//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: Glitter Bombs and Revolts Part 2 
// Story: Serving A Queen 
// by Harmony Charmer 
//------------------------------//

	It all happened so fast. Suddenly, Bubble was cartwheeling towards the barricade in front of the mine, and as he stuck the landing, he threw up two balls into the air. He flipped backwards, right in front of the guards, then twirled on one foot to face them and Umbra. "Get down!"

Umbra didn't have a chance to argue or comply as Bubble tackled her to the ground, prompting her to scream. "Bubble, get off!"

Two explosions, just beside one another in time and place, resonated briefly before being followed by the sound of coughing and confused grunts and mumbles.

"What the hell was that? I can't see anything!" exclaimed one miner.

"Why is everything so freaking sparkly?" yelled another.

"Is this glitter? Why the hell did he have glitter bombs?" grunted a third.

Umbra turned to Bubble with wide eyes. "Why did you have glitter bombs?

Bubble shrugged. "I didn't want them to get hurt. Besides, it was just a distraction!"

Umbra arched a brow. "Distraction? For what?"

Bubble answered her by putting his arms under her and lifting her up, then slinging her over his shoulder. "To get you out of here!"

"Bubble!" Umbra shrieked, tugging at the hem of her dress. "I'm wearing a dress, you idiot! You can't just sling me over your shoulder like that!"

"Just go along with it!" Bubble told her. "Best case scenario, they'll think you're being kidnapped and have a valid reason for your not being here!"

"Bubble, that's absolutely- EEK!" Umbra clung onto him as he started running at an abnormal speed. "Bubble, slow down!"

"I would, but since this is only the beginning of the G.L.A.D. initiative, then we should probably get to higher ground!"

"Bubble, I swear, if you get on another roof with me there--" She paused. "Wait, G.L.A.D. initiative?"

Bubble leaped up onto another roof with ease, causing Umbra to shriek once more. "Yep! Glitter, Laughter, Apparitions, and Da Finale!"

"Bubble, none of that makes sense!" Umbra exclaimed. She paused as she looked at the glitter that rained over the mines and her guards. "Actually, that explains an awful lot about this and yourself, now that I think about it."

Bubble shrugged as he put her down on the roof. "Careful! Try not to fall!"

"I wouldn't have to worry about that if you hadn't dragged me up here with you!" She snapped, tugging her skirt down. "Seriously, Bubble, I'm wearing a dress! You're lucky I'm wearing my armor under this, or I'd have your head."

"Aw, you know you love me!" Bubble said, waving a hand. He turned to the crowd that had gathered below. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to put an end to this revolt!"

"Oh, Crystal Heart, this isn't going to go well for anyone..." Umbra said, putting a hand to her temple.

Bubble held up a hand. "But, first, allow me to break through the tension with some jokes and magic tricks!" He pulled out three multi-colored balls and started juggling. "So, the other day, I was playing with some spot remover around my dog... And now I can't find him!" When no one laughed, it didn't stop him from continuing. "So, have you ever heard the saying that time flies like an arrow? What about fruit flies? Do they fly bananas?"

Umbra heard Feather snort from down below, and she put a hand to cover her snicker. "Bubble, I don't think puns are going to help the situation--"

"Have any of you guys ever tried to write with a broken pencil?" Bubble interrupted. "If you ask me, it seems pretty pointless!" When no one laughed, he frowned. "Wow, tough crowd... I guess y'all are too tired, huh? Kind of like a bicycle!" He snorted. "Ha, get it? Like, two tired?"

The kids in the crowd started giggled, only to be hushed by their mothers. Bubble took this as a sign to keep going, and he leaned against the chimney on the roof. "Ya know, I always wondered if the Queen is allowed to knight who she wants... Like, could she knight her favorite chef Sir Loin?"

"Ha!" Umbra exclaimed before smacking a hand over her mouth. "Dammit, that wasn't even funny."

Bubble shrugged. "A laugh's a laugh, Your Majesty! Besides, I've been meaning to ask you: if your subjects stand for royalty, then do you sit for royal tea?"

Umbra snorted, causing her to cover her mouth once more. "Bubble, quit it!"

"And what about royal chairs? Are they ever throne out?"

"Oh my, God, please stop!" Umbra exclaimed, a giggle escaping her. "I really hate puns! They're not even that funny!"

"Hey, don't be such an up-dog about it!" Bubble retorted.

