Crisis of the Multiverse, Ep1: Rebuild Anew-Ch4

Chapter 4: Knightfall, Part 4 – A Tragic Promise

The Candy Kingdom, 01:39
Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum’s POV

“Target is confirmed gone, your majesty. There’s no sight of the Lich anymore,” one of the Nighthawk pilots radioed. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the danger is gone, for now. “The vault, however, has been destroyed in the process.”

“That doesn’t matter right now. Were there any casualties?” I asked out of concern.

“No civilian casualties... Wait, hold on; what’s that moving over at the debris?” The second pilot said, “It looks like... A broken robot! Hey, it’s waving right at us!”

The pilot’s response made me worry a little. There weren’t any robots placed inside the vault, much less an active one. “...Nighthawk 1, can you confirm?”

“Yes, ma’am. It looks like one of the old gumball robots we had a while back.”

His response made me shudder inside. “Oh no...” There was a long pause until I was snapped out of my little trance.

“Uh...Princess? Are you there?”

“Y-yeah...Thank you. You may return back to base.” I shut off the radio.

As the Nighthawks flew over castle, heading back to the desert, I exit the secluded communications room. On my way out to the throne, I was greeted by Jake, panting and somewhat out of breath.

“Oh hey PB, am I late? There were some burglars that kind of delayed me on my way to the castle.” He said calmly.

“Thankfully, the Lich problem was averted before any more damage was done, but not without some casualties...Come on.” I replied and gestured him to come with me.

Jake remains puzzled as to what was going on, but he manages to catch on. “Hey, wait up!” I exited the throne room out to the kingdom streets, with Jake right behind. “Care to explain what the flip is going on here?!”

I sighed. “It’s what I feared the most...The Lich; he’s back.”

“Wait, what?!”

“It doesn’t matter, now that he’s gone, for now. Anyways, we’re here,” I said as we approached the vault ruins.

There were a few walls left standing, one or two pillars, but other than that, it’s just candy rocks and steel and debris. Science experiments and materiel lay before me, crushed, buried, or destroyed. I feel a little saddened inside, but all of that disappointment was displaced by worry and compassion when I see the robotic body of my sentient creation, partially crushed under the weight of rubble. I run up to his side, hoping that I can still recover him.

“Princess...” The robot struggled to speak.

“Rattleballs, are you okay?”

“I’m running low on energy reserves. Also, I have to tell you something,” He responded calmly.

“What? What is it?”

“The human...He’s...Noooooooot.” Rattleballs trailed off; his power reserves had ran out, rendering him offline. His last words only left more questions needed to be answered. The human is not what? Does he mean Finn?

“Jake, I need some help over here!” I commanded, and the yellow bulldog rushed over to my location. With his incredible strength and shapeshifting abilities, Jake lifts the candy boulders off of Rattleballs. By doing so, we could see the extent of the damage.

“Whoa, it seems that the Lich did a number on this guy,” He stated, “What am I looking at here?”

“His name is Rattleballs. He is the last of my old elite gumball guards.”
“Oh yeah, I’ve heard of those guys. Didn’t think I’d see one for myself, though.”

“Yes, Rattleballs is very unique. He ‘evolved’ from just being a violent mechanical guardian to a robot with free will.”

“Huh, neat.”

“Your highness!” A voice yelled from afar. We look towards it and see a young messenger heading our way. “We require your utmost attention!” The messenger said.

I nodded in reply, then faced Jake. “Bring Rattleballs back to the castle. Once you do so, you’re free to leave. I have other businesses to attend to.” The yellow bulldog nods without reply and proceeds to follow my order.

I followed the messenger back to the castle and into the security room. Only a handful of cameras were reactivated since my ‘disagreement’ with Phoebe, and most of them were taken out due to the attack.

“So why did you call me here?” I demanded.

“Come look at this,” A banana guard explained. “We have found something very weird before and during the attack and thought you may want to see this.”

He pulled out a tape from one of the drawers and inserted it into the video player. Footage outside the vault prior to the attack showed me and my escorts leaving the building. Wait, what was that? A blue and white streak dashed into the closing vault door. Then I remembered; the blue streak at the corner of my eye. I should’ve known something was up then, but I refused to acknowledge it.

“Switch to high-speed mode,” I commanded.

The footage was replayed, this time in slow-motion. That same blue and white streak can now be seen clearly as a... Hold on, that’s a white hat, a blue outfit, and a silver and blue trim sword.

