Chapter One
The Visitor
The years following the Gum War have been the most peaceful and prosperous in all of Ooo's history. The various kingdoms of the land live their lives without intrusion of the state or fear of an attack from an external force. The monsters of Ooo have been imprisoned or driven into hiding by adventurers, heroes, and scientists from all over.
A new human kingdom is rising, led by Minerva Mertens and her robot helpers, which exists near the sea towards the east. Thanks to the wealth of knowledge and technology the humans brought, the human kingdom has become the center of trade and commerce in Ooo, a place of great wealth and opportunity.
As the peace ensues, the need of the state to provide protection for the people dwindles. The princess' and kings of these kingdoms have transformed their governments into night-watchmen states, awaiting foreign threats and the return of monsters that would bring an end to this era of peace.
And in this time of peace, the people have been allowed time to rest and heal from the conflict of the Gum War, but even after all that time, the wounds caused by the war have not all been fully healed, and there are some scars that never will. Simon Petrikov, the former Ice King, has abandoned civilization to live in a cozy cavern home somewhere high up in the Mountain Kingdom. He lives in isolation, where he continues to mourn the loss of his loved one, Betty, to this day.
The people of Ooo work hard and grow, children play, and people have time to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor. They live their lives in peace, slowly forgetting the conflicts of the recent past. Life goes on, and the people live in ignorance of the rest of the world, more concerned with their own lives and problems than for the problems of others and the things that are not their business. In this, they have become unaware of the looming threat, growing and lurking in the shadows.
A stranger came to Ooo from beyond the sea, wrapped in an enchanted, fireproof cloak. He wandered passed the guarded borders of the Fire Kingdom, undetected. He did not accomplish this by sneaking past them, nor had he entered the kingdom by some secret tunnel unknown to others. The peace, and the utter lack of conflict had made the border patrols slow and less aware than they we're supposed to be, something that made an illegal crossing easy to accomplish.
He walked through molten hills, passed fields of volcanic ash, and into the flaming towns where his presence attracted the eyes of the villagers. The wandering visitor had intrigued the flame people. They did not stop or bother the stranger who passed them by, but they watched with cautious eyes.
The hood of his enchanted cloak concealed his identity, his race, his gender, and anything else to do with his appearance, but one thing was obvious to all who laid their eyes upon him; he was not one of them, he was not a fire elemental.
The mysterious visitor headed down a long road, out of one final village, and towards the winding pathway that goes through the great lake of fire; the one and only way into Fire Palace, newly reconstructed after the events of the elemental disaster caused by Patience St. Pim.
This was his destination, and his mind was fully focused on the events that were to come.
Two flame guards, armed with fire-tipped spears, were stationed outside a massive gate, a portcullis closed to all who do not have permission to enter. Beyond the portcullis sat four more guards stationed behind the portcullis' windlass who were now throwing dice and playing cards, trying to distract themselves from their boring task and make the day go by faster.
The two guards at the gate noticed the approaching stranger in the distance, an unarmed figure cloaked in black. They were immediately cautious, recognizing the visitor as a foreigner. He met the two guards at the gate, and stopped, his cloak covering much of his face, as though he was trying to conceal his identity.
"How do you do?" the visitor asked them with eager politeness, concealing a smile beneath his hood.
The guards looked to each other with confused expressions, then turned back to face the visitor. The guard on the left side, the ranking officer, stepped up and approached the stranger cautiously, but he did not hold him at spear point, yet.
"Speak your business," he demanded, "why have you approached the gate of her majesty's palace?"
"My business is with the Flame King, not with you," he replied, "and so I request passage into the keep."
"My business is the Flame King's business, visitor," the guard insisted.
"Oh, but it really isn't," the visitor asserted rather aggressively.
The guards near the windlass stopped their game when they heard the stranger, and the two guards at the gate were quiet for a long time.
"Be on your way, human," the ranking guard told him mockingly, "you have no right to enter."
The visitor became amused by the guard's ignorance and complete lack of understanding of the situation.
