Family

Chapter 294 Gum Relatives 3

By: Major144

Disclaimer: I do not own anything, expect the OCs. This is just a story for fun.

In the Ice Kingdom, palace, Simon sat at a dinning table with Betty talking with Lolly and Chicle. Simon studied the two candy people as they talked and then he asked them a question.

"You two wouldn't happen to know and be related to Bubblegum would you?"

"I guess it's kind of obvious." Muttered Chicle.

"We know Bubblegum and we are related to her. I'm her aunt and my son is her cousin." Said Lolly.

"Bubblegum never mentioned she had relatives." Said Betty.

"Why am I not surprised. My cousin tends to keep secrets from people, even from her friends and allies." Said Chicle with a grumble.

"Now Chicle, I'm sure Bubblegum had her reasons why she never mentioned us." Said Lolly as she put a hand on Chicle's left knee.

"Might I ask where you've been?" Asked Simon.

"Oh...we've been away traveling and we just recently returned to Ooo." Said Lolly.

It was then that Weiss walked into the dinning room and bowed her head towards Simon and Betty before speaking.

"The rulers of the Candy Kingdom have just arrived in front of the castle with their son and a group of soldiers."

"An unexpected visit." Said Betty.

"Well I guess we better go greet them." Said Simon as he and Betty stood up.

Lolly and Chicle exchanged looks and they followed Simon, Betty, and Weiss outside. The group saw that Patience and Slime Princess were outside with Eria meeting with the group from the Candy Kingdom. Eria and Neddy were playing in the snow, while Bubblegum stood nearby with Braco holding a gift basket. Bubblegum smiled nervously and fidgeted as Simon's group approached. Lolly gave a friendly smile, while Chicle glared at Bubblegum with contempt. Simon's group stopped a few feet from Bubblegum's group. Bubblegum took a deep breath before speaking.

"Aunt Lolly. Cousin Chicle. It's wonderful to see you two again. I've missed you both and I'm glad to have you both back in Ooo. I have a gift basket for you."

Bubblegum handed the gift basket to Chicle, who studied it's contents.

"So which item did you poison to get rid of us?" Asked Chicle.

Bubblegum was just stunned by Chicle accusation, Braco just glared at Chicle, and Lolly looked ashamed at her son.

"Chicle how dare you accuse Bubblegum of such a thing! You know she wouldn't do such a thing!" Said Lolly.

Simon, Betty, and everyone else standing nearby just stood there and stared at the drama unfolding before them.

"I'm deeply sorry for my son's behavior." Said Lolly bowing her head to Bubblegum.

"Don't apologize to her, mom! We don't owe Bubblegum a thing after what she did to us! Also I think I have a right to accuse Bubblegum after what she did, she is far from sweet. Do I have to mention all she did to the Fire Kingdom? Bubblegum can't be trusted." Said Chicle with a glare towards Bubblegum.

It was then that Betty decided to step in.

"Alright time out! It's quit obvious you have some issues that need to be worked out. Let's take a deep calming breath and head into the castle and talk things out."

Everyone agreed to this and took a calming breath. Betty lead the way into the castle followed by Simon, Bubblegum, Braco, Lolly, and Chicle. Weiss and the others waited outside the castle.

Over at the Candy Kingdom, Grumbo had just arrived in a forest outside the kingdom. The big monster saw the Gumball Guardians on lookout and realized directly charging at the kingdom was a bad idea, so he decided to dig his way in through the forest. Grumbo began digging fiercely with his claws and made a big hole. He dug and he dug, until he reached the Candy Kingdom. Grumbo popped up in a shadowy part of the Candy Kingdom and started hunting. He first stayed in a dark alleyway and waited for a banana guard and gingerbread guard to pass by, before he let out a low growl getting their attention. The guards faced the alleyway and the gingerbread guard ordered whoever was in there to step out. Grumbo responded by shooting his right arm out of the darkness, slammed it into the guard pinning him to a wall, and dragged him into the alley. The banana guard could only stare at the darkness in shock and fear as he heard his fellow guard scream before being cutoff by the sound of munching teeth. By the time the banana guard actually considered running away, it was already too late. Grumbo's arm shot out of the darkness and grabbed the banana guard dragging him into the alley, where he met the same fate. A small burp came from the alley as Grumbo exited it and continued his little hunt. Grumbo found a bridge and hung beneath it, until a banana guard walked underneath it. Some of Grumbo's hot fudge drool dripped down on the guard causing him to look up just in time to see Grumbo pounce down on him and before he got devoured. Grumbo went about eating a few dozen more patrols, including a dozen guards hanging at a tavern, before he left the Candy Kingdom through his entrance hole and headed back to Castle Lemongrab.

