The Lost Adventure

Chapter 11- Marcelines' Dad

     Marceline wakes with a start. The sun is not yet up, but she can tell from the moon it would be dawn soon. She doesn't notice it at first, but soon she can make out the sounds of Finn and Jake shouting and weapons clashing. Marceline jumps up and runs back towards the cave. What she sees startles her.

     Finn and Jake are tearing away at creatures from the Nightosphere. There are too many, however, and Marceline knows the fight won't last long. She quickly jumps into action, charging into the horde. She's about to change into her wolf form, when something grabs her.

     Marceline is pulled back, and looks up to see her father. He smiles his usual smile, but there seems to be something more wicked behind it. Finn charges at Hunson, but Hunson only punches Finn in the stomach, launching him into Jake.

     "Dad! Stop it!" Marceline tries to wiggle out of Hunsons grasp, but he's too strong. "Why are you doing this?!" Marceline shouts.

     "I'm not the bad guy here Marceline." Hunson pleaded "You're just, uh, over-reacting."

     "Over-reacting?!" Marcelines face grew hot, "Lets see, first you returned to the Land of Ooo, then you captured my friends, tried to capture me, and now your'e beating up my other friends! "Marceline pulls hard, wriggiling free. " Your right dad, I'm just being totally dramatic!"

     Hunson smiles, "Good, I'm glad you understand! Come on, lets go." Hunson starts to walk away, but Marceline stays where she is. He looks back questioningly. He realizes she isn't going to leave without a fight. He places his hands on his temples. "Come on now Marceline! I've been trying to get you back home for so long! Is it so bad that I want my daughter to help me rule the Nightosphere for all eternity?"

     Marceline rolls her eyes. "Dad, I already told you I don't want to go... And you can't make me." Hunsons' eye twitches.

     Someone else approches Marceline from behind. "Come now Marceline," The figured urges, "The Nightosphere isn't all that bad. " Marceline is immedietly on alert. She turns to see Peppermint Butler. He is the only thing standing between Marceline and the guys.

     "What do you think you're doing Peppermint Butler! Don't you think this is all going a little too far?! I mean, just getting me to the Nightosphre can't be all that important to you." Pepperment Butler began to laugh. Mareceline's face goes red "What's your deal?!"

     "My deal?" Peppermint Butler seems to be trying to think. "Well," He says,"To be perfectly honest I made a simple deal with your father. He wanted to have you rule the Nightosphere with him. Now, when we made the deal, I didn't really think it would be all that hard to accomplish. I was wrong..." Peppermint Butler walks around Marceline and stands next to Hunson. "You see, I wasn't really expecting much fight out of a little girl, one who was all alone on the surface and could easily be manipulated. I found you here, in the land of Ooo wondering around, but you weren't alone..." Anger almost penetrates through Peppermint Butlers' cool mask, but he contains himself, chuckling. Marceline doesn't understand what he's getting at. "Here you were, a little girl all alone, and just as I'm about to take you... he shows up." Marcelines eyes widen. She remembers. "That annoying man, that one man with the crown. The one who kept you from me." Anger now flares on Peppermint Butlers' face. "SIMON PETRIKOV!" Peppermint Butler continues his rant. " It wasn't his concern to protect you, but he did! He knew you from somewhere else, he didn't care where, but whatever had happened, he made some pitiful promise to protect you! I couldn't believe he would dare stand against me, so I didn't take him seriously." Peppermint Butler pauses. "He got the jump on me, using his powers to keep me from you." Peppermint Butler lowers his voice, but not by much, "I hated him, I hated him for ruining my deal! I've never made a deal I couldn't keep. For so long now I've attempted to fufill it, but right before I could get my chance, HE would show up right at your door step! He is such an idiot, forgetting who he is every 2 seconds. He is a fool! He can't even remember who he is anymore! But somehow.. somewhere in that pitiful little human mind of his, he managed to hold on to his promise. He could never let go of that STUPID PROMISE!" Marceline slaps Peppermint Butler across the face.

     "LISTEN TO ME!" Marceline shouts. "SIMON IS DEAD! HE GONE, ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR STUPID DEAL! DID YOU REALLY HAVE TO GO SO FAR AS TO KILL HIM! HE WAS MY FAMILY!"

     "I'm your fam-"

     "SHUT-UP DAD!"

     "Okay."

     "HE TAUGHT ME SO-" Maceline begins to sob "He taught me.. so much... And you took him away from me! He loved me for who I was! He didn't try to change me! He was proud of me!" Marceline begins to shake. "Sometimes he forgot me and....it hurt me, a lot, but he tried so hard to stay with me." Marceline glares at her dad. "He actually felt sad for leaving me! I visit you in the Nightosphere, but all you ever talk about is how you wish I would take over the family business. You never even asked what I wanted! Simon cared about what I thought!"

     Marceline calms her breathing. Hunson and Peppermint Butler can only stare in silence. Marceline doesn't even notice that everything has gone quiet. The creatures of the Nightosphere are backing away, passing Marceline to stand next to Hunson. She feels a chill run through her spine, as her breathe fogs. Marceine turns around slowly. Finn and Jake are in just as much shock.

     There, standing in the entrence of the cave was Simon, the crown atop his head....