Queen Umbra lives her life in the Empire with anger in her chest and her teeth bared at anyone who dared to get close. Then Bubble Berry happened.
Queen Umbra lives her life with anger in her heart and spite in her soul. She's tried her hardest to serve the Empire to the best of her ability, yet no one takes her seriously due to a past she had no choice over and a curse that she can barely control. And in the midst of all this, she has forced herself to isolation from others so that none may get hurt.
That is, until happy-go-lucky party planner Bubble Berry comes along.
Now stuck with her annoying ball planner every day until the day of the ball's arrival, Umbra ends up getting caught up in the rambunctious behavior of Bubble. Not that she enjoys it... Right?
Umbra resisted the urge to groan as she heard her servant's morning wake up call, then silently chided herself for not waking up on time. With a sigh behind her lips and a throb in her temples, Umbra slowly rose from her bed, careful not to seem upset while doing so. Her servant didn't need to know about how much she hated waking up in the morning.
"Yes, Rose Quartz?" Umbra questioned, hoping her voice sounded light and melodic.
"Your breakfast is awaiting you downstairs, Ma'am," Rose told her, her posture taut.
Umbra ignored the fearful look in Rose's eyes and she nodded in affirmation. "Thank you, Rose. I will be down in ten minutes."
"Would you like me to assist you in getting ready, Ma'am?" Rose offered.
Umbra almost frowned. She knew that Rose was only being polite by asking. If she didn't ask, Umbra might have been offended that she would make an assumption about the Queen's wishes. That's what everyone thought, anyway.
"No, that will not be necessary," Umbra told her, then nodded her head towards her door with the subtle grace that came with her title. "I will meet you in the dining hall."
Rose nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. Would you like me to tell Feather Quill when you will arrive for breakfast?"
Umbra resisted the urge to groan at the mention of her adviser and the thorn in her side. She did not, however, as that was not queenly behavior.
"Yes, that would be quite helpful, thank you," Umbra answered, as she was meant to. "I will be down soon."
Rose curtsied before Umbra, then backed out of the room, as to avoid turning her back to the Queen.
As soon as Rose left the room and Umbra heard the tell-tale 'click' that signified her door was closed, she listened for Rose's footsteps to dissipate before she made any move to do anything whatsoever. With a graceful wave of her hand, she used her magic to lock the door, mainly to avoid anyone barging in while she dressed. Not that anyone would be foolish enough to do so.
Umbra sighed and she climbed out of bed. She slipped out of her gown, which took any shape she had to her and make her look like grandmother of three. Thankfully, she had managed to get Rose to leave so she wouldn't have seen her in such a state of being.
Without much grace and flourish, Umbra practically tossed the gown off of her and walked over to her closet, clad only in her undergarments. She flicked through the dresses, rolling her eyes at the ridiculous amount of lace and embroidery that each one possessed. She stopped upon seeing a simple red gown. She slipped it on over her head and tugged the sleeves down to her wrists. She patted down the wrinkles in the front and stood up straight.
When she gave herself a quick once over and was satisfied with her appearance, Umbra strode over to her vanity and sighed as she looked at her mess of mane in the mirror. She picked up her boar-bristle brush and went to work on working through the messy tresses, her efforts taking a lot longer she hoped it would.
'Tartarus, just how much did I toss and turn last night?' Umbra mused to herself, a small grunt coming from her as she tugged at a knot.
She didn't take the time to answer her own question as she carefully brushed her wavy hair behind her ears, then picked up the crown that rested on her vanity. With the grace only she could muster, she place it on her head and looked at her reflection with a sense of pride.
Umbra was extremely aware of the fact that she was beautiful. All Queens were beautiful, though their beauty wasn't limited to the looks themselves, she knew. The thing that had made them all so attractive was their love for their homes and the love that the home gave them in return.
If only that were the case...
'I have to make my way down,' Umbra remembered, her disdain only growing. Like she wanted to spend all day talking to Feather Quill about where to place banners for the upcoming ball. Only heaven knew what Feather would try to do this year.
Umbra exited her bed chambers. Almost as soon as her foot stepped past the doors, she put aside her petty feelings and reservations. Her feelings didn't matter. What she felt was dangerous for others to know. She had to keep it in. She had to stop herself from feeling. She couldn't afford to let anyone think her emotions could impair her judgement.
Umbra walked through the halls with the confidence her title required, her head held high and her back straight enough for her to balance books on her head. She had practiced to make sure of that.
Servants bowed and curtsied as she passed, as was expected, and they remained in their positions until she passed. No one dared to make a move for fear of offending her.
Fear. They all feared her.
The thought made her feel a bit sick.
Umbra was relieved to see that she had arrived in the dining hall. The table stretched from one end of the room to the other, though Umbra honestly doubted that she would ever fill all of the seats that were there. There were no friends or allies for her invite.
"Your Highness?"
Umbra resisted the urge to suck in air through her teeth. "Yes, Feather?"
Umbra just see him frown, the disapproving way she had seen him do countless times. "Please, Ma'am. I prefer Quill."
Umbra turned to her advisor, who had been awaiting her arrival. He was wearing his usual blue coat and white shirt with ruffles. His white pants were pristine and clean, and his leather shoes shined in the light. Probably freshly shined on the way to work. God, how she loathed him.
Umbra didn't bother to smile; Feather Quill would know it was fake from a mile away. He had been given the luxury of knowing the Queen well enough to know that. Umbra wished otherwise.
"Do you know what we are having for breakfast?" Umbra asked, attempting to make conversation. That, and she was quite famished.
Feather looked at his pocket watch. "Hmm... It should be out in a moment. How does toast sound?"
Umbra almost furrowed her brows. "Just toast?"
Feather frowned at her. "Yes. Or have you forgotten that we can't afford such luxurious foods in light of recent events?"
Umbra gritted her teeth, then forced her teeth apart. "No. I was merely wondering if there was going to be a beverage."
"Tea." Feather held his hand out. "Please, take a seat."
Umbra did.
"I'll go gather the servants," Feather told her. "You'll be served shortly, Ma'am."
As soon as Feather was gone from sight and Umbra was no longer able to hear the clack of his heeled shoes, she let out a sigh. This was going to be a rather long morning.
* * *
"So, which of the selection do you prefer the most?" Feather Quill asked her.
Umbra looked at the table before her, which was covered in different colors of samples. "The pink ones."
Feather cocked his head to the side. "Do you think that would... match the rest of the ensemble, Ma'am?"
"The blue ones, then." Umbra put a hand to her temple and massaged it tenderly.
"Pastel," Umbra breathed, the lightest of sighs escaping her.
Feather paused. "Do you think that would... match the rest of the ensemble, Ma'am?"
Umbra swallowed a groan. "They're just napkins, Quill."
Feather sighed. "I'm well aware of that, Ma'am. But, they're for the ball, and we still need to figure out what we're going to do. This is an important event, as you know."
Umbra closed her eyes briefly and breathed in through her nose before exhaling slowly out of her mouth. The Annual Crystal Ball has always been a pain in Umbra's rear, to put it politely, and she's always hated it. It was planned the same way every year, with the same traditions, the same decor, the same dances, the same music, the same bloody napkins, even. It was tiring and exhausting.
"Where is the ball planner?" Umbra asked finally, putting her hand to her temple. "I thought that we had a ball planner coming in today."
"She's running late," Feather told her bluntly. He sighed as he looked down at his watch. "Can't imagine why, though. She's always been so punctual with our other meetings... Oddly so."
"Ms.Panini is a rather... strange woman, don't you think?" Umbra asked, careful not to sound like she was gossipping.
Feather nodded. "Indeed. And especially with that 'Cheesy Sense' of hers." He looked off a bit in wonder. "Such an odd thing..."
Odd was an understatement. Cheese Panini was more than just odd; she was enigmatic and just all around difficult to understand. She had so many strange ideas for parties that Umbra couldn't even begin to comprehend how they'd work. She was still trying to figure out was a party cannon was.
"Do you recall that year where she tried to convince you to include more cheese into the menu?" Umbra questioned, the memory brushing across her mind.
Feather sighed a bit. "Yes. I don't even know what she meant when she said 'That's not your cheese!'"
"Nacho, I believe it was..." Umbra murmured to herself. She cleared her throat. "Has there been any word of where she could be?"
"No. Not a single letter or anything of the sort has come in regarding her presence. " He sighed a bit. "I suppose we'll have to go through the selections by ourselves, then."
Umbra's eyes widened at the thought. She looked to the table in front of her and looked at the dozens of selections for the napkins alone. Heaven knew how many other selections there were for the other decor.
"Or," Umbra said carefully, "we could find another ball planner to help us?"
Feather almost scoffed; a daring action to do in front of a Queen. "I apologize for saying this, Ma'am, but how in the name of Crystal Heart are we going to find a replacement at this point in the planning?"
Not two seconds after he said that, an explosion came from the hallway. Smoke billowed into the room as several of Umbra's guards shouted out at one another.
"What the hell was that?" one exclaimed.
"Where did that explosion come from?" another called out, a cough following after.
"Someone, check on the Queen!" a third snapped.
Umbra frowned, more annoyed than concerned. 'Lovely. Now this is happening.'
Two guards rushed into the room, covered in soot and... confetti?
"What in Tartarus?" Umbra muttered quietly, pushing her seat back so she could leave the table.
"Your Majesty, there's been a breach in security!" one of the guards told her, coming over to her side. "We must get you to safety!"
"There's a psychopath on the loose!" the other one proclaimed. "They dare threaten the Queen in her own home!"
'And now we have this. I had breakfast less than an hour ago and now I'm being threatened. I wonder what other crazy turns this day is going to take.'
"Whoops, sorry for the explosion!" exclaimed a high octave voice from the hallway.
Umbra arched a brow. 'Alright, not quite the voice of a terrorist, but I guess there are more surprising things about this.'
A guard took Umbra's hand. "Your Majesty, we should leave before you're attacked!"
Umbra looked at the guard and then the hand he was holding. "Sir, would you like to keep that hand?"
The guard blinked in surprise. "Ma'am?"
"Because if you don't unhand me I will personally cut it off and put it on display for the trainees who will learn to respect the Queen's body," she told him. She looked back down at her hand. "So, I will I ask you again: would you like to keep that hand?"
The guard immediately retracted his hand back and took a step back.
"Good," Umbra said. She returned her attention to the hallway, where the smoke appeared to be clearing up. That is, until another explosion happened and smoke began to spill into the room like before.
"Get back!" the other guard exclaimed, jumping in front of Umbra.
"Whoo-hoo!" the voice from before cried. "Smoke party!"
A figure appeared within the smoke, standing tall with their hands on their hips and a mess of curly hair atop their head. Before Umbra could attempt to make out the figure's features, the figure began to run out of the smoke and into the dining hall.
"Brace yourselves!" a guard called out. "He's armed and dangerous!"
"He...?" Umbra thought out loud.
The figure stopped running suddenly and bent his knees until his bottom was nearly touching the floor. Then, he leaped from where he crouched and propelled into the air at a terrifying height and speed.
"Wheeeee!" he called out, flying in the air.
"What the...?" Feather managed to push out.
Finally, the mysterious bomber landed on the ground, his landing causing the smoke around him to push back from the forceful wind.
"Ta-da!" he exclaimed, spreading his arms and legs out. He wiggled his hands in a festive manner, a grin upon his soot-covered face. His clothes were covered in black smudges, making impossible to see what color they were originally. And his hair... Good God, his hair. It looked like it had been struck by lightning from how crazy and untamed it looked.
"Stay back, Your Majesty!" a guard warned, stepping up. "He's dangerous!"
The young man blinked in surprise and looked around in a clueless manner. Finally, upon seeing no other occupants behind him, he gingerly pointed at himself. "Me?"
"Yes, you!" Feather exclaimed, stomping forward. "You just caused two explosions and nearly put the Queen's life in danger!"
'Well, at least I don't have to worry about the selections...' Umbra thought.
The young man cocked his head to the side in a clueless manner. "It was just smoke, right?" He gasped. "Oh, my gosh! Do you have asthma?!"
Umbra felt her stoic facade break. "What?"
