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Author's note: I am in no way associated with Adventure Time. I do not own any characters or otherwise. This is the first story I have ever submitted anywhere, and also my first fanfiction, AT or otherwise. Please feel free to PM or comment or whatever, and be as mean/harsh as you want. It won't bother me.
"JAKE!" What the plop are you doing?!" shouted Finn the human, watching as his dog and best friend, Jake, sat on the couch playing a video game.
"I'm playin' Beemo, can't ya see?" Now ssshh, I'm goin' for the high score." Jake waved impatiently and immediately turned his attention back to the screen.
"Dude, didn't you listen to me!?" Finn's voice rose to an even greater volume. "There's a flippin' huge mean pumpkin monster in Candy Kingdom going around snapping peeps up! We gotta go stop it!" He jumped up and down, gesticulating furiously at Jake.
"Eh, maybe later," said the dog, yawning, "I don't really feel like it right now… Kinda tired."
"What is up with you, man?" Finn's anger was building. Jake had never been quite as adventurous and excitable as Finn, but his apathy had been getting worse lately. He refused to move, except for the most serious problems and even then Finn wound up doing most of the work. Finn was getting tired of it, and even though Jake was his best friend (and his brother, technically), he couldn't take it anymore.
"Mhm, cool," said Jake, oblivious.
Finn strode decisively across the room and pushed Beemo's power button, shutting down Jake's game.
Jake looked up, outraged. "Glob, Finn, I was almost gonna get a high score," he whined, "Now I have to start all over…" He stretched his arm out to press the power button and restart the game, too lazy to get up off the couch to do so, but Finn slapped his hand away.
The only other time Finn had gotten truly angry at his friend, it had also been over a video game. He and Jake had been doing intense physical training to defeat a powerful enemy called the Farm- a feat which would earn them tremendous respect and bragging rights- but Jake had decided it was more important to maintain his high rank in Compy's Castle. Finn had smashed the game and started a huge fight- the only time he had ever actually tried to hurt his bro. They had soon patched things up after having a dream about how to beat The Farm, and then using what they'd learned to defeat him, but this time was different. Finn was far angrier this time, and the reason was simple: Princess Bubblegum was in danger.
Bonnibel Bubblegum was the beautiful ruler of the Candy Kingdom, and although Finn had given up on her as a potential girlfriend (and was perfectly happy with Flame Princess), he still harbored some feelings for her. He still felt the need to protect her at all costs, although that might have just been his heroic nature.
"NO!" said Finn, PB's about to be eaten by a pumpkin and we have to save her!" He grabbed Beemo so Jake couldn't make another stab at the button. "Now get off your lazy buns and come on!"
"Whoa, dude, chill," said Jake calmly, "PB knows how to take care of herself. She'll probably just brew up some science thing and blow the pumpkin up or melt it or somethin'."
"You just don't give a crud anymore, do you?" Finn yelled, "You don't care about adventuring or being a hero! You just wanna sit on your stupid, lazy butt and play stupid pointless games all day! You're useless, you know that! I'm sick of it, man, sick!" Finn was breathing heavily, his eyes beginning to bulge.
"OK," said Jake, finally standing up, "I'm gonna go stay with Lady for a while." Lady Rainicorn was Jake's girlfriend and he often went to stay with her to escape his problems at home.
"Don't even bother coming back! I plopping HATE you!" Finn shouted. "I don't ever wanna see you again you stupid, worthless MUTT!"
"Fine!" Jake snapped hotly, "I don't need you anyway. You're always making everything so heavy, man. It's messin' me up." His arm stretched up the stairs and came back clutching Jake's viola. With that, he turned his back on Finn and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
Finn stood there in shock and anger, not yet comprehending what had just happened. What he had just done. Not realizing that the price of goodbye could be terrible…
His mind gave a sudden jolt and he remembered the trouble in the Candy Kingdom. He ran out the door, grabbing his pack and sword on the way, and sped off for Princess Bubblegum's domain.
He saw the kingdom approaching and could smell the sweet scent wafting from its sugary architecture. This was one of his favorite smells- it always lifted his spirits and cleared his head. It wafted from the buildings, the large bubbles blown by the massive Gumball Guardians which floated around the kingdom like clouds at all times, and from the cotton candy trees. Even the people smelled like this, as they were all made of candy too. Finn ran through the town, seeing the destruction the pumpkin had caused. Houses were smashed in, the ground had been ripped up in places, and most tellingly of all there was no one in sight.
Finn reached the castle and ran through what remained of the pretzel gates and ran into the courtyard to find a sight that chilled him to the core.
Princess Bubblegum was dangling high above the ground by her long pink hair, which was clasped in the powerful orange claw of the pumpkin beast. She screamed as it opened its great maw and bellowed, preparing to drop her in and snap her.
