Chapter 7: A Favor
Prince Gumball found out from Nurse Poundcake that Marshall left the Candy Kingdom hospital that night. He left using the window, probably thinking that he would scare the night-shift nurses if he left the traditional way. To Prince's utter surprise, Marshall had fixed the bed. To say that everyone was relieved about the absence of Marshall Lee's presence was an understatement. Before, all the nurses were wary of him. Even the doctors wouldn't come even a hundred feet near his room. The candy patients were more open about their relief. They personally thanked Prince Gumball on getting rid of the "blood sucking monster." Now, many of them were strong enough to wander the halls. The room that Marshall had used was cleaned up and returned back to its original state. Even the cup where the blood had been was cleaned.
Gumball put his pink phone down and heaved a sigh. He noticed that he had been doing that many times lately. He slouched in his chair and placed a hand over his eyes. The last couple of days had been rough on him. First he had to stop the Banana Guards training to rescue all the trapped and injured candy citizens, then he had to stop his operations on the Bubblegum Guardians and had called on an emergency meeting an hour later. Two of his good friends had been injured and had sustained severe wounds. Then he had to find some blood for Marshall because of all the complaints he was receiving. That part was tricky; however, he never would've guessed that out of all the donators, one of his candy subjects was willing to give her blood to help Marshall. Prince Gumball remembered that her name was Fanny and that she was the owner of the store that Fionna and Marshall were shopping in.
Fanny had given up almost a pint of her blood, but with no exchanges. Of course, the kind Gumball couldn't let that sit. He had offered to loan her some of his Banana Guards to help fix her store and replace the clothing that had been destroyed, but she was hearing none of it. Fanny had some extra cash that she had stashed away in case of emergencies and this was one of them. However, with a bit more persuasion, Fanny complied. She gave him a hanger that contained a sky-blue dress that was contained in a translucent bag. Fanny had said to give it to the Fionna, for doing her best in trying to protect her friend. Gumball had offered to pay for it but Fanny denied it and said that it was a gift from her.
The Prince eyed the dress that was hanging on his open closet door. He figured that he could give the dress after Fionna was in full health. Right now, he had to meet someone that he just gotten off the phone with. He had said that he could fix Fionna's burn; however, he wouldn't do it unless Fionna was unconscious. Ever since their breakup, there relationship was rather turbulent. Plus, he hated awkwardness.
The door to his bedroom opened. Peppermint Maid stepped into the room and bowed. "The Flame Prince has arrived, your majesty. He is waiting outside the castle gate."
Gumball stood up. "Excellent and rather quick. Thank you, Peppermint." The Prince followed his maid down the steps to his room and onto the castle courtyard. Gumball could see a bright orange figure, just outside the semi closed gates.
"Flame Prince!" Gumball shouted. Then to the guards: "Open the gates!" The candy decorated gates opened and the Candy Prince rushed towards the Prince of Fire Kingdom. He backed up a couple of feet against the sudden brightness and heat. "Thank you for coming. Now, if you follow me, I can show you where Fionna is staying."
"Is she awake?" Flame Prince asked.
Prince Gumball checked his watch. It was close to eleven. "Not at this time. Plus, I had ordered Nurse Poundcake to make Fionna take some sleeping pills hours before."
Flame Prince nodded. "Right."
Together, they both walked to the hospital.
Fionna dreamed about her ex-boyfriend. In the dream, Flame Prince came to visit her in the hospital. Then for some reason, he placed a comforting hand on her arm and smiled tentatively. Then, Fionna felt a burning sensation on her skin, but, it wasn't painful. It was warm, like being near a fireplace during the winter. It was over too quickly. Even though her relationship with Prince of Fire Kingdom might have not ended too well, Fionna actually thought that it was nice that her ex-boyfriend was there, albeit dream form. She was also glad that no weird feelings resurfaced when seeing him.
The heroine woke up to a gently breeze caressing her face. Her window was open, the curtains drawn. Afternoon sunlight filtered into the room, giving it a pleasant glow. Fionna slowly sat up. Her body ached, but it wasn't too bad. She stretched and sighed. She actually felt a lot better than she had in the beginning.
"Fionna, are you ok?"
The heroine turned her head to see Prince Gumball sitting on a stool, sipping tea.
"Yeah, I'm fine," replied Fionna. "Better than I have in a while."
