Author's Note: Hey everyone. So, this is my first fanfic story and I'm definitely excited to see what everyone has to think about my perspective of everything.
This Story picks up right at the end of the episode 'Hot to the Touch' and branches off into its own thing. While this may seem like a FinnxFlamePrincess based story, I think if you stick around you'll see that I'll be giving all the major couplings a chance in this.
I won't hold you all up any longer, without further adieu I present to you, Of Candy, Fire, and Undeath.
CHAPTER 1: Burnt
As he watched her flickering image disappear, eyes still watering from the scorched skin on his left cheek, Finn had to fight back the crushing hopelessness that threatened to consume him. He would not give up that easily. He said he was willing to defy the forces of nature for her and he would keep his word.
Resolve giving him new strength, he jumped down from the wreckage of his fireproof-robo-suit, ready to act but not sure what to do.
I need to find Jake. It was the first thing that popped into his head, and it seemed like a good first step. He'll probably know what to do. Impatient to act, Finn yelled out to his bro and ran in a random direction without waiting for a response.
Before Finn could go more than several yards, a group of admiring and grateful goblins came out of nowhere and ambushed him.
"Oh, thank you! Thank you! You saved our kingdom!"
"Our hero! You defeated that horrible fire demon!"
At that last remark Finn's face turned a slightly redder color but no one could tell on account of how burnt he was.
"Huh? Wait no, I-I didn't- she's not-"
"We must celebrate!"
"Ya! A feast for our savior!" All the goblins joined in, and started ushering Finn to the Goblin Palace.
"No! Stop- I have to-" Just then Jake appeared, stretched over the crowd and scooped up Finn. "Jake! Let's get out of here."
"Hey, what's the rush bro? These goblin-folk are giving us a feast. There could be ice cream!"
"No man, we gotta go. Hurry!" Jake gave Finn a confused look but gave in.
"Alright Finn," Jake stretched one hundred feet tall and carried Finn out of the Goblin Kingdom, much to the disappointment of the excited goblin citizens.
"Hey, so what happened with Flame Princess? Why'd all the fire just suddenly go out?" Finn looked down, sad from the thought of Flame Princess leaving.
"She's gone,"
"Gone? Wait... you mean.. Gone-gone?"
"What? No! She left, she thinks I'm a water elemental and that we can't be together 'cause we'll just hurt each other."
"She ain't far off man."
"What should I do Jake? I really like her."
Finn watched Jake as he thought, hoping he'd have an idea. "Hmm.." Jake's expression changed, Finn noticed.
"What? What are you thinking? Tell me Jake!"
"Weeellll... I don't know how this would really work, but when I went to the Fire Kingdom, Flambo cast some kind of spell on me that protected me from fire. He might know something that could help."
Finn's face lit up, "That's perfect! He can just cast that spell on me and then Flame Princess and I can be together!" He put on a big grin and then winced in pain from stretching his burnt face.
"Don't get too excited Finn. The spell only lasted like fifteen minutes."
"He might know some other spell though. Hurry, let's find him."
Jake stretched his face backwards so he could look at him, "That's gonna have to wait, those burns look serious Finn. Let's go see PB real fast so she can heal you up."
"No way dude! I'm fine we gotta find Flambo first!"
"It'll be quick man, I promise. Plus, PB might know where he is." Finn was clearly not okay with the idea, but agreed it might be for the best.
At the Candy Kingdom Palace, Finn and Jake found Princess Bubblegum in one of her less used dungeon labs. When they walked in she was surrounded by a vast number of variously sized vials and beakers, what looked to be candy flesh and, Finn noticed, what looked to be one of PB's teeth.
"PB! We need your help!" PB paused in what she was doing and turned to greet her two friends.
"Finn. Jake. How are you guys? I was just about to- Finn? What happened to your face?" Finn could feel his face get warmer.
"Well, that's actually one of the reasons we came here Princess. You see, Finn here managed to get half his face burned up." Jake gestured to his buddy's blackened left cheek.
"I can see that, and it looks like the same goes for his arms, shoulder, and neck... How did you manage that?"
"It's a long story Princess." Finn was feeling strangely impatient. He wanted nothing more than to get out of there, find Flambo, solve this whole dilemma, and hug Flame Princess again. Oh glob, I really miss her don't I...
"Well lucky you have me around. This will just take a moment." PB went over to a long counter, opened up a couple drawers and took out three different containers. "Sit down Finn." He did as he was told.
PB opened the first container and started coating a soothing, sticky cream over his burns. "So what else brings you here? You said your burns were only one of the reasons," Finn fidgeted. His impatience, coupled with his nervousness at PB being so close to him, was making him extremely uncomfortable.
When Finn did not answer right away, PB looked at Jake with an eyebrow raised. "It hurts when he talks," Jake said casually, "the other reason we came here was to see if you knew where we could find Flambo."
"Hmm," PB finished applying the cream, opened the second container and started sprinkling a little crystal-like powder that looked kinda like salt onto the cream. Almost at once the area where the cream and powder mixed started to feel warm... and really itchy. Instinctively, Finn reached up to scratch but PB grabbed his hand with hers to stop him.
