HEY GUYS! Yeah, I know right?! I'm actually here and not dead! YAY! Or, is it, "Awww"? Well anyway, let's move right on, shall we? One whole freakin' year is enough of a wait. So, first off, I did a bit of editing on the past three chapters during the end of July. For those who have just found this fic during August 2017 onwards, you don't need to worry about it. But for the rest of you, here's what I edited if you're curious:
[31/07/17] & [13/08/17] Edits:
Chapter 1 – A few spelling and grammatical errors.
Chapter 2 – "As she walked back into the cabin, however, a small tremor rocked the entirety of Ooo for a moment, leaving certain residents of the kingdoms confused and fearful."
Chapter 3 – " ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ "
Lumpy Space Princess sighed and began to float back towards her camp when the ground shook. She paused in her tracks in confusion, looking around as the trees shook violently for a few moments before stopping.
"What was that?"
"Y-Yeah. W-Where…?" Where was she? Who was this man? Why did he seem so… familiar, to her? As her mind became bombarded with question after question, one in particular caught her attention. "Hey, what happened to the vampires? And why aren't you in your fox form?"
"Fox form?" He looked confused. "And… vampires? What vampires?"
"You know, the ones I was hunting with PB, Finn and Jake?"
"Who?" She blinked in slight disbelief. To be honest, she could understand his confusion about his "fox form". Even she didn't know what she was talking about. But he didn't recognize her friends? He didn't know who they were? Okay, maybe he wouldn't have recognized Bubblegum from her nickname, but Finn and Jake? They were renowned heroes in Ooo! "H-Huh? What is it?"
The male clicked his tongue, looking at her anxiously. "Are you sure you're okay? That's the second time now…"
"Y-Yeah. Yeah! I'm fine. Just… thinking, I guess."
[Edits List End]
THERE.
That should be all of the edits I've done in the previous chapters.
Before anyone asks, yes. I did deliberately place the shrugging dude into Chapter 3 of my own free will. Peppermint Butler sent it as part of his text it the episode, so I put it in for shits and giggles. For those who STILL ask for a good reason as to why I did so, please use the list to look at the first edit I made to Chapter 3 once more. Now, with that done and dusted, I need to tell y'all something important about this fic, which is why I will put an "important" stamp before the notice (though there will still, no doubt, be readers who'll skip it anyway).
[IMPORTANT NOTICE]
Classy. Anyway, I digress (again). So, with school being an annoying pain in the ass, I haven't exactly been able to watch many cartoons lately. Everything's been going by so fast with important assignments being given literally STRAIGHT AFTER one is finished, I myself am actually surprised that it's been MONTHS since I last watched Adventure Time, even more so when I realized that Adventure Time now has NINE SEASONS. So, yeah. I'm waaay behind the times and I dunno if I'll be able to watch the episodes after the "Stakes" mini-series. So, just in case any massive information bombs had been dropped in those episodes that would place plot holes and stuff in "The Tenth Guardian", I'm making it so that only the episode "Stakes: The Dark Cloud" and those created before it will be the only episodes to have "existed" in the "The Tenth Guardian" universe. If I get time, which is unlikely due to exams and test after test, I'll watch the episodes I haven't seen and may change my mind on this "rule" depending on what gets revealed in those episodes.
(SUMMARY: Basically, if you're too lazy to read the paragraph, any Adventure Time episodes created after the "Stakes" mini-series and any information revealed within them will have no place in the "The Tenth Guardian" universe. They essentially don't exist. If you wanna know why, then read the damn notice instead of this summary!)
Now, without further ado, I give to you the fourth chapter of… The Tenth Guardian.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything, especially Naruto and Adventure Time.
Chapter 4 – My Demons
Peppermint Butler couldn't believe it. Who could blame him for his disbelief? He may have been an odd butler who knew demonic arts and was friends with the Lord of the Underworld, but still! One of the statues just came to life before him! As mundane as that sounds, it was a complete surprise to him. He'd done tests on them many times before, and no matter how many times he repeated them, he'd find himself face-to-face with the same results.
No heartbeats.
No sign of organic life trapped within.
No demonic magic keeping them together.
It just couldn't be!
.
.
.
…Could it?
Despite the raspy voice… those nine tails, the golden fur and crystalline eyes… he had all the features.
Was it really…
"…Naruto?"
The fox, who had been opening and closing his maw with a disgusted look on his face at his "breath of death", paused at the sound of Peppermint Butler's voice. He looked around for the source, a grin immediately on his face the moment he spotted the shocked butler.
"Well, well, if it ain't Candyman! Say, you don't happen to have a toothbrush or something right now, would you- Wait, hang on!" The blonde quadruped coughed into a fisted paw, a wince again on his face at his horrible breath. "…Am I back to normal now? Yep! Okay, back to what I was saying... How ya doing ya evil excuse for a mint? You still hanging out with Death?"
It was.
No matter how long ago it had been since he last heard it, he could recognize that voice from anywhere. It really was Naruto. Peppermint Butler held his hands to the sides of his head, eyes widening even more than they already were in his incredulity. "I-I can't believe it…"
Noticing his disbelief and lack of proper response, Naruto tilted his head to the side worriedly as he stared at the shell-shocked butler. "Pepps? You… Are you alright?"
The living peppermint only turned his gaze to the ground, coal irises and smile becoming slightly insane in his repudiation. "Heheheh… I should be asking you that!"
The multi-tailed canine looked at him as if he had grown another limb right before his eyes, confused and skeptical. He then shook his head and gave a hollow laugh as he continued to stare in concern, an unsure smile on his muzzle. "H-Hahah, what? What are you talking about, Pepper-Butt? You're not making any sense!"
"After all this time… after all those centuries searching… you were HERE?!"
"Wait. Searching? CENTURIES? TIME?!" The vulpine rocketed forward to stand right in front of Peppermint Butler, staring the candy citizen in the eye, wide cerulean orbs frantic and perturbed as they demanded answers. "How long has boss kept me sealed?!"
His words made the butler stop in his descent into a lower level of madness, the small, tuxedo-clad candy citizen now staring up at the large fox curiously. "What do you mean "boss"? YOU have a BOSS?! What have you been doing since you went missing, you insufferable mutt?!"
It was now Naruto's turn to freeze, also taken aback by Peppermint Butler's words. "Pepps… I went missing?"
