Trigger warning: This chapter contains mentions of implied abuse.
AN: Once again, thank you for all your wonderful reviews/faves/follows, even the Guest ones! You all touch my heart and make continuing this story a pleasure :D I appreciate each and every one of you 33
Today was the day. The day Marceline had been preparing herself for. It had finally come and now she was wondering if she really could do it. Could she really just up and leave everything she'd grown attached to? She was still so young, and there was much she didn't know about the world. Though her 15th birthday was fast approaching as the freezing Winter weeks settled on the land, she had no time to think of such frivolous things as birthday parties and spending time with those around her.
She had said her goodbyes to Cupcake and their neighbours, hugging them and promising to come visit during the holidays. She was going to miss her watcher Cupcake quite a lot, but she was relieved to hear that he would be able to visit her once a week when he did his rounds at the armoury to check and see if new supplies were needed or any repairs needed to be done to old items.
Marceline was nearing the barracks, her feet scraping against the candy gravel underneath her feet, multicoloured pebbles being picked up and scattered about her feet. She could see the heavy gates ahead, with two story buildings on either side of them. The whole complex was surrounded by a fortified brick and stone wall, with armed guards standing watch at outposts along its length. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding as she arrived at the gates, a heavily armoured Banana Guard coming up to her and standing tall.
"What business have you here today, ma'am?" he asked politely, adjusting the thick buckle that was hitched tightly around his waist, causing a thick broadsword to swing a little from where it was clipped to said belt.
Marceline hesitated a little, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as she reached into her right pants pocket to pull out her paperwork. It was folded several times over and slightly crinkled, but she handed it over to him nevertheless.
"I-I'm here to start my training, sir." She replied, being as brave as she could as the guard took the paperwork from her hands, unfolding it and letting his eyes skim across the forms. His brow knitted together a little before he folded it back up and handed it to her.
"Everything seems to be in order here." He stated bluntly, turning around to unlock and open a smaller door within the heavy gate, motioning for Marceline to go through. She complied, giving a polite nod to the guard as she did.
"Just follow this main path up to the end, then turn right. The Commander's office is on the left hand side. You can't miss it." he told her sharply, clicking his heels together and giving her a salute before turning and going back through the door. He locked it behind himself and returned to his post.
Marceline tried to quell the butterflies in her stomach.
"Thank you." she whispered quietly, her voice hitching in her throat as she turned around and let her eyes search up the wide, barren path before her. It was lined with single story, whitewashed buildings. Some had paled from the blazing Summer sun, and had flakes of paint falling off and into the wind. Other spots had chips and chunks taken out of them, obviously from wear and tear, people training and accidentally damaging the buildings and also from rough housing.
The pale girl held the paperwork to her small chest tightly as she began moving her feet, walking quickly in the direction she had been told. She was trying her best to just blend in and not be noticed, but it was hard to ignore the faces and eyes that were turning to stare at her as she walked past a large outdoor area. It was littered with benches and chairs around its boundaries. There were two poles at either end of it with rings at their top, obviously for ball games in the soldiers' down time.
There was outdoor gym equipment, monkey bars and chin-up bars. In a way, as she took in everything around her, it almost reminded Marceline of what a Prison yard might be like.
She came to the end of the wide pathway and turned quickly to the right, making her way down the narrower pavement. She could see a small blue building just a little further down, with a large sign outside its door that stated simply; 'OFFICE'.
Marceline tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her left ear, picking up her pace as she moved towards the Office building. She felt as if there were eyes on her everywhere, like people were watching and scrutinising her every move. It unnerved her to say the least, and the knot that was forming in the pit of her stomach wasn't helping one bit.
She let out a long sigh as she finally made it to the open door of the Office. Slipping in cautiously, she rapped her knuckles lightly on the door frame as she searched the room with her eyes. There was a potted plant in one corner, next to three rather uncomfortable, but clean looking chairs. On the opposite side was another door that was closed, and a desk covered with all kinds of stationary, paperwork, and a computer. Behind it sat a rather cheerful looking older pastry woman whom had a green bow nestled neatly into the right side of her head.
The woman in question looked up at the knocking, seeing Marceline and smiling brightly, her somewhat wrinkled eyes crinkling more as she did so.
"Oh, hello there young lady, can I help you?" she asked kindly, watching as Marceline lowered her head, letting some of her bangs fall over her face. Marceline took a few steps forward and pressed her paperwork towards the lady, urging her to take it.
