A/N Enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 9: Help one another in times of sickness
The gang was off to the other kingdoms of the land of Ooo to give the war summons to each perspective leader. Most kingdoms gladly offered their aid, Others owed a debt to PB anyway and sent their aid as well. A few kingdoms wanted to lend their aid, but they we're too small, in terms of population and physical size, to offer any support. But for the most part, everyone did what they could to help PB. Until the wheel of their journey turned onto Earldomof lemongrab.
"Eh... do we really gotta go here?" Jake asked. Fin nodded.
"Princess bubblegum said she needed the aid of every kingdom. Besides, he helped us in the gum war and helped us defeat GOLB."
"I guess so... Come to think of it, we haven't heard from him in awhile. Wonder what he's been up to." Fin shrugged and the gang walked across the bridge to the kingdom, which was moved back to its original spot some time after being moved by Lemonjon. But something felt... off. The normal creamy-orange sky around the Earldom was toned down to a grim gray and a feeling of impending doom loomed over them.
"I got a bad feeling about this you guys." Marceline said. They looked at her in shock. Her of all people would be the first to jump head-first into danger, but when she said to take caution, they listened. They knocked on the big doors to enter the Earldom, but no one answered. They glanced at each other for a few moments before pushing the massive doors open. The outer portion of the city was desolate and empty. There wasnt a soul in sight.
"Where is everybody?" FP asked nobody in particular. They all inched their way closer to the castle, all the while never seeing anyone. Moments before they thought the entire Earldom was abandoned, they saw lights in the castle as well as quiet voices. They walked up the castle and knocked. The door slowly opened, but it wasn't a lemon person who answered. Instead, it was Doctor Princess.
"Fin? Jake? Friends? What are you guys doing here?" She asked them.
"We're here looking for Lemongrab... Wait, what are you doing here?" Fin asked. DP looked from side to side then hung her head.
"Here... put these on. "She gave everyone a surgical mask. They looked at her quizzically. "I don't know if it spreads yet..." She mumbled.
"Huh? If what spreads? DP?" She didn't answer them. She only instructed them on how to properly put on the masks and went into the castle. Without having much choice, they put the masks on and followed her. What lie inside was a truly depressing sight. Dozens of lemon people were in the various rooms and hallways and generally anywhere space was available. Everyone looked so ill, the sounds of coughing and labored breathing filled the air and their skin was a dull pyrite color. There was young, old, men, women, boys and girls. None seemed to be free of whatever ills there were here.
"Oh no... what happened here?" Jake asked as he tore his eyes away from a small child crying and holding the hand of someone who he guessed was their mother.
"I have no idea at all..." DP said with shame. "I got a letter from Lemongrab saying his people were sick. I came here expecting stuffy noses and colds... not a complete outbreak."
"Where is Lemongrab?" Fin asked. DP pointed at Lemongrab's throne. Fin and Jake saw a nearly completely withered Lemongrab looking around the room.
"He hasn't slept since I came here... He barely eats the soups I give him... He keeps telling me others need it more..." She said.
"No way... Lemongrab didn't say that."
"That's what I thought at first too. A selfish Lemongrab but... I think... I think this changed him... This illness... seeing his subjects suffer..." She shook her head sadly and wiped away a tear.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Fin asked. DP looked around the room at the sick and groaning lemon people.
"I can't leave these guys without some kind of aid... they're all on the brink and its taking everything I have to keep them that way."
"Alright, but what can we do?"
"Hmm..." DP thought for a few moments. "I have an idea. But it's dangerous. This plague... it isn't natural. No normal remedy is gonna heal these people. I need something stronger but... the only place I can get it is on the very fringes of Ooo, in the dead city."
"The dead city...?" FP asked.
"Yea, Me and Fin went near there awhile ago to collect samples or something. But we never actually went into the city. PB said it was too dangerous."
"That's exactly where I need you to go though... In the center of the city is a building and in that building is a basement that housed an ancient artifact capable of curing almost anything. I found this out a few years ago by an adventurer but I could never assemble the manpower to have anyone go get it But now... The lives of all these people depend on that artifact." Just then, Lemongrab himself walked from his throne over to the group.
"Fin. Jake. I need your help dearly. If you do this, you can have all the manpower the Earldom has to offer." He said.
"Wait, how do you know about-" Jake began, but Lemongrab cut him off.
"I know all the goings-on at mothers place and I know of her plight. I was growing my army in preparations to help her just before this sickness hit us." The group looked at one another and nodded. Lemongrab nodded back thankfully and went back to his vigil. DP gave Fin a keycard that would unlock the building and wished them luck. The group said their goodbyes quickly and began their journey.
"Somethings not right..." Marceline mumbled.
"What do you mean?" Fin asked.
"PB getting harassed... Ash getting the stones to take my dad and me on... PB's dad escaping prison... now this plague."
"What are you saying?"
"I don't really know... All I do know... is that we should be very careful."
