Serving A Queen

by Harmony Charmer

Chapter 3: Warming Up

"So, then I said, 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?'!" Bubble exclaimed.

Umbra wasn't sure if she should laugh. "That sounds... Interesting. How many odd situations do you get yourself into?"

'I'm being nosy again,' she thought. 'I just need to keep my mouth shut.'

Bubble just shrugged. "Depends on what you mean. And I don't think of them as weird, because really, what's considered weird? Is weird even weird or are we perceiving it as weird based on our own thoughts on what weird is? Or would that make it weird?"

Umbra was silent for a moment. "...Yes?"

Bubble threw his arms into the air. "I knew it!"

Umbra smiled a bit. "Have you anymore strange tales to speak of?"

'Dammit,' she thought. 'Why can't I just stay quiet?'

Bubble nodded. "Uh-huh! Like with this insane party I had with Cheesy a couple weeks ago! Oh, it was so fun! There was punch, cupcakes, cakes, licorice, hard candy, soft candy--"

Umbra held up a hand. "I think I get the picture, thank you."

'Wow, that was rude. I might as well have told him to shut up.'

Bubble didn't even blink. "And then we had this crazy pie eating contest! I totally would've won if I wasn't a judge!"

Umbra smacked her lips a bit. "I'm parched. I should probably drink something before I faint."

Bubble pulled out a glass filled with punch. "Here ya go!"

Umbra stared at the cup. "Where did you pull that out from?"

Bubble cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I mean--" Umbra shook her head. "Never mind. Thank you." She took the cup from him. "So you were talking about a pie eating contest?"

"Oh, yeah!" Bubble said as Umbra took a drink from the cup. "I'd so win that pie eating contest! I love to eat pie!"

Umbra spat out her drink, which landed on Bubble's face, who didn't even flinch or blink at Umbra's action. Umbra gasped and put her other hand over her mouth in horror.

"What?" Bubble asked, blinking innocently.

"Oh, Tartarus!" Umbra cursed as she looked at Bubble's punch drenched vest. "I am so sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" She sighed. "Feather would have my head if he saw that..."

Bubble looked down down at his vest. "It's not so bad! I don't even--" He paused. "Ooo, now it's sticky."

Umbra sighed and put her cup down. "Dammit." She pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket. "It's a good thing I have several of these..."

"Aw, but I don't want you to ruin your hanky!" Bubble protested, but was unable to push it away.

Umbra held up a hand. "It's no issue. I have a couple in here." She pulled out the corner of one of her handkerchiefs from her pocket and put it back. "Don't tell Feather. He doesn't know how many I go through in a day."

Bubble clapped his hands in delight. "Neat! Looks like we both keep stuff no one else knows about!"

Umbra smiled a bit gingerly, but it was only brief as she shivered a bit. "It's gotten rather late... I should get to my chambers before it gets any colder."

"It's not that co--" Bubble came to a still. "Oh my, gosh, I think the punch just froze over."

Umbra arched a brow, but she didn't even bother to question it. "I'll be heading to my chambers. Feel free to do as you please in my absence."

"Who said I'm not coming with?" Bubble asked as he hurried over to Umbra's side while she walked.

Umbra crossed her arms over her chest, partially to look menacing, partially because she was becoming cold. "Bubble, I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I'd prefer to walk alone."

Bubble shook his head. "Uh-uh! I'm walking with you whether you like it or not! Besides, I like talking to you! It's like talking to Cheesy!"

Umbra spared him a glance as she rubbed her hands over her arms. "Care to explain how? How I'm like talking to Cheese Panini, I mean."

Bubble nodded. "OK!" He let out a hum of thought as he tapped his chin. "Well, you actually listen to what I have to say. And you actually ask questions about it, like you're interested."

Umbra turned to look at him. "Because I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Bubble's smile faltered slightly. "Well, whenever I ask people questions like the ones I ask you, everyone just rolls their eyes and says I'm, 'just being Bubble Berry'." He sighed. "No one but Cheesy really takes what I have to say seriously."

Umbra frowned. "Could it be because of the fact that you do some things that most would deem..." She paused to find a good word for it. "...Strange?"

Bubble nodded erratically. "Yeah! I mean, but aren't we all a little strange? I mean, no one's the same, so what one person considers normal, another would think is just as weird as an octopus wearing a sailor hat!"

Umbra blinked. "What?"

"I mean, unless that octopus is a sailor and actually has a valid reason for wearing a sailor hat, I think it's safe to say it'd be weird to just see one wearing one for no reason!"

Umbra gave him a deadpan look. "Bubble, not only an hour ago were you wearing a sailor hat made of napkins from the selection catalog."

"I was pretending to be a sailor!" Bubble protested. "Isn't that a good enough reason?"

Umbra was silent for a moment. "I suppose, if you see fit."

