Silence Our Names

Chapter 1

"So you had something important to tell me?" His voice had a mixture of smoothness and annoyance. Maybe it was just the current situation stressing her out.

"It's more of a favor actually" the young, pale woman responded while looking down at the ice beneath her feet. She were prepared for this cold, icy place, so she had sensibly changed her normal gray tank top with a red, long sleeve blouse with thick black lines, creating a simple pattern.

"Ah yes. People always come to me, when in need of help," he said confidently, entering the room with two cups of some warm substance.

Maybe it was a mistake coming here. He might have helped me in the past, but he is a different person now. He is no longer the kind man that took me in his arms all those years ago.

The woman looked up. "Don't people usually want help, getting away from you?" she always hated his cocky personality. She constantly had to remind herself that he had another level. He actually had real feelings.

The older man didn't change his facial expression; he just had a smog smile while placing the cups on different ends of the table, then proceeded to sit down on the wooden chair, at the other end of the small, round table.

As the pale woman went to reach for the warm, welcoming cup, she noticed the hot liquid was no longer… liquid. It was something she already had seen too much of for one day. More ice.

Had that coming I guess.

"Listen, Simon-"she quickly stopped herself. That was no longer his name.
"Listen… Ice King. I don't have a lot of time, this is a serious emergency" she stared him dead in the eyes, trying to convince him to cut the act and start taking her seriously.

Though the Ice Kin looked up with a slightly concerned look for a moment, he quickly looked away and took a sip of his cup. "Okay Marceline, I'll listen, since you're one of the few that doesn't hate my guts, even though you act like you do"

Again with the smugness.

"Besides my faithful penguins of course" the old Ice King said as he looked back at the open entry to this seemingly small ice room. A little penguin walked past, wearing an apron and holding a plate of dirty dishes. The penguin looked annoyed, as he silently walked past the entry just before raising his flipper. Marceline was convinced that if the little penguin had fingers, he would certainly have been– quite literally; flipping him off.

"Anyway" the Ice King continued, still looking rather calm.
"What do you need my help in regards with?" he asked, looking down into the white cup he was holding.

Marceline took a quick look at the Ice King, whom was wearing his usually blue cloth, covering his whole body. He still had his long white beard, which apparently gave him the ability to fly. Marceline never questioned how that worked, and she was confident that would be for the best. As she looked a little higher, she saw the golden crown with the three red ruby's across. Marceline's eyes widened, before she looked down and took a deep sigh.

"It's about Princess Bubblegum. She needs my help" Marceline let out. As soon as she saw the Ice Kings expression, she wondered if she should have told him the lie instead that she had made up to convince him in her mind, just a few hours ago.

The Ice King was fighting between two expressions. He was trying to either smile or frown. It just came off as a creepy clown face.

"As much as I appreciate your visit Marceline, I think you got the wrong guy. Why should I care about Princess Bubblegum?" he said, barely flinching. It was always hard to tell if he loved or despised the princess, as his feelings would change rather drastically.

Marceline recalled the happenings, earlier that day. She could see Princess Bubblegum's frightened face, screaming at her.

"Because I care about her!" Marceline yelled as she stood up, pushing the chair a few inches backwards. "You're a sad old man that has no skills, other than being so needy for attention that he actually feels the need to force people to be with him!" Marceline moved her head a little close towards the slightly startled Ice King.
"Your life may be pointless, but the world lives on and the only way you can be a part of it, is if you stop acting so superior and help the few people that actually still have a shred of respect for you. Believe me, if you hadn't helped me out before, I would have kicked this door in, punched you in that stupid face of yours and forced you to help me! So cut the crap and be a decent person, just for once!" Marceline finally let herself take a breath. Her anger was clouding her reasoning and only when she saw the despairing face on the Ice King, she calmed down. She instantly regretted saying those words, as she knew he had no part of all this mess, but she refused to apologize. Her words had a ring of truth in them and they needed to be said.

The Ice King was lost for words. He tried several times to say something, but had stopped himself before a single syllable was understandable. He finally let out a sigh and looked down.

"W- What is it you need my help with exactly?" he said with a low voice.

Marceline kept still for a second, before sitting back down. She had to adjust slightly, as the chair had moved when she had gotten up.

Keep it together Marceline. It's not his fault – She told herself.

"I- I'm sorry" she forced herself to say these forgiving words.

