Chapter Thirteen: I'm Sorry

                                    

                                          
Blossom's POV:
Physical pain is no match for emotional pain. I cried an ocean of tears knowing I might not ever see Berserk's beautiful magenta eyes again. Then I heard a voice say, "I'm sorry, too."
	I looked up and saw the one person I would have never thought to have those words come out of their mouth: Brick Freaking Jojo.
	I was so shocked I actually stopped crying for a moment. I looked at him like he had grown three heads and asked in a very raspy voice, "What?"
	Brick sighed and stared at the ground. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I should've been kinder to you, and especially to Berserk. I was such a jerk that day in the cafeteria, I don't even know what I was thinking. It's just that . . . I was in love with Berserk for a long time," he confessed.
	Shocked, I was at a loss for words. Brick was here, standing over Berserk's body, confessing about his crush on her? I looked at Boomer and Butch, wondering if they knew, but from the confused looks on their faces, probably not.
	"So, uh," said Brick. "If we're saying goodbye, I'd like to start." He took a deep breath. "Berserk was a great person. She was never afraid to be herself, even if she lost friends because of it. I wish I could have said sorry to her." He cleared his throat and looked at me. "Do you want to go next?"
	I shook my head. I felt like I would break down again if I opened my mouth. I made a mental note to remove Brick from my list of Top 10 Jerks of All time.
	"I'll go next," said Brat quietly. "Berserk was a good sister. She always protected me. She yelled at me a lot, but I think that's 'cause she loved me."
	"Real queen," Brute added.
	"She was nice," muttered Boomer.
	Butch cracked a grin. "She could beat anyone in an arm-wrestling contest."
	"She was pretty," smiled Bubbles.
	"She was tough," Buttercup claimed.
	"She was smart," Breaker remembered.
	Everyone looked at me. My voice cracked as I said softly, "She was mine."
	Suddenly, somebody shouted my name. "Blossom!" Everyone's heads turned around. It was the Professor. "Oh, Blossom, are you okay? What about you, Bubbles? And you, Buttercup?"
	"We're fine," insisted Bubbles. She glanced at Berserk. "She isn't, though . . ."
	The Professor took one glance at Berserk and asked, "Isn't she, um, dead?"
	I nodded and cried into my dress. The Professor softened. "Oh, Blossom . . . I'm so sorry. But there might be something I can do to help."
	"What?" I asked, wiping my tears.
The Professor looked at all of us. "I think all of you together could have enough power to recharge Berserk's poor soul. If you work hard and do it right, you might have a shot. But be careful - you only have one try. No one can afford to lose anyone else today."
	"It's worth the risk," said Brute firmly.
	"For Berserk," agreed Brat.
	And so we stood in a circle, gathering our energy. In my opinion, nobody worked harder than me. It was hard, trying to gather all my power in one source. Whenever I felt weak, I remembered Berserk's beautiful eyes and gritted my teeth, forcing myself to work harder.
	I looked around at the others. Bubbles looked like she was hardly trying, but she always looked like that, so I was worried. Buttercup was straining so hard I could see her veins. I tried hard not to laugh, because that would distract me.
	Pretty soon I could see the energy that we radiated. It was a huge ball of light, floating up and into Berserk's body. I held my breath as it faded inside of her, the wind blowing again as usual.
	Lowering myself, I gently brushed my hand against Berserk's cheek. Had it worked? I waited eagerly for the result. For a moment, nothing happened, and I got scared. But then I saw it.
	Her eyelids flickered.
	Then one beautiful magenta eye opened, and then the other. And there she was. My beautiful girlfriend, Berserk Plutonium, was smiling at me, very much alive.
	"Hey, gorgeous," she croaked.
	I screamed with delight, kissing her as hard as I could. Berserk returned the gesture eagerly, and I was so happy I was crying. "Oh my god you were gone for about twenty minutes and I missed you so much," I sobbed happily.
	Berserk smiled really wide. "Did we win?"
	I nodded. "Thanks to you. It must have taken a lot of courage to stand up to your dad like that."
	"It did," she admitted. "But it was worth it. Look around. We're all happier."
	I glanced around, and it was true. Brat and Bubbles were holding hands, and Brute had Buttercup on her shoulders, laughing about a joke that Buttercup just told.
	Of course in that exact moment, a very annoying voice said, "Not quite!" The Oppressor was hobbling toward us, parts of his clothes singed and torn.
	"You are no daughters of mine," he seethed to the Powerpunks. "You - Brat - you are a disgrace to everyone. You're such a pathetic little baby, you still wet the bed every month!"
	Brat turned red and hid behind Bubbles. Unfortunately, the Oppressor wasn't done. "Brute, you - you - you're such a pest. You're so different, and you want to be accepted, but you can't. You know why? Because nobody likes you."
	Brute made an angry noise in her throat and stepped forward, but Buttercup held her back.
	"And you," the Oppressor growled, turning to Berserk. I could feel her stiffen against me. "You betrayed me. You actually fell for garbage like that bow-head. You disobeyed and shamed me, your own father."
	Berserk's eyes were cold. She lifted her chin and spat, "You are no father of mine. I love who I love, and no one can tell me what to do. And don't you dare insult Blossom. Handcuffs, please."
	Brat handed her the handcuffs. In one swift move, Berserk clicked the handcuffs on the Oppressor before he could blink. He looked madder than a fire raging in a city, but he held his tongue, not wanting to attract more attention.
	Breaker led him to the police car that had just pulled up. Before he got in, Berserk said, "Oh, and Oppressor?"
	He turned around, shooting daggers at her.
	"Don't make fun of Brat and Brute. They're my sisters, and I love them."
	The Oppressor wrinkled his nose and reluctantly got in the backseat of the car. We watched them drive away, passing out of sight. I couldn't believe my luck.
	I heard a sniff, and then some bawling. Brat was crying her eyes out. "I love you too, Berserk!" she sniffed, hugging her sister extra tight.
	Berserk smiled, hugging her back.
	"Well, we should probably get going now," said Boomer. "It's almost midnight."
	"Yeah . . . we'll see each other again later," grinned Butch. "See ya."
	I silently agreed. I was much too tired to go to the dance.
	I looked at Berserk. "Do you want to stay at my place for a few days? I mean, the Oppressor isn't there to take care of you and the house anymore."
	Berserk's face split into a grin. "I'd love that."
	We walked home together hand in hand.