Chapter 45: Like The Seasons
The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.
18 FEB (Saturday) 1989. 2219.
"-And they live happily ever after…" Professor Utonium finished off his last story, before leaning over Blossom to peck her on the forehead, then to Bubbles and doing the same. Walking around the bed, he sat down beside Buttercup and tried to do the same, but when she put out her hands as if to shield herself from a car crash, he decided not to and settled for a pat on her shoulder, which she shrugged off anyway. The professor sighed.
"Dad… Tell me again about the seasons," Bubbles asked just as the professor was about to get up and leave. She really didn't want him to leave. In the time since her attack on Blossom, she had come to regret her actions - and it was thoughts of her Dad that had snapped her out of it. She wanted to spend as much time with him as he could, thinking naively that, perhaps, doing so could solve all her problems.
"Which ones?" the professor asked, smiling at Bubbles' curiosity. He couldn't wait to usher the Girls into the other seasons of the year. It would be their first time experiencing them.
"The next one. Is it spring?" Bubbles requested.
"Yeah, I would love to hear about spring," Blossom added. She wanted to add summer to the list, but decided to be diplomatic about it and agree with Bubbles.
Buttercup, on the other hand, groaned at the prospect of having to listen to Dad. She was feeling exhausted despite having spent her entire day indoors and mostly idle. Everything had to be done painstakingly and tiresomely without her enhanced abilities, and it had worn her out. It was something that felt like she could never get used to, contrary to what her Dad said. She would never trust her Dad again.
"Well, spring is when it gets hotter, and the snow melts," the professor had returned to Bubbles' side, taking her tiny hand. "The sun will be brighter, the ground greener, the birds will start chirping and you can walk outside without your winter jacket and snowshoes. The trees will start growing leaves, and so will plants grow from the ground and flowers bloom. The world will be so much more colorful."
Bubbles teared up at the image she had formed in her mind. She had, of course, seen pictures of it, but she knew that it wouldn't be anything compared to the real thing. With what she'd been up to lately, it felt uncertain, somehow, that she would get to see spring even though she knew that she was going to live.
"What will we do in spring?" Bubbles asked further, her hand gripping the professor tightly. She really wanted him to stay. She was getting the shakes again, though she had been trying to hide it. She had one syringe left, and it would be an hour or two before she would dare to use it - any time earlier, and she would risk exposure.
"We could walk in the park, have a go at the playground. We could even have a picnic since it wouldn't be so cold," the professor said. "Me, Mom and the three of you. Imagine having sandwiches, fruits and orange juice in the middle of a field full of flowers under an azure sky… Bees buzzing about, butterflies fluttering around…"
"It sounds really nice, Dad," Blossom said, smiling at the imagery. It'd help her forget that her sister had nearly killed her for revenge. "I can't wait to have a picnic. It sounds like fun."
After giving the Girls his self-concocted images of spring to dream about, he switched off the table lamp and left them to join Selicia in bed.
Time seemed to pass slowly in the dark. Blossom's mind had gone back in time, to hours before. She couldn't believe that she and Bubbles could reconcile with each other so quickly after Bubbles had tried to commit sororicide.
'I promised that I will be the best and sweetest sister to you, Bubbles, that I'll never hurt you again,' Blossom had said to her while they were riding Mister Blake's Chinook towards home. 'And you can't kill me, or Dad will be really sad and I won't be with you and Buttercup. We're sisters, and we should help each other, not… kill each other. That's how it's going to be from now on, no matter what - just like Dad wanted. Okay, Bubbles?'
'Okay…' Bubbles had said, though there was something on her face that Blossom had trouble reading. With only three months of experience reading faces, she couldn't quite tell what Bubbles was thinking or trying not to reveal.
Blossom would go on to lie to Dad about what had happened later. She would defend Bubbles by lying that she had gotten angry again and said some mean words, causing Bubbles to run away, and when she found her, they fought and injured each other pretty badly. She would cover it up by saying that they had made up after that. Dad was, of course, angry, but surprisingly proud that Blossom didn't hit Bubbles at the beginning.
