Chapter 29: Croak
Marceline didn't know how she had lost track of the time. Honestly, it wasn't as though she hadn't been paying attention. How could I not pay attention to something like this? I knew my time was limited just…time always seemed to drag or fly or move of its own accord but I always, always paid attention, but now? Still, here she was, completely having lost track of time. How could I have been so careless? So frivolous? Tears welled in her eyes, threatening to spill over. She didn't fight them.
"Marceline…" Came a soft voice. It was that kind, caring, stupid voice she was pained to hear. It acknowledged the end, sat happily by its side, accepted it. The tears fell, staining her cheeks. Stupid Marceline…stupid vampire! You knew better! You always knew better than to get involved with mortals! What happened to you, Queen of the Heartless? The voice came again. "Marceline…" It was sad, but not for itself. For the Queen. A Queen of two completely opposite kingdoms.
Marceline fought for her words. "D-don't," She wracked. "W-why are you–are you doing this? You d-don't h-have to go!" True, she had known this day was coming. The Princess (Queen) had had her croak dream and everything was happening just that way. There was never any denying the inevitable (or the Cosmic Owl). Shaky breaths ravaged the vampire's body as she looked down at the bed. Looked down at the hand she held.
Princess (Queen) Bubblegum was pale pink. It had happened with age. But Marceline had aged with her, and no matter what, the well-worn and kind face was always (always) the most beautiful thing in the world. The bed was the same as it had been for eighty years. Ever since the princess was five. Everything was a brightly polished pink as ever. Everything except an ever-paling Bubblegum. "Marceline…" She said quietly.
"No!" The vampire yelled. "I–I know you can live longer…for forever if you want! You think I don't know about your weirdo candy-biomass thing? You think I don't know? I know! I know you could stay with me if you wanted to!" The vampire yelled through tears. Marceline had aged into beauty. She had never really physically gotten older than twenty-ish until she met Bubblegum and aged with her. With her age, came the noble show of wisdom that shined through not only her eyes, but every inch of her being. She embraced her age for the first time and acted the Queen she was. While Bubblegum had paled, Marceline had remained vibrant. Her hair ever-silky, her skin ever-smooth. It wasn't something she could change. It was how she would have aged normally. If she were a human. If I were human I'd be dead. And if I became human again I could die happily next to Bubblegum. She cursed her five-year-old self. She cursed her father. She cursed the Cosmic Owl. She cursed the humans who ended their own existence. She cursed her immortality.
"Marceline…" Bubblegum said lightly, and the vampire understood. It's her time. It's her time and I will never have one. The thought shook her. There was silence in the air.
"I could go with you." The vampire whispered. "I could. I could walk out into the sun and just–just…go with you. What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to do? It's not fair…it's not fair! Why? Why are you leaving me?" The last question was directed at the world, whom she blamed entirely for the soon-to-be loss of Princess (Queen) Bonnibel Bubblegum.
Bubblegum shook her head. "It's my time." She said simply. "And I suppose…I suppose you'll just go on living as ever. And life is never fair. Why didn't you see that, Marceline?"
Marceline hiccupped a depressed laugh. "W-Well, little one…s-sometimes people…older people, can't see the simple things…because we think too much. And I am around as old as they come," She hated herself for it. "…so nothing seems so simple anymore."
Bubblegum smiled softly at her, reminded of a time that seemed oh-so long ago to her. "Won't you tell me a story?"
Marceline breathed out her sobs. Trying her best (and failing) at staying composed. She's dying. Marceline knew how the dream went. She knew this was practically it. She could deny the princess her request and it wouldn't happen but…when could she ever deny Bubblegum anything? "O-Of c–" she tried to control herself. "–course, my Princess." So she started.
"O-once upon a time, there was a little girl who was afraid of monsters. And…and she met one, one day, a very long time ago for her. A lifetime ago. But…but to the monster, j-just the blink of an eye. And the girl was so afraid at first. And the monster thought she was so silly. There she was, a girl no more than five, in a cave, so, so far away from home. But the monster calmed her and took her back, under much silly demand and pomp and circumstance." Bubblegum giggled.
"Well…they got back, and the girl–who was so afraid of monsters–decided to…decided to become best friends with one." She managed before taking a few breaths. Bubblegum squeezed lightly at her hand. "And the monster thought it so strange. Thought the girl so strange. B-but they became best friends anyway. For years, they had adventures and shenanigans and…and just everything. And the girl was never afraid. Not once."
