The Human and the Shadow Part 4
So here's our fourth installment in the story so far to refresh. Lumen met a mysterious girl who saved him from a pack of wolves and has just arrived at the Candy Kingdom. Finn was just told by PB he's no longer the only human and ran off to find the 'other human'. All Rights to Adventure Time and the Characters (excpet OC ones) belong to Pendleton Ward and Cartoon Network. Please Remember to leave reviews as it helps a lot.
Finn raced through the palace as if he's life depended on it; he was desperate to find the Human PB had told him about. Thoughts raced through his mind as he descended the stairs leading into the main hall of the candy palace.
"What will they be like?"
"Will they even like me? Do they know what happen to our people?"
"Where have they been all this time? Did they know that he was in Ooo all this time?"
Finn was so deep in thoughts that he hadn't noticed he'd reached the end of the stairway and ended up tripping over himself sending him flying to the feet of a person standing in the main hall.
Lumen stared down at the individual at his feet confused.
"Is he alright?" he asked himself before offering the person a hand up, the person seemed like they were in a rush and didn't want to be stopped but Lumen felt this person would be more helpful with directions than the weird Peppermint guy that had ran off after he told him his name. "What was with that anyway?"
"Hello I'm sorry to bother you as you seem to be in quite a rush but I was wondering if you would be able to help me quickly. My names Lumen and I'm the Prince of the Shade Kingdom" He said as he helped the person up.
Finn looked at the Prince slightly baffled. He had never heard of the Shade Kingdom so had no idea who this Lumen was but it was his Hero's Code to help anyone in need especially those of royal decent. Finn nodded to the Prince showing his willingness to help him in his endeavour.
"Awesome" the Prince said as he smiled. "You see I'm here to meet the monarch of this kingdom. My second in command Leaden suggested that it would help my kingdom if I ventured out and build bridges of good faith with those of other kingdoms however I have no idea who the monarch of this kingdom is and I tried asking that little Peppermint guy but he ran away so I'm wondering if you could help me find the ruler of these lands?"
"Yeah sure… Princess Bubblegum is the monarch here I could take you to her if you want I'm actually a good friend of hers so I'm sure she wouldn't mind"
"Oh that's great let's get going then my friend" Lumen said with a smile as he and Finn started to climb the stairs that led back to PB "Also you seem to be quite in the know so I was wondering if you could help me with one other thing" He waited for Finn to gesture that he would then continued speaking "You see I am, and you may take this with a pinch of salt, what you would call a Human. I'm apparently one of a pair and the only other Human in Ooo is a hero that goes by the name of Finn. I chose the Candy Kingdom as my first visit as I was told he often visits these lands" "And the name sounded delicious" Lumen thought to himself before continuing again.
"I would like to meet with this other Human and I had hoped he would have wanted to meet me. I did wait hoping that he had heard of my arrival to Ooo but when he never came to our Kingdom I realised he must be busy being a Hero and since my lands are peaceful he would have no need to visit us. I decided while I was visiting these kingdoms I would drop by his home and introduce myself. So do you happen to know where I can find Finn the Human?"
Finn just stared at him mouth wide open. Here he was running around trying to find the other human and then here he is right in front of him. He was a prince? And he wanted to meet him? Finn didn't know what to say and so just nodded hoping the right words would just come to him.
PB was at the top of the stairs preparing to go and find Finn and the Prince of Shades when they both stepped out of the stair way. For a moment nothing was said they just stared at one another. PB and Finn both acknowledging the seriousness of the situation Lumen however put two and two together and realised this must be the Candy Monarch called Princess Bubblegum so decided to introduce himself to her.
"Princess Bubblegum" He said with a bow "My name is Prince Lumen Dusk and I am the Prince of the Shade Kingdom. You can call me Lumen or Shade Prince as I don't really feel the need to be too formal with others. I have ventured from my kingdom to introduce myself to other royalty and accomplish a few things on my travels. I'm sorry to go straight to business but I have two things to ask of you"
Bonnibel just nodded not knowing how to reply to the sudden appearance of the oblivious human.
