Chapter 10: A different flame
Author's note: my apologies for the 2 week hiatus. Things have been pretty crazy. Anyways, I changed my mind about making this chapter Flame Princess POV. It is now Marceline's.
A quick catch up- LSP has been kidnapped by the Flame Kingdom for a yet unknown reason. Finn, Jake, Marceline, and Princess Bubblegum are on their way to rescue her. Marceline reflects on her feelings for the Flame Princess and has some ulterior motives for accompanying her friends on LSP's rescue mission.
I couldn't place exactly how Flame Princess affected me. In the beginning of our relationship I noticed she had some similarities to Bonni. For one; she could be annoying as hell. She had that kind of sheltered innocence about her that a lot of princesses had, along with a tinge of brattiness, but it was enhanced with her. She knew pretty much nothing about the world outside of her kingdom and didn't even seem to realize that her dad was mistreating her.
"FP, it's not right for him to keep you locked up all day." I said to her a few days after we met while she was telling me about her home life.
"He only does it because I can't control my powers." she mumbled.
"Well maybe he should teach you how to control them instead of isolating you." I said angrily. My dad may be kind of inconsiderate, but he taught me a lot of stuff as a kid. Hers just seemed to treat her as an inconvenience.
"Maybe you're right." she shrugged.
"Nah, dude, I am right. How do you even keep escaping to hang out with me?"
"Ehh, I explode the palace guards." she said nonchalantly.
"What? Your killin' peeps every time you chill with me?" I yelled before muttering, "I can't decide if that's awesome or messed up."
"No!" she spat defensively, as little sparks jumped off her that I narrowly avoided. "It just makes them smaller for a while! Flame people are different from you, so don't judge me until you understand us!"
"Whoa, ok!" I said, putting my hands up, "Sorry. Lighten up." She was kind of adorable when I pissed her off; her forehead wrinkled and pushed that ridiculous jewel on her head up. Also, unlike everyone else I pissed off, she could actually seriously hurt me if she wanted to, especially as her hair grew longer again. I had never been friends with such an evenly matched opponent.
She lowered her fists and glowed warmly at me with a smile, "I wish I could just hug you, Marceline."
"Umm…" I scratched the back of my neck uncomfortably. She was definitely more moody than PB.
"Sorry. I just think I like you, Marceline." she confessed with a blush.
This girl kept nothing to herself.
"Listen, kid- I like you, but you've got a lot to learn about the world. I don't see why you'd want to date someone who can only touch you with thick gloves on."
"I know how to cool my body down."
"You'd have to do it more than you would for a human." I figured out the person she'd been dating was Finn, but for some reason I felt that telling her that he was one of my best friends was a mistake.
"I can learn."
I winced. Why did she have to be so freaking persistent? I mean, yeah I liked her. She had so much energy. She laughed at all my jokes. She listened with this wide-eyed grin to all my songs and then asked these crazy-in-depth questions about them that no one else had thought of before. She loved pranking people with me. She always smelled like a comforting camp fire- the ones I used to love back when my body actually needed warming up, just after the world had been demolished…
I just couldn't date another mortal. I wasn't even sure if Flame people lived 70 years or 500, but if it wasn't forever then it wasn't long enough.
"I think you should go home for now, FP." I whispered, looking away from her.
She let out a smoke-filled, angry sigh. "You don't want me, either. No one does."
"Look, I'm not saying that, I just need to think. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Mmm, alright." she said unsurely, a hurt looking frown on her face.
I couldn't sleep at all that night after sending her away. I just kept thinking of her at home being locked in that lamp, probably being yelled at for an hour by her dad. Suddenly I shot out of bed, remembering the dark spot on her shoulder that she covered up when I asked about it. She didn't even try to make an excuse about running into something; she just shot fireballs at me until I shut up about it. Suddenly I knew that was from him.
I buried my face in my hands. How did I not see it? How had I been stupid enough to send her back to that big jerk?
I shrugged on a plaid shirt, shoved on my boots, and grabbed my axe bass. I would make sure she never had to live with him again!
I shot up, crashing through the roof, and flew to the flame kingdom so fast that my hair was 10 times more haggard than usual. Oh well, it's not like I was trying to impress royalty.
I pulled out a small vial of flame shield FP had given me. I couldn't use it all the time with FP because there was so little of it, but this for sure was the time to bust it out. I closed my eyes and shook a single drop between my eyes. A shiver ran down my body and I looked down to see my body emitting a faint blue glow.
I made my way to the king's court pretty quickly- the guards were too frightened of a fire-proof vampire to do anything about it. I threw the door open and got everyone's attention with a loud rip from my bass.
