Wounds of a False Dagger
What little sunlight pierced the dark clouds of the Fire Kingdom was now fading, signaling the end of the day and the omnipresent night that was sure to follow. Most everyone had left the palace throne room by now, especially since business had been brought to a screeching halt. In fact, the sole occupants of the area were the guards and Finn, who was leaning sadly against the wall beside the throne.
For hours on end, he remained here, pondering on what he'd done earlier. Cinnamon Bun had eventually rushed off after Flame Princess, having not returned since. The hero had been passing the time by drawing in the volcanic floor with his lava vine sword, stamping them out and restarting when he ran out of room. Noticeably, whenever he casually looked around, he saw several of the guards staring at him, before quickly turning away.
He was sure they were downsizing him, for what he'd inflicted on their fair ruler. Finn couldn't blame them, he himself still felt excessive shame for the utterance. Soon enough, the palace gate opened, revealing the messenger from earlier. This time, he had an envelope in his hand as he rushed to the seat of power.
Panting once more, he approached Finn and held the fire-proofed item out to him.
"A message… from Jake the Dog… addressed to her highness."
Finn nodded, telling the man he'd deliver it for him. The fire elemental thanked him graciously, slowly lumbering away to rest. The flame human stared at the letter, wondering what his brother had to say. Figuring it was better than sticking around being glared at, he made his way for the stairs, heading for Flame Princess's room.
He didn't exactly know the palace well enough, other than the time he snuck in with Jake many years prior. Even then they traveled via the ventilation ducts, making it more confusing to scour the endless corridors. He eventually came to a dead end, further frustrating him.
"Ugh! I hate this!" he shouted to himself, punching the wall.
At once, there was a low, but strong growl from behind him, causing the young man to freeze. He quickly swung around, a bit startled by what he saw. A massive fire wolf stood a few feet from him, blocking the only way out. Finn backed up against the wall, as the beast came closer. Sweat formed on the hero's neck as the powerful animal got right in his face, bringing its muzzle within inches of his face.
"Uh, hey there, JT," Finn said nervously.
The wolf was staring him straight in the eyes, not aggressively, more like curiously. He took a whiff of the flame human with his large nose, attempting to identify him. Finn still looked nervous as the fire creature stopped its sniffing and resumed simply eyeing him down.
Suddenly, Jake 2 licked his face.
Finn was startled, even ignoring the slobber now all over his cheek. The fire wolf sat down, almost appearing to be smiling at him. Cautious, Finn carefully reached out a hand to the animal, who didn't seem intimidated or reluctant to allow it. Finally, the hero brought his hand down on the top of Jake 2's head, rubbing the fur in a motion that his brother had always liked.
To his pleasant surprise, the wolf let out a relaxed noise, indicating that he enjoyed it too. Finn couldn't help smiling as he moved his hand down to scratch behind JT's ear.
"Heh, good boy."
Soon, he stopped the scratching and finally regained full calmness.
"Can you take me to your dad, buddy?"
The fire wolf barked once, then got back to his feet and turned around, strutting confidently down the hall, at which point Finn followed. Jake 2 certainly knew where he was going, turning sharply and without any evidence of second guessing himself. Finn admired the hound's abilities, following closely behind as they turned corner after corner and proceeded up and down numerous flights of stairs.
Eventually, one last turn brought them within view of a clearly out of place presence; the blue, flame shielded Cinnamon Bun, sadly leaning on the wall next to a door. As Finn and Jake 2 came close, he spotted the pair and put on a surprised face.
"Fen? Jake 2? How did you-"
His fire wolf walked up and nuzzled its master in the side, happy to see him. CB momentarily dropped the questioning to pat his loyal pet on the head.
"Good to see you too."
The candy person then turned to Finn.
"He led you here?"
The hero nodded. The bun looked stunned.
"Strange. He's almost never instantly friendly to someone he just met."
Cinnamon Bun smiled.
"I guess you're one great guy, Fen." He chuckled.
The flame human attempted a grin in response, but resided with just a soft grunt of acknowledgement. Soon, CB called for Jake 2 to sit nearby, as he turned his full attention to the young man. His expression was serious, but at the same time sad.
"I'm sorry for saying this, but I don't think you made the best delivery of that statement earlier."