The young man put his hands to his cheeks and he made a rather expressive face of regret like a child would. "Sorry, sorry, sorry! I was looking at the pyrotechnics and I kinda.. set some of them off."
"Pyrotechnics?" Umbra repeated in a bewildered tone, unsure what to feel.
"Ya know, for the fireworks display!" he exclaimed. "I mean, we kinda need that, don't we?"
"Fireworks display?" Feather exclaimed. "Why did you—" He paused. "Wait a second, what are you even doing here?!"
"Whoops!" The boy bonked himself on the head. "I forgot to introduce myself!" He pulled out a clean rag out from behind him and wiped his face clean, revealing a shining, almost pink complexion. "Hang on, I must look awful!"
"I think that opportunity passed the moment you blew up a part of the castle!" Feather snapped. He pointed at the young man. "Guards!"
"Wait," Umbra held up a hand. "Let's see what he has to say."
"Ma'am!" Feather breathed, his eyes wide.
"You aren't considering listening to this lunatic, are you?" a guard blurted out.
Umbra frowned at the guards and Feather. "Are you questioning me?"
All three men immediately remained silent, unsure what to say.
"I thought as much." She turned back to the young man, who was rubbing a towel on his head. "Now, putting aside the... explosions you've caused, what are you doing here?"
The young man pulled the towel from his head and revealed a mess of curly magenta hair. "I'm Bubble Berry! Party planner extraordinaire!" He tossed the towel to the side and stamped his foot on the ground, causing all of the soot to fall off of him. "I'm your new ball planner!"
Umbra blinked. "Wait... You're a ball planner?"
"Yeah!" Bubble replied. "I got a letter from Cheesy saying that she couldn't make it and she needed a replacement!" He cocked his head to the side. "What's your name?"
Umbra blinked in surprise once more. "Do you... really not know?"
Bubble shrugged. "Not really. Cheesy didn't really fill me in on the 'who', 'how' and 'why' of the ball, but more on the 'where' and 'what'."
Before Umbra could reply, Feather jumped in between the two of them. "You are speaking to Queen Umbra of the Crystal Empire! And you nearly endangered her life with your ridiculous fireworks display not too long ago!"
"Feather," Umbra said sternly. "I am able to speak for myself."
"Oooo, you're a Queen?" Bubble realized as Feather took a step back. "Neat! I've never met a Queen before! Well, I met a King once, but Changelings aren't really a big fan of birthday parties!"
"What?" Umbra blurted out.
Feather leaned in once more. "You will address the Queen properly, you heathen! Heaven knows how much you've offended her already!"
"Maybe this would be better if we started over..." Bubble murmured to himself. He held out his hand. "Let's have a do over! Hi, I'm Bubble Berry!"
Umbra's eyes widened in surprise. "Er, Bubble...?"
Feather leaped at Bubble's hand and swatted it away. "You do not extend your hand to the Queen before her! That is one of the most disrespectful things you can do!"
Bubble held his hand gingerly. "Geez, I was just being polite."
Feather growled quietly. "You've caused enough physical damage! Heaven knows what you've done to the Queen's self esteem!"
Bubble blinked in surprise. "Whoa, really? I didn't know that!" Bubble turned to Umbra. "Sorry if I... hurt your feelings, Your Majesty. I'm not used to talking to royalty."
"It's..." Umbra paused. "Fine."
"What?" Feather blurted out in shock.
Umbra spared Feather an annoyed look, one only he could see, but when she returned her gaze to Bubble, her gaze was stoic. "So you say you're the ball planner that Cheese Panini sent in her stead. Do you have any proof of this?"
Bubble's mouth formed a small 'o'. "Oh, yeah!" He reached behind him and pulled out a small scroll, though where he kept it, Umbra didn't wish to ask. "Here! Cheesy told me to give this to you!"
"I'll take that!" Feather exclaimed, snatching the scroll. "I wouldn't want the Queen to dirty her hands with something so filthy."
"Rude," Bubble muttered, blowing a piece of hair out of his face.
Feather glared at him, then looked back the scroll. He unrolled it, then cleared his throat.
"Your Majesty, I am afraid I will not be able to make it to the Empire to plan the Annual Crystal Ball."
Feather blinked in surprise. "What?!"
Umbra took the scroll. "I'll be reading that." She straightened the scroll out better. "I have pressing matters regarding my Cheesy Sense and it's telling me to go to the residence of one Starswirl the Bearded, who is in dire need of a party after having an argument with Prince Solaris of Canterlot."
Umbra swallowed the venom in her mouth that came with remembering the troublesome Prince of the Sun and continued on:
"However, since you have been nothing but kind to me in regards of ball planning, I will be sending one of the best ball and party planners I know. By now, you've probably met Bubble Berry."
Umbra spared Bubble a look from the letter, who waggled his fingers in a wave. She arched a brow, but continued nonetheless.
"Bubble is the sole reason for my being in the party business, along with the occasional ball or two. He holds more experience than I do, though his methods... differ from mine. But, regardless of that, Bubble is the best I have to offer you in my absence.
With the sincerest of regrets and regards,
Cheese Panini."
"Your Highness, you can't seriously be expecting to accept this!" Feather exclaimed, completely out of turn. "This... This... maniac put your life in danger!"
"P.S., Feather will probably be complaining right about now," Umbra added, arching a brow in surprise. "He tends to do that a lot, doesn't he?"
Feather gawked at her. "It does not say that!"
"P.P.S., yes, it does, Feather."
Feather sputtered in incoherent anger for a moment, then let out a loud growl of frustration. "What about the damage he has caused?! Just look at the hallway!"
"P.P.P.S., I've attached a bag that holds a substantial amount of bits meant to repair any damages Bubble has more than likely done already. Don't worry, I've been saving it for a rainy day. Or, in this case, a Bubbly day. Get it? Get it? Eh, you probably get it."
Umbra spared Bubble a look. "You have money prepared for damages?"
Bubble shrugged. "Cheesy didn't want you to waste money on stuff I broke." He pulled out a bag that was heaping from weight. "Will this do?"
Umbra and Feather gawked at the bag of bits, as did the guards.
"Is he being serious?" Feather breathed quietly.
"Er, yes, that will cover the damages nicely," Umbra told him as she gingerly took the bag away from him. "Thank you, Bubble."
"It's nothing, really," Bubble told her. "This is hardly the worst accident I've been a part of!"
"Ma'am, I believe this might be more trouble than it's worth," Feather said quietly. "Who knows what else he could destroy?"
"Hey!" Bubble exclaimed. "I didn't mean to blow up my fireworks! I was gonna do that later!"
Umbra sighed. "Bubble is the only ball planner around and we have only a couple of weeks until the ball takes place. It wouldn't be wise to look for a new one."
"Ma'am!" Feather protested.
"Yay!" Bubble cheered. "I get to work on a party!"
Feather sighed. "Alright, fine. I'll guess we'll just have to go over the napkin placements again..."
Umbra bit down on a groan, but Bubble didn't even bother to do so. "Gaaaaaaah, that sounds so boring!"
Feather pursed his lips. "It's part of the planning, mind you. I figured a party planner like yourself would know that."
Bubble sent him a glare. "I know a lot about napkins for parties. How to fold them, how to match them with other decorations, how to make them accents, how to make hats out of them, how to eat them, and did I mention I know how to make a hat out of it?"
"Wait, what was that last one?" Umbra asked, somewhat perturbed by Bubble's sudden seriousness towards napkins.
"I know how to make napkins into hats!" Bubble told her proudly.
"No, the one before that," Umbra said.
"What are you talking about?" Bubble questioned as he put a folded napkin hat on his head,
Umbra stared at him for a solid five seconds before saying, "Is there anything else I missed on that letter?" She picked up the letter and read out loud in a bewildered tone: "P.P.P.P.S., yes, you did." She blinked. "What else is there?"
"Oh, oh, flip it over!" Bubble exclaimed excitedly. "Hey, maybe I can make a boat out of napkins!"
With a brow arched upwards, Umbra did as he said and flipped the parchment over to read it. "P.P.P.P.P.S., if Bubble seems weird, don't question it. It'll save you some time and patience."
Umbra put the scroll down and looked at Bubble, who was making a small army of paper hats with the colored selections on the table. "Weird indeed..."
Umbra had a high tolerance level for most things. She could listen to Feather prattle on for hours about the most mundane things and she could deal with having to have less than filling meals because of food scarcity. She could even deal with the itchy dresses that Feather made her wear for balls and meetings.
"Why can't we use the pink napkins?!" Bubble exclaimed.
Feather Quill shook his head. "It doesn't match the selection, you nincompoop!"
Bubble frowned and scrunched up his nose. "Your face doesn't match the selection!"
"That doesn't even make any sense!"
"Your face doesn't make any sense!"
However, dealing with the two idiots that currently occupied her presence was trying her patience in ways she never knew. In fact, it was taking her patience, wringing it dry, and beating it against the wall until all that remained was a dried up, fraying rag that was probably going to be used to polish rusty armor.
'At least I'm not visiting the mines today...' Umbra thought, feeling bitter. She wasn't particularly fond of being stared down by her slaves.
She shook her head. They weren't slaves. They were workers, serving the Empire while it was undergoing war with the Griffon kingdoms. All who were able went to the battlefield and the mines, in an effort to overturn the war into their favor. Even women had been entitled to the draft and the workers' contract, with the exception of mothers and their children.
Umbra sighed. It was difficult having to be the leader that her Empire needed. And it was even harder not being the leader that it wanted, nor deserved.
At least she was better than her predecessors.
'Thanks to those blasted fools, they completely botched the negotiations with that pig-headed, feather-brained fool Razorclaw,' Umbra thought bitterly. 'And when I took their place, I was not spared from their mistakes.'
The King and Queen before her had been greedy and selfish, she knew. They spread poison throughout the Empire and the economy suffered because of it, along with the reputation of the Empire. Neighboring kingdoms didn't even offer help when the war started, the Royal Brothers of Canterlot being included.
Umbra sucked in air through her teeth. Prince Artemis and Solaris had made it very clear that they weren't going to offer any help to her Empire, and that they weren't going to concern themselves with the affairs. Umbra doubted that they even knew that she was the new ruler and what her subjects had been reduced to.
She could barely remember the last time she saw a glimmer within the once shining, crystalline crowd...
"Your Majesty?"
Umbra shook her head lightly, the real world returning to her. She turned to see Bubble leaning in rather closely, much too close for her comfort.
"Gah!" Umbra shouted, in a not-so-ladylike manner. "Why were you leaning in so closely? Have you never heard of personal space?"
"You were really quiet," Bubble said simply. He cocked his head to the side. "Are you alright?"
Umbra pushed him away from her lightly. "I'm fine. You shouldn't stand so close to me. I... don't usually do well with people being too close."
Bubble blinked innocently. "Are you sleeping alright?"
Umbra couldn't help but blink in shocked bewilderment. "Beg pardon?"
"You have lines under your eyes," Bubble told her. "Plus, you've been zoning out for the past 15 minutes."
Umbra blinked. Was her exhaustion really so obvious? If a ball planner could see her troubles, then who was to say no one else did?
"The Queen's sleeping patterns are none of your concern," Feather Quill said crisply as he stepped in between them.
Umbra let out a light sigh of relief. She never thought she'd be happy for Feather interrupting a conversation.
"Aw, I was just asking!" Bubble whined. "I like to know things about people!"
Feather sniffed. "The Queen doesn't care for that. She's a listener first, a talker second." He turned to Umbra. "Isn't that right, Ma'am?"
Umbra gritted her teeth as her positive emotion faded as quickly as it came. He was still her bothersome adviser. "Yes, Feather Quill, it is."
Bubble frowned for a moment, then shrugged. "Okie dokie lokie!" He stopped. "I'm gonna go to my room! I got some plans I need to look over!"
Feather shook his head as Bubble bounced away, out of earshot. "If you ask me, we should cut our losses and get rid of him. He obviously doesn't understand what he's doing."
Umbra cocked a brow upwards. "What are you talking about? Cheese Panini sent a letter for him for a reason, you know."
Feather sighed. "You really weren't paying attention, were you?"
Umbra frowned, but refrained from answering for fear of unleashing a public verbal assault on her royal advisor. She had to be calm and collected, even if she didn't want to be.
