Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z:
Suteki da ne?
"M...M...huh? Wha..?" A tiny, weak voice pierced the drone of the machinery around her. Someone nearby gasped and a chair slid across the floor. Before she could even open her eyes, she felt soft fingertips slide across her arm and another soft hand slip through her stringy, matted hair. Hissing, she forced her eyes open, wincing when she was bombarded with light. Slowly, the world came to around her; Momoko rolled her head to the side, peering into the worried blue eyes now locked with her own.
"Mi...Miyako-chan..." she coughed, her voice raspy, her throat sore. Miyako nodded. Momoko blinked. Her friend bit her lip; she trembled with every little breath she took. Her hand, Momoko noticed, refused to leave her arm, holding her tight. She tried to sit up and the room began to spin around her. With a moan, she nearly fell back.
"Momoko-san! Here, let me help you," Miyako whispered, sliding her arm around Momoko's shoulders and helping her to sit up. The redhead smiled, still dizzy and disoriented. With a sigh, she nearly fell to the side, resting her head on Miyako's shoulder.
"Miyako-chan...it's so nice...you being here with me," Momoko muttered, a big, sleepy smile on her face. Miyako blushed and wrapped her other arm around the weary heroine.
She took a deep breath, before saying, "I'm sorry, Momoko-san..."
Momoko looked up at her, blinking once more. She furrowed her brow and looked around, slowly coming to grips with her surroundings. Machines everywhere, white walls and floor, monitors and beeping noises. Momoko groaned and made to hold her head. Miyako caught her wrist and slowly lowered her hands.
"Shh...don't use your hands, Momoko-san," she gently corrected. Momoko's face screwed up, her daze drifting away and all the good feeling inside her flying away with it. She fell back against the table she was laying on, moaning and hissing as pain started to overtake her. Miyako gasped and shushed her, fixing her pillow and rubbing her arm.
"Momoko-san! Please, just relax. Your painkillers are probably wearing off...Utonium-hakase! Momoko-san is awake! Please hurry!" She called over her shoulder. A door opened and the Professor came in, Ken and Peach hot on his heels. Miyako managed to catch sight of Kaoru in the other room. The tomboy had kept her distance after seeing the damage Momoko had sustained in the fight.
"What?! Where am I?! What's going on? AH!" Momoko cried, looking around wide-eyed.
"Momoko-chan! Please, relax! You're in the Tokyo City Research Center. Miyako-chan brought you here after your fight," Professor Utonium explained, resting his hand on her shoulder, steadying her sudden panic. Momoko nodded, a few stray tears rolling down her cheeks.
Miyako wiped her eyes, "I'm so sorry, Momoko-san...I should have come so much sooner..." she whispered. Momoko opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a small yelp and a moan. The Professor was giving her some kind of shot...the pain she'd felt before, especially in her arms, was slipping away. Momoko cooed and fell back, staring up at the ceiling. With a yawn, she raised her hand to block out the light.
Any kind of high she may have been slipping into vanished when she saw her hand. It was completely wrapped in bandages. She tried to wiggle her fingers, but nothing. She couldn't move them. With Miyako and Professor Utonium's help, she managed to sit up again, staring at both hands.
"My hands..." she finally muttered, coughing.
"I'll get you a drink, Momoko-san," Ken offered, hurrying out of the room. Seeing that she seemed alright, Professor Utonium said he would give them some time alone, taking his leave. Peach hopped up on the table, barking and wagging his little tail.
"I hope you feel better soon, wan! Momoko-san was amazing in that fight, wan! We're all very proud of you, wan!" Peach informed her, beaming and hopping down. After Ken delivered Momoko a glass of water and repeated Peach's praise, he too left. Momoko stared at the cup, licking her lips. She looked at her hands, then back at the cup.
"Here, I'll help you, Momoko-san," Miyako offered, taking the cup and holding it to her lips. Momoko accepted it gratefully, desperately draining the glass. Miyako giggled, in spite of herself, and wiped a trickle of water away from Momoko's face, "Are you starting to feel better?"
"...I think so," Momoko nodded. The two looked up; Kaoru walked in and took a seat on Momoko's other side. When she caught sight of Momoko's hands, she swallowed and turned to stare at the corner of the room.
"Glad to see you up, Hero Maniac," Kaoru said, clearing her throat. Momoko smiled and turned to Miyako. She then sighed and looked down at her lap.
"You two didn't have to come-" she began. Miyako cut her off, jumping to her feet, suddenly.
