Recap:

"I told you. You were weak and couldn't protect anyone as you were now." Shadow Buttercup pointed off to the side and showed Blossom and Bubbles staring sadly at her.

"I thought we were friends…why did you betray us…?"

"N-No…No don't look at me like that! I…I never meant it to be like this!" Kaoru fell to her knees, "I can't believe it… it was me… I'm causing all of this…"

Little did she know, an evil being was floating above her then disappeared into the real world.

Chapter 4: The Final Battle

Momoko and Miyako both stayed where they were. Both obviously scared, but they didn't want to leave their best friend behind.

"W-What are we going to do now Miyako?" Momoko looked to her blonde friend.

"Help Kaoru-san of course…" Miyako's hand shakily went to her transformation belt.

"R-Right…" Momoko did the same thing.

"Why do you try to help her? You two will die soon if she gets out of this illusion. It's best for her to die first so you two will be saved." the shadow looked at them.

Miyako smiled innocently, "You may be part of Kaoru-san, but you're not her at all."

"Yeah Kaoru would never say something as cheeky like that." added Momoko, almost laughing.

"You two are…laughing…?" the shadow glared at them, "This is serious! Your lives could be at stake because of her!"

"True but…" Momoko and Miyako smiled to each other, "We're friends and friends trust each other until the very end!"

"I know she'll get out of the illusion and come back to us!"

"There's no way that I could tell them...I'll just forget about it. No way I'm ruining what I have now." the shadow thought of what Kaoru said before when she was alone, "No…it….it can't be…" her eyes grew in realization, "She never casted me away…she was… just too shy to show it…" she looked at her hands and shook in shock, "What…what have I done?"

"We all make mistakes, we cry, and get into fights; but that's life."

"We forgive you. So don't worry about it anymore alright?" Miyako smiled as innocently as she usually does.

"You mean it…?" the shadow looked at them, her black light slowly going away.

"Don't listen to them!" a voice rang, "They're lying to you! Kill them all!"

"Who's there?"

"It is I."Kare smirked evilly as his spores floated above their heads, creating an image of him.

"Kare? Why are you here?"

"To see the work I have done and it seems like it's failing miserably. I shouldn't have let hidden feelings out."Kare tsked and shook his head sarcastically.

"You let her out like that? How could you?"

"You see, she's the one that this would happen" he started simply, "She's the one that wished to be shown and free. But it seems like the plan backfired."

Momoko and Miyako looked at each other and nodded, "Hyper Blossom! Rolling Bubbles!"

"We won't let you get away with this Kare!"

Kaoru sat in the darkness, slowly losing herself, "How...could I have done this…?

"Oi Momoko! Stop acting so self-righteous all the time it's annoying!"

"No!" Kaoru held her ears and closed her eyes tightly.

"Miyako shopping is so boring why would you want me to go?"

"Shut up…"

"This is so tiring…I wish I was never part of the Powerpuff Z."

Kaoru's eyes opened in shock and stared at her hands, "Is that why…? I just wished something like that because I was tired…there was no meaning to anything like that…"

"…-san…"

"Fighting monsters day in and day out…"

"…ru-san…"

"Parents nagging to do better in school…"

"…aoru-san…"

"It was all tiring!" Kaoru's white light shown bright and illuminated the darkness.

"Kaoru-san!"

"Eh?" Kaoru looked and saw a faint figure of Miyako, "Mi…Miyako…?

"I'm so glad. You realized it by yourself." she smiled, "Now go. They're waiting for you" she pointed and showed an image of Blossom and Bubbles fighting Kare while screaming in pain.

"Blossom! Bubbles!" Kaoru transformed and flew over to them, looking back to see Miyako's figure fade away slowly.

"I know that you weren't this kind of person. I knew you'd wake up and come for me."

Blossom and Bubbles flew to the wall after trying to attack Kare.

"He's too strong…"

"Kaoru-san please hurry…."

Kare merely laughed and smirked, "There's no way that Powerpuff girl is coming!"

"Swing Sonic!" Buttercup's attack hit Kare from behind.

"Buttercup!" both Blossom and Bubbles smiled happily, "We knew you'd come through for us!"

"Yo! Sorry to keep you waiting!" she grinned at them.

"That can't be!"

