**Heavy Trigger Warning: This chapter contains rape/sexual abuse. For your convenience, I have put it in bold, so you can skip past it if you want to/need to. I had a really hard time writing it myself, but things get better, I promise.**
AN: Thank you so much for your continued support and wonderful reviews! I've been writing so much, I haven't had a chance to reply to any of you via PM, but know that I appreciate every single one of you and your kind words.
I'm really sorry for what goes down in this chapter, I know it is an incredibly touchy subject, and I respect every single person in the world who has lived through sexual abuse/assault. You are beautiful, strong people, and you can make it through all the bad days, just stay strong and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and things really do get better.
The evening was cool, the wind was blowing at a steady pace, causing goose pimples to form on any uncovered skin if one happened to be out in the darkness of the night. The barracks were mostly silent, except for the occasional sound of laughter coming from the dorms in the distance, or the trees rustling as they moved in time with the breeze, as if they were a glad partner in an evening dance.
It was the day after Bonnibel's visit, and Marceline was hanging out with her fellow female soldiers in their bunker, hidden by a screen of trees that grew wild at the Northern most part of the army base. Sitting by the light of a small lantern that hung from a rusted hook in the crooked wooden beams above their heads, they sat in a semi circle, chatting away and sharing stories.
Marceline, under much probing, had finally given in and explained the story of her unique friendship with Bonnibel. Leaving out, of course, the details of just how deep of a friendship it was. The girl's had listened intently, occasionally asking questions like "Is the King really as mean as you say he is?" or "Does the castle really have seventeen bathrooms?". Marcy had answered as best she could, laughing at some questions that were just downright silly rumours.
After an hour or so, all but Marceline and Carmel had excused themselves to go take showers and get ready for bed. They had said their good nights, and left the two together to continue their conversation.
Marcy sat cross legged, playing with a stick and drawing patterns in the dirt in front of her, Carmel laying with her back against a wall, her legs crossed at the ankles. They sat in quietness for a while, before Carmel spoke.
"I still can't believe you never told me you were friends with Royalty, that's so math." Carmel commented, scratching absent mindedly at her arm. Marceline chuckled, slouching over a little as she continued her drawings in the dirt.
"Well, you know now. We're best buds, and always will be." Marcy replied, smiling a little at the thought. Carmel gave a quick sigh, pushing herself up on the palms of her hands and shuffling closer to her, until she was sitting only a few inches away.
"What about us? We're great buds, right?" she asked, her eyes meeting the paler girl's inquisitively. Marcy raised an eyebrow, looking around her a little bit before smiling.
"Well, yeah man. 'Course we're friends." she replied, sitting up straighter again and letting the stick drop to the ground, letting out a long breath before uncrossing her legs and stretching them out in a V shape before her.
Carmel grinned cheekily, scooting up a little closer in between Marceline's legs, eliciting a questioning gaze from her friend.
"Would you say, close friends?" she continued, leaning in a little closer to the pale girl, who's cheeks flushed a pale pink at this action.
"U-uh... yeah, we're close friends, you know that. You're the closest friend I have here." Marceline replied, suddenly beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable at whatever it was the tan girl was trying to do.
Her stomach dropped as a strong hand cupped her left cheek, her eyes flitted back and forth as her friend began closing the distance between their mouths. She wanted to push her away, to tell her to back off, but it was like she was paralysed from shock, unable to do any of those things.
"I'd like to be closer with you..." Carmel mumbled, suddenly bringing her lips to press against Marceline's. The kiss was warm, much warmer than when Marcy kissed Bonnibel. It didn't feel the same either, where Bonni's lips were plump and soft, Carmel's were thin and chapped, they grazed against hers in an almost unpleasant way.
She was finally snapped out of her thoughts as a raspy tongue began to probe at her lips, seeking entrance. Marceline used all of her strength as she pushed two hands against the older girl's shoulders, forcing her friend off her suddenly and pulling herself back, her eyebrows knitted together with anger.
"Carmel, what the stuff? What's wrong with you, man?" Marceline hissed, pressing a palm to her lips and wiping away the moistness the toffee like lips had left there. Carmel's eyes fell, and a dark blush rose up on her cheeks.
"Marcy... I'm sorry, I-I thought..." she begun, but Marceline bit back quickly, balling her fists at her side.
"Thought what? I said you were my friend! What, is that some kind of invitation to just kiss a person? I have a girlfri-" the paler girl responded, her voice sharp as she scolded this woman for what she had done, before cutting off her sentence as she realised she had outed herself.
