-Completing the Circle-
The gang all lay on the ground, feeling not only the pain of any injuries that may have been inflicted, but the pain of losing the fight for their home. Also, the hurt from losing their best friend to the one's who were now enemies.
The sky had grown into a bizarre color tone, due to the combination of the comet's brilliant illumination of red and orange, and the ever increasing darkness caused by the growing solar eclipse. Both events would likely be frightening the other inhabitants of Ooo, who may as well have believed it was the end of the world.
Everyone managed to recover most of their consciousness. Marceline helped pull away the sticky material encasing PB, while Susan crawled over to Jake as the dog lay with tears streaming down his face. Ice King rubbed his temple as he sat up with a groan, still feeling the imprinted 'pain' the princess illusions had dealt him.
Flame Princess was on her hands and knees, trying hard to overcome the mist Third Arc had exposed her to. It didn't seem to cause any visible harm, other than weakening her powers with its neurological vapor. Upon finally being able to raise her head, the young king immediately tried to look over to the Arcs.
Third and Fourth Arc were helping up Sixth, the latter placing her hand to his chest and emitting a strange glow. A moment later, the man's wounds disappeared, allowing him to support himself without the others' help. The six humans regrouped as the fallen Ooocians refocused enough to look back. They were all on the ground, weak and powerless to fight back any longer for the time being.
FP gazed into First Arc's eyes, as the boy looked back with the same sorrowful expression he'd given her earlier.
"Finn..." she croaked weakly.
The fire elemental struggled to reach into her dress and retrieve an item, as the Arc watched her. She revealed the aluminum rose, causing the human's eyes to widen briefly before staring at the ground, a look of shame on his features. Second Arc walked over and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, giving him a solemn look.
He nodded, with visible conflict, and glanced at Flame Princess again.
"I know it doesn't mean anything, but, I'm sorry."
The fiery girl was about to answer back, but was interrupted.
"You're darn right it doesn't!"
Susan was helping Jake move over to join FP, who was staring at the dog in shock. His face was still contorted with grief, but his voice was absolute and strong. First Arc shifted his sight to the yellow canine.
"Jake..."
The magical dog motioned for Susan to let him go, whereupon he formed a cane with his stretchy arm to walk with. his brother held up a hand.
"Don't. If you come any closer we'll-"
"You'll what?!" the dog challenged, now appearing angry.
First Arc stuttered for a moment, then lowered his hand and turned away. As he walked over to the bonfire, his fellow humans gathered around it as well. The six of them stood around it, evenly spaced out and gazing into the flames. The solar eclipse had entered its peak, consuming the land in an unnatural darkness, increasing the brightness of the flames.
Fourth Arc waved his hand all over, suddenly revealing several groups of materials piled around the area. The gang gasped, realizing they were all the items collected by the humans. Sixth Arc went over and grabbed several barrels of toxic waste, then walked to the fire and tossed them into the inferno, which sent out a mystical flash of green as a result.
"The scars under her skin."
Fifth Arc stepped forward and brought out the stolen lightning power from her coat, then tossed it into the fire as well, unleashing another green flash.
"The rage of her heavens."
Fourth Arc rapidly threw several pieces of raw metal into the blaze, releasing yet another reaction.
"The purity of her flesh."
Third Arc took out the container of core lava and threw it in as well.
"The heat of her blood."
Second Arc held her arms out and gazed up at the eclipse.
"The shadow upon her face."
The fire exploded outward, doubling its size as First Arc stepped forward and pulled out something from his pocket. While the Ooo gang had been in shock the whole time, FP was now focused on what the boy was holding. It turned out to be a crumpled up piece of paper.
He unfolded it and read it, a sad expression upon his face. Flame Princess knew what it was. The human stepped to the fire and held out the note, containing one of the poems he had written about the girl he still cared for. Another moment, and he let the wind carry it into the raging flames, setting off the final flash.
"The passion of her children."
FP wouldn't take her eyes off of the boy, even as the bonfire exploded further, forcing the Arcs to back off and allow the blaze to tower into the sky. Another moment, and the entire thing shot upwards, as if a beacon of red, signalling to some divine force. As it just so happened, the comet was the object the ever-climbing blaze hit. an invisible shockwave from the celestial visitor pushed away any remaining clouds, allowing it to dominate the darkened skyline.
