***
Chapter 3
Lost
***
Sunlight was filtered through a glorious canopy. Flowers bloomed all over, while insects of every kind moved between them. The sounds of insects buzzing and birds chirping filled the atmosphere. Different noises pierced through the natural buzz of the forest. A group of seven people, three adults and four small children, slowly picked their way through the trees, shrubs, and ferns.
"Why are we hiking again?" Buttercup asked. "Flying would be faster. We could carry the rest of you."
The forest was thick. Incredibly so. There simply wasn't a lot of civilization out here. But there was SOME. And that's what the Professor was worried about.
"There's some very paranoid groups of people out here, as well as others with some strange traditions. I don't want us to get involved in any fights with the locals," the Professor explained. "I don't know how they'd react to your abilities, and frankly, I don't want to. And with or without your powers, getting into a fight here could cause you some serious trouble."
"So what? We could handle any fight, right?" Buttercup boasted. The Professor shook his head.
"That's EXACTLY what I'm afraid of. Around here, winning is worse than losing."
All three sisters exchanged curious glances. Why WERE they here, if not to fight? Or to protect something? Or maybe that was the whole idea. Maybe they were a secret weapon of some kind?
"So, why did you bring us then?" Blossom asked.
"Well, Blossom, I need you and Bubbles to help translate, since you both speak Chinese. You see, when I was your age, we were traveling around America for awhile. I learned English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Even picked up a little Navajo. Small children are known to learn languages extremely fast, especially when they travel often, so I had that advantage. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive in China until I was fifteen, so I wasn't able to learn as much at that point."
That made sense. Blossom and Bubbles had done all of the talking at places like restaurants and markets.
"Hey, what about me?" Buttercup asked.
The Professor turned around, a little unsure about the meaning of the question. "I'm sorry?"
"Why am I here?" she asked. The Professor stopped dead in his tracks. Her face showed something. It was a question. A hopeful look in her eyes asked him, "I'm special too, right? Don't you need me? Why am I here if you don't?"
It was something the Professor had been pondering for some time. Both Blossom and Bubbles had developed powers that Buttercup simply didn't have. Bubbles could translate any language after only hearing a few words, Blossom had her ice breath, and was well on her way of learning several extra languages of her own. As for Buttercup, fighting was her life. She was a quick thinker, making up an answer as she went along. The Professor had taught her some of the wonderous moves he'd learned from Cologne, and she'd learned them twice as fast as he had done. But there was a problem here. He'd just told them that they were NOT here to fight. She probably felt useless..........
"Well, the people around here are the ones who invented some of the moves I taught you. I figured if we passed by any of the local tribes, they may be willing to do some teaching. You never know what will come in handy when we get home."
This had the desired effect. Buttercup's attention was now directed at what seemed like an upcoming gift. But there was something about the whole situation that still bothered the Professor...
The afternoon eventually became night, and the group settled down into a small clearing to camp for the night.
***
The forest, previously lit with gold and green light, was now dark. Sounds of insects were now even more apparent.
Something moved in the darkness.
A creature.
Its shadow looked almost like that of a centaur, but was double the size of your average horse. Protruding from its torso, it had four arms, each of which ended in cat-like retractable claws. And rather than hooves, it ran on four, almost human-like feet, with long, webbed toes. Its head was rather large and was shaped like that of a cow, and it's soft yellow eyes glowed in the dark. Its expression was one of pure curiosity as it crept up to a darkened campsite.
It sensed something. Power mostly. It could tell, by telepathy or whatever power it had, that four of the sleeping people at the campsite were affected by the gene-altering properties of Jusenkyo's virus. But the three remaining humans were affected by something it did not comprehend or understand. It sensed incredible power from them. It also sensed in the genetic material of these humans, that the ability to create a wonderous metabolic enzyme was there. One that extracted untold amounts of energy from waste left behind from cells.
It snuck closer to the campsite, making very little sound. It's giant, clawed hand reached to open a flap of a tent. Three human children slept inside, unaware of what was happening. The creature reached to gently pick one of them up.