Touched by Blossom's selflessness, Bubbles played along, and acting on her regret, had tried to make up for what she did by being compliant and apologetic for the rest of the day, or what was left of it. There wasn't anything else she could do, at least while she was in the light.
The fairy godmother would be displeased, that she knew. But in the darkness, it was the least she could do for Blossom. Much as she was driven by her addiction to kill Blossom, she found that she couldn't do it. The fairy godmother had to understand, Bubbles tried to reason. There had to be a middle-ground between her addiction and her love for her sisters, Bubbles hoped and sincerely believed that that was the way forward.
The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.
18 FEB (Saturday) 1989. 2315.
Bubbles couldn't sleep. Her withdrawal symptoms were killing her. She could feel that her pajamas and her pillow were soaking wet. Her shakes were nigh-uncontrollable, and she was constantly thirsty and hungry, where in previous cases, she was neither. She was hoping that the fairy godmother would appear tonight and perhaps pity her enough to give her more of her magic, but she couldn't wait any longer.
She still had a single syringe of His Secret 2.0 left. Rolling over in bed, she spied on her sisters to see if they were asleep. It was easy to do so, as their eyes would glow when they were opened and awake, which was very visible in the dark. She couldn't see Blossom's glowing pink pupils and… were there speckles of green in the dark? Bubbles chalked it down to her withdrawal symptoms affecting her eyesight. She couldn't see Buttercup's glowing green pupils either. Both of her sisters were asleep. Good.
Folding her blanket off of her, Bubbles hovered out of bed and glided to the walk-in closet, opening the door and landing beside her tactical gear. She pulled her last syringe of magic out of a magazine pouch and padded towards the door leading out.
Her hands were shaking, and she made her way to the washroom urgently, her mind a muddled mess as she couldn't think straight. What clarity that was there in her mind was devoted to the drug, and how best to work with it - the washroom was perfect for cleaning up - she wouldn't want anyone to see the blood from injection herself with the drug, and she needed another bath to get rid of her perspiration and shakes.
All she could think of then was the drug - the drug that was in her hand. Closing the door to the washroom, she lowered the toilet seat lid and sat down.
Yes, yes, yes! She thought as she began the usual ritual for doping herself with the ambrosial substance, though at this point, it was more of a medicine to her now since a single dose could only be used to stave off the unpleasant withdrawal effects and help her get some sleep.
Slapping the crook of her elbow, she began by finding a vein, and when she spotted the largest one, stuck the needle in. Yes, yes, yes!
But what wasn't part of the ritual was the door to the washroom opening and in stepped Buttercup.
Buttercup's jaw dropped upon seeing Bubbles with a metal syringe in her hand, the needle stuck into her forearm. She had been having trouble sleeping herself, as she was still getting used to being sensitive to every sensation in her body - her thirst and hunger were stronger, for instance - and she was still depressed over losing her powers. It didn't help that she was wondering what action she had missed out because of it.
Buttercup froze in horror as she witnessed Bubbles' secret. She had seen the metal syringe before - they were found in many of the crime scenes she had been to. And the way Bubbles was using it… it was as if the needle was made of Duranium.
"Buttercup! you weren't supposed to get out of bed!" Bubbles said in disbelief when she had been caught red-handed. Her eyes shone red when she realized she was in trouble, and she couldn't control it. She couldn't control the anger and madness rising in her either, as she realized that she had to try to keep her drug habit a secret. By any means necessary.
The moment Buttercup saw Bubbles' eyes turning from baby blue to hellish red, she bolted. She knew what it meant, and she was terrified as she was powerless - in all senses of the word.
"MOM! DAD!" Buttercup screamed as she ran down the hallway, screamed like a baby, like never before. Bubbles flew up behind her, catching up within seconds. Taking her by the collar and neck, she slammed her against the wall.
