Chapter XIII, Sour Talk

He stood alone on one of the balconies, staring at the black sky above. When she finally reached him, Earl just looked at her with much contempt yet again, without saying a single word. His eyes twitched from time to time.

"Hmph."

He finally grunted, as he turned back to the stars. She just sat on one of the stair steps and looked at him closely. What was in his head, it was once again beyond her. This creation always had it's flaws and never was able to cooperate. She never was even able to talk with him in a civilized matter. Did that bothered her much? The princess asked herself that question numerous times. The answer was always the same – at times.

"I don't understand you Earl. I never did." She shook her head sadly. "You're such a weirdo. You know that?"

"Nhhhh... Maybe part of the problem is and always was..." He coughed. "... Nghh... That you don't want to understand me."

"That's just silly Earl." The princess shrugged. "I made you, I should know the best."

"Is it? You should? Nh... You made me the way I am, true. There had to be some purpose in there, mmmnnh... Yes?" He looked at his yellow hands. "And then every time we met. I hear that I'm different. That I am the one that fails to understand. That I should change. Mnhhhh..."

"You aren't all that different you know..." She tried to smile, but knew that's a blunt lie. "...well, maybe a little."

"I'm not?" He pointed his finger at his own chest. "Even the other me is different. Even when you created someone like me, he still isn't me. Nhnmm. No one asked me how I feel about it."

"I will do that now then." Bubblegum sighted loudly. "How do you feel Earl?"

"Sour. Somewhat shattered, thank you for asking." She could swore he smirked a little under that big nose of his. "That question came from within your heart, creator? You just wanted to ask that, right? Mhhhh."

"Any reasons why you feel that way, Earl?" She spoke calmly, almost as if she was lecturing a child, ignoring his malicious comment. "Why you feel those... nasty things?"

"Nghhh-yes..." He shook his head as he looked at the floor, apparently ashamed of something. "Time passes away slowly you know? And there's nothing. Nothing to be proud off. Nothing to be proud in me. Ngyyhh..." His voice got quieter. "Despite the second me. I never got what I wanted to have."

"And what was that Earl?" She looked at him and smiled vaguely. "What do you wished for?"

"Your admiration. Nghhh-no. No. No!" He grabbed his head. "Your acceptance."

He turned around and walked slowly towards her. Something changed in him. Something finally snapped. His big, round eyes shined in the moonlight. They twitched a little less than normal as well. Lemongrab sat right next to her, staring straight at the floor once again.

"Hnnn... Not like I cannot put two and two together, you know?" Almost instantly he began to count on his fingers, almost as if he wanted to show her just that. "You made me. Therefore you wanted something from me. I wasn't the thing what you wanted me to be." He shook his head. "No. Still. You made me and in the end... nghhh... And... In the end it's your example I try to copy."

"Why you say that now?" The princess asked calmly, gazing at his wobbly head. "You did so many wrong..." She paused. "Weird things without any explanation. Why? Why you never wanted to talk?"

"Nghhh-too many around! Too many! TOO MANY!" He began to shout, but quickly covered his mouth. "Now... Alone. Suitable for ears that matter. No pesky ears around. No." He covered his ears. "So only you can hear."

"Still. What exactly do you want from me?" Bubblegum put her hand on his shoulder. "What do you want from me Earl?

"Hnh..." He still avoided her sight as much as he could. "I already told you what I want. I do not know however, how exactly make that happen."

"Well, I don't know it either Earl." The princess took her hand away. "Only you can know that."

And they just went silent. It would seem that they have at least something in common, as both of them were quite found of it. Before he received his brother, Earl used to spend each day like that. Alone, silent. Much could be said about Bubblegum as well, always surrounded by many, yet, still alone to an extend.

"Nghhhh... This silence is... familiar to me." He scratched his yellow head. "For you to, nhhh? There are some similarities between us, yes?"

"It was never about if we're similar or not Earl."

"No?" He seemed to be quite surprised by that. "Nnngg... I thought that was always the case."

"No. I never said you had to be like me." A spark lightened up in her head. It all happened before. The words came from her mouth almost instantly. "I never said you had to be perfect Earl..."

"What was my goal then, nnnngh-could you at least tell me that, creator?" He looked at her for the first time, gazing straight into her eyes. "Tell me."

"Well..."

