Dragon's Fury

Chapter 17: Twilight of a new Journey

The mall bustled with hurried activity as afterschool shoppers frantically tried to complete their shopping before they had to be home for dinner. Many of them were students doing a little spending or browsing between school and home. For two particular students however, this shopping trip had a more practical purpose.

Blossom and Bubbles browsed through the collection of clothes in one of the mall's many shops, hoping to find something appropriate for their fast approaching trip to the great white north.

Accompanying them was Bunny; her firsthand experience of the northern weather and fashions proving invaluable. She had told them to avoid any summer clothes and focus on those suited for autumn. With September nearly over and the fact that they were travelling north it made sense to prepare for chillier weather.

Blossom was currently trying to pick out a coat from the array on the display racks. Though many were in her colour she was having a hard time picking a particular style.

"Just try them on and see which one fits", Bunny told her. "That's the best way to decide."

Blossom sighed. "Yeah I guess so. I was just hoping to narrow it down."

With a degree of reluctance from realizing that her task was now more difficult then she initially intended Blossom navigated through the clothes racks to find each candidate for her final purchase in her size.

Leaving her to it Bunny decided to switch to helping Bubbles.

Bubbles was looking through the shirts at the moment, and seemed torn between her traditional lighter blue and the darker blue she was currently wearing.

"Ya' know it's generally not a good idea to go clothes shopping when you're depressed", Bunny told her.

Bubbles' gaze fell slightly.

Bunny sighed and decided to press. "What has you so depressed Bubbles? I figured a big part of it was about Buttercup, but that's finished now; so what has you so down?"

Bubbles frowned and then answered in a quiet voice, "I don't know who I am anymore. I know how people expect me to be, but I don't know if I can be that person anymore."

Bunny understood: when she had been locked in that safe and told her niece and nephew would be killed before even having a chance to draw their first breath, something inside her, the thing that made her who she was, broke.

"Look Bubbles, we know that you can't be the same person you were and we don't expect you to be all flowers and candy like you used to be. You were forced to grow up that day, you had to change to survive and protect the ones you love."

Bunny walked over and pulled her sister into a hug.

"That's part of who you are Bubbles; we're just not used to that part of you yet. You may have changed, but that doesn't mean you've changed for the worse. Stop worrying about it and just be who you are now."

Bunny released her and allowed Bubbles a moment to think it over. Bunny didn't want her to think about it too much though so she grabbed her hand and dragged her to another part of the store.

"Instead of sticking with your old colours why not trying some new clothes for the new you?"

Bunny took a plain black t-shirt off the rack and held it up to her sister. "This looks good on you."

Bubbles frowned. "Black; isn't that a bit too far?"

"I've seen a lot of blondes look really good in black", Bunny assured her.

Bubbles looked unconvinced. "I don't think plain black suits me though."

Bunny pondered a moment and replaced the shirt on the rack. "So what kind of black would suit you?"

"It's just that the shirt is so plain", Bubbles told her. I prefer clothes with a bit more personality; that's why I don't go to big stores like this."

Bunny nodded understanding. "Right, I guess this is more Blossom's kind of shop."

Bubbles nodded. "Yes, she's much more conservative. I like to be a bit more expressive."

Bunny laughed. "Then let's help her decide which coat she wants so we can get something for you."

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Buttercup sat at the kitchen table in Will's apartment, staring at a sheet of paper that lay before her. She had been staring at it for several minutes now, her only movement being the blinking of her eyelids and the absent minded nibbling on the end of the pen she held in her right hand.

"What's on your mind", Will asked as he came up behind her. The reassuring hand he placed on her shoulder eased Buttercup's tension, but it didn't ease the significance of the paper on the table.

The paper in question was a form she had to fill out in order to drop out of Endsville High School to continue her schooling somewhere else, at a later date. Basically she was dropping out of school, at least until she was able to spare the time from her family to continue her education.

Buttercup sighed. "A year ago I would have been overjoyed to have this paper in front of me, I wouldn't have to go back to school; but now…"

Will chuckled and began messaging her shoulders, sending waves of delightful release though her body.

"Becoming a parent changes your perspective on things doesn't it."

