Chapter 6
It's not until late morning, as Jake and I are approaching the entrance to the Ice Castle, that I start to feel an anxious lump forming in my stomach. I've never visited her here before. It still feels wrong. This is a place I would come to rescue her from the Ice King, not a happy home she shared with her new husband. The thought gives me a chill and I grab my favorite yellow sweater from my backpack and put it on. When I was looking for it this morning, I came across the pink sweater with the heart on the chest that Princess Bubblegum knitted for me that helped save me from the evil magic of the Lich. I held it for a moment, remembering what it meant to me at the time. Then I threw it out the bedroom window, where it got stuck on a branch. Maybe some mama bird'll find it and use it to keep her babies warm at night in their nest. Maybe they'll crap all over it.
Peppermint Butler is expecting us and meets us at the castle door. He shows us the way downstairs to what used to be the dungeon, that the princess has turned into a laboratory. He leaves us there and we stand in the doorway for a moment before entering. The princess is across the lab, wearing a new fur-lined, thicker version of her old lab coat, her back to us. Jake nudges me. "You okay, buddy?" he whispers.
I give him a resolute nod, and clear my throat loudly. P.B. turns around, her face lighting up behind her safety goggles as she notices us.
"Finn!" she exclaims, bouncing toward us. "Jake! I'm so glad you both came. I was glad to hear that the efforts of your expedition were fruitful." She takes off her goggles and give Jake a hug. Then she hugs me. It's formal and stiff, except I think I'm the one making it that way. I realize that I don't want to feel her warmth or smell her sugary sweet hair. She backs away and looks at me oddly, but smiles. "So, what is it you wanted to show me?"
Jake takes the lead, which I'm grateful for, and removes the sleeve of photograph negatives from my backpack. "Well, we wanted to know if you could develop these for us, and maybe help us figure out how old they are," he says, handing them to her.
She holds them to the light and studies them for a moment. "Whoa! These are pictures of humans!" she exclaims.
"Yeah," I finally chime in. "I guess we forgot to mention that."
She raises an eyebrow curiously at me. "I can't believe you waited to bring them, Finn. I would have thought you'd want these analyzed right away. Lady Rainicorn told me you returned days ago." There's an accusatory tone in her voice I don't like. I try hard not to scowl.
"Well, I wanted to show them to another expert first," I tell her, trying to sound formal and raising my chin a bit. "An anthropology expert, of sorts. Someone a little more well-versed in human history." Jake turns to frown skeptically at me, but doesn't contradict my story. It's only a slight variation of the truth. "She was able to give me a good deal of useful information, a plethora, really, but unfortunately she lacked the resources necessary to develop the negatives into proper photographs. That's why we're here."
The princess looks taken aback, and so does Jake. I don't have a clue where all the big words have come from, but somehow, I don't falter. I'm here on business, nothing more.
"Right, of course," she replies slowly. "Well, I do have a darkroom where I can develop these, but it's not here. I'll have to take them back to my old lab in the Candy Kingdom. I wanted to pay my father a visit anyway, so-"
"Superb," I cut her off. I can't seem to control my rudeness. It's totally not like me to be this much of a jerk, but part of me likes that I can be the one controlling our conversation for once. That maybe she doesn't have the hold on me she used to. "When should we return for them?"
"Uh, tomorrow morning, I guess," she answers. "I'll just stay with my father tonight and come by your house on my way back here. If that's okay with you, of course?" she asks, copying my formal posture.
"That would be awesome!" Jake tells her in a much more friendly tone before I can answer. "Thanks so much, Bubblegum, you're the best, really!" He grabs my arm and leads me back toward the door. "Come on Finny, it's a little chilly in this place for a dog without his booties."
"Bye guys," the princess calls as we leave. I don't answer.
"Ouch," Jake says, once we leave the castle. "I thought she was supposed to be the Ice Queen. What the heck were you even talking about in there, dude?"
"Jake, I can't blame you if you're just not as good at talking to ladies as I am," I say matter-of-factly. He bursts out laughing. I can't help but join in.
It's been dark for a while, and I'm lounging on the roof alone. I left Jake downstairs playing video games to lug my most comfy recliner up here and enjoy the warmth of the night under the stars. The Ice Kingdom left me cold; I don't plan on returning anytime soon. There's really nothing for me there anymore. When she spoke, when she hugged me, I felt nothing. Nothing but the urge to leave as soon as my business was finished. Seeing her there, living her new life in a place I associate with so much hate was exactly what I needed.
