Welcome back, everyone! I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long! This was my first fanfic and it now has over 200 followers and favorites. I am super proud of this story, and thank you all for your support and your reviews. Make sure to check out my other two fanfics, and be ready for a potential upcoming fanfic.

Enjoy the chapter!

I do not own 'Adventure Time'.

Chapter 29

The Search

Although the interior of the bar was rather grim and dark, cheery piano music played on the antique piano in the corner, as if trying to make up for the unwelcoming atmosphere. This was where the lowlifes of Ooo all came to get away from the world that would see them behind bars. Criminals of all shapes, sizes, and professions sat in the booths and on the stools. Some of them were planning robberies, some of them were making deals, and others were just drinking away their sorrows, looking back on all of the bad life choices they made. Things were calm in the bar. Pool was played, darts were thrown, and mugs were tossed back. No one tried to start any trouble on account of not wanting to wear out their welcome in the bar.

Then the entire bar began to shake. The bar scum tried to grab ahold of something as the quake threatened to knock the whole building down. As the quake increased in magnitude, some of the bar scum took shelter under tables while others drew their weapons. The temperature in the bar dropped several degrees. The bar patrons could see their breath and they watched as their drinks froze in their mugs.

Suddenly, a large, bearded man in a big, blue kimono burst through the door into the bar. Flapping his beard, he floated above the startled bar scum and glowered down at them with rage burning in his already crazed eyes. His hands and the gems in his crown glowed with power.

"Alright! Where is he?!" the Ice King demanded. "Where's my Gunter?!"

Beams of ice-cold energy shot out of the King's hands and in less than a few seconds, everybody in the bar, except for the frightened bartender, was frozen in a block of ice.

Finn and Jake suddenly burst through the door. "Ice King! Stop!" Finn shouted. "We need these guys to tell us where Gunter is!"

"Oh…right." Ice King let the power in his hands die down and he floated to the floor, hanging his head sadly. "I'm sorry, guys. I just miss my little Gunter so much, I just-" Ice King's voice broke. "...'Scuse me, fellas." Ice King walked over to the counter like nothing happened and sat down in front of the terrified, Goblin bartender. "Jack on the rocks, please. And, are those pretzels for everyone?"

"T-T-Take as m-many as you w-want!" the bartender stammered.

"Ah, thanks." Ice King grabbed a fist full of pretzels and tossed them into his maw. "This is a cool place. We should come here more often, guys."

Jake rolled his eyes and groaned. "Why did we bring him again?"

"He sort of invited himself, remember?" Finn had Nothung hanging over his jacket. He didn't go anywhere without it anymore, expecting trouble at every turn. "And besides, I thought he might have a way to track Gunter down."

"Well, how about we try to get what we came here for?" Jake walked up to the counter next to Ice King and sat down on the stool. "Hey, bud. You know about anybody kidnapping different people all over Ooo?"

"You mean the Missing Ones?" the bartender asked.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Finn walked to the counter next to Jake and Ice King, who was still munching down on his pretzels, completely ignoring his drink. "You know about that?"

"It's all anyone is talking about these days." the Goblin replied. "Everyone is afraid they'll be next."

"You know anyone who might be behind the kidnappings?" Finn asked. "Anyone of these fine, frozen fiends fit the profile?"

"Well, thing about that is," said the bartender. "Most crimes have a motive, right? Money, power, street-cred, that sort of thing. But these disappearances? Every fresh criminal will tell you that there's no obvious motive. Kidnapping random people doesn't gain you anything, and that's what crime is all about: the gain. Whatever lunatic is behind this, well, he's either doing it for fun or maybe he's doing it to make some kind of a point."

"I hate to say it, but he's right, Finn," Jake said. "Unless the Evolutionist is recruiting, I don't think anybody here will know anything."

"Say, haven't I seen you in here before?" the bartender asked Jake.

"Uh, no. You must have me confused with someone else." Jake replied a little too quickly. "Come on, Finn, let's get out of here."

Finn and Jake left the bar with Ice King trailing behind them, licking the pretzel bowl clean before tossing it aside. "Well, now what?" Finn asked.

"I'm out of ideas, man," Jake admitted. "The Evolutionist is a ghost, and everyone's too scared of being her next victim to even want to know anything. Maybe we should just go see the Princess, that normally works."