"I've had to grow up a lot", Buttercup admitted, "and it hasn't been very pleasant, but it's for a good cause."

Will smiled and moved his hands from her shoulders to wrap around her waist.

"The best cause", he whispered in her ear.

Buttercup smiled and nuzzled her cheek against his. "Yeah, the best."

Sighing with a mix of resignation and acceptance, Buttercup brought down the pen and signed her name. This made it the first document she had signed since receiving her husband's last name.

"Are you sure you didn't want to go with your sisters?"

Buttercup huffed. "They'd spend all their time fussing over me. I'd be driven crazy."

"They just don't know how to handle the situation Buttercup. That and a lot of unpleasant things have happened around you lately. It makes sense they'd be concerned about you.

"It's Bubbles they should be concerned about", Buttercup argued. "That girl basically snapped and she nearly killed the Professor last night."

Will smirked. "Yes that wasn't very nice of her. She cut in front of everyone else in line."

Unamused, Buttercup glared up at him. "I've forgiven him, and mom for what happened. You need to let it go too. Got it?"

"Fine, fine."

Angry, Buttercup grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down into her burning emerald eyes.

"Got it", she growled.

"Yes dear", Will said more earnestly.

Satisfied, Buttercup released him.

It certainly wasn't often that they had arguments, or at least not yet; they hadn't spent a great deal of time together truth be told. It made Buttercup wonder if they really could make a marriage, a family work from this. Did this mean her parent's argument held more water than she cared to admit?

She started sniffling and tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. Finally she broke down and began crying.

Will gently wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Geez, and you wonder why everyone fusses over you."

Through her tears she managed to tell him: "shut up."

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As afternoon changed to evening, most of the school-going shoppers began to vacate the malls to get home for dinner. Among them was, Blossom, Bubbles, and Bunny. The girls were able to skip over the majority of the rush hour traffic but the fragility of their purchases prevented them from flying home directly.

Now on the last stretch to the Utonium house, they were having a lively conversation; the troubles of the previous few days temporarily forgotten.

Bunny had abstained from any purchases herself so only her sisters had their arms full of shopping bags.

"I still think those were some odd choices Bubbles", Blossom told her sister; "even for you. I can't remember you ever wearing black as an everyday outfit and yet all of a sudden almost everything you buy is black."

"She's just experimenting Blossom", Bunny said.

"Wouldn't hurt for you to try and experiment a bit Blossom", Bubbles retorted with a smile.

Bubbles was now much closer to her old self; she was laughing and smiling again. The shopping trip had done her good.

"Just what's wrong with my style", Blossom demanded?

"Nothing, except that you only have one style", Bubbles replied. "It wouldn't hurt you try something different every once in a while."

Before Blossom could retort further they spotted a shrouded figure standing on the sidewalk in front of their house looking at a piece of paper.

Suspicious, Blossom walked quickly up to the person. "Can I help you?"

The person jumped a bit and stared at her. She was wearing a large brown coat, a grey fedora and round rimmed sunglasses.

"Can I help you", Blossom asked again in a more threatening tone?

The figure was about to answer but then looked past Blossom at her sisters calmly walking up behind her.

"Bunny", the figure asked?

Bunny paused and stared a moment at the unknown person. "It couldn't be, Anya?"

She laughed; "Yeah, it's me alright."

Bunny laughed back. "Wow I didn't even recognize you. I haven't seen you for months."

Anya sighed. "Yeah well I was kinda busy doing things like learning how to walk again."

This got Blossom and Bubbles attention. Had she been in some kind of accident?

"Um excuse me?" Bubbles tied to interrupt the two as politely as possible. "If you want you can come inside with us."

Anya nodded in gratitude. "Thanks I'd like to get out of sight. I'm a bit conspicuous."

That was a bit of an understatement considering she was wearing clothing that wouldn't be out of the ordinary in the winter, but right now the autumn hadn't even arrived yet.

After they went inside, Blossom and Bubbles dashed upstairs to drop off their purchases and then quickly returned to see Anya getting out of her large coat.

Blossom and Bubbles quickly realized why she had been wearing that coat. She was actually less conspicuous with it on. Without her fedora, coat and sunglasses she was drop dead gorgeous. Before now they would have thought that such a girl only existed in the perverted fantasies of teenaged boys.

