Bloody Sunrise Chapter 6

Marceline sat cross-legged in the shadow of the watch tower, night eyes scanning the landscape. The kingdom behind her was deathly quiet and the only sound that reached her keen ears was the rustling of candy floss leaves from the tree atop the tallest tower and the lapping of the orangeade moat a few feet away from the tips of her red high-heeled boots.

Suddenly she jerked her head up as her ears picked up on a new sound, paws running through tall grass. She slunk back into the shadows, watching the grassland ahead of her. In the distance something moved in the grass, making a beeline for the candy kingdom. She tensed up where she floated, ready to spring forwards at the slightest inclination.

Somewhere off to her left a howl sounded. It would have chilled her blood in her veins, had she had any. It was not the howl of an ordinary wolf. It sounded too...human if that was the word for it. The owner of the howl was not human though they shared many physical characteristics with them.

A black wolf plunged out of the grass to her left and dashed straight for the moat. It leapt over the moat, making a graceful arc over the orangeade. Mid-jump the wolf shrunk, morphing into a bat which began flapping up towards the battlements.

“Oh no you don’t,” growled Marceline through gritted teeth. She shrunk down, taking on her lizard form. She turned to the wall behind her and crawled up it, her long fingers and toes easily finding the cracks in the stonework.

She reached the top and launched herself at the bat, grabbing it in her claws. They tumbled through the air, the ground rushing up to meet them. The bat in her claws began to grow, its wings expanding to the size of tarpaulins and its teeth lengthening into needles. It twisted in her grasp, freeing itself and flapping up into the air. Marceline turned in midair, assuming the form of a large owl with a sharp beak and cruel talons. She screeched at the intruder who hissed at her in response before lunging at her. Marceline screeched, racing forwards with her talons outstretched. They clashed together in a flurry of fur and feathers. Marceline’s beak and talons ripped holes in the bat’s wings and the bat’s teeth sunk into Marceline’s neck. Had she not been a vampire this would have been a fatal blow. She snapped her head round and pecked viciously at the bat. It shrieked in pain, releasing its hold.

They clashed again and again, filling the air with angry shrieks and flying fur and feathers.

Marceline pinned the intruder, now in the form of a wolf, to the ground.

“Show your true form,” hissed Marceline, “I know what you are.”

“I would expect you to know your own kind,” snarled the wolf.

“I am nothing like you, you hear me?” spat Marceline.

“Touchy, aren’t you?” growled the wolf. The fur faded from his face and his muzzle receded, leaving a mouth with three curving fangs visible, one fang was missing. Cold red eyes fixed her unblinkingly and his pale skin shone in the moonlight.

“What are you doing here?” hissed Marceline, “Answer me.”

“Tch, why should I answer to you?” replied the vampire.

“Because I am the Queen,” growled Marceline, “I took the crown from the Vampire King so you answer to me. Now tell me, what are you doing here?”

“Attacking the Candy Kingdom but I’m sure you already worked that out,” he replied scathingly.

“Why?” asked Marceline, her eyes not leaving the vampire for a second.

“There’s something of interest to us in there,” grinned the vampire, “Something that will be to our advantage. We’ll cease to be night creatures and we’ll be free to rule the candy kingdom, or any kingdom for that matter.” Marceline glowered at the vampire. “And it’s about time I continued with my job,” he added with a smirk.

Something slammed into Marceline, knocking her off the vampire. A great grey she-wolf, no doubt another vampire, stood before her, saliva dripping from its jaws. Marceline lowered herself to the ground, morphing into her wolf form, preparing for battle. She lunged.

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In her bedroom Princess Bubblegum slept fitfully. The bedclothes lay in a heap on the floor and she had knocked her crown off her nightstand whilst hitting out at something in her sleep. Nightmares crowded her mind, candy people running from shadows and a creature that sounded like a wounded wolf baying mournfully in the background. She tossed and turned, whimpering in her sleep.

“No...don’t,” she cried, “Leave...”

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Marceline recoiled from the attack, dodging the fangs of the other two vampires who were both in wolf form. One of them lunged from the side, ripping a gash along her arm. She had been forced back into vampire form, too tired to change anymore. She hissed savagely, clutching her arm as she dashed at the nearest vampire, claws raking at the furry hide. She pushed him to the ground before turning on the other vampire who was whipping herself up into a slavering frenzy.

Suddenly she stopped, raising her snout and looking at the eastern horizon. The first rays of sunlight were sliding down over the valley where the Candy Kingdom nestled. She cried out in pain as the first rays struck her, burning her skin. She howled to her companion who nodded in agreement. They turned and fled, creating a portal to the Dark Domain through which they disappeared.

Marceline dropped to her hands and knees, the sun burning her skin, turning her arms into a mass of burns and scorch marks. She looked wearily up at the kingdom. She made for it desperately, feeling her strength and consciousness slowly ebbing away. She flew up over the castle walls, making a rather wobbly beeline for the princess’ balcony.

CRASH! The princess sat upright in bed. The floor in front of the balcony doors was littered with glass. Lying in amongst the glass was...

“Marceline!” cried Princess Bubblegum, darting from the bed and kneeling at Marceline’s side. “Oh glob, Marceline!” she wailed, shaking the Vampire Queen’s shoulders, “Speak to me!”

