Real Talk: Holy long break, Batman! Sorry about that, guys. Lots of real-life changes that are pretty significant have been eating my time. I'd like to say I'm back to a normal posting schedule, but I'm not. There shouldn't be another two month break, though! In the meantime I plan to make more of an effort to post blurbs and other fun things on the Tumblr, especially since you all liked the newest one so much!

Enjoy a nice calm chapter for now, because... oh boy.

Oh, and you should all give Plesiosaur some love, because her constant prods to actually work on this story is a good part of why this came out and I didn't hide from my own ineptitude.

Content Warnings:

Non-graphic violence

Growing pains

Mind games with good intentions

Is that a foreshadow for Part 3 I see? Probably a coincidence

Tiny bit of fluff

Bonnie Bonnie-ing

Mild references to psychological trauma

Slight self-mutilation

"Can't sleep?"

Marceline sighed, glancing over her shoulder just long enough to acknowledge her visitor before returning to staring at the sky. At her side, her bass lay next to her, waiting for its owner obediently. "Guess not. I didn't wake you, right?"

It was with a sarcastic snort - a noise Marceline herself had taught her - that Phoebe sat beside the queen, mindful of her castle's jagged spikes, those unfriendly wardens meant to discourage would-be assailants. "No, I'm used to finding you on my roof in the dead of day when you visit. If it stopped happening I wouldn't know what it means or what to do with myself."

Was that sarcasm? If Marceline had anything to do with it it was and the pride surged through her, escaping in the form of a small smirk. "Rock." With that the two fell into a comfortable, practiced silence. Phoebe wasn't exactly wrong; Marceline did often end up on the roof of her castle at the conclusion of her visits, deep in some ponderance that would be almost uncharacteristic if she didn't know the older woman so well. The princess closed her eyes, listening intently to the sound of her mental clock countdown. Any second now, Marceline would break her quiet and broach something uncomfortable, something that had been secretly eating at her, something like- "Thanks. For helping me."

Phoebe smiled to herself, stretching next to her immortal friend. She hadn't bothered to change after their training session, nor after their impromptu celebration party that, admittedly, the young princess wasn't sure the purpose of. There was no point, really; by nightfall the older woman would return to the Candy Kingdom, taking its champions with her and leaving Phoebe to resume her own royal duties. In the back of her mind Jake's ominous warning, courtesy of a feral animal in an immaculate suit, poked its head out before quickly retreating, as if alarmed that it had been spotted. In truth, the fire elemental had never anticipated broaching the topic of Marceline's mental components, content to let the musician come to her in time. But she also hadn't anticipated having a moment alone with her, away from the prying eyes and ears of their friends. If Marcy wants to talk how can I say no? "How are you doing, girl?"

Marceline exhaled forcefully, pulling her knees against her chest. Her silence was contemplative but not reluctant, and it was evident to the younger royal that the vampire had been considering exactly that question, and for quite some time now. How meta. "I have this… memory. Being on a roof, thinking about junk. 'Cept it's not you with me, it's Finn. And it's not me with Finn, it's some other me, when I was… you know."

Phoebe nodded politely, waiting to see if her friend would continue without prompting. She didn't, surprising no one. "When he went in to put you back together?" Silent affirmation. "What happened earlier, Marcy?"

Were it anyone else, Marceline knew she would have sarcastically remarked that her brain had been shattered by an amulet of ancient evil. Though Phoebe appreciated her sardonic wit now didn't seem to be the time. "I saw them. Two of me. Usurper and Tyrant."

"What happened?"

Marceline rested her forehead against her knees, eyes closing from the strain of remembering. "I'll be real… I don't entirely get it. Just… Usurper was there, and she was mad mad."

Phoebe nodded to herself, keeping a close eye on the singer's body language, listening to the tension in her still-healing voice, tension she was certain Marceline wasn't even aware of. "Was she the one who had a problem with Bubblegum?"

"Yeah, she hated Bon. Well… hates? Ugh, whatevs. Yeah, that's her."

"What did she want?"

Marceline closed her eyes. How could something that didn't actually happen be burned so perfectly in her memory? How was it possible to relive something that was, in essence, a fantasy? "She hates this. All of this." She waited for Phoebe to press her, to nudge her towards opening up, but instead the fire elemental only watched thoughtfully. It was almost jarring, that inaction. "No reason, I guess. She's just…"

"Rage incarnate?" The vampire's sigh was all the affirmation she needed. "You seemed pretty shaken up when Finn and Jake found you."

The immortal woman frowned, lightly blushing. It was politely ignored. "Was I that lame?"

Phoebe gave her a gentle smile. Somehow, that made it worse. "You weren't lame, Marceline. But you did seem pretty shaken up," she repeated.

Marceline got the hint. Not that she liked it. Not that she fought it. "She wanted to… fight, I guess?" She gave a half-hearted shrug, the blush worsening as the words left her mouth. "She hated that I was trying to learn to control everything. She just wants to burn everything to the ground."

"Did you fight her?"

Another half-shrug and a grey cheek came to rest on its owner's knees. It had the added benefit of keeping Marceline's face turned away from her friend. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that," she whispered softly. "If she was even there. Which… you know. She wasn't."

Now that she was liberated from the burden of needing to maintain a neutral expression Phoebe frowned. True, Marceline had always worn her heart on her sleeve - at least, around her - but this was a bit much, even for her. No, whatever was eating at the musician went deeper than some psychotic break that Phoebe had to assume she was regrettably used to by now. "What happened after?"

Shrugs all around. "Tyrant saved me."

Phoebe tilted her head, watching the singer intently. With those three words her tension seemed to amplify, her voice tightening. Suddenly the choker around her neck, shielding her scar from the world, seemed an awful lot like a noose. "You've mentioned her before. The part of you that's loyalty?"

Was that a question or an accusation? "Loyalty. Subservience. What evs. I was fighting Usurper and told her that… I don't know. Not that I accept her, 'cause I don't, but that I can't beat her by fighting her. Then Tyrant shows up and just skewers her. I could've beaten her myself," Marceline mumbled, not entirely sure if she was being honest or just frustrated with herself, frustrated with the situation, frustrated with everything.

At her side, Phoebe mentally filed that claim away for another day. Something about it buzzed in the back of her mind, something important to address, but not now. There was a more pressing path to trail at the moment. "Is that what's bothering you? That she took your kill?"

Marceline shook her head. "No. Well, yeah, it messes up my cred. But it's what she said." She closed her eyes, straining against the memory. The effort it took to recall the words without repeating them was more than she'd like to admit. Just how much of her was that woman? "She said… that she couldn't let Usurper wreck me, and she couldn't let me wreck her, 'cause Bonnie's worked too hard to bring me home and put me back together again." Her hand clenched, almost hard enough to snap a finger. Almost. "Why, Pheebs? It's so junked up. Does that mean I'm not trying to heal for me? That I'm still doing everything for her?"

Phoebe rested the warmth of her hand against Marceline's until it relaxed. Neither seemed to notice the burns, nor how swiftly they healed. The strain in the older monarch's voice was too much for the fire princess to ignore, and while she was typically content to let the queen work her own thought processes out they could turn toxic and, such as now, that needed to be nipped in the bud. "Is that why you didn't want Bubblegum here when we worked on your fire?"

"No. Well… yeah? I really am worried that I could kill her with it. She's a brainlord, but she's still candy. But…," she sighed softly, "maybe? I guess… maybe I wanted to see if I could do this alone? Well, you know, not alone, 'cause you and the dweebs are here. You know what I mean!"

Phoebe nodded, allowing her warmth to soothe away the half-demon's outburst. "Yes. It's different when it's us. None of us have the same history with her that you do." And wasn't that the understatement of the year. "I can see it in your eyes, Marcy. You've always just wanted to make her proud." It didn't escape her that the hand resumed clenching, that Marceline's jaw tightened, that her eyes narrowed at nothing, but Phoebe wasn't afraid of her friend and slid closer as she continued. "Now you want to make you proud of yourself, but these behaviors and those urges… they're deep in you, girl." She's still deep in your brain, even now.

The crack of a finger. To her credit, Phoebe didn't so much as wince, but Marceline did because deep down where even her rage couldn't touch her the queen knew self-mutilation in all forms was against the rules. A spark of guilt and wave of self-disgust later and the finger was good as new. "When Tyrant took out Usurper she shape-shifted. I know they all have my pows, but Finn told me that she was different. She couldn't shape-shift into anything but my void form. This time… it wasn't the voice form. I called her out on it, and she said it's 'cause her leash has gotten a little looser. But…"

When she trailed off Phoebe withdrew her hand. "But?"