Though the Ice King didn't respond, he gave a faint smile, signaling that it was all right.

"It all happened yesterday, on a seemingly peaceful day…"

Chapter 2

*The day before*

Marceline was walking down a small dirt road, with randomly placed tress on the field around her. Young birds were singing as the sunshine causally shined down upon the light, blue-gray vampire.

I can't stand it! Stop thinking... just walk and focus on everything else but that demon.

The half-vampire seemed unpleased, if not slightly frightened. She wore her usual plain tank top, along with the blue jeans and faded brown boots. She looked down on the ground, occasionally placing her hands on her head as if she had a headache. She let her right hand gently slide down her right cheek, adding as little pressure on the sore spot as possible, while still feeling the bruise.

Why on the face? Why couldn't it just be on the legs like all the other times?! However, that probably wouldn't have helped much.

She clinched, before letting her hand fall down the side, while taking a deep breath.

Almost there.

As she looked up, she saw the entrance to the Candy Kingdom. All the girly colors and the joyful mood this place had always annoyed her. The citizens were okay as far as she had experienced, they were just a little too… happy. The big castle was standing as a symbol in the middle of the kingdom, which always had a few guards protecting the entrance in case of unwanted visitors. Though Princess Bubblegum had made it clear that Marceline was always welcome, she often had trouble getting easily past those stubborn guards. Before she could make up a plan on how to get past, she saw a pink figure on its knees. At closer inspection, she saw the person who she was looking for. Princess Bubblegum.

Marceline reacted quickly and adjusted her hair with panicky movements, so that the bruise on her right cheek was hidden.

What is she doing out here? It looks like she is picking up flowers.

Marceline had automatically assumed that it was for one of her many science studies.

Okay, just do what you came here to do and end this nightmare.

With nervous twitches, she began walking towards the joyful princess. As she was only a few steps from her, Princess Bubblegum heard Marceline approaching. Just as she had picked up a flower and placed it in the basket next to her, she looked up. Her pleasant smile quickly turned to a happy grin.

"Oh, hi Marceline. What are you doing out here?" Princess Bubblegum asked, as she got up from her kneeling position.

While being careful not to move too much- in fear of her bruise coming in view, she took a little step closer.

"I was…" this was harder than she thought.
"Looking for you actually" she said with her usual calm voice.

She resisted the urge to fake a smile, as that might give away that something was wrong.

"Oh?" Princess Bubblegum looked surprise, but a hint of excitement was visible in her eyes.
"Well, I just need to finish picking these flowers for a scientific study."

Predictable as ever.

Before Marceline could respond, the pink princess sent a pleasant smile her way.

"I only need a couple more, then I can help you"

Marceline knew she had nice intentions, but the way she worded her sentence made it sound like Marceline asked for her help quite often. She did not feel like that was the case herself.
Marceline sighed silently. She just wanted to get this over with and these flowers wouldn't even matter in a few hours. Nevertheless, she resisted the urge to hurry her up and sat down on the soft grass underneath her.

"Alright then" she let out just as she placed her behind on the dry, fresh grass.
"I'll just wait," she said in an emotionless voice.

Princess Bubblegum sent a quick smile, before bending down once more to continue looking for flowers. She was only walking in a radius about five meters, as flowers were closely scattered all over the field. Marceline's heart seemed to calm down when looking at the pink princess enjoying herself, while humming an unfamiliar melody. As Marceline took a glance to her left, she noticed a rich red flower, just inches from her hand. That particular flower stood out from the very greenish environment this place was known as. Without further wondering, she took a gentle grip around the green stem and pulled it out from the ground. It was slightly glowing in the sunshine, with beautiful red, long pedals. It was not fully bloomed just yet and one could only wonder what magnificence the red flower would look like, fully bloomed. Marceline always had a thing for red things, for obvious reasons.

"Hey, Bonnibel" Marceline called out.

Calling Princess Bubblegum, "Bonnibel" had become a recent habit of hers. Neither of them seemed to mind it, matter of fact, Princess Bubblegum seemed rather pleased when she called her that. The pink princess instantly looked back at Marceline with big eyes.

"Can you use this flower for your study?" she asked as she displayed the flower in her right hand.

Princess Bubblegum almost squeaked as she laid her eyes upon the red flower, just before getting closer to Marceline in a running motion.

"That is prettiest flower I have ever seen!" she called out excited.