"Yeah, about that," Finn said. "Is it just me, or has the Princess been a little…distant…for a while now? She's in her lab most of the time and she refuses to see anyone. Not even us."

"Ah, it's always been like that, Finn," said Jake. "Bubblegum believes that every problem can be solved in her lab. Even before you showed up, locking herself up in her lab has always been a bit of a crisis tradition for her. You should have seen her during the Lich Massacre. She practically lived in her lab until Ice King became the Lich's warden. And even after that, she was still too scared of Ice King screwing up the job to leave her lab for another week."

"That can't be healthy," Finn commented. "But still, something about it is a bit unsettling. The Princess almost seems…scared."

"Everyone's scared, Finn," said Jake. "Who knows what the Evolutionist is gonna do next? Also…you know…the Princess might still be a little bummed out by…you and Marceline."

Finn bit his lip and looked away in a guilty manner. "Okay, fine. I'll drop it. But, I don't think PB and her science is gonna help us."

"Then what will help us?" Jake asked.

"If science won't help us," Finn turned to Ice King, "Maybe magic will."

"...Whazzat, now?" said Ice King, who was busy writing stuff down in a notebook he had pulled out of his beard. "Sorry, I was coming up with new material for the next chapter of my 'Fiona and Cake' fanfic."

"Oh, not another one," Jake complained. "Everybody is getting sick of those!"

"Hey, Fiona and Cake have their fans!" Ice King argued. "Don't be a hater."

"Guys, guys. If we could refocus on the subject at hand," said Finn. "Ice King, do you think you could perform some kind of tracking spell that could help us find one of the missing ones?"

Ice King put his notebook back in his beard. "A tracking spell, huh? I've tried those before when some of the Princesses I've tried to woo went into hiding to avoid me."

"Did it work?" Finn asked.

"Nah, the Princesses always made it clear that they weren't interested. Nothing a good kidnapping couldn't fix, though."

"Why do we hang out with this guy?" Jake asked.

"I meant the tracking spell. Did the tracking spell work?" Finn asked impatiently.

"Huh? Oh! No. No, it did not. Not ever." IK admitted. "Tracking and location spells are tricky. To find someone, you need to have a strong bond with them."

"My son was kidnapped by this Evolutionist psycho!" Jake shouted. "And the heck with anybody who says I don't have a strong bond with my boy!"

"Oh, yeah. The blood of the father should work perfectly in a tracking spell," said Ice King.

"Well then, what're you waiting for!" Jake thrust his hand in front of IK's face. "Take all the blood you need! Take some bones if you have to! Warning, my daughter, Charlie, already took a few of my bones, so you'll just have to make do with what's left."

Ice King moved Jake's hand out of his face. "Yeah, that's the other thing about tracking spells…I suck at them. We need to talk to another wizard who actually specializes in that kind of magic."

"A wizard who specializes in tracking and locating?" Finn asked. "We already know a wizard who can help us out."

"Life Giving Magus?" Ice King asked.

"Uh, no," said Finn.

"Abracadaniel?"

"He's one of the people who got kidnapped."

"The Ice Queen?"

"She's not real-I meant Huntress Wizard!"

"Oh, her?" IK asked. "I dunno. She hates getting involved, and she hates me even more."

"HW's cool with me, though," Finn said. "I'll just ask her for a favor and I'll owe her another favor. It's the standard solid-system."

Ice King grunted with worry. "How many favors do you owe the Huntress Wizard?"

"Since I helped her find the Spirit of the Forest? Only one."

"Okay, good," said Ice King. "Finn, you gotta be careful asking favors from Huntress Wizard."

"What do you mean?" Finn asked. "Huntress is a friend. I'm cool with owing her a favor or two."

"She's a wizard, man." Ice King said. "Owing a debt to a wizard is a serious thing. If the debt is large enough, the wizard you're in debt to can lay claim to your very soul. You'd be incapable of refusing anything the wizard asks of you to repay that debt. Blood, belongings, wealth, your own heart. The wizard could ask you to sacrifice your first-born son and you would have no choice but to do it."

"...Oh," Finn said. "Well, I don't think Huntress Wizard would do that."

"Look, man, I know what I'm talking about," IK said. "I'm always trying to get the Princesses to owe me debt. I go to their castle, sometimes in disguise, and try to convince them to let me fix a pipe or tend to their garden or execute somebody, anything really that could at least get me a dinner date. So far it hasn't worked at all, but I think I'm making progress with Breakfast Princess. I go over to her place and eat all the breakfast food that no one else will eat."