"But she said she was only cool with this if it never got too loose. Is that what I am, Pheebs? Some tool?"

Phoebe's frown deepened. "Marceline, I don't think you're a tool." A grunt. "You and Bubblegum have an established relationship, and like any relationship it has its way of being. Now because she-" royally messed the fuzz up "-pressured you into taking your father's amulet everything is changing. You're starting to question your role and place in the relationship, and since you've spent hundreds of years with her that means you're questioning yourself." And if she's as smart as everyone thinks she is she's questioning herself as well. But she knew better than to say that. Phoebe knew that while she and Marceline may be close there was bad blood between the younger women, and nothing could be gained by insulting her fellow princess. The idea was to help Marceline, not be vindicated that She Was Right All Along. Even if I am. "This is gonna hurt, but she's not here. She respected your wishes, right? She was almost civil when I visited you." The second time anyway.

Marceline mulled that statement over. Both the statement, and who it came from. "Yeah… I guess so." But… "Why did you take the lamp anyway, Pheebs?" The question came out quieter than she had meant, but it was loud enough for the frown to finally fade from the elemental. "I'd think you'd want that thing gone."

"Mm." It was a difficult question to answer, more difficult than the younger woman would like to admit. Sure, Marceline was aware of her complicated history with Bubblegum, but unlike the candy golem the vampire harbored immense guilt about her role in her lover's centuries-long tyranny. It wasn't your fault, Marcy. You didn't know. But that would be a conversation, a ressurance, for a different day. It would be one step at a time, and this was not a step the queen was ready for. "Regardless of her motives, Bubblegum built a formidable cage," Phoebe began carefully. "I was young, sure, but I'm much stronger than any of my peeps. If it could hold me it could hold them."

Marceline lifted her head slowly, watching Phoebe carefully. She often admired how calm and collected the fire elemental had grown to become, how she still possessed the capability for great outbursts and destruction, for compromising the planet's stability itself, but how she had seen this in herself and grown to control it. You might not have meant to, Bon, but you taught her to become powerful. Somehow, Marceline doubted that she meant to. "You're worried she'd do it again?"

"Maybe not," the younger royal admitted. "But it concerns me that Bubblegum could do it again, and with her technological advancements since it was built it could contain something much more powerful if left unchecked."

Marceline frowned. "Like your kingdom? Cone on, Pheebs, Bon's bad but she's not that bad."

Phoebe sighed. "Marcy, please try to understand." She almost killed you and she actually likes you. "She's a very dangerous person, and I can't risk my people or their safety. If I know how she built the lamp then I'll have an idea as to how she might improve it, and how she might strike against me." She gave the half-demon a side-eyed glance. "Can you really say in all honesty that she never would? And I don't ask as her kingdom's guardian, but as someone a bajillion years old who's seen it all."

Marceline opened her mouth to argue, to defend her lover, to contest the charges… then closed it. "...Bonnie's a brainlord."

"Paranoid. And after what happened between us she isn't exactly a fan of mine, girl."

Marceline didn't argue, she had more decency than that. "...Be careful, Pheebs. You know I can only do so much with you guys fighting. She's still my mate. I have to protect her."

But here you are. And she let you come. What to make of that? Another question for another day. "I know you do, and I know you don't want to pick sides. I don't want to put you in the position to, and I know you work hard to keep the peace between us as best you can-"

"Nah, I get it. You can't just rely on me."

Phoebe nodded. "You're a good friend, Marceline. That's why I want to help you control your flame."

Marceline frowned, gaze trailing to her hand. She lifted it, turning it over so she could gaze into her palm. Her eyes narrowed as she willed her flame forward, willed it to be its true demonic form and not its common orange color. Nothing happened at first, not for an infuriatingly long amount of time. Soon, though not soon enough, sparks flew before coalescing into a single ember. A white ember that grew to sit in her palm, hovering. Small, but decidedly there, and very much demonic. "I mean… I can kind of summon it?"

Phoebe made a non-committal noise, not mocking, but not confirmation either. "You're getting better. We really just need to identify a way for you to consistently summon it, and build enough confidence for you to freely manipulate its size."

Marceline groaned, "You sound like Bonnie." When there was no response she turned to her friend, who was frowning deeply.

"Marceline, never say that to me again. Ever."

It wasn't quite cold but it did get the point across, and the vampire rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand sheepishly. "Yeah. Sorry." With an embarrassed cough she returned to her fire. "So… what do you think will do it?"

Phoebe continued to eye her, and the frown moved to take up residence in her voice. Fair enough. "Bubblegum seems to be a consistent trigger, but I can't tell why, and I don't think she's the only one. We just need to figure out the others."

"So… what do I do?"

Her voice softened, but only a tad, and only if you really knew her. "I think you have to figure out your flame's motivation."

Marceline raised an eyebrow. "Its what now?"

Phoebe rolled her eyes, laughing softly to herself. Like a tiny ember. "Your fire is part of you. It has a will of its own. I know that you just do things, Marcy, but even you have reasons. What do you feel when you summon it?"

"Anger," the vampire spat.

"Mm. What else?"

Marceline closed her eyes, laying on her back. Phoebe's fire always had a calming effect. It was a reassuring sensation, a rare glimmer of stability in the queen's otherwise turbulent life. When she had first met the princess the half-demon had never expected that the two would become so close, never anticipated having anyone to confide in that wasn't Schwabl, Bonnibel, or Simon, but Marceline knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth and to count the good things in her life when she found them. And Phoebe was a very, very good thing. "I don't know how to describe it," she began after a lengthy pause. "Like, it's definitely anger but it's weird."

"How so?" Marceline gave a half-hearted shrug, and Phoebe countered with a knowing smile. "I think when you figure out what makes it weird you'll know how to summon it at will in its full glory."

And knowing my luck you probably know already and just won't tell me 'cause you want me to figure it out. Ugh. Lame. There would be no point in asking; even if Phoebe had the answer she would never volunteer it. And, really, Marceline knew she couldn't even ask. Regardless of what her younger friend claimed the musician knew her own guilt, knew that if it wasn't for her own complacency maybe Phoebe wouldn't have spent the majority of her life locked in a cage. The younger royal had overcome so much and with so little support. How could the singer bring herself to cheat? I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a tranch. "Yeah. Thanks, Pheebs," she said with all of the sincerity she could muster.

It was enough and Phoebe gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Do some soul-searching, girl. Next time it'll be just us. No boys."

Marceline peaked a garnet eye open. There was a hidden mischief in Phoebe's eyes, a well-controlled intention she didn't entirely trust. "Yeah?"

"Yes. You need to confront what happened to you, and while I appreciate Finn and Jake's efforts to make you comfortable you're stronger than that, Marcy."

The vampire raised an eyebrow, but didn't argue. She didn't know exactly where her young friend was going with that line of reasoning, but one thing was for sure: Phoebe had pushed her, pushed her hard, Marceline had experienced a break from reality that led to her having to fight off against one of her worst nightmares… but now she could summon her flame. In spark-form, sure, so hardly in any useful way, but it was an improvement. Maybe she's on to something. Not that Marceline knew what that 'something' was. She only hoped she came back mentally intact next time as well.

"You're so afraid of what you can do, but you haven't actually done anything," Phoebe mused.

"Yeah, that's kinda the point, Pheebs."

"To be afraid?," the fire elemental smirked.

Marceline shot her a glare, but it was without its normal bite. "You know what I mean. I could-"

"I know what you could do. That's exactly why this needs to be done."

Marceline's glare became a scowl, only to be cured by a bright idea. "Hey. Could you, like… I don't know. Change the lamp?" Phoebe raised an eyebrow, not liking where this was going. "Like, if it could stop you, maybe it could-"

"Marceline," the princess sighed. "I know you have this idea that you're some monster that needs to be caged, but you aren't. Besides, that's Bubblegum's way. Not mine."

Marceline opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. Ugh. She's right. And how dirty that made her feel, how filthy her very soul felt. "Yeah."

"Fear has a way of controlling you, Marcy. That's why fear's for prey."

Garnet eyes narrowed at nothing in particular. "I'm no one's prey."