“Was that Finn?” I thought. What could he possibly be doing at that time? That’s when it hit me; not answering the phone, weird behavior, something’s gone wrong with him. It sent shivers down my spine, thinking that an honest-to-Glob good boy like him would commit such a heinous crime. However, as he moved into the closing door, the truth dawns to me. “No...”

We switch to the cameras inside the vault. The blonde bear-capped boy’s facial features were visible to us, and I can see his mischievous smile and his glaring green irises – wait, green irises? Didn’t he have blue? He began to laugh as he scoured the room. Suddenly, the whole footage shook, and a piece of falling debris hit his domepiece. “Oof!” He said. After a few seconds, the feed ended.

“Is that it?” I asked.

“Yep. After that, the camera lost connection.” It all makes sense now; maybe Rattleballs was trying to stop Finn – or whatever he is now. “Princess?”

“Something is definitely wrong with him... But what?” My trail of thought was broken after the banana guard repeatedly called out my name. “Investigate the vault and see if there are anything missing or stolen; have Jake help. And give me the holophone; I need to make a call.”

---

The Fire Kingdom
Phoebe’s POV

Rebels; they’ve been sprouting up everywhere, inciting lies and using other forms of propaganda to topple me from the throne. In light of this, I’ve set up a meeting in order to deal with this threat. Unfortunately, this meeting has dragged on too long, and it’s getting worse by the minute. My cohort of advisors, military commanders, family members, and government staff argued endlessly on what action to take against a rising insurgency. And now, two of them are duking it out which action is the most reasonable.

“And what are we supposed to do, declare martial law? That is not our way of governing, not anymore,” An advisor stated.

“With the rising tide of rebels, yes! Rebel cells have been growing for the past year, we cannot take any chances!” My older brother, Flint, responded aggressively.

“Stop, both of you!” I cut in, “Arguing over our actions won’t lead to any conclusion of this meeting. If we won’t come to an agreement, I feel that I may need to resume our meeting tomorrow. Besides, we have been going at it for more than a day now...”

“Sis, this is a matter of national security, and you want us to go to bed?!” Flint snapped back.

“Flint, we have had no rest since we started. We’re going to need some if we’re going to make a sound decision.” Flint grunted in response while everyone conversed amongst themselves; we all knew I was right. “We’ll continue this meeting later. Use the time to grab some needed rest. Dismissed.” Everyone rose up from their seats and headed to the door until I was left alone in the room.

I’ve sat at the throne for nearly two years. All I’ve done is try to change my kingdom, my home, a better place for everyone, elementals and non-elementals alike. My kingdom’s ruthless behavior in the past was something that needed to be worked on. Nothing could change the landscape; well, maybe except for Mother Nature. I thought if we could change our ways, we would be better received by everyone else; we wouldn’t be viewed as militaristic and oppressive, but as a reformed and benevolent kingdom. Yet, I was met with heavy resistance.

I stand up from my chair and head out the room. I stroll through the crimson hallways of the castle, hiding away my distressed emotions from anyone I come across. After a few short minutes of moseying around, I make it to the balcony. Overlooking the whole kingdom from here, I let the environment sink in. It looks so quiet and peaceful; nothing like a nightly breeze. But at the back of my mind, I knew that this peace is in jeopardy, and it is in my power to stop it.

“Ugh, what have I done wrong?” I said as I put my palms on my face. It is in that moment that I hear me being called out.

“Flame King!” I took notice of it and promptly turned around. It was none other than Cinnamon Bun, who was holding a holophone. “Emergency call from the Candy Kingdom; it’s the Princess!”

“Bubblegum? What could she want now?” I thought and said, “Hand the phone to me.” When the holophone landed on my handed, a holographic Princess Bubblegum appeared.

“Phoebe,” she greeted.

“Bonnibel,” I greeted back.

“I wish we could meet in much better circumstances; but right now, we have a dire problem.”

“Uh huh,” I lamely responded as I crossed my arms. “Well, I’m busy dealing with my own problems.”

In response, her voice shifted tone. “I’m serious, Phoebe! The whole world is at stake here!”

“How would I know you’re not messing with me again? Need I remind you, the last time we tried to ‘work’ together, lives were lost! We were in the verge of war!”

“I know our kingdom’s relationship has been very shaky, especially for the last year. I am deeply sorry for my actions,” A resentful Bubblegum spoke, “But just this once, you have to believe me! I would not have come to you if the situation was so calamitous.”

“She has a point, your highness...” CB said.