Holding the child allowed the creature to sense so much more. The child was truly pure, and unaffected by the virus of Jusenkyo in any way.
The child stirred, suddenly aware that she was no longer comfortably nested in her sleeping bag. She opened her eyes to gaze upward at the creature that held her, but before she could react in any other way, one of the claws dug into her shoulder. Her eyes slowly closed as her body became completely limp.
The creature slid quietly away into the night. It came upon a clearing. Bamboo poles stuck up into the sky, and pools of water were scattered around the ground. Jusenkyo.
Known to few, one of the pools was a blank. A doorway to the heart of Jusendo, into which this creature would enter, carrying its new subject of study. But the creature suddenly realized that it and the girl were not alone. It barely dodged an arrow that suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the dark.
"Put the child down!" yelled a young Chinese Amazon. She had seen the creature moving in the night, and had run after it to investigate. Once she learned that it was carrying a small child, she bravely chased the creature, thinking that the child might be one of her tribe. It was an unsettlingly common occurance these days for people to be abducted by these creatures, and later found paralyzed out in the woods. The paralysis, which was the result of these creatures' venom, would last several days, allowing the victim only the ability to breathe. After that, recovery slowly came, and the victim would speak of being poked and prodded as if they were the subject of some kind of experiment.
The woman pulled another arrow and fired again. Once again the creature dodged, but the child slipped from its hands into one of the pools. The creature then dove into the blank pool. Its subject of study now tainted, it had no reason to try to keep the girl. It would go after one of the other pure humans later. Someday, it would learn what this new breed of human was all about, but not today.
The woman ran to the pool in which the girl had fallen. Grabbing a conveniently placed net that had been left by the pools for when people fell in by accident, she fished a tiny body from the pool.
The girl was now a small kitten, no bigger than the Amazon's hand. The tiny kitten coughed weakly, trying desperately to breathe.
The Amazon felt a bit uncomfortable. She certainly hoped that when the child's family was found, that they wouldn't give her grief for not saving the child from falling in. Technically, if she'd left the situation alone, the child would most likely have come back unharmed. But she had done all she could. Cradling the kitten, she began the trek back to the Amazon village. Tomorrow, she would announce what had happened, and try to find the girl's family.
***
The entire situation was frightening.
One moment, Buttercup was asleep. The next, she was awake, cradled by some strange creature. Then, the creature had pierced her skin with something, and suddenly she was too weak to move. She could barely even breathe. She tried desperately to take a deeper breath, but all she was strong enough to take in were small amounts of air.
And that wasn't the end of it. After what sounded like a small scuffle, she felt herself falling. Then it was water all around, and a strange feeling overwhelmed her. She was...........different. Her body just didn't feel right. There were parts she didn't remember......was that an extra leg? Or a tail?
She tried holding her breath, but her body cried out for air. Somehow though, she held on. She could go without air for awhile if she had to, thanks to her superpowers, but it wasn't exactly comfortable.
She didn't know how long she was in the water, but something caught her and lifted her out. She gratefully took in what air she could. She then felt herself being carried away.
It could have been minutes, or hours. But she could hear a door opening and closing. She was placed on something hard and cold, and then once again, the water came. Warm water this time. She felt the change again as she became human again. She felt the muscles and bones in her body grow and slide back into their normal places.
She remembered Hiro's demonstration back home.
"Oh no....." she thought to herself.
After the change, she felt a towel being wrapped around her as somebody dried her off. She was then dressed and placed in a soft bed.
She couldn't sleep though. So many thoughts were running through her head. Why was she so weak? What happened? And how did she fall into the pool?
She heard a phone being dialed. A voice she didn't recognize spoke a language she couldn't understand. After a short while, the person hung up.
For hours, she layed there, awake, uncomfortable, and unable to move. Thoughts ran through her head over and over. Eventually, she fell asleep.
***
The campsite was a panic.
Blossom and Bubbles had woken that morning to find their sister gone. There was no trace of her, anywhere. The Professor spent the day pacing the floor, hoping she'd turn up somewhere, hoping she'd come back to the camp.
But she never came.