Phoebe rolled her eyes. "Then prove it. We'll do some simple exercises before you leave, things you can practice on your own. Once you've got those down come back to see me. Show me what you can do."

Marceline watched the younger woman stand, watched her retreat from their cozy spot perched at the top of the jagged, black castle. Phoebe had always been better in tune with the planet's rotation than her, had always been more adept at predicting the seasons and the time of day. It had something to do with her relationship to Ooo's core, a bunch of science Marceline didn't understand. Not that she cared to; that was what Bonnibel was for. The vampire sighed and closed her eyes, straining to listen for signs of life below her. Surely by now even Finn and Jake would be awake and prowling about, getting into more mischief than should strictly be possible or legal for mere mortals. Soon Jake would be eating his hostess out of house and home, soon Finn would notice she was missing and inevitably go looking for her. Whatever had happened inside of her mind it had deepened their bond, that much was inarguable, but it was new. Too much, all of it, was new, and more than anything Marceline just wanted her life to be stable again. Maybe normal would be too much to ask for- but can't I just get some peace and quiet for a couple decades?

Shielded by the Fire Kingdom's sky the sun couldn't burn her, but the vampire instinctively knew the time of day. Beyond the safety of the Kingdom the Sky Ball of Death was waiting for her and the half-demon could picture it in her mind's eye; glaring, smirking, taunting her to step into the light if she was truly no one's prey. You'll always be my prey, she could almost hear it whisper when she was alone with her thoughts, faced with the reality that she would have to stray from beneath the shield of darkness into daylight. When she pretended to be normal, pretended she belonged. But that's all it is. Pretend. You pretend to be a daywalker, just like you're pretending that you belong in Ooo. You don't, and you know it. Things like you shouldn't be up here. But there's a world you do belong to, isn't there, Marcy? Marceline grunted, eyes sliding shut against the invisible mental assault, courtesy of her own crumbling fortitude.

If she were honest with herself - and she was so only reluctantly - this wasn't the first time a stray, intrusive thought to return to the Nightosphere had seeped into the musician's consciousness since her return to Ooo. She resisted of course, ignored them as best she could. Not now, she would tell herself. Maybe later, she would offer. I'm not ready, she would assert, knowing that going back would mean facing what happened to her through a new clarity. After all, the pocket dimension amplified her worst traits, and she barely had a handle on those in the sanctity of Ooo. What chance did she stand in her homeland, the birthright she was heir to no matter her wishes?

With a grunt Marceline pushed herself into a sitting position, only to feel something poke into her chest. Without thought she fished out the offender, her scowl softening when she realized her palm's newest occupant was the holo-crystal, the beautiful fractal Bonnibel had given her should the pair become separated. It was smooth in her hand, its string almost imperceptible around her neck but a comfort all the same. Somehow, it was calming. How are you doing, Bon? The queen was tempted to turn the device on and ask her lover herself but decided against it, instead letting the strange device thud softly against her shirt. I'll see you soon, okay? As in touch as Bonnibel was trying to be with her emotions she was still Bonnibel, and she would be happiest if Marceline had some actual results to share with her. With a second grunt the half-demon heaved herself once more, now floating above the castle. Strain as she might there were still no signs of life, and that made her frown. When the dweebs are quiet either they're dead or they're up to something. Shaking her head, Marceline snatched her bass and took off from the castle roof, floating to the ground as she strapped the instrument to her back.

"There you are!"

Deja vu, dude. Marceline frowned and looked over her shoulder, only to find- "Jake?"

The dog had his arms crossed, head tilted, eyes searching her for something. "Man, you made me leave the castle to come find you! No respect for your elders, young lady."

She came close, this close, to reminding him of the obvious before deciding against it. Instead, that took a backseat for- "Wait, why were you looking for me in the first place?"

Jake shrugged, already turning to walk back inside. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Time's not real, Jake."

"Exactly! No respect at all," he mumbled to no one in particular, possibly including himself.

Marceline raised an eyebrow but floated inside after him. He did raise a good point; how long exactly had she been out there? She could feel the Sky Ball of Death glaring at her from behind the Fire Kingdom's unique sky, but besides that she had no real indication as to how long she had been outside. Were you guys worried? That thought made her smirk, almost made her tease her friend, but she swallowed the snark as she followed Jake back into the castle. It was quiet, but that wasn't abnormal; one of the things the vampire liked best about the Fire Kingdom was that everyone kept to themselves and out of her biz. It was refreshing.

"You have a good think on the roof?"

Jake sounded knowing, and that snapped Marceline out of her reverie with a frown. "What do you mean?"

The dog shrugged as the pair crossed straight through the main archway of the castle, straight out the other side. It seemed the elder hero was retracing the group's steps from the day before, when the half-demon had first begun her training. "Eh, you kids and your roofs. Finn does the same thing, and he's been up on ours a lot lately."

Despite the carefree tone there was something in it Marceline didn't like. After swiftly weighing the pros and cons of the punk cred hit, she let just a tiny drop of concern show. "He's alright?"

Another shrug. "Finn's fine. Just been doing a lot of thinkin'."

"About what?"

"Probs Huntress Wizard."

That was unexpected. Yeah, what's going on in his life lately? "Are they still a thing?" Come to think of it, when was the last time she had taken an interest in her friend's life for his sake and not her own? And what was this weird feeling that was accompanying that thought? It wasn't quite guilt, nor worry, but-

Jake grinned, looking over his shoulder. Marceline knew that grin. It was his Gossip Grin. "Oh ho ho. That's right, you were in the Nightosphere."

"Yeah…?"

His grin widened, surely aided by magic. "Little brother's growing up, Marce."

Marceline didn't like where this was going. The solution was, obviously, to play dumb. "No idea what you're talking about, Jake."

Jake sighed. "I spent so long telling him to eat his veggies if he wanted to grow big and strong and now-"

"Marce, you're up!"

At the sound of his brother's voice Jake returned his attention to the front, whistling his most nonchalant tune, leaving Marceline to wonder what the flip just happened. What exactly was happening to her young friend in her absence? Guess he's not so young anymore, huh? Mortals age, I guess. It was an uncomfortable realization to say the least, quickly shoved to the back of her mind. Now was not the time nor the place. "I wasn't gone that long, chill out, Finn." Much better.

Finn only shrugged, lowering his hand from his wave. "Yeah, but it's not the same waking up after movie night if you're not there putting a spider in my mouth."

Marceline smirked, a good mood threatening to creep to the surface. "True. I am pretty righteous. So what's the plan here?"

The young hero motioned for the vampire and dog to follow him through the other side of the castle, returning to where the trio had first begun training when first arriving. "Phoebe wanted to talk to us all before we leave. She said we still have some time before it's safe for you to travel, and Jake says you just don't argue with women, so I figure it's cool."

There was something in the lad's tone, something that seemed to be trying to connect with Jake's cryptic comment about Huntress Wizard, but, reluctantly, Marceline had to admit that this was not the time, nor the place. She would have to elicit the information out of him later. What happened while I was gone? Ugh, mortals. For now, all she could do was watch the boy and dog's flame-shielded, retreating backs until they finally halted outside the castle gates, where the ground was still hot and hard and the sky still an unnaturally shade of clear red, as if nothing from yesterday had occurred. "Alright, I'll bite. What are we doing?"

Finn looked over his shoulder for a brief moment, bewildered. "You don't know?"

"Uh… no?"

"Huh. Weird." And then he said nothing more, like the helpful guy he was.

"...Finn, that didn't really-" She felt the fire before she saw it. She'd know that flame anywhere, that searing heat. Few things could burn Marceline, however briefly. But that deep rich fire, that concentrated inferno that was the living essence of life-giving flame itself, that would do it. Not for long, no, but long enough to sting and distract her. She had had just enough time to telekinetically force Finn from the fireball's path - for the thing was as large as he - before shielding herself. Somewhere in the back of her mind she heard a voice, the voice of her apparent adversary nonetheless, whisper to fight fire with fire. It seemed like a good idea and instinct took over; her own flame summoned itself, orange at first, flickering white as the concentrated inferno was followed by another, then another, in successive blasts. It shielded her, absorbing the heat of the red fire as best it knew how, dispersing just before reaching a full white color.

