Truth and Lies

Finn had the house all to himself that night, as Jake was apparently out on a date with Lady Rainicorn, followed by staying over at her place. This gave the human time to enjoy the silent splendor that his humble tree had provided for so many years. However, it did not turn out as wonderful as he'd hoped.

After such a great length of time, Finn's pelt-stacked bed felt awkward and fluffy, since he was used to sleeping on the hard forest ground. Instead, he simply sprawled himself out on the floor in his room, thinking it would offer a more comfortable surface on which to rest up.

Fortunately, when he awoke the next morning, his body felt recharged and ready for another task, which today, instead of picking up a hammer and nails, was to return to PB and find out what was wrong with the thought-to-be-prosperous Fire Kingdom. While getting up and climbing down the ladder to the front door, brief flashes of memory hit Finn on all sides.

An angered fire elemental about to burn the house to the ground.

Playing a card game with that same person.

A giant fire wolf breaking in through the wall.

Finn shook his head, not wishing to replay such thoughts. He reached the ground floor, walking past the mountains of gold and treasure that he and Jake had collected on their adventures. Before opening the door to leave, a glimmer caught his eye. Looking over to the nearest pile of golden coins, the hero noticed a silver shine among them, caused by reflecting sunlight.

Curious, he went over and kneeled down, reaching out a hand to grab the item. Once he had brought it to his face and opened his fingers, the young man found himself struck with overwhelming grief.

It was a small locket, shaped like a heart. He knew exactly what was inside, but refused to look. Standing back up, Finn prepared to fling the object into the chaotic wash of treasures. However, something was stopping him. His hand trembled, his eyes stared straight ahead, and there was an ever so small ache in his chest.

After letting out a frustrated growl, he lowered his throw, hanging his head and sighing. Taking another look at the locket, he grew a solemn expression and closed his eyes, squeezing just tight enough to let out the single salty drop that had been forming there. It landed on the silver item with a quiet ping, running down its curved face and leaving a faint trail of water.

Finn raised the object and placed its chain around his neck, allowing it to set on his chest. After giving it one last feel, he tucked the mnemonic item under his shirt, then proceeded to exit the premise.

Just like the previous day, Finn was welcomed into the Candy Kingdom by a great many greetings and joyful citizens. Since it was morning, the number of candy people was greatly increased, making it quite difficult for the hero to navigate the streets and reach the castle. Eventually, he managed to escape into an alley, where he climbed up to the nearest roof and house-hopped all the way to Bubblegum's home.

Coming in through one of the upper floor's windows, Finn took a moment to orient himself to which part of the castle he was in. Fortunately, that wasn't necessary, as Peppermint Butler came around the corner a moment later.

"Ah, master Finn, I had a feeling you'd give an interesting entrance."

The candy servant gestured down the hall.

"Please, if you would follow me to the princess."

The two walked in total silence towards PB's lab, where she was likely performing another strange and possibly dangerous experiment. Pep But at last brought them upon the correct room, opening the door and motioning for the human to walk in. The striped man apparently had other matters to attend to, as he gently closed the door behind him.

Finn briefly glanced at the various items the princess had lying around, most of which was unidentifiable science junk that he had no interest in. When he made it to the back of the room, he saw Peebles frantically typing at a computer, looking exhausted.

"Um...Peebles?"

The candy monarch nearly jumped out of her chair, but let out a breath and swiveled around to face the human.

"Gob, don't scare me like that, Finn."

The hero shrugged.

"Had to get your attention somehow."

PB sighed, realizing that was true. She stood up and readjusted the glasses she was wearing.

"Right. So, would you care to know the full situation in the Fire Kingdom?"

Finn nodded.

"Ok. I'll tell you now, I don't have every detail, just the main point."

The young man raised an eyebrow.

"How do you know about it at all? Have you been spying?"

Peebles scoffed.

"No, of course not, I have better things to do. Besides, I have to admit, Flame Princess has done an admirable job running the land better than her father."

She noticed the slight change in Finn's eyes at the mention of her name. For now, she ignored it.

"Anyway, the reason I, and everyone else who listens for the news, knows, is because the Fire Kingdom is advertising it."

Finn was stunned.

"What! What is this event?"

PB folded her arms and gazed at the floor momentarily, then back up to the human.

"Word has spread of an assassin present somewhere among the citizens, and Flame Princess is convinced that she needs some additional protection. Of the personal kind, that is."

Finn casually looked around the room.

"Cinnamon Bun not good enough?"

Bubblegum sighed.

"Finn."

