Chapter 3:

Fionna went to the treehouse to prepare for her adventure. Packing some supplies and clothes, writing a note for Cake, and shoving random food stuffs into her bag for the journey. As a person who was super in tune with her gut parts, she felt something deep and powerful about this dungeon. Dare she say it felt like the call of destiny?

For a while, now, Fionna had felt lost and bored in her life. Everything was a massive cycle of the same things, the same people… nothing ever changing or growing. She, herself, almost felt stuck in childhood. Her friends, always being much older than her, always treated her as a kid, and it became growingly infuriating when she clearly had reached adulthood only for her friends to continue to chastise her. Strange, even that Cake still treated her like a kid! Having several grown kittens in the matter of months, and now an official grandmother, you would think a cat would learn…

Maybe it wasn't her age. Maybe everyone treated her like that because she was human?

Fionna shook her head free of those thoughts. It was a downward spiral to let herself feel different from everyone else… even though she was.

Gumball had mumbled to her once, that humans couldn't be fully trusted because they 'didn't know any better' or something like that.

Humans had globbed up, and took a chunk of the planet with them on their way out. She recalled the way Gumball spited the stupidity and shortsightedness of humanity. Was this how everyone saw her?

The grudge everyone seemed to hold for humans in Aaa was covert, but definitely there.

A figure came to her mind; Marshall.

Marshall had been treated this way, too. As a vampire, and future ruler of the Nightosphere, it was only natural that everyone feared him just a little. Despite how charming and easy going he tried to seem. Everyone had always kept him at arms' length. As if he would snap at any moment…

Perhaps that was why he had left. Memories of their good times flooded Fionna with grief, and for once she felt deep kinship for the Vampire King.

She couldn't blame him for leaving. After all, wasn't this exactly what she was doing now? Blindly following some unknown path just to escape the sameness of her childhood?

Throwing her pack over her shoulders, Fionna left the treedome she had called home.

The Island on the Lake was well known, yet rarely visited. There was a rumor that all who came to the island never left. Sometimes children would wander onto it, and disappear to mysteriously reappear decades later untouched by time.

It was that tree. There was something strange about the tree which housed itself there. On closer observation, the island wasn't land at all and just a collection of its roots that reached to the Lake floor. And in that tangle of roots was an entrance. It was in plain sight, inviting, but no one dared to venture there.

Except for Fionna, of course! Inside those doors was the soft promise of a dude who would grant her her deepest desire. Belonging with someone else. She was going to kick those doors open, kill everything inside, and then sweep that hideous heart-throb off of his feet. Finally, romance she could understand.

It was simple enough getting to the island.

A man with a boat took her across. Although, he had cocked a curious brow at her request to visit the island. She paid him a coin, and he rowed towards it, almost disbelieveing that Fionna would actually disembark onto the shore. But to his surprise, she stepped foot on the cursed land, and the boat man looked almost regretful. He rowed his way back across, shaking his head as she ventured into the crevice within the roots.

The temptation to break the door open was great, and Fionna was terribly disappointed when she tried the doorknob and it weakly swung open. Oh well. Beyond the door, a long, turning stairwell made of roots and rocks leading from the tree all the way to the bottom of the lake floor.

It was a long way, and instantly dark. The walls of the corridor leaked with the pressure of the lake water permeating the roots of the old tree. In general, it was pretty gross feeling. Cold, wet, and fishy.

But it couldn't deter an adventurer like Fionna. She pressed onwards, immune to the clammy walls and floors, until she reached a silty, flat floor. The walls opened up here, and Fionna was forced into a room with no sense of direction.

"No worries!" She said, rummaging through her backpack, and pulled out her favorite sleepy time flashlight. It was shaped like an ice-cream. But as soon as she flicked it on, the light flew from the flashlight to scurry back to the surface of the lake.

"Who goes?" A growl immitted from the darkness.

"Fionna…?" She answered unsure. She flicked her flashlight two or three more times to try to illuminate the room.

"There is no light within these depths." The growl continued. "What do you seek? There is no treasure here."

"Um…" Fionna blushed. What did she seek? "I'm looking for the guy?"

The creature rumbled with laughter.

"You'll have to fight me first."

Yes. This was what she was hoping for. She drew the Banisher of Evil, listening for her opponent's first move. Then, something strange happened…

The sword resonated with the power of the forest witch. Through her fingers Fionna could feel all of the roots of the tree surrounding her. Making a map of the room, she suddenly got a detailed outlay of the dungeon she had just entered.

"Wicked…" She whispered. But that wasn't all. She could feel the floor of the cavern move with the weight of approaching footsteps…

"Are you still there, human?" The growl asked, and a hand swatted at her. It knocked her off of her feet, and she dropped the sword, losing her newly found power. Now she only had her ears, and she ran about wildly in the darkness, trying to recall how large the room was, and whether or not she was at risk of running headfirst into a wall. The blind whooshing of air behind her gave her a clue about her enemy.

"You can't see either, huh?" She said, making a keen observation.

"What do I need eyes for, when you smell so delicious?" The beast said. Fionna had no choice but to look for her sword. But where had it gone? Desperately, she began to run in sprints around the thrashing of the beast, hoping by chance to come across it. When all of a sudden, a clawed hand closed itself around her waist.

