Back at the fort

[fionna_time]

She was happy to have moved back (mostly). Everything was here, and despite warding Sette away from her stuff, she was starting to put everything in its place, making sure to clean the place (it got pretty dusty after the fight) and so she was just freshening everything up and making the place presentable. The boat was good. Marcie and Princess Bubblegum's rooms were immaculate. All the treasures were accounted for. Everything was perfect. Even the clock with her and Cake were perfect.

Still, she felt weird. There was something about leaving Amimiya's that had taken something out of her, and she had no idea how to really react to any of it. So of course Fionna did the one thing she knew would at least get her mind off of confusing feelings: sword training!

So there was now a bunny girl in the garden cutting up flora and flipping and doing push ups.

Comments

[nekomikoreimu]

Reimu was flying around, looing for a certain Youkai. Looking down she see's Fionna cutting up flowers. She comes in for a landing.

"I would be careful about cutting flowers here."

[fionna_time]

Fionna stopped, wiping the sweat off, and recognized Reimu.

"What? Why?"

[nekomikoreimu]

"Because Yuuka will kill you," Reimu says mater of factly.

[fionna_time]

"Who the heck is Yuuka?"

It sounded like a blanket!

[nekomikoreimu]

"Yuuka is an extreemly powerful and very Youkai like Youkai. She doesn't bother humans too often, unless you cut her flowers."

[fionna_time]

Fionna let out an impatient noise. "Are you kidding me?! So if I wanna stop a demon girl from killing animal creatures and other humans I get my butt fried, but if hurt one of those precious frikkin plants I'm in trouble! What the heck?"

[nekomikoreimu]

Reimu shrugs. "That's just how Yuuka is. She loves flowers, and has the ability to manipulate flowers and plants, but that's not where her true strength is."

[fionna_time]

"Well if she has the abilities to manipulate them, why would she wanna get on my case? can't she just grow them anytime she wants? What's her true strength anyway?"

[nekomikoreimu]

"I think it's because she views her flowers as her family, or her treasured objects. I never asked her, too busy fighting."

Reimu looked away. "Her strength? Well, she is strong enough to punch a hole through your gut without even trying. Her Twilight Spark attack is probably stronger then Marisa's Master Spark. That and she enjoys hurting people"

[fionna_time]

"Well that's just dumb," Fionna mumbled, certainly not going to risk attacking anymore plants NOW. "What's the point of being a regular person like me when you have to worry about demons that have super speed and super strength? It's the queen is just forcing me to be beaten up straight out."

Add to that her still trying to comprehend how different everyone was, and you had a pretty deflated bunny girl.

[nekomikoreimu]

"She's a threat to normal humans," Reimu says. "An adventurer like you might be able to take her. You just need to be good at dodging. I can take her after all."

[fionna_time]

"Yeah, I think after Ahika, I'm pretty good at dodging now," Fionna said, rubbing a faint cut from that particular encounter. "So she just harms humans? I may have to keep an eye on her. There are some peeps here who aren't powerful or anything."

[nekomikoreimu]

"She harms humans if you bother her... or she's bored. The other day she attacked me because she hasn't seen me in awhile, and wanted to "test" me as she put it."

[Several Days Later]

[just_your_problem]

It had been how long since Fionna had seen Marceline? It was two days shy of it being a full month, not a flicker of a shadow or even a whisper. It was totally strange, they had made up right? Why hadn't Marcie showed up and where the flip was she?!

It was late afternoon on a cloudy day, the air alive with the faintest hints that spring was on it's way. Well, Spring wasn't the only thing that was on it's way--a familiar figure carrying a parasol was drifting slowly on the breeze. It was Marceline looking terribly glum, wearing Princess Bubblegum's pink hoodie.

Re: [Several Days Later]

[fionna_time]

While Fionna was all for training and all, there was no doubt that she was always, always waiting for Marceline and Princess Bubblegum to come back. She may have made up with Marcie, but she was still scared that maybe there was still some resentment left. She had made sure the Tree fort was extra clean (as much as it could be anyway) nad made sure their rooms were as inviting as possible.

