Fell For Her Song

Chapter 1: Strawberry Sweetness

Prince Gumball finished sculpting his bubblegum hair with a marshmallow white comb. He sighed, not looking in the mirror yet. The bubblegum prince missed his close friend, Princess Bubblegum. Separated from each other to rule different lands at the age of ten and thirteen, he only had vague memories of her presence. Recently she had sent him a picture of herself through a transporting portal. His friend had changed so much since they had last seen each other. Over 1000 years have passed since he has seen her in person. He sends her an invitation to his annual ball that he holds every year to celebrate another prosperous year, but she had never appeared, saddening him. He's always wanted to meet her friends, she always responded to his letters by telling him exciting and cheerful stories of their adventures.

Finally trying to pull himself out of his misery, he stopped sulking and stalked to his bathroom mirror to look at himself. He pressed his pale pink hands against the marble counter top by the comb he set down, slouching, hanging his head. He quietly sighed once more before raising his head and staring at himself. Eye bags were forming under his eyes. You could openly see how exhausted this young prince was. He stood up straight and rubbed his hands over his face. He smiled bravely at himself, preparing his polite smiles and interested looks so that he would be ready when he will have conversations with anybody who will attend the ball. He heard a knock on his bedroom door and swiftly moved across the room to open it for Peppermint Maid who was twisting her skirt in her tiny candy hands.

''Sir, there are people here for the ball already,'' she told him. She seemed out of breath, as if she had just ran.

''Did you ask for their names?" Prince Gumball asked ignoring her state. The guests weren't supposed to arrive for another few hours.

"Yes..."

"What are their names, then?"

"They were Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum and some of her friends. I'm just surprised they attended this year..." Peppermint Maid answered.

Prince Gumball stared at his maid before a grand smile appeared on his face. The dark look that had graced his features before had disappeared and replaced with a bright grin. Pushing passed his dedicated maid, he ran through his castle to find none other than his friend Bonnibel standing with a group of strangers and their luggage in his ballroom.

He laughed happily in his joyous state, catching Bonnibel's attention. She hugged her old friend tight.

''What a surprise! You've attended!'' Gumball cried in delight.

''Yes, and I've brought my friends!'' Bubblegum answered in her own glee. She waved her arm in their direction to show them to Gumball.

''As I've noticed!'' He exclaimed, ''Hello guests! Welcome to the Candy Kingdom of Aaa!'' Gumball scanned over each of Bubblegum's friends. A little dog, a young boy, a rainicorn, and a girl. With pale skin, and long, dark raven hair. A girl who wore black converse, ripped jeans, and a dark band t-shirt. A girl of which Gumball could not take his eyes off of. "Welcome," he said again, but quieter. With the best polite smile he could muster, from the time practicing in his bathroom mirror. Bonnibel introduced everyone to Gumball.

Gumball eyed the amount of luggage they all brought. "How long are you staying here, Bonni?" Gumball asked.

"Three weeks! And I bet I'm still smarter than you, Bubba! So in the mean time, I hope you show me your laboratory!" Bubblegum said enthusiastically. Marceline and Finn snickered, thinking 'laboratory' in a different way. Gumball did a double-take towards the snickering Marceline, and stared with wide eyes and raised an eyebrow.

"Um... I-I'll show you to your rooms... now." In an act of desperation, Gumball changed the subject and headed away to where the guest rooms were. Gumball stopped walking at a tall staircase. "I'll call some guards to help with your luggage."

"Nah, I got it, dude," Jake volunteered. He stretched his arms through all the handles of the bags and tossed them to the top of the staircase. "Oh, well thank you..." Gumball headed up the stairs, followed by everyone else.

"Alright! There are only two beds in each room so I'm assuming that Finn and Jake will share a room. And since I don't want leave Miss Lady Rainicorn out, I will give the girls the extra big room and I will add another, extra large bed. Sound good?"

"Uh-huh," Bonnibel responded for everyone. Gumball led the group up the stairs and watched Marceline float ahead, a small smile of awe spread across his lips. Once to the top, Gumball led them to a hallway. "Gentlemen, this is your room," Gumball said, waving his hand to the door to his left. After the boys got settled, Gumball moved on to the next room. It was at the very end of the hallway and had glassy blue orbs decorating the frame at the top. "And this," Gumball opened the door and let the girls enter their new bedroom, "is your room."

"It's perfect. Thank you!" Bonni sang as she rolled her luggage inside. Marceline looked around and her jaw dropped. The room had a marble floor and marble pillars that had blue and purple gems encrusted along a long row upwards. The ceiling was thirty feet above their heads. Directly across from the doorway there were grand balcony doors with queen sized beds on either side of them.