By noon, Blossom and Bubbles were crying, and Hiro just nervously kept to himself. Akari tried to assure the others, but she was as worried as the rest. Ryoga's face was that of a person pondering. He practiced katas at the side of the campground, under the watchful eyes of his family to make sure he didn't accidentally take a wrong step and end up 100 miles away.
About 3:00 in the afternoon, Ryoga's cell phone rang. It was Plum. She reported that there was another sighting of a creature last night, and there was a rumor that an Amazon woman had rescued a child from it.
Ryoga didn't waste any time. He got all the information he could about the amazon village. Phone calls were made to various places. Finally, he was able to get the number he needed.
***
(I heard about the child, and I think I know who she may be,) said an aged woman as she entered the Amazon's house later that afternoon. (How is she?)
(Ah, Elder Powder! Welcome! It's amazing. She's actually fighting the poison, and she's able to move a little. She was trying to speak earlier, but I think she only speaks English. How are we going to find her family?)
(Wait. You say she can move after THAT?)
(Yes, I even watched the creature paralyze her. I can assure you that it has only been a little over a day since the incident.)
(And she only speaks English. Then it's true. She is the daughter of Saotome.)
(Saotome?)
(I guess you could say he's an old friend of the tribe. Was a close friend of Cologne at one time, and he defeated Saffron when he attacked Jusenkyo. He was coming here to help with the monster situation. Where is she?)
(She's upstairs, in the guest room. I was hoping, maybe you can help her?)
(If you're wondering if I can stop the poison, then no. I cannot. It must run its course. If you want to help her, you can give her fluids. This will help her body filter the poison out. On the other hand, I do know English. I'll talk to her and see what I can find out.)
(Um, Powder, I've been wondering. She fell in Jusenkyo while I was trying to save her. I'm a bit nervous. I mean, If I'd let the monster go, it never would have happened. Did I do the right thing?)
(What are you thinking Razor? You would rather subject a child to be tortured by some strange creature with an over-active sense of curiosity? She is probably better off this way. Besides, the wisest people never really think of Jusenkyo as a curse. You really need to have more confidence in yourself.)
***
It felt like she was lifting a skyscraper, but it was a relief. She was finally sitting up.
She didn't know why it was taking so much effort to move, but it had gotten a little easier during the last night.
She looked down at herself. She was wearing some thick pajamas.
She was being cared for by a Chinese woman she didn't recognize. The woman spoke no English at all. Because of the woman's vocal tone, Buttercup was aware that the woman was trying to calm her, but it just wasn't working. She was lost, vulnerable, and afraid.
She had to lay back down as her head began to spin. She heard footsteps.
The spinning slowed, and she opened her eyes to see an old woman standing over her.
"Hello, child. What is your name?"
Buttercup's eyes opened wide in surprise. The woman was actually speaking English?
"Buttercup."
"How pretty. My name is Powder. I'm just here to check on you, since you're going to be staying here a few days. How are you feeling?"
"Um, okay. I'm a bit dizzy. Why can't I move much?"
"Some creatures have been spotted around Jusenkyo lately. They are known to have a paralyzing venom. It usually takes a few days to wear off. But you seem to be resistant for some reason, so that may be shorter."
"Where am I? Where's the Professor?"
"You are in the village of Joketsuzoku. Your family is on their way. They didn't have any idea where you were until I recieved a phone call from them. You were rescued from one of the aforementioned creatures two nights ago."
"Ugh, I can't believe it beat me so easy. It had me before I could even move."
The old woman paused for a moment, with a look of understanding on her face. "You thought you would fight it? Are you here on a training mission?"
"Sort of. My dad was actually sent here to find out about some monster sightings. He said that some people might be willing to train me though."
The old woman smiled.
"We'll talk about that later, when your father arrives. In the meantime, you need to rest. Razor will bring you something to drink. Since you're able to move a little, you should drink as many fluids as you can to help flush out the poison. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow."
The old woman left the room. Razor followed.
***
Many sighs of relief were heard as Ryoga hung up the phone, and confirmed that Buttercup was found.
"I can't believe I let this happen," the Professor said. "How was she captured so easily?"
