And Darkness Swept the Land

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon, bathing the landscape in its golden rays. The sleeping city began to stir as the first signs of life emerged onto the once desolate streets. The city awoke as it did every day with its citizens engaging in their normal morning routines. It was to be another beautiful day in Townsville, a day of productivity for some, a day of leisure for others, and for some a day of new beginnings. The day had hardly begun though when a black swirling mist appeared in the very center of Townsville, growing larger and larger with each passing second. The earth began to quake violently as the ground surrounding the mist cracked and crumbled. A blanket of darkness stretched outwards from the swirling mists, and all that it touched began to violently shake as the emerging cracks stretched outwards like a web across the city. The ground around the mist began to steadily sink as it became unstable from all the forming cracks and chasms. People ran screaming in terror, trying desperately to avoid falling into the emerging chasms as they fled the oncoming darkness. Suddenly the ground rose upwards and split open as a giant structure rose from beneath it. It stretched high into the sky towering over even the tallest skyscrapers. When it had fully emerged it had left nearly a third of the city in ruins. It was huge, a massive castle made of solid earth and stone. The rock was charcoal black and there were several pillars of flame dancing on the many jagged peaks of the castle.

The swirling black mists shrunk and the shadows receded back into the black cloud as it completely dissipated, leaving in its place the demon Him. He surveyed his handiwork, grinning widely as he rubbed his claws together in sheer satisfaction. The first step of his takeover was complete. Now was to time to inform his slaves of their new ruler. He spread a thick red mist across the night sky, permeating the city like a thick fog, filling every nook and cranny until all was consumed by the crimson vapors. The remaining citizens found themselves in a trance as they inhaled the red vapors into their system. Suddenly they all found themselves standing on a red stage. It was large enough to hold all the citizens of Townsville and they remained huddled together as the platform led to a drop a each corner. The people were confused and frightened. First they were overtaken by a massive earthquake and now they seemed to be caught in some strange parallel world. An eerie laughter encircled the frightened townsfolk, seemingly coming from every conceivable direction. Suddenly in a swirling cloud of red smoke the face of Him appeared over the heads of the townsfolk.

"Welcome my dear SLAVES," Him bellowed in his feminine voice. "Your little city belongs to me now and from this day forth I am your new master. You will all either spend an eternity of servitude to me or spend an eternity in slow, painful torture. The choice is yours. Now if anyone has any complaints please DON'T HESITATE TO SPEAK UP." Him zoomed in close to the townsfolk, looking even more ferocious and glaring at them with menacing flaming eyes. Nobody said a word out of gripping terror and he quickly returned to his regular self, a pleased look on his face. "Well then, if there is nothing else, I have a castle to decorate. Ta ta."

In a sudden and rather uncomfortable shift through space, all the townsfolk found themselves back where they had originally been in the ruined streets of Townsville. The red vapors that had given them that horrible vision had by now vanished completely. Confused and terrified, they did not know what to make of anything happened in the past twenty minutes. In what seemed like an instant their lives had changed for the worst, and it seemed now they would be spending the rest of their lives living in a hell on earth under the rule of the vile demon Him.

Back at the Townsville hospital Buttercup awoke screaming. Professor Utonium, who had been napping in a nearby armchair, jumped up with fright and rushed to see if his daughter was alright.

"What's wrong Buttercup," he asked.

"I just had the worst dream. There was a giant earthquake in Townsville and Him announced that he was the ruler of the entire city and…." Suddenly Buttercup's eyes grew wide and she gasped. "holy shit," she shouted, looking out a nearby window that was just across from her bed. Through it she saw a giant black tower sitting in the center of the city. It was a good distance from the hospital, but it still looked very huge, looming high above the rest of the city. It was a menacing structure, twisted and ugly, just the sort of place a demon would call home. Buttercup shuddered. "So… it wasn't a dream."

Blossom burst into the room, tearing the door off its hinges in her haste, and rushed over to her family's side. "Are you two all right?" she shouted, breathing hard with anxiety. "I was at the university, getting ready for classes when everything suddenly went ballistic. The whole place literally fell apart from the quakes. Then this red smoke appeared out of nowhere and I suddenly saw some crazy vision of Him telling everyone in the entire city that he was the new ruler. The earthquake destroyed nearly everything and I didn't know if you two were okay." Blossom hugged the professor tight, still breathing hard against his body. He pat her on the back, trying to quell her anxiety. He didn't quite know what was going on. He had been fast asleep before being woken up by Buttercup's screaming.

"Bubbles. Where's Bubbles?" Blossom suddenly shouted. She released the Professor and looked frantically around the room.

"Bubbles left the room several hours ago, but she hasn't left the hospital to anyone's knowledge," Utonium told his daughter.

Blossom closed her eyes and felt for her sister's presence. She suddenly felt a sharp jab of pain in her chest and she opened her eyes again. "The roof," she stammered. She flew out the window and made her way to the rooftop. There she found Bubbles standing alone on a high ledge, tears streaming down her face as she looked out over the devastated city.

"Bubbles, are you okay," Blossom shouted as she landed next to her sister. Bubbles continued to stare out over the city. She looked as if she had felt some great pain.

"So much pain," she muttered. "So much fear, so much terror. I can feel it. Its everywhere. Something bad is happening Blossom. Something really bad."

Blossom looked over at the tower that sat in the center of the city. She felt a fierce anger growing inside her. "We won't let Him take over the city," she said. "We have beaten him so many time before, and this time will be no different."

"No, this time is different," Bubbles refuted. "He is not alone. There are others with him, much stronger than he is. They are guarding him. I can sense their presence surrounding him. There are three of them, but I can't tell who are what they are."