"Damn, Bonni. Do you have guest bedrooms like this?" Marceline commented, smirking as she saw Bubblegum roll her eyes. Gumball came in through the corridor after explaining to Lady Rainicorn that her bed will be here before she retires for the night.

"So... I hope you have a wonderful time staying here, in the Candy Kingdom of Aaa... Uh... OOMPH!" Gumball was met with a pillow to the face from his dear friend Bonnibel.

"Out! We need to get ready for the ball!" Bonni screamed, laughing.

"Oh, wait! There's something I have to ask!" Marceline shouted. She tossed the pillow back at Bubblegum and flew over to Gumball. She led him out of the bedroom and closed the door. She flew up so that she was within even height of Gumball, her feet in the air above her and her arms swinging floppily under her. "So, Gumwad, I hear you throw some pretty big balls..." Marceline smirked suggestively, teasing him.

"O-oh, yes... Um.. they a-are very l-large..." Gumball stuttered. Marceline was much too close to his face and he couldn't focus.

"Yea... Are they fun?" Marceline now pushed Gumball against the wall across from the door to her guest room. Gumball swallowed loudly and tried to avoid looking at Marceline's fangs.

"Y-yes, they are..." He felt a trickle of sweat go down his neck.

"Hmm... Great..." Marceline's smirk was growing as she placed her hands on his shoulders. She leaned in close and tilted her head, "Can't wait." Marceline gave Gumball a toothy grin that showed off her fangs before disappearing and leaving Gumball dumbfounded. Marceline slipped back into her bedroom silently before she stopped in her tracks to a glaring Bubblegum.

"What?" Marceline asked with a cocky smirk.

"What did you ask him? Was it something bad?!" Bubblegum crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

"Look, mother, I only asked him if his balls were fun! Where's the harm in that?" Marceline asked innocently.

"Oh, please, from 'Marceline's point of view' I know what kind of 'balls' your talking about!"

"Bonni! You're thinking naughty!" Marceline laughed, "I'm such a great influence on you! Hah!"

"WhAt!? I was not thinking naughty! You think naughty!" Bubblegum exclaimed defensively.

"Sure, Bonni, I believe you..." Marceline laughed before looking at the balcony's giant glass - see through - doors. The sun shown brightly through them and left the carpeted areas of the floor lightly glowing, bright, warm, and totally fatal. "Um... Bubblegum... Can you close the drapes, please..." Marceline suddenly got serious.

"Okay. There, now, go get ready," Bonni said as she did what she was asked.

"Not now, Bubble-butt! The party's in three hours! It doesn't take me that long to get ready."

"Oh, okay... well.. I noticed something about Gumball since we first walked into the castle!" Bubblegum giggled.

"What? OH! Bubblegum, I don't want to talk about your love life!" Marceline shrieked.

"What? No! I could never like him like that! He's like a big brother to me! What I was going to say - was that I think he likes you, Marceline!" Bubblegum giggled again.

"Me? I think you need to get your specs checked, Bonni... No one likes me..."

"Well, Gumball does. I know him well enough to know when he has a crush," Bonni giggled.

"Keep telling yourself that..." Marceline said in disbelief. She got down off the ceiling and walked down the walls to the floor, "I'm gonna go explore the castle."

"Okay, I'm gonna go take a shower!"

"내 옷을 선택하는거야!" (Going to choose my clothes!) Said Lady Rainicorn.

"Umm, yeah... see ya," Marceline disappeared through the door and silently slipped down the hallway into Finn and Jake's room. Marceline avoided the deathly light that lit up the room through five foot tall windows and flew into their closet unnoticed.

"So what are you boobs doing?" Marceline interrupted the two's messy session.

"AH! M-Marceline!" Jake cried, not knowing where her voice came from.

"Marceline? Where are you?" Finn asked.

"Avoiding the sunlight in a dirty closet. Why is your room messy already?" Marceline replied nonchalantly. Jake ran to the other side of the room and continued making a mess as far away from Marceline as he could.

"Oh, we're looking for my bow tie. I know I brought it..." Finn murmured. Marceline looked under her foot. She found it.

"Wow, Finn... Getting dressed up for this lamo ball, are we?" Marceline smirked in the darkness.

"Well, yeah. It's a royal ball! I have to be able to blend in if a villain ever came in and attacked!" Finn replied happily.

"...Right... Well, I'll just be going then. Good luck on your... journey..." Marceline laughed as she left the room.

"Dang, man. Marceline gives me the heeby-jeebies. I almost peed myself on the carriage ride over here!" Jake whispered loudly.

"Uck, don't remind me, Jake! You 'almost peed' all over my shoes!"

Umm.. yeah... stayed tuned for the ball next chapter? Posting every two days!

~Lindsey