I don't hate her. I never could. She was such a huge part of my life for so long, and she helped me grow up in ways I didn't know I could. She helped me become not just a great adventurer, but a hero. I'll always care about her. But I am finally over her.
This thought fills my entire body with so much happiness, I can't lounge anymore. I spring from my chair to my feet and do three back flips. "Ha ha!" I yell at the top of my lungs, forgetting that it's night and the forest creatures might be sleeping.
"Wow, someone's awfully peppy today."
I turn around to see a figure in a torn gray dress floating up to the roof.
"Marceline!" I exclaim. It's funny, I've gone ages without seeing her before and it didn't ever bother me. But now, I realize I haven't seen her since yesterday morning and I can't get to her fast enough. When I reach her, she's still floating, so I grab her by the waist and pull her down. She looks surprised, but she lets me ground her, and the moment I do, my lips are on hers. A shocked squeaking sound escapes her, but within a second, she relaxes and kisses me back. I feel that same fire that scared me before spreading through me, but this time I'm prepared; I welcome it. My hands move up the small of her back, pressing her body to mine. She grabs the back of my neck and her fingers find their way under my hat. Suddenly needing to be free of it, I break away for less than a second to yank my hat off over my head, then meet her lips again, tossing it to our feet. She kisses me even more ferociously than before, but after a moment, I feel her hesitate.
"What's wrong?" I ask, keeping my eyes closed, only pulling my face a fraction away from hers. "I know it's weird, but it doesn't feel weird," I try to explain, kissing her between words, not giving her a chance to answer. "I mean, thing I had with the princess was never really anything and, I don't know, I think maybe this could be something-"
She pulls an inch or two away, which feels like a mile to me. "Stop being such a girl. It's not that," she says. "I just have to see..." she trails off, and her eyes move from my eyes upward. She pulls away a bit further and looks slightly astounded.
"What?" I ask, worried, but then I remember. "Oh right, the hair thing." I shake my hair out and let her take a minute to adjust to my naked head. Last time I checked, my hair was pretty shaggy and messy, and had become a slightly darker shade of blond than when I was younger. I can feel it falling over my forehead, but the longest pieces don't quite reach my eyes, so I know it's not even close to as long as it's been in the past.
"Oh," Marceline whispers, sounding awe-struck. "This is too weird."
I'm about to offer to put the hair away under my hat again, but she starts running her fingers through it incredulously. Her eyes are still wide in awe, but she's wearing that amused little smile I've come to appreciate. "What the heck, Finn? You're like, a handsome guy," she says with a little too much disbelief.
I smile a bit awkwardly. "All right," I say. "That's cool, I guess." I never really gave it much thought. Handsome doesn't save villages or win fights against monsters.
Apparently Marceline digs handsome though, because she pushes me over onto my chair. Then she climbs onto my lap facing me, and I'm kissing her again. And... oh, holy cow. Why did I waste so much time pining over a girl who never made me feel this way? Like somehow time has stopped, and a minute goes by like a second. Like we've frozen in place but the world keeps spinning around us, making shapes seem to melt and colors blur together. Marceline's fingers are woven through my hair, roughly forcing my head closer to hers. I gasp when she bites my lip with her sharp fang, and she laughs, and whispers a breathy, yet insincere apology. No part of me cares. A little sharp pain and blood loss is nothing. My head is spinning, trying to hold onto fragments of thoughts, but I'm too engrossed in her to think of anything other than our bodies tangled in this chair. I don't even comprehend Marceline when she whispers in my ear, "Someone's coming."
I move her face back to mine and kiss her again before I realize that she actually said something, and by the time I figure out the meaning of her words, I hear their voices.
Jake comes up the ladder first, followed immediately by Princess Bubblegum, and I have exactly enough time to turn my head toward them and form a stupid looking expression of bewilderment on my face. Jake spots me and mirrors my exact expression, while the princess just looks horrified. Marceline unwraps herself from me and floats leisurely up from the chair, straightens her dress, and smooths her hair with her hands. "Hey Jake," she says casually. "Bonnibel."
Jake's eyes are enormous, and I can tell he's now also holding back a laugh. "Uh, well P.B. here got done with our photos earlier than she thought so-" he starts to explain, but I interrupt, hopping to my feet.
"Oh, math! You did it?" I blurt, taking a step toward them. "Thanks Princess."
