In the months following their space adventure and accompanying rebirth of their love, Bonnibel and Marceline's lives have only gotten more hectic. They discovered that the princess' bioengineered family (Uncle Gumbald, Aunt Lolly, and Cousin Chicle) were restored to their original forms following Lumpy Space Princess purging Ooo of the elemental energies tainting it, and that they were building a kingdom specifically to rival the Candy Kingdom. Additionally, they were spying on Bonnibel's allies—Marceline in particular. While her dad was visiting and being a mild nuisance at her Hamburger Hills concert, Chicle decided to sabotage the show, inciting a group of ghosts to attack them.
When they told Bubblegum about the incident, she was immediately sympathetic, and even took time out of her packed schedule to personally apologize to her secret girlfriend. They later laughed at some of Hunson's inquiries into his daughter's personal life, particularly those involving the prospect of her love- life.
To make up for this, and also to help get her mind off of the current events, she started looking for somewhere to take Marceline out to. However, their differing interests made this somewhat difficult, until she saw an ad while she was browsing online. The logo immediately caught her eye: a yellow snake weaving between disembodied heads of two candy people mounted on wooden spikes. This ad was for the same band that she and Marceline had went out to watch centuries before, and where she got her prized rock shirt.
As she remembers the shirt and what became of it, she sighs in both nostalgia and regret. The shirt was her single most prized possession ever since she got it, and for a long time, the only thing she had left of the time she and Marceline spent together. Now that they're dating again, it doesn't hurt as much to have lost it, but she still somewhat regrets not finding a way to get Hambo back without giving up the shirt.
Quickly clicking on the ad, she reads the linked article, finding that the band was getting back together for the first time in 300 years—they're part of a longer-lived race that can easily survive for many hundred years, although they aren't biologically immortal like PB and Marceline. It claims to be a one-time reunion set for that year's "OOOOOOOOOO Musicfest." In spite of its seemingly genre-neutral name, it is a celebration of Ooo's biggest punk musicians. The tickets are almost out, but she quickly buys two and texts Marceline.
>B: Hey, wanna go out Thursday?
>B: I found a thing that I think you'll really wanna go to.
A few moments later, she gets her response.
>M: sure, y not?
>M: wut is it?
>B: That's a secret, silly!
>M: ok. should i just show up @ yer place then?
>B: Yeah, that sounds good. We'll fly Morrow there.
>M: wen u want me over?
>B: Probably around 8:30-9PM.
>M: i'll b there. hope its good!
>B: I know you'll love it.
>M: as much as i luv u?
>B: You're so cheesy! <3
A smile on her face, she continues texting Marceline as she tries to plan out what they'll do that night.
Later, on the day of the show, she looks over the scattered items on her bed, Lady Rainicorn there to help her pack. "Hmmm..."
Among the items randomly dispersed along her mattress are her ball-blam-burglerber and electrode gun, various radio-like electronics, two bottles of water, a spare dress, some sunscreen, a bag of granola, her electronically-augmented glasses (which she affectionately calls her "techno-peepers"), and the tickets to the event itself. An array of outfits are scattered on the floor at the foot of the bed.
"Yeaaah, I don't think I can leave any of this stuff behind," she says.
Lady leans over the bed and asks something in Korean.
"It isn't just a concert though!" Bonnibel cries in response, through her hands into the air. "This is important, and I have to be prepared!"
With an amused smile, Lady asks another question.
"I don't know! That's the point of being prepared!" She takes a breath, then suddenly has an idea. "Oh, I know! I'll bring two packs!"
She hears a more-than-familiar laugh from the window. "That might be overdoing it."
"Marceline!" Bonnibel cries out in surprise, whipping around to face the window. As soon as she turns away, Lady begins filling her bag with stuff, intentionally omitting the weapons and gadgets (minus the glasses)
"Who else would be at your window, P-Bubs?"
Lady floats over the bed and waves at Marceline, saying a quick greeting in her native language.
"Hey, Lady." She grins and refocuses back on the princess as she pulls out her phone, scrolling through a long line of messages. "Besides. You only texted me 1,245 times reminding me to be on time!" Marceline puts her phone back into her pocket as her girlfriend blushes, then pulls a pile of sticky notes from the folds of the flannel shirt tied around her waist. "Plus all these sticky notes I found around my house! When did you even do that?"
"Oh, that's not important," Bonnibel responds, pushing the notes aside. "Let's get going!" She rushes past the Vampire Queen to the window and lets out a loud screech, calling her avian mount.
"So," Marceline begins, putting a hand on the princess' shoulder, "you gonna tell me what the big surprise is or...?" Behind them, Lady finishes packing PB's bag.