Still sitting down, Marceline chuckled slightly, holding out her hand as to offer it to her. Princess Bubblegum was standing before her, looking down at the half-vampire.

"I- I think you should keep it. It was you who found it after all," Princess Bubblegum said with hesitation.

"Don't be foolish. You need it more than I do. Besides, it's just a flower" Marceline made a crooked smile.

Princes Bubblegum was slightly blushing as she bowed down to grab the flower. Just as the Princess' hand touched Marceline's, her heart began beating slightly faster. It felt like several seconds, before their hands finally departed as Princess Bubblegum held the flower in her hand. To her surprise, the princess placed the rose in her hair, just above her right ear, rather than putting it in the basket around her arm with the rest of the flowers. Marceline quickly came to her senses.

"Shouldn't you put it in the basket with the other flowers?" Marceline questioned.

"Such a beautiful flower shouldn't be used for science. Besides, since you gave it to me, it's no longer just a flower… it's a gift from a friend" Princess Bubblegum smiled innocently as she was still standing before Marceline, who was sitting at the same spot on the grass.

She looked up at the pink princess with a clear blush. She wasn't wearing her usual formal dress, she was wearing a pink skirt down to her knees, with a faded- but still pink, t-shirt, and despite the warm weather, she had a small sweater around her shoulders. Her pink, long hair was placed in a ponytail, falling down her back. The sunshine was gracefully lighting up her features, as her smile could melt even the strongest of hearts. Even without her formal clothes, she still looked like a princess.

"The flower does look good on you" Marceline complimented, trying not to blush too much.

Princess Bubblegum showed her pleasure as she smiled with her eyes closed.

"Thank you Marcy" she laughed gently while reaching out her hand to help Marceline up.

Marceline thought for a while… long enough for Princess Bubblegum to give her an odd look, still holding out her hand. No wanting to make the situation any more awkward than it already was, she finally reacted and grabbed a hold of Princess Bubblegum's hand. Though her heart didn't race away like last time, it still sent an odd feeling through her body when she was in contact with the pink princess. Though their hands were holding firmly around each other, Marceline required little help to get up, as her legs did most of the work. As she got up from the soft spot on the grass, she knew it was time to do what she came here for.

Just calm down, and say what you planned

"Bonnibel…" Marceline looked at the princess, who was looking slightly awkward with a subtle blush on her cheeks.
Marceline suddenly realized that she had yet to let go of Princess Bubblegum's hand. "Oh!" she let out, while quickly retracting her hand and arm. "Sorry" Marceline said quietly, while scratching the back of her head.

"I don't mind" Princess Bubblegum was quick to respond, still looking awkwardly around.

Huh? Why is she acting so strange?

Marceline thought for a second before getting back to the question at hand.

"Okay. Ehm.. Bonnibel" she repeated.
"I want- I mean, would you like to meet up with me this afternoon? I- It's…"

Why is this so hard? We've hung out many times before. However, I haven't asked her to hang with me before, it just sorta… happened. It's probably just the whole situation getting to me.

Marceline took a quick breath before continuing. "It's been a while she we've hung out, so I figured we could meet in the forest- at the lake, around..."

What did he say it was again? 8:00 pm?

"At around eight o' clock?" Marceline's heart began beating faster.

What if she says no? What if she says yes?! I can't just-

Marceline's thoughts what quickly put to hold as a soothing voice was heard.

"I would love to," the princess had responded with a confident smile.

A mixture of anxiety and happiness passed through Marceline's body. She was happy that the princess actually wanted to spend time with her, but scared because she knew what would end up happening.

Chapter 3

Marceline looked at the time. 7:15. She should soon leave for her… appointment with Princess Bubblegum. She had gotten home just a couple of hours earlier after saying her goodbyes to the princess. It pained her more than she could admit to say goodbye, as she imagined it would be her last goodbye to her pink friend. She had hurried home, as she could feel she was about to tear up.

Just go get ready and get this whole thing over with!

She nearly yelled in her mind. She had given up searching for another way, as the more time that passed; the more madness entered her mind. She just had to do this and the less she thought about it, the easier it would be.

Why did it have to be her… she looked so happy when she saw me. She looked so… beautiful.