"If we have to sell Finn's soul to Huntress Wizard in order to find TV, then so be it!" Jake exclaimed. "No offense, Finn."

"It's cool." said Finn "Ice King, take us to Huntress Wizard."

"Okay." Ice King grabbed hold of Finn and Jake's arms. "Is Huntress Wizard the one you're dating?"

"No. I'm dating Marceline." Finn said.

"What, was Huntress Wizard not scary enough for ya?" IK asked.

"Thank you," Jake said.

"Can we just go now?" Finn complained. "And can we maybe not hack on my love life?"

"If it doesn't work out with Marceline, he's totally gonna go for Huntress Wizard or Flame Princess next," said Jake.

"Oh, totally. The guy's got a dangerous taste in ladies." Ice King replied before taking off into the sky.

Finn, Jake and IK landed in front of Huntress Wizard's home, a safe distance away from the bundle of trees and plant life that made up the residence. Huntress Wizard was nowhere to be seen. The whole place was still as stone, other than the stream that fell off the cliff in a gentle waterfall.

The stillness of the place did nothing to ease Finn's nerves. As carefully as he possibly could, step by step, Finn made his way to the barred entrance of the Huntress Wizard's home while Jake and IK hung back.

Finn raised his fist and knocked on the bars. As he did, Ice King and Jake took a few nervous steps back. The amount of fear and nervousness the three boys were feeling could have been compared to a group of dumb kids daring each other go up and touch the outside of a cougar's den.

Finn knocked on the bars again when he didn't get a response. He then peered through the bars in an attempt to see if Huntress was even home. The interior of the home was dark, too dark to actually see anything inside. Finn squinted his eyes as he stared into the darkness.

Ice King and Jake let out a frightened yelp. Finn turned around and saw that the both of them had gone rigid. Both of their faces displayed panic, due to the levitating, green arrow pointed at their necks.

Finn turned back towards the house and was met by Huntress Wizard standing right in front of him. She stood where the bars had once been and stared directly into Finn's eyes.

Huntress Wizard's mouth formed a slight grin. "We really need to stop meeting like this."

Finn gulped and blushed. Huntress didn't have an arrow aimed at him, but she really didn't need one. Her eyes glowed with a mesmerizing, almost hypnotic light. The Huntress Wizard's eyes were like spotlights with X-ray vision and motion detection, with a touch of paralysis thrown in the mix. They noticed every detail, never missed a beat, and managed to see everything in Finn: Every strength, every weakness, every fear. Finn felt as though her eyes could read his mind and see his very heart beat.

They were the eyes of a predator–an expert hunter.

The Huntress tilted her head in amusement. "Cat got your tongue?"

Finn cleared his throat in embarrassment. "I…I need a favor."

"Ah, another one, huh?" Huntress waved her hand and the arrows aimed at IK and Jake's throats dropped to the ground. "And here I was thinking you came here just because you missed me."

"That was part of the reason," said Jake.

Finn blushed again and backed away from the house. Huntress folded her hands behind her back and followed, an expectant, almost teasing smile on her face. The vine bars reappeared in the entrance to her home as she moved away from the house.

"You want me to help you find the missing people," said Huntress Wizard. "The ones who this 'Evolutionist' character has taken."

"How'd you know?" Finn asked.

"I consider myself a hermit, but I am not without knowledge of the outside world," said HW. "And if people are vanishing, then I make it my business to make sure that I don't vanish as well."

"The Evolutionist already has a wizard," said Finn. "She took Abracadaniel."

"And Gunter!" Ice King cried.

"And my son, TV!" Jake added. "I need you to take my blood and use it to find him!"

"You want a tracking spell," HW confirmed. "And you know that I'm the best in the biz."

"Can you do it?" Finn asked.

"Of course I can do it. I'm the Huntress Wizard. Best in the biz, fool." HW crossed her arms. "But as you know, Finn, I don't work for free."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. A favor for a favor," said Finn. "I'll owe ya two after you help us."

"Oh, no you won't," said Huntress Wizard. "This Evolutionist is obviously a force to be reckoned with, and you're asking me to assist you in crossing her. You want me to make a dangerous potential enemy by helping you? It's gonna cost you three favors."

Ice King tensed up and began fake coughing into his fist. "Cough, cough-too high-cough, cough-too high."