The dude who must have been the king spun around, narrowing his eyes at me. I met his glare before glancing up towards FP with a faint smile. I was expecting her to look happy to see me, but she looked scared. This perplexed me.
"A vampire?" shouted the king in a disgusted voice, "What is the meaning of this? Your kind is not allowed in my kingdom!"
"Excuse me, but your guards didn't have a problem letting me in." I hissed. To make my point, I turned and glared at a flaming guard, licking my fangs subtlety. He stumbled and ran away in his full suit of armor before the king could respond.
"Hmmm." growled the fire-ball man, "Well, just state what your business is and leave. We don't want filth like you in our kingdom."
I inhaled a sharp breath, and felt my claws and haunches grow. I met Flame Princess's gaze, which looked more terrified than before, and settled back down to my girl form. She was right- I was outnumbered and if I was going to get her out I couldn't lose control just from a few ignorant insults.
"Actually, I come bearing a gift." I said in an unnaturally pleasant tone.
"I do not want to touch anything you have touched." He said disdainfully.
I gave him a sinister grin and whispered, "Then I suggest you don't touch your daughter."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY YOU PIECE OF ETERNAL VERMIN?" he roared.
"YOU HEARD ME!"
"Daddy!" cried Flame Princess, banging against the glass, "Don't hurt her, its true! She's my friend!"
Her father whirled around, flames towering above him, and yelled, "Stay out of this; you know nothing of its kind!"
"She is not an 'it.' Her name is Marceline the Vampire Queen! If you want to call me a traitor for befriending her, then do it! I HATE IT HERE!" cried Flame Princess. My unbeating heart sank seeing her frustration and then rose again at how much she cared for me.
The king merely shrugged and turned around, speaking to me again, "My daughter is a bit of a hot head. Is it true that you are the queen?"
"Yes." I said shortly, still glancing up at FP, who was now crying on her hands and knees.
"Well," said the king casually, "I've never been one for special treatment. Guards, seize her."
I was suddenly surrounded by flaming men with swords, but I swung my axe bass swiftly around them, watching them explode around me into red fireworks. I sucked the color out of the air and shot up into towards the ceiling before more could come.
The glass of the Princess's lamp was magical, but it was no match for my axe- an ancient family heirloom made from the demon blood of my ancestors. With one deft swing, the glass went crashing down, and I scooped up FP by the waist.
"Flame Princess." I said, floating in the air and projecting my voice so that everyone could hear. "Would you like to move in with me?"
She gasped and raised her eyebrows at me, a large grin spreading across her face. She squeezed my shoulders tightly and it felt a little warm and tingly. When she answered, instead of looking at me, she bored into the eyes of her father, "Yes, I would love that Marceline."
"You hear that, Flame King? She's made her decision! I promise I'll keep her safe, but if anyone tries to take her back, I'll command every undead zombie, ghost, and vampire to wage war on this glob-forsaken place!"
The King was visibly shaking, and I could tell it was just as much from anger at me as hurt at his daughter's betrayal. For a split second I felt bad for him.
"Fine!" he finally shouted. "Take her and leave your gift!"
"Oh, I can't leave my gift here." I said coolly. "It was for her, not you. You don't own her, so I owe you no gift for taking her. Good night, Flame King."
With that I busted through the roof and flew into the night.
"Were you serious, Marceline?" whispered Flame Princess, "What made you change your mind so quickly?"
"I just didn't like the thought of you staying there. It doesn't mean we're dating- let's just be roommates for now, ok?"
"Ok." She said with a giggle. She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me softly on the cheek. She was so sweet, but not in the same way as PB. I was quickly realizing that I needed to stop comparing the two of them. She suddenly looked away with that same distant, terrified look she wore when I first arrived at her kingdom.
"What's on your little ember brain?" I asked cheerfully.
"I just- I feel guilty about leaving now. That's all I've ever known."
"Yeah. I know." I said sadly, suddenly wondering if I made the right decision. Oh well, there was no going back now. I had to remind myself that she made the decision, too, and that alone made it right because it was probably the first major life decision she got to make for herself.
XXX
I was snapped out of my reverie when Finn pulled back on my arm, "Whoa, Marcie, you don't want to go in there without flame shield! Are you nutso?"
I shook my head and looked around. Sure enough, we were on the border of the flame kingdom and I was just about to float in. "Whatever, dude, where's the flame shield?" I muttered.
"Marceline, are you ok? You haven't said a word the whole way." asked PB sweetly. She placed a hand gingerly on my arm, which I snatched away without hesitation.