For a third time within the hour, she punched herself hard on her thigh in an effort to focus on physical pain, rather than mental pain. It had proven to be the only thing that could make her focus on something else, even if just for a second. She took a deep breath before walking towards her bedroom. Her home was in bad shape, as she had been too distracted to keep it in order. Plates were lying on the floor; her red couch had gathered an amazing amount of dust. She even had to walk in a particular pattern to avoid the sticky parts on the floor. She had hoped when all the madness was over, she could finally get back to doing some housework. She knew it wouldn't be that simple though. She knew nothing would ever be normal again. As she entered her bedroom, the door made the usual screeching noise.

Another thing to fix.

When she had closed to old door behind her, she looked at the clothes she had prepared that was lying neatly on her bed. Her bed was just about the only clean thing left in her house, as she often slept on the couch and only went into her bedroom to change. She looked down on the set of clothes she had prepared. A casual purple shirt, with slightly long sleeves. The length of the shirt went down just below her waist, as the top of shirt- while not having clear cleavage; it was just loose enough to show the top of her breasts. Next to the shirt laid a pair of plain pants. With a dark-blue color and a button fly. It was nothing special and she had wondered about a skirt, but decided against it. Other than that, she had also placed some black panties and a black blazer-like jacket on her bed, in case the weather would take a turn for the worse. She had also prepared a shoulder bag, for the particular items she needed. Without further considering, she pulled the tank-top she was wearing over her head and threw it on the ground. As she looked down on her body, she realized she had forgotten to consider a particular item of clothing. The bra. She was currently wearing a black underwire bra that she had put on in the morning. After only seconds of thinking, she figured she might as well keep it on. No reason to change something people won't even see anyway. She quickly put on her purple shirt, before opening up her pants and letting them fall to the ground, along with her panties. A slight breeze passed by her legs, as she grabbed the pair of panties that was lying on her bed. After slipping them on, she continued with the pants and finally took the jacket under her arm and left the bedroom.

I should probably do something about my hair as well… if I have the time.

As she entered the living room, she looked at the clock hanging above the TV on her wall. 7:32.
It was only a ten-minute walk to her destination at the lake, so there was plenty of time to fix her hair. Furthermore, she could hide that damn bruise that had been bothering her all day. She sat down on a chair and placed herself in front of a small mirror that was on the table nearby.

"Remember… just bring her to the lake and do what I told you to" A deep voice sounded coming from behind her.

A chill went down Marceline's neck as she closed her eyes.
"I already agreed to do your dirty work, and you agreed to stay the hell away from this land, let alone, stay away from me. I suck the energy out from her with a bite to the neck and you appear one last time, to never return again,"

Marceline said in the most confident voice she was able to do as her lips were trembling and fear rushed through her body. As she opened her eyes to slowly look into the mirror, she could see him in the reflection. His red eyes, piercing her very soul. A face so intimidating she wanted to scratch out her eyes. An option she remembered considering only a few days ago.

"Then go" the voice said slowly. "Go" he repeated. "GO!" He suddenly screamed.

Chapter 4

I should be getting close by now, Marceline thought as she walked around in the afternoon. There was hardly any light around and the grass was slightly moist. If it hadn't been because of her instincts as a half-vampire, she was convinced she would have gotten lost. Hopefully Princess Bubblegum knew her way around. As she took several steps along the high grass that tickled her shin, she consider just floating to her destination. The option became unnecessary as she could see some light up ahead, in the form of a campfire. It was still a good walk away, but it wasn't long before she could see Princess Bubblegum sitting patiently on a log. Marceline had a few seconds to observe the princess before she would be noticed. The first thing she noticed was her hair that was sat up in a single long ponytail. She had placed the ponytail over her shoulders, so it would lay gently down her front body. As she followed the pink hair to the tip, she was stunned to see the clothes she was wearing. Marceline had figured she wouldn't even change her clothes from the ones she saw earlier, but now she was wearing a dress-like sweater, that went down to the top of her knees, and rolled up sleeves, making her elbows visible. It was either a dress with long sleeves, or a long-waist sweeter. Whatever it was, it matched her blushing cheeks perfectly. It was amazing how something as simple as a sweater-dress thing, could look so beautiful. Marceline was never interested in fashion, but Princess Bubblegum had clearly gotten the hang of it. Marceline's next step was loud enough to be heard by the pink Princess. As she looked up, Marceline was surprised yet again, by the sight of the red flower she still had in her hair. She couldn't see it perfectly from current her angle, but when she turned her face towards Marceline, it was clear to see the fresh flower that sparkled from the bouncing light created by the fire. Marceline quickly came to her senses and gave her a casual wave, with a little smile. Just as she did, Princess Bubblegum got up from her sitting position and began walking quickly towards the half-vampire. Before Marceline was able to react, the pink princess had locked her arms around her body in a tight hug.