The living peppermint, not noticing his reaction, closed his eyes with a shake of his head and let out another quip. "What sort of idiot doesn't realize that he's suddenly disappeared off of the face of Ooo for years?!"
Hearing no response or reaction, the butler looked back at Naruto once more, and saw that his face was drained completely of any mirth. Peppermint Butler was now confused, and was even more so when the canine leaned away and sat on his haunches, his eyes now a slitted crimson as he glared at the ground with a frown. When the fox lifted his gaze, his blood-red orbs bore into Peppermint Butler's coal irises, causing the suited male to flinch.
"…I went missing?"
Despite being startled by the fox's sudden seriousness concerning that piece of information, he immediately understood that it was no longer the time to be joking. Though silence reigned only for a mere second, to him, it felt as if a millennium had passed. Gravity weighed him down to his spot and the air became chillier, a feeling of looming demise enveloping him and everyone else in the room. Tearing his mind out of a vision of an enormous beast furiously creating a bloodbath, Peppermint Butler then gulped before forcing words to pass through his throat, silently thankful that his voice didn't falter as he spoke.
"Yes, you did. For quite some time, too."
Peppermint Butler flinched again, alarmed by the sudden, vicious snarl that escaped Naruto's control. The bright-coloured canine was annoyed, to say the least; that was for sure. The vulpine's chest rumbled as he emanated a constant, guttural growl, claws clicking against the rubble spread around the poison lab's grassy floor as he angrily paced back and forth in front of Peppermint Butler.
What was going on?
What has gotten him so tense?
How is it that he came from a statue that he placed in the room himself?!
So many questions span in Peppermint Butler's mind, all unable to dodge the web of confusion that was currently hindering any progress made towards calming his thoughts and processing newfound information. Speaking of information…
"…I been gone?"
Peppermint Butler cursed. He hadn't noticed the fox stop moving, nor had he heard the question. Hesitantly, he asked, "E-Excuse me? I didn't quite catch that."
He grimaced as he received a miffed sigh at his request, but the furred quadruped repeated his question nonetheless. "How. Long. Have. I. Been. GONE?"
…Though, he could've gone without the specific, mocking use of multiple pauses.
"It's been about seven hundred years now," He said, wincing at Naruto's roar of fury. He watched as the other male continued his pacing, but this time, his movements were much faster and his tenser posture screamed his agitation. Hearing groans of effort, Peppermint Butler looked past the grumbling tod, gasping when he saw Finn struggling to stand whilst Jake was groggily attempting to shake the banana guards out of unconsciousness. Noticing more movement, he glanced to the right of the group on the floor, flinching at the sight of the vampire encased in ethereal chains; his worry growing even more as his eyes trailed the scarlet energy that began to climb up the azure chains, red slowly superseding blue. He quickly cleared his throat, the action successfully gaining the kitsune's attention, if a rabbit-like ear twitching to his direction was any indication. "I know you're frustrated and perturbed right now Naruto—as am I—but as much as I would like to ask you about why you don't seem to be aware of your own disappearance, I'm afraid we have more pressing matters to attend to."
Naruto's strides paused, as did his low growl. He tilted his head slightly to the side, a curious look now on his face as he regarded Peppermint Butler's profile, the short candy citizen now having a relieved look as Naruto's slitted pupils dilated; cerulean bled into vermillion, creating a shining amethyst.
"What exactly are these… pressing, matters?"
The Peppermint Butler pointed over one of his furred, amber shoulders and at the scene behind him. Following his friend's finger, he turned around and was surprised to see the banana guards as well as a human and a dog lying on the floor, unable to stand. He immediately bounded towards them, ignoring the human and dog's shocked yelps. Sniffing the fruit sentries, he grimaced at the scent of the strong magic that had petrified them into unconsciousness. Turning to the other duo on the floor, he sniffed them too, once again ignoring their indignant comments.
'This magic… it's strong, that's for sure. It would take great willpower to only be immobilized like these two; willpower the banana guards, unfortunately, lack. But this magic… I've scented this before, but from where? I just can't remem-!'
Realization struck him like an arrow to the knee, his revelation in sync with the rattling of the chains behind him. He spun around, his bewildered irises staring into the smug pair of the bound creature of the night. She smirked, enjoying his astonishment and growing dread. Naruto shook his head, her name escaping his lips in a whisper.
"The Moon…"
No.
A vampire?!
A member of the Vampire King's court, at that!
But they're all meant to be dead, unable to be revived for their souls had been absorbed by…
He felt a detestable chill claw up his spine, a nauseating feeling now heavy in his stomach, as if a ball and chain had been tied to his gut and was now dragging him down into the bottom of the sea. He disappeared and reappeared in front of Peppermint Butler in a flash, his hackles now raised, desperation and anxiety evident in his voice.
"Where is Marceline?!"
Unfortunately, the butler was currently frozen in surprise, having not expected the fox to suddenly appear before him. Naruto let out a snarl of annoyance, ruby once again making an appearance in his sapphire irises, their colour now similar to that of a garnet. Just as the saffron-furred canine was about to bark out his question once more, his focus set on the butler was broken by his ears twitching, the sound of metal scraping against metal catching their attention. Naruto watched as a horizontal safe placed against a wall of the room slowly opened, only for its door to get stuck. A second of silence passed, until the bangs of something hitting the stubborn door reached his ears. At each centimetre the door inched open, the amber fox's fur rose higher in his wariness as he crouched lower to the ground. After one particularly loud bang, the door flew open, revealing a pink-haired woman holding a sickly and delirious, black-haired one.
"What is going o-!" The pony-tailed, pink-skinned female scanned the room as she spoke, her eyes widening at the sight of the four unable to leave the floor, even more at the sight of the immobile vampire and once more at… the fox. A gasp escaped her lips as she recognized the quadruped before her, her identity sparking realization in the fox at the exact same time. "N-Naruto?!"
"Bonnibel. You look… different."
The fox gave another frown at the princess's surprise, her reaction having mirrored Peppermint Butler's. Placing the train of thought to the back of his mind for now, he placed focus back on Princess Bubblegum, or rather, on the figure she held in her arms. Her hair was short now; it had been a few centuries since he had last seen her wear this sort of hairstyle. Well, "a few centuries" according to his memory at least, as, apparently, it had already been more than just a few. Her skin, though, still held a similar bluish tint to her father's—maybe a shade paler—and her ears were pointed as ever… but she no longer had the bite marks on the side of her neck. The tell-tale sign that she was a vampire—or, he supposed, they had been the tell-tale sign.
