Chapter 2

Peeking out from behind the cloud, Boomer timed his escape just right as it finally came to hover just atop the caved city beneath him.

It was architected in a style where a large tower resided in the very centre of two, very large walls that clawed around the entire city, stopping short to create a large opening parallel to the tower.

As he sailed down to the eastern wall, a ball of vapour whisked back into the sky as it slipped in between his fingers. Boomer rested his back lightly against the wall, his hands gliding against the concrete as he hovered down to the ground.

Standing tall, his cobalt blue eyes took in the small buildings around him, surprised to find that most of them were bakeries. Curiously, he stared in through one of the bakeries' display windows, urging himself not to drool; complying to his hollow stomach, he stepped into the shop.

A small bell chimed as he parted open the door, waves of warm, cozy scents greeting him. The shop was designed in a way where a glass counter was attached to the eastern and western walls, connecting about a metre away from the north wall; created in a sort of cubic style. There was a doorway backed up into the corner on the northern wall, and Boomer could catch the very bottom of a staircase and its railing inside. The glossy glass counter held various different pastries inside, each on elegant china with a folded paper label in front of it.

A woman stood behind the counter with her back to him, Boomer craned his neck in the slightest, curious to what she was doing when she whirled herself around with a smile, one that almost immediately faltered as her eyes widened.

With eyes wide and mouth agape, Bubbles tried to steady herself as she asked Boomer in the smallest of voices, "how may I help you?"

He stared back at her, his eyebrows furrowing, "couple of cupcakes please."

Bubbles felt so small under his gaze, nonetheless she managed to ask with a tight smile "what kind?"

Boomer's gaze finally flitted from her face, looking down to inspect the treats inside the glass counters further. Bubbles took a quiet, deep breath, attempting to calm herself as her hand gripped onto the stainless glass.

Why in the world was he there? What was she supposed to do when her arch enemy from over six years ago suddenly popped up in her shop? Should she tell him it was her?

"That may not be the best idea" she thought.

Bubbles had been hiding for a long period of six years as a baker. To be honest, she'd managed to lead a quaint life with animals and sweets, and besides the fact that she'd been separated from her sisters for the entire period, it was nice and simple.

She didn't even have much of a rebellion against the city's dictator. A girl that eerily resembled her former self before she'd changed her appearance.

The sweet, innocent girl from years ago was more or less still the same, it was just her appearance that had changed.

Her golden blonde locks had been dyed a deep auburn, chopped routinely to the nape of her neck. Blue orbs as endless as the sky were concealed under a pair of apple green contacts. The fact that she'd borrowed her sister's characteristic traits no secret.

"I don't think he recognized you. It's okay" she looked down at the spikes of sandy blonde hair jutting out just before the countertop "play it cool."

"So have you decided yet?" She asked as he arose from his position, smiling her smile.

"I hate you for being so darn cute" she thought, gazing at his electric blue eyes and cheeky grin.

"Yeah, I want the chocolate fudge cupcakes with blueberries, and some of those" he looked down, reading off of the label placed in front of a plate "Nutty Brownies" he smiled.

"Coming right up" She smiled, a twinkle in her eyes as she stepped through a door parallel to her on the north wall. As she stepped back out she watched Boomer staring around the shop, observing the colours and décor.

"It'll take about an hour or half" she spoke up, Boomer casually turned as she continued "people usually call first and place an order."

Boomer nodded his head in the slightest, understanding. He turned back to the walls wearing a second skin of dusty green, pink, and blue stripes.

"You've got a nice place." He commented, stalking over to stand parallel to where she lay behind the counter.

"You seem new." Bubbles stated, trying to direct the conversation.

Boomer stared at her, "yeah. Came here on vacation."

"That lie will never work."

"With your brothers?" Bubbles thought and said two things entirely different, blurting it out.

Boomer's eyebrows rose, "How'd you know I have brothers? Have you seen them?"

A strange silence filled the room as the two stared at one another, Bubbles was the first to break it.

"No, I was just guessing. Did you get lost from them or something?" The tips of her lips quirked up in the beginning of a smile.

Boomer however, was not amused. "No" he said "I came here alone." Bubbles wished to push on the subject, but was worried she would scare him away.

"Did you come with your girlfriend?" The worlds rolled off of her tongue automatically, and for a moment she wondered if she'd really spoken them.

"No" Boomer grinned, running a hand through his hair "I don't have one."

Bubbles felt her cheeks warm up, but continued, it didn't have to be because of him. There was a batch of cupcakes baking over in the other room, the heat could've had something to do with it.

"So where are you staying?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"Where are you staying" Bubbles repeated, "motel, hotel, relative's house? You do have some place to stay right?" Her worry escalated as the thought dug deeper in her mind.

"Not really." Boomer scratched the back of his head as he replied.

"Do you have any money?" Bubbles asked, her eyebrows furrowed. What in the world was he doing?