"Well, if you must know," Feather said in a exasperated tone. "Your ball planner decided that instead of the elegance we've had in the previous years, that we turn our Crystal Ball into a county fair!"
Umbra raised her eyebrows simultaneously in an unamused manner. "The Crystal Ball takes place the night before the Crystal Fair every year, Feather. It wouldn't exactly be strange if there were any changes in the decor that would resemble that of the fair."
Feather pursed his lips. "The fair is a more of a family event than it is an adult one, whereas the ball is strictly meant for adults. I don't think our guests would want to bob for apples when in their best gowns."
Umbra blinked in surprise. "He actually suggested that we put up a bob for apples booth for a ball? That's unheard of!"
"Oh, apparently all the other castles are doing it," Feather said with a eye roll. "I think he's just blowing hot air."
Umbra crossed her arms over her chest. "Feather, do you remember the year I let you run the ball by yourself?"
Feather's face set into a hard frown. "Don't remind me. That year was a total catastrophe."
"So don't you think that it'd be best if you had a second opinion to walk you through the ropes?" Umbra suggested. "In comparison to Bubble and Cheese, you have little to no experience in ball planning."
"Your Majesty..." Feather tried to protest.
"Just let him help you." She held up a hand, her gaze cutting and sharp. "I don't want to hear another word about it."
Feather frowned. "Fine. But don't get upset when we have to put up with the tackiness that comes with county fair decor."
Umbra let out an angry huff as soon as Feather was far away enough not to hear it. "At least then things would be interesting..."
* * *
Bubble loved parties. Whether it be a shindig, a hootenanny, ball or just a simple get-together, Bubble loved them all. He didn't know if it was the smiles on the guests faces or the music that made everyone want to forget their troubles and dance, but he just knew that he loved parties with all his being.
It had been back when he was a little boy that he discovered the true meaning of joy, the source of his partying nature. A strange span of colors went over the sky, though many weren't sure what it was. It resembled that of a sonic boom, though it was a thousand times more beautiful than one.
A Sonic Rainboom. That's what Bubble had decided to call it, even though no one believed it when he talked about it. Still, there were those who thought the tale was interesting and shared it, some for mocking, some for entertainment.
Bubble knew few who appreciated parties like he did. There was Cheese Panini, his friend and partying partner, who had been inspired by his work and had joined him in spreading joy and laughter throughout the land. Then there was Surprise Party, who was a jester who traveled from town to town. And Laughing Fit, who could forget, who made the best pies in all of Equis, rivaling Bubble himself.
Bubble could only count how many party planners there were like himself on one hand, maybe on two if he counted the part-time ones.
And that's why it was so difficult to work with Feather Quill. Parties were about having fun, not about how many napkins there were on the table. Parties were about smiling and laughing, not about poise and grace. And most of all, parties were about spreading joy. Who would want to go to a party where no one was happy?
"Boooooooooriiiiiiiiiing," Bubble said aloud, to no one in particular. It's not like anyone would've heard him, what with him being in his bed chambers by himself.
Bubble sighed as he looked up at the boring colors of his room from his bed. It was just as plain as an unfrosted cupcake, the thought of which making Bubble cringe slightly. Who could eat cupcakes without frosting, anyway? It's the best part!
"Should I redecorate my room?" Bubble asked no one as he turned to face a side of his pillow. It was a plain white one, not a stain or decoration of any sort to make it interesting whatsoever. If only he had brought his craft box...
Bubble perked up immediately. "Wait a second, I did bring my craft box!" He faltered. "But I left it in the dining room!" He bonked himself on the head. "Dang it! I don't wanna go back down there and see mean old Feather again!" He sighed. "But it's so boring up here, though..."
He gasped. "What if someone finds it? What if someone..." He gulped. "...uses all my glitter?!"
And with that thought, Bubble jumped up from his bed and zoomed out of the room, his heart racing as he went out to save his glitter from being in the wrong hands.
* * *
Umbra sighed once more as she roamed the halls. It was finally that time of the day where she was able to be alone to herself, no Feather to bother her and no worries to trouble her.
At least, that was the plan.
She held down a sigh. Being a leader during an ongoing war was making things so much more difficult than she cared to admit. She couldn't be as free spoken, what with her subjects already holding many doubts in her as it was, mainly because of her plans to fight against the Griffons.
She had to keep it in. She couldn't let anyone see what she was feeling.
'I am a Queen,' Umbra reminded herself. 'I must put my people before myself.'
'Say that to the contracts you made them sign, you tyrant,' the dark voice in her head whispered.
Umbra exhaled sharply. 'They willingly signed those contracts to serve their country...'
But wasn't the contract meant to be in action for less than a year?
'The war went on longer than I anticipated,' Umbra admitted. 'they can't blame me for that.'
It wasn't her fault. It was because of King Topaz and Queen Crimson Quartz that she suffered as a leader. They ravaged their kingdom for resources and ruined the economy with their terrible taxes and spending decisions. Shops were closed, people starved, and lives were lost to the Griffons with every passing day.
Then they left Umbra behind to clean up their mess.
'Face it,' a voice said in her head, 'you imprisoned your people...'
'They're not slaves,' Umbra thought sharply.
'Imprisoned...'
She had no choice. 'Not slaves...'
'Enslaved...'
She couldn't do anything else. 'Not slaves...'
'Forever damned...'
"They're not slaves!" Umbra shouted, her voice ringing throughout the halls.
They're not slaves. They made that decision on their own accord. She gave no ultimatum or incentive. She gave them a choice; it's not her fault that they made their beds.
'It's not really a choice when the other option is eventual death...' Umbra heard that voice whisper to her. 'Then again, even that would be better than what you brought upon them...'
Umbra clenched her hands. 'It's not my fault...'
'They're suffering because of you.'
"No," she whispered. "They suffer because of them."
"Whoa, are you alright?" a voice blurted out.
Umbra froze. Idiot. She was an absolute idiot. She should have gone to her room and shut herself away. No one would have seen her. No one would have asked questions. She would have been alone.
"Who's there?" Umbra demanded, turning around to face whoever had spoken. She blinked in surprise when she saw it was Bubble Berry, who was looking at her with wide eyes.
"Bubble?" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in your chambers for the evening."
Bubble held up his hands. "Ya know, there's nothing weird about talking to yourself."
Umbra blinked. "Beg pardon?"
Bubble giggled. "It's OK, I won't tell anyone! Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!"
Umbra stared at Bubble in silence as he enacted his strange hand movements. After she managed to get over the sight she just saw, she shook her head lightly. "Bubble, why are you so... nonchalant?"
Bubble cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
"I... I just acted like total loon just now." Umbra looked off a bit, embarrassment making her cheeks turn red. "I'm a Queen; I'm better than this."
"There's nothing wrong with getting overwhelmed," Bubble told her. "Sometimes I get overwhelmed!"
"But it's..." Umbra paused to find a good word to use. "...improper."
"It is?" Bubble questioned. "I get overwhelmed and no one ever says it's improper! Even Gummy doesn't do that! Well, she's a really good listener and doesn't say anything about it until I'm done talking." Bubble put a finger to his chin. "Would it count as talking to yourself if someone was in the same room as you and heard everything you said, but didn't say anything?"
Umbra was quiet for a moment. "I'm... not sure."
Bubble shrugged. "Oh, well. I guess that means I'll have to ask someone else some other time."
Umbra arched a brow. "I'm not the first person you've asked that?"
Bubble giggled. "No way! I ask people all the time and I never get an answer! Actually, now that I think about it, no one really answers my questions! Like, is it illegal to expose yourself to a blind person? And why is it called a building if it's already built? And what's the speed of dark?" Bubble stopped as he looked back at Umbra. "Whatcha smiling about?"
Umbra put a hand to cover her growing smile and to smother a laugh that was climbing up her throat. Was she really giggling over something so silly? "It's nothing, Bubble. I just... never took you for the philosophizing type."
Bubble shrugged. "I don't really consider myself a philosopher. I consider myself a person who offers views or theories on profound questions."
Umbra arched a brow. "Is... Isn't that what a philosopher is?"
Bubble's eyebrows perked up. "Whoa, really? Add that to the list of things I didn't know!"
Umbra couldn't help her growing curiosity. "Are you always this open with everyone?"
'That's just plain rude,' Umbra thought. 'I shouldn't have asked that... He probably thinks I'm nosy.'
However, Bubble just nodded. "Uh-huh! I like talking to people and making new friends!" He faltered. "But that's why it's hard being a travelling planner. I never have a place to settle down at, mainly because the colonies don't really like outsiders." He brightened up again. "But's if not getting to stay with new friends means I get to spread more joy all over Equis, then it's all worth it!"
Umbra couldn't help but blink in surprise. "You're... fine with being treated badly just to make people happy?"
Bubble shrugged. "I just like making people smile. I know the world isn't fair, so it doesn't hurt to put a little happiness out there. It's no different from what you do, I bet!"
Umbra felt her stomach tighten up a bit at that. Why was he being so kind to her?
"I don't know about that..." she replied. "I'm not the best of company, to be quite honest."
Bubble cocked his head to the side. "What makes you say that?"
"Past experience," Umbra said simply. "Let's just leave it at that."
There was a silence between them.
"Bubble?" Umbra asked.
"Yes?" Bubble answered.
"Would you... care to accompany me on a walk?" She gave him a smile, though it was somewhat strained. She couldn't remember the last time she really smiled. "I'd like to have some company, if it wouldn't be a bother."
Bubble nodded. "Yeah, sure!"
She blinked in surprise. "Really?"
"Really!" Bubble affirmed. "Wouldn't want you talking to yourself again!"
Umbra smiled again, though there was a bit of a sadness behind it. "No... No, we wouldn't."
"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."
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?"
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.
Umbra awoke from her slumber with a groan, her head pounding to the beat of a drum she didn't care to listen to. She put a hand to her temple as she tried to mentally prepare herself for whatever nonsense she was to face after she fully awoke, then paused. It registered within her mind that she had awoken on her own time and not by her servant's assistant. She realized that she had woken up earlier than she was meant to.
'At least it means I can sleep more...' she thought as she snuggled back into her pillow. Her eyes cracked open at that thought. 'Wait a second, when did I fall asleep?'
Umbra scratched through her mind to gain an inkling of memory, but found that there was nothing for her to grasp onto almost immediately.
'Maybe I just slept through the night... So I shouldn't complain, seeing as how it's been forever since I've gotten a good night's rest.'
"Did ya sleep alright?"
Umbra's eyes popped open instantly. She hoped to whatever deity that resided over her and the world that seemed so intent on making her life miserable that she had merely imagined the voice. Yet, she couldn't deny the warmth that couldn't have possibly come from her own body.
Slowly, but surely, she turned around, praying to the gods above that what she thought had transpired actually hadn't. Unfortunately, as she expected, and dreaded, staring right back at her was Bubble Berry, who had his head propped up against his arm that laid on the pillow next to hers, smiling obliviously.
Umbra was silent for a moment, not sure what to say or do in any sense whatsoever. Finally, she did the only logical thing that came to mind at that very moment:
She screamed like a banshee.
Umbra wasn't one to shriek, especially when she was usually so calm and collected, but, as she'd been learning, Bubble was the unusual, and he had a way of making others act like the unusual. Bubble, almost too quickly, joined in on the screaming, his voice somehow reaching higher ranges than Umbra, despite her extremely feminine vocal cords. And they both laid there, screaming in perfect resonance. Umbra wondered if they could break the windows in her chambers.
Finally, Bubble ceased his senseless screaming for a brief moment for him to shout, "Why are we screaming?!"
Umbra blinked in shock at his sudden, random question, and stared at him for a moment as she ceased her screaming. After she managed to gain control of her breathing, Umbra glared at him. "Just what in the name of Tartarus are you doing in my chambers?!"
Bubble blinked in surprise. "You don't remember?"
Umbra gaped at him. "I don't rem— Remember what, exactly?!"
Bubble held up a hand. "Please don't scream. You'll wake everyone else up!"
Umbra opened her mouth in preparation for a shout, but she stopped. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down and she faced Bubble with a calm, but rigid expression. "You have seconds to explain yourself."
Bubble sat up almost immediately, revealing pink pajamas adorned by blue and yellow balloons, then clapped his hands. "Yay, I get to talk about last night!"
