The Human and The Shadow Part 27 - A Mother's Light
Flame King, Light and Phoebe
"I met him too.."
"What!? When!?"
"I met an Ivel Mertens the day your mother died."
"The day mum died... but.. why... why would he be there? What has mum got to do with any of this..." Phoebe seemed lost for words as many thoughts poured into her head. He'd got Simon the crown and led Faith away from Marcy... "Did he have something to do with mum's death?"
"Phoebe I don't really have all the answers... but i can tell you everything I know if you would like?"
"Please dad... I need to know..."
"okay well... I won't be able to tell you everything but listen closely and I'll tell you all about the day we lost your mother..."
Lumen (+ Flame King's Story (Bold))
"I heard from your mother that on one of her walks around the fire kingdom with you she had wandered upon a strange person hanging upside down from a tree unconscious."
"Mummy... Mummy" cried a little fire elemental out loud. The little girl had lost her way after letting go of her mothers hands and began to let her flames grow as her fears wept in.
"Mummy!" she cried out again.
"Phoebe calm down mummy's here now" The little girl looked up to the source of the calming voice to see her mother approaching. She ran over to her and let her be taken into her mothers arms snuggling closer and closer in fear that if she let go now her mum would disappear again.
"Phoebe i told you before not to wander off... I will always come when you need me but it doesn't mean you should put yourself in any danger okay sweetie" The little girl nodded to her mother as she wiped away her tears.
"Now come on sweetie lets head back, your Daddy will be getting worried and knowing him he'd wage war on every kingdom nearby if anything happened to you" The little girl giggled at her mothers words not fully understanding what she meant but knowing it was something to laugh at. The two made their way through the woods on the outskirts of the fire kingdom and headed towards where the land held no colour but black, red and orange. The two would have made it already if not for the little girl starting to cry out and point.
"Mummy look mummy" Phoebe said loudly pointing to a spot over her mothers shoulder. The mother thought her daughter probably wanted to chase another pretty butterfly but decided to indulge her curiosity and headed in the direction the little girl was eager to go.
"What is it sweetie? Did you see another pretty butterfly"
"No Mummy look" The little girl pointed again this time to a tree in particular, the mother carried her daughter and looked up. To her surprise she saw strands of black and white dangling down and then noticed the face that was looking back at her. Blood ran down it and dripped onto the mum. It sizzled as it collided with her body before evaporating. The mum quickly flew up to the tree and cut the man down. She looked at his injury and realised he must have hit his head pretty hard so started to try to treat him. She looked down and noticed that his clothes were starting to singe from her heat so took a step away from the man in fear of hurting him even more. "What should i do... i need to treat him but I'd just hurt him more... I can't get help from the kingdom they'd just end up wanting to kill him for being an outsider... what should i do?" The mother looked down as her daughter was trying to put a leaf on the man's head but the leaf kept burning up in her hands but she kept trying. It was then the mum realised that this person wasn't being hurt by her flames and that he had no burns on him at all. She could help him and thats what she started to do.
"This person was immune to fire and so your mother started to treat the wounds he had. I remember her saying that she thought he might have got it in a fall but had no idea what he'd fallen from. Eventually after a few hours I was worried so i ventured out to the edge of the kingdom where I met your mother. She told me about the stranger and that she wanted to care for him. I was against it at first but she wouldn't listen so i sent out some supplies and took you home. I didn't sleep well that night and neither did you but I was proud, your mother was the kind of woman to do anything to help others... the complete opposite of the fire kingdom at that time".
Lumen sat up and felt his head spin. He felt pain tear through his body and his hand jolted to his injury. He tried to recall the events that happened. He was pushed through the door to this time point by Leaden who said it was for the best but unlike the last two times he didn't immediately meet Phoebe and while trying to work out where he was he was attack by Why Wolves... in his head he had to ask "Why is it always wolves". He thought he had gotten away when someone had attacked him midair causing him to fall. He hit his head on the a tree and got knocked out. He looked around now that his vision was less blurry to see a dark woodland area. He jumped up and summoned his weapons recalling the attack that happened earlier.
