Author's Note: I don't own jack o_o
Cake and Fionna sat in an uncomfortable silence. Fionna had left her thick plushy chair and stood by the window. It was night now, and the fires dotted on the plains of Misery reflected on her face, sparkling on her tears. Cake shifted anxiously, the cat was now the size of a mouse. She coughed softly and walked over to Fionna, hugging her ankle when she reached the human.
"Sugar, I'm so sorry this happened. I was just so scared and worried about you. I mean, I come back from my date and you ain't there and we( me and Mocro) followed your trail and it ended at Marshall's so I went and got Gumball and- Oh honey, no don't cry!" She grew to her normal size and hugged the girl tightly. Fionna was sobbing loudly now, and that got Cake crying as well.
They were crying so loudly they didn't notice the pale young woman enter.
"Well, well… What do we have here?" Cake looked up, fire in her eyes. When she saw who it was, she flinched back.
Fionna looked up and gasped. "Marshall?"
The girl smiled wickedly. "Hah, not likely." She floated up and over a couch, coming into their vision. "HE only wishes he was this good looking." She smirked, the same one as Marshall, and bowed, black hair falling to the floor. "I am Marceline. The Vampire Queen." She stood. "Also Marshall's twin sister."
The trio, after getting past the awkward introductions and explanations, sat comfortably in chairs around the fire.
"So, Marceline, Marshall never-" Fionna started.
"Mentioned me? Yeah, I know. We, my brothers and sisters, don't usually mention each other. Even to our closest friends." She paused, sucking on a strawberry pensively. "If we did, we'd have to get into our childhood and our parents. It's messy stuff." She grinned at Fionna, "You should know, you've met dear old mumsy, haven't you?"
Fionna grimaced. "Yeeeah…I did." They both laughed, because anything else would've been awkward. Marceline shook her head distractedly.
"I don't know if I should be telling you any of this, but I think it's necessary. Especially for you, Fionna.
"When me and Marshall were kids, it was a bad time. It was right after the Mushroom War, we were already…different then. So we were, like, the only survivors. It was pretty scary. But we had each other. We began exploring, 'cause we didn't have anyone left to take care of us. Our parents, well we didn't know it then, were in the Night-o-Sphere and helping Death with stuff.
"We ended up destroying a lot of places, trying to control our powers. It was harder for Marshall. He always was the more…eh, haha, unleashed type I guess.
"But we grew and we found places and… creatures that had survived. Candy people, Why-Wolves, Hyu-mans, all that stuff. They began rebuilding. But me and Marsh, we didn't feel like we ever belonged.
"When we hit eighteen, our parents finally showed up. They told us that it was time to buckle down and become royalty. Neither of us liked that, Marsh, especially."
She paused, blinking slowly. She turned to Fionna, moving her hands imploringly. "You have to understand, we had never been trained for a royal life, heck we didn't even think we had parents!" She sighed darkly, "Marshall went into a mode neither of us knew we could. Every vampire has three basic forms, excluding their human one. A wolf, a bat and a large beast. Marshall had four.
"He and dad went at it pretty hard. I think that's when he got bit, because I could feel it. Twins are like that sometimes, ya know?" Her hand went unconsciously to her throat, rubbing her bite marks. "Mom bit me then while I was distracted. I think she thought it would be less painful if we changed together. It wasn't. We both changed and went our separate ways. Me with dad and Marshall with mom."
A still quiet settled over the room. Marceline stared at the floor, a tear running down her face. Cake almost said something, but Fionna kicked her quickly and shook her head. The vampire queen sighed softly and then smiled a wicked grin. "But yeah, that's my story. Now let's hear yours, fleshy. What's the meat between you and my bro?"
Fionna blushed brightly, stuttering helplessly. Cake growled softly waving a claw at Marceline. "Chill kitty can, I was just joking around." Marceline giggled and pulled her axe bass out. "Here, lemme sing a song for you from the old days. You'll like it, Fionna."
"Marshall. Marshall! Wait up." A very cheesed off vampire stopped and glowered at Bubba. He smirked with glee to see his bruises showing up nicely despite his pink complexion. "You didn't have to break my rib, you know."
Marshall pondered this. "Uh, yeah I think I did."
"Fionna isn't yours to protect. Or boss. OR kidnap for that matter." Gumball frowned at him.