Feather frowned and he pointed at Bubble. "Don't insult the Queen! That's punishable, you twit!"

"Do you even know what an up-dog is?" Umbra asked, wondering it herself.

Feather paused, and he put a finger to his chin in thought. He looked up at Bubble with a frown. "What is up dog?"

Bubble started cackling. "Oh my, gosh, someone said it! I've been trying for years to get someone to say it!" He collapsed onto the roof, his hands clutching his sides and his face turning red from laughing so hard. "This is the greatest moment of my life!"

"What? What's so funny?" Feather exclaimed, confused.

Umbra watched in silent fascination as Bubble's laughter escalated. "I don't get it."

Bubble managed to stand up after a moment, and he looked down at the confused crowd. "Wow, this is almost as good as the party I threw for the Princes of Canterlot! Except, they didn't laugh as much. I guess it's because of royal pains!"

"Bubble, please, this has gone on long enough," Umbra told him. "Perhaps now would be the time to leave?"

Bubble shook his head. "Nope! I still got A.D. of the G.L.A.D. Initiative to do!" He turned to the crowd. "Hey, anyone wanna see magic tricks?" He didn't wait for an answer and he pulled out a deck of cards, then turned to Umbra. "Pick a card, any card!"

Umbra frowned. "Bubble, I said this has gone on long enough."

"Do the card trick!" yelled a man from the crowd. 

"Yeah, do it, Your Majesty!" cried a child, though not as meanly. "I wanna see a magic trick!"

As the crowd continued on with their cheering and encouragement for Umbra to allow the trick to continue, she frowned and sighed. "Fine, I'll choose a card." She took a random card: the Queen of Hearts. She tried not to notice the irony in it.

Bubble took back the card and put it in the deck, then shuffled them a bit. "So, Your Majesty, what's your birthday?"

"November 2nd," Umbra said flatly. "What does this have to do with the trick?"

"What about your favorite color? What is that?" Bubble asked, all while mumbling numbers under his breath as he shuffled the cards.

"Purple," she said with a roll of her eyes. 

"And your favorite type of flower?"

"Tulips. I fail to see what this has to do with--"

"Here ya go!" Bubble said, holding up a card. It was the Queen of Hearts.

Umbra blinked and gingerly took the card from him. "Where did you even--?"

Bubble held up a finger. "I counted 11 for your birth month, counted 2 back for your birthday, and counted 6 forward again because your favorite color is purple! P-U-R-P-L-E! 6 letters!"

Umbra, impressed and confused, looked at the card. "Fascinating..." She paused. "Wait, what does my favorite flower have to do with this trick?"

Bubble didn't answer, and instead took the card and twirled it in his fingers, causing it to seemingly disappear. "Check behind your ear."

Umbra arched a brow, but did as told and tucked a hand behind her ear. She froze, then slowly pulled her hand forward, revealing a purple tulip. "How did that even--"

Bubble put up a finger to his lips. "A magician never reveals his secrets!" He briefly bowed, causing the crowd to cheer, then stood back up. "Thanks, but that's not all folks! Now, who wants to see the grand finale?"

Umbra frowned. "Listen, Bubble, perhaps you should quit while you're ahead and we should--"

"Hush, give me a minute!" Bubble told her. He turned back to the crowd. "Now, for this trick, I'm going to need a volunteer!" He peered over the crowd, then paused. "How about you, kind sir?"

"Absolutely not!" Feather Quill exclaimed. "I refuse to be a part of this!"

Bubble leaned in next to Umbra. "Hey, can you make him get up here? You are his boss, after all."

Umbra sighed. "Fine." She looked down at Feather Quill. "Get up here, Feather. Might as well get it over with."

Feather harrumphed. "Fine!"

"Awesome!" Bubble said, reaching down to help Feather onto the roof. He cleared his throat, then pulled out a cloak from behind him. Umbra was stunned to see it was the one she had let him borrow back at the castle. "Now, sir, if you would sit down and allow me to put the cloak over you?"

Feather glared at him. "Just what are you doing with the Queen's cloak? I should have you executed for taking royal prope--" His words became muffled as Bubble dropped the cloak onto him.

Bubble put a hand on his head. "Hey, now! Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to the cloak, right?" He paused. "And I guess mean old Feather Quill, too." He stood up and shrugged. "I wonder what this trick will be, huh?"

