Depending on lost friends

"Are you sure we have to do this?" Marceline complained from under her umbrella as she grudgingly followed the adventurous duo.

"Marceline we all agreed that this was the best idea we came up with" Finn explained just as foully as he was asked, putting his hands behind his head as he walked. He secretly wished that they were doing Jake's pickle flood idea.

Jake on the other hand was the only one who wasn't in a bad mood. He had no problems with the current plan other than it weren't his but that just meant more pickles for him. He was still curious, not about Finn he knew why Finn didn't like the plan, he wasn't the most subtle when it came to his feelings but Marceline was a different story.

"What is it between you two anyway?" the dog asked the vampire queen.

"I don't want to talk about it" she replied with enough hate and coldness that it made Jake feel like he was going to spontaneously combust and freeze to death at the same time.

He just whistled and turned back around not willing to admit that he was currently quivering more than jelly in a paint mixer.

Marceline sighed to herself hating the plan as much as Finn but for different reasons. The plan itself made enough sense. The ice king was harmless and lonely enough that if he wasn't up to anything he would probably let all 3 of them in if they ask. However the odds of him getting in the way of what they needed to do was too high to risk. They were going to have to search his entire ice castle just in case he had something that might help in turning him back into Simon.

This meant they needed him distracted and after the obvious shiny object jokes the trio settle on the best option to lure the king out.

And while pretty much anyone could do this there was really only one who would assure complete distraction but this would be a hard thing to ask anyone, not just someone Marceline was at odds with. She'll be the first to admit that she did make it a bad habit to burn bridges but she hoped this one was at least salvageable enough for her old friend to consider her idea.

As the three entered Candy Kingdom, two of them silently thought while knowing the answer 'Why did it have to be her?'

In the mist of her experiments to better the life of all her candy subjects, princess Bubblegum who was only pulled away from her thoughts by a cold shiver down her spine.

"An unknown darkness looms ever closer." Her sentient mold experiment spoke before quivering and combusting into ash.

"Hmm"

A knock at her door broke her thought.

"Yes?"

"Finn, Jake and Mar-ow! I mean Finn and Jake are here to visit you Princess" one of her banana gaurds suspiciously replied.

'Mar-ow? Hmm something doesn't sound right but it's Finn and Jake I can trust them but then again ominous sentient mold experiments rarely lie'

"Please let them in" she said as she took her notes making sure she could return to her projects after what Finn and Jake wanted to talk about.

She planned to smile when they walked in but that smile was quickly replaced by an awkward and unsure twist when she saw Marceline who couldn't even look in her general direction.

Finn and Jake silently debated who would talk first and break the dramatic silence with elbow prods.

And because he couldn't just simply use his magic powers to absorb the prods, Fin was the one who spoke out.

"H-hey umm peebles."

The scientific Princess turned her attention to Fin thinking that if she just said yes to whatever they asked the awkwardness would end quick enough.

"What is it Fin?" she asked with a stern tone not exactly in the mood for the normal pleasantries she had with the brothers. Her history with Marceline just meant it was better all those involved if they just stayed clear of each other. 'She should know this, so why is she here? Hmm must be messing with Fin again.'

The person in question was currently producing a small puddle of perspiration "Well you see princess. We need you- I mean if you're cool with it, it'll be totally math if you, umm... we have this plan and..."

"Wait Fin I'll do it." Marceline interjected partly because it felt like getting someone else to do her dirty work. The other reason was because Fin looked like he was going to wet himself and she wanted to be the one who did that.

"You see Bonnibel, sorry, I mean Princess Bubblegum" she struggled to say through gritted teeth but even then the Princess was taken aback by the effort. Marceline had never called her by her title without sarcasm and while strained it was an honest try.

'Perhaps I was wrong in suspecting them of something foul'

"We need you to go on a date... with the Ice King"

"... I see"

At this moment all the Princesses training in poise and composure strained as she calmly took off her white lab coat folding over her office chair, set her glasses down and undid her ponytail readjusting her tiara. She made sure she looked the very image of the prefect princess her subjects expected.

Before screaming at the top of her lungs.

"GUARDS!"

3 Banana Guards rushed into the room just managing to squeeze through the door.

"YES Princess?"

"Restrain Fin, Jake and Marceline their minds have obviously been flawarped as some part of a heinous plan of the Ice King."

The Banana guards obeyed and restrained the trio.

"Hey! What the?"

"Whoa man, Not cool!"

Finn and Jake protested but Marceline just kept eye contact with Princess Bubblegum. Though the vampire Queen could easily break out the banana guard's hold and break the banana guard in general but she didn't so much as struggle.

"You got it wrong Bonnibel. It's Me, just me asking here, no Ice King and... I have my reasons" she stated genuinely desperate and never breaking eye contact.

The Princess looked into Marceline's eyes then to her guard.

"Guards please release them."

"but Princess-"

"I won't repeat myself"

The giant bananas complied with the Princess and let them go before leaving the room.

"Fin, Jake can you please leave me and Marceline alone for a few minutes?" she asked the brothers though her tone implied it was no question.

The two nodded, silently edging out of the room to enjoy a not as awkward moment with the banana guards.

Alone in the room, Marceline and Bonnibel stood there. The vampire Queen was blushing over her sudden emotional burst unsure what else to say.

"Bonny I-" She started only to be paused by the Princess raising her palm. Normally she wouldn't follow such social ques but this situation was far beyond her comfort zone.

"Marceline, I don't know what your intentions are or even what your goal is. And as Princess it would be unfair to my people who trust me so much to do something so insane without reason"

Marceline hung her head in shame thinking that she was going to have to share her past with Bonnibel the one person she didn't want feeling pity for her.

"What I do know is that you're one of the oldest beings in all of Ooo, a troublemaker who knows the line, always looking the big picture and even though you're actions maybe look questionable at the start they're always for the benefit of others."

She let a large sigh and relaxed her posture. "So I ask you: do I have to question you as Princess Candy Kindom or can I trust your judgement as my friend?"

The Vampire Queen just looked up at the Princess and smiled warmly.