And then, just like that, the assault ceased. Marceline lowered her arms, not remembering raising them in the first place. Each hand remained engulfed in a pale orange flame, just large enough to almost reach her elbows. It flickered her uncertainty, uncertainty because the musician's first thought wasn't for herself or her surely singed clothing. Instead it was for her young mortal friends, and for- "What the flip, Phoebe?!" It was disbelief, it was a snarl, it was indignant.

It was also unanswered, at least verbally. Instead, another volley was unleashed, seemingly from the sky itself. Marceline could feel her eyes slit in confusion and anger and tried pushing down the budding fury. Calm down. Calm down, Marceline. If Pheebs is attacking- But was this an attack? That wasn't like her elemental friend. Unlike some princesses she could name Marceline knew Phoebe was hardly an opportunist, and she took betrayal with deadly seriousness. Besides, they were friends; sure, Marceline was essentially the bodyguard for the Fire Kingdom's most notorious enemy, but that had never been considered a crime before, not in Phoebe's book. Of course, that didn't change the fact that fire was literally raining from the sky, red fire that she knew had to come from the flame princess. Before she could think better of it the half-demon's flame roared to life once more, shielding her from the red fire, simmering only when the second attack halted again. Marceline recovered quicker the second time, shifting into invisibility out of habit, and it was only then that she saw her. Phoebe landed from the sky, graceful as her title befit, eyes never leaving Marceline's located. That wasn't the unsettling part. No, the unsettling part was what her young friend was wearing. Crimson armor highlighted with a bronze mantle and wristguards, leaving her hands free. Her crown was absent, her legs encased not only in the red metal but in bronze boots as well, shielding her from her own flames. Marceline narrowed her eyes, a gut reaction from seeing such a dear friend in body armor and resumed full visibility.

But where was Finn, or Jake for that matter? Why weren't they stopping this? Garnet eyes flickered to the vampire's left in search for her mortal friends, but a soft voice drew her focus back to the front. "Focus, Marceline." It was calm, too calm given the circumstances, and it made sharp teeth grit.

"What the flip, Phoebe?! What's your deal?!" Phoebe tilted her head, watching her friend's struggle dispassionately. Somehow it made Marceline even angrier, particularly the fire elemental's bland expression, her clear disregard for how distressing the vampire was finding it to having come suddenly under siege by a dear friend. Even as she began her assault anew there was no passion in it, no care at all. It was a detached expression Marceline knew all-too-well. After all, she had seen it worn by Princess Bubblegum for years, and that thought, that one sparked memory, caused the snarl she was repressing to escape.

In the back of her mind the musician knew something was wrong here, knew that the younger woman wouldn't just attack her when she was vulnerable for no reason. But the rest of Marceline? The rest of her shoved that bit of logic to the side and out of all regard; her nerves were too raw from her latest breakdown not even a full day before and there were too many conflicting emotions for any single one to be given the weight and consideration it deserved. The queen was too drained both mentally and physically, too exhausted to give thoughtful consideration as to how best end this abrupt fight without violence. In the searing heat of the Fire Kingdom Phoebe would have no problem spotting Marceline's lack of body heat should she turn invisible, and while it might be possible to deflect fire with her telekinesis it was hard, much too hard given all the force she was being subjected to.

As a particularly fast - albeit small - fireball escaped her notice and scorched her shoulder the singer grimaced, willing the flesh to mend itself before the burn could spread. I can't keep healing through this, and you know it, huh? Of course Phoebe did; Marceline didn't exactly brag about her limitations but it wouldn't be hard for an intelligent woman like Phoebe to figure out. After all, the vampire fought best unhindered, often giving little regard to her own safety and well-being. Recoil damage was something for Future Marceline to deal with, at least typically. Typically she didn't have an audience either. Yeah, where are the dweebs? It was a thought posited through a combination of concern and annoyance; annoyance that they weren't do anything to stop the princess, and concern that this may be for a reason, and a bad one at that. Marceline tried to turn her head, tried to tilt her ear, tried to do anything that might give her a lead on her friends' location, but it was all futile, all in vain, for whenever she tried her path would be blocked. Alright, so, you don't want me to know where the guys are. Great, thanks for that, Phoebe.

In the back of her mind Marceline admonished herself, scolding her own reluctance to strike back. The fire isn't going away, it whispered. You can feel how hot it's getting, right? Wonder how it feels for Finn and Jake, the voice mused, and not kindly. Flame shields can't hold forever. Better hurry or they could get cooked. Marceline growled, both at the voice and the situation she found herself in. That seemed to just encourage both further. I mean, when was the last time you gave those shields a boost? Didn't even think about it, did you? Of course not. You're weak, Marcy. You're just going to let this upstart fry you and then Finn and Jake are going to have to tell Bonnie all about how you failed to defend yourself from a few fireballs. If you can't protect you, what makes you think you can protect them? Or BonBon? You can't, kiddo. Sorry, them's the breaks. You're a failure and you disappoint everyone. This right here? This is how the amulet made you its prey.

And there it was, the 'P' word again, and Marceline saw red. It wasn't even the venomous tone courtesy of her own self-conscious, it wasn't even the obviously unhealthy way her own mind turned on her at the smallest opportunity. It was the reminder of her own shortcoming, of how when given the task of confronting herself she failed so miserably she needed a candy golem and two mere mortals to rescue her from her own birthright. And here you are. So what are you going to do? All the world's a stage, and all yours friends are watching as they're probably being cooked alive. You plan to perform?

Four things happened sequentially.

The first was that, in retrospect, Marceline would be able to pinpoint the moment she felt herself snap. Coincidentally, it was also the moment she felt all premeditated thought stop, and the moment she let her instincts take over, smothering conscious thought and consideration into nothingness.

The second was that the small orange flames the vampire had been using to shield herself roared into white infernos. In yet another coincidence, this also matched the moment the fireball volley ceased, their creator briefly stunned and just a little impressed.

The third was that the aforementioned white fire, the concentrated infernos engulfing the half-demon's arms, launched themselves in retaliation at the volleyer, giving Phoebe just enough time to hit the ground to avoid what would probably have not been a fatal blow but would certainly have hurt considerably and ruined her perfectly good armor. There was the sound of fire against stone, a concussive cacophony and sound of something very heavy collapsing to the ground with great force, that neither royal was prepared for and also couldn't figure out the source of. The only difference was that while one was concerned the other reveled in it.

The fourth was the alarmed shout somewhere from Marceline's left, something familiar that she couldn't care less about at that moment. Not until she felt something wrapping around her, restricting her movements. It was soft and malleable, something familiar that gave her just enough pause for a calming voice to reach her ear. "Easy, Marce. It's okay."

Marceline knew that voice and all at once her eyes unslitted and she gasped, taking in air she didn't need but suddenly and desperately craved. The spell of her own aggression broken, Jake's long arms only tightened, before retracting only when the vampire touched to the ground. And even then only with a yelp and because-

"Jake! You're on fire!"

Marceline shook her head to clear the lingering Unthoughts from her brain, leaving room for logic and reason - what little she had anyway - to return just as Finn reached his brother, leaving Phoebe - who was now decidedly less aggressive - to help stabilize the musician and help her straighten and levitate, who in turn could only watch on bewildered. At least, until she realized the problem. "Oh flip, Jake! Your shield!"

When Marceline had last seen the dog he with flame-shield, and thus not on fire. Sometime between then and now he had become sans flame-shield and on fire, his tail afflicted with orange embers that seemed quite fond of his fur. Despite his howling and his glares the half-demon couldn't help but absently muse at how oddly fire-resistant he was; by the time she had reached him and cast a new shield on him - and on Finn as well for good measure - the burns seemed to have faded, leaving only faint wounds and a lasting glare. She frowned back, and he frowned harder.

It was Finn who broke the stalemate, moving between his brother and best ladybro. "Dude, Marce! That was awesome!" He's grinning. Why is he grinning? Her scowl seemed to say everything, and his smile morphed into something more sheepish. "Sorry, Marce. Phoebe's idea!," he rushed, eyes darting to her in a silent plead for her to take responsibility.

It successfully redirected the older woman's attention at least, who turned and glowered at the princess. Before she could say anything, Phoebe lifted her hand. "Hold on, girl. I can explain."

"You can explain why you tried to waste Finn and Jake and threw flippin' fireballs at me?!"

Phoebe kept her hand in place, not that it seemed to be doing much good. Not that this seemed to phase her. "First, I promise, Finn and Jake weren't in any danger-"

"We were in the lamp!"

