Author's Note: Hi everyone. Long time no see. Sorry I disappeared for so long, I have been really busy and some interesting things have happened in my life.

I will truly attempt to not allow such a long time until the next update after this. But I can't make any super promises. All I can say is I will try.

Finally, because I'm exhausted I didn't edit this chapter as much as I usually edit things before posting them. Please forgive any awkward English or bad grammar, etc. Maybe one day in the future I'll come through and reedit the entire story.

Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I'm excited to get the next few out, since BG and M are starting to become a bit more cordial to one another. See you next time.

Chapter 4

Bubblegum pressed her thumb against the channel button on the holosphere remote harder than necessary every few moments. It was all the exact same things she had been seeing for weeks. Sickness in the lower areas of the city… Scientists on the case to find a cure… King Hunson assuring the people it was under control… Where is Bubblegum? … Where is Bubblegum? Where in the world is Princess Bubblegum?

Completely unsatisfied by the droll reporting, the crowned Princess of the Candy Kingdom turned off the holosphere and curled up in a corner of the large couch to think. It had been a few days since her argument with Marceline, and she'd seen nothing of the Vampiress since. Bubblegum had spent her time recording simple observations such as her pulse rate, pupil dilation, and mood. She had more or less returned to what she considered her "normal" state by late evening after the fight, but continued to take notes for good measure. Bubblegum couldn't think of an explanation for her outburst… perhaps she has simply gone momentarily crazy from being cooped up in this giant yet empty house? It was a possibility.

Well, if that was the case, then sitting here wasn't going to help. Thrusting herself to her feet, she left the room in search of something more interesting. While her handmaidens had not returned, just as Marceline had threatened, the number of guards and servants in the house had increased. She was still being watched, just from a distance. Bubblegum offered greetings to the guards and servants she passed, but none of them gave a reply. It seemed she had gained a bit of infamy for her explosion against the beloved Lady Marceline. There wasn't anything she could do to change that at this point.

Deciding to find some food, Bubblegum made her way to the kitchens. For whatever reason, they were empty but for a few baskets of food on the counter. Bubblegum was helping herself to a bunch of sweet strawberries when her eyes drifted to the opposite corner of the room. There, on the wall, hung a large brown traveling cloak. She stopped chewing mid-strawberry when an idea struck her.

Poking her head into the hallway, she made sure no one was nearby before slipping the cloak over her clothes. Making sure that no pink showed from beneath the drab brown material, she tucked her long hair and pulled up the hood. Hooking an empty basket on her arm, she exited the house from a side door and began to walk down the main street of the Royal Society. She knew the general direction of the large gate that separated the royalty from the middle class, so she attempted to walk with as much confidence as possible.

Eventually, Bubblegum found her way to the giant, distastefully decorated gate that separated the royal class from the middle class. There were armed guards at the large entrance, standing in pairs on either side. Bubblegum pulled the hood of her disguise up around her face, trying not to look nervous. Timidly she approached the man closest to the road. "Excuse me," she kept her head bowed, "I'd like to go down to the market area?"

The man outright sneered at her. "I don't care what you're doing, as long as you use the servant's entrance over there," he gestured towards a small door down the wall.

"Right…" she said, turning to walk to the door. While the soldiers were particularly unpleasant, she exited the smaller servant's pass much more easily. Once on the other side of the wall, she stopped to stare at the expanse of streets and houses all crammed together before her. The sheer number of buildings and paths made her second guess this venture, but she steeled herself and walked forward into the maze.

She seemed to wander for hours, following random people into different areas before ending up in a bustling business area. People moved from stall to stall, purchasing various items. Bubblegum was careful not to jostle too many people as she explored, moving wide-eyed from one stall to the next.

Not even halfway through the area, Bubblegum's attention was distracted by a large side street to the right that seemed abandoned. Looking closer, she found the edges of the streets lined with cots with hundreds of people curled up in blankets. She took a step forward, wondering what was going on.

"Hey lady," a young child's voice called nearby. "You'd better not be goin in there if ya don't be wantin the sickness."