Blossom gave Bubbles an apprehensive look. "Do these entities have anything to do with Buttercup's attack?" she inquired

"Yes. I distinctly feel the same presence of the one who attacked Buttercup yesterday." Bubble's face fell even more so. "I'm afraid Blossom, not of Him, but of his guardians. They are immensely powerful, but I cannot tell to what extent. I… I don't know if we are strong enough to stop them. They could very well destroy us without even fighting at full power."

Blossom knew her sister was very sensitive to the energies around her. Bubbles had always been able to give her and Buttercup useful insight when they were engaged in battle. She trusted her premonitions with her life and never doubted what Bubbles felt inside. In this circumstance though, she wished Bubbles could be wrong. She didn't want to hear that she could be fighting an unstoppable foe. She wanted Bubbles to tell her that everything would be alright, that they would ultimately triumph and that Townsville would be safe again. She grit her teeth as she looked out at the black tower that had destroyed so much of the city during its surfacing. She glared with a fierce determination, her fears suddenly washing away.

"We have to fight this Bubbles. Win or lose we have to defend our city. We can't let Him destroy the lives and hope of all those that we hold dear. Even if we die trying we must try."

Bubbles nodded silently to her sister, knowing full well what they had to do. There was a faint cough and the two sisters turned to see Buttercup hovering nearby.

"You two aren't thinking of leaving me behind are you?" She gave one of those smiles of one who was prepare to go into battle despite the odds, a smile she often wore in similar circumstances. She was still bandaged up from her wounds she had gotten the night before.

"Buttercup, you aren't completely healed yet. We can't let you go with us," Blossom said.

"You promised you wouldn't go without me," Buttercup argued. "I won't let you two go out there by yourselves."

"Letting you go out to fight in your condition would be completely irresponsible of me Buttercup. It is entirely out of the question." Blossom crossed her arms and gave a stern look to finalize what she had said. Buttercup knew she was right. She would be no help to her sisters in her condition and she couldn't make them wait on her behalf. Townsville needed the Powerpuff Girls, regardless whether it was two or three of them. She forced herself to smile.

"Well you better save some ass for me to kick. You know I hate to be left out of a good rumble."

Blossom returned Buttercup's smile. "Well make sure there's something left for you Buttercup. You just rest up now and leave it to us."

Buttercup jumped off the rooftop and hovered back down to her room. Blossom turned back to Bubbles who was once more looking at the large tower.

"Do you think we can do this Bubbles?" she asked feeling her confidence dropping once more. Bubbles didn't answer immediately, but stared at the tower for another minute.

"There's hope," she said at last.

This was all Blossom needed to hear. With her confidence restored gazed off towards the tower and smiled. "Lets do this then," she said. She leapt off the rooftop and flew towards the tower. Bubbles took off close behind her and in a streak of pink and blue they flew off across the dismal skies.

Buttercup had reentered her room and began pacing to and fro. She was angry, angry that she could not fight along side her sisters, angry that she had been hurt the way she had. She came upon a wooden desk and in pure rage smashed it with her bandaged hand. A fierce pain jolted through her arm and she cursed loudly as she cradled the hand against her chest. It hurt so much. It was humiliating. She couldn't even break a simple wooden desk without cringing in pain like a wounded animal. Buttercup suddenly felt weak and insignificant. She was no longer a tough fighter. Instead she had become a weakling. A mere touch to her wounds and she would crumble like a matchstick house. She feel to her knees fighting back the urge to scream. A hand fell upon her shoulder and looked back to see her father standing over her. His warm smile made her feel better somehow. She was weak, but she was not alone. Her father would stay by her side until she became strong again, until she could once again fight along side her sisters. She turned around and gave the Professor a big hug. As long as he was there she would be all right.

From the depths of the castle the three servants of Him were sitting within a chamber, each seated in a luxurious armchair as they were discussing business amongst themselves.

"I am sick of listening to that fucking idiot," shouted Amducious, the green eyed man with the snowy pillar of hair. "Why in Hell do we follow to him. He isn't fit to roll a ball downhill. He would never have gotten this far without us."

"Patience Amducious," said Lucifage, the redhead leader. "Let Urobach have his way a while longer. When the time is right we will take what is rightfully ours and that fool of a demon will be spending the rest of eternity in his little prison. Do not forget that we are the Rowdyruff Boys and that we take orders from no one, especially not a degenerate like Urobach. We rule ourselves and we will gladly destroy anyone who gets in our way."

"Someone is coming," The blonde brother Eurynomous suddenly spoke up. "It is those girls, two of them. Blossom and Bubbles. I would recognize those energies anywhere."

"Looks like Buttercup is still licking her wounds from last night," Amducious said with a cold laughter.

"How close are they," Lucifage inquired.

"They are nearing the perimeter of the outer gates. They will be upon us in a matter of minutes."

"Then let us give them a warm welcome."

The three brothers left the chamber and flew off down a gigantic corridor lined with archways that led in all directions. The three split up, each taking a different path. Lucifage flew ahead of his brothers, taking the shortest route to the outside. There he could see the faint streaks of pink and blue.

"This will be very interesting," he thought to himself.

Footnote:

The demon names I gave the Rowdyruff Boys are actual demon names. Brick's name Lucifage means high commander, Butch's name Amducious means the destroyer and Boomer's name Eurynomous means the demon of death. As for Him the demon name I gave him, Urobach, means of the lower lever of demons. I tried to match the names to the characters and their television roles and personalities as well as their personalities in this story .

Thanks to all who reviewed so far. Keep em coming folks.