Thanks for the reviews, Starship Gazer and Hairy Gregory, and your other
reviews, too. This chapter will answer some of your questions, but
probably not all of them! Thanks also to everyone else who took the time
to read and review the story, feedback is always appreciated.
I would also like to recommend Robert Charles Wilson (whose book gave me the idea for the Dreamstone) to anyone who likes Science Fiction or Fantasy, especially his books "The Harvest" and "Darwinia".
Chapter 5
Holding back his panic, the Professor rushed over to the girls, and carefully removed their hands from the stone. He covered the artefact with a nearby Persian carpet, blocking it from view.
He returned to his daughters, and shook them gently. "Blossom? Bubbles? Buttercup? It's OK, girls, I'm here for you. Oh, please wake up!"
The Powerpuffs began moving groggily, as if they had just woken from a long sleep. "Professor?"
The Professor sighed in relief. "My little angels! Thank God you're ok!"
The girls smiled and flew into their father's welcome embrace.
"We're sorry we scared you, Professor," said Buttercup. "But we had to come back, to use the stone again. We just had to see if some people had good memories of us, too!"
"Well, I hope this time you saw some of my memories, and how much I love being with you," the Professor said anxiously.
Bubbles squeezed him tightly. "Oh Professor, we didn't hafta see that! We know you love us!"
Blossom smiled. "But we did see different things this time - nice things!"
"We lived the memories of people we saved from getting shot, and saw how happy their families were," said Buttercup.
"And we know how safe we make everyone in Townsville feel when they see us," said Bubbles.
"You see, girls? Everyone knows how wonderful you are!" the Professor responded happily.
"But that's not all we saw," said Bubbles. "We also remembered when we were born!"
The Professor beamed at her. "Then your wish came true!"
"That's not it," cut in Buttercup impatiently. "We remembered what we were before we were born!"
Utonium looked confused. "Why, before you were born you were merely chemicals, and ingredients - very special ingredients, of course!" he hastened to add.
"No, Professor," Blossom shook her head. "We came from another place - a place not like Townsville, or Citiesville, or anywhere else we've ever been to!"
"We were different then - we were only one thing, not three, and we weren't a girl. We were something different- like a ghost or umm. an amoeba!" added Buttercup.
"It wasn't a nice world; it was cold and dark. And it was just us, drifting around, with some other meobas or whatever they are," said Bubbles, shivering.
"Do you really believe what you saw is true?" the Professor asked, astonished.
Blossom nodded. "That's why we can share dreams and stuff, because we're all really one person. You helped us come here, with the explosion in your laboratory. It formed a gateway that we could enter this world through. But, we had to take a new shape in order to survive in this world. We stopped being what we used to be, and took the forms of what you wanted; perfect little girls!"
"That can't be true - I'm so happy I have you, but I was only thinking of one little girl!"
"Maybe you only thought you would make one girl, but in your head, you thought of three, based on the three ingredients you made us from."
"Sugar,"
"Spice,"
"And everything nice!"
Blossom continued the story. "You thought about what little girls made from each ingredient would look like and act like. We used the atoms from the concoction, but changed them around to form new bodies. We didn't know what we should be like when we came to this world, so we took the shapes from your mind. That's why we don't have noses, or fingers, like other people; the girls you imagined weren't clearly defined - they were more like symbols of girls."
"And of course, the Chemical X gave us superpowers!" Buttercup added proudly.
The Professor listened with growing fascination. Despite his concerns about the girls' safety, his scientific curiosity had begun to get the better of him. "Wow, this is amazing! With this stone's powers, and your origin's, humankind will have the chance to learn about other dimensions! And I bet we haven't even scratched the surface of its possibilities!"
"But- there's a problem, Professor." said Bubbles uneasily.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Umm, we're supposed to be only one person. It's really hard for us to be three different girls all at the same time!"
"Well, you've done a good job at it so far!" he replied cheerfully.
Buttercup spoke up. "It wasn't so hard at first. But the longer we stay apart, the weaker we're getting. That's why Bubbles is losing her vision. And why we're not growing as much as normal kids."
"And, if we stay apart too long, we might 'splode, like the Rowdyruff Boys did!" Bubbles concluded solemnly.
The Professor felt numb; so many revelations in such a short time, and now it seemed that he might lose the girls after all. "That's terrible! Is there anything I can do to help you stabilize?"
