The wind ruffled Flame Princess' fiery hair as she flew towards the Candy Kingdom. News of the Tree Fort's destruction had reached her in the Fire Kingdom. She urged the phoenix onwards, eager to make sure Finn was alright. She flew over the kingdom walls and alighted in the square. She gained a few startled looks from the onlookers but once they recognised her as the Princess of the Fire Kingdom they returned to their business. She made her way over to the palace where she was greeted by two banana guards.
"I'm here to see Finn," she told them when they asked the reason for her visit. They let her past and one of them escorted her to the main hall where Finn and Jake were playing a game of cards. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline were sitting by the window. Princess Bubblegum rested her head in Marceline's lap as she flicked through yet another book she had taken from the library. Finn looked up from his hand when he heard movement. A grin spread across his face as he spotted Flame Princess. "FP!" he cried, getting up, knocking the cards to the four winds.
"Hey," protested Jake as he tried to gather the cards back together. Finn sprinted across the room and threw his arms around Flame Princess. He stepped back a moment later, his clothes smoking a little and a few burn marks on his arms. "Hehe, guess I forgot," he smiled sheepishly.
"Are you alright?" asked Flame Princess.
"Yeah, you're getting much better at controlling your flames," replied Finn.
"That's not quite what I meant," said Flame Princess, "I heard about what happened at the Tree Fort. Did that monster hurt you?"
"No, no, FP, I'm fine, we managed to get away but, as I'm sure you heard, it was completely destroyed," replied Finn.
"Have you found out anything more about the monster?" asked Flame Princess. Finn shook his head.
"No, nothing," he replied, "PB and Marcy have been looking through books from the library for over a week now but no luck."
"That's because you're not looking in the right place," said a voice behind them.
"Huh?" exclaimed Finn in confusion as he turned to face the Peppermint Candy.
"I said, you aren't looking in the right place," repeated Peppermint Butler. He sighed, "I've been thinking long and hard over this for the past few days. I know one place where you will definitely find all the answers you seek."
"Where, dude?" asked Finn.
"Death's library," replied Peppermint Butler, "Death is all knowing, everything that ever happened, is happening or will ever happen is all recorded in his library. I trust you remember how to get there."
"I remember," said Finn. Princess Bubblegum, Marceline and Flame Princess turned to look at him in surprise. "Finn, what does Peppermint mean?" asked Princess Bubblegum, "Get where?"
"The Land of the Dead," replied Finn, "Peppermint Butler showed us how to get there when we had to get back the soul of your princess plant."
"Wait a minute, how come you never mentioned this before?" asked Marceline.
"Peppermint Butler told us it was a secret," explained Finn, "And we didn't want you to find out about the plant, PB. We thought you might be disappointed after you asked us to take care of it."
"Anyway," said Peppermint Butler before Princess Bubblegum had a chance to reply, "We'd better make haste. The sooner you find out the identity of this monster, the better." He led them down the corridors to the same place he had taken Finn and Jake.
"You remember what to do, Finn?" he asked. Finn nodded.
"Take my hands. Stare into where the two walls meet," said Finn, repeating the instructions Peppermint had once given them. Jake and Flame Princess took his hands, Flame Princess now wearing tin foil gloves. Princess Bubblegum took Marceline and Flame Princess' hands. "Now slowly, cross your eyes," continued Finn. They did as he asked. The walls in front of them slid apart, revealing a swirling red portal. Through it they could see land as grey as storm clouds below a sky as black as a raven's wing where floating islands hovered. They stepped through, waving to Peppermint Butler as the portal closed.
"Do you remember the way to death's lair?" asked Jake.
"I think so," replied Finn, "I know we have to get down to the bottom.
"Not a problem," grinned Jake, "Hop on." Flame Princess and Finn climbed onto Jake's back and Marceline scooped Princess Bubblegum up in her arms. Jake clung to the side of the floating island before stretching his lower half down towards the ground far below them. Princess Bubblegum and Marceline swooped down over the edge, following Jake's body to the ground. They alighted near a mound of earth. Bones protruded from the earth around them and a worn path stretched out before them with a gate at the end of it. All sorts of horrors could be heard screaming, grunting and moaning from the various recesses. "Dude, when the guard spots you, just keep walking," said Jake. They walked towards the gate.
"You two again," grumbled the guard, "And I see you brought some friends. I've told you before you're not allowed in. Not that you'll listen." They ignored the guard as Jake instructed and before long they were on the other side.
"Guys, if you see any walking skeletons give them a wide berth," warned Jake, "They eat flesh." Princess Bubblegum shuddered at the thought. As they reached the mud huts the reanimated skeletons inhabited they slunk into the shadows. One skeleton was sitting outside one of the huts. It looked like he was dozing but it was difficult to tell from his empty eye sockets. They climbed up onto the roof of one of the mud huts, creeping their way along past the skeleton. Finn held his breath, his sword clenched in his teeth. Suddenly a rock came loose under his shoe and scuttered down the side of the hut, landing next to the skeleton. It looked up sharply, grinning as it caught sight of them. "Fleshies," he hissed, "Get out here, everyone. There are fleshies among us." Immediately the ground below was a hive of activity as skeletons hurried out from every recess and doorway. The pointed up at them, talking in excited voices.
