Chapter 11: The Island
Author's note: here's a fluffly chapter for you with a little bit of action in the mix. The next chapter will be the last one for this story, but there will be a sequel started after I return from Spring Break (whoot whoot)!
The next morning we were all set to leave. Both birds were loaded up. Marceline would be staying in the tree house while Finn and Jake were gone with a mysterious new roommate that she would say nothing about. There was really not much else to do, but I was so jittery I kept coming up with all this extra stuff.
"Oh, how much does Marceline need to water the tree house? Do you have extra underwear, Finn? Jake, are you going to have enough room for your viola? If not then I can rearrange…"
"PB, slow down, lady! You're making my brain throb!" said Jake, making his head the size of a Martian's and actually pulsating it for dramatic effect.
"Yeah, Peebs, why so nervous?" asked Finn.
"I-I've just never been away from the candy kingdom for so long!" I said in a slightly hysterical, high pitched voice. It wasn't until Finn put his hands on my shoulders to still them that I realized I was hyperventilating. He pulled me by the hand back downstairs while everyone chattered busily about the trip.
"Ok, Bubblegum, why are you so freaked out?"
"I'm sorry, Finn. It's just, when you're royal, your whole life is planned out from the moment you're born. You're not really offered any other options. I used to always imagine being unafraid, tough, and free to be rogues like you and Jake, but that's just not what I was brought up to be. I've always had my royal obligations, my nice dresses, and my kingdom sheltering me, and my entire science lab and library at my disposal. I don't know what it's like to just pack up a bag of things and just go, knowing I'm going to fight random junk along the way."
"Hmmmm…" then he blew a very long raspberry while thinking. "Strength isn't everyone's strength, though, PB. You're really good at science, so you'll probably be able to adapt really well. You can figure out how to make us cool shelters and what plants we're able to eat. You could even design defensive weapons for us! You don't have to fight stuff just like Jake and I do."
"Hmm, yeah, I guess you're right. I also haven't seen my mom in almost 2 years, so I'm pretty nervous about that, too."
"Why be nervous? She'll be so happy to see you!" Finn gave me a big, toothy smile. There was no way for him to know that for a very long time now I felt Mama was hiding something from me. It was something I didn't even admit to myself. I gave him a sheepish grin so that he would think I was reassured.
"Look, Finn. In case we get separated on our perilous quest, I want to give you something to remember me by. I might as well do this now, when no one else is around."
He blushed and puckered his lips, "No not that, silly!" I said, pinching his little lips. I grabbed my ankle and lifted the hem of my skirt gently. Around my ankle I had tied a baby blue, soft piece of worn fabric. I loosened it and tightened the knot above his little foot.
Finn reached down and stroked it, "Is that-"
"It's the piece of fabric from your clothes that was left on my window the night they took you. I meant to give it to you on your 14th birthday, but I still hadn't told you about your past yet, so it wouldn't have made any sense!"
"Shmowzow! Did you always keep this?"
"Yeah." I shrugged, "I always had it with me, somewhere hidden. It's a reminder to you of how much I cared for you then, and how I do even more now."
"Wow, thanks, PB. I don't even have anything for you."
"Please, Finn, I have a whole closet full of little gifts from you. I didn't expect one today." Finn squirmed in embarrassment.
"Soooo," he said, fidgeting with the blue cloth around his ankle, "is your life really laid out that strict just because you're royal?"
"Yeah." I shrugged, "Sometimes your parents even plan who's gonna marry you just based on stupid junk like kingdom alliances or trading of resources."
Finn immediately got an angry, distant look on his faced, "Are you engaged?"
"No, no! That's not what I meant. That's actually the one thing that's not planned out for me, because, well, my mom never got married, either. She didn't want to obligate me to do something that she didn't."
"Wait, so then your dad…" Finn trailed off awkwardly. He was smart enough to know not to verbally accuse my mother of being "loose."
"My dad, Finn," I continued, "is a wad of bubblegum. My mom is human mutated with candy, and she grew me in a petri dish from some of her DNA and a chewed piece of gum."
"Eww. I mean no offense!" Finn laughed gingerly, "So, is that how all babies are made?"