The hero looked back at her, waiting for the continuation. She frowned, but resumed.

"She's giving a speech today about the specifics of the job. If you still want to help, you'll go there and find out what is going on."

Finn had a somewhat suspicious look.

"I thought you said this was for the kingdom."

PB place a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Finn, a ruler is the kingdom, as arrogant as it sounds, it's the truth. If a monarch falls, chaos, destruction, and pain will quickly follow, especially if the leader was well liked by her people."

She stared straight into Finn's eyes.

"Will you accept the task?"

He contemplate for a moment, thinking of the consequences to himself and others. Naturally, those to himself were meaningless to someone like him, as he could care less of the damage to his own being. The people took priority. Eventually, he looked back into PB's eyes with his, which she saw were filled with renewed determination.

"I will."

Peebles could've cheered, but chose to do so on the inside. She broke off the conversation, heading over to one of the tables and digging through the stacks of scientific materials until she let out a satisfied sound and held up the object she was looking for. Walking back over, she presented it to her hero.

It didn't look like anything special, just a hexagonal amulet with a red gem in the center. There were however, strange symbols carved into the edges, which Finn swore he recognized from somewhere. Regardless, he bowed his head, allowing the princess to place it over his neck and hang down on his torso.

"This amulet is infused with the flame shield spell. A little something I was able to put together. Now you won't have to search out Flambo to get into the Fire Kingdom."

Finn nodded, appreciating the convenience.

"Thank you. I should get going."

He turned to leave. Before walking out the door however, Bubblegum called back to him.

"Send a greeting to Flame Princess for me, ok?"

Finn remained unmoving by the door for a moment, making the pink lady wonder if he'd heard.

"Of course," he finally responded.

Peebles smiled and turned to return to her work, while Finn closed the door behind him. As he strolled down and out of the castle, the human thought of the lie he'd just used. It was true that he didn't want to disappoint the candy monarch, but he also didn't inform her of how he was planning to handle this assignment.

FP would never know he was there. He would remain anonymous.

Walking through the Fire Kingdom, Finn was surprised by the sheer amount of people gathering for their highness's announcement. As he allowed himself to flow with the crowd, the fire palace came into view, glorious as ever. The human gazed at it for only a moment before returning to the ground level, attempting to make his way forward.

It took a significant amount of time, but the hero was at last able to find a stable spot in which to stand, as the horde of fire elementals surrounded him. Looking closer however, Finn noticed that there were several non elementals as well. Curious, he passed the time by counting and identifying their species and possible occupation.

He himself was still wearing his cloak, with its hood brought up over his head, both to hide his face and his bear hat, which were dead giveaways. The nearby fire citizens paid no mind to the outsiders, meaning this was likely an event welcome to all. Finn was utterly confused, but also becoming intrigued. Before further thought could be given, a flurry of horns attracted the crowd's attention and quieted them all down.

Finn watched carefully as a figure walked up to the edge of the palace's balcony. The fiery announcer cleared his throat.

"Presenting, our fair and beloved ruler!"

Cheers rang out from all over, as the fellow stepped aside, allowing for the entrance of the kingdom's most important individual. Finn briefly thought of looking away, but knew it was important to listen. Taking a calming breath, he looked back up and laid his eyes upon Flame Princess for the first time in three years.

Even one with as much willpower and discipline as Finn couldn't hold back the extra heartbeats experienced when he witnessed the beautiful fire elemental walk up to the balcony. Her appearance so nearly captured the hero's full attention, that he just barely noticed the blue tinted Cinnamon Bun beside her.

For the most part, nothing about her had changed, to a commoner at least, but to Finn, she just kept growing more striking every time he saw her. The flaming girl smiled and waved, setting off another wave of cheering from the joyful elementals below. Once the crowd had calmed, Flame Princess cleared her throat.

"Citizens of this great land and our esteemed visitors, I come before you bearing heavy news."

There were nervous murmurs in the crowd. FP continued.

"There has been word that an assassin walks among us on these volcanic lands, a statement that greatly increases the need for additional protection to my person."

She gestured to CB.

"This course of action was suggested upon by my loyal and strong knight, Cinnamon Bun."

As another round of whoops were given for the candy person, Finn frowned.

So, it was his idea.

Once silence took hold again, the princess continued.

"We shall be holding a tournament in one week's time. Within this event, it will be decided who is strong and worthy enough to stand by my side."

She motioned to the empty space at her left. More talk erupted from the crowd, this time full of excitement and discussion. Finn kept looking up at the balcony, where FP was having a talk with Cinnamon Bun. The two exchanged a few opinions or such then turned back to the audience. She held up a pair of fingers.