"Kaoru…" the shadow looked at her sadly, "I'm…"

"It's alright. Prepare yourself Kare!" Buttercup swung her hammer, "Swing Sonic!"

"It's useless!" Kare blocked the attack, "It's too crowded here. Let's go someplace else!" Kare waved his arm and black spores created a small dark hole.

"What?" Buttercup prepared herself.

"Kyaa!" Blossom was sucked into the hole.

"Blossom?" Buttercup watched her disappear into the hole.

"No! Help me!" Bubbles held the floor to prevent herself from getting sucked into the hole.

"Bubbles!" Buttercup ran and grabbed her arm, pulling her close and got sucked in as well.

"Kekekekeke. Now they can't interfere." Kare grinned and looked at the shadow, "You! Get going now!"

"You tricked me! Why should I listen to you now?" Shadow Kaoru glared at him.

Kare glared back, "I created you! You better listen to me!"

"You didn't create me!" Shadow Kaoru transformed into Shadow Buttercup, "I was born from Kaoru's feelings! Watching the friendship from her and her friends made me realize what was really happening with her!"

"You're useless! Disappear!" Kare glared at her and threw his claw at her, holding her neck tighter and tighter.

"Ka…o…ru…" Shadow Buttercup disappeared.

Buttercup held onto Bubbles closely and looked around, "Blossom? Where are you?"

"I'm over here." Blossom flew towards them.

"What now…?" Bubbles held onto Buttercup, holding Blossom's hand so they don't get separated.

"I don't even know where we are…" Blossom looked at Buttercup, "What's going on…?"

"Everything is Buttercup's fault." Kare grinned evilly as Buttercup looked away, mad at herself.

"We can't blame her! Everyone has their own personalities and traits!"

"Ok fine it's both of you two that caused Buttercup to feel this way and become like this." Kare grinned more at Blossom and Bubble's confused faces, "You see she was getting tired of both of you two preaching."

"Stop it!" Buttercup shouted, letting go of Bubbles and Blossom, "What they do isn't part of this!"

"Buttercup…"

"You two try to figure out what to do. I'll hold him off." Buttercup readied her hammer.

"You? Fend me off? Ha! Don't make me laugh!" Kare laughed, "You better be ready!"

Bubbles held the back of Buttercup's jacket, "B-Buttercup…"

Buttercup didn't say anything and just lowered her hammer, "Bubbles...when this is all over…can't I tell you something..? If we all live… that is…?"

"No!" Bubbles cried and threw herself into Buttercup's arms.

"Buttercup you can't mean…" Blossom's eyes went wide, "We're friends aren't we?"

"Yeah we are so all the more reason I'm can't let you both die." she glared at Kare, "If you ever, ever, try to touch them again I'll kill you!"

"You're getting on my nerves brat!" Kare lunged forward to attack Buttercup.

Trying to protect Bubbles, Buttercup threw her at Blossom and swung her hammer into Kare who blocked it easily with his claw.

"N-No way!"

"Kekeke! Time to die!" Kare used his claw to hold on tightly to Buttercups throat and slammed her into the wall hard.

"Gyrah!" Buttercup coughed blood a bit.

"Buttercup!" Blossom and Bubbles both flew towards her, worriedly.

"Not so fast!" Kare used his dark spores to hold Blossom and Bubbles back, I'll take care of you two once I'm done with her!" Kare squeezed tighter, but slowly, watching Buttercup suffer.

'I can't…breathe…is this it…?' Buttercup struggled to see Blossom and Bubble's worried expressions as they struggled to reach her, 'No…I can't…die here…not until I told Miyako how I feel!' her white light glowed brightly, blinding Kare.

"Keh! You're white light is annoying me! Die!" Kare squeezed tighter and jabbed with his free claw.

"Buttercup!" the Red and Blue powerpuff finally got free and tried to fly as fast as they could to her.

Buttercup flexed her body as much as she can to block his attack, but instead her eyes grew wide. What she saw was what she least expected as Kare's arm fell off and he screamed in agony.

"Y-You…"

"This is my punishment…" Shadow Buttercup said sadly as she fell to the ground, "I'm sorry that I never realized your true feelings…and thank you for showing me them…"

"No…wait…" Buttercup tried to touch her but she couldn't, "I should be thanking you…"

"I've been watching you…the entire time… it's the end…finish him…" Shadow Buttercup said slowly as she faded away, "Don't forget to tell her you…lo-." she didn't get to finish as she faded away into the darkness.

