Everyday Life with Bubbles Ch. 15

Sana shot a glare over, "He's already about to piss himself, Ninaein! Why does she always have to up the ante? Fuck's sake."

"Um... Bubbles can hear guards outside door." The neko held up a hand, "She thinks they're about to try and break it down. So... Uh... What was the actual plan, Nina?"

The Coiner gave a small laugh and grinned darkly at her, "Oh, she wouldn't worry about them. She sent Erientyara to the barracks, remember?"

"You sent... That salamander?" The king sucked in his breath, "I hired her to help with the plague, a short time ago. She's a brilliant doctor... But she... Is violent."

Ninaein nodded, tossing a knife lightly. She approached the king, sliding up his leg and straddling his hips. She traced the blade across one of his cheeks, smiling at him, "She did say... She wants his crown. You see, she's got a little bit of experience when it comes to bureaucrats. Every fucking last one of you... Is corrupt as shit."

Bubbles groaned as she realised what was about to happen, "Nina. She didn't actually want to be queen!"

"Shut up, kitten." The thief replied lightly, "So... Your grace... The paladins have audited your treasury. They have the crimes of your Council, or at least some of them. And he will live and die, depending on how Ninaein is feeling. Your crown, or your life. Those are the options he has left. She won't tell him what to do... But it might be time to abdicate."

As if to demonstrate the point, an enormous and angry roar cut through the room. Shaking the floor and actually cracking the windows in their frames as the sound blasted through. A flash of light came from under the doorway.

Sana patted the man's head affectionately, "She's sorry about this. But Ninaein is... Dangerous. He should do what she says."

Bubbles crossed her arms, pouting. "She wanted the platinum! Not the fucking throne. She doesn't wanna be a queen!"

"Just to give you a little encouragement." Ninaein purred and kissed the king's cheek, "There's one last thing that she did. He heard that a ratata broke a neko out of his prison, mmm? It was meant to be secret, but he would have heard. Bubbles is the neko. But the ratboy? That's Inny-Inny. And Ninaein sent him back to the prison. Where he was given a portcall that had been taken from her Bubbles, because prison wanted to forget they caught Bubbles."

"Oh gods." The king went white, "What did you do?"

Ninaein stood up, laughing, "Those willing to swear loyalty to Bubbles have been let out. She wonders how many of the death row prisoners, that was? How many of the... Dangerous ones... Was that?"

"Oh, shit."

"Nina!" Bubbles snapped angrily, "Why is she actually trying to make Bubbles the new queen!?"

"Because." The neko shrugged.

Sana rubbed the king's shoulders, purring calmingly as she rubbed her face into his cheek. Trying to act sympathetically and encourage the man to realise he didn't actually have a choice in any of this.

Bubbles, on the other hand, was starting to panic. She'd thought it was completely insane to think that they had a chance to do what the goddess said. However, it was looking like the buneko had tipped the scales completely in her favour.

The idea of being tied to regulation, the possibility she might have to learn to read properly, was utterly terrifying. She didn't want this. She hated this. She absolutely, positively, did not want to be in charge of anything.

It was worse than getting a master!

It was akin to having the entire city become her master. More than enough that her tail was on the ground, her ears were flat, and tears of horror were welling up in the neko's eyes.

The door to her left exploded inwards, and a large piece of the fragmenting wood struck her in the side of the head.

Bubbles saw blackness.

---

Her mouth and cheek was swollen. Her lip inside her mouth and against her tongue, all puffy. That was the neko's first thought as she stirred into consciousness.

Bubbles went to sit up, before flinching as a giant bolt of pain stabbed through her head. She kept one eye closed, and tried to ignore the headache, blearily looking out in front of her.

The neko screamed and tried to scramble backwards.

Chains around her wrists and ankles prevented her from getting very far, but she was poised right on the edge of a cliff. In front of her was a bright orange and white glow, as far below the cliff lava bubbled and burst. The heart of Fanhalla right there in front of her.

She'd known the city was built atop a volcano. It was why there was such a decent supply of ore, and why the deepest mines were always dug by red salamanders. Anyone else who dug a trench risked being swallowed up, with the lava flooding out various parts of the mines all the time.

Bubbles stared, eyes wide, and panted weakly. She could feel herself sweating in the intense heat of the enclosed space. She was chained down right along the cliff's edge, less than a handspan from falling forward and into destruction that she couldn't see even Luna saving her from.