Umbra spared Bubble's pajamas a once over. "What on earth are you wearing?"
Bubble grabbed hold of his button-up shirt and tugged on it. "These are my jammies! I put them on for the slumber party!"
Umbra blinked in shock. "Slumber... What?"
"A slumber party!" Bubble repeated. "You invited me here last night and we talked a bit before I offered to keep you company!"
'And I said yes?' Umbra thought, 'What was I thinking?'
"I was a bit surprised, but you insisted!" Bubble continued. "Besides, I didn't like to see you upset, so I decided it was important to make sure you were happy!"
"I was... upset?" Umbra repeated. She recalled her episode in the hallway, and pursed her lips.
Bubble nodded solemnly. "Yeah, you were really stressed out, and I was just making sure that you felt better." He smiled once again. "So, I spent all night here and waited until you fell asleep! But, I didn't want to leave you alone, so I stayed here with you!"
Umbra gave him a deadpan look. "In my bed."
Bubble cocked his head to the side. "Is that a bad thing to do? Is it 'cause you're scared you'll wet the bed like you did when you were little?"
Umbra's face heated up instantly, partially out of embarrassment and partially out of anger. "How do you know about that?"
"You told me," Bubble said simply, "and I remember everything people tell me! It makes people happy when you remember little things about them!"
"But that wasn't a little thing..." Umbra told him. "I never told anyone about that..."
'Not that I ever had the chance to because there was no one to tell, but still...'
"Did I... tell you anything else?"
Bubble held a finger to his chin in thought. "Not really, just a couple of stuff, really..." He perked up. Like your birthday! You told me about how it's on the night of the ball every year, which is the annual celebration for the discovery of the Crystal Heart! It's cool how those dates overlap, huh?"
"Yes, it's fascinating," Umbra said flatly. "Care to tell me what else I told you?"
"Oh, lots of stuff!" Bubble proclaimed, "You kept on talking and talking and talking! Wow, I never met anyone who talked more than me! I guess I know how Gummy feels."
Umbra arched a brow at the mention of Gummy. "You talked about her earlier... Just who is Gummy?"
"Oh, here, you can meet her!" Bubble said before patting his head. "She's right here!"
"Beg pardon?" Umbra's eyes widened as a small green alligator poked it's head out Bubble's hair. "Oh, Tartarus!"
"No, that's Gummy!" Bubble said as he picked up Gummy and put her on his lap. "She's a total sweetheart!"
Umbra's eyes were still wide. "You have an alligator living in your hair?!"
"Oh, no, silly!" Bubble told her with a giggle. "Gummy was in my room and I went and got her 'cause ya said ya wanted to meet her!"
"I did?" Umbra blurted out, completely shocked by what she had, apparently, done in the past 12 hours alone.
"Say 'hi' again, Gummy!" Bubble said before holding Gummy up to Umbra's face. Then, much to Umbra's surprise and horror, the alligator opened her mouth, revealing gums without teeth. And if it couldn't get any worse, Gummy's tongue lolled out of her mouth and immediately ran over Umbra's shell-shocked face.
Umbra let out a small whine of disgust. "Oh my, gods..." She shuddered. "That's... That's disgusting!"
Bubble put Gummy down. "She was giving you a kiss! She really likes you, you know!"
Umbra opened her mouth to make a retort, but she instead stopped herself and took a moment to ponder what she had just learned. First things first, she couldn't remember a thing from last night. Secondly, she had apparently vented to Bubble and had probably confessed her life story to him, along with the possibility of the Empire's secrets with her undying bad luck. Thirdly, she had somehow managed to kiss Bubble and forget all about it within a matter of hours.
What else could she have done?
"Hey, you OK?" Bubble asked, his voice breaking through her thoughts.
Umbra blinked as she returned to reality. "Er, yes..." She sighed. "I just... need a moment to try to process this..."
Bubble smiled at her reassuredly. "Hey, you want to get up and do something? We can go downstairs and I can make you some pancakes!"
Umbra opened her mouth to protest, but her stomach spoke before she did. Quite loudly, at that.
She sighed. "Fine... Allow me to get dressed..."
Bubble nodded. "OK! Good thing I brought my clothes with me so I can change, too!"
Umbra's eyes widened. "Er... Bubble, you realize that I will be undressing in order to change, right?"
"Uh-huh," Bubble said, not even blinking.
"And that if you're in here, you'll be seeing me... indecently?"
"But, I'll be naked, too!" Bubble protested.
Umbra smacked a hand to her forehead. "Bubble, you can't be in here while I'm not fully clothed!"
"But, you're not fully clothed right now!" Bubble told her.
"What on earth are you--" Umbra froze as she looked down at herself. "Oh, Tartarus!" She pulled her covers up to cover her form. "Why didn't you say anything, you lecher?!"
"What?" Bubble said, "I'm in jammies and so are you."
Umbra's eyes widened at the sheer oblivion that Bubble displayed. "My gods, are you really this immodest?"
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Bubble said. "There's nothing wrong with being comfortable with yourself!"
Umbra gave him a deadpan look. "I beg to differ. I can't exactly walk around in the nude and be comfortable."
"Oh, I've done that! It's really liberating!"
Umbra shuddered. "Tartarus, nothing fazes you, does it?"
"Should something faze me?" Bubble asked. "'Cause I don't get why."
Umbra sighed. "Listen, can you just... turn around or something? I'd rather not have spectators for my getting dressed..."
Bubble opened his mouth to protest, but then froze suddenly. "Uh-oh... Feel a combo coming on..."
"Beg pardon?" Umbra questioned.
Bubble didn't seem to hear her. "Ear-flop..."
His ears wiggled slightly.
"Eye-flutter..."
His eyelashes fluttered exceedingly fast.
"Knee-twitch..."
His knees, which had been pulled up to his chest, twitched and knocked against each other a couple times before stopping.
Bubble's eyes widened. "Quick, lay down!"
"What?" Umbra blurted out, completely befuddled.
Bubble didn't say anything and instead laid on the bed like a plank, then rolled off and landed on the ground with eerie silence. Umbra didn't get to say anything to him as her chamber doors opened, revealing Rose Quartz, whose eyes widened in shock.
"Oh, Your Highness, I am so sorry!" Rose exclaimed. "I thought you were asleep!"
Umbra, thankful that her covers were over her exposed form, quickly waved her hand in dismissal. "It's fine, Rose. I don't mind it."
Rose relaxed, but only slightly. "I should have knocked, Ma'am... Pardon my intrusion, I was just making sure you had awaken... And that you were fine."
Umbra nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."
"Are you sure, Ma'am?" Rose asked. "Because, correct me if I am wrong, but I could have sworn that I heard screaming."
"Yes, fine, fine," Umbra insisted. "Now, if you would excuse me, I'd like to get dressed alone."
Rose shifted uncomfortably, her eyes falling downcast. "Er, yes, Ma'am. I'll just leave you, then." She bowed and backed out of the room, careful not to turn her back to the Queen.
As soon as the door was closed and Umbra could no longer hear Rose's footsteps, she turned to where Bubble had fallen off the bed. "Get up and get out."
Bubble popped up, completely clothed in a yellow dress shirt with a pinstripe blue vest with matching pinstripe pants. "Okie dokie lokie!"
Umbra blinked. "How did you change so quickly? And where are your pajamas?"
"With Gummy," Bubble answered simply. "Come on, let's get you dressed! You said I could put ribbons in your hair!"
Umbra let out a ragged sigh. "Just what did I do last night?"
"Aw, come on!" Bubble whined, wiggling a bit. "You said I could!"
Umbra turned away from Bubble."I remember saying no such thing, therefore my earlier consent is null and void."
Bubble frowned. "Don't talk like an attorney to me. It bothers me when people do that."
Umbra shrugged. "Take it as you will, I am not allowing you to put ribbons in my hair or on any part of my body." She looked at her mirror with a frown as she caught sight of her unsightly mess of hair. "I hate my hair sometimes..."
"Is it because kids in grade school made fun of you for having dark hair?" Bubble asked. "'Cause sometimes my brothers made fun of my pink hair!"
Umbra growled to herself. "Just how much did I tell you last night?"
"Dunno, but it was a lot!" Bubble held up his hand. "How you like to have tea before bed to make you feel better, even though it makes you talk in your sleep." He plucked up a finger. "How you hate your curvy hips, especially because lots of the guards stare." He plucked up another. "How it's really hard to rule the Empire by yourself, even though there's nothing wrong with a Queen ruling by herself." Another finger. "And how mean and snooty Feather Quill can be to you, even though you're his boss." He held up a fourth finger before putting his hand down. "Just little stuff."
Umbra was silent, not sure how to respond. Finally, she asked: "Are you always this... perceptive?"
"Actually, I have what experts call an eidetic memory!" Bubble told her. He put a finger to his chin as he furrowed his brows in thought. "Maybe... I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention." He shrugged. "All I know is that I'm able to remember everything I hear and that when someone says something about themselves--" He tapped his temple with a finger. "--I remember it!"
"Are you able to remember anything in the same manner besides the things you hear?" Umbra asked, somewhat intrigued.
"Sometimes, but maybe not more than normal people can." Bubble covered his eyes with his hands. "Thing is, I don't know what I'll remember when it comes to seeing. I probably won't even remembering covering my eyes in a couple minutes. Or seconds, I don't know which one."
"Fascinating..." Umbra murmured to herself. "I can hardly remember what I had for breakfast yesterday, yet you're able to remember everything you hear?"
"Yep!" Bubble nodded ecstatically as he pulled his hands down from his face. He frowned a bit. "Though, it's kinda hard to deal with sometimes... Because when I mean I remember everything, I literally remember everything."
Umbra didn't know what to make of that. Having the ability to remember all the little things was an affinity to have for sure, but to have to remember everything you've heard?
"I never have a place to settle down at, mainly because the colonies don't really like outsiders."
"It's hard to keep doing what you love when doing what you love makes everyone else upset."
"Not everyone likes parties."
Umbra suddenly felt guilty.
"Hey, you alright?" Bubble asked, his voice breaking through her thoughts for what seemed like the millionth time since their meeting.
Umbra sighed. "You're standing close to me again, aren't you?"
"Yes," Bubble answered, not moving whatsoever.
Umbra put a hand to her face. "What is with you and personal space?"
"Something that should be specified whenever two or more people are associated with one another for an extended period of time and should be acknowledged only when they are set?"
Umbra's eyes popped open as she let her hand fall from her face. "What?"
"Meaning you didn't exactly say why you want personal space and that you didn't exactly specify what exactly is considered invading personal space," Bubble told her. "Care to say?"
Umbra frowned at him as she looked at the lack of space between the two of them as she sat in her vanity chair. "This."
Bubble backed up immediately. "Okie dokie lokie!" He cocked his head to the side as he took in Umbra's appearance. "Is your hair always this messy in the morning?"
"Yes," Umbra replied cuttingly. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to brush my hair."
She sighed as she grabbed hold of her brush and attempted to work through her knots.
"Uh, you're going to rip your hair out if you start from the top," Bubble told her as she tugged through her hair. He cringed as he heard a small rip come from the brush. "Seriously, you're causing horrible damage to your hair. I can already see the split ends developing!" He blinked. "Oh, wait, those are already there."
Umbra paused her futile attempt at brushing her hair. "How do you know so much about hair care?"
"I have a friend who travels around and does professional fashion work," Bubble answered, smiling a bit brighter. "He absolutely hates it when people don't take care of their hair. He nearly bit my head off when he saw mine!"
"And yet you still keep an alligator in it?"
He shrugged. "My hair has a mind of it's own. Elusive gets that, but it still bothers him."
Umbra frowned. "Fine, if you know so much about hair, then how about you fix it for me?" She held up a hand when she saw his face light up. "No ribbons!"
Bubble pouted. "Aw..."
Umbra smirked a bit, but she hid it so that Bubble wouldn't see it. "Don't do anything too extravagant. I don't want Feather to lecture me if I end up messing it all up."
"Why would you?" Bubble questioned, combing through her hair with surprising gentleness.
Umbra felt a small frown come across her face, but, like before, she made it disappear so it wasn't seen. "I've never done well with maintaining a good appearance."