"I'm so glad you finally came" Princess Bubblegum muffled, with her head buried in Marceline's shoulder.

Finally? Am I really that late?

Marceline was unable to try to calculate time, as she still had the princess around her.

"Sorry I'm late" Marceline said automatically, while shakenly wrapping her arms around Princess Bubblegum as well. She gently placed her chin on top of her head; while the princess still rested her head on Marceline's left shoulder. Just as she did, a sweet scent entered her nose. She was unable to describe it in her head, and even unsure if it came from Princess Bubblegum or the flower she had in her hair. After a few seconds, the two girls departed and looked each other in the eyes… -or eye, as her hair covered Marceline's right eye, in an attempt to hide her bruise. Princess Bubblegum had a subtle blush on her cheeks and Marceline could feel she, herself, had suffered the same fate.

"So…" Marceline took a shot at breaking the silence.
"I like your, err… outfit" She hesitated, still unsure if it was a dress or a sweater.

"Thank you" Princess Bubblegum responded with a cute smile.

"Makes me feel like I should have considered something else to wear" Marceline admitted, while kicking herself mentally for not choosing the skirt.

Princess Bubblegum giggled shortly "I think you look beautiful," she said with her eyes closed.

The part of Marceline's brain that was supposed to handle the conversation had shut down. She just stood still, with an awkward smile.

"Come, let us sit down" Princess Bubblegum spoke, as she grabbed Marceline's hand, in order to help her to the log she was sitting on before.

Marceline's body had almost kick started, more violently than she would've liked. Her heart began beating fast, in a similar way that it did earlier that day when they touched hands.

As they both bounced their way past the small fire, the lower part of Princess Bubblegum's sweater got pushed slightly upwards, making Marceline just able to see her pink panties for a second. She began blushing heavily, before quickly looking away. She felt relieved as they finally reached the small log. Princess Bubblegum was the first to sit down, quickly followed by Marceline that placed herself on the edge of the log.

Princess Bubblegum looked rather unpleased at Marceline. "Why are you sitting there? You're just gonna fall off. Come sit closer," the pink princess requested.

Marceline pondered about her words for a second.

Why is acting so strange lately? She's usually not this happy and social. Maybe she knows why I asked her to come here?

The thought startled Marceline, as she looked at Princess Bubblegum. She had a gentle smile on her lips and her eyes were almost glowing in the light.

No. It can't be… regardless, I should get this over with quickly.

Marceline hesitated for a moment, but decided to do as she asked and moved closer to the pink princess.

They both sat only inches from each other. Marceline was looking into the glowing fire while trying to hide her overwhelming emotions, while Princess Bubblegum was silently looking up in the night sky, also looking like she was pondering something. Marceline did one last mental convincing and reached for her bag. Just as she got hold of the zipper, Bubblegum looked her way, with a raised eyebrow.

"So… why did you ask me out here exactly?" The princess questioned.

Marceline was unable to tell if she was suspicious or just curios.

She decided to play it cool.

"Oh, I just… thought it would be nice to hang out" Marceline smiled nervously.

"Yeah, you said that, but this is not what we usually do when we… hang out" Bubblegum played around with the last two words.

"We usually just stay inside while I experiment with different things and you… play video games or something," She continued.
"Even when we end up in some crazy adventure… it's not the same as this. This is more…" The pink princess paused, apparently looking for the right word. "Corny" Marceline ended the sentence for her.

"That was not what I was about to say!" Bubblegum said in an offended way while crossing her arms.

Marceline let out a gentle laugh. "No? What were you about the say then?"

"I-" Bubblegum thought incredible much about her choice of words. "I guess corny is a synonym for what I meant to say… maybe" Marceline could see that Bubblegum was embarrassed, but still amused.

"A synonym? Really? What is a synonym for corny?" Marceline tried to annoy her in a friendly way.
"Dull?" Marceline suggested. "Stereotypical? Stupid?" she continued with a smile across her lips.

"R-Romantic" Bubblegum stuttered, while looking away.