Bubble smiled. "You're fun to be around!"

Umbra felt a tinge of heat brush across her cheeks. "What makes you say that?" She was unused to such a phrase being used to describe her of all people.

Bubble shrugged. "I like being around you, so that means that you're fun to be around! That's how I am with everyone! I mean, who would want to spend the entire day with someone who's super boring and dull? Well, maybe some people think that's fun, so who am I to judge? It's kind of like going to balls sometimes! No one likes to have fun at all!" He gasped. "Not that balls are a bad thing!"

Umbra spared him a reassuring smile, something she wasn't used to doing. "No, you're right in that respect. Sometimes balls are a..."

"Drag?" Bubble suggested.

"Yes, that," Umbra amended. "And sometimes they're not fun to attend. However, it's important that we throw the ball, especially now."

"Why, because of the Griffons?"

Umbra froze before turning to Bubble. "You know about that?"

"Duh!" Bubble said. "I mean, I wouldn't come to a place without knowing something about it! And I know that the mean old Griffons are trying to fight the Empire and stuff like that! Well, actually, I've never met a Griffon, but I'm sure they aren't that nice!"

"They aren't," Umbra said flatly. She gasped. "Tartarus, what am I thinking?"

Bubble cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

Umbra sighed. "Here I am, walking through the hallway, talking badly about Griffons like a gossip." She put a hand to her forehead. "I'm a Queen, I should know better than to act like this."

"Why?" Bubble questioned. "There's nothing wrong with letting off steam! I mean, everyone has to do it or they'll explode with rage!"

Umbra felt a chill run down her spine at the mention of "exploding with rage". "I know. Believe me, I know."

"Well, it's not so bad when you have someone to talk to about it!" Bubble commented. "That's why it's great being able to talk to Cheesy! Most of the time, there aren't many people who know what it's like to be a party planner!" He suddenly put on a serious expression. "Partying is serious business!"

Umbra blinked in surprise at the sudden change in his expression and tone, but her unease faded as she noted that he looked somewhat adorable with his scrunched nose and pouted lips. She then felt a pinch of surprise as she asked herself why she thought those were important to her.

"Uh, you OK?" Bubble's voice asked.

Umbra blinked as she returned to reality and saw that Bubble was extremely close to her, which immediately caused her to jerk back. "Sweet Tartarus!" She smacked a hand over her mouth as if she were covering her curse. "Why were you standing so close to me?" Her words were muffled from her hand.

Bubble blinked. "You really haven't gotten any sleep, huh?"

Umbra was confused for a moment before she recalled that Bubble had mentioned earlier that she had lines under her eyes. Her fingertips gingerly touched the area beneath her eyes. "Why do you care?"

Bubble cocked his head to the side. "Why wouldn't I? You're nice to me and you listen to what I have to say, so you can't be a bad person like everyone else says."

Umbra blinked in surprise. People actually thought she was a bad person? It was a thought that occurred to her on a daily basis and she knew that while she wasn't exactly popular with her subjects, she would at least thought they would have the decency to be silent about it.

Could she really be so bad at running her own Empire that an outsider was aware of it?

Bubble gasped as he saw her expression. "Oh, that was really awful to say! Sorry, it's not that everyone thinks you're bad, it's just a couple people to be honest!" He flinched. "Oh, that doesn't make it better, does it? Just-- forget I said anything!"

"It's... fine," Umbra said finally, not sure what else to say. All she was sure of was that her words weren't true. Because everything was most certainly not fine.

* * *

The walk was silent after that. Bubble didn't even attempt to say anything after his earlier statement, despite the fact that he didn't mean anything negative when he said it. Umbra didn't really care, though. At least, that's what she told herself.

'I always knew what was coming when I took my title,' Umbra reminded herself, 'I asked for the weight on my head and shoulders. I asked for something I'm not even sure I hold the strength to hold.'

Meanwhile, Bubble was brewing just as she was, but his reason was because of the fact that she was brewing at all. If he hadn't said anything about what the Empire citizens were saying about Umbra, things would have been fine and they could continue to talk to each other. Bubble liked talking to people who listened to him.

'I'm such a big mean meanie meanie pants,' Bubble thought as he spared Umbra a glance, 'I feel bad for making her upset.'

Seeing someone so disheartened by his own doing was sad for Bubble to see, especially since it was because of his recklessness and disregard for her feelings. He should have known better than to mention what was happening in the Empire. He should have known better than to say what was said about Umbra. He should have known, he should have known, he should have known.

As he moped alongside Umbra, the Queen looked at him with a respectful curiosity. His curly mess of hair seemed to flatten out a bit and the brilliant strawberry color seemed to have dulled as Bubble's eyes have, which made her feel a pinch of guilt for getting so upset earlier.

"Bubble..." She said quietly, but paused as she found she didn't know what else to say.

