***ABOUT THE FIRST PART, THE OTHER OPTION: The admins have removed the first part of this series from the site, which is why you can only find 5 out of 6 stories. I'm really sorry about that, guys. But I found a site to put it on (finally, I know, sorry D:) Here's the link, just remove the spaces between the characters: intensityintended .wo rdpress Thanks again for putting up with me and reading my stuff!***
Author's Note: Hey everyone! Welcome to my Part 4 fan fiction! If you're new to my story I highly suggest reading the other parts, so you're not too lost when you read this one.
Warning: This is a lemon* and can get smutty, so if you're not into that, then watch out for the chapters with smut in it.
I do not own or have any rights to Adventure Time, its characters, or its story.
If you're interested in reading other things I've written (not fanfiction related), check out the new story I'm working on at FictionPress! Same username and everything :D
I hope you all enjoy!
What do you get when your body is frozen in death, yet you're trapped in a space between being alive and being a ghost? There's no name for it. You just… are.
Day 67: It's been two days since The Seeress revealed to me, in her natural gift of poetry and mysteriousness, that I was not only Fionna the Human, but that I was Fionna, daughter of Billy, the Hero of Aaa. I also learned that, among the thousands of people who were also victim to his torment, both Billy and my birth mother were murdered by the Lich. It's been two days since I've decided to take revenge for my supposed parents. I was going to kill the Lich.
The Seeress said I had one year to accept that Billy was my father, and another two years after that to come up with a plan. After a year, the ice around my body would break, and I would be free again. At least, that's what she said. It was the ultimate test. If I really did have Billy's blood, the ice wouldn't be able to hold me longer than a year. So I waited, patiently, and watched.
I watched on the crystal in front of me as life in the physical world continued to move. At first, I had no idea that time went by so quickly here, and I nearly missed the first two months. Gumball had my frozen-over body moved from the entrance hall to his personal garden. It was too much for everyone to handle, even the candy citizens who didn't know me, personally. The palace became a place of wretchedness and sorrow, just because I stood there, frozen in crystal-like ice, with my last few moments of life forever captured in time.
At first, Marshall was upset about it. He couldn't understand why Gumball would want to move me, let alone actually do it. With calmness and calculation, Gumball replied, "Fionna gave her life so that we could have ours. I will not tarnish or disrespect her wishes. I'm moving her to the garden so that every day, when I go out to tend to my plants, I can see her, and I can appreciate the life she gave for me." After that, Marshall never questioned him.
For Marshall, it was too difficult to accept that I had vanished. Every night, for hours upon hours, he would sit in the gardens and sing to me, or talk to me, and sometimes he would even sit out there in the sunlight, holding his umbrella. He didn't cry so much anymore. Instead, he pretended like I was still there, but I was just deaf, or busy, or nonresponsive. I guess, in a way, he wasn't totally wrong. If it had been any other person to burst the relics of ice from the Ice Queen and Ice King, their spirits would have transcended a long time ago. But, as I'm told, I'm meant to come back.
Today I watched as the Candy Council came to visit Gumball in his palace. They were coming to give a verdict on whether or not an extension to his obligated marriage was necessary. Peppermint Maid led them to the garden where he and Marshall were sitting on a bench together, overlooking the sunset, Marshall's umbrella protecting him from the sun. Despite all that had happened, they still found the time to love one another.
"Excuse me, Prince Gumball, but Lady Lolly, Sir Sweets and Count Candy Corn are here to see you," Peppermint Maid said gently, clearing her throat and slowly backing away.
Gumball stood up, wiped his eyes, and turned to them. "Welcome to my palace, madam, gentlemen. Please, follow me to the tea room for some tea and cake." He smiled warmly at them, but to anyone who knew him, they would easily see how hard it was for him to smile that way.
He led them through the garden and to another set of beautiful double doors, which opened up to a greenhouse type of room, with little, round white tables and cookie trays on each. He gestured for them to sit down, holding a chair out for Lady Lolly, before sitting down himself.
"Prince Gumball," the Count said in his gruff, course voice, "We understand that both of the women you were said to marry no longer… exist, if that's the correct terminology."
"That's quite right," Gumball said, dropping his eyes. "The Ice Queen is no more. She's returned to her original person, Sam Petrikov. And Fionna the Human is… is…" He bit his lip and gripped his hands hard in his lap.
