The Human and The Shadow Part 5

Finn and Lumen sat around the fire trying to gather a little bit more warmth. The fire crackled and spat out sparks that seemed to dance in the night's sky. Finn was staring attentively into the flame picturing the one who filled his heart with warmth. Since being with Lumen Finn's life had changed dramatically, now a Prince to the Shade Kingdom he felt that he now had more to offer the fire monarch. It wasn't just his status that had changed. The light Lumen had used to cleanse the evil within the IK's crown had rid Finn of his doubts about Flame Princess and Finn knew that when the sun rose he'd be ready to see his separated love once again.

"Hey… Lumen?"

"Yeah Finn?"

"What was that light you used back there? Like how did it fix the IK?"

"That light is sacred to the people of light that live in my kingdom, when my kingdom started it was actually through force of the first Shade King and his wife. The King was a man of the shadows and his wife was a woman of the light, their love was unheard of and both were shunned as traitors. It would have been a tragic end to a lover's story if not for the baby that the Shade Queen bore. When I was first told about it, it was by my handmaiden, it is actually a fairy tale told to children at night to help them sleep. The child was the first Shade being, a mix of light and dark, she was the hope of her kingdom and while understanding the balance with the dark she shone brighter than any other. It became a sacred light the people treasured deep in their hearts, the light shone it cast away the darkness in their hearts so that every shade individual's heart blossomed with this sacred light. The kingdom was forged the same day the Princess of the Light was born. I'm not sure how much of the story is true but it helped me understand why they went through so much effort to get me to be their Prince, the royal blood is that of the Light Princess and we are literally the people's beacon of hope. They're not really keen on me leaving the kingdom it makes them nervous so I made this lantern that is at top of our kingdom, it resembles the sun in shape and in the day it shines with holy light and in the night it absorbs the dark from the hearts leaving my people happy and fulfilled. Pretty nifty huh?"

"So wait… can you use that to like banish evil?" Finn asked excitedly

"Aha I wish but sorry Finn it's sort of a little charm it can remove little things such as spite and doubt and cure broken hearts. The most it could do would be cause them a little tingling unless they were like mega evil. I don't know why it had such an effect on Simon but I guess his love for Betty kept him alive in that insanity all these years and when I healed his heart the crown responded and answered the call of his heart… pretty rom-com like but it works so if it isn't broke don't try to fix it".

"Yeah I guess your right" Finn yawned, he was a little disappointed thinking it would have made an awesome weapon but he couldn't deny it had its uses. He suddenly felt a wave of tiredness fill his body, he had been through so much in that one day and honestly felt more knackered than he had fighting the crystal dragon that he had the week before.

Sensing that Finn was getting pretty tired Lumen suggested they hit the hay, he explained to Finn that he didn't actually need to sleep but just enjoyed the feeling it gave him. It was a side effect of the Shade transformation and sleeping two years so he said he would stay up and guard the camp. Finn was comforted by this and while moving closer to the fire started to drift off to sleep. Lumen stared at the stars lying on his back; he loved looking at the sky at night it reminded him of his home with the white light filling the black sky. He wondered how Leaden was doing and wondered if the old guy was missing him. "I need to remember to get him a present… He's been so good to me this last year and I want to show him he means everything to me" Lumen smiled at the thought of his withered friend.

(Meanwhile at the Shade Kingdom)

"Guards! Guards! Try to control that fire we need to put it out before it burns away the southern part of the palace!" screamed Leaden to the many guards running to fight the fire. He had to stop it before it got out of hand and people got hurt. He ran through the palace as fast as his legs would take him feeling glad that their ruler was away and safe with the Hero of Ooo. The Shade Kingdom was facing their first act of violence since the end of the Contrast war. How could it have come to this? How could they stop the threat? The lunatic had burned down half the castle with just a wave from its hand.

It's unholy green fire spread more and more as it searched the castle for the Shade human hoping to kill the human in his sleep. The menace himself didn't know that the Prince was away so believed that the guards whose necks it had snapped for lying to him when they said they didn't know where he was deserved their fate and to rot in the many dead worlds.
Just as the fire reached the top of the palace and touched with Lumen's Sun it suddenly exploded with white light, the menace fled from the kingdom as the light burned his remaining flesh away leaving him rags and bone. Leaden was about to sigh in relief when something struck him round the head, the last thing he saw before everything went black was the demented smile of the undead king, the human slayer, the Lich.

(Back in the Grasslands)

Lumen kept just staring at the stars when he heard a noise from afar, he shot up and stared into the distance he saw the silhouette of a woman hovering in the air, she held a red axe that seemed to be making noise and was singing a song to herself. Lumen recognised the voice and stood up to chase her. He ran through the forest trying to follow the sounds of her voice it was like the voice of an angel to him. He felt a cut appear on his cheek as he wacked a tree out of the way and the branch on it hit him as it felt. He felt many of these cuts appear over his body as he followed the voice of his angel.