After giving it a bit of thought, I grunted and sighed. “Fine. What is this ‘threat’ we’re dealing with?”

“Just a while ago, the Lich has returned, and he has ransacked quite a bit of the kingdom. He got away minutes ago, and I don’t know where he’s headed.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t you get help?”

PB’s face turned solemn. “I did. But by then, he was already gone. My new warplanes didn’t leave a scratch on him, and Jake came too late,”

Without thought, my lips moved about and a concerned voice escaped. “What about Finn? How was he? Is he okay?”

“...That’s the thing...” She replied, her expression turning even more worrisome.

“W-what do you mean?”

“I called the treehouse, but no one answered. More worryingly...” She paused as she rummages for something. Seconds later, she returned with a video. “It’s a slowed-down and enhanced video of earlier footage. It was caught right before the Lich attacked. Finn was spotted breaking into the Candy Kingdom vault, presumably to steal something.”

“...And here I thought you actually needed my help. Are you seriously trying to trick me, again?!”

“I swear to Glob, I’m not tricking you! This was actual footage during the attack! Phoebe, please, you have to believe me!” She pleaded, but I shook my head in refusal. At that moment, Peppermint Butler arrived, whispered to her ear, and left soon after. “I just got word that he stole a prototype plasma blade that uses a heat-based power source... He’s heading your way Phoebe.” A long awkward silence followed, and neither of us tried to budge.

She remained distressed while I was still furious. After all, I have the perfect reasons to be mad at her. She caged me in a flipping lamp, she made me her lab rat, and she nearly destroyed my kingdom! For all I know, she could be framing Finn for a crime he did not commit!

“I know it’s hard to believe, but the truth isn’t something you can just deny, and you know that more than I do... He’s changed more than we know, for better or worse,” She said, “You have to keep him from leaving your kingdom. I’ll be coming over to arrest him. I’ll see you in a bit.” Before I could respond, the hologram switches off.
I should’ve known she would do something like this again. Her accusations don’t even make sense! Why would Finn commit a kind of crime like that, especially to someone he’s loyal to? She probably even lied about the Lich returning... Gah, this is giving me a headache!

“Are you okay, m’lady?” CB spoke up.

I sighed, “I dunno, Cinnamon Bun. Today’s just really tiresome...” Well, if that isn’t the understatement of the year, I don’t know what is. “I think I’ll take a walk out the kingdom.”

“Shall I escort you?”

“No thank you, CB. I can take care of myself.”

I grab my charcoal black cloak from my chambers and leave the castle. Very few people remain in the streets as I mindlessly walk through the burning domain of my kingdom. At the gate, I see the guards were simply chatting amongst themselves. When I come close enough that they see me, they stood straight and halted their conversation.

“Your highness? What are you doing so late at night?” One of the guards questioned.

“Just taking a stroll, guards. Nothing to worry about. I’ll be back shortly,” I replied.

“...W-wait! I forgot to report to you of our recent visitor!” Curious as to what it is, I turn back to the guard. “Finn the Hero has entered the kingdom, and he has yet to leave.” Every single word he said captured my attention.

“What? Why didn’t you report to me about his visit?”

“He said not to, since he’s here for business reasons and that he has no time to visit the castle.”

“What kind of business reasons?”

“He’s headed to Ferrum to repair a jetpack and buy stuff.” By that point, I rush back into the kingdom. “I don’t get it; the guy visits the place for the first time in more than a year, but doesn’t make the palace his fir- hey! Where’s the King?!” I hear them speak off in the distance.

“No time! I have to get to Ferrum’s shop, ASAP!” I yelled.
I race through the nigh-empty streets of the kingdom, with nothing to stop me from my tracks. People, buildings, districts; they all blasted past my vision.  To be fair, I’ve never gone this fast in ages! It’s like something possessed me

In no time, I arrive at Ferrum’s armory. I hesitate at first, but, taking a deep breath, I slowly reach for the knob and twist it. The door chimes tolled and the owner looked over his customer’s shoulder. To my delight, the customer was none other than Finn, whom I haven’t seen for over a year...

More than one year, huh? That’s a Glob-awful lot of time... Maybe PB’s right; maybe he has changed... Wait, what am I thinking?! Finn would never do something like that... Right? Just by seeing him, I stood there, paralyzed and speechless; my mind filling up with more questions. It felt like I’m chained down in a glass prison for eternity, until Ferrum’s voice broke me out of it.

“Why don’t you ask her yourself?” Ferrum said and bowed down. “Your highness.”

