Chapter 16: Swords of Light
Bubbles ran to the rock, tears streaming down her pink face. Blinded by her hysterical sobs, she climbed up the rock pile where her foot slipped and scraped her knee on a sharp edged rock, increasing the volume of her cries. Tossing aside pebbles of various sizes, she furiously tried digging to her friends on the other side.
A soothing hand rested on Bubbles' shoulder. Trying to hide her tears, Bubbles brushed away his hand, as she pounded her fists on the rocks where her knuckles were red and were beginning to bleed. Boomer sighed with a growl mixed into it as he pinned the struggling blue girls arms to her side's. "Bubbles! Hon, you need to relax and stop beating yourself up. There's nothing more we can do. If we want to save them, we need to reach those swords."
Bubbles shook her head furiously while salty tears continued to pour down her damp face. "No! No! You and Butch need to use your powers! To move the rocks," she yelled through tears.
"Look at me!" Boomer said sternly, looking into Bubbles eyes. "Bubbles, look at me!" Bubbles looked deep into his eyes, knowing that hers were bloodshot. His expression softened. "Bubbly, there's nothin more we can do. Their best chance is if we complete the mission. We can't let Buns, Ro, and Princess' sacrifice go in vain." Boomer whispered, squeezing the last of her tears out. Pulling her close, Boomer planted a kiss on her lips, before helping her onto his back. Then he levitated them down the 12 feet that Bubbles had unknowingly climbed in her frenzied state.
Blossom carefully made her way over and took a look at Bubbles puss leaking gashes. She cringed. "That's quite a wound you got yourself there," Blossom noted kneeling down where Boomer had sat her on the ground. Bubbles shrugged. Stretching forth her palm, Blossom murmured a series of unintelligible words, and before their eyes, Bubbles cut healed miraculously.
Butch spun in a circle, not knowing where he was looking. "Hey Brick, how about lighting us a torch?"
"Sounds like a relatively good idea." Brick concededed, while creating a fire ball that hovered slightly above his hand. He glanced over at where Buttercup was sitting on a ledge, her arms crossed, dried tears staining her cheeks, and a scowl on her lips. "Buttercup, I've never seen you so happy," he commented sarcastically.
Buttercup made a face at Brick. Butch started running in place, stretching his legs. "But seriously, Butterstuff, what's with the face. Despite whatever it might be." Buttercup shot him a dirty look. Butch grinned it off.
"Well, I'm sitting in the dark with a broken ankle and no one gives a rat's ass about my problems," she pouted miserably.
Brick grinned as Blossom skipped over to the impatient green girl. "Buttercup, you're not sitting in the dark. I have a torch going. If anything, you're sitting in the shadows." He teased, earning another glare from Buttercup.
Blossom tapped Buttercup's swollen ankle, and she pulled back as Buttercup instinctively flinched at the pain and her ankle twitched mildly. Blossom leaned forward, rubbing the injured spot. "Yep it's definitely broken. Heh heh." She assessed with a nervous undertone. She averted her eyes.
Boomer stumbled over to where the other four were gathered around with Bubbles on his back. "What's the matter? Can't you heal it?"
Blossom grinned sheepishly. "Umm... I've never healed a broken bone, let alone bone with so much irritation. One of two things could happen ."
"Which are?" Butch asked, finishing his stretches.
"Well, I could heal her and be just fine."
" Or?" Bubbles asked next.
"I could become sick from exertion and become an annoying drag to the team," the pink girl summed up. She tried narrowing it in a nut shell instead of giving a very annoying and boring lecture.
"So, I'm gonna have to deal with a friggin broken ankle?" Buttercup demanded, pivoting her head in a neck roll.
"Nope. Just maybe Blossom." Blossom answered , placing her forefinger and middle finger on her ankle.
"You guys are not making any sense to me!" Bubbles exclaimed roughly. Feeling herself slipping off of Boomer's back, she tightened her legs' grip around his waist and boosted herself up farther onto his back.
"She's going to heal her despite the fact that her energy might be drained." Brick clarified. He kneeled down beside Blossom. "I know that there is no way of stopping you, but you have to promise me one thing."
Blossom smiled and her eyes darted over to the red leader that she had grown to love. "Which is?"
"You had better not whine my head off if you get a fever." He said back.
Blossom pushed him away. "Jerk." Brick grinned, as he righted himself after tripping. Blossom inhaled sharply before replacing her fingers on Buttercup's busted ankle. Mumbling a complex sentence, a small pink glow erupted on Buttercup's skin before disappearing into the air. Falling to her knees, Brick caught her arms so she didn't skin her elbows on the ground. "How's it feel?" She asked Buttercup.