Finn hung his head.
"I know."
He figured the knight would give him the same guilty feeling as the guards. Although, he heard CB sigh.
"Although, I suppose it wouldn't be much different if the messenger was the one to say it."
The young man looked to the pastry, studying his features.
"What do you think of it?" he asked casually.
Cinnamon Bun let out a breath.
"Finn… He- he was a good guy. Always risking his safety, having fun, saving princesses. But, he never quite got the hold of knowing when it was time to get serious. Last I saw him, me and Flame Princess had recruited him to help take back the kingdom during Flame King and Don Jon's coup attempt."
He stared out the nearby window.
"The kid kept trying to get close to Flame Princess, refusing to keep to the mindset of being professional. I had to step in repeatedly to make sure the mission was successful. There were some bumps along the way, but we managed to stop the two morons and get the throne back."
CB frowned, looking at the floor.
"Finn left afterward, looking, honestly, hurt."
The flame human could feel his subconscious thoughts tightening the lava vine around his arm.
"I couldn't imagine why," he responded, not without a hint of irony.
Cinnamon Bun turned to look at the young man, a look of uncertainty upon his sugary features.
"What do you mean?"
The knight had noticed the sarcasm buried in Finn's reply, catching him in the act of tying his past to his current identity. The young man mentally cursed to himself, realizing he was close to another mistake. He proceeded carefully.
"Well, as far as I know, he really had a strong feeling for Flame Princess. Then, right in front of him, you just blurted out that you loved her."
He tensed up, feeling excessively awkward discussing such a topic under the current circumstances. Meanwhile, CB was staring at him, almost in shock. Jake 2, with all his canine instincts, reacted similarly, setting now two pairs of eyes on the young man, making him nearly grind his teeth. However, instead of some reaction that Finn had not even guessed, the candy person sighed, then gave the hero a solemn gaze.
"Fen, I'm in my thirties, nearly twice as old as her. Don't you think that's a little farfetched?"
If there was glass in the flame human's mind, it certainly would've shattered at that moment. Astonishingly, he internally slapped himself for not thinking things through. How stupid could he be? How clouded was his judgment that fateful day? Why had he never reexamined the points-of-view?
It was too painful. After the Candy Kingdom burned, his sorrow drowned all his emotions, all his previous pains, all the hurt he felt for the incorrect things he'd done. Nothing was left except a vast sea of solace, leaving behind only the driftwood that was his impeccable heroic nature. That was all that remained, guiding him forward as he rebuilt an entire city and closed off his heart.
Cautious that it would complicate his cover, the hero held back tears, overcome by the breaking chains in his mind. Cinnamon Bun absentmindedly scratched Jake 2 behind the ear as he returned to staring at the floor.
"I love her like a person loves the earth. She offers me guidance, shelter, a warm heart to fill me with hope and energy. In return, I pledge to protect and serve her, fully willing to give up my small compared life for hers."
He shifted his sight to Finn.
"Finn was unfairly exposed. I, in my age, had a clear picture of what I mean when I said that, and so did everyone else. He, however, was still just a kid. He took it the wrong way. The worst part is, once I noticed how he never returned to the Fire Kingdom, I started blaming myself for his despair."
The candy person closed his eyes.
"At this moment, I have but one wish; to apologize to his grave."
Finn remained silent, not wanting to disturb the revelations of the past few minutes with the ripple of conversation. He did however, hold out the letter he'd gotten from the messenger, which CB took and examined. He made his way to the door, knocking gently. He waited. Finn thought he heard footsteps inside, coming closer.
Sure enough, the entrance slowly creaked open, revealing the ruler of the kingdom. If Finn was distraught before, the scene certainly made it worse. Flame princess was in her white dress, which she wore underneath her royal armor. Her hair appeared to be as if it were doused; a light maroon. As for her face, it was set in stone-like blankness. Regardless, Finn saw how dim her amber eyes were, as well as the faint remnants of lines running from her ducts down to her chin.
CB didn't speak, instead simply handing her the envelope, which she grasped and turned around to open and read. He and Finn waited, anxiety growing in their minds. Finally, FP turned back, appearing no different. She handed the open letter to the candy person, retracted her presence, and quietly shut the door.
