Disclaimer: Adventure Time is owned my Pendleton Ward. I make no profit from this story.
WARNING: Semi-graphic depictions of violence.
Bonnibel the Monster Hunter
"Face me, monster!" Bonnibel cried, brandishing her sword as she stared into the darkness of the cave. If there was one thing she knew, never follow an enemy into the darkness, especially in that of an enclosed space. Her chest heaved wildly, a drop of perspiration dripping from her hairline, over her temple, sliding down her cheek. The chase had been both exhausting and invigorating, hot on the wolf-beast's heals as she ran through brambles and thorns, her clothes now ripped in several places, and she was so close to victory she could taste it on the tip of her tongue, sweet as ever. Her grip tightened on the hilt of her blade as a low growl emerged from the blackness ahead, daring her to enter. She allowed herself a smile as she took a few steps back instead, spreading her feet apart and taking on a veteran fighter's confident stance.
"Are you too afraid to face me where I can see you, beast?" She called tauntingly. Silence. "Or is my arrow lodged too deep in your leg for you to run from me any longer?"
And then the werewolf was charging at her, a furious snarl issuing from its throat as it lunged. The hideous oaf snapped its slavering jaws at her ankles just as she brought her sword down across its neck, smoke and steam rising into the air as she hacked through fur, flesh, muscle and bone, severing its ugly head with her silver encrusted blade. Blood spattered her only slightly, due to the fact that the blade had cauterized the wound as it sliced through the beast as easily as a knife through butter. When she bent down to pick up the severed head by the fur of its neck, huffing and puffing greeted her sensitive ears, alerting her to Cinnamon Bun's late arrival as he blundered about through the brush. The huntress turned to face him, her face somewhat sympathetic as the hefty pastry struggled to pull his dagger from its sheath before realizing the job was already done.
"Awww, dang it!" He wheezed in frustration.
"Maybe next time, Cinnamon Bun." She said, slipping her prize sword back into its sheath. He grumbled unhappily as she moved past him, stepping back into the forest and beginning the trek back to the village that had commissioned her services.
Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum was quite possibly the most renowned monster hunter in Ooo, and she didn't come cheap. She had earned her place among the best in the land through her avid extermination of the supernatural throughout the years of her reign as a warrior princess. She had killed countless witches and warlocks, werewolves, zombies, ogres and giants, even a few vampires, whether it was through the use of cutting edge science or traditional hand to hand combat. Through her work and just rule, her kingdom prospered more than any other, even the most loathsome of beasts steering clear of her for fear of losing their lives at her hand.
A widespread cheer erupted throughout the village tavern when she arrived, holding the head up high for all to see. Mugs of beer and mead were passed her way, men congratulating her boisterously as the head was handed around the room to be inspected, its tongue lolling from its mouth, yellow eyes rolled up in its skull. The Earl named Lemongrab then came forth, a forced smile on his thin lips as he begrudgingly extended the princess's payment out to her. She couldn't hold back her smile as she met his eyes triumphantly, silently reveling in her conquest over him as well as the beast she had slain.
"I will admit that I did not think someone of your… physique could take on a beast of such immense strength." He said, his voice strained as she took the sack of golden coins from him.
"I am well aware." She said simply, dark eyes glinting in the dim light. "However, I do not think ill of you for your misplaced doubts, because as you can see, I am quite capable of holding my own against even the most malevolent adversaries." His upper lip twitched at the remark, his hand recoiling from her as if burned. He then turned away from her abruptly, leaving the tavern in a bad temper. She allowed herself a small chuckle then, taking the small bag and dropping it safely in her satchel.
"I thank you humbly for your business, but I must be going now." She said abruptly, raising her voice so that her patrons could hear her.
"Wait, you can't be going yet, Princess!" One man called to her.
"You haven't even taken a sip of your mead!" Another cried.
"I'll take care of that for her." Someone else chuckled, followed by several good-natured chortles. The tavern became loud once again, drunken friends milling about, laughing and yelling as they celebrated. With that, the princess took her leave, followed by Cinnamon Bun, who stumbled after her, apparently having drank from one or two of the mugs that had been passed her way. The pair made their way down the cobbled streets toward the stables, when a tremor ran down the princess's spine, making her stop, hand flying out to halt her companion.
"Wha-?"
"Ssh!" She snapped, turning around to look back the way they had come. In the dim light of the lit streetlamps, a lone figure stood a few yards back, a long, dark mantle concealing their face and upper body from view. She stared at the unknown person levelly, waiting for them to either move on or announce themself, growing uneasy when the stranger made no move to do either.