The woman did so, and smiled as she carefully unfolded it and then read each page quickly. She nodded every so often, flipping the papers over and double checking that everything was filled out. Once she was done she looked up at Marceline and smiled again.
"New recruit then, I see! Well, don't be shy dear, take a seat and I'll let the Commander know that you're here." she replied to her kindly, standing up as Marceline nodded and took a seat. The older woman turned and opened the door that led into the adjoining room, disappearing behind it for a few moments.
Marceline played with her fingers in her lap a little as she patiently waited, wondering what in Ooo she had actually gotten herself into. She shook her head. No, I can't think like that, I wanted this. I'm going to be the strongest in the land, they'll see. No one will mess with me and Bonni then...
Her thoughts were interrupted as the pastry woman came back out, smiling sweetly at the raven-haired girl.
"Commander Jawbreaker will be out momentarily, Miss..." The woman told her kindly, but paused to allow Marceline to fill in her name. She had read it on the paperwork, but she wasn't young any more, and things like the names of new people always seemed to slip her mind on a regular basis.
"Abadeer. Marceline Abadeer." Marceline replied quickly, letting a shy smile creep across her face as the pastry woman sat back at her desk, taking some paperwork out of a tray that sat to her right.
"Such a pretty name. You can call me Mavis." she replied back quickly, giving a throaty giggle, like that of a grandmother who thought she had just told a most wonderful joke. Marceline laughed quietly, relaxing a little in her chair, but continuing to play with hands absent mindedly regardless.
After several minutes of waiting, the door next to Mavis' desk opened, and a tall, pale white man who was incredibly bulky and had speckles of colour dotted over his skin emerged. He was wearing a dark blue uniform, with awards and badges pinned to the left breast of the coat. He towered above Marceline, the top of his round head nearly reaching the top of the door frame. She wondered if he'd ever hit his head on it.
"Miss Abadeer, please come through." His voice was stern and hardened, but was laced with a slight warmth as he turned side on and gestured for Marceline to enter his office. Marceline nodded shyly, standing up and quickly making her way across the reception room, slipping past the Commander and into his office.
The room wasn't large, but it was elegant. It spoke of dignity, and honour. There were framed awards on the right wall, meticulously cleaned, and in fact every surface in that room seemed as though it had just been dusted that morning. At the back of the room was his desk, wide and heavy, crafted from a hard wood and varnished and polished to a deep, dark brown. The left side of the room was host to one double columned bookshelf, which was almost filled with thick hardbacks. While some of the books appeared to be military related, most of them seemed to be fictional novels that, Marceline guessed, he read whenever he wasn't busy.
"Take a seat." The Commander gestured towards the two crimson chairs that sat facing his own from across the surface of his desk. Marceline sat, and noted that they were much more comfortable than the ones out in the reception room. Commander Jawbreaker sat down stiffly in his high backed chair, scooting it closer to his desk. He took a pair of reading glasses that sat next to a cup of pens and unfolded them, placing them on his face before taking out Marceline's paperwork that Mavis had given him.
"So, Miss Abadeer. I am correct in my assumption that you are Mr Cupcake's apprentice?" He asked, lifting his eyes up to meet hers over the brim of his glasses. Marceline nodded, her hair flicking about her face.
"Yes sir." she replied simply, wanting to be as respectful as she could. He smiled in return before continuing.
"I have no doubts then that he has already taught you some sword work." He pushed the paper to the side and folded his arms in front of his chest. Marceline nodded again.
"Yes sir, he has trained me well." she replied, a slight blush rising on her otherwise pale cheeks. He nodded his approval at this before unfolding his arms and resting them on his desk.
"Well then, first things first, we'll take you down to the armoury and get you your uniform and your armour, weapons and shield. Then after that one of my brightest can show you around and get you settled into the girl's barracks." He told her firmly, watching as she nodded in reply and tried her best to smile.
The Commander wasn't a cold hearted man by any means. Tough? Yes. Forceful and strict? Definitely. However he always had a soft spot for his female soldiers. Though they weren't as strong as their male counterparts, what they lacked in muscle they made up for in speed, agility, a strong will and determination, and most of all, heart. A heart that beat in their chest, craving the battle and fighting valiantly for their comrades, using their fast thinking skills to save soldiers that would have died otherwise.
Though they only had eight female soldier's under their command, those girls were the difference between lost battles and won battles. They instructed their comrades to follow intricate strategies and learned advanced fighting techniques that they had perfected over the years.
