The fight for happiness

…

…'Thunk', 'thunk', 'thunk'…

… 'sniff'… 'sniff'… NikkM smelt something she hasn't smelt in a long time…

She looked through the crowd around her, it was dark. Flow was dancing while her orb shined, like a laser show. NikkM went through the crowd and nearly tripped over something. She looked down and saw it was Yoru, crouching down with Nathan, the human penguin. "Do you smell it too?" asked NikkM. "Yes she did, however the splash pattern, suggests that it came from around forty feet south west." Replied Nathan in a surprisingly sophisticated voice, Yoru and NikkM were still reeling from the astounding deductive skills made by the human penguin. They decided to split up.

Yoru was to guard the crowd, while Nathan and NikkM went to investigate the blood. As the two were about to head out, to find where Zero was. Marceline stopped them, asking where Zero was. "Hey Have you two seen where Zero is?" being naturally suspicious, NikkM questioned Marceline why she asked where he was, "Why are you looking for Zero?" Marceline gave quirky look at the two, and replied, "I can smell his blood everywhere. Just making sure he's okay?"

NikkM thought she got the upper hand, "How do you know what Zero's blood smells like?" Marceline then sighed because she knew she was going to be a suspect. The truth was that, when she was burning in the sun. She could hear the wolves fighting. When Zero was first tackled, he got cut, by one of NikkM's nails. When he got to Marceline, she could smell his blood, and that's how she knew it was Zero, who saved her from the sun. After she finished explaining this, NikkM was content with the answer. Nathan however, already deduced that she didn't attack Zero. The three left to find Zero. They pushed through the crowd, and as they reached the end, they met… Him.

It was NikkM who first bumped into him. He was humanistic. His ears were long and pointed much like an elf. He stood a little taller than NikkM, as she looked up, the man looked down. You could only see his eyes, his face was wrapped in greyish dark purple cloth, but his ears poked through. He was wearing a heavy faded red coat, pirate style. His stomach was large, but not too big, that it slowed him down. His pants were cloth as well, dark blue. He had a pirate hat on the top of his head. It made his ears go out sideways. He had those needles placed all over his body, in special holsters. He was holding two strange guns, with six small size barrels. Each of them had needles already loaded. He had several of the same guns around his body as well.

…Wham!..

NikkM flew through the crowd, knocking down a path leading to Yoru. NikkM struggled to stand up, after that sucker punch. As she did, Nathan pushed several cloud, and candy people off of him. Nathan stood up against this unknown threat. The elf eared man walked closer, and Nathan took a defensive stance. 'Were the same height, and same build, we might be equal strength, but he moves as if he walks on silts. He's slower than me.' thought Nathan. So he estimated his chances were good, he threw a right hook at the elf eared thing.

The elf eared guy, ducked, and quickly stabbed Nathans stomach. Nathan thought he was faster than him. Never judge the speed of a fighter, because you might be wrong, expect the worse, rookie mistake. The elf eared guy took out the needle thing, and walked slowly to the vampire queen. Nathan tried to keep on two feet. Both of his hands were holding his wound. The elf eared thing, looked at Marceline, "Humph… Another one for the sales..." But… As he reached for the vampire, she transformed into a huge bat thing. She grabbed the elf thing, and flung him across the cloud.

After he landed, he shook his head and sat up. He snapped his fingers, and about six people jumped off a ship, near the cloud edge. As they charged at her, she spotted Zero, lying near the ship. Marceline shrunk down, to warn the Wolves about the incoming enemies. As her height finally reverted back to normal, she turned around to see Yoru tending to Nathan's wound. Marceline bent over to see if she could help. NikkM came to her, and informed them, the enemies were only thirty feet away. The crowd began to disperse around them, to give them room to fight.

Finn and Jake ran up to them, to help fight. But as soon as they approached, Yoru stood up, in front of them, to stop them. Finn said, "Don't worry, were here to help." Yoru looked through her hair to stare down at them. Finn and Jake had chills run down there back. What's that old saying? "Hell hath no fury, then women, scorned." Yeah… That sums it up. Yoru kind of just lifted her leg, and punted Finn, to princess bubblegum. Jake yelled for his buddy, but as soon as he turned back, to fight for what Yoru did. Marceline understood what she was doing, and bashed Jake on the head, with the flat side of her power ax. He stood discombobulated; NikkM punted him to the princess, as she rubbed Finn's barely conscious head.

The three turned to see the enemies come at them. As they were getting ready to attack, Yoru stretched her arm out in front of Marceline effectively stopping her. She asked what she was doing, but all that came from Yoru, was a quiet request "Make sure Nathan's safe… okay?" Marceline was about to tell her to watch him herself, but Yoru looked at her, then Marceline understood, "I'm only going to watch him because I don't want all his blood going to waste." Said the vampire, to preserve her, 'I don't do what people tell me', attitude.