Carmel stared at her, her hair bobbing slightly as a breeze blew in, her eyes burning a ferocious yellow as everything finally fell into place. The pale girl scolded herself as she saw a well of tears build up in her friend's eyes.
"Bonnibel..." Carmel muttered, almost spitting the words out as she pushed herself up quickly, stumbling a little before regaining her balance and storming off.
"Carmel, wait! Ugh..." Marceline called out, but her friend had already left. Or would she even still be her friend after this? She felt like the biggest idiot in all of Ooo. She'd just let out her biggest secret unintentionally, kissed someone she didn't have feelings for, then she had more than turned them down... she'd cut them deeply and she hated the feelings of guilt now burning inside of her chest.
Marceline grunted and rubbed at her ribcage, a feeling of dread spreading through her body. Her stomach was tying itself in knots, and she wanted nothing more right now than to just have Carmel come back so they could apologise to each other, save their friendship and laugh about it afterwards. She also wished Bonnibel was there to hold her, to stroke her hair and whisper soothing things in her ear, calming her down and fixing everything with nothing more than a simple gesture.
She sighed to herself, hanging her head and holding it gingerly with her hands, a throbbing headache beginning to form behind her eyes. Rubbing absent mindedly at her temples, her ears perked up as she heard the sound of scuffling in the dirt and leaves just outside the entrance to the bunker. She slowly lifted her head up, squinting her eyes to see if she could make out the shape of the intruder.
"Carmel? Man, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, can you ever forgive me for being a major butt?" she called out tentatively, watching as shadows moved in the distance. Feet scuffled again, this time a lump formed in her throat as she realised it was more than just one person.
"Should have stayed with your little friend, Marcy. Or did you forget that we said we'd get you on your own one of these days?" three boys stepped into the light, and she instantly recognised them as the ones who had bullied her on her very first day here.
Since that day, she had learned their names. Bunzo, Graff and Spin. Carmel had only spoken to her about them a few times, but each time, her friend had seemed to become a little distracted and zoned out on the subject, usually leaving Marceline to sit there wondering what had happened between her friend and the bullies. It was a touchy subject to Carmel and some of the other girls it seemed, so she had basically left it at that and had tried not to bring it up again.
"I was just about to go catch up to Carmel anyway, so what do you want, Graff?" Marceline demanded, trying not to reveal the fear she felt burning inside her chest. The blue boy stepped forwards. His two friends stood at his side and a little behind him, not saying anything, just staring at her as they inched closer.
"I think you know what we want." he spat, a foul grin spreading across his face.
Marceline's face paled even more, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. The boys took a few steps closer to her, their feet shuffling against the ground as they edged forwards. With a sudden cry, she rushed forwards, trying to push past them and make it out into safety. It was no good. Strong hands gripped around her arms, pushing and shoving at her body. She found herself being flung around, and she felt the pain of a thick soled boot meeting the back of her left knee, causing her to buckle and fall to the ground.
The sound of vile laughter could be heard behind her, and she let out a small whimper as she pressed her hands into the dirt, grazing her palms against the sharp surface and causing them to bleed. Something pressed into her shoulder blades, shoving her face first into the ground, facing to her right. She forced her eyes to turn, seeing the purple face of Bunzo leering down at her as his thick knee pressed into her back, pinning her down.
Her knee caps were burning as she tried to shift her legs, the hard ground cutting through her pants and scratching her tender skin. She let out a pathetic cry, wriggling her hips in protest as a rough hand tugged at her hip, making room to let the fingers find her belt buckle. The hand was large and calloused, and it made bile rise up in her throat as it scraped across her flesh. It was nothing like the soothing, tender touches of her beloved Bonnibel.
Marceline's mind was racing as she felt her pants being tugged violently down her legs, disgusting hot breaths playing along her skin as the sound of the man behind her unzipping his pants fell on her ears. Her eyes widened, and she did the only thing she could think to do. She screamed. Marceline instantly regretted it as a searing pain entered her body, and a blunt object landed in the back of her skull with a crack, causing everything to go black as she collapsed, unconscious.
Carmel was almost halfway back to the dorms, the trees just a blur of green in the distance now behind her, and she scorned herself silently, wiping a dirty arm across her face to remove the burning hot tears that stained her cheeks.
She felt like a complete idiot. She never should have kissed Marceline the way she did, it was unacceptable and inappropriate. She had never even asked her first, Carmel had just made the assumption that her friend would want to be close with her, to share intimacy and get to know one another on a deeper level.