"Sweet I would like to ask for your assistance in updating the maps of the land of Ooo when I ventured here I realised my kingdom wasn't on the updated maps which made it very difficult for me to find my way here. I would have surely perished if it wasn't for the help of a very polite lady that pointed me in your direction. Secondly I would like to ask your help in organising me a meeting with the one named Finn the Human. You see I myself am also human and I was told we are the last two in Ooo I would like to meet him and offer him my kingdoms aid in any of his efforts and offer a hand of friendship". Lumen went through his speech once again in his head and decided it sounded formal enough. Leaden has always been strict with the Princes formal manner since he chose not to dress in a formal way Leaden believed that royal business should be handled in utmost formality.
Princess Bubblegum, Finn, Jake and Peppermint Butler just stared at him all not knowing what to say. PB was trying to think of a way to break the Ice and explain that the hero he sought was stood next to him. Finn was just too stunned by the whole affair to even fathom a thought, Peppermint Butler was just amused by the whole situation and Jake was wondering what Finn had packed for lunch. Finally to break the ice PB spoke to Lumen.
"Erm… Lumen of the Shade Kingdom it's a pleasure to meet your acquaintance I would happily help you with your request of updating Ooo's maps as it's important to all that our kingdoms are given proper status however with your second request I'm not sure I'd be much help becau-"
"What why?" Lumen interjected, he had felt it was going well are the Princess agreed to help him with the map issue. "Why can't you help me? I heard many of your candy people mention Finn and how much of a hero he was for your kingdom. If you don't think he'd want to meet me just tell me princess and I will go find him and make him reconsider."
PB was a bit taken back by Lumen's forcefulness in the situation but fully understood. If you were told you were one of the only two of your people wouldn't you want to meet the other?
"Lumen it's not that I don't want to help you it's that I don't think it would do you any good… considering that both humans in Ooo are standing right in front of me"
Lumen froze. He had been expecting to meet his fellow human sometime soon but had planned on preparing for it mentally. What did he even say? How could he explain that he was from a different time and place and wasn't really a survivor of his race. Lumen turned his head to meet with Finns and the blue eyes they both possess met. Lumen felt stupid for not noticing before that their skin tone and eyes were matching. They both stood staring at each other for some time before Finn did something no one had expected. He started to sob and pulled Lumen in for a hug, Lumen returned the gesture and they just stood there for a few moments.
PB, Jake and Peppermint Butler decided it was a good time to leave the two humans to chat and get to know each other leaving just Finn and Lumen in the corridor. Finn pulled away and just stared at Lumen till he finally spoke.
"Who are you? How are you even here? I thought I was the only one but now you're here and I'm not alone? Are there others? Are we alone still?" He quizzed.
Lumen took a deep breath and decided that he would tell the human everything. His arrival to Ooo, the actions taken by the Shade Kingdom to get a human who wasn't Finn, the year he spent being their monarch and his forgotten past. Finn listened attentively not wanting to miss a single word of Lumen's story.
When Lumen had finished Finn told him he's story of being found by his adoptive parents, growing up with Jake, moving into the Tree house in the grasslands, becoming a knight of the Candy Kingdom, saving Ooo from the Lich and other villains. Finn struggled to get the words out when he came to the part of his life that concerned the fire kingdom. Lumen listened as attentively to Finns words as Finn had to his and when all their stories were shared and they knew all they needed to about each other Lumen decided to take charge.
"Finn, I was wondering, would you like to accompany me on my travels to neighbouring kingdoms? I mean you don't have to but I wanted to make you a knight of my kingdom and to me you're as good as family so I would have no issue with you becoming next in line for the throne"
Finn was once again shocked. He had only just met Lumen and yet Lumen was already offering him a place in his life and time to get to know each other better.