~Left alone to the hands of ti-me,
Simon left and I said that its fi-ne,
I lost my Hambo and my Daddy too,
but it didn't hurt like losing you,

Why did you leave me when I needed you,
Was that something that a friend would do,
Why did you leave and not take me,
When you build your kingdom for the world to see,

He came along and you found your heart,
Why couldn't you have it from the very start,
I came back but you never called,
Was I too hopeful…l was my heart so fooled,

I want my friend and I miss you,
You won't say it but I know you do,
I want my friend and I need you too,
Bonnie you won't say it but I know you do… too~

The song filled Lumen's ears as he chased the sound he kept running towards it never thinking to float after her. If he had he wouldn't have tripped and fell off that cliff.

Finn woke up when a chill blow over him, the fire he was sleeping near had suddenly just gone out. He mumbled to himself then got up to find firewood, on his way back to the camp he noticed for the first time that Lumen wasn't there. He dropped the wood and started to look around he noticed a path through the woods that had been made by someone running through it. Not thinking to grab his sword Finn ran into the darkness after Lumen. It wasn't hard to follow the shade human that seem to have trampled half the forest, Finn couldn't see a second set of tracks or any signs so couldn't work out what Lumen had been doing.

Finn followed the tracks to a ledge he looked onward realising there was no way forward he figured Lumen must have floated off somewhere.

"Lumen? Lumen, are you out there? Lumen?" he yelled as loud as his lungs would allow.

He waited for the reply.

Nothing came… Finn decided to head back to camp and wait for him but as he put his foot down the ledge gave way and he started to fall. He managed to grab onto a smaller ledge that stuck out from the cliff face. He was trying to pull himself up when the ledge started to crack, there was too much weight Finn tried to pull himself up again and when his head could finally see the ledge he noticed a bloody and unconscious Lumen laying on it Finn suddenly knew what was about to happen… the ledge could support 1 person… not 2 and the ledge gave way.

"Let me help you… Let me be your wings" whispered a voice in Finn's ear as he held onto Lumen tightly. He suddenly started to soar upwards towards the cliff, he landed back at camp and all of a sudden he heard the sound of metal crashing to the ground. He laid Lumen down and looked at his feet to see his Angel Sword. It had saved him? It had carried them back but he had left it at the camp? Finn didn't have time to worry about it as he went into his bag fishing for the Cyclops tears that he had packed in there, once he had found them he started to drop them onto Lumen's injuries. He knew they were working when he heard a fizz and saw the cuts healing at amazing speed. He heard Lumen mumbled something and leant close just enough to catch his last sentence.

"I love you too Mum, don't worry I'll be back soon".

Marceline floated towards her home. She had gone to see PB but once again the princess blew her off. She only wanted to hang out maybe watch some movies like they use to but once again the bubble-gum woman seemed more interested in science. "It's always been like this! Science this Science that it's all Bonnie cares about. She never cares about me!"

"You'd have thought that after disappearing for years she'd be happy I was back, I could have been dead and she'd never have cared! I thought after we got Hambo back together and everything else she was different but no! Once again it's me on my own, I should be used to this no one wants me I'm just everyone's PROBLEM!"

Marceline was so distracted she decided to sing a song to herself she floated home. ~Left alone to the hands of ti-me~ she sung to herself and played her axe bass. She was so in tune with her music and pouring out her heart that she didn't notice someone was listening and she didn't hear the person yell when they fell off a cliff and knocked themselves out. She floated into her cave and headed inside for some red. She threw her bass onto her sofa and headed into the kitchen. All that was in the fridge were the apples Finn had picked for her when the Tree had sprouted fruit, it was one of the reasons she originally liked the tree house so much it literally homed and fed her. She was in the process of sucking the red out of the apple when a phone rang. She reached for her pocket and pulled out her cell hoping Bonnie had finally decided to give her friend her time of day but it wasn't her cell ringing. She looked into the living room at a pile of paper that litters the corner. The noise was coming from there she picked it up and held it to her ear.

"Hello Marcy, it's me Simon, I'm better now I'm fixed and I'm sorry for the things I have done and that I didn't remem-".

Marceline didn't hear another word as she was already flying out of the door heading to the Ice King leaving the phone still working on the pile of papers, "Simon was back. My Simon is back and he's remembered me".

When Lumen woke the next day he's eyes were met by a pair of worried blue ones. Finn was staring right at him really really close to his face.

"What the junk dude? Why are you so close?"

