Siopao: (4/05/2015) Sorry for the delay! This is the next chapter and I made it a bit longer. The story will most-likely end after this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own PPGZ or it's characters.
Love Chronicles
Part IX - Reunited
By: Screaming Siopao
A certain red-haired girl walked down the streets of Tokyo with a gloomy look gracing her pretty face. She was trying to remain upbeat and happy in front of her friends but, when she was alone, she just felt so empty and dismal. She hadn't realized how exhausting it was to wear a fake facade.
Kaoru had been happy with Butch for a couple of months now and the two got along surprisingly well. The couple was always so lively and energetic, and always seemed to have fun when they were together. Boomer had finally returned, relieving Miyako, and he helped her in coping with Takaaki's sudden leave from her life. Each day, Momoko could genuinely see Miyako returning to her former bubbly and happy-go-lucky self. She truly wanted to be happy for her friends, yet, she couldn't help but wonder what she had done wrong to not end up with a happy ending of her own.
It was just the other week when she ran into Brick at the skate park. Well, actually, she did not quite run into him, seeing as she was sitting on a bench, patiently waiting for him. She waited there, though the park was empty, in hopes of seeing him again. She didn't know why, but she was just so drawn to the strange, bitter boy. He was an ice-cold jerk, yet she could see under the ice that he was soft; he was frightened. He just needed a bit of help so that he could realize his inner kindness.
He collapsed that day in her arms due to a high fever and she brought him to her home to care for him. She realized that caring for him actually was quite enjoyable. Well, of course it wasn't a nice sight seeing him sick. Yet, it was nice to know that a boy like Brick could actually have weaknesses. He always presented himself as a cold, independent person who did not need the help of others, not even from his own brothers.
She remembered that day when she brought him over to her house in order to take care of him. He was acting strange, as if he were afraid of her leaving him alone. She remembered him sleeping on her bed. She recalled brushing his soft red hair away from his handsome face. Momoko was relieved that he didn't wake up; she would never live it down if Brick had caught her caressing his face. He was so weak at the time and all she cared for was helping him. She remembered him waking up and feeling so relieved when he finally did so. She remembered getting up from his side to get him food. He told her not to leave. She promised that she would return but, when she did, he was gone and her window was wide open.
Why?
Why had he asked her to stay, but then leave just moments later? It confused Momoko, yet she knew that Brick must be facing problems way out of her understanding. If only he knew that people were willing to help him - that she was willing to help him.
She realized why he had collapsed and why he was so physically weak: it was because he was not taking care of himself. It saddened her when she thought about it. How could Brick be so neglectful of his own body? Was he not eating right? Was he getting enough rest? Maybe he just didn't care anymore. After all, he did seem to have slipped into a slight depression. She could tell when he wasn't insulting her as much and when he wasn't causing as much trouble. That's when she knew that he was acting strange.
Or maybe he was changing.
She blushed at this. Brick could change? It wasn't impossible. After all, his brothers seemed to have gone through a metamorphosis in their attitude and mind. Brick could have possibly done the same, even if he was going through this change at a later time and at a much slower pace. If he could learn to depend on her, Momoko would be so happy. If Brick was sweet and kind, she wouldn't mind even falling for the boy...
She shook this from her thoughts. She, falling in love? And with Brick? Could it even happen? She was always so infatuated with teen idols on TV and models in magazines. Brick was nothing of the sort. However, he was real. He was there. She knew that falling for him wouldn't be difficult.
Especially since she realized that, somewhere in her heart, it was already beginning to happen.
o0o0o0o
"How are we even going to begin to find Brick?" Kaoru asked, completely puzzled. Everyone, besides Brick, was present at Cure Maid Cafe. All five of the gang were seated, sipping on tea and chatting about their plans to find the red-haired boy. Kaoru wasn't on shift today and they used the Cafe as a meeting place to discuss the matter. "Tokyo is huge. Who knows where he could be?"
"Well," Momoko replied, "When I took him into my house the other week, I hid his skateboard so he wouldn't try to leave while he wasn't healed yet. I told him I was going to get him food and, when I got back to my room, my window was open and he was gone. He left his skateboard, so he couldn't have gone too far."
"Then maybe if we all split up, we can find him," Miyako suggested.
"That sounds like a good plan, Miyako," Boomer complemented, an amorous shimmer in his ocean eyes. This caused the blonde girl to blush slightly.
"Yeah, we need to stay positive. Today's the day we're going to be together again!" Butch added.