Umbra looked down at Feather Quill, only to see that he had ceased his struggling and was sitting very still. "Bubble, what did you do?"

Bubble shrugged. "Dunno! Let's see!" He pulled up the cloak, revealing that Feather Quill was no longer under the cloak. He gasped dramatically. "He's gone!" He paused, then looked off to the side. "Whoops, never mind, he's over there now."

Umbra and the audience turned to where he was looking, and they all gaped as Feather stood on top of the barricade that blocked the mine. The rebels blinked in shock, unsure what to make of the adviser's sudden appearance, and Feather didn't seem to understand what had happened either.

"Hey, it's the Queen's helper! Get him!" exclaimed a miner, grabbing at Feather's pant leg.

"Get your hands off of me, you ruffians!" Feather shouted, stomping at the hands of the reaching miners. Suddenly, he was pulled down into the mine. "Ow! My back!"

Bubble grabbed Umbra's hand. "Now we can leave!"

"Wait, what about Feather?" Umbra asked, looking back at her assistant as he was being dragged down.

Bubble waved a hand. "He'll be fine! Besides, we can come get him later!" He lifted up Umbra again, and lifted up a spare hand to hold up another glittery ball. Then, he threw it down, causing both himself and Umbra to disappear from the roof.


*	*	*


"Bubble, put me down!" Umbra exclaimed, slapping Bubble on the shoulder as they made it into the dining room. "We're already at the castle, so you can stop running!"

Bubble pouted as he put her down. "Don't need to be so mean about it."

She glared at him. "Bubble, what were you thinking causing a commotion like that back at the mines? Do you know how insanely dangerous that was?"

Bubble put his hands on her hips. "Uh, you left me in the castle when you said you wanted to see my glitter! Talk about rude!"

Umbra groaned and smacked a hand to her forehead. "It was an emergency! There were hostages at the mine and I was trying to talk the rebel leader down so that way they'd release them! Do you know what you've done by taking me away from the situation?"

"Hey! Everyone was tense and all I could think to do was make everyone laugh!" He threw up some confetti in anger. "That's what party planners do, Umbry!"

Umbra blinked. "Umbry...?"

Bubble wasn't done. "Besides, I didn't want you getting hurt! I saw you use your magic, and since I know that lots of people are iffy about magic, I didn't want anything bad happening to you! I knew that if I distracted the crowd long enough, they wouldn't miss us if we disappeared. Besides, I bet the guards are apprehending the rebels right now!"

Umbra paused in wonderment, pondering about what she should do or say, then looked at Bubble with a smile. "Bubble, you brilliant genius!"

Bubble beamed. "Thanks!" He paused, then leaned in as he held up a hand to cover his loud whisper. "Why am I genius?"

Umbra gently pushed him off of her and held his hand to stand him up with her. "Because, you terrific moron, you managed to save us from getting hurt without hurting the rebels." She put a hand on his shoulder. "The last thing I needed was a battle within the Empire, and I think that glitter bomb of yours just saved me from one."

Bubble shrugged. "Well, I don't like hurting others. It's not in me."

Umbra paused. "Wait, what about Feather? He was taken by the rebels, wasn't he?"

"Oh, I'm fine," said an annoyed, familiar voice. "But thanks for asking, Your Majesty."

Umbra turned to see Feather Quill, who was fuming and covered in gray dust, no doubt from the mines. His clothes were torn and his brown hair was a mess, his left shoe missing from his attire and an entire pant leg gone as well. Umbra wanted to feel bad for him, but she soon found she had no sympathy for her adviser in the slightest.

Feather turned to Bubble with a glare. "You are so very lucky that this worked in our favor. In the end, the rebels were laughing too hard at some of the things you left after your exit, the guards were able to arrest them and put them up in the cells." He turned to Umbra. "They'll be cleaning up glitter from the mines for weeks."

Umbra held back a snicker. "Well, I'm glad you're alright."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, you're right, I'm most certainly not." Umbra sighed. "Listen, Feather, go to the infirmary and take the day off to mend your wounds. You can take off as much time as you need, actually."

"Anything to get me out of your hair?" Feather inquired. He rubbed his arm. "You're extremely lucky that I need this time off or I'd pester you for the remainder of the day."

Bubble frowned as Feather walked off, then turned to Umbra. "You really need to get another adviser."

She sighed. "I really do." She turned to Bubble, her hand going over the petals of the tulip she had forgotten she had. "I really do."