Marceline

(As Simon Petrikov, before becoming the Ice King)

After the Mushroom War, the world changed completely. Amidst the ruins and the cold, I ended up traveling alone… until I found Marceline, a frightened little girl clutching her teddy bear.

"I am Simon Petrikov," I said calmly.

She looked at me for a few seconds before answering in a low voice:

—It's very cold…

From that day on, we began to take care of each other. We shared what little food we could find, and to distract her from her fear, I told her stories about the old world and about Betty.

Over time, I found an ancient crown capable of controlling ice. At first, I thought I could use it to protect us and keep us safe.

But little by little, the crown began to affect me. Sometimes I would get confused, forget important things, or act strangely. Marceline noticed that something wasn't right and worried about me.

—Simon… are you feeling okay? —she asked sadly.

I wanted to continue taking care of her, but I realized that it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to recognize myself. I didn't want her to have to carry that burden.

One night, before I left, I left her a note:

“Marceline, thank you for being with me all this time. I will never forget our adventures. I hope we can meet again someday.”

And although the passage of time ended up transforming me into someone different, I always kept in my heart the memory of the girl who gave me back hope in a world that seemed to have lost it.