I'm sure there's many a longer story on its way in response to last night's amazing "I Remember You", but for now, I don't feel there's anything I can add to that story that would do it justice. Instead, I did find myself inspired to write this story based on what we learned from that episode. (mild spoilers if you haven't seen it yet.)

Bubblegum was curled up in a chair, reading a treatise on candy biomass grafting procedures that was proving too poorly written to hold her attention, when her balcony door quietly opened and closed by itself. She set the papers aside and smiled as the disembodied footsteps across her floor took on a familiar shape.

"You're early tonight."

"Yeah, it was kind of a boring day," Marceline said, setting down her guitar. "Decided to hang out in the garden till the sun went down."

"Really?" Bubblegum frowned. "I didn't see you."

"I was literally 'hanging out'." She transformed her nose and arms briefly into their bat-like form.

"Ah. Well, I'm always glad for extra time to visit."

"Figured you wouldn't complain." Marceline floated over for a welcoming kiss, her hand reaching up to remove Bubblegum's tiara and set it on the bedside table in a smooth motion.

Bubblegum chuckled slightly as she separated from the kiss. "Why do you always do that?"

"Kiss you? Kind of thought you knew by now."

"Not that." Bubblegum gently pushed Marceline back so they could speak more easily. "Every time we get together, the first thing you do is take off my crown."

Marceline's forehead creased slightly. "Really? Eh, just habit. Gives us a head start on later anyway," she added with a grin, leaning back in.

Bubblegum blocked her again with a soft, but clear hand on her shoulder. "But you did it before we were a couple too. Even when we just spend time together without making out."

Marceline sighed, seeing she wasn't going to make any progress until the princess got answers. "It's no big deal. You look better without it."

"There are a lot of things you think I look better without wearing, but you don't take those off every time we meet too."

Marceline growled a bit, floating back and crossing her arms. "I just don't like crowns, okay?"

Bubblegum paused, looking at her thoughtfully. "You don't, do you? I've never seen you wear one even though you're a queen. Why not? It's just a ring of metal." She picked up her own crown to illustrate. "Try it on. You might be surprised."

Marceline actually flinched back from the golden band. "I don't want a crown!" she snapped. "Why does it matter?"

"I'm just curious. Besides, my crown is part of who I am. If you hate a part of me, I'd at least like to know why."

A flash of pain got past the anger in Marceline's eyes. "It's not about you. Crowns just lead to trouble. They change people. Get into your head and make you forget who you are."

Bubblegum stared, surprised. Marceline had turned away mostly, but Bubblegum could see enough of her face to see the hurt there, and realized she was getting a glimpse behind the façade Marceline usually presented the world. She wasn't sure what to say, running through the little she knew about the girl's past to figure out where this was coming from.

"Is that what this is about?" she asked at last.

Marceline looked back at her, confusion in her wet eyes.

"You know, I'll never understand how you cope with the cognitive dissonance that must come from being a monarch and an anarchist at the same time."

The confusion blossomed into total bafflement. "What?"

Bubblegum walked over and took Marceline's hands in her own. "I know there are kings and queens out there who let power and authority turn them into monsters. But I promise you, my crown is just a crown. It just symbolizes my responsibility to my people. And if I ever do start to get too caught up in all this royal biz, I know I have you to help bring me back down to earth."

Marceline smiled faintly at her. "You promise?"

Bubblegum squeezed her hands and nodded. "I'd make it a royal promise, but how about just a heartfelt promise?"

"Thanks, Bonni." Marceline's smile took on a mischievous edge. "Speaking of down-to-earth…"

She swooped Bubblegum's legs out from under her and lowered her gently, but abruptly to the floor.

"Marceline!" But Bubblegum found herself laughing. "You realize the bed's right there?"

Marceline gave her an entirely unapologetic grin. "I thought you wanted me to keep you grounded."

Bubblegum was going to offer another token protest, but was quickly too distracted to care.

And whatever memory from Marceline's past Bubblegum had hoped to learn more about faded back into the shadows just as suddenly and namelessly as a ghost.