“Finn?”

The blonde boy, whose bear hat dangles from his neck and sweat dripping down his soft skin, turns around to face me and hastily bows. “Flame Pr- err, I mean, King?” Finn nervously said as he blushed and rubbed his head, seemingly puzzled by my presence, “H-how may I be of service?”

“Stand down, you two. There’s no need formality.”

“I’m, uh, leave you two alone.” Ferrum left, but not before giving Finn a nudge towards me.

“Oof... Hey!” Finn called Ferrum out, but quickly faced back at me. He’s visibly blushing as he rubbed his right arm. “Oh... Uh, sorry for not telling you I’m coming. Now’s not really a good time for me.” As he spoke, our eyes slowly lose contact.

“It’s okay, I know you’re busy.”

“So... How are things?”

“Busy.”

“Okay.” Well, things got awkward real fast. “I think I’m just gonna go. I’ve got what I needed here, after all...” His face was visibly sullen after saying it. He slung straps around his shoulder and headed towards the door. “It’s nice seeing you again, Princess.”

However, something just doesn’t feel right. I can’t help but feel suspicious of his arrival. Why would he be here at this time? It’s just outright strange, and not in a good way. So before he could leave, my hand grabs hold of his arm. If anything, this is the right time to find out if Bonnie’s telling the truth or not. Even if I wouldn’t like the outcome.

“...Finn, you know very well we have a total honesty law here,” I said, my grip on his arm growing ever tighter, “so tell me why you’re really here.”

“What are you talking about? Let me go, FP,” he said calmly. “I’m only here for business; nothing more.”

“Princess Bubblegum called. A burglary took place in a high-security area in her kingdom... Something like a plasma blade that’s been stolen from her property.”

“...So what does that have to do with me?” A seemingly innocent voice squeaked out from him.

“Well, she did say that the suspect looked eerily similar to you,” I stated, slowly removing my gaze from him. “I’m just wondering if you had something to do with it.”

“...I had nothing to do with it, FP. Now can you please let me go?” He replied flatly as he started to pull his hand from me. I respond by tugging back.

“What’s the rush? It’s not like you have anything to hide from me... Right?”

“FP, you’re acting... Weird,”

“Look who’s talking!”

“What’s your problem?!” He seethed with frustration and his voice grew louder.

Our little tug-o-war continued until something fell on the ground. Finn flinches a little as I look down to see what he dropped. It looks like a hilt of a sword, but without the blade. There is button on the side; I press it, and out comes a charcoal black rod, made from materials able to withstand extreme temperatures for an extended period of time. Then it clicked; as the truth dawned, we were left speechless. This is what PB must be talking about... Finn stayed put, looking down in disappointment and frustration, while I stare at the blade in dismay.

“...Why...?” I croaked.

He doesn’t respond; he just looks away. I can’t shake the feeling that so much of him had changed. It pains me so much just to think about it. No one budged for half a minute, letting silence take over.

“...How much have you changed?” I broke out. At this point, I was on the verge of tearing up, knowing that, of all the people in this planet, he would commit such a crime. “Why are you hiding all this from me?!”

“BECAUSE YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!” He just screamed at the top of his lungs. I was taken aback while it took a bit for him to register what he had just done. “I-I’m sorry... I don’t know what came over me...”

Tears slowly slip through my eyelids. “Finn, just tell me, as a friend. What’s wrong with you?” I asked sincerely.

“T-that’s just it... I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” he stuttered. “One moment, I fall asleep on grass; the next moment, I find myself stuck in a room full of many things. Sometimes, I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I lose every ounce of control I have over myself; it’s like, something or someone just grabs hold of me and makes me his/her puppet.”

“...So why exactly are you here?”

He tells his story, about how he got into the Candy Kingdom vault, how he had fought the Lich, and how he was led to the Fire Kingdom. When he finished, silence came down once again as I try to let all the information sink in.

“Look, FP, if you don’t believe me, I will gladly oblige to whatever punishment you bring on to me. This was a stupid plan to begin with,” He surrendered.

I want to believe him, but it’s hard. It’s not that his story was unbelievable; in fact, it lines up with what Bubblegum had told me. I... I just can’t trust him; not after he lied to me twice. I am so conflicted that I can almost feel myself breaking into half. But I have to make a choice.

“...Ferrum, I know you’re listening, so please initiate Protocol 111,” I requested as I gave Finn back the plasma blade.

