Coming Home

Chapter One: The Night Before the Return

The cloaked figure walked down the middle of the only street in town. The road was unpaved, but marked by buildings on either side. It looked old-fashioned, like something out of a western. The hot desert sun would be unbearable, were it not for the hood he wore over his head. The top half of his face obscured by shadow, one could see his mouth, but not much else, as he mumbled to himself.

"There should be a place to spend the night here." He had no problem sleeping out in the wilderness. In fact, he kind of enjoyed it. However, when there was an inn or such that he could stay at, he would spend a night there before moving on. It reminded him of home. Speaking of home, tomorrow was going to be a very big day: after two years out on his own, he would finally come home.

The sun would be setting soon, not that you could tell from the heat. He had been walking all day, so he was already starving, thirsty, and exhausted. An entire day wandering the Desert of Doom will do that to you. It was always refreshing to find an oasis like this, and Glob knows he needed one now. It certainly looked like the old west, but this town was new, a colony of the Candy Kingdom established just last year. It had been a while since he had seen candy people; he was impressed with how well they ran this little town, which served mainly as a place for travelers like him to stop and rest. Built overtop prewar ruins, the sign that once read "Welcome to Las Vegas!" now read "Welcome to Candy Cane Canyon! Population: 100"

As he discovered, there were a lot of places in town for food and lodging, fittingly enough for a town that was basically a rest stop for travelers, but one place in particular caught his attention. It wasn't that the place seemed in any way remarkable. It certainly didn't look bad, but it really wasn't much different than any of the other places in town. No, what caught his eye was the sign. Below the words "Marshmallow Guy's Inn and Restaurant" and to the left of a somewhat sloppily drawn picture of a bed was a drawing of a stack of pancakes, butter and syrup dripping from the top and pieces of bacon sticking out from between them. It didn't just make his mouth water, despite how thirsty he was, but it reminded him of the home he hadn't seen in two years. He knew where he would be staying tonight.

The mystery man walked inside, leaving his hood up as he sat down at the bar. Old-timey music pumped through the place as candy people and travelers alike enjoyed food and drink. "What can I get ya?" asked the marshmallow bartender cheerfully. "I'd like dinner, a room, and breakfast in the morning, please. If you have any rooms facing the Grasslands, that'd be great. You take gold pieces, right?" He reached into his backpack and pulled out a little cloth bag and poured its contents out onto the table. "Uh, yeah, but this is way more than we need…" "It's okay. Money's not that important." The marshmallow was simultaneously thrilled and confused by this; travelers usually weren't so generous, but this guy clearly had more important things on his mind than money.

The bartender noticed something odd about this customer, but couldn't put his finger on it, until he looked down at the man's arms. Proportionally, they were the same, thick and muscular, like the rest of him seemed to be under the cloak. Otherwise, the two arms were notably different. The left arm was made of normal flesh, muscle, and bone, with the only visible abnormality being its slight pinkish coloration, a rare sight in the Land of Ooo. The right arm, however, was a bright, lively shade of green, made up of tightly interwoven blades of grass. A single flower was visible on the back of his hand.

"Not to be rude, sir, but your arm…why is it all pink and fleshy?" The man chuckled inwardly at the fact that his normal arm stood out more than his grass one. Before he could respond, he was interrupted by a loud sound from across the street. It sounded like an alarm. Turning around, he saw the front door of the building across the street, a bank, blown open with explosives.

"Globbit, man! What is it with you and bombs?! We could have just opened the door like we did when we came in!" shouted one of the two figures to emerge from the smoke, a goblin dressed in armor and wielding a laser rifle. "Well, I'm a bomb-shooting robot. What did you expect when you hired me? Shooting bombs is literally all I do," the other robber, a tall robot with some sort of cannon at the end of his right arm replied. "It doesn't matter! Let's just get out of here before the fuzz shows up!" "Wait, boss!" the robot shouted, "Who is that?"

"Both of you stop what you're doing," the cloaked man calmly ordered. "Why are we gonna listen to you?" the goblin snorted indignantly. "I said…" the man repeated, pulling down his hood to reveal his pinkish human face, topped with a visibly dirty bear hat, with a few messy blond hairs sticking out, and a scar running down his right cheek, "stop what you're doing." Finn the Human's left arm reached into the right side of his cloak and unsheathed a large sword made entirely of fire. At the same time, his grass arm morphed into the shape of an equally large blade. The two robbers were visibly frightened, and seemed for a second like they might surrender.