Bubble glanced at her. "Yeah?"

Umbra frowned a little more. "You shouldn't feel bad about earlier. I know how everyone thinks of me." She looked away from him. "I've known for quite some time."

Bubble furrowed his brows. "But I shouldn't have mentioned it!" he protested, "It wasn't right and just flat out mean! I mean, so if some people don't think you're great, it doesn't mean it's OK to talk about it like it's alright for them to be mean to you when you're trying your best!"

Umbra blinked. "Bubble--"

"And even though all this bad stuff is happening right now, you're still being super duper nice to them!" Bubble continued, "I mean, you're still throwing a ball for the Empire and you're still doing a fair even though it's in the middle of a war! But, they're still being super mean about it! I mean, it's just-- mean!"

Umbra was silent for a moment. "I don't think anyone's ever said anything quite like that before."

Bubble sighed. "I'm not good at using words..."

Umbra shook her head. "I don't mean that in a bad way. I mean, no one's ever said... anything about what I've done for the Empire, if anything nice."

"But that is a bad thing!" Bubble said. "I'd be super upset if no one said anything nice to me!"

Umbra sighed. "It's... different for me, Bubble. I have to worry about making sure everyone is happy in the Empire and I don't think I've done a very good job with that." She held her arms to her chest. "This place used to be known for being full of happy and loving citizens that glimmered like crystals whenever they're happy, which was all the time... But, now, everyone is miserable and it's because of me."

Bubble frowned. "I guess that makes sense. I mean, it's hard to keep doing what you love when doing what you love makes everyone else upset."

Umbra turned towards him. "You say that as if it's from experience."

"Kinda," Bubble admitted. "Not everyone likes parties."

Umbra frowned. "That must be hard, especially since it's your job."

Bubble gasped. "Partying isn't a job, it's a lifestyle! Us party planners take that as a huge offense when someone says that we do what we do for bits!"

"But, then how did Cheese Panini get all those bits?" Umbra asked as she recalled the substantial amount of bits she received when Bubble arrived.

"Scratchy back," Bubble said, as if it were the most natural answer.

"Beg pardon?"

"Never mind, I'll tell you about it later," Bubble said. "Anyway, I'm sorry I made you upset with what I said. I Bubble Swear I never do stuff like that on purpose!"

"Bubble... Swear?" Umbra repeated with uncertainty, as if she were questioning whether or not she heard right.

Bubble nodded erratically. "Yuh-huh! Cross my heart and hope to fly--" Bubble pantomimed crossing his heart and wings flapping with his hands. "--stick a cupcake in my eye!" He finished it off with putting his hand over his eye.

Umbra was silent as she tried to process what she just saw and sighed. "Do I even want to ask where you came up with that?"

"Probably, yeah!" Bubble answered, completely oblivious.

Umbra felt like making a comment, but she didn't think to as she felt a rushing chill throughout her body. As she pulled her arms over her chest to gain some heat, she looked around the halls in an attempt to find the time, her eyes drifting to the windows that seemed to come out of nowhere. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of the moon and the height it was at.

"Tartarus, is it really that late?" she asked herself.

"Hey, are you cold?" Bubble asked suddenly.

Umbra turned towards him with a confused expression, but was surprised to see him holding out a cloak. She looked at him questionably, wondering where he got it from, before she realized that he was offering it to her and why he was doing so.

"Er, thank you," she commented before taking the cloak and putting it back over her shoulders. "But aren't you cold?" Bubble looked like he wanted to say no, but Umbra noticed a slight shiver as he tried to appear nonchalant. She smiled at his behavior and cocked her head to the side. "I believe I may have a cloak in my chambers. I can get it for you, if you want." Bubble opened his mouth to protest, but Umbra held up a hand. "Please, I insist. I wouldn't want my ball planner to get sick when a ball is fast approaching."

Bubble brightened up. "Okie dokie lokie! Show the way, Your Majesty!"

Umbra smiled at him. "I think that... I would prefer it if you just called me Umbra."

Bubble smiled. "OK! Show the way, Umbra!"

And it was as Bubble bounced beside Umbra down the hallway that she realized something. That was the first time in a long time that someone called her by just her name.

Author's Note:

Sweet lord, it's been forever since I've updated!

Comments

[Ausbrony]

Oh my god, Bubble is so innocently adorable~

And Umbra needs a hug.

[Distorted Flare]

I like it

[Exterminate Regenerate]

Too cute.. Can't take it!

[Herpidty Derp]

4778925 I second this~

[For The Plot]

They're on first name basis, that's practically third base! Bubble The Beast!

[AlienWarhead]

That was pretty good, reading fan fics like this again felt refreshing.

[mistyhollow]

Love this! just need more please!!

[ShadowLDrago]

4779601

That line! That is pure genius!