Liberation is such a good feeling, is it not? Before we continue, I want to thank all of the viewers that liked the story. To see my story reach 1000 views is downright amazing, and I'm happy you all approve! I wish I could just find the words to further express my-
Alex: Hey! Can we please drop the sentimental crud, dude? They didn't come here to sit through a gratitude monologue, they want to read an epic story! Now get to it!
Abel: Dude, cut the guy some slack. It's not his fault he shows more emotion than you do.
Alex: (Glaring) This coming from the same guy who got denied by Maja in 5 seconds. You can't talk, bro.
Abel: I'm a skeleton. You think because we lack organs that were invincible dude?
Alex: Read my lips. You, are, UNDEAD! You'll just respawn wherever you died, whereas the rest of us don't get such luxury, smart aleck!
Finn: Jeez, I thought they were friends...
Okay… enough with that. Let's carry on…
Alex's POV, Verdant Plains
After we got out of Bramble Woods, we were welcomed by warm sunlight and blue sky, even though it was getting close to sunset. The air was soothing and it felt so rejuvenating to see my dimension. "So you've never been to this area of Ooo before?" Finn asked me. "Oh, let's not say ever, Finn. I'm just accustomed to going to the different kingdoms directly as opposed to cutting through the Grasslands." We were walking up a large hill among acres of green grass and trees. Finn and the pink girl were riding their canine companion, whereas I just followed on foot. "I'm surprised, bro", His dog said to me. "Everyone knows the Verdant Plains border 2 elemental kingdoms, both the Ice and Fire kingdoms, in addition to the Candy Kingdom." "Indeed, not to mention that the area is very scenic as well", said the girl riding him. Yeah, this is a pretty nice area, I thought to myself. "In fact, the Candy Kingdom is my home." I looked at her. "Oh, is it really", I asked her. "Yes. Actually, I don't believe I introduced myself", she said to me. Finn's dog stopped and turned to look at me. "I am Princess Bubblegum, Overseer of the Candy Kingdom." She said to me. "And I'm Jake the dog, best friend of the legend himself, Finn the Human!" He said to me. With that, I took a bow for everyone there. "It's an honor to meet you all" I said to them. "My, you're so formal", Princess Bubblegum said to me. "So Alex, why don't you fill the others in about you", said Finn with a smile. "Alex? That name… Have we met before", Princess Bubblegum asked me. "I can't say for certain, while I have been to the Candy kingdom a few times." I replied, and we started walking again. "Yeah, and what's with the scarf, bro? You cold", Jake asked me. Now that I think about it, I hadn't removed my rogue scarf since we left the forest. "Oh this? This is just my insignia. It's not to promote wrongdoing or anything, it's just to show that i'm a rogue." I told them. "Surely you don't need to wear it out in this weather. Moreover, you were just about to tell us about you", She said to me. In some aspects, she was just as straightforward as Finn.
"Princess Bubblegum, Jake, and Finn… before I present myself, can you promise to keep this between us", I asked them all. They looked at me with concerned expressions. "Despite making acquaintances with you, I'd prefer if only you guys know about me. I consider the identity of my species very confidential, if you will. Finn has shown that I can at least trust him, so could you please bear with me?" They looked at each other for a moment. "If it means that much, then we will honor your desire", Princess Bubblegum declared, and Jake gave me a thumbs up. "Thank you, guys." Saying that, I removed my scarf from around my face, revealing my identity. Jake and Princess Bubblegum gasped upon seeing my face. "As I live and breathe...", Princess Bubblegum said. "Holy mother of the mystic owl..." Jake was just as surprised. "The people call me Eerie... Alex Eerie. Guardian of the east, and as of recent, the second-to-last human alive." Both of them for silent for a good few minutes. "Well Alex, let me personally say that you have one of the coolest names I've ever heard", Jake said to me. "Oh... well, thanks", I said, looking back at him. "Alex Eerie... Hold on! I remember you now!" PB suddenly yelled out. "You're an agent with the Zhentarim Underground, aren't you?" With a sigh, I smiled at the Princess. "That's correct, Princess", I said to her. "Jeez, you don't have to say Princess all of the time. Just call me PB", she said to me. "Wait, Zentarum? What's that?" Finn asked. "No, it's pronounced "Zhentarim", Finn, and to answer your question, It's a concealed coalition designed to fight injustice around the planet", I said to Finn. Judging by his expression, i'd say that Finn had no clue what that was. "I have never heard of such a group. Must be a pretty famous group", said Finn. I looked at him as we walked through the grasslands. "Well, for one, we don't call it a concealed coalition for nothing, kid. Secondly, the word "Zhentarim" certainly wasn't synonymous with the word "famous" behorefand. Quite the opposite, actually." Finn was looking at everyone around us. "So... They weren't good people before?" He asked us. "They really weren't" PB said to him.