"Come with me please, Abadeer, we'll take you to the armoury first." He stood up, motioning for Marceline to follow him as she walked around his desk, opening his office door and allowing the thin girl to go through it before him.
"Mavis, I'm taking Abadeer to get her uniform and weapons. If anyone needs me just ask them to wait here." the Commander informed her politely, smiling as she nodded in reply.
"Of course Commander." she said cheerfully, watching as he showed Marceline outside.
They walked together in the direction Marceline had originally come from, only once they reached the corner she had turned down, they continued straight. The Commander was gesturing to buildings around them with his hands, giving a brief explanation of what each one was for, pointing to the cafeteria in particular but ignoring the raucous laughter that was coming from the soldiers who were chowing down on their lunch. Marceline watched as they flicked bits of bread of potato at each other, elbowing their friends in the ribs and another group who although not as loud, were excitedly sharing stories of battlefield confrontations.
"If you have any trouble with the boys here, don't hesitate to let me know, Abadeer. You wouldn't be the first, but I treat each incident as if it was. I don't tolerate abusive behaviour within my ranks, especially not the kind directed at our women." The Commander told her in a very straightforward manner, catching her attention. She had been a little zoned out until those words seeped from his mouth.
She wanted to say something, say that she would be fine and that she could defend herself, but the more she looked around and saw the groups of eyes watching her, the more she doubted she actually could.
"I understand, sir." she replied as bravely as she could, looking over at him as he gave her a cautious nod.
They continued walking, taking a few more corners before arriving at a rather large warehouse. It was tall, constructed with wood and stone with heavy wooden doors. There were tall, sturdy guards standing on either side of the doors, and as they approached the building, the soldiers stood to attention and gave the Commander a salute. Commander Jawbreaker returned the gesture, then signalling them to open the doors. They complied, pulling the heavy slabs of wood back and revealing racks upon racks of armour and weaponry, as well as shelves that homed piles of neatly pressed and washed uniforms ready for the picking.
Marceline's mouth dropped open in wonder as she was escorted in by Jawbreaker, her eyes covering every inch of the massive room and searching for the perfect weapon for herself. Her eyes came to land on an odd looking object that was laying behind a pile of shields, its surface covered with dust and dirt, as if it hadn't been touched in years.
She instantly went over and knelt down, reaching behind the shields and pulling out the heavy weapon. Its weight took her by surprise, and she fell backwards onto her backside, the weapon landing in her lap. Groaning a little from the soreness now lingering in her rear, she still managed to reach forward and swipe a hand over its blade, removing the settled dust and revealing what lay beneath.
It was a double bladed axe, bright red, with a thick and sturdy wooden neck protruding almost to the same height as Marceline. Her eyes lit up as she carefully sat up, turning the object over in her hands and removing more of the caked on grime. She ran her thumb gingerly over one of its blades, satisfied with the scrape of sharpness against her skin as she did so.
"I see you've found the axe of the Demon Lord." Jawbreaker stated quietly. He was standing behind her, his brows knitted together in what could only be described as concern as he stared intently at the menacing weapon. Marceline snapped her eyes up to meet his momentarily, before returning her gaze to the axe as she stood up, holding it away from her body a little.
"The... Demon Lord?" she whispered the question, her fingers trailing over the thick black leather that was wound tightly around the wooden hilt.
"Yes. During our last... disagreement with the Nightosphere, there was a fierce battle waged between our kingdoms. The Candy Kingdom had wanted to move their forces into the Fire Kingdom to assist with an outbreak of Vampires that had escaped from the Nightosphere and were running wild, killing and destroying their people and towns mercilessly." Jawbreaker's voice was deep and forceful as he remembered the battle as if it was yesterday. Marceline clung to the axe a little tighter now, swallowing at thought of innocents losing their lives to monsters.
"I was merely a soldier back then. Our forces clashed violently. Numbers in the hundreds fell, from both sides. The Nightosphere had sent in more of their demons to backup those foul beasts, and as I was fighting to honour our Kingdom, I was struck a blow to the back and fell to the ground. I could barely move from the pain, and yet as I looked up I saw him..." Jawbreaker's story continued, his voice getting quieter, yet laced with something dark and frightening as he moved forward and let his hand gently fall onto Marceline's left shoulder.
Marceline swallowed hard as she waited for him to continue, trying to ignore the slight tremble she felt in her knees.
"Him?" Marceline squeaked, her voice failing her as she searched the Commander's eyes for the horrible truth she knew was coming.