"There are but two requirements for entry."

Finn focused, knowing this was the most important part.

"You must be truthful. The victor must be someone I can trust, meaning any and all secrets are disallowed. This is for those of you from outside the kingdom, who may not know our rules."

The concealed human down below frowned, wondering if he could even pull off such a thing while remaining hidden. In the meantime, Flame Princess went on.

"Secondly, you must be able to withstand the temperatures of the kingdom for excessive lengths of time. A flame shield is acceptable, so long as you have one that can last indefinitely."

The second was a no brainer. Finn was currently wearing a permanent flame shield. However, there was still the issue with his identity. He pondered the problem for a minute, before deciding he had heard what he needed to and turned to leave. As he exited the massive crowd, some internal struggle forced him to take one last look at the ruler of the Fire Kingdom. Unfortunately for him, she was looking directly at him.

Moments earlier, FP noticed a single cloaked being beginning to leave the area. She was confused. Her speech wasn't over, anyone could have guessed that. However, curiosity took over, still present somewhere in her mind. She squinted, trying to make out who the person was underneath their cover. She didn't particularly like people hiding behind shrouds anyway.

As the being escaped from the crowd, he swung around, as if to take a final look at her. He seemed momentarily stunned that she was looking back. Flame Princess gasped lightly. The person then quickly took off, out of sight within seconds. Cinnamon Bun noticed and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

FP stared at the empty space for a moment then nodded briskly and backed up.

"I'm fine. I just thought I saw...someone."

Finn quickly made his way back towards the Candy Kingdom. It was near sunset by now, casting a gorgeous array of oranges, purples, and reds across the evening sky. The human found himself caught in the sight, partially mesmerized by the vision. The reason being that he now had a freshly burned image of a certain young woman in his mind, which reflected easily into the colorful heavens.

The hero grinded his teeth, becoming frustrated by his lack of control.

"Darn it, Finn. Get a grip!"

He had made it past the grasslands, now charging through the cotton candy forest that had become his home. However, he wasn't in a homely mood. After forming his grass sword, Finn proceeded to slice any plant that was in his path. The action helped to relieve his internally twisted emotions, replacing them with the rush of slashing countless trunks to pieces with his powerful cursed weapon.

Eventually, he broke through the forest, running towards the front gate of the kingdom. The twin guards, ever vigilant, barely had a chance to say hello as the hero rushed past them with enough speed to kick up a light breeze. This was the same while in the streets. Those citizens who were still awake and strolling the nighttime city were concerned as they watched the unusual behavior of their champion protector.

Just as Finn was about to meet the clearing for the castle, he tripped, sailing several feet in the air before painfully grinding his face into the candy ground. The sugar dug into his scrape, allowing for a painful burning sensation. Groaning, he got to his feet and attempted to keep moving towards his destination. He was stopped, by a rapier being pointed directly at his throat.

"Something is very wrong here, Finn."

The human was shocked.

"Rattleballs? Wh-what do you want?"

The robot lowered his sword and studied the young man.

"You run like a man in fright. What could scare you to such lengths?"

Finn narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not scared," he replied flatly.

Rattleballs slowly shook his head.

"if you are to be honorable, that includes honesty."

The human wouldn't budge.

"I'm not scared."

The gumball robot raised his sword again, swiping it towards Finn, who barely had time to jump back and avoid it.

"What's your problem?" he angrily shouted.

The elusive robot pointed his weapon at the hero.

"If you wish to get to the castle, then spar with me. Only then will I allow you to pass."

Finn growled, then extended his grass sword.

"Fine, just make it quick."

He charged, sending a swipe at Ree-B-Z, who effortlessly sidestepped and swung his own blade. Finn managed to block and shoved the bot back. He took another swing, parrying the one his opponent just initiated. Using the momentary time, the human sweep kicked Rattleballs, attempting to bring him to the ground.

Unfortunately, the mechanical being was two steps ahead of him, jumping and flipping over the hero and landing a good ten feet away behind him. When Finn faced the knighted automaton, the distance gave him an idea. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the patiently waiting Rattleballs, who stood in a defensive stance, awaiting the human's next attack. Finn took several deep breaths, then swiftly dashed at the robot, raising his sword to unleash the ultimate technique.

Gaining speed, the human tensed up, preparing the strike that was sure to remove his opposition. Then, at the last moment, his form went off, causing him to trip again and dig his back into the ground. He groaned, both out of frustration and out of pain. Soon however, he was offered a mechanical hand.