Marceline carried the unconscious human penguin to, the female wolf, Flow, Princess Bubblegum, Finn, Jake, and about sixty other background characters. As she got to the crowd and let down Nathan, she looked back before, the cloud floor beneath her, started to lower itself down, to the ground. The cloud people, floated onto another cloud, and flew away. As the candy people and friends were lowered to the ground for safety. Yoru turned around, with her eyes glowing, bright yellow.

She threw her trench coat in the air, the six enemies became distracted. As they looked up at the coat, NikkM used her shoes, to take out three of the enemies. Yoru had run her fastest. She grasped two enemies in each of her hands, by the head. She used them as weapons, as she clapped them together, crushing the last one, between his own comrades.

Yoru charged after the elf eared guy, but he clapped his hands together. All his subordinates hopped off the boat, fifteen of them, were now walking slowly, to Yoru and NikkM. NikkM noticed that, Zero was still lying near the ship. She could see that he was riddled with those silver needle things. His wounds were barley smoking. He was running out of blood. 'He might still be alive, or dead… can't tell from here.' thought NikkM.

NikkM began to speak, "Hey Gra…"

"Stop." Interrupted Yoru, she continued to speak, "My name is Gracie now, I have no desire to return to being male. I am content with being female, it's strange… I've always been a bit feminine, and now I feel… okay." NikkM chuckled a bit, readied herself for the battle, and said, "Understood."

NikkM used her shoes of speed to take out four of the enemies charging at her, and then she ran up to Zero to see if he was alright. He wasn't breathing and he looked pale. 'Dead' thought NikkM as she put her arm over her heart honoring him closing her eyes she said, "Thanks for all the help." She reopened her eyes, and reached for the coffin case. She turned into were wolf, and turned to see Yoru throwing them around in every direction. As she was about to leave to join the fight… she felt a tug.

She turned to see Zero's hand, grasping her arm. She turned to help him up.

He looked through his hair at Yoru and said, "Quick… pull the needles out… I need to heal… and help you two dorks…" NikkM smiled as she thought 'good ole' Zero'. She quickly pulled them all out and helped him up. She walked him along the edge of the cloud island while carrying his coffin case. Zero watched Yoru, basically pone those guys. NikkM and Zero made it to the other side, she was about to let him down when they heard a howl. They both turned their heads to see what happened. They saw Yoru facing them, standing on a mountain of unconscious enemies.

NikkM smiled, because Yoru beat them all, without needing help. Zero knew better, he shoved NikkM forward and said, "Go! She needs help! Now!" NikkM looked back angrily and said, "What? She beat them alre…" before she could finish her sentence, another howl came from Yoru. She looked behind her to see what's wrong. She saw Yoru howling, go onto one knee. Then she fell forward, and rolled to the ground, while at the same time, changing back into a human.

NikkM ran to her sister franticly trying to figure out what was wrong. She slid on her knees to Yoru. She raised Yoru's back slightly, so she could rest on her thigh. She saw smoke coming from her chest. NikkM knew that it was silver, but it was deeper than it was with Zero. The needles were only about a foot long, and only one or two inches were showing. Yoru moaned a little, she needed to pull it out before it slows her healing factor, as well.

'Why is it deeper?' thought NikkM as she pinched the little needle, and tugged it. Yoru screamed in pain, and then NikkM finished the job by pulling it out completely. Zero dropped to his knees next to his friends, and said, "Get up… It's not over yet… Maybe the reason it's deeper, is that he probably fired the gun closer, than he did with me… I'm guessing from around twenty five feet away. Just ten feet more, it would've have went right through."

…'Clank'…

They turned their heads to the pile of enemies, and saw the elf eared man. Then a needle went through NikkM's shoulder. It almost went completely through, it partially come out the other end. It pushed her on her back, and made her scream in pain. Zero moved towards his friends, but he heard a 'chink' he deduced that the elf eared man moved, this indicated he now got a new target… Zero.

Zero turned to the man, and got ready. The man tilted his head and said, "I'm thankful that you didn't kill them, but I need those two girls there, and about six more. So stay out of my way mutt." After saying this, the elf eared man shot three needles. Zero dodged the needles the elf eared guy shot. Zero knew he needed a plan.

Three more were on their way. Zero spun to his right to dodge them, but he was grazed on his left thigh. A trail of smoke led from his wound to the needle. He winced in pain as he pressed the button, which released his guitar into the air. To give him time to catch his guitar, he threw the now closing coffin case. The elf ear guy fired four needles, but they were all deflected by the incoming coffin.

The elf eared man tried to pull out another gun to save time instead of reloading. But as he pulled out the gun, he was struck by the coffin, and thrown off the pile of defeated enemies. When he landed on the other side, he threw the coffin off of him. He shook his head, and looked upward. Zero landed above him and held the blade towards the elf eared man's eye. However when Zero jumped, his wounds opened up, his wounds didn't heal right because of the silver.