"It's ok, Professor!" said Bubbles, smiling reassuringly. "We know what to do. We have to become whole again!"
"You - you're going back? Oh, but girls, I love you so much. What will I ever do without you?" Tears welled up in Professor Utonium's eyes.
Buttercup put her hand on his arm. "Don't worry Professor. We love you too! We would never leave you - we're staying! We'll just be one person instead of three."
"Just think of all the money you'll save on food!" put in Bubbles brightly.
Blossom shifted uneasily. "Professor, I know this is going to be a little hard for you, but I think we should really do this as soon as possible. While the knowledge is still fresh in our minds. Um - do you want to say goodbye, or something?"
The Professor tried to clear his whirling head. Could any of this be really happening? Maybe what the girls saw had only been more illusions and lies. But what if it wasn't? Would it be worth the risk of losing his daughters in order to keep them from changing into - something else? He looked into the three pairs of eyes looking up at him. The Powerpuffs had never looked so sure of themselves, so calm.
For a long time, Professor Utonium gazed at his three daughters. He studied each one, trying to burn what made them special to him into his memory. Then, with a sigh, he let them go. "Ok girls, do what you have to do."
The three formed a circle and held each other's hands. "You'd better stand back, Professor." Blossom warned.
Never turning, the Professor backed towards the far wall of the observatory.
An aura formed around the three Powerpuffs. First, the trademark colours were obvious around each girl, but the colours rapidly blended into each other, becoming progressively brighter as they intermingled. The Professor had to squint to make out the individual forms of his daughters. Within minutes, a dome of blinding white light covered the girls, causing the Professor to close his eyes in pain.
When he opened them, the aura and the three girls were gone. In their place was a rather ordinary looking little girl. She had brown eyes and hair, and was wearing a yellow dress and hair bow. She did not resemble a Powerpuff Girl: she had a nose, ears, hands and feet. Her eyes, although large, were not unnaturally so. She stepped forward. "Professor? I'm finished."
The Professor smiled weakly. "Yes, I can see that. Well, I guess we should go home, uhhh - what should I call you, anyway?"
"I'm your little girl, you decide!" She smiled warmly and put her hand in his. "Oh, but Professor?"
"Yes?"
"Not another B name!"
********
Two weeks later, Professor Utonium sat at his kitchen table, looking out at his daughter, Jennifer, playing in the backyard with a friend. He had just returned with them from an excursion to the local park - he made a concerted effort to spend some time every day with his 'new' child. It had meant relinquishing some of his teaching hours at the Community College, but the cut in pay was more than paid back by the extra time he had to enjoy being with her.
She had adjusted quickly to the change, fitting in with her old friends at school, and continuing her daily routine of crime fighting. Although many in Townsville had worried that one girl would not be enough to keep the monsters and criminals at bay, the new Powerpuff had shown that she was just as capable as her former selves of super heroic activities. In fact, joining seemed to have intensified her normal powers such as strength and laser vision to a much higher level, and she was displaying new powers on almost a weekly basis. Just two days ago, she had shown the Professor how she could clear the table without lifting a finger, the plates and cutlery floating into the kitchen with only slight concentration from the Powerpuff.
Townsville was further relieved that one of the main troublemakers in town, the mutant chimpanzee Mojo Jojo, seemed to have moved on. The day after he stole the Dreamstone, he was seen leaving town, and had not been heard of since.
The Professor, however, had not had such an easy time of it. He loved his new daughter, and was trying harder than ever to be a good father. But it seemed so much quieter in the house without the triplet girls with their distinctive personalities that he had grown to love so much. He consoled himself with the glimmers of the Powerpuff's former selves that he could see in Jennifer: the Buttercup gleam she got in her eye when she hit him with a well placed water balloon; the Bubbles-like joy with which she played with anything cute and furry, and the pride she had in bringing home A's from school, much like Blossom used to have.
He smiled fondly as he thought about all of the new memories he was creating with Jennifer. Then he looked back at his work on the table; a brown and grey mottled lump of rock lay among the papers. He had put in a request at the centre to take the Dreamstone home for further research during the weekend. They had readily acquiesced, knowing his reputation as a brilliant scientist. However, despite his interest, Utonium had brought home the artefact for another purpose.
The Professor studied the rock intently for a while. "I think it's time I said good-bye to Mom," he said quietly to himself. Gathering his nerve, he reached out his hand towards the stone.