"Sure Shade Prince that sounds maths"
"Don't call me that dude just call me Lumen and there's no need to worry the people of my Kingdom already consider you a member of their royalty as one of the rules I made when I became their Prince was that they can't kidnap anyone else to take the throne and they should ask you if you would become their prince" He laughed "As for accompanying me I thought it would give us some time to become friends and it would help me on my quest if I had the Hero of Ooo by my side… So what do you say…? Finn the Human Prince"
Finn once again was left with nothing to say, he felt that he hadn't really made much of an impression and this day was moving so fast. When he woke up he was the only human in Ooo and now he was a Prince standing beside the only other human he had met. He said all he knew how to say.
"Sure bro that would be…"
"Math?" Lumen suggested.
"Yeah dude. It would be math"
The two decided to find PB and Jake and tell them the news. When they found PB she was alone as Jake had decided to go visit Lady and the kids, PB was ecstatic with the news of Finn's new role in Ooo and that they had decided to become friends. She decided to keep secret that she already knew all of Lumen's past from her spying as she didn't want them to think badly of her and her habits. Suddenly a thought came to Lumen's mind.
"Excuse me Princess Bubblegum I was wondering could you help me find someone called Bonnie? I was told she lives in your kingdom"
PB gave him a puzzled look "Bonnie? I'm afraid there's only one person in this kingdom with the name Bonnie and its short for Bonnibel."
Lumen smiled and was ecstatic; he had a chance to find out who his mystery stranger was and knew that the secret to her rested with this Bonnibel.
"Mathematical can you tell me where I can find her? It's important to me that I do?"
"Before I answer can I ask you how you heard that name and why is it important?"
Lumen again started to explain his story of how he had met this strange girl who had saved him from being wolf food and how she had pointed him in the direction of the candy kingdom. When Lumen has described the girls features both PB and Finn began to giggle.
"Lumen it may surprise you but my full name is Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum, I think you met a friend of mine which is why she was able to point you in my direction however I can't give you her name but I can mark on your map where she lives so you can go thank her yourself?"
"That would be great thank you Princess-"
"Lumen call me Bonnie"
"Thank you Bonnie" He said with a smile. His mind raced with thoughts of the mystery girl and whether she would be as happy to see him as he was to think he'd see her again.
Meanwhile elsewhere in Ooo a certain fire elemental stared out from the balcony of her kingdom. She stared in the direction of the grasslands knowing that no matter how hard she strained she wouldn't be able to just see the place she wanted. She walked back to her bed and lay down. It had been years since he had visited her ever since he had failed to help her take back her throne he had stayed away. He had been in her kingdom since doing his job as a Hero but by the time she had learnt of his presence he had already left. She made sure that Flambo updated her on all of his adventures but it didn't make up for his absence. She had been alone for a year now even Cinnamon Bun had retired from being her knight. He retired after getting injured protecting the kingdom from one of the threats too minor to need the hero's help. He and Jake 2 had decided to take their leave and left to go live elsewhere. She was desperately sad when he left but decided not to hold back the knight who had helped her through so much. She laid there on her bed wishing that something would happen that would bring Finn to her kingdom to see her.
Finn and Lumen were walking across the snow of the Ice Kingdom heading to the palace where the Ice King resides. Finn was against the idea but Lumen insisted he wanted to pay respects to all the monarchs of the land even the crazy ones. Since their first meeting they had visited the Slime Kingdom, the Breakfast Kingdom (Lumen also insisted they visited this kingdom too; Finn had a suspicion that he had made that decision with his stomach rather than his head) and they had visited the Lumpy Kingdom. It was a brief visit to say the least as once Lumpy Space Princess had spotted the boys they had to leave. Finn had gotten a lot more attention from girls as he'd aged and matured and although he had dated a few he had no intention of getting back in the game and since Lumen was a Prince with no partner both of them seemed very appealing to LSP and her phone list of single ladies. They managed to hide from them by flying in the air Finn used his angel wings and was surprised to find out that Lumen had the ability to float. The one thing Lumen hadn't shared with Finn was the full extent of his powers but Finn didn't mind the human had been more than honest with him. He still however thought going to the Ice Kingdom to greet the IK was rather a foolish idea.
