Opening OST: Krizalid 1

The ceiling lights were dimly lit on cue as three combatants prepared for battle. Although the main staging area became more visible, the rest of the room remained shrouded in darkness. From one side, Phoebe conjured a blue flame sword from her right hand, while Marceline slowly pulled out her red ax bass. On the other end, Finn twirled his sword forward once on each side until he narrowed his stance with the blade angled downward.

Although Phoebe felt intimidated by recalling her last encounter with the candy warrior, her most prominent feeling was anger and frustration. She had gone through great lengths to reach Princess Bubblegum, only to be stalled in almost every way possible. Thousands of elementals would still be alive at this point if it weren't for the land mines, the tanks, and the forcefield barrier that once stood between the Candy Kingdom. Perhaps if it weren't for any of those things, the war could have ended within days probably within a week at the latest just as her brother Flint predicted. Bubblegum had none of her allies supporting her and her army was inadequate in terms of battle prowess. There would virtually be no time for PB to deploy advanced units for the counter offensive nor the super soldier for that matter and she would have already been rotting in a Fire Kingdom prison without a doubt. There wouldn't be so much fallout between Phoebe and her people during the post war, and the elemental could focus her attention with Finn and his friends without having to exert herself.

But that wasn't the case. Instead, Phoebe was forced to confront what she believed to be the last obstacle that stood between her, Finn, and Princess Bubblegum. She was still unnerved from how the warrior stared at her, but her determination remained supreme. The elemental had suffered both physically and emotionally from her time in the conflict that it was finally time to face her fear. Her flames intensified in response and without thinking, lunged at her adversary with a loud battle cry.

Finn immediately backpedaled as he began blocking the elemental's strikes. Her speed and powers seemed to have improved from their last encounter and the human couldn't help but feel impressed despite being on the defensive. He was further enthralled over the prospect of having a challenging fight as Marcy joined in shortly after, and he increased his reflexes to dodge and weave the next set of attacks. "This is so much better than the last one," he thought to himself. "Let's see what they can do."

For the next ninety seconds, the candy warrior allowed his opponents to fight on the aggression. Phoebe was lashing out relentlessly with her blue flame sword with her teeth clenched, while Marcy was swinging her ax bass with a hint of hesitation. Finn calmly breathed as he watched each weapon clash with his blade and absorbed the attacks, giving them both a false sense of hope.

Phoebe noticed her rival's fighting style was unusually conservative but continued to push forward regardless. If this person before her was willing to give the fight up so easily, then the elemental would gladly accept her swift victory. Bubblegum was the main prize as far as she was concerned, and the sooner she got to her, the better. The candy warrior's brow started to sweat from being overwhelmed and it wasn't long until his defenses faltered to leave an opening. With building confidence, the elemental tired the warrior out with three alternative swings before finally delivering a strong side-frontal kick to the upper body.

Finn grunted lightly from the impact as he somersaulted backwards. Once he landed several feet away in a crouched position, he quickly recovered and narrowed his eyes towards his two adversaries who stood with their weapons raised defensively. "Perhaps going easy on them is far too generous," he resolved in his mind. "Time to kick it up a notch." He tightened his hold on the blade as he channeled his energy.

After a split second later, Finn dashed towards his enemies at breakneck speed. Phoebe was pushed back a little to block the weight of the sudden attack, skidding the ground in the process, while Marcy flew backwards and slammed into one of the nearby computers. The vampire was dazed momentarily as she got back on feet and noticed the elemental now fighting on the defensive. Phoebe was the one backpedaling instead and her momentum was slowly faltering to block each incoming strike. Time was running out. If Phoebe wasn't able to take the bodyguard alone as Marcy recalled, then it could mean certain death for the fiery princess.

Acting fast, the vampire withdrew her ax bass and changed into her bat form. By using her increased strength, she pried off one of the supercomputers nearby and quickly threw the heavy object towards Finn's direction with both hands. The candy warrior seemed preoccupied attempting to deliver a series of downward slashes towards the elemental's neck and shoulders, but instantly fired a purple flame projectile with his off hand to obliterate the object right when it was five feet away. Marcy then returned back to normal to draw out her ax bass once again and used her flight to swoop back into the action. Her upper body was twisted to deliver a heavy swing and her knuckles whitened to fasten her grip with the instrument.