"You will let me pass, "he insisted with sly confidence, "or I shall enter by force."
Recognizing his words as a clear threat, the guards dropped down into combat ready stances. They stood still for a moment, expecting the visitor to attack them or react in some way, but he did not. He remained motionless and showed no signs of any hostility.
"Is that a threat?" the guard asked him, giving him one last chance to end this charade and leave quietly, in peace.
"The choice is yours," he replied, asserting his former position.
"You have no authority to make demands of any of us," the ranking guard announced to him. He then turned to the other guard still standing at the gate and said, "search him and be certain he isn't concealing a weapon."
The other guard did as he was told, approaching the visitor with equal caution, the tip of his spear pointed in the direction of the stranger. Slowly, and cautiously, the guard clumsily patted down every inch of the man's cloak, but all he found was a small coin purse tied to his belt. The guard took it for himself.
After that, he threw the visitors hood's back to reveal his face. He was a human; a young adult male that appeared to be in his mid twenties. The human had a fair complexion; neatly trimmed amber colored hair, and hazel colored eyes. He is an attractive gentleman, but what perplexed the guards is that he did not wear the blue complexion of the flame shield.
The confusion came from knowing that no human could possibly survive the intense heat that exists this deep inside fire kingdom. For a human, spontaneous combustion would have likely occurred by now, yet the human remained intact. For now, the guards chose to ignore the mystery.
"Take him into custody," the ranking guard commanded.
The other guard took out a pair of chains forged from the molten-steel common to the realm and bound his hands together in front of him. What was more perplexing was that when they cuffed his hands, the molten steel did not seem affect his skin at all. And even after his threat to force his way into the kingdom, the visitor does not resist. He simply accepted it as though he wanted it to happen, and he continued smiling. His entire essence reeked of malevolence.
"We will bring you before her majesty," the ranking guard told him, "she will decide what we are to do with you."
The human's wicked grin only grew wider as he said those words.
"Let's not keep her waiting then," he replied, irking both of the guards greatly and making them feel as though bringing him into the kingdom was actually a bad idea, and it probably was, but under the orders of the king, they were required to bring all prisoners before her first.
Flame guards weren't known for their intelligence, but for their strength and loyalty to follow orders. So, the ranking guard called for the portcullis to be lowered, and guided their human prisoner through the gate, further down the spiraling pathway, and through a triangular opening, leading into the throne room where the Flame King awaited.
The woman known to many as Flame Princess, the ruler of the fire kingdom, sat upon her throne, hair down and wearing her royal armor and crown. Cinnamon Bun stood at her side as always, folding his arms in front of him as the prisoner was brought a few meet away from the staircase leading to the throne.
The knights of the palace were everywhere, many positioned along a newly constructed balcony that surrounded the upper atrium of the throne room, each one wielding crossbows. Four more guards stood at the base of the throne, spears in hand, and two flawless rows of sixteen guards stood still and paved the way to the throne.
The advisors and nobles of the palace, who had been conversing amongst themselves, became silent as the human was brought before the king. The few that loitered the pathway disperse, and all took their seats along the sides of the room, knowing that a hearing was in order.
The guards brought the visitor to his knees. The ranking officer, the same guard who spoke to the visitor at the gate, stepped forward.
The first thing that Flame Princess observed when she gazed upon the human, aside from the fact that he was not protected by the flame shield spell, was that his wrists, which were bound by superheated metal, were completely intact. The human expressed no pain. He just smiled, staring directly at the king who still sat at her throne.
"My King," the ranking guard announced loud enough for all the observers to hear, "I bring before you a trespasser. This human has crossed our borders, illegally I presume, and has demanded entry into your keep by threat of violence. We have brought him before you so that you may decide the punishment for his crimes."
A murmuring erupted amongst the nobles and advisors. Cinnamon Bun glared at the human, and Flame Princess was silently thinking to herself. The news was grim; after years of peace, along came a human, likely from the new human kingdom, with the intent to end it.
The fiery princess glared at him, observing him closely. He glared back unafraid, and continued to smile ominously.