Carmel stopped suddenly, a blood curdling sound making her hair stand up on the back of her neck and a chill to run over her entire body. Turning back from where she had just came, she took off in a sprint, new tears now spilling from her eyes as she whispered over and over again; no, no, no, not Marceline, no, please no...
She swore she had never run that fast in her life, her feet pounding against the dry grass as she got closer and closer to their bunker. Her hair whipped wildly around her face, strands slapping into her cheeks and eyes, but she didn't stop.
Finally reaching the clearing, she rushed to a stump where her and the girls kept an emergency stash of weapons, blindly grabbing a partially blunt sword and making a bolt for the bunker. When she stepped in, she nearly passed out from the violence that her eyes fell on.
Bunzo and Spin were holding down a bleeding and beaten Marceline, growls and grunts ringing through the air and stinging her ear-drums. It was terrifying, and brought flashbacks to her mind of when the same thing had happened to her. Scrunching her face up in pain and anger, she let out a shrill cry, lunging forward and plunging the sword through the back of Graff, the weapon making a sickening crunching sound as she forced it all the way through to the other side of his chest cavity.
Graff looked down, his hands trembling as he grasped feebly at the weapon poking out of him, dripping with bright blue blood that was staining the shirt he was wearing and falling with plops onto the ground underneath him and Marcy. He let out a pained grunt, and fell to the side, the sword still buried deep within him.
The other two scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide with horror as they looked down at their dying friend, then back up at Carmel. Their eyes wavered, Spin muttering Graff's name under his breath. Carmel took several steps towards them, her fists balled and flexing as she moved closer.
The boys took off in a run, abandoning their victim and their friend.
Carmel collapsed to the ground at Marceline's side, pulling her into her lap, her limp head lolling to one side as it leaked crimson red on her clothing. She didn't care that it was staining her hands and arms as her tears began to flow freely. Her lips were repeating her name over and over again as she rocked gently, gathering all her strength to wrap her arms under her friend's armpits. She began to drag her, collapsing every few steps from both weakness and the weight.
Knowing she would never make it to the barrack's hospital in time without help, she started shouting as loudly as she could for help, her voice laden with sobs as she continued to drag her friend's limp body, inch by inch.
Bonnibel sprang up in bed suddenly, gasping for breath and clawing desperately at her chest. Her lungs were tight, and there was a searing pain running through her abdomen as well as a throbbing headache coursing through her skull. She cried out into the night, wrapping her hands around the necklace Marceline's had bought her.
She hissed suddenly, letting go of it and looking down. It had burned her. Her eyes widening, she saw it glowing, the gem inside swirling with a crimson cloud as it fell against her chest. Bonnibel tried her hardest right there and then to contain the vomit that suddenly tried to make its way up her throat, instead calling out, her voice laced with fear.
"Peppy! Peppy! Peppy get up!" Bonnibel shouted, her voice alarmed as she threw herself out of bed and ran towards her closet, haphazardly grabbing pants and a sweatshirt before throwing them on.
Her door opened shortly after, the small man hurrying in with an alarmed look on his face.
"You Majesty! What is it? Is everything ok?" he asked worriedly, running over to the Princess and noticing her motioning to her necklace. His eyes widened and his face dropped as he saw the condition it was in.
"Peppy please, it's Marceline, I just know it is! Hurry, please get Morrow, we need to get to the base as soon as possible!" she begged him, running over to her shoe rack and picking out a pair of sneakers that she pulled on with vigour.
"Yes, your Highness, please meet me in the foyer, I will have Morrow ready for departure in a matter of moments." He replied, his voice laced with concern as he shot out of the room and ran downstairs.
He threw open the front doors of the castle and called loudly for Morrow. The sound of wings flapping in the distance drew nearer, and soon a gust of wind blew in as the magnificent bird landed in the entrance, skidding to a halt. It pecked at the ground a little and looked around, waiting for its orders.
Bonnibel hurried down the stairs, her feet clattering and nearly tripping more than once.
"Princess, Morrow is ready, we'll be there in no time." Peppermint told her, his eyebrows knit together in anxiety. Bonnibel nodded at him and climbed onto Morrow's back, extending a hand to her Butler, who grabbed it thankfully and was pulled up onto the bird's back, sitting in front of the Princess.
"Morrow, take us to the barracks this instant, please hurry!" Bonnibel ordered, clinging tightly to the reins and hunching forwards a little.
Morrow let out a loud screech, flapping his wings forcefully and taking off with a jolt.
