•Marceline•

"It's perfect. Again, I'm really glad you came up with this! It's genius." I smirk.

Finn and I are sitting at a table right outside a coffee shop, him drinking a cup of a coffee, me sucking the red out of my tomato soup in a cup.

Last night, Finn had texted me about some plan and told me to meet him here the next morning, so here we are.

And he has just told me what he's planning to do.

And it's perfect.

Finn gives me a nod. "Yeah, I know! I mean, even though I made promises to Marshall and Fionna, this has gone on long enough. Plus, I won't technically be breaking those promises anyway; that's the beauty of it," His smirk says it all, "It's time to take action, and that's exactly what we're going to do. It'll be glorious."

I smirk right back. "I've got no doubt about that. I'm so glad I'll be there when all that goes down!" I say happily, thinking about what Marshall's reaction will be to it all.

Finn's right--it will be glorious.

It's to happen at the New Years Eve Gala, the one Bonnibel and Gumball throw every year on--you guessed it--New Years Eve. If everything goes according to plan, by the end of New Years Eve, Marshall and Fionna will both confess their undying love for each other and finally become a couple.

It's the perfect plan.

And now's the time to put it into action.

-------------------------

"Hey, Marshall~!" I sing cheerfully as I watch him do the dishes. He and I have just arrived home.

"Whenever you use that tone of voice, it means you're up to something," Marshall points out. He doesn't even turn around to face me. "What is it, Marceline? I have to admit, I'm a little scared to find out."

"Oh," I whisper under my breath. "You're scared now, but you'll definitely thank me later after you and Fionna are snogging each other's faces off..."

This time, Marshall turns around. "What?"

I blink. "What?"

"Did you say something?" Marshall looks suspicious now.

"No."

Marshall looks doubtful.

I roll my eyes. "I didn't say anything! But there is something I need to tell you," I say, making sure to keep his interest.

Marshall raises an eyebrow. "And what's that?" he asks.

I twirl a strand of my black hair around my finger, something to keep myself occupied with so I won't look too suspicious. "You know the New Years Eve Gala is coming up?" I hum as nonchalantly as possible.

"Yeah, of course I do. You already know that; we got our invitations literally just yesterday."

I begin fiddling with the bottom of the shirt that I'm wearing. "Well, yeah. But the point is it's coming up and you don't have a date."

"So? I'll find a date. I always do," Marshall says, probably wondering why I'd point out something like that, considering the fact we both know how Marshall gets dates to events.

Marshall usually either shows up alone, or he gets some random girl to go with him. Of course (when the girls aren't asking him), every girl he asks says yes, mainly because my brother is known to the female population as the hottest guy in all of Ooo (although, in my opinion that can firmly be debated). Marshall has several girls at his feet that would probably (and this concerns me) happily give up their right arm to be his escort to any special event.

I scratch the back of my neck. "Yeah, I know. But, what if I told you I already had a date for you...?" I say as casually as I can.

Now Marshall's interest is definitely piqued. "And who would that be...?" he asks, now really sounding suspicious of me.

I avoid his gaze. "Well, I know someone else who also happens to not have a date..."

"Get to the point, Marce."

I swallow. "Fionna doesn't have a date, and I firmly believe you should grow a pair and ask her to be yours," I just spit it out.

Marshall throws his head back and groans. "Marceline--"

I cut him off. "Just here me out! Fionna has no date. She's not going with anyone, as far as I know. This is the perfect opportunity for you to swoop in and ask her to the New Years Eve Gala and therefore provide her with a date. Then you can tell her how you feel at the New Years Eve Gala, and she'll tell you she feels the same. And boom, there you go, happily ever after!"

Marshall rolls his eyes. "Okay. Number one, if Fionna isn't going with anyone, she can't go to the New Years Eve Gala because to go you need a date, so there's no point anyway. Number two, a girl like Fionna isn't gonna stay dateless; she's gonna have all sorts of guys practically crawling all over her just to be her date," His jaw clenches a bit and his eyes narrow slightly at that last part. "And number three, for the last freaking time, Fionna does not like me the way I like her, so a confession between me and her isn't going to happen. So, there's NO POINT to any of that at all. Therefore, it isn't going to happen."

Then he is turned around and doing the dishes again. I roll my eyes at his back.

"You say that now. But, it'll happen, Marsh," I whisper to him, not sure if he can hear, but also not caring. "It'll happen. You'll see."

Perfect. So far, it's all going according to plan.

-------------------------

•Fionna•

I kick a small pebble across the dirt path as I walk along it, out for an evening stroll after a day of adventuring.

And also, to get out of the house since all anyone can talk about there is the stupid New Years Eve Gala and how they all have dates.

Everyone except me does, anyway.

Little did I know that would change quickly and lead to a string of events I thought were never possible.

But, more on all that later.