"Whoa easy tiger your gonna poke someone's eye out if you keep at it". Lumen turned round to see a familiar looking flame elemental.
"...Phoebe?"
"Phoebe? No that's my daughters name my name is Firenze Flame of the Fire Kingdom, but most people just call me Flare since it's easier." Flare smiled at the confused looking man who was lost for words.
"Your Phoebe's mother?"
"Yes? Why? What does my daughter have to do with you if i may ask?"
"..Nothing yet.. but one day she'll know me i guess" Lumen had enough of lying, the prince had reached the end of his rope and could no longer keep trying to deceive these people who were part of his life.
"You mean like in the future?"
"Yes... I don't know how many years but i come from sometime in the future, I'm good friends with her and I'm a Prince of Ooo my real name is Lumen Dusk but I go by Ivel Mertens when doing this time travel junk."
"You know Ivel, I think I'll stick with that as it's a nice name, that's not the most convincing story i have ever heard"
"I know.. truthfully i don't even want to be here... Something happens in the future that could mean that we all die... I'm being sent to ensure the bad parts of my friends lives still happen but to change it in a way that it helps them in the future. I've been to a few of the others pasts and now it's Phoebe's turn..."
"So what darkness do you think you should bring to my daughters life?"
"I don't know but i think given that your here it's to do with you..."
"Did future me give you any hints?"
"I've never met future you... I'm sorry... Flare but i don't think you are alive in the future..."
"Okay... then maybe you have to kill me?" Lumen looked at the woman in shock, she was still wearing a calming friendly smile on her face even when she said what she did.
"What? Why would i do that?"
"Well... I'm not around in the future? so i died and given that Phoebe never mentioned me to you I imagine that i died when she was young so it makes sense and if your gonna bring darkness to someones life then maybe you have to kill me?"
"How can you say that so easily!? I would never kill you! why would you even believe anything I've said!?"
"That's the royal symbol of the Shade Kingdom upon your neck is it not?"
"What?" Lumen looked down at his necklace, the white sun pendant he'd worn the day he'd left the shade kingdom to find Finn and Bonnie.
"That's the Shade Kingdom's royal symbol, it gives off the same heat as the Shade King's light, I know it as he and I are old friends and if your wearing that and look like you do then I'm gonna assume that that old fool went and passed away too which knowing Leaden led to you becoming their Prince..."
"Lady... you are mad smart... you know that right?"
"Yes" Flare flames lit up just a little indicating that she was quite cheerful with the compliment and bemused by the boy.
"I was taken from a different world and made into the Shade Prince, I don't mind it i got to meet a lot of people and help keep the Kingdom alive... Leaden was like a dad to me and raised me until the day he died... his spirit is sort of my guide for these tasks and he said that this time i could make a different... I could save a life" Flare stared at the human in deep thought trying to piece together all the new information should had been given.
"Darkness in the future, Phoebe needs help, I'm dead, Future Shade Prince, Save a life? ... I'm dead... save a life... wait?"
"Maybe... your meant to save me?"
"The next day was the day before your mother died. She came back to the kingdom over joyed with her friend. She wouldn't tell me much other than he was an important figure and we should treat him well. She was heading back out to meet him again and took you with her. I was curious as to who this person was and worried so I sent a flambit who knew how to get around without being seen to watch over her but I never heard back from him. I assumed something had happened and when i went to where your mother said you'd be both of you were missing."
"Flare where are we going?" Lumen climbed up after the flaming woman, he'd suggested they fly but Flare had called it lazy and a waste of good legs.
"We're heading for a picnic away from my husband's spy"
"Spy?"
"Yes, he sent a flambit to watch over us but if we climb up high they can't follow so you me and Phoebe are going for a picnic up on this mountain."
"You... are scary smart..."