While Naruto scrutinized his best friend's shivering form, Bonnie shook her head out of her stupor and opened her mouth to fire question after question at the golden vulpine. But before she could, she bit her tongue back when she heard Marceline's pained groans. She looked down and winced at the black-haired, half-demon's distressed expression. She berated herself, reminding herself of the first priority. Saving her friend. She lifted her head, barely holding back a yelp at the sight of the large fox that had slowly made his way to the duo, eyes downcast and remorseful. She followed his gaze, and she too was saddened at the sight of the sickly-green slice in Marceline's arm, placed just below the shoulder. He leaned down to the injured arm and sniffed, eyes narrowing at the very familiar scent. He himself had been injured by the man once before, after all. It had not been a fun experience. He was lucky for his… inherited, healing factor and immune system.
"Hierophant…" He spat the name as if it were some vile concoction, his teeth bared as he scowled at the wound. Feeling his energy rise, he quickly shook his head and took a breath to calm himself. Right now wasn't the time to go on a rampage. Giving the slash one more look of dismay, he closed his eyes and focused. Not long after, emerald wisps of energy began to emanate from his body, the tendrils making their way to Marceline's arm in graceful arcs. Everyone conscious watched in awe as the strange power sealed the opening with a sizzle of smoke, the green tint of her skin disappearing along with the poison in her veins. Slowly, little by little, her distressed face slowly calmed. Once its job was done, the green energy dissipated into the air, Naruto leaning back and sitting on his haunches, eyes now staring a hole into Princess Bubblegum's head. "…"
Bonnie heard Naruto shift but kept her sights on the healed cut, she didn't need to look to know that he was silently asking for an explanation. "Hierophant. That was the name of the vampire that had poisoned Marceline in the first place. You know his name, so I take it that you know of the others?"
"Of course." He eyed her warily before cautiously continuing his next line, judging her reaction. "It may have already been a few centuries since their extinction, but I will always remember."
A twitch of a finger and slight widening of the eyes. Insignificant details to others, but to him, they spoke a thousand words. He sighed. So, it was true… he really had been gone for seven hundred years. Noticing her clench her hands into fists, he sat patiently, waiting for the inevitable bombardment of questions. He was not disappointed.
Bubblegum gently laid the still-snoozing Marceline down on the ground before standing up and whirling around to face the calm Naruto, his serene visage the complete opposite of her own. "YOU!"
Naruto leaned his head to the side, staring curiously and coolly at the finger she was currently pointing at his nose. "Yes?"
"You disappear for hundreds upon hundreds of years, and all you have to say is "yes"? Oh, no no no! You've got a LOT of explaining to do, Mister!"
Naruto slid down to the ground, his stomach pressed flat against the cold, grass floor. He placed his head on his crossed arms, eyes trained on the female Abadeer's sleeping form as he spoke with the irate princess in a lazy tone.
"Let me guess… the whole "where have you been all these years", "what have you been doing" and "why haven't you contacted any of us" deal, right? Those were the questions you wanted to ask me?" His ears fluttered at the sound of rattling chains before jerking back to face PB's direction, the long appendages upright and alert. Hearing no reply, he took the princess's silence as a yes and continued to speak. "Unfortunately, Bonnie, even I don't know the answers to those questions, and I'm apparently the one who vanished in the first place."
She sent him a disbelieving stare, incredulous. "How does someone just go under the radar for years and not even know where he was for all that time?!"
Naruto snapped his head the side, a snarl directed at Bubblegum. "For the last time, I. Don't. KNOW! How many times will I have to repeat it for you lot to understand?! Boss left me in stasis here in the poison lab, to only be free if frozen Candyman over there ends up doing something so stupid with his research that we'd have to save his sorry ass! That's all I remember before I got released a couple of minutes ago and got dragged into this mess with the now-resurrected vampire and poisoned best friend! How am I supposed to know what Boss has been doing?! HE'S the one who's been able to run around, not me!"
"W… Wait, did you just say b- Ow…"
The hiss of pain captured everyone's attention, their eyes set on the groggy vampire hunter. Naruto immediately stood at attention, craning his neck low to allow the raven-haired female to hold on to him for support, an invitation she gladly took. Marceline's head pounded, her vision doubling and blurring every now and then. But despite this, she forced herself to sit up, pointing a weak glare at the concerned canine before her.
"…Did you just say boss?"
[Minutes Earlier, With Marceline]
[Inside Marceline's Mind]
"Naruto…"
The name escaped her lips in a whisper; it was familiar, yet foreign at the same time. She stared at the blonde, head cocked to the side as she scrutinized his facial features. Ordinary human teeth, normal aquamarine eyes, standard curved ears and a trio of thin scars on each of his cheeks. Despite the scars, he seemed like your average human. Just your usual, common, run-of-the-mill male who lived his life working for cash, shopping for groceries and other such things. She would have shrugged her suspicion off, if it weren't for the strange feeling in the back of her mind telling her that something was wrong. His current form seemed natural enough, but the pit in the bottom of her stomach was telling her otherwise. There was something not right about him.
Something… unnatural.
Unique.
She just couldn't put her finger on it…
Marceline felt like pulling her hair out of her head by the roots. How could things feel as if they were right AND wrong at the same time?! It didn't make any sense! However, so lost in her whirring thoughts was she, that the half-demon didn't notice the whiskered man stop his conversation with Simon. He excused himself for a moment and walked over to the frozen Marceline, the woman's ebony orbs too busy piercing the floorboards of the porch with a withering glower to notice his movements, the bouquet that had been held in her hands now lay forgotten on the ground.
Naruto walked over to his best friend, closing the door behind him as he anxiously sensed her distraught aura. He stood right in front of her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, frowning when she flinched at his touch. "Hey, are you alright? You look pale… well, paler."
She didn't answer. She didn't even look at him. If she didn't let out a light gasp and completely freeze when he spoke, he could've sworn she hadn't even heard him. He let out a breath. She was making him worry. He clasped his left hand around her right elbow, his thumb making reassuring circles on her upper arm, whilst he used his other hand to tilt her head upwards by the chin. He gazed down at her with furrowed brows in woe, the sadness and pain in his stare making Marceline look up at him in bewilderment. It was as if the mere thought of her in distress caused him physical pain, the sight even more so. He leaned down, placing his forehead against hers. Caring azure bore into stunned onyx, their eyes unable to escape the other's.