"Excuse me?" Bubblegum turned to look at the young boy in confusion. "Can you tell me what this place is?"

"Where you been lady?" the kid offered her a look of disbelief. "It's the sickness… the one'sa been ravagin the lower city these last weeks. Some'a the victims come here to the Royalty Plaza to ask their preferred Royal for help."

Bubbelgum looked back at the area before her, horrified. All of these people were sick with the illness? The news made it sound like it was just a handful of people that were suffering, but there were hundreds here!

She realized the kid was still talking to her, joining her to observe the poor souls begging the royalty to save and help them. "Thirty people have already died today, and it ain't even noon. The body count just keeps gettin higher 'n higher- ain't no one can seem to figure out what's wrong. If this keeps up, ain't no one gonna be left in the Crock Pot."

"The Crock Pot?" Bubblegum echoed.

"Yeah, that's where mosta these people is from. It's one of the lower slum areas. None of 'em can really afford proper medical care, so they come here to ask for mercy or… just wait till the end."

Bubblegum's mind worked rapidly. If most of the people here were from another part of the city, then that suggested it wasn't an airborne virus. Otherwise, everyone in the nearby market would be ill as well.

"Take me to the Crock Pot!" Bubblegum requested, although it sounded like more of an order.

"What? Is you crazy?" the kid eyed her suspiciously.

"It's 'are you crazy' and no, I'm not. Let's go," Bubblegum answered, her mind still focused on the unnatural number of people lying here sick.

The kid complied with her request, giving her strange looks the entire way to the Crock Pot. It took almost a full hour to reach the area by foot. When they entered the main street of the area, Bubblegum frowned. It was in even worse condition than the Royal Plaza.

After almost an hour of walking and avoiding the most intrusive of the young child's questions, Bubblegum finally found herself in the middle of the area known as the "Crock Pot". She had assumed the worst of its inhabitants had relocated to the Royal Plaza, but she was quickly proven wrong. Everywhere she looked people lay sprawled out on thin wicker mats.

"What is this?" Bubblegum whispered in horror, overwhelmed at the image of sickness and death she was now standing in.

"The Crock Pot," the kid sounded exasperated. "You dun said you wanted ta come here, so I brung ya."

"The news made it sound like only a handful of people were ill," she murmured, walking towards a middle aged woman who was propped against a lamp post. Bubblegum approached slowly, unsure if the woman was still alive. When the woman in question coughed suddenly, Bubblegum felt a knot of worry in her chest release.

"Them news people ain't gonna tell ya what's what," the kid was saying loudly enough that anyone within a hundred meter range would be able to hear. Obviously he didn't mind announcing his opinions as loudly as possible.

Bubblegum gently rested the back of her hand against the woman's forehead, finding her skin extremely hot to the touch. "Fever, deep chested cough, vomiting- sometimes with blood, chills, and muscle cramping," she murmured to herself as she moved from victim to victim, making a list of the most obvious symptoms. "But not an airborne disease, otherwise the plague would have moved into the market next to the Royal Plaza by now. The sheer expanse of variety in the patients suggests that it is also not transferred via touch. That would make the next most likely culprit something the people here, in this area specifically, are ingesting..."

"Is you a doctor or sommat?" the boy crossed his arms, eyeing Bubblegum ruefully.

"Scientist," Bubblegum replied absentmindedly, looking around the town square for clues. She froze as a sound filtered through her consciousness- running water. Turning, she found a large fountain in the middle of the small market area shimmering in the evening light. She stared at the dancing water quietly for many minutes before suddenly asking, "Where is the water supply for this area?"

Her tour guide rolled his eyes. "It's over by the guard wall; the water comes in from outside. You realize we're at the edge of the city, yeah?"

Bubble turned on her heel without comment, headed in the general direction of the wall. With a few shouted directions from the young help, she managed to find her way to a large dam-like area hidden behind a series of warehouses. She walked the edge of the pool, inspecting the drains that led in from outside the city, as well as the sewer entrances that entered the expanse of houses. A small gate deterred her from entering, but she, annoyingly, found the entrance to be unlocked. Swinging it open, she kicked off her shoes and hopped into the thigh-deep water.