Phoebe noticed from a glance that her ally was quickly on the approach and skipped backwards to safety. Once the vampire got within range, she swung using her increased momentum and clashed her weapon with Finn's. The overall force of the impact was too tremendous for the warrior to stand still that he ended up flying backwards in a rag-doll like fashion. Although he lost his sword in the process, Finn quickly recovered in midair with a backwards somersault and flawlessly used his telekinesis with both hands to pull Marcy and Phoebe towards his location.

Both the vampire and elemental widened their eyes in surprise as they felt themselves flying forward involuntarily. They waved their arms to quickly stop themselves in mid-flight and then covered their faces when they knew they were headed towards another supercomputer with its lights illuminating the darkness. The machine exploded loudly upon impact from both of the combatants and two could hear a rapid set of footsteps converging until it disappeared 15 feet near their location.

Marcy was the first person to recover as she saw Finn diving forward with a left side-angled kick. The vampire gasped at her enemy's sudden speed for the follow-up, but quickly acted by pulling Phoebe alongside her before it was too late. A large dent formed from the impact site moments later and Finn straightened his posture with his eyes showing absolute disdain. While Phoebe was regaining her bearings, the candy warrior extended his right hand to the side until his sword returned to his grasp once more.

"You weren't kidding," Marcy finally spoke out as she helped lifting Phoebe back on her feet. "This guy's tough!"

The elemental winced as she felt an overall sense of pain run through her body. "I.. never joke," she panted. "He's not even fighting at his best, believe it or not."

Marcy was shocked, "Seriously?!"

Phoebe nodded meekly, "He's been toying with us this whole time.. There was never a single instance when he would allow his enemies a chance to attack." She chuckled bitterly, "He probably dragged this onward on purpose just to make us think we even had a chance!" Her shoulders sagged.

The vampire frowned, "Hey now, don't give up. We're just getting warmed up is all. Anything's possible!"

The elemental chuckled internally and thought, "She's right, it's only been about five minutes since we've started! And yet, it feels like a lifetime ago..." She then spoke up, "We need a plan. How do you think we should do this?"

Marcy hummed in thought and replied, "There is a power within you that you must reach if we are to win this."

Phoebe frowned, "What do you mean? I've already told you what happened when I drank that tea from way back! How do you expect me to use something that has already been lost?!"

Marcy shook her head, "I don't believe that for one second. You say you can't, but it lies dormant deep within yourself, repressed with turmoil and conflict."

"So now you can read minds all of a sudden?" Phoebe asked sarcastically.

"I had a similar problem," Marcy retorted. "Different time, different scenario, but it's all the same in the end."

The elemental frowned to herself in thought, letting everything sink in.

"I'm going to take him myself," the vampire said as Phoebe contemplated. "You stay back until you can get yourself together." She flew off towards the candy warrior and began clashing her ax bass against the Finn Sword.

For a long while, Phoebe watched the two combatants fight at blinding speed. Sparks flew from each other's weapons on impact and neither of them were relenting anytime soon. Jake was still knocked out cold from across the room and the elemental was left alone to confront her thoughts.

"I can't do it," she said to herself. "I have so much anger and regret."

"Then why don't you just cast them aside and take control for once!" Her conscious argued.

"My whole life, I've had my heart broken from my father, Finn, and now Bubblegum. I try to fight back with my struggles and power through regardless, but I keep getting pushed down hard no matter what I do!"

"You're not the only one who faces such things," her mind argued. "Your friend over there has passed through that ordeal more times and she still fights! True strength is defined by those who persevere and strive for what they believe in. No goal is achieved without struggle, Phoebe. You of all people should know that."

The elemental watched her friend grunting from a cut she sustained on one bicep during the fight. Then, a yell was uttered shortly after when the vampire took a minor cut from the left mid-section.

"Even if I do accept my flaws," Phoebe stated as the weapons clanged audibly. "That isn't going to change that fact that I lost a great deal of my powers from the poison I ingested."

"You'd be surprised that your problem could be just mind over matter," her conscious mused. "Even now, your power continues to grow."

She blinked as she hovered her right hand over her elemental matrix, "Y-you're right! I could feel it! All this time I've had it under my whim and I never bothered to try."

"Focus, Phoebe," her mind instructed. "Concentrate..." Her body began to glow at a certain extent that illuminated the room slightly.