So when she spied the parasol out of the corner of her eye, it definitely filled her with glee. It did, anyway, until she saw that Marceline was looking really sad.

"Marcie? Are you ok? What happened?" She definitely didn't like seeing her friend this way, and whatever had happened, she'd do her best to help her out.

Re: [Several Days Later]

[just_your_problem]

She had been so lost in her thoughts that, for once, she was honestly surprised when Fionna came running up to her. For the first time in weeks she smiled, although it was a very weak one that quickly faltered. Man, she felt like a complete and utter butt! Not only had she been gone for so long..she had to come back with sad news. Glob, Marceline hated the Gardens and it's Queen!

"Hey Bunny," She was doing her best to come off as strong and in control of her emotions; however, her voice cracked. "I," the words curdled her tongue and made tears gather into the corners of her eyes. Marceline never cried, never! She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, gathering herself. "She's gone dude," She lowered her head, "Bonni is gone.."

Re: [Several Days Later]

[fionna_time]

Oh. Man. Fionna definitely felt that pull in her throat, that pain that she'd felt the last few weeks when remembering how badly she messed up, and how much happier she was when she had talked with Marceline. She'd hoped she would be able to talk to PB with as much conviction and explain everything. But now, looking at Marcie and hearing those words, she knew that it was over and, moreover, that Princess Bubblegum was gone.

And that sucked. It sucked hard, and she felt a punch in her chest that she had no way of explaining easily to anyone. But even more than that,s he knew that Marceline was hurting in this more than her. Marceline who had been tended by the Princess, who cared about her despite their fights, who was from her world. Marceline was the one in need now, that much Fionna understood.

"Dude, c'mere," she said, taking the girl in her arms, tearing up herself. "I'm sorry."

Re: [Several Days Later]

[just_your_problem]

Talk about a messed up situation: Since they had first came here they wanted to go home. Even when they weren't talking about it it was still in the under current. Marcie should be glad that Princes Bubblegum was sent back to OOO; however, she couldn't help but be stung because not only was she left here alone she knew that their friendship probably wouldn't survive even if she went too.

Things were getting better, even moving toward right, in the little world that the girls from OOO (and AAA) had created in the garden! It just wasn't flipping fair! Fionna had waited so long to have her say, to be able to apologize and now it probably was never going to happen.

Marcie clung to Fionna tightly, a few tears slipping out. "It isn't fair!" She added with a loud sniffle, "I feel bad and junk for not being happy about it. But it isn't fair!"

Re: [Several Days Later]

[fionna_time]

Oh, she was sad all right: she had already made mistakes here, between the two of them, she had just wanted, more than anything, to set things right. A part of her would have just lived in the tents, but she wanted more than that: she wanted to have her best friends with her here. With the Princess gone, it just left two girls from Ooo here.

"I know Marcie, I feel that too," Fionna said, fighting back the tears. "Princess Bubblegum was like Gumball but more feisty, and she looked out for the both of us, especially with the fight and junk. And I know you'll miss her lots. I do too. but maybe its good she'll be there, taking care of the kingdom. At least Finn is still there to fight stuff. And I'm sure she'll be thinking of you."

She sighed, her good feelings definitely deflated. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

Re: [Several Days Later]

[just_your_problem]

"She's happier there anyway," She tried to say the words like she meant them and failed horribly, "-right?" Princess Bubblegum was the glue that kept the word from falling apart. Well, unless you were the Duke of Nuts. Bonni always flipped the flop out when he was involved! But between friends she was the most mature and level headed. Honestly, Marcie wasn't sure how things were going to go without the Princess there to keep them from getting in over their heads!