Buttercup pivoted her ankle joints, satisfied that it no longer was pained. She jumped to the floor, pleasantly surprised that it felt as if it had never been broken. "It feels like it was never broken! That's amazing!" She thanked her, as she danced lightly. Then she came to a halt. "How bout you? How's your energy level?"
Brick helped Blossom to her feet. She was a little wobbly, but otherwise she seemed alright. "Actually, it wasn't as taxing on my body as I thought would be."
"But how do you feel?" Brick pressed, steadying the orange haired beauty.
Blossom took a solid step forward. "Fine actually. It just feels like I pulled an all nighter. I should be fine. I've been in worse conditions."
Bubbles frowned. " Should we rest here for a few hours so we all can regain our energy after a night like last night."
Brick glanced around the dull cave that was illuminated a wavering orange that floated above him. He had an expression that revealed that he was thinking carefully, planning the best move. "No. We need to keep moving. There's an old and dangerous magic woven into this place. It's strong. You can almost feel the weight of it if you focus. I think it would be safer if we kept moving." He informed them.
Butch sniffed the air. "I know what you mean."
Buttercup slapped her face gently. "Now we got two blood hounds that can smell magic."
"Suck it up, Buttercup!" Boomer scolded her. "At least we're not in the dark."
Buttercup rolled her eyes. She really hated that saying. They were always teasing her that the saying was actually inspired by her complaining, which is totally not true! She doesn't complain about everything!
"Are we going to get moving or is everyone going to sit around getting on each other's nerves?" Brick interjected, finally getting annoyed by the arguing.
"I'm not done groping." Buttercup pleaded in a monotone, arms crossed.
"Buttercup!" Blossom exclaimed, an expression on her face that showed that she wasn't going to take anyone's crap or excuses.
Buttercup scrunched up her nose. "Okay. I'm done groping."
"Let's just go," Butch urged, shoving his hands in his pockets. He slouched his shoulders and glided forward taking the lead. A loud thump echoed in the cave as Butch jumped back clasping onto his foot.
Brick grinned. "Maybe you should let the person with the torch lead the group," he suggested, patting Butch on the back as he moved past him and deeper into the cave.
"That maybe best." Butch grunted in agreement. He placed a bit of weight on his foot and came to the realization that it no longer throbbed. Ah. Thank goodness the human body was able to fight pain and build up against it. Butch stopped in his tracks. Did he just think something...intellectual? A squeak escaped his throat.
"What's wrong with you?" Bubbles asked. She slid down off of Boomer's back.
"I said something...smart." He shuddered.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Boomer asked. He grabbed Bubbles hand and walked towards the front without waiting for an answer.
Buttercup thwacked Butch on the back of the head softly. "Just because you have the Gift of Earth doesn't mean you need to keep rocks in your head."
Butch crossed his arms and scowled. "At least my ass fits into my pants."
Buttercup twisted and grinned. "I don't usually wear pants, unless you can fit your ass into my dresses."
Butch growled. Buttercup stuck out her tongue in a taunting way before bolting for the safety of Blossom and Brick. Butch growled again as he took off after her. Once he finally caught up, Buttercup was walking with her arms hooked with Blossom, with Boomer and Bubbles separating the two greens. Butch grinned. Well played.
Boomer swung his and Bubbles' entwined hands back and forth. She giggled as her mussed up pigtails bounced. Chuckling at her lighthearted giggles, he twirled her around in a circle, then pulled her closer to his chest. From there, he picked her up by the waist and spun both of them around playfully.
"Boomer! Bubbles! Can you stop playing, and try to at least pretend that you are concerned that the fate of the world rests on our shoulders?" Blossom blurted out harshly.
Boomer with held a laugh as he set the blue girl down. Bubbles face was pink from trying not to laugh, as they went back to holding hands and walking down the tunnel. "Who died and leader?" Boomer snickered.
Bubbles shrugged. "I don't know. She seems to have the qualities of a leader if you ask me. Maybe it' another one of those weird coincidences."
"Could be." Boomer conceded.
Blossom sniffed the air as they receded farther into the cave. How was Butch able to smell the magical properties in the air? That makes no sense.
He's got the Gift of Earth remember. He kind of shares a bond with the earth, and he could sense the magical properties woven into the area.
