Authors Note: Thank you to those who have read and reviewed! I'm so sorry it has taken so long to write this, it's been rewritten so many times. But please enjoy the first chapter, the next one won't be as short!

Chapter One: The Girl and the Clearing

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN UGLY!" The monster looked above just in time to see a silhouetted figure raise a pink sword and brought it down to the creature's neck, the blade moving head from body. The head rolled to a stop, two feet landed next to it and it's neighboring hands picked up the head and tossed into the air only to flawlessly grab it by the small amount of hair on top of it's head. The teenager blew the blond bangs out of her face and smiled at her new trophy as her hair settled on one side of her face. She turned to a tan and white cat just as it started to shrink from it's gigantic size.
"Hey look Cake, new book end!" Fionna held the head out to her feline sister.

"Girl, that thing gives me the creeps, why are it's eyes white? Honey, I got questions a mile long about this creep, but lets go get some grub, I'm starving!" Fionna laughed and walked over to her sister and they began the short walk to the Candy Kingdom.

Little did they realize the shadow on the edge of the forest, the moon shining his fangs as he smiled to the duo. He began hovering towards them, closer, closer, closer until he was right behind them. Neither one noticed the intruder until Fionna was lifted into the sky, dropping the head with a blood-curdling scream; she began to hit and scratch every surface of this new enemy that she could reach. She was tossed like the troll's head and held bridal-style into the arms of her captor, a young, grey skinned, black haired, point teeth and eared boy with a devilish grin and a mischievous glare. She promptly smacked him across the face, making a louder sound than her earlier scream.

"Yo yo yo my little bunny, why the slap?" Marshall Lee faked a hurt look at Fionna, who glared back. She stayed silent and crossed her arms, making the holding of herself a bit complicated for the young vampire king. He shuffled her around and looked down to Cake who was looking up in fear and irritation ten feet below. "Hello there little kitty, how are you? Tasting good as usual?"

"H-h-hey let her down you goof, don't you break her." Marshall laughed at the poor cat's fear, and hovered a bit higher.

"Can I steal your beloved sister for a few hours?" Cake seemed surprised at his request then hissed at the boy. Marshall Lee laughed and flew away with Fionna in his arms. "Now bunny, do you mind if I steal you for a bit?" his face hovered closely to the girl's; she turned her head to him and ignored the closeness of their lips. She turned pink as she gently shook her head no and the vampire smiled without looking away. "All right then let's go." he began to fly faster towards a forest. Fionna leaned her head against Marshall's chest in a sigh, disturbed by the absence of a heartbeat.

"Mar-Mar?"

"Yes bunny?"

"Where are we going?" Fionna looked back at his face and he grinned. He didn't offer an answer so she sighed again and put her head back to his chest. His response startled her when his chest rumbled from his voice.

"We are going to the place where it all started." Fionna looked at Marshall Lee in complete confusion. Where it all started? Where what all started?

She became silent again, not in irritation but wonder. The forest's edge passed under the couple in the blink of an eye, and the vampire began to slow. He stopped above a small clearing and lowered down until his feet touched the earth. Fionna slid out of Marshall Lee's arms and she looked around at the familiar clearing. She searched her memories as Marshall Lee slowly stepped closer behind her, as silent as he was when he scared her earlier, he lifted his hands and took hers, pleased that she didn't seem scared this time. He leaned his body closer to Fionna's and as his body made contact with hers, she understood.

The clearing was the place where it all started. Fionna turned around and Marshall Lee grabbed her around the waist and pulled them close again. She opened her mouth to speak but was at a loss for words. It was so long ago, the longer she thought the more she realized that it was about…

"One year ago," Marshall Lee leaned his forehead against Fionna's and whispered, "I grabbed you just like this. You were sixteen then, a few days after your birthday. Did you get my present this year?" Fionna nodded, thinking of the obsidian locket tucked under her shirt. "Have you opened it?" she shook her head no, "Do you have it?" Fionna pulled away just enough to pull it from under her shirt, ignoring Marshall Lee's proud expression. Her took the black oval and pressed it against the girl's lips. She gasped as it slowly opened to reveal…absolutely nothing. She looked back up to Marshall Lee.

"Marshall Lee what is this?' He didn't respond, he just stared in awe at the open locket. Fionna began to push away but he held on. He pulled her closer despite her protests.

"Fionna….come with me." He let go and turned into a subtle trail to their left. She huffed as she pushed the locket back into her shirt and followed him into the forest.