Once the footsteps disappeared from earshot, Cinnamon Bun laid his eyes on the page, reading it for himself. Upon completion, he looked up, back out the window. He let out a breath.
"It seems… I'll get my wish."
Ooo had held a massive gathering to commemorate Finn and his deeds, the attendance numbers being easily in the hundreds. A massive space of the grasslands had been packed with nothing but citizens, common folk, dignitaries, and countless other inhabitants of the land who wished to pay their respects to the fallen hero.
However, Princess Bubblegum, along with Jake and Marceline, had organized a second, private, event for the following day. The list for those allowed was grossly shorter than the previous one. Aside from Finn's closest friends, only the royals of Ooo were permitted to join in around the smoldering remains of the tree house, wanting to take a moment of silence for the greatest champion of the lands.
Jake 2 streaked across the skyline, nearing the hill atop which the willow once stood. The pile of ashes and cinder had been left untouched, preserved and used as a memorial. It was hoped that eventually the blackened material would seep into the ground, enriching the soil and blossoming a plethora of flora, protected in Finn's honor.
The flying wolf's approach was soon spotted by everyone at the event, all gazing in awe at the strange creature. Once the loyal hound touched down, three figures jumped off, all wearing dark crimson cloaks with their hoods up. The largest one stood by the shortest one's right, while the middle one stood by its left. The trio proceeded through the group of princesses, who all knew who they were.
The reason for the cloaks was due to the shortest one's guilt.
Finn eyed the gathered royalty as they carefully walked on. It suddenly occurred to him that there was a huge problem. PB would obviously pretend she didn't know him, but people who had seen him recently, such as Jake or Marceline, would be much too suspicious of his strikingly similar features.
Panicking inside his skull, he desperately scanned the faces of mixed emotions around him. Then, he spotted Muscle Princess, who he was about to pass in front of.
Perfect.
As the young man walked by, he 'accidentally' shoved past her. The princess instantly reacted, just as he'd hoped.
"Hey! Watch it, punk!"
Finn stopped mid-stride, giving his best glare from his minimally exposed face.
"You got a problem?" he replied irritably.
Muscle princess growled.
"Yeah…"
She drew back her fist.
"You!"
The hit was admittedly painful, as expected from the strongest royal in the land. Finn flew to the ground, groaning as he struck the grass. His companions stopped as well, worried as to the disturbance. They both walked over to the fallen flame human, with CB helping him up.
"Are you alright, Fen?" he asked.
The hero's head was actually quite woozy, but for the most part he was conscious, nodding.
"Yeah, I'm good."
Cinnamon Bun frowned, disagreeing.
"That's some nasty swelling you've got there. And a black eye's not helping."
The young man shrugged, shaking off the comment.
"I'll live. Let's just keep going."
The candy person nodded, motioning for the cloaked FP to move on. In the meantime, Finn brushed off his legs and went up to Muscle Princess again, who glared at him and formed her fists. Before she could pummel him further however, the hero bowed respectfully.
"I'm very sorry, princess. That was completely unacceptable."
MP was bewildered by the statement, releasing her aggressive poise.
"Oh… um, alright. Just remember to think before you talk, got it?"
Finn nodded.
"Of course. Thank you."
He walked off to catch up with his two companions, leaving behind a confused and curious Muscle Princess and all the other royals who had witnessed the entire thing.
At long last, the trio reached the head of the assembly, at which PB, Jake, Marcy, and BMO were all standing. The candy monarch was silently staring at the burned out wreckage, just as the others were. However, upon hearing the new arrivals, Finn's closest friends all turned to examine the three Fire Kingdom visitors. Bubblegum stepped forward, as did Flame Princess. The pink lady gave a small bow.
"Thank you for coming, Flame Princess."
The fiery ruler didn't reply, so Peebles shifted her gaze to CB.
"Cinnamon Bun," she nodded.
"Princess," the knight replied.
PB finally looked at Finn, a bit confused by his apparent bulging cheek and eye. Discreetly, the young man darted his eyes towards the others, at which point the gummy woman understood. CB gestured to the flame human.
"This is Fenrir, the king's newest protector."
Bubblegum nodded.
"I see. May he serve well."
