"Hey Jake, we're almost to the Ice Kingdom, get ready to eat your words," Finn grinned.
"If we can see it from there it doesn't mean you win the bet, because it's not over until we get to Lumpy Space."
"Humph," Finn pouted.
Jake made his way easily up to the Ice King's fortress at the very top of the Ice Kingdom, and stepped inside with Finn on his back ready to attack the Ice King as soon as he appeared.
"WAAAAHH!" they screamed together.
Finn and Jake looked around for the Ice King but he was nowhere to be found, even Gunter was missing...
"Hmmm... Guess the Ice King had to run some errands?" Jake asked Finn.
"I don't know homie, something doesn't feel right..."
Finn and Jake looked around the Ice Castle and then looked back at each other.
"Dude Jake, I think we should look around for Ice King. Something about this place is giving me the creeps."
"Yeah man, I got the same vibes."
Finn and Jake took their time and looked over the entire Ice Fortress and finally came upon the Ice Kings' room - the only place left to look.
"Look Finn, I'm just as freaked out as you, but there is NO WAY I'm going into the Ice Kings' room. Ain't gonna happen."
"Come on Jake, this is the last place, he's gotta be in here. We'll just take a peek and then leave. It'll take 30 seconds."
Jake looked Finn in the eyes and gave him a slight nod. Finn looked at the icy door knob and gave it a slow turn as he pushed on the door. The door opened ever so slightly and they peeked into the room from the other side. The two of them looked around the room and saw a messy bed recently used, a dresser with all the drawers hanging loose with blue robes poking out of them, a lamp with the shade missing and penguin feathers scattered across the floor.
"Man, Ice King is a SLOB! No wonder he can't get ladies..." Jake hesitated.
"Shhhh man, he still might be in here, keep it down!" hushed Finn.
Finn and Jake slowly made their way into the room and looked around.
"Dude Finn, Ice King's not here either. This is starting to freak me out..."
"Hey what's this?" Finn asked, holding what was in his hands out for Jake to see.
"Looks like white fur and red fabric... What do you think he's doing with that?"
"I dunno man, but the longer we stay here the more I feel like we should leave," Finn said looking around suspiciously.
"Ok then, let's blow this popsicle stand."
"Oh wait!" said Finn as he ran to the window. "Heck yes! You can totally see our Christmas decorations from here!"
"Hey, hey, hey, you haven't won this bet yet Finn, so don't be counting your chickens before they hatch."
"Yeah I know, I just wanted to rub it in that I was totally right."
"Ok sure, now let's get going to the portal so we can leave."
"Hahaha, ok man. Let's rock and roll."
Finn jumped onto Jake's back and made their way to the forest where they would find the portal to Lumpy Space.
"no No NO!" came Princess Bubblegum's voice from her bedroom. She was looking out on her balcony watching Jake's long legs run towards the forest. "Finn and Jake are obviously going on an adventure! Just two days away from my ball! What if they aren't back in time for..." her voice trailed off. "Oh well." She sighed, "As long as they get back in time. The Candy Kingdom is so boring without the two of them here..."
The Princess rested her dainty hands on the balcony, then placed her face on her hands and heaved a sigh. "Oh Finn, what am I going to do with you..."
Bubblegum looked at the pitch black sky and gave a long yawn. "Well, it's very late I really should go to bed." The Princess left her balcony and started heading into her room. Just as she opened the drapes to enter, she looked back at the silhouette of Jake and Finn. "Please be careful, and please make it on time..." she whispered to herself. She closed her long drapes and plopped herself onto her bed. "I do worry about you guys so when you put yourselves in danger..." The Princess let out her last sigh, and then found herself peacefully sleeping in her dreams.
Jake and Finn were closing in on the portal as Finn jumped off of Jake's back onto the soft ground of the forest.
"Hey man, I swear that portal was here the last time we used it," said Jake.
"Dude DON'T MOVE!" screamed Finn. Jake froze mid step and looked at Finn.