"But, you're so pretty!"
Umbra felt her cheeks heat up. "T-Thanks." She shook her head. "I mean, thank you."
She felt Bubble's hands shift a bit and she imagined him shrugging in that nonchalant way she wished she could do. "Not a big deal. Just saying what I think, is all."
'Lucky you,' she thought, feeling a bit bitter.
"There you go!" Bubble proclaimed. "Let's get you downstairs!"
Umbra rose from her seat and brushed off her midnight blue gown to get rid of any wrinkles. "Thank you. Now, we must hurry if we're eat on time and get started on planning."
Bubble clapped his hands excitedly. "Yay! We got a lot of the boring stuff out yesterday! Now we can have fun!"
Umbra arched a brow as they made their way down the hall together. "I fail to see the fun in planning a ball."
Bubble gasped as if she had insulted his entire heritage. "How?! Parties are always fun! You get to eat a bunch of sweets--"
"Those will be limited, due to expenses being put forth in the direction of the war," Umbra interrupted.
Bubble frowned. "OK..." He gasped excitedly. "You also get to dress up in pretty clothes! I bet you have something super pretty to wear!"
Umbra shifted awkwardly. "I'm... afraid I haven't picked out a dress to wear to the ball as of yet." She held up a hand in preparation of the earful Bubble was no doubt going to give her. "Listen, I know it's rather impractical, but I have a country to run. Dresses come later."
"Your Majesty!" a harsh, familiar voice said crisply, his tone edgy and annoyed. "Just what are you thinking?"
Umbra tried not to physically jump and she did well to quickly shove Bubble around and behind a corner, silently thanking her lucky stars that she had been next to it. She quickly prepped herself for the snapping that Feather would no doubt give and she took in a quiet, but deep breath.
"I suppose you wouldn't mind telling me, then?" Umbra replied, careful to keep her voice light and not annoyed.
Feather huffed irritably. "Your Majesty, you're late for breakfast!" His eyes widened. "And just what have you done to your hair?!"
Umbra immediately grabbed at her hair in defense. "What are you--"
She froze upon feeling her woven strands, then slowly began tracing her hand down the length of what she realized to be a braid. She bit her tongue to keep from snapping at Bubble for doing so to her hair, then clenched her arms to keep from striking out randomly.
'Well, at least the ribbon isn't in the braid...' Umbra conceded, looking at the small, red thread tying off her hair.
Feather Quill snorted angrily, then snatched the red ribbon from her hair. "Your Majesty, you are a Queen, not a peasant girl!" He held the ribbon up to her face. "You should know better than to wear your hair in the way of a simpleton!"
Umbra heard a tiny gasp come from where Bubble was hiding, though she was sure she was the only one to hear it. It was only after that realization she made that she made the realization that Feather Quill was taking out her braid.
He grunted in annoyance. "Honestly, how would the crowd react if they saw you dressed so childishly?" He rolled his eyes. "Look at you, wasting your mornings on such petty things..."
Umbra resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him, knowing it would be unladylike to do so.
After Feather took his hands out of her hair, he gave her a quick once over before nodding in affirmation. "Yes, yes, much better. I'll be seeing you in the dining room, Ma'am."
Umbra frowned as he began walking away, unappreciative of his attitude and tone. "Feather?"
He stopped, then turned. "Yes, Ma'am?"
She held up a hand. "The ribbon, if you will?"
Feather blinked, then looked at the red ribbon in his hand, then back at her. "Why, if I may ask, Ma'am?"
Umbra narrowed her eyes. "Must there be a reason?"
Feather blinked at her. "...I suppose not, Ma'am."
He walked back over and handed the ribbon to her. But, as she began to take it, he gripped it in his hand to prevent her from taking yet.
"Ma'am, you're going to have to be more serious about how you look," He told her. "You already have enough worries without everyone gossiping about your hair."
Umbra clenched her jaw, but she nodded. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
Feather, satisfied with her response, released the ribbon and walked away without another word. As he left the hall and got out of earshot, Umbra sighed to herself. "Bubble, you can come out now."
Bubble leaned from behind the corner, a frown on his face. "What's wrong with how your hair looked? I thought it looked nice..."
Umbra sighed. "It did, Bubble. Feather's just a bit... obsessive about how people think of me, is all."
Bubble looked down at the ribbon in her hand. "Guess you were right about the ribbons, huh?"
Umbra gave him a small smile of reassurance. "Don't worry about Feather, Bubble. He's always like that, regardless of what I do." She frowned. "Or anyone, now that I think about it."
Bubble giggled at her last comment. "I guess so." He gasped. "I got it!" He took the ribbon from Umbra and wrapped it around her wrist, then tied it into a small, candid bow. "Ta-da! Now you can still wear it and Feather won't be mean about it!"
Umbra gingerly touched the ribbon, a genuine smile coming onto her face upon doing so. "Thank you, Bubble. That's really kind of you."
Bubble shrugged. "Not really. I got a gazillion other ribbons like it, but it'd take forever trying to show them all to you." He pulled a random ribbon from his sleeve as an example. "See?"
Umbra chuckled lightly. "I suppose so..." She glanced down at the ribbon thoughtfully. "Bubble, would you like to join me for breakfast?"
Bubble clapped his hands. "Uh-huh! That sounds great!"
Umbra smiled at him. "Then let's head down, shall we?"
"Bubble, why do you need glitter?" Umbra questioned, feeling ridiculous that she even had to ask that question.
Bubble put his hands on his hips. "Duh! We need them for the party!"
"Why, though?" She paused for a moment to think. "Oh my, God, if you're thinking about making a glitter bomb like you did yesterday, then the answer is no. My servants are still cleaning it up."
"That was one time!" Bubble protested. He dimmed down a bit. "But, yeah, glitter is hard to get out sometimes..."
Umbra sighed. "Look, I appreciate that you want to make an impression at the ball, but do you really think that it's going to be worth how much time and damages might come of it?"
"How can glitter damage anything?" Bubble asked. He paused to think it over, a hand going to his chin in thought. "Well, there was that one time with Cheesy back in Canterlot, but that was a total fluke, I swear! I didn't know how much glitter was too much glitter, I guess."
Umbra frowned. "It's things like that, Bubble, that really make me worry about what might come of all this. I do not, and I repeat not, need to get hassled by my citizens because of something a crazy amount of glitter managed to cause."
"...So do I get to use it or not?" Bubble asked.
"In what way was what I just said to be taken as a yes?"
Bubble frowned. "I guess you're right. Besides, I'm sure Feather Quill would hate it if you let me do something so crazy, right?"
Umbra paused in thought and she felt a small smile come onto her face. "You know what, how about you bring samples of your glitter so that way I can pick out which one would be best for the party?"
Bubble's eyes widened and he let out an excited squeal. "Really? You'll let me do it?"
Umbra shrugged, and she didn't even mind how informal it seemed. "Go for it, Bubble. If it means that Feather will get upset, then it surely can't be that bad."
That, and seeing him lose his mind over glitter would be the absolutely end of me, but Bubble doesn't need to know that, She added silently to herself.
Bubble, though not unsurprisingly, hugged Umbra. "Thanks! I'll be back in a jiffy!"
Umbra watched as he darted out of the dining room, her hand lightly tracing the area of her arm where Bubble's arm had wrapped around her. Umbra wasn't usually big on physical contact, mostly because she didn't like to be touched in general, but getting hugged by Bubble didn't seem to bother her as much as she thought it would.
'I suppose it's because he actually respects boundaries once you set them,' she thought to herself. 'Unlike some people I know.'
Umbra sighed. She wondered how Feather Quill could be so snippy and curt with her, all while being disrespectful in a way that wasn't able to be called out on. She very much wanted to make a display of him, but knew she couldn't due to how bad it would look. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time a royal decided to kill off one of their servants. That was a practically requirement to be remembered in the history books.
"Your Majesty!"
'Speak of the devil,' she thought, trying really hard not to sigh.
Her tolerance level for Feather Quill and his babbling was extremely low from their earlier morning interaction and she prayed that whatever he had to say to her wouldn't cause it to fall anymore than it already had. She thanked whatever deities above that Bubble wasn't around to witness it, and suddenly, she was glad that he had been so insistent on getting his glitter for... whatever it was he had planned.
"Yes, Feather Quill?" Umbra inquired, annoyed, but careful not to show it.
Feather quickly straightened up and smoothed his already ironed out black jacket. "Ma'am, I am in no mood for your snippy tone."
'Right back at you, Feather,' she replied silently.
Feather frowned at her, almost as if he could read her mind. "Ma'am, do you know why I'm here?"
"To oversee the ball plannings and to make sure that Bubble doesn't do anything too damaging?" Umbra guessed, that being her immediate thought.
"No," Feather answered. "Though, that is a good point, but still no. I'm here to bring you news."
Umbra arched a brow. "News of what?"
Before Feather could answer, a guard came bounding in, out of breath and obviously exhausted from running so much. "Your Majesty, there's been a revolt in the mines!"
Umbra's eyes widened. "What?"
Feather frowned, unappreciative of the guard stealing his thunder. "Yes, Ma'am. There's been a revolt in the mines within the past 12 hours, and it hadn't come to our attention sooner due to the guards' inability to message out from being surrounded by the rebels. Some are still stuck and being held as hostages, but some have managed to escape and tell us what happened."
Umbra's head was swirling, and she could hardly believe what she was hearing. "Revolt... Hostages... Rebels..."
Feather didn't seem to notice her shock. "Ma'am, they're asking for you."
"What?" Everything sounded far away and she felt numb.
"The rebels, Ma'am," Feather clarified. "They're asking for you."
* * *
Umbra didn't want to leave the castle. In fact, Umbra didn't want to go anywhere. Had she been anyone else, she would have gone to bed and waited for everything to end, hiding beneath the covers like a frightened child. Of course, she couldn't do that because she wasn't anyone else. She was the Queen... and they weren't allowed to take any days off.
'I can't believe this went beneath my radar,' Umbra chided herself as she walked down the streets. 'I can't believe I forgot what's been happening. I've been acting like an oblivious schoolgirl for the past two days, and because of it, my Empire is suffering. I can't believe I let this--'
"Your Majesty," Feather Quill said, interrupting her thoughts. "You need to focus. You mustn't let any of your thoughts bother you."
Umbra shook her head, hoping her thoughts would disappear. They didn't. "What led to this revolt in the first place?"
Feather looked ahead, where several guards stood before them. "There was a miscommunication about the quota of hours that would be required in order to get a full week's pay, and, well... The workers didn't take it well."
"And, what, pray tell is the quota to get a full week's pay?" Umbra interrogated.
"...At least 90 hours a week."
Umbra almost stopped dead in her tracks. "90? What happened to the standard 80?"
"We've had some cutbacks, Ma'am," Feather told her. "We needed to increase hours in order to help increase production."
"My citizens are already working hard enough with this war going on!" Umbra exclaimed. She quieted down as she saw the guards glance at them. "Whose idea was it to increase hours?"
"Yours, Ma'am."
"What?"
Feather sighed. "We'll discuss this later, Your Majesty. Now, we have bigger things to worry about."
Umbra bit her tongue as she felt a retort rise in her throat. Feather was right, as much as she hated to admit it. They did have bigger things to worry about.
'I wish that this ridiculous war was over with,' she thought. 'I wish that I had never proposed those ridiculous contracts. I wish I had never even considered taking this crown, even if it is my...'
She shook her head. There was no time for doubts now. She had done what she had done and there was nothing that was going to stop her from continuing her job, even if she didn't want to. She had to keep going, for her people, even those who thought her to be wrong. And she knew that if she gave up, then it would consume her and her Empire.
"Ma'am, we've begun to approach the mines," Feather whispered. "It would be best to be at the ready and to be prepared for any... incidents."
Umbra knew what that meant. She didn't like it, but she knew. "Alright, Feather Quill."
As the cluster of guards grew closer to the mines, Umbra could hear the clamor of shouts and anger coming from within. She heard a series of spitting curses, along with the occasional cry of pain from who she assumed to be the hostages. She tried hard not to imagine how others thought of her for being the cause of this, but she failed miserably.