I see his shadow walking around his backroom. A few seconds later, the elemental pokes his head out of the room.

“We’re ready,” Ferrum said.

I motion Finn towards the back. “Follow me, Finn. And, uh, lock the door. What you’re about to see is extremely confidential.”

“Wait, why?”

“Just do it before I change my mind,” I said coldly while crossing my arms.

I hear Finn sigh in reluctance. At the backroom, the basalt floor had collapsed to form spiral stairs, leading deep into the ground. We walk down the stairs, with Ferrum leading us into the depths. As we stroll further, I notice that Finn began to sweat. Gah! He doesn’t have flame shield! How could I’ve not notice something so obvious?!

“Oh Glob, you don’t have flame shield!” I reacted.

“Hehe, well,” Finn began, rubbing the back of his head, “Flambo was asleep when I got to the gate, and I didn’t want to wake him up, so here I am, no flame shield. It’s okay, though, I can take it.”

“Well I’m not letting you burn to crisp right here, so...” I start chanting the spell and cast it onto Finn, who turned blue the moment I did so. “There.” He stood there, straight-faced and stunned for some unknown reason. “Well?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry,” He sheepishly apologized. I shrug it off and continue to follow Ferrum. “Wait, so why are there stairs like this in Ferrum’s work room? Last time I came in, there weren’t any,” Finn queried, and then muttered something I couldn’t hear.

“Ferrum, as you know, is a retired military officer.” Finn nodded to that in confirmation. “But he’s also a family friend. His and my family has protected something of great importance to the kingdom. And as far as I know, you’ll be the first outsider to see it.”

I have his curiosity peaked. “Whoa, really? I’m honored.”

We reach the basaltic hallway at the bottom with two large scarlet doors at the end. Ferrum enters the code to unlock the doors, and once he’s done, they creak open, revealing what seemed like sunlight at first. Once our eyes adjust to the shining brightness, we saw clearly a dense ball of fire. I order Ferrum to stay back and guard

“This is the Aeterna Flame,” I began, gesturing towards the fireball. “Not much is known about it other than myths. Legend has it that it was created from the core of the sun in its conception. It is also said that it bonds and responds to its wielder, but I’ve yet to find out if that’s true. The plasma blade, please,” I requested, to which he complied. “Anyhow, your blade will not be satisfied with just ordinary fire. It would extinguish it in seconds. However, even a small piece of the Flame will keep the fire alive indefinitely.”

Once I open up the power core, I start manipulating the Flame. It’s fairly difficult to manipulate such an ancient artifact, but I only need a little to power this thing. I slowly extract a small sample of the Flame, carefully place it in the weapon’s power core, and seal it. Finn presses the button, and the telescopic rod extends out. Scarlet flames burst out of the rod’s pores and the blade hums. We were both struck in awe, but I want to see if it really works. While he playfully waves around his new sword, I pick up a stray rock and throw it at Finn. His reflexes are as quick as ever, slicing the rock clean in half. His face is filled with glee at first, but it quickly turned to worry.

“...Flame Princess, why are you giving me this?”

“It’s because I have faith in you,” I started. “Finn, I know you. Whatever you’re going through, I know you’ll be able to get through it.”

“You really shouldn’t be giving me this... I-I don’t know what would happen if I lose control again.”

“If you do ever end up on the wrong side, I’ll hunt you down myself.” Finn chuckled at my bold statement, but I was serious. I shot a glare at him, just to make sure it sank in. “Just promise me you’ll return Finn...” Then I saw his face turn gloom.

“...You know I can’t promise you that,” he said, looking away.

“...Just do it for me. Please.” I pleaded, looking down and closing my eyes.

I feel a peck on my forehead, and then a burning sensation, but that didn’t last long. I open my eyes, and he stood in front of me awkwardly, rubbing his right arm. With a blink of an eye, he had turned his back and headed for the stairs. A rush of weariness came over me like a lava wave. I lean back on the wall when I hear Ferrum coming into the room.

“Princess, are you sure it was the right thing to do?” He asked.

I took a deep breath before responding. “...I don’t know Ferrum. I just want to know who he really is. Only time will tell at this point.”

I get off the wall and we head back to the surface. When we arrive back at Ferrum’s workshop, Ferrum shut the secret stairs off from the world. I mindlessly wander around; Finn had already taken his stuff. I sigh; I wish I could talk to him more, but in less dire circumstances. Before I step out of the armory, Ferrum called me out.