Apparently not. "Shoot him!" came the panicked shout from the goblin. Laser blasts and explosives were fired at Finn, who jumped or rolled out of the way of each blast with ninja-like precision, moving closer to the criminal duo each time. With a quick slice from the grass sword, the goblin's laser rifle was sliced in half, while Finn fired a blast of fire from the flame sword, melting the robot's cannon shut. Any more attempts they might have made to fight back were interrupted by Finn's fists knocking them both unconscious. From down the street, the sound of sirens, or rather, voices imitating sirens, grew closer as a team of Banana Guards emerged from a costume shop, wearing cowboy hats and plastic sheriff's badges, running with wooden hobby horses between their legs. "Wee-woo-wee-woo-wee-woo-wii-u-wee-woo! What's going on here?" Finn still stood where the robbers had fallen. "I just stopped these robbers, officer. Everything's fine. You can take these guys away, now." One Banana Guard, who seemed to be the leader, got down on one knee, squinting his eyes, and overall trying his best to seem like a stereotypical western sheriff as he examined the unconscious robbers. "Well, I reckon you just caught yourself the two most notorious cattle rustlers this here town's ever seen!" Finn was confused. "Cattle rustlers? But these guys are bank robbers…" The "sheriff" stood up and whispered in Finn's ear, "Sssssshhhhh! I'm in character; don't mess with my artistic vision!"

Without saying a word, Finn walked away, a smile on his face for the first time that day. He heard the banana guards arguing over the best way to lasso a cattle rustler, and couldn't suppress a laugh. Back in the Candy Kingdom, the antics of the Banana Guards never failed to make him laugh, and even now, they were yet another thing that made him think of home. Returning to the inn, Finn walked back up to the bar, where the marshmallow bartender stood with his mouth wide open, a look of shock on his face, having seen the entire fight. "You alright, man?" "Y-yeah. Th-That was just, well, unexpected. So, um, I can get you a room facing the Grasslands. What do you want for dinner, and breakfast?" Finn was just going to order bacon pancakes, but then he remembered that tomorrow was a special occasion, so he asked for the special meal Jake would always cook on special occasions. "Bacon pancakes, covered in salsa, and some sassages. With milk. The same thing for tonight and tomorrow. If you could bring it up to my room, that'd be great." "Yeah, we can do that." The bartender handed Finn his room key. "You need anything else?" "Yeah," the human replied, looking down at his grass arm, "plant food."

That night, the human ate every bite of his meal, showered, and fell asleep almost immediately. A small, yellow nightlight shaped like his brother, Jake, rested on the nightstand. The only other light in the room, coming from the TV, which was muted, illuminated Finn's sleeping form, as well as the dirty dishes and silverware on the tray next to his bed. Finn, having grown too big for the footy pajamas and sleeping bag he once wore, was wearing only a pair of boxers and his signature hat, something he would never outgrow. His grass arm hung off the side of the bed, stuck in a bag of plant food, the contents of which it slowly absorbed. Finn was in a very peaceful, comfortable sleep, the kind that invites vivid dreams. It was times like this that Finn would dream about his past.

"Finn, I don't really know what to make of this…"the bespectacled woman told her patient. "What do you mean, Doctor Princess?" "Your flower. It's dying, but at the same time it's still growing. See?" Doctor Princess held Finn's flower arm in front of his face. The flower was definitely wilting, but a few blades of grass had started to sprout around it, with what were either bright green veins, roots, or some combination of the two running down what was left of his real arm. "It's like your flower doesn't really know what to do." "Well, I'm not sure I know what to do either." "Finn, being sixteen is a really confusing time. Plus all of the stuff you've been through with your breakup with Flame Princess, finding out your dad is a buttwad, and losing your arm, all of that can make you feel completely butts. But it isn't healthy to just close yourself off from the world. I've heard you've been visiting Flame Princess. How does that make you feel?" "Yeah, I've seen her a couple times. A few weeks ago, I went to her birthday party, and then we went on an adventure, and we even…" Finn paused. He wasn't sure if Flame Princess would want anyone to know that they had kissed at the end of their dungeon crawl.