"Is you crazy, lady?!" the kid yelled from his position of safety behind the fence. "Ain't no one supposed to be goin in the water!"

"I can't get a proper viewing angle from that far," Bubblegum countered, stumbling when she tripped over something in the water. As she caught herself, her hood fell back, revealing her face and hair to the harsh sunlight.

"What the... you's Princess Bubblegum!" the kid yelled behind her.

Bubblegum rolled her eyes, keeping a sharp comment that that should have been obvious before now if he'd just paid attention. Instead, she turned back to him with a serious glare. "I need you to find me some clean glasses, and some certain household chemicals..." she ordered.


"Where is she?!" Marceline demanded in frustration, flying through her home to check every room for the third time. Hunson had kept her in another series of "hypothetical war" meetings, followed by actual serious political sessions all day. By the third meeting, a herald from her personal house had appeared to inform her that the guards couldn't seem to locate Princess Bubblegum. Since the candy princess had done nothing but try to get away from the people who were supposed to be watching and protecting her since arriving, Marceline had thought nothing of it, and put off the issue until her duties were finished. When she returned home to find her household in a tizzy, however, she knew it was more serious than she had thought. Almost an hour of a full-on search, and nothing to show for it...

"She's practically a glowing pink beacon for crying out loud! She can't have gone that far," Marceline growled at no one in particular.

It had been hours since anyone had last seen the princess, giving her plenty of time to have left the house, but surely she couldn't have gotten past the gate into the lower quarters? It seemed unlikely, and yet the idea was horrifying in its own right. There were only a few hours left until sunset... if they didn't find her before then, they would be in trouble. Bubblegum herself would probably be unable to handle the lower streets of Nightos on her own, especially at night. If the wrong people found her, or even if Hunson caught wind of this and sent his people after her first... the anger in Marceline's stomach curdled into fear.

"Lady Marceline!" Kovmir appeared, running into the large sitting room haphazardly.

"Did you find her?"

"Well..." Kovmir's face twisted into a reluctant frown, as if not wanting to displease his lady. "In a sense..." Silently, he picked up the remote control to the room's holosphere and turned it on, punching in the number for a specific news channel.

Instantly an image of Bubblegum wading through dirty water with two glasses in her hands appeared on the screen. The princess, completely waterlogged in her clothes, approached the shore area where a large gaggle of paparazzi began screaming incessant questions at her while shoving microphones into her face. "Bubblegum! Princess Bubblegum! What are you doing out here? Is there a-"

"What the glob are you doing?!" Bubblegum yelled in response, obviously angry about something. Marceline was familiar with that look after all. "You just knocked over half of my samples! You're donking up all of my research!"

Marceline took a deep, steadying breath as she turned from the screen. Of course the candy princess would do this on one of the few sunny days Nightos had ever year. "Bring me my parasol," she ordered, her voice deadly soft.

Within minutes Marceline was out of her mansion, flying towards the outer walls of the city, closely followed by Kovmir and a few others. The Vampiress's mind worked feverishly, trying to make sense of the situation. There had been something familiar about the confusion in Princess Bubblegum's eyes during their argument a few days before. She had seen it plenty of times during their questioning of people affected by that same chemical. While she couldn't take a blood sample from the Princess without good reason to make sure it was the same thing, she had seen the side effects often enough in the last year to make an educated guess. She had thought that the Princess would recover with some time to rest, but if she was going crazy and running "experiments" in the city water supply then obviously something was still wrong.

In a moment of desperation, Marceline had even suspected her own brother of slipping the mysterious drug to her political wife. She'd had her own blood tested after visiting him and having to drink that awful excuse for wine. The results, however, came back negative for the chemical agent they'd found in everyone else.

Even if they had grown apart over the years, she knew deep down that Marshall wasn't capable of such treachery and manipulation. They were siblings, after all. The results of her test merely reminded her of that.