"Well I was worried about you, Cyclops tears heal a lot but I wasn't sure if the fall had damaged your head or something?"

"Fall what fall?"

"You don't remember Lumen do you?"

"Remember what? Last night? I was laying here staring up at the stars… then I heard her voice… the girl who saved me from the wolves I could have sworn she was floating… I followed her trying to catch up and she started singing… she has an amazing voice dude… and when I got close… it went dark?" Lumen was puzzled… what had happened?

"You fell off a cliff bro, you're lucky you landed on a ledge otherwise you'd be a goner"

"Jeez that's lucky then thanks for saving me anyway" Lumen smiled at Finn.

"Sure it's okay" Finn replied sharply. "I saved him, but what saved me?" He thought staring at the sword that lay in his hands. How could a sword save him?

The two human boys decided to eat breakfast before heading out, Finn showed Lumen what bacon pancakes were much to Lumen's delight. They stuffed their faces, packed up their gear and began heading for the flame kingdom. They didn't get very far when a little flambit started calling Finn over.

"Yo' Finn what ya' doing in this side of the world and who's your friend?"

"Oh hey Flambo I'm heading into the Fire Kingdom to go see FP my fri-"

"You gonna go see the princess? What for? You finally ready to go get the dame of your dreams" teased the little flambit. Finn's face went bright red so Lumen decided to speak.

"You must be Flambo, my second in command Leaden told me a great deal about you".

"Leaden? Oh so you must be Lumen Mr Shade Prince himself?"

"Yeah that's me I'm on a mission to meet the monarchs of the land and personally greet them as a message of good faith, I asked Prince Finn to accompany me as he has a greater knowledge than me of these lands". Flambo just stared at the Prince before turning to Finn.

"Yo he does know that was a lie told by Jake right?"

"Actually Flambo I've been made a Prince of the Shade Kingdom aha… I'm now Finn the Human Prince… it's all kind of new so I don't think the news has spread."

Flambo seemed quite offended by the implication that there was something he didn't know he decided to speed the process up by casting flame shield on Finn. He turned to Lumen but Lumen refused.

"If you don't wear the shield you'll end up as ash my friend"

"Actually I'm kinda fire proof-"

"You're WHAT!" yelled Finn.

"Well yes I'm made up of flesh like you but at the same time my body consists of shadows and light. A fire creates light and shadows so when I'm near or in fire I actually feel really nice." Finn stared at the Prince before chucking some charcoal towards Flambo; he then walked towards the fire kingdom without waiting for Lumen.

"Dude looks like he tasted some bad coal if you ask me"

"Yes… well thanks Flambo I look forward to seeing you sometime soon"

"Sure thing, SP just keeps hot head over there from doing something he'd regret"

Lumen rushed to catch up to the annoyed hero. Finn just seemed to want to walk faster to not walk with him. "How comes he's fireproof? Oh yeah once again magic prince powers come to the rescue… didn't help him when he fell off the cliff now did it?"

Finn suddenly felt himself get push forward he turned to look at Lumen with anger in his eyes.
"What the math dude? What did you push me for?"

"I'll tell you once you tell me what's bothering you"

"Nothing! Nothing's bothering me I'm fine!"

"You know I can make other people fire proof right?"

"Ooo get you once again with your magic princ- what? You can do that? Why didn't you say so?"

"You never asked and I didn't know that's why you needed Flambo's help. I kinda figured I would just make you fireproof when we entered the kingdom."

"How long will it last?"

"Oh it's permanent, I take your shadow and when you deal with extreme heat or cold the shadow will go under your skin and act as protection. It's a simple process just takes a few minutes and a little concentration."

"Oh…" Finn didn't know how to hide his embarrassment he sort of wished the ground would just consume him or he could just turn invisible like Marcy. Here he was getting jealous off of someone who has wanted nothing but to help him. He started to feel spite towards him for his power when he always intended to share.

"You don't have to I don't deserve it…" Finn said sombrely

"Well that really is a shame. I already did it last night while you were asleep… tad awks don't you think now"

"You WHAT! You mean I'm already fireproof?"

"Well yeah I didn't want you to get hurt so I did that so you were safer, after I saw your memories I felt the pain you felt from not being able to be with the one you want. I hadn't actually tried the technique until that point but I was sure it would work. When you were sleeping you rolled closer to the fire and actually rolled over it entirely. I was about to cover you with water but you were fine so I took it that my spell had worked?"

Finn just grabbed the prince's arm and started to run towards the Fire Kingdom. Nothing. Nothing was stopping him from being happy with his princess now. He needed to see her now. Lumen on the other hand wished he'd kept his surprise a surprise for a bit longer and as he was now being dragged through the rocky terrain and decided to float to make it easier for Finn to drag him to the fiery kingdom.