The End
a/n: I realize that I did not explain everything that happened; it was my intention to leave things a bit open to interpretation. However, if you do have specific questions or guesses, I don't mind trying to answer them through the review section!
I would also like to recommend Robert Charles Wilson (whose book gave me the idea for the Dreamstone) to anyone who likes Science Fiction or Fantasy, especially his books "The Harvest" and "Darwinia".
Chapter 5
Holding back his panic, the Professor rushed over to the girls, and carefully removed their hands from the stone. He covered the artefact with a nearby Persian carpet, blocking it from view.
He returned to his daughters, and shook them gently. "Blossom? Bubbles? Buttercup? It's OK, girls, I'm here for you. Oh, please wake up!"
The Powerpuffs began moving groggily, as if they had just woken from a long sleep. "Professor?"
The Professor sighed in relief. "My little angels! Thank God you're ok!"
The girls smiled and flew into their father's welcome embrace.
"We're sorry we scared you, Professor," said Buttercup. "But we had to come back, to use the stone again. We just had to see if some people had good memories of us, too!"
"Well, I hope this time you saw some of my memories, and how much I love being with you," the Professor said anxiously.
Bubbles squeezed him tightly. "Oh Professor, we didn't hafta see that! We know you love us!"
Blossom smiled. "But we did see different things this time - nice things!"
"We lived the memories of people we saved from getting shot, and saw how happy their families were," said Buttercup.
"And we know how safe we make everyone in Townsville feel when they see us," said Bubbles.
"You see, girls? Everyone knows how wonderful you are!" the Professor responded happily.
"But that's not all we saw," said Bubbles. "We also remembered when we were born!"
The Professor beamed at her. "Then your wish came true!"
"That's not it," cut in Buttercup impatiently. "We remembered what we were before we were born!"
Utonium looked confused. "Why, before you were born you were merely chemicals, and ingredients - very special ingredients, of course!" he hastened to add.
"No, Professor," Blossom shook her head. "We came from another place - a place not like Townsville, or Citiesville, or anywhere else we've ever been to!"
"We were different then - we were only one thing, not three, and we weren't a girl. We were something different- like a ghost or umm. an amoeba!" added Buttercup.
"It wasn't a nice world; it was cold and dark. And it was just us, drifting around, with some other meobas or whatever they are," said Bubbles, shivering.
"Do you really believe what you saw is true?" the Professor asked, astonished.
Blossom nodded. "That's why we can share dreams and stuff, because we're all really one person. You helped us come here, with the explosion in your laboratory. It formed a gateway that we could enter this world through. But, we had to take a new shape in order to survive in this world. We stopped being what we used to be, and took the forms of what you wanted; perfect little girls!"
"That can't be true - I'm so happy I have you, but I was only thinking of one little girl!"
"Maybe you only thought you would make one girl, but in your head, you thought of three, based on the three ingredients you made us from."
"Sugar,"
"Spice,"
"And everything nice!"
Blossom continued the story. "You thought about what little girls made from each ingredient would look like and act like. We used the atoms from the concoction, but changed them around to form new bodies. We didn't know what we should be like when we came to this world, so we took the shapes from your mind. That's why we don't have noses, or fingers, like other people; the girls you imagined weren't clearly defined - they were more like symbols of girls."
"And of course, the Chemical X gave us superpowers!" Buttercup added proudly.
The Professor listened with growing fascination. Despite his concerns about the girls' safety, his scientific curiosity had begun to get the better of him. "Wow, this is amazing! With this stone's powers, and your origin's, humankind will have the chance to learn about other dimensions! And I bet we haven't even scratched the surface of its possibilities!"
"But- there's a problem, Professor." said Bubbles uneasily.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Umm, we're supposed to be only one person. It's really hard for us to be three different girls all at the same time!"
"Well, you've done a good job at it so far!" he replied cheerfully.
Buttercup spoke up. "It wasn't so hard at first. But the longer we stay apart, the weaker we're getting. That's why Bubbles is losing her vision. And why we're not growing as much as normal kids."
"And, if we stay apart too long, we might 'splode, like the Rowdyruff Boys did!" Bubbles concluded solemnly.
The Professor felt numb; so many revelations in such a short time, and now it seemed that he might lose the girls after all. "That's terrible! Is there anything I can do to help you stabilize?"
"It's ok, Professor!" said Bubbles, smiling reassuringly. "We know what to do. We have to become whole again!"