Through the gaps of the guards, Umbra could see the eyes of bystanders as they passed. Many glared at her, the children cowering behind their stone faced mothers and men standing in front of both in protective stances, eyes cutting and hard. She wondered how many were on her side and how many were on the side of the rebels. The odds were not in her favor.
"Look, it's the Queen!" shouted a miner from within. He stood behind the barricade of tools and crystals, probably dumped out of the carts when the revolt began.
"Hey, yeah, look!" shouted another, standing beside the first. "She actually showed her face!"
Umbra held back all her urges to flinch as the miners continued shouting, some vulgar, some angry, and some a combination of both. More and more came to show their faces, and all were holding mining tools as weapons, swinging them and brandishing them with ferocity to seem more intimidating.
"What are your demands?" Feather Quill called out, pushing the guards aside so he could be seen. "We've brought the Queen as you desired, and now we're here to talk negotiations."
The first miner, who Umbra realized to be the leader, spoke first. "What do we want?" He slung his pickax over his shoulder. "We want the Queen to take action against the Griffons and stop leaving us to defend! Men are dying on the battlefield everyday, Your Highness!"
"Majesty!" Feather corrected angrily. "You address the Queen as Her Majesty, not Highness! That's for princesses and princes, you buffoons!"
"Feather, step down," Umbra urged him, holding up a hand. She stepped in front of him and the guards, hoping that her simple gown made it clear of her intentions to avoid battle. Of course, she had her armor underneath it, but they didn't need to know that. "Listen, I am very aware of the situation within the war, but I am trying as hard as I can to help with the war effort. Please, stop this nonsense and release the hostages."
The leader scoffed. "Do you really think we're going to back off because you said so? We're doing this because we want you to see firsthand just what kind of chaos your reign has brought us! Hell, we were better off with our old monarchs and we all know what selfish pigs they were!"
Umbra's eyes widened and she felt her hands clench, heat rising to them. "Do not ever compare me to the likes of them! There's a reason I took the throne from them, and you know it!" She threw a hand to the side and looked at her surroundings. "They were the reason our crops were failing due to their lack of care for the environment, and our ewes suffered because of it, causing the cotton industry to plummet in sales and exports! They forced their citizens to eat scraps while they ate like the pigs they were, and they took what little rations we had to further gorge themselves!" She crossed her arms over her chest, her stare cold and resolute. "Our Empire was worse off with them in charge than it is with me."
Umbra pushed through her guards and stood in front of them. "Now, because of their behavior, none of the kingdoms will take our side, including those pompous little Princes in Canterlot that I'm sure the lot of you are wanting to ally with. If anyone here is to blame, it's them!"
The leader didn't say anything for a moment, and Umbra was hopeful that maybe her words had gotten through to him.
Of course, like most things in her life, it didn't work out as she planned.
"Do you really think any of that has changed since you came to power?" He shouted. "We still live off of scraps and our industries haven't improved, either! If anything, things have gotten worse since you came around! The Griffons aren't gonna take us seriously when we have a pompous, prissy, little girl in charge of our Empire! Maybe we'd have been better off with a king in charge!"
Umbra didn't know how it happened, but suddenly, the leader was down. The riot that went on went silent and she felt all eyes on her as the leader collapsed to the ground, his chest smoldering.
She blinked, and it took her a moment to realize that she had shot out a beam from her hand. She looked down and saw black smoke wafting from it, green and purple light glowing within her palm. She cursed silently at her careless anger, then looked back up to see that all the rebels were shocked, as were the guards and Feather Quill, the last of the group appearing to be wondering whether he should yell at her or get her away from the situation.
Then, like everything usually did for Umbra, everything slowly, but surely, went wrong.
"The witch used dark magic!" cried a rebel, holding up his pickax angrily.
"Let's get her!" another rallied.
"Get down!" a guard shouted, pulling Umbra down so she wouldn't be hit by the onslaught of sharpened crystals and God knew what else the rebels prepared during their siege.
"Dammit, Your Majesty!" Feather snapped. "Why did you do that? Now we've got a riot on our hands!"
Umbra, pissed beyond all belief, held up her hand and allowed her anger to engulf it in flames. "Feather, now is not the time for a lecture of any sort. In fact, if you want to avoid the hell I can inflict upon that small mind of yours, then I will be beyond happy to toss you in front of the guards like the meat shield you are."
Feather frowned at her. "Sometimes I hate that I work for you."
"Well, then you should sign your resignation and save me the trouble, then!" Umbra growled, grunting in anger as a guard shifted beside her head. "I hate this, I hate this war, and I hate this revolt! Just what the hell am I supposed to do now?"
"Ma'am, there's too many of them! They'll be on us in an instant!" a guard exclaimed, blocking a crystal with a shield. "What are we to do?"
"Where are the other guards?" Feather muttered under his breath. "They should be here!"
"They're at the castle, you twit! You said not to bring too many as not to seem intimidating, remember?" Umbra smacked a hand to her forehead. "For the love of all that is precious, I swear, if we don't get out of here alive, I will haunt this palace for the rest of it's days! Which, might not be that many seeing as how we're the targets of the Griffon Kingdoms, who have more advanced and tactile training than the lot we have here!"
"Hey!" a guard called out. He paused when he saw Umbra's glare. "Sorry, Your Majesty."
Feather pointed to the attacking rebels. "Perhaps now would be a good time to use your anger for that magic of yours? I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to incapacitate and later incarcerate those mongrels, correct?"
But, as Umbra was about to tell Feather how using her magic got them into their current situation, a loud, sharp whistle broke through the loud noise and chaos. The guards, rebels, Feather Quill, and Umbra looked up simultaneously in shock and surprise to see who had made the noise, and suddenly, the chaos came to a pause.
"Hiya, everyone!" Bubble called out. He stood on top of the roof of a building, so that way everyone could see him. "Is everything alright out here?"
"What is that idiot doing here?" Feather hissed, causing Umbra to immediately feel annoyed.
"Bubble, what the hell are you doing here?" Umbra called out, standing up so she could see him and he could see her in turn.
Bubble frowned and cocked his head to the side in that annoyingly cute way he did. "Well, you disappeared when I went to get my glitter and I heard that this is where you were, so I decided to drop in to see you!"
"During a revolt," Umbra replied.
Bubble nodded. "Yeah! Besides, I figured that everyone could use some relaxation since everything is so tense and crazy!" He held up a finger. "And do you know what usually relaxes me?" Bubble jumped down from the roof and landed with the agility of a cat, then threw his arms in the air. "A party!"
Umbra's eyes widened. "Oh, sweet Crystal Heart, this isn't going to end well."
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."
"Oh, Umbraaaaa," a voice said, a light tune in the tone. "It's time to wake uuuuuuup."
Umbra instinctively pulled her pillow over her head. "Go away, Bubble."
"Oh, come on!" She felt his hands wrap around her shoulders and shake her lightly. "It's almost time for breakfast!"
"No." Umbra pulled the covers over her face. "I'm not getting up. This is one of the few occasions where I don't have to worry about Feather Quill bothering me, and dammit, I am going to enjoy it."
She felt a shift in the bed beside her and heard a small 'hmmph' escape Bubble. "Well, I was gonna get you the blueberry pancakes I made, but since you're gonna be a grump, I guess I'll eat them myself!"
Umbra's eyes popped open, her covers falling from her face as she turned to look at him. "Blueberry pancakes?"
"Yep!" Bubble chirped. "I knew that'd get you up! Besides, I'm more of a strawberry person."
Umbra sighed, then sat up to face him. "How long have you been in here?"
"Not long." Bubble fell onto the bed beside her, his arms crossed behind his head. "Besides, you look cute when you're sleeping. You don't frown as much."
Umbra frowned at him. "That's creepy."
"Is it, though?"
"Yes." Umbra searched around the room. "Where are the pancakes at? I'm absolutely famished."
Bubble sat up, then turned towards her nightstand and turned back with a tray in his hands. "Here ya go! I also got some orange juice and toast with jam!"
"Crystal berry?" Umbra's eyes widened at the sight. "How'd you know?"
Bubble shrugged. "Dunno, just do. Besides, I tried some and they're super good! It's like explosions of rainbows and sunshine!"
Umbra rolled her eyes. "Yes, well, I suppose that's one way of putting it." She took a bite of the toast, then shivered with delight. "I haven't had a good meal in quite some time..."
Bubble snagged a piece of toast for himself and took a bite. "Whuh nuh?"
Umbra arched a brow. "Hmm?"
Bubble swallowed and cleared his throat. "Why not? You're the Queen, right? I figured you'd be feasting every day and night!"
Umbra frowned a bit. "I don't get to eat as much as I like. Feather tells me I need to watch my weight or else everyone will judge me for 'gorging myself during a time of war'." Suddenly, her appetite faded and she pushed her tray away. "Here, you can have the rest it you want."
Bubble frowned and he cocked his head to the side. "Why does everyone blame you for what's going on? You didn't start the war, right?"
Umbra shook her head. "No, I didn't... It started because of a communication error between the former King and Queen and the leader of the Griffon Kingdoms, Silverwing. They ended up getting into a fight with one another and it soon escalated when Razorclaw, that stupid general, charged us."
Bubble gasped. "Whoa, really?" He leaned in anticipation. "What happened next?"
"The King and Queen were killed during an attack on the castle," she told him. "And their son was never found. No one knows what happened to him or if he's even alive." She sighed. "I took on the role as Queen after I led a legion of soldiers into battle and defeated the Griffons, successfully defending the frontlines."
"Wait, you can do that?" Bubble asked. "Just, take on a leadership role?"
"The vote was unanimous," she told him. "Apparently, having magic is major ratings boost. Until, that is, everyone begins to blame you for not fixing everything within a matter of months because they're so used to peace and life being easy instead of understanding how dire times are and how change has to come with support, not a lone monarch." She looked down. "Things are much easier to deal with when you have someone to blame for it."
"Hey, come on! I'm sure things will turn around for you soon!" Bubble put the tray aside and scooted closer to Umbra. "Besides, not everyone hates what you're doing! Heck, look at all the guards who listen to you!"
"Only because they swore an oath to me."
Bubble frowned. "Darn, I thought that would sell it... Well, I think you're doing good, all things considering! I mean, you're doing so much work and you're keeping the Crystal Ball and Fair going! I bet they'll start being more supportive by the time we get to it!"
Umbra sighed. "I have a serious feeling that's not going to be the case..."
Bubble put his hands on his hips. "OK, that's it! We're gonna cheer you up!" He rolled off the bed and stood up, his hand outstretched towards her. "Come on, get dressed!"
"What for?" Umbra asked. "What do you have planned?"
Bubble smiled at her. "Just get ready!" He held up a hand. "No armor, though! Just wear a dress or pants or something other than that!"
Umbra frowned. "What about my duties? I can't just get up and leave without an excuse."
"Yeah, you can!" Bubble said as he rushed to her wardrobe. "You're the Queen, you can do whatever you want!"
"No, I can't--Ah!" She snatched the dress that Bubble that threw off of her face. "Bubble!"
He turned towards her and held out his closed hands, where Umbra could see dozens of multi-colored ribbons dangling from his grip. "And this time, I'm gonna put these ribbons in!"
* * *
"Bubble!" Umbra called out. She tugged her arm tirelessly as Bubble dragged down the streets of the Empire, her other hand occupied with trying to keep her dark cloak on. She couldn't afford to explain why she was out with such an eccentric person or to be recognized to begin with. Or explain why her hair had dozens of ribbons in it. It was probably the last one.
"Oh, calm down!" Bubble told her. "I got something really fun planned for today! You're gonna love it!"
Umbra looked around her, her unease growing as people stopped to watch them pass by. "Bubble, please, stop running! You're making people stare!"
Bubble slowed down, allowing Umbra to go to his side as he stood. "Sorry. I guess I'm a lot faster than I thought. I don't usually have to worry about anyone keeping up with me."
Umbra sighed in surrender. "It's fine... Just, we're trying to keep a low profile, remember? I can't afford for people to see me in public, especially since that revolt a couple days ago..."
Bubble frowned. "Aw, geez, I'm sorry..." He perked up. "Come on! Let's get to it!"
"Get to what, exactly?" Umbra questioned, pulling at her hood so it wouldn't fall.