It was comical how both Phoebe and Marceline shot Finn the same pointed look before the latter redirected it back at the former. Not that it deterred Phoebe. "Finn and Jake were in the lamp I recreated from Bubblegum's notes," she agreed.

Marceline raised an eyebrow, but that factoid didn't seem to placate her, or her frazzled nerves. "THAT'S why you wanted it? So you could pick a fight with me and not fry them?"

"In essence, yes." Well, one of the reasons anyway. "I didn't think we would be doing any sort of sparring this soon, but I thought it would happen one day and wanted to be prepared if we had an audience." The most convincing lies are the ones that contain kernels of truth. You taught me that, Marcy. But that was a conversation for the future. For now-

"So you wanna tell me what the flup this was?!"

Phoebe lowered her hand onto Marceline's shoulder, almost touching the skin, just close enough for her warmth to permeate her flesh. "You told me that you had your breakdown yesterday after how I pressured you, and it got me thinking about why. After we spoke today I had an idea: what if it happened because your thoughts went all toxic? So, I needed a situation where you wouldn't have time to think."

"So you attacked me," Marceline growled. Accused.

"Yes," Phoebe nodded. "I've told you before that fire is an instinctive element. You can't reason it into existence. It's part of you, just like your music. I just gave it an opportunity-"

Marceline threw her hands in the air. "Dude! Messed! Up!"

"But effective. I thought you might have a little white fire at hand, but you made this pretty righteous flame-tunnel thing pretty quickly." Her eyebrow raised. "What were you feeling? Do you remember?"

The half-demon's eyes flickered to the side, in the direction of Finn's voice, but she said nothing. If Phoebe noticed - which she almost certainly did, given her oddly keen insight that would be unsettling were it anyone else - she said nothing. Instead of answering, Marceline engaged in one of her oldest and most treasured tactics: deflecting. "So all this was just to mess with me?"

Phoebe sighed, but it wasn't an unkind or frustrated noise. It was something more akin to pity, and it did nothing for the vampire's mood. "Marcy," she began softly. "I wasn't messing with you. I asked Jake to come get you, then wait with Finn in the lamp while I encouraged your fire to act of its own accord."

"Convenient," the queen half-muttered, half-hissed.

Phoebe supposed she deserved that. "There wasn't any well to tell if it was going to work, and it may have made things worse. I won't lie, girl, it was a huge risk and I wasn't the one taking it, I know-"

"I could have levelled the place! I could've killed you! What if I went all bloodlust-y instead of doing the fire thing?! Did you even think of that?!"

It was eerie, really, how calm Phoebe was about this, especially given that she was nodding along with Marceline's greatest fears like they were merely an intellectual curiosity, like they were No Big Deal. "I know it was risky, but that's why I told you we'd be training far away from any of my citizens, and that's why Finn and Jake were on standby."

"You've never seen me all bloodlust-y, Pheebs! I can't control myself! I could've wasted them and I'd have liked it!"

Phoebe nodded, surprising Marceline enough to interrupt her agitation, at least for the moment. And what a precious moment it was. "Marceline," she began, "I know it was a risk, but we all agreed to do it." She paused, just long enough to let that assertion sink in. "Why didn't you bloodlust?" Now Marceline turned away, formally acknowledging Finn and Jake. When she turned back Phoebe nodded, voice quieter. "You were worried about them?"

After a long, tense moment- "Yeah," the singer admitted. "With that much fire I wasn't sure if their shields would hold. I didn't know where they were, so…"

When she trailed off, Phoebe gave her a kind smile. "I'm beginning to see a common thread with your white fire. You wanted to protect them, Marcy. You yourself said you can't control yourself when you bloodlust, so I don't think it was much of a risk. Which was more important to you in the heat of battle: me or them?

"I didn't want to hurt you," Marceline admitted quietly. "But I needed you to stop."

"I know. That's why I did. We have our answer, and it was more forceful than I intended. I'm sorry I put you through that, girl."

The apology was startling. It wasn't exactly like Phoebe not to apologize, Marceline just wasn't expecting it and it diffused what little anger remained. Well, enough of it anyway. "It's alright. I guess. I trust you, Pheebs, just…"

"Don't do it again?," the princess offered. The queen nodded and Phoebe gave her a reassuring smile, lifting her hand away from her grey shoulder. "I won't. We have our answer. We can work smarter now, but for the time being you should rest."

"I'm fine," Marceline mumbled out of habit. Even she knew she was lying though, a knee-jerk retaliation borne from years of acting as Princess Bubblegum's guinea pig for stunts exactly like this, little unexpected and unwelcomed experiments meant to test her capabilities and her limitations. She was expected to be fine after those, expected to shake off whatever mental or physical trauma inflicted upon her.

Phoebe wasn't fooled, but she was too polite - or perhaps just too kind - to point out how far away the older woman's gaze was, how she was shaking from the adrenaline crash, how she was slumping in the air from obvious fatigue. Instead, she took a different approach. "Then why not go update Bubblegum about your progress? I'm sure she'll be fascinated to hear about what you've accomplished during your time here."

True. Marceline's thoughts drifted to the holocrystal nestled safely in her shirt, unperturbed from the battle its owner just suffered through. "...Yeah. Probs for the best." With a weak smile aimed at no one in particular Marceline turned to call to her mortal friends, only to pause when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She frowned, turned her head to look behind the younger royal. What she saw caused a chill to run through her, her eyes to widen, her heart to drop to her stomach. "Uh… Pheebs? Are you doing construction on the castle?"

Phoebe was already frowning, not liking where this was going. Without a word she turned to see what it was her friend was looking at. Her own eyes widened and she immediately hurried back to the castle, leaving Marceline to call after Finn and Jake to follow. They called after her, but the queen didn't care; instead she followed after Phoebe, leaving the human and now-giant dog to catch up. It took longer than they'd like to admit of world-class heroes, but there was quite a bit to be said for the speed of the fire elemental herself and an agitated vampire.

They reached the pair of monarchs to find Phoebe kneeling against a large pile of rubble that was once the northern wing of her castle. In the younger woman's hand sat one of the black spikes that had, until very recently, sat atop the northern side. It was just one piece of the debris, one fleck that now left a gaping hole large enough for Finn and Jake to walk through arm-in-arm, leaving the inner sanctum exposed. Despite the damage being exclusively reserved for the bottom of the building, near its foundation, the castle stood sturdy, as if it and no one inside had noticed the maw. Finn gawked from his place on Jake's back, not saying a word until he stepped off of his brother, leaving him to resume his normal size. "Woah. What happened?"

Phoebe remained silent at first, turning the black rock over in her hands several times. When she did speak she was stoic, too collected for anyone's tastes given what they were looking at. "It's been seared off. Something impossibly hot and solid broke through the wall with a lot of force."

"Something hot?," Jake asked, face a scrunch of dislike. "Uh… no offense, princess, but we're in a kingdom made of fire. So what could be hot… enough… to…" He trailed off as he slowly turned to Marceline, who had reached the same conclusion the moment she had seen the damage.

It was, in fact, identical to the damage she had caused to the Citadel months ago.

"...Pheebs, I am SO sorry-"

She stopped talking only when Phoebe held up her hand, guilt forcing her mouth to slam shut. "It's alright." Oddly, she sounded sincere. "Honestly, I'm just impressed." That was even odder.

"...Wait, what?"

Phoebe nodded, standing as she dropped the rubble back, returning it to its friends. "Your attack was powerful enough to cause this damage, unaided, from a pretty long distance. You summoned it without thought or any strategy. That's some serious potential, girl."

Marceline stared, waiting for the admonishment, the critique, the indication she did anything wrong. When it didn't come she gestured wildly the maw where curious castle workers were beginning to peak outside, just as shocked to see the four as they were to see them. "Dude! I wrecked your house!"

To her surprise, and displeasure, Phoebe only rolled her eyes and shook her head. "It's not wrecked, Marcy, just temporarily broken."

"It's a bunch of rocks!"

Phoebe shook her head a second time. "Marceline, calm down. It was an accident, and now we know for next time."

Marceline was flabbergasted, and it was taking an effort not to turn what she was feeling into something less productive and more incensed. "Uh uh."

The fire elemental sighed softly, catching Marceline's gaze with moderate difficulty. It was overflowing with guilt and something darker, something she immediately recognized as disgust and self-hatred. She had seen it quite a lot over the years in her fellow royal, and though it never got any easier she wasn't about to let the progress they had made slip away. Not because of this. "Calm down, Marceline. No one was hurt. Castles can be repaired."

