Chapter 40: Good-bye...forever?
*for the next few days, the kids have been doing whatever they can to have as much fun as possible. The park, sprinklers, tea time, last minute karaoke, pointing out star constellations, anything until moving day comes. In fact...*
*PPG room. 4:54PM (one day left until the PPG move)*
*Blossom and Buttercup put their clothes inside their respective boxes. Bubbles and Shad pack up their things as well*
Shad: *puts his towel in his suitcase-styled bag* You're gonna leave tomorrow...right?
Bubbles: Uh-huh. The professor says we'll have to wake up a bit early when we leave. Don't know why.
Blossom: I think he said something about beating the rush traffic. From how he said it, making it to Megasville won't be like a quick drive to Tokyo Townsville.
Buttercup: So we have to go to sleep 1 hour early?!
Blossom: *dispenses her brush and hairclip in the box* Probably earlier then that.
Bubbles: You'll be okay when we're gone, right Shaddy?
Shad: *voice breaks up a bit* S-s-sure.
Why do I feel so weird? They'll be back...won't they?
Blossom: You don't look so good Shad. Are you sick?
Shad: My tummy hurts. A lot.
Blossom: You probably ate lunch too fast.
Shad:
No. That happens after I eat too fast. My tummy doesn't get upset like this unless... *opens drawer, revealing Bunny's cloth* Hello Bunny. Guess what? You're going on a trip with your sisters to Megasville.
Buttercup: And now he's talking to a cloth. You sure you're alright Shad?
Shad: Yes, I'm fine! I had this thought that if this is all that's left of Bunny, then maybe she can still hear us. Besides, it's just like in a fairy tale.
Bubbles: Um...Shad? About that "trip" I was...
Shad: *puts his last article of clothing in his suitcase-styled bag* I'm done packing! *tries to pick it up, but only manages to drag it*
Bubbles: I'll get it to your house for you?
Shad: Uh...why don't we take it there together?
Bubbles: Even better! Try getting on the suitcase.
*Shad sits atop the suitcase. Bubbles lifts it up and then flies out, carrying the suitcase-styled bag as Shad sits on it, as if he were riding a magic carpet*
Blossom: A bit strange, don't you think?
Buttercup: *drops her boom box in the box* What?
Blossom: Ever since we decided to make the most out of our time Shad's been a bit...interupptive then usual.
Buttercup: Inter...in english!
Blossom: Every time Bubbles is about to tell Shad that we're moving away he stops her by doing or saying something else.
Buttercup: Maybe he already knows.
Blossom: I don't think so. We've been keeping a close eye on those two. It's when Bubbles ran out crying that Shad began to act a little strange. Like just now, his voice sounded as if he was going to cry.
Buttercup: Oh yeah! And he was in a hurry to do all the fun stuff so fast. Maybe because he still thinks it's a trip until Bubbles tells him.
Blossom: Call me crazy, but I think Shad already knows.
Buttercup: How so?
Blossom: Every time Bubbles says 'trip' Shad seems a bit...depressed. As if he was the same lonely boy who sat in the dark corner all the time back at school all over again. Of course, that's the reason why Bubbles won't tell him the whole truth. Shad...
Buttercup: Yeah yeah, you told me yesterday. She knows Shad likes her and saying that there's a good chance that we'll never see him again will make him his old self or something.
Blossom: More specifically, he doesn't want to lose friends that he just got. It's been what, just almost 2 months since he finally got used to superheroes being his friend. He even said so himself he doesn't want to end up alone again!
But maybe things will be a bit easier for Shad if Bubbles just tells him already.
*meanwhile, at Shad's house*
*Bubbles carries the bag upstairs as Claire sits with Shad, who's holding the "lantern" in front of him*
Claire: So?
Shad: What?
Claire: How did the sleepover go?
Shad: *glumly* Fun.
Claire: I see you had to come back here since the girls are going away for a while.
Shad: Mommy. I don't think it's a trip.
Claire: Hmm?
Shad: When Bubbles told me she was going away, she started crying. I thought it was because she was going to miss me, but it was a trip so she'll be back and...I don't know why but I started to feel like this. Feel sadder.
Claire: Sadder? About what?
Shad: Something keeps telling me something. I think I know what it is but I hope it's lying.
Claire: Hope what's lying?
Shad: The one place where you said all people look into. *points to his heart* This. This is telling me something else. Something I hope is a lie.
Claire:
Oh dear. It's as if everything's against him...even his own heart.
Shad: It...*sniff*...it's making me feel all weird inside, in a bad way. How do I make it stop?