Bubble stopped abruptly, nearly making Umbra topple over. He pointed a finger at a building. "There!"
Umbra arched a brow in confusion, but she looked to where he was pointing nonetheless. Her eyes widened in horror and she attempted to back away. "Oh, no. Please, no."
Bubble began bouncing towards the shop. "Come on, I told you this was gonna be fun!"
Umbra tugged her arm in a futile attempt to get away, but Bubble's grip held fast. "Please, Bubble, I'll do anything you want. Anything. Just, please... Don't take me in there!"
Bubble turned back with a smile. "Aw, come on! The ball's going to be in a couple weeks, and you need a dress!"
The building in front of them shone with a standard crystalline sheen, though it's pink coloring made it stand out from the rest of the street's buildings. There was a sign that hung over the entrance, proclaiming: "The Lady Boutique" in elegant, fuzzy cursive writing. Umbra could feel the itchy pink dresses from afar.
He turned his whole body towards her and grabbed her other hand with his other one. "Let's go!"
Umbra let out a loud cry of surprise as he whirled her around and she prayed that she didn't trip from the fast movement. She found herself swirling into a new area, then dizzily stood on her own as Bubble released her hands. She thanked whatever deity above that her cloak stayed on during the whole ordeal.
"Here we are!" Bubble exclaimed, skipping over to her side. "Let's go look at some of the dresses!"
Umbra shook her head, ridding herself of any remaining dizziness, then turned to glare at him. "Bubble, if I had known you were going to bring me here, I wouldn't have gone with you." She scowled at the pink dresses that hung on the racks. "I was never a fan of dresses."
Bubble pouted. "Aw, but you have to wear one! I mean, think about how pretty you'll look!"
Umbra frowned. "I've gone plenty of years without wearing a dress to a ball, and I'm sure another won't hurt." She crossed her arms. "Besides, I'm not going to actually be at the ball. I just... make an appearance and that's it. No one really cares if I'm there for long or not."
Bubble gasped. "That's awful! Why not?"
Umbra pulled her hood back, trying to ignore the scrape of the fabric against the multiple ribbons on her head. "Because, they didn't care when I wasn't Queen, so they aren't going to now that I am. At least now when I'm Queen they have the decency to keep their comments to themselves." She detached her cloak, revealing her to be wearing a simple tunic with tights. "Besides, no one cares what I wear."
"Well, they're going to this time!" Bubble told her. He pointed a finger to the sky in a exclamatory manner. "I vow to make sure that you look absolutely beautiful for this ball! Which, actually, isn't going to be hard. You're already super pretty!"
Umbra rolled her eyes. "Fine, alright. Just... keep me away from the itchy dresses. I can't stand those."
"OK!" Bubble replied. He rushed over to a rack, then gasped exaggeratedly. "Oh, this looks pretty!"
Umbra blanched at the sight of the glittery pink dress that had puffy sleeves and far too many ruffles for her taste. "Ugh, no. Pick something else, please."
Bubble frowned, but it faded as he put the dress back and pulled out another one. "How about this one?"
"No puffy sleeves. I can't stand those."
"How about this one?" Bubble put the dress in front of him and twirled. "It looks great for dancing!"
"I don't dance," Umbra told him.
Bubble gasped. "But, that's the best part of the ball! Well, and the food. And the music. And the dresses. And the decorations. And the--"
"Bubble." Umbra pointed to the rack. "Maybe we should look at something less... couture?"
Bubble frowned, but he obliged and put the dress back on the rack with a smile. "OK! Let's go see if they have anything in a different color!"
Umbra let out a small sigh of relief. "Alright. Let's just hope there's nothing too-- Oh, you've got to be kidding me."
Bubble's eyes widened, and he put his hands on both sides of his face. "Oh my gosh! This is cool!" He zoomed down the row, his hands grazing the dresses as he giggled with delight. "So many colors, so many patterns, so many pretty dresses! I can't wait 'til we see how you look in these!"
Umbra crossed her arms over her chest. "Bubble, I'm not going to try on all of these-- Ack!" Umbra wrestled beneath the fabric of the dresses that landed on her, her arms breaking out from their itchy, lacy prisons like they were drowning. "Bubble, stop throwing things at me!"
"Go on, let's get you dressed!" She felt him grab her upper arms and push her to an unknown destination. "I'm real excited about that rainbow one! It'll look so good on you!"
Umbra tried to fight against Bubble's grip, but found she couldn't as she was pushed into two doors. She let out a shriek of surprise as she collapsed into the small space, then stood up uneasily as her vision lolled about. She shook her head, then snatched the dresses off of her shoulders. "Bubble, how many dresses did you give me?"
"Only the ones I wanted you to wear!" Bubble answered. She could hear his feet tapping excitedly from outside the apparent dressing room. "You'll look great in them!"
Umbra rolled her eyes, then slipped her tunic off and picked up a dress. She gagged at the cornflower blue top and multi-spectral skirt that had golden lightning bolts on it, then looked to the door. "Bubble, I'm not wearing this dress! It looks like someone slapped it with a rainbow!"
"Aw, but that's why I picked it! It reminded me of Rainbow Blitz!"
Umbra groaned, but slipped the dress on nonetheless. "Fine, fine, I'll be out in a second." With a begrudging smile on her face, opened the doors and stepped over the heap of dresses to leave. "How does this look?"
Bubble stopped moving, and he stood up straight with a hand on his hip. "Girl, you were right about the rainbow... It does not work for you." He wrinkled his nose a bit. "Also, blue is not your color."
Umbra rolled her eyes. "Alright, so that rules out that selection." She walked back in the dressing room, then shoved out every blue dress Bubble had thrown at her. "Oh my god, why is there so much pink in here?"
"Because I think you'll look nice in it! Everyone looks nice in pink!" Bubble told her.
"Now, to that I must object." Umbra stepped, resisting the urge to scratch her arms and torso. The dress she wore was pink and lacy all over, taking up to three feet in circumference. Umbra spat a bit as glitter twinkled in the air and into her mouth, nearly making her gag. "What is with your obsession with glitter? I swear, I might never get it all off of me!"
Bubble crinkled his brows. "Wow, I was sure wrong."
Umbra spat once more, her lids falling in annoyance. "You think?"
Bubble smiled and he stood on his toes in excitement. "You look great in pink!"
Umbra blinked. "Wait, what?" She stepped towards him, nearly stumbling as she did. "What makes you think this is a good choice for me? Also, what did I tell you about puffy sleeves? I... I look like Glinda from the Wizard of Oz!"
"Aw, but you're way prettier!" Bubble told her, glowing with admiration. "I mean, you're so pretty and sparkly!"
"I'm not wearing this." Umbra slipped the dress off, not caring if she all she had underneath were her undergarments and tights. "Don't you have something that's not pastel and just over the top girly? I mean, I don't mind others wearing it, but it isn't to my tastes."
Bubble frowned a bit, his brows furrowing in thought. "Hmm..." He snapped his fingers. "I got it! Be right back!" He zoomed away, then leaned back into the hall. "Oh, and, uh, you might want to get in the dressing room before someone sees you. Not a lot of people are OK with nudity."
"I'm not-- Oh, right." Umbra sighed a bit as she stepped into the dressing room. "Bubble, would you hurry it up? I'd rather not put up with Feather Quill showing up unannounced and deciding to lecture me on punctuality and such when I get back."
"OK, I'm here!" Bubble proclaimed. "I got the dress! Here!"
Umbra looked over the door and watched as a tumble of purple fabric came over it. "Hmm, purple. I like this direction."
"Excuse me, sir, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Umbra heard a voice say from outside the dressing room.
"Hmm?" Umbra wriggled into the dress with ease, the fabric smooth and relaxed. "Bubble, is someone there?"
"Hang on a sec!" Bubble told her. "Um, why do I have to leave? My friend and I were just trying on some dresses! Well, I'm not, but I'm picking them out and she's trying them on."
Umbra heard a very haughty sniff come from the feminine speaking voice. "Well, this store is for only the best of clientele, and judging from your... attire, you don't seem to fit this standard."
"Don't seem to fit the standard?" Bubble repeated, and Umbra could just see him blinking in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Sir, I'm sorry, but I'd rather you leave. You're making the other customers uncomfortable with your... exuberance."
"But there isn't anyone else here!" Bubble protested. "I've been around this store three times and I didn't even see you until just now!"
Another sniff. "Well, I'm sorry, but I would suggest taking your business elsewhere. This store is for only the highest class and you aren't even close to reaching that level."
Umbra stepped out, clad in her gown. "I'm sorry, but is there an issue here?"
The woman, dressed in a rather fashionable dress of her own, froze. "Oh, dear... Um, Your Majesty, I wasn't aware of your presence."
"No, but that doesn't excuse your behavior," Umbra snapped, her hands going to her hips. She hoped that her sparkling purple gown didn't take from her intimidating stance and expression.
"Ma'am, I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"
"Didn't mean to what? To humiliate my friend because of your prejudice?" Umbra stepped forward, her eyes narrowing and her voice growing more venomous. "I thought that perhaps the prejudice in this Empire would have disappeared, but it would seem I'm wrong. Maybe it's a good thing you wanted to kick us out."
"Umbry, it's fine," Bubble said, taking a hold of her arm gently. "She didn't know."
"No, but that doesn't make this alright." Umbra turned to the woman with cold eyes. "Perhaps I'll take your advice and take my business elsewhere." Umbra slipped off her gown, uncaring of the presence in the room. She no longer felt anxiety and she stood proud as she glowered at the store owner. "Bubble, would your grab my tunic and cloak for me, please?"
"OK," Bubble said, not even sparing her a second glance.
Umbra continued to glare at the woman, even after Bubble returned with her items. "I would have thought you'd know better." Umbra snapped her fingers, her clothes appearing on her in a sparkle of red magic. "But it seems that I put far too much credit on my citizens, as usual." She stepped past the woman, pulling her hood over her head as she did. "Bubble, we're leaving. Say goodbye to the nice lady."
"Bye nice lady!" Bubble said, scurrying to catch up to Umbra.
After the pair left the store, the store owner could only stare in wonder and she looked back to where Umbra once stood. "My lord, I simply must find out who did her hair!"
Umbra retired to her room early that night. If not for the fact that she was tired from that day's events, then from the fact that she really needed to be alone.
At least, that was the plan.
As the Queen began to settle into bed for the night, she heard a knock at her door. She sighed a bit and arose to answer it, expecting the company of one of her servants. Instead, it was Bubble. She hadn't expected him, but, in his short time of being there, she had learned to expect the unexpected from him.
"Hiya!" he greeted, that everpresent smile on his face brightening upon seeing her.
Umbra frowned a bit. "Bubble, I told you, I was staying in my room for the night."
"I know!"
Umbra arched a brow. "You do?"
Bubble nodded. "Yep!"
"And did you know that I wanted to be alone during that time?"
Bubble stopped smiling as surprise overtook his visage. "You did?"
"Yes." Umbra sighed a bit and she put a hand to her temple. "It's no matter. Come in. It'll save you from having to sneak in."
Bubble smiled and he bounced in as Umbra allowed him inside. "Why'd ya wanna be alone?"
Umbra took a seat on her bed. "Within the past 48 hours, my dining room experienced an explosion, I suffered a minor emotional breakdown, woke up to finding out I confessed my life story to a practical stranger, was in the middle of a revolt that turned into a magic show, and then, the icing on top of the cake, that bigoted dress shop owner was rude to the one person I enjoy being around and reminded me just how damn bitter this entire Empire has become." She sighed. "You'd wanna be alone after all that, wouldn't you?"
"Nope!" Bubble answered. He fell back onto the bed. "I know because I was there! Remember?"
Umbra felt herself smile a bit. "Well, can't argue with that logic." Her smile faded. "Still, it's always been... custom of me to be alone whenever I'm upset about something."
Bubble frowned. "Why? Being alone is the worst!"
"Sometimes, it's better to be alone," Umbra told him.
"What do you mean?" Bubble questioned.
Umbra looked off a bit. "You can't hurt anyone."
Bubble was quiet for a moment after that and Umbra wasn't sure what he was going to say. She felt a hand slide onto hers and she turned to see him smiling at her earnestly.
"I know you wouldn't hurt me," he told her. He smiled a bit more. "I trust you."