"…We just had a really great time. And that's the thing; when I'm hanging out with her, or Jake, or BMO, or P-Bubs, or Marceline, or any of my other friends, I feel fine, I feel happy. But when I'm alone, when I'm by myself, it's totally different. I just sit there and think, and I don't really feel anything, except sometimes I feel all dark and empty, and it's like I can't stop thinking about how dumb and worthless I am…" Finn tried to stay calm, wiping a tear from his face. Doctor Princess put a hand on his shoulder. "Finn, what you're feeling is normal. It's not healthy, but it's normal. Lots of boys your age feel the same way, especially after the kind of stuff you've been through, but try not to think those things about yourself, buddy. They're just not true, ok?" "Yeah, ok, Doctor P. Is there anything you can do?" "Right now, I think it would be good for you to go home and get some rest, but I can see you again tomorrow if you'd like." "Sure. Thanks, doc. I was gonna go to Crab Princess's party, but I'm just too bummed. I'll see you tomorrow." Doctor Princess looked on sadly as Finn walked away, not even stopping to grab a lollipop on his way out like he always would when he would come in for a checkup, or to get a monster-fighting injury treated. Far from the energetic, optimistic twelve-year-old she had been introduced to four years before, she saw only a deep sadness and emptiness in his eyes the entire time he was there.

Finn walked across the Grasslands to the Tree Fort, surrounded by chirping crickets and flashing fireflies; a full moon stood among a bed of stars in the sky. But for Finn, his beautiful surroundings ended up unnoticed, as that dark and empty feeling felt as if it consumed him. Looking down at the ground, with his hands in his pockets, Finn began to sing.

Who am I?

Where do I belong?

Why do I ask why?

Why do I sing this song?

What should I do?

How should I feel?

What's here for me in Ooo?

What is fake and what is real?

What should I be?

Why does it feel like I can never win?

And what's in store for me,

the hero boy named Finn?

Finn sat down and thought. Being alone made him feel dark and empty, but it also allowed him to think about the important things. If he was alone for a long time, he thought, maybe he could finally figure things out. His mind made up, Finn entered the Tree Fort and climbed up to the bedroom, to find his brother Jake, asleep in his drawer-bed. Finn sat down on his own bed and tapped Jake on the arm. "Hey, Jake. Wake up, man." Jake grumbled as he sleepily opened his eyes. "Hey, Finn. What'd Doctor Princess say? You all healthy?" Finn sighed. "Sorta, I guess. But I also got to thinking, with my melon heart and my heart heart. I thought about all the bonk that's happened to me lately, and I think maybe I need some time alone." Jake looked concerned. "What do you mean, little bro?" Finn just looked back at him with a completely serious expression on his face. "I think I should go out on my own for a little while."

The next day, Jake had organized a goodbye party in front of the Tree Fort. Jake had called everyone they knew to attend, every friend Finn had made on his adventures, all the princesses and candy people, friends he never saw much of, like Banana Man and Donny, and relatives like Jermaine and Jake and Lady's pups. Finn sat at a picnic table with his closest friends: Jake, BMO, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Flame Princess, Cinnamon Bun, LSP, NEPTR, Shelby, Lady Rainicorn, Rattleballs, and Ice King. Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig stood next to the table, while their new baby, formerly the Lich, sat in an impossibly large baby carriage and gurgled happily. Jake literally wrapped his arm around his brother. "So, I guess there's no talking you out of this, huh?" "Nope. But don't worry, I'll be back in a year or two. I've just gotta sort some stuff out. Right now, my little boy brain is all confused, so maybe when I'm away I'll get my grownup brain and stuff will make sense." "Well, all right, brother. You know I try to support your decisions and stuff, but seeing you so down about your life and stuff makes me worry." "That's why I've gotta do this, Jake. Please, I just ask that you all trust me on this. You do, right?" "I trust you, Finn." The words came not from Jake, but from Flame Princess. "Finn, I know we've been through a lot of the same stuff. I know what you're feeling, and if this journey is what you need to find meaning again, then I trust you." Jake spoke up next. "I do too, little bro." The rest of the table seemed to be in agreement as well, as a chorus of encouraging words surrounded Finn. Once everyone had spoken, Princess Bubblegum put an arm on her hero's shoulder. "Finn, before you go, each of us got you something for your journey."

