993 Years Ago
A ten year old Marceline sat on the step of the ruined house as she finished sewing a new button eye onto her stuffed animal, Hambo. As she admired her work, she heard a rustling in the bushes. Marceline stood up and clutched Hambo tightly. As she watched, a pink girl stepped out into the open.
The girl looked like she was around the age of seven. She was wearing a long pink dress and a crown on her head.
"Who are you?" Marceline asked as she watched the girl come closer.
"B-Bonnibel Bubblegum," Bonnibel Bubblegum said.
"What do you want?"
"I-I don't know where I am. Can you help me?"
"No, go away. Hambo is my only friend," Marceline said defiantly, turning her back on Bubblegum. Marceline heard sniffling and turned back to see the girl collapse to the ground crying.
Marceline took a few hesitant steps towards the girl, then ran over to her and knelt beside her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. Don't you have a family that can help?"
"I don't think so," Bubblegum said, "all I had was Uncle Gumbald."
"Where is he?"
"I-I don't know. He's a soldier, he went to fight. He told me to hide, but he never came back."
Marceline thought for a moment. Then she held Hambo to her ear.
"Are you sure?" Marceline asked Hambo, "alright, but she's your problem."
"Wh-what?" Bubblegum asked.
"Hambo says you can come along," Marceline said standing up, "that's if you can keep up."
"Really?" Bubblegum asked.
"Yeah, he's nice like that. But if you make any trouble…"
"I won't, I promise."
"Alright. Come on, I 'll take you to our camp. Then we'll find something to eat." Marceline helped Bubblegum to her feet and led her to where she had set up camp.
"Hold on," Marceline said, finding an old green backpack and rummaging through it, "I'm sure there's something in here."
"I'll help," Bubblegum said. She went to help Marceline, but as she pulled objects out of the bag, she found a small photograph of an old man.
"Who's this?" Bubblegum asked.
"That's not yours!" Marceline said, snatching the picture from her.
"I'm sorry," Bubblegum said, sitting down. Marceline looked at the picture of the man who had once protected her.
"His name's Simon," Marceline said, sitting beside Marceline, "he looked after me. He was my best friend."
"I thought you said Hambo was your only friend," Bubblegum said.
"Simon left us."
"Oh." Bubblegum and Marceline looked at the picture of Simon together.
"He looks like my uncle," Bubblegum said after a short moment of silence.
"Don't worry," Marceline said, "I'm sure we'll find him. Until then I'll look after you."
"Okay," Bubblegum said. The two rummaged through the backpack again until they found a can of beans. They made a fire and cooked the beans. As the sun began to set, the two sat quietly eating. Marceline found herself being blinded as the sun's last rays reflected off Bubblegum's crown.
"What's with that thing?" Marceline asked.
"What?" Bubblegum said.
"That crown? Why do you wear it?"
"I'm a princess."
"Oh really?"
"I am!"
"Princess of what? pink people?"
"I'm not just pink, I'm made of bubblegum. I'm the princess of the Candy People."
"Is there a Kingdom?"
"Not yet. My uncle keeps talking about starting a village for them. He says I'll be a leader someday."
"I don't think I'd like to be a leader. Sounds like hard work."
"Probably, but Gumbald keeps saying 'responsibility demands sacrifice'."
"Your uncle sounds cool. I hope we can find him."
"What's your family like?"
"I don't like to talk about it. I know my dad's still around. He was working when… well, when I last saw mom."
"Oh, sorry."
"No, it's alright, we've got each other now," Marceline said. Bubblegum smiled, comforted by the words of her new friend.
As the sun set and the day came to an end, Marceline and Bubblegum found small comfort in the knowledge that they would spend many more together before their journey's end.