"Thanks again dear, now mind telling me what kind of relationship you'll have with my daughter since she's 'one of the people you care about' so much"
"Actually... it's best if i add some back story.. I came from another world as the Shade Kingdom needed a human but there is only one human in Ooo and he's a Hero named Finn so they got me instead as they knew he had his own destiny. Coincidentally it appears that I died in my last world so the fact I'm alive anyway is due to them. But Finn is like a brother to me now... my only other human friend. Finn the Human is actually your daughter's boyfriend"
"Oh so my daughter is with a human and a hero at that" She looked down at her daughter who was sleeping in the basket she was carry and smiled. "Good on you sweetie"
"Yeah they're very happy together but they went through a rough patch before i met them and i went with Finn to the Flame Kingdom as a way to create good relationship with my Kingdom and yours. Finn was made a Prince of my kingdom as well so He's human hero prince aha. But we flew in through her window accidentally and Finn got knocked out and i landed on her bed. She turned round and thought i was a pervert and attacked me. Till this day she still keeps calling me pervert instead of my name" Lumen looked up at the Flame Queen expecting some anger or some disapproval but she was in a fit of laughter.
"So... you... are... her... pervert" was all Flare could get out before laughing even more. Lumen began to get embarressed and blush.
"I guess so."
"Well I'm glad shes got a pervert like you around to look out for her and Finn, I can't wait to meet him"
"Well if all goes well you will but I have to warn you Flare you will still be 'dead' to her from now until she's 18... are you sure that's okay?"
"Ivel what more can i ask for, I'd have died sometime soon and now i get the chance to be by her side"
"Yeah that's true... you may even get to meet your grand children"
"Grand children!". Lumen started to explain about the encounter with Hope just before he passed out and mentioned that he saw two children that were part fire elemental and resembled Phoebe. Flare's flames rose so much Lumen was sort of worried about it. She was so over the moon that she had so much waiting for her and Lumen was enjoying her joy that neither noticed the being that was following them.
"I investigated the flambit's last known location and i saw evidence of a fight. It appeared like your mother, you and her friend were not present when it happened but someone had torn the flambit apart rendering it to nothing. I got increasingly worried about your mother and you so sent out an elite force to find you two but we still heard nothing even after dark had fallen"
"IVEL RUN, GRAB HER AND RUN" Flare screamed at the top of her lungs as she hurled another fire ball towards the assailant. Lumen picked up Phoebe shielding her from another blade that was thrown. He yelled for Flare to follow and he fired out a light to blind the person chasing them before the two headed deeper into the fire caverns.
"We need to keep moving Flare! He's getting closer"
"I'm sorry Ivel, this is all my fault"
"No no it's not now snap out of it, it's clear that he's aiming for Phoebe and now we know what it is that ends up killing you"
"Wait... you think this is it?"
"Well i guess so but I'm here now and I'm not going to let you die, now trust me lets go" Lumen passed Phoebe to her mother and drew his blades. He turned back round the corner to face the opponent. It was a flame elemental like any other, with no traits that made him stand out except that his eyes were black. He ran at the Prince with no hesitation but also with no real technique, he was just foolishly swinging his blade at the prince which made it easy to dodge and counter. Lumen felt pretty confident he had it in the bag until the elemental had created an explosion from his matrix sending the Prince flying into a wall re-injuring his head. Lumen picked himself up and followed after the elemental, they were both limping so the elemental didn't get too far ahead but Lumen couldn't catch up either. They followed after Flare and Phoebe until they were all in a clearing outside of the caverns. Lumen slipped by the entrance and lost sight of the others. "Please let them be safe" was all he could think.
Flare tried her hardest to run while holding onto to Phoebe but she was getting tired. It was now starting to get light again and she reached the woods. Phoebe had long fallen asleep in her arms and the two had covered quite a distance. Flare stopped to see if they were still being pursued but it was a mistake as the attacker was still right behind her. He had recovered from his fight with Lumen and threw a blade straight at Flare she managed to dodge and move out the way. She put Phoebe down and made a fire sword. The two began to clash blades sending sparks flying as metal met fire. Flare was skilled in swordsmanship but the rash and powerful swings of her attacker were forcing her into submission. He was about to stab her through the chest when Lumen's white blade blocked it. Flare fell to the ground exhausted as Lumen began to overpower his opponent and when all seemed like they had won the attacker decided to make his move. By letting Lumen's blade pierce him he got a clear shot at Phoebe and threw his blade straight at the girl instantly piercing her.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! PHOEBE!" screamed Flare as she crawled over to her daughter with tears in her eyes. Lumen saw what had happened and he put all of his power into his blade exploding the elemental he had pierced into nothingness. He rushed over to Flare as she was holding on tightly to Phoebe.
