Chapter VI, Lost


Lemon Haven. This weird little calm island in the middle of the industrial revolution looked quite obscure. Quite weird. Quite silly perhaps? Nevertheless, quite refreshing. It's yellow walls and yellow gardens behind said defenses greeted newcomers with it's cheerful songs and playful gestures. It was there all the time like a flower in the dirt. Perhaps it was because this little kingdom in the middle of the city of mists had just enough power to suppress anyone who wanted to claim it. Perhaps it was because the fact that the lemon ways, so different and so strange, were so unique that they were able to hold their own guard. Or maybe it was because the fact, that the rightful ruler of this place sat on so many explosive contraptions that he could take half of Ooo with himself, should anyone tried to assault him? Yes, that sounded quite reasonable. Either way, anyone could seek the safety within the haven walls, within their peaceful gardens, within their yellow meadows. Why so little did that? Perhaps because in this place, one had to obey the laws. Breaking them was penalized with many things. Sometimes it was a simple reprimand. At times, exile. Mostly - death. The rules were simple, the rules were strict, live and let live. As the ruler said it himself – lemon need not squeeze lemon to survive. Still, most preferred to live in the dirt without any kind of bounds, than to join the lemon in his utopia. The gate before the three opened and the white Lemongrab himself greeted them with a smile. He saw his better days, that's for sure. His yellow skin was wrinkled a bit and he used a staff to support himself. He somehow got his legs back however and his face was completed as well. Lemon science was quite wondrous apparently. That, and he seemed to be at peace with himself after all those years, at least on the surface. A feat not many could obtain.

"Nh... Greetings. Nice to see you all in the... great halls of Lemon Haven." He bowed down a little. "It's wonders are..."

"Quit the small talk." The princess quickly interrupted him. "We're not here because of your little haven."

"I know that creator." He raised his eyebrow, still, apparently it was quite hard to actually anger him as he smiled right after. "Never the less, you are greeted here, with the appreciation you... nhhh... deserve."

"Never mind. We're here in business matters." She handed him the tickets. "Rings any bells? Clearly from your place."

The lemon began to inspect those yellow sheets of paper greatly. His eyes weren't as sharp as they used to be. That, and Bubblegum's creations were always rather far sighted. As he took out his glasses and inspected them in great detail, he began to ponder. That was a troubling sight indeed, when someone tried to fake the need of having those to get in. The Lemon Haven was always free of any charges, free of any entrance fees. Free for everyone. Equality. Equality for everyone. That was his goal. And if someone wanted to gain a profit from his goal, well, that lemon still had something sour left within him, despite his wrinkled posture.

"Not mine. Nhhhh. Still, troubling. Greatly."

"It should trouble you." The princess nodded her head slightly. "They were used to kill someone."

"Hm?" He blinked a couple of times. Even despite the fact that he got much wiser with his age, his brain at times stopped working in all the wrong moments. "Like, nhhh... someone killed with the usage of them? How, sliced with paper? Illogical, almost unacceptable..."

"No." She sighted loudly. "Someone gave it to our... friend. To lure him out. Thought you may know something about it."

To lure someone out with a promise of safe haven? That sounded wrong. That sounded vicious, evil. Perhaps his brother would agree on such terms, should he still linger in this world. Not him, no. And even if his memory failed him at times, even if he sometimes saw the things that hardly made much sense, even if by every given law he could be considered insane, even if he had his outbursts back in the days, he knew he would never do such a thing. No. Not in this place, not in this world. He was the last bacon of light after all. Or, at least he saw himself that way.

"I will look into it. Your friend?"

"Simon."

"Simon..." The cogs in his head worked at full speed. "Can't say I recall the name. Nhhh no. But. I'll look into it. In the meantime, feel free to stay within my haven."

"That's hardly necessa..."

"I insist. Nhh..." This time it was he who interrupted her. "I insist creator." A smile appeared on his yellow face. It was quite bitter, more so than usual. "Last time you were here, you did quite the show. Many years passed and... nh... I think we're 'almost' reaching your level, eh-ehehe." Sarcasm and lemons. Who would have thought. "Maybe you'll even learn a thing or two."

He said and turned around, leading them throughout the lemon gardens. Finn hardly payed any attention to them, Bubblegum simply walked nonchalantly, trying to look as indifferent as possible. Marceline however, now, she was quite in awe. Long time has passed since she saw actual trees, in a good state as well. So what that they were a bit too yellow. So what that they were weirdly shaped. So what that they smelled of lemons. They were beautiful and she simply adored it. She could clearly see why her friend wanted to come here and take her with him for that matter. Funny, when she now thought about it. In the end he did succeed. She was here alright. However the company was a bit different. Two friends by her side, for whom she could give her life in the past. Now? Now she wasn't all that sure if she'd do that. Either way, the road was longer than she expected and the lemon, despite his walking stick, moved quite fast. Eventually he sighted and turned towards the princess.