However, that didn't solve the current problem with Princess Bubblegum. If worse came to worse, Marceline would take the princess back by force and run some tests to check for the chemical despite any protests. The real issue came with the media attention… she was going to need a much better alibi than "my wife just went temporarily crazy" for the paparazzi.

As soon as they flew over the gates that separated the slums from the lower class, it became quite obvious where Princess Bubblegum would be located. An insufferably large group of onlookers had gathered near the water collection area next to the outer wall. Marceline floated straight over them, heading straight for Bubblegum who was out in the middle of the water. Kovmir and the others fell back to begin damage control with the audience.

"Princess Bubblegum…" Marceline said, attempting to hide at least part of her exasperation should they be overheard. "What are you doing?"

"Marceline!" Bubblegum looked up in surprise. "You're here! Good. You can get those vultures away from my work."

Marceline raised an eyebrow, propping a hand onto her hip. "Princess, you need to return to the house with me," she said gently.

Bubblegum tugged a pencil out of from behind her ear before revealing a small notebook that had been hiding in the bust of her dress, scribbling a list of words down the page. Marceline held back the inquiry of where she had acquired such things and floated closer to speak softly, "Princess, you may not be in your right mind…"

Bubblegum looked up at the floating woman, a slight frown on her face. "I am perfectly fine Marceline. If you are referring to my estranged state a few days ago, I've been monitoring myself since then and I believe I've returned to normal. With my limited resources, however, I can't run any sort of specific tests to be sure."

Marceline blinked in surprise. "Well, you sound clear-headed. Then why in the world are you out here acting crazy?"

Bubblegum made a noise that, in a lower-born woman, could be called a snort. "You're the one who accused me of not seeing the Nightos fanizens as people," she allowed herself one glare at Marceline before returning to her list as she spoke. "How am I supposed to care for anyone if I never interact with them? Always locked up in that stuffy house of yours… I must say," her voice took on a tone of disappointment. "I find your lecture ironic after seeing the state of things here. Your people are being poisoned and no one has done anything!"

"The King's scientists have been working for weeks to locate a cure for the disease," Marceline shot back before the gravity of Princess Bubblegum's words settled on her. "What do you mean poisoned?"

"I've been collecting different samples from different areas to be sure, but this structure here under the entrance drains isn't supposed to be there. Do you have anyone with half a brain that could get me these chemicals?" Bubblegum ripped the top page from the notebook and handed it towards the Vampiress.

Marceline took the list slowly, regarding Bubblegum with a strange expression before floating away without comment. After sending Kovmir to retrieve the noted chemicals from their personal labs, she began working on crowd control. Despite the constant badgering of the press, she refused to make any statement other than, "Please allow the Princess to work."

After a few more hours, the sun finally set and Marceline could rid herself of her annoying parasol without fear of being burned.

As the evening lanterns were lit through the lower city, a royal herald from the castle arrived to summon Marceline and Princess Bubblegum to King Hunson's court. Knowing what most likely was waiting for them, Marceline informed the man that she would be coming alone. When she turned to give instructions to Kovmir to get Princess Bubblegum back to the house safely when her work was done, she found Bubblegum wringing out the bottom of her soaking dress.

"I'll go, too," the candy princess announced. "If King Hunson also summons the scientists who have supposedly been tracking this disease and working on a cure, that is."

"I'll relay the request post haste," the man announced before turning on his heel and running off.

Marceline offered no comment, her mind already worrying over Hunson's possible reactions to the day's events. He had been the one always insisting to keep Bubblegum "in check", and this definitely counted as a failure.

"I don't know how I'm going to get back in a timely manner like this," Bubblegum murmured to herself, continuing to wring out more water from her gown.

"Come with me," Marceline offered a gloved hand to the princess. Bubblegum hesitated for only a moment before accepting the offered hand, gasping in surprise when Marceline easily tugged her up into both of her arms to carry her off into the air. Knowing that not many people appreciated the ability of flight as she did, Marceline made sure not to fly too high off the ground as they began to return to the Royal area of the city.