"Well, physical maturity obviously hasn't done you any harm", Bunny remarked.

"Well part of it has to do with my career", Anya said. "Being a performer does have its benefits you know. It keeps me well balanced."

Bunny laughed. "So, did you see your sister before you came?"

Anya sighed. "Yep, she's as grumpy as ever; she really doesn't like being dependent."

"Well she's having quadruplets, what does she expect?"

"She's just being stubborn and difficult", Anya said rolling her eyes. "I think she's always been that way."

Bunny laughed again. "Anyway I guess I haven't introduced you yet. These are my sisters, Blossom and Bubbles. Girls this is Anya, a performer friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you", the sisters said in unison.

"Likewise", Anya replied.

"So what are you doing here", Bunny asked.

Anya shrugged. "Well I came here for my comeback tour, but I heard you guys were in town so I thought I'd stop and say hi."

"You know Dray is here right?"

"Yeah I heard about all that. Pity, a lot of girls are going to be disappointed."

"Well no one else was disappointed with her", Bubbles defended. "She's a more-than-capable wife."

"I'm sure she is. Dray wouldn't pick just any girl. I guess that's why I'm curious to see just what kind of girl she is."

"You won't be disappointed", Bunny assured her. "She's always had plenty of fire."

Anya laughed. "So is it a boy or a girl?"

"Both."

"Twins; Really?"

Bunny smirked. "I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. I think she's a bit nervous but she's handling it well."

Anya grinned and leaned closer to her. "And what about you Auntie Bunny?"

Bunny smiled shyly. "I guess I'm excited, though I expected to become a mother myself before I became a biological aunt."

"So did everyone else, a long time ago actually. If it wasn't for Scott's lack of physical maturity you would have been one a long time ago."

Bunny crossed her arms. "The only reason we're as sexually active as we are is because he can't impregnate me, or anyone else. I'm not so irresponsible as to willingly bring children into the world before I'm ready."

"We'll see", Anya said grinning.

Bunny frowned and there was a brief silence between the two until Bubbles decided to break it.

"Does anyone want tea?"

"I'd love some", Anya replied.

Bringing out the tea had helped bring things back down from the threatening heights the conversation had been going back into a more friendly and casual valley and friendly valley. Everyone was now seated around the coffee table in the living room that had already seen so much drama already.

"So Anya, how long have you been a performer", Blossom asked?

"Since I was two", she replied. "I started doing commercials on T.V before I got into singing and dancing. Hasn't always been glamorous but you have to take the good with the bad."

"This isn't an interview Anya", Bunny said with a smirk.

"Sorry. It's just become an automatic response over time. Which reminds me-". Anya reached into her pocket and pulled something out. "I brought these tickets for anyone who wanted them."

Bubbles suddenly spat out her tea, surprising everyone else at the table.

"Bubbles what's wrong?"

Coughing Bubbles tried to respond. "Those are premium seat tickets for the Missy Ms. Concert! They were sold out weeks ago! How did you get them?"

Anya shrugged. "They just gave them to me. I always have a few friends who want to go. Do you want one?"

"I'd love to!"

Blossom felt more than a little embarrassed at her sister's enthusiasm but it also felt nice to have more of her old sister back.

Anya handed out the tickets and no one was more excited than Bubbles, but her excitement took a pause as she analyzed the ticket in her hand.

"Something wrong", Anya asked?

"It's just that the ticket only has the title of the concert. Missy Ms. Tickets have always had a picture of her on the ticket. This just says it's the 'Pheonix Tour'.

"That was done on purpose", Anya explained. "The idea is that this is a new image for Missy Ms., I'm reinventing the image from the ground up with something new and exciting that'll knock everyone's socks off!"

Bubbles blinked in confusion. "You're reinventing? Do you work for the production company?"

Bunny and Anya blinked for a moment and then burst out laughing.

Now Bubbles was even more confused.

"Bubbles", Bunny tried to explain through her fits of laughter, "She's Missy Ms."

Bubbles sat in her seat with a blank stare as her brain processed what she had just been told, until a solid fifteen seconds had passed.