Flame Princess stared out of her balcony again, she made her decision. If she heard nothing from Finn by the end of this day then that was it. She'd marry the suitor at the top of her list. It was more of a bet she made with herself, still afraid to go find the human herself she decided to make a deal with destiny. If Finn was truly the man of her dreams and the love of her life he would be here. He had to be.

Lumen had decided since he had no decision in where he was going he would sit back and enjoy the ride as Finn charged through the streets of the fire kingdom. Lumen had already had to apologise to a number of guards and people Finn had startled with their strange method of travel. He thought again about the night before, after they had done with this kingdom he wanted to visit her sure he needed to get going on his quest to see other kingdoms but he was certain his homeland would be fine long enough for him to meet the girl who was apparently worth diving off a cliff for. Lumen was so lost in his thought that he hadn't realised that he forgot to adjust the height he was floating so when Finn went downhill down a back alley Lumen's floating actually carried them both. Finn thought of a way this could be useful and pushed off against the ground. He grabbed his Angel Sword and while still holding onto the distracted prince began to fly straight towards the Princess's balcony. He was going to do this. He was gonna fly to her window; declare his love for all to hear and hope… just hope the love would be returned.

Finn saw the balcony coming into view a wide grin forming on his face, he got just outside and began to stop. Sadly for Finn he had forgot that he was also carrying Lumen so while Finn stopped mid-air Lumen didn't. This sent the two princes flying into the room and landing in a big crash. Finn was knocked out when he went flying into a wall, knocking a shelf down right on top of his head. He tried to grab onto the curtain to remain standing but only ending up pulling it off covering himself.

Lumen landed on the bed right next to the sleeping Flame Princess. She awoke to the sound and believing destiny had answered her call she leapt up only to see her room trashed and a strange weirdo laying on her bed.

"WHO ARE YOU AND HOW DARE YOU ENTER MY CHAMBERS!"

"Oh beg my pardon I was just with my friend and then now I'm here?"

"YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT! YOU PERVERT! THOUGHT YOU'D GET A LOOK OF THE PRINCESS WHILE SHE SLEPT WELL HAVE A LOOK AT THIS!" the princess screamed; her flames growing so large she filled half the room.

"Well mi 'lady I would never-"

"SHUT UP YOU PERVERT I THOUGHT IT WAS MY TRUE LOVE AND INSTEAD I GET A BADLY DRESSED WEIRDO!"

"Well actually if you're the flame princess then you'll be glad to… wait what do you mean badly dressed? I'll have you know this is in the height of fashion"

"WHAT! WHO CARES! NOW BURN YOU PERVERT!"

"I wouldn't do that if I was yo-"Lumen was cut off as the flame princess fired her flames directly at him, he didn't even bother to cover himself as the flames simply bounced off.
Flame Princess stared at the pervert in sheer disbelief. Nothing can withstand her flames; she went through the effort of recovering all of her power after her dad had poisoned her.

"Now, Now princess if you would just listen to me, my name is Lumen Dusk and I am the Prince of the Shade Kingdom, I left my homeland to visit other kingdoms as a gesture of good faith. This is one reason for my being here; the second is I am accompanying my fellow human friend here as he tries to win your heart back. I don't know where he is at the moment as last I remember he was dragging me through the kingdom in his attempt to arrive here.

"You're human? Does that mean that the other human is-"

"Yes, Finn the Human Prince."

"You know he's not really a prince right? That was a joke Jake played on him"

"Well actually you'll be pleasantly surprised to know that as of late Finn is also a prince of the Shade Kingdom, he was meant to be with me so I have no idea where he went".

Flame Princess thought to herself. "Finn is here, he's come for me. This pervert confirmed it he's here to show his love for me. Well you win this round destiny and I couldn't be happier now to find my hero… my prince" She blushed at the last bit clearly remembering a memory of when Finn had been seen to the Kingdom as the Prince of the Grasslands.

"So… Pervert-"

"It's Lumen"

"Yes so Lumen where is my Prince?"

As if just to answer their question in the most comical way Finn groaned loudly as he stood up he pulled the curtain off him just enough to see Flame Princess staring at him. He was about to speak and 'declare his love' when the curtain rail he had pulled on earlier for support fell on his head knocking the hero out once again.

There we go chapter 5, just as a point of reference, Marceline's nickname for Lumen is wolfbait whereas Phoebe (FP) will keep forgetting his name for a while so sticks to calling him a Pervert. If you have been reading carefully there are a few stories going on in the background I will leave it to you to work it out but i will keep these going in later chapters if you think i have forgotten one or i've made one but haven't noticed then just PM or review it :) thanks for your continued support if your still reading.