"You've only known me for two days," Umbra replied, furrowing her brows.
"And just look at what you've done!" Bubble laughed. "You've been nicer to me than most of the people here have been despite what you've been going through! Besides, I haven't had this much fun since I was back home!"
Umbra blinked. "Really?"
"Really!" Bubble wrapped an arm around her. "I trust you, Umbry." He leaned his head on her shoulder. "And I like being around you, too."
Umbra didn't know what to say for a long moment. Finally, she felt a smile come onto her face and it didn't seem to want to disappear. "I like being around you, too, Bubble."
Bubble grinned a bit more, if it was even possible, and his other arm wrapped around her tightly. "Oh, I can't wait until the ball gets here! It's gonna be so much fun for all our hard work to come to fruition!" He put on a serious face. "But we gotta work hard in order for that to happen!"
Umbra rolled her eyes. "Don't I know it." She chuckled a bit. "Let's just hope we don't get nagged by Feather."
Bubble laughed. "Please, he'll do it no matter what we do!"
Umbra broke out into laughter of her own. "Well, you're not wrong."
Bubble giggled. "I like this! Talking to each other, not having to worry about other people judging you. It's nice getting to talk to Queen Umbra, but I like hanging around Umbry more."
Umbra glanced at her crown, laying upon her vanity. She smiled, though it felt bittersweet. "So do I."
* * *
Things continued on like that for the next couple weeks. Bubble would come to Umbra's room at the late hours when no one would expect him and he'd spend time with her. Some nights, he'd leave her be to rest on her own, but, more often than not, he'd stay over just to keep her company.
How he was never caught, Umbra didn't know. He wasn't exactly subtle with his arrivals, although she had to admit he had gotten creative in entering her room. There were times where he would enter through her window like some odd hybrid between man and spider, sometimes climbing in on the ceiling or even swinging in like a wild child. Sometimes, he'd just walk in through the front door without a care in the world. How her guards never saw him, she'd have to wonder for the rest of her days.
"Umbry, helloooo, Earth to Umbry!" Bubble proclaimed, waving his hand in front of Umbra .
Umbra blinked and her vision focused on Bubble. She frowned a bit, then pushed his hand away. "What is it, Bubble?"
Bubble frowned at her. "You were zoning out! I was trying to tell you about the different dresses I picked out for you to wear to the ball, but you aren't even paying attention!" He crossed his arms. "And I picked out really nice ones, too!"
Umbra sighed. "Bubble, I thought I told you I don't want to wear any dresses. Why is that so difficult for you to understand?"
"Would you rather wear a suit, then?" Bubble asked, arching a brow. "'Cause I bet I can have my friend Elusive come in and take your measurements for one! He loves doing that!"
Umbra blinked. "Wait, you'd be... alright with me wearing a suit?"
"Totally!" Bubble looked her over. "You'd look really nice in one!"
"Uh... thanks, I suppose," Umbra replied, unsure what else to say. Suddenly, a thought ran through her mind. "Wait, aren't we supposed to be planning the ball right now?"
"We are! We're planning what outfit you're gonna wear to it!"
Umbra pursed her lips. "That doesn't count."
Bubble pouted. "It so does!"
Umbra sighed. "Bubble, we have only a— oh, god, a week until the ball! We cannot afford to dawdle around over attire!"
"But, we already have most of what we need down! I mean, tell me what you're worried about and I'll tell you what's been handled!"
"The music," Umbra started. "I don't recall having ever set up a quartet or anything of the sort to play music for the ball."
"Oh, I already got that handled!" Bubble told her. "I got a tuba player, a cello player, a piano player, and a harp player for the event!" He giggled. "I wonder if they'll do the Hokey Pokey!"
Umbra glared at him. "We're not doing the Hokey Pokey at the ball. And what about the food? I don't recall any caterers stepping up to the position."
"Oh, I got a friend of mine to take care of that! Gertrude knows how to make a mean eclair, I'll tell you that much!"
"Alright... What about the decor?"
Bubble pointed at himself. "Just leave it to me! I'll have it done in no time!"
Umbra's frown deepened. "Bubble, when you say things like that, it concerns me." She sighed, then waved a hand. "But, I'll trust you with this." She took a deep breath. "Now, what else do we need to plan?"
Umbra's eyes widened. "No. No, no, no, we aren't going to go—"
"Oh, yeah, we are!" Bubble exclaimed, grabbing her hand. "We're gonna try on clothes!"
"Over my dead body!"
Bubble paused in his preparation to take off and slowly turned his head towards the origin of the voice. He frowned immediately. "Hi, Feather Quill."
Umbra held in a sigh. After taking a couple days to recuperate from his attack back at the revolt, Feather had returned with a full force motivation to keep Bubble in check. He had failed time after time, of course, but it never tired his spirit for ruining Bubble's fun.
"You are not to make away with the Queen when we have so much work to do," Feather stated simply, ignoring Bubble's pout. "Your Majesty, if I recall, we have to go over the plans for the ball."
"But we've already—" Bubble tried to protest.
"Silence!" Feather snapped. "I was speaking to the Queen!"
Umbra narrowed her eyes at him. "What Bubble was trying to say, Feather, was that we had already gone over the plans for the ball. Perhaps if you had been here in a more timely manner, you would have been made aware of that."
Bubble grinned a bit. "Buuurn."
Feather cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. "My apologies, Your Majesty, I just assumed that—"
"Assumed what, exactly, Feather?" Umbra growled. She crossed her arms at him. "Do you really think me so incapable of doing my job as a ruler that you don't think I can handle a few preparations for the ball?"
"Of course not!" Feather proclaimed, horrified at the claim.
"Yet, here you are, speaking to me and my ball planner like we're fools," Umbra observed. "Making assumptions, thinking yourself to be in the right about a matter you weren't even informed about."
"I—"
"Perhaps I should have you get a trampoline," Umbra stated, her expression going blank. "Since you love jumping to conclusions so much."
Feather, red faced and flummoxed, bowed his head and took a step back. "My apologies, Ma'am."
Umbra smiled a bit. "Good." It faded in an instant. "Now go check on the kitchen staff. I'm feeling rather famished."
"Me, too!" Bubble added. "Do you think they'll be alright with me making chocolate cake for dessert?"
Umbra smiled at him, this time genuinely. "Go ahead, Bubble." As he walked away, she turned back to Feather. "Mr.Quill?"
Feather lifted his head. "Yes, Ma'am?"
Her smile stretched out a bit and her eyes narrowed to thin slits. "Be disrespectful to Bubble or myself again, and I'll have you hanging from the gallows. Have I made myself clear?"
Feather nodded, his face moist with sweat. "Yes, Ma'am."
"Wonderful." Umbra waved her hand. "That will be all."
Feather bowed once more and backed away from Umbra, who had long since turned her back on him. As soon as he was out of her peripheral vision, she clenched her hand as small sparks of a rising fire emitted from it.
'Never let them see you sweat,' she reminded herself, taking a look at her hand. She had never been one to touch others with malintent, but she had been tempted in the past. But, in the end, it never really mattered if she meant it or not; Umbra hurt others, sometimes with her words, sometimes with her actions.
Was she truly a monster or was she just deluding herself?
"What do you mean I can't make a cake?!" she heard Bubble shriek as he was pushed out of the kitchen. He frowned and looked back at the door one last time as he muttered something about "meanie meaniepants cooks". He caught sight of Umbra on the other side of the dining room and came bounding over. "Umbry, you wouldn't believe what just happened!"
"It's fine, Bubble," Umbra told him. "We always have pancakes."
Bubble rolled his eyes. "I said that, too, but they said we can't have pancakes for lunch!" He opened and closed his hand in quick succession as he mocked the chef. "'Breakfast is the first meal of the day and should remain as such!'"
Umbra chuckled. "Well, then, we'll just have to wait until the ball, then, won't we?"
Bubble frowned. "We can't afford it, remember? Because of the war, remember?"
Umbra's smile faltered a bit at the remembrance of her country's current struggle, but she pushed it away. "Do you remember the first day you got here?"
Bubble grinned. "Yeah! I met you!" He blinked in confusion and cocked his head to the side. "Why?"
"Do you remember the bits you gave us?" Umbra asked.
"Yeah, I gave it to you for any damages I might ca—" He stopped mid-sentence and his eyes went wide. "You didn't."
Umbra smiled cheekily. "I may have used some of the remaining money to get the supplies needed for, say, a three-tier chocolate cake?"
Bubble's face brightened up like the Crystal Heart. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" He pulled Umbra into a tight hug. "This is the bestest thing ever!"
Umbra chuckled. "Not so fast, Bubble. You'll still have to make that cake."
Bubble squeezed her tighter. "Yay!" He pulled away. "Thanks so much, Umbry!"
The castle staff that roamed around them went dead silent as Bubble's words echoed through the room. The waiter who had begun to bring out the appetizers for the meal paused in his step as the door behind him swung back and forth. The maid who had been setting plates watched the scene with wide eyes and her hand over her mouth to smother any sounds she made. Everyone except for Bubble and Umbra themselves seemed to be in a suspended state of shock.
Umbra cleared her throat. "Where are we with those appetizers?"
The waiter snapped out of his shock. "Oh! It's right here, Your Majesty."
Umbra smiled. "Thank you." She turned to the maid. "Thanks for adding another placement for Bubble."
"Oh, it's no issue, Your Majesty!" she replied, curtsying.
Umbra waved a hand. "That will be all. Bubble and I have plenty to talk about. I wouldn't want to bore the lot of you with our mindless chatter."
The maid's face turned a shade of pink. "I assure you, Ma'am, I'd never listen onto your conversation for my own benefit." She straightened herself. "I will attend to your wish, however. Though, I honestly doubt a woman such as yourself could ever bore one."
"You'd be surprised," Umbra told her. "Go on, now. Have the afternoon off. You definitely deserve it."
The maid's eyes widened, but she held her composure. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I won't waste it, I assure you."
Umbra smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to, Amethyst."
Amethyst blinked. "You know my name?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Umbra questioned, frowning a bit.
"O-Oh, it's not that I wouldn't expect your memory to fail you, it's just..." The maid cleared her throat. "I never thought myself to be important enough for someone like yourself to learn my name."
"Nonsense." Umbra approached her and took her hand. "You tend to my every need whenever you're available; why wouldn't I remember someone like you?" She held up a hand. "Never mind. I'll you what, how about I give tomorrow off as well? I'm sure you'd love to have a day to put your feet up."
Amethyst nearly gawked at the queen. "I-I... Thank you."
As the maid left the room hastily, curtsying on the way out, Umbra turned to the server as he returned to the room. "You take the day off, too, Serving Spoon."
Serving Spoon blinked in shock. "I-I beg pardon, but would you please repeat that?"
"Your anniversary is coming up soon, isn't it?" Umbra recalled. "For you and your husband, if I remember correctly?"
"I... Yes, in a couple weeks." He straightened up and clasped his hands. "How do you know that, Your Majesty?"
"Call it observation," Umbra told him. She smiled. "My suggestion: take him out on the town. You both deserve it."
"I'll... take that in stride, Ma'am." He smiled at her. "Thank you."
Umbra chuckled. "It's no issue. Go on, enjoy your afternoon."
"I most certainly will try," he told her. He bowed. "Thank you again, Ma'am."
As Serving Spoon left the room, Bubble came cartwheeling in. "Hiya!"
"Hi," Umbra greeted, chuckling a bit. "Having fun?"
"Not as much as you are, Umbry!" Bubble replied. He stuck the landing and held his arms above his head dramatically. "You give Ammy and Servy the day off?"
"Just like you suggested," Umbra told him. "You're right; they both deserve it. Thanks for telling me about Serving Spoon's anniversary."
Bubble laughed. "Nothing quite like making people happy, is there?"
Umbra smiled at him. "No, there isn't. What are we having for lunch?"
"Chimichangas!" he exclaimed.
Umbra arched a brow. "Chimi-what?"
Bubble giggled. "Don't worry, you'll see soon enough! I'll go get it for you! And, once we're done eating, maybe I can show you how to make a sailor hat out of napkins!"
Umbra covered her mouth as she laughed a bit. "There's nothing I'd like more."