Blossom smiled as the words entered her mind. She loved having telepathic conversations. It was an interesting way to communicate. And there was no one else in the world she could communicate like this with besides Brick. Cool. But still. How could he actually like, sense it?
I don't have the power, but my best guess is that it just feels differently than other parts of the earth. It's a farfetched question. Brick responded.
Blossom giggled to herself. I bet Butch wouldn't even be able to explain as much as you did, and he does have the power!
That is very true. Hmmm...
What is it?
I can sense someone else's mind up ahead a little ways. I'm not sure what or why. But...there' something. He reached down, scooping Blossom's hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"How much farther? My legs hurt!" Buttercup complained. "My feet weren't designed for walking."
"Then what were they made for?" Brick asked, rolling his eyes.
"Well, walking, but-"
"There you go. You admitted it yourself. Stop whining." Blossom huffed.
"But up until a month ago, all we did was ride horses!" Buttercup persisted, dragging her feet. Now she was just trying to be difficult.
"Stop whining!" Bubbles repeated.
"Shouldn't you be in peak physical condition if you have Hand to Hand Combat?" Boomer asked.
"You would think that, but when your mad skillz could accidentally kill some guy, I often refrain myself from my full potential. Therefore, I go halfway."
"You are so stubborn!" Butch muttered pushing past her, and toward the front. Buttercup frowned then shrugged.
Suddenly, the cave illuminated by so itself magically so Brick extinguished his fire. Brick came to a halt at the front, causing Boomer bump into him, and Buttercup into Boomer. On the left, Blossom stopped in her tracks when Brick did, causing Butch to bump into her and Bubbles into him. "What now?" Buttercup asked from the back.
"It's a test of some sort." Brick replied.
"What is it? I can't see!" Bubbles hopped and stood on her tip toes to no avail.
Blossom gulped, her face paling slightly. "You might not want to."
The cave curved and then opened up into a spacious room. On the opposite side of the room was two archways that served as a fork in the path. In front of the archway on the right was a giant pink fuzzy creature. It had thin antennas with green puff balls at the ends. Its eyes were huge with greenish grey irises, and it had a dull green nose that looked like a puffball. It was wearing blue Jean overalls with one strap broken, and it held a banjo. He was strumming the instrument, creating a soft melody to waft through the air. Overall the creature wouldn't have been intimidating if it wasn't for it's tremendous size.
Bubbles pushed her way to the front, where she tripped over someone's foot, and fell through the doorway into the sod room. The creature stopped strumming, without raising his eyes. Bubbles squealed, as she staggered to her feet. Giggling nervously, she figured that he was waiting for her to say something. She could also tell that her friends were holding their breath. Shaking it off Bubbles dusted off her skirt, and strode a step forward. "Hello! How are you?" She asked the creature in a distinctive language.
Blossom slapped her face. "She just can't help herself. I often wonder what the heck goes through her head." She muttered.
Bubbles heard the comment, but ignored it. The creature slowly turned its head, to look at Bubbles. It coughed, and hacked something up. Bubbles kept smiling, even though she felt like puking. "You speak perfect Dopel." He grunted.
"What did he say?" Brick asked Bubbles. He held onto Blossom's hand and ventured out into the room. The pink animal still seemed disinterested with Buttercup and Butch following close behind.
Bubbles recited what it said. Butch huffed. "Are you sure? It sounded more like rocks grating against each other."
The creature tuned his banjo, then began playing a peppy melody. "My name is Fuzzy. Guardian of the Swords of Light." He replied in a gurgly tone.
"I am Bubbles. This is Brick." She motioned to Brick. "Blossom." She jerked her thumb towards Blossom. "My boyfriend Boomer." She gave a side hug to Boomer. "And those two back there are Butch and Buttercup." She nodded her head subtly toward Butch and Buttercup. "What kind of creature are you?"
"A Lumpkins." Fuzzy narrowed his eyes at Bubbles. He seemed unsure about them being there, like he hadn't seen people in decades. He hacked again. "How do you speak my language so fluently? No person has been able to master the complicated tongue of Dopel for centuries. Unless times have changed on top and everyone are more educated, I'd reckon that you have a gift, little girly." He watched them intently for an answer.
"What did he just say? He sounds like an upset stomach!" Buttercup complained, crossing her arms.
"He said that no one has learned his language in a long time and he is a Lumpkins," Bubbles answered. "Um, yes Mr Fuzzy. I am actually a Splitzer and my Gift is Language."