Accepting the lift, Finn got to his feet and brushed off his pants, retracting his sword back onto his wrist. Rattleballs sheathed his weapon as well.

"I'm afraid that no matter how hard you try, Finn, your human body is incapable of attaining the speed necessary to perform the shadowless thrust."

The hero scowled at the ground.

"That won't stop me from trying."

The young man's mentor placed a metal hand on his shoulder.

"You have proven a great swordsman, more than ready enough to protect a princess."

Finn's eyes widened as he stared at the robot.

"How did you know about that?"

Rattleballs grinned.

"The shadows are the best places to hear whispers."

He then frowned.

"It's her isn't it, the same girl who once had your heart."

Finn turned around.

"Yeah."

"And that's what you're afraid of; facing her after so much time."

"Yeah."

Rattleballs tilted his head.

"But there is something else, isn't there?"

Finn turned back and sighed.

"I...I don't know how I'll react. This could be a huge mistake."

Ree-B-Z smiled again.

"I may not have one like yours, but the heart is strong no matter the body. You must follow it, Finn."

The human scoffed.

"Last time I did that I let the kingdom burn to the ground."

The robot swordsman shook his head.

"No. Back then, you were using your head, which was, of course, dumb at the time."

Finn looked carefully at his teacher, who brought up his hand again and placed it on the hero's chest.

"Follow this, Finn. It is your greatest power."

With that, he was gone, sprinting into the air and onto a rooftop, leaving a solemn Finn behind. Eventually, the young man resumed his walk to the castle, making his way through the doors, down the halls, and up to PB's lab. She was still there, no surprise, working on some other nutty project. She noticed the door shut and smiled at the returning hero.

"Finn, you're back! What did you find out?"

He sat down, giving her the whole story. She nodded occasionally, rubbing her chin and furrowing her brow in thought. Once Finn finished his report, PB actually smirked.

"She's grown very intelligent."

Finn furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

Peebles crossed her arms.

"Not only is this tournament a good way to find a qualified bodyguard, but the publicity will further increase the respectable image of the Fire Kingdom. Two birds with one stone."

Finn nodded, now understanding. The princess rubbed her palms together.

"So, you going to start training or what?"

The hero nodded determinedly. The candy monarch smiled.

"Excellent. You'd better practice your speech too. Flame Princess will want to be impressed by how much you've grown-"

Finn quickly took hold of the lady's shoulder, giving her a grave look.

"PB...I don't want her to know it's me."

The princess was speechless.

"Wh-what!? What are you talking about? Why not?"

She darted her eyes all over, trying to think of what to say.

"Don't...don't you still have feelings for her? Don't you want another chance to prove yourself, show the girl you care for that you've matured and learned control and discipline?"

Finn held her gaze with his own serious one.

"I can't. My duty is to the kingdom, not to relationships."

He hung his head.

"It'll only be disaster if I try going in as me. FP may even cast me out, thinking this is just another attempt to win her back."

The hero looked back at his royal friend.

"Please, PB, I don't want to reopen old wounds."

The gummy woman stood there, just staring at her dear hero, wondering how in Ooo he could have cast aside something that was so precious to him a mere few years ago.

Finn, what did you do to yourself?

He wouldn't budge to Bubblegum's sorrowful face, retaining a similar expression of his own. Realizing it was pointless, considering the human's extensive stubbornness, she hung her head and sighed.

"Fine. I'll help."

Finn stepped forward, giving the near tearful monarch a comforting hug. She returned it, but didn't feel much better. Once the two finished, she looked back at the young man.

"It will be difficult. I could easily reconstruct your facial features, but, you are the only human known. It would be too easy to recognize you."

The two of them leaned against the nearby counters, wondering how to solve the dilemma. After a moment of contemplation, Finn's eyes widened. He cautiously turned to look at Peebles.

"What about changing species?"

Bubblegum's own eyes nearly popped out. She swung her face to gaze in shock at the hero.

"What did you just say?"

Finn stepped forward, still wearing his dead serious expression.

"PB, can you...turn me into a fire elemental?"

Oh boy, that's a lot of review responses. Well, here goes. (cracks neck, knuckles, and dusts off keyboard)

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Guest: Ok. Here you go.

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Guest: Don't worry, I'll keep 'em coming.

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unknown: Not sure yet. Thanks.

Guest: Yes, I agree fully on the creepy.

Guest: True, but I know we were all upset at the episode so I can't judge.

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Gold Testament: I know, it was basically messing up every little detail that was good.

Guest: Yikes. I better keep up with the updates.

Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/reviews!