"!"
Marceline tensed and her breath hitched in her throat, looking like a deer in the headlights. Naruto ignored her reaction. He stayed as he was and repeated his question, "Are you alright?"
She tried to break eye contact, but it was to no avail. She had been able to dart her eyes to the ground a few times, but her focus always gravitated back to him. It didn't help that he was so close. Realizing that he wouldn't let go until he got an answer, she forced out a reply, "I… I'm fine."
She held back a wince at his unconvinced arch of an eyebrow. She redirected her attention to the ground, closing her eyelids shut to ensure she didn't look back at the taller human. She heard him sigh, her heart breaking at the sorrow she felt within sound. He moved his other hand to her second elbow and placed a knee on the ground, craning his head back to inspect the indecisive scrunch of her face.
"Marceline…" At the sound of her name, her eyelids snapped wide open, surprised at hearing it from a different direction, "Please, I've been your best friend for so many years. I can tell that something's bothering you, making you sad… and I hate seeing you so sad. Please, tell me what's wrong so that I can help, Marcy? What's making you so sad?"
Her heart tightened painfully at his use of nickname, her temples giving another pulse of agony. Not able to take it anymore, she snapped. "YOU are!"
He was taken aback. "W-What?"
She wasn't fazed and continued to yell, stepping back and away from his hold before beginning to pace in a circle angrily.
"You- this! EVERYTHING! It's all making my head hurt, and I don't even know why! This place seems so normal, but that's just it. It only SEEMS normal! It's the same with you. You look like an ordinary human, you act like an ordinary human, but you being JUST an ordinary human seems… wrong, when it's also right. I can't- I- I just… I don't know what's going on anymore. Everything here is so confusing. It's making my head hurt, and I don't know WHY!"
Naruto watched her silently, preventing himself from moving, knowing that she needed to vent. After her rant, she stopped in her tracks and wrapped her arms around herself, letting out a sniffle as she attempted to hold back her tears. This was when he'd had enough. He launched himself back up onto his feet and wrapped his arms around her. For a moment, she was startled. But soon enough she reciprocated his gesture, ignoring the throbbing of her skull and instead revelled in the warmth he emitted. She buried her face in his chest, the tears now flowing freely from the corners of her eyes. Naruto felt his shirt get damp and bit back a growl. Not from his shirt becoming wet by her tears, but by the fact that she was shedding tears in the first place. He let the underside of his jaw gently ghost over her scalp, letting his throat rumble in a calming purr. While this made her nerves less fried, it also made more of her tears fall at the unusual, heart-wrenching familiarity of it all.
"…"
"…"
They didn't know how long they just stood there, basking in the comfort of each other's embrace… but frankly, they didn't care. When she felt calm enough, she peeled her face off of his chest and inclined her head upwards, giving him a small, thankful smile until she noticed what a mess his shirt now was. "O-Oh! I'm sorry… I didn't-"
Naruto smirked in amusement as she started to rant again and placed his forehead against hers once more, successfully silencing her, a light dusting of red now on her cheeks. "Hey, don't worry about it. It's just a shirt. I'd much rather have a wet shirt and a happy Marcy, rather than a dry one and a sad Marcy."
She felt her blush deepen in shade, her eyes once again lost within his. Silence fell upon them, which was broken when Naruto frowned, Marceline now the one to look at him worriedly.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
He sent a small, sad smile. "It's just… something you said earlier has been bothering me."
"W-What did I say?"
He pursed his lips in thought, then sent her a weak, cheeky grin. "I dunno… you were pretty stubborn about not telling me anything earlier."
She cocked her head to the side, uncertain, but chose to play along with a little, playful smile of her own. "In the end, I still told you, didn't I? Now you gotta do the same thing."
He chuckled, but it seemed empty. Hollow. Forced. "I-It was when you were talking about me…"
He began to trail off, but Marceline wouldn't have any of it, urging him to continue, "Yeah? What was it about what I said?"
"What… What did you mean about me being human?"
The question caught her off-guard, and before she could inquire about it further, the world around them began to warp. Ash blackened the skies like ink dropped in water, slowly corrupting the calm blue and tainting its colour to transform it into dark coal. Manifesting in a swirl, the moon shone down brightly, yet menacingly. It seemed… off.
Marceline rolled her eyes, 'Oh, will you look at that. Another thing that seems off to me.'
But before more sarcastic quips could be conjured in her mind, she felt herself being pulled into an embrace, a vicious growl filling her ears. She instantly turned to Naruto, and was surprised—yet, confusingly, somewhat relieved—to see that his features had changed.
His human ears were gone. Instead, a pair of golden, canine ears were atop his head, both pinned against his skull—a sign that he felt threatened. His beautiful cobalt irises were now a deep, glowing burgundy. His pupils, which had previously been spheres, were now thin, cat-like, vertical slits. The whisker-like lines on his cheeks were no longer thin, all six now thick and more defined, enhancing his animalistic look. The snarl on his face showcased his dangerously elongated fangs, the shine of his pearly whites and the sharp points of his teeth were just daring for someone foolish to come and suffer their punishment. Feeling something brush against her arm, she glanced down and was surprised to see furry tails—all just as golden as his ears—protectively wrap her in a blanket of safety.
She felt him wrap his arms tighter around her, his glare trained on the celestial body hanging above their heads. Again, before she could ask her question, she was interrupted. But this time, not by the man who held her in his arms, but by a thunderous crack that came from the sky. She scanned the skies for the source of the deafening sound the moment it hit her ears. She let out a gasp while Naruto's growl became louder at the sight of the enormous, trowel-headed vampire perched on her namesake. Then, she heard a snap. Not like a twig snap or a finger snap, but the snap of a chain lock breaking. It was as if the self-healer was a catalyst, one than caused her memories of the Real World to come flooding back.
"YOU!"
The Moon let out a dark chuckle, an ominous grin on her face. Her two rows of many teeth glimmered in the night along with her murderous glower. She glanced over Marceline, more interested in the half-canine male behind her. "Hello again, Fox."
He bared his teeth, glaring at her with as much animosity as he could muster. "Hello… Moon."
"Fancy seeing you here, especially when you seem to be nowhere nearby in the outside world."