Completely ignoring IK, Huntress met Finn's gaze. "So, we gotta deal?"

Finn looked back between Ice King and Huntress Wizard a few times. "...Could you give me a second?" he asked Huntress.

"Knock yourself out."

"Thanks," Finn said before hurrying over to Ice King's side. He spoke to IK in a hushed whisper. "How many favors do I have to owe her before I need to start worrying?"

"With someone like Huntress? Just one." Ice King whispered back. "But universally speaking on the magic scale, owing a wizard in HW's weight class maybe five or more favors is when you should start to worry. When the debt gets big enough, you'll owe her your very soul. And, uh, bro to bro…owing a soul debt to a Forest Nymph who is skilled in an art form of magic that hasn't been practiced since the olden, savage ages of Ooo…may or may not lead to something horrifying."

Finn looked back at Huntress. She gave Finn a crocodile grin that made him almost see the crocodile's teeth.

Finn gulped and looked back at Ice King. "You know anyone else who could perform the tracking spell for us?"

"None of them would be willing to make a deal fairer than the one Huntress Wizard is making you," said Ice King.

Finn sighed before walking back to Huntress Wizard. "Alright, fine. It's a deal," said Finn.

Huntress extended her hand and Finn shook it. "Four favors you shall owe upon completion of our bargain," she said. "Now, let's begin."

"Will you finally take my blood now?" Jake asked. "I'm gettin' kinda tired of asking for this."

"You have five children, including your son, TV, right?" Huntress asked.

"Yeah," Jake asked.

"Each of them half Rainicorn, yes?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So I can't use your blood to find TV."

"WHAT?!" Jake shouted. "You mean to tell me you can't even help us?!"

"Let me finish, would ya?" said HW. "Tracking spells are more complicated than most people think. If you were a wizard, I would just have you perform the spell yourself and let your bond with your son find TV. But since you don't know magic, I would need to locate him using the blood of either him or a close relative, typically the mother, father, or sibling. And since there are already five of your offspring in current existence, that would just confuse the spell. And since his maternal heritage hails from another dimension, heavy in its own magic, that'll only confuse the spell even more. I'm sorry, but I have no way of tracking down your son."

"Then how do we find TV and the others?" Finn asked.

"Through Abracadaniel," HW answered. "He has a sister in Wizard City. Abracadebra, I think her name is. She's Abracadaniel's only sibling, so using her to perform the tracking spell should work perfectly."

"We find Abracadaniel, we find the others," said Finn. "We find the Evolutionist."

"Bingo," said HW. "Grab your things, boys, we're going to Wizard City."

"We can't let Finn and Jake into Wizard City," said Ice King. "Wizards only, you know that."

"Finn knows enough magic to be classified as a D-list magician and if anyone asks, we can just say that Jake is Finn's spirit guide or something," said HW. "But just to play it safe, Finn, you should wear something less iconic and noticeable."

"I still have the Presto outfit we used when we rescued the Princesses from Ice King." Jake offered.

"Alright! The return of Presto!" Ice King cheered. "Hmm…I wonder if Fiona should have her own wizard alter ego. I could call her…Pizazz… No, that's awful. I'll keep brainstorming though."

"Keep in mind, as soon as Hunter Wizard makes an appearance in your fanfiction, I'm shoving an arrow up your nose." Huntress Wizard warned. "Okay, let's get going."

Shoko appeared by Finn's side. "Okay, I've held my tongue long enough. We now owe this hot, athletic chick four favors. I don't care what Ice King says, that is not a bad thing."

"Here it is, fellas." Ice King announced. "Wizard City!"

Finn, in his Presto outfit, and Jake, perched on his shoulder in the shape and form of a crow stared up at the cliff face. There was nothing really special about it. Just a plain, rock wall then went up about fifty feet. On either side of them, the canyon walls went up just as high.

"I'm not impressed," said Crow-Jake.

"Wizards rule," said Huntress Wizard.

"Well, that's a bit vain, don't you th-"

The cliff face faded away like a mirage, revealing an entire city beyond a stone gate.

Finn adjusted his goggles. "Woah, cool! Hidden city! Is 'wizards rule' seriously the password?"

"A result of the man," said HW. "All the same, I'd appreciate it if you both kept the password to yourselves."

"Yeah, it's kind of illegal to share the password with outsiders," said Ice King. "Let's hurry into the city before someone starts looking our way in the wrong way."