"Fighting them is pointless," said Jake, "Let's go!" Finn and Flame Princess climbed back onto Jake's back. He stretched his limbs, rising high above the skeletons. Marceline flew after them with the Princess. Jake kicked a few of the skeletons out of the way as he ran past. One latched onto his leg and bit down savagely. Jake yelped in pain. More skeletons joined the first, climbing up towards Finn and Flame Princess. Finn swung his sword, cleaving the skull of one in half. Its limp skeleton toppled back and out of sight. Flame Princess threw fireballs at two other skeletons, burning them off Jake's legs. Marceline hissed, kicking the last skeleton off.
They continued running, Flame Princess firing warning blasts at the skeletons. At last they started to retreat under the Princess' fire.
"Ha, that's telling 'em," grinned Finn, high fiving Flame Princess, "And there's the castle. It was exactly how he remembered it. There was the castle made of light and the Zen garden that stood in front of it. Running past it was the River of Forgetfulness. Jake stretched his body across while Princess Bubblegum and Marceline flew over it. Death was out in his Zen garden as before, raking the sand into various intricate patterns.
"Back again, you two?" he said in mock surprise, "And I see you brought some company. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
"I'm Princess Bubblegum and this is-," began Princess Bubblegum.
"Your wife Marceline," finished Death.
"Wait, how did you know?" asked Princess Bubblegum. Death laughed.
"I'm Death. I know everything that goes on, past, present and future," smiled Death, "Just as I know you're Flame Princess," he turned to face Flame Princess, "And I know why you're here. You're looking for information on the monster that's terrorizing Ooo."
"That's right," said Finn, "Can we check your library?"
"You're welcome to it," replied Death, "No one but me does my job and that monster's ruining my profession, not to mention my reputation. Come, I'll show you the way." He led them into the castle and down a well lit corridor. At last they came to a cavernous room. Every wall was lined with shelves and each shelf contained hundreds of books. Lit lanterns floated around the walls, casting a steady glow on the shelves. "The book you seek is at the end of that corridor," said Death, indicating a corridor that seemed to appear out of nowhere between the shelves, "Do me a favour and put a stop to that monster."
"You can count on us," said Finn. They made their way down the corridor created by the bookshelves. Some of the book's bindings shimmered with light while others seemed to move when they weren't looking directly at them. They reached the end of the corridor that culminated in a small circular room with a high ceiling. A large book sat upon the lectern. In large sweeping letters across the cover were the words, 'Myths and Legends of Ooo." The pages rustled as Princess Bubblegum opened the book, flicking through the pages. She let out a startled gasp as the pages began to turn on their own, flicking through the book with startling speed. When they stopped they looked at the page. There on the page was an illustration.
"That's the monster," cried Finn, pointing to the illustration. There was no mistaking it. There were the six legs, the oozing decayed skin, the savage horns and the piercing red eyes. Princess Bubblegum began reading the paragraph on the opposite page.
Long ago, when Ooo was in its infancy, a Great Spirit resided there. The Great Spirit was an ancient beast that had power over life and death. It brought new souls into the world and it took them away when their time was up. Its power was virtually limitless and it was worshipped by most as a God. But there were some who coveted the power it possessed. One day a wizard sought out to capture the Great Spirit and use its powers for his own selfish ends. He weaved a spell designed to capture the Spirit but something went wrong. Instead of capturing it, it split the Spirit into two entities. One became the life taker while the other became the life giver. The life taker brought devastation wherever it went, spreading death and disease like wildfire. The life giver, seeing the foul nature of the life taker, imprisoned it within a dimension all its own. The life taker's powers were greatly reduced as a result and the death rate returned to normal. The great life giver found it too exerted too great a force on the planet, increasing the population of all plants and animals by horrifying degrees. The world would become overcrowded if it remained so it departed the world so live in a plane of its own. That plane can only be reached by the core portal. It is located at the centre of the earth. The life giver shall be sought again one day when its powers are needed. Seek the life when all is death, only then shall death be brought back to order.
"How are we going to get there?" asked Jake.
"The crater," replied Marceline, "There's a honeycombed system of caves below it."
"It looks like that's where we're headed then," said Princess Bubblegum with a note of resignation in her voice, "I'll get a message to Lady. We're going to need her help. It will be hot down there, I imagine, better bring a supply of water."
"We'll go home and prepare right away," said Marceline.
"Did you find what you needed?" asked Death. He smiled, "Of course you did. The question was merely rhetorical. I wish you luck on your journey."
"Will we make it then?" asked Flame Princess.
"Sorry, I can't tell anyone their futures," replied Death, "It does things to the mind." His face was unreadable as they departed. He chuckled to himself once they were gone.
"Yes, you have some momentous occasions ahead of you," he smiled, "Tread well, adventurers."