"Flare move I can save her" Flare looked up at him with a look he'd never seen before; pure hollow desperation. She laid Phoebe down on the ground and swept her hair out of her eyes as the light began to fade.
"What are you.. going to do to save her?"
"I bonded with the Lich and can raise the dead by pushing my own life force into their bodies. Last time i did it however i kinda died because of it"
"You died? Then how can you still be here!?"
"A certain vampire i know knows CPR which brought me back, don't worry what that is... but yeah i might die again this time so if i do take me to the Candy Kingdom and ask Princess Bubblegum to do what i said... okay?"
"Wait... your going to die to bring her back?"
"Well shes not dead yet so it should be okay this time" Lumen put his hands over Phoebes heart and the familiar white flame appeared in his hands as well as the black lightning.
"Wait" Flare pulled Lumen away from her.
"What? If i don't do this now she will die?"
"Let me... The royal family of the fire kingdom have a spell so bring up the life force of other fire elementals I may be able to bring her back enough for you to save her without dying... i can't let you die after you did so much to save me"
"Okay..."
Flare put her hands down on Phoebe's chest and it appeared as if their bodies had fused when her flames began to glow golden.
(Healing Incantation (Tangled Cover) Adrisaurus - watch?v=-o2yW5Zhy5w)
"Flower, Gleam and Glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt, change the fates design
Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine
What once was mine..."
(A/N: Firenze means Flower)
The bright golden flames that engulfed the two died down and then Flare collapsed next to her daughter. Lumen looked at the two and noticed that although Phoebe's flames had grown stronger Flare's had dimmed. "Marceline I'm really sorry but I'm about to break another promise". He held a palm over each of the female elementals hearts and let his white flame bond with their hearts. He fought against the black lightning as it ripped into his body. Cuts began to form where it lashed against his skin. Fighting against the blood loss and the pain Lumen kept sharing his life force between the girls until he felt they had stabilized. He fell down beside them and lost consciousness.
Unbeknownst to the 3 passed out individuals a number of events took place. From the scorned ground where the deceased would be assassin's ashes lay rose a dark shadow. It crossed the ground until it reached the little girl and the Shadow being and split between them. The shadow invaded the little girls matrix making it unstable but it was stopped from destroying it by a golden and white flame that sealed it in the matrix. The other shadow that spread to the boy was absorbed by his body and in a moment all of his wounds let out a black aura before healing up. The three lay there until passing birds woke them up.
"I turned up into the clearing after joining the search to see a boy with black and white hair hold his hand to my wife and I watched as a black flame engulfed her and she vanished. I charged at him with my sword hoping to take my revenge but he had vanished by the time i reached him. I never saw him again... All i knew is that he took my wife from me and after that day you had an un-stabilized elemental matrix and for some reason remembered nothing of that time."
Lumen, Firenze and Leaden
"Well done Lumen! Well done!" yelled Leaden as he held onto both Lumen and Flare.
"Leaden Dusk how good it is to see you!" Flare embraced her old friend pulling him into a hug.
"My dear it is so much nicer to see you than you'd believe"
"I suppose it would be given that I've been dead for many many years"
"Yes my dear but now, now you will live to see another day" the old shade wiped a tear from his eyes as he held the Flame Queens hands in his.
"I get what you mean now Leaden... that i can make a difference"
"Yes i knew you'd be able to do it... but dear me never do that again! I thought you'd promised Marceline to be careful!"
"Wait... Leaden what did he do?"
"He used the white flame to bring you and Phoebe back simultaneously. Your healing spell would usually have no effect on you but in the condition you were in you almost died and this fool kept two people from dying that day" Flare looked at Lumen before pulling him in for a hug and whispering in his ear.
"Thank you". Lumen just smiled back at her then turned to face Leaden.
"What now?"
"Now we hit two birds with one stone" The trio looked up at the door labelled 'Bonnibel and Finn'.