"Pho-"

"You're so focused on what could have happened you're ignoring what progress you've made. You're not going to get more control without making mistakes. I take full responsibility not just for this damage, but the progress you've made to create it." Marceline's teeth gritted, her eyes narrowed, but she fell quiet. The princess sounded so… proud. "You weren't around when I was still learning to control my flame, but I promise you, I was worse." Phoebe looked over Marceline's shoulder, meeting Finn's eyes. By the time the half-demon followed suit Finn was nodding vigorously. It made the singer frown, but she didn't argue and Phoebe gave him a thankful smile, letting it drop before the older monarch could turn back and catch her. "I can't help you not be afraid of yourself, Marcy. Talk to Bubblegum, then come back when you're ready."

It was a request, even if it didn't look like it on the surface. "At least let me help." That was, too.

"Go home, Marceline," Phoebe replied gently, and not unkindly. "This will take a day or two at most. Go update Bubblegum before she sends a fully armed battalion to check on you. Think about what happened here. Rest," she emphasized in particular. "I'll see you soon. You're having that concert, aren't you?"

That took the queen by beautiful surprise, and she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "Yeah…"

"You haven't started preparing, have you?," Phoebe asked knowingly.

"No," she admitted. Phoebe said nothing to that, only offering a reassuring smile. One that said 'I look forward to seeing it'. Marceline groaned, "Fine. Whatever. I'm out." She lurched forward, then stopped. A nice long pause, so long Finn and Jake had time to exchange a look of concern, but before either could reach out- "Thanks, Pheebs."

Phoebe nodded, even if Marceline wasn't looking. "You're welcome. You got this, girl. I promise, no more surprise attacks."

Marceline rolled her eyes, even if the fire princess couldn't see. Yeah, we'll see about that. "Later, nerds." Behind her she could hear Finn and Jake whispering to to the young monarch, could hear the boy laughing as they undoubtedly bid their farewells. Before she knew it - even if she should have expected it - Marceline was being scooped up in a furry arm and was deposited on an equally fully back, courtesy of a Jake roughly twenty times his traditional size. Though she made a noise of discontentment at the sudden abduction she still made it a point to flip her bass to her front before it risked cutting his back. "Hey!"

"Sorry Marce, I'm not risking you wandering off. I got orders, and today's your unlucky day 'cause I'm in a mood to not argue with 'em!"

Something biting and sarcastic almost escaped the vampire, but instead she choked it down at the memory of her accidentally setting the dog on fire. Though no one had mentioned it, it hadn't escaped her notice that his flame shield had failed and collapsed in on itself the moment it came in contact with her white flame. It just wasn't something she had the energy to deal with at the moment. Instead, she muttered a semi-sardonic thanks and lounged in his soft fur, resting her instrument against her stomach and in her arms.

To her great delight, both Finn and Jake left her alone at first. To her greater delight the trio crossed the outskirts of the Fire Kingdom just after sunset, when the Sky Ball of Death could no longer hurt her, but the night was young enough to invigorate her so at least she had that going for her. As the bizarre above of her friend's kingdom faded from sight the dark blue of Ooo's natural sky took over, presenting a clear night, a bright moon, and thousands of stars. Despite her tension Marceline let her eyes close, listening to the soft song meant only for her and other creatures of the night. A cool, gentle breeze blew past her cheeks, numbing the memory of Phoebe's well-intentioned attack and her own wanton destruction, unintentional as it was. Even Finn and Jake were oddly quiet, leaving Marceline to strum absently on her bass.

It was a glorious ten minutes before she felt a warm presence to her side, and though she frowned there was no displeasure in her voice. "Hey, Finn," she mumbled, eyes still closed.

"Hey, Marce. How ya feeling?"

She was so sick of that question, but she was even more sick of how appropriate it was to ask. When would things go back to normal? Could they? "I'm fine." It was an Untruth, but not quite a Lie. That would be wrong.

"Rock," Finn nodded to himself, quite aware of his brother's gossipy ear stretched next to him. He smacked it, but it didn't deter Jake. When there was gossip to be had little did. "So I think that went pretty well, right?"

Marceline grunted something non-committal, resisting the urge to call her friend out for his participation with Phoebe's unnecessarily risky plan that could have easily gotten him killed. It wouldn't help, nor would it prevent the young hero from doing something exactly like that again. As reluctant as she was to admit it Finn wasn't a child anymore. He was, in fact, biologically her age now, almost a bit older if her mental math was correct. Old enough to have a thing with Huntress Wizard, her brain teased in Jake's voice. "Finn-"

"Look, Marce," Finn began with an uncharacteristically serious tone. It made her peak an eye open. "I know you just went through something really tough. We're proud, you know? You're mad crazy strong, and I know that messes with your mindmeats sometimes, but I don't know of anyone else who could get through this like you are." She opened the other eye. "You're a righteous ladybro, and, well… thanks for letting us help. I know it's hard, 'cause you're used to doing this kind of thing solo. Time works diff for you, what with being immortal and all. Jake and I are blip to you, so it means a lot that you're letting us in like this."

Where's this coming from? Marceline felt a strange sense of concern well in her. It wasn't like Finn to be that considerate of their age difference, or of the fact that, technically, he was right; she lived long before he did and she would continue to live long after he died. So to speak, anyway. It had never bothered him before. What was different now? "What's up, Finn?"

He turned to her with an odd smile, but there was a certain strain in his eyes she didn't like. "Eh, I've just been thinking a lot. Since… you know. It happened."

Ah, yes. It. That Thing. The Incident. No matter what moniker it was given, the event in question was clear. What Started All of This. "You? Thinking? That's dangerous. I don't think Bonnie pays you to think." There it was; he had cracked a smile. "What about?"

He was quiet for a bit, staring off into the rustling terrain of the Grasslands that separated the Fire and Candy Kingdoms. Finally, "Things are just changing, I guess. Peebs is still Peebs, but she was actually like… civil to Phoebe when it came to you. It's just…"

"Weird?"

"Yeah."

"Is that what's bothering you?"

"Yeah. Well, no. I guess…"

"It's just a weird thing you never thought you'd see happen, so now you're wondering what else is gonna do that?"

He chuckled softly, laying on his brother's back next to his best friend. "Yeah, pretty good way to think about it."

She shook her head, smirking. "Get used to that, Finn. It's part of growing up. I mean, I've never grown up, but it's what Simon always said. Better you than me!"

He shook his head at well, smiling softly. Somehow, that dry humor comforted him in the weird way only Marceline could. Not that he'd ever tell her that; she'd probably wedgie him for turning into a weenie. "Marce? Why do they hate each other anyway? I thought they patched things up years ago."

Marceline exhaled strongly, mulling that question over. The answer was greater than Finn could imagine, and spilling state secrets, even to the state's own champion, wasn't exactly on the vampire's to-do list. And yet... Maybe it's good someone else knows, though. If something did happen to me there'd be someone else to keep an eye on the sitch. Her voice was quiet, out of hearing range for even Jake's sensitive ear. "Look, if you tell anyone, I'll end you, okay? You know how the Great Mushroom War ended because of the big bomb?"

"Yeah?" He did not respond to the threat. He knew she wasn't joking, knew by the anxious tone in her voice. He wouldn't say a thing.

"Well, it wasn't the only one. Simon told me about it. There were a bunch of little bombs, too. They did a ton of damage, them and other weapons like them. Lots of messed up science happened with them. Well, a couple years ago word got to Bonnie that one of Phoebe's peeps found a huge mess of them on Fire Kingdom property. I don't know what exactly there is, but Bonnie whipped out this old Ooo decree where she decided that if any of that stuff was found in any Ooo kingdom it belonged to her by default, so she ordered Phoebe to turn it all over. Pheebs said no, Bonnie was MAD mad."

"Woah, wait. So Phoebe found messed up science that kind of ended the world and didn't turn it over-"

"To a messed up a scientist."

You know, Marce, when you put it that way you kind of have a point. "So Phoebe wouldn't give it to Peebles, and now Peebles is holding a grudge?"

Marceline nodded. "Basically. Phoebe doesn't trust Bonnie, especially with that kind of tech. When Bon tried to enforce that mega old decree all of Ooo's royalty put it to a vote. She lost, so it wasn't enforced."