The barracks quickly came into view, and it was instantly obvious something was terrifyingly wrong. Bonnibel could see people scurrying around and crowding together below them like ants, lanterns and flash-lights flickering through the darkness like a train in a tunnel.
"Morrow, please land us down there." Bonnibel asked quickly, her voice laced with need and panic. Morrow gave a loud squawk and swooped down, circling a few times before coming to land in the ball court near the cafeteria. The bird gave a worried cry as he lowered himself down to allow Bonnibel and Peppermint to slide off and onto the ground.
Instantly the Princess was aware that people around her were whispering and staring at her like she was some kind of alien, and as she snapped around to glare at them, the sound of heavy footfalls rushed towards her.
"Your Majesty!" Commander Jawbreaker cried out, jogging up towards her. He gave a quick bow, before looking her in the eyes, his fingers trembling. Bonnibel stepped towards him, biting her lower lip.
"Commander! What has happened? Please, tell me!" Her voice came out more aggravated and bossy than she had intended it to, and she watched as the Commander blushed deeply at her words.
"Princess Bubblegum, our office just called for you at the Castle, I didn't think you would get here so quickly..." He began, watching cautiously as her impatience grew.
"It's Abadeer, milady. Something has happened to her..." he finished, his eyes growing red as they threatened to spill tears that had been pent up for many, many years. Bonnibel's stomach dropped and she stepped forward, cupping one of the Commander's hands in her own and squeezing it tightly.
"Please take me to her, please." she whispered, choking on her own breath as she fought to hold back tears.
"Princess..." Peppermint whispered, but quickly silenced himself as she looked down at him and shook her head.
"Of course, please, allow me." The Commander replied quietly, motioning for her to follow him away from the crowds of soldiers wondering just exactly what was going on.
They hurried through the lit streets, keeping a steady pace as their breaths came in ragged gasps. Peppermint was glancing up at the Princess occasionally, his eyes filled with fear at what they were going to discover. Of what he might have to do if things were as bad as it sounded they were.
He shook the thoughts from his head as they approached the hospital. It was a large building, painted a pale blue colour, and adorned with bright white lights. It almost seemed welcoming, if it wasn't for the thought that someone they cared about was inside of there right now, and if the necklace had indicated what Peppermint thought it did, gravely injured.
The Commander pushed open the door and led Bonnibel and Peppermint through, calling out to them as they hurried off in front of him.
"Down that hallway, third door on the right."
They followed his directions, feet clapping on the tiled floor as they jogged down the hallway, coming to a halt at the white door. Bonnibel peered in through the clear glass at eye level, and cried out at what she saw.
Laying on a small single bed, was Marceline. Her face was covered in gashes and bruises, stains of blood, and a loop of white bandage was wrapped around the top of her head, staining crimson. Shoving the door open, Bonni spilled into the room, ignoring the fact that a hunched over tanned girl was sitting in a chair in the far right corner.
The Princess rushed over to the bedside, gasping as her hands fell to her friend's face, cupping it ever so tenderly. Her shaky fingers trailed over dried blood and grazes, and she felt her heart literally shattering in her chest. She let her fingers trail down the girl's body, searching quickly until she found the hand she so desperately needed to cling to.
Pale hand between her pink ones, she squeezed it gently. Her eyes wobbled as she gazed intently at the drawn face, waiting patiently for that hand to squeeze hers back. When it didn't, she collapsed onto the floor beside the bed, still clinging to the hand tightly as sobs racked her body. She didn't even notice the heavy hand of the Commander as it fell on her left shoulder, didn't even notice Carmel make to stand up and come over to her but decide against it, didn't even notice the paled expression on Peppermint's face as his arms hung limply at his side.
Peppermint shook with emotion. He had failed his Princess. It wasn't meant to happen like this... he thought he had done her a service by going against the King's word. He remembered the prophecy from what seemed like aeons ago, and did his best to let nature take its course. But now... it seemed that prophecy was shattering, falling to bits in front of his eyes, his heart dying as he watched the girl he almost considered to be a daughter weeping and pressing kisses to a pale hand.
Nobody noticed as the pale mint man slipped out of the room, to do what it was he needed to do.
Bonnibel wept for what seemed like an eternity, sobbing and clinging to her friend, not wanting to ever let go. She could feel her pulse, but it was so faint, she feared it might stop at any moment. Finally she managed to gain some sort of composure, pulling herself up with the assistance of Jawbreaker and making it into the chair right beside Marceline's bed.