"I'm fine, Princess-perfect, let's just go." I spat.
"Hey, what are you being mean to PB for?" Finn said, stepping between us.
"I'm here, aren't I? Maybe I just got tired of putting up with your goo goo eyes!" I shouted waving my arms.
"Well, you're not like the third wheel- Jake's here, too." said Finn. We all turned to look at the dog that had morphed into a pair of butt cheeks for some reason.
I just had to diverge them- sure, make them think I was lonely (that really wasn't the issue at all). "Well, Jake has Lady Rainicorn- I'm sure he's not bothered watching you two." I snapped.
"Well, sorry." PB said, rolling her eyes, and putting the drop of flame shield on my head. I could tell from her lack of sympathy that she saw through my act- I'd pulled it on her too recently. She also didn't care enough to call me out on it; she was focused on going in to rescue LSP. She'd carried that bow very seriously on her back the whole trip, although I doubted she was even strong enough to draw the thing.
LSP was fine. Who cared if that lumpy brat was a little uncomfortable for a while? I came here for Flame Princess.
When some of my vampire subjects found me saying that she had come to them, I just hoped she didn't really go through with it. I wasn't willing to believe my subjects. They could just be pranking me. I had to see it for myself.
As soon as we reached the castle the guards grabbed our arms and led us before the king.
The king turned to us with a weary frown on his face, "Ah, Finn and Jake. Good to see you. Finn, I see you've become kind of manly."
"Whatever, dude, I was born manly! Where's LSP?" Finn shouted.
"Ahh, yes, she is controlling my daughter. I didn't want any of my own subjects touching such a creature and that lumpy girl came floating through here to roast marshmallows or something stupid like that."
I looked up at that familiar, large glass lamp that had since been repaired from when I smashed it years ago. FP wasn't in it. I felt a drop in my stomach. Her own dad just referred to her as a 'creature.' I suddenly knew it was true, "Where is she, Flame King?"
"Ahh," said Flame King turning to me, "You have made me lose my daughter. Because of your influence she has made the decision to lose her soul. I hope you feel good about yourself- if you are even capable of feeling."
"Hey!" piped of Finn, jumping in front of me, "Marcie's got lotsa gushy feelings! She pretends she doesn't, but then she writes sweet jams about them."
I smacked Finn upside the head, "I can defend myself, twerp."
"Ow." he muttered, backing up.
"I actually wanted you to come." said the flame king with a sigh, staring at me. "I really do think she was happier with you than me, but she is of no use to me now. If you weren't the last creature I thought she'd be happy with I'd kill you on the spot for what you've done to her."
"Let me see her, Flame King." I said flatly.
"Marceline, what is he talking-" I shushed PB with my hand and watched the king intently as he lowered a hook to the ground.
Pulled up from behind a great drop off behind the king's court was a large cage far away. I shot over to it to see Flame Princess engulfed in blue flames, hugging her knees in the corner and hanging her head. That lumpy girl was screaming wildly while shaking the bars ("OH GLOOOB, I WANT BEANS!").
"Shut up for a minute, ok?" I snapped at LSP.
"Chuh. Whatev's, Marceline." she put her hand on a lump that might have been her hip and rolled her eyes, "I thought you were cool. Did Finn come to rescue me? I hear he's, like, totally lumpin' hot now."
"Yeah, but he's taken, just be quiet." She crossed her arms, looking insulted.
"Marcie?" came a hoarse whisper.
I looked over to FP and saw my fears confirmed. She looked up at me weakly with eyes the same shade of scarlet as mine. Despite the fact that she was on fire, her skin was gray and pale. On her neck were two swollen, raised bite marks.
"Dammit, Flame Princess, why did you do this?" I shouted, shaking the bars with a loud rattle.
She jumped back a little and her flames shrank. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do."
I couldn't stay mad at her. She looked so scared. It had been a year since I'd seen her and I suddenly remembered that protective side she brought out in me. I felt my body growing uncomfortably warm; flame shield did not work as well on vampires as living mammals.
"It's going to be ok, FP. I'm going to help you get through this." I said softly.
She got up- no, floated up- and intertwined her fingers with mine through the bars. I flinched at first, but felt no burning- just a tingling.
"You don't burn me anymore." I whispered.
"Only because I'm half of what you are." she smiled. "Everyone besides vampires I can still burn to a crisp."
"Blue flames are becoming on you." I said with a wink.
"Helloooooo?" said LSP, pushing us apart. "I want BEANS. In MAH MOUTH!"