"What do you want?" She called out to them, only to be greeted by silence, causing her frown to deepen. Turning fully, her hand came to rest on the hilt of her sword, a woozy Cinnamon Bun looking from her to the stranger in obvious confusion. Taking a step closer, the figure raised its hands in a belated gesture to signify peaceful intentions.
"I come bearing a business proposition." A rather old, withering voice called out to her. The princess narrowed her eyes.
"Remove your hood and we'll talk." She said suspiciously, still not taking her hand off the sword. For a few moments, the figure just stood there, as if weighing their options before reaching up and pulling the hood back to reveal their face. A rather wrinkled old man stared at her with beady eyes, his face riveted with age. Relaxing just slightly, Bubblegum approached him, dropping her hand from her sword but staying alert. He watched her all the while, her apprentice staggering along drunkenly behind her until she stopped with just a few feet between herself and the stranger.
"I have been told that you are a superior huntress of the damnable creatures who stalk the night?" He asked, his eyes searching her. She nodded her head slowly.
"I am." She said, holding his gaze.
"I hail from a village far in the east that is being terrorized nightly by a ruthless vampire. We have reason to believe that the monster goes by the name Marceline, who is the daughter of the dreaded demon lord Hunson Abadeer, the ruler of the Nightosphere. We've done all we can ourselves, and we have hired countless hunters of the supernatural like yourself but to no avail. She has slaughtered so many of us that our numbers are now dwindling to just a few…" He said, his voice growing very faint toward the end.
"Do you wish to acquire my assistance?" She asked slowly. He nodded.
"I understand that you demand a hefty fee for your services and I assure you that if you succeed, you will be rewarded handsomely." He said.
"Why didn't you approach me earlier instead of skulking around in the darkness behind us?"
"I was afraid." He admitted softly. Seemingly satisfied with the answer, the princess relaxed a little.
"If you give me a day to prepare, I will ride out to your village and take on the task of slaying the vampire. Agreed?" She asked, holding out her hand. He took it, shaking on the deal.
"Agreed. Here, take this." He said, reaching into his pocket and producing a map, extending it out to her. She took it, unfurling the tattered bit of paper and studying it briefly, a red X marking her future destination. The pair departed from the old man shortly after, leaving him to go back into the tavern while she and Cinnamon Bun retrieved their horses and rode back to the Candy Kingdom.
The princess was quiet for most of the trip, leaving her ward to sway drunkenly on the back of his horse, growing progressively more sick as he bounced up and down with the large animal's jarring movements. The sun had almost risen by the time they arrived at the castle gates, the stable boy running out to take their mounts to the royal stables. Bubblegum approached one of the servants awaiting them in the courtyard, ordering him to escort the now ill pastry to the infirmary to be treated for a hangover, and then turned to Peppermint Butler, asking him to have water heated for her bath. She then made her way up to her bed chambers alone, her eyelids hanging low over her eyes, her body exhausted from the previous night's excitement.
She allowed herself a tired yawn once she was in her room, resting her prize sword down on her desk before pausing to rub the back of her hand across her eyes. There was a knock on her door a few moments later, Peppermint Butler letting himself in along with three other servants who made their way into her bathroom, pouring buckets of steaming water into the ivory tub until it was three quarters full. The little man then went about gathering her nightwear, picking out an elegant pink night gown for her and laying it out beside a fluffy towel on a stool near the tub.
"Can I help milady with anything else?" He asked as she approached the bath.
"No, that will be all. Thank you, Peppermint." She said, and he left with a bow, leaving her to undress and bathe in peace.
Once naked, she slid into the hot water with a relieved moan. It took her skin a few moments to get used to the heat, making her already pink skin flush darker until it became rosy in color. Easing in further, she could feel the tension and sweat leaving her body, disappearing into the bath water as she let out a long sigh. Before long, her body up to her chin was completely submerged, her eyelids sliding shut as her head leaned back against the edge of the tub. Bath time was when she did most of her critical thinking along with reiterating her day silently in her head, finding herself thinking back to the peculiar old man and the task he had presented her with. The name Marceline sounded vaguely familiar to her. In fact, she was sure she had heard it before, possibly from one of the other hunters, or in a book…
A chill ran through her then, eyes flashing open as she placed the name. Writhing masses of darkness and glowing red eyes entered her mind then, a sudden influx of memories flooding her skull. She had helped two of her friends Finn and Jake take on the she-demon's lover named Ash not too long ago. The immortal wizard had been cursing all the young men in a nearby village and stealing away the young women for himself, wreaking havoc through bastard children and other adulterous acts. The trio had cornered him together, beating his steely skin black and blue before snapping his prize cherry blossom wand in half, then quarters, the magic hissing as it was released from the thin rod's fibers. It had been Bonnibel that made the killing blow, running him through with her sword until he was sapped of his unnatural life source. It was then that the vampire had made her appearance, crimson irises aglow as she looked upon the gory scene, her body masked in shadows, and yet somehow Bonnibel knew it was her. It was as if she were able to feel the intensity of the aura the vampire gave off, licking at her skin like black flames.