Bubblegum's POV
"You see, about a century ago, there was an underground network of people including merchants, mystic beings, and others that were known as just the Zhentarim, but people are more familiar with this group as the Dark Nexus. At the time, they served as a criminal organization, led by a group of ruthless mercenaries responsible for the destruction of many kingdoms within a very short time span. If i'm not mistaken, FOUR kingdoms in total were left in shambles as a result." Finn and Jake were in awe of the whole thing. "In fact, one of the most prosperous kingdoms at the time was the Urban Kingdom, or what I call the "City of Madness", respectively", Alex said to us. "The Urban Kingdom (A.K.A. Urbania) was deemed untouchable all throughout the world. With it's vast defenses and streamlined commerce, it made for a very dignified region. At least, until the Dark Nexus came along." I nodded as Alex finished his statement. "2 decades later, the Dark Nexus launched a siege operation to bring the seemingly impenetrable kingdom to it's knees. The forces of Urbania fought valiantly against the Nexus, until they unleashed a devastating weapon upon them. Modern people at the time called the weapon the Beam of Reckoning, but us humans referred to the weapon as a "Railgun"", I said to them. "As a result, the city's landscaped was left ravaged and unrecognizable from the attack. The Nexus, who's morale skyrocketed from the successful attack, grew larger in numbers began working in between the different kingdoms of Ooo, taking on the name "Zhentarim" as to symbolize their loyalty to the Dark Nexus. Their goal as of that point was to rule all of the world with an iron fist." As I finished talking, Alex had an eyebrow raised at me. "Man, you certainly know your history, PB", Alex said to me. "Oh, why thank you. I do my best to know as much about Ooo as i can", I said to him. "Hold on", Jake said, "If the Zhentarim were truly as evil as you say they are, why are they good as of now?" "Well, that's the best part, Jake", Alex said.
"So about a year after Urbania fell, tensions started to grow between the Zhentarim and the Dark Nexus in general. The mercenaries in charge were becoming power hungry and corrupt. In their conquest for power the Nexus started hunting those who started to lose trust in them and gradually it got to the point where those still remaining in the Zhentarim started to ally with the other kingdoms. Knowing that war was inevitable, The kingdoms of Ice, Fire, and Candy, in addition to the Zhentarim formed the Stalwart Alliance in hopes to stop the Dark Nexus from taking over the world." Alex's description of the whole thing was spot on. "That being said, within a 20 year time period, a nationwide uprising took place between the Dark Nexus and the Stalwart Alliance. Given that there were citizens working for the BN among the different kingdoms, they made for a pretty tough adversary. The war lasted unrelentingly went on before the Alliance eventually prevailed, ultimately quashing any resistance from the Nexus." Bubblegum said. "So what became of the Zhentarim", Finn asked. "Well, It's believed that we simply ceased to exist after the war. What they don't know is that we still operate under the radar, but our motives are far more positive than before. Only a select few people, you guys included, know that the Zhentarim are still around", Alex said. "Come to think of it, just how did you know that I was a part of the ZU, PB?" Memories of my years in high school started flooding back to me. "I don't really talk about my past, but just before I turned old enough to succeed my father's throne, There was a situation at my high school. A group of demons were terrorizing the student body with their powers for a while until a particular group of teens decided to intervene. When it came to the point that they tried to attack my friends and I, a young boy about Finn's age came a helped us. And when I tried to get his name, he simply said "Eerie, that's all you need to know", and he left." "Wait... That was you?!" Alex said to me. "That's right! And I never got the chance to properly thank you for that deed, Alex." I must say that the look of astonishment on his face was pretty priceless. "I... I never would've guessed that you were a princess", He said. "Funny thing, at the time I thought you were like an android or something, but you actually are human."