"No!" she exclaimed, uncharacteristically loud. She balled her fists and fought back a tremble wracking her body. She shook her head, "No, Momoko-san. Don't...I should have been with you from the start. It wasn't fair of us to make you fight alone, no, this is my fault, Momoko-san. If I hadn't been so selfish, you wouldn't...I could have..." Miyako sat back down, gently taking Momoko's wrist in both hands. She bit her lip, but looked her in the eyes.
"Miyako-chan, it's okay. I'm not angry anymore...really. You two have-" She began. Again, Miyako cut her off, shaking her head.
"No, Momoko-san...next time, if you call, I will be there. It doesn't matter what I'm doing. I won't ever let you fight alone again," Miyako promised. Kaoru cleared her throat again and nodded. She turned to Momoko, smirking.
"You really were amazing, though, Momoko. I watched the fight while you were sleeping. I can't..." Kaoru reached out and gave her shoulder a squeeze. Momoko couldn't resist a smile and a blush, "I never knew you were so strong, if I wanna keep my reputation as the strong one, I'm gonna need to be there, huh?"
Momoko blinked. She closed her eyes and looked down. This had to be a dream, right? She slowly smiled, "So...what you're saying is...Powerpuff Girls Z..."
Kaoru laughed, nodding, "That's right, we're back in this,"
"All of us," Miyako added, still holding onto Momoko's arm. Momoko couldn't help giggling, nor could she resist the tears of excitement and joy rolling down her cheeks. Miyako reached over, gently wiping them away. Momoko grinned.
"Powerpuff Girls Z...back together at last...Kare doesn't stand a chance!" She cried, thrusting her fist in the air. She hissed and pulled it back down, cradling it close. Miyako gasped and lightly touched her hand.
"Are you okay?" she fussed, hurrying to her other side to look at her hand. Kaoru, meanwhile, cocked her head, caught off guard by Momoko's statement.
"Wait...Kare? As in, the Kare we defeated already?" she asked.
Momoko nodded, smiling and thanking Miyako when the pain subsided, "Right, that Kare. He's managed to return to Earth. He's the one who sent those two monsters," Momoko trailed off, staring off into space. She thought back to her fight with the last monster. At the time, she'd been too tired to really notice. But now...thinking back on it, she realized that he had a second kind of light in him. There were Kare's black seeds, but...there was something else, too. Something darker, even more powerful. Momoko gasped, hands flying to her mouth. She yelped, staring down at them sheepishly.
"Momoko-san! Be careful!" Miyako insisted. Momoko nodded, a far away, terrified—yet strangely excited—look shining in her eyes. There was a grin spreading on her face that only served to confuse Kaoru further.
"Momoko? Hey, Hero Maniac, what is it?" she asked.
Momoko licked her lips, "Kare isn't the one behind this," Miyako and Kaoru stared at her incredulously, "The first monster, the tummy monster, it was made from Kare's black seeds, but he didn't make it. It was too hideous, Kare's monsters are more exaggerated, more mischievous. And that last monster? When I defeated it, I saw something else leaving...I saw Kare's black seeds, but also another power. Something even greater than Kare,"
Miyako and Kaoru were stunned. The two sat in silence, unsure how to respond to Momoko's bright, hopefully expression. Someone...or something even more powerful than Kare? Something worse than their worst enemy?
Miyako managed to recover first, "Are you certain, Momoko-san?" she asked.
"Right, I mean, Kare was the one who created all of our other enemies. He made the black lights and the black seeds. What...else is out there?" Kaoru wondered.
Momoko smirked, taking a deep breath and sighing wistfully. A new, even more powerful enemy! This was it, the next big adventure in the story of Powerpuff Girls Z! She was right...something big was around the corner!
"Yeah, this time, I know for sure. We're in for...something amazing," she explained with a dreamy smile. Kaoru and Miyako traded a look. The talk of superheroines and villains and monsters faded away and the three drifted into small talk. Miyako told Momoko and Kaoru about the student council and all the hijinks they managed to get up to, despite their stuffy appearance. Kaoru told them stories about the boxing and soccer teams, their antics on the field and their upcoming matches.
All the while, Momoko listened, resting her head on Miyako's shoulder. She was sleepy and in constant, throbbing pain. But...her two friends, her two best friends, were with her again. The three laughed as Kaoru told a particularly rambunctious story, complete with wild gestures and curses. Momoko sighed, closing her eyes and enjoying the sound of their voices.
