Final Prelude

Buttercup awoke panting as a shudder ran through her body. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation by any means, but in some ways it was still like waking from a nightmare. She could still feel her sister's lips against her own. That and more.

She was a little panicked. Part of her continually desired something the rest of her didn't. That loss of control and judgment made the otherwise pleasant dreams nightmarish to her. Worse, she didn't exactly live a normal life to begin with. Who was to say that one of their enemies wasn't spying on her dreams? That would be beyond embarrassing.

Then, who was to say someone wasn't controlling her dreams? Yeah, she could imagine Him having a hand in this. How else could she have such...desires?

"Who am I kidding?" she asked herself. Even Him wasn't good enough to pull this off. The more time she'd spent with her sister the more she came to realize how much she wanted to be with her. She hadn't just fallen in love, she was drowning in it. Less than a month ago she'd been sure those feelings would fade, so she just let them come. When they only got stronger, if anything, she'd fought and fought and fought, still never snuffing them out.

Everything about Bubbles was so wonderful and beautiful, from her body to her very core. Buttercup knew it could never happen, but despite all her effort she couldn't stop feeling the way she did. Part of her still believed that if she just talked to someone about it things would get better. But who was there to talk to? Bubbles was the only one Buttercup felt close enough to, but she was already struggling with what to say, if anything. How much and in what way.

It was starting to keep her up nights. Sometimes she'd even settle on something that seemed so solid and unshakable she slept easy, sure that the next day she'd resolve everything. Until she woke up, that is.

If she wanted a third party to talk her through and out of it, it pretty much came to her dad or Blossom. Of them, Blossom was more likely to make her own stand and stick with it and treat Buttercup like a problem to be solved. Her father, at least, would listen, smile, cry with her, and surely he would say something that would make everything right again.

What could he say, though? Nothing Buttercup herself hadn't already thought of.

She'd even tried to put a little more distance between herself and her sister. No more lounging around snuggled up or holding hands while they talked. Certainly no more sharing a sleeping bag or piling up on the couch. Their hugs were rarer and briefer, Bubbles apparently noticed and had toned down the friendly kisses on the cheek, and by this point Buttercup felt she'd just about removed the physical from it.

Which made that dream bother her all the more.

Bubbles stretched and mewed. The sky was still a ruddy orange. She kicked her sheets aside and walked over to the window. Even she wasn't always awake this early and she just felt like watching the sunrise.

She threw on a blue bathrobe and flew out one of her open windows, coming to stand atop one of the tallest skyscrapers in Townsville. Two years ago she'd done the same thing and some lucky photographer in the building behind her had stood on a balcony and snapped rolls of shots. He picked a few of the best and before long the image of her silhouette against the brightening morning sky was known throughout most of Townsville. Today it was still available on postcard and poster. It was even featured in the city's brochure.

Bubbles smiled at the thought of the three or so webcams she knew were trained on this spot. So many people looked up to her and her sisters. She came out here for her own pleasure, but she felt happy that someone else might share that in some way.

She had to admit she was bothered a little, though. People seemed to almost worship them from a distance, but most of those that actually came near them were almost spiteful. She tried to write it off as typical high school and teenage behavior. Sometimes she thought they were disappointed when the girls became more real to them. It was easy to idolize something you only saw on T.V. and in pictures.

Bubbles knew she and her sisters were only human. They'd never really been perfect. They'd each stolen something at some point in their lives. They had lied more than once. Even though they gave so much time and took so many risks for sake of others, they had their selfish moments. How disappointed would some of those other people become if they realized they were just three otherwise ordinary kids with a strong sense of responsibility who happened to come into this world with tremendous powers?

Those thoughts passed quickly, though. The sun waited for no one.

Blossom stretched yet again and checked her alarm. She'd awoken in the middle of the night and later had trouble returning to sleep. It was usually like that. If she woke up more than halfway through the night it was hard to keep her mind from working through something or another.

It was about the time she normally got up. True to form, she was only now feeling close to sleep again. Unfortunately, she had plans today.

She was dressed and walking into the professor's lab within minutes. Breakfast would wait.

"Morning, dad," Blossom greeted as she descended.

"Good morning, sweetie," he answered, peering through a microscope. "Could you do me a quick favor before we get started?"

"Sure," she replied, hopping up to sit on the counter nearby. "What do you need?"

He left the microscope and leaned on the counter. "I just wanted to ask you about your sisters."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You spend more time with them than I do, between patrols, crime fighting, and your other superheroics. I was just wondering if you'd...noticed anything unusual."

Blossom scrunched her eyebrows in hard thought. "I'm not sure... Like what?"

"Well, I suppose I could have been a little more direct. You've noticed they're spending a lot of together, right?"

Blossom cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah."

"What do you think about that?" he asked. It was an intentionally vague question. Blossom knew that meant he wanted her full, detailed opinion.

"Well, I think it started right after we came back from overseas. Bubbles told me she got Buttercup to talk through the whole Mitch thing, which I was glad to hear. I suppose they've become confidantes."

Blossom paused to gather her thoughts. "I admit I've thought their outings are a little unusual for both of them, together or apart. I didn't think about it much, though. If I didn't have anything better to do, I think it'd be fun to do things like visit a foreign country on a whim or camp on the peak of Mount Everest, too. We usually end up using our powers for work. I figured they're having a good time playing with them."

"And how about you, Blossom? Have you ever thought of joining them? Or have they ever offered?"

"Well, I feel a little left out sometimes, but it doesn't bother me that much. They haven't asked me, but I don't think they feel like they need to. They probably figure if I wanted to come along I'd just ask."

"I thought as much. Thank you, Blossom."

He left the counter, heading for a side chamber. He'd be directing Blossom from the safety of a nearby room while she superheated a mineral with her powers in a room designed to handle such activity.

"Professor?" she asked.

He stopped at the doorway and turned. "Yes, honey?"

"Why did you ask about Bubbles and Buttercup? Was something bothering you?"

"Oh, nothing like that, I don't think. I've just never really seen you girls play favorites with each other before. Well...that's not the phrase I'm looking for, but you understand."

Blossom smiled, "Oh, dad, they're not trying to be mean to me or anything if that's what you're worried about."

He smiled back, "I know, sweetie. Thanks for that." Not that that's what he was worried about, but he still felt better.