Adventure Time Fan Fic
"A Girl Named Galatea"
Ch. 1, Chess with a Madman
"Your move man."
Princess Bubblegum sat patiently as the Old Royal Tart Toter examined the Chess board. He couldn't see or hear, but he could feel where each piece was. His sticky hands gently touched the tops of each tiny figurine, giving him a layout of the battlefield.
The two sat facing each other at a square wooden table in the breakfast room of Bubblegum's Cabin. On the Tart Toter's right was a closed window that looked over a large, caramel lake. Beyond the lake was a field of tall, yellow sweet grass. The Candy Kingdom could be seen off in the distance, lighting up the horizon like a fallen star that had crashed into the Earth. Bubblegum rarely glimpsed at it.
The moon could also be seen from the window. It was full that night, and it was flooding the kitchen with it's soft, white luminescence. The light poured over the table that Princess Bubblegum and the Tart Toter were sitting at, illuminating the candy chess board and it's tiny, bite-sized pieces.
After what seemed like a whole minute, he finally made his move. "A3 to C4." Said the sticky old gingerbread man whilst planting his white chocolate knight on a dark chocolate tile. As he leaned back in his chair, Princess Bubblegum leaned in to look at the board.
He was a surprisingly good opponent, the Old Tart Toter, better than most chess players in the Candy Kingdom. It seemed as if, locked away in that crazed, crusty, corroded, comically confounded mind of his, he had a secret knack for quick strategy making. Maybe that's why he was able to break out of the Candy Asylum so many times.
PB scratched her head as she looked over the tiny battlefield. The majority of her long, bright pink hair cascaded down her back while her front bangs hung over her shoulders, as usual. That night, she choose to wear a red, short sleeved, crochet flower blouse with dark blue women's jeans, which was unusual. Well, for royalty anyway. Regardless, it looked good on Princess Bubblegum.
After a brief internal debate, Princess Bubblegum finally decided to use the bishop she had been keeping in reserve. She moved it from C8 to F5. Then, she picked up a walnut from the bowl she kept by the right side of the board and threw it at the Old Tart Toter's head. A gentle indication that it was his turn.
According to the Toter, security at the Candy Asylum had become much more lax since The King of Ooooooo got elected princess. A LOT of things in the Candy Kingdom had become more lax since that con-artist got elected princess. Still, the candy people loved him, and they would continue to love him as long as he could speak.
The Royal Tart Toter picked up his queen and plopped it right down on tile G3. Things just got real. He was in a prime position to take out Princess Bubblegum's knight which, up until now, had been instrumental in her plan to score a checkmate. She decided she should focus more on the game. Still, PB couldn't stop thinking about the King of Ooooooo and the Candy Kingdom.
It was hard for Princess Bubblegum, watching another person rule her kingdom. She had spent literally centuries building it up, only to have it stolen by some dill weed in a semi-legal-election. All that time, all that work, all those poor, dumb, candy people...
Now, Princess Bubblegum winced whenever she heard news from there. For her, the whole experience was like watching a toddler walk a tightrope over a shark tank. And her "toddler" wasn't even wearing any floaties. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Finn and Jake were still protecting the Candy Kingdom. Them, along with the Gumball Guardians and Rattleballs. Still, they could only do so much. Without her guidance, the candy people might...
Princess Bubblegum snapped back to reality. She totally zoned out there, completely forgot about the game! She hadn't even made her move yet. PB looked at the board for second, then moved her rook up from A8 to A5. She picked up a walnut from the bowl on the table and was about to throw it when...she stopped.
The Old Royal Tart Toter was zoned out too! He was looking out the window on his right. Princess Bubblegum wondered what he was staring at. He was as blind as a bat, yet he seemed to be fixated on the moon. It was full tonight, and his moist eyes were reflecting its pale glow.
"She's coming."
Said the Royal Tart Toter.
"What?"
Asked a confused Princess Bubblegum.
"She's coming."
"Who's coming?"
"Galatea."
"Who's Galatea?"
The Old Royal Tart Toter continued to stare out the window, his dead eyes fixed on the moon. Slowly, he turned his face back toward Princess Bubblegum, his constricted gumdrop pupils re-dilating. A long silence passed. Then he smiled. "Forgive me Princess, I totes zoned out there for a moment." PB just sat staring at him. "Is it my turn again? Oh!"
The Old Tart Toter leaned over the table and started touching the pieces with his sticky hands again. After a quick moment of consideration, he moved his rook from H1 to H8. "Checkmate. I win." Princess Bubblegum continued to stare at him. After a while, she looked down at the board. "...Hmmm...so you have."
The Old Royal Tart Toter got up from his chair and began to walk toward the door. Automatically, Princess Bubblegum got up to help him. Holding his hand, she led him out of the kitchen and into the vestibule. A single red lampshade covered sconce illuminated the area. Guided by touch, the Tart Toter found the old wooden box kept by the umbrella bucket near the entrance.
Reaching inside the box, the Tart Toter pulled out the live squirrel and chicken that he often carried with him. After reattaching them to his sticky hands, he began to walk out the door that Princess Bubblegum had opened for him. As the Tart Toter was passing out, PB reached out and put her hand on the his shoulder. He stopped, turned, and smiled.
"Goodnight Princess."
"Goodnight Charles."
After the Tart Toter had left, Princess Bubblegum went back into the kitchen, packed up the candy chess board, cleaned off the table, and poured herself a tall, cold, glass of milk. Peppermint Butler had gone out dancing earlier, so she was by herself tonight. That was ok though. PB had gotten used to cleaning up after herself.
As she sat down at the table again, Princess Bubblegum looked out the window. Her kingdom still stood off in the distance, annoyingly bright against the nighttime sky. Hanging above it was the moon, glowing with an eery pale light.