“Your highness, if I may,” he started, “he meant to give you something. I guess he couldn’t bring himself to do it.” He hands me a ruby with glowing markings engraved onto it.

“Hm? What’s this?”

“It’s a special ruby with a bit of Aeterna plasma injected into it. Infinity and Eternity, as one.”

“So what do they mean?”

“Well, he never told me. But, based on my knowledge of human meanings, I would say they mean that his love for you is infinite, and hope springs eternal.”

I-I don’t know what to say. I’m left speechless. I... “I... I have to go.”

“W-wait! You forgot th-” The door slammed behind me, cutting him off.

I can’t take much more of this. I just want this night to end. I just want to go back to sleep and pretend this night never happened. But it wasn’t going to be. Bonnie is probably still waiting for me to capture Finn. But, I let him go... I rush back to the gates, and on my way, I hear thundering claps in rapid succession in the distance. When I arrive, so did PB in... Whatever the heck that is. The sounds came from the rotating rotor blades on top of her machine. But I digress.

“How in the world do you have this lying around?”

“Mushroom War tech is easy to replicate with what we have now. Well, except stealth technology applied to aircraft. I’m still learning the ropes.” We didn’t speak for a bit. The rotors drowned out all the silence, so I couldn’t focus my thoughts well. “So, where is he?” She questioned. I was afraid she would ask that.

“I let him go,” I answered quietly.

Bonnie was definitely surprised. “...You what?!”

“You heard me.”

“Are you insane?! For all we know, something terrible has worked into that kid’s brain! And you just let him go?!” She burst furiously, “He’s become a danger to not only everything around him, but himself too! Can’t you understand the situation?!”

I winced. “Oh, I understand it completely. But unlike you, I have faith in him; and maybe you should too, Bubblegum!” I retorted with my own anger.

She remained quiet for a short moment, but returned with her response. “Is it faith, or emotions that cloud your judgment?!”

“What does that have to do with anything, Bonnie?! It’s none of your darn business!” I retorted. “Why is that thing so important to you anyways?”

She was once again quiet at first, and then sighed. “...Did you give him the Aeterna Flame?”

I’m caught by surprise. How…? How does she know of its existence?! How long had she known?! I was about to unleash my rage onto her, but I calmed myself, knowing it was unprofessional to do so. I am a leader of a kingdom, after all. Not to mention the hell I would bring upon the land by taking out one of the most powerful leaders of Ooo.

“Phoebe, please let me explain,” she pleaded with a voice of assurance, one that I refuse to believe.

“Just... No. Get out.”

I turn my back and walk away, ignoring anything else from the candy ruler. I just keep walking and walking until I reach the castle. At the throne room, my father is still awake. He was going to say something, but I stomped my way out of the room before he could. Knowing him, he probably was going to crudely joke and taunt me about my night.

“Yeesh, tough crowd,” I hear him say.

So much had happened in just an hour, and as selfish as it sounds, I need time for myself, time to think, time to let it all sink in. I lie face down on my bed, trying to find a comfortable position. I let my mind drift freely in an attempt to fall asleep.

“Was I right to let him go?”

---

The Ice Kingdom, the next day, 17:00
Finn’s POV

I’ve been hiking through the Ice Mountains for hours now. It’s getting really dark, and I need a place to stay. And I know exactly where I can. Slowly, I climb higher and higher, until I reach my desired destination. Although, he seems to be expecting me.

“Alright, who dares enter my domain?!” Simon yelled out of the blue.

“Whoa, hey there, Ice King!”

“...Oh, Finn! Come in, come in! What brings you here?”

“Oh, you know, just adventuring and whatnot, and I need a place to stay. Is it okay if I ha-” I was cut off by Simon’s enthusiastic cries.

“Oh sure, sure! Hold on, I’ll prep things up!” He said, then turned his head back to his castle, “Gunter! We have a guest!”

“Uh, okay,” I responded with a face as straight as it can be. “Still as overzealous as usual.”

Simon leads me into his home, where his penguins are waddling around, struggling to follow his orders.

“So what shall we do first, games? Interweb videos?” He suggested. Then my stomach began rumbling loud enough for Simon to hear. “Oh, you must be hungry. Let’s get you some dinner first.”

“N-no thanks. I’m fi-” It rumbled again; this time, a little louder. “Maybe I could go for a few rounds.”