“Owww,” Marceline groaned in pain, “Close ‘em. The curtains, close ‘em.”

“Of course,” replied Princess Bubblegum worriedly, getting to her feet and closing the lavender curtains. Immediately the sun’s rays were reduced to a bronzy early morning glow. Princess Bubblegum turned back to Marceline only to discover she was gone. Where she had lain was a pile of ash. Princess Bubblegum cried out in panic.

“MARCELINE!” she cried.

“Sheesh, easy princess,” mumbled a voice from nearby, “I’m over here.” Princess Bubblegum looked over in the direction the voice had come from. Something shifted in the pile of bedclothes at the foot of her bed. Marceline was curled up in the deep magenta sheets. Her skin was scorched and an open gash ran from her shoulder to her elbow.

“Marceline, what happened?” gasped Princess Bubblegum, “How did you get into this state? Did something attack you? Was it the killers?”

“Bonnie, Bonnie, one thing at a time,” complained Marceline, “Let me rest and recover. I’ll tell you after.” Princess Bubblegum nodded, eyeing the gash on Marceline’s arm.

“But first your arm, it needs some bandages,” she said, getting to her feet and hurrying into the bathroom where the first aid kit was kept. She hurried back to Marceline’s side where she opened the first aid kit, pulling out bandages and disinfectant wipes. The wound was considerably deep, made all the worse looking by the lack of blood, allowing the veins and muscles to be seen clearly. Princess Bubblegum cleaned the wound, removing all the dirt and fur left behind from the fight. She then began sewing together the two sides of the wound, closing it over. Marceline watched her as she worked, remembering the times when she had sewn up Hambo when parts of him became tattered and torn. Princess Bubblegum wound a bandage around the wound, tying it in place.

She cast her eyes over the extent of Marceline’s injuries. What could have left Marceline, one of the strongest people she knew, in such a state? Thankfully Marceline’s burns were already beginning to heal, helped along by her natural regenerative abilities.

“I’m just going to rest for a bit,” said Marceline, her voice rasping a little in her throat. Princess Bubblegum nodded, stroking the Vampire Queen’s thick black hair. Once she was sure she was asleep she got up and called for Peppermint Butler. When he arrived she asked him to fetch some strawberries from the kitchens. She was sure that Marceline would be hungry when she woke up.

After Peppermint Butler had left she returned to Marceline’s side to keep quiet vigil over her. A few times the Vampire Queen showed signs of stirring before falling back into unconsciousness.

It was late afternoon before she finally awoke.

“Phew, I’m glad you’re awake,” said Princess Bubblegum, breathing a sigh of relief, “I thought for a while you weren’t going to.” Marceline chuckled.

“I’ve been in worse scrapes than that, trust me,” she grinned.

“Yes, but still, I was worried,” replied Princess Bubblegum.

“You’re going all mushy on me, Bonnibel,” teased Marceline, reaching up and touching Princess Bubblegum’s face lightly. Princess Bubblegum pouted.

“Yeah, well, you scared me,” she mumbled. Marceline laughed.

“C’mere bubblegum breath,” she said with a toothy grin. She curled her arm around Princess Bubblegum’s neck, pulling her closer. Even when she was in a weakened state she was rather strong. She kissed Princess Bubblegum lovingly, her hand tangled in her hair. She drew back with a gasp as her back gave a twinge.

“You should be resting,” Princess Bubblegum chided gently.

“Only if you rest with me,” replied Marceline impishly, “Besides,” her voice took on a more serious tone, “That way I can tell you what I saw. Make yourself comfy Princess.” Princess Bubblegum nestled down in the sheets next to Marceline who put her arm around her, drawing her closer.

“Could you hand me one of those strawberries?” she asked. Princess Bubblegum handed her one of the strawberries. She sucked the colour from it before beginning.

“I had just left your room, I had some suspicions of my own about the fang and I wanted to see if I was right,” began Marceline, “So I waited below one of the watchtowers. It wasn’t long after the curfew that I spotted something moving in the grass. It was a wolf or rather it had the appearance of a wolf. It wasn’t until it leapt over the moat, turning into a bat halfway across that I realised what it really was.”

“What was it?” asked Princess Bubblegum, gripping Marceline’s shirt tightly.

“I was just getting to that,” replied Marceline, “Either way, you’re looking at one right now.”

“A vampire?” said Princess Bubblegum in disbelief, “But why would a vampire attack candy people?”

“More like why wouldn’t he?” said Marceline, “Not all vampires are like me, eating red. Some, most still eat blood and prey on people and creatures weaker than themselves. They are not all as civilised as me. “

“I wouldn’t exactly call you civilised,” giggled Princess Bubblegum. She stopped when she Marceline’s serious expression.

“Bonnibel, this is serious,” said Marceline, “It’s not just the candy people they’re after, they’re after your kingdom and they’re going to try and steal your potion to assure their victory. If they manage to get a hold of that all is lost. Can you even begin to imagine what life would be like under the rule of a kingdom of bloodthirsty demons?”

“No,” Princess Bubblegum replied simply, snuggling closer into the embrace, burying her face in the crook of Marceline’s neck, “I can’t.”

“Trust me, you don’t want to,” murmured Marceline, looking up at the ceiling. One hand stroked Princess Bubblegum’s hair absentmindedly, “You don’t want to.”