At the Ice Kingdom, Bubblegum and Braco were sitting on a couch facing Lolly and Chicle sitting on another couch. Simon and Betty sat in chairs between the two couches. Simon had asked the candy royals to fill him and Betty in on their past. Lolly and Chicle told the Ice Kingdom rulers about their past and then they told how they returned. Braco spoke for Bubblegum telling everyone about she told him about her near escape from Gumbald's plan and how Peppermint Butler saved her. Bubblegum looked a bit pale and frightful about the mention of Gumbald returning to Ooo. She feared for the safety of her husband and son as well as the safety of the Candy Kingdom. Betty looked over at Bubblegum and spoke.

"Bubblegum I have to ask this, your incredibly smart and I figure you could easily work up an antidote for your aunt and cousin to turn them back into their original selves, so why didn't you do it in all this time?"

"That's something we would all like to know, especially me and my mom. Come on cuz, you owe us an answer." Said Chicle.

"Your...right I do owe you an answer. After the incident with Gumbald...I was really shaken up and I had nightmares about it for a few years. I had my transformed relatives looked after by the other Candy People as I took charge and began building the Candy Kingdom. In that time I thought about making an antidote to bring back Lolly and Chicle, but...then I thought back to how quickly they sided with Gumbald against me and I...thought they would go...against me again. It...was a dumb thought fueled by fear and paranoia. It lacked reason or compassion. I was afraid of loosing the Candy Kingdom to people...I judged poorly. I should have given Lolly and Chicle a chance, they have a right to be mad at me and they also have a right to the Candy Kingdom. I just want to say that I'm truly sorry for what happened and for not changing you back." Said Bubblegum as she looked both her aunt and cousin in the eyes before she bowed her head and looked down at the ground.

Nobody said anything for several seconds, then Lolly stood up and walked over to Bubblegum placing a hand on her shoulder. Bubblegum looked up at Lolly, who smiled at her.

"I forgive you." Said Lolly.

"What?" Asked Bubblegum.

"I said I forgive you. You made a bad call based on fear and paranoia, but that was all because you experienced at the hands of your uncle that made you lose faith and trust in your relatives. Gumbald is the one that's truly to blame not you." Said Lolly.

"Thank...you Aunt Lolly." Said Bubblegum.

"I can't believe this!" Yelled Chicle as he shot angrily to his feet.

"Chicle please." Said Lolly trying to calm her son.

"No mom, I'm not going to forgive Bubblegum! She abandoned us and we spent 800 years trapped in a horrible prison of our own minds and bodies. 800 years will never get back. It was a miracle we even survived that long. You were a piƱata mom, you were lucky no one tried to kidnap you and break you open for a party in all those years." Said Chicle.

"Chicle...I'm sorry." Said Bubblegum looking sad and hurt.

"Don't you give me that. You have any idea what we went through? It was an absolute nightmare! Being stuck in your own mind reduced to a happy dumb cookie, every second felt like an eternity as you see the outside world through the eyes of someone else, but are unable to interact with it. It was like looking out a window in a jail cell. I honestly think I went insane hundreds of times as I kept having to remind myself who I really was. I kept waiting for you to use that big brain of yours to save me and my aunt, but you never came. You just simply abandoned us. Now your here trying to make amends, but the damage can't be undone." Said Chicle coldly.

Bubblegum was utterly stunned by this, she cast a glance at Lolly to see if she would confirm what Chicle said was true. Lolly could only nod and fiddle with her hands. Bubblegum turned to Chicle and spoke.

"I...had no idea...what you went through."

"Oh what a great surprise, Bubblegum doesn't know everything and she was wrong! She was wrong about me and my mother and she was wrong about the Fire Kingdom. And people suffered for her mistakes and many more are probably going to join in on the suffering." Said Chicle with a cold glare before he turned and left the room.

"There. There. He'll come around and forgive." Said Lolly trying to assure and comfort Bubblegum, who just stared at the ground sadly.

Betty could only stare at Bubblegum and the other candy people with sympathy. There were some deep emotional scars and issues going on that might never fully heal. Simon looked at Bubblegum sadly, he had some questions for her concerning the incident with Thromnambular and the trouble the Candy Kingdom had faced from the Breakfast Kingdom, the Lizard Kingdom, and Farmer Village joining forces with Castle Lemongrab and it's forces, but Simon decided now wasn't the best time to ask.

Braco helped Bubblegum stand up and the two of them began to make their way to the front door followed by the others. None of them were aware of the dangerous threat of the Milk Men outside, who had just arrived at the castle and were ready to strike.

To be continued.