It had been like electricity between them, the air crackling with energy as black eyes met blood red, an unspoken exchange of some sort crossing between them. She remembered clearly the way the breathe in the princess's chest rasped from her lungs in a steamy mist, how her legs longed to carry her forward and into the mysterious shape's arms, to carry her along to her death. By some miraculous show of willpower, she had managed to stay still, body rigid as Finn surged forward and swung his sword. The blade cut right through the shadow, slicing it diagonally from edge to edge, the mass of shadow separating and then disintegrating as if it had been nothing more than a dark mirage, a hiss echoing around them. Remembering that, for the first time in a very long time, Bonnibel felt the inkling of self-doubt trickle deep down into the pit of her stomach, making her ask herself if she was really ready to take on a being of such immense power.
She sat in the tub until the water grew cold, almost forgetting to wash her hair and body before she got out. As soon as she was dressed she went straight down to her library, finding a dusty pile of books she had dug up back during her first encounter with vampiric half-demon. Even though she knew in the back of her mind that she wouldn't find anything new, she forced herself to sit down and read through each dog-eared page, skimming over bits on half breed creatures of different types, the Nightosphere, Hunson Abadeer and his abilities, and finally a very small portion on the beast herself. It was very brief and impersonal, giving a brief description of red eyes, gray skin and long black hair. It read that she could shape-shift, something Bubblegum had already surmised, and that she didn't suffer all of the traditional vampric weaknesses. Infuriatingly, it did not provide information on which ones did affect her, which meant the princess would need to bring the works with her so as to troubleshoot what did and didn't work.
Peppermint Butler came into the library after a while, offering her a spot of tea, which she accepted graciously. He then coaxed her into accepting a piece of toast with strawberry jam spread over it, although he couldn't persuade her into eating much else afterward. She went on studying and researching for as long as she could, until her joints were practically creaking, the surface of her eyeballs dry and making it rather uncomfortable to blink. Her vision had begun blurring around the edges, making it harder for her to read the tiny letters scrawled across dusty yellowed pages in black ink. Without meaning to, she rested her head down atop her hands in the middle of an ancient black tome, her eyes sliding completely shut, a soft snore escaping her throat as she dropped off into a fitful slumber.
Her mind was almost immediately plagued by hissing black shadows with gleaming eyes, watching her as she turned the corners of an immense forestry maze. She ran as fast as she could, turning corners with her sword drawn and ready to strike, only to be faced with nothingness, laughter erupting from her very shadow as it took on a life of its own. When she turned around to finally face it, the blackness writhed and bubbled, materializing into a shapeless monster, tendrils of darkness reaching out to her, meaning to grab and strange the life from her. She awoke with her a start, a bit of drool wetting the corner of her mouth and staining a page of her book.
She disappeared in her lab for the remainder of that day, readying an array of weapons to take on her journey, some of which including a wooden stake, a mixture of holy water, silver flakes and garlic, and so on. She looked like a woman about to march into a rather peculiar war by the time she was ready, sword hanging about her waist as she went to fetch a fully recovered Cinnamon Bun. She made sure her servants would have their mounts prepared for their departure by the time they reached the courtyard as Peppermint chased her about, trying to persuade her to eat something before she left. She refused all offers, so he settled for slipping a few rations in her satchel, including dried meat and crackers as well as a bit of yellow cheese.
"Can't we just wait another day, Princess?" Cinnamon Bun asked, stumbling as he tried to keep up with her brisk pace.
"I'm afraid not." She said shortly, her face set in determination as she made her way down the paved path that cut through the courtyard. The horses whinnied and scuffed their hooves as they waited up ahead, cutting their eyes at the pair as they approached.
