CH10

"So…umm… the moon is out." Fionna smiled at the sickly looking boy. His skin was losing its tan like color and his breathing slowed. "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm dying." He replied

"Well with only half an hour till midnight…" Cake explained

"We never figured out how to win that bet." Marshall pointed out

"Well I don't think it matters now…" Fionna smiled

"This person made you hate me and almost got you killed by a dragon… the least they deserve is to lose this bet." Marshall stated

"I guess…but what could the answer be?" Cake asked a loud.

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"Marshall looks like he's dying" The queen stated, her tone and expression betraying her and showing her concern.

"Well…He technically is." The wizard laughed. His laugh was stopped short by her glare "Oh… I forget you cared."

"I don't!"

"Yeah okay"

"Don't forget your place." She hissed

The wizard, no longer afraid, stood from his seat near her and left the throne room. He left the queen not bothering to look back "I hope the bet was worth it."

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"Only two minutes of mortality left." Marshall sighed as he looked into Fionna's worried eyes. "What?"

"Marshall you look terrible." Cake stated

"Well I'm dying Cake." Marshall joked

"She did say you'd be brought back… right?" Fionna asked, her voice low and her tone afraid

"Yeah She… actually no." Marshall admitted

"One minute" Cake said looking at the boy's frail body.

"Well… this is it…" Marshall mumbled losing his voice

"Marshall… I love you." Fionna mumbled and clung to the boy

"It is now exactly midnight." Cake stated

"I love you too Fionna. More than you'll ever know." He mumbled into her ears.

Fionna pulled back with a smile only to see Marshall, his eyes closed and lips parted a bit. He didn't seem to be breathing and his heart was still.

"Marshall?" Fionna whispered and upon receiving no response began to panic. "Marshall!" She called out his name repeatedly, afraid he might never wake up.

"Cake! Cake why isn't he getting up?" Fionna yelled out tears freely falling down her face

"I don't know baby." Cake hugged Fionna and watched as Marshall laid still.

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"Why isn't he getting up?" The queen asked, not caring if the wizard sees her afraid for her son.

"I don't know… he should have been up by now…" He stated grimly and watched as the two girls shed tears for the boy.

He saw as the queen clenched her fists "Why did you turn him into a mortal! They die!" She screamed out in anger. The queen turned into a giant bat monster and growled, "Why did you have to take him away too?" She swung at the wizard and he fell back, to avoid her attack. She looked back to the screen and looked straight at Fionna "You! This is your fault!" The huge shadow enveloped her and swallowed her whole, leaving the wizard to stare at the place she had been.

Cake held Fionna tight and they stood in front of Marshall. Fionna's tears drenching Cake's fur.

"This is your fault," The female voice stated grimly

"What?" Cake turned to Marshall's mother

"Your stupid love killed him…" She mumbled looking at Marshall's limp body

Fionna looked back at Marshall and then at his mother "Love…It was you…" She started, wiping the tears from her face "you were the one who created this bet… y-you were the one who tried to make me die… you were controlling PG… it was you… you were the other side of the bet… You didn't want him to love me," Fionna stated disbelieving

"What?" Cake whispered

"Bravo… beautiful and smart." The queen stated sarcastically "You don't understand… Marshall is…was immortal… you could have never been together… even if he loved you!" The queen looked at Fionna in the eye "You'd just die and he'd be left behind to mourn you… he'd turn bitter and eventually reach the point of hating anything that has to do with you."

"Is that how it is for you and Marshall's dad? Do you hate Marshall for being the reminder?" Cake asked, forgetting he was talking to the queen of evil

"I don't hate Marshall Lee… I hate what he represents… I hate how much he looks like his father… I hate how he's doing the same thing I did…" She ended sadly, "He fell in love with a mortal… look how it ended." She looked over to her son. His body remained unmoving.

Fionna kneeled in front of his body and brought her hand to cup his cheek "Marshall…" She whispered before laying her head on his chest to cry. Fionna lifted her head in confusion. "He's cold…"

"He's dead." The queen stated becoming angry once more

"No… he's cold… too cold…" Fionna replied staring at the boy. His skin was now that gray-ish pale color again and his temperature was cold as before.

Marshall Lee opened his eyes and quickly sat up. His eyes were now that electric black. "What?" He asked at the confused faces. He stood up stretching and identified his mother. He stopped mid stretch "Mother?" Instantly the queen rushed to the boy knocking him off his feet.

The queen, realizing what she did, pulled back from the embrace, and disappeared without a word into her shadow. "What was that about?" Marshall asked with a smile, his fangs now visible.

"How do you feel?" Cake asked

"Hungry… got anything red?"

"Be right back" Cake smiled

"So… how's my little Fi?" He asked as he began to float once more "Why was she crying? Did she miss me?"

Fionna frowned and punched him in the shoulder "That's for scaring me! I though you were gone for ever!"

Marshall laughed and pulled her to his side "Did you cry for me?"

"Here you go Marshall," Cake said passing him a bowl of strawberries

"Thanks cat." He grinned.

Fionna punched his shoulder once more "Don't ruin it… We cried for you."

Marshall grinned as he sucked the color of the strawberries

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"What happened to your evil plan?" The wizard asked teasingly as the queen stepped out of the shadow

"We've all had our moment we lost control…" She responded with a smirk and her eyes closed.

"His death affected you that much?" he asked smiling

"You knew didn't you? You knew he was going to get up."

"Yes… like I knew I would win the bet." He smiled and stuck his hand out for the tickets

The queen smiled "Here."

"Now… I hope you don't think any less of me for not being evil enough."

"Actually I like it… gives me the opportunity to corrupt you." She grinned

"Good… Now, my beautiful evil, queen would you like to go see the best band of Aaa playing tomorrow night?"

"I would love too." She grinned "…and maybe suck out some souls."