She placed three items on the table. "This is my Ballblamberglurber. I think you've seen it before. And this other device," she gestured towards the round, disc-shaped device in front of her, "is a holographic photo album. I took the liberty of uploading some of your personal photographs to it. Just press the red button on the front, and it will cycle through them as a series of holograms." "Whoa, that's really math! Thanks, PB!" She handed him the third object. It was a book, with a drawing of a smiling Finn holding up his flower arm on the front. "This is a manual I put together on how to care for your symbiotic botanical attachment." The princess saw the confused look on the boy's face and clarified "Your flower, Finn." "Oh, okay, cool. Thanks again, Peebs!"

Next, Cinnamon Bun handed Flame Princess a long treasure chest made of coal. She opened it, and presented Finn with what looked like a sheathed sword. "Finn, it's dangerous to go alone. Take this. This isn't an ordinary sword. Its blade is made entirely of flames that the user can command with their mind. This sword has been passed down in my family for centuries. Until now, it has only been used for acts of great evil, but I trust that in your hands that you can use it for good." "Thanks, FP. It's a real honor. I promise I'll use this sword to uphold good and do righteous stuff." The two shared a smile before Jake spoke. "Finn, I'm afraid I don't have much to give ya, but I hope you like it." He handed Finn a little Jake-shaped nightlight. "I thought you might need this if you're ever sleeping in the woods or something. It's battery-powered, so you don't need to plug it in. I know it's not much, but…" Jake was cut off by a hug from his brother. "I love it, Jake. I'll use it every night."

BMO and NEPTR ran up to Finn, holding what looked like a handheld game system. "Finn! Finn!" shouted the little computer. "We made you something, too! With our robot smarts!" The microwave robot was equally excited. "It's a game system! We know you wanted this to be a solitary journey, creator, so it isn't alive like us. But we hope you like it anyway!" "Thanks, little dudes. This is really cool." Marceline floated up to him, handing him a large plastic-wrapped package. "Thanks, Marceline, but, uh, what is this?" "Two years worth of balloons! Y'know, for balloon music!" "Cool, Marcy! I'll be sure to jam on these when I can."

The cloaked figure known as Rattleballs silently stood up and walked to Finn, not saying a word. His identity, once a secret to the people of the Candy Kingdom, was exposed while defending the kingdom from a horde of peanut butter dragons. Expecting the Candy People to be frightened of him due to his violent past, he and Princess Bubblegum were pleasantly surprised to find that the Candy People didn't care, and still welcomed him as one of their protectors. He still wore his cloak, however, if only because it looked cool. "Finn," the robot spoke, "it is my regret that I cannot continue to train you while you are on your journey, so I have compiled this for you." He handed Finn a thick notebook, ragged and torn, with bookmarks, sticky notes, and loose pieces of paper sticking out. "Finn, I have written in this notebook for centuries. It contains all of my training, all of my moves, and all of my pasta recipes. It is not as direct as one-on-one training, but I hope that you can learn from this on your journey." "Thanks, RBZ. I'll read every word."

All the others had gifts for him, too. Tree Trunks gave him a homemade cloak, which she insisted he would grow into as he got older. Ice King gave Finn a t-shirt, with a photo of both of them, along with Jake, hanging out at the Tree Fort during the time Ice King was staying there. Underneath the picture were the words "Turbros 4 Life!" Shelby gave him a camera, to take pictures of his journey. Lady Rainicorn made him a sweater for his adventure. It was, of course, rainbow-colored, something that normally would have embarrassed him. Today, however, he was thankful to get such a kind goodbye present from a friend. The last person to give Finn a gift was Lumpy Space Princess. Finn was fully expecting a creepy love letter or a stalkerish photo collage, or something along those lines. What he wasn't expecting was another book.

"I-I got th-this for you Finn!" the lumpy girl blurted out through melodramatic, but nonetheless sincere, sobs. "It's this b-book I wrote when I was y-your adventure secretary. It's all about how cool you are, and how much you helped me with junk, and how you're like mah best friiieeend!" With that last word she broke down into more ridiculous sobs. "I'mma miss you while you're gone, Finn!" Finn was surprised and touched that even his weirdest friend, by far, was going to genuinely miss him, beyond the lens of teen drama she viewed the world through. He hugged his lumpy friend back, telling her, "Thanks, LSP. You're one of my best friends, too. I hope that while I'm gone, you'll keep doing…whatever it is you do. Just keep being LSP." Finn smiled, then turned to the rest of his friends.