"Hey," Marcy called out with cuts and bruises etched on her face. "I could sure use your help anytime now!" She lifted her ax bass above her head to clash with Finn's sword but was shoved backwards from losing the power struggle. As she lost her footing, Finn fired a purple flame projectile towards her upper body that sent her flying into another nearby supercomputer. Although the vampire was fire-proof from her natural abilities, the force of the projectile itself was equivalent to a strong kick. Marcy was dazed as she now lied on her back and watched her rival briskly making his way to deliver the final blow. Right when he was about to slam his blade with one hand raised, he froze when a voice called out.

"Hey," Phoebe waved. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size? I'm ready for ya!"

The warrior abruptly turned towards his challenger and charged at full speed. As he jumped in, he and Phoebe rapidly exchanged blows from each other's swords, blocking and parrying every strike.

"Her power level is rising," Finn thought as his internal HUD detected the elemental's increasing heat signature. The two seemed to have fought together being evenly matched and the warrior intensified his strikes more out of frustration. Each one was either blocked or dodged time and time again, and it wasn't long until he rendered himself vulnerable from sustaining a few jabs across the chest and face. His short white hair was now tussled out of place on his forehead, and his grip slackened on his weapon until Phoebe landed a left hook to stun him. As he staggered backwards with a light grunt, the warrior held a hand to his face until Marcy charged at him from the side with her shoulders forward. Finn was sent flying with his sword lost somewhere in the dark once again, and the elemental followed up on the attack by flying ahead of him until she delivered a two-handed smash that sent him dropping straight down into ground. The force of the impact resulted in a small crater extending five feet in diameter and the candy warrior was down for the count.

Phoebe and Marcy regrouped alongside each other and then cautiously approached their fallen enemy from the front.

"W-we did it!" Phoebe said to herself in disbelief.

Marcy gave her a rough pat on the back, "Told ya we could do it!"

The elemental then shifted into a serious expression, "But now it's time for some answers."

Just when they about to get closer to interrogate their enemy, a wide computer screen was lit above, showing an image of Princess Bubblegum.

"My, my," the pink monarch began. "I have to admit you two put on quite a show dealing with my prized protector! But then again, all he ever faced beforehand was just cannon fodder. The kind of targets that barely offered a challenge to his liking."

The elemental and the vampire bared their teeth upon seeing her.

"I'm tired of your games!" Phoebe yelled. "You've stalled your fate from the jaws of defeat long enough! We have eliminated all your assets, destroyed your 'kingdom', and have laid waste to everything that has stood before us! You will release Finn from your custody and you WILL stand trial for all the crimes you've committed against the Fire Kingdom!"

PB shook her head with her eyes closed chuckling, "You're still the ding-dong even to this day! You think just because I've apparently lost everything I would simply go out quietly?"

"Pretty much," Marcy interjected frankly with her arms crossed.

PB laughed disturbingly for a few seconds before continuing, "Fools, this encounter was all but an inevitability! I had foreseen this moment with my knowledge of science and infinite wisdom!"

Marcy arched an eyebrow, "Are you even listening to yourself? Like, for real? You're acting like some sort of a 'mad-scientist-cliche' that's something out of a comic book!" Phoebe nodded with her.

The pink monarch recomposed herself to shift into a serious expression, "Call me what you like, but I have goals to preserve the life and welfare of this wretched world. Even after the great destruction the Mushroom War has wrought, society as a whole still has been plagued with violence and chaos. It didn't matter anymore if humanity was extinguished or not, because there was always something or someone to demonstrate the destructive aspects of everyday life." She counted her fingers on screen as she began listing, "Raiders, marauders, thieves, killers, kidnappers, psychopaths. All of these.. things are bound to exist no matter the life form or species. And I plan to correct it!"

Phoebe threw her hands, "We live in a universe where nobody is perfect! How can you expect to achieve something that is so ludicrous?!"

PB replied, "In time. Establishing absolute order across the world is the first step to ultimate success. And while that may go beyond my life-span at a glance, I have taken the precautions necessary to acquire the one thing that is entirely essential to my overall plan: immortality."

Marcy pointed at her with an outraged expression, "See, this is why I left you! You refused to listen to all my warnings and lectures about the subject because you believed that I was somehow wrong, that you can handle it! Now look at you. You've just become another prime example who would delude themselves with a grandeur of conquest."