The Prince smiled and set down the cup next to the unlit lamp and another cup, which he grabbed and handed over to Fionna. "It's Earl Grey tea. It'll help you get through the day."
Fionna eyed the tea, hesitant. She personally never liked to drink tea, whether it was cold or warm. But since Prince Gumball had insisted, she couldn't outright refuse it. Fionna placed the cup to her lips and drank the liquid. The tea tasted like citrus. She drank a little bit more before sitting the cup down back on the table.
"Where's Cake?" she asked.
"She returned home," the prince replied. "She said that she'll be back to visit you later today."
Fionna nodded. "What about Marshall?"
"He left last night."
The news was a shock to Fionna. "What? Where did he go?"
Prince Gumball shrugged daintily. "Back home, I suppose."
Fionna stared down at the bed sheets. Her fingers were crinkling the surface. She couldn't believe that he had left before she even got to see him again. What if Marshall wasn't home but went to the Nightosphere instead? The ball could have already started by now. Marshall could already be dead….Fionna mentally slapped herself. No. She couldn't think like that. She had to hope that Marshall was still alive.
"What are you thinking, Fionna?"
She glanced up. "What?"
"Your face is serious," noted Gumball. "You're only like that when you're thinking or scheming something."
Fionna could feel her face burning. Prince Gumball knew her too well. For a fleeting moment, she was tempted to tell the Prince about the ball and demon clans, but she had made a promise to Marshall, one that she was too honorable to break.
"I'm just thinking of giving Marshall a visit," she replied. "You know after the surgery
Gumball folded his hands together. "That won't be necessary."
Fionna raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You said that I needed skin-grafting."
"I did, however, I called an old friend of yours to help you."
"Who?"
Prince Gumball glanced away sheepishly. "The Flame Prince."
Fionna's whole body stiffened. "W-What?"
"I had decided to make your recovery faster so I called upon the Prince of the Fire Kingdom to heal your burn," Gumball explained. "He came in last night."
Scrambling, Fionna got herself out from the bed and lifted her hospital gown. Prince Gumball gasped and turned away, his face as red as a cherry. "Fionna, honestly! Haven't you ever heard of the word 'decency'?"
The heroine ignored him as she inspected her right hip. It was pale and flawless. She gingerly touched it. Her fingertips felt smooth skin. It was amazing. Her burn had completely disappeared, leaving no scar, as if the wound hadn't been there in the first place. She couldn't believe that a boy whose powers knew nothing but destruction could do something so opposite as healing a person's burn. Fionna dropped her dress and sat back down on the bed. And all this time, she thought that her ex-boyfriend hated her.
Prince Gumball, realizing that Fionna was not showing off her underwear anymore, sat down next to her. "I'm sorry if the Flame Prince's visit upsets you, but I thought that you would be happier with a quick recovery."
Fionna shook her head. "I am happy, PG. It's just that, I didn't even know that the Flame Prince could heal wounds."
"Burns more specifically and yes he can. All members of the royal family have the ability to heal a non-fire user's burn. Although, not many people know this since they use the ability rarely."
"And he was willing to do that for me?" Fionna was taken aback. "I thought he hated me."
Prince Gumball shook his head. "Hate is too strong a word. I know your relationship with the Flame Prince didn't end well but it doesn't mean he hates you. The boy still cares for you, you know."
Fionna blushed at that. She was thankful that the Flame Prince didn't hold some kind of animosity towards her but she knew that she could never gain his trust again for some kind of romantic relationship. They were better off as just being friends.
"Tell him I said 'thanks,'" said Fionna.
"I will." Prince Gumball stood up and picked up something from the next bed. It was a dress inside a transparent bag. "This is for you. It's a gift from Fanny's."
"A gift?" Gumball handed her the bag. Fionna opened it up. The dress was beautiful. The design was simple. It was strapless with a sweetheart diamond studded neckline. It cinched at the waist. But those didn't capture Fionna's attention. The color of the dress was. It started out as a dark blue but the colors gradually lightened as it went down the length of the dress until it was the color of Fionna's eyes. The heroine had never owned anything so stunning.
She swallowed. "I…I can't accept this. It's too much."
"Somehow, I don't think Fanny would give you a refund. I tried paying for it, of course, but she was insistent that you should have it with no charge."
Fionna's fingers felt the dress's skirt. It was smooth like silk and she wondered what it would feel like when she tried it on. If she tried it on.
"When am I supposed to wear this?" she asked.