"Oh" Marceline's smile faded as she stared at the back of Bubblegum's head. Her body tightened while feeling awkward, as she knew this was the beginning of the silence.

"Well" Marceline thought quickly in an attempt to break the silence.

"In advance of the romance, I always like to do a little belly dance" Marceline went all in, as she began moving her belly around. She kicked herself mentally of the stupidity of what she just said, but to her relief, a loud snicker was coming from Bubblegum. It was clear to see she was trying hard not to laugh.

I'm not gonna let you go that easily

Marceline kept at it. "You know- by any chance, I thought at first glance, you were really into breakdance" Marceline blurted out rhymes that barely made sense, but she still felt proud as she subtly whispered "yeah"

"Dammit Marcy" Bubblegum broke out in laughter. Marceline couldn't help but to chuckle at herself either.
The pink princess turned towards Marceline with a wide smile on her lips. "You are so stupid," she said while barely keeping the laugh tears in. "Good rhymes though" Bubblegum admitted, before pushing her friendly.

Marceline giggled. "At all times, I am the master of rhym-"

"No" Bubblegum quickly interrupted.
"No more"

"Your loss" Marceline giggled.

Just as a second of silence occurred, Marceline's mind forced her back to reality. She had something to take care of.

Bite her now.

She took a deep sigh and looked at the princess to her right. Bubblegum was looking into the fire, with a joyful smile. It pained her deeply that she would never see her smile like that again.

"Bonnibel" Marceline said with a low voice.

Princess Bubblegum turned her head towards Marceline, as her smile quickly faded as she saw the serious look on her face.

"The reason I brought you out here…" Marceline paused, as Bubblegum looked intensely at her.

"Or… one of the reasons- is that I really wanted to spend some time with you. We've known each other for a long time and some of that time, we weren't even friends… but that time we were, eh, enemies, was still better, than the time before I met you. I have lived for so long… met so many different people and… most of them are dead now. I kept getting upset every time I had to say goodbye. So upset that I often avoided making friends, just so I wouldn't get hurt again. I was stuck between choosing loneliness or… creating bonds that I knew would break"

Marceline looked down, holding in tears.

"But… when I met you… for the first time, I wasn't scared about that anymore. All those thoughts were washed away. It doesn't matter that someday I will lose you, because unlike all the other bonds… ours is never going to break. Even when… y-you're gone"

Princess Bubblegum shakenly placed her hand upon Marceline's, lost for words.

"Which is why…" Marceline's voice trembled, as she took a quick breath.
"Why this pains me so much" she finished as she opened up her bag, before looking to her right at Bubblegum with wet eyes.

Now…

Marceline kept her right hand still, wanting to feel Bubblegum's hand upon hers, one final time.
As she moved her head slightly closer towards Bubblegum's neck, she placed her left hand on her pink thigh, sending a small chock through Bubblegum. Marceline kept moving closer with her eyes closed and her body shaking, as she was preparing for her bite.

Just as she were close enough to feel the sweet scent from Bubblegum, her head stopped moving as she made contact with something… something that wasn't her neck.

A pair of lips upon hers had stopped Marceline's movements.

Marceline quickly opened her eyes, to see Bubblegum's face before her. She was closing her eyes, with a wide blush covering her cheeks. Bubblegum had mistakenly thought that Marceline tried to kiss her, but even so… Marceline was surprised, if not confused… yet her body felt light as air and her heart was beating in the same fashion as before, only more intensely.

Bonnibel…

Marceline's thoughts of jumping back were overthrown by her body's desire to kiss her back.

With no regard for anything but this moment, Marceline allowed her lips to kiss the princess.
She felt only three parts of her body at that moment. Her right hand that had somehow intertwined with Bubblegum's fingers, her left hand that was still placed gently upon the princesses' left thigh… and the last place she could feel, was her lips. The slight moisture that had created between them, the light pressure around her lips, and the heat rushing from that specific spot, all throughout her body.

The girl she was sharing such an intimate moment with… it was perfect.

Chapter 5

After what felt like a single fleeting second, their lips were once again separated, as both of them were unsure of what to say. Marceline was in a whole other place, trying to think logical to why this just happened.

She… but I am… and she is… was all her mind could manage.

"I…" a little sound came from Bubblegum, making Marceline's thoughts wash away.
"I didn't know if you'd let me… kiss you" the word 'kiss' seemed like a struggle for her to say.
"But the way you just shared your feelings, made me think… that I shouldn't hide mine" Bubblegum still had a clear blush across her face.

