(Authors note: This chapter mostly occurs in Marceline's mind. It takes place before, during and after Chapter 8)

Chapter 9- Marceline

As soon as I collapsed to the ground, I entered a new world. I groggily looked around. It was so dark. I sighed with relief. A figure was walking towards me. "I must be in a dream" I thought

"Hambo!" I squealed with delight as my old friend limped towards me.

"Long time no see!" Hambo's voice was quiet and deep, and a little rough. Like a worn rug.

"By glob I am happy to see you!" I exclaimed.

"I'm happy to see you as well, Marceline. But…I am here to inform you that you are near death"

"What?" I said, shocked.

"You are in the deepest recesses of your mind. You are gravely injured, and you probably won't survive" Hambo said with forlorn.

"T-that's impossible! This is a DREAM" I was beginning to panic.

"Try to remember why you are here, Marceline" Hambo said gently.

I paused to think "I don't even remember" I said sadly.

"Perhaps a trip through your memories will do good" Hambo suggested.

"Maybe" I shrugged.

"Arm yourself, old friend. Your mind is plagued with bad memories, you will have to fight them off" Hambo said.

A double sided axe appeared. "Okay, let's go" I said.

Hambo led me through a door. I gasped at what I saw. It was my mother. She picked a younger me up and spun me around, laughing. I totally had forgotten what she looked like. I covered my mouth and cried silently. The younger me was giggling and screaming with my mom. I wiped the last of the tears away and smiled sadly. How I wished my mom was still with me. Things would be so different, better.

"Let's keep going" Hambo said, leading me through another door.

I snarled at what I saw. It was my dad drinking and yelling at a younger me. I ran forward and swung my axe at my dad. He disappeared as soon as I touched him. A younger me was on her knees and crying. I bent down next to her.

"Hey, it gets worse before it gets better. Stay strong" I told the younger version of myself. I opened a door and walked through it.

I was on the street, playing my bass. A tan hat was next to me. As people passed, they put their spare change, and sometimes even cash into the hat. The younger me smiled and kept playing. Those were the good days, before the Gunter. Gunter. That name was ringing a bell. Gunter... Was that the name of my best friend? No I don't have any friends. Name of my enemy? That sounded better.

I stepped through another door. I saw a younger me running and panting. A look of fear was in my eyes. Why was the younger me running away? Why was she scared? I followed the younger me. She was being chased by men.

Gunter

I finally recognized the name. I snarled and slashed at the men chasing the younger me. They also disappeared as soon as I touched them. I remembered what happened to me. It was bad, really bad. I gasped as memories poured into me. I collapsed to the ground and Hambo rushed over to me.

"You must continue or you will not survive" Hambo said sternly.
"There is nothing to continue for!" I exclaimed.

"There is Marceline! You must keep going!"

Hambo dragged me through another door.

"M-Marce?" a voice said. It sounded honey sweet.

"Who was that?!" I practically screamed.

"I don't know, but you cannot stop concentrating. You must go on" Hambo said.

"That voice sounded…familiar" I said slowly.

"No matter, there is another memory waiting" Hambo gestured at my house.

I began to walk towards my house. I slowly opened the door. Nobody was on the first floor. I scowled, and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. There I was, crying and alone. I was probably 16 at the time. The slightly younger me was holding on to a picture of a boy. Ash the name echoed through my head.

I turned to Hambo "Why is there so much suffering?" I sighed.

"The most difficult battles are given to the strongest soldiers" Hambo replied gently.

That saying…I recognized it "I've heard that before…." I said, thinking.

"Let's go through the next door" Hambo said.

I walked through the door. I saw me again, playing with my band and singing a song. I smiled.
"So things do get better" I said softly.

"We haven't even gotten to the good part yet" Hambo said with a small smile.

I rolled my eyes, and ducked through a trap door. I fell to the ground and landed with a small snarl. I looked around and I spotted me. I was obviously waiting for somebody. Who was I waiting for? A pink haired girl walked towards me, and kissed me on the cheek.

Bonnibel. I remembered the name. There was something about Bonnibel….Hmmm. I shrugged and ran through another door, curious to see more of this Bonnibel person.

Bonnibel was apparently my girlfriend. We had spent all of our spare time together. And we were both happy. I was happy, which was strange, because I never seemed to be happy.

"Let's go through the last door" Hambo said.

I slammed the door open and walked through it, eager to see the last memory. Was it a happy memory? I shrugged and looked for me. I spotted myself in a tree. I looked sad. Again. Soon, Bonnibel appeared underneath the tree, reading a book. I guess we had broken up. The memory fast forwarded, and I saw myself getting stabbed.

I gasped. "S-so that's how I g-got here" I stammered.

Hambo nodded "Sadly, yes"

Bonnibel crouched over the bloodied me, and called the police.

"Bonnibel is the key. I am here because of Bonnibel" I said slowly. I wasn't angry. I couldn't be angry at Bonnibel. I swore to protect her.

"So what happens now?" I asked

"I don't know" Hambo disappeared and I screamed as black tendrils enveloped me. I struggled.

I was about to give up.

I couldn't give up. I fought the black tendrils. I broke through the tendrils. As soon as I broke through, I snapped my eyes open. Bonnibel was looking at me, crying.

"M-Marce!" She squealed and kissed me on the forehead.

"My girl" I said quietly. "I told you I would never leave you"

She smiled, tears streaming down her face "They said you weren't going to make it"

"I guess they don't know the magic of Marceline Abadeer" I said softly and Bonnibel hugged me tightly. I closed my eyes and sighed contentedly, this is what I had needed from the very start, love.