` The Infinite sadness…

The weather was fair today, thought Marceline the vampire queen. 'I hope it rains', Marceline said to herself quietly. She was heading to the candy kingdom, to party with her friend, Princess Bubblegum, in the cloud kingdom. Her umbrella thankfully shielded her from the light, the note she received from Princess Bubblegum, said to wait at the candy gate for her. She stood there at the candy gate, leaning on the wall in the shade, created by the ark of the gate. Her umbrella was closed and leaning against the wall next to her side. She was holding her bass thinking what song she would play first at the party.

Clouds were coming over head. She was able to float out of the shadows for maybe ten minutes or so. She floated out, as she held her bass by the neck. She feels like she's being watched. A gust of wind blows her hair in her face, annoyed she tries to put her hair out of her face. She peers through her long black hair, to see a young man mid-twenties, maybe. She asks a question through her hair, "Who are you supposed to be?"

"That Ax, where did you get it?" asked Zero as he grinded his teeth. Marceline was confused… who was this guy? Why did he ask about my bass? She wondered. "What do you want? You… weird… guy… yeah. Just who are you anyway?" Said Marceline. As she finished saying this, Zero pointed his sword at Marceline, and said, "I am Sargent Zero, Isaiah James Gardner… I am over a thousand years old and I am asking you where you got that ax, vampire."

Marceline, "listen I don't have to tell you anything. I'm meeting up with the princess. So get out of here, dude." Zero responded by saying, "I think not." As his words escaped his mouth light shone through the opening of the cloud. And reflected off his sword, Marceline tried to float backward but was too late. She was caught in the light and her skin started to smoke and burn. She felt shade come over here. She looked up, to see what happened.

Zero was standing over her, she was very confused. That's when Zero was tackled and light was re-shone on her. Her skin began to re-burn. NikkM and Yoru were on top of Zero holding him down while Nathan the human penguin held a spear at his eye. "Stay down.", Said Nathan the human penguin.

"Get off!" said Zero as he brought up his leg, between Nathans legs. As Nathan fell to his knees releasing the spear nearly stabbing Zero. As Yoru turned to tend to Nathan, Zero kicked her in the butt launching her on top of Nathan. Then Zero reached up to grab NikkM's head and lifted himself up while pushing NikkM's face into the ground.

Zero sprang up on his feet, and ran towards Marceline. As Yoru stared into the watery eyes of Nathan the Human penguin, they were interrupted, by Zero grabbing Yoru's trench coat and swinging her around till she, just kinda flew out, of it. Nathan tried catching her, but instead was used as a cushion. Zero was about there when NikkM instantly was in between Zero and Marceline. Zero jumped up and kneed NikkM in the face. As she fell Zero landed above Marceline his legs were on both sides of her body he flapped the trench coat over Marceline effectively shielding her from the light.

NikkM's eyes opened slowly, she saw her friends around looking at her waiting to wake up she said, "Wha ar oo eyez ooin ere'? (What are you guys doing here?)" as she finished this she noticed her horrible sounding voice. Her mouth had something on it. Her mouth was covered in some bandages and ice. She sat up and ripped off the tape holding the ice in place her face had already healed.

She looked at Zero who was talking with the princess, 'Zero you are so dead.' thought NikkM. Zero noticed she was awake and began to walk to her, as he got to her side NikkM outstretched her arm to hit Zero upside the head, but as she did he caught her arm mid way. "You have to be faster and unfortunately in your female form, you are also weaker." He released her hand and sat next to the head of the bed she turned to face Yoru who was being held by Nathan the human penguin.

"What the?" said NikkM as she looked at the two of them. Yoru then turned to Nathan the penguin and kissed him, NikkM was disgusted, not because it was gross no it was because inside she thought, 'Aww how cute!' her manliness was disappearing. She got up and decided it was time to spar.

…

NikkM threw a devastating right hook, but Zero deployed an elbow block then effectively delivered a body shot knocking the wind out of her. She tried to get in an uppercut. Zero took a step back and her attempt failed. Marceline was watching the two fight for a while she could tell Zero was the better fighter.

He was a boxer, for sure. The match ended when NikkM was punched through the candy wall. After she sat up the princess came to the side of NikkM, and asked if she was alright. NikkM replied with a sigh, "(sigh) Yeah just a little bruised." As she finished saying this, she sat up. She looked through the hole her body just shot though.

The princess asked the peppermint butler to patch the hole. Zero went to Marceline and walked passed her, barely nudging her shoulder. She knew he still wanted to know about her father, Hunson Abadeer. As he walked towards the door he looked back to see the red axe wrapped in her hand.