Prince Gumball shrugged. "A special occasion, a party."
The heroine eyed the dress. It really was beautiful. When she checked out of the hospital, she had to thank Fanny and apologize for ruining the other dress. She probably would have to pay for it too.
Then, as if reading her mind, Gumball said, "Oh and Fanny said not to worry about the other dress you wore. She said she's not charging you for the damage."
"Is she serious?" asked Fionna.
Prince Gumball nodded once more.
Her hands slid down the length of the dress, relishing in the smooth texture. She would have preferred to have gotten a new sword but receiving the dress was nice.
"So, you should be released by this afternoon," Gumball explained. "Nurse Poundcake just needs to check up on you first and then you're free to go." He turned around and handed Fionna her green backpack. "These have your clothes that we retrieved from the store. Your sword is also there as well."
"Thanks, Gumball," said Fionna, grabbing the bag.
Prince Gumball stood up and grabbed the two cups from the table. "I have to go now. There is still much to be fixed in the kingdom."
"How is it, by the way?" Fionna asked.
"40 percent has been fixed. None of my candy subjects have sustained any life-threatening injuries, fortunately."
Relief washed through Fionna. She was glad that none of the candy people were hurt badly. At least one good thing came out of that horrible ordeal. Prince Gumball bid the heroine good-bye one last time before he closed the door.
Fionna was putting on her usual clothes when Cake came in. Her best friend blinked at her in surprise. "Fionna, why aren't you wearin' your hospital gown? Did they do the surgery already?"
Fionna shook her head and briefly explained about the Flame Prince's visit. When she was done explaining, Cake whistled, impressed and astonished. "I didn't know the fire people could do that."
"Neither did I until PG told me."
Fionna tightened the straps to her green backpack. She didn't want to wrinkle the dress by stuffing it into her bag, so she called Nurse Poundcake to call Prince Gumball to have one of his Banana Guards to have it sent to her tree fort. Nurse Poundcake had came in ten minutes before Cake and deemed Fionna healthy enough to be checked out of the hospital. As soon the nurse was gone, Fionna removed her gown and dressed herself in her usual clothes. She planned to visit Marshall today at his house. She didn't care if he was sleeping. Fionna had to make sure that Marshall was still alive.
"Ready to go, Fi?" asked Cake.
With her nod, they both walked out the door. In some rooms Fionna could see candy people confined to their beds wearing casts or bandages. Some were sleeping or awake, but none of them seemed to be worse for wear, which was a relief to Fionna. The heroine was greeted with a hot temperature and a sunny sky outside of the hospital. She squinted her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. She could see the Bubblegum Guardians carrying pieces of rubble from destroyed buildings and the whole fleet of banana guards running around trying to fix the wreckage of houses and stores as they both walked through the kingdom. Several candy people were helping them. Fionna wished she could stay and help, but her concern for Marshall was too great. Maybe after she checked up on him, she could go back and help.
"I made all your favorite foods at home," said Cake. "We should hurry before they get cold."
"Oh." Fionna didn't how to react to that. Yes, she was indeed starving. She didn't eat anything for past couple of days, besides the tea and some weird meatloaf that Nurse Poundcake had given her before she left. Seriously, hospital food was disgusting. Eating all her favorite foods that Cake cooked would have been heaven, but she had an important matter at hand. "Uh…I would love to, Cake, but maybe later." Her stomach growled at the protest. She glared at it. Shut up.
Cake raised an eyebrow. "Later? Why? Are you goin' somewhere?"
"Uh…yeah…" Fionna didn't continue there.
"Let me guess," Cake said, "you're going to Marshall Lee's house."
Fionna nodded. "I just want to check up on him."
"It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The boy is still sleepin'."
Fionna just shrugged. "It'll be quick. I can just have a quick visit, and then I'll leave and eat."
Cake shook her head and sighed, exasperated. "Fine. But I'm goin' with you."
The sun was midway down the sky when Fionna and Cake entered the cave that lead to Marshall Lee's house. Unsurprisingly, the house was dark and the curtains closed. Fionna increased her pace and jumped over the fence. She climbed the steps and knocked on the door. She waited for a few moments before banging on it, shouting for his name.
Cake rushed over and stopped her hand from connecting to the door for her forth bang. "Fionna, what are you doin'? Don't ya know that you can't wake up a vampire from his sleep?"
