9: Bloodsucker

Bubblegum was expecting Marceline today. She'd said that she'd be back from business today and it had been a few days since their last encounter, leaving the princess definitely wanting for some vampire loving. What a wonderful year it's been. An amazing year with her. The most amazing. And it had been almost exactly a year since Marceline had come in all haggard from glob-knows-what and they had first slept together.

The past few hours, she had tried to busy herself with this and that experiment and had failed, so she was on her way back up to her room when she heard shouting from the main hall. That sounds like Marci and Peppermint…Bonni thought, sneaking over to listen in on whatever scuffle was happening and prepared to jump in to tell the Butler off again if need be. I'll never understand why he insists on being such a butt when it comes to Marceline.

"…late and you may not see the Princess now!" Peppermint yelled.

Flaring up and hair flying wildly, Marceline exclaimed, "Look buddy! I've just come back from a tough few days in the lumping Night-O-Sphere, kay? I told Bonni I'd be here today and she'll be up, now let me pass little man!"

Night-O-Sphere? What's that?

Peppermint puffed up a little. "I know what you savage things are like! You most certainly will not be seeing her Highness tonight! Come back tomorrow morning! When the sun can burn the rest of life right out of you!"

I'll have to look it up…it doesn't sound too wonderful…

This made Marceline furious, though she held back a transformation. "IT isn't like I need your permission now do I?" Marceline's voice echoed inexplicably ominously through the hall, sending chills up both Peppermint and Bubblegum's spines. Marceline floated up, curling over the much shorter man in front of her. "Let me pass. Now." She demanded threateningly. Peppermint gulped audibly.

Night-O-Sphere. I wonder where I can find a book on that.

"F-fine!" The candy man said, and let Marceline pass. Bonnibel booked it to her room and sat down, tapping her foot anxiously. I hope she didn't notice. Glob I hope she didn't notice me. But then she does have a terrible knack for noticing everything I don't want her to…

But on this night, she sighed into the room, looking more defeated than Bubblegum had ever seen her. Clearly, the constant hate from the Butler was causing her some serious woes. I must remember to have a word with him. Marceline looked up and smiled sadly at Bonni. "Hey there, Bubblegum. Can we…I mean could we…I don't feel like…I just wanna…" She sighed again, ever terrible at asking for mushy things, but the young girl understood.

"Come over here Marci. Let's just cuddle and sleep tonight. I'm feeling really tired anyway." Bubblegum said, accepting that Marceline could never simply ask for such a sentimental thing.

The vampire smiled again gratefully at the princess. "Anything you want, Bonnibel." And they lay down and went to sleep.

The next night, Bubblegum was entirely angry, unimpressed, and disgusted. Finding a dusky, black book entitled 'Surviving the Night-O-Sphere' in the very back of an old library had really enlightened her as to the kind of life Marceline had been keeping. As much as she loved the girl, Bubblegum simply could not abide such a creature keeping her company and what's more, being with her romantically. If anyone were to find out about their full relationship, everything she had worked so hard for would be ruined. Her image, the peoples' trust in her, everything. So tonight, she would break it off with Marceline and that was that.

It's time to cast your feelings aside, Bubblegum. I can't believe I had feelings for her in the first place…if only I had known…okay, be strong now! Emotions be lumped! A tap came at the window, and she let Marceline in before returning to her vanity, back turned towards her. "Hey, Bonni!" the vampire greeted happily.

"Marceline." Came the curt response. You can do this. Stay cold. State facts.

The older girl grounded herself and asked cautiously, "Is…is something the matter, Bonnibel?"

Bubblegum turned quickly around in her chair to face the taller girl. "Yes. As a matter of fact there is. I overheard your little argument with Peppermint last night. Now I understand his disdain for you." She said, grabbing the book of the Night-O-Sphere from the desk and throwing it cruelly at Marceline's feet. She just stared at it.

"Honestly Marceline, I figured you'd tell me about where you cavort off to all the time eventually, but this…" Bubblegum shook her head, not noticing that Marceline looked like she was going to collapse or break down or something. After all, Bubblegum finding out about her home was exactly what Marceline wanted to avoid for the exact reason that was happening.