"Well, if Plum's idea is correct, and we're dealing with aliens here, then who knows?" Ryoga replied. "Don't blame yourself."
The Professor still looked nervous. This creature had snuck into their campsite and abducted one of his children without being noticed at all. Now he was having second thoughts on bringing his girls. Blossom and Bubbles, both looking afraid, had climbed into his arms. Whether for protection, or to protect their father, Ryoga wasn't sure. He looked up to Akari, who had been hugging Hiro tightly since morning, when they'd found Buttercup missing.
The general realization was that the Powerpuff Girls, strong as they were, were not prepared for whatever it was lurking in this forest.
The Professor sighed. Blossom and Bubbles climbed out of his lap to let him stand.
"Alright, let's go. We're almost to Jusenkyo, if we keep going we'll be at the amazon village before nightfall."
"Um, Professor?" Blossom asked.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Can't we just fly?"
There was silence. The Professor gave Blossom a thoughtful look. Now that they knew what they were dealing with, maybe she was right. Still, the locals would most likely mistake them for the Pheonix tribe. They would run away, attack, or worse. Or what if the Pheonix people saw them? The last thing he needed was for his girls to get into a fight with the Amazons or the Pheonix people. Still, if they'd just flown in the first place, would this even have happened?
Blossom, not getting a response, thought the Professor was angry with her. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. Blossom, I need you to carry me and Ryoga. Bubbles, you're carrying Akari and Hiro."
He sat down with a map.
"Okay, we're actually pretty close to Jusenkyo, so when you're up in the air, you'll see a bunch of small pools of water. We're avoiding those for now. What you're looking for is a flat-topped mountain. Just north of the mountain, you'll see some fields of crops. There should be a small farming-town in the middle. That's where we're headed."
A creature watched from the bushes as two streaks of light shot over the sky. Now the other specimens were too heavily guarded. It was a mistake to allow the first to go. But now was not the time. It dissappeared into the forest, to consider possible other ways of learning about these strangely powerful human children..........
To be continued...
Chapter 3
Lost
***
Sunlight was filtered through a glorious canopy. Flowers bloomed all over, while insects of every kind moved between them. The sounds of insects buzzing and birds chirping filled the atmosphere. Different noises pierced through the natural buzz of the forest. A group of seven people, three adults and four small children, slowly picked their way through the trees, shrubs, and ferns.
"Why are we hiking again?" Buttercup asked. "Flying would be faster. We could carry the rest of you."
The forest was thick. Incredibly so. There simply wasn't a lot of civilization out here. But there was SOME. And that's what the Professor was worried about.
"There's some very paranoid groups of people out here, as well as others with some strange traditions. I don't want us to get involved in any fights with the locals," the Professor explained. "I don't know how they'd react to your abilities, and frankly, I don't want to. And with or without your powers, getting into a fight here could cause you some serious trouble."
"So what? We could handle any fight, right?" Buttercup boasted. The Professor shook his head.
"That's EXACTLY what I'm afraid of. Around here, winning is worse than losing."
All three sisters exchanged curious glances. Why WERE they here, if not to fight? Or to protect something? Or maybe that was the whole idea. Maybe they were a secret weapon of some kind?
"So, why did you bring us then?" Blossom asked.
"Well, Blossom, I need you and Bubbles to help translate, since you both speak Chinese. You see, when I was your age, we were traveling around America for awhile. I learned English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Even picked up a little Navajo. Small children are known to learn languages extremely fast, especially when they travel often, so I had that advantage. Unfortunately, I didn't arrive in China until I was fifteen, so I wasn't able to learn as much at that point."
That made sense. Blossom and Bubbles had done all of the talking at places like restaurants and markets.
"Hey, what about me?" Buttercup asked.
The Professor turned around, a little unsure about the meaning of the question. "I'm sorry?"
"Why am I here?" she asked. The Professor stopped dead in his tracks. Her face showed something. It was a question. A hopeful look in her eyes asked him, "I'm special too, right? Don't you need me? Why am I here if you don't?"