Gazing painfully at the raven-haired girl, she spoke for the first time in twenty minutes.
"What happened?" she whispered, her voice barely coming out more than a rasp. The Commander opened his mouth, but the scrape of the other chair and Carmel standing up made him stop in his tracks.
"She was raped." Carmel told her, her voice shaky from holding back anger at the sick men who did this to her friend.
Bonnibel cried out, her face spinning to meet Carmel's. However, the anger that should have been there was gone, only pain and an expression that was begging her to know what happened. The tan girl sucked in a painful breath, looking away from those violet eyes, walking up to the end of the bed and using the frame of it to hold herself up. Her knuckles went white.
"It's my fault... I should have stayed with her. But I... we had a fight, and I left her. I left her on her own... I came back but, it was too late. Oh glob, I couldn't stop myself, I-I killed one of them, he's dead and I did it! And I'm not sorry! He'll never hurt anyone else like that ever again!" Carmel continued, her voice raising towards the end, until she was practically shouting over the sobs that were now escaping her throat.
She gripped the bed frame tightly, tears falling from her eyes and landing on the white hospital bed-sheets. The Commander cleared his throat as he looked between Carmel and a shocked Princess, before chiming in.
"As far as I'm concerned, Brown, you saved us the job of having to execute three scum instead of two."
Both of the girls peered up at him, watching his unwavering eyes and his stern mouth, a resolve set in his expression that, in a strange way, sent waves of calm through their bodies in an otherwise horrible situation.
There was a knock at the door, and they all turned their heads to see a doctor let themselves in. They were a small man, with a brown, almost shiny complexion. He was wearing a white coat and slacks, and he wore an expression of sympathy as he came over to the bedside, standing beside Bonnibel.
"Your Majesty, I'm Doctor Taffee, it is my honour to meet you, and you have my deepest sympathies." he begun politely, bowing slightly to her. She looked up at him, her expression unchanging. The doctor took a deep breath before continuing.
"I assume you wish to know of Miss Abadeer's condition?" he asked quietly, looking around at each of the visitors in the room. Bonnibel nodded quickly.
"Please Doctor, is she going to be ok?" She asked quickly, her voice still hoarse from her crying, but persistent nonetheless. The doctor gave her a look that almost appeared to be one of pity, and her heart sank.
"We've done all we could but... she sustained severe trauma to the back of her head. It must have been a heavy blow from a blunt object... we've done what we can to stop the bleeding, but I'm afraid there could be some inside of her brain that we can't stop; as well as swelling and the possibility of brain damage... I'm sorry Princess... I can't be sure she will survive the night." he finished, letting a gentle hand fall down onto her shoulder, the warmth spreading through her chilled skin.
"No..." she whispered, her eyes burning once again. She turned away from the doctor and stood up, leaning over Marceline and pressing a hand against her chest, the other gently cupping a cheek.
Warm tears fell again, splattering against the sheets as her hand gripped that face harder, trembling fingers willing for Marceline to just sit up right now and tell her she was really ok, really. It was all just an elaborate, but horrible joke, and everything is fine!
"No... Marcy..." Bonnibel choked out, collapsing onto her friend's chest so she could listen to the slow and steady heart beat underneath her rib-cage. Carmel rubbed at her own eyes again, before excusing herself to hurry from the room.
"Marceline... you can't leave me like this. Y-you promised me you'd always be there for me... t-to protect me... I didn't even get to... get to..." Bonnibel was shaking now, willing for this to all just be a dream. Surely she had to wake up any minute now.
"Marcy... I love you..." she whispered, welding her eyes shut.
"Your Majesty..." Peppermint called. He had returned, and was now standing behind her with a hand on her back, requesting her attention. Bonnibel summoned the strength to turn her head to face him. Peppermint smiled lightly, before turning to the Commander.
"Sir, would you mind giving us a moment please?" Peppermint asked, watching as Jawbreaker nodded softly in reply.
"Of course, I'll be out in the foyer if I'm needed."
The Commander and the Doctor left the room silently, before Peppermint turned back to the Princess. Her violet eyes were begging him for an answer, for anything, to end this madness or to save her love. The hand on her back stroked softly.
"Your Highness, there is something we can do to save Marceline." he told her quickly, his voice low. Bonnibel instantly perked up, raising her head so she could hear him more clearly. She used a pink hand to wipe away the blur of tears from her eyes.
"Please Peppy, anything, I'll do anything!" she told him quickly, her voice catching in her throat. He smiled and patted her back lightly.