The four of them entered the city through the stone gate. Wizard City had an almost medieval architectural design to it. Streets of paved stone winded through the city. Houses and buildings with shingle roofs and stone foundations were built and knitted together, lining the streets and creating a labyrinth of a city. Signs were everywhere, either advertising products or labeling stores.

And magic was in the air. Quite literally, mind you. Magicians of every shape, size, color, and talent were walking, flying, floating, or riding a magic carpet through the city. There were sparks flying, light flashing, multicolored clouds appearing and reappearing with a wizard walking out of it, and all kinds of other mind-blowing magic.

Finn and Jake looked around in both bewilderment and astonishment. "I think I'm getting vertigo," said Finn.

"Right?" said Jake. "So much magic in this place, you can almost taste it."

Huntress nodded sagely. "Magic." The way she said it made it sound like the word alone held power. "Scientists laugh at it. Mothers tell their children stories about it to put them to sleep. And everybody else thinks it's just something you pull out of thin air to make plants grow and animals talk. But magic is as ancient and powerful as life itself. You can feel it in the air: the raw power of magic gathered together in this city of wizards and warlocks. Even a non-believer would be able to feel the primal force that has existed in our world in both myth and reality for millennia."

"Look, I love it when they explain stuff just as much as the next reader," said Ice King. "But maybe we should just get this over with before we get pinned for bringing outsiders into the City. Even if Finn technically counts, he doesn't have the paperwork to be here."

"You need paperwork to enter Wizard City?" Finn asked.

"Oh, would a blood ritual make more sense?" HW asked. "Damn muggles, always thinking we wipe our asses with magic."

"Well, when you run out of toilet paper, you gotta use what's at your disposal." Ice King said.

"Please let's just go find Abracadaniel's sister," said Crow-Jake. "I do not want to hear about Ice King's bathroom tendencies."

"Amen," said Huntress. "Follow me, I know where she lives."

Huntress led the group through Wizard City. Finn gawked at everything he could set his eyes on. "I really need to get my paperwork in order," he said. "This is a place I wouldn't mind visiting from time to time. Ooo, a potion shop!"

"Mention my name, and you'll get a discount," said Ice King. "The owner is a member of the Order of Giuseppe." Ice King pulled out a ring and kissed it. "Thank you, Giuseppe. Hey, Huntress, you wanna join our Order?"

"No," Huntress said. "I don't join groups. I work alone."

"Yeah, you're notorious for that," Ice King turned to Finn and Jake. "She's turned down more membership offers than any other wizard you'll ever meet."

"Like I said, I work alone," said HW. "I value my solitude."

"Yeah, the cape, hood, and mask kinda support that claim," said Ice King. "Also the fact that you live alone far out in the woods in a hut made out of trees. You also have, like, no friends, unless Finn counts, and he's probably the closest thing to a boyfriend you've ever had."

"It is a miracle I haven't killed you yet," Huntress stated calmly. "One of these days, though, I'll have to make it look like an accident, as not to invoke the Vampire Queen's wrath."

"You're joking, right?" Ice King asked.

Huntress Wizard continued leading the group without answering. Soon after, the group came to a long housing complex: a long, connected row of identical houses. HW walked up to one of them with Finn, Crow-Jake, and Ice King behind her, and knocked on the door.

The woman who opened the door basically looked like a female version of Abracadaniel. Same hair color, same skin color, but her hair was set in a more feminine style and her body shape was also feminine, including her eyelashes and her blue dress.

"Abracadebra?" Huntress asked. "We need to talk to you."

"Huntress Wizard?" Abracadebra asked in surprise. "Oh, my. It's an honor. I'm a fan." She then noticed Ice King and frowned in irritation. "Oh…it's you."

Ice King chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, Debra. It's nice to see you again."

"You know each other?" HW asked.

"I didn't want to say anything, but yeah," said IK. "We used to date."

"No, we didn't," Abracadebra said. "Kidnapping is not the same as dating."

"Sure it is," said Ice King. "...Sort of."

"May we come in?" Finn asked. "It's about your brother, Abracadaniel."

Abracadebra gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. "Come in, come in."

She moved aside and let the four of them enter her home. The inside of the house was homely, with comfortable but not expensive-looking furniture. As soon as the door was closed, Abracadebra spun around and faced the four of them.