"Um, no, Finn." This is what I get for crushing on a 14-year-old, I told myself. I may have cared for him as a baby, but I was not about to take on the role of having the birds and the bees talk with him. I couldn't believe Jake hadn't done that already.
Jake's voice came from right behind me, startling both of us "Hey, lovebirds, time to go!" He hadn't even bothered to walk down to the room- he just stretched a part of his stomach in that he shaped to look like a giant pair of kissy lips.
Finn, Beemo, and I rode on The Morrow, while Susan and Jake followed behind on Yesteryear. I could tell Finn did not like flying over the ocean, but he did better than if he was close to it. Of course, it occurred to me that he might be using his fear that everyone knew about by now as an excuse to hold on to my waist like a vice grip the whole day while I steered. I only grinned as this thought occurred to me; I wasn't about to call the guy out. He got embarrassed so easily lately.
We rode until the sun started setting. We'd stopped trying to play road trip games hours ago and everybody was ready to rest and relax. Of course, there was only one person who wanted to keep going when we saw the perfect little paradise island to stop at.
"Come on, we're still rad! Let's ditch that island and go to Aaa!" shouted Finn in a tone so peppy that we were all annoyed by it.
"We're only half through the journey, Finn. We need to rest." I said patiently.
"Rest is for the elderly! Are any of you elderly?"
"Finn," said a small, adorable, mechanized voice of Beemo, the video game system, "if you do not stop at that island, I will electrically shock you until you fall into the ocean."
"Ok, Ok, Beemo! Rest is cool for everyone! Let's land!" Finn said, sounding slightly panicked. Everyone knows Beemo does not bluff.
We descended the birds on our beautiful little tropical island. Everyone seemed in a much better mood the moment we landed.
Finn taught Susan how to make the "red flower…" or fire to us surface natives. Beemo and I found some very nice meat men who gave us strips of their meat bellies to cook for dinner. Jake found a nice little cave for us to stay in and did a camouflage leaf covering over it.
In the bushes I changed into shorts and a t-shirt. My hair was also all gummed up from leaving it down while we flew all day, so I brushed it through, and put it in a long French braid. I jumped up and down and gave a little squeal. I felt all ready for a beach party!
I came out to see if Finn and Susan had finished the fire. "Look, Aunt Susan, we've already got the fire going. Just throw some kindling on there. Wouldn't it be sweet if you could make this on your own?"
"Nuh-uhhh!" grunted Susan, waving her large hands while backing away, "Susan dun wanna make red flower angry! Finn tame red flower!"
Finn sighed. I could tell he'd been at this for a while, "Ok, you can go rest or see if you can find us some fruit to eat, ok?"
She clapped and hopped from foot to foot, "Is fruit like candy?"
"Uhh, well it's not quite as math as candy. Jake says it's good for you, though."
"Susan will find CANDY!" she let out a guttural moan and drooled.
"Sure, there might be some candy plants here." shrugged Finn, "I don't really think those are tropical, though." He smiled after Susan, who had already sleuthed off on her search for sweets.
Finn still hadn't noticed I was standing there. He concentrated on prodding the fire and threw some more kindling into it while the meat cooked. His face was very serious. The blue cloth I gave him that morning was still securely around his ankle. I wondered if he wanted to teach Susan to make the fire instead of him because it reminded him too much of FP.
I sat and leaned against the fallen log that Finn was sitting on and gave a relaxed sigh as I let Beemo bury my bare legs in the cool sand. I rubbed the inside of my thighs a little as I tilted my head back with my eyes closed. Riding a bird all day sure did make me sore. The light from the sunset made everything all golden and warm and I noticed the sounds of Finn aggravating the fire had stopped. I opened my eyes to see him staring at me. As soon as we made eye contact he snapped his gaze away and concentrated on the fire harder than ever.
If I was like Marceline, I would amuse myself by kissing him and embarrassing him even more. I don't really think Finn was sure where our relationship stood. I mean, thanks to the age freezing we were only getting closer and closer to the same age, but now sometimes I just felt so much more emotionally mature than him. It was weird, and I couldn't ask anyone else about the situation because nobody else I knew had ever been in this situation. He was getting more bashful by the day, like he realized this, too. I think he thought if he wanted to kiss me on a regular basis it would scare me away.