"You think you're so clever, huh?" It teased, pulling her off of the ground. She kicked and struggled in the grasp. "I'm going to eat you now…"

In her desperation, she bit the hand which held her, and to her surprise, it let her go with an exaggerated howl. That was too easy… thought Fionna, but regardless, she needed to change plans. Forget the sword, take the guy out with ol' kicknpunch. By luck she grazed by a fuzzy leg, and grasped tightly at hairs. She climbed up the beast's body in hopes of putting it into a chokehold by the neck. Terribly, she didn't know if she climbed from the front or the back, but no arms came to swat her away. When she felt the juncture of a thick neck, she wrapped her arms around it and squeezed with all of her might.

"Take… that!" She groaned. She waited for the beast to pass out or struggle for air, but instead the neck of the beast began to shrink between her arms. She tightened as it shrank, and she felt her feet touch the ground. Was the beast disappearing completely? But then, she was holding on to the seemingly familiar shape of a person. The beast had transformed.

"You got me. You can let go, now." Said a strangled groan. Shocked, she released whatever she was holding onto to, and she heard a deep gasp of breath.

"Wh-what?" She mumbled. Her arms tingling from squeezing so hard.

"You were looking for me?" Said a rumbled voice. It coughed. "Geez… I think you crushed my windpipe. You're strong."

"I'm looking for a dude?" She said unsure, suddenly warm and nervous. What was she doing? Had she even thought this through?

"Well, I'm the only one here…" He remarked. "Are you going to kill me now?"

"No… of course not…" She breathed. Was this a trick?

"Good. Your sword is over there." He said. But, of course she couldn't see where the creature pointed.

"I-I can't see…"

He scoffed. A hand reached out to pull her by the arm, and pulled her down to touch the metallic blade only a few steps from where she stood. Quickly, she gathered the sword and sheathed it in her skort.

"So, you can see." She observed.

"Duh. This is my home." He replied. There was a flash in the darkness, and Fionna realized that it was the flash of eyes. What was this monster?

"Can you see me?" She asked timidly.

"Yes." Was all that he offered in response.

"What is your name?"

"I can't tell you that until you tell me why you're here." He remarked defensively.

"I- I just came to keep you company…" She stuttered. Fionna grasped the hilt of her sword, and felt the dungeon come to life around her and the softness of footsteps circling her.

"Keep me company? Where did you get a ridiculous idea like that? I am a monster. Why do you think I was banished here?"

Because you're ugly? Thought Fionna, but decided not to answer.

"I told you why I was here, what is your name?" She said dodging the question. The footsteps were right in front of her now, and she could see the flash of eyes before her face. Was he observing her? Getting ready to eat her?

"My name is Bleep Blop." He said.

"Really?" Fionna snickered. In response she heard a chuckle not far from her face. She reached out without thinking, curious to understand the creature before her, and a hand grabbed her wrist.

"No, not really." He said, shaking her hand in his hold. "What were you planning on doing with this? Checking to see if I have gills on my neck? Wings on my back, or horns on my head?"

"Eh…" She couldn't exactly lie. It had crossed her mind. Her hand was lifted, and placed to something warm and soft. It was a neck. His neck. It felt so normal… so human. A gut feeling overwhelmed her, and she drew her hand back. It was like ants in her stomach. A tickling flurry of emotion. Why was she getting all nervous over a stranger in the dark?

"No gills." He said. "Now you can tell all of your friends that you saw the monster on the island. In fact, tell them you killed him. At least then I'd be left alone." She felt him walking away, deeper into the dungeon that now she could see was just a collection of small rooms.

"I'm not… I'm not leaving." She said, following him with the sword as guidance. She followed through a door, and felt relief to find the humidity there was less, and the floor was pleasantly carpeted. This wasn't a dungeon at all. This was a home.

"I never asked for company!" He barked, suddenly defensive. The growl of the creature she had fought earlier tainted his voice.

"I'm asking you for yours!" She blurted. Fionna clasped her hands over her mouth. It had never occurred to her that this was how she felt. But… then why had she come here? She had left her home, her friends… my god had she really been that lonely? Silver eyes watched her silently while the monster pondered about his uninvited guest.

"Yeah, okay. You can stay." He said, his voice softening significantly. She smiled. A small victory! She reached out, hoping to thank her unwilling host. Shake his hand or something, but of course she could see nothing. He laughed and took her hand, placing it on top of his head.

"No horns either." He said. "Surprised?"

Fionna laughed. She was just surprised he had a full head of hair!

"Are you sure you're a monster?" She asked. The head grew large beneath her hand and the hair grew coarse.

"Definitely." He growled. She laughed and ruffled the hair.

"What's your name?"

"Nemo." He said, shrinking back to normal. Fionna, curious and excited brought her other hand to explore his face. She traced over two eyeballs, which twitched at being poked at. A nose with two nose holes; she checked. And his mouth… He brushed her hands away before she could continue. "That's enough of that…" He said.

"That's cheating, Nemo means 'nobody.'" She said, pouting.

"Yes, it does." He replied. "And that's exactly what I am. Nobody."