"Your feelings?" The half-vampire was somewhat able to think straight.
"When did- so that's why you have been acting so strange?" Marceline interrupted herself.

The princess shied away embarrassed.
"I just didn't know if you ever thought of me that way…" A pause appeared, one Marceline decided to stay silent for.

"H-have you thought of me… this way?" Bubblegum questioned, doing her best to look at Marceline.

"I- I don't know" she quickly responded, trying to think of an answer.

Have I? I mean… I just tried pushing those thoughts away. Maybe that was wrong?

"It's just so… surprising," Marceline admitted, making Bubblegum show mixed emotions.
"Being that you're a girl and all… I just thought-"

"I know" Bubblegum broke in.
"But the time I spend with you," Bubblegum said gently as she lifted her hand towards Marceline's face.
"Means so much to me… and if you don't want it to happen now… or ever" she continued, as she slowly removed Marceline's hair from her right eye.

"It's fine. I just think you should know that I actually do lo-" Bubblegum stopped middle sentence, as she noticed a rough bruise on Marceline's cheek.
"Where did you get that?"

Marceline that had been otherwise frozen most of this conversation, suddenly reacted as her thoughts almost exploded in her brain.

Oh no! I opened the bag! What time is it?!"

Marceline suddenly jumped up, startling the pink princess.

I can't do this to her! What was I thinking?!

"Bonnibel. You have to get out of here!" Marceline said anxiously.

"What?" was all Bubbelgum could utter, unsure of what had gotten into her.
"D- Do you want me to leave?"

Marceline quickly looked at her bag, which had a purple glow coming from the inside.

"No!" she quickly looked back at Bubblegum.
"Or yes… I can't explain it right now, but you need to run!"

Bubblegum got up from her sitting position, looking both mad and confused.
"What are you talking about?!"

Just as Marceline opened her mouth to respond, a loud screeching noise came from the green shoulder bag as the purple glow rushed high up into the air.

Both Marceline and Bubblegum were forced to close their eyes as they got pushed back from the immense explosion-like shockwave.

Marceline was the first to open her eyes to see the thing she feared the most. The creature of the silent world. The demon that had been haunting her for months… Banshee.

His twisted eyes that could make any person feel insane. His floating, torn up body that was as black as night itself. Unable to make out if he even had body parts, as he was just a floating piece of evil, with soul drenching eyes and a blood hungry mouth.

"YOU DIDN'T DO IT!" The creature hysterically screamed.
"YOU FAILED! YOU FAILED YOU FAILED YOU FAILED YOU FAILED!" He kept repeating in a crying voice.

This demon was without a doubt completely insane. For reasons Marceline had come to understand.

"Listen here you freak!" Marceline yelled back.
"I will not let you take Bubblegum, so you can twist her mind! I don't care if you keep haunting me forever! JUST LEAVE HER THE HELL ALONE!" Marceline screamed the last sentence, as her face showed a demonic appearance.

"Such modesty. Such bravery… SUCH FEARLESSNESS!" The demon floated closer towards Marceline, who was now showing her demonic red eyes and sharp fangs.

The black demon, who was easily twice as big as Marceline, crept out an arm from the deep blackness that was his body and moved it close towards her face.

"Too bad I can't take you up on your offer, as I don't need you anymore. All I want… is her" he said in a somewhat normal voice, as he pointed to something behind Marceline.

"Marcy…" a scared voice appeared, making Marceline turn her head towards the shocked Princess.
"What is going on?" Bubblegum was clearly in shock, as her whole body trembled.

As soon as Marceline saw the frightened look on Bubblegum, her demonic eyes and mouth disappeared.

"I- I couldn't…" Marceline tried to speak, but it only came out as sobbing noises.

"Well Princess" The demon broke in, with a grin on his face.
"Maybe I should explain what is going on"

"No!" Marceline took a quick step forward, while unwillingly letting her tears drop to the ground. "Bonnibel" she looked back at the pink princess. "Whatever he says, is not true! You need to get out- of here"

Marceline's last words were spoken but not heard, not even by herself.

My voice? He… he silenced my voice.

"DON'T INTERRUPT ME!" The dark demon whined like a small child.

I- I can't speak. Marceline's mouth was moving, but nothing but breath came out.