"I know you would, milady. However this isn't something for you to do. It's something Marceline must do." he replied, watching as she furrowed her brows slightly.
Bonnibel sat back in her chair, taking one of Marceline's hands with her and holding it tightly between her own. She watched as Peppy took the chair Carmel had been using and sat down in it, facing her.
"There is something you don't know about Marceline. Something... I should have told you a long time ago, but I didn't out of fear." he told her solemnly, his eyes lowering and peering into his empty lap. Bonnibel shook her head a little bit, not understanding how he could keep something from her, but not willing to argue nonetheless.
"What is it? It can't be that bad." Bonnibel said, her reply coming out more confident than she felt. Peppermint sighed, before he got comfortable so he could tell her the whole story.
"Marceline's mother was a Witch, however, the kindest and greatest known in all of Ooo. She was many centuries in age, preserved that way from her deep understanding of white magick and her bond with the earth and everything in it. Back when your Grandfather was still reigning, she came to the Candy Kingdom with word of a prophecy." he begun, watching as Bonnibel listened intently. He took a breath and continued.
"She brought word that some day, the Candy Kingdom would be united with the Nightosphere underneath a single banner. That on this day, peace would be brought across the land of Ooo. It was said that King Gumball's granddaughter would unite with the heir to the Nightosphere, bringing an end to all the wars and reigning in a new era for our people."
Bonnibel's eyes were wide now, biting her lower lip as she squeezed the hand in her lap, not noticing how it had twitched ever so slightly.
"For her prophecy, she was highly regarded as the White lady by the Candy Kingdom. She was loved by all, and she loved them in return. Many, many years passed; and during the time of your mother and father's reign, the White lady mysteriously disappeared. Obviously, our kingdom was in turmoil, fearing we had lost our beloved prophet and protector of the weak." his eyes lowered as he remembered, although he had been much younger at the time, it was almost as if it happened just yesterday.
Bonnibel scooted closer, her eyes willing him to continue.
"She finally returned, a year later, begging for the King and Queen to aid her. In her arms, she held a small bundle. A young baby no more than two months old, with tufts of black hair and a sparkle in her eye. It was young Marceline. I listened as she explained it was her child, born of a long running courtship with the Lord of the Nightosphere himself. However, she feared for Marceline growing up to learn only hatred and evil, and so she had made a pact with the Earth Spirits to grant Marceline humanity; so that she might grow up to love and to be loved the way the White Lady did." his breath caught in his throat, and a single tear slipped from his right eye.
Bonnibel sniffed and leant forwards, wiping the tear away and pinching his cheek just a little bit. He smiled at the affection, nodding gingerly at her motion.
"The pact came with one condition, that being that a single bite from a creature of the night would return Marceline to her demon body, de-humanising her and granting her the powers intended for the Heir to the Nightosphere; as well, of course, as adding the powers granted by being turned by a Vampire." he finished, watching and gauging Bonnibel's reaction.
Bonni looked up at Marceline carefully, exploring her features with her eyes, before turning them back to look at Peppermint. She twined her fingers through the pale hand in her lap.
"What happened to her mother, Peppy?" she asked quietly, her eyes wide and inquisitive. Peppermint let out a long sigh before looking down.
"During the last battle between the Candy Kingdom and the Nightosphere, the White Lady came to aid, battling head on with her own mate; Hunson Abadeer, Lord of the Nightosphere. Her life was lost... but on that day, it was her that won the battle and saved us all. By that time, many had forgotten who she was, her name lost to fairy tales and urban legend, except for a few..." he finished, turning his head, beginning to chant a few words and closing his eyes.
Bonnibel stared in wonder as a portal suddenly begun to open up, its colours swirling and twirling, and to her absolute amazement, a tall man with short cropped black hair stepped out; he was wearing a black suit, white undershirt and a tie, and behind him followed a shorter scrawny man dressed in raggedy clothes with grey skin, glistening fangs, and a tall white mohawk.
"Lord Abadeer, I'm glad you could make it, she's here..." Peppermint said quickly, standing up and walking over to the man, before turning his head and motioning to the bed where Marceline lay.
The stern looking man stared at Peppermint momentarily, before making his way over to the side of the bed, leaning over the limp body ever so slightly. His eyes almost seemed to waver a little behind those glowing yellow eyes.
"Is it truly her?" he asked quietly, his eyes shifting to look at Peppermint out of the corner of his eyes, before following the length of Marceline's other arm and noticing it being held by the meek, pink Princess. He frowned slightly, but said nothing.