"You - you're going back? Oh, but girls, I love you so much. What will I ever do without you?" Tears welled up in Professor Utonium's eyes.
Buttercup put her hand on his arm. "Don't worry Professor. We love you too! We would never leave you - we're staying! We'll just be one person instead of three."
"Just think of all the money you'll save on food!" put in Bubbles brightly.
Blossom shifted uneasily. "Professor, I know this is going to be a little hard for you, but I think we should really do this as soon as possible. While the knowledge is still fresh in our minds. Um - do you want to say goodbye, or something?"
The Professor tried to clear his whirling head. Could any of this be really happening? Maybe what the girls saw had only been more illusions and lies. But what if it wasn't? Would it be worth the risk of losing his daughters in order to keep them from changing into - something else? He looked into the three pairs of eyes looking up at him. The Powerpuffs had never looked so sure of themselves, so calm.
For a long time, Professor Utonium gazed at his three daughters. He studied each one, trying to burn what made them special to him into his memory. Then, with a sigh, he let them go. "Ok girls, do what you have to do."
The three formed a circle and held each other's hands. "You'd better stand back, Professor." Blossom warned.
Never turning, the Professor backed towards the far wall of the observatory.
An aura formed around the three Powerpuffs. First, the trademark colours were obvious around each girl, but the colours rapidly blended into each other, becoming progressively brighter as they intermingled. The Professor had to squint to make out the individual forms of his daughters. Within minutes, a dome of blinding white light covered the girls, causing the Professor to close his eyes in pain.
When he opened them, the aura and the three girls were gone. In their place was a rather ordinary looking little girl. She had brown eyes and hair, and was wearing a yellow dress and hair bow. She did not resemble a Powerpuff Girl: she had a nose, ears, hands and feet. Her eyes, although large, were not unnaturally so. She stepped forward. "Professor? I'm finished."
The Professor smiled weakly. "Yes, I can see that. Well, I guess we should go home, uhhh - what should I call you, anyway?"
"I'm your little girl, you decide!" She smiled warmly and put her hand in his. "Oh, but Professor?"
"Yes?"
"Not another B name!"
********
Two weeks later, Professor Utonium sat at his kitchen table, looking out at his daughter, Jennifer, playing in the backyard with a friend. He had just returned with them from an excursion to the local park - he made a concerted effort to spend some time every day with his 'new' child. It had meant relinquishing some of his teaching hours at the Community College, but the cut in pay was more than paid back by the extra time he had to enjoy being with her.
She had adjusted quickly to the change, fitting in with her old friends at school, and continuing her daily routine of crime fighting. Although many in Townsville had worried that one girl would not be enough to keep the monsters and criminals at bay, the new Powerpuff had shown that she was just as capable as her former selves of super heroic activities. In fact, joining seemed to have intensified her normal powers such as strength and laser vision to a much higher level, and she was displaying new powers on almost a weekly basis. Just two days ago, she had shown the Professor how she could clear the table without lifting a finger, the plates and cutlery floating into the kitchen with only slight concentration from the Powerpuff.
Townsville was further relieved that one of the main troublemakers in town, the mutant chimpanzee Mojo Jojo, seemed to have moved on. The day after he stole the Dreamstone, he was seen leaving town, and had not been heard of since.
The Professor, however, had not had such an easy time of it. He loved his new daughter, and was trying harder than ever to be a good father. But it seemed so much quieter in the house without the triplet girls with their distinctive personalities that he had grown to love so much. He consoled himself with the glimmers of the Powerpuff's former selves that he could see in Jennifer: the Buttercup gleam she got in her eye when she hit him with a well placed water balloon; the Bubbles-like joy with which she played with anything cute and furry, and the pride she had in bringing home A's from school, much like Blossom used to have.
He smiled fondly as he thought about all of the new memories he was creating with Jennifer. Then he looked back at his work on the table; a brown and grey mottled lump of rock lay among the papers. He had put in a request at the centre to take the Dreamstone home for further research during the weekend. They had readily acquiesced, knowing his reputation as a brilliant scientist. However, despite his interest, Utonium had brought home the artefact for another purpose.
The Professor studied the rock intently for a while. "I think it's time I said good-bye to Mom," he said quietly to himself. Gathering his nerve, he reached out his hand towards the stone.
The End
a/n: I realize that I did not explain everything that happened; it was my intention to leave things a bit open to interpretation. However, if you do have specific questions or guesses, I don't mind trying to answer them through the review section!