XxXxX
Miyako had offered to help Momoko get home, carrying her bags—which held the precious painkillers Professor Utonium had given her. Momoko's hands had been horribly maimed by the monster's attack. For now, her hands were nearly paralyzed. She could barely move her fingers, couldn't lift anything much heavier than a pencil—and even then she could barely move her fingers well enough to hold on tight—and was in constant pain. Professor Utonium assured her that, thanks to her power as Hyper Blossom, her hands would eventually heal.
But, for now, Momoko was going to be severely handicapped in battle, her yo-yo completely unusable. Worse than that, as the two approached the redhead's home, they were desperately trying to think of an excuse to explain Momoko's injuries. It was nearing midnight, her parents were understandably worried.
"Well, Utonium-hakase says that he called ahead and informed your parents that you were hurt...I think he was saying it was a lab accident," Miyako explained. Momoko nodded, reaching instinctively for the door. It opened suddenly, revealing Kakiko Akatsutsumi. Momoko laughed sheepishly, staring at the ground in shame.
"Hi...Kaasan...sorry I'm so late," Momoko started. Her mother pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head, silencing whatever excuse she'd begun to formulate. Momoko bit her lip and returned the hug awkwardly.
"What happened? Utonium-hakase said there was...your hands? Momoko-chan! My gods, are you alright? Oh, baby..." Kakiko sighed, gently looking over her daughter's heavily bandaged appendages. Momoko nodded, glancing to Miyako for support.
"Yes, um...Akatsutsumi-san...there was an accident at the lab and Momoko-san was...she..." Miyako couldn't finish her own lie. The guilt was too much, it was all she could do to not get too upset.
"It's alright, Miyako-chan, thank you so much for making sure Momoko-chan got home safe," Kakiko smiled, taking Momoko's bags from Miyako. "It's so good to see you again, by the way."
Miyako blushed, which was thankfully hidden in the dark. Once Kakiko turned, she carefully wiped her eyes.
"Yes, I'm excited that Momoko-san and I will be spending more time together, I really did miss that," the two girls traded a look. Miyako smiled and bowed slightly, "Have a good night, Momoko-san, you as well, Akatsutsumi-san," she turned and began to make her way home.
"Good night, Miyako-chan..." Momoko called back, with a wave and a smile. She sighed, following her mother back inside.
"Is Otousan still awake?" Momoko asked, looking up the stairs at the dark hallway. She turned, spotting her mom sitting down on the couch.
"No, no...he was worried, but he does have work tomorrow," Kakiko explained. Momoko frowned, joining her. After a moment of hesitation, she looked up from her feet.
"So do you Kaasan..." Momoko pointed out. Her mother actually had work much earlier than her father, she thought. Momoko swallowed, ashamed that she'd worried her mother so much, and that she had to lie about the reason behind it. Her mother gave her a tight hug and kissed her cheek. Momoko only felt more guilty.
"It's alright, Momoko-chan. Come on, we need to get you to bed, you have school tomorrow," The two marched sleepily up the stairs, "Do you need any help?" Kakiko asked. Momoko paused and looked at her hands. She shook her head.
"I'll be okay, you should go to sleep, Kaasan," Momoko beamed.
Kakiko smiled and gave her one last hug, "Alright, Momoko-chan, sweet dreams,"
"You too, Kaasan," Momoko called. She closed her door and stared at her window. Momoko sighed again and began the fight with her clothes. The fight wasn't pretty, but after nearly twenty minutes of struggling and hissing in pain, Momoko collapsed in her bed, finally in her pajamas. Just as she began to close her eyes, she heard her door crack open.
"Kuriko-chan, it's almost one in the morning...you should be asleep," Momoko chastised. She opened her eyes. Sleep was so far from her mind right now. Her head was spinning with wild thoughts, both good and bad. Her friends had come back to her; a new monster was threatening Tokyo City. Powerpuff Girls Z were needed once more; she wasn't sure when she'd be able to recover from that last fight. Momoko shuddered and rolled onto her side.
A little someone slid into bed with her and snuggled up close to her back. The two laid like that, in silence, neither sleeping, for some time. Finally, Kuriko asked, "Can I see your hands?"
"Hm?" Momoko asked, rolling over. Trembling, her eyes wide and mouth agape, Kuriko stared, almost reverently, at Momoko's injury. "Kuriko-chan? What's wrong? It was-"
"Y...You...You're...you're Blossom, aren't you?" Kuriko asked, staring up at her sister's now wide eyes.