Fionna dropped down her fist. "Sorry." Without saying another word, she jumped down from the steps and walked over to the deck. Cake stretched herself to avoid to water and landed right beside Fionna. The heroine was looking through the glass window, searching. She rapped on the window and called out Marshall's name. There was no response.
"Maybe he's not home, Fi," said Cake.
That's what Fionna was afraid of. But she couldn't have been too late. Marshall could not have gone to the ball already. She heaved a sigh. But Marshall could have. He probably went as soon as he was released from the hospital. Ugh. If I only I knew the specific time of when the ball begins!
"Marshall's probably in his kingdom doing some kingly stuff," Cake guessed. "Let's go home, Fionna. This place always gives me the creeps."
Fionna glanced at the empty house and reluctantly followed Cake down the deck.
The food that Cake cooked was delicious as always. Fionna ate at least three plates of bacon pancakes. She doused down her orange soda and patted her bloated belly in satisfaction. "That was awesome, Cake!"
"Thanks." Cake speared a fork into hers and took a bite. "I've gotten better with these."
Fionna picked up her plate and glass and placed them in the sink to wash later. "So, what do you want to do later? Maybe we can go to a black market and buy some new swords!" The heroine was already anticipating the prospect of browsing and trying on new blades. She turned around to face her best friend, eagerness on her face.
"No way, Fionna," said Cake. "Remember the last time we went to the black market? You nearly beheaded the store owner."
"Well I didn't know the sword had a laser feature," Fionna defended, petulant and embarrassed. The owner had banned them from the store for life.
"Plus, you just got out of the hospital," Cake reminded her. "You should take it easy the next few days."
Fionna sighed, her excitement waning. "Fine. I guess I can do that."
She couldn't do that. After the second day, Fionna was restless. She tried to distract herself by practicing some sword techniques and going on missions from the other princes but her mind was too wrapped up on the ball. In fact, she was so preoccupied that she nearly got herself killed from fighting lub glubs in Samuel's underground home. They had momentarily returned because Hyooman tribe's fire had gone out.
"What's wrong with you, Fionna?" Cake asked, slashing a lub glub with her sharp claws.
Fionna grunted and pushed the lub glub off of her and with a cry, hacked at it. "Sorry, Cake. Just a little distracted." She sliced another only to be faced with another one. Both heroines backed up until their backs hit each other as they were surrounded by lub glubs.
"Well, focus, girl!" Cake kicked one on the stomach as it launched itself to attack her.
Fionna hacked off two more lub glubs before she got annoyed. "Cake! Morning star mood, now!"
Cake morphed into a giant ball with spikes. Grabbing her tail, Fionna whipped her best friend around, hammering every single lub glubs surrounding them. The heroine dropped Cake's tail as she morphed back into her original form. Suddenly, the black forms of the lub glubs came together, forming a giant pitch-black amorphous creature, showing mouths with rows of sharp teeth. It howled, piercing through Fionna's eardrum.
"Great, not this thing!" Cake complained.
Fionna steadied her sword. Sweat poured down her temple. This creature wasn't as terrifying as the hellhound but they were really frustrating to defeat. The giant lub glub formed a spindly arm with claws and it shot towards the heroines. Fionna gripped her sword tightly, poised for a swing, when a bright light appeared. The lub glub shrieked from the sudden brightness. Its body started to dissipate when the underground city lit up with flames. Fionna placed her sword away and turned to smile at Samuel.
"Nice job, Sam!" she called out.
Samuel jumped down from the tower the Hyooman's called the City Heart. His massive size shook the ground and both the heroines had to steady themselves from toppling over.
"Fionna save city!" he said, crushing her into a hug.
Fionna groaned and struggled to free one of her arms. She chuckled lightly. "It wasn't just me. Without you lighting that fire, we would've lost."
"Samuel save city too?" he asked.
Fionna smiled at his innocent face and nodded. "Yes. Yes, you did."
Samuel Strong was apparently happy with the news because he started to squeeze Fionna harder. The heroine cried out from the pain. "S-Sam, you're…squeezing… me…" She was already getting dizzy from the lack of oxygen.
"Boy, quit squeezin' her like she's a pool toy," said Cake, who stretched herself and pried Fionna from Samuel's crushing embrace.
Samuel dropped his hands in shame. "Samuel sorry."
"It's ok, dude," Fionna assured him. "No bones broken here."
There was a murmur and the other residents of the underground city came out from their various hiding places. Most appeared from the water while others came from the ruins of the buildings.