"They didn't side with Bubs?"

Marceline shook her head. "Phoebe never signed it, one of her relatives did before she was princess, so no dice. And I'll bet not everyone trusts Bonnie with that stuff either. So, most of the princesses voted no."

"Did you vote?," he asked carefully.

Marceline turned away. "Not everyone trusted Bonnie with that kind of firepower," she repeated, equally as careful.

Something about that made Finn shiver. "...Does she know?," he whispered. After a deep pause she shook her head, still not looking at him. She knew what she was really being asked, but it didn't make it any easier to admit, even if she regretted nothing about that day, especially her decision.

"So," she continued under the almost-convincing guise of her vote being No Big Deal, "Bonnie's been trying to pressure Phoebe ever since. She took it really personally. I don't know where Pheebs moved it all to, and I don't wanna know."

Finn nodded to himself as he listened, trying to imagine being in Marceline's shoes. "That's rough, Marce. Though it's gotta mean a lot if P-Bubs is playing nice with the Fire Kingdom for you, you know?"

Her laugh was almost hollow. Almost. "Yeah. Bon says she's changed."

"Do you think she has?"

"Yeah," she replied quickly, sincerely, affectionately. "She's a lot more like the old Bonnie, at least when it's just us. She's having the tough conversations, she's stopped lying. You know. Bonnie stuff."

That was hard to imagine, but who was Finn to argue? "So what do you plan to do now?"

Marceline closed her eyes again, suddenly tired from the enormity of her situation. "For real? Dunno. I didn't really think Bon would actually be able to change. Even changed her mind about me ever taking dad's amulet, and she's been on that crusade for literally hundreds of years."

Finn shifted, resting his hands under his head as he mulled that over. It wasn't surprising, really, but it was still startling to hear aloud. "Makes sense. Not a big loss, though."

Well… it means she can't be queen if I'm not Lady Evil, 'cause of the whole 'marrying royalty' thing. Even if it is her dream. Not that she was going to mention that to Finn. Ever. Talk about awkward. "I don't want to be Lady Evil, Finn," she emphasized instead.

"Yeah, I getcha. No one's going to make you do anything you don't want to." Not anymore. "For now you just gotta get better, learn about these pows of yours."

"I almost got wasted by a necklace."

"So show it who's boss, Marce."

"Yeah, that seems to be everyone's advice," she muttered.

"So what's stopping you?"

That was a good question, and not the first time it had been posited to her. Instead of answering she fell silent, wrestling with not the question itself, but the notion behind it. "...Maybe you're right. Thanks, Finn."

Finn wasn't sure what exactly he was being thanked for, but he wasn't about to deny the sentiment. Instead he left Marceline alone with her thoughts, propping himself up just in time for the Candy Kingdom to come into view. After so many years of traversing all over Ooo from Jake's back his internal clock was never wrong about when they would arrive at a previous and known destination.

Marceline knew the moment they crossed into the outskirts of the Candy Kingdom by the sweet smell of candy striking her. Even at night, as the citizens slept, the smell was unmistakable, always overpowering, always present. It was a strange comfort; if the Kingdom was alright, Bonnibel had to be alright as well. That's the logic, anyway, I guess. Her eyes opened and she turned her head to the side, counting the number of houses she saw as Jake approached the castle, rolling off only when they passed through the outer wall. Somewhere, in what Bonnibel often called her 'lizard brain', the half-demon grew more excited, whispering in its own way that she was home now, somewhere warm and safe in a way far different from the Fire Kingdom. Before she entered the castle she turned back to the brothers, curious as to why they weren't following. "You guys aren't coming in?"

Finn shook his head, but it was Jake who blew a raspberry. "No way. I've got the hungies and the beddies and they'd both calling me in equal measure. Later, Marce!" And then they were gone, sprinting over the horizon with such speed Marceline almost took it personally.

Instead she shook her head, floating inside the castle and up to Bonnibel's- no, she said they're ours -rooms on auto-pilot. Somewhere, at some point, she was certain she ran into Peppermint Butler and exchanged sarcastic words but that may have been a living memory, something that happened so often she had convinced herself now was no exception. Paying it no mind she opened the door to the master bedroom, closed it, and was promptly tackled by- "Schwabl!" Bad mood gone, Marceline beamed as the world's happiest poodle wagged his tail, thrilled that his person was home. "Aw, I missed you too, dude! Were you good while I was gone?" The dog seemed to give her a skeptical look and she laughed, kissing his furry head. "That's right, fuzz no!" Still smiling, because how could she not?, Marceline scooped the small dog up plopping on the bed with just enough finesse to lean her bass against the bedpost. It was then that she noticed something else, something unpleasant, something that made her nose wrinkle. "Ugh… what's that smell?" It was familiar, horrible, full of memories she'd rather forget.

She sat up, Schwal happily curling up in the spot she left behind. It was an odd quirk, given that she wasn't alive and incapable of leaving a warm spot or anything else comfortable for a dog, but it was touching regardless. She smirked, rubbing his head. "Rock on, little dude." With that she floated up, across the room, following her nose to the source. Nothing seemed out of place; in fact, it seemed Bonnibel hadn't been in the room much at all. Not exactly weird. She's prob been in her lab. Probs where she is now, actually… Marceline paused in front of the wardrobe, one hand on the handle as she looked over her shoulder at the secret entrance that would lead to the young scientist's second home. For a brief second the vampire considered following her, but dismissed the idea. Principally because the princess chose that exact moment to slide through it, just as shocked to see Marceline as Marceline was to see her.

"Oh! Marcy! You're home!" Behind the surprise there was joy, honest-to-Glob joy, and Marceline found her task of discovering the source of the smell abandoned in favor of scooping up the younger woman, holding her close. To her greater joy, Bonnibel hugged back without any of her traditional hesitation. "When did you get home?"

Marceline started to respond, then stopped, quickly assessing her lover. Bonnibel had clearly been in her lab for quite awhile; she was dressed in the same black shoes she wore exclusively while experimenting, her white lab coat over a simple sky blue shirt and lilac slacks. Her glasses were smudged, her hair a mess, crown nowhere in sight. What was more important though, was- "You're where the smell is coming from!"

Bonnibel raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. Before she could admonish her queen for her lack of manners she understood. "Oh! Yes! Sorry, my bad, Marcy. That's the formaldehyde. I spent the day making progress on a vaccination for this winter's inoculations, and I just finished disinfecting my laboratory." Marceline continued to give her a look but the princess didn't blame her. A strong smell and a sensitive nose? With a laugh she removed herself from her mate's arms, stunning her with something unexpected: a soft kiss. As Marceline watched her, shocked, Bonnibel made her way to the bathroom. "Let me hang up my jacket, then I want to hear about your time with Phoebe!"

As Marceline looked on, Bonnibel smiled softly to herself. She was proud at having effectively stunned her lover, preventing her from following. And really, as much as she missed her queen that was the point; out of her eyesight the candy golem was free to shrug out of her lab coat, slide her precious cargo out of the pocket where it was kept safe, and into the hidden pocket stitched inside of the lining. With the coat buttoned the bulge was invisible, and Marceline would have no reason to go snooping inside of it. The last thing Bonnibel needed was her mate's own offering spoiled for her, not before the younger royal found the perfect moment to reveal her intentions. She had been keeping it on her person to prevent exactly that, after all. Satisfied that her gift was secure in the locked basket designed specifically for her contaminated clothing. No, Marceline may snoop through Bonnibel's things on occasion she was vocal that she wanted nothing to do with her 'science junk'; her lab coat was the perfect hiding spot. With a self-satisfied smile the princess left the bathroom, finding the vampire waiting on the bed, her beloved dog in her lap.

Marceline smiled at her return, and the sight was truly beautiful: the vampire home, waiting for her on their bed, clearly having missed her just as much as Bonnibel had. What wasn't beautiful were how scorched her clothes were. Really, it was a wonder they were intact as they were; patches were missing, the thread was clearly burned on her shirt, her jeans would probably fall off the moment they were removed. Bonnibel did her best not to frown. "What happened?," she asked gently as she sat next to the musician.

Apparently, it was only then that Marceline realized how damaged her clothes really were and she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. With a smile and a softness she wasn't quite used to Bonnibel pulled her against her, resting her back against the head of the bed and her lover's cheek on her chest. As she ran her fingers through her silky black hair Bonnibel felt the half-demon relax. It was a slow thing, a gradual thing, but as she trailed her fingers over Marceline's cool back the muscles unbunched themselves, soothed by the warmth. "I… kinda had a freak out?"