"Shut up, Buttercup!" Bubbles warned her sister, who promptly obeyed, afraid of what she might do to her - afraid since she couldn't fight back. Bubbles' grip was iron, and Buttercup could not free herself with whatever pitiful strength she had left. Bubbles placed her index finger on her lips. "Shhh… It's going to be okay…"
Before Bubbles could do or say anything more, however, the master bedroom door slammed open. Professor Utonium and Selicia had rushed out, zipping and buttoning up whatever they could get their hands on.
"What's happening!?" the professor shouted urgency as he started flipping switches, lighting up the corridor they were in. "Buttercup?"
"Bubbles, what are you doing to Buttercup!?" Selicia scolded Bubbles when she saw her pinning her favorite against the wall.
"Mom! Dad!" Buttercup screamed and weaseled out of a stunned Bubbles' loosened grip. "Bubbles' been using drugs! Just like how you said not to!"
"But she's lying!" Bubbles lied, but she felt backed in a corner. Her mind worked like never before, fuelled by the desperation in her veins, both for the fairy godmother's magic and the maintenance of her relationship with her parents.
There was only one way to get out of it.
"I found Buttercup with this thing in the washroom," Bubbles lied and handed her syringe of His Secret 2.0 to Dad, all the while trying her best not to reveal her withdrawal symptoms.
"You lying piece of shit!" Buttercup yelled when she realized what Bubbles was doing. Angered and not thinking straight, she pushed Bubbles only to feel a brick wall. Surprisingly, Bubbles fell backward. When she came to her senses, she'd realized, too, that she had just dug a deeper grave for herself.
"Buttercup!" Dad warned the tomboy. "Language! Since when did you learn to talk like that!?"
"But she's trying to trick you!" Buttercup shouted, incredulous that she had been targeted when she was telling the truth.
"What do you say to that, Bubbles?" Dad asked the timid one, who had shed a few tears while she was sitting on the ground where she had been 'pushed'.
"Buttercup's lying and I can show you…" Bubbles claimed. Real tears had started flowing. She couldn't believe the extent she had to go to keep her secret – sacrificing a syringe that she was so close to using – but it had to be done.
"Mom? Dad? What's happening?" Blossom mumbled as she stood at the open doorway of her room, rubbing her eyes.
"Nothing, Blossom," the professor said. "I'm sorry we woke you up."
Bubbles, much to Buttercup's confusion and Mom and Dad's curiosity, led the entire family back into the Girls' room. She went over to the walk-in closet, opened the door wide and switched the lights on inside. Dad followed her in.
Buttercup knew what she was going to do the moment she stepped into the closet. The Mom had to hold her back when she tried to stop Bubbles. Selicia thought it was for the best – she didn't want Buttercup to get hurt and further incriminate herself.
"No! Dad! She's lying!" Buttercup cried as she tried to wriggle out of Selicia's hands, but she was too weak to do so even though she had gotten some of her strength back. "Mom! Stop her, please! Mom!"
From a huge pile of cardboard boxes, Bubbles pulled out a large one from the juicy center. It clearly had Buttercup's name on it, spelled as 'Butercub'. They took it out of the closet to be examined.
Once outside, the professor set the box down on the floor and uncovered the lid.
"NO!" Buttercup screamed. No one else in the room except her and Bubbles expected what came next.
There was something like forty or so syringes inside, all sheathed in metal. But that wasn't the only horror to be found in the box. There was a jar containing human teeth and nails, some still bloody, and some with rotten veins and bits of gum still attached. Animal bones were rattling inside as well. The only innocent thing to be found inside was Selicia's torn security gym towel, which Buttercup had taken to calling 'Blankie'.
"What is this?" the professor was at a loss for words. Angry beyond reason, he clutched a whole bunch of syringe and pulled them out of the box, holding them in front of Buttercup, who shrank away from his aggressive outburst. "How long have you been using these, Buttercup!?"
"But I didn't!" Buttercup cried. "I swear!"
