpuff balancing a huge stack of tires on her left arm!

Blueberrie threw one tire at the Gang, and the Gangrenes scattered. Then she began carefully throwing the tires at the individual Gang members. One tire trapped Grubber, then a couple more caught Ace. Blueberrie threw five in rapid fire to nab Big Billy, and then one last tire snared Snake and Lil Arturo. She was still admiring her work as the other Powerpuffs arrived behind her.

"That was classic, Blueberrie!" Blossom said with a proud smile.

"That really was fun!" the new girl replied. "You should have joined me!"

"Oh, you did fine on your own!" Buttercup added as she gave Blueberrie a hug.

The Blumenthal's doctors were still running tests on Blueberrie to check on her leukemia, but the little girl seemed more robust and full of life than she ever had before. It looked as if the Chemical X had indeed sent her cancer into remission.

It seemed that way... until one day shortly after the Gangrene case.

The three veteran Powerpuffs were at their suburban home one evening, when the Hot Line rang. Blossom took the call: "Powerpuff Girls! Hello? What! Two eighteen wheelers in trouble on the expressway? We're on it! Blueberrie, did you hear that?"

From the Hot Line came Blueberrie's voice: "Loud and clear on the extension! I'll meet you there!" It made sense that, now that she was part of the team, there was an extension to the Hot Line at Blueberrie's house.

The four Powerpuff Girls arrived on the scene at the same time and saw the danger the two trucks were in. At a high bridge over a river, the two big rigs were hanging, one at an end, the other near the middle. The Girls knew there was no time to waste. Quickly Blossom directed Buttercup and Bubbles to get the truck at the south end; she and Blueberrie would get the one at the center.

The girls flew to the trucks and lifted them out of danger. As the heroes started to set the rigs back down on the bridge, suddenly Blueberrie's face took on a bewildered look. Her vision began to waver and blur, and her end of the truck began to falter.

"Blueberrie? Are you all right?" Blossom asked.

As quickly as she had started to weaken, Blueberrie recovered. "S-Sure," she replied, "I just... had to catch my breath." The brown-haired Girl steadied her end, and she and Blossom placed the truck down safely.

As they finished their task, Bubbles and Buttercup joined them. Bubbles took the new girl's hand and asked, "Blueberrie! We saw you get dizzy for a moment! Are you feeling okay?"

Blueberrie looked at her fellow Powerpuffs and smiled. "Sure, I feel great!" she assured them. "I'm just not used to all this flying and lifting! I'm sure it was no big deal!"

At that point, Blueberrie flew off. Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup looked at each other worriedly. Despite their friend's reassuring words, they knew something was wrong.

Professor Utonium paused to wipe his eyes one more time, and then continued his eulogy. "The girls were right to be concerned. I had done testing with Carrie's doctors in the hopes that Chemical X could be developed into a cure for cancer. But the tests proved that Carrie's leukemia was NOT in remission. The chemicals in her system from chemotherapy had protected her from the toxic properties of Chemical X. But in spite of giving her super powers, the chemical did not affect her life span or put her leukemia into remission.

"The Girls had gone out on a number of missions, and Blueberrie had proven herself time and again. But all too often there would be a dizzy spell or a moment of weakness. If Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles had known what was about to happen last Tuesday, they might have tried to prevent Carrie from taking part.

"But then... I don't think anyone could have guessed what was about to happen then."

On that fateful Tuesday afternoon, Blueberrie was swinging happily on the Pokey Oaks playground swingset. The other three Powerpuffs were playing in a sandbox nearby. The veteran Powerpuffs tried to play that afternoon, but they were all too concerned about their friend's well-being. Could Blueberrie continue being a Powerpuff Girl?

The question would have to wait. Without warning, the skies grew dark above Townsville. Miss Keane and the children of Pokey Oaks looked up as the sky continued to darken. High above the school, a bizarre creature appeared. The Girls had fought many monsters in their time, but nothing could quite compare to this one. It looked like a 300-foot tall overfed bile-green squid with three times too many tentacles and a laser cannon between its eyes. The rear of the cannon glowed bright white. "What in the world...?" gasped an awe-struck Bubbles.

"Wrong there," corrected Blossom. "That's not from this world at all!"

The creature's "cannon" fired a blast at the tall buildings of downtown Townsville, visible from Pokey Oaks. Perhaps a dozen buildings in the line of fire were vaporized instantly. The glow from the creature's weapon faded to a dull red.

