Chapter Text
The world was a wasteland.
The city that had once been a home to millions of humans, was now nothing but broken buildings and cracked roads.
The sky itself was now forever gray, leaving the world in a constant state of semi-darkness. Where humans had once been, weird and odd creatures had taken their place. In all shapes and sizes, they would crawl around the broken debris and look for any source of life to sustain their hunger.
Of course, you could try to leave the city. But outside the world had become just as desolate, withered trees and gray stones as far as the eye could see. With no promise of shelter or food in sight.
This was the world after the Mushroom War.
Humans had fought, and humans had destroyed themselves and their own world. A new world had begun to form in its place, but it was a new world in its infancy so it was cruel and without any safety. Still in the clutches of the desolation that was the death of the old world.
And this was the world Marceline found herself in.
Marceline who was small, hopeless. Only seven years old… and utterly alone.
For how long Marceline had wandered this place she didn't really know. It was at least a couple of days, but it may also have been weeks or even months. all she knew was that no matter how loudly she called. Her mom was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm sorry." Marceline sniffed. "Mom I'm sorry I'm a demon. Please come back! Please!"
As always, the only response was the howling wind, tearing through the empty buildings. And Marceline cried.
"Help me please." She cried out. "Anyone…. Please…. I'll be good I promise. Just don't leave me! PLEASE!"
And Marceline broke down… Who was she kidding? There was no one. No one is left in this big empty and broken world.
She was alone… All… Alone.
"Oh my goodness!"
Marceline halted, her eyes widened… Had she just heard? A voice? But… It didn't sound like her mom's.
Suddenly Marceline noticed it, a figure that was rushing towards her as fast as possible. Wide-eyed Marceline looked up to see the face of a man with blue skin, light gray hair that was almost white but looked so incredibly thick and soft. He had a long and incredibly pointed nose. On that nose was a pair of purple glasses, though the left lens was cracked.
However, what really stood out to Marceline was the concern in the milky white eyes behind those glasses. There was a real kindness there, and worry. About her? But why. He didn't even know her. Marceline gasped as a very gentle cold finger wiped away one of her tears.
"Oh dear." The man spoke in a soft slightly raspy voice. "What are you doing out here all alone."
Marceline sniffed as she looked up and the man gasped.
"Wait here a second." The man asked as he stood up and ran to one of the broken windows where a bunch of stuffed toys were pouring out. Quickly the man picked out one of the toys and returned to Marceline. Offering her the one toy.
Stunned Marceline looked at the toy, then she reached out and took it. The toy was soft and warm in her hands, and Marceline embraced it as she cried.
"There we go." The man whispered kindly as he put a gentle hand on her head. "It's okay. Cry it out. It'll make you feel better." he assured.
Marceline sniffed as he hugged her new toy close and cried.
"Then maybe." The man continued. "You can tell me what you are doing out here all alone? If you don't mind."
"I…" Marceline swallowed. "I can't find my mom."
"Oh, sweetheart." The man gasped, then sat down with crossed legs as if getting closer. "Do you have any idea where she is? I can help you look. It's okay."
Marceline's eyes watered and she sniffed. "She asked me to go on a treasure hunt… She sent me away." and she cried loudly. "I'm a demon! She doesn't want me!"
"Oh no! No no no no!" The man gasped as he leaned over and pulled Marceline into an embrace. "I'm sure that's not true. It's okay… Everything is going to be okay."
Marceline remembered how it felt like, to be hugged by her mom. When her mom hugged her, it was always warm. For some reason, when this man hugged her… It felt cold. But even then, the touch broke Marceline and she cried as she leaned into the embrace of this stranger. Longing for just any comfort at all.
"I don't know what to do!" Marceline cried loudly. "I want my mom! Help me please!"
"Sssh it's okay. It's okay." The stranger blue man whispered as he started to gently brush her hair with his fingers. "Everything is going to be okay. I'll help you okay? Whatever you need."
Marceline just broke, what else was she supposed to do? She was all alone. And yet out of nowhere there was someone here to hold her, and tell her things could be okay. And Marceline cried… What else was she supposed to do?
Soon after she felt herself being picked up, she clung to the neck of this stranger blue man with his cold skin as he walked towards his backpack and picked that up too.
Marceline was carried through a few streets until finally a door was kicked in by the blue man and they headed inside.
Gently Marceline was put down on what turned out to be a soft couch and she faced the blue-skinned man again.
"This should be safe for now." The man whispered. "We need to stay on guard though. You never know when…" he gulped. "Those things pop up."
Marceline's eyes watered and she nodded. He didn't have to explain, the strange creatures that would sometimes come and the only thing you could do was to run and hope you could get away.
