Chapter 5: Bubbles & Buttercup
Blossom smirked as she glanced around at the several guards, protected in armor, that surrounded her on all directions. There was at least thirty and all were armed with crossbows, bows & arrows, spears, and swords. A few were holding maces. Blossom's eyes darted toward an iron rod resting on the ground at her feet. In a graceful motion, she used her ankle to kick up the rod into the air and snatch it mid flight. A nearby gurad released a quarrel at her, but she easily dodged it and it struck a guard behind her. He slumped to the ground to never reawaken. Oh please, you have to be quicker than that! How pathetic.
Rushing toward another guard, Blossom ducked a swinging sword and struck the metal rod into the skull of a soldier holding a spear. Quick as a blink, she dived for the projectile and plunged it into the back of a man who was advancing toward her. The fight was practically over as soon as it started when she had decapitated all but one soldier. He smiled at her in partial armor, only a breastplate protecting his chest. A scar reached from his right eyebrow to his chin and his face looked oddly familiar. He held no weapons. Blossom crouched down and retrieved a fallen bow and arrow. Notching it in place, she took aim for the neck. Releasing the arrow, it flew true toward the target in the fleshy neck of the oppenet but almost magnetically the arrow changed course and struck the forehead of the man as blood spewed from the wound. He slumped to the ground.
Blossom shrieked in horror. How could she have done that? She gazed around at the lifeless heapes surrounding her that had once been filled with life. They were so easy to take down. How could she not have felt guilt until now? "Hello!?" a voice called out of nowhere.
Blossom twirled in a circle searching for the speaker but found no one. Nothing was around besides corpses. No trees, no grass, no sky, no landscapes. No color. It was like she was trapped inside a giant white box that was magically full of light. Blossom began shaking and inhaled sharply before responding. "Hello?" she whispered cautiously, almost inaudible.
"Hello," the voice repeated. It had a ghostly ring to it. Was it the ghosts of the men she had just slaughtered? Or the last man standing who faced such a grossom demise? Was it Sedusa, trying to find her? Brick trying to call out to her telepathicly? Or was it that Disoria character that she had vaguely heard about the previous night?
"Who's there? Where are you? Are you trying to kill me? I'm sorry!" Blossom cried loudly, her voice echoing throughout the room. Tears brimmed and rolled down her flushed cheeks. "Please don't hurt me!"
"Hello? Are you alright? Hellooo?"
Blossom's eyes shot open and she began panting out of panic. Her eyes were filmy and couldn't see anything in front of her. She closed her eyes again and took slow breaths, pacing her breathing. It was a dream! She didn't kill anyone! No. She had killed someone. The same man in her dream. That's why he looked familiar. He had been chasing her and her friends. She thought she was brave enough, ready for her first kill. Now the guilt was unbearable. Tears brimmed and she wanted to cry again. A voice interrupted her sulking.
"Are you alright?"
Blossom shot her eyes open a second time, focusing on a humanoid figure laying beside her. Her eyes locked on a pair of blue ones, not unnatural blue like Boomer, but a natural light blue shade. The girl was short and lean with blonde hair and orange tips in two messy ponytails. Wearing a indigo dress made of several patches of purplish-blue material were sewn together to create the dress. She was smiling with concerned eyes.
Blossom released a yelp. "Wha? Who?" Blossom whispered, with a scared tone.
"You were screaming in your sleep. I tried waking you up but you were out cold." the girl replied. Blossom opened her mouth to say something but closed without uttering a sound. "I'm Brittany. Well, you can call me Britt. That's what my sisters call me. And Brick Boomer, and Butch. Sometimes they call me Firecracker because of my hair color. Boomer said it reminded him of flames flickering in a fire."
The door eased open and Blossom's eyes darted to intruder. A second girl with brown eyes, and hair with straight bangs wearing a tattered green dress poked her head inside. "Britt!" she scolded. "You were not supposed to disturb her!" She turned her attention to Blossom who was sitting up in the bed, looking startled. "Im Basil. You've met Britt. Britt, give the poor girl some sp-"
A third girl with long brown hair, brown eyes, a cloth headband wearing a brown scrungy dress with a maroon sash arond the waist appeared. "Basil! Britt! What the heck are you doing in here?" Basil opened her mouth in protest but got cut off. "Just go help Bhumi make breakfast. Britt! Go see if Boomer or one of the other guys can play with you." Britt reluctantly got out of the bed and scampered out the door with Basil behind. Blossom looked at the new comer again. "Sorry about that, hon. Those were my little sisters. I'm Bree, and don't be afraid. We're friends of Brick, Boomer, and Butch's. Breakfast will be ready shortly. We left a spare dress that should be your fit in the closet. If Britt gets too annoying, just shoo her away. If you need anything, theres 7 people in this house who know it all too well." She smiled.