It was something the Professor had been pondering for some time. Both Blossom and Bubbles had developed powers that Buttercup simply didn't have. Bubbles could translate any language after only hearing a few words, Blossom had her ice breath, and was well on her way of learning several extra languages of her own. As for Buttercup, fighting was her life. She was a quick thinker, making up an answer as she went along. The Professor had taught her some of the wonderous moves he'd learned from Cologne, and she'd learned them twice as fast as he had done. But there was a problem here. He'd just told them that they were NOT here to fight. She probably felt useless..........
"Well, the people around here are the ones who invented some of the moves I taught you. I figured if we passed by any of the local tribes, they may be willing to do some teaching. You never know what will come in handy when we get home."
This had the desired effect. Buttercup's attention was now directed at what seemed like an upcoming gift. But there was something about the whole situation that still bothered the Professor...
The afternoon eventually became night, and the group settled down into a small clearing to camp for the night.
***
The forest, previously lit with gold and green light, was now dark. Sounds of insects were now even more apparent.
Something moved in the darkness.
A creature.
Its shadow looked almost like that of a centaur, but was double the size of your average horse. Protruding from its torso, it had four arms, each of which ended in cat-like retractable claws. And rather than hooves, it ran on four, almost human-like feet, with long, webbed toes. Its head was rather large and was shaped like that of a cow, and it's soft yellow eyes glowed in the dark. Its expression was one of pure curiosity as it crept up to a darkened campsite.
It sensed something. Power mostly. It could tell, by telepathy or whatever power it had, that four of the sleeping people at the campsite were affected by the gene-altering properties of Jusenkyo's virus. But the three remaining humans were affected by something it did not comprehend or understand. It sensed incredible power from them. It also sensed in the genetic material of these humans, that the ability to create a wonderous metabolic enzyme was there. One that extracted untold amounts of energy from waste left behind from cells.
It snuck closer to the campsite, making very little sound. It's giant, clawed hand reached to open a flap of a tent. Three human children slept inside, unaware of what was happening. The creature reached to gently pick one of them up.
Holding the child allowed the creature to sense so much more. The child was truly pure, and unaffected by the virus of Jusenkyo in any way.
The child stirred, suddenly aware that she was no longer comfortably nested in her sleeping bag. She opened her eyes to gaze upward at the creature that held her, but before she could react in any other way, one of the claws dug into her shoulder. Her eyes slowly closed as her body became completely limp.
The creature slid quietly away into the night. It came upon a clearing. Bamboo poles stuck up into the sky, and pools of water were scattered around the ground. Jusenkyo.
Known to few, one of the pools was a blank. A doorway to the heart of Jusendo, into which this creature would enter, carrying its new subject of study. But the creature suddenly realized that it and the girl were not alone. It barely dodged an arrow that suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the dark.
"Put the child down!" yelled a young Chinese Amazon. She had seen the creature moving in the night, and had run after it to investigate. Once she learned that it was carrying a small child, she bravely chased the creature, thinking that the child might be one of her tribe. It was an unsettlingly common occurance these days for people to be abducted by these creatures, and later found paralyzed out in the woods. The paralysis, which was the result of these creatures' venom, would last several days, allowing the victim only the ability to breathe. After that, recovery slowly came, and the victim would speak of being poked and prodded as if they were the subject of some kind of experiment.
The woman pulled another arrow and fired again. Once again the creature dodged, but the child slipped from its hands into one of the pools. The creature then dove into the blank pool. Its subject of study now tainted, it had no reason to try to keep the girl. It would go after one of the other pure humans later. Someday, it would learn what this new breed of human was all about, but not today.
The woman ran to the pool in which the girl had fallen. Grabbing a conveniently placed net that had been left by the pools for when people fell in by accident, she fished a tiny body from the pool.
The girl was now a small kitten, no bigger than the Amazon's hand. The tiny kitten coughed weakly, trying desperately to breathe.
The Amazon felt a bit uncomfortable. She certainly hoped that when the child's family was found, that they wouldn't give her grief for not saving the child from falling in. Technically, if she'd left the situation alone, the child would most likely have come back unharmed. But she had done all she could. Cradling the kitten, she began the trek back to the Amazon village. Tomorrow, she would announce what had happened, and try to find the girl's family.