Finn's POV
The sun was starting to set and we had approached the outer wall of the Candy Kingdom. When we reached the bridge leading into the kingdom, Princess Bubblegum hopped off Jake. "Well, this is my stop. I must say, this has been one very interesting day indeed", She said to us. "So, what are you gonna do now, Princess", Finn asked her. "Well before I do anything else that be deemed strenuous, I'm gonna get some shut-eye", She answered to us. "Hopefully we all can get a little bit of breathing room in now. Alex, rogue or not, please feel free to visit the Candy Kingdom sometime. I would love to find out more about you, and don't worry, you're secret is safe, I promise", she said to Alex. "I appreciate it! Thanks for the assistance, I coul- Wait, what's going on over there?" Looking over on our left, there was a large crack in the Candy wall and one of the gumball guardians was trying to hold a replacement piece of candy wall in place while some of the candy citizens were doing their hardest to direct them. "Easy! Keep it steady", one of the candy guards was" standing on the wall directing the GG. "No, no no, go left go left! Wait, what?!" As they were bringing the piece down, a wrong call by a few of the citizens caused the GG to drop the fresh piece of wall. The vibrations from the wall hitting the ground caused the people on the wall to lose balance. "Woah, Aah! (Wilhelm Scream)" As a result the gap in the wall actually got larger from the accident. Holy stuff, what happened?", I said. "Please, don't ask...", Bubblegum said, shooting Jake a scowl. "Dude, I said I was sorry!" Jake said to PB. Sighing, PB made her way back inside her Kingdom. "I'll see you guys later!" She said, waving as she got deeper into the Kingdom. "Later, Peebs!" I said, waving. We turned around and jake started to yawn. "Well, I don't know about you guys but I could go for some Z's right now." By now, stars were visible in the sky and sun had set about halfway over the horizon. "Hey, Alex. You want to see our house?" He looked at me , a little confused. "Hold on, you don't live in the Candy Kingdom", he asked me. "Nope. We heroes prefer to live independently. So... you coming?" He puzzled the thought for a second. "Aw, what the heck. I'm in." Jake kneeled down. "Then hop on, kid", Jake said to Alex, who shook his head. "Thanks bro, but I'm fine just walking." We both looked at him with confused expressions. "Dude, you've been walking since we left the Forest. You sure you don't want to rest your legs a bit", I asked him. "Not to offend you Jake, but I've been deprived of green grass and blue sky for almost half a year. I want to savor the moment, if it's alright with you." Jake and I nodded in agreement. I guess you couldn't blame him for wanting to walk. No wonder he's so fast and agile... "Okay then! Just follow us this way" Jake said to Alex.
