A/N:
Teller14-djb: I'm not really much of a blackmail guy but the lack of reviews got us thinking up the art challenge.
Clockwork: Next time we're just going to ransom chapters from you all. Sorry.
Teller14-djb: We didn't do it yet.
Clockwork: Not that. I'm sorry for what I'm gonna have to do now.
Teller14-djb: What are you-No! No no no. I didn't authorize it.
Clockwork: See ya after this.
Teller14-djb: Clockwork! Hehe. Clockwork may have stepped out. But you're gonna see him again in a few minutes. Silver tongue…ACTIVATE!
Chapter 11: Coming Clean
Star's POV
"RUN," I called.
The others stopped clobbering the Ice King and looked up passed the snow mount.
"What," Jake asked me.
"Everybody RUN," I repeated. "The Lich has risen."
They looked past us and saw the beast make his chase. Jake made himself bigger and Cake stretched everyone onto his back. She finally grabbed us and Jake took off toward the Tree Fort.
"I thought you guys had that covered," Finn said.
"So did we," I told him. "But we were just a couple seconds off."
"At least you two made it," Cake smiled.
"Yeah. We couldn't face them without you guys," Fionna added.
I smiled at the both of them then looked back to see the Lich getting farther away.
"He stopped chasing us," I observed. "The Ice Royals must be convincing him to work together."
"We can't let that happen," Holly reminded us.
"Can't we stay and fight," Molly questioned.
"There has to be some way to-"
"Stop it! All of you," I screamed cutting off Jolly. "Look," I sighed, "there's nothing we can do right now. We just have to go get supplies and think up a plan. Right Shawn? Shawn?"
Shawn was facing the Lich still. He didn't move, he didn't talk. He just kept staring off, thinking. We arrived at the Tree Fort and we all went up to the living room where BMO and Futball were there to greet us.
"Oh your back," BMO took notice.
"Why is the sky all gray," Futball asked.
I closed the door and joined them after I climbed the ladder in my human form. I reverted back and collapsed on the couch that Shawn was on.
"The Lich is back," I told the computers. "So what's the plan Shawn?"
Shawn gave me no answer. Instead he just stared into space, still thinking.
"Shawn," I said with a tinge of worry in my voice. "You're scaring me. Please! Please Shawn, answer me!"
"We lost," he said simply, still not looking at anything but the sky.
"WHAT," the others screamed at him.
"We still have a shot here," I said. "We-We just need to put our heads together, a-and think up a-"
"Star! It's over!"
Shawn never yelled at me before. Not in any of other time loops. This one really was different.
"We failed," he continued. "We tried and we failed! We've all accepted it! So now it's your turn to! Wake up!"
I looked at him then checked the room. No one looked up. All of them had given up. I looked at Shawn once more before I got off the couch and left them all in the room. I went inside the bathroom, closed and locked the door behind me. I hopped on the counter standing in front of the mirror above the sink. I sighed, looking into my reflection. Some people always know who's staring back at them. As for me, I morphed into a human, reverted back and sighed.
"What am I," I asked lowering my head.
"Wrong question," I heard someone ask.
"W-What," I wondered looking at my reflection.
"Wrong, question," my reflection said sounding like a familiar guy I know.
"Um…Who am I?"
"Wrong question."
"What do mean wrong?! How else do you want me ask it?!"
"Who says I want you to ask anything?"
"Wait. Clockwork?"
Clockwork shifted into a human and stepped out of the mirror. I stepped to the side so he couldn't push me onto the floor. He smirked at me the same way he always did when he knew something I didn't; just like my father. And how many times have they been wrong.
"Go ahead," I sighed. "I know it's killing you not to-"
"I was right and you were wrong," he sang with his child head showing.
"-say it."
"Okay. I'm done."
His head shifted back to an adult.
"Now on to this problem."
"Look Father Time, now may not be the best moment to talk about it."
"Come on."
"He's never yelled at me before. Ever."
"I saw."
"Then why do you want me to-never mind. My Dad was right. And right now my instinct is telling me to tell him the truth. The real truth."
"I am only here to give you permission. And to tell you to be careful."
"Thanks. And don't worry. I'm always careful-"
Clockwork made his time portal and stepped through it. A flash of light and he was gone. I jumped off the counter and unlocked the door.
"-or at least I was."
I walked into the living room and saw everyone still sulking. I felt my blood boil just at this sight. I marched over to the table, kicked off the weapons and glared at Shawn.
"What," Shawn asked.
"Listen," I barked. "All of you! You can't just sit here and do nothing like a bunch of losers."
"We are Star," Finn told me.
"Wrong! You're not. Before we got here you four we're the bravest bunch ever. And now because of a little Lich problem you're all just gonna give up?! Fat chance heroes! I won't let you! Any of you! The truth is I've lived this before. Many, many times."
"How could you have when you're my age," Shawn questioned.
"Well…"
"Stellar Luna Note Parker?"
"Vörðurs."
"What?"
"My true last name is Vörðurs. It's Icelandic for warden; which also happens to be my job. I've lived through only this part in time for…who even knows anymore. The day you skinned Insanity Wolf was the day you originally turned evil. So by now you would've been with the bad guys, and my Dad and these guys would be fighting you."
"Why me?"
"The Lich marked you. When he smirked he saw the evil in you and tried to harness it. This is the only time that you were somehow able to break the hypnosis. I don't quite understand it but it happened. And we need about as much help as we can get this time. We have to break the loop-"
I walked over to Fionna, reached into her pack, pulled out a brown book, hopped back on the table and handed it to Shawn.
"-with this."
"The Enchiridion," Shawn questioned. "But I thought Finn smashed it."
"He did," Fionna told him. "But I still had my copy. That right there is the last book in the whole stinking universe."
"Then this might be our last chance."
"Let's go-no," Jake said before he and Finn vanished.
"What happened," Cake asked. "We still had a day."
"Maybe the bubble was like the same one Magic Man used in the Time Sandwich episode," Shawn thought. "They must have rigged it so that when it was popped, time sped up!"
"Then we have less time than I thought," I said. "Let's get to the Candy Kingdom. Fast!"
A/N:
Teller14-djb: Permission? No wise words, no smart-Alec remarks? Just permission.
Clockwork: I'm sick of you guys always questioning me. My methods may be unorthodox but they work damn it!
Teller14-djb: Okay. I'm sorry. Tough week?
Clockwork: You don't know the stretch of it.
Teller14-djb: Oh so you can make jokes. Whatever. We still need a poster for the story folks. And at this rate you may have to wait for Parallel Problems to come out. So if you don't want that to happen…
Teller14-djb&Clockwork: Please REVIEW! 20 to get the preview. See ya around!
