If you don't succeed at first try again! This was a sentence that had been drilled into Betty's head a very long time ago, when she was still just a elementary school student and struggled deeply in her math classes.
You just have to keep trying.
Of course solving a math question and find a way to transport yourself a thousand years back in time was a bit different.
A lot more could go wrong when time travel was involved, she could end up traveling to far or not far enough, she could end up outside of time.
She had to do it right and be absolutely sure.
Thankfully though, knowing that ones she had fulfilled her goal this world would never exist in the first place. It allowed Betty a lot more leverage.
She could take whatever she needed, push anyone away whom was in her way, even kill if she needed to.
It wouldn't made, because ones she had travelled back in time and stopped the mushroom war, this entire place would never have existed in the first place!
And it would probably be for the better, this place was odd and didn't make sense. Betty was going to safe lives, MILLIONS of lives! She wasn't doing anything bad, this was good wasn't it? WASN'T IT?!
Of course it was, any world that could do such a thing to a man like Simon was a bad world and it was with that in mind that Betty sat up her device, a device that would drain life itself away from Ooo to strengthen her own magic.
It wouldn't matter, ones Betty had travelled back in time this world would never have existed at all, and so Betty sat down with crossed legs, she put her hands on the machine she had fabricated as she closed her eyes, thinking about Simon.
She remembered when she had first met Simon, at the library. Betty had been all alone back then, she had pretty much settled herself with the idea that she was going to live out her life alone, dedicating herself to her research and maybe one day get a couple of cats so she could be a prober cat lady.
The book she had been looking for in the library was of an very odd kind, the kind of book no one but Betty herself would ever find interest in. It was about ancient magic and several theories on how it worked.
Betty had always believed there was more to these theories, that magic was real. But people had called her stupid and crazy back then.
She had finally found the book, she had reached for it and then suddenly had become very surprised as another hand reached for the book as well, shortly their hands had touched and shocked Betty had looked up to see a young man standing right next to her, looking just as she shocked as she was.
"Oh." he had said. "Are you intending to borrow that book?" he asked in a slight blush.
Betty nodded, then frowned slightly. People always laughed at her when they realized how fascinated with these kinds of things. "It's for my studies!" she snapped.
"Oh, I see." The young man blinked surprised. "Well, excuse me then. You should have it, I can just borrow it after you're done. I was just intending to read it for fun anyway."
That made Betty blink and curiously she looked at the young man, his had olive colored darker skin and on his nose was a pair of round purple glasses. What really stroke Betty about him though was how sincere he looked.
"You… Really want to read that for fun?" Betty asked pointing at the enormous looking book which was sure to be filled with incredible tiny texts and very old phrases.
"Oh yes indeed!" The young man beamed. "I have a interest it old history and artifacts you see, there should be a lot of information in that book!" he stated. "In fact, I am looking for clues how to find the scepter of Anubis which is said to have the power to raise the dead, and I thought that book may had a clue. Ah excuse me! The things i'm saying must feel very boring to you."
"No!" Betty exclaimed. "Not at all… I mean." she bit her lip.
The young man smiled as he finally took out the book, then handed it to Betty. "Here you go." he said kindly and Betty accepted the book. "Now don't spend all day reading, you're really pretty it would be a shame for you to be stuck in a dusty old room all day. Spend a bit of time outside, enjoy the weather." he smirked in a wink and then he walked away waving a hand over his shoulder.
Betty however, was standing absolutely still, still clutching that book in her arms. Her cheeks were blushing and her heart was pounding…
Then Betty shook her head, get it together! That was just a random dude!
Still, even when Betty had finished reading the book her mind was still on the young man, she wanted to see him again. But she didn't know where he was.
Then it hit her! No one else than him would ever borrow this book. So with that in mind.. Betty wrote a note.
"Yo, purple glasses guy. How rude of you to try and pick up the same book I did! And then you never even made it up to me.
I think you owe me a cup of coffee. Scepter of Anubis? More like the scepter of rubbish, look me up and i'll tell you about some real treasure hiding out there in the world if you really insist to be some sort of treasure seeking pirate or Indiana Jones.
My number is on the other side of this card, call me. Betty."
Betty hadn't actually exspected a reply at all, writing the note had almost been a in the moment reaction but then suddenly… Her phone had actually rung and Betty had picked up to hear the voice of this kind looking young man.
"Urhm hey. It's me… Purple glasses guy. Or well actually my name is Simon. You're saying I owe you a cup of coffee right? Does next Saturday fit with you? I mean, I don't want to come on strong or anything. Your note was really funny, thank you."
Betty had been to stunned for words when she heard his voice in her phone then she nodded. "Yes, Saturday is just fine."
That was how it began, just thinking back at it warmed Bettys heart so much but also it made her throat tighten together.
And she flipped the switch, now turning all the grass around her black and the trees started to wither as she sucked life itself out of Ooo.
"Do not move an inch!" Bubblegum demanded of Simon whom was seated on a chair in the lab.
Simon looked a bit confused as Bubblegum as he had been perfectly well behaved and done everything these people had asked for him.
"And I swear to you, if you touch anything!" Bubblegum exclaimed.
Simon put his head askew as he looked at Bubblegum. "You don't like me very much do you?" he asked.
Marceline exhaled deeply from where she floated beside Simon. "I'm sorry, Peeps… She had some experiences."
Right now it was just the three of them in the lab, Finn and Jake had gone on a break in town though Finn assured he would come back later, for some reason Finn was the one best able to talk to Simon. It did hurt Marceline a bit that she couldn't do whatever Finn did, but it was good to see Simon had calmed down, even gotten his powers somewhat under control, he was at least a lot more agreeable to work with now. Even if he was clueless.