Flame Princess got up from her throne, walked down the stairs to meet the human at eye level.
"Bring him to his feet," she commanded her guards.
They did so, gripping the human's shoulders tightly and hoisting him off the floor and onto the very tips of his toes. They made it as uncomfortable for the prisoner as they possibly could, but the uncomfortable smile and wicked glare he held did not change.
"Who are you?" She asked him, "and why did you come here?"
He smiled, but did not reply. This aggravated her.
"Excuse me, are you deaf?" She pondered.
"No," he shrugged.
"Then why didn't you answer me?" She asked him.
"I'm sorry, I thought I had a choice," he replied, mockingly, "I chose to ignore you."
"I see you like to smile," Flame Princess remarked, attempting to mock him in response.
When his expression still did not change and he did not speak or react, she slapped him across the face, hard, leaving behind a red mark on his right cheek, in an attempt to make it clear she was not interested in playing games.
"Why did you threaten my guards?!" She yelled.
The human was stunned for a moment. She was stronger than he had anticipated. The slap left a lock of his hair, what had been so neatly trimmed, out of place, covering a small part of his forehead. But that did not stop the smiling. Only now, he snickered to himself, slowly turning his face back to hers.
"If I hadn't threatened them, they would not have brought me here," he grimaced, "and I would have had to kill them otherwise to get here. You're welcome."
Flame Princess clenched her fist and punched him square in the jaw, leaving a large bruise. The prisoner recoiled and spat blood onto the carpeted floor. The floor was so hot that, upon making contact with the carpet, the blood evaporated instantly, leaving behind a dark-red, almost black, stain.
The human was stunned once more, but Flame Princess did not wait for him to meet her gaze this time. She gripped his jaw, and forcefully brought his hazel colored eyes to meet her own; blood stained his teeth and lower lip. He still smiled, on the verge of laughing.
"You wanted an audience with me, right?" Flame Princess asked him, enraged, "well, you've got it! What was so important for you to tell me that you had to enter my kingdom without my permission, threatened my guards, and provoke me?"
"I am here to end your rule," he told her, struggling to relax his aching jaw, "and to restore the rule of your father, the true Flame King."
Everyone in the room, aside for the knights who were required to remain still, roared in defiance. They had no love for Flame King.
Flame Princess gripped the man's jaw tighter, her nails biting into the skin.
"I am the Flame King," she asserted.
"Not rightfully," he dared to say, "you usurped your fathers throne and stole his rule. You are simply a pretender, a false king."
Flame Princess punched him in the jaw again; more blood fell from the man's face and stained the floor. She gripped his face again, now pouring with blood, and brought his gaze back to meet hers, and then she punched him one more time, for good measure.
The man snickered again. He had knowingly provoked her, and she had reacted exactly as he predicted, for the most part. That last, extra punch, however, he had not expected, and it amused him. This time, she allowed the prisoner to move his face on his own.
"I was the rightful heir to the throne, and my people stand by me," Flame Princess told him with conviction, "I rule with compassion, dignity, and honesty. That was something my father could never do."
He laughed right in her face. She almost punched him again, but she held herself back this time.
"You think that's funny?" She snarled.
"You think your people are with you?" He questioned, "What compassion have you brought to the fire kingdom? What dignity? You mean, the censorship of your own people to tell even a single lie? That is your entire pathetic legacy."
"Lying is wrong!" Flame Princess growled.
"So is hitting an unarmed prisoner," he replied, "but that's not stopping you, is it?"
Flame Princess didn't even bother punching him again, realizing it wasn't worth the effort. And she did not want to give him the satisfaction of seeing her provoked. Instead, she snapped her fingers and the two guards released the prisoner and allowed him to fall to the floor.
They raised their spears, prepared for an execution.
"I could have you killed right now for conspiracy," Flame Princess said viciously.
"But that wouldn't be compassionate, now would it?" he mocked her.
Flame Princess felt the sting of the truth in his words. He tried to laugh, but ended up coughing up more blood.