Blossom smiled back awkwardly. "Thanks." Bree stepped out of the door leaving the room. Blossom kicked the cover off of her lower body. She wandered over to the closet and pulled out the brown dress with bubblegum pink sash that matched her eyes. Wait a sec. They weren't freaked by her eyes? Oh yeah. They said that they knew the guys. Her hair was still in a messy braid from the night before and she didn't have a brush handy so she left it as is. After shimmying into the dress, she opened the door and walked out into the hallway.
Instantly, a small blonde pounced from her position on the floor into Blossom's arms who let out a startled squeal. She gave a timid smile when she recognized the blonde as Britt. "Hi there, Britt." She started cheerfully. "Where are the others at?"
Britt giggled. She had something in her shirt. "They're in the kitchen. But I want to show you something first." Britt grabbed Blossom's hand without waiting for an answer. Blossom smiled. She was just a bundle of energy! Blossom was led down the hallway into a small backyard with a high fence surrounding it. A large tree with yellow blossoms stood at the center of the yard.
"Blossom, are you coming?" Britt called. Blossom had stopped to gaze at the scene and Britt waited beneath the tree. Blossom hustled over to the tree and took a seat beside Britt.
"What do you want to show me?"
Britt giggled. "This." She pulled out a rag doll with orange hair, pink eyes, and a red cloth dress. Blossom let out a gasp. "I gave one that looked like my friend Bubbles to her. And one that looked like Buttercup to her. They are like my sister's too, and you remind me alot of them so I wanted you to have it."
"I do? That's weird." Blossom acknowledged. "Where did you get those dolls?"
"My mommy made them for me before she was carried off by the Allies of Darkness." Britt replied woefully. Blossom cocked her head in confused sympathy. Her mother was carried off? Where is their father? How old are they? Bree looks to be at least 20.
Bree walked out the back door. "Guys! Get inside! The town is crawling with guards looking for the fugitives who slaughtered 17 Brontonese soldiers last night. Britt, you know better than to mention A of D, spys could put all of us in danger."
Britt stood, grumbling and walking towards the entryway with Blossom hurrying behind her. Hustling into the house, Britt mumbled. "You've been so uptight and paranoid since mom and dad got taken hostage. Bhumi too." This caught Blossom by surprise. Their parents were kidnapped by who?
"Britt! Just...behave."
The hallway opened up into a small room with the front door on the opposite side of the hallway with a fireplace on the left with a few blankets and a rickety old couch. A long table was on the right side with a sink and water pump. An ice box sat in the corner. Brick and Boomer were eating what looked like oatmeal and Butch was nervously watching out the window. Basil was eating alongside Boomer and Brick. Bhumi was doing dishes.
Brick glanced up at Blossom when he noticed her in the room. Your finally up! I've been worried. That was quite nightmare you had last night. Brick conveyed to her telepathically.
Blossom rolled her eyes. "You peek in on my dreams too?" She asked out loud.
Brick smirked. "I could sense your frustration. Besides, I only caught the ending anyway."
Blossom blushed. Now he is reading my dreams? I don't get any privacy anymore. Bloomer interrupted her thoughts.
"He read your dreams too?" Boomer asked Blossom, spooning his oatmeal. He had already eaten two bowls and couldn't intake much more. He could already feel his stomachs expanding. Blossom nodded to answer his question. "One time he read my dreams and I was dreaming about a land with candy with trees, unicorns, and fairies. Wait did I just say that out loud?"
Everyone busted out laughing except Butch who continued to monitor the window. He noticed a few guards with Brontonese armor walking around town, pounding on doors. "Sh-" Butch started to say turning around. Bhumi shot him a look and her eyes darted to Britt who was eating oatmeal at the table. "Shave them cows!" He hastily finished.
Shave them cows? That's the best you could come up with? The words enTered Butch's mind as if they were his own.
How did you reach my mind? Butch thought the words, willing Brick to perceive them.
You left your shield down accidentally when you hastened to finish your sentence.
Oh well, good bye. Butch felt his mind go clear and was aware that his guard was back up and Brick's presence had departed- mentally not physically.
Butch looked up and saw Bree giving him a look. "What?"
"Mental conversation?"
"How could you tell?"
"Oh nothing. You held a perfectly straight face." Basil said sarcastically.
Britt jumped in on the teasing. "Yeah. Not like you were making a face like this!" Britt crossed her eyes, and dropped her jaw making her look either extremely bored or mental.
Butch looked to Blossom and Boomer and Bhumi. "Did I really look like that?" The three of them nodded.