(A/N: Soundtrack Time! This is my Mexico – Brian Tyler)

Dinner isn’t all too bad. The food is cold, but since I’m in the Ice Kingdom, I let it slide. For cold food, it isn’t too shabby either. I mean, it’s not amazing by any means, but it is enough to satisfy me. With my stomach filled, my mind begins to wander everywhere, ignoring whatever Simon’s talking about. Then, my eyes wander to the crown, and it gave me a bit of a thought.

“Finn, you awake?” He snapped me out.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just thinking about something,” I said and transitioned, “Hey, Ice King? Can I ask you something?”

“Hm? What is it?”

“How do you live with it? Without control or... Whatevs.”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I have full control of myself, thank you very much.”

“Sorry, that came out wrong. I don’t really know how to put it into words.” I paused soon after, trying to think of better wording. Man, this is hard. “I guess, what I’m trying to ask is, how does life feel having someone or something over your head? Metaphorically speaking.”

He thought long and hard, until something broke out of his imprisoned mind. “I don’t know. I never really thought about it that much...” He said as he took the crown off his head and examined it. “My life’s been simple; I never stay in the past nor do I let them mold who I am. I make my choices and I don’t look back...” He stopped and looked back at me. I was astounded at the amount of wisdom his words carried, and he saw it. “Hehe, don’t mind me. I’m just wizard talking!”

As far as I know, it’s rare for him to spit out trivial or wise speeches. The last time I remember he did that was when we were trapped in the Spirit World.

“Now come on; enough of that spiritual talk and all that. Let’s have some fun! Whaddaya wanna do?” Simon said, suddenly standing up in joy. His voice is filled with raw energy, in contrast to the solemn notes from a few seconds ago. He dashes towards the ice fridge, grabbing two cans of soda. He smiles as a hand of his reaches out to me, a soda on hold. “It’s your call.”

Naturally, I accepted the gift. It’s rude not to. “Thanks, Simon.”

“Hey, no prob, bub. That’s what friends are for, am I right?” “So why are you out here anyways?”

“It’s a long story.”

---

What a beautiful day to kick back, relax, and put my feet up. The sun is setting, I’m lying on the grass, arms spread out, soft soothing breeze whipping my face, nature’s chirping; everything’s chill. Then I hear giggling nearby. It sounds familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it just yet. I stand up and follow the sounds deep into the forests behind me. As I go further, I can hear another familiar voice speaking poetry. It didn’t take long for me to find my destination.

“I remember this,” I whispered in the bushes.

It was from three years ago, my first kiss with Flame Princess. I watch myself reading the admittedly sappy poem to her. Princess Bubblegum and Jake arrive, and right then and there, we kiss and an explosion erupts. She burns through the ground, drilling further and further into the planet’s crust. Of course, being the hero I am, or was, the younger Finn dives into the charred hole with Jake’s arm tied around him. I smile as I slowly leave the area.

“How sweet…”

The further I move away, the more I smell what seems like ash. Strange, I’m already far from her old home, yet I still smell something burning. My answer lied just on the other side of the forests. An all too familiar battle raged in the Ice Kingdom. All but water remains of the ice caps of the mountains. From afar, another Finn lie beaten and burnt on the edge of water, collateral damage from the earlier skirmish.

“I need some time alone…” Her voice rang through my head.

“How… How did it get to this?”

The thought saddened me to the verge that tears form. Instinctively, I wipe them away. I hadn’t notice that the other me starts slipping into the water. When I did, his head is already halfway gone.

“Oh no!” I cried.

I dive right into the murky waters, where I find myself in yet another familiar predicament. The other Finn slowly drowns; his clothes are ripped apart, gashes covered his body, and all that’s left of his right arm was a flower on a stub. That greedy, lying scoundrel of a father! Does he even care for his own son?! As two yellow elastic arms tie around the younger me, I swim up and… Wait, where am I? This isn’t the Citadel! I am surrounded by rubble and decaying buildings and structures. Nature had retaken most, if not all, the land. Nearby is a partially submerged bridge – a very, very large one at that. It had to be nearly two miles long when it was still standing. All sorts of things littered the destroyed bridge – rust, cars, metal beams and struts, debris, bones; I could go on forever. This must be a structure from pre-Mushroom War. I climb to an area in which I can barely walk on the crusty surface of the bridge’s roads without my head down under.

“Hoot, hoot.”

That unmistakable sound… The Cosmic Owl, he’s here. I know it. But where? I look around for a moment, until I spot him perched on one steel beam.

“Alright, what is it this time?” I thought sourly.