"Hey, PB, I picked these for you." Finn held out a bouquet of pink hibiscus flowers, while looking down at the ground.
"Aww, thank you, Finn! They're pink, too!" I took them and started to weave them into my braid.
"You look totally rhombus, PB." he said it with that same look he gave me sometimes- like I was the gravity that held him to the earth.
I giggled and kissed him on the forehead. He got a dazed look on his face. Marceline was right; it was fun to embarrass him- just a little.
Jake came over with Beemo when he smelled the meat was done, but Susan still had not come back. We waited a few more minutes and finally started eating when we heard her stumbling through the forest at crazy speed.
"Water! Water! Susan found water!" she shouted repeatedly.
"There's water everywhere, Susan! We are on the ocean!" Jake growled, "Crazy muscled little whack job."
"Noooo!" she stressed, "Real water."
"Jake, I think she means water we can drink!" shouted Finn, and he ran to follow her.
About half a mile inland we found the most beautiful crystal clear blue lagoon just at the end of dusk.
"Aww yeahhh!" shouted Finn. He threw off all of his clothes except his shorts and jumped in.
I rubbed a slimy solution on myself that I used so that the water wouldn't dissolve my hair off (very essential for a candy person travelling over the ocean) and jumped off a tree branch yelling "Candy ball!"
Next Susan was stampeding in and yelling "Feel my up-downs, Finn!" while jumping to create tidal waves so big that Finn was using Jake shaped as a surf board to ride them.
Since I didn't have a magical dog surf board, I was coughing and sputtering from the waves hitting me in the face.
"Aww, Princess, are you ok?" asked Finn.
"Yes, Finn, I'm alright." My voice was strained, but I used the most dignified voice I could.
"That's cool. Not everybody can be the MASTER OF THE LAGOON like me!"
He was being pretty haughty for someone who was more scared of the ride over to the island than anyone else. I crossed my arms over my chest, "Excuse me?"
"You heard me, Peebs!" he puffed out his chest, marched around in the water, and chanted, "Master of the lagoon! Master of the lagoon! Nobody can swoon the master of the lagoon!"
"Yeah, that's right, Finn! You strut that bod!" shouted Jake as he floated lazily on the water. Susan was marching behind Finn and humming.
"Does the master of the lagoon want a kiss?" I said a little too sweetly.
"Um, well, sure, ok!" Finn tried to sound nonchalant, and was pretty embarrassed that I asked in front of Susan and Jake, but he wasn't about to turn in down.
He came over and closed his eyes. Jake was bewildered, and staring in shock. I just used it as the perfect chance to sweep his feet out from under him and dunk him in the water!
He came out of the water sputtering and yelled, "Oh, that's it, turbonerd! I challenge you to a chicken fight duel!" He shook his hair out while we all laughed hysterically. I could even hear little Beemo giggling up on the shore.
"Fine!" I said, trying to sound tough, "You're on. Boys versus girls?"
"Ahh no fair, you get Susan? How 'bout both the humans are on one team?" reasoned Finn.
"Hey, why am I the last pick?" said Jake, "Have you forgotten I'm freaking magical?"
"Fair enough." shrugged Finn.
"We go fight chickens now?" Susan said from up at the shore, holding a random chicken with fish fins by the neck.
"Umm, no." said Jake, "Finn, make your crazy aunt release the freak chicken and explain the rules."
Soon I sat on Susan's shoulders while Finn was on Jake's (he had to stretch to be Susan's height). "Okie-dokie!" started Beemo, our ref, "Let's have clean fight! One, two, three, go!"
Finn grabbed my arms with startling intensity and I started to bend backwards as he pushed me. I twisted all over trying to worm out of his grasp, but in no time I'd fallen into the cool water. Finn dived after me and scooped me out. While he held me I suddenly was very self conscious of how much my t-shirt clung to me when it was wet, and I wasn't the only one. Most of the time Finn only saw me in full princess garb.
"Wanna be my partner now, PB?" he asked quietly.
