Disclaimer- I do not own the Power Puff Girls. All rights go to their official owners/creators. I just own the storyline, ideas and other things. Also, big thanks to Attari Fuse for encouraging me with my writing.
"-steady now... take aim... and... fire!"
The arrow flew smoothly towards the target. With a small thud, its head was imbedded in the centre of the bulls-eye, shaking slightly from impact.
An excited whoop sounded from a girl of about ten, standing a fair distance away from the bulls-eye, bow in hand, smiling triumphantly.
"Not bad," commented a green eyed girl next to her, grinning.
The first girl turned to look at her companion, smiling proudly. Sun light glinted off her auburn hair, tide neatly up high with a pink ribbon, seeming to almost catch fire for a moment.
"Nice job, Momoko. You're getting better each day." Momoko drew her dazzlingly pink eyes on the speaker, a man wearing a brown yukata, smiled happily down at her. His black hair was streaked with grey, giving the illusion of old age, but the sparkle in his dark eyes was a sure sign of a strong young spirit.
Momoko's smile broadened. "Thank you, Ojisan!"
She brought her arms down to her sides, the sleeves of her pink hakamarustled slightly.
"Yeah, great job Momoko!" Another girl exclaimed beside her.
Momoko shifted her gave to her, her eyes swept over her bouncy sunshine-like blonde curls, placed neatly in pigtails with sparkling blue ribbons and soft-blue eyes. She was about the same age as Momoko and smiled happily at her, clapping her hands cheerily in congratulations, the blue sleeves of her sky blue yukata swayed slightly.
Momoko smiled back proudly.
"Okay, okay. Now back to the lesson." Ojisan said cheerily. "Momoko, your archery lessons are finished for the day, so why don't you come and watch the other girls until it's time for dinner."
"Ok!" Momoko answered happily, still holding her bow as she followed the two girls and Ojisan across the meadow they'd been in, passing a bunch of other targets placed all over the ground at different distances from where they were standing, all riddled with arrows, and over to a forest on one side.
A heap of wooden poles sat against a tree.
"Miyako, it's your turn." Ojisan said softly to the blonde girl, while picking up two poles from the ground.
Miyako nodded reluctantly and took one of the poles from him, stepping back and taking a fighting stance, feet spread out firmly below her, gripping the stick hard in both her hands.
"Now Miyako, all I want you to work on today is starting the attack. So all you need to do is run at me and try a small attack." He said softly.
Miyako nodded uncomfortably.
She took a deep breath, griped the stick harder, then sprinted off towards Ojisan, who was in the same stance as Miyako was formally, but instead of gripping the stick in both hands, he held it readily in front of himself with his right hand.
She then suddenly sprang up and brought the pole down upon him with an almighty force, causing him to flinch slightly, then instantly throwing her off, quickly moving towards her as she landed softly on the ground.
Her eyes widened when she realised his intentions, and hurriedly moved to the side, just missing his blow as the pole hit the place she'd been only moments before.
They kept swiping at each other, blocking, dodging and ducking quickly, until Ojisan held up his hand, and Miyako stopped abruptly, panting slightly.
Ojisan's forehead was glistening with sweat, and he smiled happily down at Miyako. "I think that's all for today on that subject, great job Miyako, you've done well."
"Nice job Miyako!" Momoko and the green eyed girl said together happily, Momoko grinning and the other pulling a thumbs up.
"Aww, thanks girls!" Miyako said happily, blushing slightly.
Miyako and Ojisan put down their sticks and headed over to another section of the meadow, where a bunch of wooden dolls were all spread out and stuck in the ground. A heap of wooden swords were left on the ground near one of the dolls.
"Kaoru, you're up," Ojisan grinned at the last girl.
"Sweet!" She exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down, her long black braid jiggling up and down with her, as her light green yukata swished with the movement.
She then stopped and picked up two of the wooden swords, throwing one to Ojisan, who caught it deftly, and gripping the other one with both her hands, instantly taking a battle stance in front of him, feet spread out under her firmly, legs slightly bent, hands strongly gripping the handle of the wooden sword.