Time passed and…the girl grew. The monster stayed the same. The monster would always stay the same. And-and the silly girl decided she was in love. Such a foolish thing to do, really. Fall in love with a monster…" Marceline breathed a laugh. Bubblegum continued to smile, as she had done the entire story. "Well in not a bit of time…the monster realized that she was in love too. Such a foolish thing to do…fall in love…wh–when you're a monster. But still…it happened and…for a while they were in love." Marceline choked out the last word and shook her head, unable to continue.
But the soft plea of "Don't stop…don't you know this is my favorite story?" pulled the words from her.
"W-well…one day…I guess…I-I mean…well the girl found out that…that her best friend–her lover–really was a monster. Or at least…came from a-a place full of them. But the girl wasn't afraid…she was never afraid. Not of her monster. She was afraid of…of where the monster came from and…and the monster knew that. But when the girl…wh-…when the girl called her out on it um…even though the monster understood…this girl was so sure, so confident…and the monster left. The monster left and stayed away for a very long time. A very long time. And they both were very sad. But still…they were in love. They never did stop being in love."
Marceline nodded and smiled down at Bubblegum. "The monster spent a long time trying to convince herself otherwise. Lying to herself and…the girl spent a long time hurting. And when you spend a long time hurting…it turns into…it-it turns into anger. And the monster knew. And the monster understood. Two years they'd…they'd been apart and…for two years more they…f-fought and argued and…and tried so hard…so hard to hate each other. But…but one stupid day…a stupid Door Lord…took something…valuable from the girl and…and came through the monster's house.
"The monster didn't know…didn't know what was missing for the girl…but knew what was missing from herself and…and if getting that thing back would make the girl happy, she would help. Because she missed making the girl happy." She paused. "It was so stupid. It started just a-another antagonizing song and then…and then it wasn't. Then it was the truth and…and the girl knew. And the girl understood. Now for the record…the monster…the monster never meant to sing that song. But it was the…the….the best mistake she ever made."
Marceline took a couple of cleansing breaths. The sun began to set. "The monster wanted to leave, just as she had before because…because all her carefully constructed lies had just…unwoven…in the course of one song. She wrecked her place and was...was leaving. But then, a knock at her door stopped her. It was far too polite…to be anyone else. And the monster knew it was the girl. Who asked her to stay. And you see…the monster never could deny the girl anything." Marceline joked. And they shared a small laugh.
"Time passed and…and and the monster thought it was okay. But…but a while later…she found out the girl didn't. And she gave the monster…she gave the monster something she'd been after for years. And it wasn't a grungy old teddy bear. The girl apologized. Such a strange thing to do…apologize to a monster. And with the apology…came the silent request for a second chance. But the monster was…cruel. She…she shielded herself from this girl who was so, completely, hopelessly in love. But one day…in the rain…the girl found the monster who…who had been thinking, as she had lie there, a-about her happiness. And how it was…decidedly lacking.
"The monster…tried so hard to be cruel. To stop the girl from…from trying to change anything. But…she was in love. And that day…again…the two were in love. People didn't like the monster very much…but…but the girl decided…well she decided she didn't care about people. They were in love. And that's what mattered. And for years and years they were in love. They had adventures. They got into shenanigans. They Married. They had kids…" She said with a sarcastic bit of distaste before smiling through tears. "They ruled a kingdom. A kingdom with no king. And they were…so, so happy. And…" She lost all semblance of composure as she cried into Bubblegum's hand. "And they're still…still i-i-in love t-t-to this…this d-day."
Bubblegum smiled so, so weakly. "I want to have a love like that…I want a love so absolute that nothing else matters; even what others might say or do to try and stop it."
"If anyone deserves undying love…it's you." Marceline whispered. "B-but I wish…I wish it would die with you. I don't know what I'm going to do…"
Bubblegum looked at her. "Be young again, Marceline." And the vampire knew it wasn't a suggestion, but a request, so she aged back down. And she sat in her chair. And she held Bubblegum's hand. And she cried. "Marci…why are you crying?"
She didn't stop as she looked at the pink girl, who was young again with her. She could see it in aged eyes. "It…it's nothing Bonni…just…my dad ate my fries again." She lied.
"What a patoot."
Marceline couldn't help but sigh a smile. "Y-yeah. But you're here, Little One…so I'll be okay." Bubblegum nodded.
"Sugar, I'm sleepy."
"It's okay Bonni. You can sleep."
"But…but I don't think I want to. Not without you."
"Don't you remember? You and I are going on an adventure tonight…you…you sleep and…and I'll wake you up when…when we get there."
"You will? Promise?"
