Soooooo...How have you beeen? Ive been a bit... busy... lately. I have my reasons, work, school, assassination attempts. Yeah, its been pretty entertaining lately. BUT! Now I'm back, and thats all that matters. Thanks to my new 4 hr of sleep a day schedule, I have so much more time to write, draw, appreciate art, and keep watch on my surroundings. YOU'LL NEVER GET ME! But seriously, someone did try to kill me. I'm just joking to deal with the MONUMENTAL STRESS. But I'm OK now, and Ive got a shit ton of ideas! So heres the next chapter. Its the one you guys have been waiting for. Can you feel the excitement? The hype from seeing a new chapter of one of your favorite stories? Mmmm, tastes so good... But your still going to hate me. Now review! I feed off of them, growing stronger and more inspired as they come to me! FEEED MEEEE!

Disclaimer: I dont own AT characters. If my man on the inside succeeds with operation Coffee Death... I will...

Click, clack, click, clack. The sound of heels hitting solid, caramel flooring echoed throughout the halls as their owner made her way deeper into the castle. She passed the many portraits of her predecessors, staring forlornly down at her as she traveled toward her destination. The pink royal stopped at the final painting, slowly turning her eyes from the floor to meet those painted into the tapestry. A candy woman in her twenties smiled down at her, face filled with warmth but with an underlying sadness behind her eyes. Like the young lady in front of her, she was a bubblegum being, the two could have been twins with only their hair as a differing factor. Where the princess's was a solid piece of gum, the woman in the painting had her locks put into individual strands that flowed around her shoulders.

"Mother.." whispered Princess Bubblegum. It bounced off the walls, surrounding the young matriarch with an echo of saddening voices. Her shoulders began to shake, and slowly her legs gave way leaving her on her knees staring up at the smiling picture.

'Why... Why can't I control myself when I see her? Why can't I stand on my own two legs in front of her? I cant... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry...'

Her vision began to blur as the tears fought free of their prison, running along her cheeks and falling to the floor. Memories began to resurface of times long past.

A ten year old Bubblegum ran through the royal gardens, laughing as she jumped over hedges and flowers. She giggled as she looked into the fountain and saw her reflection smiling back at her. Two arms wrapped around her and pulled her close to someone tall, someone warm. She saw her mother's smiling face over her reflections shoulder and let out a laugh of joy. "Momma!" she cried as she tried to wiggle free. The candy queen giggled as she pulled her daughter into a tighter hug. "Gotchya sweetie, and I'm never letting you go..."

Another memory took the place of the first. 3 years later.

The small princess wrote in her notebook about her latest discovery, the candy roses that her mother loved had been dying off and she had just found the reason. A type of sugar eating virus was ravaging the sweet plant life. A knock on the door roused her from her studies. "Come in." she said daintily. A round, red and white candy poked his head into the room. "Time for dinner princess, the queen is waiting." She nodded. "Thanks Peppermint, I'll be there in a minute." With a bow the candy butler left and closed the door behind him.

Bonnibelle took her seat next to her mother who had calmly waited for her daughters arrival. The two ate in peace while little Bonni explained what she had found about the roses. " and it's not actually poison but little germs that are doing it!" she said excitedly. The queen just smiled her dazzling smile. "Really? Well your quite the little scientist." she chuckled as she took a sip of water. A small coughing fit interrupted her mid drink and she quickly coughed into a napkin as was her training. "Mom are you alright?" asked the young girl with a worried expression. Her mother just gave her another reassuring smile. "I'm fine dear, now how about we go see if Peppermint Butler made desert?" The young girls eyes brightened up as she nodded and ran to the royal kitchen while her mother tucked away the crimson stained napkin.

A final image appeared before her.

17 year old Princess Bubblegum poured over her notes looking for anything she might have missed. A stray formula, a missing number in the equation, anything that could help her. A knock on the door strayed her attention. "GO AWAY! I don't have time right now!" Peppermint Butler pushed the door open and scanned the mess of a lab the princess had resided in for the last year and a half. Notes hung everywhere with no visible order, vials and jars filled with liquids and chemicals littered the counter tops, and several trays of food lay untouched by the entrance. "My lady.." said the diminutive Butler. "Not now Peppermint, I have to finish thi.." The candy butler cut her off.

"She's dying my lady." All words escaped her, all thoughts left her, and she turned to her sorrowful companion. "What?" He took a breath and released it, shakily. "The queen is dying, Dr. Princess herself said so." A bottle flew across the room and shattered against the wall.

"JUST BECAUSE SHE SAYS SO DOESNT MEAN-"

"THE QUEEN WANTS YOU BY HER SIDE!" shouted the striped man. "She has requested that you see her immediately." With that Peppermint Butler left the shocked girl to herself.

Princess Bubblegum slowly opened the door to her mother's room, walked in and quietly closed the it behind her. A vast pink bed sat before her, the curtains hung loosely at its sides. Bonni grabbed a chair and made her way over to the bedside, and looked at her mother's fading image. Her once flowing hair had fallen away in patches, and her skin had lost its healthy pink color, instead replaced by spots of grey, and every breath was followed by a labored wheeze. Bonni felt the hot tears fall down her face as she beheld what her mother had become. She leaned against her mother's side, sobbing into her wilting frame.

"Bonnibell...Don't cry sweetie.. Mommy's here.." Each sentence was forced, as if she knew they would be her last. "You must go on... for your people... for me.." A coughing fit racked her body. "Mother stop talking! Your hurting yourself!" She tried to go to the door to call the doctor in but the queen grabbed her arm.