"How's Lemonhope?"

That question. She thought he forgot. After all, she hardly ever wrote to him nowadays. She hardly ever felt the need to do that. It was obvious that she couldn't just tell this poor, poor soul that his son died ten years ago. How ironic, that he was simply stabbed on the streets of the very kingdom that was meant to serve as an example. That was meant to prepare him for the revolution. That had to remain hidden. She owed the white lemon as much. She owed him this one lie, this one little fib. A mother should always protect his child from harm. Wasn't he just that, in his own twisted way?

"Um..." The princess thought fast. "He is doing fine, I haven't write to you recently, because, you know, all the issues, all the... duties. Now this murder..."

"I see..." He nodded, accepting her answer. Perhaps deep inside, he never wanted to hear anything else. "...so, when he's coming back?"

"Soon." She placed her hand over his shoulder as a vague smile appeared on her face. The lemon probably hardly realized that she was lying. Marceline however knew her former lover well. She saw it all in her face, in her eyes. How much she has changed. "Soon. Just a little more patience, and you'll hear his flute once again."

"Oh..." He sighted with relief. "That would be amazing. To hear his songs once again. Yes... nhhh... Yes."

"So..." She quickly changed the topic. "How did you survived in the end? Your brother ate you, didn't he?"

"I..."

Thoughts swirled in his head. Struggle, endless struggle. His body tossed in the black, sour tunnels. Without hope, without his legs, without half of his face. Devoured yet again. Shattered yet again. By the one he once trusted. By the one for whom he was created. He couldn't hate him. He wasn't designed to hate even if he attempted just that at times. He wanted it to be over, one way or another. He wanted to make it good for everyone. To make everyone happy, in his own twisted ways. His brother? He never wanted that. He wanted to claim things, conquer things, prove things to others. No, he wasn't like him at all. Still, to kill, even such a vile creature? That was unacceptable. That was intolerable. But as once again the slow, painful digestion began, his mind cleared. He remembered about his children. How many more will suffer because of his brother? How many more will die because this obese beast will make them do things against their will? One death, better than many deaths? No. Yes. No. Yes. He couldn't decide. He couldn't bare himself to do just that. As pain once again came through his body, as he almost couldn't stand it, he reminded himself about Lemonhope. Hope. Yes. He may succeed. But what if he would not? Are the lemon people bound to tyranny? No! He began to punch and claw his way through as much as he could. His limp limbs, usually just hanging by the side of his body found enormous strength within them. There could be only one. Only one. And as he finally saw the light, as he finally crawled from the depths, it was just that. Only one.

"...nh... had my ways, creator. Had my ways..."

###

The lemon gave them all their separate rooms. Perhaps that was for the better. Marceline hardly knew if she wanted to spend some time with either Finn or the princess. Still, hours passed without a single clue, without a single notion. The host was apparently quite occupied with doing something, still, this little vampire strove for action, as she hated when she had to sit down idly. Eventually, seeing as no one came in yet another hour, she left her room and traveled throughout the narrow castle corridors. It's yellow shimmering was quite soothing. Still, she tried to find the host. Now that she thought about it, she never had the opportunity to speak with him during all those years. She obviously knew about his existence, it was hardly a secret that this little creation of Bubblegum roamed freely through the world. All the girl knew that there were once two of them, similar, yet so different. That very notion ranged a couple of bells. Sounded quite similar to say the least. Finally, she came near the rooms that were separated from the rest by a small, yellow ribbon. It was hardly an obstacle, yet for the citizens of this weird place, it was enough. Things and rules never stopped this little vampire however, therefore she ventured onwards, finally reaching one, large chamber filled with plants. In the middle, a giant statue stood, in memory of the other lemon. It's eyes, carved in stone, looked judgmentally at everyone underneath his feet. And just there, on a little bench, his counterpart happened to sit, thinking deeply. The vampire simply shrugged and sat near him.

"Ah." He nodded at her. "Nh... Hello."

"Yeah, hi."

He looked at her. She was quite different than her pink counterpart. There was something wild and uncertain about her that emanated beyond her little frame. He hardly had the experience in dealing with the ones at her, still, it was always a refreshment to see something new within those walls. Something less of a murderer seeking redemption or a trespasser, trying to loot as much as he possibly could.

"I don't believe we had the opportunity to... nhh... talk?"

"Not really."

"That's the nature of things I guess, nhhh..."

"Keeps us thinking, huh?"

"Hah-eh... Nhhh... quite so."

Silence once again occurred. The girl felt many things from within the yellow figurine. Many emotions, many feelings, many things that should probably remained hidden. She knew that life is a cruel mistress, and at times, it's better not to ask, at least not in a direct way.

"So." She pointed at the statue, seeing as asking about it was hardly harmful to anyone. "What's the deal with that?"