The Arcs slowly stood back further, then turned away, leaving their backs to the inferno. They then spread out their arms and closed their eyes, causing their circles to light up and emit a strange aura from their bodies. Sixth Arc's purple aura shot forward into the distance, where it crashed down into the edge of the Moon's shadow, illuminating a portion of the colossal dark circle etched into the Earth.
Fifth and Fourth Arc did the same, unleashing their respective yellow and white auras, which lit up two more portions of the circle's boundaries, now emitting half of it. Third and Second Arc fired their green and orange energies, leaving but a single arc left to close the figure.
First Arc briefly looked over to his friends. They all gazed at him with sorrow and betrayal, especially Jake. However, amid the pained looks, none were more painful to the human himself than Flame Princess's. The fire elemental was on her feet, holding her hands together over her chest, letting out thin lines of lava from her eyes. The scene hurt First Arc more than anything, even more than the potential harm he was about to let loose on Ooo.
He shook his head.
No. This is about vindicating humanity's mistakes, not worrying about relationships that can never happen.
With one last look at the devastated FP, First Arc turned back to facing away from the fire and a blue aura surrounded him. A moment later, he fired it at the horizon, where it fell onto the sole remaining unlit section of the ecliptic shadow, fully forming a unimaginably massive circle on the continent's surface. The figure suddenly projected itself into the sky, creating a massive hieroglyph of the shape in the heavens.
As the Arcs and everyone else watched the spectacle, Flame Princess came across the answer she'd been begging for this whole time. Second Arc had stated that their powers manifested upon maturing. Finn had matured, he had let her go, cutting himself away from love to pursue greater goals.
The problem was, she didn't want to do the same.
The comet brightened significantly as the titanic circle began rotating around it. Eventually, the figure was spinning at such a high rate that it began to shrink, slowly enveloping the cosmic object until it made contact, unleashing a second shockwave that nearly pushed everyone to the ground.
As visibility returned, a sight of the comet falling to Earth was in everyone's vision. The Ooo gang watched in absolute terror, while the Arcs all held hopeful eyes upon the plummeting rock. The ground began to rumble as the spherical entity descended further and further, remarkably reducing its speed as it went. When it finally drew near, all could feel the power it wielded.
The comet set itself down right atop the bonfire, extinguishing the combustive force and setting off a minor tremor in the process. The Arcs gazed in awe at their savior, whose icy and dusty shroud dissipated, revealing the glacial rock underneath. The gang however, was quite confused.
"That's it? That was...gentle," Jake stated.
The others agreed, and stared curiously at the Arcs, who also appeared minorly befuddled. The humans studied the mass, waiting for some reaction, but received little. Fourth Arc was about to complain to Second, before being cut off by a massive crack that appeared in the comet, startling everyone.
The crevice first widened, then formed new ones along the rock's surface. An eerie light leaked out of the openings, bewildering the spectators to whatever activity the object was going through. Soon enough, a strange mist wafted from the cracks, culminating at the top of the spherical mass and swirling together to solidify some object or other. The gases merged faster and faster, until all of the fog had been irradiated from the comet and was now gathering upon the highest point.
Finally, as the material finished its fusion, a humanoid form emerged, standing tall, with a scepter of sorts and long, elegant robes. Once the final features of the mysterious being revealed themselves, all were stunned. It was a man, of indeterminable age, with white hair and an expression of pure confidence upon his face. The robes he wore, as everyone now noticed, shifted colors from black to white, then back again.
There was little else, aside from occasional jewelry on his wrists and neck, but overall an average looking person. He had grey eyes, which gazed down upon the beings looking back at him. He stopped at the Arcs, letting out an odd smile.
"Why, thank you, my Arcs."
Everyone nearly gasped. Second Arc took a step towards the man, still standing atop the comet.
"You? You are the one who gave us our powers?"
The man chuckled and shook his head.
"No, my dear, I gave you my power."
This time, everyone did gasp. Princess Bubblegum took a step forward and pointed to the stranger.