Bubblegum shakes her head with a cheeky grin on her face, then her rainicorn friend hands over her pack. "Thanks, Lady!" A moment later, Marrow thrusts its large feathered head through the window with a mighty screech. "Morrow!"
Both women mount the bird, flying towards their destination as Lady sends them off. A matter of minutes later, they've crossed half of Ooo and have disembarked the royal avian mount. "Thanks, Morrow!" Bonnible shouts as her bird flies off.
Marceline's jaw drops as she sees the banner directly ahead announcing their location. "No way Bonnie!" she cries, watching all of the people cycle into the Musicfest grounds. She turns to her girlfriend. "I thought you hated punk stuff?"
"N-no! You've taught me a lot about music since—"
"Oh my Glob, that's right! Your first punk show!" the Vampire Queen interrupts with a laugh. "That guy dropped a chili dog on you! And I gave you that shirt to cover the stain!" Bonnibel blushes, then spots a poster at the edge of her vision. "Remember that band— hm?"
She sees Bonnibel smile and gesture over her shoulder. Following her gummy girlfriend's finger, she sees the logo of the very band she was speaking of. "No way!" she shouts.
"They're having a reunion tour!" Bonnibel giggles. "Surprise!"
Marceline blushes and turns to her girlfriend, almost going in for a kiss in spite of the hundreds of people around. "Bonnie..."
Bubblegum checks her watch and sees that they've arrived late. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" she cries, grabbing the smiling vampire-demon's hand and leading her through the gates. "We've got a schedule to keep!" She pumps her fist. "And precious memories to form!"
Over the next several hours, they simply enjoy the convention—eating junk food (or, in Marceline's case, draining the red out of them), watching the performances before the main event, and generally having a good time. As the one of the middling bands plays through their opening song, Marceline grins as she sees the fun Bonnibel is having, even head-banging along with the music. She taps her on the shoulder, then wraps an arm around her waist and lifts her into the air, getting a perfect view for the show.
The princess laughs as she is raised from the ground, hugging herself to her girlfriend.
As the show goes on break before the main event, Bonnibel and Marceline walk through the show's grounds, hand-in-hand. The princess notices a merch stand as they wander around, and she redirects their path to it. "Hey! Is this where you're selling the band's shirts?" she asks, pointing to the poster on the back wall.
"Weeeell, about that..." the man tending the stand starts. "We got nuttin'. Our entire merch wagon vanished on the way here!"
A shadow falls over Bonnibel's face. "What."
"Yuppers, no trace of it! A reeeal myst—"
"I need the toilet!" the princess suddenly interjects, quickly turning around and making the Vampire Queen jump. She blushes and clears her throat. "Ahem, I mean... BRB!" She begins marching off into the crowd. "From the bathroom!"
Marceline watches her girlfriend disappear into the crowd, confused at the sudden outburst. "Okaaay?"
As soon as she's put sufficient space between herself and Marceline, Bubblegum calls Morrow and mounts her bird, quickly finding some tracks a few miles from the Musicfest grounds. "Of all the things to go missing!" she cries out, before slinging off her pack and digging through its contents. "No. I can solve this! Nothing vanishes without a trace! I just need my..."
She fails to find any of her weapons and gadgets, pulling out only a water battle and spare dress. "Oh, what?!" The princess dumps the items onto Morrow's back. "Lady! You left out all the good stuff!" She crams them back into her bag, then steels her jaw. "Look's like I'm doing this..." Bonnibel pumps her fist, "...old school! With my peepers..." She laughs and lowers her glasses from the top of her head, clicking a tiny button on the side. "My techno-peepers! (perfect for viewing afar off stage!")
The princess scans over the ground, her glasses analyzing the surroundings. They lock onto a feather on the ground, identifying that they come from no known bird. "I wonder..." She looks to the trees, her glasses now finding a set of broken branches, clearly bent outwards by several large creatures bursting through the foliage. "Yup-yup! So that can only mean..."
Bubblegum looks to the mountains to see several avian forms flying over a massive crevice, visible even from her position. Their flight patterns, like the feathers, match no known birds in Ooo. "Bingo-bango," she says under her breath, borrowing Dirt Beer Guy's catchphrase. Morrow brings her up at immense speed, but in the few seconds it takes to reach the crevice, the bird-like things have lowered into it.
She looks down and sees a gathering of humanoids with distinct avian characteristics: "Harpies!" She dismounts her bird and crouches at the edge of the crevice. "And—" she gasps as she sees them wearing the band's merch and throwing away the music itself. "They're not even listening to the CDs! Those posers" Clenching a fist, she feels her anger grow inside herself, then she leaps down the slope. "I'm gonna salt your slugs!" she shouts.