Her shocked look fades and she purses her lips in what looks like irritation as she hands me a folder full of papers. "Yeah, sure," she says, her eyes scanning me, then shifting to the top of my head. Automatically, my hand goes to my head, feeling the unfamiliar mop in the spot where my hat usually is. I ruffle my hair self-consciously, then scan the roof for my hat. Marceline clears her throat and holds it up tauntingly. I blush and shake my head, unable to suppress my grin. When I turn back, the princess is already on her way back to the ladder. "Glad I could help," she says angrily. "I'll leave it to you and your expert to figure out what they might mean. Auf wiedersehen."
Jake's mouth forms an O shape and he can't hold his laughter in as he disappears down the ladder. He manages to keep it fairly quiet until we see the princess fly away on her giant white swan, but once he's back inside the tree fort, we hear his belly laughs roll out. Marceline starts cracking up as well, and I toss the folder, the one that might have seemed so important to me at any other moment, onto the chair and spring toward her to retrieve my hat. She flies out of the way as I grasp the air where she had been floating, and I smirk, narrowing my eyes at her. I lunge for her again, catching an arm this time, but she moves so swiftly that before I know it, she has me pinned to the roof face-down and is cackling harder than before. I reach around and grab her forearm, catching her off guard, and manage to flip her over onto her back. I figure she must be letting me pin her wrists to the ground, considering she's so much stronger than I am, but I retrieve my hat anyway and wave it in her face, smiling triumphantly. She doesn't let me gloat for long though, because I feel her push me up and suddenly I'm in the air. She's launched me far off of the side of the roof and I'm about to crash land somewhere past the old well. I shut my eyes tight and brace for impact, but instead I feel a cold hand grip my ankle. When I open my eyes, I see that my face is about an inch from the ground.
"Cut it a little close there," I observe as Marceline sets me down on the grass.
"Nah, my undead reflexes are far beyond anything your puny human brain can comprehend." She lands on the ground too, then offers me a hand and pulls me to my feet. "It's still early," she announces. "Wanna head to the Fire Kingdom and find some dragons to kill?"
"Nah, I'm still pretty mortal over here, and not so much fireproof," I remind her. "I did hear about some Why-Wolves terrorizing folks on the outskirts of the Dark Forest though. We could go slay 'em," I suggest. She smiles deviously and nods, taking my hat back and yanking it down onto my head, then darts back to the roof to retrieve the folder P.B. had delivered. She tucks it safely away into my backpack and I position myself beside her, securing a tight hold to her waist. Taking off smoothly, she flies us into the sky over the Grass Lands.
We manage to track down a small pack of Why-Wolves and chase them through the forest, but they're pretty crafty. They get too far north and we lose them near the Haunted Swamp. We try to figure out where they're hiding, but Marceline recognizes some undead friends of hers, so we stop to say what's up. They seem okay until one starts trying to devour my flesh, and I have to kick his bones apart. Marceline is uncharacteristically understanding about it, but it makes it a little too awkward to keep hanging out with them. We stroll along the swamp shore for a while looking for a good fight, but nothing particularly evil is going on. I guess that's the downside of being a somewhat famous hero around these parts, especially when I'm chillin' with the most bad-ass dame around: no one messes with us. I guess I could say that's a good thing, but not when we're in the mood for a roughhouse. Maybe we just need to branch out further, some place where we're not as easily recognized. I bet there are plenty of butts to kick on the outskirts of Ooo. Somewhere I've never been, like the islands in the Squid Ink Sea.
That's a pretty long journey though.
"Hey Marceline," I say, breaking the comfortable silence we've been enjoying as we walk.
"Hmmm?" she asks in a melodic voice.
"I was thinking, maybe we could go somewhere."
"Like where?" she sings.
"I dunno," I answer. "Somewhere different. Somewhere where our impressive reps don't scare off all the bad guys, where we could get into a good scrap. Where they don't know us so well."
"They know me everywhere, kid," she says with a smirk. "You forget I'm an ancient undead queen?"
"Psh," I say, jumping on a boulder, then back down again. "Whatevs toots, I'm a king, ya know. You don't hear me going on about it," I retort.
Marceline looks at me skeptically. "King of what? Your little tree fort? Or king of the dorks who wear cute animal hats?" she laughs, pinching my hat-ear.
I scowl at her. "I'm the Goblin King, actually. Legit-style."
"You're not a goblin," she points out.
"No, but I defeated their king and they gave me his crown," I tell her.
She laughs. "Okay, okay, so we're even. Anyway, what were we talking about? Oh, going somewhere?"
I try to get back to my previous train of thought. "Yeah, I was thinking, maybe like the Southern Islands?"
She gives me a slightly surprised smile. "That's pretty far away, Finn, even for me. We'd have to plan out a trip like that. Probably have to stay there a few days. Maybe even a week."