"Alright people! You should be safe for now!" Fionna announced. "Just remember to fuel the fire every once in a while or else those things will come back."
She turned her attention back to Samuel. "Well, I'll see you later, Sam. Keep safe."
Samuel embraced Fionna once more, but this time he was gentle about it. Cake had already prepared their raft for the both of them and Fionna hopped on it and waved good-bye to the Hyooman tribe.
The next day, Fionna returned to the Candy Kingdom. Cake had gone shopping for groceries but Fionna wasn't in the mood for shopping so she went to Gumball's kingdom instead, hoping to find some kind of mission that involved maiming or kicking some evil creature's butt. As she was nearing the Candy Kingdom, she could see two Bubblegum Guardians walking around and carrying candy building pieces on their hands. The gates were open, guarded by two Banana Guards on each side. Fionna briefly acknowledged them before entering.
The state of the kingdom had definitely improved since Fionna left the hospital. Most of the destroyed candy buildings were cleaned and fixed. The candy citizens were milling around and going about their daily lives as if the whole attack never happened. Or they chose not to mention about it. Fionna politely greeted the citizens as she walked by, while inspecting her surroundings. Even though the ruined buildings were restored, she could some evidence of the attack. Some candy decorations on the candy buildings were still halfway melted and Fionna could see some black dog prints on the walls and the ground.
Fionna was so distracted that she didn't notice the candy person until she bumped into her. She managed to steady herself. The candy person Fionna bumped into wasn't so lucky. She was carrying a box full of clothes so the momentum scattered dresses and suits all over the place as she fell to the ground.
"Oh, glob! I'm really sorry!" Fionna rushed to pick up the tossed clothes before they got too dirty. "Sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."
"It's ok."
Fionna recognized the voice immediately. She turned around with an armful of clothes. "Fanny?"
The gumdrop woman was surprised as well. "Oh, Fionna! I thought you were at the hospital."
"I was, but I was released a couple of days ago." She placed the clothes neatly as she could inside the box.
Fanny picked up the clothes from the ground but still continued to talk. "That's good. I had heard that Marshall checked himself out of the hospital during the night."
Fionna nodded, but she didn't say anything as she grabbed the clothes and tossed them inside the box. Not a single second went by when Marshall wasn't in the back of her mind. She hoped to glob that Marshall Lee was going to be alright.
She dropped the last of piece of clothes into the box. "I think that's about it."
Fanny grunted she picked up the box. "Once again, you've been a great help. Thank you."
Fionna shook her head. "No need to thank me. It's my job. But, what are you going to do with those clothes anyway?"
"These are old and a little torn, so I'm going to take these back home and mend them to make these good as new. So, I'll be seeing you, Fionna." Fanny turned back around and continued on her way.
Fionna watched the gumdrop woman for a few moments before she remembered. She cupped her hands and placed them between her lips. "Fanny! Thanks for the dress!"
Instead of responding, Fanny just waved her hand, as if it wasn't a big deal and that she handed beautiful dresses like Fionna's to people for free every day. Fionna continued on her way as well. When she reached the castle, she saw Gumball with a candy cane man wearing a yellow hard hat discussing something over a large blue print. They were in deep conversation, so Fionna paused just a few feet away so she wouldn't bother them. After a couple of minutes, Gumball said good-bye to the candy can man and looked up to see Fionna. He smiled and sauntered over.
"Fionna, it's good to see you," he greeted. "Glad to see that you're all better."
"Never been better, Gumball," replied Fionna. "So, you got any missions for me?"
Prince Gumball was slightly taken aback. "Missions?"
Fionna nodded eagerly. The prince of the Candy Kingdom gave the heroine a sad smile. "I'm sorry, but with all the reconstructing I had to do, I'm too busy to think of anything else right now."
Fionna practically deflated. "Oh." She was about to turn around and walk away when Gumball placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
"I can't give you any missions right now, however, since you're here, why don't you stay and help my maid with preparing food for the ones in the constructing crew?"
It wasn't kicking some butts or finding dungeons with elaborate traps and shining treasures, but at least it was something to keep her mind of off Marshall. Fionna nodded and Gumball led her into the royal kitchen where Peppermint Maid—wearing a pink apron—was busy making licorice. She twisting the black pliable dessert into the recognizable candy treats. Then she rolled the tubes into icing sugar and placed it into a cookie sheet to dry. She had about two batches made and was working on the third. Right next to the batches of candy, were about over two dozen cupcakes. Half of them had icing while the others didn't.