"Did you really think you could come into my house and aggravate me into giving up the throne?" Flame Princess asked him.
"Well, you see, my dear," he laughed, "your rule is at an end whether you realize it or not."
"Watch out!" came Cinnamon Bun's voice from behind, but it was already too late.
Violence erupted all throughout the palace. Half of her flame knights began slaughtering the others. Unable to retaliate or realize what was happening, the other knights froze up as their friends and the people they worked with stabbed them in the back, executed them, or fired on them with crossbows. It was over in seconds, until all that remained were the treacherous knights, and the nobles and advisors that glanced around in confused terror; not knowing whether to run or hide, they remained helplessly in place.
Cinnamon Bun, as soon as he had tried to warn the Princess, took an arrow to the chest from one of the crossbowmen from the balcony. The blow was not lethal, but two of the knights that had acted as loyal sentinels to the throne for many years killed the other two, and then turned on Cinnamon Bun, who struggled to regain his composure. They took him prisoner, one taking out a knife and bringing it close to the candy person's chest and the other holding a spear to his back.
The rest of the treacherous crossbowmen took aim at the knights below and fired upon them, killing all but five, two of whom immediately charged the two guards holding the human prisoner. They fought briefly, but were overwhelmed by the other three and killed shortly afterwards.
Before Flame Princess could respond appropriately, Cinnamon Bun was already being held hostage, and a dozen crossbowmen were aiming down at her from the balcony. They did not shoot, but instead held her there, and she did not dare act while Cinnamon Bun's life was at stake.
Flame Princess stood her ground helplessly; horrified by the sight of her own knights butchering each other. She was utterly speechless.
After slaying the guards from the gate, three of the five knights moved up to the princess and held her at spearpoint.
The human prisoner did move a muscle until it was all over. Slowly, he rose from the ground, speaking the incantations of a spell that caused his bonds to melt off like water. Only now did he reveal the magical abilities that he possessed.
The human rubbed his wrists and brushed away bits of the liquefied remains of the cuffs. The smile, that wicked smile, never left his face. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together.
"Sweet!" he yelled with glee, turning towards the two knights that held the cinnamon bun hostage, "let's wrap this up, gentlemen, kill the cinnamon bun."
"Wait!" the fiery ruler cried out for the life of her champion, "don't kill him, please! I beg you! I-I'll do anything you want!"
"Oh," the human's eyes lit up, "you'll do anything I want?"
Flame Princess was on the verge of tears, and the rage she once felt for the human had dissipated, replaced by grief. The human, once a prisoner, now held all the power in this negotiation.
He held his arms behind his back and slowly walked right up to Flame Princess with a skip in his step, whistling a jolly little tune for his own amusement. He stopped inches away from Flame Princess, stopped the whistling, and the smile disappeared. He became serious.
"Where's Don John?" he asked her simply, still holding his arms behind his back.
Flame Princess's mouth hung open when she heard that name. She had kept Don John a secret from the rest of the world for so long, even from her own guards. Only Cinnamon Bun knew the truth; she had put him in a prison separate from her father for fear of conspiracy long ago. Her father was free, but Don John, the Flame Lord, was not.
"How do you know Don John?" She asked him.
The human giggled at the irony of the Flame Princess keeping secrets from her own people.
"I don't," he replied honestly, shrugging.
"Then why do you need him?" She asked.
"Oh, that's because I need him to aid your father," he replied once he understood her confusion, "he's a wizard, you see, and his power would be very useful to him."
Flame Princess had almost forgotten about her father's involvement in this, or so it seemed.
"You're just another one of his crony's," Flame Princess spat, "this was all just another attempt to take back his throne."
The human smiled once more, enjoying the conversation greatly.
"Ah, yes. Well, you see," he began, scratching the tip of his nose, trying to figure out how to respond to this one, "the truth is, whether you believe it or not, my dear, I am a free agent acting on your father's behalf. He doesn't even know about what just transpired. In fact, he doesn't even know who I am, not yet, at least."
Flame Princess felt the rage building inside of her, but she sensed the truth in his words. She refused to believe it.
