Thanks to everybody who R&R'd means a whole lot! Get ready for some D'awwwws

Just your Imagination

Marceline wandered the forest with its large fluffy pink trees and yellow roads and nodded approvingly. Whatever the world had looked like a few years ago when it had suddenly ended, the people of what was now affectionately named Ooo had rebuilt it well.

Marceline had been to almost every corner of it by now, except the Candy Kingdom, which she assumed by the name had to have been built by or out of candy. She made a face, she wasn't usually one for sugar let alone an entire kingdom full of it- but she would make an exception if it meant she got to explore.

She yawned and clutched Hambo, looking down at her bare feet and tattered dress. "I'm a mess…" she muttered

She fixed her overall straps securely onto her arms and swung her arms side to side. Then she saw bubbles, Marceline couldn't explain it, neither would she try but those big pink bubbles filled her up inside. They made her feel warm and fuzzy and happy and it was like something, somewhere had blown them just for her. 'Those bubbles must have been enchanted or something,' she thought, because she felt as though they were a loving beacon for young Marcy to just come home.

And just like that, she broke into a sprint towards the direction of the bubbles.

"There you are, milady." Peppermint butler said with a smile

The young princess Bubble gum stepped off her pedestal at the side of the bubble wand and sighed "I like blowing bubbles Pep Butler!" she said also smiling "I wonder who saw 'em?"

The little butler shrugged his pointy shoulders and waved his arms at the Gumball Guardians, causing them to pick up their wands again and resume their bubble blowing task.

The butler took Bubble gum's hand and they walked into the castle's secret room again, "I'm sure whoever it was milady, they must have been consumed by such a lovely bubble you blew."

The princess looked down at him and sighed "Yes, Mr. Peppermint butler, I hope they liked my bubbles…"

Suddenly a cry erupted from somewhere in the castle, the butler let go of the princess "I'm sorry milady, your grandmother calls. Mayhaps you can amuse yourself in royal garden? I just had a tea set put on for you." With that he bowed (as much as his roundish body would allow him to) and left her there.

Bubble gum turned towards the seemingly endless stares and wondered to herself 'How does one have a tea party all by her lonesome?'

Bubble gum wasn't unaccustomed to being on her own; she did math equations on her own, and studied privately in her room. What she wasn't used to playing or having free time to just not do anything, and she certainly wasn't used to having to play alone. It was boring she had learned, being too smart to indulge in an imaginary friend and being so bad at art even as a kid that she couldn't even make herself a plaything. Glob forbid there were any other thirteen year old monarchs running around, Princess Bubble gum was totally alone, or so it seemed.

She sat at the table and stared at the three cups, they were all empty despite the table being set so nicely. 'Darn, if Pep butler didn't have to serve my grand-mother I could have played with him…it isn't like there's anybody else to play with after all." She put her elbows on the table and stared at the fluffy pink trees, and one stared back.

She blinked her eyeballs very hard "Just your imagination, Princess." She muttered to herself

The suddenly a small grey girl emerged from the trees; she was holding a small rag tag doll, who was missing an eye and had ripped clothing on and no shoes.

Bubble gum's first thoughts were of bandits or witches or robbers or worse.

Marceline raised an eyebrow, she looked at the shocked pink thing wearing a crown and clutched Hambo a little tighter, what was this thing thinking of her.

Then the pink girl stood, walked over and reached out her hand "H-hello my name is Princess Bubble gum." She said

Marceline smiled a big goofy grin and grabbed the hand shaking it wildly "I'm Marceline! But you can just call me Marcy." Then she let go "Oh yeah and this is Hambo."

The princess looked at her hand it was now quite dirty, she wiped it on the table cloth.

Marceline raised an eyebrow again "What are you made of anyway, sugar?"

The princess bit her lip, was this a sugar eating monster? It couldn't be she looked about PB's own age.

"I'm made of bubble gum, that's why my name is-"

Marceline nodded "Yeah ok I get it!"

The princess smiled at her and she blushed, then she took a piece of her hair and offered it to Marceline.

Marceline ate it slowly; for once she enjoyed the taste of sugar. Marceline's eyes got wide "Wow…" she breathed

The princess in an act of extreme courage gestured to the table behind her "Do you want some tea?"

Marceline smiled "Sure, but you aren't scared of me?"

Bubble gum sat down, calmer now "Why would I be?"

"I'm a vampire; I'm Marceline the vampire queen."

Bubble gum turned a peculiar shade of white "Oh?"

"Don't worry I only drink the color red!" then she pulled the golden chair to her and sat down, looking at the empty cup "Huh, not much of a tea party without tea is it."

Bubble gum sighed "Sorry Marcy, it's more of a pretend tea party."

Marceline crouched under the table and grabbed some sticks and dirt and wet mud from the flowerbeds and mixed it all up inside her cup, giving the illusion of a brown tea. Then she did the same to the two other mugs. "There." She said with determination "Tea."

Hambo sat on her lap, his other eye slowly coming off, Bubble gum pointed at it "May I see your doll, Marceline?"

Marceline narrowed her eyes "You had better be careful princes…" then she handed him over unwillingly

From her pocket Bubble gum pulled out a thread and a needle and said softly "I'm only hurting you because I love you." She began to stitch the eye back on; she looked up at Marceline whose eyes shone with gratitude "That's what I used to say when I fixed up my dolls." She smiled

Marceline watched her intently, "I guess I'll start doing that…" she muttered

Finally Hambo was good as new and PB placed him in the chair between them.

Marceline watched her position him to look as though he was holding a tea cup and smiled; whoever this princess was she liked her and liked her a lot. Maybe one day they could spend the rest of their lives together? The two began talking and giggling and from the castle window Peppermint butler watched with a smile, that little grey girl could one day make an excellent life's companion for his lady when she became eighteen. Something like love emanated from the two of them. He turned away from the window "It's just your imagination…" he sighed to himself.