Brick looked out the window. "Unfortunately we need to cut this visit short. We need to get out of town before the guards come looking in our direction."
"What!?" Britt cried. "You just got here!"
"Sorry Firecracker. That's the way it works in the Rebellion. Always gotta , staying in action" Boomer explained counseling her hair.
"Well let's get you four packed up shall we?" Bhumi announced. No one objected.
Boomer saw a blue bird and smiled. It reminded him of Bubbles. He hadn't seen her in a few weeks and he missed her. Zilla swayed beneath him while he rode towards the back of the small Calvary. After the girls had packed up provisions that would last a while, hugs were exchanged and then Blossom, Butch, Brick and himself had snuck out to the stable and led town undetected.
The day passed by uneventful. After several hours on horseback, Brick came to a halt at a giant boulder in the middle of a clump of trees who's leaves acted as a canopy. The trees were fairly large and a salty scent lingered in the air.
"Butch. Do your thing." Brick instructed.
Butch muttered something unintelligible and slid out of the saddle. Landing onto the ground, he sauntered to the giant boulder. He kneeled down and reached his hands beneath the boulder and began lifting. Blossom blinked. "What the heck? Why arn't you guys helping him? That has got to weigh 2 thousand pounds!"
"Just watch." Boomer replied.
Butch heaved the boulder up over his head effortlessly. A gaping hole was imbedded in the ground where the boulder had rested. Blossom gasped. Superhuman Strength was deffinantly his second power. How could she not have percieved that? Wait, why didn't Boomer just use his Levitation Gift?
The boulder is enchanted weighing close to 8,ooo pounds. Boomer can only levitate so much weight at a time without getting sick from over exertion. Butch has his own limits, but 8,ooo pounds is easy for him. Brick conveyed to her. She was sitting behind him on the chestnut mare that they had rode to escape the soldiers the previous night.
Blossom inched closer to him, her lips a few inches from his ear. "Why didn't you just whisper it to me? We are right next to each other." she whispered, a little annoyed. "And I don't like how you keep reading my thoughts." Brick shrugged with a smirk but his thoughts were no longer present in her mind.
Boomer jumped out from the saddle and alighted on the soft green turf. He scowered in his saddlebag for a moment, then remmoved a small cloth that had some leftover food from after lunch. Brick hopped down from Marlin's broad, muscular back. Holding out his hand, Blossom accepted the assistance and he helped her down from the saddle. Brick dug around in his own bag and retrieved a second bundle of provisions. "How you holding up there, Butch?" Boomer asked, walking over to the hole.
"I'm fine."
"What's it like holding 8,ooo pounds over your head? You make it look easy. You're not even straining." Blossom wondered out loud. She drifted over to where Butch continued hefting the enormous boulder.
Butch bit his lip thoughtfully. How could he explain it? "It's not as hard for me to lift this up as it would be for someone else without Strength. Think about picking up a cinder block up over your head. It's heavey but still managable."
"Sure," Blossom bobbed her head, acknowledging the desription.
"It's kind of like that. Except because I do have it as a supernatural Gift, I don't tire as fast. How long could you hold a fifty pound cinder block above your head, without fearing of dropping it on your head?"
"Maybe 6, 7 minutes."
"I could go probably 4 days holding this above my head before i would start to tire. It's actually a useful Gift. Not only do I have Strength, but endurance comes as a side effect, although it is not an offical Gift."
"How long can you go before you over exert yourself"
"6 days would be pushing my limit. 7 would more then less slip me into unconciousness or extremely ill. I've never held something so heavey for so long. That's a rough estimate. The most I can lift with out over exertion would be probably be close to 30,000 pounds."
Blossom's eyes widened. "Wow! You are amazing!"
Butch grinned. "I try. One of my lifelong achievements."
"Are you ready to see our headquarters...lair...thing?" Boomer asked, swiveling his head toward Blossom. Blossom nodded. Boomer dropped down into the hole, a few feet down. "Jump Bloss, I'll catch you." Boomer hollard up to her.
Blossom looked down the hole skeptically. She couldn't see Boomer. He was down maybe 10 or 11 feet. "Um, are you sure that I won't get hurt?"
Boomer chuckled from unseen depths. Brick snatched up her hand. "After you." he said.
Blossom rolled her eyes with a grin. "What a gentlemen!" She sat down at the edge of the hole, legs dangling. She closed her eyes, and gave a small shove falling down into the depth of the crater. Right when she felt that she would fall forever, she landed into outstretched arms. She looked up to see a Boomer. Blonde hair, blue eyes, kind smile. Even in the dim light, he was notably attractive. Well, not as cute as Brick.