"I don't believe you," she snarled in obvious denial.
"I suspected as much," he shrugged, "it doesn't change the facts, however. To be quite honest, I don't really care what you believe. It is of no consequence to me."
Deep down, Flame Princess knew that her father was not smart enough to have done all of this; whoever this human was, whatever he was, he was clearly the mastermind behind this entire operation.
"What does it matter to you who has the throne?" She demanded to know, "why is that of any consequence to you?"
"A war is coming, child, and I am merely trying to survive," he explained, "soon, all of Ooo will be consumed by fire and blood. Your kingdom needs a strong ruler; one who is willing to do what is necessary to win, and you are not that leader. I am simply tipping the scales in your people's favor. You should be thanking me."
"You would lead my people to their deaths," Flame Princess said in disgust, "you don't care about my people, nor do have any reason to do so."
"Fair enough," he shrugged once more, choosing to move passed the petty argument, "now, again I ask, where is Don John? Tell me, or the cinnamon bun dies."
Unable to cope with the loss of her closest friend, she gave in, telling him exactly where he was being held.
"Don John is in a cell hidden beneath the royal dungeons down a secret pathway," she told him, "you'll find it concealed by a false brick in the wall, the one below the second torch on the left wall. Push it in, and the passage will open."
"Get him for me, will you," the human told two of the guards off the balcony. They did as they were told, putting away their crossbows and picking up the spears from two of their fallen comrades.
They found the brick, which opened the secret passageway, and found Don John trapped behind a false wall made of solidified magma. The flame guards used their elemental powers to melt the wall, revealing Don John, sitting against the wall in tatters. He had not eaten anything in days. He stared at the guards, surprised.
"I thought I had been forgotten down here," he remarked, "to what do I owe the pleasure."
"Come with us," they told him.
Together, they prodded the Flame Lord along, taking him up the stairs and passed the secret passage, up the next flight of stairs leading out of the dungeon, and back into the throne room.
In that time that it took the guards to fetch Don John, the human had painted a pentagram in the center of the room using the ashes of some of the dead knights, reciting an incantation in the process.
"Don John," the human greeted him with open arms, as though he were an old friend. The Flame Lord just looked at him with a confused glance.
"Do I know you?" he asked the human, thinking him crazy.
"Not at all," the human replied using the same friendly tone, putting his arm around the hulking creature and leading him towards the pentagram, "I just really wanted to meet you. I'm a big fan of your work. You see, I am a wizard myself from a far distant land beyond the sea, and I would love it if you helped me finish a ritual, if you'd be so kind."
Don John noticed the Flame Princess standing near the pentagram circle itself, with three of her own knights holding her at spear point. He realized she had been overthrown, much to his amusement and jealousy. He took a long look at her, and the Flame Princess recoiled in disgust.
"If you help me do this, I will give you back your freedom," the human continued in an attempt to deceive him, "all you have to do is one simple thing."
"What is it?" Don John quirked.
"Stand in the center of the pentagram for me," he said, pointing to the circle of ashes, "and stay still."
Don John was no fool, however, and as a Wizard, recognized the sacrificial ritual for what it was.
"You take me for a fool?" Don John replied, preparing to charge his magical powers for a one-on-one wizard battle.
"Just do as I say," the human said, casting a spell over the Flame Lord that compelled him to do as he was told.
Don John moved into the center of the pentagram chamber against his better judgment while five of the knights moved around each of the tips of the pentagram. They knelt and began to chant in unison.
Flames erupted from the tips of the circle, and Don John began to levitate into the air as the flames that came from the circle began to revolve around his body. With one final cry of agony, the Flame Lord's body was reduced to ashes, and the circle itself exploded in a great blast of blinding light.
The human was the only being to look away from the blinding flash. Everyone else saw nothing, but white light for a few brief seconds even as it faded. When everybody looked back to see the circle, the Flame King himself appeared before them, crouching in a funny position, reaching for something on the floor that was not there.
He glanced around the room in utter confusion.