"Kaoru-chan?" Rika, one of the co-managers, interjected, "Are you and your friends having a good time? Would you like some more tea? Or cakes?"
"Ah, thank you, Rika-san, but I think we're about to head out," Kaoru respectfully turned down while giving a pleasant smile to her manager.
"Eh!?" Momoko shrieked. "Speak for yourself! I'll have five more pieces of strawberry shortcake, please!" the hyper girl exclaimed, raising a hand in the air.
Miyako giggled while Kaoru just shook her head.
"Excuse my friend, Rika-san, you don't have to trouble yourself for her cakes," Kaoru stated. Rika simply laughed.
"I don't mind helping you and your friends at all, Kaoru-chan," the older girl chimed. "As a matter of fact, everything's on the house!"
"W- What? Really? Are you sure, Rika-san?" the black haired girl questioned.
"Of course! After all, you've been such a help to the cafe since you got here."
"A- Ah, thank you!"
"Well, I'll get those cakes, then," Rika bade, and with that, she was gone.
"Okay, after these cakes, we really need to head out," Kaoru suggested, obviously vexed at her gluttonous friend. "We want to use the most of this daylight to find Brick."
"Fine, fine, I'll eat them quickly," Momoko stated. Everybody around the table laughed at the red-haired girl.
Momoko liked the fact that the girls and the guys were all together, getting along and having a good time. This is how things were supposed to be. They weren't supposed to be enemies. They could all be friends, even after all the childish conflicts they've all gone through. Momoko then realized that she would not be able to truly laugh along with them until the group was complete - that is, until Brick was there by her side.
She was determined to find Brick. She was determined to be with him again. This way, she would finally be able to free herself from her true feelings that had been bottling up inside her heart. She would not rest until he knew.
o0o0o0o
The sun was slowly setting on Tokyo's horizon. The sky was beginning to turn from its bright sapphire into its creamy red-orange hues. The city was still bustling, despite working hours already ending. Tokyo would never sleep, not even for one moment. A certain group of people also would not rest until they located a certain red-haired skater. By this point, they had already been searching for Brick for over four hours.
"Did you guys have any luck?" Kaoru asked, with Butch by her side. They had split up into two groups in order to find Brick. After their hours of searching by foot, they had finally regrouped in the center of the busy city.
"Nope, not a sign of him," Miyako sadly stated, Momoko and Boomer by her side. The blonde boy gently caressed Miyako's shoulder in older to comfort her. Miyako smiled softly in response.
"We even looked in all of the skating parks," Momoko added, discouraged.
"We won't stop," Butch added. "We have at least an hour or so until darkness fully hits."
"We just need to look in the less obvious places," Boomer added.
"Miyako. Momoko. I... I think it may be time to..." Kaoru began to quietly say.
"You don't mean...?" Miyako asked, slightly shocked.
"If I'm thinking what you're thinking," Momoko whispered, "then it may actually work."
"It may be the only chance we have to find Brick," Kaoru spoke.
"It's just been so long since we've done that," Miyako added. "But I think you're right. It's our last resort."
"It's time," Momoko affirmed. There was a new flame of determination suddenly burning in her eyes. She knew what had to be done in order to locate Brick. "We need to transform."
"Right," Kaoru agreed.
"I'm in," Miyako added.
For the girls, it had been quite some months since they had actually transformed into their PowerPuff Girl Z forms. Since the defeat of Him, crime in Tokyo just was not as prevalent as it used to be. Sometimes, the other villains would could minor problems but that hadn't happened for quite a while now. The girls took transforming very seriously and only did so in dire needs, such as emergencies. This may be an appropriate time for them to do so.
"You guys ready?" Momoko asked in a serious tone.
"Definitely," Kaoru replied with a smirk.
"I've missed this!" Miyako chimed with excitement.
With that, the three girls ran into a secluded alleyway in order to complete their transformation, instructing Boomer and Butch to stand watch.
Momoko, Miyako and Kaoru all shouted, "Hyper Blossom," "Rolling Bubbles," and "Powered Buttercup," respectfully. Once they finished their transformations, they emerged in front of the boys once again.
"Ahh, I've missed you, Powered Buttercup," the black-haired gal said to herself. Miyako chuckled at her friend, but Momoko remained serious.
"Okay, here's the plan," Blossom stated. "We'll fly around the city, scouting for Brick. We should be able to spot him from higher up."
"It should work," Bubbles added. "We'll definitely have the upper hand."