Thoughts sped around in Zero's mind, so much to the extent that he didn't notice where he was going. He walked around for a while thoughts racing. Until he somehow made his way to the very top of the candy kingdom, he stood out on the terrace. As he went through all the plans in his head, he noticed that the sun was setting. He looked down and saw the princess walking out of the castle with the new queen of vampires, and his friends, NikkM, Yoru, Nathan, Flow and finally about ten candy people.

He wondered where they were going, and then Yoru spotted him, and Nathan the human penguin guy yelled for him to come down. Zero used his coffin case as a board to slide down the castle as he hit the ground, his friends all gave him a hand, and continued on their journey to the cloud kingdom for a party. Somehow on their journey, the ice king interrupted them, yelling about some penguin-kidnapping or something.

The wolves were about to jump into action, when Nathan ran in, punched the crown off the ice king. Then knocked the ice king out, with a left hook, standing over the ice king Nathan threw his fist in the air, He looked so much like the bender from breakfast club, that's when Yoru started singing the 'don't you forget about me' song by simple minds.

She didn't stop singing that song, until everyone joined in. However it was the first time most had heard it. They got to where the party was going to be. It was an empty field, almost nothing here. Except some strange colorful unicorn thing, with Finn the human and his dog running along with it. Finn approached, and he said, "Hey Guys! I brought the dip."

The princess thanked him and Marceline asked him, "Where's flame princess?" Finn replied with a simple answer, "Outfit malfunction." Marceline laughed and said, "What? Can't decide on what to wear?" Finn's was still calm and his facial expression said that he didn't understand what she meant. "No I think her party clothes turned to ashes, again." Marceline sighed and let out an 'Oh'.

Zero could tell she spent a considerable amount of time picking out her outfit she was wearing a short skirt dress, black, simple, and fairly elegant. Hair was up too, it was spunky but manageable. She would have spent hours picking out something not to flashy but not to plain hence the short skirt. The black evens it out, clever girl.

Zero could also tell she lives alone; she has had to ask princess bubblegum to help her put it on. As Zero was finishing this thought, he realized they were moving upward, floating is a better word. They were going towards the heavens, he reached upward as the clouds parted and lights were shining he was certain that it was time.

But… it wasn't, as he got to the top they stopped. He looked around and cloud people were all dancing and meeting with the visitors, Zero just stayed put and watched for a bit. Until the female wolf came and pulled him into the dance floor, the music sounded very techno. He didn't know how to dance to well to this type of music. He watched as his friends, did this shuffle thing for a bit, Zero however didn't dance much.

When they changed the song Zero was able to sneak pass the female wolf and go stand on a cloud balcony. He rested on the balcony, looked out and wondered what going to be his next adventure. As a star twinkled above he watched it hoping for a sign.

'Thunk'

Zero felt a push and a tug he wondered what it was. He looked around and saw a ship coming closer. It looked like a pirate ship, but it was sailing in the air. He was about to reach for his coffin case but when he moved he felt something in his chest, a tug. He looked down and saw a long sharp thing it looked like an oversized sewing needle. First the pain hit and he fell to his knees, it usually wouldn't hurt this bad. But for some reason, he felt weak. A stream of blood went down the needle as it did it smoke came from it.

It was silver, 'darn' thought Zero they must be after him and his friends. He was barely able to find the strength to pull it out. Yet when he did he went backwards. Now on his back he estimated the healing time would take around fifteen minutes. Too slow he thought, as he pushed himself on his stomach and then, to his hand, left elbow and knees. He heard a 'thunk' again; he looked behind him and saw another needle sticking out his back.

Smoke was rising from the wound, and then pain shot threw his body. 'My friends are in danger… Get up, you runt! ... Get up!' Thought Zero as he pushed upward in an effort to show his friends they were under attack. As his thoughts raced he was able to stand. He then reached around to pull out the needle as he grasped it another two 'thunk's' were heard. This time one went through his left shoulder, and the other hit his right thigh. He went to his knees, with his left arm he held himself up, and with his right hand he finished pulling out the needle.

There was something he didn't understand. Why were all the hits in non-lethal areas? The first was in the abdomen, the second was in the right kidney, the third was in the shoulder only the muscle was hit no bones, and same with the last, only muscle. "Is their aim bad or do they want me alive?" thought Zero as he tried again to rush to the party crowd. After getting up on his right leg his left thigh was pierced. As all the wounds began to smoke he thought of an idea, he went to both knees and looked at the party.

With the last of his strength he used the needle to stab his stomach. He drew it out quickly and whipped in the air in front of him. The reason his friends didn't know was because of the loud music they couldn't hear the approaching ship, and with the crowd around them they couldn't see the ship. Finally they couldn't smell Zero's blood because it was evaporating too quickly. So Zero's plan was to flick some blood droplets before it evaporated from the silver, to the crowd. So they would smell the blood and figure out what's going on.

After his plan was put into play… he thought for a moment about his friends…before…

...'thunk', 'thunk', 'thunk'….

To be continued…