Ojisan mirrored her, both grinning at each other, then they both sped off towards each other, Ojisan swinging his sword at Kaoru's head, while jumping over her, and Kaoru ducking while slashing out at his lower legs.
When Ojisanlanded on the ground and Kaoru stopped, they instantly turned and ran at each other again; slashing, blocking, jumping, summersaulting, sometimes going so fast they'd turn slightly blurry.
This sequence kept on going until Kaoru was gasping on the ground and Ojisan was doubled over, breathing heavily.
"K-kaoru... I think you're going to advance to the double swords in a few months." Ojisansaid happily, straitening up and looking down at the grinning ten year-old on the grass.
"Cool!" She laughed, getting to her feet.
Miyako and Momoko surround her and shouted "YEAH!" in unison, while high-five-ing each other and grinning like Cheshire cats.
"Alright girls, great job today. You can go and play until the dinner bell rings." Ojisansaid, watching the girls as they skipped off, saying mumbled yeses and thank you-s as they went. "And remember not to go in the forest!" He suddenly shouted.
More mumbled yeses.
He sighed, shaking his head, and walked off.
The girls looked at each other, as they walked towards the edge of the forest, wondering silently what they should do.
"Hmmmmm... what should we do now?" Kaoru questioned
"Ummmmmmmm..." Miyako mumbleed, turning her eyes to the sky, its canvas of blue now stained with reds, golds and purples.
The girls stopped in front of the forest, and focused on different things idly, trying to think of something to do.
They stood there for a moment or two, before something caught the eye of the ever animal loving Miyako.
"Huh?" Miyako mumbleed, turning her full attention to whatever had caught it. "What's that?" She asked her companions, pointing to a shadow in between the trees.
"Huh?" Kaoru and Momoko turned to look to where she was pointing, and saw a shadow moving swiftly through the trees, seeming to run with a slight limp.
"Ah! I think its hurt, whatever it is." Miyako said, slightly alarmed, and steped closer to the edge of the forest. She then turned back to them, saying, almost pleadingly, "Come on! We have to help it! It could be really hurt."
"Errr... but Ojisan said that we shouldn't go into the forest," Momoko reminded them hesitantly, taking a step back, away from the tree lining.
"But we need to help that creature; it could be in a lot of pain!" Miyako pleaded, her voice quivering slightly. "Please Momoko!"
Kaoru looked between the two, then went over to the pile of wooden swords, waiting to be packed away by a servant when ordered, and picked one up, twirling it awkwardly in her hand, before going to walk over to Miyako and Momoko, still arguing on the matter of entrance to the forest.
"Ok!" Yelled Kaoru, surprising and silencing Miyako and Momoko.
"What?" They asked in unison, staring at her questioningly.
"How about this?" Kaoru brandished the wooden sword in her hand,"I have a weapon, Momoko has a weapon," she gestured to the bow in Momoko's hand, causing Momoko and Miyako to glance over as well, "and we protect each other if anything goes wrong. We look for the creature and see if it's hurt, if we do find it and it is hurt, then Miyako helps it," Momoko opened her mouth to interrupt, but Kaoru, reading her mind, put her hand up and said very quickly, "but if we don't find it within an hour, then we give up and get out of there. Everyone agree with this?" She finished, looking at both of them questioningly.
They both nodded in agreement.
"How'd you come up with that one?" Momoko asked, sounding impressed.
Kaoru shrugged and pointed to her head, "turns out this thing actually works." She remarked grinning, and set off towards the tree lining, then stepped into the forest. She then turned and beckoned her companions over before going further.
Momoko and Miyako followed her, but hesitated in front of the first set of trees, looking at each other nervously.
Momoko glanced down at her bow, and considered bringing some arrows from the training field, but thought better of it. 'In the off chance that something does go wrong, I could always use sticks or hurl rocks," she assured herself, stepping into the forest and running after Kaoru.
Miyako trailed nervously behind, looking this way and that in search of the creature.
They came a fare way in until Kaoru stopped abruptly, causing both Momoko and Miyako to almost crash into her.
"Hey! What are you stopping for?" Momoko questioned her, looking around suspiciously.
"...That..." Kaoru said quietly, pointing a shaking finger in front of her.