Fuzzy let the bottom hit the floor as he looked up. For the first time since they had gotten there, he seemed intrigued by his guests. "You are a Splitzer you say?"
Bubbles nodded. "Actually, all six of us are Splitzers."
Fuzzy nodded. "You do realize that only decendents of the first great Splitzer Rita are allowed to access the swords, right?"
Bubbles face fell. "Oh. No. We didn't know this."
"What is it, Bubbles? What did he say?" Brick asked.
"He said only decendents of Rita can get the sword." Bubbles responded sadly. The rest of the group looked at the ground. The chances of defeating Disoria were always slim, but they haven't felt so defeated until now. Sure, they stole a key from a king, outran a calvary, befriended a griffin, got past an old phantom, outfoxed dragons, communed with an ancient oracle, met unicorns, and escaped the SAME dragons. Pissed dragons to top it off. But now, a pink fluffy Lumpkinsz had shattered their last thread of hope.
Fuzzy sniffed the air, then grinned. "I was once the right hand Lumpkin to her Greatness. Rita was not only my master, but my best friend." He was speaking in English now. Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup tilted their heads at him, not sure where he was going. A wider grin spread across Fuzzy's dry, cracked lips. "I can sense her presence here, right now. I couldn't feel it until my eyes were opened to the knowledge of you all being Splitzers. Forgive me." He bowed himself as if they were princes and princesses before him.
Blossom and Bubbles curtseyed respectfully. "Of course," They said in unision.
Boomer held up a hand. "You could speak english, the whole time," he started holding his composure. "But you SPOKE IN A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE ANYWAY?!" he finished with a paranoid yell.
"Boomer! Cool it!" Brick hissed, hitting him on the back on the head. Boomer flinched, rubbing the back of his head. Brick grinned to himself. Smacking Boomer was fun. He sould do that more often. Heh.
"What are you talking about Mr?" Buttercup asked. She was obviously not following the conversation. She was just bored of all the stupid guardians that keep blocking their path to success. Fist it was the griffin to the gates of The Forgotten Lore, then it was HIM guarding the actual building itself, then a bunch of bitchy dragons, and now Mr patato with pink mold all over his body. WHAT WERE THE WIZARDS THINKING WHEN THEY DECIDED TO EXPAN EARTH'S INHABITANTS? WHY COULDN'T THEY BE SATISFIED WITH NORMAL HUMAN BEINGS?!
Fuzzy strummed another note. "Alls I'm sayin is that three of you get to journey on to retrieve the swords if you wish, while the other three must either leave or wait for you here."
"Who are the three that get to move on?" Brick demanded.
"The three young ladies are definetly come from the line of Rita the Powerful. The rest of the young men must take the left passage and continue on to the next room to wait for the ladies to be victorious, or for them to fail and you'll be on your way. Unless you wish to move on without them." Fuzzy's eye twitched as he spoke. He had a knack about getting on people's nerves, and he had a feeling that Red Cap was going to blow momentarily.
"The cave entrance was caved in by rocks," Butch reminded him.
The fluffy pink wad of fur chuckled. "My dear boy, of course i realize this. That was merely the entrance. The exit is at the end of these caves." He pointed at the two tunnels he was refering to. "The only problem is, is that you have to split up or give up your prize."
"But we can't split up!" Boomer protested, pulling Bubbles into a hug.
Fuzzy sighed. "Then you must be on your merry way. You wont be able to spend the night here. The magic in this cave was designed so that only creatures and people with good hearts and intentions can enter. But as a safeguard, the designers made it so that a poisonous gas escapes the walls and kills if tresspassers stay longer than a 24 hour cycle. And my apologies, but even if you didn't go after the swords, you wouldn't have time to sleep AND escape before you slowy asphyxiate."
Blossom face palmed. She was seriously getting tired of all these death traps. "Posionous gas? What's next? Armageddon or Doomsday?"
"Armageddon?" Bubbles repeated.
"Doomsday?" Boomer echoed, confused.
Blossom bit her lip, then released an exasperated sigh. "You know. The books." She gave them a look saying 'how can you not know what I am talking about.' Boomer and Bubbles chuckled nervously while looking at the floor. Blossom put her hands on her hips. "Forget it. It's irrelevant anyways."
"Irrelevant?" Buttercup asked, a tint of confusion in her tone. Buttercup started laughing when she saw Blossom inhale, ready to scream. "Blossom! I was only kidding! I know what it means." Blossom sighed with relief. Probably because she didn't need to correct her...or something.