"The Lord of the Nightosphere himself." he replied, his voice barely above a whisper, raspy in his throat as he finally removed his hand from Marceline's shoulder.
"He was commanding his legion, our people were falling all around me. It looked like all hope would be lost as that foul demon was poised above me, holding that very axe in his hands, readying to strike me down with it and deliver me to the ground beneath our feet." he continued his story, his eyes seeming to glaze over a little as he remembered, his mind searching and reaching for those long ago memories.
Marceline waited for him to continue, squeezing the handle of the monstrous weapon between both of her hands. Finally he sighed, rubbing his chin in thought.
"Obviously, he never succeeded. It was the strangest thing, there I was, about to meet my maker... but when I looked up to the sound of nearby struggling and screams of terror, I saw the Lord engaged in a ferocious battle with a rather wicked looking woman. Her hair was jet black like the night sky, and it whipped around her gracefully as she fought him off." the Commander stared into Marceline's eyes, and she blushed a little as she realised she shared that same midnight-black hair as the lady in his story.
"She fought with a strength and bravery I had never before seen in a woman. However no matter how strong she was, she was eventually overpowered. The Lord delivered a fatal blow to her chest, that wretched axe lodging itself deep in her ribcage. The sound was... sickening..." his face contorted as he turned away, taking a deep, shaky breath before looking back to Marceline. She could see the sorrow in his eyes, and it tore at her insides.
"I... I don't know what happened, but after that, the Lord just stood there... staring at her. It was as if he had committed an unspeakable act. He lifted his foul head to the heavens and roared like I'd never heard before. He spoke in a tongue I didn't understand, and it was at that moment... he and his armies fled, back to the Nightosphere, leaving us victorious..." his voice was lower now, and he knelt down to look directly at the axe. He ran his fingers along its scratched and dirty red paint, spending several moments in silence as he did.
"I went to help the woman that had saved my life but... it was too late." He looked at the ground, defeated by his emotions. Marceline reached out to put her hand on his shoulder, but decided against it at the last minute.
"What happened then? How did this axe get here?" Marceline questioned, her voice becoming a little braver now as she squinted at the weapon in question. Jawbreaker furrowed his brows and scratched his head at her questions.
"I requested to my Commander at the time that we give the woman a righteous burial. No one knew who she was, we only knew that she had somehow saved us from certain defeat. She was buried on the Western edge of the Kingdom's cemetery, next to an outcropping of wild strawberry bushes. The axe was supposed to be taken and melted down for recycling, but was lost." His eyes grew a little weary as he straightened his jacket and took a few steps to his left, inspecting some of the weapons in their racks.
"To be quite honest with you Abadeer, I have no idea what that weapon is doing here." He turned his gaze to meet hers, her steely eyes struggling to understand what he was saying.
"Perhaps... it was meant for you." He finished, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly and turning away.
Marceline was stunned. She held the axe firmly in her grip, looking down at it and inspecting every nick, scratch, and dent. Summoning all her strength, she lifted it up, adjusting its weight in her hands until she found its balance.
"Maybe it was..." She muttered, before letting the axe nestle in the grip of her right hand only, thinking to herself that she needed to make some kind of modification to it in order to lug the enormous thing around with her. Maybe a strap of some kind?
"Anyway, I believe I've held you up long enough, Abadeer. Go to uniform shelves and find your size. Take ten pairs, pyjamas are there as well. You are to wear your uniform at all times during daytime hours." Jawbreaker told her firmly, standing up straight and pointing towards the steel shelving where the clothing was.
Marceline nodded quickly and hurried over, searching through the rows and columns for the right size for her thin body. The Commander mumbled something about going to find the soldier to show Marceline around, before walking briskly out of the building.
The dark-haired girl sighed to herself as she fingered the thick fabric of the uniforms in front of her, confused and a little dazed by this whole experience so far.
"Bonni... it's so hard to do this without you..." Marceline spoke quietly to herself, letting out a soft sigh as she closed her eyes and leant her forehead against the cool metal beam that ran along the height of the shelving. She held back a sob, but for the sake of her own sanity, she let a few warm tears slide out from her eyelids and down her cheeks.
At least the Commander had been right in a sense. The weapon did feel right in her hands. It felt like it was meant for her, and she felt an inexplicable connection to it the second she had seen it. She only wished she had some clue as to why that was.
Marceline had gathered up her pile of clothing and pajamas holding them awkwardly under her left arm as she held the double bladed axe with her other. She was standing outside the warehouse waiting, several feet away from the guards, when she finally saw someone bolting towards her from a distance.