"Let's go!" Buttercup demanded. "While there's still a bit of sun left."
"What about us?" Butch asked.
"Stay down here and look for Brick on the ground," Blossom commanded. "We'll get more coverage this way."
"Got it," Boomer replied with a nod.
With that, the three girls bolted into the sky, commencing their search.
"That Momoko chick really seems to be concerned about Brick, huh?" Boomer asked his brother as he watched the girls soar into the orange sky.
"Yeah, she does," Butch added. "If only Brick could see. Then maybe, just maybe, he'd come home."
o0o0o0o
It was now 8 o' clock in the evening. The sun was long gone and the bright moon took its place in the vast sky. The group of youngsters were beyond exhausted from their day's search. They had regrouped in the center of the city once again, more discouraged than ever.
"It can't be," Blossom sighed, "We searched every crevice of this city. I could have sworn that flying into the skies to get better coverage would have worked."
"It's not your fault," Bubbles comforted. "It was a good plan to use our powers to help find Brick. He's just... really good at hiding himself."
"Yeah, don't beat yourself up," Buttercup consoled. "We'll try again tomorrow."
"But today was supposed to be the day..." Blossom whispered. The day I was going to tell him... she thought sadly.
"Yeah, they're right," Boomer added. "When I went off on my own, I really just needed the space. I eventually came around, though. I'm sure Brick will, too."
"Don't forget, Brick is a little more hard-headed than you are," Butch half-joked. Boomer and Buttercup chuckled lightly at this, agreeing with the statement. A few feet away, Bubbles tried to console a gloomy Blossom.
"I understand how you feel," Bubbles said to Blossom in private, placing a gentle hand on her friend's back. "When Boomer was gone, I thought that it was all my fault. I felt so useless and became depressed. No matter what, I just wanted him to come back. But it isn't your fault. Brick will definitely come home soon."
Though Miyako couldn't tell, Boomer was actually listening to what she was saying from where he was standing. He hadn't even realized how much sadness and agony he caused Miyako while he was gone. He thought it was best for him to leave her life, so that she could be happy with Takaaki. He felt utterly terrible for causing her so much pain. He would definitely make it up to her, he promised that to himself.
"Thank you," Blossom whispered with a faint smile. "You always know what to say."
"Anytime," the blonde girl responded with her usual chipper grin.
Suddenly, there was a loud shriek coming from a woman in the distance. A huge crowd of scrambling citizens passed by where the gang was located. They all were panicking and seemed to be terribly frightened from whatever it is they were running from.
"What? What's happening?" Bubbles asked.
"Look! Up ahead!" Buttercup pointed out. In the distance, the gang could spot a large ape-like monster, who was about three stories tall. Its fur was long and black and its eyes had an evil red glow to them. It's roar was so loud that it reverberated throughout the entire city. "Who is that?"
"It must be a new one," Blossom replied. "Where could it have come from? Did Mojo do this?"
"Who knows?" Butch responded. "He's always concocting and creating new things. We haven't seen him in a while, but this could possibly be one of his creations."
"Surprising if it is," Boomer commented, slightly amused at the terrorizing beast. "Unlike all Mojo's other failures, this one actually looks like it may be a threat."
"Well, whatever it is, we have to take it down," Blossom stated, balling her fists. "It's destroying everything!"
"We have to come up with a plan," Bubbles suggested.
"There isn't any time!" Blossom shouted as she bolted straight into the air. "I'm going to strike now. There are too many people in the area! Someone could get hurt!"
"That someone could be you, if you don't think first," Buttercup advised.
Then, a young boy's loud cry could suddenly be heard coming from the area where the beast was. The large monster was only a few feet away from crushing the small child, who was frantically sobbing.
"Mommy! Mommy, where are you?" he cried, as the giant was approaching him slowly. All around the crying child, people were scrambling around and buildings were falling apart.
"I just can't sit here and wait!" Blossom yelled as she flew to where the little boy was. In just a fraction of a second, she reached the crying child and managed to scoop him away before he got crushed. She placed him in a safe spot, located in a park a few blocks over.
"Where's your mom?" she asked the frightened child.
"I- I don't know," he cried. "She was just with me but then a big crowd separated us."
"What's she wearing? What does she look like?"
"Mommy has long brown hair and a bright yellow shirt on," he sniffled, thinking back at what his mother was wearing.
"Stay here, okay?" she commanded to the boy, whose crying had slowed down a bit. "I'll help you find your mom, just stay here."