"Noo.. You need to know... You have to stay strong...Marceline will...help you..She's a good girl... Find someone who cares for you..Who keeps you... safe... Find your hero... and be...happy..." The queen let one final breath and was gone.

"Mother? No. Mom! Cmon mom wake up! Please don't leave me! I need you! Mom! MOOOOM!"

Reality slid back into focus as Princess Bubblegum wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't worry mother, I won't let anyone have my hero, no matter what it takes..." The pink princess gathered herself up and continued down the hall to her personal chambers.

The door opened easily to her touch as she glided in, her still red eyes taking in her surroundings. She was in her personal study. It wasn't like her lab or the royal library, but more of a cozy room with wall to wall bookshelves. A fire crackled noisily under the mantle as she made her way to the overstuffed chair in front of it. She sat down with a tired sigh, staring into dancing flames. The tinkling of fine china pulled her attention away from the inferno to her butler. He offered her a cup of tea from the tray which she gladly accepted then stood beside her chair, joining his mistress at staring into the flames.

"You were crying again." said Peppermint. It was a statement, wrapped in sadness.

"Yes." she quietly sipped her steaming drink, never moving her gaze from the fireplace.

"I can have the portrait taken down if it bothers you." he offered.

Bonnibelle shook her head. "No, It's only right that she stays there." The butler bowed at her side.

"As you wish my lady." Silence reigned over the room, only being beaten back by the occasional pop of burning wood.

"How long has it been Peppermint?" her voice was barely a whisper. "How long have I been like this?"

"50 years, give or take." replied Peppermint in a sad voice. She let loose a long breath.

"I'm 68 years old PB, trapped in an 18 year old body. I've seen plenty in my life time. Magic, war, peace. Every day I learned more and more... But still I was missing something." She stared into her cup, swirling its liquid contents. "And then he came around. Saving anyone and everyone, making Ooo safer for all." She smiled as she thought back on some of his adventures. Peppermint Butler continued to stare into the fire, listening to her highness as she continued. "I knew how he felt about me, but I just couldn't return those feelings. It wouldn't have been right. I mean.. He's so young and I'm... I'm not." Her hands began to shake and her voice gained the slightest of trembles. "I thought I could just wait until he was older.. That way we could be together on the same level... But I pushed him too far away... I didn't give him the hope he wanted." Her shaking stopped and her voice became a whisper.

"And now... he doesn't want me anymore." Bubblegum grasped the chairs armrest, clenching her hand around its end. "Instead he wants some flame haired, ill tempered, freak!" Each word steadily grew in volume. "HOW COULD HE WANT HER OVER ME?" She threw her teacup into the flames, smashing it against the candy brick behind them. Peppermint Butler made no move to calm her, he only stared forlornly forward.

"It'd be ironic if it wasn't so stupid! I locked her in that lamp years ago trying to prevent the biggest disaster since the Lich's creation and what's he go and do? HE LETS THE BITCH OUT!" She threw herself onto her feet and began pacing. "Of course he has to see the good in her, and of course he has to try and prove that she's not evil. Why can't he just see that she is to violent to be controlled?" She knew the answer even before the question was said aloud. "Because he's too good...Be-because he's... a hero..." Emotionally spent, the candy princess sat back down in her chair and pulled her knees up to her chest. "He's supposed to be my hero.."

Peppermint Butler was about to comfort his mistress when an abrupt tingle traveled up his spine. He looked into the dark corner of the room and nodded when he saw the two glowing eyes looking back. They blinked once and slid down the wall and onto the floor, moving as an inky puddle to the candy man's feet. As it connected it returned to its original form, a shadow of the small man, wavering in the light of the flames. He smiled as new information and memories flashed before his eyes, and he turned to his now quiet charge with the fresh news.

"My lady, my shadow has returned, and he's brought information." She nodded while remaining silent, giving him the go ahead to continue. "Apparently the boys are hoping to rely on some kind of magic to remedy their, ahem, situation. It seems they went to the wizard's festival looking for some means of sorcery for Finn." Princess Bubblegum took in everything, planning as she listened.

"They'll be wanting something to change Finn, not to protect him." She said as she stared once more into the flames."He's going to try and prove that she's special enough that someone would change for her, and that she's fine the way she is." She started chewing on her thumbnail. "Anything else?"

"Yes maam, they mentioned a few names. Choose Goose, the magical bard, The Magic Man, and the Ice King. Oh, and Miss Marceline." Bubblegum's eyes went wide at the mention of the last name.

"Marceline? What did they say about Marceline?" Her body tensed while waiting for the reply.

"They believed that due to her age, Marceline may be able to help them with their search. They had planned on visiting her tonight after the festival." Bubblegum began mumbling to herself. "She doesn't feel... no she couldn't... but she is a vampire...hmm... just to be sure.. Peppermint!" The well dressed butler snapped to attention. "Maam?"

"Send your shadow back out to follow the boys. I want to know what they ask Marceline and how she plans to help them."

"Of course your highness. Anything else?" She stood up and moved towards the nearest bookshelf pulling out a large, leather bound tome. "Yes." She said as she set down the literature on a nearby table. "Please bring my dinner to the study, I have some reading to do." With a final bow he left the princess to her reading, having only enough time to see the book title. Spells and Artifacts of Power Volume 1 of 5.