"Are you hungry?" The man suddenly asked taking off his backpack. "I think I should have some protein bars here or something," he stated as he opened his backpack and started to dig around, taking out a few items such as socks and a hairbrush before finally exclaiming. "AHA! Peanut butter protein bar the best kind." he proudly held up the promised bar. "It's kind of stale but… eh. What are you gonna do these days ei?" he asked in a joking smile as he undid the wrapper around the protein bar and handed it to Marceline. "Here."
Marceline blinked as she looked at the man, then at the bar in his hand. Slowly she reached out and picked up the bar.
Already the smell of peanuts entered Marceline's nostrils and she could feel her own stomach twisting in hunger. So without much hesitation, she bit down and started to devour the protein bar.
It was gone before Marceline even knew it, and then the drowsiness hit her as she laid down, hugging her new stuffed toy.
"Boy." The blue man blinked. "You must have been hungry," he commented as he picked up a blanket and draped it over Marceline.
Marceline's eyes watered. "Oh no! You didn't get any. I'm sorry!"
"That's okay." The man smiled amused. "You're a growing girl, you need it way more than me. I'm just old and that's it. If we old people can't look out for the young. Then what is the use?"
Marceline blinked as she looked at the man again, her head tilted as she looked at his thin face. When he had opened his mouth to talk it had revealed sharp teeth. And that nose… Marceline couldn't say she had ever seen any nose like that before. "Are you…" she frowned. "Human?"
The man smiled amused. "Yes of course." he halted as he sat back, then swallowed. "Well… I was." he then corrected himself. "I… I don't know really. What I am anymore." he looked around. "I haven't really seen any humans since… Well, you know."
Marceline swallowed. "Mom says there used to be a lot of humans," she whispered. "I never saw any except her though… And people in the photos she showed me."
"Oh." The blue man blinked. "I… I see… I guess the whole extinction thing happened quite a while ago… Honestly, I don't even know how long it has been I." he sighed. "I don't know how long it has been since erhm… Well. Everything changed."
Marceline blinked. "You're alone too?" she asked.
"Yeah." the man sighed then looked up. "Hi. My name is... erh... Wait." The man squinted his eyes, then he looked up. "Simon! Of course! My name is Simon. Simon Petrikov" he introduced himself kindly. "What's your name?"
Marceline blinked. "I… I'm Marceline."
"Marceline," Simon whispered. "What a pretty name. That suites you a lot."
"Thanks," Marceline whispered. "I like your name too. It sounds nice. Simon."
Simon smiled. "Wow… It has actually been a while since anyone called me that. Geesh it has been so long I almost forgot! But man, it's nice to hear that name out of someone elses mouth." he chuckled.
Marceline blinked. "People have called you something else?"
"No… There just haven't been any people around at all for a long time." Simon replied. "So there was no one around to call me anything." he looked at Marceline. "You are a curious girl too aren't you?" he asked. "I wonder where you came from."
"My mom," Marceline informed.
"Ah, of course." Simon nodded. "That's silly of me. You said you were looking for her right? Do you want me to help you look?"
Marceline looked at Simon, and then her eyes watered. "I want to find my mom." she swallowed. "But… I think she's gone."
You could see the sadness in Simon's eyes as he whispered. "Oh. Sweetheart."
"And now I'm alone." Marceline sniffed. "And I don't know what to do!"
"I'm sorry." Simon swallowed. "But look… I found you. So you're not alone now. Okay?" he asked reaching forward a hand, to swipe away another one of Marceline's tears.
By the cold brush, Marceline shivered and she looked up. "You're cold," she commented.
"Ah! I'm sorry about that." Simon retrieved his hand and started to rub it against his jacket.
"It's okay. It feels nice." Marceline informed. "Why are you cold though?" she asked.
Suddenly a different look came over Simon, a shadow seemed to fall over his eyes and he looked down. Then his hand moved down to below his waist and Marceline's eyes followed the hand, to see a weird crown that hung from a loop in Simon's belt.
At the last second Simon pulled his hand away from the crown and looked up.
"I guess because I'm a weirdo. Heh." Simon laughed nervously. "Now. Why don't you rest a bit? I'll keep an eye out okay? Then you don't have to worry… You can rest now."
Marceline's eyes grew heavy as she laid down, pulling her new stuffed toy close, and felt the blanket being pulled over her shoulders so it touched her ear.
And for the first time, since her mother had sent her away… Marceline felt a little better.
She didn't really know this Simon yet, where he had come from, or why he was here. But he felt nice. His voice was nice. And he hadn't been angry at her even though she ate the whole protein bar by herself.
So maybe… just maybe. Things could be okay now. And she could be okay.