"Back to the matter, we need those swords. But we can't split up!" Brick informed Fuzzy.
Fuzzy shook his head. "Only the relatives of Rita can retrieve this swords. Take them or leave em."
"We need them. The fate of the world seriously relies on us getting those swords!"Brick emphasized. Fuzzy shrugged, like the matter didnt phase him at all. Brick rubbed his temples, trying to plan his next move. He wasn't going to get anywhere near those swords with this guy blocking his way. Same deal with Butch and Boomer. And there was no way he was going to risk the lives of Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup. Grabbing a fistful of his knotted orange hair, he exhaled sharply, stomping around in a circle.
Blossom sighed, her sympathy going out to him. He was trying so hard to be a good leader. And he was a good leader. But he was putting too much pressure on himself. Hugging her stomache, Blossom casually approached Brick from behind. A few rocks shuffled beneath her foot creating a low sound echoing in the room. He whipped around on the defensive side, but relaxed when he saw Blossom. Blossom smiled. She rested a comforting hand on Brick's shoulder. "Hey. Don't beat yourself up."
Brick shook his head in a frustrated way. He began pacing back and forth. "No. It is my fault. I thought that all six of us could get them together. I'd be willing to sacrifice my own life, and my brothers feel likewise. But we can't ask you or the other two to give themselves up."
Blossom skipped up to him. She stepped right in front of him, cutting him off from his pacing. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him into a comforting hug. Brick smiled into her hair. Blossom pulled back, just enough so she could stare into his blood red eyes. Wow, that gaze gives her the butterflies! Butterflies? Thats an understatement. That stare gave her the effect that she felt when she was falling from her tower, right before Boomer's Levitation could take hold of her. Blossom took a breath. "Brick, you are a great leader. But you're not the only one who has to take risks. Or your brothers for that matter. Bubbles, Buttercup, and I are fully cabable of handling ourselves. We can do this."
Brick shook his head furiously. "No. I can't ask you to do that!"
"I'm not having you ask me, Brick! I am telling you to have us do this!" Blossom maintained with a tone that had a mix of annoyance and anger. Her hands were on her hips and she had an unamused look on her face.
"I don't want you getting hurt!" He argued. His voice was slowly rising from a calm countenance to a enraged one.
"Brick!" Blossom raised her voice so she was shouting at him now. "Bubbles, Buttercup, and I broke into a castle and made it back peachy keen. Bubbles consulted with HIM, and avoided landing us as his eternal slaves. She has also been an incredable help with translating. The fricking griffin could have ripped us limb from limb but Bubbles amused her enough to help us AND let us live. Buttercup figured out how to break the spell that the dragons had on you, Butch, and Boomer. Both of us dispatched dozens of enemies ourselves. I have been useful with my Healing abilities. I found us allies! Sure. Maybe not the most efficient way, but I still did!" Brick pulled away and touched his forehead.
Across the room, Butch, Buttercup, Bubbles, and Boomer stood perplexed watching the two 'proclaimed' leaders. Fuzzy seemed disinterested, which wasn't a surprise. A bomb could drop on his front porch and that guy would remain oblivious as long as he had his banjo. Bubbles crossed her arms. "How do think its going?" she asked, knitting her eye brows together.
Butch shrugged. "I don't know. But Blossom was making some good points."
"No matter how many reasons she can support, if Brick won't agree, its not gonna happen." Boomer muttered.
"I beg to differ. Blossom is hot headed, and is persistent. She also uses logic to persuade. Besides, she would probably try to do what she thought was best anyways," Bubbles disagreed, keeping her eyes on the pink and red teens.
"What are you talking about?! I am much more hot headed than Bloss, but that has never made me win an arguement with Brick!" Buttercup protested.
"Weren't you listening to Blondey, Butterfluff? Pinky uses logic and persuades. If you don't get what you want, you punch someone." accused Butch with a humourous edge.
"And the problem is?" Buttercup demanded.
"The point is, is that Blossom isn't going to win this argument." Boomer said, focusing his attention on Brick and Blossom.
"Nuh uh! Blossom is going to win one way or another." Bubbles promised with a wink.
"Lets just watch..." Buttercup suggested.
Blossom tipped her head back and gave a mild growl. A growl that told others she wasn't threatening, but instead she was frustrated. "Brick, you can be as stubborn as Butch!" She heard a few snickers from across the room. She hid a grin. She thought Buttercup would find that humorous.
Brick gave a half smile. "Where do you think he originally got it from?"
"Boomer."