"Don't lie to me!" the professor shouted. "Stop lying to me! How long!?"
Buttercup looked away instead, crying and shivering and afraid. Throwing the syringes full of His Secret on the carpeted ground, he pulled out the jar of teeth and nails and a handful of animal bones.
"How long have you been collecting these!?" the professor all but screamed at Buttercup. Even Blossom, who had no involvement in this, was terrified of Dad. However, she felt guilty for not keeping a closer eye on her wayward sister. "HOW LONG!?"
"I don't know!" Buttercup managed to answer, though she couldn't think of one at the moment because of how terrified and vulnerable she felt.
"This is sick, you know that!?" the professor scolded the little girl. He tossed the psycho-trophies back into the box and grabbed Buttercup, who hadn't and couldn't answer him, by the arm and started pulling her towards the door. "Looks like we're going to have to do a few more medical examinations on you tonight!"
"No, Dad, no! Not the medical examinations!" Buttercup cried as she struggled in vain to free herself. Tough as she was, she was afraid of what it might mean – she had already lost her powers to a 'medical examination' and she couldn't imagine what she would lose next. Her nose, ears, and fingers? Her imagination ran wild with fear.
The professor, meanwhile, thought that it was harder to drag her around, which could mean many things – the drugs might have undone what the Anti-X had achieved, or the Anti-X could be as temporary as conventional medication.
The City of Townsville. Suburbs. The House.
19 FEB (Sunday) 1989. 0050.
"I couldn't do it," Bubbles lamented as she sat on the snow in the backyard, her head bowed as she knew she had failed her benefactor. "She's my sister and I couldn't do it."
The fairy godmother did not respond, and it made Bubbles scared. She was shivering in the cold, her bones felt like glass, and her muscles like frayed strings. Her nerves were on fire. Without the drugs or at least the madness kicking in, she felt like paper; weak and vulnerable. The drugs hadn't done her any favors in the long run.
"Then you've just broken a rule," the fairy godmother said coldly, and she was nothing like how she first behaved. The maternal warmth was gone. "You are supposed to do everything I tell you to."
"I'm sorry… I just couldn't…" Bubbles apologized meekly. After working up the courage, she looked up at the fairy godmother and immediately regretted it. She was glaring down at her, like some displeased goddess looking to smite someone. "P-please help me. I'm in pain. I can't take it anymore."
"Neither can I," the fairy godmother said, before turning her back on her and walking away.
Bubbles couldn't help but to get mad - to the point of her eyes turning hellish red. The fairy godmother was supposed to help her! She flew towards her, winding an arm up for a punch, but then there was light. It felt as if she had hit some kind of a hard barrier, and she fell into the snow, her head feeling like a cracked egg. She could already feel a gigantic bruise forming.
"You ungrateful little brat," the fairy godmother said as she put her arm down, dispersing the shield of red energy she had conjured to protect herself. "I helped you, and this is how you repay me? With disobedience and aggression? I asked for one tiny thing that would rid you of an evil sister anyway - and you tried to strike me?"
"I'm sorry – I just… I just need it," Bubbles said as she was recovering on the ground, cowering in the presence of the fairy godmother as she came back up to her, looming over her, looking every bit like a goddess deciding her fate, capable of destroying her with one wave of a hand. "Please – I need it. I just need it!"
"You'll have to be punished for breaking a rule, Bubbles," the fairy godmother glowered at her beneficiary.
"I'll take anything – please, just give it to me!" Bubbles begged as she scrambled to her knees, pulling on the hem of the entity's long skirt.
Smiling, the fairy godmother, who seemed to have lost some of her white glow, reached into her dark blue pouch and pulled out a needle-less syringe just like she did the last time. It was even larger than before, looking like it could give her two doses at once. "What's the magic word?"
"Please," Bubbles acquiesced, feeling in her guts that she could die any minute now without the drug.
"Tell me, Bubbles, what am I? How would you describe me?" the fairy godmother continued dragging their meeting out, her smile growing wider.