She looked around wildly, her heart aching as it thundered away in her chest.

To her left, Sana was sitting bolt upright. Frozen in abject terror. Her chains shaking as she clutched at the edge of her cloak. Unable to move, not really seeing. The neko looked like she was right on the verge of actually dying from fear.

To her right... It was difficult to tell, at first. The black hair was matted with blood, dirt and ash. The face looking out from beneath that mess didn't look any better. Whoever had arrested that one had beat the living daylights out of them.

Bubbles was almost surprised to see that Ninaein's chest was rising and falling. It was moving slowly, composed. However she didn't recognise her wife. She could only assume that it was them, the damage was more than anything that was reasonable.

Whichever bastard had laid a hand on her wife had actually de-clawed the woman.

A little bit beyond Ninaein, she saw another figure, and bit her lip as the guilt crashed in on her. Inny-Inny's face was bruised, and he was chewing on the chains around his wrists. He looked more scared than she was feeling, if that were even possible.

"Any news on the salamander?" A distant voice asked in a hushed whisper, almost lost below the sound of the volcano.

"Bitch is surrounded, but we can't get into the barracks. Burning the place down won't work, either. She's a fucking red." A gruff voice replied.

Bubbles let out a tiny sob, and kicked at her chains.

She had never wanted any of this, and now everyone that she cared about was going to die.

Because of her.

It... Wasn't fair! It wasn't fair that the humans were hunting down her kind just because a racist bastard had taken over the throne. It wasn't fair that she had to run for her life, when she'd spent most of it trying to keep to herself.

It wasn't fair that the people who loved her were going to die, just because some divine had decided that fucking her was a fun little hobby. It wasn't fair that they were here, because the goddess had decided that Bubbles wasn't allowed to just go her own way.

There was nothing about ruling a city that appealed to her. She didn't want the fucking crown. She didn't care about platinum or silver, she had been poor for most of her life. She didn't give a shit about human corruption, or any of the rulers.

The only thing she wanted, was to be free to go her own way.

The neko felt herself getting angry. She glared down at the chains binding her. She knew that soon she'd be pushed over the edge of the cliff, along with everyone else, and then the chain would be released. They'd fall together, and then they'd die together.

The inevitability of the judgement made the decision for her, and Bubbles closed her eyes. She placed one hand firmly down against the chain holding her wrists and ankles together, and took one deep and ragged breath.

It was a dumb idea.

She was probably going to get badly hurt.

Even if, by some miracle, she didn't... Then the nekos to either side of her definitely would. There was no chance of anyone escaping unscathed in this moronic idea.

However, if she had to die, then she was going to make it her choice. The catgirl made a small and sad smile. She took another deep breath, and then whispered, "Sorry. Sana. Her Nina. Inny... She's so very sorry."

Sana didn't react. Bubbles didn't know if her sistren even heard her. Ninaein made a weak groan, as if she'd heard but hadn't really even understood what was said to her. Inny-Inny's teeth stopped scratching on his chains.

The chains and handcuffs... Weren't designed to block magic. At least, Bubbles could feel the potential waiting for her. Maybe they figured that a prisoner that was beaten, surrounded, and had no possibility of escape, wouldn't be daft enough to try it.

"Fireball."

She was thrown into the air with a roar that deafened her. Her ears twitched back and forth, screaming in pain and filled with static, as the catgirl flipped lightly through the air, spreading hands and feet out as the broken chains whipped around.

The neko hit the ground and fell right backwards onto her butt, a stone stabbing her hard enough in one cheek to cause the muscles to lock up in a cramp.

She shook her head, and pushed herself to her feet. Still deafened, she saw guards running into the cavern, and towards her. A dozen men in leather armour, wielding enormous spears.

She glared towards them, chattering her teeth even though she couldn't hear the insult, and thrust her hand upwards again. The flames flared out immediately as the guards were suddenly flying outwards from the narrow rocky platform and tumbling towards the heart of Fanhalla.

Bubbles let out a scream of rage, her ears going back. She thrust up both her hands and yelled the word, again and again. "Fireball! Fireball! Fireball!"

She felt the shock of the spell hitting her as her magic flared with every casting. Her weak and pathetic magic rising up to meet the capability for the spell with every cry, before dropping back down to where it belonged, naturally.

This was the miracle the goddess had given her.