He pulled out his wallet, rummaging through it when he looked back up at her "I have about fifty dollars on me."

"You can't use that money here! You need sapphires." Her tone had become panicked. She couldn't just let him walk about the city the way he was, it was a danger to him and her.

"What?" Just then the timer on the cupcakes chimed.

"One minute." The girl scampered into the other room, before popping back out "what kind of frosting do you want?"

"Vanilla" he replied. She disappeared once more.

"So" Boomer said, trying to make conversation as he waited "what's your name?"

For a moment he wasn't sure if she'd heard and was about to ask again when her soft voice echoed into the room.

"Blue" what a coincidence, his favourite colour.

"I'm Boomer" he replied in common courtesy.

A few moments later he found himself bored once again, he racked his brain for something to start up a conversation.

"What exactly is this place?" He asked, more in curiosity than anything.

"This here's my bakery. This city's called Bratania." She replied.

"What's up with all the bakeries?"

"Our queen has a sweet tooth." As Boomer tried to figure out if the words had any hidden meaning to them, Blue returned with four delicious looking cupcakes on creamy white china. She slid it over the counter to him.

Boomer excitedly took a bite out of one, his lips splitting into a smile. It was amazing, so creamy and rich with light frosting and a layer of vanilla inside the cupcake.

"I would hope so, I'm not the queen's go-to baker for nothing you know." Blue giggled as Boomer told her so.

"Really?" Boomer's eyes widened as he swallowed the rest of his cupcake, "who exactly is this queen of yours anyways? What's she like?"

Blue leaned against the counter, green eyes looking up at the small golden chandelier in the middle of the ceiling. She parted her lips as to speak when the bell on the front door chimed. The two snapped their heads to find a girl standing at the doorway.

Boomer's eyes widened as she stepped in. Blonde hair in pigtails, blue eyes, button nose; was that, Bubbles?

"Your highness" Blue's voice squeaked, Boomer's face snapped to Blue's.

Bubbles was a queen?

"Hey Bub-"

"Your highness!" A large grin split Blue's face as she stepped out from a cubic hole in between where two of the counters ended, stepping over toward her.

"What would you like today?" The queen finally met eyes with Boomer.

"Who are you?" She asked him, ignoring Blue completely.

Boomer gazed back with cobalt blue eyes widened in surprise.

"Bubbles?" His voice was barely above a whisper. Her eyes snapped to Blue's before turning back.

"Don't ignore me" she ordered angrily, "who are you?"

Boomer's eyebrows furrowed, "Bubbles, it's me. Boomer."

Brat scoffed, "Boomer? What kind of a name is that?"

Boomer's face scrunched up in upset, why didn't she remember him?

"He's my cousin." Both him and Bubbles turned to stare at Blue.

"He had nowhere else to go, so I've invited him to stay here with me." She said, facing the queen. Boomer was about to ask her what the heck she was doing when Bubbles spoke.

"Whatever. As long as it doesn't get in the way of my sweets, I don't care for him." Her eyes met Blue's.

"What do you have for me today?"

Bubbles smiled, trying to ignore the blue blob in her peripheral vision as she attempted to act normal.

"I have your usual 'Freeze' cup." Bubbles smiled, stepping over to the opening in between counters, following through the door as she added "and lucky for you, I finished something new I've been working on."

Bubbles caught Brat rapidly hiss "you should be considering yourself lucky" as she pulled a creamy, white plate out from a cabinet, "you get to live another day."

The words came out rather awkwardly in Bubbles' opinion, but the queen did have to keep up appearances when presented an audience. Even if it was an audience of one.

She stepped back into the main room with a slice of cake on a platter, and a streak less glass with layers of almonds and fudge in the other.

As the queen tested the desserts, Bubbles dared a glance at Boomer. The boy in question was staring at the girl with inquisitive eyes.

"Send this cake over to the tower." Brat suddenly commanded, her eyes casting a glance at Bubbles, then Boomer, then back.

"You shall live to see another day" came the added reply as the queen haughtily turned away from the two, gracefully making her way out the bakery.

As soon as the door swung back shut Boomer turned to Bubbles, "why'd you say that?"

"Say what?" Bubbles asked, momentarily surprised.

Boomer furrowed his eyebrows, "you said I'm your cousin, and that you're giving me a place to stay. Why?"

Bubbles cast a small sigh, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before darting them away "because if I hadn't she might have killed you. Right then and there. Her Majesty has a temper she's famous for."

"I think I can take care of myself" Boomer scrunched up his face "but why would you do that for me when we just met?"

Bubbles could feel her face visibly tense, but she tried to play it off.

"Because I'm a baker that meddles in her customers' affairs." She flashed a smile.

"Now let me show you to your room."

Author's Note

Sorry if any of this is confusing you, considering how out of control the production of this story's been. I'll try and explain it all in an upcoming chapter.

Anyways, what'd you guys think?