"She was the one, wasn't she, Prince?" Lady Lolly asked sweetly, showing genuine concern for his discomfort. He took a deep, calming breath, and nodded at her. "I see. How terribly, inexcusably tragic."
"Are you sure there's no way to free her, Prince Gumball?" Sir Sweets asked, his back straight and his face expressionless.
"We've tried nearly everything, Sir. We have every scientist, every historian, every artifact and old world relic collector looking into it. As far as we can tell, she'll be frozen there for 100 years." The whole time he spoke, he kept his head down and bit back his tears.
The council converged for a moment, whispering amongst each other and glancing wearily at him. Finally, after a few minutes of deliberating, Lady Lolly said, "It is clear to us that you are in no condition to find an appropriate wife and queen for the Candy Kingdom. We have decided to give you a year to rest and recuperate, and by the end of that year, you must be married to a suitable wife. This is our only exception. We are very, very sorry for your loss."
Gumball nodded, whispering "thank you" under his breath. He held back his shivering and kept his eyes closed tight. Coming to his rescue, Peppermint Maid kindly led them out of the palace. When they left, Gumball let the tears go, and sobbed in his tea room until Marshall came to hold him close.
Day 93: Bubblegum, Simon and Sam have been working tirelessly to find a way to free me and to open the portal back to Ooo. So far, they found nothing. Bubblegum had reintroduced her findings on opening portals to the two scientists, and together they had been researching and calculating ways to open the portal again. They were close, The Seeress said, but if they were to stop and try what they had so far, they would be shot into a universe with no air in it. I watched, hoping to glob that they kept going.
Cake was finally warming up, but not in a good way. She had refused to believe I was gone. Flat out refused. Instead, she pretended that I was just in some other world, like I was before, like I sort of am now. Out of kindness and care, everyone played along with her. It was better that she believed I was away, rather than gone.
I noticed that Simon and Marcy were becoming close again, like they used to. Marceline missed Simon, that much was apparent, and Simon regretted everything he'd done in the past thousand years. He'd become like a father to her, always there with kind and wise advice and never constricting her or blaming her for anything. Their relationship was beautiful.
Sam and Marshall talked a lot, too. I think, under different circumstances, they would have developed a relationship much like the one Simon and Marcy were making. Marshall, though, was too wrapped up in my death to let anyone in. As the days passed, sometimes I would beg him to go to her, to talk to her. She was the rock he needed right now. But I knew that from where I was, no one could hear me. At least he had Gumball.
Tonight Marshall was singing to me, a beautiful song he'd written just for me. It was a sad song, a heart wrenching song, but it was a song that I could listen to for hours.
"Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me, as her body once did.
All five horizons revolved around her soul, as the earth to the sun,
Now the air I've tasted and breathed has taken a turn…"
The soft, melodical tone of his voice made me feel light and warm, because I knew, even though he was torn apart on the inside, when he sang, he truly felt happiness again.
Day 145: Bubblegum, Marceline, and Finn all came to the conclusion that they, too, could work things out amongst each other. The moment they came to that agreement was the moment I jumped for joy—or, at least, I tried to jump. I had been waiting, watching them for some time, hoping that they would come together as one and just enjoy each other. I was proof that it could work. It would be hard for them, because they had mixed feelings and notions of betrayal lingering in the back of their minds, but I knew, eventually, they would get past that and learn to be happy together.
Simon uncovered a script in an old book that told of a place in Aaa that connected to its "sister land". I think today him, Bubblegum, Finn, Sam, Jake and Marcy are going to check it out. The Seeress has said nothing to me about this place. She simply gave me a nod and continued to stare blankly into the nothingness.
I recognized the place they went to. It was by the entrance to the Fire Kingdom, the same place we emerged when we made our way to Aaa. Simon was saying that the rocks there had special properties, that they existed in both worlds. Bubblegum and Sam took samples and they all headed back to the palace to do more research.
Day 202: Today marked the day that Prince Gumball started looking for a wife again. I felt hollow as I watched Peppermint Maid bring in princess after princess, all these beautiful women willing and wanting to take the throne of the Candy Kingdom and be his bride. The only catch was, they had to like Marshall and accept him, too.
That condition alone drove off more than half of the women. The other half tried their hardest to entertain the idea of loving two men, or at least tried to be okay with their husband loving another man, but that wasn't the way they liked to have a marriage. The ones who agreed to it were introduced to Marshall, and those women were either repulsed by his lack of gentlemanly charm, or were frightened by the thought of being near the Vampire King.