The boy nodded and, with that, Blossom bolted back up into the air and flew towards the monster and the rest of the gang.
"Guys," Blossom panted as she landed. Buttercup was catching falling debris from the buildings, while everyone else was helping all the citizens evacuate from the area. "There's a young boy who's been separated from his mother. She has long brown hair and is wearing a bright yellow shirt. I'm sure she's frantic. The boy's at the nearby park, bring his mother there once you find her."
"And what are you going to do?" Buttercup asked.
"I'm going to try and stop that thing," Blossom said, determination in her eyes.
"By yourself?" Boomer asked.
"That's crazy," Butch added.
"I'll help!" Buttercup yelped, catching a huge piece of a building that almost fell on a little girl.
"No!" Blossom resisted. "You have to help everyone else evacuate! I got this!"
The red-haired girl flew towards the giant beast, approaching it with her yo-yo. Upon reaching it, she gulped at its immense size, realizing that it looked larger when she was in closer proximity.
"Oh geez, what did I set myself up for?" she whispered to herself, slightly shaken up. She looked back at her friends and noticed how hard they were all trying to protect the city and its citizens. She couldn't let them down, now.
The beast spotted her shortly after she arrived and immediately tried to grab her. For a large creature, it actually was quite fast-moving and Blossom had to quickly dodge its attempts to engulf her in its large hand.
"Ah! That was a close one," she sighed with relief. "Spinning Yo-Yo!" she shouted as she launched her weapon at it. The yo-yo hit the monster's head but this seemed to only anger it, as it let out an outrageous roar. This loud boom caused everyone within the area to cover their ears due to the intensity of the frequency. The beast went to grab Blossom again while she was defenseless and, unfortunately, it was successful this time.
"Agh!" Blossom cried, trying to release herself from the vice grip.
"No! Blossom!" Buttercup shouted, as she saw her friend get caught.
"We have to help her!" Bubbles added. Buttercup nodded but, before the two girls could go help their friend, a miracle suddenly occurred.
From one of the tops of the buildings, a boy wit a red cap rode off into the air with a skateboard underneath his feet. He used the skateboard to propel himself toward the large beast and soared in the air with a determined look on his face.
"Guys! Look!" Boomer yelled as he pointed towards the boy, who was in mid-air.
"What? No way!" Butch gasped, surprised yet excited.
"Yo! Ugly monkey! Let her go!" the boy yelled right before he landed on the creature's head. Upon hearing that voice, Blossom's eyes widened and she turned to see that it was her knight in shining armor. The armor being a skateboard, that is.
"B..." she teared, "Brick!"
"Hey, Red," he greeted with a smirk. "I'm going to get you out of there, just hang on."
As he said that, she knew to trust him with all her heart.
Brick used the skateboard to ride down onto the beast's face and threw a bag full of sand, which he had been carrying, right into its eye. Brick used his trusty straw (which he actually hadn't used in quite some time) in order to shoot spitballs at the other eye. Immediately, it released its grip on Blossom and began to lose its balance. She instantly flew up to Brick and carried him safely onto the ground.
"You came back," the girl said, a bit emotional. "And you saved me. Thank you, Brick."
"Don't thank me just yet," he added. The monster regained its balance and was angrier than ever. By that time, Bubbles and Buttercup reached the scene.
"Blossom! Are you alright?" Buttercup asked.
"I'm fine, thanks to Brick!" she replied. "Did you find the boy's mother?"
"Yes, she was closeby and we brought her to the park right away," Bubbles affirmed.
"Good," Blossom firmly said. "We need to take this thing down right now! All three of us, together!"
"Right!" Bubbles and Buttercup said in unison.
The three girls flew high up into the air and launched their most powerful attacks at the monster, Bubbles using her bubblewand, Buttercup using her hammer, and Blossom using her yo-yo. Together, they attacked the large ape and immediately sent it running. With another swift and powerful attack, the girls combined their efforts to swing the beast into the air. It flew off into the dark sky, twinkling as it was sent far off into the cosmos.
Once the girls landed, they all immediately collapsed onto the ground with their knees hitting the asphalt. They were exhausted from the battle and instantly reverted back to their normal human selves, seeing as they had used up all of their power in their final attack.
"We... we did it," Momoko gasped in disbelief. "We did it!"
"Ahh, that was a good fight!" Kaoru yelled, clenching her fists and pumping them into the air.