"Chipmunks? Where did you go?" He asked nobody in particular, then looked around and recognized the flame knights, "Flame knights? What's happening? How did I get here?"
The human threw aside his cloak, revealing the black armor beneath it, enchanted as well. He approached the flame king, and knelt before him. Flame King raised an eye to the human.
"My king," the human began, "my name is Axel, and I have come from a distant land beyond the sea to be in your service."
"I see," the Flame King stroked his chin, foolishly accepting the logic. He looked around the palace some more, "so how did I get her, exactly?"
"I brought you here," Axel told him, "with a spell of my own creation. You now possess the spells and abilities of one Don John the former Flame Lord."
Flame King felt the power surging through his body, knowing it was true. He raised a fist to observe his new powers for himself, conjuring up a massive flame sword that he then transformed into diamond. His eyes lit up, thinking of the possibilities. Smiling, he then made the blade disappear into nothingness.
"There is a war coming, my king," the human continued, "one in which all the kingdoms of Ooo shall partake. The fire kingdom needs a strong ruler if it is to survive. That is why I brought you here, to restore your rule and return the throne that was stolen from you. It is rightfully yours."
The human finally raised his head to meet the Flame King's eyes.
"I am your humble servant," he told him, "use me as you will, my king."
This pleased the newly reappointed Flame King greatly, who looked upon his old throne with longing. He slowly climbed the steps, and sat upon his throne, for the first time in years. It felt so good.
"Ah, it's good to be back," he said with a relaxed smile.
The human stood up and approached the base of the throne. He knelt before the king once more. Cinnamon Bun and the two knights remained off to the side, keeping their distance. Flame Princess looked on helplessly.
"What would you have me do with the prisoners, your highness?" Axel asked him.
Flame King took a long look at his daughter. The sight of her made his flames burn brightly and hotter than usual.
"I have waited many long years for this moment," he spoke directly his daughter who listened begrudgingly, "I spent years thinking of the exact words I would use to express my utter displeasure for everything you did to me, for every crime you committed against me and my kingdom. I realize now that words cannot express the full extent of my displeasure. I raised you, bred you to rule, and you betrayed me."
"Betrayed you?" she yelled, outraged, "you kept me locked in a lantern for most of my life!"
"I kept you locked away for your own good," he scolded, "you could have destroyed the world. I never wanted to put you inside that lantern, but Princess Bubblegum insisted it was for the best, and I listened, as all wise kings do. She's the one you should be mad at, not me."
Flame Princess' own flames grew bigger and brighter than her fathers, but she did not dare lash out.
"Here's the deal," Flame King began, responding to the question the human had original posed, "as your newly reappointed king, I hereby declare that anyone who dares oppose or question my rule, will be punished. The penalty for the crime will be fair and merciful: death by fire!"
Flame King raised an open fist from which fireballs erupted in midair. The Flame looked to the nobles, huddling together in fear, ready to unleash his new powers on anyone who dared say anything against him. The nobles and advisors had acted as a check and balance to the power of the king, but it was quickly dawning on everyone that that was coming to a swift end.
"Is there anyone among you that would like to object?" He glared at them menacingly. All the nobles shook their heads rapidly in reply.
"Then bow before me and swear loyalty to your rightful king!"
They all did so without a moment's hesitation. Flame King smiled; the power he held over them was intoxicating. He returned his attention to his daughter, who had not moved a muscle since.
"I am harsh, but I am not an unfair ruler," Flame King announced to all in the room with false humility, closing his eyes and holding an open hand to his chest, "nor am I an unfeeling father."
He waited a moment, allowing his words to sink into the minds of his audience, before opening his eyes and focusing his attention on Flame Princess.
"I will give you one last chance, daughter, to become my daughter once again," he told her with a hint of compassion in his voice, "Never again will I imprison you. I swear it to you and to all in this room to hear. If I break this promise, I will relinquish my rule forever, and no one who opposes me shall face the penalty for doing so. Instead, I offer you a chance to take your place as my daughter once more, to become the heir to the throne again. And when I am gone, you may have your throne back as the rightful ruler. All I ask is your complete and undying loyalty to me, and that you never again usurp my throne."
