Chapter XIII - Distress

Jake looks out the front door for any signs of Marceline and Finn's return. Nothing so far. BMO walked in between his legs to take a peak as well. The weathering was spotty. Some grey dark clouds mixed with some sun. Jake and BMO looked at each other. From a far distance, Jake sees the Candy Kingdom Wardens circling the perimeter, although from quite afar distance. Jake immediately starts to get concerned. "Wait, that's not right... something must've happened.." Jake said to himself. BMO jumped up and down. "What? What's happening?" BMO asked Jake. Jake picks up BMO and holds him in his hands, raising him in the air. BMO witnesses the same thing that Jake was. "Oh my.." BMO said.

"Yeah, this isn't good." BMO said. Marceline had Finn on her back, while seeing the Wardens searching the kingdom on orders from Princess Bubblegum. Marceline still had a feral like facial expression, looking behind them from time to time to see if any one were trailing them home. "I see Bonnie can't fight her own battles huh..?" Marceline said to herself. Her jet black hair went along with the wind as she glided along the grass, she still felt a little weak but hysterical strength came into play after the events in Bubblegum's office. Sometime later, while still looking at the Wardens, Marceline sees the Treehouse in the distance. She took Finn from her back and wrapped her arms around his body, holding him close to him as she glided faster along the grass. Jake sees them in the distance, but can see that Finn is limbed. Upon arriving, Marceline rushed inside the house, with Jake and BMO following behind.

As Jake closed the door, he was full of questions. "Okay, I wanna know why you two are tattered and battered." Jake locks the door and crossed his arms, with anger inside of him. Marceline sets the sleeping Finn on the couch and hissed at Jake with her fangs out. She then turns to him, slightly pink in the face from the energy she exerted. "Look Jake, now it isn't the time for such questions. Within the night and most of today, a lot has happened. And I'm sure Finn is overwhelmed just as much as I am. Now please, not at the moment." Marceline huffed and floated down to the floor, sitting against the couch.

"Well can you answer me this then?" Jake insisted, upon hearing this, Marceline's eyes turned a bright red. "What's going on at the Candy Kingdom?" He asked. BMO sits next to Marceline. "Okay look, long story short, Bubblegum wanted Finn to engage in.. something. And Finn declined her offer, she wasn't too happy with that, and I had stopped her. Those Wardens you saw out there? Yeah, they are for Finn and I." Marceline said, leaning her head back, taking a breath. Jake looked at her with a crazed look in his eyes. "Wait, what are you talking about? Engage in what?" Jake shrinks himself down and sits on the arm rest, near Finn's head. "This something is mighty crazy. Basically, she wants Finn to make a child with her, so that she and her family can break this curse or whatever she said that has been with the family for quite some time. She said that it has to only be a human to engage in that crap." Jake raised his eyes. "Oh Finn has got some explaining to do." Jake looked at Finn, who was slightly snoring. "Don't bother right now. Even he thinks it's too much. Crazy bitch shot a dart at him, trying to sedate him." Marceline said as she scoffed. Jake looked at Fin and then Marceline again. "What about the both of your injuries?" Jake asked. "It's not important. There's another time for that. Right now, I suggest we just keep a low profile around here. Bubblegum wont sop until she gets what she wants and I found that out when she tried to sedate Finn the first time. And do not ask, I was there to witness it and I of course had to intervene, after Finn declined many times. She wouldn't let up. At all." Marceline sighed. "That..." Jake was speechless. "That's why the Wardens are in action. That isn't good." Jake said. "Well of course it isn't good. Right now, we should just chill out here, and lock every window and door here, because who knows what could happen next." Marceline suggested. "Well overnight, I will check the perimeter to see if any intruders are lurking about." Jake said. Marceline hears this and automatically squinted their eyes, remembering the events from last night regarding Ash and the forest, she shudders to herself before opening her eyes again to look at Finn.

Nightfall becomes of the Treehouse after hours has passed by. Finn still slept on the couch, and Marceline was near the couch still, watching "Heat Signature 3 - Seeker" on BMO's screen. Jake was outside circling the perimeter. He sees the Wardens relaxing on both sides of the Candy Kingdom. He simply shook his head and leaned against the door. He looked left and right, then at the the moon, which was a white crescent. He whistled as wind blew across the land. Jake was pondering and processing the information that Marceline had bestow upon him. Jake looked at the Castle in the far distance.

Over at the Ice Kingdom, The Ice King stood by his window, overwatching the Candy Kingdom's Wardens. They had finally calmed down after a few hours. Beforehand he was wondering what had caused them to become so active, as they rarely are due to lack of threats in the area. "Well well, they finally calmed down. Last time I seen them active was when The Lich possessed Bubblegum years ago.." The Ice King said as he scratched his bread. He sat down over the window ledge as some wind blew against the snow, kicking it up and going along the wind. Gunter sat by his side, with her child in her arm. "Something must've happened. What do you think Gunther?" Ice King asked Gunther. Gunther looked at him and shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, all I know is, someone has made the princess very.. very angry. Reason? Eh, it is anyone's guess." Ice King said. Back at the Treehouse, Finn only moved slightly on the couch, moaning a little bit. Marceline looked at him, then back at BMO continuing the movie, She decides to get up and go to the fridge. She opens it and finds a bag of cherries. "Lovely." She said. She takes the bag back towards the couch, setting it down and taking a couple of cherries in her hand. She goes to the door, but before hand, going back to Finn to kiss him on his head, then goes back to the door. She opens the door where Jake almost stumbles back. Jake straightens himself up a little but as Marceline walks outside, closing the door behind her. Jake said at the closed door again. She looked towards the Candy Kingdom and notices that the Wardens have calmed down and now sit in their positions.

"I see that the Wardens have chilled out." Marceline said to Jake, as she sucked the coloring of one of the cherries in her hand. "Seems like it. I wouldn't go back there if I were you." Jake urged to Marceline kindly. Marceline rolled her eyes. "Jake, look at me." She said, Jake looks at her, she then turns invisible. "I can go anywhere I like, and no one can not see me. Sure, presence is felt but it will take them a long time to figure it out. I'll be fine." Marceline said as she shows her again, sucking the coloring out of another cherry, giving one to Jake. Jake looks at it, wipes it down and eats it. Jake shrugs his shoulders. "How's Finn doing?" Jake asked. "Oh him? He's fine, just sleeping still. Better than being sedated by a crazy girl." Marceline said as she looked onwards. "Let's just hope that Bubblegum will keep her distance." She said. "Will she?" Jake asked. "Knowing her, probably not, but if she doesn't, well. I won't tell." Marceline smirked, worrying Jake a little bit. "Don't kill her." Jake said. "Who anything about killing? I rarely do that as is." Jake still felt uneased of Marceline's statement but he just left it alone, and sat against the front door.

- End of Chapter -