Author's Notes: I've decided that you guys have been waiting ( patiently ) for a very long time for the chapter, and I've just felt worse and worse every day that I've had to make you guys wait. I feel you guys deserve something for being so amazing and patient. Sorry to a certain person ( who doesn't like being mentioned in A/N's ) who constantly tried to cheer me up and get my mind off it. This chapter would have taken way too long; probably double the time it already has to complete half of it, and I just didn't want to put you guys through that.
Please review guys!
So without further stalling, here's the first part of the final chapter of 'Fiery Embrace!'
Disclaimer: I do not own Adventure Time.
~ Fiery Embrace ~
- Hero, Final Chapter: Part I. -
The shadowy figure of the human boy stood out against the clouding smoke, dust and ash that began shrouding the atmosphere after the explosion had ended. Random patches of flame were scattered around the kingdom, quickly dousing into the black soil underneath; unable to sustain itself under the washing downpour. The cloud of dust only allowed a few meters vision, before shrouding it completely.
"Oww.. my head." Finn moaned in pain as he regained consciousness. The human boy slowly pushed himself off the muddy ground, his head throbbing, his body blistered in burns; his arms felt like they were ready to give way just as he let out a spluttering cough. He quickly raised his palm towards his mouth, his throat beginning to throb violently as he struggled to breath, his windpipe felt like it was on fire. Every outburst of sound was one of agony for the human, every interval struggling to absorb any hint of oxygen. Just as he was ready to cry out in agony, the random fit of splutters ended, releasing him from it's grasp of pain and allowing him to lean against the ground on his palms, his nails digging into the muddy soil. He inhaled deeply, sighing deeply in relief as cold air moved through his throat.
The rain died down, the heavens ceasing their relentless onslaught. He thanked glob that a light trickle remained; it was the only thing keeping his body from overheating.
He raised his gaze upwards, his eyes locking onto a small, dark spec of ash floating in front of him. It slowly fell towards the ground, softly landing in his hand. He stared at it for a moment, as if something were itching in the back of his mind. Even though the spec was small, he knew it wasn't normal. It was a dark-gray color, with a light, but noticeable puffed circle around it. He looked into the atmosphere; it was everywhere, filling in each gap of his view. What was the word Princess Bubblegum had told him that one time? She had explained this type of thing before, if only he had payed more attention. As he attempted to lose himself in thought, his head only throbbed in reply, bringing him back into reality.
He examined his surroundings. "Wait.." he whispered quietly to himself. "..where is everyone?" he could remember Jake's frantic actions, launching off the castle, rushing into the group of candy people.. he had her in his arms..
"Hello?!" he cried out weakly, his faint, echoing voice a testament to the hopelessness of the situation. He lay there on his knees, the pain puncturing at his very being. He was used to pain.. all kinds of it, but this was the worst he had ever experienced, it was agonizing for the hero.
He turned towards the castle; or what was left of it. He could faintly see the light flickering of flames within the debris, beaconing out through the smoke. The fire still hadn't died down, even against the downpour. He wouldn't dare get his hopes up of it being her. A part of him wanted her to come back so bad, he wanted it all to be a big joke. He just wanted her to be okay, it was all he had ever wanted for her. Why did everything have to be so unfair? What had she ever done to deserve such a fate?
He shook the thoughts from his mind. As bad as everything was, he knew he had to focus on finding the others. He still had some fight left in him, he wasn't going to let any energy he had left be wasted. It was his hero nature, the undying ability to help anyone in need, even when his own situation was dire, even when he was mentally broken in every way. With a groan of pain, he pushed against the muddy soil and slowly raised himself off the ground.
He could barely make out a faint, but familiar groaning sound coming from somewhere behind him. He slowly turned his head, every movement costing him a jolt of pain. It wasn't as intense as a moment ago, but it was at least tolerable now. He slowly began limping weakly towards the sound, fighting the urge to collapse with each step. As he moved further through the shroud, his eyes could make out a small, shadowy figure ahead of him. It was lying down, it almost looked like..
"Jake.." the boy breathed in shock. He began to move any bit faster then he already could, worries of losing another loved one echoing in his mind. As he got closer, he could make out the seared patches of fur on the dog's body, he could hear the choking coughs of the dog, obviously suffering from the same ash that was setting fire to his own throat; but he was alive..
Just as Finn was about to reach out and place his hand on Jake's shoulder, the dog swiftly spun around and enlarged his hand over the top of him with a growl, pinning the boy against the ground. "You're not takin' this puppy!" the dog roared fiercely, but desperately.
"J-Jake, it's me!" he cried out frantically, struggling to escape the magical dog's iron grip.
"Finn?" the dog exclaimed as he withdrew his arm and lowered it underneath the boy, raising him onto his feet. "Sorry man.. thought you were the Lich."