“I can listen to your thoughts, you know,” he called me out, and then muttered something under his breath. His expression is drowning anxiety and solemnity. “Deities across dimensions have been going into hiding. There’s something big coming, I can almost taste it. I fear that it’s only just begun, a crisis is about to transpire.”

“I don’t understand… Why are you telling me this?”

“Finn, you have to be prepared. Whatever is coming…” He paused, but immediately rebounded. “This dream is all I can show you. It’s what I saw in my own dreams… This will be the last time you’ll see me in a VERY long while.”

“W-wait! How will I know who’s…” Before I could continue, he flies away into a portal. “Dang. Guess I’m all alone here.”

I wade onto a shallower area of the sunken bridge, and then I sense something evil lurking nearby. He’s behind me, I can feel it. Indeed, I am right; when I do look over my shoulder, someone is looking right at me. He was never there before, but I didn’t question it. It is a dream – a prophetic one at that. This guy seems eerily familiar. His skin is pale blue, his hair flowing from head to toe, and his pale eyes will strike fear into the bravest of hearts. He’s sporting a blue cape, jeans, and red with gold trim shoulder pads. In addition to his mostly blue outfit, Simon’s crown is sitting on his head, and a mechanical right arm with an icy armor. There is something about him that I can’t put my finger on… Have I seen this guy before?

“Who are you…?”

“You.”

His steel hand opens up, and while it doesn’t transform, the ice surrounding the arm does. As it is morphing smoothly from a claw to a cluster of shards, his arm takes aim at me. All while this is happening, I hear a distant whir south of me. Then bursts of cannon fire. Rounds smack into the murky waters within our vicinity. I look towards the origin of the cannon sounds and see a charcoal gray aircraft speeding towards us. The closer he gets, the longer the bursts. I strafe left and land on my belly, dodging the incoming fire, whereas the other person stood still, switching his aim towards the aircraft. Shards of ice launch from the guy’s ice-covered arm, impaling the right engine and ripping off the starboard wing. The broken diamond wing lands right beside me, almost cutting me in half. Didn’t even flippin’ flinch. The aircraft barely stays aloft as flames eject from the exhausts, but not for long. As it flies away from visual range, a small explosion is heard. Static went off on my left ear. Apparently, I have a little earpiece the whole time.

“Dad?! DAD!!!” A familiar female voice blared through the earpiece.

“Junior?”

Before I could respond, I remember my own predicament. My focus shifts towards my opponent, but he has already begun his charge against me. I’m too sluggish, distracted by the events that have transpired. The only thing my mind and body is able to successfully execute is guard, close my eyes, and hope for the best. Nothing. Nothing happens; instead, when my open my eyes, all I see is darkness surrounding me. Well, not complete darkness. Somehow, I am able to see my whole body. I tap my foot, analyzing the surface. Whatever I’m standing on, it feels like solid ground. Looking back over whatever horizon this place has, I notice two sources of lights in the distance – one comes from what seems like a fire, the other from what seems like standing lightning. Curious, I walk nearer to the two lights. The closer I get, the clearer the light becomes. They’re actually two people, a boy and a girl probably about 12 years of age, in a standoff. The girl is a redhead with a fiery aura surrounding her. The boy is a blonde who… Well, he looks a lot like me when I was 12, but I shrug it off as something my mind would forge. Sparks of lightning wrap around the boy, growing more intense with time. Then, the girl is completely consumed in flames and the boy enveloped in lightning. The two elements dash head on towards each other and clash.

The next thing I know, dark green flames light up and covered everything in my vision except me. In fact, I am standing on the flames themselves. Out of the green flames, an evil aura emanates. Immediately, I realize who it was and ready whatever weapon I have in this totally out of whack dream. His black and green eyes appear out of nowhere, glaring at me. The blackness that surrounds his eyes eats up the pupils and merges into a singular black hole. It grows larger and larger, and I begin to feel its gravity. Eventually, I lose my footing and dive feet first into the black hole. As I am sucked into it, I hear the Lich’s all too familiar voice.

“There is no escape from fate.”

I shot up awake. Only now I realize that I was panting and sweating, even under the cold caves of the Ice Kingdom. My predicament springs to mind. I have to get out of here, as far as possible. I’m a living walking human time-bomb, a peril to everyone around me. I can’t stay here, not anymore. I get off of my sleeping bag and pack up my things. Hastily, I grab a notepad and pencil lying around, which were probably used to jot down ideas for his Fionna and Cake fiction works, and left a note on his ice fridge.

“Thank you. -F”