***
The entire situation was frightening.
One moment, Buttercup was asleep. The next, she was awake, cradled by some strange creature. Then, the creature had pierced her skin with something, and suddenly she was too weak to move. She could barely even breathe. She tried desperately to take a deeper breath, but all she was strong enough to take in were small amounts of air.
And that wasn't the end of it. After what sounded like a small scuffle, she felt herself falling. Then it was water all around, and a strange feeling overwhelmed her. She was...........different. Her body just didn't feel right. There were parts she didn't remember......was that an extra leg? Or a tail?
She tried holding her breath, but her body cried out for air. Somehow though, she held on. She could go without air for awhile if she had to, thanks to her superpowers, but it wasn't exactly comfortable.
She didn't know how long she was in the water, but something caught her and lifted her out. She gratefully took in what air she could. She then felt herself being carried away.
It could have been minutes, or hours. But she could hear a door opening and closing. She was placed on something hard and cold, and then once again, the water came. Warm water this time. She felt the change again as she became human again. She felt the muscles and bones in her body grow and slide back into their normal places.
She remembered Hiro's demonstration back home.
"Oh no....." she thought to herself.
After the change, she felt a towel being wrapped around her as somebody dried her off. She was then dressed and placed in a soft bed.
She couldn't sleep though. So many thoughts were running through her head. Why was she so weak? What happened? And how did she fall into the pool?
She heard a phone being dialed. A voice she didn't recognize spoke a language she couldn't understand. After a short while, the person hung up.
For hours, she layed there, awake, uncomfortable, and unable to move. Thoughts ran through her head over and over. Eventually, she fell asleep.
***
The campsite was a panic.
Blossom and Bubbles had woken that morning to find their sister gone. There was no trace of her, anywhere. The Professor spent the day pacing the floor, hoping she'd turn up somewhere, hoping she'd come back to the camp.
But she never came.
By noon, Blossom and Bubbles were crying, and Hiro just nervously kept to himself. Akari tried to assure the others, but she was as worried as the rest. Ryoga's face was that of a person pondering. He practiced katas at the side of the campground, under the watchful eyes of his family to make sure he didn't accidentally take a wrong step and end up 100 miles away.
About 3:00 in the afternoon, Ryoga's cell phone rang. It was Plum. She reported that there was another sighting of a creature last night, and there was a rumor that an Amazon woman had rescued a child from it.
Ryoga didn't waste any time. He got all the information he could about the amazon village. Phone calls were made to various places. Finally, he was able to get the number he needed.
***
(I heard about the child, and I think I know who she may be,) said an aged woman as she entered the Amazon's house later that afternoon. (How is she?)
(Ah, Elder Powder! Welcome! It's amazing. She's actually fighting the poison, and she's able to move a little. She was trying to speak earlier, but I think she only speaks English. How are we going to find her family?)
(Wait. You say she can move after THAT?)
(Yes, I even watched the creature paralyze her. I can assure you that it has only been a little over a day since the incident.)
(And she only speaks English. Then it's true. She is the daughter of Saotome.)
(Saotome?)
(I guess you could say he's an old friend of the tribe. Was a close friend of Cologne at one time, and he defeated Saffron when he attacked Jusenkyo. He was coming here to help with the monster situation. Where is she?)
(She's upstairs, in the guest room. I was hoping, maybe you can help her?)
(If you're wondering if I can stop the poison, then no. I cannot. It must run its course. If you want to help her, you can give her fluids. This will help her body filter the poison out. On the other hand, I do know English. I'll talk to her and see what I can find out.)
(Um, Powder, I've been wondering. She fell in Jusenkyo while I was trying to save her. I'm a bit nervous. I mean, If I'd let the monster go, it never would have happened. Did I do the right thing?)
(What are you thinking Razor? You would rather subject a child to be tortured by some strange creature with an over-active sense of curiosity? She is probably better off this way. Besides, the wisest people never really think of Jusenkyo as a curse. You really need to have more confidence in yourself.)
