The argument downstairs was still as loud and raging as ever when Bubbles opened her eyes once more. She could not stand to see her two sisters argue like this a second longer. Cautiously, she opened the door and stepped out of the room, eyes half closed, hands trembling.
A shocking site met her eyes. Blossom and Buttercup were rolling on the ground, struggling with each other. Years of self defence training had collapsed to the level of two drunks grappling on a pavement. Buttercup and Blossom yelled as they struggled with each other, but Bubbles had lost track of what they were saying.
"Stop, please" begged Bubbles "Stop fighting. Stop. Please. This is overkill"
But she might well have been talking to a statue for the good her words did.
She sighed, and managed, with strength she didn't know she had, to prise her sisters apart.
"See." said Bubbles "fighting is wrong."
"But Bubbles" stated Blossom "Buttercup disobeyed orders."
"You don't own me Blossom" retorted Buttercup.
"It was her fault" yelled Blossom and Buttercup in unison, staring back at each other "She started it"
"It doesn't matter who started it" sighed Bubbles sadly "But let's just be glad no one got seriously hurt this time."
Her sisters continued to glare at each other but managed to nod slowly and grunt in acknowledgement.
"So do you see how violence is bad now" pleaded Bubbles looking desperately at her sisters, even though they did not look back at her "Do you see how fighting unnecessarily only leads to more pain. Do you see how a small argument can lead to so much pain. Do you see my point now."
"But Bubbles" explained Blossom, clearly very tired "Its what we have to do to protect Townsville. I'm sorry Bubbles but that's just the way things are."
"Not to mention they asked for it" added Buttercup in agreement "If they hadn't been up to no good in the first place, we wouldn't have to give them a knuckle sandwich."
"But. Two wrongs don't make a right. Miss Keane said so" protested Bubbles sadly "And... revenge is bad. You can't, you can't just go around fighting people you don't like. That's not, that's not how to make friends. That's not what friendship is about."
"Have you been watching too many of that stupid cartoon lately" complained Buttercup impatiently. "Because if that's what you've come to tell us about, then I'm not listening. Come back and talk to me when you've got a grip. I'm tired of this.". And Buttercup stormed off.
Blossom waited until Buttercup's footsteps had died away before she spoke again.
"Bubbles, I know that you don't like violence. I know you want to be friends with everyone and for everyone to get along. You're ingredient is sugar, and, I understand why you feel that way. But, you have to understand, there are just some people you can't make friends with. And when those people threaten those you love, sometimes to fight back is your only choice. I know its difficult, but its what we have to do. I don't like this any more than you do, but as a Powerpuff girl, it's your responsibility to protect those you love."
"But can't we at least try" asked Bubbles. "Can't we at least try to find a way to get along."
"I'm sorry Bubbles but, monsters and people, they just, its not that easy for them to just suddenly get along. Monsters are monsters. People are people. And monsters are evil and try to kill innocent people. Monsters just don't, don't have a concept of right and wrong. You have to understand that Bubbles. Trying to make friends with monsters will only end badly."
Bubbles nodded slowly, clearly still in denial. "What about forgiveness?"
"Forgiveness? What forgiveness? Why should we forgive monsters and criminals who don't deserve it."
Bubbles closed her eyes, struggling to stop a fresh flow of tears.
"What about Princess? What about the Rowdyruff boys? They're not monsters. Why can't we at least forgive them."
"The Rowdyruff boys were created by mojo to destroy 're our sworn enemies and we can't argue with that. And Princess is just a spoiled brat who doesn't realise the true purpose of being a Powerpuff girl. They don't understand the concept of right and wrong. How can we forgive them?"
Bubbles thought for a while. Then, after what seemed like a century but in reality was only a few long seconds, she decided to answer the question, choosing her words carefully.
"Maybe we could, teach them?"
"I wish it were that simple Bubbles. But I don't think they'd even listen to us."
But Bubbles only shook her head. Blossom only said that because she hadn't tried. She realised that she wasn't going to convince Blossom otherwise. She realised that once again, her sisters had regarded her opinion as being naive and useless.
Bubbles realised that if she wanted to go down the path of peace and friendship, she was on her own. She would have to do this without the help of her sisters, if she wanted to show them that it was possible to make Townsville a safer place without cruelty and violence, and that people could change.
"You're wrong Blossom" whispered Bubbles to herself sadly "People can change if they want to. People don't stay evil forever."
Bubbles had not been blind to the fact she had not seen Princess at school for quiet a few days now. Nor had she been blind to the quiet anger in Buttercup's voice when she talked about Princess. And though as a Powerpuff girl she was not supposed to show sympathy to so called "villains", sympathy is what Bubbles secretly felt, despite doing her best not to let it show.
She did feel small increments of pity when she saw princesses reaction that day when Blossom didn't make her a Powerpuff girl. And she did feel small amounts of pity ever since.
She had no obligation to care for a remorseless criminal, yet deep down she did feel that Princess would have made a good Powerpuff girl had Blossom heard her out. The same way she felt that the Rowdyruff boys were not as bad as they seemed as they too were only trying to please Mojo in the same way her and her sisters were only trying to please the Professor.
But there was no point in telling Blossom and certainly not Buttercup.
Kindness was one of the most important elements out of the six elements of harmony. And being kind meant being kind and fair to everyone, even people who you didn't think deserved it. Otherwise, you didn't have kindness. And without kindness, you didn't have friendship.
All friendships started with the decision to be kind, rather than cruel.