"I apologize for my current state," Bubblegum said, her face a shade darker than usual.

"It's not a problem."

"At this rate, I'll have a reputation for wearing dirty clothes all the time," Bubblegum tried to laugh, her attempt at a joke falling a bit short. Marceline opted not to reply, mostly because she figured the Princess didn't understand the extreme truth to her own words.

After a few minutes of silence between them, Bubblegum spoke up again, her voice serious. "Marceline."

"Yes, Princess?"

"I... I don't really feel like there is anyone I can trust here. And while I don't completely trust you, I also feel as if you're the only one I can turn to right now."

Marceline raised an eyebrow at the backhanded compliment, but said nothing to interrupt.

"This disease," Bubblegum continued, "the infected water... it's not an accident. I can say with 98% surety that this was intentional. That kind of bacteria... I've seen it before. It's native to the Lumpy Space Kingdom, where most of the citizens have a natural immunity to it. My Uncle got sick from it once on a diplomatic trip there. But, you know as well as I do, the Lumpy Space Kingdom is on the other side of the Continent of Ooo. I think someone put these bacteria here to purposefully sabotage your people."

Marceline allowed the information to simmer in her mind for a few minutes. What would someone have to gain from infecting the lower sections of the city? "Thank you for confiding in me," she said as they crossed the large gate that signified the separation between higher and middle class.

Knowing that any attempt to return to their home for Bubblegum to change would be seen as rude, as no one ever keeps the king waiting, they flew straight to the throne room. Bubblegum hopped out of Marceline's embrace, insisting on walking the rest of the way, although it seemed to take her a few minutes to sort out walking on solid ground again. When they were finally announced and ushered into the room, Marceline could instantly tell that Hunson was nothing but displeased.

Gesturing for Bubblegum to stay behind, Marceline walked to the foot of Hunson's royal stair and knelt with one fist behind her back and the other across her shoulders. "Your majesty," she answered as custom dictated, indicating that she had answered his summons and was prepared to take whatever he had to dole out.

"Lady Marceline," Hunson's voice was icy as he glared down from his throne. "Would you care to explain to me why my dinner was disrupted with the news that your wife had gone traipsing through the lower city, making a fool of us and our station? Why did you allow her out of the higher circle? I'm sure you're familiar with the repercussions of..."

"Excuse me," an offended voice sounded from behind Marceline. Dread filled her as she watched Bubblegum's dirty gown walk past her and stand between the Vampire's bowed form and Hunson. "Your majesty," Bubblegum bobbed a curtsy as politely as she could, while Marceline stared on in shock. "Lady Marceline didn't allow me out of anywhere; I snuck out on my own. If you must blame someone, you can blame me first... and then the rude guards not doing their job properly at the gate second. Marceline has no fault here."

The look on King Hunson's face could surely kill if he stared at someone long enough. His jaw barely moved as he began to speak again, his eyes returning to his adopted daughter. "Lady Marceline, if you would kindly remind your wife of her position..."

"Excuse me, your highness," Bubblegum's voice was hard and strong, obviously not cowed by the man's anger. "But my position here is not as anyone's wife. You accepted me into your court partially as spouse to your country's princess, but also, mainly, as a foreign dignitary representing the Candy Kingdom. As such, my position should be as a dignitary that is taken seriously. Rather, I'd say I'm surprised at your attitude King Hunson. That you would focus so intently on my wandering than the results of my experiments on your lower city's water supply... Rather than be thankful for the cure I've brought you, you've chosen to be mad that I did anything at all."

"You claim you've found a cure? My scientists have been researching tirelessly for weeks and here you are saying you've found it in a few hours. How pompous," Hunson's propriety was barely kept in check as he hurled the words at the Candy princess.

Bubblegum didn't even rise to the bait of insult that the king had thrown at her. "It was part of why I requested their attendance. I wished to discuss why they had not located the, frankly, simple cure in the first place. Once they had identified the bacteria, the proper treatments have been well documented for years."