Simon, the Ice King's former self, was still trapped in the darkest corners of his mind held captive by insanity. Finn, Marcy and Betty had worked for years to try and free him but so far still had made no real progress. Betty was away chasing up a lead that could free her fiancé from the evil magic crown that held him prisoner without the rapid aging progress taking place.
"Gunter go and get the door" Lumen and Finn heard a voice scream from the top of the Ice Palace. Finn had never before used the front door before Jake and he always would burst through the wall, use the windows or just something else when they made their grand entrances. "I didn't even think it had a door" Finn thought to himself. When the little penguin opened the door and let them up they walked into the main room of the 'palace' sitting in his chair was the Ice King dressed in his usual dark blue tunic with his white hair covering nearly his whole body.
"Finn my main man, how's single life treating you my bro" the Ice King yelled across the room.
Finn and Lumen walked across the room to join the IK so that he didn't have to yell. The aged wizard on closer inspection was reading from an old looking scrap book. It appeared wet for some reason but Finn let this go not wanting to know what the old insane king had been up to.
"Simon th-"Lumen started.
"Simon? My names not Simon its IK, why do people keep calling me that?"
"My apologies Ice King, My name is Lumen and I am the Prince of the Shade Kingdom, I am on a journey to pay respects to all the neighbouring kingdoms and introduce myself as a sign of good faith" Lumen explained.
"Wait… you're visiting the rulers of the kingdoms and you're visiting me?"
"Well yes IK you are a ruler of a land are you not?"
"Yes I am" The IK declared proudly. He was surprised by the Princes visit as no one ever game him the credit he deserves. He never got invited to the royal meetings that the princess held or the parties they threw but here was a Prince giving him the proper respect and greeting him.
"Well it's nice to meet you two Lumen I'm sure that our kingdoms will get a long greatly in the future" The IK stated proudly, he felt he had said it the right way.
Finn just stared at them both confused. How could he be having a formal conversation with the insane wizard? The wizard who constantly kidnapped princesses? The wizard who is known as a pest to all? And the wizard who dressed up as a horse and stalked their house? Finn didn't know what to say he had never seen IK look so happy to meet someone usually he'd moan if there was a new suitor in the land of Ooo someone to 'princess block' him. He didn't even know what to do so was grateful when the interaction between the two monarchs continued.
"Ice King I want to be honest with you, I wanted to visit you for two reasons. We are both monarchs of our kingdoms and I wanted to meet you for that reason but there is a second reason"
"What is it?" The IK was suddenly tense his 'wizard eyes' showed that there was something happening with Lumen's body, it shifted from a dark aura to a light one and it seemed to be building.
"You see Ice King I wasn't always called Lumen, my name used to be Ivel before I was made into the Shade Prince by magic and I feel there is similarities in our stories. I want to be your friend your 'bro' as you put it and if you let me I have a feeling I could give you a gift that would make you very happy"
IK was dumbfounded not only had he finally been recognised as a king by someone other than a penguin this guy wanted to be his bro AND give him a gift. He suddenly forgot about the shifting shades that wrapped around the princes body and just wanted to smile. He hadn't felt this welcome by someone since… since… Betty. The old king was suddenly lost in the reaches of his mind as if he was transported to another place altogether. He was staring at himself… well another him but this one instead of white eyes had red eyes and had a very unhappy face on him. The other him started to scream a cry that could only be mirrored by demon. Suddenly the land around him changed it went from being a calm and dark place to being a place of white light. The dark ice that had been decorating the world he was now in turned into white snow that fell slowly to the ground and the other him vanished. IK wasn't sure what just happened but he started to feel a lot happier. He looked next to him and saw a smiling SP who was holding out his hand. The IK felt warmth for the first time in many years as he reached for the Princes hand and the moment the two touched the whole world filled with light.
Finn watched as the room filled with light consuming the IK and SP he reached instinctively for his sword but a hand stopped him from gripping it. He looked to the owner of the hand and was surprised to see that it was Lumen that was stopping him.