"But my king?" Axel suddenly rose up in protest, "she opposed your rule. Surely, she deserves…"
"Silence!" The Flame King erupted into an inferno, shutting the human up instantly, "you are my servant, and only I will decide what she does and doesn't deserve!"
"As you say, my king," the tone of the human's voice shifted to that of disapproval, lowering his head with begrudging submission. Flame Princess saw anger in his eyes; anger he did not reveal to the king.
"Daughter?" the Flame King said after a moment's silence, "what will it be?"
Flame Princess looked to her helpless companion, Cinnamon Bun, thinking of a way to get him out of this predicament.
"If I do as you ask, will you release Cinnamon Bun?" she asked him, almost pleading.
"No," Cinnamon Bun protested, "Phoebe, don't do this. Not for me."
Flame King thought for a long while before he said anything. Axel grumbled underneath his breath. Flame Princess noticed that, and wondered why the wizard seemed so invested in this discussion that seemed to have nothing to do with him.
"I will do as you wish," Flame King finally decided, "but he will no longer be allowed to enter the domain of the Fire Kingdom. I hereby banish Cinnamon Bun from the Fire Kingdom forever!"
The human cursed silently while Flame Princess knelt before her father.
"Thank you, father," Flame Princess said submissively, "I am your servant. Do with me what you will."
Flame King smiled, knowing he had won the day. Axel cursed again. This wasn't how he had planned for this to go.
"Guards, escort Cinnamon Bun out of the palace and return him to Princess Bubblegum in the Candy Kingdom," Flame King commanded, "he is no longer welcome here."
The guards prodded Cinnamon towards the exit. Flame Princess watched as they took her champion to the door. Cinnamon Bun stopped at the door, and took one last look at Flame Princess, and suddenly remembered that he had sworn his loyalty to her. As a knight, his loyalty prevented him to leave.
He spun around, grabbed the spears of the guards, and tossed them to the side. The guards, unarmed, took swings at CB, who dodged and kicked them to the side. He picked up one of the spears as soon as they were out of the way.
Flame Princess' heart sank as the knights all moved to surround the candy person.
"Run, CB!" she pleaded, "Leave now, that is an order!"
"I'm sorry," he said with a somber voice, recognizing his fate, "I pledged my loyalty to you, and I cannot break my vow and leave while you are imprisoned here; not even to save myself."
Cinnamon Bun readied his spear for one final stand. The crossbowmen took aim and the guards readied their spears, but it was not any of the knights or Cinnamon Bun that struck first, but Axel.
The human cast a spell upon his right hand and, in the blink of an eye, appeared before the cinnamon bun. He reached inside his chest, gripped his elemental matrix, and slowly crushed it.
Cinnamon Bun mouth hung low, and he let out a slow audible breath. He loosened his grip, and allowed the spear to fall to the ground. He was unable to comprehend what had happened to him, but the rest of the people in the room, including the Flame Princess, did.
The human violent ripped out what was left of his heart, leaving a dark, rotten hole in its place, and toss the blackened dead remains of his heart to the side. The cinnamon bun's lifeless body fell to the floor, limp, eyes still open.
With no hostage left to temper her rage, Flame Princess unleashed her wailing fury upon the entire room, expanding herself into a massive inferno that nearly took up the entire room, incinerating every one of the guards instantly the moment they came into contact with her.
The human vanished in the blink of an eye before she could do the same to him, and the Flame King deflected her flames with his own fiery blaze.
Flame Princess set her eyes upon the Flame King and let out a terrifying roar. He held her back as best he could, but she was stronger than him, and he knew this. Her blaze became to close all around the Flame King, his power dwindling, even with all he had just obtained. Soon, the blaze would consume him as it had consumed all the knights.
She was intent all killing the human, the Flame King, and everyone who stood in her way.