"Sure." I said, "Wait, you meant in chicken, right?"
"Pshh, yeah! What did you think I meant?" he said, blushing and scratching the back of his neck. Then he turned to Jake, "Alright, buddy, it's you and PB now!"
Jake let out a laborious sigh, "Ok, I guess I'll do that for you buddy. I know you want to have Bubblegum's legs around your neck."
"Hey shut up, it's not like that! I'm a chicken athlete!" he lowered his voice to a growl and glared, "I am a chicken proooo."
I clambered on Finn's shoulders and felt him place his hands on top of my bare legs. I hooked my feet around his back and braced myself the best I could, but fighting Jake was even more pointless than Finn. The more I pushed him, the more he stretched, and finally I got so tired that he just pushed my nose and I tumbled into the water again! I'm pretty sure Finn knew that would happen and that Jake was totally right about his motivation to be partnered with me.
"Hey, why have you mainlanders defiled the holy wizard water?" said a deep booming voice from behind us. We all turned to see three floating purple foxes wearing swim trunks and hoodies that looked like wizard's robes.
"Who the junk are you?" asked Finn.
"We are the tropical fox wizards and we need that water to produce our young!"
"Yessss," growled the second fox disdainfully, "and now you have defiled the holy lagoon by playing chicken in it. Do you know that will make our babies come out with chicken feet? Do you really want that?"
"Well, uh, what does peeing in the water do?" asked Jake.
"Peeing in the water makes our young have to wear very thick glasses and smell like farts for eternity. Why do you ask?"
"No reason." said Jake quickly. Then I'm pretty sure he laughed maniacally under his breath.
"Wait, so babies are made with holy wizard water?" asked Finn, with his finger on his chin.
"Finn, just stop asking how babies are made and let me handle this." I sighed. Then I put on my perky diplomat voice, "Magical floating tropical wizard foxes, we are deeply sorry for defiling the water that you use to make your young. As humble guests to your beautiful island, we had no idea that this was a special body of water. Is there anything we can do to make it up to you?" Even though I wasn't wearing a dress, I ended with a curtsy. I'm classy like that.
"Well," said the lead fox thinking, "We could let you go, since you didn't know…" Jake and Finn high-fived prematurely, "but you have to filter all this water with sieves first."
They conjured 4 strainers in the air and tossed them to us.
"Crud." muttered Finn behind me.
"That's going to take all night and we're exhausted!" I whined in my most pathetic voice. "Isn't there another way?"
"NO." said all 3 foxes at once.
"Wait wait wait wait wait wait!" said Jake.
"WHAT." said the foxes.
"Since the water's already defiled anyway, how abouts yous guys have a chicken match for it? Best 2 out of 3? Then the lagoon can get cleaned."
"Hmmm," thought the lead fox, "It has been a long time since we've played chicken. What is the wager?"
"If you win, not only will we clean the whole pool, but I'll make you my famous breakfast tacos in the morning."
"Good thing they don't know why they're famous." whispered Finn, "I was in the bathroom a week from those things."
"Sounds enticing." said the lead fox. "Lately all we've eaten are fish chickens and hairy pineapples. What if you win?"
"Then you have to teleport all of us to the nearest shore in Aaa right after the match, including all our stuff and our gigantic flacons. And you can clean your own dumb baby makin' pool."
"Fine." said the lead fox, climbing on the shoulders of his subordinate.
Jake and Susan paired up were an easy win. Susan was an unshakable foundation, and Jake was so flexible that he just stretched wherever the fox pushed or pulled him. Eventually he got all twisted up like a pretzel and once his body got really tense, he made his hands huge, clapped them over the fox's head, and let his body untwist. The fox went twirling through the air and flew in to the water once Jake's body was back to its natural shape!
The fox popped out of the water and shook his fur dry. He floated to the shore line and I thought I heard him mutter "A pox on your puppies."
The second match was Finn and Susan versus the two smallest foxes. Finn looked like he was easily stronger than the fox, but then that butt blew some kind of enchanted breath in his face that made him all woozy and he just fell in the water! Susan had to scoop him out quickly so he wouldn't drown.
