A/N: First of all, if you're reading this, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy it. It's been a while since I've attempted writing anything of this scale, so I hope you'll excuse any rustiness. In any event, the summary should give you a good idea of where the story is going. I'd also like to note that each chapter will be done from a different character's point of view (similar to the "Song of Ice and Fire" series). Thanks again for reading, and enjoy!
I don't own Adventure Time, or any of the characters.
"This is gonna be the best adventure EVER!"
Finn could hardly contain his excitement. In truth, the 15-year-old boy never tended to wear his passion anywhere but his sleeve, but something felt different about today. There was just something in the way that Peebles had talked about the mission that got him all jazzed up. Or maybe it was just gas from breakfast…he couldn't be sure.
"Jake are you ready to go yet?" Finn was almost done packing the most important supplies: snacks. Sandwiches for me, sandwiches for Jake…did PB say something about Marceline coming along? Maybe I ought to bring something red…
Finn could see the late-morning sunlight begin to shine through the shades of the treehouse, casting a gentle light upon the carpet over which he currently occupied himself. Scanning his eyes around the large den he was situated in, he went through the mental checklist that he had come to rely on over the years. Let's see…nothing left on the couch, nothing left in the kitchen, and my sword…Situated above the room's assortment of wooden furniture was an empty sword rack. Finn started for a moment, until he felt something squirm around his arm. Oh, that's right: grass sword. Radical!
"Calm down, man. We don't want to come back from an adventure and have a pile of dirty dishes," came the response from the kitchen. Finn could hear the run of the faucet as his brother finished up washing the dishes they had used for breakfast.
"Well, can't we just get BMO to do it?" Finn had finally finished packing and was making for the front door. In the end, he decided against packing anything for Marceline; she'd probably have her own stuff if she decided to come along. Besides, I might accidentally bring something green again…
"I dunno man…remember the last time? When we left BMO alone with dishes, half of them ended up broken and he painted some weird faces on the other half."
"It was to free their souls!" BMO had climbed up into the main room, "But, now they are better."
"I'm tellin you man, weeeeeeird stuff while we're gone," said Jake as he walked out of the kitchen. "Anyway, I'm all done the dishes, so we can go if you're-"
"Awwwwwwww YEAH." Finn grabbed Jake as he cut him off, forgoing the ladder to the lower floor and jumping down instead. It would take a little while to get over to the Candy Kingdom, and he couldn't wait to hear more about the mission they were about to go on. Running through piles of gold and various other loot, Finn made his way to the front door. Bursting through the old wooden portal, the boy was greeted by familiar emerald hills beneath an inviting azure sky. The perfect day for an adventure!
"Whoa whoa whoa dude, what's got you so excited?" Jake had finally managed to wrest his hand free of Finn's excited grasp, though not before his arm had been stretched a significant distance, "I mean, this isn't exactly the first mission PB has ever sent us on. It hasn't even been a long time since she asked us to do something."
"I…I'm not sure," Finn responded, slowing down slightly, but still walking briskly in the direction of the Candy Kingdom, "just a feeling I have."
"Are you sure that's not just gas from breakfast?" the dog responded.
"Nah, normally when I have gas I can't move this fast."
"Yeah, I guess that's true. Still though, I haven't seen you this pumped about an adventure in a long time."
"Ha ha, yeah, I guess you're right!" Finn thought about some of the things they had been asked to do over the past few months. A few simple deliveries, some soil samples from different parts of Ooo, babysitting some candy kids…nothing to really get the adventurer's spirit going. Really, there was nothing about what Prubbles had actually said that would lead anyone to believe the mission was anything special, but there was an unmistakable feeling in Finn's gut. More often than not, his gut was right. At least when it came to adventure.
"Hey Jake, do you think you can get us to the castle a little bit faster?" Finn turned to ask his companion.
"Sure thing, buddy," came the response. Before long, the boy was on the back of a dog roughly twenty times his size, crossing the plains of Ooo with relative ease. The Candy Castle soon came into view, its spire thrusting up in the distance, forming a familiar skyline on the horizon. Grinning, Finn leaned forward in anticipation, urging Jake onward with the heels of his shoes.
The Candy Kingdom appeared to be the same as ever: long candy streets stretched past quiet candy houses, candy people milling about their everyday tasks. It was the picture of peace and simplicity that Finn had come to expect. While he was an adventurer to the core, Finn was always comforted by the fact that the dangers he faced elsewhere rarely made their way inside the sugary walls of the kingdom. Passing by gum drops and a few loitering banana guards, the two made their way towards the castle. Before long, Finn and Jake had reached the entrance, and were greeted by a familiar face.
"Greetings, Jake the Dog and Finn the Human," Peppermint Butler gave a polite bow as he spoke, "M'lady awaits your arrival."
"Awesome! Let's go!" Finn ran off to the audience chamber, leaving Jake and Peppermint Butler in his wake.
"Yo, man. Wait for me!" Jake called out from behind.