Marshall liked to date demons over princesses, anyway.
The line into Gumball's chambers was dwindling slowly but surely, going from a massive mob that led out the door to a few ladies who wouldn't give up. As each went in, Gumball or Marshall would find some flaw, some tiny lack of character, and immediately discharge her. Part of me was sad for these women, who traveled hundreds of miles to be the Candy Queen and who were so quickly rejected. The other part of me, the darker and selfish part of me, agreed with Gumball and Marshall. I was the only one who could love them the right way.
Day 279: At long last, Sam had found a way to open the portal to Ooo. Jake, Finn, Marcy, Bubblegum and Simon all went out there, along with Cake, who was there for moral support, and began the odd ritual. To open the portal, they needed to provide the dirt proof that they didn't belong in that land. So, each one plucked a hair and buried them all together in the dirt around the rocks. As the research had promised, the portal opened, showing Ooo untouched and ready to welcome them back.
Everyone rejoiced for them. Marcy, Bubblegum and Finn all exchanged hugs and kisses, more than ready to return. Jake wrapped himself around them, joining in on the excitement. It's almost been a year since he's seen Lady. I understood how he felt. It's hard, not being with the person you love. Or, in my case, the people.
They planned to leave that night, but before they left, Gumball decided to throw a ball in their honor, celebrating their stay and honoring Sam and Simon for their sacrifices. It was the first ball since I'd died, and, as was expected, the people who showed couldn't let loose and feel effortless like they used to. Still, everyone at least pretended to have a good time. Except Marshall. He sat in the garden and sang to me again.
After the celebration, everyone gathered at the portal spot to exchange hugs and goodbyes. It was decided that 5 strands of hair would be kept from each person, so that if they ever needed to open the portal again, it would be available for them. Gumball had all the hairs locked up tight in the laboratory safe.
With one last hug and one last "thank you" from everyone, one by one Simon, Marcy, Bubblegum, Jake and Finn all stepped through the portal. Once again, The Seeress nodded in approval. They had made it home safely.
Day 334: Gumball and Marshall had no luck finding a suitable queen. Instead, today, they went to the council and offered a new plan.
The plan was that Gumball married Marshall, and they would rule the kingdom together. Though they had no problem being eternally bonded, marrying each other was a plan made out of desperation.
The council immediately shot it down. "Remember, Prince, the only reason you are required to marry is so that you produce a royal heir to the throne," Lady Lolly pressed.
"I understand that fully, but I have the technology to create an heir from our chromosomes through science. That should be enough, right?" Gumball pleaded desperately, gripping Marshall's hand for comfort.
"The rules make no mention of genetic cloning being an acceptable method of producing an heir. We're sorry, Gumball, but you must marry a woman," Count Candy Corn said flatly, not moving an inch.
"What's wrong with you people?! Why does he have to marry? Heir or not, he's still the best leader this glob-forsaken kingdom has ever seen! Let him make a clone! He doesn't even need to make one with my genes, if you're all that terrified of me!" Marshall burst out, unable to contain his anger.
"Marshall, please…" Gumball squeezed his hand as he whispered, trying to calm him down.
"There's nothing we can do. If you fail to produce a wife within the allotted time, you will forfeit your kingdom to Duchess Lemon Grab. Is that understood?" Sir Sweets announced, harshly and without patience.
"Perfectly, your honor," Gumball replied, bowing to them, and turning on his heel to leave, taking Marshall with him.
Day 364: This was it. If The Seeress was right, I would be released from the ice, and this spirit form I'm in will finally return to my body. I had just a few more hours before I returned. And, as fate would have it, the conditions were perfect.
Marshall and Gumball sat together, a fire between the ice and them, gently lighting their features. Cake and Lord were there, too, cuddled together, everyone trying their best to be happy and enjoy each other's company. I knew why they were there, though. It was the anniversary of my death, and as happy as they tried to seem, they were all there to honor my passing.
Part of me was excited, thinking that this was it, this was my chance to go back. Part of me was preparing for disappointment. After all, there's no way I could be the daughter of Billy, and so there was no way I could break a hundred year curse in a year.
But all of me, every inch of my ethereal being, prayed to go back tonight.
**The song lyrics in this chapter are from the song "Black" by Pearl Jam. I do not own nor have any rights to Pearl Jam, their songs, or their lyrics. It's just one of my favorite sad songs ever :D