"Can you not see it is her by the hair alone? This is her, without a doubt. I-I've seen her, the look she has in her eyes... she is the White Lady's daughter. She is your daughter." Peppermint continued, his voice firmer now as he wrung his hands in front of him.
Hunson sighed quietly, reaching out to stroke the black mane of hair surrounding Marcy's face. Bonni could have sworn a slight smile had turned up in the corner of his mouth.
"It's been too long... It's hard to remember these things sometimes." he said, his voice just above a whisper as he stood up straight again, his arm falling to his side. With the tilt of his head, the vampire moved in, hissing slightly and baring his elongated fangs.
Bonnibel let out a panicked gasp, suddenly standing up to stop the offender, but quickly found herself being restrained by Peppy. He had his arms wrapped around her legs, and she looked down at him, her eyes demanding to know the meaning of what he was doing. He looked up at her pleadingly.
"Please, milady, it must be done! It is the only way to save her, you know it to be true!" he cried out, watching as her eyes stared into his for a few moments, before she looked away dejectedly.
That was all that was needed. The vampire sunk his fangs into the left side of Marceline's neck, drinking deeply. Bonni cringed, still holding tightly onto Marcy's hand as she watched the colour draining from her skin. She bit back a yelp as she watched the veins standing out all over her, a strange hissing and crackling noise filling the room.
Marceline's chest rose and fell one last time, a pained, wheezy breath escaping from her lungs. Bonnibel whimpered softly, a sharp pain burning through her chest as she watched her friend slip away.
"Marceline..." she whispered, watching the girl who lay there, her skin turning grey and her features becoming gaunt.
"Where is she? I demand to know this instant!"
Everyone turned their heads to the door, where the sound of the King's voice boomed through the hallway. The door flew open, and there stood Bonnibel's father, his eyes wide as he took in the sight before him. He threw a questioning glare to his daughter, before his eyes fell on the Lord of the Nightosphere. He growled lowly.
"Hunson." he spat out, watching as a slim vampire slipped out through the portal, leaving Hunson Abadeer standing there with an unpleased look on his face, arms crossed over his chest.
"Bertram." Hunson replied formally, straightening up just slightly. The king growled again, storming into the room and coming within an inch of the demon's body. He reached out and grabbed him by his dark jacket, balling it up and meeting glowing yellow eyes with his own burning ones.
"What right do you have being here? What have you done to my daughter? What have you done to... what..." the King turned his face, letting his gaze fall on the deceased girl laying in the hospital bed. His eyebrows knitted together and his hands trembled. The King shot a look to his daughter, his lips parting but no sound coming out.
"Bonnibel, what have you done? You... you disobeyed me! I told you to stay away from this girl, you have no idea what you've done!" the King begun, his voice laced with panic as he let Hunson go and stepped over to his daughter, who was standing with her arms firmly at her side as she glared back at him.
"What have I done? Oh...oh the NERVE of you Father! Am I not allowed to have friends? Am I not allowed to have a life outside of the prison you trap me in?" Bonnibel shot back, her eyes red as she tried to yell, her voice only coming out as a strained cry. She swallowed to soothe the burning sensation running down the back of her throat.
The King was taken aback by her outburst, almost looking hurt by her words.
"Is that what you think of it? You think you are my prisoner?" he replied, his voice quieter now as he stepped towards her, reaching out a hand. He tried to take a hold of her arm, but she shied away from it.
"I saved you from this! We knew that someday Marceline would have to return to the Nightosphere, to take her rightful place as heir to the throne. Even if that day didn't come, her ties to the nether world would never allow for her to live and die as a mortal would... she would have been saved, just as she has been now!" he replied, his voice full of hurt and anxiety as he motioned to the length of the woman lying by Bonnibel's side. The Princess spun her head away, not wanting to believe any of what he was saying.
"That doesn't matter! I would have followed her to the heavens if I had to, I would have cursed myself for all eternity just to be by her side! Don't you understand what that's like? Did you not feel the same way with Mother?" Bonnibel retorted, her eyes welling up with more tears.
The King stumbled a little, his cheeks flushing as his daughter's words hit home. He looked at Marceline, then back at Bonni, his face softening as the reality of what she was telling him finally hit home.
"I... I'm so sorry Bonnibel..." he whispered, lowering his head and shaking it slowly, raising a hand to his temple to rub at it firmly. Bonnibel knitted her brows together, a blush falling on her cheeks as her father's apology registered in her brain.