Bubblegum thought about it briefly, as he curiously stared at her. He was like a big child at times, just a bit more threatening and surly less sweet. But that was his nature. And she owed him at least that much. An explanation.

"To rule." She said calmly, thinking deeply about every word she was meant to say. "When I'm absent, or if I'll decide to..."

"Mnnh..." He got quite curious. "Decide to what?"

"Nothing in particular..." She quickly changed the topic. "But yes, that would be your purpose. Or at least the purpose that I wanted to give you."

"Nhhhh... But I was incapable, yes?" He pondered. "Am I now?"

"No... I mean yes! But on your own terms, in here." She tried to chuckle a bit. "You'd hardly work in my castle. You know that Earl."

"Why?"

"It's because..."

"Nghhhhh!" Lemongrab shouted once again. "Because I'm not like everyone, I'm different, that's why! But why I'm different?! It would be easier to be just like... nhhhh... Everyone!"

###

"It would be easier to be just like everyone... But it's not... Because I'm not like everyone, I'm different!"

Bonnibel shouted as she walked around her room. It was one of those busy evenings, when instead of grabbing some well deserved rest, she got herself into thinking about life. Her life. Pondering about one certain person. Was that person special? Was that person made for her? Why did she felt what she felt? That person wasn't even a 'he'. It was obvious that's not the combination she should even gaze upon. Not a combination that her people would accept. Not a combination that a princess should be interested in.

"I have the greatest mind in Ooo, I can back up every theory I could possibly come up with! I can neglect things that are surreal, I can bend science to my will... I... I..."

She sat down and looked right in the mirror before her. The princess saw what she always did, her pink reflection, staring right at her, judging her every move, her every notion. She never liked that other self. That ambitious sort always whispered into her ear all the nasty things, always there to mess with her.

"So surely I will think of something... There must be something that will make me normal." She sighted. "Something that will settle things once and for all in my head. Glob. Something that will stop my head from spinning."

The princess stood up. But as soon as she was away from the mirror, the thoughts began to swirl once again. The thoughts about one certain person she saw today. She greeted. She talked to. She thought how wondrous it would be to spend some time together. Maybe more than just some time. She wondered what she likes to do. What she's like when no one is watching. Does she knows how her scent drives this pink being crazy? Does she even like her? A lot maybe? What her lips taste like? Delightful, she almost knew it.

"But..." She sat down on the floor. "Do I want it to be that way?"

That notion in her mind began to spin once again. She just now realized that she is all alone. She couldn't just tell Peppermint. The princess knew he would understand, that he would make things better. But it wasn't one of those things that she could simply throw onto someone's shoulders. No. She needed to decide by herself, for herself. So she stood up once again, to confront herself in the mirror.

"What do you want from your life Bubblegum?!" She shouted, as she smacked the glass before her. It's tiny pieces drove deep into her pink skin. "What are you Bubblegum!?" She began to weep. "What do you want?! Why you can't just be like others? Normal? Why?"

###

"So what exactly are you Earl?" She asked calmly, as this time it was she who looked at the floor. "What do you want?" She sighted. "What you want from your life?"

"You never asked that." Grimace appeared on his face. "Never. NEVER."

"I am doing it now, Earl. Just answer me."

"I want to be what you wanted me to be." He nodded. "To be acceptable! For others."

"No." She smiled slightly. "That was my goal. For you to be what you needed to be. Besides..." She sighted. "I never had any power over whom you'll be. Non of us had. So, what do you want, deep there, in that sour heart of yours, you butt?"

"I..."

He thought deeply about it. But the answer was formed in his head a long time ago. He simply never had the opportunity to speak it out loud, despite the fact that he often thought about it even when his brother was around.

"I want to rule, that's my purpose, I see it in my head, yes. Was it there all that time? I don't know. I want to be something, yes." He nodded. "I want to be a part of something bigger. I want recognition. Nghhh... No! I want assent of others of my being. I want to... Understand." He stood up. "To be something else then just a fake out, yes, yes! To feel that my goal and my purpose are the same, to reach the consensus, to..." He hit his chest. "Mngghh... To be happy with myself, without the need of my other self even! To feel that what I'm doing... nghhhh... Is right! But most of all, somewhere, I feel that... that the most important thing, still, is your recognition."

"Earl?"

"That nhhhhghh... Despite the fact that the creation of me didn't went as planned, you are proud." He closed his eyes. "That despite of how many of me would you create, and... Mmmh... How much the others would be closer to perfection and design, that I am something special and something... To be fond off, yes! Nnnh... yes!"