Momoko and Miyako went around her to stand side by side, their eyes widening slightly at the scene in front of them.
An array of what looked like animal carcasses is strewn all over the ground, a few meters from the girls.
They appeared to have been ripped apart and devoured. Some bones were picked clean by whatever had done this, then by maggots and other things that liked dead flesh, while others looked almost fresh, with small carnivorous insects and animals gnawing away at the flesh and bare bone.
A sickly smell rose to the girls noses, and they instantly covered them with their hands and sleeves, making faces of disgust and revulsion.
Miyako quickly looked away, screwing her eyes shut and trying to get the image out of her head. Momoko just stared at it, dazed. And Kaoru was looking everywhere but the scene, uncomfortably.
"W-what could have done this?" Miyako stuttered quietly, sobbing slightly.
"..I don't know..." Momoko answered finally, before looking away and heading back the way they'd come. "But I'm not willing to find out."
Kaoru noticed the shake in her voice, and grabbed her hand, stopping her and forcing her to look at her. Momoko resisted at first, then looked at Kaoru, revealing eyes full of fear and un-certainty.
"Hey... you all right?" Kaoru asked cautiously, squeezing her hand.
Momoko nodded her head, smiling appreciatively.
"U-umm! Girls! What's that!?" Miyako's frightened voice cut through the silence, causing the others to look back at her, instantly alert and afraid.
A shadow was moving towards them. It had the same shape as the shadow they'd seen limping before, but it was no longer limping, and was moving with an unsettling speed and slickness un-characteristic to a herbivore.
Miyako ran over to them, not taking her eyes off the shadow.
Kaoru held up her wooden sword in front of her, shaking slightly.
"Run!" Kaoru yelled, stepping closer to the shadow.
Miyako obeyed her command, sprinting off, swerving this way and that to avoid the trees.
Momoko, on the other hand, just stayed there, staring at Kaoru as she stood, rooted to the spot, facing the shadow.
The creature snarled viciously, prowling along intently towards them.
"Kaoru... What are you-" Momoko was cut short when the shadow pounced forward, coming down upon them.
"Outta the way!" Kaoru yelled, retreating back, grabbing onto Momoko and dragging her out of the creatures' path.
"Get out of here, Momoko; I'll hold it off so you can run." Kaoru yelled, moving in front of Momoko protectively, glaring at the creature.
Momoko stared at Kaoru, then frowned defiantly, gathering sticks from the ground, fitting the first stick onto her bow, and placing the others in her mouth, then she pulled the string back, aiming it at the creature. She let the stick loose, the make-shift arrow whizzing through the air and just missing the shadows leg. As soon as she let go of the stick, she fitted another one onto the bow, aiming again, relentlessly.
"What'redoing?! I told you to run!" Kaoru screamed at her desperately.
"Like I'm going to leave you behind." Momoko stated firmly, taking the last stick from her mouth and fitting it onto her bow. "Now come on, we can hold it off together, while we back away." Momoko said, aiming the stick at the creature's chest.
"Move" She yelled as she loosed her last stick, sprinting away in the other direction, with Kaoru hot on her heels.
The creature gave a howl of pain as the make-shift arrow wedged itself in its shoulder, black liquid dripping from the wound, and started lunging after them on all fours, growling angrily.
Momoko picked up sticks as she ran, looking back over her shoulder and shooting at the shadow, trying to slow it down.
"Ahhhh!" Screamed Kaoru, as she fell to the ground, her foot caught in the root of a tree.
"Kaoru!" Momoko screamed, running back towards her, stopping beside her and shooting at the creature.
Kaoru tried frantically to free her foot, finally wrenching it free and standing up quickly, wincing as her ankle throbed painfully.
"Ahhh!" Momoko screamed, as the shadow advanced on her, fumbling frantically for another stick.
Suddenly, Kaoru ran forward, bringing her wooden sword upon on the creature, the wood splintering on impact, and grabbing at Momoko, running away frantically.
The creature then lunged forward, closing the gap between them drastically, roaring in anger at them.
The girls screamed, running at full speed.