"Who are you, and why were you in that comet?"
As the man's robes shifted to white, he grinned slyly at the candy monarch, then let out another laugh.
"Interesting story, miss. In fact, why don't you all 'take a seat'."
he raised his scepter, which had the figure of a crescent moon at its tip, and let loose a series of black electrical bolts, which homed in on the six Arcs and stunned them as they were grabbed by the force. They groaned in pain as the energy harmed them, before the being atop the comet swung his staff and threw the humans toward the others.
Jake reacted quickly, using his powers to stretch into a giant mattress, catching the lot of them. It hurt because of the bruises, but he paid it no mind and shrunk back down, while the rest helped the Arcs back to their feet. Second was shocked as PB aided her in standing upright.
"Why, why would you help us?"
The pink lady frowned.
"As much as I was against your plans, they were yours to follow by whatever beliefs you held. I can at the least give you that respect."
The human woman gazed softly into the princess's eyes, touched by the act.
"Thank you."
Peebles nodded, before the air was filled with quite the vile laughter. Everyone turned to see the man cackling atop his vessel, his robes shifting back to black.
"You foolish humans. You spent all this time thinking you were the knights and bishops who would rectify humanity's fouls, but in truth, you were mere pawns the whole time! Hahaha!"
The Arcs were struck hard, feeling a grave pit growing in their hearts as the man enjoyed their ignorance. The Ooocians gazed at the looks upon their faces, feeling the same emotion indirectly.
"Wh-what are you talking about?" Third Arc asked with a breaking voice.
The man finally stopped his revelry and looked upon the assembled group with a sinister grin.
"I happen to be a the most powerful sorcerer in all of existence!"
He struck his staff into the ground, shooting out a cascade of energy that shot off into the sky. Several moments later, the darkest clouds anyone had ever seen materialized out of seemingly nowhere. The eclipse had just ended, but the Sun was given no mercy, immediately being recovered by the insidious shroud the magical being had just called upon.
"My name is Elodeus, the False Light."
His robes shifted back to white as he watched with glee at the reactions of his audience. The Arcs were further shocked, now even shaking slightly as they struggled to accept such a thing. The wizard went on as he enjoyed their loss of words.
"Two thousand years ago, I was defeated by a human wizard, who sealed away my chaotic and darkening powers into a passing comet. I was trapped, unable to unleash despair and death upon the Earth. Every fifty years, the orbit of that damned icy rock would bring me closer to the planet, where I would curse it with all the hatred I possessed. My rage grew so strong that what remnants of my power that had remained unchained were imbedded in the cosmic rays that struck the atmosphere on a daily basis.
However, with the added might of my magics, the force penetrated through the Earth's shield, irradiating my powers to multiple lineages of the race I wished to crush; humanity. Over the years, these families died off, bringing the species closer and closer to destruction, as the darkness in their hearts was magnified. All of this culminated a millennium ago, when an all-out war crippled the humans, forcing them into social exile with one another.
At long last, only six ancestries kept my dormant power, which was eventually inherited by the children of those who wandered the planet as nomads, hoping to rebuild the world. These offspring were prodigies in their own right, drawing power from humanity's greatest traits: strength, speed, deception, compassion, intellect, and endurance."
Elodeus pointed to the Arcs with his staff.
"I watched your lives from the beginning, far away in the cold void of space. My presence protected and shielded you from the harsh solitude of humanity's endangerment. And each time I connected to your minds, I sent as much influence as I could, in the form of ominous dreams and memories that seemed out of place."
The humans could not appear any more destroyed by this point. Their entire world was crashing down on them as the sorcerer continued.
"Once you reached maturity, my power allowed you full access, boosting your already impressive abilities to superhuman levels. I was able to implant my orders into your minds, instructions for how to free me from this wretched prison."
He stomped angrily on the comet beneath him. Then, he warmly opened his arms out to them, grinning sinisterly once again.
"So you see, my dear Arcs, it was all a lie. On one hand, however, this continent will be spared its life energy."
He smiled wider at the Ooocians.
"On the other, the Earth will never see the light of its star ever again!"