Bubbles walked forward slowly, tail twitching as she glared towards the entrance and the scrambling people there. Some were casting shields, others were trying to ready bows or spears to get at her, but the projectiles were lost as she continued to toss the explosions towards her enemies.

"Fireball!"

She had told Sana that she hated them. That she hated all of humanity for the crimes of the few. She could feel all of that fuelling her, as she stumbled towards them. Her bare feet moving across sharp and loose little stones, as she unleashed the wrath that had been building.

They had killed her fucking empress.

They had killed her friends.

They had tried to kill her.

"Fireball!"

Ninaein had nearly died, and then just when the bitch was finally back in one piece, they had tried to take her away again. Her wife was hers. She was never going to let anyone take her from her, again. She would burn the entire fucking world down if anyone touched her wife!

"Fireball! Fireball!"

They had cut Kaia's fucking horn off, and ripped her chest apart. Stolen the hope and happiness that her wife had always had. The optimistic succubus was now twisted into a shadow of herself, and Bubbles didn't know if she was ever going to really get the woman back.

"Fire-fucking-ball!" Bubbles screamed at the top of her lungs.

The entrance to the cavern suddenly collapsed. The stone above the tiny tunnel falling down, pieces of slate and rock burying the people trying to fight back against her. She heard the crash, as her hearing swamped back in, hitting her as she blinked in pain.

The neko lowered her hands slowly, still gripping her magic, pale yellow eyes still glaring towards the entrance. She found herself actually hoping that the bastards had died. She didn't care if they were just doing their job.

Humanity wanted to kill all the cats?

Fuck them all.

"Holy shit." Ninaein panted behind her, "Since... When can Bubbles cast like that!?"

"Fuck her." Bubbles growled angrily, shaking and trembling with adrenaline and the rage still eating her alive.

A firm tail looped around her waist, and Bubbles blinked, finding herself calming down as Inny-Inny scrambled up her back to sit on her shoulders. The ratata kissed her head gently, and then hugged her.

She turned around slowly, and saw Sana hanging back, scratching her cheek idly and looking anywhere but towards her.

Bubbles looked down at her shaking hands, "Um... She... She didn't really... Expect that to work. Um... What now?"

Ninaein stretched one arm, smiling despite her bloodied face and pointed upwards, "Only way out. Let's hope that the bitching dragon was as successful."

"Fireball!" Bubbles tossed her hand skywards, throwing another spell all the way up the shaft inside the mountain to explode above the city. "That might get her attention."

Inny-Inny kissed her head again, "I speak Common! I... I lost the artykul, when the guards caught me. S-sorry."

"Huh? Oh, her portcall." Bubbles' face fell. It hurt, and stabbed in her chest, losing the gift that Kaia had given her. "It's... It's okay. So long as Inny-Inny, alive. Umm... Does he know what happened to her other things? Her wedding bands?"

"Avician has them. Had them? Buneko took things from prison." Inny-Inny replied uncertainly, struggling to find the words.

Bubbles growled and chattered her teeth, "She wants to burn the fucking prison down! She wants to burn the city down! Fuck them! Fuck them all!"

"Sana about to piss herself." Her sister whispered, "C-can... Can Bubbles... T-tone it down? A little?"

Ninaein ran a hand through her bloodied hair, fingers catching at several knots, before finally pulling a tiny rusty coin out of the mess. She tossed it lightly and sighed, "Her last blade. They were good at finding them. She's not sure she can actually fight much. They got her good, kitty."

"Kaia. What did Nina have her Kaia do?" Bubbles growled.

The thief winced, "She was shadowing us. Meant to be outside the door. Nina has no idea why she wasn't caught with the rest of us."

"If she got hurt... Bubbles is going to hurt Nina."

Ninaein winced, "Fair. She... She screwed up. She knows it, kitty. She'll apologise to everyone, she promises. But once we get out of volcano."

Bubbles grabbed her wife's swollen chin, and then simultaneously stomped on her foot and kissed her. It wasn't quick. She tasted the coppery inside of her mouth's wife, and pushed deeply into her, until she ran out of breath. "She still loves her Nina. But fuck, her Nina stupid."

The woman nodded quietly.

The blonde sighed and looked around, feeling her sweat dripping down the back of her neck. "There's nothing much we can do, is there? Wait and hope to be rescued. Watch entrance, and be ready to throw fireball. Nowhere to hide, nowhere to go."

"I could."