By now, everyone in the neighborhood was looking up in terror. Buttercup turned to Miss Keane and asked, "Miss Keane, may"

"Yes, go ahead!" the teacher replied without waiting for her to complete her request. This was no time to stand on ceremony! As the four flew off, she added, "Hurry, girls, hurry!"

"How can we fight that thing?" Blueberrie asked as they flew towards the monster.

"We need to work together," Blossom replied. "Bubbles, you and Blueberrie hit it with laser vision. Buttercup and I will"

But before she could finish her instructions, a second shot from the creature's blaster hit the foursome. The Girls were dropped back to the ground. "Whew!" gasped Bubbles as she picked herself up. "That was some blast!"

Blossom looked up and noticed that the rear of the creature's ray shooter was not glowing at all. Getting up, she yelled, "Right back at it, double speed!" Following their leader's direction, the Powerpuff Girls flew back up at the monster. The rear of the "cannon" was starting to glow faintly, but the creature held its fire. Blossom took the opportunity to finish her fight plan: "Like I was saying, Buttercup, you and I'll hit the thing while the other two blast it with laser fire."

As the Girls got within striking range, Bubbles and Blueberrie hit the creature with their lasers as Blossom and Buttercup punched the creature. The squid-thing roared with pain, then started reaching for the Girls with its tentacles.

"How do you know it won't fire on us?" asked Bubbles as she dodged the tentacles.

"Watch the back of its ray shooter," explained Blossom. "The brighter it glows, the more powerful its ray. No glow means no danger."

As the creature continued trying to grab the Girls, Blueberrie saw her opportunity. She grabbed one of the tentacles and started to swing the creature in a circle. The monster continued its roaring, and then saw the purple-clad Girl on its tentacle. A free tentacle slapped against Blueberrie, knocking her off and sending her earthward.

"You think maybe that's MOSTLY no danger?" Buttercup shot back at her sister.
Blueberrie hit the ground with a "thud". She lay still for a moment, trying to clear her head. Her vision was still a blur, but she could recognize Bubbles flying down to check on her.

"Blueberrie!" the blonde girl asked, "Are you all right?"

Blueberrie forced herself to alertness. "B-Bubbles," she stammered, "get back up there! I'll be all right! I'll join you in a minute. Blossom and Buttercup need you!"

Reluctantly, Bubbles returned to the battle. Blueberrie had been right: Even with the three veteran Powerpuff working together, the creature held its own in the fight, using its tentacles to pummel the Girls repeatedly. The trio had just regrouped and was starting to form a plan of attack, when to their surprise a spaceship descended over the monster.

Bubbles looked up and gasped. "What's that!" she exclaimed.

As the other two looked up, the creature took the opportunity to slam the three Girls with its largest tentacle. Dazed, the threesome were knocked to earth, where they lay in a crater made by the impact of their fall. By now the rear of the creature's weapon was glowing bright yellow.

A voice began broadcasting from the ship: "People of Earth! You are directed to surrender to us and to submit to our benevolent rule. We control the Garvoc creature. If you refuse to submit, we shall direct it to level your planet! You have seen our creature defeat your champions. To show the resolution behind our request, we shall now direct the Garvoc to vaporize the heroes. Fully regenerated, nothing can survive the force of its destructor ray"
As the spaceship made its ultimatum, Blueberrie looked at her fellow Powerpuffs lying unconscious in the crater. Then she looked up and saw that the Garvoc's ray shooter was glowing an intense white. Could they survive a full-powered blast from the Garvoc? The voice had said nothing could survive the full force of its ray. The Girls were tough and could take a lot of punishment... but did she dare risk it?

Blueberrie looked back at the still forms of Bubbles, Buttercup and Blossom in the crater... then looked back at the Garvoc, preparing to fire its deadly ray. She couldn't risk letting her friends die like that, she realized... she just couldn't! "No..." she yelled. Then louder, "NO!" She flew toward the monster, screaming, "NOOOOO!"

From the crater, Bubbles groggily looked up at the Garvoc. Her eyes flew open in horror as she saw what Blueberrie was about to do. "BLUEBERRIE!" she screamed. "NOOOOOOOO!"

As Bubbles screamed, the Garvoc fired its destructor ray... and Blueberrie flew into its path, intercepting it and taking its full force herself. The newest Powerpuff Girl strained to hold her position, as the Garvoc strained to unleash the full force of its deadly ray. "You... can't... have... them!" Blueberrie gasped as she used every ounce of her power to withstand the barrage.