"Buttercup…" Blossom and Bubbles went to her.

"Don't worry about me I have an idea." She stood up and grabbed her hammer, "I need you two to help me."

"At your service!" Blossom winked.

"With pleasure!" Bubbles smiled.

"That damn useless brat! How dare she cut off my arm!" Kare tried to revive his arm with his spores but it wasn't working.

"I'll repeat what I said long time ago: I'm not afraid of some holographic figure!" Buttercup swung her hammer towards Bubbles, an electric ball of light flew towards her.

"Got it~" Bubbles hit it back with her rod with multiple ones, "Go Blossom!"

"Sure leave me the good stuff~? How kind!" Blossom absorbed the electric balls of light into her yo-yo, "Now for the finish!" Blossom threw it as if it were a baseball, "Wedding Cake Blossom Finish!"

Blossom's yo-yo grew ten folds of times and opened up. As soon as it reached Kare, it squished him in between.

"I'll be back next time!" Kare disappeared and the darkness began to fade slowly. Everything around them went back to normal.

"Phew…" the girls fell to their knees, exhausted and de-transformed.

"It's over… right?" Momoko looked at them.

Miyako nodded, "For now that is."

Kaoru got up, "We'll still beat him again as long as we still have each other!"

Momoko and Miyako also got up and ran to glomp Kaoru, "That's right!"

"Hey!" Kaoru caught them but fell back, "Ok that hurt!"

The trio laughed and went into the room to fall asleep. They slept while hugging Kaoru until the next day.

Few days later:

"Hey Kaoru are you gonna go visit your family today?" asked Momoko, walking down the street with her.

"Yeah." Kaoru walked by a flower shop and bought some flowers, also buying some sweets.

Momoko's eyes brightened up, "Are those sweets for me~?"

"No way." Kaoru teased slightly and walked away.

"Eh~? Meanie~" Momoko chased her for the sweets.

Kaoru expertly dodged her and saw Miyako walking across the street. Momoko took that chance and lunged at her.

"If you want sweets that bad, take it!" Kaoru threw it high into the air and ran towards Miyako, laughing a bit as Momoko tried to catch the falling box of chocolate rose, 'Thanks Momoko.' she looked for Miyako and saw that she went into a store, 'Great…shopping…' Kaoru walked in and looked for Miyako.

Miyako looked for a jacket to wear since it was getting a bit chilly lately, but she couldn't find anything to wear.

"Miyako?" Kaoru started uneasily.

"Oh hey Kaoru-san." Miyako looked at her, "I never see you in a shopping store. Is something wrong?"

"No nothing's wrong… it's just… I never told you what I wanted to say on that day remember?" Kaoru looked at her straight in the eyes, "When I said that I wanted to tell you something?"

Miyako blushed and looked away guiltily, "Oh uhm… I was…"

Kaoru interrupted her, "You don't need to say it, You probably don't like me anyways."

Dumbstruck, Miyako looked at her, "Kaoru-san I admire you."

"Let's get out of the store and talk at the park?" Kaoru offered her hand which Miyako graciously took, following her.

They stayed quiet most of the way there until Kaoru broke the silence.

"Miyako, how do you feel about me?" she looked towards the blonde, half-expecting to be rejected.

"Like I said earlier, I admire you." Miyako blushed, feeling like Kaoru's fishing for her secret.

"What about us as friends?"

"I really care about you like you're my sister." Miyako looked down as Kaoru groaned and slapped her head.

"Uhm… ok now a tougher question." Kaoru blushed and looked at her straight in the eyes, "What would you do if I asked you out?"

Me: Ok end it there, sleepy and this is making my insomnia worse. Hope you all like it. Thank you siari and Fujiwara Kanehira for reviewing!

Kaoru: And?

Me: Please read and review as always. In the review box or PM, I don't care as long as I get something to help me improve my writings. Now see you all next time. There are no previews since the next chapter is the last.

But don't worry Miyako x Kaoru fans! I have another idea for a fanfic on the way and it's a bit more mature than I usually write.