Finn could hear Jake's footsteps closing in behind him as he burst open the doors to the throne room. The room was surprisingly empty, save for the princess herself and a few hooded figures. Finn took a momentary pause in the doorway to look over the others. Hmm, that's strange, he thought, inspecting the cloaked band, I don't think I've ever seen them before. The cloaks were six in total, and had the general size and shape of candy people. Still, there was something different about them, something Finn couldn't quite put his finger on.
While Finn stood contemplating the scene, Jake came up beside him.
"Yo Princess, we're here!" Jake called out, snapping Finn back from his thoughts.
Princess Bubblegum looked up from her conversation with the strangers and gave a nod. "Finn, Jake. Thank you for coming," she said as she walked towards the duo, "We can get started soon now."
The pink princess led Finn and Jake towards the center of the throne room. Once again, Finn found himself by the cloaked assembly. The six had turned to follow the movements of the other three, but all that was visible were the shadows the cowls cast over their faces. The boy made a face, and decided that those things were really starting to weird him out. "Hey Peebs, what's up with those guys over there?"
Princess Bubblegum seemed to barely notice the question as she ascended to her throne. "Oh, them? I'll explain in a minute." She looked around the chamber like she was still waiting for someone. Finn couldn't help but notice that she seemed more distracted than usual. Her face was slightly than he remembered, and her eyes seemed listless, as if she had been losing sleep. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that she was nervous about something.
Before Finn had a chance to voice any of his concerns, the lights in the palace blinked and went dim. One by one, the curtains in the throne room shut, allowing only the slightest bit of light to pass through into the area. A chill ran through the room, and Finn swore he could feel something brush past him. As if by instinct, the coil of grass around Finn's arm manifested itself into a blade, its owner similarly preparing himself for a battle.
"Princess, look out!" Finn yelled. But before he could move an inch, the dim outline of the princess could be seen flying away from her throne, and landing ungraciously on the ground a few feet away. Finn stepped forward. "Who are you?" He demanded.
A high-pitched laugh echoed throughout the hall. Finn had begun to tense up, but upon hearing the laughter he relaxed his stance. The lights in the throne room began to slowly come back up, and Finn started to laugh as the grass blade once more coiled around his arm. "Marceline!"
"Wow, you dweebs really looked petrified," came a voice. Torn jeans and a flannel shirt appeared to hover effortlessly above Princess Bubblegum's throne as the vampire queen phased back into the physical plane. "I thought I had taught you better than that."
"Aww, we weren't scared," replied Jake, his head poking out from underneath Finn's hat. "You just caught us by surprise is all."
"Yeah, whatever," Marceline retorted, floating down towards the rest of the group, "So PB, what's this all about?"
Princess Bubblegum quietly stood up and brushed herself off. Walking back over to her throne, she sat down and addressed the three in front of her, "Finn, Jake, Marceline, I'm glad you're here."
Finn could tell he wasn't the only one in the room who was shocked by the princess's composure. Normally when Marceline embarrassed her in public, she at least turned a different shade of pink. Even Marceline seemed surprised, or at the very least mildly disappointed, that her tricks failed to elicit a rise out of the princess. Something is definitely donking with the princess right now. I wonder what it could be.
The princess continued, "I know you are all probably wondering why I summoned you here today." She stood up and began to pace in front of her throne, "Well, the truth is, I have a mission for you. In fact, it might be the most important task I've asked anyone to do ever."
I knew it! Finn began to squirm back and forth, barely able to contain his excitement. For a moment, he forgot how weird the princess had been acting, and was overcome with a lust for adventure.
"Whoa, I don't remember volunteering to be one of your lackeys," Marceline's face widened into a fanged grimace, folding her arms. "Aren't the wonder twins here normally enough for whatever errands you need run?"
"Yes, but this is different," Bubblegum replied, stopping to address Marceline. "You're the only other one who…that doesn't matter right now." The princess broke her gaze and resumed her pacing, leaving Marceline with a quizzical expression, "Look, this is really important, and I think you owe me. Remember Hambo?"
Marceline's pale skin flushed crimson, and she looked down at the floor. "Ugh, fine. What's the deal?"
"Right," continued Bubblegum, "As I'm sure all of you are aware, I have been scouting areas throughout Ooo for potential candy colonization sites. The Candy Kingdom is doing just fine, but we need to expand our civilization if we ever hope to heal the scars left by the Mushroom War. Well, after months of searching, I'm happy to say that I think I've finally found the perfect spot."
If the princess was actually happy, Finn couldn't really see it on her face. Then again, Prubs was never exactly an easy one to read. Something about being older than he was, probably. I'm sure she's fine, Finn thought to himself, Besides, how could anyone be upset about the biggest adventure ever!?
Bubblegum walked over to the rest of the group, spreading a map out across the floor. The parchment was clearly a map of Ooo, with certain locations circled. Finn, Jake, and Marceline leaned in as the princess began to explain.
"Here are the places we've taken soil samples from," she explained, pointing to the circles, "I've analyzed the samples, and I think we can rule out here, here, and here." Princess Bubblegum motioned to three places on the map. "However, I have calculated our odds of success here, and I think it's the place to go." She pointed to a spot in the middle of the badlands. Finn thought he could remember collecting samples there, but everything had kind of run together since the incident with James.