***
It felt like she was lifting a skyscraper, but it was a relief. She was finally sitting up.
She didn't know why it was taking so much effort to move, but it had gotten a little easier during the last night.
She looked down at herself. She was wearing some thick pajamas.
She was being cared for by a Chinese woman she didn't recognize. The woman spoke no English at all. Because of the woman's vocal tone, Buttercup was aware that the woman was trying to calm her, but it just wasn't working. She was lost, vulnerable, and afraid.
She had to lay back down as her head began to spin. She heard footsteps.
The spinning slowed, and she opened her eyes to see an old woman standing over her.
"Hello, child. What is your name?"
Buttercup's eyes opened wide in surprise. The woman was actually speaking English?
"Buttercup."
"How pretty. My name is Powder. I'm just here to check on you, since you're going to be staying here a few days. How are you feeling?"
"Um, okay. I'm a bit dizzy. Why can't I move much?"
"Some creatures have been spotted around Jusenkyo lately. They are known to have a paralyzing venom. It usually takes a few days to wear off. But you seem to be resistant for some reason, so that may be shorter."
"Where am I? Where's the Professor?"
"You are in the village of Joketsuzoku. Your family is on their way. They didn't have any idea where you were until I recieved a phone call from them. You were rescued from one of the aforementioned creatures two nights ago."
"Ugh, I can't believe it beat me so easy. It had me before I could even move."
The old woman paused for a moment, with a look of understanding on her face. "You thought you would fight it? Are you here on a training mission?"
"Sort of. My dad was actually sent here to find out about some monster sightings. He said that some people might be willing to train me though."
The old woman smiled.
"We'll talk about that later, when your father arrives. In the meantime, you need to rest. Razor will bring you something to drink. Since you're able to move a little, you should drink as many fluids as you can to help flush out the poison. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow."
The old woman left the room. Razor followed.
***
Many sighs of relief were heard as Ryoga hung up the phone, and confirmed that Buttercup was found.
"I can't believe I let this happen," the Professor said. "How was she captured so easily?"
"Well, if Plum's idea is correct, and we're dealing with aliens here, then who knows?" Ryoga replied. "Don't blame yourself."
The Professor still looked nervous. This creature had snuck into their campsite and abducted one of his children without being noticed at all. Now he was having second thoughts on bringing his girls. Blossom and Bubbles, both looking afraid, had climbed into his arms. Whether for protection, or to protect their father, Ryoga wasn't sure. He looked up to Akari, who had been hugging Hiro tightly since morning, when they'd found Buttercup missing.
The general realization was that the Powerpuff Girls, strong as they were, were not prepared for whatever it was lurking in this forest.
The Professor sighed. Blossom and Bubbles climbed out of his lap to let him stand.
"Alright, let's go. We're almost to Jusenkyo, if we keep going we'll be at the amazon village before nightfall."
"Um, Professor?" Blossom asked.
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Can't we just fly?"
There was silence. The Professor gave Blossom a thoughtful look. Now that they knew what they were dealing with, maybe she was right. Still, the locals would most likely mistake them for the Pheonix tribe. They would run away, attack, or worse. Or what if the Pheonix people saw them? The last thing he needed was for his girls to get into a fight with the Amazons or the Pheonix people. Still, if they'd just flown in the first place, would this even have happened?
Blossom, not getting a response, thought the Professor was angry with her. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're right. Blossom, I need you to carry me and Ryoga. Bubbles, you're carrying Akari and Hiro."
He sat down with a map.
"Okay, we're actually pretty close to Jusenkyo, so when you're up in the air, you'll see a bunch of small pools of water. We're avoiding those for now. What you're looking for is a flat-topped mountain. Just north of the mountain, you'll see some fields of crops. There should be a small farming-town in the middle. That's where we're headed."
A creature watched from the bushes as two streaks of light shot over the sky. Now the other specimens were too heavily guarded. It was a mistake to allow the first to go. But now was not the time. It dissappeared into the forest, to consider possible other ways of learning about these strangely powerful human children..........
To be continued...