"Wouldn't doubt I look as ugly as him right now though.." He earned a light chuckle from the dog.
Finn turned towards the debris of the Candy Castle. He had no doubt the Lich was the cause of the destruction; but why would he go to such extents? "What happened up there Jake?"
"Uh.." the dog began reluctantly. "I guess it might be my fault.." he scratched the back of his head.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Finn inquired.
"Well.. we were fighting.."
~ Earlier ~
The walls of the castle shook as a fist collided with the Lich's body, sending the blazing figure dragging across the solid candy ground. Jake exclaimed in pain as his hand was once again burnt by the Lich's fiery aura. The necromancer dragged his boney hand across the ground as he moved, slowing down as the undead charged a crackling ball of fire in it's hands.
Jake looked down at his hand; the fur had been completely burnt off the top of it. He couldn't risk attacking him over and over, a few more blows like that and he wouldn't have a hand left. He couldn't keep him from the balcony by running away either, the dog was clearly not his target.
The Lich released the blazing sphere in a flurry of green sparks, missing it's target as Jake stretched his body around it; letting it disperse under the washing downpour that was dominating the atmosphere.
"Stand aside, and I might allow you to be my pet." the Lich commanded.
"I'd rather eat dirt." the dog growled.
The Lich cackled maniacally as his blazing aura grew outwards and covered the entire hallway in a vortex of flames. "So be it." the necromancer began advancing forward slowly, the writhing flames around him preventing Jake from moving anywhere but backwards; which led right over the edge.
He wasn't worried about falling, it was the least of his worries. If he couldn't hold the Lich here, he would reach Flame Princess before she could pass on. He couldn't think of anything. He covered his face with his forearm; the heat getting more intense as the blazing undead slowly closed the gap between them.
"Shame, I won't be able to raise you as one of my undead puppets after I've melted you." the Lich said with a menacing smirk as he neared the yellow dog.
"She's already dead, why are you still here?!" Jake burst out, the only thing he could think of leaving his mouth before it could reach his brain.
The Lich immediately stopped in his tracks, Jake's words obviously effecting the relentless undead being. "Dead, you say?" the fiery aura around the necromancer died down, returning to it's normal size. The Lich slowly raised his arms upwards in a horizontal position.
A tense moment of silence followed; the only sound coming from the panting of Jake and the crackling flames of the Lich. The dog eyed down the undead; wondering what he was up to.
"It seems I cannot sense her life force." A crooked, sinister smile fell onto the Lich's features. "Which means.." the undead retracted his arms and looked directly at the yellow canine. "..there's no reason for this pitiful kingdom to exist anymore!" the necromancer's long shadowy robes began to rage around him, his fiery aura writhing wildly as he raised his long, boney arms into the air; before bringing his palms down and smashing them into the ground.
A mysterious force pulsed through the kingdom just as the undead's hands hit the ground; followed by a feeling of dread as the Lich's eyes remained locked on the dog's in a maniacal grin. The skeletal being let out an ear-piercing cackle as his flames suddenly picked up velocity, completely shrouding any vision the dog had of him in a cloak of swirling fire.
Jake could clearly see the flames weren't growing in size, but the heat was mysteriously becoming increasingly intense; forcing the dog to stand directly on the edge. He didn't like the sound of what the monster said either. If he knew any better, he was sure the Lich was about to do something terrible; and that he needed to get away, fast. He swiftly turned around and leaped off the edge; stretching his arms up towards the balcony.
~ Present ~
"..you pretty much know the rest." Jake finished as he rubbed his head in guilt. "Ugh, I shouldn't have opened my big mouth."
"Don't worry about it.." Finn began before a choking cough spluttered out. He stood there holding his throat for a few seconds, the burning feeling in his throat intensifying yet again. After a few moments he regained his voice. "It's no one's fault." he croaked.
"Looks like it's happening to you too.." Jake moved beside Finn and grew in size, lifting the boy's shoulder up and supporting his weight.
"Thanks Jake." Finn said weakly. He moved his left arm over Jake's shoulder and rested his weight on the yellow dog. A wave of relief washed over him as his blistered legs were finally given rest. "What's this grey stuff anyway?" He raised his hand forward, catching a spec of the mysterious ash in his palm.
"Not sure, might be what's causing our throats to hurt though." Jake replied as he examined the spec in Finn's palms. "C'mon, we need to find the others." the dog began to move forward, supporting Finn's weight as they moved in unison.
Finn turned to his brother, still recovering from the splutter. "How'd we get separated anyway?" he asked.
"When the explosion hit, it was too strong; I couldn't hold everyone." the dog shrugged his shoulder up, adjusting his uncomfortable position. "The blast must have sent us in different directions."