As the evil being's laughter echoed over the plains once more, the gang below watched the Arcs' reactions. There wasn't much. Each one of them was speechless, mouths hanging open and tears streaming down. Susan tried comforting Sixth.
"Brother, not your fault."
The man sobbed lightly as he hung his head.
"Look at what we did. Look at what he made us do."
Susan embraced the suffering sibling. Meanwhile, Fifth and Fourth Arc were being comforted by Marcy and Ice King, with absolutely no luck. The two humans refused to allow the Ooocians to relieve them in any way. It was their fault.
Second Arc was the same, holding up a hand as PB attempted to speak. The woman covered her eyes with her hand, wondering how she could've been so stupid. With that, Peebles placed her attention to Finn, who was already being counseled by Jake and Flame princess. The boy was trying hard not to cry as his brother held a hand on him.
"Jake, I hurt you, a lot."
The magical dog squeezed his best friend's shoulder.
"It's ok, Finn. You owed that thing your life. It makes sense that you'd want to repay it; I just didn't think that was the best way to do it."
The human looked up at the fiery girl beside him.
"FP..."
The fire elemental threw herself at him, startling the hero enough to briefly pull him out of his dire mood. She had apparently realized his power extended to not getting burned.
"Please...don't ever make me see you like that again."
The boy gently placed his arms on her back as she continued to embrace him.
"I...I don't know if I can."
Before Flame Princess could reply to the answer, Elodeus interrupted the group with a snicker.
"You have no idea how right you are, First Arc."
Everyone turned to look at the sorcerer, who had finally jumped down from his perch and approached the group.
"You're probably thinking I want my power back, right?"
He received no response, and so went on.
"Well, to be honest, you can keep them!"
This made the humans shocked. However, Elodeus grinned maliciously.
"Your free wills, on the other hand, I'll be taking."
He aimed his staff at the Arcs, releasing six bolts of black energy, which struck them in the back and caused them to cry out in pain. All their circles, along with their symbols, lit up, then suddenly shifted all their colors to a blood red. They struggled, as if fighting something. Finn swung around to Third Arc as he tried to resist the sorcerer's power.
"Tres!"
The girl nodded, with difficulty, and held her hand out to the Ooocians. A green glow engulfed them, slowly restoring their health and energy. As everyone got to their feet, they quickly helped support the fidgeting humans. Second Arc reached into her coat and pulled out a data chip, forcing it into PB's hand as the monarch held her up.
"What is this?" she asked.
The dark haired woman looked her in the eyes, as hers were turning red.
"You must...destroy...HAVEN."
Bubblegum's eyes widened as she shoved the chip in her pocket. Meanwhile, Finn was losing control as Flame Princess cupped his cheeks in her hands.
"Finn, hold on! Don't give in!"
The hero opened his pained eyes and set them on the girl. He reached up with a shaking hand and placed it on her cheek.
"FP...I...I was never brave enough...to say it to your face...I...AGH!"
He was pulled back by an increased blast from Elodeus' staff. The cruel sorcerer wagged a finger.
"Uh, uh, uh, no emotional exits, please."
The six Arcs shoved everyone away from them, their last plea being for everyone to get away from them. Flame Princess gripped Finn's hand as if it were her life on the line. No matter what effort the human gave, she wouldn't budge. Finally, he came up with the only thing left. He leaned in an kissed her on the cheek. The fiery girl was stunned enough to loosen her grip, allowing Finn to push her away.
Jake quickly grabbed her, then placed them both on Marcy, who had transformed into her giant bat form. Susan came on as well, as Ice King floated up into the sky. After PB also joined in, Marceline lifted off the ground, with difficulty, and fled towards the direction of the Candy Kingdom.
The Arcs stopped their resisting and stood still, awaiting Elodeus' orders.
"Find them, and end them."
The superpowered humans nodded, without a word, then proceeded to follow the escaping figures in the sky.
A/N: Work seriously bogged me down, sorry about the wait.
DJ Rodriguez: Gotta keep the dramatic moments going.
TheMentalAdventurer: Your feeling was well put.
Fiery Crusader: ...too late.
I am The7: We'll get to that soon enough.