Their prospects brightened as they saw the light of the end of the forest, but then Kaoru's ankle gave way, and she stumbled and fell to the ground, a cry of anguish ripping through her throat.
Momoko stopped just at the entrance to the meadow, staring back at Kaoru, glued to the spot in terror.
But just as the creature was advancing on Kaoru, an arrow came whizzing towards it, just missing its head. It whipped its head around, glaring at the shooter of the arrow.
"Ojisan!" Kaoru shrieked, relief laden in her voice and face.
"Momoko! Go help Kaoru. Take her out of the forest, quickly!" Ojisan commanded.
Suddenly, Momoko snapped out of her trance and shot forward towards Kaoru, helping her to her feet and running with her to the forest entrance and out into the meadow.
The creature watched them as they left, then turned back to Ojisan, growling menacingly.
"Come and get me!" He yelled, dropping his bow and drawing his katana, placing it in front of him in both hands, glaring.
The shadow roared as it sprinted forward towards him.
"AHHHHH!"
Birds rose up in alarm as the scream rose to the tree tops, causing Kaoru, Momoko and Miayako to look towards the forest, fear written in their faces.
"I'll go- ahh!" Kaoru began, trying to get up, but exclaiming in pain when her ankle gave an almighty throb of protest.
"Kaoru! Don't!" Momoko exclaimed worriedly, standing. "I'll go see if he's alright," she finished, heading towards the trees.
"Momoko!" Said girl turned around, surprised. Miyako's blue eyes reflected her worry and fear. "Please be careful," she finished, lip quivering slightly.
Momoko nodded her head and continued to walk uncertainly to the edge of trees, then, after looking around worriedly, stepped into the forest, following a trail of broken branches.
She didn't go far before she stopped abruptly at the edge of a clearing, eyes widening and filling with tears as she looked at the scene in front of her.
"No..." She whispers. "NOOOOOOO!"
The sky darkened as the sun sank behind the trees, silhouetting three figures looking down at a small grave stone placed in the middle of a clearing.
One knelt down to place a bouquet of flowers in front of the grave, her soft blue eyes filling with tears as she stood and went back to stand beside her companions.
Another bowed her head and placed her hands in front her in a silent prayer, closing her dazzling pink eyes as she silently whispered.
The last figure looked away from the grave, saying silently under her breath: "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."
The other two looked over to her as a small, quiet sob passed from her throat, causing her to blush slightly and look away even further into the distance.
"Kaoru... it wasn't your fault. We all decided to go into the forest. Please don't blame yourself for a crime you did not commit." The formerly praying one said softly to the green eyed girl.
She stretched out her hand, capturing Kaoru's and squeezing it reassuringly.
Kaoru nodded, a single tear rolling down her face as she took the blue eyed girls hand.
"Momoko's right, Kaoru, it wasn't your fault. Please consider that before you go and blame yourself alone. You're not alone, you have us. So... please share some of your pain with us." The blue eyed girls said, giving Kaoru a sad smile.
"Miyako..." Kaoru choked out, sobbing as she clung to their hands, falling to her kneels as she sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
Miyako began to cry too, large tears rolling down her face and tangling with her blonde curls.
Momoko looked away, tears springing to her eyes as well, and she did nothing to keep them at bay, allowing them to spill over and run down her cheeks.
"Even…even after four years...I...I can't believe he's gone!" Kaoru choked out between sobs, staring sadly at the grave. "Ojisan!" She howled.
As the girls sobbed, they released all the tears and sadness they'd been keeping in for the last four years, letting them flow out of them like a river.
As the sun set, the three girls walked from the forest, all their tears spent and their sadness released.
Kaoru looked back at the forest, face free from tears, and smiled, before turning back and walking after her sisters.
A figure stepped out from behind a tree, smiling sadly at the three figures as they walked in the meadow.
"I hope you live happily, girls." Ojisan whispered, slowly fading out into the darkness.
Explainer- Here's the ruff definition of the Japanese words:
Yukata- a thin sort of clothing similar to a kimono, but can be also worn by males and and is more suitable for summer.
Ojisan- the Japanese term for uncle.
Hakama- traditional Japanese clothing for an archer.
Katana- a type of Japanese sword, often used by samurai.
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