"Have you found him?" she asked.

"No, but I can find him," said Huntress Wizard. "With your help, of course, Abracadebra."

"Call me Debra," said Debra. "Take a seat at the table, everyone. I'll get everyone something to drink." Debra turned to Finn. "Can I take your cloak, mister…uh…"

"Campbell. Finn Campbell." Jake hopped off his shoulder and morphed back to his normal form as Finn took off his disguise, revealing his regular attire. "Nice to meet you."

Debra gasped again. "Finn and Jake the heroes?! It's an honor to meet you both as well." Debra walked over and yelled up the stairs. "Cadebra! Come downstairs and meet our guests!"

Everyone took a seat at the table and a moment later, a young girl came downstairs. She looked like Abracadebra and Abracadaniel, with her pink skin and long navy-blue hair that hung down to her ankles. She was dressed in a showman's black uniform, complete with a top hat, and she looked irritated to have been called down.

"Mom!" the girl complained. "I was practicing! Do I really have to meet your friends-" the girl saw Finn and her eyes lit up like lightbulbs as she gasped in shock. "Oh my Glob, you're Finn the Human!"

"Yeah, that's me," Finn said. He barely finished that sentence when the girl rushed him and wrapped her arms around his waist in a huge hug.

"It's so nice to meet you!" she nearly screamed. "I'm a huge fan!"

"So it seems," said Finn. "Nice to meet you too."

"And Jake the Dog," said Jake. "Don't forget Jake the Dog."

"Oh my Glob! Oh my Glob! Oh my Glob!" Cadebra let go of Finn and started jumping up and down like an out-of-control jackhammer. "You wanna see my magic performance? Will you please watch my magic performance? Please please please please please let me perform my magic for you!"

"Cadebra." Debra's mother said cautiously. "You should be practicing your actual magic. Don't bother Mr. Campbell with your stage magic."

"I don't mind," said Finn. "I'd love to see a magic performance."

"You heard him! He said it was okay!" Cadebra pulled a wand out of her jacket and got to work. The next half an hour consisted of card tricks, animals being pulled out of Cadebra's hat, flowers and coins appearing out of seemingly nowhere, and many other magic tricks that couldn't really be called true sorcery. Nevertheless, Cadebra performed with a showman's grace and style, obviously proud of her own talent. For a finale, Cedebra slid on her knees, hat in one hand and wand in the other, and her wand turned into a bouquet of tulips. She grinned at her audience in anticipation.

Finn, Jake, HW, and IK gave Cadebra a round of applause, which Cadebra seemed to soak in like an eager sponge. "Thank you. Thank you." she got back on her feet and put her hat back on with a twirl. "I'm here all week."

"Yes, yes, very nice, dear," said Abracadebra. "Now, come and sit with us. These four are going to help us find your uncle."

Cadebra gasped and ran up to take a seat at the table.

Debra passed around cups of tea for everyone before taking a seat as well. "What do you need me to do?"

"I just need some of your blood to perform a tracking spell," said Huntress Wizard. "The spell should lead me right to your brother." she summoned a knife out of thin air with a green flash of light. "Give me your hand."

Debra gulped. "Could you boys take Cadebra into the living room, please?"

"Sure thing, Miss Debra." Finn, Jake, IK, and Debra left the table and went into the living room area. They heard HW say 'bite down on this.' before they all sat down on the couch.

Cadebra swung her feet back and forth and looked at Finn. "You'll find my uncle, right?" she asked in genuine worry.

"Of course we will," said Finn. "I promise."

Cadebra smiled at Finn. "I gotta tell ya, I am a huge fan of your work."

"I taught him most of his stuff," said Jake.

"And I taught him the rest of his stuff," said Ice King.

"You left your home island on a quest to find yourself, right?" Cadebra asked. "And you became the greatest hero Ooo has ever known. That is so boss."

"Actually, leaving my island was kind of an accident," Finn confessed. "There was a gigantic robot, my crook of a dad, a water dragon–I think, it gets a little fuzzy at that point, and I met my girlfriend on the beaches of Ooo when she attacked me and pretended she was gonna drink my blood and kill me."

Cadebra blinked. "...Uh, okay, wow. Anyway, what I meant is: you defied the norm of your society and now you do your own thing here in Ooo. I think that's awesome! Especially since your thing consists of being a cool hero."