"PB!" Finn shrieked, and rushed forward, sword in hand. "Let her go, you big freak!" He began hacking furiously at the pumpkin's legs, but even his powerful demonic sword bounced ineffectively off the pumpkin's tough hide. What the plum, thought Finn, why won't this work?"
Another scream rent the air. Finn turned just in time to see the pumpkin, surprised by the sudden attack, let go of the princess. Finn saw her fall in slow motion and caught her in the nick of time. Relief flooded through him, though his foe had yet to be defeated. "Hi princess," he said, grinning.
"Finn, what took you so long? This pumpkin has been eating my citizens!" Just then, the pumpkin inserted one of the Banana Guards (Princess Bubblegum's personal guards and the closest thing to a police force in all of Ooo) into its mouth while the rest of stabbed at it in vain, shattering their spears.
"No time, how do we kill it?" asked Finn.
"Oh," said PB, taken aback, "Well, I have developed a serum that should crack the pumpkin's candy armor… Oh Glob, why did I give him that? I should've tested his mental stability before I let him go loose… I mean, look at what happened with Lemongrab. Perhaps if I could perform some more tests on this pumpkin, I-"
"Princess!" Finn yelled, "How does it work!?"
"Hmm?" The princess, lost in thought, had briefly forgotten the plan. "Right… There is a flaw in the armor near the pumpkin's stem. We'll have to pour the serum on that exact spot or it'll just roll off. I tried to do it when he grabbed me, but I dropped the bottle." She pointed to a beaker of acid green fluid on the ground nearby. "Perhaps now you're here, Jake can stretch you up…" PB paused and looked around, realizing the dog wasn't there. "Finn, where is Jake?"
Finn's heart sank. He had managed to forget about the fight, lost as he was in the thrill of adventure. He tried to sound casual and unconcerned, "He couldn't make it. Just a little under the weather, but he'll be fine soon enough."
There was no way he could tell her the truth now, when she and her people were in danger. He hoped she would believe him, hoped he had sounded convincing enough. Bubblegum's face expressed concern, which Finn took as a good sign.
"Pity. I hope he gets well soon. But now we must find a way to get my serum up there…" Bubblegum fell silent, lost in thought again. Finn could practically hear her brain whirring. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw the solution.
A muscular cupcake was sprinting across the square toward the pumpkin. He was Mr. Cupcake, one of the princess's most loyal subjects. Finn would have to act quickly.
"Mr. Cupcake! Yo! Over here," said Finn, waving the confection over. Mr. Cupcake stopped abruptly, turned, and saw Finn beckoning him over.
"Finn the human! How may I be of assistance, good sir?" He bowed deeply, his formal nature getting the best of him even in the midst of crisis.
"I need you to throw me on top of that pumpkin," said Finn, indicating the orange behemoth which was now busily gnawing on the side of a building. "I've got some kind of science-y stuff that PB made to dump on it." Finn ran over and grabbed the bottle.
Mr. Cupcake nodded. "Ah yes, nasty piece of work is that," he said, and without further ado grabbed Finn by the ankles, spun around, and hurled the human at the pumpkin. Finn barely managed to grab the stem and steady himself. He scanned the pumpkin's armor, his eyes darting over the impregnable surface, until he located a miniscule crack just visible at the base of the stem. He uncorked the bottle and emptied the bright green fluid on top of the crack, hoping enough would seep in.
Almost immediately, the armor began to melt away, exposing soft yellow flesh beneath. Finn jumped off the pumpkin to the ground and snatched his sword. He sliced the beast's legs off and sprang aside as it came crashing down.
"Bleeeeaaaaarrgh!" screamed Finn as he lifted his sword and plunged its glowing blade deep into the pumpkin. He tore a huge hole in the monster's side and several candy people spilled out, covered in disgusting yellow-orange slime.
Finn's adrenaline began to ebb and his knees gave way. He almost collapsed to the ground, but before he could, Princess Bubblegum swept him into a tight hug. She kissed him on the cheek and exclaimed, "My hero! How can I ever repay you for what you have done?"
"Don't worry about it," said Finn, struggling to free himself from PB's arms. Under different circumstances, he would have given anything for this kind of attention (especially from Princess Bubblegum), but reality had begun to take hold of him again, and his spirits had sunk. "I just need to go back home…" The dejection in his voice was obvious.
The princess set him down. "Finn, what's wrong?" she asked, truly concerned for her friend and hero.
"Nothing!" snapped Finn and instantly regretted it. "Sorry, princess. I didn't mean to yell… But I need to go."
"OK, Finn. You're welcome anytime if you need to talk."
"Thanks," said Finn. He turned back toward home, shoulders slumped.
Princess Bubblegum watched him go with tears in her eyes.