She squinted her eyes, making out a slim but curvy female figure, dressed from top to toe in her dark green uniform. Her skin was a pale tan, and her hair was a soft brown, tied back into neat bun on the back of her hair. Marceline took a few steps forward as the female figure finally made her way over, doubling over to catch her breath as she grinned up at Marceline.
"You must be... Abadeer!" The girl huffed, slowly standing up and looking Marceline up and down. The dark-haired girl blushed a little and nodded.
"Yeah, that's me." she replied quickly, shuffling her left arm around a bit so that the clothing she was holding onto didn't slip and fall onto the ground.
"Here, let me help you with that!" The girl stated quickly, reaching forwards and taking the pile from under her arm and tucking it underneath her own. Marceline smiled and tucked some strands of her behind her ear as she readjusted her shirt and shifted the weight of her weapon as she moved it to the opposite hand.
"Thanks." she replied curtly, following the girl who tilted her head in the direction she had come from, motioning for Marcy to follow her.
"I'm Carmel Brown, but obviously I just go by brown around here, last name basis and all, y'know?" Brown told her matter of factly, still smiling. She was a rather cheery character, obviously she had already been here for some time by the way her arms, though slender, filled out her shirt with toned muscles.
They walked in silence for a while as Carmel led them between the buildings, taking short cuts here and there to the destination she had her sights set on.
"We'll drop your stuff off at the girls' dorms first. You can pack it all away, put on your uniform, then I can take you for a quick tour before dinner time at the cafeteria." Carmel smiled politely, standing up straight and proud as she looked inquisitively at Marceline. The dark-haired girl could only nod in reply, keeping her eyes down so as to avoid eye contact with any of the other male soldiers that might be watching her on their way there.
Carmel picked up the pace, grinning as she spotted the dorms just at the end of the path they were on. Marceline smiled back a little, relieved to have finally made it to a place with at least some privacy. At least, that's what she thought, until her path was blocked by three tall boys smirking down at her. One was a bright spearmint green with a matching buzz cut, another had 100's and 1000's on his cheekbones and rainbow coloured, short cropped hair. The last one was a dark shade of purple, with a slightly puffy complexion and a short mohawk.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Fresh meat..." The spearmint boy chuckled, his two friends joining in with more laughter. The rainbow haired boy circled around Marceline menacingly, looking her up and down with lascivious eyes and giving a lopsided grin.
"I do love a new recruit. They're always fun to break in." Hissed the rainbow haired boy, his foul, hot breath pressing against Marceline's exposed neck. The thin girl growled and shoved him off her, watching as he stumbled back a few steps. He glared at her for a few seconds before laughing in a low tone.
"Back off! Quit being jerk butts, unless you want another suspension from the Commander!" Carmel snapped, getting up in the purple skinned boys face, and turning to make sure she gave the other two the exact same, threatening gaze.
The three boys snickered, backing off a few steps and giving each other a few shoves. The rainbow haired boy and the spearmint skin boy both took off in a run, leaving the purple skinned boy meet Marceline's eyes one last time. The look send shudders of terror down her spine.
"You can't protect her forever, Brown. Everyone gets caught on their own sometimes, even you..." He warned, a glint in his eyes as he stuck his chin out at the tan girl, before turning on his heel and running off to join his friends.
Carmel sighed and put a hand on Marceline's shoulder gently, turning the girl to face her.
"Hey, you okay?" Carmel asked, worry making her brow crinkle. Marcy nodded in reply.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I bet they'd never actually do anything." she said, trying to force a smile out. However her smile dropped when she saw the blush on Carmel's cheekbones, and a look of shame and regret behind those orange irises. Marceline stepped forward, her eyes now laced with sorrow.
"Oh man, I'm sorry! I didn't know they'd hurt you..." Marceline began, trying her best to apologise, but Carmel quickly silenced her with a caring smile.
"Don't, it's fine. C'mon, let's get you inside." The tan girl quickly returned to her polite, cheerful self, helping Marceline carry her stuff inside the dorm.
The raven-haired girl looked around the room. It was empty, so she assumed the other girls were probably out training or exercising, as she could see photographs and mementos on the side tables for several of the single beds. Biting her lower lip, she made her way over to a bed that was in the back right corner, resting her axe against the wall next to her bedside table.
Carmel came over and plopped Marceline's clothing on the top of the bedspread, giving a little huff as she did.