Marceline's head moved back and forth, switching from speaker to speaker as they spoke, The Moon condescending whilst Naruto was short and clipped. Although she wanted to butt in, she remained silent, curious about where the conversation would lead.
"I have my shortcuts."
"Yes… you have as many shortcuts as you do secrets, I hear; and you have many secrets."
Marceline felt Naruto tense, his reaction urging her to look up at him with a raised eyebrow. Naruto felt her eyes on him and held back a wince. He didn't want to have this conference with the vampire anywhere near her vicinity, but he couldn't just leave her either. His eye twitched and he gritted his teeth; he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
"…It seems that I do."
"So secretive and sneaky are you, that I had not even realized that you were still alive to this day. With your lack of presence, I honestly believed that you had been… exterminated, a long time ago. Killed to grant a predator a meagre meal or to gift a human a nice pelt or a crafted… what was it that they called those, again? Purses?"
"I am no weak prey. I may be as immortal as them, but I'm afraid I am a fox, not a lizard. A canine, not a reptile."
"But you could be."
The four words had been whispered faintly, but Marceline's demon ears had managed to picked up the ominous sentence. "Wait, what?"
The Moon flashed her a smirk, but continued on as if the other female never spoke.
"Oh, well. I suppose I an apology is in order… to the lizards, of course. After all, I just said that they were worth as much as an untrained cur like you."
Naruto's fury rose at her barb. Crimson energy exploded from his body, and he could feel his humanoid bones begin to snap and reassemble to morph his form into that of a four-legged beast. However, before his transformation truly began, his anger's rise and The Moon's laughter were swiftly cut off by a beam of viridian light. Marceline watched, stunned, as the ray of light shone through her shirt. She placed a hand on her neck and was surprised to feel a thick cord. She hastily tugged it, the object the tough string tied to her neck appearing from under her shirt.
It was a necklace.
A beautiful jade necklace.
She grimaced, its light having grown brighter the moment the accessory had been freed from the confines of her clothing. It swayed in the breeze, the tiny bells at each side of the crystal ringing powerfully into the clearing at each shake, their sound causing the earth to quake and the wind to roar. Soon enough, the light became too blinding for her and she shut her eyes tightly, turning away to save her vision. The land beneath her feet then heaved, throwing her up into the sky, and the powerful winds carrying her away. Marceline screamed as she was whipped around every direction, her limbs flailing for anything to hold on to. As she panicked, she could faintly hear Naruto yelling.
Why?
She shook her head and attempted to fly herself to safety, but the winds were so strong that she could barely open her eyes, let alone move a centimetre by her own volition. Finally accepting the fact that there was nothing she could do, she let her body go limp, all her energy having been spent trying to escape the wind. Just as she relaxed, Marceline began to feel woozy. She could feel her consciousness begin to slip right through her fingers. She was tired, sleepy, and just before she fell blissfully into the world of darkness for a second time this day, she heard The Moon's deep voice speak once more until she trailed off into silence.
"I don't know what you did, Fox, but my grip on her conscious is beginning to fade. I can feel it- no, I can feel you. Somehow, you are here, yet right "outside" at the same time. Though, it seems that the one who is preventing me from using my powers is but a shadow. How curious…" She let out a hum of thought, followed by a devilish cackle. "Very well, I concede. I know when I have been beaten. HOWEVER, though I may have failed to defeat my foe in battle, I wonder if you will do the same? I felt the tremors, and I know the event a billion years prophesied is coming to pass. I wish you good luck, Fox. May you stand victorious in your clash with darkness… and not take its place."
She let a final crow of haunting laughter, one that lasted until Marceline went out cold and could hear no more.
.
.
.
[With…?]
.
.
.
A figure knelt in a vast expanse of pure white, their form as still as a rock. They stayed on the ground, knees and hands placed against the glowing floor. Everything was as still and silent as it was empty, until the figure jolted. Their body convulsed, quivering without losing balance. Not long after, a gasp was heard and cerulean eyes flashed open. A bead of sweat slid down the side of their temple, their mouth slightly ajar. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and fear swirled in his eyes. Fear that was not for them, but for something else… someone else. They pushed themselves off of the ground and hopped to their feet, the hairs at the back of their neck standing as a sickening feeling clawed up their spine.
"No…" The masculine voice echoed in the empty void, the head of its owner a mere blur as it continuously swivelled, inspecting the current setting with growing dread. "NO! We've been separated at the worst possible time! I need to find Marceline; this isn't her mind anymore. This… is mine."
He flinched, feeling a whispery voice akin to saccharine venom drip into ears.
"OURS, Naruto… Ours."
"Shit… I need to find Marceline, NOW!"
In a flash, his canine features returned, their presence ignored. Naruto was too focused on running and hoping.
Hoping to find Marceline, before it finds them.
"Hahahah… Tick-Tock, Naruto… Tick-Tock."
[With Marceline]
.
.
.
"!"
Marceline heaved forward with a sharp intake of breath, heart palpitating and face dumbfounded. She felt as if she had been drowning for hours and gasped for air, gulping in as much as she could. As she attempted to regain her breathing, her wary, raven irises darted around, scanning her surroundings for any signs of danger. But to her bewilderment, there was no one around. The Moon was gone, and so was Naruto. In fact, there was nothing around. Wherever she was, it was all just a plain of white, one that seemed to go on forever.
"What… just happened?"
She took a quick look at her body, looking for any injuries. She was surprised to see that she was wearing the clothes she had on during the battle against Hierophant. She didn't have the opportunity to get a good look at what she had been wearing during her "visit", but with how restrictive they had felt, she was definitely sure her previous outfit hadn't been this. She rubbed the back of her head as it swerved around, looking for anything that could help her with her confusion… and it seemed like her wish was granted. Just before she could move to stand, a whisper of sound managed to reach her ears. She froze, her ears twitching as she listened for the source. Soon enough, the stomps of someone's frantic footsteps were now audible, their yelling growing louder and louder as they grew closer.
"MARCELINE! Where are you?!"
She gasped. She knew that voice. Now that her memories of the land outside of this strange "dream world" were no longer being held back, she knew why it seemed familiar. She could never forget his voice.
She could never forget him.
She spotted him at the corner of her eye, running around like a headless chicken. He was still in his humanoid form. His wolf-like ears twisted in a panicked manner, most likely searching for any sort of sound that could give him a clue as to where she was, and his tails still swung behind him, all waving frantically. His eyes, however, were cerulean once more. His fangs had shrunk to their normal size, and the whiskers on his cheeks had thinned. Seeing him so distraught, she wanted to shout. To tell him that she was right here, that she was fine, unharmed.