Finn took a breath. "To be honest with you, I sometimes feel like I did something horribly wrong, the day I chose Ooo over my island."

"You shouldn't, though," said Cadebra. "Take me for example. Everyone in my family is a wizard, I live in Wizard City, but I still prefer stage magic over real magic."

"Why is that, by the way?" Finn asked. "Don't get me wrong, I think you're really good at stage magic, but why not learn actual magic."

"Stage magic is just more fun to do," Cadebra explained. "Everyone keeps telling me to do actual magic, but I don't wanna do that. My mom and everybody else keep telling me to do this one thing that everyone else does, and they expect me to just do it, without question. But what if I want to do something else? Maybe there's something else I wanna do that'll make me feel more complete, you know? I'm going to start schooling soon, and they're all gonna expect me to do what they believe I should do, even though it's not what I actually want to do."

"I know exactly how that feels," Finn said somberly. "Can I ask you something?"

Cadebra nodded.

"How do you do it?" he asked. "How do you openly defy everybody, including your own mom, by performing stage magic, instead of actual magic like people keep telling you to do? Aren't you afraid of disappointing everyone? Of letting everyone down?"

"Well, I mean, I don't want to disappoint everyone," said Cadebra. "But what's the point of living if you can't live happily? I don't wanna follow the norm, I wanna follow my heart. I want to do what makes me feel complete inside. Everyone else will just have to understand that. And if they don't, well, I guess you gotta take the sour with the sweet sometimes."

Finn stared at Cadebra in bewilderment. "...You are a really smart kid."

"Yeah, I know," said Cadebra. "Nah, I'm not actually that self-centered."

"While we're all waiting," Ice King pulled out a pamphlet with an apple tree on the cover. "Could I interest you in joining the Order of Giuseppe? It's a fun experience for everyone. Thank you, Guisseppe."

"My mom says I'm not allowed to talk to you," said Cadebra.

"Man, new members are getting harder and harder to find," IK mumbled as he put the pamphlet back in his beard. "Finn, Jake, how about you two?"

"It's ready, guys!" Huntress called out before Finn or Jake could respond.

Cadebra was the first to hop off the couch and hurry into the kitchen. Finn, Jake, and Ice King entered the kitchen after the young girl and gawked at what they saw.

Huntress Wizard's eyes were glowing with emerald-green light as she waved her hands over the table and mumbled in a language no one else in the room could understand. Green, ethereal mist swirled around slowly over the surface of the table, forming a spiral. At the center of the spiral, a small saucer of blood sat. Debra sat across from HW, her left hand wrapped in a bandage as she stared in wonder at the magic ritual.

"Abracadaniel the Wizard. Abracadaniel the Wizard." Huntress whispered. Her voice carried an eerie echo after each word. "My quarry I seek by the blood of the sister. Abracadaniel the Wizard. Abracadaniel the Wizard."

"That doesn't rhyme," Jack whispered.

"Trade secret: We only rhyme spells to make them sound cool." Ice King whispered back.

Huntress Wizard ceased her mumbling and closed her eyes. She inhaled deeply through her nose and as she did, the green mist picked up speed. The mist flew up into the Huntress Wizard's nostrils as it spun around faster and faster. Once all of the mist was gone, inhaled by Huntress, she just sat there, stock still, holding her breath. After a few heartbeats had passed, she exhaled out of her mouth. The green mist, now a much weaker shade and color than it had been before she inhaled, billowed around Huntress Wizard's head until it was all gone.

Huntress Wizard opened her bright, green, cat-like eyes. "I have the scent," she said. "Let's hunt, lads."

Within the solitary confines of Bubblegum's Laboratory, sparks flew and light flashed. Pizza boxes and empty cans of energy drinks scattered the floors. The Princess herself, hunched over her contraption, used her tools to work her magic, despite having little faith in magic. The room was too dim to see what exactly the contraption was, but the Princess could be seen in her disheveled appearance. Her hair looked like a long mop soaked in pink mud, her lab coat was stained with pen marks and food stains, and the way she mumbled to herself and moved at a slow, almost robotic pace suggested a severe lack of sleep.

"The Kingdom will survive," she said to herself. "The Kingdom will survive."

The metal door slid open and Dr. Gross stepped through the hallway of metal and wire. She walked with her hands folded behind her back and a smile on her face. Her black cloak was gone, revealing her in her normal attire.