"But… We've barely been home a day!" He protested weakly. She stopped in front of her horse, reaching up and touching the large animal's soft nose and stroking gently, calming him.
"And we were commissioned a day ago. Or were you too drunk to remember?" She asked, disapproval lacing her tone as she turned her head to look at him, frowning. He blushed at that, casting his eyes downward to look at his feet.
"Ah… Well, I uh…" He mumbled uncomfortably, shuffling about in a rather awkward manner. Satisfied with his silence, she climbed up onto her steed with ease, a picture of regality as she sat upright on the saddle.
The pair rode off shortly after, their stallions' hooves slapping the pavement as her people emerged from their homes to come out and wave her off. She rode on past them, out beyond the castle gates and onto the long winding trail ahead. The sun went from hanging high in the sky to sinking low near the ground, dwindling on the edge of the hills as they went on, Bubblegum studying the map in her hands and directing them to the right when they came to a fork in the road. The further they went, the land became more arid and dusty, until it was all together barren aside from the forest of dead trees up ahead, their gnarled black branches reaching out to them and skyward. Animals and insects grew fewer as they pushed on, not even a squirrel venturing into the territory beyond the last living weed. Along the way she could see a few bones stuck in the mud, bits of flesh still clinging to them as if they were still somewhat fresh.
Just as night threatened to plunge them into darkness, they arrived at the outskirts of a tiny village consisting of a church house and a few pitiful looking shack like houses, seemingly void of life. Confused, the princess took out the map once more, inspecting it carefully, tracing the path they had taken with her finger and murmuring to herself. Cinnamon Bun guided his horse to her side, his own beady eyes studying the old, tattered piece of parchment before looking up at her confused, then frustrated pink face.
"I don't understand... I followed the map precisely; this is where the red X is marked!" She said, looking up again at the desolate little town.
"I dunno… maybe they're all inside?" The pastry suggested with a shrug. Sighing, she nudged her mount with the heel of her shoe, urging him to trot forward and take her into the village. Her apprentice followed shortly after, falling in behind her and looking around for any sign of the inhabitants.
It quickly became obvious that the village had been abandoned for quite some time. All the windows were dark, some of them broken or cracked, the wood the houses were built from looking as if they had been rotting away for a while. Some of the roofs had even caved in, ugly black scorch marks marring the side of the church house's backside as if there had been a fire a long time ago. This only furthered the princess's anger, a flush rising to her cheeks as she realized she had been tricked. She knew the old man's shady behavior should have been enough to tip her off that something was amiss. She needed to stop being so quick to further her reputation, especially if it was going to get her in a situation like the one at hand…
"What should we do, Princess?" Cinnamon Bun asked, breaking her out of thoughts. Sighing, she dismounted from her horse and dusted herself off, taking the reins in her hand so as to guide him.
"We should rest here for the night and then head home in the morning." She concluded without much deliberation.
"We have torches we could light…" He muttered, looking around fearfully at the deserted homes. Bubblegum smiled a little at his almost comical distress.
"We're more likely to be attacked in the dark, alone on the path where we can't see around us. We're not exactly well-liked among the creatures of the night, and I wouldn't want to challenge fate." She stated, tethering her horse to the sturdiest post she could find. Cinnamon Bun seemed to agree with her, because when she looked back at him, he was busying himself by clearing out a spot for them to sleep inside one of the buildings, tossing rubble out into the dirt street and coughing as years' worth of dust rose in the air.
Before long, the pair had a small flame started up in the fireplace of the little house the pastry had picked out for them to settle in. Bubblegum found the food Peppermint Butler had slipped into her satchel, dividing it up between herself and her apprentice, who gobbled it down in a heartbeat, licking the crumbs from his fingers with ardor. The two sat in silence for quite a while, until her companion was fast asleep on the rickety floor, snoring loudly as she stared outside, thinking about the old man. Try as hard as she may, she couldn't think of a reason for why he would lie to her, unless it was to lure her away from the castle. Perhaps he had been hired by the Duke of Nuts, so he could infiltrate her castle while she was away and get into her pudding supply...
There was a creak in the wood off to her right, catching her attention so that she lifted her head and turned to locate the source. It had been on the opposite side of the room from where Cinnamon Bun lay sleeping, closer to the door than anything, but when she looked for it there was nothing there. Not a mouse, or even a cockroach on the floor, much less something large enough to make the floorboards groan that way. Dismissing it as the type of noise old houses tended to make, she went back to her thoughts, surmising she would wake her apprentice as soon as the sun's earliest rays touched the land. Running a hand through her hair, she shed her cloak and lay back on it, using it as a makeshift pillow so as to achieve at least some rest before they departed later on. Her eyes began to slide shut as she watched the empty doorway, when suddenly something moved outside, a figure dashing through the darkness.