They continued to limp weakly through the dust and smoke, Finn's eyes lowering as his mind flashed back to Flame Princess. Where would she be now? With Glob? That's what he had always been told happens when you die a good person. She was probably watching him right now. Who knows? Maybe she would finally find peace in the hands of death; life was never fair to her. The thought brought a smile to his face. His Flame Princess could possibly be happy, for once she would be free from the torture her life was so unfairly made to be.
"Finn? Jake!?" A familiar voice suddenly yelled out through the smoke and cut through Finn's thoughts. "Is that you?"
"PB?" Finn croaked out in reply. He looked towards the sound, making out the dark figure of Princess Bubblegum through the dust. Suddenly he could see multiple figures approaching behind her, all in the shape of the candy citizens. As she appeared out of the dust, he noticed a shocked expression had fallen upon her face.
"Oh no.." he heard her breath. He curiously looked at her as she ran over to him; wondering what was distressing her. "This is bad.." the candy princess said in a distressed voice as she approached them.
"What's bad?" the boy croaked. The burning in his throat was beginning to feel worse; every word costing him a jolt of pain.
"This situation isn't what I'd call good." Jake joked, forcing a smile.
The princess's face looked desperate, she turned towards the dog at his comment. "This isn't funny Jake! You and Finn need to get out of here, now!"
"Huh? What's going on?" Finn asked. "Where's Marceline?"
"Up here." the voice of the Vampire Queen said in reply. He looked up, spotting her floating a few feet above him.
"There's radiation; everywhere. I wasn't sure whether or not you guys would be affected by it, but it looks like it's already harming you." Princess Bubblegum explained distressingly. "It doesn't harm my people, but you guys need to get as far away as possible!"
The candy people slowly approached behind the princess, all of them murmuring words of desperation and panic. They were nowhere near as battered as he was, but most of them had certain parts of their body missing; it seemed to be the least of their worries as they examined their surroundings cautiously.
"Sure thing Princess!" Jake followed, beginning to enlarge his body while stretching his hand around the teenager.
"I'm not leaving." Finn stated. He shook the dog's grip off and stood in his position firmly.
Princess Bubblegum and Jake paused, turning their heads to look at the human boy, a look of confusion on both their faces. A cold breeze blew through the silent atmosphere, Finn's hands clenched, the two wondered what was going through the boy's mind.
"Radiation is really bad way to die Finn. I watched it happen to the humans after the Mushroom War, it's not a nice way to go out." Marceline cut in, floating down beside the princess. "Save your death for something cool, like dragons."
Finn simply looked at the Vampire Queen, as battered and bruised as he was, his face remained expressionless as he took in a deep breath. "If we don't stop the Lich here, he will destroy everything." Princess Bubblegum lowered her head in acceptance. There was really nothing she could do without the help of the boy. "What use will it be if we run away?"
"I guess." Jake retracted to his normal size, standing beside Finn and throwing his arm around the teenager's shoulder. "I have to stick with you, no matter how bad this turns out."
As the boy's mind flashed to his princess, his expression saddened. "And.. I won't.." Finn's head lowered as he sniffed, trying to force the tears back. "I won't let her die in vain!" he shouted, the tears escaping "I don't even know where her body is.. I'll never see her again.." the tears stung against his burns. He found it ironic; the two things that were causing him the most pain were acting in unison. "We stop him here, or not at all." He reached behind his back and gripped the hilt of his demon blood sword, turning around as he pulled it over his shoulder.
Jake raised his arm off the boy and looked up to the Vampire Queen. "You with us too Marcy?"
"Sure thing pup." Marceline smiled as she raised her arm outwards. In a single moment, her axe bass appeared in a puff of smoke as she held it in her slender fingers. "No way I'm missin' out on this!" the Vampire Queen flashed a fanged grin at the yellow dog.
Princess Bubblegum stood in front of the hero, she felt so inferior to the boy; No matter what she had gone through all her life, it was nothing compared to struggles he had. At such a young age, he had changed Ooo forever. His bravery and nobility had made him a beacon of hope to anyone in dire need across the vast landscape. She was still very young herself, she had so much more to learn, especially from this young hero of Ooo. Even when every circumstance seemed so impossible, even when all hope had run out, even when he had lost someone close to him.. he still stood strong. She had always stood back while he risked himself for everyone else's sake. Just this one time, maybe for the last time; they would stand together.
"Finn.."
"I said I'm staying Princess." the boy said firmly, looking up towards the castle as the smoke began to clear, his sword at his side. "I wonder where he is.."
"That's not it." Princess Bubblegum remained behind him, waiting for him to respond. The boy turned around, greeted by a warm smile from the princess and a group of steeled candy people. "We're all with you." her smile formed into a grin. "It's the least we can do, for all you've done for us."
~ To be continued ~