"But why you need that so badly?" She raised her eyebrow. "Why is that so important?"

"Nghhhh I DON'T KNOW... I don't know. I just need to know that I'm not only a vessel for your ideas. If that's the case." He paused and sighted. "And if I am. I need to hear that too."

She stood up as well. Like years before, she was still higher, which made her chuckle a bit. There was something in that lemon being this time. He usually just spewed insults around and screamed in uncontrollable fashion. But now it was different. Eventually, she reached her hand out for him. Lemongrab made a step back, almost as if he was afraid. Still, she eventually did what she wanted and pat him on his forehead.

"You will never be close to what I wanted you to be Earl..."

"Nhghhh..."

"And that is fine! You are great the way you are. You never fulfilled my expectations. That is also a good thing. Earl! No one ever could do that! And only one person is close to that." She sighted. "But that's a different story. Still. I never understood you. And I don't want to." The princess smiled slightly. "And you should never try to understand me. You are what you are. And no matter what I will tell you now – you will always be that way. And you should never try to change that. Just be what you are. And as long as you'll stay away from me, you butt..." She tried to joke a bit to cheer him up. But he still looked at her, focused more than ever. "As long as you'll take care about yourself, and most importantly, as long as you'll be happy with whatever weirdness you'll come up with... As long as you will be what you are, the way you are... And that will be the way you want to tick..." She giggled. "I will be proud of you, Earl. Because this one thing, we will have in common."

His eyes opened wide. There was no anger inside this time however. All the grief he hold back for such a long time faded. For the first time in his lemon life, he felt relief. Relief not because he made others suffer like he did. Relief not because he made someone's life as sour as his. No, relief because he felt complete. There was something blooming inside. Something he couldn't quite name. It was happiness. And as he hugged her spontaneously, he began to sob silently. His creator was proud of him. What else mattered at this point. Then the cogs in his head began to work once again, as he quickly let go of her and poured something from his nose into a handkerchief. It was disgusting and repulsive. Still, it was just what she needed.

"Nghhhhh-Nothing is more sour than that. You may leave now." He nodded slightly. "All what needed to be done, was done."

"Thanks Earl."

"Nhhh... Thank you too. Crea... Bubblegum."

He looked bit different. Bit brighter perhaps. Or maybe more sure of himself, at least a little more? It was hard to tell. But she, much like Lemongrab, felt better. Lighter perhaps. She surely did not expected it to be that way. In fact, she expected it to be a disaster.

"Can you do one last thing for me Earl?" The princess finally said. "It's nothing big, I assure you."

"Ngh... What?"

"Cheer up more often you yellow jerk. You look great when you smile."

"Nghhh... Thanks." Lemon nodded slightly. "It should be easier now, nhhh... now that I have a purpose."

###

"Yes! Now it all has it's purpose! That's the solution!" She shouted happily. "It should be easier now!"

She walked around her lab, still thinking, still calculating each given odd and measuring every ingredient she could come up with. It was hard to create life from scratch, yes, but if anyone could do it, it was her. And she knew it all too well.

"Why haven't I thought about it before?" She said as she poured something into one of the vessels. "Why, when the solution was that simple? To create someone, to create a replacement!"

Liquid in her little bottle changed it's color numerous times, fixating around green, yellow, purple and red. And each time she poured something inside, it shifted yet again, almost as if it couldn't decide what it wants to be.

"Not directly like me, but someone that can take my place. Yes! So they will switch their love for someone else, and leave me alone with..."

She quickly shook her head, as she began to add some more stuff into the bottle. The thing inside soon grew so big that she needed a larger vessel. Something that will hold the mass she created. And as she did just that, her own reflection stared at her once again in one of the smaller utensils.

"Am I running away from my problems again?" The princess sighted. "Are you running again, Bubblegum?"

She came closer and looked at herself once more. Was this voice of reason worth listening to? Maybe. She always did that in times like that. But as soon as she reminded herself about those black eyes looking at her, as soon as she reminded herself about that smile that made her blush... Her hair waving in the wind, her pale skin, so soft and nice... Her voice, saying her name with such passion... No, this time she neglected rationality, as she shattered the small bottle, thus getting rid of her own reflection.

"Perhaps... But..." She coughed. "There's someone worth running for..."