But she couldn't.
She wanted to move and speak, but she couldn't seem to find her voice, or be able to move her limbs. Marceline just sat there and stared, burning his image into her mind. She felt her eyes begin to water. It had been so long since she had last seen him. They had been separated for more than twice as long as they had been together. Although she was happy to see him again, she couldn't help but begin to feel herself grow despondent.
"You know, the ones I was hunting with PB, Finn and Jake?"
"Who?"
When she had first "awoken" here, in what she assumed to be her mind, she had spoken to him as if he was a normal citizen of Ooo. When he didn't recognize her friends, she brushed it off, her memories of him having then been inaccessible. But now that she knew exactly who he was, she felt crestfallen at the fact that he didn't at least remember Princess Bubblegum, a friend that both of them had had for many years; even before his disappearance.
"Fox form?" He seemed confused. "And… vampires? What vampires?"
The fact that he didn't even seem to remember their vampire hunting days or the fact that he even had a fox form should have clued her in that he wasn't real, that he was just a figment of her imagination. An illusion made by her greatest wish…
…Wait.
That didn't seem right.
She glanced down, spotting the necklace that dangled over her shirt, the fresh memories she had made before being swept up by the wind flashing in her eyes.
"Hello again, Fox."
"Hello… Moon."
If he truly didn't know of the existence of vampires, then how did he know of The Moon? If he didn't know of his ability to transform into a fox, then how did he turn in the first place? Her sudden epiphany shot a jolt of electricity up her spine, fledgling suspicion beginning to crawl up into her mind.
"…and you have many secrets."
"…It seems that I do."
Brief glimpses appeared one after another, Marceline now gritting her teeth while her hands found purchase in gripping the crystal necklace tightly in their palms.
"Somehow, you are here yet right "outside" at the same time. Though, it seems that the one who is preventing me from using my powers is but a shadow. How curious…"
Outside? Then he was in the Real World, right next to where she was? Marceline knew that she should be happy, but… what did The Moon mean by "a shadow"? Not to mention, there were the more ominous words that left The Moon's fanged, mocking sneer…
"But you could be."
"May you stand victorious in your clash with darkness…"
What did she mean? Who or what was he fighting? Why was he fighting?
"…and not take its place."
Would she ever see him again?
She sniffled and choked back a sob, willing her tears not to fall as she pulled her knees up to her torso. Those six words struck her straight at her core. Would she ever see him again? Face him in the real world, and not in this world located within her mind? She didn't know whether to be disheartened, or to be angry that he had been lying to her earlier.
A couple of meters away from her, Naruto froze, ears standing tall and upright. Hearing another sound, his head immediately snapped towards its direction, eyes widening at the sight of Marceline. He saw her wipe her eyes and clutch her hands to her chest. With a twitch of his nose, he smelt the scent of salty water and he quickly bounded over to her.
"Marceline! There you are!" He skidded on his knees as he slid to her side, already inspecting her for any injuries. "Are you alright?"
"…"
She didn't respond. Taking her silence as a negative reaction, he snapped his fingers, a burst of forest-green energy sparking from his palm. He hovered his glowing hand over her hunched form, scanning for injuries. Sensing none, he furrowed his brows and regarded her with confusion. She wasn't hurt from her rather… rough, exit, yet the scent of tears and the feeling of sadness was still in the air. He wanted to say something, anything, maybe ask again what was wrong. But he didn't. All he did was sit there and stare.
'Damn it…' Naruto cursed, tightening a hand into a fist. 'What is wrong with me? Talk to her! She's your best friend, isn't she?'
Isn't she?
But it had been so long since they'd last seen each other, let alone shared a simple conversation. He didn't know what to do. He was ashamed to say that he couldn't even talk to the person who had once been his closest friend and confidant.
'I wasn't even meant to be there.' His eyes slid to the crystal Marceline held in her hands, shining innocently. It gave dim pulses of light, ones timed to exactly match his heartbeat. 'If it hadn't alerted me about an intruder attempting to enter her mind, I wouldn't have come here.'
Then, he suddenly felt an unexpected stab of pain in his left arm and bit his tongue to suppress a hiss. Hurriedly, he pulled back the sleeve of the tuxedo and winced at the sight of the bleeding gash on his arm. He saw Marceline begin to shift and swiftly covered it back up again, readying answers for whatever inquiry may come out her mouth.
"It's really you, isn't it?"
He wasn't ready for that.
Caught off-guard, he sat there blinking dumbly, right hand clutching his suit's left sleeve to his left wrist. "I-I'm sorry, what?"
"You're not just some trick or some weird ghost made by my messed up head, are you? It actually is you."
Finally comprehending what was going on, cursed.
'Damn it… we don't have the time for this!'
He began to think of a way to get her out as fast as possible, something he couldn't get her to do unwillingly with her possession of his necklace. He shot it a subtle glare, the object glinting tauntingly at him in response. After a while, he came to a conclusion to continue on with the farce he had made earlier and attempted to "de-bunk" her supposed theory.
"I'm sorry Marcy, but I have no idea what you're talking abou-?!"
"DON'T LIE TO ME!"
Emphasis on "attempt".
Her head blurred to his direction, spheres of furious obsidian staring right into his soul. He slowly stood up, an action followed by an irate Marceline. He held his hands open at his sides placatingly, speaking softly. "Okay, okay. Let's just… calm down a bit, yeah?"
He knew from experience an angry Marcy was not a good Marcy. Unfortunately for him, his words only seemed to add more fuel to the fire, eyes now a livid rose, the colour reminiscent to his own and her father's when irritated. She'd had enough of being confused and sad. It was time to be angry.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN?! No! I don't want to calm down! My best friend upped and left SEVEN HUNDRED YEARS ago to go who knows where, and after centuries and centuries of searching every corner of Ooo, upturning every rock and checking every other possible location for you to be in, I finally get to see you. Not in the Real World, but in my own mind. I'd be happy, because I at least know that he's fine and actually alive, but he goes and tries to convince me that he's. Not. Real. You acted as if you didn't know about your powers, but you used them on me just a minute ago, knowing exactly how to use and control them. You made yourself look confused as if you didn't know about vampires, but you knew who The Moon was and talked with her like you two were have a nice conversation over a cup of tea! And worst of all…"
Naruto's eyes were stuck gazing one the ground, unable to look her in the eye. "Marcy…"
She grimaced before steeling her resolve and forcing herself to overlook the misery in his voice, her own continuing on. "…And worst of all, you were just about to lie to me about you not being… well, you. That I was just going insane or imagining things. You were going to deny the fact that after all these years, my stupid, STUPID, and idiotic fox is still okay. That he's still alive and well out there, somewhere."