It was at that moment that Axel reappeared from behind, no longer grumbling or sulking, but smiling again, realizing that his plan was coming into fruition. Having finished preparing a spell in his absence, he unleashed a blast of concussive energy on the Flame Princess that sent her crashing through the roof and several feet into the air.
The blow sent her unconscious body plunging into the great lake of fire that surrounds the palace. She sank deep beneath the surface of the lava. She did not die, but her father and the human that defeated her did.
Adventure Time
Fire and Water
A/N: And so it begins... Before you close the tab, or move on to the next chapter (if it is out), please, before you do, read this Author's Note to see what I have to say. I want to prepare you for what's coming.
This is a story I had only recently conceptualized and started to put to paper after watching the Adventure Time finale. I do not believe the series should have ended. In fact, I believe it was a great disservice to end the series and leave it the way it currently is. But the positive side is that us fans can fill in the gaps left open ended after the series' finale. I want to provide my take on the future.
This story- my story, however, is more than just a continuation of the main series years later, it is also act as a critique of the world and the characters of the series itself, and I don't mean I'm going to be pointing out the flaws of the show. Rather, I'm going to explore what the show got right and offer new insights. That will become more apparent as the story progresses. This is a more serious take on the Adventure Time series.
This is also a philosophical journey, influenced by the world, events, characters, and themes of the original series. I want to explore the ideas the original series explored in a deeper way. I've often found that the best adventure time episodes weren't actually the funny ones, but the ones that explored very serious themes in a serious way. Episodes such as I Remember You, Simon & Marcy, the three Miniseries' (Stakes especally), Burning Low, etc. are all very serious and when you really take a step back to think about what transpires, it leaves a profound effect, which was something I never expected from the show.
A certain original character, based on his past experiences and personal beliefs will react uniquely (and possibly quite controversially) to these familiar elements while adding his own ideas into the mix. I hope that some of you will be able to relate or disagree with some of the beliefs the character holds, but also think about them deeply because I believe it will be very interesting.
For those of you who might be worried that the story itself will become really heavy handed or philosophically preachy at the expense of the entertainment value, do not worry! The philosophy, while deep is very subtle, and the story is epic, fun, and full of suspense! I really want to create an epic battle with some truly awesome sequences that might genuinely surprise and excite people.
More than this, I want to make you, the readers, feel something. I want this to be an emotional journey that each and every one of you shares with the characters, old and new.
The major themes my story will seek to explore is the nature and essence of truth, love, friendship, the nature of things, beauty, essence, existence, reality, individualism, collectivism, evil, altruism, rational self-interest, morality, the state, a little bit of theology (maybe), god (maybe), Machiavellianism and the art of manipulation, and various big questions, including, "What would you sacrifice to preserve the thing or person you cherish most?" This question does not necessarily pertain to Finn and/or Flame Princess.
I will also be incorporating elements of analytical and evolutionary psychology into the story, influenced primarily by the clinician Carl Jung's unbelievably brilliant writings, more specifically his books "Modern Man in Search of a Soul", "Archetypes and the Collective Unconsciousness", and most importantly, "The Undiscovered Self."
For those of you that might be intimidated by these things, do NOT worry! I'm not going to be writing an overly complex and difficult-to-understand story. And again, these details will be subtle and heavily simplified so that it is easy to read. This is simply there in the background to add extraordinary depth to the story itself. It's there for those who really want to think about them, and to give the story greater meaning.
For those of you who chose to read my story because of the Finn/Flame Princess pairing, welcome. One of the biggest disappointments of the series, for me, was their break up and subsequent abandonment of their relationship. I want to remedy that as best as I can while also adhering to the events that took place throughout the entirety of the show itself.
Keep in mind, however, that the romance is only a secondary aspect of the story itself, and will occur later on. The reason for this is because after everything that occurred between them in the main series, and with Finn's new love interest, I knew that if they had a chance, there would need to be some major development in the plot before we can begin to explore that aspect of their characters. Also, I want to build the story's central plot first.
I am really excited to share this journey with each and every one of you who chooses to read my story, and I hope you all enjoy and stick around. Feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. Thanks! :)