"Ha ha," he muttered sarcastically.
"Brick! We are the only ones who can get them! You need to let us-"
"Blossom, thats the end of it. No. We'll rest here for a bit before moving on."
Blossom groaned. She stomped a foot, but had a change of heart when an idea popped into her head. Making sure her mental barrier was up, she sighed and gave Brick a hug and a quick kiss. "Okay. You win. Let me break the news to the girls."
Blossom trudged up to Buttercup and Bubbles while Brick made his way to Boomer and Butch. Brick rolled his eyes when he saw Boomer laughing at Butch. "What are you laughing at?"
Boomer struggled to stop laughing. "Butch and Bubbles actually thought that Blossom would win in an argument against you."
Butch eyed Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles talking with Fuzzy near the tunnel that would lead to the swords. He grinned. Oh Boomer. You may regret your boasting later. He caught a glimpse of Bubbles pigtail crossing closer to the cave. He decided that if he spoke up now, the girls would still make it to the cave...unless Boomer used his Leviatation to stop them. Hmm. Boomer's not that smart. No need to worry. "Shit! The girls are leaving!"
"What?!" Brick and Boomer turned around just in time for a hazey blue force field take shape and block the entrance to the cave that lead to the swords. All three girls were on the other side. Brick pounded a fist on the barrier. "What the heck!?"
Blossom shrugged innocently. "Brick, you're the leader, but I felt that we needed to take a risk. As the self proclaimed leader of the girls, we have decided to do this." She kissed her palm and blew it to him.
Brick looked flustered. "Come back. We'll figure it out another way," he pleaded desperatly.
"Too late, Red. We need to procede and either make it or die trying." Blossom disclosed. She placed a palm on the force field, and Brick placed his on hers on the other side of the field. Looking deep into his eyes she whispered, "I love you."
"I love you too," he whispered back. He felt like his heart shattered as she slowly inched away into the darkness.
"Bubbles?! Are you KRAY-KRAY?" Boomer asked, face pressed against the transparent barrier.
Bubbles shrugged. "I told you Boomie. Blossom is persistent."
"But..but..but..."
"Chill, Boomie. I'll be back soon." She smiled. "I love you."
Boomer gave a sad smile. "I love you too. Please don't die!"
"And everyone thinks that I am paranoid?" Bubbles giggled to herself as she slipped into the shadows.
"Lets just cut this mush fest short, cool with you?" Butch asked Buttercup. Buttercup was the only one still visible from their side of the force field.
She nodded. "Sounds good to me."
"Okay then. I love you. Hurry up."
Buttercup rolled her eyes. "Your such a romantic, Butch. P.S. I love you too."
"I know you do."
Buttercup scoffed, then retreated into the eerie cave. Taking her time, she caught up with Blossom and Bubbles who were waiting for her down the tunnel a ways. Blossom and Bubbles looked cold, with goosebumps going up and down their arms and their teeth were chattering wildly. Taking a single step forward, a pang of needle like cold shot down Buttercup's spine. Immediatly, she began shivering too. "Wh-wh-why i-i-is it so c-cold?" Buttercup managed to get out.
Blossom tried shrugging, but she felt like her arms were frozen. "I'm not s-s-sure."
Bubbles curled up in a ball and sat down on the ground. As soon as her butt hit the ground, she shot up. "I want to j-j-just c-curl up and sleep. B-but the ground i-i-i-is f-f-frigid coold!" she whimpered. "I wanna go back."
"Come o-on girls!" Blossom shivered. "We told them we could handle it ourselves. W-we n-n-need to do th-this."
"O-okay. Lets get going b-before I die of hypothermia." Buttercup grunted. She was trying to sound sarcastice, but the bone gnawing cold made it come off differently.
Agreeing with the statement, Bubbles and Blossom took a few steps forward. Feeling tired and weak, Blossom pressed forward trying to put hope into her friends. Trudging against the cold was making her toes go numb, and she was hoping that the swords would be worth it.
After they shambled down the cave a little ways, a sudden blast of heat washed over their bodies that were freezing crisp. At first the sudden increase in temperature was a relief, and the girls eagerly rushed down the cave, but immediately regretted it. As they continued down the cave, the temperature increased as well.
Bubbles pushed up her sleeves, trying to keep cool. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her hair was sticking to her forehead. "What...the...heck...is going on?" She panted, lazily dragging her feet across the hot stone ground.
"Whatever it is...I ...dont...like...it ," Buttercup responded dryly. Mainly because her throat was seriously dry.