"What happened?," Bonnibel prodded again, worry well-contained. "Are you alright?"

Marceline sighed deeply smiling when she felt a wiggly zombie poodle curl against her stomach. "Pheebs pushed a little too hard I guess. I had a freakout, I think my brain tried to escape or something." A weak shrug. "I… I met two of them, Bon."

"Them?"

"Usurper." The hand stopped in shock, but when Bonnibel felt her lover tense she resumed her ministrations until the vampire was motivated enough to continue. "We fought. Hurt like wow. She kicked my butt pretty bad until the end." Marceline paused to remember, eyes closing with an involuntary shudder at the memory of the Baddie's still bleeding chest. "Then… I met another. Tyrant." Now when the hand stopped it didn't resume. Instead it clenched in the remainder of Marceline's shirt. The singer opened her mouth, closed it, then remembered- "She wanted me to tell you that you look good in the jacket," she whispered. When the hand tightened further she sat up to meet Bonnibel's eyes. Instead, the princess turned away, the gentleness hidden behind welled tears. Marceline's own eyes widened, the sight of Bonnibel so suddenly emotional too weird, too alarming. "Hey... Bon, come here."

With that, and with great reluctance on both the part of the young scientist and the dog forced to move to the opposite end of the bed, the pair's positions reversed. Now Bonnibel was nuzzled in the crook of Marceline's neck, strong arms wrapped around her. They sat like that, the vampire resting against the wall, the candy golem all but on top of her. Marceline rubbed her mate's back soothingly, both in quiet contemplation. Marceline didn't want to draw attention to the princess's surge of emotion; it was too rare, too precious, and she was still fearful that pointing it out might discourage the younger immortal from opening up in the future. Whatever she might be learning emotions were still regarded as weakness, at least subconsciously, and it was a delicate task to help Bonnibel sort through them while not alienating her to their presence.

Still.

"Do you want to talk about it, BonBon?," she asked gently, holding her closer as she spoke.

Bonnibel shook her head and Marceline didn't press further. The younger woman would answer in her own time, when she felt in control of herself once again. That was the important thing; if the young monarch was going to be vulnerable she had to be in control of her vulnerability. With a gentle kiss pressed to the top of her head the vampire began to hum softly, a wordless tune that emerged on the fly. After countless, long seconds it worked. "She was your sense of loyalty… and I hurt her so much, Marcy. I hurt you so much." The hand never let go of the shirt.

"She didn't seem mad, Bon."

"What did she do?," she whispered.

Marceline clenched her jaw, not wanting to relive the memory but knowing now was the time, when an idea was bubbling forth. "She helped stop Usurper. Dragged her back to my brain, I guess. She said you worked too hard to put us back together to…" The musician trailed off, but Bonnibel seemed to understand. "She's not mad at you. She said you did exactly what you needed to do to bring me home."

Objectively true. Not that it made anything easier, including forgiving herself, and her silence spoke volumes.

Marceline held her closer. "There's good news, though. Had some sleep, and then Phoebe just sort of-" don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it "-well, she had this idea, and it worked. I got a white fire up, though I kind of took out part of her castle."

Buried in her chest, Bonnibel actually smiled. It wasn't for great reasons, but the queen would take what she could get. "I'm sure that went over swimmingly."

"Eh, she didn't seem all that mad. Just wants me to come back after I think some things through."

Bonnibel rotated in her mate's arms, looking up to meet her gaze. The sight of those beautiful garnet eyes calmed her, reminded her of why she was doing everything she was doing. Why she had that precious package in her labcoat pocket, hidden away, waiting for Just The Right Moment. "What things, Marcy?"

Marceline lifted her hand, lacing her cool fingers with her lover's warm ones. To her surprise, Bonnibel squeezed her hand before her. It was enough. "I think… well, this all started when I was at my house. When I saw that door. So, I was thinking… I need to go back there. I need to see it all for myself, you know?"

Bonnibel sat up, pushing herself against the front of the bed, next to her queen. "I think that's wise. Are you sure you're ready, Marcy?"

Marceline shook her head, turned away. "No. I guess… would you come? I know you're behind on princess stuff since you've been-"

"Marcy," the princess interrupted gently. Out of habit she almost lifted her head to turn her eyes back to her, but not knowing whether this was discomfort or dissociation she settled instead for squeezing the calloused hand laced with her own. "You are the most important part of my life," she said with every fibre of sincerity she possessed. "My royal duties will be there later." They're never going away. "You need me, and you're my priority."

"...I am?"

It was so quiet, so uncertain, it was almost heartbreaking. Bonnibel's free hand lifted, cupping Marceline's cheek. "You are the best sort of problem, my little bat." She kissed her cool cheek, smiling when her queen cracked a smile. "You're part of me. You're mine, and that makes you mine to protect. I think it's wise to face this, as long as you're ready." A warm thumb traced past her cheek, almost to her ear. "Let's rest tonight. We have a lot to talk about, but this has to come first. Alright?"

With only slight hesitation, the vampire nodded. "Did… I do something?"

Bonnibel squeezed her hand again, resting her head against her lover's shoulder. Especially now, she knew, physical contact and reassurance was so vital. "Of course not, Marcy. I meant only about where we go from here, but confronting what happened first is vital to inform the future."

That made sense, and while the queen was often not a big fan of logic and reason she supposed in this case she could make an exception. "...Alright. Cool. Yeah, let's… that."

Bonnibel gave her hand a squeeze before withdrawing. "You're tired, Marcy. Would you like the shower? I can send a request to Pep for some breakfast if you're hungry."

Marceline found herself missing the warmth, but- "Yeah. I'm kinda hungry," she mumbled.

The princess nodded, standing. The older monarch watched her stroll to the wardrobe, opening it and rummaging for something comfortable for the vampire to wear. Something not falling apart. "Here, something comfortable for the night," she remarked as she pulled out a plain black tanktop and comfortable pants. She tossed them to the older woman, who clutched them to her chest as Bonnibel closed the door.

"Thanks, Bon. You sure it's alright?"

Bonnibel resisted the urge to give Marceline a quizzical look. Now was not the time to draw attention to her insecurities. "Of course, Marcy. This is your home. Go have a nice shower. By the time you're done Pep will have breakfast for us."

Marceline clutched the clothing pile closer, mulling this idea over. Finally, she nodded, smiling tiredly. "Yeah. Sounds good, Bon."

Bonnibel watched her retreat, smiling. "And Marcy!" The vampire stopped, looking over her shoulder. "Those clothes are ruined. You know that, right?"

The queen groaned. "Yeah, Bon. Fire accident, it's good," she grumbled.

The princess laughed softly as the door to the bathroom closed. As she shook her head the candy golem strode to her desk, picking up the candy cane candlestick phone, the model designed exclusively for internal use. She picked up the receiver, and by the time she counted to three a familiar voice was on the line. "Pep? Marcy's home."

"How thrilling," came the sigh on the other line. "I suppose Miss Abadeer is feeling peckish?"

"Dinner would be wonderful, thank you for offering, Pep."

She could feel his eye twitch. "Of course, Your Majesty. Is there anything else this evening?"

She almost said no. Almost. And then the most curious thing occurred: something, not quite a conscience but not quite not, poked its way out of her soul, and she had an idea. Something that was a Good Deed, something that was inspired by the quite-gleeful mental image of Phoebe's partially damaged castle. Something she could gloat over for years to come. "There is one more thing, Pep. It seems the Flame Princess has suffered a bit of an accident related to her home. Send an envoy with a small chest of treasure. We can't have an esteemed ally of ours with a damaged castle, can we?"

Her voice was so sweet it almost made Peppermint Butler's sugar curdle. He sighed, shaking his head. "At once Your Highness. Dinner will be ready in a flash."

And then the line was dead, and Bonnibel replaced the receiver. Her smile was wide and mostly innocent, with just a dash of Ill Intention. Marcy is home. She's shaken, but uninjured. She successfully summoned her white fire. My offering is safe and prepared. The inoculations for winter are prepared. She has no idea I went to the Nightosphere. Tomorrow we'll confront what happened at the house, but for now we're going to enjoy a lovely night together. And Phoebe's castle is ruined.

Life was good.