"You're helpful, Miss Fairy Godmother," Bubbles spat out the first word she could think of. She couldn't think with her insides on fire. But the fairy godmother didn't seem impressed. She glowered at her and was about to put her syringe back into her bag when Bubbles continued heaping praises on her: "You're kind, and- and nice and… really kind and-"
"That's enough," the matriarchal being stopped her before she could continue: "I'm glad you feel that way, Bubbles. Now stop talking and moving."
The fairy godmother made a hand gesture and red energy emanated from her hand, striking Bubbles. Bubbles fell backward into the snow, in a rough spread-eagled pose. She wanted to scream and beg, but she couldn't. Neither could she move her body; she had been completely paralyzed. Thrusting out her casting hand, she shot a continuous red beam at Bubbles, which engulfed her.
It was like being burned alive, but worse. As Bubbles endured the excruciating pain, she couldn't get away nor scream and beg for it to stop. All she could do was writhe a little – her mouth opened, but it was a silent scream. Seconds felt like minutes, even hours. Meanwhile, as the fairy godmother continued to render her punishment, she smiled and laughed in that silent way, her glow and blue eyes turning red, the maternal look on her face turning wicked. Bubbles' vision began to blur, then turn black…
"Wake up. Wake up, Bubbles," a female voice called out to her. She nudged her with what felt like a sharp point. Bubbles opened her eyes, hoping that it was Blossom, or even Buttercup, or Mom.
It wasn't.
"Who do you think I was?" it turned out to be the fairy godmother still, nudging at her with the point of her foot. "I've compressed a few hours of pain into a few minutes. Are you grateful I've saved your time?"
Bubbles sat up with difficulty. She was still feeling raw after her punishment such that she couldn't reply. The fairy godmother grabbed a whole bunch of her hair and yanked.
"Ow!" Bubbles cried, only to receive a slap from her benefactor.
"Quiet before I punish you again!" the woman said, her glow still red. Even her dress had turned red and black. "What do you say, you ingrate!?"
"T-thank you, fairy godmother. I'm grateful!" Bubbles wasted no time in filling the ethereal woman's ears with what she wanted to hear.
"Yes you are, aren't you," the fairy godmother said. "Before I give you what you need, I have one more favor to ask from you."
"I'll do anything, please-" Bubbles begged.
"I've invested a lot in you, Bubbles, whether you know it or not. It's not easy being here in this… filthy environment, and it's not easy making the right preparations and meeting you," the fairy godmother said. "You are difficult, Bubbles. You should be lucky I haven't given up on you."
"Please don't…" Bubbles mumbled.
"So you will do this for me: You'll kill the man you call Daddy…" the fairy godmother said this as she extended the large syringe towards Bubbles' face again. "And I'll give you twelve vials of my magic."
Bubbles' eyes floated to the ground the moment she heard this, feeling powerless to resist the request.
"But if you kill Blossom on top of that…" the fairy godmother added as she lifted Bubbles' chin so they could make eye contact. "I'll give you all the magic you'll ever need. I'll take you with me to my magical land, and it'll be quite painless from then on. I'll even take Buttercup with me so you'll still have a sister to play with."
Bubbles shut her eyes, not just afraid of the fairy godmother, but also of herself, because the temptation to kill Dad and Blossom was too great, and she was seriously considering it. She could only be grateful that she didn't need to kill Mom and Buttercup…
"What do you say?" the fairy godmother asked again as she pushed the syringe closer to Bubbles mouth. Bubbles forced herself on the syringe, gripping the woman's wrist with both her hands as she sucked on it.
The taste was horrible but she loved it – loved it to death. When the syringe was dry, Bubbles withdrew herself and started coughing and throwing up a portion of the drug in the snow. Instead of leaving it alone as normal people would, Bubbles bent low to suck it back out of the snow again, and when she couldn't get all of it back, she began eating the snow.
The fairy godmother watched with demented satisfaction in her eyes as the little addict degraded herself.