The elf eared man caught on to this, when Zero winced in pain, For that moment, Zero's guard fell. The elf eared man pointed his gun at Zero's abdomen, and fired three needles, they went completely through. Zero coughed up some blood and looked down at his stomach. He groaned and stammered a bit before speaking, "You… purposely hit… (KOFF!)… No vital organs… Why? (KOFF!)" The man's eyes squinted, and he said in a happy tone, "It's because, I didn't want to kill you silly… but I need those girls, I'm really sorry."

Zero's eyes opened wide, and he said, "You're a …" but the man interrupted Zero by kicking him off of him. Zero was kicked so hard, he fell to the edge. His head was the only thing hanging off. When he looked up, the man was already there pointing his gun down at him. "Not in front of the crew, they may be unconscious, but even if one of them hears it… I will lose all I worked for." Said the elf eared man.

Zero coughed up some more blood, as he looked for his sword. The man lifted his other arm and reviled Zero's sword, then threw it off the edge. Zero watched it fall, when he turned his head back he saw the gun still pointed at him. "Well I guess, this is where we say goodbye. I have to make up for the time we lost getting what we came for… goodbye." Zero knew what this meant, especially since the man grabbed Zero by his shirt and lifted him in the air.

Zero was too weak to fight back, the man held him out over the edge. Zero took one final look at his friends, before… he watched them go above him. As he was falling, he kept watching the cloud, hoping that Yoru and NikkM would escape. He watched for what felt like forever, and then…

…Thud…

"Is he okay? He doesn't look so good." "Well what do you expect he just fell off a cloud." "I know that, but wasn't he like the strongest out of their group?" "I know I hope Gracie and Alex are okay." When Zero heard his friend's names he opened his eyes and sat up quickly. Zero was looking around for them, quickly darting his eyes, all over the place.

He tried to move, but he felt pain. He groaned as held his chest in pain. He looked up to see Marceline and princess bubblegum. "Hey you shouldn't move, your bandages might come untied, you're bleeding too much. You've also broken a few ribs, dislocated your right shoulder, fractured a vertebrate and cracked your skull… Oh dear… Your head started bleeding again… oh my… It seems you also broke your left shin."

Marceline pushed princess bubblegum out of the way and said, "Jeez don't tell him that, you'll make him feel worse. This sword hit the ground, and I went to go grab it… but, you fell right in front of me." Said Marceline, she held the sword in front of her, giving it back to Zero. When he touched it, a light shined through, instinctively Marceline shielded herself. The light faded and Marceline peeked through her arms. She saw Zero holding his guitar.

"Whoa, nice acoustic dude." Said Marceline as she moved closer to get a better look but when she did, "Yeah… it… is…" said Zero as his vision slowly went black…

…beeb…

"Hey! I think he's waking up, get over here!" yelled the female wolf, as she jumped up and down next to Zeros hospital bed. He opened his eyes completely and saw the female wolf grabbing the beds candy cane striped side bed post. He wondered what was going on, then that's when the door across the infirmary busted open and in came Princess bubblegum, peppermint butler, then Finn and Jake. He looked around for his guitar but, oh wait Marceline floated in holding his guitar and her power ax.

He sat up reaching for the guitar, when Princess bubblegum said, "Wait! Don't move… your… still… in… jured…" she stopped because Zero's wounds healed up already. Marceline looked at princess with a smile as she rubbed in, that she was wrong. Zero grabbed his guitar then strummed a few chords. He looked up and saw everyone was looking at him, when he thought of something. "Hey, where's Nathan?" then everyone looked at each other.

…

The door made a creaking sound as Zero opened it. Zero walked in to see Nathan staring out his window. Nathan turned around, his stomach was wrapped. Nathan said only two things, "I… failed." After that he looked towards the ground, Zero could feel the tension and said, "It's okay, I did too." Then Zero turned around to let him get better in peace. As he closed the door, he heard a voice call his name. He looked down both sides of the hallway, then when he looked forward he saw peppermint butler's hand waving at him a one of the spare rooms.

He walked to the room and entered it. The door closed behind him, and peppermint butler said, "Thank you for protecting me and the princess along with a few other candy people. Now I feel indebted to you, tell me what, you need help with." Zero thought for a moment then said, "I need to be able to beat the person with the silver, I need some kind of power." Peppermint butler smiled and said, "I have just the place."

Zero thought 'place?' Peppermint butler grasped Zero's hand and walked to the wall and said, "stare into where the walls meet… now slowly cross your eyes… do it fool!" Zero crossed his eyes, and then, "the portal opens." Said peppermint butler, as he nudged for Zero to enter, he did.

"Now remember you must beat death in a music battle, use your guitar I hope you're good, you're going to need to be… oh and one more thing about the water…" Peppermint butler was cut off, because the portal shut. "Why does that always happen?" said peppermint butler as he stared at the wall. Zero spun around to see the underworld; he was ready for any challenge. His guitar transformed into a sword and he extended his arm declaring he would not be stopped.

To be continued.