Claire: *draws Shad into a hug* You'll know sweetie. *strokes Shad's snow white hair* You'll know.
*after closing the door to Shad's room, Bubbles comes down the stairs, but not before seeing Claire hugging Shad, who appears to be closing his eyes, barely holding back a tear*
Bubbles: *reaches the bottom of the stairs* Hello?
Shad: *opens his eyes* Bubbles?
*meanwhile, back at the PPG household*
*Blossom and Buttercup have just finished packing up their belongings. Now they wait for the moving truck to come for the furniture*
Buttercup: Yeah, but when the heck is the moving truck gonna come? *punched* OW!
Blossom: Don't you pull THAT again! The truck will be here in a few hours and take everything but our beds.
Buttercup: So we chuck those in when we wake up? That's good.
Blossom: *looks out the window to see a backdrop of the urban area of Townsville* Hard to believe we're actually leaving Townsville. We have so much good memories here. Fighting crime, enjoying weekends at the park...
Buttercup: Aw don't get sappy on me. I'm gonna miss being here too. Even if everyone didn't like us when we were made. Seeing us as freaks. But after that whole fiasco with the monkey army, we showed them! And we showed them again! *floats up and jabs in mid-air* And again! *jabs again* And again! *kicks upward this time* And again! Shad probably enjoyed seeing us kick butt all those times. Wonder if there were stuff he didn't see?
Blossom: Yeah. Speaking of Shad, he and Bubbles are taking a while getting his stuff back in his room. Wonder what's keeping them?
Buttercup: Well why don't we pass the time with something? Like saying good-bye to everyone.
Blossom: Wow. You used your brain. Again. Who first?
*back at Shad's house*
Bubbles: So that's it?
Shad: Uh-huh. Somehow my heart is making me feel something, and that's making me think of something that's not true. At least I hope it's not true.
Bubbles: What's not true?
Claire: The only way to know is if you tell him the whole truth this time.
Bubbles: This time?
Claire: I mean, tell him the truth.
Almost made a slip-up...again.
Bubbles:
But I...if I do that then Shaddy will... Do I have to?
Shad: Please Bubbles? I want to know if what my heart is making me think is true or not?
Bubbles: *gulp, then shakes a little* Shaddy, I can't...
Shad: Yes you can! If you can fight monsters and let me be more open and stuff then you can do this! The Bubbles I know would, that's for sure!
Bubbles: Okay.
This is it.
Claire:
This is it.
Bubbles: You want to ride Air Bubbles one more time?
Claire: *falls off her chair* WHAT?!
Shad: I guess.
One more...time?
*meanwhile, at Townsville Prison*
*Blossom, Buttercup and the professor stand in front of Mojo's jail cell*
Mojo: So you are leaving? You wish to leave the perimiter of Townsville? The boundaries of your residence? You wish to do what many thought wouldn't do which is leaving Townsville? Professor Utonium, you wish to leave your hometown by leaving your hometown which is Townsville? By seemingly abandoning me by leaving here, as in all of Townsville, which is Townsville? Wh...
Buttercup: SHADDAP ALREADY YOU BABBOON!!
Blossom: Professor, why did we stop here first?
Professor Utonium: Hmm. I had a reason until Mojo started talking. Either way, you should be glad I came to visit one last time...JoJo.
Blossom: Yeah, JoJo! Without us around you probably won't have much of a reason to break out of here anymore.
Buttercup: Nya nya! Bye forever Mojo!
Professor Utonium: Perhaps years upon years here will teach you to mend your ways.
*Blossom, Buttercup and the professor leave the prison*
Mojo: Impudent peons! I will not mends my ways in years. For I have yet to spend one year here. You think you can run off for long, but it will be ME who will be doing the running off. The running off after you! I shall not rest until I have destroyed you Powerpuff Girls. Me resting is futile until I destroy the Powerpuff Girls. The notion of rest will not come to mind until I've destroyed the Powerpuff Girls. Only then shall I rest once I've destroyed the Powerpuff Girls. For I am Mojo J...*flaming roll of toilet paper is thrown at him* YARRRRRRRRRRGHH! IT BURNS! FOR I AM MOJO JOJO!! I NEED A HOSE! THE HOSE IS REQUIRED FOR EXTINGUISHING THE FIRE ON ME! REQUI...*sprayed with water then shot by a tranquilizer dart*
*somewhere in the skies 6:03PM*
*Bubbles flies through the sky with Shad in tow. She takes the same path as last time. Twirling around the clouds, flying just a few inches above the lake, gliding through the forest, taking turns around the urban buildings, and finally stopping at Shad's house*
Bubbles: So?