Marceline glanced to the side of the royal pavillion where a group of her father's personal scientists stood nervously. A few of them blinked as if something was burning their eyes, while others began to mutter to themselves and pull at their hair. Both were common symptoms of people suffering from the mysterious chemical agent she had found in people's blood time and time again over the last few months. The pieces began to click into place. Someone hadn't wanted the cure to be found.

"Nevertheless," Hunson was practically yelling now, "you can't be abandoning your guard to help a few sick-"

"With all due respect, your majesty, but you seem to be as grievously misinformed as I was," Bubblegum actually interrupted the king. If she were not technically still a foreign dignitary, he could have ordered her head on a spike, Marceline thought fearfully. "It was not a few sick people, but a few hundred. And many, many deaths."

A deep crimson glow appeared in the depths of Hunson's eyes as he leaned forward from his throne. Marceline was more than familiar with the man's violent temper, and fear for Bubblegum's safety sprung her into action.

"It's true, father," she announced loudly, standing and stepping forward to stand next to Bubblegum in solidarity. "I saw it myself. We have all been misinformed, although to what purpose, I cannot imagine. Dead bodies were already beginning to litter the corners of the streets, and the ill were tenfold more than what reports said. Much longer and I dare say we would have begun to lose a very large portion of our dear fanizens."

Something changed in Hunson's demeanor instantaneously as he took a steadying breath. "This is a worrisome occurrence," he said, his voice light as if discussing a very minor issue. Marceline noticed the tilt of Bubblegum's head in confusion at the sudden change in the man. "It disgusts me to think that the suffering of my people was silenced. We shall begin administering Princess Bubblegum's cure immediately. If the Lady of the Candy Kingdom would be so kind as to accompany my group of medical professionals, they can get right to work."

"Thank you, your highness," Bubblegum curtsied again. Marceline bowed as well for good measure, trying to ignore the guards that were shoving the aforementioned failures of scientists out the back doors. They would most likely not be seen again.

Hunson spent a few minutes barking a few more orders, and everyone began to disperse. As she had not received a direct order, Marceline knew that she was to stay behind. "Aren't you coming?" Bubblegum asked as she turned to follow a group of people in white lab coats.

"I'll follow in a moment," Marceline assured her, waving her on. Bubblegum looked at her worriedly, but continued out of the hall as suggested. In a matter of minutes, Marceline and Hunson were left alone in the large throne room.

Marceline stood still as her adopted father walked down the steps towards her, a chill creeping over her skin. When he was a mere two paces in front of her, he stopped. "You have failed to keep that girl under control."

"Father," Marceline began to reply, but was quickly silenced as Hunson slapped her, the sound echoing through the room. Marceline stood her ground and refused to utter any sound of pain, her own form of rebellion.

"Silence," he ordered. "Incompetent people have no right to speak before me. This will not happen again. Are we clear?"

A brief moment of madness made Marceline consider stating the irony of ordering silence and then asking a question, but she knew better than to tempt Hunson. "I understand," she replied. "However, she's not the kind of person to do nothing; I can't keep her locked up- that's why this happened in the first place. And she did help... she saved our people."

A look of disgust crossed Hunson's face as if he truly did not want to be reminded of that small detail. "Fine," he practically spit the word. "Then find her something to do where she thinks she is helping. She is here to make you look good, not steal the spotlight. Either you get her under control, or I will."

Marceline watched Hunson stomp out of the room quietly, not moving from her spot until he was gone. Hopping into the air, she floated towards the exit that Bubblegum and the researchers had left from. Hearing voices from down the hall, she floated that way until she arrived at a large room where Bubblegum was explaining how to mix the antidote for the infection.

While she wasn't sure what Hunson's final comment about stealing the spotlight was about, Marceline felt a strange feeling of determination wash over her as she watched Bubblegum from the doorway. In that moment, she made a decision and a promise to herself. She would no longer allow Hunson to control her into controlling Bubblegum. And Marceline would definitely not allow Hunson to control her into becoming like him.