"Yeah, I guess we could."
"Just the two of us?" she asks, raising one eyebrow, and suddenly I'm embarrassed.
"Well, I..." I stammer, "I didn't mean like that. I just meant, you know, to fight some monsters we've never fought before. Because it's gotten so tame around here, that's all." I scratch the back of my neck awkwardly.
Her smile widens. "You're so adorable. It's almost gross." She punches my arm, hard. "Yeah, we should go. It'll be romantic."
I shake my head, my cheeks burning. "Shut up."
We've walked most of the way through the Grass Lands, or, I've walked and she's floated next to me, and the tree fort comes into view. I slow my stride a bit, not wanting the night to be over, despite her teasing. She notices the slight change in pace and looks at the sky. "It's still early. Barely past three," she notes.
"You wanna hang at my digs? We could scope those photos," I suggest nonchalantly.
She smiles. "Sure, we could do that."
When we get into the tree fort, we find Jake and Beemo asleep on the sofa, leaning against one another. Quietly, we make our way up to the bedroom and she plants herself on one side of my bed, leaving enough room for me next to her. I take the folder from my backpack and sit on the bed, suddenly learning that it was not exactly made for two people. Marceline takes the folder, and guides my arm around her shoulders, so she can settle more comfortably in my crook, and now the photos are the last thing on my mind. She opens the folder though, and I try to focus.
There look to be about twenty photos, and they're much larger than the ones in Marceline's family album. The details are easy to spot now; Princess Bubblegum did a fantastic job. I feel a stab of guilt about the way I snubbed her. I'll have to figure out a way to apologize. My remorse doesn't distract me for long though, because I'm now looking into the eyes of two smiling faces, so similar to mine it nearly knocks the wind out of me. On the left is a boy, who looks to be about my age, maybe a year or two older. The hair is shorter and light brown, the eyes are green, and the skin is much more pale than mine. The differences are plain, but he looks more like me than any creature I've come across in my entire life. Next to him is a girl, hair slightly darker brown than his, with large brown eyes and long eyelashes. They both wear big smiles, almost as if they were laughing as someone captured this moment. After absorbing the oddness of staring at these two members of my species, I scan the rest of the photograph for information. They seem to be sitting or standing against a gray brick wall, and wearing plain, dark clothing. This could have been taken anywhere. I move it to the bottom of the stack.
The next photo makes my heart sink. It's just the girl this time, reading a tattered looking book while sitting under a tree. She seems to be unaware that she's the subject of this picture, her eyes focused intently on the book in her hands. I sigh heavily. "She's outside," I say quietly, more to myself than to Marceline. "This must be from before The Great Mushroom War, otherwise they'd be underground." I feel utterly defeated. The only tangible clue we've found on the humans' whereabouts, and it turns out to be a dud. "These kids have been dead for over a thousand years."
Marceline looks up at me. For a moment, I think the expression on her face is pity, but I'm wrong. It's empathy. Her human family died and her father left her. She knows what it's like to feel this alone. She sets the photos down on my lap and reaches up to gently remove my hat. She combs the mess of hair down over my forehead with her fingers. I look at her face and see traces of the human girl she used to be, something she doesn't show me often, but seeing it now comforts me. Maybe she's the closest thing to my own kind I'm going to find. Hard to believe, when I think about all the times I've seen her light her eyes on fire and morph into a terrifying demon.
"No worries, hero," she tells me, pulling my head down to kiss my cheek. "There are plenty more places in Ooo to look for human relics. Maybe even on the Southern Islands. When are we going?"
I grin at her, my disappointment quickly replaced with complete adoration for the girl next to me. I pull her closer, so she's halfway on my lap, and kiss her slowly, less hungrily than before. She wraps her arms around me and shifts closer, knocking the photographs onto the floor with her knee. When she hears them fall, she looks down to see the mess she made. I try to pull her back, but she resists.
"Uh, Finn, wait," she says, still looking at the floor.
"What is it?"
She leans down over me, picks up one of the photos from the floor and hands it to me. I study it, trying to see what about it was cause to interrupt us, but nothing catches my eye. It's a large group of humans, taken from further away than the others, so I can't see as much detail in the faces. They're outside in a clearing, and they all seem happy, perhaps celebrating. Then I notice. In the middle of the group and slightly to the left, with his arms draped around a few of the others, is a much taller man than the rest. Except he's not a man, he's a warrior. And though he looks much younger than the weathered old retired hero I've come to know, I'd recognize him anywhere.
Billy.