"Flare you stay here with Leaden I've got this... this time i think i'm ready for it". Leaden and Flare watched on as Lumen entered the fourth and final door on his mission.
"What was the true purpose of Lumen doing these tasks?" Flare asked Leaden coldly.
"I knew nothing would get by you my Queen... he isn't just trying to alter the darkness... he is gathering it. Inside his body rages the essence of the cursed crown, the unstable flame, the undead king and soon there shall be more. He needs more power but he is not one who would go and take it without reason so believing that he can help his friends is the only way."
"This is why I never trusted the shade kingdom, you shine so bright but you also are part of the most detestable darkness"
"If that darkness saves the universe i can live with that"
"Then lets hope it does."
Flame King, Phoebe and Light
The trio sat in silence after listening to the Flame King's story.
"So... Lumen covered her in black flames and she was gone..." Phoebe sat in tears as somehow her memories began to come back, due to her flames she hadn't noticed her necklace glow halfway through the story and due to her grief hadn't paid attention to the memories that were flooding back.
"Yes i don't know for what purpose and i don't know what they mean but that's what i saw and i swore on that day if i ever saw him again i'd get my answers and then kill him" the Flame King was clearly angry but upset. Light sat there thinking about it when he suddenly had an idea. He pulled out his phone and made a call. The two flame monarchs stared at him in confusion and then waited with him for some unknown thing.
"You called?" a voice rang out before Marcy and Faith stepped out of a portal and into the room. Flame King's eyes opened wide in shock looking not at the girls but at the portal itself.
"THAT'S IT! THAT'S LIKE THAT BOYS MAGIC" he yelled at them. Marcy and Faith looked at Phoebe in confusion hoping for an explanation as to why her Dad was yelling at them.
"Sorry you two, he's just finished telling us about how he saw Lumen in the past too"
"Wait what? FK you saw him too? When? Where?"
"I saw him the day he covered my wife in black flames with a magic just like that where she and he disappeared" Suddenly it was like a light bulb had lit up in Faiths mind as she began to write up an incantation that covered the air. Suddenly a portal of black flames formed and then settled into a portal just like the one she had opened previously.
"That's it? that's the same thing... what is it?" Faith and Marcy began to smile as did Light.
"What? what is it? tell me tell me?" Phoebe asked frantically. Faith held her hand up to the others indicating that she wanted to speak.
"You probably don't know this but Lumen is in the past creating darkness in our lives but at the same time creating new light to give us strength... Since Phoenix's Dad is also dead i'd have to say your mum would have died on that day regardless... but if i'm right... Lumen opened a portal and sent your mum somewhere. If i'm right he'll be bringing her back to our time which means that your Mother is alive. Lumen didn't kill her... i think he actually saved her Phoebe." Phoebe and Flame King's faces lit up in joy as they finally understood why the others were smiling Flame King sat back down in his chair crying tears of joy and laughing out loud as Phoebe held onto Marcy and Faith extremely glad that they brought them this news. Light smiled at them all before leaving the room. He walked to the corner of the Fire Kingdom where the other children were waiting for him. Hope, Belle, Lily and Cloud all stood in the clearing in silence.
"Is it true?" Cloud asked Light expectantly.
"Yes... he's actually doing it... he's re-writing history as we speak... some how Hope's Dad is travelling in the past going from time to time changing things. He's the reason Faith is alive but unlike with our timeline he's save my Grand Mother, done something to Simon's Crown and if what Belle said is true he's going to appear in Princess Bubblegum and my Dad's past too."
"What do you think he did to my Dad's crown?" Cloud asked the Flame Human.
"I don't know to be honest... this is new to all of us even you who was told about all of this past"
"Well I've only got a few weeks left Light..."
"Wait what do you mean Cloud? Whats going to happen?" Hope quizzed.
"The adults couldn't come back because they existed in this timeline already... in a few weeks I'll be born and when that happens... if Belle's estimations are correct I'm going to be thrown back to my own timeline"
"Cloudy... you can't go..." Lily began to sob and hugged onto Cloud.