Moments later, the ray stopped. Blueberrie, surrounded in flames, fell limply to the ground and hit with a "crash". Barely a second later, Bubbles was at her side. Trembling, she tried to wake her fallen comrade. "Blueberrie..." she pleaded, "Blueberrie, please..." But the purple-clad Powerpuff Girl lay still. Tears filled Bubbles' eyes. "Oh, no," she sobbed.

(Unknown to Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup had started to revive as well. "Wha?" muttered Blossom, looking around. "Where's Blueberrie? Where's Bubbles?")

The voice from the spaceship started up again, and Bubbles turned to watch the ship and the vile monster it had brought. "The sacrifice of one of the heroes was most noble, but also futile. The creature's power regenerates quickly, and when it is fully"

Bubbles wasn't about to hear any more. For what they had done to poor Blueberrie, death was too good for any of them. Her face a mask of rage, Bubbles screamed, "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!"

Bubbles flew away just as Blossom and Buttercup reached the still form of Blueberrie. It only took them a moment to see what the Garvoc had done to their newest member. To the surprise of both Girls, a dull metal "clang" came from the direction of Townsville Park; moments later, the smiling form of Bubbles was seen flying towards the Garvoc. "What's she doing?" asked Buttercup.

The Garvoc, looking worse for the wear from its attack on Blueberrie, looked down at the blue-clad hero flying towards it. Its ray shooter was glowing bright yellow; not full force, perhaps, but enough to take care of one more hero. The creature fired its deadly beam, and Bubbles glowed red, then white, and then started to melt.

The monster, clearly straining, continued its barrage. If it had had enough intelligence, it might have wondered why Bubbles continued to smile as she melted, or even how she continued to fly upwards as her body melted. As the last of her uniform melted away, the Garvoc's power was exhausted and the ray stopped.

One of Bubbles' legs fell to the ground. Defying all common sense, the other leg continued upward. The monster looked at the leg and at the bottom of it saw a much-smaller Bubbles, her face still twisted with fury, holding it.

"She used her statue as a shield!" yelled Blossom, answering her sister's question. "That creature used up its power destroying her titanium statue!"

Bubbles flew to the monster's face, wielding the metal leg as a bat. "TAKE... THAT!" she screamed, pulverizing the Garvoc's ray shooter. The creature screamed in agony; unfazed, Bubbles slammed into the Garvoc's face, knocking it askew.

"Bubbles took out the ray!" Buttercup shouted. "Let's finish the thing off!"

Buttercup and Blossom joined their sister, beating the Garvoc senseless with punches to its head and body. But Bubbles pummelled it in a rage, slamming into it at superspeed over and over. Blossom and Buttercup tied the creature's tentacles into a ball as Bubbles beat it incessantly. Then all three Girls backed away as they prepared the final blow.

Bubbles screamed out, "YOU MESS WITH ONE POWERPUFF GIRL, YOU ANSWER TO" At that, the Girls flew into the creature, sending it careening into space. And then all three Powerpuffs finished the sentence: "ALL OF US!"

Once again, the voice from the spaceship was heard. "You have defeated our Garvoc, unfortunately. We shall now take our leave, but be warned that we shall return with an even"

Woe unto the occupants of the ship if they thought they could get away that easily! Their ranting was cut short by Bubbles slamming into the underside of the craft, visibly bending it. Then Buttercup punched in the left side, and Blossom crushed the top.

The voice could be heard screaming, "EVASIVE! EVASIVE!" from inside the ship. But by now it was too late to beat a hasty retreat. The assault continued as the Girls pounded the ship into scrap metal. Finally, Bubbles kicked the spacecraft looking like a giant crumpled aluminum can into space. Bubbles screamed, "AND DON'T COME BACK!" as it joined the Garvoc tumbling into the void. Buttercup wiped her brow. "Serves them right for what they did to poor Blueberrie" she gasped.

"Blueberrie!" exclaimed Blossom. "Is she going to be all right?"

The three Girls returned to the crater where Blueberrie lay. Bubbles propped up her head and said, "Blueberrie? Blueberrie, speak to us!" She gasped as Blueberrie's eyes flickered, then opened ever so slightly. If she was still alive, then there was still hope for her.

"Tow... Townsville safe?" the purple-clad Powerpuff asked weakly.

"Yes, Blueberrie!" Blossom assured her. "You saved Townsville!"

"You saved the world!" added Buttercup.

"You saved us!" Bubbles added.

Blueberrie looked at her fellow Powerpuffs. "N-Not going to make it..." she gasped.

