As his breathing regained its normal meter, I contemplated my options. Fireproof as I was, I knew better than to anger an uncontrollable Fire elemental; even my blood could boil. So, I waited for him to awaken. He looked utterly pathetic, and I laughed at his state. He seemed to bee regaining consciousness very slowly, and as the minutes ticked by, the rain appeased. It lightened up, leaving the newly formed night below. The wind, however, still blew cold, and the prince was extremely burdened by the frigid gale. Nevertheless, as what I assumed to be an hour ticked by, his colors began to reignite themselves, his hair became weak flame dancing on his head, and his eyes, which I assumed to be a bold red, soon opened. I was wrong; they were a burnt sienna with specks of black all throughout the irises.
"What…" he grumbled. I snickered and allowed my hand to firmly assault his face. He sat, in utter shock, undoubtedly angry at my ability to touch his now smoldering skin. I showed him hand and its burn-free surface, and he bit back a curse.
"You," I said plainly. "What happened between you and Fionna?"
"Fionna…?" he mumbled, still taken aback by my slap. "Oh, you must mean that damned girl…"
"What happened?" I repeated, impatiently tapping my foot.
"It is none of your business," he spat harshly. He finally seemed healthy again, as his body burned brighter, leaving my ghostly white skin even paler in comparison. He seemed to note this, and gloatingly smirked. "Go back to that little hovel, why don't you?" he turned and headed onward in the direction he was heading; to the border of the Grasslands and the Fire Kingdom. I kicked my feet up, hovering after him, deciding not to let him off so easily.
"See now," I said, appearing before him, causing the adolescent to stop. "Fionna happens to be a close personal friend of mine, while you," I spared one tragic look away from his eyes to completely observe him, "are not in the least bit important to either me or her. So," I barred my teeth, and he flinched away from the sight, "I suggest Flame Boy plays nicely, or else that Red might just disappear…" I narrowed my eyes and smirked. The prince flinched again, and groaned. I stumbled against a wet tree stump—which hissed in pathetic protest—and slid down to the dirt ground. I kicked my feet up and reclined in midair, not allowing the stupid kid to forget exactly who I was.
"She… she came to our court. Or, well, her Baroness did. She completely messed everything up, and my mother—Flame Queen—ordered her to leave. Then…" he tried to explain to me how "Fionna" had murdered Cake, when I know for a fact that it was false, seeing Cake at the tree house, and knowing Fionna on any personal level.
"Well, lemme tell you know," I said. "Fionna, is not a princess, nor a queen, or a duchess, or any other form of royalty. Fionna is Fionna. Now, seeing as you acted extremely rude, and you hit her—you better be glad I like her, or else I would have killed you already—I do believe that she deserves an apology from you. Now."
"How would you plan to force a Fire elemental to do anything?"
"Apologize. Now." I smirked. Flame Prince grimaced at the view of Fionna in her pajamas, who sat on the sofa in her living room, Cake angry beside her, and a flustered BMO, whose face was stuck on pause. While my shirt had singed itself into nonexistence, my skin remained cool; that seemed to anger the prince the most.
"I'm sorry." He spat. He attempted to stand from the chair I had forced him into, until my hand rested upon his shoulder, and a low hiss emitted from my mouth. He squirmed; I wanted to laugh so badly.
"Do it better," I warned. He swallowed hard, and locked eyes with the girl.
I saw it then. The shine in his eyes when he finally looked at her. It was the same look I imagined I had had on my face when I met Fionna, and undoubtedly, when Gumball met her as well. His mouth hung open a bit, as his face, an already bright orange, glowed a more vivid red. Cake saw it too, and stifled a laugh into her paw. I shot her a look of upmost disgust, and tightened my grip on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Fionna," Flame Prince finally stuttered. Fionna herself seemed nonplussed by the looks Flame Prince had upon his face. She nodded and accepted his apology, and offered a chance to start over. He muttered something about that being a splendid idea, and allowed himself to be hoisted away by me, who, to my dismay, felt the awful feeling in my stomach.
As I flew Flame Prince as fast as I could over the Fire Kingdom, slinging him harshly at the castle doors and speeding off towards my own cavernous home, I felt it. The utterly horrible feeling I had assured myself that I would never feel. The feeling I had, unfortunately, failed in never feeling, as Gumball had assured of that. As I slammed my door shut behind me, not caring for the broken picture frame on the floor, or that I had stomped in without the faintest clue as to what to do next, that I resolved into my couch, feeling that gut-wrenching feeling I hated so much.
That I loved Fionna was not a question, but a certainty; I only doubted my ability to be unique in this feeling.