"What, that can't be! Missy Ms. is at least a foot shorter than you, and she looks a lot younger than…". Bubbles' voice trailed off as the pieces started to fit together in her head.

"How are you related to Will?"

Anya shrugged. "He's my sister's, husband's, cousin. Also my father had a large part in his upbringing and our fathers go way back."

Blossom scowled. "I should have guessed."

Anya looked confused but Bunny patted her hand reassuringly. "This family has been through a lot the past couple of weeks."

Anya nodded. "I can relate. I didn't even know I had a sister until I was twelve."

Blossom scowl softened. She feared she may have jumped to conclusions. Maybe she was tired of so many of Will's friends and relatives coming and sticking their noses in, but she had to let it go; they were only showing they cared. Maybe she wasn't used to having such a close family, they didn't have much of an extended family at all.

Bubbles spoke next. "So, what did you tell your staff?"

"Most of them are in on it", Anya explained. As for everyone else they were told the same as the press. Anyway, it was nice to have a break, even if I did feel like boiled turnip for some of it."

Blossom's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Anya grimaced. "Not everyone is as lucky to have a cocoon to go into when they hit puberty."

Bunny chuckled. "You see, Phoenix don't have the chrysalis like the Dragon's do. They go through the same thing, but they are conscious while it's happening."

Blossom and Bubbles were shocked. "That sounds horrible!"

"It was agony", Anya replied. "I'd never been naked so long in my life. I had to buy a whole new wardrobe too."

"How did you find time to practice", Bubbles asked?

"Well I couldn't do anything while I was growing; all I could do was eat and squirm. I felt like my body was coming apart. After that though I started warming up my voice, which was different from before, and I relearned how to move by practicing my dancing."

"I always loved your dancing", Bubbles said. "Your movements were always so fluid."

Anya smiled proudly. "Well I inherited that from my mother. She was a ballet dancer in Russia."

Bubbles blinked. "I didn't know that."

"Most people don't. She's been dead for fourteen years."

Blossom and Bubbles were more than a little stunned at this sudden confession. Did Anya already feel so comfortable with them that she would divulge such personal information, or could it be that she simply put it out in the open to avoid an awkward situation later on?

Bubbles leaned forward cautiously. "So then you were adopted?"

Anya nodded. "Yeah, mom's great and I really love her, it's just that mother was, my mother."

Anya looked like she was going to start getting emotional. She cheeks were reddening and her eyes were starting to well up.

"Speaking of mothers", Bunny said suddenly, "maybe we should ask Buttercup if she wants to come have tea with us."

"She'd eat all the snacks", Blossom remarked.

Anya wiped her eyes. "Well I would like to meet her."

Bubbles smiled. "I'll call her and see."

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Unknown to the girls in the Utonium household Buttercup was already enjoying some tea. She sat in the kitchen of Mandy's house sipping her green tea from a rather expensive looking tea set.

Across from her Mandy sat in a pink sundress that suited her still trim and well-shaped figure very well.

Buttercup wore light brown, tight-fitting pants, that were not so tight fitting a month ago, and a dark green collared shirt with all three buttons undone to accommodate her growing mammeries.

Mandy had invited Buttercup over because it was the first time the girls had gotten together to have a proper chat in what felt like forever. Billy and Will meanwhile were currently out doing something else together.

With greetings already exchanged they decided to delve more into the root of their reason for meeting up.

"I'm glad you're coming too", Mandy said. "It feels good knowing that I'll have a friend there already when I go."

Buttercup nodded; "I hope we live close by. I know we're gonna live in the same general area but it would be nice if we were in walking distance."

"I'm sure we can make it work either way. So do you know where you're going to be living?"

Buttercup looked unsure all of a sudden, as if not knowing how to answer. This puzzled Mandy a bit since it didn't seem like a difficult question on the surface, or perhaps things had become more complicated.

"Well", Buttercup began carefully. "We have our own house that's been made for us already, so we're going to move there."

Mandy stood in silent awe. They already had a house?

"I'm sorry, I don't want to sound like I'm bragging", Buttercup tried to explain.

Mandy laughed "You're not; and I'm not envious at all. Why would I want to clean and maintain a whole house myself?"

