"Marshy! Baby!" Ashley ran and wrapped her arms around him.
"Ash… What are you doing here?" Marshall had not seen Ashley in over two years, since the incident with her stealing his memories.
"I heard something had happen, and I was so worried that I came as fast as I could."
"That was two weeks ago. Little slow aren't you?" Marshall backed up, leaving the hug.
"Well you weren't here, then I heard they finished it. So I knew you'd come home." She smiled and sat back down.
Marshall squinted. "I just found out. How did you know before me?"
She frowned. "Marshall, I just heard alright? Why does it matter? I'm here now. That's all that matters."
Marshall laughed. "All that matters? I don't know why you're even here."
"I'm here for you, baby." She stood back up and walked towards him. When reaching him she pulled his lips to hers. Marshall felt everything all at once. He remembered all the good times him and Ashley had and the future they planned, but all those memories stopped when he remember the nightmare she put him through. The constant nagging, cheating, lying, and hurting rushed back all at once. That's when he pushed her back and backed up.
"No!" He backed against the wall hard.
"Mar-" Ashley walked back towards him, but before reaching him Fionna jumped in.
"Marshall I heard a… Ash?" Fionna stared at her, then looked at Marshall. She saw the look on his face as he stared at her. It was the same she had when she saw Flame Prince that night he burned Marshall's house.
"OH! I see what's going on here! You're with this human! I thought it was US till forever ended?! What happen there MAR-MAR!?" Ash began to yell and pull out her wand.
Fionna ran at her, but was hit by a blast from the wand. She flew backwards into the wall and screamed. Ashley then laughed.
"You're mine Marshall! ALL MINE! She can't ha-" Ashley's arm was grabbed by Marshall. "You can't hit me, I'm a gi-" Ashley felt a fist against her face before she fell backwards.
"He can't, but I sure can." Fionna cracked her knuckles.
Marshall walked over and grabbed the wand, snapped it, and threw it against the wall.
"Listen Ash. I once loved you, but you blew it. I'm also not with Fionna, so leave her alone. On another note, I'm not with you. So leave me alone."
Ashley began to cry. "But I just want a chance to make it right. That's all I ask for. Please?"
Marshall stared at her for a few seconds before extending his hand. "I will never date you again, but you can at least be in my life. As a friend. Is that good enough?"
Ashley wiped her tears and stood up. "NO! I love you and can't just be your friend!" She looked at Fionna. "I know why you won't take me back! It's that human's fault!"
"That human is the reason I wouldn't just kill you, right here and now." Marshall walked in front of her. "She's also not the reason why we're not together. That is ALL your fault." Marshall pointed past Fionna and to the door. "Now get out of my house, and don't come back."
Ashley's face began to turn red with anger and embarrassment. "FINE! But just know I will get your love one day!" She stood up and ran out the door. Fionna moved out her way and stared at Marshall.
"Hey? You o-" Marshall raised his hand.
"Just… give me a few minutes." He floated upstairs to his room and sat in front of his journal.
Fionna sat on the couch and felt bad for Marshall. She knew exactly what he was dealing with, but Marshall was a very reserved person about feelings. She just wanted to comfort him, but Marshall needed space and time.
Marshall sat with both elbows on the table and the palm of his hands on his eyes.
"Why? WHY ME?! Can't I just be happy for once, before someone comes and ruins it?" He slammed his hands down and leaned back. Only one thing could make Marshall feel better in these moments. He pulled his guitar off his back. Even though it was an electric, the magic on it make it louder than normal, so when he strummed Fionna heard it. She tip toed to the ladder and climbed up just enough to hear Marshall humming. Then she leaned up a little more to see him. His eyes held a cold expression as he stared at the wall and strummed randomly. He then closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
His fingers began to pick the strings in a rhythm before his voice began.
Laid out, puking in the back of a fancy bar
You and your friend in the front booth
Laughing at my sweet naïveté
And its awkward gravity
Three years, I saw the decimation of the world in you
Messiah complex lead a fickle flu
To see it's antidote and end in you
But now I'm gonna leave you
Ashley, Oh Ashley
You never meant that much to me
Baby, please let go, my Ashley
Let it bleed, let it freeze and fall apart in front of me
My Ashley, you took the world from me
So beautiful, the ugliness within you
Last of three, baby of the family
Spoiled to bits and rotten to the shining core you
And mad with power I've seen corrupt
The leaders of a nation
Stricken with the sickly imitation of a love
The Lord would never stitch
You've got my cake. It's time to dine on the rich
Ashley, Oh Ashley
You never meant that much to me
Baby, please let go, my Ash
Let it bleed, let it freeze and fall apart in front of me
My Ashley…
Marshall began to scream the next few bits of the song.
Band-Aid. Just a bloody Band-Aid.
That's all I ever really was to you, Ash:
Just a solider with a syndrome and dreams of children's screams
You molded. You shaped like a god who loathes to create
Band-Aids. Two infected Band-Aids.
That's all we were to each other, Ashley
Just a couple of stupid kids throwing a ball back and forth
Just to see who drops it first
Well, think fast, killer.
Once again he left off, but this time he began to whisper.
Ashley… Oh Ashley…
You never meant that much to me
Baby, please let go, MY ASHLEY!
Let it bleed, let it freeze and fall apart in front of me!
Ashley, you took the world from me!
You took the world from me!
You took the world from me!
You took the world from me!
You took the world from me!
Fionna was entranced by this song more than any. It held all of his emotions in one. She watched Marshall drop his pick and lay his head down on the journal. She decided it was time to go help him.
Marshall had his eyes closed. All the memories of Ashley were running through his head. Some were good, like all the mornings he went to sleep holding her and the mornings he woke up with breakfast waiting for him. The future they had planned was so perfect that he felt he should have known it would never actually happen. Near the end though things began to fall apart and he blamed his self for not being good enough to keep her happy. The feeling of never being good enough weighed heavy on his shoulders. How was he to move on and make someone else happy when Ashley was not even happy? He really did love Ashley once, so much that it ate him up inside that he just left her go.
Marshall felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Fionna smiling at him.
"How long were… you there?" He sat up and saw in her eyes that she heard everything. "Oh… That long."
"Marshall… I know how you feel…"
"No you don't. You never could. Do you know how hard it is to love someone? Especially after someone who you once gave everything to, hurts you in the worst way? I trusted her, loved her, and what does she do? Gives away Hambo!" Marshall's eyes showed his anger and fear. "How am I supposed to move on from that?" He stared at Fionna. "Fionna… I can't."
Fionna stared at Marshall. She knew that sinking feeling in his heart. Like no one could ever be trusted or loved by him again. That feeling had corrupted her too, but she knew Marshall held it worse. Every woman in his life had hurt him or left him. His mom, Simone, Ashley, and even her.
Fionna could see all the hurt in Marshall's eyes.
"You know the eyes are the windows to the soul." Fionna smiled.
"Well what do mine show?"
"That you need this."
As she said this, she leaned down and kissed Marshall on the lips.
- I know it's a little short, but I felt like ending it like this, because things are about to get interesting. -
So next chapter will have nothing to do with this. Chapter 13 will be about what Ashley did when she left Marshall's. (Unlucky 13)
CHAPTER 14 will pick up where this chapter left off. Like I normally do.
Until next time. The King has left the building.