"If you ask me, this...cave...is.. a...harsh guard...ian." Blossom muttered. Buttercup and Bubbles gasped for cool air, but tried nodding to acknowledge the statement.
Instead of feeling cold and stiff, they felt hot and lazy. Their faces were dripping with sweat, and perspiration caused their cloths to cling to their body. It was like they were being roasted alive.
Becoming frustrated, Blossom muttered a quick saying. Suddenly, snow filled the cave, and a slight bit of steam was released. Buttercup and Bubbles flopped into the snow, sighing with relief. Blossom smiled, plopping into the refreshing white pile of snow. "Great thinking Blossom." Bubbles complimented. Rolling onto her back, she spread out her arms and legs. Moving them up and down, she created a snow angel.
"It's a bummer that Brick wasn't with us for that cold part." Buttercup noted. A grin was on her face when she slammed her head into the packing snow. She sighed again.
Blossom gasped. Lightbulb moment! "Maybe that's why we had to be the ones. Ice cancels out heat. Well, on a certain level. Maybe our powers will help us get to the swords. I hope so."
"Logical yet probable. Blossom, you are the smartest person I know." Bubbles said, scooping up some snow, she flung it into the her head.
"If that's the case, we can go at our own pace." Buttercup thought out loud.
"No! Girls, we need to get there before the end of a 24 hour cycle, or we are all going south." Blossom warned. Standing up, she hauled Bubbles to her feet. Buttercup grouchliy got to her feet.
Walking down the tunnel didn't feel as rough as the first time because Blossom made it snow continually, keeping the basic temperature suitable. Eventually, they reached the end of the tunnel, where it was a straight plummet down into a cavern. The crater was bowl shaped, and was 20 feet deep and the ceiling of the cave was higher than at least 70 feet. A tunnel entrance on the other side was visible, but was several feet higher than the one where the girls were standing. Another obstacle.
Buttercup crossed her arms frustrated. "Now what do we do?"
Firmly placing her hands on her hips, Blossom scanned the bowl like crater. It almost seemed like it could be filled with something. If only there was water. Then they could just swim ac-. Thats it! "Bubbles! Can you fill up the crater with water?"
Bubbles flicked her eyes at the crater. She shook her head after a second. "I have to sense water nearby to take control of it. I could fill a bit, but not as mush as that hole."
"Damn. Okay, Bloss, think!" Blossom whispered to herself. Pacing mildily, she tapped her forehead repeatedly, willing a new idea into mind. Ice is water! Just frozen. But theres no one to melt it. Wait a second. "I think i got it!"
"Then spit it out Leader Girl," Buttercup urged. She was leaning against the wall.
"Water melts ice. If I fill the crater halfway with snow, Bubbles can use her Water to melt the snow and it will fill it up the rest of the way!" Blossom scampered to the edge of the steep drop into the bowl like whole.
"Why do we want to fill it with water anyway?" Buttercup wondered.
"Because if we have a high enough water level we can swim across the diameter and get to that cave on the other side." Bubbles responded. She glanced back at Blossom, hoping that she was correct. Blossom nodded with a grin. Bubbles smiled triumphantly. "Told you so Buttercup!"
"Careful Bubbles. Your ego is showing." Buttercup retorted.
"What?! Where!?" Bubbles cried. She quickly looked up and down her outfit to make sure she still looked fabulous. Even if there wasn't any one to really see her.
"Now is not the time, girls. Come on." Blossom spread her palms out toward the crater. She mumbled a phrase and only a bit of snow came out. Keeping them cool in the cave had used alot of energy, and her Healing abilities couldn't help mental illneses. Taking in another breath, she muttered the phrase again, only louder. Once again, only so much came out.
"Blossom. You should rest. We can try again when you're feeling better." Bubbles walked up to Blossom and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"No. I can do this. I can do this." She repeated to herself. Using the last ounce of strength she had left, she filled the crater a bit more than halfway with powdery snow flakes. Dropping to her knees, she felt a sting course through her body. With the assistance of Buttercup and Bubbles, she rose to her feet to find a gash on her knee and a splitting headache was throbbing painfully. Not having the energy to help herself, she slumped against the wall. Buttercup held her in a tight embrace.