"Thanks Pinky!" Brick yelled from the surface.
Blossom blushed. At least it was dark and Boomer couldn't see her. Boomer set her down on her feet. She really had to figure out a way to protect her thoughts!
Boomer looked at Blossom, with a curious smirk. "What were you thinking?"
Blossom blushed again, then formed a denfensive pose. She stuck up her nose, closing her eyes. "I have no idea what you are talking about." she stated flatly.
Brick dropped down to the dirt. A second later Butch joined them with a loud thud from the boulder which had fallen back into place over the gaping crater. Then they all started down the tunnel. It was wide and the dirt forming the walls was smooth, looking newly excavated. Blossom regarded that there was no stable. "Where do the horses go when you're hanging out down here?"
"Roaming the woods. They never stray too far." Brick responded.
"What keeps them from being stolen?"
"A small deflecting spell was casted on them so that anyone beside our inner group of allies would not be able to see them. The deflecter spells divert attention from them."
Blossom nodded thoughtfully. "Who's Bubbles and Buttercup? I heard Britt mention them a few times back at the house." she asked.
Butch chuckled mildly. "You'll meet them soon enough."
They continued down the corridor until they saw light eminating from a closed door. Brick approched the door and knocked with 3 quick pounds, pause, 2 more, pause, 3 more. They door opened revealing a glowering gitl, black hair reaching her shoulders, pointing out to the sides. Wearing a bright green and dark green checkered dress without shoes on her feet, the girl had bright green eyes that were unnaturally neonish green. Not fully neon, but very vibrant. Blossom's eyes widened. She had very similar attributes to herself. Same skin tone, face shape, figure. The girl seemed to be directing her disapproval toward Butch the most, but the she stopped, wide eyed when her eyes landed on Blossom.
Blossom smiled. She didn't force it, it came naturally. She found herself staring into her green eyes. She smiled back, showing off pearly white teeth. "Hi, I'm Buttercup. Come inside. And have some civilized company." Buttercup ushered her inside leaving the three boys brewin at the entryway.
"Holy crap! Did you see them two?!" Butch whispered.
Brick nodded. "Bubbles and Buttercup looking similar was a coincidence.-"
"Buttercup and Blossom looking similar is freaky." Boomer muttered.
"All three of them looking alike, minus hair and eyes... flat out SCARY!" Butch added. They wandered through the door to find Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles examining their similar traits.
Bubbles' head darted toward Boomer the moment he stepped through the door. Her hair was honey blond pulled back into two neat ponytails. Her eyes, a vibrant aqua blue that shimmered in the flickering light. She dashed forward jumping into Boomer's arms. "Boomie!" she giggled, as she and Boomer fell to the ground. She smiled down at him, and him back up at her. "Boomer! I missed you!"
Boomer sat up, pulling Bubbles closer to him, cradeling her. He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "I would have saw you last night if you met up at the rendezous."
"Sorry. We can explain."
Buttercup stomped over to Butch, hands on her hips. The blues went silent. All eyes were on them. "What has taken you idiots so long?"
Butch grinned. "Oh come on, Buttercup, you know you are happy to see me." He said cockily. He grabbed her hand and pulled her into a hug. Buttercup, rolled her eyes, but hugged him back.
Blossom smiled. It was so cute! Butch and Buttercup's tough demeanors. And Bubbles and Boomer's sweet demeanors. It was just like a fairytale! Brick strode up alongside her.
Sick, isn't it? Buttercup and Butch pretending that they don't give a shit about each other, but really do secretly harbor feelings for the other. Make it official already. Jeesh. And Bubbles and Boomer, well, its pretty darn obvious that they're an item. Although they won't admitt it. The thought entered Blossom's mind although it wasn't her own.
She grinned. Be nice. Its cute!
It's kind of freaky.
What did I just tell you?
Not that. That you, Bubbles and BC look almost identical, minus a few casualties.
Blossom nodded. Alright. She wasn't the only one who saw the uncanny resemblence. Yeah it is weird. But who kmows.
Butch and Buttercup started yelling at each other. Something about who was able to kill more enemies. Brick stepped between them. "Okay you two. You'll ahve time to bicker later. We have some important information to go over."
End of chapter 5! Hope you guys liked it! Sorry that BC and Bubbles wasn't in it more, but they're in it here on out. BTW the OCs are only minor characters since a few of you didn't like them very much. But i love them, they will be in future chapters but not until the end. (Part of the rebellion) The next chapter in going to involve alot of catching up and some backgrounds on all the characters that we have met. (excluding Blossom, we know her whole deal) please review and i hope you come back for chapter six XDDD
-PinkFan-Gurl