As she hits the bottom of the slope, bending her knees to absorb the impact, the nearest harpy rears up. "What the beans, lady!" they cry. "This is our turf!" Ignoring her, Bonnibel pulls her spare dress from her bag and leaps past the avian humanoid, wrapping its head in the fabric. "Woah! Woah! Woah!"
Bubblegum hits the ground behind them and uses the momentum to swing the harpy into the air, then slam them into the hard stony earth.
"Jeez Peebs, how long is that bathroom line?" Marceline asks, noticing her girlfriend's been absent for nearly half an hour. "Shoulda just gone in the woods." She crosses her arms as watches the show, yet another band playing—this one a pre-Mushroom War classic rock tribute band—but finds it hard to enjoy the performance as she begins getting nervous. Eventually, after a few more songs, she turns invisible and flies into the air. She notices Morrow flying from the mountains, her vampiric sight allowing her to see the distance without difficulty, and decides to investigate.
Meanwhile, still fighting the harpies, Bonnibel pulls out a bag of granola and throws a handful into the air, te avian humanoids immediately getting distracted by it. She takes this opportunity to slide between them, scooping up a box of shirts in the process. The princess sprints away, a grin on her face as the harpies stare after her in shock.
"Alright," one of them shrieks. "I'm startin' to feel silly, ladies."
"Real silly," another agrees.
A third sneers at the princess. "Yeah!"
They fly up into the air and begin pounding their wings, powerful gusts slamming into Bonnibel and taking her off her feet. She sees herself tumble over the edge, but suddenly slams into something, stopping her momentum. "Oof!"
"This ain't the bathroom," Marceline jokes, becoming visible with the princess in her arms.
"Marcy!" She notices the box falling far below them. "Aw, donk."
The Vampire Queen brings the princess back to the ledge, the harpies beginning to shout at her. "Hey! Hey! You keep that ding-dong back!"
"She's runnin' around throwin' stuff!"
"Let's get 'er!"
Smirking at her girlfriend, Marceline's body grows and distorts, adopting a giant, mildly demonic form. She loudly hisses, quickly sending the harpies fleeing in a panic.
As soon as the coast is clear, she returns to normal and floats above the princess' shoulder with a patronizing smile. "What have you been doing Bonnibel?"
Bubblegum looks away and awkwardly holds her bicep, blushing. "Trying to get the band's merchandise back..."
"Why?"
She remains silent for a few moments, then whirls around with tears forming in her eyes. "I don't have the shirt you gave me anymore!" she cries. "I wanted to replace it!" She sighs, wiping at one eye. "But not just the shirt... I wanted to go to another really fun concert with you." The princess looks at Marceline. "I wanted new memories to go along with this shirt, too."
Blushing, Marceline puts on hand on her shoulder and smiles. "That is so sweet..." Seeing the princess blush even deeper, she doubles over in laughter. "Hah! And so dumb!" As she laughs, she notices her girlfriend cross her arms and purse her lips.
"Hey," she grunts.
Marceline refocuses herself and smiles, her blush slowly growing. "No, but really... We've been through so much since then. We're such different people now! Why try to recreate the past?" She leans forwards, staring into Bonnibel's deep green eyes. "Think of everything we have to look forward to..."
As they start to bring their lips together, they hear loud sniffling behind them, making both women jump. They look over to see the harpies regrouped, watching them with moist eyes.
"So beautiful!" one cries. The rest say nothing, simply watching the women's exchange, some even on the brink of tears.
"You want to give me one of those shirts then?" Marcline asks.
All of the harpies immediately become stone-faced. "No."
"Hey! It was worth a shot," the Vampire Queen shrugs as the princess grunts in annoyance beside her. She unties the flannel shirt from around her waist, then wraps it around her girlfriend's shoulders. "Can we get back to the concert now? Please?"
Bonnibel smiles and gently grabs the unbuttoned front placket. "Alright. Let's go."
Her girlfriend scoops her up in her arms and begins flying back to the concert, planting repeated heavy smooches on her all the way.
———
Update (27.9.2022): Thanks to everyone who's read this. It's honestly baffling to me that people are still stumbling across this thing for the first time, years after I wrote it.
If for some ungodly you want more of my mediocre writing abilities, I humbly ask that you hop over to my current ongoing fic, The Owl House: Prodigal Daughter, a canon-divergent story derived from Dana Terrace's eponymous animated series. (obviously, go watch the show first before you read the fic)