"Just let the light fill your mind, it's a trick Leaden taught me. The light pierces the very depths of your mind and rids you of the evil or stray thoughts bringing you discomfort" he explained.
Finn relaxed and he then felt a wave of warmth fill his body, his worry melted away as he closed his eyes and let the light take him. His thoughts drifted to that of Flame Princess. He thought of how he missed her. He thought of how much he wanted to see her and he thought of how much he loved her.
The light started to clear in the room and Finn felt a lot more at peace when it had. He turned to Lumen who was smiling at him. Finn noticed that the white streak that appeared in his hair had got bigger since before the light. Finn's eyes were then attracted to the other person in the room. Standing where the IK once had been was now Simon Petrikov or at least a version of him. His dark suit and red bow tie was replaced with a long 4 buttoned light blue jacket, he wore a dark blue waist coat and a white shirt. His red bow tie had been replaced by a simple but complementing red tie that stood out against the blue of his clothes. He still had white eyes but his hair had receded and now in the style of Simons hair but still white. The new look gave grace to the King making him look younger and more respectable. The final feature to note was the blue glasses he wore on his face just above the smile that donned it.
"Let us start that again Lumen, My name is Simon Petrikov, the Ice King"
Finn just stared at him having no idea what in the 37th dead world was going on. They had tried everything they could to bring Simon back and the Prince had fixed him in a matter of seconds. His face looked less icky now that his nose had shrunk back down and his hair was gone. In fact he looked quite good and very royal like.
"Ho- Ho- How did you do that? Lumen what did you do to him? How is he Simon again?" Finn struggled to get the words out.
Lumen went to speak but Simon held his hand up as a gesture that he wanted to tell the tale himself. "You see Finn I am not the Simon you met the time I was freed from the crown and I am not the Ice King that has pestered these lands all these years. It is true I am Simon though and at the same time I am the Ice King. Lumen's light pierced the deep parts of my mind and rid the crown of its evil corrupting influence. Once that was gone my mind repaired itself with the help of the crowns magic. I am still the King of Ice but I have all of my memories back and I know who I am and that I need to apologise for the things I have done." He turned to Lumen.
"You… you have freed me from the curse that has held my mind for the last 1000 years I will not die because I have not lost the crown but I am me again. I wish I could do for you what you have done for me but my magic does not permit me to heal a broken and fragmented mind." He turned back to Finn. "For a while now you have considered yourself the only human in Ooo, even after Betty arrived in Ooo you didn't change that view. I am the Ice King; a wizard of ice and Betty, Betty will be my Ice Queen and join me… In my healed state I know how to share the power of the crown and when we are reunited I shall share with her my power, my love and my life. I have to thank you too; you have stopped my horrible crimes against the kingdoms of Ooo and kept me in check. Thank you but from now on you will not have to worry about me. When Lumen's light healed my soul I saw a glimpse of his past so it is my great pleasure to also greet you Finn. It is a pleasure to meet you both Lumen the Shade Prince and Finn the Human Prince, you are always welcome in my land and I hope that our kingdoms have a great future together. Now if you will please excuse me, I have to rebuild my kingdom can't have a professor of archaeology and his wife housed in such an ugly palace"
Finn and Lumen left shortly after the Ice Kings speech and headed towards the grasslands, Finn decided to give Betty a call and let her know what had happened she told him she was on her way back to her finance and she thanked Lumen for what he had done. They walked a little further before Lumen spoke to him.
"Finn, you heard the IK say that he saw a bit of my past when I used that power well I also saw into his mind and his memories. The same goes for you so the next kingdom I would like to go to is the Fire Kingdom.
Lumen's ability in this chapter will be explained in next one, It's not as OP as it sounds so don't worry. In a fight I'm certain Finn would win between the two as Lumen's abilities make him more or a medic/aid type rather than a combat type like Finn. The Ice King is basically Simon with enhanced knowledge and understanding with total control over the magic crown.