Bubbles sighed. "My turn. If Bloss could do it with such little energy, I can do it." Bringing her arms up over her head, Bubbles cleared her mind. Her powers came from peace and security with the world and its creatures. Exhaling slowly, she brought her arms around as if she were doing a graceful dance. Opening one eye, she focused on the pile of snow that was already beginning to melt. "Ret tio mer sa," she whispered calmly. Water began pouring into the crater from the sides of the sod walls. Snow melt into water, raising the level. Bubbles jumped back at the rapidly rising water. If they didn't move fast, it would rise until it flushed them out of the cave. "Can she swim? We have only a couple minutes to get out of here or we're doomed."
"I'm not sure," Buttercup responded. She supported Blossom to her feet.
Blossom nodded in a dizzy way. " I can make it." Muttering a second phrase, she used a portion of reserved energy to heal her knee and clear her head. "I can make it." She repeated, when she saw Buttercup whisper something to Bubbles.
"If you're sure." Buttercup conceded. "We'll be there if you need help."
"Get ready girls." Bubbles announced. She was standing at the edge again. The water level had increased much quicker than she had initially thought. Blossom grasped onto her hand, and used her other to hold Buttercup's hand. Sharing a quick three way smile, they plunged off the edge into the frigid water.
Buttercup's head bobbed up. She was no longer holding onto Blossom, but seamlessly floating in the icy water. She tried screaming out, but her mouth was instantly filled with water that made her teeth tingle. Treading the water, she caught a half glimpse of orange hair swimming ahead of her. Trusting Blossom's assumption, Buttercup dove underwater, swimming in an up and down motion with her arms at her side's, going in the direction Blossom was going.
Once Buttercup reached her destination, Blossom was already crawling up over the ledge and the water had stopped rising. The ledge was a good 5 feet above the water, so she was having a tough time imaging how Blossom had gotten up there, on her own. Buttercup was panting when Blossom gave her a hand and pulled her up. Her hair was dark orange with water dripping and her clothes clung to her body worse than when they were sweaty. Buttercup sat up, brushing her wet, stringy hair from her face and pulled the hem of her skirt from her sticking to her ankles. "Where's Bubbles?"
Blossom stopped smiling, and scanned the expanse of of water, and rolling waves from unnatural means. How could waves be formed underground? Tears started rolling down her rosy cheeks, when she spotted an odd shape with blonde pigtails swimming towards her. Bubbles! She looked exhausted. "Just a bit farther Bubbles!" She encouraged. Bubbles was breathing heavy but pressed on. "Try floating on your back for a second to conserve some energy." Bubbles did as she was told for a few minutes before she swam onward. Blossom bit her lip, debating on whether to dive in and assist her. But Bubbles reached the landing safely. Reaching her arm down to her blonde friend, she pulled Bubbles onto the safety of solid ground.
For a minute, they all just sat there panting. Then Buttercup burst out laughing. Bubbles and Blossom shared a concerned look. "Are you okay?"
Buttercup couldn't control her laughter. "Yes." was all she could manage.
Bubbles put on a sarcastic expression. "She's lost it."
"No! We were seriously screwed so many times, but Blossom's quick thinking has kept us alive so far."
"Awe shucks. I was only being resourceful." Blossom replied modestly. "We don't have time to sit around. We have got to get out of here." Rising from the ground, the three girls reluctantly continued down the tunnel. Tipping back her head, Blossom yawned. Then she slammed her face into something. Stepping back, she could make out an old door trimmed with gold.
"Should we open it?" Bubbles asked.
"Well we sure as hell didn't come this far to not open it. Let's go." Buttercup shoved the door open, not even giving it a second thought as she stormed inside.
Blossom and Bubbles shrugged, hesitated at the door, then walked inside. Cautiously, they moved around the perimeter of the room, avoiding the 3 swords glistening in the perfect light shining from nowhere.
After they were sure that there was no more traps, or triggers, they each unsheathed a sword. They glanced around the room half expecting a lion to attack them, but nothing happened. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing about the swords seemed spectacular. Buttercup resist the urge to punch a wall. "We came this far and endured so much for this?!"
well, this is the longest chapter that I have ever wrote, and it totals to nearly 7000 words. I hope you liked it and ...
Tomarrow IS MY BIRTHDAY! I'LL BE 14! YAYA! Anyways, please review and yeppers
But I think my favorite parts so far was when Blossom was teasing Brick about being stubborn, and she had sarcastically said he got it from Boomer
And I liked it when Butch and Buttercup were saying good bye and Buttercup was all 'ps, I love you too.'
I thought the joke I made Bubbles crack about Boomer being paranoid was good
I thought adding the 'ego is showing' was a nice way of adding the original comedy from the show ^-^