His arm was gone. Definitely gone. Not even the little flower that born six years ago nor the grass that covered his stump.
Sad end. He fell on the ground with a mortal wound. He couldn't die, at least not like this. As the hero he was, he got himself in his knees and lifted up his head to see right into the eyes of his rival when the cold steel finished his life. What he saw was enough to kill him.
A warrior of dark-brown armor was holding the grass sword, engulfed in flames. Finn couldn't see the face of the warrior, just a shadow with long hair floating along with the wind. The warrior lifted the sword, ready to finish the task.
"Wake up!"
"Wha...?"
"Finn, wake up! You are drooling in my shoulder!" complained Princess Bubblegum.
There was no way Bubblegum could escape from that gross experience since the both of them were traveling in The Morrow towards the Fire Kingdom.
"Uh... I'm sorry Peebles" said Finn with a sleepy voice and a yawn, "I didn't sleep too well last night. I... keep having weird dreams..."
"The warrior ones?"
"Yes. Do you think that I'm dreaming this so often could mean something?"
"Well, ancient scientists and psychologists tried to find out a way to interpret dreams, like messages from our subconscious. But I find their methods very questionable. But... has the Cosmic Owl appeared on them?" she asked.
"Nope. They just... happen, like any other dream. Just that I have dreamed that for two weeks now"
"Then I don't think you need to worry about it. Or at least that's what people says... Look we are almost there" she said, pointing at the entrance of the subterranean kingdom where seconds later landed The Morrow.
They put on their fireproof suits and entered in the Fire Kingdom.
When they arrived to the castle, they were received once more by Flame King's knight, Cinnamon Bun. They were escorted by the knight through several halls until they arrived to a chamber where the Flame King was laying in a stone bed while an old fire woman was practicing some kind of ritual on her, expelling incense and making strange chants.
"Why is that woman here? What is she doing?" asked Princess Bubblegum, infuriated. "That kind of practices could make her health worse than it is already. They don't follow a method, they don't do empiric observations. I thought..."
"Princess, while you are in this kingdom you must respect its rules and traditions" replied Cinnamon Bun. "Flint, Flame Princess's brother, found out about her condition during the breakfast and demanded she was taken here, with the witch Kala. She has treated the Royal Family in their worst diseases since centuries ago. You will respect that while you are here. Besides, I don't think you want to begin an incident that could lead to war, do you?"
The princess gave a death stare at Cinnamon Bun, both surprised and even more infuriated, mainly because he was right in his late statement. She didn't said anything.
"Pieces are moving..." mumbled the old woman to herself, "Please, everybody in this room need to gather around me. I have something important to tell you about the little Ailen..."
"Ailen? Is she called...?" asked Finn.
"That's how the witch calls her since she was a baby. I don't know if it's her real name, but she always smiles when she hears Kala calling her like that" said Cinnamon Bun while he, Finn, Princess Bubblegum and Flame Princess's brother approached to the old woman.
"So what? Are you going to tell us how to magically cure her? How to summon the spirits that are gonna clean her vital essence?" asked Bubblegum sarcastically to Kala.
"I've seen people like you" said Kala. "Data sorcerers. Too much brain. You seem to ignore the fact that the heart is the one who keeps the mind alive. And after all, is her heart what is in danger here and now" she said, calmly
"My data can save her life! My data can do something about it! Your beliefs can't help her. They have no foundation!"
"Then I think you have come here with the solution, don't you?"
"I have a theory" Bubblegum stressed, "And that's more than you could ever get"
"Mind to share it?"
"Of course! Flame Princess? Can you come here? I have a theory about your sickness"
"It better be the right one or I swear I will caramelize you with my own fire" said the fiery girl, approaching to the group of people.
"It's simple. You need a heart transplant. You only need a young donor that have died recently and bingo! No more problems"
"That's impossible" replied Flint, "Our laws strictly forbid to use someone else's organs. Individuality cannot be violated. You take what life gives you, like it or not"
"Bull gunk!" yelled Princess Bubblegum, "You people can't be so dogmatic!"
"Princess, I told you to respect the laws and traditions of this kingdom while you are in it" said Cinnamon Bun.
"Well, darling, it seems like your theory is not going to help as you thought. I'm sorry" said Kala, nonchalantly and smiling, "Besides, she can't get any heart in this kingdom or any other. Little Ailen's heart is unique, something even I haven't seen, just heard. The only way to save her is going to the Behram Temple"
"The Behram Temple?" asked Flint, surprised, "I thought it was just a legend"
"Fantastic! More magic!" exclaimed Bubblegum.
"Wait, what is the Behram Temple?" asked Flame Princess.
"How? You don't know about it?" inquired Kala
"Mom... mom never got to tell her the story" replied Flint.
Kala sighed. "Sometimes I forget how deprived your childhood was, my little girl" she said, saddened for those same memories that the young king preferred to not bring back. Both of them shared furtive tears in their eyes.
"Many centuries ago..." began the priestess, "...existed the first generation of fire elementals. They were the most powerful fire elementals that ever existed. They were kind and lovable people. When the first of them died, they emigrated from their original place to here. But first, they created the temple, in honor to that first member of such a powerful race. In the Behram Temple you can find the purest fire that have ever existed, the fire of our older ancestors: the Roaz family. It has the physical form of our hearts. Some say the Roaz blood remains in some inhabitants of this kingdom, but nobody is sure"
"Wait!" said Bubblegum, "So, there's a heart in this temple? A real elemental matrix? And we can transplant it to her?"
"Whatever you want to call it. Yes, there is"
"Awesome! For once your kind of people are useful. Where's this temple?"