"My brother. In memory of him. I consult things with him. It eases the mind."

"Hm..." She blinked a couple of times. "How do you consult things with a piece of stone?"

"We work differently. We think differently." The lemon shook his head. "You don't need to understand us. You don't have to."

The monument above them glared viciously at their slim silhouettes. Almost as if it wanted to act against their words. Almost as if he wanted to tell his counterpart not to mend with the lesser beings. He was always like that when he was alive. Why there should be any kind of difference during his physical disappearance?

"Someone took something dear for you, nhhh... yes?"

"What? Oh... yes."

"I know how that feels, believe it or not..." He sighted loudly. "The difference is, your quest is pure. I took the dearest thing from myself... nhh..."

There are times where words are hardly needed. Marceline felt that it's one of those times. Pat gave her something after all, and judging by it's color, it was a fitting place and time to use it. A small flute, yellow and beautifully made. One could only guess and wonder from where he had it. Still, she hardly cared at this point, as she simply passed it to it's rightful owner. His face lightened up a little bit just as he received this token of appreciation. In his wobbly head, it was like a sign that everything is fine, everything is good. Maybe even a sign that it's owner will come soon. What a joyful day it shall be. As the vampire placed her hand on his shoulder, she left almost instantly, apparently wanting to give him some much needed time. To think, to ponder, to figure things out. Eventually, he sighted.

"Brother..."

He looked around just to be sure that no one is watching. Seeing as the girl left just as he asked, he tossed aside his little staff and gazed at him once again. Confronting his older counterpart was the most difficult thing he could think off. Still, it had to be done.

"We had different opinions about many... nhh... things, didn't we?" He tapped his yellow fingers over the statue's feet. "It shames me that one of us had to end that way. It shames me brother." He gazed at the shoes carved from stone, almost as if he was unable to look in the statue's face. "But now I need your guidance. This matter requires your strength as... nhhh... it cannot be resolved with peace." He placed the flute in the statue's hand. "See? They care. They gave me this. Nhhh... We have to help them..."

He landed on his knees before the statue, as his head almost reached the very soil surrounding it. It still shamed him greatly what he had to do. It shamed him that he had to kill one of his own. His most precious possession in this world. But at least somewhere, deep within his mind, he had some hope. Lemonhope, to be exact. And unless he'll know the truth, it shall remain that way.

"Bitter our thoughts, tangled around..." He began to chant with his forehead still on the very ground. "In yellow heads of ours, distinct yet nhh... so close..." His yellow fingers driven deep within the soil. "...visions pass away, carved in the stone..." Lemon juice began to pour from his eyes. "You are so long a gone, I remain alone..."

###

If the lemon needed time, she will give him time. She knew all to well that the people you trust the most are sometimes difficult to deal with. If he wanted to consort things with his deceased brother, who was she to have something against that. She wasn't better after all - a half breed in a world full of mists and smoke. That's who she was. As she reached her chambers once again, a rare sight was to be observed behind the door frame. There was this curious pink being, sitting at the corner of her bed, apparently waiting for her for quite some time now. Her glimmering eyes fixated upon the pale silhouette almost instantly, as she slowly got up. The room was full of the scent of her perfumes, almost as if every single element inside was simply soaked by it.

"Wanted to talk with you a little bit."

"Oh, now you want to talk?"

"Marceline..." He stated shyly. Right after that, he reminded herself that she's a princess after all. She need to be decisive. Strict, rough but fair. "...you know that time means nothing for us. Years here, years there..."

"Thirty years is hell of a time, you know?"

"Maybe. At times perhaps. Other times, it's just like a blink."

The vampire began to circle around her. Partially to look intimidating perhaps. Yes, that would be an explanation she would given, should anyone asked. More so however, because he enjoyed the notion that now she has that pink delight in her own room, trapped inside those four, yellow walls, as she is simply bound to her will. Quite thrilling.

"Well, blinking Bonnie, why are you in my room?"

"Since when I need permission?" She giggled. "You never asked about one."

"Maybe I'm now bit more keen on my privacy?" The vampire shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Oh, you're fooling me or yourself now?"

"Perhaps both."

Over the course of years, if anything, Bubblegum learned that at times, there are things that you need to obtain with force. Marceline was just one of those things. She grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, as their lips met after all those years. Fires were lit once again, even if one of them doubted that they will ever rise with such strength. That was what they both strove for after all. That pink taste, after all those years, after all those missed moments tasted like the most dulcet thing. Even if the person with the scent itself wasn't the one she once knew and loved.

"Don't tell me you haven't thought about this moment." The princess smooched her again. "You know. About me."

"Maybe a bit, here and there."

"You're a terrible liar." She sniffed her partner's clothes. "...and you apparently use services of... others nowadays."

"And you're a terrible person."

"Yeah." The pink one chuckled, as she tossed her on the bed. "I've noticed."