"I…I promise…I promise Bonni."
"Marci? I love you."
"I…I…I love you too."
When silence swept the room, the door creaked open, and two candy people, both in their sixties, but looking in their thirties, walked in. Half immortal DNA will do that to you. Marceline looked up. "Hello little prince…princess."
The man looked at the girl in the chair. "M-Ma?" He asked, having never seen the vampire so young. The girl only nodded.
"Is…is mom…" The woman asked. Marceline nodded again. A Man walked in.
"Marceline…I'm so sorry…" He began, voice well worn and body in shape. "When…when Jake died I–"
"Don't you talk to me about Death, Finn Human!" She exploded, standing from her chair to encase him in her fury. "I have seen more Death than you ever will, boy! Now get out! You're a fucking child. So was she." She sat back down and shook her head. "You all are…" She cursed her immortality.
Finn nodded sadly, and left to be with the candy people below. Silence passed. "Ma…ma you have to tell them…" The prince said.
Marceline nodded, still staring down at Bubblegum. "I know…I know but I don't want to because…because then it's real. Such a stupid thing to do…fall in love, and have kids…with a mortal. Such a stupid thing…" She released her grip on Bubblegum slowly, before making her way to the balcony, where the candy people stood below.
She took steadying breaths. "I know…I know that many of you don't like me. But I ask…in the name of Queen Bonnibel Bubblegum, f-for the animosity…to be put on hold…until I have put my wife to rest." She nodded and went back inside.
The funeral was small; the celebration of Queen Bubblegum's life was not. It lasted all week, and at the end, Marceline renounced her throne over the Candy Kingdom and gave it to her children to share. She was going home.
When she got there, all she wanted to do was collapse on a bed and stay there for eternity. Before she could even find a bed, however, a small, elfish demon scurried up to her. "Miss Marceline, Miss Marceline!" Is skittered. "The Cosmic owl has been calling nonstop for a week! You have seventeen messages and twenty-one missed calls from him, Miss Marceline!"
Too exhausted to be angry with the little demon (who was just doing its job, after all) she said, "Doesn't he know…I had more important things to do?" She would have cried, had she tears left. Still, the vampire monarch of the Night-O-Sphere went to her desk to get the phone. She passed by her father, who looked like he didn't know what to say, and Marshall, who put a hand on her shoulder briefly in silent support. The Night-O-Sphere was quiet, save for her ringing phone.
She picked it up. "Speak…What?...What do you mean she's unhappy! Look, bird brain, if you sent her to some lame-ass dead zone like number thirty-six I'm gonna go up there and wring you feathered neck, you get me? It will not be pleasant and–…what? … N-no, no that can't be right, it's not–it's not how that works. …She shouldn't remember...she what?...Visits?..." Marceline, to say the least, was at a complete and utter loss for words.
A sly voice permeated the summer air. "So…zone eighty-seven, huh? I didn't even know they went that high."
Bubblegum turned around. "M-Marceline?" She asked, utterly shocked.
"Y'know, Bonni…you aren't really supposed to remember that." She said, floating closer to the pink girl, who was young again. The sun beat down warmly on her vampire flesh, and she smiled in the heat for the first time in over a thousand years. After all, it wasn't the real sun, but one put into this zone. A breeze moved the grass.
"How could I forget you, you wicked thing?" Bubblegum asked. "But…but you…you shouldn't be here. You didn't…you aren't…dead…are you?"
The vampire laughed. "Don't you remember Bonni? I croaked a long time ago."
*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*I HAVE A SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*
For the next few chapters I will be doing ONE request for each of the following characters from outside of PB and Marci's point of view:
BMO, Peppermint Butler, Hunson Abadeer, Finn + Jake, and...MARCI's MOM!
You may submit your normal PB+Marci suggestions with these five. You can submit one suggestion for each of the specials, or just one suggestion for a special or anywhere in between HOWEVER...only one suggestion for each special will be chosen so make it good! Now bad your regularly scheduled:
A/N
So remember how I said this next chapter wasn't going to be depressing? Sorry dudes...I lied. This one is aging/ final goodbye as requested by TheWatchmaKer and SilentHill. I was actually just going to end it where they said their last 'I love you's, but I like them having a happy ending.
Please review and suggest!
Also, just in case you're wondering, Marci can visit PB's dead zone whenever she pleases, just like she did Ooo. It made me happy I thought of it. If you wanted a permanently sad ending, sorry to disappoint, but I actually really like the way this turned out. Emotionally draining chapter is emotionally draining, but I like it.
-JD