James…Finn still hadn't forgotten the visit to the Desert of Wonders. Sure, PB had made a new James, but the memory of the old one, weird as he was, still haunted him. How could he have been so helpless that the only chance was for PB to sacrifice the life of someone else? He was the hero…if anyone was gonna sacrifice themselves, it should have been him. Finn closed his eyes and clinched his fist. This time, I'll be prepared.
Princess Bubblegum's voice forced Finn back into the moment. "So, I need you guys, my three most trusted buds, to help me start a colony there."
"Start a colony?" the three questioned in unison.
"Yes, that's correct," Bubblegum replied, not seeming bothered by the incredulous looks on the faces of her three friends.
"How on Ooo are we supposed to do that?" Marceline asked. Finn began to wonder if whatever Marcy owed PB would be enough to get her to come with. He, on the other hand, was every bit as excited as he was before. Any misgivings he had had about James were dissolved when Finn remembered the words "important," task," and "ever" had been used together in the same sentence. The fact that he had no idea how to do that thing she just asked only served to make it more of an adventure.
"Don't worry, that's why I made these guys," said the princess. As if on cue, the hooded figures walked over and stood in front of the throne. "Guys, I want you to meet the colony crew."
The six figures removed their hoods, revealing the faces hidden underneath the cowls. The twelve white eyes that stared toward Finn were identical in every way he could see. The new candy people appeared to be chocolate cookies sandwiching some sort of white filling, and were indistinguishable from each other. The only thing each of the colony crew had in its possession, aside from a cloak, was a brown backpack. Without the slightest shift, the six stood still as soldiers, seemingly seeing nothing.
"I created the colony crew for the express purpose of expanding my empire," the princess said, "Now that we have the Spoon of Prosperity, we have the resources to colonize a new area without threat of using up the supplies right here in the kingdom. These guys were made with bits of my own DNA, so they know exactly what to do to start a new colony."
"So….why do we need to go?" Jake asked.
"Unfortunately, these little guys are scientists, not fighters, so I need you all to protect them," Bubblegum responded.
"All right, escort quest!" Finn exclaimed. Escort quests were always exciting, especially when he got to go with a premade party.
"Do these guys even talk?" Marceline asked.
"No," replied Bubblegum, "I specifically designed them not to talk, so they can't reveal any secrets of candy development. If such knowledge fell into wrong hands, it could be disastrous."
"All right, sounds good," said Finn. He hadn't really heard anything past "escort quest," and was tired of the instructions. He turned towards Jake and Marceline, who were still studying the map that PB had laid out. Suddenly, Marceline jerked back with a start, a confused look on her face. She turned to face the princess.
"Hold on a second, isn't this the same place where-"
"No," Bubblegum cut off the vampire. The two locked eyes for a moment, but Marceline eventually looked away. "It's a wasteland that hasn't been inhabited in quite some time," PB finished quietly. Marceline scowled, but made no move to respond. Whatever PB did for Marceline must have been a super big deal.
"Anyway, I need you guys to escort the colony crew to this site, and protect them while they establish a colony," Bubblegum continued, "They'll know when it's ready, and then you can contact me with the communicator crystal. The Spoon of Prosperity should keep you supplied until then."
"This sounds like an awful lot…are you sure we're qualified?" Jake asked, still looking over the map, "I mean, don't you normally come with us on stuff like this?"
"I have…other stuff…to do." Princess Bubblegum sounded even more uncomfortable than before. Still, Finn had enough excitement for all four of them.
"C'mon Jake, it'll be fun! We've done tons of escort missions before; we'll even have Marceline with us! Let's get going!"
"Ok man, if you say so," Jake responded, and headed towards the door. While the princess was talking, the colony crew had also made its way to the exit of the chamber. Silently, Marceline floated towards the assembling company. She stopped and looked back at Finn, then over to PB. Finn thought Marceline would still be upset about Bubblegum cutting her off, but she looked more…concerned than angry. It wasn't an expression he was used to seeing on the vampire queen. He looked up at Bubblegum, who was now standing beside him.
She almost looks sad. Do the two of them know something?
Princess Bubblegum shifted her gaze towards the windows. The curtains were still drawn to keep the sunlight off of Marceline, but she looked at them as if she could see through the fabric to contemplate the lands beyond.
"Finn, I…" she started, putting her hand on the young boy's shoulder. "This journey will be dangerous, and-"
"Say no more, Princess!" Finn responded, taking Bubblegum's hand in his while turning towards her. No matter what Peebs and Marceline are all worked up about, an adventure is an adventure! Can't let her be all worried about me.
"We'll definitely protect your colonization peeps."
The princess's face creased into the first smile Finn had seen from her all day. Taking her hands back, she leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. Finn blushed and let loose a nervous giggle.
"Just come back safe, hero," Bubblegum implored
"You know it!" Finn responded, and turned to join the rest of the group.
A/N: So that's chapter 1! I know it starts out kind of slow, but I hope I gave you all enough to whet your appetite! Please consider leaving a review, and thanks again for reading!
In case you were wondering, the next chapter will be from Bubblegum's POV. Maybe we'll even find out why she was acting all weird and junk!