"The Candy People need her and she needs them," See Marcie. See Marcie try to explain away the horrible feeling in her chest! Fail, Marcie, fail. The whole common sense and logic thing just wasn't her thing; however, she had no other choice--for her own sake and Fionna's. Bonni wasn't there to lead them anymore so she had to step up. "I really hope that you're right Fi," She hugged her one more time before floating back a bit. "Yeah, let's go home." It felt weird calling the tree fort that again but it feeling weird didn't make it any less the truth.

Re: [Several Days Later]

[fionna_time]

Fionna brought the girl in, listening to her try to explain everything in a logical way. Truthfully, after Amimiya and talking with a bunch of the other girls, Fionna at least felt like she could get back on her feet a little easier, that she could adjust somehow. But she also knew she'd miss the Princess a lot: she had been the glue holding the two of them together.

"Yeah man, and Princesses got a lot to worry about," she added. "But you and me, we'll just have to do our best for now. Let's leave her room how it was though: if she ever comes back, she can just take it back and all. If you want, we can chill out on the couch and play some video games, ok? I bet you can't beat my score!"

She knew she was no Bubblegum, but she was trying. That was the worse part: not being able to measure up. She just hoped Marceline would feel better.

Re: [Several Days Later]

[just_your_problem]

After saying what she felt needed to be said, even if it didn't make her feel any amount better, Marcie just followed Fionna in silence. Even though she knew that Bonni still existed and was just fine there was a strange whistling emptiness that had settled into her place.

"Tell me about it," was Marcie's muttered reply as she drifted over to the couch and actually sat. She was emotionally and physically too tired to keep up floating. "I don't know dude," She shrugged, "-why would she come back?" Yeah, nothing good was going to come of the topic. "I mean, would you?" Marcie flopped on the couch, "Games? That makes me miss BEEMO." Sure, she'd never be able to put the Princess entirely out of her thoughts but she could pretend.

Bonnibel's going home was sure to cast a long dark shadow, one seemingly impossible for either of them to live up to or escape from. Time heals all wound right? Oh..right..not for Marcie.

Re: [Several Days Later]

[fionna_time]

Fionna was already making sure the couch was nice and comfy for her, and was already on her feet to make her some cranberry juice. Obviously it was just the color that Marceline was going to be drinking anyway, but she figured that right now she could use whatever was necessary to feel better.

"I would come back," Fionna said firmly. "All the people I met, all the things I've seen? You, Subaru, Kanako...Amimiya! It's everything that an adventurer like me would want to be a part of! That, and there's no way I'd let you be here by yourself, dude."

And she's already sitting next to you Marceline, hopefully you're not hating that.

Re: [Several Days Later]

[just_your_problem]

Moping, Marcie was doing more of it than she was comfortable with. Feeling the way she did only led to questions that she didn't want to answer. Feelings were tricky enough as they were, without having fully accepted or admitting to anything. "Thanks man," after all the screaming she had done in the woods she really needed the drink.

"The Garden isn't home and the Queen isn't Prince Gumball, who you totally made a royal promise to." Yeah, total downer. "You can't have both, it's one or the other." Marceline tucked her knees under her chin, making room for Fionna--whom she was cool with again so she totally didn't mind. She sighed, "Yeah, you totally would though." She wasn't being sarcastic or dismissive, her tone was rather somber.

"But you don't get a choice," She explained, "You're either in or out. You'll always be missing someone or something, which isn't cool at all."

Re: [Several Days Later]

[fionna_time]

"I don't believe that one or the other stuff, you know me by now," Fionna said, drinking some juice of her own. "A prince or a princess, my job is to protect them wherever they are. A promise to do what I can is what I care about. And if the Princess is gone here, doing my best to help people is still what I'm gonna do."

Even if it did get her beat up, which Marceline had already seen from before.

"Yeah, that's true, but I still gotta try to look on the bright side. The princess wouldn't want us all depressed just cuz 'the queen of butts' kept us here and brought her back, right? We gotta make the best of it. And I'm gonna, starting with looking after you, like she would."