She sat bolt upright then, eyes flying wide open as she reached for her sword and ran outside. The sound woke up Cinnamon Bun, causing him to scramble up to his feet clumsily as the princess searched about with sharp eyes, trying to find something even slightly amiss. She stood there for quite some time, her feet spread apart in a fighting stance as she scoured the night for whatever it was that had caught her attention. All around her was still, everything the same as when they had left it earlier, not even a pebble stirred on the ground. And yet the horses, who were tethered nearby, were shifting around anxiously, scuffing their hooves against the ground and looking around as if something dangerous were lurking nearby. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle as she searched the little buildings from afar, feeling as though something were watching her that she couldn't see, hear, or touch.
"What is it, Princess? Is everything alright? What happened?" Her ward asked in a panic, stumbling outside with his dagger in hand. She didn't answer him for a moment, continuing to scope out the bleak backdrop before turning to face him. Just as she opened her mouth to answer his question, a board that had been leaning up against the house fell over, the horses whinnying in terror and rearing up as something large shot past them and off toward the forest line up ahead.
"There!" She yelled, pointing as she took off after it, barely pausing to sheath her sword and produce a small knife from her satchel.
"But the horses-!" He yelled, running to them.
"They're too frightened; they'll just buck us off!" She called back, weaving between the first of the trees. She took care to mark her way as she went, slashing at dead bark so as to find her way back. Even if the village could not be explained, there was a chance that her powerful prey may not have been a part of the lie. Just the thought of getting a crack at such a creature thrilled her to no end, making her more excited to hunt than she had been in quite a long time.
Whatever it was up ahead was running fast, just close enough she could see it, but far enough she couldn't make out any distinguishing features other than the fact it was large. It weaved through the trees expertly, not breaking its stride even as branches snagged her clothes and cut her cheeks, something she had grown used to when chasing things into forests all the time. She jumped over dead piles of rotten wood and fallen trees, dodging particularly thick branches that threatened to catch her throat and or midriff. She nearly tripped once, almost swearing that a hand had reached up and grabbed her foot, but when she glanced back all she saw was a suspiciously hand shaped root sprouting up from the ground. Shaking it off, she continued her chase, panting harshly as she came hurtling out into a graveyard.
Up ahead, standing at the top of a hill was a large humanoid creature, a crescent moon shining brightly at its back. The princess stared up at it, narrowing her eyes and drawing her sword, ready for battle as the creature's body shifted and changed, giving way to a much more feminine shape. It was hard to see her very well, other than the fact she had exceptionally long, dark hair, which flowed out behind her in long flame like tendrils.
"So we meet again, Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum, monster killer and beast slayer extraordinaire… I must say, I thought you'd look a little tougher than the last time I saw you and not quite so pink." The woman taunted, her voice ringing out through the night.
"Looks can be deceiving." The princess called back. When the figure moved, Bonnibel readied herself to close the distance between them and make the first blow, but found herself rooted. Looking down, she realized two boney hands were gripping her ankles, undead legions digging their way up from the ground. She grit her teeth as an army of half rotten men, women and children emerged from their earthen graves all around her while she hacked viciously at her skeletal captor's hands, chopping them clean off at the wrists. A wicked laugh split the thick night air as the princess swung and stabbed at the masses of undead around her, heads rolling and limbs severed from bodies all about the ground.
"Cinnamon Bun!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, gasping and panting as she fought the unending waves of corpses. Through a gap in the stinking bodies, she saw him break through the tree line in an explosion of branches and thorns, dagger drawn as he ran screaming toward her. The two fought vigorously, hands clawing at them and jaws trying to close around any part of them within reach. Just when Bubblegum was sure they would be overtaken by the horde, all movement stopped, blank, eyeball-less sockets staring at them before their body's began to fall apart before them. Shocked, the sweaty, bruised and scratched princess turned to the hill, looking for who she assumed was Marceline, only to find that she wasn't there.
A/N: This is gonna be a three-shot with sex in the next chapter, so keep your eyes peeled for the other two installments coming soon. ALSO, if this is reported for inappropriate content, you can always find it on my adult fanfiction account linked in my profile.