Chapter 1 – The end

Marceline hovered nonchalantly under the shady protection of a tree overlooking the Candy Kingdom Graveyard. Lost in thought her fingers danced up and down the fret board of her bass, dreamily plucking notes and lazy chords into the gentle breeze. The creamy orange sky of Ooo's sunset slowly melted away behind the hills and the summer night's air began to cool.
Clawing her straw hat off her head with a thankful swoop, Marceline allowed her ink like hair to pour down her back. The welcoming breeze carried an all too familiar sweetness, blowing a frustratingly crooked smile across a suddenly powerless face.

The sky was darkening as Princess Bubblegum approached the hillside, humming to herself as she enjoyed the warm evening air. She could hear Marceline before she saw her. The gentle rhythms and riffs that Marceline played always amazed her. She somehow managed to make playing such a menacing, torturous looking instrument that literally was a weapon, look so elegant and graceful and gentle. It was as if the battle axe bass was an extension of herself, and only Marceline could tame it. Hearing Marceline play so sweetly was a rare treat, something reserved for the dusty old tapes in her room locked away from the world, something for Marceline and her alone. Very intimate, very personal.
Princess Bubblegum smiled to herself because of course Marceline knew she wasn't alone.

Arriving on the hill top Princess Bubblegum picked up the slightly crumpled straw hat at her feet with an irritated sigh.
"I gave you this to wear Marcey, not the floor" she said, brushing off the dirt from the hat.
Marceline stopped playing and glided over to Bubblegum, taking the hat from her hands with a fang shaped smile.
"Then sun's gone now, and anyway, it looks much better on you than it does on me" Marceline said playfully, placing the hat on Bubblegum's head before picking her up and flying her over to the tree.

Leaning against the trunk of the tree Princess Bubblegum sat on Marceline's lap, tracing the bite marks on her neck with her fingertips. The warmth of her touch and the sweet smell of PB was intoxicating but relaxing. As they sat there and enjoyed the little time they had together, in the back of their minds was always what they had gone through to get to this point. To be able to touch each other, talk to each other so openly and freely, for Marceline to put down all her walls and for Bubblegum to admit to herself she was the one who wanted to smash them all down.
Their journey had been a long and at times gratuitously painful, but it was that which got them to where they are now.

They sat talking for a while, eating strawberries and other red foods whilst Marceline teased Bubblegum over her moaning about Rusty accidently breaking her favoured testing beaker. Then in what seemed like a heartbeat of a second somehow an hour had passed.
"I'm sorry Marceline, I'm going be late for my meeting, I've got to go" Princess Bubblegum said with a weak attempt of authority.
Marceline rolled her eyes "You and your duties" she scoffed.
"You distracting me away from my duties!" PB retorted, standing up and brushing herself down.
"Come on 5 more minutes? I'm sure your science buddies won't blow up all of Ooo if you're a few minutes late" Marceline groaned.
"You know as well as I do that is highly plausible. You are a very bad influence"
Marceline floated over and brushed back Bubblegum's hair, her sweet scent making her head spin.
"I guess I'm still just your problem" she teased, pulling her closer by her waist.

Marceline's head still spinning, PB leaned in and kissed her hard in the warm and electric way she always did, and with that the world started spinning too.

With a saddened smile, Marceline watched as Princess Bubblegum beckoned for Lady Rainicorn and faded into the night sky. She stood in silence for a moment, the full moon behind her illuminating the scenery. Nights like this were short but sweet, yet a million miles away from what Marceline and PB could ever have imagined even occurring a few months ago.

Just a solitude silhouette in the moonlight, Marceline replayed their story in her suddenly lonely mind from the moment they first met.

To be continued.