"Sorry, I forgot to warn you. Do NOT scratch." After what felt like much too long for Finn, PB finally let go of his hand and continued sprinkling the powder. "I'm sorry Jake I don't know where he would be, he's always roaming around in one place or another. Your guess is as good as mine."
Jake looked unsurprised, but Finn's expression showed obvious disappointment. Seeing this, PB offered, "Maybe I could still be of some help though. What is it you wanted Flambo for?" PB, finished with the powder, closed the second container and opened the last one. She pulled out a little spongy cloth, dipped it into the liquid in the last container and started wiping off the crusty shell that had formed on Finn's face, shoulder and arms.
"Well, we were hoping he might know something about fire resistance. You see-"
"Oh, yes I understand. You are hoping to find some way to avoid this," she gestured to Finn's wounds, "from happening again." As the crusty shell came off, Finn noticed that all of his wounds were healed, while he still ached a bit, he looked brand new.
"MATHMATICAL! That's crazy PB! I'm completely healed up!" Bubblegum gave Finn a small smile at his reaction as she closed the last container and returned all three to their drawers.
"Thank you Finn, it's a little remedy I've had around for a while. I usually use it to treat acid burns, but it seems to work alright with fire burns too. Now as for fire resistance, other than scarring yourself into a giant callous, I think I may know of a few things that could help you." Finn's attention perked up then. Jake came over and started marveling at Finn's healed face, poking and pulling at his cheek and arm.
"That's way Banaynay man."
Finn moved away from Jake and faced PB. "Princess, do you know of any way that I can be protected from being burned for long periods of time?"
"Well of course I do, all you need is a Stability Band."
Finn looked at Jake, who just shrugged, "Don't look at me, man. PB never makes much sense to me."
"What's a Stability Band?"
At that, PB giggled. "You don't know what that is? Silly Finn. A Stability Band controls the affecting conditions applied to the wearer, in essence minimizing the requirements for the body to maintain homeostasis." PB gave a sweet smile.
Finn and Jake just gaped at her, totally at a loss. PB just sighed, "It keeps the wearer from getting too hot or too cold, among other things. I give them to my ambassadors to other kingdoms whose environments are normally deadly to our kind."
"Oh..." Finn and Jake both made the connection of how this would be helpful. PB smiled again, "you guys can be so cute," she turned and headed for the door, "Follow me."
Finn, excited at their progress, did a happy flip to the door. Jake stretched in a loop over to the door and they both followed Princess Bubblegum up the stairs.
PB led them to a small storage room just off one of the secondary halls, it was a room Finn and Jake had passed many times before but had never been very interested in investigating.
"Here we are, one Band of Stability." PB pulled out what looked like a wide, short, red pipe made of cloth.
"How am I supposed to use that?..." Finn hadn't the slightest clue what it was, it looked completely bizarre to him.
"It's a bracer, silly. You strap it around your forearm, like this." PB demonstrated, wrapping the red cloth around her left forearm and fastening it down.
"OH. I understand, it's like a piece of armor." Realization dawned on Finn. He glanced to his right at Jake, "Hey Princess, can you make that two Stability Bands, I think Jake might need one too."
"Nah, Finn don't bother I'll just end up forgetting I have it on while stretching and accidentally break it."
PB handed Finn the red bracer then and Finn tried it on. As soon as it was strapped on Finn could feel it, the air around him felt more comfortable, warmer. It had been a cold night after all. "But then what will you do, Jake?"
"Jake can just have my Stability Ball," PB interrupted, "It does the same thing only it has to be carried. If Jake just stretches it into his stomach he'll be fine."
"Alright!" Finn was so happy and excited! Everything was working out perfectly! He and Jake were ready to go get Flame Princess in a matter of a couple hours! "Flame Princess here I come!"
PB froze.
"Finn, did you just say Flame Princess?" PB's voice was quiet and slightly menacing. Her back was turned to them from when she had been rummaging to get the Stability Ball.
Uncomfortable, Finn looked at Jake who just face-palmed himself.
"Finn! Are you planning to go into the Fire Kingdom? Is that why you were..." PB's voiced trailed off as she put it all the clues together; the placement of the burns on Finn, Flame Princess, fire resistance. She spun around and glared at Finn. "You hugged the Flame Princess didn't you!" She looked absolutely furious.
Finn was completely taken aback. "Y-yes, I did. W-what's wr-wrong Princess?" What is going on?
PB marched over and planted herself right in front of Finn and looked him straight in the eyes, "YOU STAY AWAY FROM THAT FEIRY SHE-WITCH." She reached over and grabbed the Stability Band on Finn's arm and started pulling it off of him.
Author's ending note: Cliffhangers and I have a love-hate relationship...
OK. Soo this being my first chap submission I want all those pessimists, trolls, and people who are unhappy with their lives out there to go ahead and rip this to shreds as much as you want, and then those people who have something constructive to say can go ahead and give me some tips tell me what was good and what was not.
If anyone has any plot ideas or things they'd like to see, don't be shy. I won't bite.
SHOUT OUT TO MY AWESOME BETA: Lady DestinyHope. = very helpful.
That's all.
Vech out.