"Actually, I have something that I want to say to each of you." Finn looked at Jake. "Jake, you're my best friend. You're my brother. You've always been there for me, and supported me. You're the best brother a guy could ask for. We may not be the same species or whatevs, but that doesn't matter. You've been with me as long as I can remember, and I know you're gonna be the first person I see when I come back. I love you, Jake." Tears were now filling the dog's eyes. "Oh, Finn, buddy!" The two brothers shared a hug once again. Finn spoke to Princess Bubblegum next.

"PB, you're one of my best friends, too. In fact, next to Jake and BMO, you probably are my best friend. The Candy Kingdom has always been like a second home for me, and I have you to thank for that. I know I used to have a crush on you and all, for a long time, but now I realize that we've got something way more important than that. You're a part of my family, PB, just as much as Jake, and now that I'm leaving for a while, I'm worried that I haven't appreciated that as much as I should've…" "Finn, look at me," the princess put her hands on her hero's shoulders, "You're a part of my family, too. You will always be welcome in the Candy Kingdom, Finn. You're its champion, and you're my hero. But the most important thing is that you are Finn. Never lose sight of who Finn is while you're out there, because I want to see him and welcome him back to the Candy Kingdom when he returns. I believe in you, Finn." Finn shared a hug with Bubblegum, one of his oldest and dearest friends, before turning to a newer, but no less important, friend.

"Flame Princess," the hero boy spoke, true nervousness audible in his voice for the first time that day, "I know a lot has happened between us, and you've been through a lot of bad stuff, partly because of me, and I'm sorry. But I've also seen how awesome you've become since I first met you, and that's all because of you. You're the one who turned the Fire Kingdom around, and you became a really great ruler. You might be the bravest, most awesome person I've ever met." "Finn, that means a lot. Really, and I know you've been through a lot, so I understand why you feel that you need to do this. To be totally honest, though, I kind of wish you'd stay. With everything that's happened, between us, and to both of us, I'm really glad that we've been able to…connect again recently, so I hope that, when you come back, we can pick up where we left off, I guess." "Yeah, FP. I'd really like that. A lot. I guess what I'm trying to say is that, um," the human boy blushed as he tried to spit it out, "that I lo-I mean like you. A lot." "I like you a lot, too, Finn, and that's why I hope you find what you're looking for, and that you come back safe and sound." More hugs, this time noticeably longer than the others, with both teenagers blushing furiously, each wishing that they had said more.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Finn knelt down to speak to the two little robots, BMO and NEPTR. "BMO, I don't think I've ever really told you, but you're just as much my brother as Jake is. You're an awesome little dude, and you should remember, you may not be made of flesh and junk, but you really are a real boy. Remember what Moe said; he made you to 'be more', and you have, 'cause you're my little robot bro. And you, NEPTR, you exist for way more than just making pies. Well, that's all you were designed for, but you can be so much more, and I believe in you, little buddy. Why don't you try and hang out with your Papi some more while I'm gone? I bet he'd appreciate it." BMO ran up to Finn and clung to his leg. "Finn, you are my brother, too! I will miss you so much!" The little robot began crying digital tears as Finn picked him up and comforted him like a baby. The other robot was calmer. "Sure, creator. I will hang out with Papi, and we will make pies and do other things that don't involve pies."

"Speaking of you, Ice King, you need to stop listening to the part of your brain that says to kidnap princesses. Instead, you should listen to the part that says play with penguins, and write bad fanfiction, and jam with Marceline. There's a really great guy stuck in that crazy brain of yours, Ice King. You just need to let him out." "Alright, Finn. For you, Turbro, I'll keep it down to one princess a month."

"Uh, okay, I kinda meant no princesses at all, but progress is progress." Finn turned to his vampire friend. "Marceline, I know you haven't had a lot of real friends in your life, so I'm glad I could be one these past few years. You're one of my best friends. I hope we can still be friends when I get back." "Of course, man! You were the first real friend I made in a long time. There's no way that's gonna change."

