Author's note: Hi guys! It's been a long while since I actually wrote on FF and not on other sites. Just getting used to the layout formatting here.

Chapter 1 – Autumn

Pale blue fingers pressed hard against the thick metal strings, dampening the rhythm of her bass. Her heart pounded in her ears, a steady beat even as the melody had stopped playing. An arm curled around Marceline's waist from behind and she stifled a gasp as cold lips pressed against her neck, peppering kisses up to the lobe of her pointy tipped ear.

"I've a present for you. Put this away," murmured the soothing female voice before releasing the girl from her grasp.

Wordlessly, Marceline lifted up the strap of her bass guitar, pulling the instrument away from her and leaned it against the wooden dresser. Facing the mirror, she could see herself. Just another regular eighteen year old girl with long black hair tied up in a ponytail with corn blue skin and... her dark eyes narrowed at the large axe floating behind her.

She turned around, facing the petite woman holding it.

Her long blonde hair framed her pale human face. Green eyes glittered mischievously while fangs peeked out from in between her lips as she grinned.

"Belle, you actually managed to fix my axe into a bass?" asked Marceline excitedly.

"Oui. The strings, they will never rust or break and will last as long as your axe, ma petite," said the vampire.

Marceline stepped closer to the other woman, her fingers reverently touching on the neck of her new axe bass, lightly trailing down the strings and then looking up at the other woman. The vampire had been with her for the past three years. Chasing the shadows away that had been sent by her dad to keep watch over her.

The Nightosphere had never been a good place for a young girl to grow up. Not even for a half breed like her. Especially for a half breed like her. Time passed differently in the short time she spent in the realm for the world had seemed more broken when she returned.

While her father had brought her back, he spent more time collecting souls than giving her any attention. After all, the world was ending. There was so much to do.

Besides, no one around could hurt Marceline for he had shadows keeping a watch over her to tell him if she was in any danger. No one to talk to either. Shadows weren't conversationalists.

"Come on, hand it over!" grinned Marceline.

Belle floated up, turning around the other girl to lower down the bass and letting the strap of it hang on her shoulder. Her long blonde hair tickled Marceline's face as she leaned down, making sure the strap was at the right height before moving away.

Marceline pressed her fingers against the frets, running them up and down the fingerboard as she slapped against the strings with her other hand, playing a few melodies.

"I know it's a bit late for your birthday present, ma petite but it's in time for the concert tonight, non?" commented Belle.

"What… You mean, you want me to play instead of Ted?" asked Marceline.

"Oui. He hurt his hand so I will need a bass player and… you know all the songs. So what do you say?" said the vampire.

The younger girl looked down at her new bass, the flat of it pressed against her legs. It had been a weapon that she had swiped from her father, now transformed into a musical instrument. She smirked and looked up at the suddenly too close vampire. Somehow Belle had floated silently, her face just inches away from her own.

"Yes. Yes I will play with you."