"Peppermint," Gumball announced. "I've found you an assistant."
Fionna waved one hand. "Hey, Peppers."
"Hello, Fionna," the maid greeted. "And thank you, Prince Gumball. I could use the help."
"Well, I'll leave you girls to it," said Gumball, leaving Fionna with the maid.
"So, what do you need help with?" Fionna asked.
"I need you to put icing on those cupcakes. The icing should be inside those pastry bags." Peppermint pointed at three bags that contained three different colored icing: red, blue and yellow.
Fionna approached the bags and selected the blue one. She noticed that each bag had different shaped tips. The one she had picked up had a tip that was molded into a star. She picked up a chocolate cupcake. Fionna had seen Gumball put frosting on cupcakes and other sweet treats millions of times when she would visit, since the Prince really enjoyed cooking.
"Do you want me to show you how to put frosting on a cupcake?" asked Peppermint.
"No. I think I got it."
Fionna tried to recall how Gumball would hold the bag in his hands. She tried to position the tip of the bag over the cupcake. She carefully squeezed the bag but she must have squeezed too hard because an excessive amount of icing poured out. The icing spilled over the cupcake and plopped onto the pink countertop. Fionna cursed, dropped the bag and picked up the spilled icing with her fingers, leaving streaks behind.
"Are you sure you don't want me to show you an easier way to put icing on a cupcake?" Peppermint maid asked.
Fionna turned around and said, "There's an easier way?"
The maid went to a drawer and brought out a butter knife. She also got out a three small bowls, opened the pastry bags and dumped the contents into each bowl. Peppermint turned to Fionna. "This technique is for beginners. Although how the icing will turn out won't be nearly as beautiful as using the bag, this will make your work faster." She scooped up the blue icing using the butter knife and spread it on the cupcake that Fionna had messed up.
"Math, that is easier," said Fionna. It was like spreading butter on toast.
Peppermint handed Fionna the knife. "Think you can handle that?"
Fionna nodded and grabbed the knife. The maid went back to her position and the heroine set to work on spreading icing on the cupcakes. And she did find it to be much easier to use the knife than the pastry bag, even though it was nearly as pretty and neat when the bags were used. When she was finished, Fionna helped Peppermint with the licorice. She didn't do much but twist the candy treats and placing them on the trays for them on the cookie sheet to dry.
All that work had definitely distracted Fionna from her thoughts of how Marshall was doing in the ball. However, it didn't distract her completely. On some moments, the heroine would sneak a glance at Peppermint Maid. She knew that the maid was more intelligent than she appeared to be and had a close tie with Death. Fionna wondered if Peppermint Maid knew anything about the demon clans. However, she couldn't do that. Her promise to Marshall about keeping quiet about it was something she would not willingly break, no matter how desperate she was. Fionna stared at the licorice in her hand. She had to go. Marshall was in danger. If her theory was correct, then someone in the demon clan really was after him. She hoped to glob that Marshall wasn't dead. But, how would she get there? From what she could some up of years going to Gumball's parties, most balls required for you to have an invitation so as to decrease the chances of any unwanted guests.
"Ms. Fionna, is there something bothering you?"
The heroine glanced at the maid, startled. "W-What? N-No. There's nothing wrong."
"Then I suggest you loosen your grip on the candy."
Fionna looked at her hands. Instead of being twisted, the candy was squished and had grooves from her fingers were Fionna had gripped it too hard.
"Oops." Sighing, Fionna dropped the candy into the trash bin. "Sorry."
"It's alright, Ms. Fionna," said Peppermint, "but, may I ask, what's on your mind?"
Fionna hesitated, unsure of how much she should say. She decided to stick on what she was really feeling. "I'm just worried about Marshall."
"I thought that he was discharged from the hospital."
"Well,y-yeah, but I went to go visit him and he wasn't there."
"He wasn't at home?"
Fionna nodded.
"Do you know where he could have gone?"
"Oh…uh…I really don't know…" Oh, glob. She really was a horrible liar.
"Ms. Fionna," said Peppermint Maid, in a rather strangely serious voice. "Are you worried about Marshall being at the ball that's being held in the Nightosphere?"
Silence.
Then, "H-How did you—."