With PB back at her Kingdom, We proceeded to head towards the Tree house. Alex was just admiring the panoramic view of Ooo in general as we walked. "It's beautiful, isn't it", I said to him. "You're telling me. It's not often that I get to see places like this, let alone even have the time to just stay there", Alex replied. A good 15 minutes of sight-seeing through the grasslands eventually led us to our house. "Well, here we are", I said, jumping off of Jake. "Holy mackerel! It looks more like an actual Fort than a house", Alex said to us. "A residence fit only for the fittest", Jake said to Alex. The moonlight reflected off the windows of the tree house as we approached the front door. "Welcome to our humble abode, Alex." "Well, a hero's stronghold has to look impressive, doesn't it?" Jake and I used a few minutes to show Alex the different areas of the house. We had just entered the Den of the fort when- "Dude, what the-?!" Alex was "ambushed" from above by BMO. "Finn, Jake! This strange person was following you so I willing sacrificed myself to save you guys!" BMO was actually trying to Karate Chop Alex, or BMO Chop him which didn't do anything. "BMO Relax. He's a friend. Alex, this is BMO. BMO, this is Alex." They both looked at each other for a second and then smiled. "Sorry about attacking you", BMO said to Alex. "No worries. I'm used to it." I chuckled as they made up. "Hey, you guys wait here. I'll be back." With that, I walked outside of the fort.
Looking up in the sky, I smiled. I still can't believe I found another human here. I know he's shady, but I have to know if there are others out there somewhere. There just has to. The stars were twinkling in the sky as I finished my thought. As I was about to go back in, I ran into Alex. "Hey dude, you wanna play some games or something", I asked him. "Yeah, I think i'm gonna call it a night bro; it's kinda getting late. I must say, this place is too cool, though", Alex said to us. "Then why don't you stay, tonight? We can get to know each other a little better." "That's a generous offer, but I'm gonna have to decline. I need to get back to my home and make sure everything's still there. I appreciate everything, though." Alex started to walk outside of the house. "Hold on, don't you need a way to get there, Alex?" "I have a way", he said while drawing his sword. He spun it in the air three times and the blade turned sky blue. As it did, there was a small breeze and his sword actually levitated over the ground. "See you around kid." "Alex, Wait! What about-" All of a sudden a blast of wind knocks me off me feet. Getting up I could see Alex "surfing" on his sword and hovering into the darkness. "Dang It! I should have seen that coming." I was a little miffed that Alex wouldn't stay so I could get my questions answered, but just as turned to re-enter the fort, something caught my eye. "Eh, what's that?" On the ground, there was a folded piece of paper on the ground. Picking it up, I realized that it was the map of Ooo that originally was sitting on the table in the Den. "Hey Finn, what you got there?", Jake asked me. "Oh, uh... Just something I dropped", I lied. "Oh. Well, you should get some rest, dude. You probably hadn't had a decent sleep in days." With that, Jake headed up to the bedroom. Closing the front door, I examined the map and noticed some writing on the bottom. Relax kid, I haven't forgotten my promise. We're both in need of a good rest, though. Meet me tomorrow at these coordinates, but make sure you're not followed. I'll be waiting... Looking at the map, I linked the coordinates together. Hm. The location is just northwest of Marauder Village. I wonder what's there... With that thought in mind, I headed up to my room, eagerly awaiting tomorrow. Here's hoping for a day without any problems.
Alex's POV
As the cool night air blew around me as I rode my sword over a large river, I couldn't help but think about everything that happened. "I don't get what's happening here. Meeting Finn, who is another human, and Bubblegum, who I barely remember back in high school. Is this just coincidental... or something else." Hovering at almost 60 mph, I just let the thought dissipate as continued to ride through the forest back to my home. The sound of nightly ambiance was so much more appealing than what I remember, given that I hadn't been out here in a while. Taking a deep breath, I entered a deep Maple tree path leading to my home.
Ahh. Solitude, Finally...
Chapter 9, in a nutshell. Everyone can now rest easy knowing that they made it back to their respective homes in one piece. So what awaits Finn tomorrow at the rendezvous point? Will he learn anything vital about the mysterious rogue, and if so, just how vital is his info? Find out-
Abel: Dude, I thought you wanted us all to quote, "Act natural" during the escape plan!
Alex: FYI, we did need your help to carry out the plan, and you could have helped us with the guards too, idiot!
... They're still arguing?
Finn: Yep.
Well, Anyway... Find out how it all unfolds in chapter 10! Reviews and/or PM's are welcome!