The three cats looked, or in Bubbles case, tried to look, at the ratboy sitting on her shoulders. He shrugged casually and pointed at the inside of the volcano wall. "Could climb that. Don't want to. But it be easy."

"No. He's probably safer here, than in the city, for now." Bubbles shook her head, "Unless he could get them all out, then... Then they should just wait. Hope that Erin able to escape and help them. But... If they get attacked? Inny-Inny should run away."

He kissed the top of her head, "No."

"Do as she says!" Bubbles snapped, "She not going to be responsible for him getting hurt! He might not care, but she fucking does!"

"Um... Kitty?" Ninaein asked cautiously, "Can... Bubbles feel others? The... Bond?"

Bubbles blinked, touching the bundles of emotion in her head, one-by-one. She frowned, cocking her head.

The thief in front of her was overwhelmingly filled with guilt. It was strong enough that she could feel that the woman was actively resisting from throwing herself off the side of the cliff and into the lava below.

Sana felt like she needed the toilet.

The succubus' emotions were harder to make out. "Kaia's... A long way, away. Feels worried, but not terrified. It's... Blurry. Can't tell."

She rubbed her chin, thinking, "Uhm... She can feel Sana. And Erin... And... She... Thinks that the quiet and angry ball might be... Avician? Her Edric feels anxious. Bubbles is... Confused. She can feel lots of people in her head. Thinks she can even feel Rali. Elf feels tired."

Her sistren's fear reached a new level. "You're... Bonded... To Sana?"

"Don't... Know. It a goddess thing, so maybe not exactly same as bond?" Bubbles shrugged and poked carefully at a highly irritated bundle of emotions. Confirming that the pissed off emotions really did feel like Luna. The idea of being bonded to an immortal creature was not a remotely comforting thought.

Distracting herself from the horror of discovering the Silver Neko inside her head, she moved back to the unusual bundle of angry emotions that was what she thought might be the buneko.

They were reserved, and thoughtful. Considerate little feelings that were the kind you gathered up before deciding whether you were brave or a coward. The kind of feelings that Bubbles rarely had, because she would always choose to run.

There was a rage boiling up slowly. Drip by lonesome drip. It wasn't the instant flashpoint of wrath that Bubbles so often felt. Yet, somehow, it was just as deep as the anger that had her standing just a moment ago, throwing spell after spell and wishing for the death of an entire race.

The individual motives behind the emotions weren't something she could determine. They were just feelings. She had no idea why the bunny was as mad as she was.

As frightened as Bubbles was of herself, at what she'd just discovered she was capable of... The same sins as Lord Vandickface... She was far more terrified by what might take a paladin, a holy knight sworn to justice above all else, and push them over the edge.

Empress Toofy had an entire freaking army of dragons, and an army of psychotic undead elves, when she took the capital. Even then, they were met at an impasse until she killed the emperor himself.

Twenty years had not been long enough for the survivors to shake those memories. Bubbles had sung plenty of songs about it, and listened to far more drunks than she cared to count, talking all about it.

How the fuck was Bubbles meant to be able to take Fanhalla?

A singular pissed off paladin? A salamander who had given up her title and role to become a doctor's wife? The runt of a rattan pack? The only one of them that actually seemed stupid enough to believe that it was possible, was the Coiner.

She might be uncommon, but in the end, all that Ninaein was... Was a thief.

"She has other people to deal with. Being divine is not nearly as much fun as it seems." A voice snapped angrily, accompanied by the others screaming.

Bubbles turned very slowly, her tail dropped to the ground.

The flashing eyes of silver were storming, the fur bristling, as the avatar of a goddess made her presence felt. She was not naked, nor adorned in a pretty dress, like the other times that Bubbles had seen the figure. This time, the woman was dressed for war.

She flinched, bowing her head, "She doesn't mean to make things hard, g-goddess."

"That's right! She's a goddess, and you have no right to expect anything from her!" The neko snarled. "For fuck's sake! All she had to fucking do was follow the bunny, confirm her royalty, and then go sit and sulk in a tavern!"

Bubbles blinked, and looked up slowly, "She... What?"

"It was all fucking prepared for fucking you!" Luna screamed, shaking the cavern and causing the lava to react with disturbingly violent pops. The neko seethed, "Where the fuck do you think Luna sent fucking Biscuit whilst Bubbles fucked around with the rats!? There are hookteeth in the city! Your fucking homeland is fucking colonising the fucking city, as we speak!"