"I have my sources, Ms. Fionna." The maid washed her hands in the sink, wiped it with a towel and reached into the pocket of her apron and brought a cream colored envelope sealed with red wax. "This is my invitation to the ball; however, I don't plan on attending it for I have my duties her in the Candy Kingdom." The maid walked closer to a stunned Fionna. "I know you're worried about Marshall and fortunately, the ball doesn't start till later tonight."
She placed the envelope right next to the heroine. "I'll give you the invitation, but, you must do a favor for me."
"What kind of favor?"
Before the maid could answer, the door to the kitchen opened and Prince Gumball stepped in. "Peppermint, I was wondering how soon the food will be ready because—."
He stopped in his tracks when he spotted the invitation. If Fionna had any X-ray vision, she would see the clockworks inside the Prince's brain moving in a fast tandem, slowly figuring out the situation. "I hope that you're asking Fionna to throw away that invitation, Peppermint."
Fionna could hear the tone underneath the Prince's words. He was angry. The heroine rarely saw Gumball lose his calm. Peppermint Maid turned toward her boss. She didn't show an ounce of anxiousness, just pure calm. "I was hoping that Fionna could show up to the ball in my place."
Prince Gumball slammed the door behind him, causing Fionna to jump in surprise. "Absolutely not. It is completely out of the question."
"But Gumball—."
Fionna's words were cut off when she saw the fury inside his purple eyes. "I said it is out of the question." He turned to his maid. "If you want someone to take your place for the ball, the ask me. I am much more suited to it than Fionna is."
"Then, what about your kingdom? It is still in repairs and I don't think your subjects would like it if their ruler has disappeared on them just to go to a ball."
"If this ball is really important, then why don't you go?" Gumball was incredulous.
"Because it's not important to me," she said, "but it is to Fionna."
Prince Gumball looked at the heroine, but this time, his eyes didn't show any anger. He sighed and rested his hand on his forehead, as if suddenly receiving a migraine. "This is about Marshall, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," Fionna answered. "I think he might be in trouble."
Gumball removed his hand away from his face. "He's always in trouble."
Fionna rolled her eyes. "Glob. I knew that. But I think this time he might be in danger."
"You're thinking about the attack from dog aren't you?"
Grimly, Fionna nodded. "I did some thinking and I think that Marshall is being targeted."
Nobody said anything for what seemed like forever to Fionna. Finally, Gumball said, "I came to the same conclusion as well." When Fionna stared at him with a perplexing expression he explained, "I did some research and found out that hellhounds are sometimes used as assassins. My banana guards traced the hellhound's destruction to an opening that was just outside the walls of the kingdom. It led to the Nightosphere."
Fionna grabbed the invite off of the table. "Then that settles it. I have to go."
"Fionna," said the Prince. "I know you want to be there for Marshall and rescue him, but this is too dangerous. Think about this for one moment. You would be going to a ball full of demons and creatures you have never seen before, not to mention that it will be held in a place where most of these things live in. You are only human, the last human on Earth. If you go there, you will be seen as their prey and you get yourself killed."
"You know I've faced demons before!" protested Fionna. "I can handle a ballroom full of one."
"Don't be foolish! Just because you've slayed many of those things, it does not make you an expert! Many of those things have powers you've never faced before."
"I don't care! Marshall is in trouble! He could die!" Fionna's voice was reaching an octave higher than she intended.
"Marshall is a vampire! He has lived longer than you have and has obtained over millennia of experiences. You've lived for only sixteen years. To those demons that's a baby's age."
The heroine opened her mouth to protest once more, but the Prince cut her off. "No more arguing. I will not change my mind. I forbid you to go." He put a pink hand up. "Now, would you please give me the invitation? That thing is more trouble than it's worth."
Fionna clutched it close to her chest. "No, Gumball. I'm sorry, but, it doesn't matter what you say. I'm going to that ball whether you like it or not."
Gumball stared at her with pained and frustrated eyes for a moment. Then, he whispered, "Are you really willing to lose your life?"
Fionna stared the Prince right in the eye and answered, "Yes."
Prince Gumball continued to stare at her with pained eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but he apparently changed his mind because he glanced away and turned his back from Fionna. He walked away from his maid and his heroine. He opened the door to leave but before he could he turned his head to look at his maid. "Make sure she's protected." He then closed the door behind him.
Peppermint Maid turned to Fionna. She had been quiet throughout the whole debacle between Gumball and Fionna. "Now, the favor is fairly simple. I want you to get the fur of a hellhound."