Shad: That was fun as always, but it still hurts.
Bubbles:
I thought it'd make the pain go away! Do I have to tell him now? It does?
Shad: Yes. Can you tell me now?
Bubbles:
We can sing songs. But Buttercup's boom box got packed already. What about...no, the video games are packed up too. Shaddy, let's go inside.
*on the street, a white car drives along, the professor driving and Blossom and Buttercup in the back seat*
Blossom: Okay, saying goodbye to everyone we know took...2 hours. Probably less.
Buttercup: Hey, you were the one who volunteered to open all of the Mayor's pickle jars as a final act of heroic generosity.
Professor Utonium: Now now, it doesn't matter how lon...*sees 2 kids going inside a house* Bubbles? Shad?
Blossom: Where?
*as soon as the professor parks the car in the driveway, Blossom and Buttercup fly towards the front door of Shad's house until...*
Buttercup: *WHAM* OW! Again?!
Blossom: Security system. Remember?
Buttercup: *holds head in pain* Whatever. You think Bubbles told Shad?
Blossom: Don't know. But there's only one way to find out. *Blossom uses her x-ray vision on the door, but to no avail* What? It didn't work!
Buttercup: X-ray vision didn't work? How?
*the door opens, revealing Claire*
Claire: What was that about X-ray vision?
Blossom: Uh, nothing! Just checking to see if Bubbles is here.
Claire: Well she is but Shad needs to be alone with her for a few minutes. I'm just....watching.
Buttercup: You mean we can't even come in?
Claire: I never said that. You can come in, but wait in Shad's room until I say it's okay. Step in now.
*Blossom and Buttercup walk inside and go straight up the spiral staircase as Claire remains in the living room with Bubbles and Shad, who's carrying his Bubbles plushie*
Claire: Okay, now you can tell him.
Bubbles: Remember that trip I told you about earlier?
Shad: Yes.
Bubbles: The professor said something about seeing the world and going to Megasville would be a good opportunity for us. That and Townsville is still wrecked a bit. So we're going to finish kindergarten there and then go to first grade.
Shad: But you're going to be back right?
AH! My tummy's starting to hurt more. Why can't my heart stop? It can't be what I think it is! It can't!
Bubbles: There's something I really have to tell you right now. Something I didn't finish because...*remembers running out her room crying*...you know.
Shad: I do know.
Bubbles: I'm going to say it right here and right now. Are you ready?
Shad: Y-yes.
Claire:
Here comes.
*at the top of the stairs, 2 large pairs of eyes, one set pink and the other emerald green, watch on*
Bubbles: *deep breath* It's not a trip. We're moving away Shaddy.
*there was silence. Utmost silence. What happened next looked like it was almost something in slow motion. Almost. The Bubbles plushie slid out of Shad's hands and fell to the ground. His silver eyes started to flood up a pool of teardrops as his heart grew heavy upon the confirmation of what he hoped was his own imagination gone wild. Almost instantly after his plushie fell, a single tear rolled out of one of his eyes and down his cheek*
Shad: ...........................................
Bubbles: It's not that bad. I can write to you and you can write back. Besides, Megasville isn't that far. I really liked being with you and I hope you can still be as happy as the times we played together. You don't need to let this get to you.
Claire: Shad, is there anything you would like to say?
Shad: *bends down to pick up his Bubbles plushie* Good-bye.
Bubbles: Good-bye? We're not...*sees that a practical waterfall of tears streaming down his face and on the floor* Shaddy we can...
Shad: *sobbing* I SAID GOOD-BYE!!
*conflicted by both grief and possibly anger, Shad runs up the spiral staircase and PUSHES Blossom and Buttercup out of the way. He gets inside his room and slams the door shut*
Blossom: Shad.
Buttercup: Man, when you're right Blossom, you're right. I mean, I thought he'd just stand down there but...whoa.
*Blossom and Buttercup walk down the stairs and sees Claire with a slightly sullen look on her face and Bubbles looking as if she's ready to cry*
Claire: *wiping a tear from her eye with a tissue* Shad you poor boy.
If he reacted in such a way to news like this, then there's no telling what would happen if...
Blossom: Bubbles?
Buttercup: Shad probably didn't mean that.
*before anyone could blink, Bubbles glomped Blossom and Buttercup, sobbing uncontrollably*
Bubbles: IT'S NOT FAIR!! This is exactly why I didn't want to tell him! Now he'll just get sadder and sadder until...
Blossom: I know Bubbles. I figured it out days ago.