"I had always thought you were…I don't know, just good, Marceline. But you come from there, and I know what you had to do to get power." The vampire opened her mouth to speak. "No! There is no excuse! You had to kill the current ruler and then destroy every challenger! You're a killer Marceline! A cold blooded killer!" Bubblegum was quickly losing her temper. She hated that the vampire had lied to her about everything. Had kept everything from her. She was hurting so badly, but she couldn't end it if she was sad, so she fed on the anger that was stemming from all the pain of being lied to. Lies by omission are the worst lies of all.

Finally finding words, Marceline fought to defend herself. "I was young! And what's more, vampires were running rampant all over Ooo! Killing and maiming! I put them all back in their own realm! Things got so much better after I became Queen! I keep them in line! If I didn't, you'd have hundreds of demons running lose and sucking souls and killing! Do you want that?"

In fact, you can't really kill anything if it is originally from the Night-O-Sphere. They just get pushed back down to a lesser demon form. Marceline had never actually killed anyone. No convert like herself had ever dared to challenge her, only full-fledged demons. She was the first convert ever to assume the throne and had been wonderful for the world, even if the world didn't know it. She was the most powerful thing in that universe and she was originally a human.

"I don't want to hear any lies, Marceline! I've read every history book on Ooo, and that's nowhere in any of them!" Bubblegum yelled, making a sweeping motion with her arm and standing tall as she could in the face of the vampire.

Marceline scoffed. "It wouldn't be, because it was before Ooo was even Ooo! There wouldn't even be a lumping Candy Kingdom if I hadn't done something about all the demons running around!"

It had been quite a feat, banishing them all back to their own dimension, but she had done it. Their job was to collect dead souls, not live ones, and they had been doing far too much damage since the portal opened, she could see that. So she took control. In fact, she took control when she was only eighteen, not just in looks, but in actual age. She was a prodigy of vampirism, and she did everything she could to remain as human as possible, though the years of the Night-O-Sphere had definitely changed and hardened her, and the princess was the first friend she'd had in a couple centuries.

Bubblegum shoved Marceline a little. "You're a liar! It's encoded into you just like everything else! And even if not, I know how you conduct yourself when you're gone. You go back there and kill and rule through fear! You're a monster!" Bubblegum spat and Marceline recoiled as if she had been hit in the face. Not since their first encounter had the candy princess ever called her a monster. She like being a vampire, and she liked who she was, but if there was one thing she was not, it was a monster. She had monster-like qualities, but she herself was not a monster.

"You kill things, Marceline. It's what you're made for." Bubblegum stated matter-of-factly. "Half the things in that book made me want to vomit. The way you things take care of matters is absolutely revolting."

"Three-quarters of the things in that book aren't true…" Marceline said meekly. "I-I've read it. I know…" She choked out.

Bubblegum had had it completely with Marceline's 'lies'. She turned her back on the girl once more. "Why should I ever believe something as evil and wicked as you, you bloodsucker."

Marceline wanted to yell, to scream, to hit, to fight, to do anything she could do, but she didn't. Instead, she backed quietly away. A moment passed, and, in a defeated disconnect, she said, "I see. Who knew the sweet candy princess could be so cruel." She floated into Bubblegum's peripheries as she made her way out to the balcony. With a final glance back, Marceline was gone.

Bubblegum and turned around, walking to her bed to get some sleep, emotionally drained and the sadness of it all finally washing over her at finding out Marceline's true character. She had very much loved Marceline, and had very harshly ended their relationship. But there would be no mourning even if that was more than painful. But I cannot permit an indulgence simply because I want it. She was absolutely no good, and that is that. She teared up, wishing things could be or were different, but knew that they would never be. One day I'll find a handsome prince, and everything will be right in the world without that…that bloodsucker.

She found a gray apple on her pillow.

A/N

Okay. Sadness. I know. But Shadowfox wanted their break-up and said I should get it out of the way, so I did. This made me depressed. Didn't want to write it. Mean Bubblegum. Sad Marceline. No one is happy.

***I EXPECT MANY HAPPY FLUFFY SUGGESTIONS AFTER THIS***

Stay chill. Might post another chapter later today (one that makes me happy) so keep on the look out. Will be one of my own, non-suggested.

-JD