"Look where you're about to step!"
Jake looked down to see a frog on top of a toadstool.
"Oh... Good thing you stopped me."
Finn let out a small chuckle, "Yeah, otherwise we'd never get to Lumpy Space."
The frog let out a low croak, "PASSWORD."
"WHATEVER IT'S 2011!" shouted Finn, arms waving above his head.
"PASSWORD ACCEPTED," croaked the frog.
As soon as he had finished, the frogs long tongue came and wrapped themselves around Finn and Jake and pulled them into the portal located in the frogs stomach.
"Hey... Jake."
"Yeah Finn?" Jake answered as they were swirling through time and space, making their way to Lumpy Space.
"Do you think that we'll make it back in time for Princess Bubblegums' ball?"
"Is that even a real question? We'll go talk to LSP and then we'll come back. We're still going to have an entire day before the ball even starts," Jake said, rolling his eyes.
"Haha, yeah, you're right. I'm just being stupid and worrying all the chiz."
"Yeah, this adventure isn't even going to take more than a couple hours."
Finn gave Jake a toothy smile to Jake as they both headed to Lumpy Space quite confidently.
The next morning was the day before the ball and Princess Bubblegum was looking over the dance hall to make sure everything was going to be perfect for the following night.
"Yes, yes. Everything is just as it should be. The decorations are perfect, the sculptures are in place and everything sparkles with red and green." The Princess looked around at the beautiful dance hall and felt a rush of pride sweep over her, knowing that it would take everyone's breath away with just one look. She made her way to the end of the hall and suddenly realized that she had forgotten that she watched Finn and Jake leave last night. "I should go see if they've come home... So that I can make sure thy'll be at my ball tomorrow." The Princess turned on her heel and exited the castle, making her way to Finn and Jake's tree house.
Bubblegum had been over to the tree house many times before, especially for movie nights. But today the thought of going to Finn and Jakes' house made her slightly... nervous. She suddenly had a rush of worry sweep over her and she started to pick up her pace.
"Wait," she thought to herself. "This is silly. Why am I so worried? There is simply no reason for me to worry." But her feet wouldn't listen to her reason; they seemed to be moving even faster, completely ignoring what she was telling them. She looked down the road at the tree house and her feelings got even worse. Bubblegum frowned. "Alright, I'll trust my feet." She suddenly spotted a dark figure in the middle of the road and was stopped by a ragged old tree witch blocking her way.
"Please move tree witch! I just have an awful feeling about Finn and Jake and I have to get to their house soon!" Bubblegum pleaded.
The tree witch stood unmoving and hiding her face but somehow the princess knew she was looking right at her.
"Please! I need to get there now!" She sounded almost insane. But just as she finished, the witch let out a low hiss.
"The one you seek is in great peril, my Princess... The success with this mission he is on will not only determine his success with you, my Princess... but also the survival of the Candy Kingdom and all of Ooo... If he should fail not only will he die, but all of Ooo will simply not be able to survive... His love for his friends and for you will determine the fate of Ooo... Princess... Do not forsake your feelings..."
With that, the witch disappeared in a rush of wind, leaving the princess standing alone in the dirt road and wondering just what the message had meant. "Don't forsake my feelings...? What is that supposed to mean?" She was about to turn around to head to the tree house when Peppermint Butler was suddenly exactly where the witch had been standing just seconds before.
"My Princess, you know you're not supposed to be out here alone. As your butler, I insist you go back to the Castle... Now," he said angrily.
"But I know something just awful-" the Princess stammered.
"NOW, please princess. I'm sorry, but I insist you leave now. I promise you I will personally check on Finn and Jake to see if they are alright."
The Princess mulled over the proposition and finally agreed to go back to the castle. She headed back by herself, believing that Peppermint Butler was going to check on Finn and Jake.
"Something's not right here..." she thought to herself. "I'll have to try again tonight while Peppermint Butler is asleep."