As I continue to kick various random pebbles around on the dirt path, I hear my name being called.

"Fionna!"

I turn around to see Gumball rushing towards me.

I smile. "Hey, PG. What's up?" I greet him.

Gumball stops running once he approaches me. "You heading home?" he asks.

I nod. "Yep. Just got back from slaying a bunch of evil dark pixies," I hold up my sword, which still has the purple blood of the evil little pixies smeared all over it, as evidence. "So, now I'm heading home."

Gumball nods back. "Ah. Good. How about I walk you there?"

I shrug. "Sure," I reply.

So Gumball and I head to the tree house on the dirt path.

"Hey, PG, what were you doing wandering around here?" I ask as we walk. "This place isn't anywhere near the Candy Kingdom."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Gumball says as he kicks a pebble as we walk. "I was actually looking for you."

"Really? Why?"

Gumball suddenly stops walking. "Fionna, I want you to be my date to the New Years Eve Gala," he spits it out.

I stop cold.

Gumball wants ME to be his DATE to the New Years Eve Gala?

WHY?

I nervously lace my fingers together, trying to figure out the nicest way possible to let him down easy. I'm not in love with him anymore, I haven't been for a long time, and I won't ever be again; I'm in love with Marshall, now, and probably will be for the rest of my life, even if he NEVER notices me which is very likely, unfortunately.

I press my lips together and avoid Gumball's gaze. "Look, PG, I'm sorry, but I just don't think--"

He cuts me off. "A-As friends, of course! Just as friends...!" he says immediately before he sighs. "Listen, Fionna, I know you don't have a date this year because Finn is already going with Flame Princess. However, I don't have anyone to go with as well, since Bonnibel is going with Marceline, obviously. So, since we both are in this predicament, I thought it'd be a good solution to the problem if we just went together--be each other's dates. How does that sound?"

Oh.

That makes much more sense.

I nod thankfully, glad that he isn't talking about anything else but just going as friends. "Okay then. Sure, I'd love to do that. Thanks, Gumball."

Once the tension is past, we both continue walking.

Gumball smiles at me. "You're welcome, Fionna."

•Marshall•

I sit on the porch of Marceline and I's house, inside our cave. I don't need my umbrella, because sunlight never reaches inside the cave, so Marceline and I are always protected.

I just stare out into the valley, seeing the sun set over the horizon.

Ironically, I actually love the sunset. All the colors fading in and out, sinking down, past the horizon.

It means the end of the day for me. If you had a bad one, it means the end of sadness, or anger, or worry, or disappointment. Because it means the end of that day, it also marks the beginning of a new one--a clean slate, where anything can happen, where anything can change.

I developed that philosophy during the beginning days of the Great Mushroom War--Ooo's first and only war. It was hundreds of years ago, when Ooo was first being founded and built, also when I was just a little Vampire--a kid.

Yet, I remember everything about it clearly. It was horrible. Millions of people died, millions more were injured badly. It was the most horrible time of my entire life.

I had nothing, because, like many others, everything had been taken from me. Destroyed. My family and I are lucky we even survived a brutal war like that one.

What better time than that to develop a philosophy such as mine--that once the sun sets on a horrible day as an ending, it means the next one is a beginning; a clean slate where anything can happen and change.

To this day, I still hang on to that philosophy. Why? Because it was right, and now the war is over and now Marceline and I have escaped from the Nightosphere and now we have friends and are living in peace.

Every time I see the sunset, I smile, because it reminds me that anything--any bad and hopeless situation--can change into a new one; a better one.

Unfortunately, that also means a good day can change into a bad one.

Which is what happens today.

I continue to just sit on my porch, watching the sunset, minding my own business, when my day suddenly becomes total shit.

"Hey there, Marshall~!"

I cringe. Then I turn around, knowing who will be standing behind me.

"What do you want, Ashley?" I grumble. "My day was going so well..."

Ashley's eyes narrow. "Shut up, and listen. I've come to inform you of something," She then smirks proudly, happily. "I will be attending Bubblegum and Gumball's annual New Years Eve Gala and you will be my date."

My answer to that is immediate. "No."

Ashley's eyes narrow again. "I really think you meant to say yes, because if you didn't, you know what will happen."

My secret gets out. Fionna gets hurt.

I grit my teeth. I've never wanted to hurt Ashley more.

"Yes."

Ashley regains the smirk on her face. "That's better!" she chirps. I growl.

Then the witch leans down and presses her lips against my cheek before she backs up slightly. "See you then," she whispers before she disappears.

I immediately wipe her kiss from my cheek and wipe it on the porch. I shiver.

I hate her SO MUCH.

But there's really nothing I can do about it, is there?

Because, it doesn't matter how much I hate her; she still has me exactly where she wants me.

And there's no changing that, no matter how many times the sun can rise and set.

No matter how many clean slate days can come.