Taking a tentative step forwards, she looked at him for a moment, before flinging herself at him, wrapping her arms around his thick neck and welcoming the strong embrace that he caught her in. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. He finally understood her, after all these years of fighting with each other and getting down each others throats with anger, he finally understood.
Hunson cleared his throat, causing the two to break their hug and turn to him. The demon straightened his tie, looking down at Marceline.
"She will awaken within 24 hours, she should be kept under strict watch once she does. The process of acceptance isn't always... easy..." he muttered, shifting closer to his daughter and placing a hand gently over hers. Bonnibel watched curiously, before taking a few steps towards the frightening man.
"Mr Abadeer..." she muttered, watching as he turned his face to meet hers. His eyes were burning with question, waiting for her to continue. Bonnibel swallowed quickly, regaining her composure.
"Please let me take care of her, at the castle. I have maids, chefs, Peppermint Butler... we can all provide for her there. Besides... I think I'm the only one that will be able to control her if things do get out of hand." Bonnibel spoke firmly, turning her head to also watch her father's expression, her heart warming a little as she saw a look of acceptance in his eyes, however slight.
"Fine, Princess. I will take care of business here, but I warn you, if any more harm comes to my daughter I will not hesitate to take her to the Nightosphere and put her under my own protection. Your people have already done enough..." he replied, his voice hardening, the connotation in his words hitting Bonni's ears and making her blush deeply with shame.
Hunson gave one last glance at the King and Peppermint, before excusing himself and leaving the room. Bonnibel sighed, slumping down in the chair and lowering her head. She was surprised when a firm hand rested on her back, and she looked up to see her father, peering down at her.
"Come, we must get her back to the Castle, it is already late and there is much to be done." he said firmly, motioning for Peppermint to open the door as he reached down, scooping up the limp, grey corpse in his arms. Staring down at the oddly beautiful girl he held, he could instantly see why his daughter found it impossible to let her go. Her mane of black hair fell behind her, her head lolling back over his arm as he turned to carry her out of the room.
Bonnibel inhaled a sharp breath, standing up and following her father out of the room, as the small hand of her Butler linked with hers, squeezing it reassuringly.
After finally making it home, Bonnibel had watched in silence as Peppermint and her father had placed Marceline gently on her bed, before drawing the curtains in the room tightly and bringing spare blankets to her as well.
Her father had given her a quick goodnight kiss, told her to sleep soundly, and left her to her devices. Bonnibel was sitting beside Marceline on her bed, softly stroking her hair and watching down on her. Peppermint returned to the room, bringing a fruit tray for the Princess, and a thick Thermos flask that he placed on the side table next to Marceline. With an inquisitive gaze, Bonni had reached over to grab the flask, but found her hand being slapped away.
Looking at Peppermint with a shocked expression, she saw him shaking his head.
"That is not for you, milady. It is for Marceline when she awakens." he told her sternly, watching as her face softened with understanding. She still eyed the flask suspiciously, biting her lower lip.
"What is it?" she asked quietly, pulling back the bed sheets and sliding underneath them beside her friend, wrapping one of her warm arms around the now cold body. It sent terrible shivers down her spine, but she simply refused to let go.
Peppermint's eyes widened, and they almost seemed to have an evil glow to them as he peered up at her.
"Trust me, your Majesty, you're better off not knowing what's in it." he replied, his face dead-pan as the Princess opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. She instead reached over to the fruit tray, taking a handful of grapes and popping them into her mouth one by one, enjoying the way they exploded with juice when bitten into.
"When she wakes, please, make sure you remain calm. Marceline will be confused, and may even panic. The best thing you can do is to just be there for her, and... make sure she drinks from the flask. I'm sure she will be famished." Peppermint continued, watching as the Princess nodded back to him, finishing her grapes and settling back down into the pillow.
"Thank you for everything Peppy, there are no words to express how grateful I truly am." she told him softly, her eyes beginning to droop with tiredness.
Peppermint smiled and bowed a little, making his way towards the door. Before leaving, he turned back to face her.
"Your happiness is reward enough for me, your Majesty. Now, rest well." he said warmly, waiting for her to call out a sleepy goodnight in return to him before he left, closing the door behind him.
Bonnibel sighed, clinging tightly to the corpse beside her. Although it terrified her, the thought of this girl never waking up, never coming back to her, she maintained her confidence and trust in Peppermint and Hunson Abadeer. It had to work, it just had to.
Whimpering softly and tucking her face into the crook of her love's icy cold neck, she allowed herself to finally give in to sleep, her eyelids falling as the early morning songbirds began their waking calls.