Some of the colour drained from Buttercup's cheeks as it suddenly dawned on her the responsibilities she would suddenly have thrust upon her in addition to her responsibilities as a mother.

"Well I guess I have Mercy", she said quietly.

"What?"

"Well, Will is going to be away from home a lot because of his job so we have someone who's going to come in and help me a bit."

"You mean like a maid?"

"Well I guess that's one way to describe her. I can't say that I wouldn't like the help. These kids are gonna keep me busy enough as it is without a house to keep too."

Mandy took a sip of her tea. "That's right; I keep forgetting you're having twins."

Buttercup laughed lightly. "I don't have any trouble remembering."

Mandy laughed too. It was nice to talk this way with each other. After everything that had happened, it felt good to lay everything out.

Buttercup took another sip of tea and her expression darkened. To Mandy it seemed like her mind was suddenly going down a dark path from the well-lit path they had been travelling before, not unlike Red Riding Hood. Mandy decided to pull her out before she met the Big Bad Wolf.

"Something bothering you?"

Buttercup sighed. "It's just that I don't know how often or how long he'll be gone. Will I spend most of my time alone? How often will he be there to hold me?"

Mandy understood that all too well, but only now did she realize that Buttercup wasn't in much better a position. True Will and Buttercup would be living under the same roof, but how often would he be under that roof with her? Mandy thought that might be even worse than her situation where Billy was unable to even come with her. At least he would be safe. Mandy didn't know exactly what Will's job was but she bet it was far from the safest job in the world.

Mandy reached over and gently grasped her hand. "Don't worry; you have me remember."

Buttercup smiled. "Yeah, and I'm glad I do."

The ringing of Buttercup's phone interrupted the tender moment and she had to excuse herself to answer it.

"Hello? Bubbles? Sorry I'm having tea with Mandy right now, maybe later. Okay bye."

"That was Bubbles?"

"Yeah, she has someone she wants me to meet I told her later. Right now It's nice just being here with you", she said with a raise of her cup. Mandy returned the gesture and the two continued.

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Several miles outside of Endsville Billy and Will walked through a dense wooded area with Ferratus stalking ahead of them looking for rodents or other small animals in the wild grass that grew amongst the trees.

Billy had been expressing his worry and general dissatisfaction about being separated from his love and unborn child. It was a bitter topic but one that needed to be discussed.

"I understand how you feel", Will replied. "My job takes me all over the world, sometimes for weeks at a time. I've done it plenty of times before but I've never done it leaving a wife and children behind."

"Have you considered another job?"

"Briefly, but I love what I do; and it makes me a lot of money. I want my family to have anything it needs and in this world you need money to make some of that happen."

Billy now looked even more worried. "But what am I going to do about that?"

"That's up to you. You have to decide what you need to do to provide for your family. I know what I'm doing because I've been doing it for most of my life. I can't give my family the same freedom most other families enjoy, so I have to make up for that anyway I can."

Billy understood what he meant. It would be difficult for non-humans to enjoy the same freedoms that most people took for granted because they had to constantly hide who they were.

There was a rustling in the grass and a small mouse darted across their field of view. Reacting almost instantly, Ferratus jumped, almost on top of the tiny rodent, and then smacked his claw on top of it, killing it instantly. He then picked it up and devoured it.

"That was quick", Billy remarked.

Will chuckled. "A rodent would need to be a lot faster than that to get away from Ferratus."

They resumed their walk as they followed Ferratus deeper into the woods. A moment passed before Billy decided to speak again.

"There's still something bothering me."

Will looked at him curious. "What is it?"

"We still haven't figured out exactly how I got so smart, and how Mandy got nice all of a sudden."

Will stroked his chin. "I guess we haven't have we? I wish I knew the answer Billy, but even I don't know everything."

Billy frowned. "I don't think we can call this case closed until we find that out."

Will nodded. "Yeah, it might be more important than we realize."

Up in record time since entering college. I appoligize if the title's a bit weak. The issue that was prevelant at the beginning is raised again. How did Billy and Mandy change so fast?

I tried to step up the quality of my writing with this chapter although it was difficult since not much happened. Tell me what you think and thanks for reading.