"…"
"…Why didn't you want to say anything? Why did you try to lie? Why didn't you contact us once in the hundreds of years you've been gone?!" She held her fists by her sides, body shaking in sadness and fury. "So many "whys", so many questions… and the only one who can answer them is you."
"…"
Tears escaped her control, the drops of liquid leaving trails as they slid down her cheeks. She bit her bottom lip, unable to deal with his silence. "Why won't you say anything?! You're so dang secretive all the time, it's why I blew up on you in the first place! I know what I said, I've repeated the words so many times to myself that I remember them off by heart, and I've regretted ever saying them to you that day. I know what I made you promise, but it was a mistake, I swear! I didn't mean to say it. I'm really sorry, okay?! Just… come home? Please?"
"…"
"I… I-I know "sorry" probably won't cut it, but… please, at least just answer me this. A-Are you really so ashamed of me, that you can't even look me in the eye or say a single word in response? Let alone see me again in the Real World?"
That got his attention. Naruto flinched, the blonde's head snapping upwards as if he had been struck by lightning. In a flash, his arms were wrapped around Marceline's shoulders, his arms tense and his hold tight. "NO. Don't you ever blame yourself for me leaving or having to stay away. It's not your fault, it never was. I assure you, I had my reasons, and although some involved you, none of them were because of you. I'm sorry if I made it seem like it was."
Her arms encircled his torso, forehead pressed against his chest, her words coming out as nothing more than a whisper. "If it's not because of me, then could you please come back? I'm sorry for making that promise. I was just so angry that I didn't know what I was saying until I'd already said it. You don't need to do it, just please come home."
Naruto pulled away from their embrace slightly and gave her a small, apologetic smile.
"I can't. Trust me, I'd love to, and if I could have, I never would have left in the first place. But I just can't. I have some place else to be, somewhere I can't leave unattended no matter how much I want to be by your side. I know I have secrets, so many I am unable to tell you about that it frustrates you, but trust me when I say that this is for the best. For you, for our friends, and for Ooo… and for your safety."
His last four words were muttered so lowly, they were almost inaudible. If it weren't for Marceline having demonic hearing, she wouldn't have been able to hear him. She then shook her head and placed that train of thought to the back of her mind for now, opting to focus on the conversation at hand. "It's because of what The Moon said, isn't it? What did she say again? "May you stand victorious in your clash with darkness"? Look, I don't know what you're doing or what it is you're fighting, but you don't have to do it alone. Let me help. Let us help. PB and Peppermint Butler have been worried about you too, you know, and you'd love Finn and Jake. They're basically just two versions of you!"
A deep chuckle reverberated in the dandelion-haired man's throat, a grin on his face, "I'll look forward to reuniting the old gang back together, and I think I'd enjoy meeting Finn and Jake… someday. Unfortunately, that day isn't today. I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down on that offer. I can handle this on my own. If I ever need help, I'll turn to you guys. But for now, just… focus on having fun, yeah?"
"But-!"
Before she could protest, a bloody hack tore through Naruto's throat, surprising them both. For a moment, time froze. Marceline could only stand and watch with wide eyes as a trail of crimson liquid dripped down his chin, her hands covering her mouth in horror. Naruto, too, was still. Confusion and pain flashed in his irises when another cough was ripped out of his chest, urging more blood to flow past his lips. Feeling a surge of pain, he tilted his head down and blinked at the sight of his reddening, white shirt, feeling the three ghastly claw marks sliced into his torso hidden by the once-pristine article of clothing. When his mind finally caught up with the situation, he let out a pained gasp in realization, gruffly uttering a curse as he fell to his knees.
"…Damn."
His face scrunched up in agony, his arms now forming an "X" over his chest in an attempt to alleviate the pain. The thump of his knees colliding against the sturdy floor snapped Marceline out of her stupor. She was knelt in front of him in a second, hands trying to pry his arms away in order to assess the damage.
"H-Hey! What's wrong? C'mon, let me see. Maybe I could help-!" Marceline was cut off once more, this time by Naruto's arms circling around her shoulders and pulling her close, trapping her with her hands between their chests and her head placed above his shoulder. "W-What are you doing?! You idiot, this isn't the time to be messing around!"
She attempted to escape his hold, but the more she struggled the stronger it became. Naruto ignored her complaints and attempts to escape, glaring at the air in front of him with a blood-stained grin.
"So… you found us after all." Marceline, at the sound of his voice, paused her attempts to escape, confused. "Of course you'd strike while I was busy. After all, you don't know the definition of fighting fairly, do you?"
"Who are you talking t-?!" Before she could question him, she bit her tongue at the sound of a gravelly chuckle, one deeper and more malicious as The Moon's. She tried to see what made such a villainous cackle, but a hand from Naruto prevented her from turning her head.
"Of course. Anything to end this bothersome battle… or, more preferably, YOU." It gave another laugh, sending shivers up the half-demon's spine. "Though, you do have to agree, is there really such a thing as a "fair" fight, Naruto?"
At its inquiry, Naruto gave a chuckle of his own before replying, "I suppose you are right. All's fair in love and war, right? But… please do save the savagery until I have moved a certain female out of our… shared, mind? I thought you'd wish to "end" me whilst we were fighting on even terms, to drive home your statement of me being a mere flea in comparison to you or whatnot."
It gave a hum of thought. After a few tense seconds, it spoke once more, amusement laced within his words. "Very well. It matters not. In the end, it shall be I who stands victorious and it shall be you who will be nothing but a crimson smear at the bottom of my feet. We may have been equals before, but now, the tides have turned. Unfortunately for you, they have turned to MY favour."
As if taking its words as cue, another cough was heard from Naruto, making Naruto wince. She wanted to do something—anything—to help, but she couldn't even move more than a centimetre in her current position and could only watch the back of his head worriedly. Tears fell from her eyes, a slight sniffle escaping her lips as she felt her hands become wet.