"And you two, CB and RBZ, you've both got really important rulers and kingdoms to protect. I know you'll do your best to protect them while I'm gone. I salute you, bravest warriors." Finn gave a military salute, which Rattleballs and Cinnamon Bun returned. "Lady and Shelby, you're both really important to Jake. Look out for him while I'm gone. He needs you guys." Both of them moved to be beside Jake. "And Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig, and baby, um…" "Jeffrey." "And Baby Jeffrey, y'all are a family now. Remember to stick together and look out for each other. That's what all families should do for each other. And that's the most important thing: you're all my family, every single one of you. I know I'm going to be thinking about you guys, and I hope you guys will think about me. I'll miss you all, but I know you'll all be waiting for me when I get back. I love you."

With that, Finn was on the receiving end of an almost suffocating group hug from all of his closest friends. As he made his way on the first steps of his journey, he looked back to see his friends waving goodbye and conversing amongst themselves. "There goes my little brother. Stay safe, buddy," Jake said to himself. BMO burst into digital tears once again. "Finn! I will miss him so much!" He was picked up and held by Marceline. "I will, too, cutie. I will, too." Princess Bubblegum stared ahead and spoke to herself, "Goodbye, little hero. Let love be your guide. I hope you find what you're looking for." Flame Princess did the same, saying, "Oh, Finn. So much has happened to you. I understand that you need this. I only wish that you didn't. Be careful out there." LSP was very upset as well. "There goes the nicest guy I've ever met! Oh, if only there was some tall, dark, mysterious warrior who would take away my pain with his love!" the princess shouted melodramatically as she floated over to Rattleballs, who was understandably confused. "I…do not understand your request." Even now, this made Finn laugh. But before he left, there was one more person he wanted to say goodbye to.

Later, in a hidden chamber underneath the Candy Castle, Finn spoke to Stormo, who was still engaged in psychic combat against Goliad. "I don't even know if you can hear me, but I thought I should say goodbye. It's complicated, but all you need to know is that I'll be back in a couple years, after I sort some stuff out. But I want you to know that I'm really proud of you. You're so selfless and heroic that you'll fight someone for all eternity to keep people safe. Of course, if you're anything like your old man, you're probably enjoying it. But, actually, I really want to be more like you, and that's why I've got to do this. I love you, son." Finn wasn't sure if it was possible, but he could have sworn he saw a smile on Stormo's beak as he left.

At that, Finn woke up. Looking over at the clock, he saw that it was 3 A.M. Sometimes he would get up around this time to train, but tonight he needed to rest. Finn unmuted the TV, hoping that would help him fall asleep. However, the TV's speakers blasted loud, patriotic-sounding music as an ad came on, which was, to Finn's surprise, narrated by the familiar voice of his brother.

"Are you confused? Are you wondering who to vote for to take the place of President Porpoise when he leaves office? Look no further than Ooo's own beloved Jake the Dog! All the princesses agree he's the best man for the job! And have you seen how handsome he is? Next week, remember to vote for Jake the Dog for president!" More music played as a picture of Jake appeared onscreen, accompanied by another familiar voice. "I am BMO and I approve this message! Yay!" This made Finn smile, knowing that his brother was close to achieving one of his lifelong dreams. Finn lay in bed for a while, watching the pre-Mushroom War cartoon that followed the commercial. Something about a blue jay and a raccoon working at a park. When it was over, Finn rested his head on his pillow, and found himself looking at the holographic photo album that Bubblegum had given him. It cycled through several projected images that she had uploaded to it. Toddler Finn posing with his dog family. Finn riding on Jake's back as they explored the grasslands. Finn running through the house with BMO on his shoulders. Doing science stuff with PB. Jamming with Marceline. Playing board games with Ice King, during the time he was living at the Tree Fort. Then, the most recent image in the album: Finn and Flame Princess, posing in the photo booth from the old mall they had explored on her sixteenth birthday. Both teens were sitting next to each other and smiling. The real Finn smiled back at the picture as he drifted off to sleep.

Author's Note: Well, I've finally finished the first chapter of my first multi-chapter fic. I hope you all enjoyed this one. It follows the events of my stories, "Rebirth", "Memories", and "Sixteen". "Red Throne Epilogue" is a standalone fic. This story branches off from canon around the beginning of the episode "Breezy". Unlike a lot of people, I thought it was a really great episode, and I thought that since Finn hasn't spoken to Flame Princess since "The Red Throne" in canon, and he has visited her twice in this timeline, it would be a good breaking off point for this timeline. Of course, I will also try to incorporate elements from the show's canon as both the show and my fic progress. Sorry for rambling, but I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1 of "Coming Home".