"No it's fine, feels refreshing to have someone not being overly nice." Simon smiled amused then his smile was wiped off as Bubblegum suddenly lighted a little flashlight into his eye.
Simon hissed as he squinted his eyes. "Ms, perhaps you could warn me before doing that?" he asked.
"Peeps you're being rude." Marceline pointed out.
"I had to check his reactions." Bubblegum explained. "Well, your reaction time seems mostly normal right now, they are only a little bit slow ones in a while. So that's good Simon."
Marceline smiled amused, thankful that Bubblegum went through the afford of calling Simon by his name, Bubblegum was at least trying and Marceline appreciated that.
It sure was strange though, seeing Simon there. Being calm.
It was his calmness that really brought back the memories, when Marceline thought back, of the wasteland after the mushroom war. When she thought if Simon back then.
To Marceline, Simon had seemed so big and strong. He was always so calm and always so supportive.
Even when Marceline was scared, Simon would put a strong arm around her and tell her not to worry in such a calm comforting way.
Sometimes Marceline and Simon would be walking a very long way without encountering anything of significance, but Simon would always find a way to keep up the mood by either coming up with games or tell stories. As long as Simon was there, Marceline felt safe.
It was okay to be scared because Simon would be there to be strong for her.
At least that was how it seemed to Marceline, until one day she saw something she was not supposed to.
It had been a late night where Marcline and Simon had made camp in some woods, a fire was burning keeping Marceline warm and Simon had tugged her in and kissed her goodnight, even told her a bed time story which he had just made up on the spot as they didn't really have any books.
His story had been really funny, like Simons stories always were.
Then finally Marceline had gone to sleep, only to wake shortly thereafter. All though then she realized that Simon wasn't there with her. He was gone!
At ones this made Marceline extremely frightened and she crawled up looking around, she considered calling out for Simon but then remembered what he had taught her, the they should not draw unwanted attention towards themselves, so Marceline clutched Hambo tight and went on a search.
Silently she moved across the trees and branches and then suddenly… Marceline heard faint sobbing.
Stunned she moved closer to the source of the sobbing and then finally found him, it was Simon, sitting on the ground hunching together crying into his hands.
Marceline was stunned. She had never seen Simon like this before, the little girl had no idea what to do. Simon was supposed to be strong, he never cried.
The white haired man hadn't discovered her at all, he grabbed his head and he cried. "Come on, keep it together. Keep it together Simon." he hissed to himself. "You can't loose your mind, not yet. She needs you. Urgh my head." he hissed. "These are not my thoughts these are not… Leave me alone!" he cried as he bowed forward. "I can't do this anymore, I can't." he squinted his eyes then his blue hands touched the crown and he looked at it, he hissed angrily. "This is all your fault! What have you done to me?!" he asked in a angry hiss tears streaming down his eyes. "What are you turning me into? SOME ABOMINATION!?" and he threw the crown away so it smashed into a tree and he grabbed his head. "This is not me… It's not me… It's not." he cried. "I don't want to be an abomination, I don't want to be like this… I." then he looked up and the crown glistened at him. Simon squinted his eyes. "She needs me." he swallowed he crawled towards the crown then finally picked it up again. "Okay, we'll play it your way crown. Help me protect her, just… Just give me a little more time, just a little I beg of you! I'll be whatever thing you're turning me into, just promise me she'll be safe!" and he broke together as he cried, bawled. "I beg of you please. Help me, I need help." and he cried bowing over embracing the crown as if it was a person.
And Marceline squinted her eyes, then she left the spot and moved back to the camp, tears falling down her own face.
That was the moment, the exact moment she realized that Simon would not be staying forever, that he was going away.
And he was going away… Because of her. He kept the crown, to protect her.
Marceline hated that crown, she hated it more than anything in the world. And then as she laid there beside the fire with the blanket over her she sniffed.
Soon the blue skinned man came back and he gasped. "Oh no Marcy!" he rushed to her side. "What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
"Uhu." Marceline sniffed as she looked up. "Simon… Don't leave me."
"No no, of course not darling." Simon assured as he tugged Marceline in with her blanket. "It was just a nightmare, go back to sleep. I'll be right here."
"Promise?" Marceline asked looking up with wet eyes. "You wont leave?"
That made Simon halt, then he swallowed and he glanced away for a few moments before he looked back, putting on a smile that was a bit to pleasant to be real, and the pain in his eyes proved it was indeed fake. "Of course sweety." he said.
And Marceline closed her eyes, she knew his words were meant to be comforting, but they weren't, not anymore.
Now Marceline here in bubblegums lab looked at Simon sitting calmly in his chair… He had sacrificed his own sanity for her.
Then suddenly Simons head turned and he looked at Marceline. "Are you okay ms?" he asked in a genuinely concerned tone.
"Oh yeah, I just." Marceline swallowed.
"Ms, you're crying." Simon pointed out a little startled. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes i'm fine." Marceline assured as she wiped the renegade tear away. "Hey Simon I was thinking, ones Peeps is done examining you maybe you'll like to go for a walk. You've been stuck inside of this castle all day."
"Oh I would love a walk!" Simon smiled warmly. "Perhaps you could show me some of this place?" he asked.
"Sure." Marceline nodded. "It's a deal."
"Great!" Simon smiled a genuine warm smile which made Marceline smile in return.
The only one not smiling though was Bubblegum which concerned looked at the crown that were still in rest mode, but that hadn't stopped to crack from becoming even bigger.