She knew what was dampening her hands.
It was blood.
HIS blood.
She could just feel whatever that voice belonged to smirking at her back, smug at the fact that it managed to injure him.
"…Marcy, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
She would be surprised, but after being his best friend for hundreds of years, she just couldn't be anymore. She'd grown used to him sending her off or running away to fight battles all by himself, even if he knew he'd end up on the losing side. After living their childhood together, she supposed that if she really thought about it, she'd been used to this ever since they had been young. Him running off and attacking the animals, her stuck watching from afar, asking him afterwards to stop the madness… him never listening and them repeating the cycle. She'd grown used to not being able to keep him from being a self-martyring knight in shining armour, and he'd grown used to giving his life at the smallest sign of danger in order protect everyone but himself… she wished they never had to in the first place.
He took responsibility after responsibility on his shoulders as if they were only his to bear. He'd burden himself with the problems of others, not caring about his own. He'd willingly risk his own life at the drop of a hat, to shield those he loved from the smallest of things…
…And she hated it.
She hated the feeling of his blood covering her hands and sliding through her fingers. She hated him always running off and fighting. She hated him always ending up injured.
She hated the feeling of always being powerless to stop him.
"…No."
"Excuse me?"
"I said NO!"
She pushed herself away from him, using his momentary shock to her advantage, and managed to free her hands before she was once again caged within his arms. With her arms now usable, she did whatever she could in order to fully free herself. Hands pushing, nails scratching, arms flailing… it was all futile, however, as Marceline didn't use as much strength as she could, not wanting injure him more. She attempted to fly away, but azure, ethereal chains stopped them before they lifted a mere millimetre off of the ground. Naruto let out a grunt, then a sigh.
"Marceline… please. Just listen to me."
"NO. You always do this. You take everything on your shoulders and try to deal with things by yourself, not letting anyone help! If anyone were to just ask, you'd jump in a volcano to get something you already know doesn't even exist. Just because someone asked. You always said that "you'd die before you'd let anything happen to those precious to you". You'd say it to PB, to Pepp-Butt… to me. You say it and have done so many things to back it up so many times, but you don't even think about how WE feel about it!"
"W-What?" was all Naruto could say as he held the sobbing Marceline in his arms, unable to think of any other word to utter.
"What do you mean "What"?! Do you think we enjoy seeing you bloody and beaten? Do you think we like seeing you coming back nearly dead, because you thought it was smart to go on a quest by YOURSELF when you thought it was too dangerous for us to go with you? Do you think that we're happy when you say that, when ninety percent of the times we've seen you is when you're in the damn INFIRMARY?!" Marceline paused her words, taking deep, raggedy breaths in order to calm herself, her heart beating a mile a minute due to adrenaline. "…Whenever we struggle with things in our lives, you're the first to step up. You're the first to ask. You're the first to help. If you won't let us deal with things by ourselves, then what makes you think that we'd ever let you have to do the same? Just… at least for once, let us—let me—do the same. Let those who love you help you like you did them! Just… let me help."
Silenced rang clear through the area, until a sigh from Naruto took its place. "…Oi, you troublesome thing. I know you can hear me."
Not expecting his response, Marceline could only let out a, "Huh?"
"You're the thing that let Marceline in here in the first place, and you're the only thing keeping me from getting her out. For once, stop being rebellious to me and pull her out of my mind."
The ex-vampire was confused, until she felt something pulse on her chest and felt the sound of chiming bells sneak into her ears.
Was he… talking to the necklace?
"I get what you're saying. I know you can help, and I know she can too, but… this is my battle. We both know that this was something I was literally made to do. So, please… let her go."
For a moment, nothing happened… and then she felt it shift. She felt it pulse again and again, but each throb became weaker and weaker, like a dying heartbeat. The necklace's bells sang a calming tune, one that made Marceline's eyelids involuntarily fall. Now understanding what he was doing, she tried to protest.
"No… D… Don't…"
"Sorry, Marcy… but ya gotta go. Trust me, life out there is much better than one in here. Besides…"
She felt him thread his fingers through her hair soothingly like he always did decades ago, before his disappearance. She felt her shoulders sag, his chuckle lessening the adrenaline in her veins even more.
"…my demons are not ones meant to be seen by an angel."
[In the Real World]
[With Marceline]
'I swear… the next time I see that stupid blonde I'm gonna tie him down with as many chains as possible and have Jake supersize himself so that he can sit on him.'
Her head felt as if knife after knife was being thrown at her skull, their pointed blades imbedding deep into the bone while her ears could only hear static, like they were connected to a broken TV. She tried to open her eyes, cracking her eyelids open for a moment, but the moment colour became visible, she immediately felt nauseous. Her body was weak. She attempted to at least sit up, but her limbs felt so heavy, she might as well have been swimming in tar while chains pulled her to the center of the planet. She wanted to squirm and wriggle in her agitation, but immediately cancelled that thought when faint, whispery, voices began to ring in her ears.
"You… hundred… -ears… and all… "yes"? Oh… you've… LOT… Mister!"
'Is that… Bonnie? And…'
"-Released… minutes ago… got dragged into… mess with… vampire and… best friend!"
'NARUTO!'
As said blonde spoke, the static in Marceline's ears began to clear up, making his words more audible.
"…How am I supposed to know what Boss has been doing?! HE'S the one who's been able to run around, not me!"
'Boss… wait! BOSS?! Does that mean that this one's just a…'
Her mind flashed back to when The Moon spoke with Naruto.
"…Though, it seems that the one who is preventing me from using my powers is but a shadow. How curious…"
'That could be it! But… I… gotta… make sure!'
Slowly, she forced herself up with pained grunts, all the while sending an annoyed glower at the troublesome fox before her.
"…Did you just say boss?"
Crazy7634: Aaaand, that is ALL folks! So, didja catch the references I put in there? There were multiple references that pointed to two other cartoon shows.
I wonder if anyone got them…
Anyway, the chapter title itself ("My Demons") is a reference as well. It's the title to one of Starset's songs. I'd been listening to it whilst I wrote this chapter.
:P
[IMPORTANT NOTICE]
Again, classy. As for this notice, it's for one that I had written in the author's note above which is (obviously) related to the story and how its plot will go. Now, for those who don't like to read large paragraphs, there is a summary right underneath the big explanation.
Welp, that's all from me. See ya guys next time, and please, wish me luck on exams.
T^T