"I must have made some impression huh, if you picked the bed next to mine." she noted, quite pleased with herself, a little smile creeping up in the corner of her mouth. Marceline looked around, noticing the bed next to hers. It had a picture frame with a photograph of Carmel with what she was guessing was her father and mother. She chuckled lightly.
"I can move if you want." Marceline offered, opening the heavy trunk at the foot of her bed and chucking her piles of clothes into it. She kept one pair out to change into. Carmel looked up at her with a look of annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest.
"If you think I smell you could have just said so, I can go shower." Carmel teased in return, poking her tongue out. Marceline laughed a little louder this time.
"No, you don't smell, but I do need to get changed into uniform. Where's the bathroom?" Marceline smiled, asking Carmel who pointed to a white door at the opposite end of the dorm. Marcy gave her a nod of gratitude and took off to get changed.
Carmel was laughing.
"Ugh, it's not funny Brown, I can't help it you know!" Marceline defended herself, her cheeks bright red. The colour was slowly creeping down her neck and to her shoulders as the tan girl just stood there giggling like a mad woman.
"It's not my fault I have no hips!" Marcy blushed yet again, sitting herself down on the edge of her bed and folding her arms across her chest.
So the damn uniform made her look like a boy. So what? She couldn't help being thin and tomboyish in her shape. Besides, maybe if she looked like a boy, then the other boys would leave her alone. She hung her head in her hands.
"Ugh." she groaned to herself. Carmel ruffled up her hair as her giggling fit finally started to subside.
"C'mon Abadeer, it's nearly dinner time. Food should be ready in the cafeteria pretty soon, and the sooner you get in line the better." she told her, quite truthfully actually, and she smiled as Marceline reluctantly got up and followed her out of the dorm, her blush starting to recede. She still grumbled the whole way there, though.
Marceline was laying in her bed, the covers pulled up to her chin as she stared half-lidded at the being ceiling above her head. Carmel had introduced her to the other seven girls that shared their dorm over dinner, although she couldn't remember any of their names at that point in time, she was sure she'd remember them once she started training with them in the morning.
She yawned drowsily, shuffling into her hard pillow a little more as she tried to get comfortable. The sound of light snoring was already emanating through the room as several of the girls had zonked out, and Marceline felt she was about to join them as a whisper came from the bed to her left.
"Abadeer!" it was Carmel. Marceline groaned quietly and turned her head towards the girl, who was laying in her own bed facing Marcy's.
"What?" Marceline asked sleepily, her voice just above a whisper. Carmel smiled at her as she pulled her sheets up to her shoulders.
"I know its your first night and everything, so if you wake up scared or lonely, just wake me up okay?" she replied, her eyes sincere and almost glowing in the moonlight that spilled in through the windows. Marceline smiled in return.
"Thanks Brown, G'night." the dark-haired girl whispered, closing her eyes and humming quietly to the sound of her friend returning the "G'night" with a "Don't let the candy bugs bite".
As she drifted off into slumber, she imagined the sheets she had curled around her was Bonnibel, holding her tightly and keeping her warm and safe in this strange, unknown place.
"Goodnight, Bonni." she whispered, the sound coming out as something barely above a breath.
She fell into a deep slumber within seconds.
Across the kingdom, a pink-haired girl sobbed quietly in her empty bed. She had been trying to fall asleep for over an hour now, but the pain in her heart as she longed desperately for her dear friend to be with her was making it nearly impossible.
"Marcy..." she sobbed into her pillow, gripping the necklace her best friend had bought for her at the markets in the palm of her small, pink hands.
Goodnight, Bonni...
She stopped sobbing. She strained her ears, listening. Did she really just hear that? She sniffled and wiped her eyes a little, clinging onto one of her large, pink pillows with one hand while still holding the necklace with her other. It seemed to warm up an unusual amount as she held it against her chest.
The strangest thing was overcoming her, though. It was a feeling of comfort, love and of safety. She almost felt as if Marceline was really there, even though she knew that wasn't possible...
Bonnibel yawned, the tears finally drying up. Giving her cheeks a quick wipe, she settled her pretty face back into the pillows and closed her eyes. She squeezed the pillow tightly and used her imagination as best as she could to imagine it as her friend.
"Goodnight, Marcy." she whispered, sniffling and pressing her nose into the collarbone of her raven-haired friend. Slender arms wrapped around her, and soft, cool lips pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.
Bonnibel hadn't even realised she'd finally begun to dream.