Momoko gasped, the lie vanishing from the tip of her tongue. Kuriko just...her sister had always been a smart little girl, but...Momoko opened and closed her mouth. Seeing her sister's teary eyes, she couldn't say what she needed to. She couldn't explain how a beaker exploded in her hands. She couldn't think of anything to say except...
"...Yeah...I am," Momoko confessed.
Kuriko looked across the room and pointed, "S-So your belt...it's not just...it's...the real one?"
"Yeah...yeah, it is," Momoko replied. Kuriko scrunched her eyes up, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. She threw herself at Momoko, burying herself in her arms.
"Why wouldn't you tell me?! Why?! I wouldn't have told anyone!" Kuriko cried, muffling her shouts in Momoko's shirt. Momoko wrapped her arms around her, hugging her as tight as she could.
"I..." I wanted to protect you. I wanted to keep you safe. I couldn't let my enemies know. "I was afraid...if I told you, you wouldn't think I was cool anymore," Momoko admitted, now in tears herself.
Kuriko pulled away in shock, "What?! Why would I ever think that?"
"You..." Momoko sniffled and rolled over, facing away from Kuriko, "You always thought Blossom was stupid...she was lame, and clumsy, and a bad heroine. So...I...I didn't want to tell you that I was a heroine because apparently I'm really bad at it!" she sobbed.
"Stupid Oneechan," Kuriko muttered, wiping her eyes.
"I know I'm stupid!" Momoko shot back.
Kuriko shook her head, "Oneechan...no, I mean...you..." Kuriko slid under the covers and cuddled close to Momoko again. Her sister tried to pull away, but Kuriko latched onto her, "I just thought Blossom was your favorite, so I was teasing you...if I knew...Oneechan, you're so much cooler than Bubbles and Buttercup and Blossom!"
"You're a little liar...I am not..." Momoko argued.
"I am not! And you are..." Kuriko insisted, "When Bubbles and Buttercup didn't show up, I didn't think Blossom could beat that monster. But, you did. You beat it all by yourself. If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have ever been scared cause I know you'd never let me down," Kuriko explained, smiling when Momoko rolled over to face her.
"You really mean that?" Momoko asked.
"I do!" Kuriko nodded, sighing when Momoko finally returned her embrace, "Oneechan is the best heroine there ever was. You should just...be Oneechan and not worry so much about being Blossom,"
Momoko smiled, "I'll try..."
"Good!" Kuriko chirped. The two giggled and cuddled for a little while longer. Finally, sleep managed to seep into Momoko's brain. She still felt guilty, lying to her mother, but another, different weight had been lifted. With a smile on her lips, she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
XxXxX
"KYA! That brat...she...she managed to win?! How did she win!?" Kare screamed, his dark power rushing around the cavern like a storm. The energy that had once been Dokioushi had merged with the master once more, restoring a far greater portion of his power. But, even as new found power filled his tired body, a new curiosity filled his thoughts. He watched the fight again, through the eyes of Dokioushi.
"This human girl..." the master muttered, cutting off Kare's tirade, "She managed to not only protect the innocents from my power, she, with her own two hands, bested my Wrath itself. Such power and cunning, what are these Powerpuff Girls Z?"
"Pathetic little brats! Master, enough of these games!" Kare's anger finally settled, though it continued buzzing in the back of his mind. He giggled and bowed, presenting himself to the master, "I believe something can be done about Powerpuff Girls Z before they can truly become a thorn in your...almighty side," he sneered at his own choice of words.
The master nodded, folding his hands and staring off into the darkness. The negative energy in Tokyo City was rising, but with it was a new positive force. His monsters had spread fear, panic, and chaos. But, at the same time, Powerpuff Girls Z had given rise to new, confusing energy. Courage, hope, and order. There were those who believed mere children could stop the oncoming tide of darkness.
"So be it, what will you do, Kare?" the master asked.
Kare grinned, his power glowing around him and his eyes turning bright red, "I will crush them myself, and finally have my revenge,"
The master slowly smiled, an image of Hyper Blossom appearing in the darkness of the cavern. Her power was great, her cunning, remarkable. Though she was a child, he wondered, could she be a worthy foe? And what of the others, the wayward members of this Powerpuff Girls Z? Together...what power might they hold?
"Very well, go and conquer in my name," Kare grinned. With a wild cackle, he vanished in a cloud of dark seeds.