"We're a bit out of shape, ne?" Miyako half-laughed. "We haven't fought a villain like that in a while."
"You guys!" Boomer yelled as he he ran over to the scene. "Are you guys okay?"
"We're fine!" Bubbles responded, as the frantic blonde boy approached her. Instantly, he ran to her and enveloped the tiny girl in his arms, causing her to blush madly.
"Miyako! I was so worried!" he cried. Miyako smiled as she leaned her head onto his broad shoulder and returned his embrace.
"Kaoru! Kaoru!" a laughing Butch shouted as he followed behind his brother. "You were so kickass!"
"Ha! I know right!?" Kaoru replied as she laughed along. He approached her and placed a hand atop her head.
"You're downright amazing," he said in a more serious tone. "I'm glad you're safe."
She blushed at his warm touch and smiled that cute smile that he loved seeing so much.
Meanwhile, Brick approached an exhausted Momoko, who was still seated on the ground.
"Hey, Red," he mumbled from behind her.
"B- Brick," she whispered, suddenly feeling extremely shy.
"Were you hurt?" he asked, looking away while he shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I'm fine, thanks to you," she replied sheepishly. This was very unlike Momoko. This was also uncharacteristic of Brick. The two were acting strangely shy around one another, compared to when they used to fight and bicker nonstop. As a matter of fact, the two used to argue to the point that they'd want to rip each others' heads off. However, it was different now. The ambiance wasn't the same. There was tension lingering in their air.
"It's because I owed you," he stated. "For taking care of me, back when I was sick."
"Well, I tried to take care of you, at least. That is, until you bolted out of my window. By the way, I still have your skateboard, so where did you get that one?" she gestured to his new board next to him.
"Did you really think I only had one of these?" he smirked. She smiled back sheepishly, realizing how handsome his smirk was. "And about taking off... I'm sorry. I was just afraid, I guess." He scratched the back of his head.
"Afraid of what?"
"Ah, forget I said anything," he tried to brush off the matter.
"No, you can tell me," she gently said to him.
"Ah. Er, w- well," he stuttered. He coughed to clear his throat. " I guess I was afraid of... of you getting too close."
"Oh," was her reply. Her cheeks began to feel warm.
"I don't mean it like I didn't want you around," he explained. "I'm just not used to having someone that... that..." he paused. He could feel his cheeks heating up, as well.
"Someone that what?" she asked, curious.
"I'm not used to having someone that I can't get out of my head," he spat, looking away once again. He couldn't bring himself to look her right in the eye. "You were always on my mind and it scared me. I hadn't realized that I was just changing, just like my brothers had changed. We're all growing up, if that's even possible."
Momoko looked up at the boy in front of her with amazement in her sparkling pink orbs. This was the most that Brick had ever expressed his feelings. She finally understood why he left and even got a glimpse of what his feelings were. She felt overjoyed that Brick finally was beginning to confide in her.
"Brick..." she whispered, a tear falling from her eye.
"Eh!? What!? Don't cry!" he yelped, suddenly in a panic. He knelt down in front of Momoko and sat face-to-face with her. A scarlet tinge graced his cheek once he realized how much she resembled a crying angel. He didn't know that tears could be so beautiful.
He hesitated for a moment, but then moved his hand up to her face in order to wipe away her single tear.
"Don't cry," he repeated, this time more gently. His fingertips lingered on her skin. "Don't cry for me, Momoko."
At the sound of her name on his lips, Momoko's heart skipped a beat. She wanted to hear him say her name forever. She smiled and relished in his warm and protective touch. She suddenly embraced him, not caring if her friends were watching. Brick was shocked from their initial contact since he hadn't expected it, but he smiled and returned the sweet embrace, wrapping his strong arms around her petite body. She did not want him to part from her, nor did he want to break their contact. If they could stay that way for an eternity, they wouldn't even mind.
Butch and Boomer made eye contact and grinned at their brother's progress. He was a boy who was finally transitioning out of his old habits.
Kaoru and Miyako also caught each other's attention and giggled at their best friend's next step toward's her well-deserved happy ending. The girls followed suit of Momoko and also snuggled closely into their respective lovers' arms.
And, in this crazy world full of chaos, three certain girls and three certain boys found their own bubble of paradise.
Love Chronicles
Part IX - Reunited: End.
Siopao: Review, please! Ahh, it feels so good to write a chapter with all six of these cuties finally together! The final chapter will be uploaded next. Again, please review! They inspire me!