Forbidden Feelings

Chapter 12

Prince Gumball could feel the rush in his head and body as he thought of the thousands of places Marshall could have ran to. A cemetery, his home, the Nightosphere, the woods, to the Ice Queen, maybe even to the Flame Kingdom or Lumpy Space. He could have ran to anywhere in Aaa, to anyone across the land who may help him. Even though he was bundled up, he could already feel the negative effects of a below freezing temperature on his body. He knew that tiny ice crystals would form in the thick syrupy liquid that was his blood. It could shut down his organs and kill him easily if he stayed out there for too long, and Monochromicorn knew this. In Korean, he speaks to Gumball.

"Prince, this is incredibly dangerous. You aren't cut out for this. You're already weak from fainting, and this couldn't be beneficial-"

"I know, lad." Bubba spoke back, eyes still searching for a sign. "It's a risk I'm willing to take." Monochromicorn looked back at him with a pleading glance.

"You're my friend and we both know that this isn't-"

"I don't care!"

"-safe." He finished and sighed, upset. That was when Gumball noticed the boot prints. He gasped and pointed.

"Are those Marshall's!?" Lad soars down to observe them. "They seem his size, don't you think?"

"Yes, and they match his boot print. These are his. Can't he fly though?"

"Yes he can but he probably left them for me-" He blushed and Lad squinted. "-for someone to find! He probably left them for someone to follow."

"Right. Hold on." Bubba clutched some of his hair and bent over his neck into the warmth. He shivered and just as they began to take off, they heard yelling.

"Wait! Wait, Gumball, where in the heck do you think you're going?" Fionna yelled as she rode up behind Monochromicorn on Cake. He stiffened and turned, then began to explain.

"I'm going off to find Marshall Lee Fionna. I saw him disappear and got worried-"

"It's too dangerous for your sugary butt to be out here in this! Plus, you hate Marshall! Maybe not as much as before, but still, you two always make a scene and fight when you're together. I'll go. Get back inside." She argued back, both of them making no progress in the process of finding Marshall. Gumball glared harshly at her and snapped.

"I can handle this Fionna, okay?! I am NOT as fragile as you make me up to be and I do NOT hate anyone!" He barked, causing all three of his friends to tense and look away. Fionna dropped her gaze.

"I am going with you."

"Fine!" He said back with awkward authority, then urged Monochromicorn on with a pat. They followed the tracks for about a half hour, and stopped when they suddenly disappeared at the pools in the Mirrors of Life. Gumball hopped off Lad as he studied the area. Confused, Bubba called out. "Marshall Lee?! Can you hear me?" No response. Only eerie silence and his reflection. Fionna approached behind him, eyes wide.

"I've never been here before..." Cake and Lad met up and followed behind. Gumball stepped into the pools and looked around for any sign of Marshall.

"Why would he come here?" Gumball pondered softly as he began to hear voices, music, and background noise. Every flicker of the eye played a different memory. He bit his lip and saw many things that he wanted to forget all about. They brought on fear and a throbbing headache. So many bad and scary memories began to swarm as they played through his mind. He could faintly hear Fionna scream, and Cake cry. Monochromicorn was neighing loudly. That was the thing about the land. When something horrible happened, the mirrors only reflected horrible memories until days had passed. The darkest times of all of their lives before their very eyes. Shameful, embarrassing, torturous, depressing, frightening, and painful memories blinded them. Frozen in fear, Bubba glanced all around, trying to think of something else, but the grip of the magic was strong.