"Lily I'll be alright it's just me going back to the future with the others I'll be able to let them know whats happened and if Lumen's done enough I'm heading into a future where everything is better so please guys you have to be strong"
"We will be" Light said confidently. The children held their hands together before departing. Lily headed into the Fire Kingdom with Light. Hope picked up Belle and began to fly back to the Candy Kingdom and Cloud took of heading back to the Ice Kingdom.
Bonnie, Bubba, Marshall and Fionna
"Has she headed off now?" Bonnie asked Bubba not knowing whether or not her daughter had decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Yes, Hope came along and said they were going to play and she'll be back later"
"So BonBon come on spill the beans what do you mean he made you look for the cure in the first place?" Marshall had lost his cheerful jokey attitude and was now being deadly serious.
"Yeah Bonnie we need to know what you meant? Everyone keeps saying different things like Faith about Lumen helping her and now we hear he was there when Phoebe's dad died so whats going on?" Hope had filled the group in on the on goings between Marceline and Faith so they knew about the situation.
"Well it was just after Marceline told me about her losing everyone... Her Dad, her Mum, Simon, Hambo and even the few survivors of the Mushroom War that she'd found... I thought about a way to never let that happen to me and that's when i met him. Well that's when we met him so to say..."
"Wait so Marcy met him that time too? but she didn't know they were the same person?"
"No he had wiped her memories of him and i guess he did again to both of us but we met in the corners of one of the old bunkers from the Mushroom War. At that time i hadn't finished creating the Candy People so it was mainly just me and Marceline so having someone else there was a nice change. He lightened the mood so to say. It was thanks to him that i decided on where to build the Candy Kingdom as he led us to this area. When were were all together it was great we were like an unstoppable force but something he said then kept getting to me..."
"What did he say?"
"I can be with her always but you will break her heart Bonnie... At the time i didn't know what he meant but after a week together i worked it out... Lumen is immortal like Marceline."
"WHAT!" the group yelled out simultaneously.
"Since when is the Light Bulb Immortal!" Marshall couldn't hide the shock in his voice.
"I think it has something to do with his powers and even him being here... he came here after dying being brought back to life with powers no one understood and being bound in a world he didn't know. Then he got the Lich's powers and who knows what else he's picked up in his time jumping... but yeah I'm willing to bet my throne that Lumen is immortal now..."
"Damn that's some crazy bizz" was all Fionna could manage to say.
"Yeah i know... In the time we lived together Lumen kept dropping hints that there were ways to gain immortality and it was around that time I discovered the way to create the candy people... I thought to myself this is it... If i follow this path of science and creation i could find my answers... but because of his words i had found my path but also developed a fear of living with Marcy... I secluded myself from her and started to avoid her... in fears of leaving her. I think Lumen made it so she never remembers that time as... truth be told... you should remember too Bubba..."
"We almost died..."
"What? Bubba i don't remember that!?" Marshall exclaimed.
"I don't mean we as in me and you I mean me and Bonnie"
"Yes around that time we first met the Lich and he almost killed us both... I managed to crawl away and find a safe place and using the Candy Formula but it took me 5 years to heal"
"5? I took 10?"
"I thought that might be the case I think Lumen healed me as when i woke up 5 years later I was underneath what would be the Candy Kingdom and all of my stuff had been moved with me. I decided to delay the foundation of the Kingdom by 5 years but i spent them 5 years researching the Immortality Elixir"
"That's it! That's why you were able to finish it before me! You had 5 more years thanks to Lumen?!"
"Yes i think so too I think he did have a hand in that part but that's what he's been doing. The past would have happened almost the exact same but due to his interactions he's making it slightly better for Ooo so we can fight the darkness... but i guess he can't do everything..."
"Your thinking of Phoenix aren't you Bonnie?" Fionna was the first to notice her face drop and the first to try to comfort her.
"Yes... he.. he died protecting me... I don't know what death meant but i see no way i can bring him back... I think the only way would be with Lumen's help but i don't see how he can create a body from nothing and if he tried I'm afraid that he'd die like when he revived you" Bonnie sighed... for the first time since she'd woken up she was facing the thing that had held her in shock and torment for 7 and a half months.
"I guess the only thing we can do is wait for Lumen to come back..."
"I just hope he's not too late".