I guess they didn't like Jake's pretzel move, either. We were both playing dirty.
The last match everyone agreed that I had to be the one fighting. I was the only one who hadn't been in a match yet and they said it was only fair to use all of our players since they used all of theirs. I think they only said that because they knew I was the weakest person there.
I sat on Jake's shoulders, since Susan was already the base for 2 matches and Finn was still kind of out of it. It was established, though, that since Jake was only the base, he couldn't stretch me out of harm's way if we started losing.
The biggest lead fox from the first match was the base this time and the smallest one was fighting me (he was still considerably bigger than I was).
Great, I thought, we'll be up all night filtering water because I'm a boring weenie, just like Marceline always used to call me.
The match began and the fox's claws squeezed on my shoulders and he twisted me dramatically, trying to get me to surrender and fall into the water. If I was weak before, being twisted into this position made me pathetic. I tightened my leg grip on Jake's shoulders and let out a small cry of pain as the fox twisted my back even more.
Finn seemed to have stirred enough to realize what was going on and called out from Susan's arms, "Whooo, go Peebles! Remember, strength isn't everyone's strength!"
I smiled as I remembered Finn's words from earlier. He was right; science was my strength. If I could just look at this scientifically, I bet I just might be able to win this.
I paid close attention to how much force the fox was applying to twisting me and the exact angle he was in. Then, at a precise moment I had calculated, I stopped resisting and let my body go limp. The excess force the fox was using now to push against nothing caused him to lose balance and fall over me into his demise!
"Haha! Who's boring now!" I yelled.
Finn, Susan, Jake, Beemo, and even the hawks had gathered around me, erupting into cheers. We not only were saved from a whole night's work, but from a whole day's travel tomorrow!
"Nobody called you boring. Why did you say that?" whispered Finn as he hoisted me up on his back.
"Oh, that was just something someone I used to date used to say to me." I said under my breath as I waved it off, "I always kind of wondered if it was true."
"You shouldn't date someone who makes you feel like crud. If it means anything, you're the most interesting person I know."
I beamed. Just when I was thinking I was light-years more mature than him, he says something like that.
The lead fox stood and glared at all of us, "Ok, now all three of us smell like farts and I think one of you knows why!"
"Whatevs," said Jake, "just teleport us!"
The foxes collectively rolled their eyes and casted magic beams onto us. For a few seconds my body felt warm and tingly and all I could see was light. When my vision adjusted again I could see we were on the beach, and on the horizon were the castle spires of my Uncle Gumball's kingdom!
"Slamma-cow! We're here!" Finn high fived Jake and they both started doing the spaghetti arms dance.
Finn started running towards the kingdom, but then fell flat on his face.
"Oh, no, Finn? Are you ok?" I ran up to his and put his head in my lap to inspect his vital signs.
"Naw, he's fine." Jake yawned, "You realize he's been up the past 2 nights straight and has hardly stopped to eat the whole time? When he gets really excited 'bout something he just parties too hard."
"Aww, poor little guy." I cooed.
Susan got sleeping bags for us all out of the luggage and collapsed inside of hers, instantly snoring. I wriggled Finn's sleeping bag onto him and zipped him up like he was in a little cacoon.
I carefully crawled into my pink sleeping bag and watched Finn sleep for a few minutes. He looked so peaceful. Jake was right; it wasn't such a bad hobby.
"Hey, princess?" said Jake sleepily.
"Yeah?"
"You know you're my bud, but Finn is my best bud. I've gotta look out for my best bud."
"Yeah, I know. What do you mean?"
"I mean I'm not stupid, PB. I see how you guys are around each other and I know something between you two has changed. I just want to know that whatever made you change your mind was legit. I don't even think you know how much Finn is into you."
I was about to say something, but then Finn grabbed a piece of my hair sticking out of the sleeping bag and put it under his face like a pillow. A sleepy little content groan escaped his lips as he exhaled.
I reached my arm out of the sleeping bag, thinking of taking my hair back, but then just placed my hand gently on Finn's shoulder. "Yeah, Jake, I know he is. I'm still not sure if it's love or not, but this is the most legit I've ever felt, too."