Phoebe spoke up with a pained expression, "This isn't like you at all, Bonnibel. Where did all this nonsense you're spewing out come from?"

PB simply answered, "It has always been there."

Phoebe shook her head and pressed, "If you never apologized or admitted your actions on the day of the incident, then perhaps I would have agreed with you. But that's not the case! The way I see it, you merely convinced yourself to believe that this is what you 'always' wanted and that you're just afraid to own up to your mistakes."

The pink monarch hung her head and shoulders and reluctantly admitted, "..I am afraid, I'm terrified of what will become of me if I try to atone for my actions."

"Believe me," the elemental assured. "As much as I want to rip your head off, I still prefer to settle things in a more ideal, civilized matter. And contrary to your beliefs, I am nothing like my father who would threaten the peace for their own personal gain. I will do everything in all my efforts to ensure your safety and your people's so that you will ultimately achieve redemption and forgiveness."

"That sounds like a really long road ahead," PB said skeptically in a strained voice.

The elemental was tempted to make a chastising remark but focused on persuading her, "You will have me and Marcy to support you all the way if you stop this charade right here, right now. Just release Finn, turn yourself in, and I swear no harm will ever come to you." Her voice was firm but soothing.

Small tears ran down PB's cheeks as the guilt began to overwhelm her senses. Her heart screamed at her to make the right choice, while her mind argued on the basis of fearing the unknown. Long minutes transpired as she silently debated among herself until a small separate screen near her blinked with the notification that read, "Download Complete." From that moment, the monarch came to an abrupt decision that would seal her fate entirely.

"It is too late," PB admitted reluctantly as she dried her tears. "I have gone too far with my actions to turn back on them now. This is the life I have chosen to live by, and now I must stick by it."

Marcy shook her head disapprovingly while Phoebe looked down with her flames intensifying. They were so close into ceasing hostilities altogether, but that chance was now forever lost. Their thoughts were broken however, when they noticed their rival twitch and slowly regain consciousness. As he got up with one knee at a time, the vampire and the elemental instinctively entered into battle stances.

"You see," PB spoke out to Phoebe. "If your mongrel of a brother had actually succeeded with his little sneak attack, I might have actually been considered history without a doubt! But since this war has been prolonged to my advantage, I still have a chance at turning this whole thing around!"

"You're insane," Phoebe said venomously.

"Maybe," PB admitted. "If I didn't have somebody special at my side."

"No!" The elemental shouted. "I may not have seen him for two, almost three years, but I know he would never serve under your will, especially not after everything you've done!"

"Phoebe..." Marcy interjected with her voice barely above a whisper.

The elemental failed to notice her friend's distraught expression as the former continued her rant.

PB scoffed with her head up high, "Well I beg to differ!"

"Phoebe," Marcy called out louder in an upset voice.

"What?!" The elemental faced the vampire with an aggravated expression.

The next words struck Phoebe's heart and mind to the core as she then heard, "...It's him."

Phoebe starred in disbelief at her friend first and then at her rival. The more she gazed into his eyes, the more she began to realize that it truly was the long-lost human. Although his bright blue eyes were now duller in comparison, the elemental couldn't deny that it really was the person she had sought to rescue. Fate has played another cruel trick on the young monarch once more, and she is forced to confront the one man whom she has held deeply to her heart.

A small field of embers began to spawn around Finn's body as he stood imposingly. As his body temperature increased, more flecks of embers began to appear until he conjured a blanket of flames that engulfed him upwards completely from the feet first. When the flames dissipated after the initial pass, his trench coat was burned off entirely revealing a sleeveless dark violet, skin tight jumpsuit that outlined his enhanced lean muscles from top to bottom. He still had his claw-like gloves that covered his forearms along with the dark pair of combat boots that reached to his calves.

"It really is him," Marcy exhaled internally as she and Phoebe saw the rest of his face. Even though the vampire was able to put two and two together beforehand, part of her was hoping to believe she was somehow wrong and that Finn was elsewhere instead.

A tense silence hung between the heroes as they eyed each other warily. This was a friend before them who made such a significant impact in their lives and now they were forced to confront him to the death.

Before the next battle was about to start, Finn finally broke the unnerving silence in a deadpan voice saying, "Burn this image in your eyes.. then die!"