"What? A hellhound? You mean the one that attacked the Kingdom?"
The maid nodded.
"Well, why couldn't you have gotten it from that?"
"Hellhounds are not easy to capture and plus, that thing was trained like an assassin. It would nearly be impossible for me. I have a friend who can give you one for a trade."
"What kind of trade are we talking about?"
Peppermint reached into her pocket and took out a small vial that contained a glowing purple liquid inside. Fionna stared at it with fascination.
"Give her this to trade for the fur." Peppermint grabbed one of Fionna's hands and pressed the vial firmly onto her palm. "Don't lose or break this."
Fionna nodded and carefully placed the vial inside her backpack, including the invitation. Peppermint also took something else from her pocket. It was a bracelet. It was a plain silver chain with a hook clasp. The maid clasped it onto Fionna's wrist. "This will protect you. It'll hide your human scent and disguise you as a common demon if you rub it. Never take it off. The magic inside will only work one time once you use it. If, for some reason, the bracelet is removed, you're human nature will be revealed and the bracelet's magic will be gone. So, you must be careful."
Fionna nodded. "Ok, but where will this friend of yours be?"
"Don't worry about that. He will find you in the Nightosphere."
Fionna raised an eyebrow, but she let that cryptic answer slide. "So, once I get the fur, how will I give it to you? I wasn't really planning on going back and forth from the Nightosphere to the Candy Kingdom."
Peppermint Maid gave Fionna a mysterious smile. "Give it to me when you return."
"When? How would you know I'll come back?" The heroine herself wasn't even sure if she would make it back alive to deliver the favor.
"I just know. Now, why don't you get back to those cupcakes? I bet the workers are hungry by now."
The ball started two hours before midnight. Fionna was in her room preparing herself. Cake was downstairs cooking dinner. The heroine could smell the scent of spaghetti and meatballs wafting from the kitchen and her stomach growled. She ignored it though. Fionna was staring at the dress that had arrived days before. Cake had asked about and Fionna had casually answered that it was a gift from the store owner. The heroine turned her attention to her green backpack sitting on her bed. The image of the vial came into her mind. When she arrived home, Fionna had wrapped the bottle in a thick cloth so it wouldn't shatter.
"Hey, Fionna! Dinner's ready!"
"Yeah. Be right there!"
Fionna climbed down the ladder and landed into the kitchen. Cake had two plates full of spaghetti and meatballs. Just looking at the food made Fionna's mouth water.
"Awesome!" she said. "Let's eat!"
After dinner, Fionna and Cake watched some TV until Cake fell asleep somewhere around nine. Fionna picked up her snoring roommate and placed her inside the open drawer she liked using as a bed. She rubbed Cake's soft fur and smiled sadly. Fionna wasn't going to take her best friend with her. It was too risky. Yes, Cake was going to go bonkers when she found out that Fionna had disappeared but this was for the best.
"I'm sorry Cake," whispered Fionna.
She turned around and grabbed the dress from her closet and her backpack. Silently climbing down the tree trunk, Fionna went inside the bathroom to change. The dress was silky against her body and it fit perfectly, as if the dress was made specifically to her measurements. The dress brushed against her knees and it actually gave Fionna the illusion of curves. She ran down her hands against the dress. Fionna had thought she had looked pretty wearing the other dress from the store, but this was different. But, this was no time to admire herself right now.
She applied on some lip gloss and buckled her black shoes on her feet. Fionna was wishing she got some cuter shoes, but she had no time to shop. She opened the door to the bathroom and quietly slipped out of the house. Once she was hundreds of feet away from the treehouse, she drew a happy face, doused it with bug milk and chanted, "Maloso vobiscum et cum spiritum!"
Instantly, a blue swirling portal appeared. It whipped Fionna's dress and hair. The heroine glanced at her surroundings, trying to imprint it into her memory. If she wasn't going to make it of the Nightosphere alive, at least she would have a nice surrounding to remember. She took a deep breath and leaped to the portal.
A/N: Dang. That was even longer than the last one. Anyways, sorry for the really long delay in this one. I got really busy with so much stuff. I had to babysit my little brother for a couple of weeks so I had no time and I had to prepare for my graduation. Plus, my writer's block was killing me. I hoped you like the little cameos I put in and I hoped you enjoyed this! Please review and the next chapter will be out soon~
Next Chapter: Dances with Demons
