CHAPTER TWO:

The girls soon arrived at Pokey Oaks. Their teacher Ms. Keane was strangely absent along with the RowdyRuff Boys. To pass the time the kids began to chatter and play amongst themselves.

Robin Schneider was talking to Mary, "Yeah, I had a bad morning myself, my Mom got up late because the alarm didn't work. Something about the 'tricity being gone."

Mitch piped up in his growly voice, "Same thing at my place, but I got some extra Z's, that was cool!"

Princess sneered, "Well, if you morons had bought a WIND UP clock you would be on TIME huh?"

Buttercup answered back, "It's TIME you hushed your gums is what TIME it is!"

Before Princess could respond with an appropriate retort a frazzled Ms. Keane hurried in the door. The RowdyRuff Boys came in behind her and went to their seats.

"Good morning everybody" She said in her pleasant voice. "I'm sorry I was late. My alarm didn't work this morning because the power was out last night. Maybe I should buy a wind up clock also?"

With that comment Buttercup shrank slightly in her seat as her sisters gave her a quick look of disapproval.

Ms. Keane begins to call the roll and was proceeding with her polished efficiency when the PowerPuff Hotline rang.

Bunny looks at Blossom with a pleading face as if to say, "Can I answer it please?"

Blossom, "Oh, OK, go ahead."

Bunny zips over to the phone, "Yes, Mayor, PowerPuff Bunny here" she says proudly!

"Oh, Hi Bunny, answering the phone now are we? Very good, you're doing fine. Say, could you and

your sisters pay me a visit? The Japanese Ambassador and Mayor of Tokyo will soon be arriving and I'd like Bubbles to translate please."

"Why sure, we'll be right over."

Bunny hangs up the phone and tells her sisters and Ms. Keane what's needed. Quickly they all streak out the window and head for the Mayor's office. The RowdyRuff Boys want to go also, but Ms. Keane holds them back.

"It's a simple errand, they'll be back shortly." she explains.

They are almost at the Mayor's office when Blossom spots Steve the Monster lumbering out of Townsville Bay. Blossom notices that Steve has two smaller versions of himself for company and wonders if Steve is giving monster lessons.

"Girls, I can handle Steve. Get to the Mayor's office and meet the Japanese Ambassador."

Bubbles and Bunny agree, Buttercup however wants to stay, "Ah, come on Blossom, don't hog all the fun. There ARE three you know!"

"It's Steve and two babies, hardly a fight. Once Steve goes down the little ones will want to go home."

Buttercup just gives her usual "HUMPH" and flys off with her sisters towards the Mayor's office.

Blossom watches her sisters fly away and then turns towards Steve. She hollers down to him, "Steve, giving lessons are we?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact. Ready for a challenge?"

"Let's get this over with then."

Blossom swings low under Steve's reach and tries to fly under him and trip him up. Steve jumps up and Blossom misses him but topples the babies. They immediately start to cry in protest!

"That's dirty pool Blossom! Leave them alone!"

"I wasn't after them, I..." Blossom doesn't get to finish as she is swatted out of the air by an indignant Steve. She lands near Tokyo Townsville's Bonzai Park amidst the Cherry Blossom Festival startling thousands of onlookers.

Steve comes in fast with the little ones behind him! Blossom decides to ring Steve's bell and lets loose with an especially strong sonic screech. Steve flinches and tries to cover his face and head with his arms. It doesn't do much good until Steve spots some billboards nearby. He rips them out of the ground and uses them as a shield for ear protection. It works, the screech is deflected back at Blossom long enough for Steve and the little ones to beat a hasty retreat!

Blossom shakes off the blast and gets ready to fly up when she notices that thousands of Japanese are glaring at her and they're not happy at all! She looks puzzled and as the crowd points upwards she notices the Cherry Blossoms are all gone! The resulting screech to drive away Steve has caused every single Cherry Blossom to fall to the ground. All that are left are naked limbs and bare trees that remind one of a bleak winter. The festival is ruined!

Blossom looks devastated, "I'm so sorry, really." The angry looks tell her she'd better leave before the crowd got out of control. She bows out of respect and flys sadly off towards the Mayor's office.

As she approaches the Mayor's office Blossom is startled by an near miss from a flying manhole cover that nearly takes her head off! She notices dozens of them sailing in the sky then falling back to earth with resounding CLANGS!

"Now what?!" She thinks.

Blossom lands in the Mayor's office and promptly gets wet up to her knees. She is standing in water!

Bunny is crying, "I just wanted to help unclog his sink!"

The Mayor is nearly red with rage, "Blossom, she blew my pipes!"

Blossom looks at Bunny for an explanation. She is too upset to talk. Buttercup and Bubbles explain for her.

Bubbles starts, "The Mayor went to the bathroom, and tried to wash his hands, but the sink was

clogged."

Buttercup continued, "So she huffed and she puffed"..."and blew my house down!" finished the Mayor.

A soaked Ms Bellum said."The resulting overpressure sent manhole covers sky high, blew every pipe for miles around, power flushed the toilets and caused fireplugs and water fountains to explode and spray water in all directions. She inhaled and blew into the sink drain...rather forcefully!"

"I guess I shouldn't have done that, huh?" Bunny looked extremely embarrassed!

The Mayor just shook his head, "What next, You wreck the powerplant, you blow the water system,

SHEEESH! Try and be more careful kids, OK?"

Before they can answer the Mayor's private phone rings. Blossom looks apprehensive, "Could it be about the Cherry Blossoms?" she wonders.

"Mayor's office, Mayor speaking." A loud voice can be heard over the phone. Blossom's heart drops in her chest!

"Now calm down Mr. Kobayashi, speak slowly, I'm not a speed reader ya know!"

The Mayor's expression changes as he listens. He looks concerned, amazed, shocked, and extremely frustrated all at once.

"Thanks Mr. Kobayashi, I'll see to it the Japanese dignataries are briefed and offer a proper apology." He hangs up the phone.

Blossom tries to speak but the Mayor cuts her off, "Do you know how mad he is? Do you know what

the Japanese Ambassador and Mayor of Tokyo will think? You ruined the Cherry Blossom Festival, I've never been so embarrassed in my life!" He points to the door and is remarkably quiet, "Out, just go." He buries his head in his hands and can be heard muttering, "WHAT a day, What A day, What a DAY!"

Ms. Bellum, "You'd better go girls, he'll be OK. I'll go get a mop Mayor."

The girls look at the soaked office and frazzled Mayor and begin to fly out the window.

Suddenly Bubbles brightens and announces, "I know what will dry this place" and before anybody can stop her she flashes the office briefly with a quick micro-burst of heat vision!

All is normal for a few seconds minus a bit of steam. The Mayor is about to thank her when several things begin to happen at once! The floor boards having been soaked and flash dried begin to visibly warp, curl and pop out of their nailings. The tapestry on the Mayor's wall twists, withers, and falls to the floor! Expensive drapery shrinks to about one third size, looking like towels now instead. The Mayor's and Ms. Bellum's hair looks frizzied, but that's not the worst of it. Their clothes shrink three sizes! The flabbergasted Mayor is about to speak when Ms. Bellum's shrunken shirt bursts open exposing far more of her than she'd like! His expression is a classic bug-eyed jaw drop as a flustered Ms. Bellum shrieks, covers herself with her arms, and heads for the closet.

The girls nervously sidestep towards the window, leap out in multicolored flashes, and are gone!

The Mayor is left sitting at his desk mumbling about his wonderful day. His only company a destroyed office and a bad mood.