The demon took a quick look at Marceline, making sure she would stay silent, before he turned his attention towards Bubblegum.

"Allooow me to explain" He hummed, as he floated closer towards the stunned princess.

"My name is Banshee. I am the servant of the silent world, a world where everything is spoken but nothing is heard. I have come to this dull world to… how do I put this… to insanify you" the demon looked confused, but excited at the same time. "Is that a word?" he whispered to himself. "THAT'S NOT A WORD!" he suddenly yelled into the open. "NO NO NO!" he cried out as he repeatedly smacked his hand across his face. "To make you go insane," he said, as he instantly had calmed down. "You see, someone doesn't like your title of being a princess. SOMEONE thinks you're doing an awful job. SOMEONE wants to see you… YOU descend into madness" he kept going, while Bubblegum still stood at the same spot, looking terrified. "But…" she mustered.

In a flash, the demon floated towards the princess, poking her in the neck with one of his sharp fingers. "BUT WHY NOT JUST KILL YOU?! SAVE US ALL THE TROUBLE OF MADNESS, INSANITY, CONFUSION… and betrayal" he ended.

SHUT UP! Marceline screamed in her mind, before jumping the demon, getting ready to bite him.

"BETRAYAL, BETRAYAL!" Banshee taunted, just before disappearing into nothing but black mist, making Marceline fall to the ground, landing inches before Bubblegum's feet. Her adrenaline was put on hold, as she slowly looked up. "Marceline… I'm scared," the pink princess stuttered, looking down onto her friend on the ground. "Help Me," she whispered anxiously.

Marceline's mouth spoke out silent words, with small tears making their way down face. Her mouth kept moving, but the only sound was made by the afternoon wind passing by.

"That's right" a low voice was again heard, this time coming from behind Bubblegum. The pink princess froze as she could feel the demons close presence. "Your dear friend… the friend you LOVE SO MUCH" he yelled into Bubblegum's right ear. "Is the reason why all this is happing. Is the reason why you will never feel alive again" he spoke out silently.

Bubblegum looked down onto Marceline, who was still sobbing on the ground before her. Her head was shaking and anger was building. "What exactly… is going on!?" she tried not yell.

She looked straightforward. Into the eyes of the demon, just wanting an explanation. She was still shaking, but whether it was from fear or anger was unclear.

"You seeee" Banshee stretched the word while levitating closer.

"I come from the silent world. A world where everything is spoken, but nothing is heard. As I actually said earlier" The demon, Banshee, was now levitating in front of the pink princess that barely flinched. Marceline was still on the ground, by Bubblegum's feet. She knew it was pointless to fight him and the truth had to come out at some point. Furthermore, she needed to replenish her energy.

"I am a servant of a certain… shall we say person? Demon? MASTER OF WORLDS?!"
Banshee continued his explanation. An explanation that sounded more like random ranting.
"This person sent me here, to this pitiful world, in order to bring you to my world. The silent world. We need you to hang around in this place for a while. WE NEED YOU… to go insane"
Banshee did a quick twirl, before grapping his head with his hands.
"You may be wondering…" he whimpered.
"Can you go insane, by not being able to hear anything? Good question!"

Now he is talking to himself…
Marceline growled silently.

"It is a slow process," Banshee continued.
"But when the panic finally hits you. The claustrophobia. The fear… when all that comes crashing into your mind… you won't even be able to hear your own screams"

Bubblegum tensed tightly, which made her shake even more. His words were truly terrifying.

"It may take you a couple of years for you to truly lose your mind, but there is no rush. 10 years, 100 years, all the same" The black demon turned around, facing- what appeared to be his back, towards Bubblegum.
"That is the general plan. Now to how I even ended up here…"

No.

Marceline hit her right fist into the ground, to get her adrenaline pumping, just before she jumped up from her position, facing Bubblegum. They were mere inches from each other's faces, as Bubblegum could feel Marceline's cold breath gently spreading across her face.

Don't listen to him. Get out of here.

Marceline worded slowly, in hope that Bubblegum could read her lips. Bubblegum's eyes were twitching and her mouth was trembling. The wind was picking up. The cold air surrounded them both with a chill that went down Marceline's spine… but another chill quickly filled her body. A chill that send her heart in panic mode. A chill… created by hearing Bubblegum's quite words…

"Did you plan this?"

…