"Yet."
Gumball was about retort angrily when Marshall opened the door to the library and a beautiful voice soared out.
My love is alive, not dead
Marshall glanced back at Gumball's shocked face. He smirked and gestured him forward to stand in the door way, listening.
"It goes like this, one more time.
I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love suicide
And I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.
The honeyed alto was joined by the delicate warble of Fionna's soprano voice. "That's it. Join on the chorus, kay?"
I've been dropped out, burned up, fought my way back from the dead
Tuned in, turned on, remembered the things that you said
I'll be your crying shoulder,
I'll be love suicide
And I'll be better when I'm older
I'll be the greatest fan of your life.
Gumball finally stepped into the library, mouth still hanging open. A grey blue maiden was reclining on the couch, cradling a red axe bass, similar to Marshall Lee's. Her coal black hair fell in a thick cascade down her back, surrounding her in darkness. Her eyes were closed in bliss, her lips open, holding the last note, caressing it.
Marshall hopped over to the couch, settling next to her and pulling out his own axe bass. The girl smiled at Marshall and Gumball felt something shrivel up a little. They began singing another song, from before the Mushroom Wars.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night,
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
Marshall's soft tenor wove with Marceline's alto, pulling on the notes. It was a sad sweet song, all about rebirth and gushy junk like that that makes people tear up.
Which Gumball did.
The two ended, smiling at each other. Fionna clapped, tears running down her face. "That was beautiful, Marceline. You too, Marshall." The vampire king changed couches, grabbing Fionna and pulling her into his lap in a smooth motion.
"There's more where that came from."
Marceline grinned, "Yeah, all we did when we were kids was wander around, destroying crap and singing."
Cake grinned too, even though she was fuming at Marshall. "So, Marceline, what brings you to the Night-o-Sphere?"
Marceline paused, and shot a look at Marshall, who was currently occupied with Fionna's hair. "It's uh, you know, complicated."
Marshall huffed at her. "Is not. All it is that every year, at the Summer Solstice, there's a lot of demonic traffic, like monsters and junk. And as Vampire King and Queen, it's me and Marcy's job to make sure nothing serious gets out or something."
"Sounds dangerous," Gumball had finally found his voice, "I mean, for a Queen. What happens if-"
"I die?" Marceline stared at him, black eyes boring into his soul. "Nothing. It's almost impossible to kill a vampire. What was your name again?"
"It's, ah, Prince Bubba Gumball, at your service." He bowed deeply, not seeing Marceline's snerk at Marshall.
"You remind me of someone back in Ooo. Maybe you know her? Her name is Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum?"
Gumball's eyebrows went up. "Bonnibel? You know her?" Marceline nodded, "She's my sister, younger by a few years. How is she?"
"Married. To a hero, actually. You kind of remind me of him, Fionna." A small blue device buzzed in her pocket. "Oh, look at that. Speak of the Lich, and he shall appear." She pressed a button and held it to her ear. "Marceline, a dame who likes games. Hey, yeah. Oh really? We were just talking about you. Haha me and my bro. Marshall. Yeah. Oh? Sweet, girl. So, like right now? Yeah I guess, lemme ask." She put a hand over the bottom of it and turned to Marshall. "Hey, Mar, is it ok if my buds crash her for a bit. Finn wants to explore and junk."
That name, Finn, caused a shiver to run up Fionna's arm, like a long forgotten memory. Marshall noticed and hugged her tight against his chest. "Yeah, that's cool. I'll go open a portal for them. Candy Kingdom, Land of Ooo, right?" Marceline nodded, and Marshall kissed Fionna on the forehead and ran from the room.
"Hey, Bonni? Yeah, I'm here. He said it was cool. He's opening a por- oh it's there? He's fast. All right, I'll be right up."
She stood, and Gumball stood as well. She glanced at him, and then at Fionna. She stood and hugged the Vampire Queen. "It was really awesome meeting you, Marceline."
She grinned. "You too, fleshy." She walked out, Gumball watching her. She turned. "It was nice meeting you too, Cakester. Gumby."
Cake humphed and flopped on the couch. "I need a snack."
Gumball turned to Fionna, eyes bright. "She knows my name." Fionna grinned, surprisingly ok with this.
"You like her, don't you?"
He nodded, staring blissfully into space.
Ah, love.