"Nobody knows" said Flint, "By the time we find it... it could be too late" he said.
Flame Princess put her hands on her chest, feeling how all her hope was going away in little pieces.
"I know where it is"
Everyone in the room stared at Cinnamon Bun.
"You... how?" asked Flame Princess
"I investigated. When I arrived here, I tried to learn everything I could about this kingdom and its culture. I went to the Royal Library and, reading some books, I could determine where the Behram Temple could exactly be"
Flame Princess ran to her friend and gave him a tight hug. "You've saved me, Cinnamon Bun"
"Not yet, my princess. There's still a lot of things to do" he said tenderly, and then separated from her. "According to what I could find, the road to the temple is full of dangers. Only the bravest warriors can get to there. Only a fearless heart can defy and overcome the tramps and dangers of that place"
"Then I should go" said Finn with a serious expression. Everyone stared at him, just like they stared before at Cinnamon Bun. "I'm a hero. I'm the bravest hero here. I've defeated the most deadly foes in these lands. There's nothing that can stop me". Finn walked towards Flame Princess and took her hands. "Much less if that saves your life" he said, looking at her eyes. The king smiled at his determination.
"That's just what I wanted you to say, Finn" said Cinnamon Bun, putting his hand in the human's shoulder and Finn smiled. "We sail today before dusk. Get ready" and the knight left.
"You two are the best persons I could ever met. I couldn't have better friends than you" said Flame Princess, before hugging both CB and Finn.
Finn's smile faded away.
"Why? Why always him? Why has he to put himself between me and her? I'm sick of him!" muttered Finn, walking alone by one of the corridors of the castle. "This is my opportunity. This is the chance I've been waiting for years. And he has to ruin it! Again! I swear I wouldn't mind to..."
He felt something powerful growing inside of him, but it was wrong. He then looked at his arm, his right arm telekinetic arm, going through his fireproof suit but without damaging it. It appeared and it had big thorns coming out of it. He was scared of his own thoughts; those that leaded his arm to appear in such a way. He calmed himself, managing to make disappear his arm some seconds later.
The human sat on the ground and leaned against the wall; he closed his eyes and tried to ignore every thought he had in his mind at that time.
"Is it hard, isn't it? The struggle of fighting yourself"
Finn opened his eyes when he heard that voice and saw the old priestess in front of him.
"Mistress Kala" he exclaimed and got up on his feet, "Why you say that?"
"I've lived too many years. I know exactly how does it look when your own demons try to kill your reason and use your skin as their disguise. Tell me, young man, what is bothering you?"
"Bothering me? Nothing!" he responded, stoically, "Nothing can hurt me. I'm a hero. I'm tough. I am... I am..." he began to stutter when Kala, smiling, was giving him a stare of 'I don't believe you'.
"I am..." he sighed, defeated. "I'm not sure if I can do this, ok? I waited so long for a chance like this and now... I don't know if I have what is needed to accomplish this mission. I've been acting like a big poo brain and I can't stop it. Save her life. Can I do it?"
"You shouldn't ask me if you can do it, young man. You should ask to yourself: why not could I do it? When you have the response for that, you will able do anything. Tell me: are you going to save my little Ailen?"
Finn looked at her, perplexed, overwhelmed by the confidence she was putting on him with her smile. But he was determined, he said it before and he meant it. "Yes, mistress Kala. I'm going to save her"
"In that case..." Kala took out some sparkly dust from one of the bags she was carrying around with herself and blow it from her hand to Finn, making him cough, "...my blessings for you, young knight" and she went away.
Finn took out his phone from his back pack and called Jake.
"Jake? Are you in the tree house? I need you to bring me my adventure pack to the Fire Kingdom. Yes, the Fire Kingdom. I got another... I think I got another chance with her"
(The night before, far away from the Fire Kingdom)
"What do you mean she's not in jail? And what do you mean she's lost?" yelled the king.
"We... I... I don't know what to say, your Majesty. We were on our duty when, suddenly, we felt sleepy and nobody of us could resist it. By the time we woke up, she was not there"
"Do you understand the dangerous situation we are facing right now?" inquired the King, "She's out there! She could be doing anything! Glob forbid she finds the..."
A thunderous explosion cut his words. Two walls and half of the roof of the office were destroyed. The king flew away, fell on his side and crawled to the wall, breathing heavily. Between the fog of the destruction and the fire, he could see a familiar shape approaching to him.
"Hello, father. Did you miss me?"
"No... Please, darling, don't do it"
"I've waited too many years to claim what is mine by right!" she yelled, "And if I can't do it by the law, I'll do it by the arms"
In that moment, a dozen of armed men entered in the room, surrounding the women there, who seemed to be the leader. "Arrest him"
Two of the men took the king in custody and lifted him from the ground. The leader of the armed men approached to him.
"Tell me where is she and you won't suffer... too much"
The king didn't spoke, but his stare screamed delusion disguised as anger.
"I'm so sorry, father" she said, taking his crown and throwing it away by the giant hole in the wall. "Take him to the prison. Now, nobody can stop the rise of my empire. The Slime Empire"
"Your Majesty" said a soldier, approaching to the new ruler, "Our men and tanks are ready. Where are we going to strike first?"
"Let's hurt some prides" she said with a smile. "We march to the Candy Kingdom in a few hours"
A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who left a review in the first chapter. This one is way shorter than I wanted it to be but I think it works. The next one is somewhat short too but I expect the fourth to be at least 3k words.
Again, thank you for reading. Leave a review, give follow if you want to know how this evolves before anyone else, tell your friends about this story. Eat good, eat healthy. See you!
Grammar correction: April 2nd, 2015