Chapter 3. Quest In-Progress

Finn held the ears on his hat down he hid behind a large rock. He peered over it and surveyed the landscape, he was in a small clearing outside of a cave, as he looked in he strained to hear any signs of life as he his stamina bar refilled. All he could hear was the rushing of water, he let out a sigh to steady himself, and stood to sprint into the cave, leaping into the mouth and from rock to rock once he reached the water. As he leapt, he had to admit that the Vampire Queen had picked quite a peaceful place to live, even if it was quite secluded.

His lips turned up slightly into a smile as the small house that she called home came into view. None of the automatic torches were on, so that meant that she was most likely not home yet, meaning he could run in and search for what he needed and hopefully get out just as quickly as he came. With a quick breath out, he leapt from the last rock and reached her door, he took one quick look around the cave, noting a small waterfall that seemed to come from nowhere behind the house. He then faced forward again, and looked at the door, extremely nervous to enter. He had never broken into another players house, that wasn't what heroes did, but he needed this apple, or his character would just get hurt more and more. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and entered.

….

It was dark in the house he noticed that quite quickly, before he took another step in and the game's automatic torches lit themselves. He noted that they were quite dim, and were closer to a golden yellow than the pure white that lit his own house. He looked around, looking at a red couch in the room, which he stood away from and tried to focus on finding the white apple. He looked all around the first and second floor, quite awkward as he entered The Vampire Queen's room, but found no chest where an apple may be kept. As he climbed down the ladder to the first floor, he noticed a kitchen, and face-palmed.

"Why didn't I just look there first?"

He said to himself with a sigh. He entered and noticed a refrigerator.

"A fridge? She must have won a contest. Can't buy those with in-game credits."

He said to himself as he approached it. He opened it and to his shock, there were more than five apples standing there. Four of them a brilliant crimson red, and one glorious, pure, snow white apple. He reached in and grabbed it, a grin on his face, which promptly dropped as his fingers closer around it, and he felt another gamer log in, his heightened perception picking up on it immediately.

"Oh my glob."

He took the apple in his hand and watched as it quickly dematerialized and he felt a weight added to his green backpack. He then looked up as he heard footsteps coming his way, he looked around, and dove towards a corner of the room, the farthest from the door he could. He huddled up there, making himself as small as he possibly could. As he heard the steps coming even closer, he peeked his head out from his crouched scrunched up position and got a glimpse of the character walking into the room. he held his breath as he watched Marceline walk into the kitchen and head directly to her fridge. He winced inwardly, trying to not show any movement at all. As he hid, he noticed that she was dressed in fairly normal clothing. A red shirt, blue jeans, and a sun hat, which made sense considering. He thought to himself,

'I wonder how she fights, when she can't go out in the sun. I guess that she just waits till sundown.'

His thoughts were interrupted by a foot tapping. He paled and realized that as he was thinking he had loosened up and his legs had slid out, making him much easier to see. Marceline was staring right at him, crimson eyes blazing with the ferocity of a red sun.

"What. Are you doing. in my house?"

She spat angrily. He let out a squeak.

"I uh. Uhm. I'm.. Sorry!"

He stood and sprinted away, not looking back when she shouted after him. He dashed out of the door and started leaping from rock to rock, almost tripping as a sanguine battle axe buried itself next to his foot. He leapt to a closeby rock and stopped to turn around, spying Marceline floating in the air only twenty feet away."What did you steal, from my house?"

She yelled at him, fists curled.

"N.. nothing you'll miss. Honest!" He yelled back. He couldn't believe how bad he felt about doing it, but the only feeling worse than committing the crime, was getting caught for it.

"It even says on your info that you're a hero class." She scoffed. He frowned and stood.

"I am a hero, there was just no other way to do this."

She laughed.

"Yeah right."

She then raised her hand and he gasped as the axe flew to Marceline. She raised it, showing it to actually be a stringed instrument.

"Tell you what hero weenie, if you can beat me in a fight, i'll let ya go, as well as let you keep whatever it is you stole from me."

Finn frowned and crossed his arms.

" If i won't fight you?"

She smirked.

"I'll go and tell everyone how Finn the Hero is Finn the thief instead, and take the apple from your inventory tonight."

"You wouldn't, couldn't."

"Pfft, hero my sneak and pickpocket are leagues above yours, i could take whatever i wanted from you."

"what's stopping you from doing that even if i win."

"Royals honor."

She said with a cheeky grin, holding up one hand. He groaned.

"Fine."

He pulled his sword out and kept his face straight as she caught sight of his sword and whistled.

"Demon blood huh? Rare. What did you need so badly from me that you just stole it?"

He flushed a deep red.

"N-nevermind that, just be sure to keep your end of the deal!"

She giggled to herself.

"Oh i'll be sure to."

she said softly, hefting the heavy axe with one hand. He leapt forward, brandishing the red sword forward, ready to swing as he closed in on her. Marceline flew backwards quickly as the hero swung his sword, narrowly missing her neck, and swung her axe at him in turn. He twitched his head down, the ears on his hat barely saved from being cut off.

Hitting the ground hard, he grunted in effort as he shot back up, his stamina bar depleting slightly from the effort of it. Marceline looked shocked as Finn shot ten feet into the air, catching the vampire by the collar of her shirt, and throwing all of his weight as he swung his legs over his head and hurled her towards the earth. With her hitting the ground hard, and gasping out in pain, in the air he threw his sword at the source of the noise without looking, and landed with a smile as heard a soft thrum when the sword stuck into the ground. He then fell from the air, landing on the balls of his feet lightly.

He straightened his clothes and was shocked to see just how close had gotten with his throw. The sword stuck in the space between her arm and chest, very close to impaling her. He couldn't help but smile at the incredulous look on her face. His smile feel when she started laughing, he was shocked to say the least.

"That, was the best fight i have had in a long long time."

She stood and grabbed the demon blood sword by the hilt, and tossed it across the 10 foot gap between them, Finn catching it with ease.

"Keep whatever you took. You won fair and square and managed to even put me in my place. "

He smiled at her, and shook his head.

"You put up a good fight, worried me there honestly. My name is Fi-"

"I know who you are Finn the Hero."

He stared at her, shocked, and unsure what exactly she meant. She soon interrupted his thought process.
"Can i ask whatcha took though? I'm curious."

She asked, folding her arms. He chuckled and held his hand out, the apple materializing from his inventory. She looked at it and started laughing, the fit soon sending her to the ground as the cave exploded with mirth. Finn was confused.

"What's so funny?"

She wiped away a tear and sat up, looking the hero in the eye.

"Those are my leftovers, that apple was red until i sucked the color out."

He sighed and blushed.

"I know, i just din't have anywhere else to go and get a white apple alright?"

Marceline shook her head and shrugged.

"Whatever man. Just take it and go."

She said with a chuckle, floating back to her house contentedly. As they passed by each other, she called out softly.

"Oh, and Finn?"

He looked back at her,

"Yeah?"

"See you at School tomorrow."

…..

Finn smiled as he knocked the last troll to the ground, back in the dungeon room he had left before.

"Finally, after all that, just some good old adventuring." He walked to the chest in the center, his smile broad but as he opened the chest, a flash of light emanating from within, it slipped off of his face. Inside the chest sat a single, perfect, white apple.

….