"Hello, everyone." Dr. Gross greeted. "How is everyone doing?"

"May Hunson Abadeer consume your soul, vile wench." Mr. Cupcake boldly stated within his cell. He and the other nine were trapped in cells that lined the left wall of the hallway. Instead of bars, there was a translucent, blue force field blocking the way in and out of each cell, which consisted of a bed, a toilet, a sink, and a shower accustomed to each captive species.

"Oh, I don't believe in a soul." Dr. Gross smiled into Mr. Cupcake's cell. "I believe in life, which can be given, and then taken so much more easily."

Mr. Cupcake narrowed his eyes at Dr. Gross but said nothing.

"Still defiant, after all this time," said Gross. She walked further down the hall.

"Lemme out, you evil robotic tranch! Lemme out!" Flambo shouted from inside his cell. "I'll pulverize ya! I'll scorch ya, ya hear?!"

"Should I get the squirt bottle?" Dr. Gross asked.

Flambo let out a frightened squeak before darting under his bed.

"It's good to see that the positive punishment method is working on you." Dr. Gross said before continuing down the hall, passing the Skeleton and the Berrypeson before stopping in front of the Marauder.

Connor the Marauder, a big, hulk of a man with blue skin and long, red hair, dressed in fur and armor, walked up and slammed his fists on the force field, snarling beneath his big beard. "I'll skin you alive, you evil bitch!" he roared.

Dr. Gross chuckled. "You'd make a fine Seeker," she said. "Maybe you still will."

Dr. Gross continued down the hall until she came to the penguin's cell. She looked down at the bird, who just stared back with a blank look in its eyes.

"So you're just a cute little animal?" she asked.

"Wenk." answered Gunter.

"Hmm," said Gross. "Samples of your blood suggest you are something else. Care to share?"

"Wenk."

Gross sighed. "You're lucky you're a cute, little penguin, or I'd have disposed of you already." the doctor walked down the hall, passing the Water Nymph and the Dog-Rainicorn hybrid she kept sedated, lying in his bed. The beach ball-shaped hybrid needed to be kept under sedation, otherwise, it would teleport out of its prison. The Water Nymph looked sad and scared, as it always did. Gross had begun to feel sorry for the elemental beauty.

Gross stopped in front of the one who called himself a wizard. The pink-skinned, skinny humanoid was sitting on his bed, looking forlorn. When he saw Dr. Gross staring into his cell, he leaped to his feet and placed his hands on the barrier.

"Please, no more tests! No more experiments!" Abracadaniel pleaded. "Let me go, I beg of you! I have a family, they're probably worried sick for me!"

"A family, huh?" Dr. Gross crossed her arms. "Tell me about them."

"I have a sister named Abracadebra, but I just call her Debra," said Abracadaniel.

"Abracadaniel and Abracadebra?" Dr. Gross asked. "Oh, I love that."

"She has a daughter. My niece, Cadebra." Abracadaniel continued.

Dr. Gross actually paused for a minute before asking another question. "Your niece. Does she look up to you?"

Abracadaniel looked down and sighed. "I think she does, yes. Although, I'm not entirely sure why she does. I'm the least impressive magician you'll ever meet. I guess maybe since her dad ran out on her, I'm the only father-figure she's ever had."

"I wonder if things would have been different if I was a man." Dr. Gross muttered to herself.

"I'm sorry?" Abracadaniel said in confusion.

"Back home, I have something like what you have," said Dr. Gross. "The leader of our island, I have loved like a sister for years. And her son, I look upon like my own nephew."

"You're talking about Finn, aren't you?" Abracadaniel asked.

Dr. Gross nodded.

"So…what are you going to do when he comes for us?"

"...Make him see things from my perspective," said Dr. Gross.

A small, square section of Dr. Gross's arm began to beep and blink with a blue light. She held up her arm and tapped the square, summoning a blue holoscreen in front of her face. Abracadaniel couldn't read the backward print from behind his force field, but whatever it was made Dr. Gross smile.

"What? What is it?" asked Abracadaniel.

"Oh, nothing." Dr. Gross lowered her arm and the holoscreen vanished. "I ordered a package and I just got a notification that it's almost here."

Abracadaniel gulped. "I don't like the sound of that."

Dr. Gross chuckled. "You're not gonna like when you see it, either."

I hope my return to this fanfic was well begun. Please review your thoughts and thank you for reading.

Until the next chapter!