"Don't say that!" Blossom replied, taking her hand. "The Professor'll fix you up good as new!"

Blueberrie shook her head. "Overheard Mom and Dad..." she explained. "Still have leukemia... Chemical X didn't cure..."

Buttercup put a hand on her comrade's shoulder. "Blueberrie, save your strength," she advised her. "Someone will be here soon to help you."

It was clear that Blueberrie was fading fast. "Always... loved hearing... about you..." she gasped. "Wanted to be... Powerpuff Girl... m-myself..."

It was all Bubbles could do to hold back her tears. "Blueberrie," she sobbed, "you are, and always will be, a Powerpuff Girl!"

Blueberrie looked at Bubbles, and for a moment her face brightened. Then she gave her last breath, and her body went limp.

Bubbles could not hold back any longer. "Blueberrie!" she cried, "Nooo!"

"She's gone, Bubbles," Blossom said through tears.

"No," sobbed Bubbles. "No... please, no..."

The three remaining Powerpuff Girls mourned their comrade; even Buttercup was openly crying. As the minutes passed, they were joined by other Townsville citizens who had watched the battle and witnessed Blueberrie's brave sacrifice.

"It was minutes later," Professor Utonium said, "that medics arrived and confirmed that Blossom was right. The creature's attack had been more than Blueberrie could stand."

The Professor paused and reached for a tissue one last time; the remembrance of Blueberrie's brave sacrifice had clearly touched him, even now after the fact. "There is little more that I can add to the story," he said, bringing his eulogy to a close. "Carrie Blumenthal, Blueberrie, was given a great gift, and she chose to use it to serve, and then to save, the people she loved. She was with us for too short a time, yet I think we all agree she will live in our hearts for the rest of our lives."

From the gathered assembly, more than a few "amens" were spoken in response to the Professor's closing words. Then the minister returned to the podium and announced, "It is time to lay our departed sister to rest."

From a remote part of the seating area, the surviving Powerpuff Girls made their way up to the front. On this occasion, the Girls had elected to remain alone and apart to deal with their feelings of grief in their own way. The threesome wore dresses much like their uniforms, but solid black. Each Girl was bowing her head low, her face more full of sorrow than one could have imagined from a five-year-old; Bubbles was barely holding back tears. Each of the three was carrying a rose.

The Girls floated up to the coffin, where they met Mr. and Mrs. Blumenthal. Blueberrie's parents each placed a rose in their daughter's coffin, and then Blossom, Buttercup and Bubbles each placed in a rose.

Bubbles paused to look at the still form of her friend and fellow Powerpuff Girl. Blueberrie was laid to rest in her Powerpuff uniform; Bubbles thought how strange it was, that she had died so violently but looked so at peace now. It was as if, even in death, Blueberrie was happy for the time she had had as a Powerpuff Girl and was proud of having been one.

As good as it was that her comrade was at peace now, all the thoughts of her friend's pride and happiness were cold comfort to poor Bubbles. Her tears flowed freely as she gave Blueberrie a kiss on her cheek.

The lid was placed on the coffin, and then the coffin was carried to the gravesite to lay Blueberrie to her final rest. As the tiny coffin was lowered into the ground, the surviving Girls knelt by the grave site. Bubbles was still crying as the Blumenthals knelt on either side of the Girls. Mrs. Blumenthal knelt next to Bubbles.

"She thought of you as her sisters, Bubbles," Mrs. Blumenthal said softly. "You were the sisters she always wished she had."

"Some sister I was!" replied Bubbles through her sobbing. "It's all my fault. If she'd never gotten those powers none of this would have happened!"

Carrie's mother put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Bubbles," she explained, "Carrie Blueberrie was happier in this last month than we'd ever seen her be. Her father and I knew she would be taken from us. Because of you, her life counted for something. And that was what she wanted, Bubbles, more than anything else."

Bubbles looked up at Mrs. Blumenthal for a moment. She knew that the Blumenthals could understandably have been angry or bitter that their daughter had been taken from them, but instead were thankful that their child had been with them even for the short time they had. The blonde Powerpuff rested her head on the woman's side.

EPILOGUE

As the funeral for Blueberrie concluded, there was other activity going on in Townsville Park. The portion of the statue the Bubbles had torn away during the fight with the Garvoc was being repaired. As workers lowered the replacement section into position, an addition had clearly been made to the original sculpture: Between Bubbles and Blossom, a statue of Blueberrie had been added to the tribute, taking her place for posterity as the fourth Powerpuff Girl.