Buttercup: I don't care if he did yell at you or push us, I'm still gonna write to him!
Blossom: I'll write extra hard for you Bubbles. We all will.
Bubbles: *sniff* Really?
Blossom: I don't care what Shad said, we're still his friends no matter what.
Claire: Girls, I think it's best if you all go now. I'll speak with Shad. *ushers them out the door* Mail us when you get to Megasville. *door slowly closing* Good-bye...for now...Powerpuff Girls...adieu. *door closes completely*
*soon after the girls went home, they told the professor everything that happened. The professor was almost at a loss of words upon hearing how Shad took it. Back at Shad's house, Claire told Dimitri what happened as well when he stepped in. Unfortunately, Shad refused to let anyone in his room, nor did he step out of it for the rest of the night due to wallowing in his own tears. Dimitri and Claire decided that at 5:55AM they would see Adric and his daughters off. They would leave it up to Shad to see if he would accompany them*
*in front of the Pow...er...former Powerpuff household*
*a loading truck is parked in front of the house alongside the professor's car. Standing near those are the professsor and the sleepy PPG*
Blossom: *yawns* What are we waiting for professor?
Professor Utonium: Not waiting. I'm trying to *unlocks the car*...there. Everyone inside now.
Bubbles: ............................
*the front door of Shad's house opened, revealing Dimitri and Claire, wearing jackets over their nightwear and walking to the professor*
Professor Utonium: Dimitri! Claire!
Dimitri: Heheh. So you leave at last Adric.
Claire: You going off to higher learning. To challenge yourself. That seemed like something you wanted to do back at high school.
Professor Utonium: You guessed right Claire. *deep sigh* If only
he was here to see me off.
Dimitri: Yes. It's a shame really.
Claire: Enough of that. It's such an honor for your girls to protect us all this time. I'm sure Townsville will be able to defend itself well into the future. Blossom, make sure you don't snoop about too much. Buttercup, you may want to learn how to fly more straight. And Bubbles. I'm so sorry to say this but Shad won't be...
???: Bubbles?
*Bubbles looks to the right of Claire and sees a door open. Walking towards her is a little boy with white hair with a tint of gray, silver eyes, and wearing pajamas. He stops in front of Bubbles. Holding something...*
Shad: I made a copy of this. Remember Tokyo Townsville?
Bubbles: *given the same printout picture from the picture booth at Tokyo Townsville. The one of her lightly kissing Shad on the cheek. Bubbles gasps* Sh-sh-shaddy. This is...
Shad: *yawns*
Claire: Oh my. *picks up Shad* Looks like someone's still a little sleepy.
Buttercup: So he still cares doesn't he? *gets in the car*
Blossom: Looks like it. *does the same*
Bubbles: *floats up to a sleeping Shad* Good-bye Shaddy. We'll see each other again...I promise.
*right after those words, Bubbles kisses Shad on the cheek and gets in the car. The professor starts the engine as the moving truck drives ahead*
Dimitri: Be sure to call every now and then Adric!
Claire: We know how much of a square you are. *giggles*
Professor Utonium: Very funny. Rest assured, I'll do that.
Dimitri: Then adios old friend.
Claire: I bid you *bows a bit* adieu.
*the car then drives along. Dimitri and Claire watch as the car holding their best friend, the same car holding not only the greatest heroes they've known, but the best friends...that their son had. They wave good-bye as the 2 vehicles go farther, shrinking from their view as it takes the out-of-town highway...until it goes out of sight. To a new place. To a new experience. To a
new adventure. Rest easy, Powerpuff Girls. Your duty may be done in Townsville, but in Megasville...*
*In Megasville...
THE REAL ADVENTURE BEGINS!*
To be continued in Dual Minds Think Alike!
MUST. GET. SLEEP.
Powerpuff Girls (c) Craig McCracken
Names "Adric" and "Cranston" (c) Sir Griddles
Shad Staydamind (c) ME!!
Dimitri Staydamind (c) WHADYA THINK?!
Claire Staydamind (c) DUH!
Global Defenders (c) Mpcp 13 (wonder who that is
)
And that should be all of them. Hope I didn't miss anything. Before the second part starts I'd like to inform you all that I may create a trailer like last time (here's hoping I don't screw up anyone). Also, what WILL be available before (maybe before) it starts is a sneek peek at another OC of mine. I won't be saying who, but let's just say some of you will be pretty surprised.
And those that do know, please don't blab.
Just keep an eye on that post. I'll finish it soon. It's the beginning of the end...of the first part that is!
ls to the side* they aren't...*lies down on the seat* real. *falls asleep*
