She stole a glance back as she flew away, her umbrella blocking out the afternoon sun that shone down across the grassy planes. The boy was already running back home or, perhaps, off to some other "adventure." As she made her way back towards the cave, she couldn't help but notice that Ooo seemed just a little bit brighter than the night she had become accustomed to.
Marceline grinned in spite of herself. Even after travelling the entire world, she had to admit that the last few hours had been the most fun she'd had in a long time. Finn might be a chump, she thought, but he may turn out to be more entertaining than I anticipated. She allowed herself a slight laugh thinking about his ridiculous expression when they broke into the old man's house. Maybe it's worth keeping him alive after all.
The welcoming shade of the cave finally embracing her, Marceline landed and regained her typical appearance; the treehouse was nice, but it let in way too much light. Opening the front door, she scanned the living room. She hadn't quite finished moving everything in yet, but the old couch was already in place. After settling herself a few inches above the couch and kicking off her shoes, Marceline grabbed her diary.
A half hour drifted by, but the page remained without ink. Marceline had to admit that not everything she wrote was an award-winner, but she rarely ended up with nothing at all. Something wasn't right.
Ugh, I can't even finish a single line, she thought. Frustrated, she tossed her diary aside and picked up her bass. She strummed a few empty lines, then sighed and placed the axe behind her couch. This too? There was something about the day that just wasn't sitting right, but she couldn't quite put a finger on it. She had messed with Finn, but then again everything they did was on her to-do list to begin with. She had started to enjoy Finn's company, but it wasn't as if she was devoid of any acquaintances before that. So what was the issue? What the heck is bugging me so much? What was so different about today? Then, she had a thought.
Finn.
Finn the human.
The first time she had met the squatters, Marceline was shocked by Finn's appearance; surely he had some pointy ears or a horn under that stupid hat. She stalked the pair for quite some time before evicting them, to see if her suspicions were true. It didn't take long, as the pair insisted on referring to themselves as "Jake the Dog" and "Finn the Human." She had seen plenty of dogs, but humans…she assumed they were all wiped out in the Mushroom War. She hadn't seen a human since…
Why am I thinking about him now?
She'd traveled the world to keep as far away from the Ice Kingdom as she possibly could. Truth be told, she had grown content in her travels. She would check in on her old places from time to time, but the farther she could stay from him, the more at ease she could be. But, after seeing Finn, another human, in her house, she couldn't leave. At least, not until she figured him out.
Marceline started floating off to her room, deciding that a good day's sleep would clear her head. Why do I even care about the kid, she mused. He's human, so what? Just because Simon was human doesn't mean the two are anything alike. She hovered over her bed. Simon's a pretty poor excuse for a human by now, anyway.
Without thinking about it, Marceline's gaze drifted towards the Ice Kingdom; she could just barely make out the outline of the mountains through her curtains. She frowned. It doesn't mean the two are anything alike, and yet I knew exactly how Finn would react when I questioned his honor. She tried to laugh, but it came out more like a sigh. I banked that whole game on the fact that I assumed all humans were so obsessed with their word. She turned away from the window.
Why did that idiot Finn follow me anyway? Marceline folded her arms. He was willing to put himself in danger all because of a stupid promise? It didn't make any sense. All he had to do was say no. All he had to do was leave her be. She was fine without him. She didn't need his help. If he had just left her, she would have been all right. If he had just left her…
If he had just left me, maybe it wouldn't have taken control. Marceline watched as a single salty drop fell onto her sheets. 900 years and traveling the whole land of Ooo, and she still wasn't any farther from the guilt.
He gave up everything, just because of a promise to me.
By the time Marceline woke up, it was already dawn again. For some reason, she felt much better than she had the day before. She stretched for a moment, and then floated downstairs after getting dressed. It was about to be morning, but she decided she'd go out anyway. Maybe she'd check in on the dog and the human boy. Grabbing her umbrella, she made her way to the mouth of the cave. Looking out, something was different…the same thing she noticed yesterday.
She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but for some reason, she couldn't help but notice that Ooo seemed just a little bit brighter than the night she had become accustomed to.