PB backed off, allowing Jake to come up to FP and look up at her. He instantly noticed the distant expression on her face, adding to his own misery.
"FP...…"
He struggled to get it out.
"Finn could never say this to you, but…"
He sighed.
"He… he loved you."
Jake had thought hard about it, and decided that his brother would want her to know for sure.
Several of the group heard a sizzling at the fire elemental's feet. No one acknowledged it, but deciphered what it was quite easily. More silence ensued as they waited for a response from the king. None came. Instead, she stepped forward, passing the magical dog and walking to the edge of the ash pile. It was there that she hung her head, as if trying to glimpse the human's remains through the debris.
Jake came up alongside her, along with Finn and CB. The canine sighed.
"Even these past few years, while he was toiling away at rebuilding the Candy Kingdom, I knew he was hiding those feelings."
For the first time in days, the princess reacted, appearing stunned as she swung her head to face the dog.
"What?" she asked weakly.
Jake looked concerned, but pressed on.
"Well, three years ago, a little after your dad tried to retake the Fire Kingdom, the Candy Kingdom caught fire, like, full-on 'burning to the ground'-type fire."
He hung his head as well.
"We all pitched in to save the place, but Finn… he tried using the save as an attempt to impress you, which cost the city a lot more damage than it would have."
The yellow canine brought his eyes to the fiery girl's.
"He was so ashamed, he insisted on fixing everything himself, which he eventually did. All his time, completely set on putting the buildings back together, piece by piece."
FP's mouth was trembling, open and in shock.
"Three years…"
Jake nodded solemnly.
"He stopped being a kid that day, he grew up, selling away what was left of his childhood to make things right."
After another moment, Flame Princess fell to her knees, her hood falling and allowing her dimmed hair to fall and nearly touch the ground. The others were initially surprised by how weak the young lady looked, but decided not to push the issue. More sizzles were heard, along with a wisp of smoke rising from the space in front of FP's knees.
Finn and Cinnamon Bun lowered their covers as well, gazing at the ashes along with everyone else. They might have all been suffering, but Finn knew very well that his pain was nowhere near as much as the collective amount his actions had produced. CB stepped forward, taking a knee and bowing his head to the remains. Finn saw him mouth a few words, instantly realizing what he was doing. The sight caused a painful jolt in his chest.
Look around, Finn. Their pain, all caused by you.
The princesses, somber and silent.
His friends, holding strong, being brave for their beloved companion.
Cinnamon Bun, finally letting out his own single tear, which soaked into the blackened wood.
Flame Princess, crippled, letting all her tears flow out as she stifled her sobs. A mute fountain of pain, with broken pieces of a heart floating on top.
All this, to save her life. But even so, do I have the right? After all of this…
Do I have the right…to love her…
A sizzle sounded at Finn's feet, as his eyes closed to squeeze out the downpour.
Not much to say. Still amazed by how fast this story is grabbing attention.
nrbuer: I won't believe any of it until I see an episode.
dead for life: I'll do my best to give it to you.
Fiery Crusader: Those are good reasons, thanks for sharing.
Guest: Haha, wow, thanks.
Mayojar77: Hm, I forgot what that analogy means.
Bio team2: Really sorry, but I've got to lay on just a little more hurt.
Roberto: As soon as can be.
Riset36: Indeed I will make it last a while.
Ventus Uzumaki: Thanks.
Rick: It's all good. I'm not exactly troubled for reviews with this one, lol.
valdezn: Thanks, that's what the aim was.
TheMentalAdventurer: I won't stop, but I'll definitely try to yank your emotions along the way.
trystrike: Ooo, predictions already. Nice to know.
randomreader: Thank is literally the best thing I could hear about the effect of my stories.
Brony225: Nope, just a coincidence. Recycled ideas from season 4.
Posiden666: I will!
Awolfx9: Yeah, love the drama.
joshuadee9028: Wow, that was so much wrapped into a review. I'm grateful for your support to both me and the couple. (And the file won't let me type the periods in your name. Stupid thing)
kojh0124: Plan? Well...I don't. Practically all of it is off the top of my head.
I am The7: I was totally open to the idea.
Writingsterner: Ok.
Holahello: Whoa, that felt like watching a voice-over for a movie.
PriceToPay: I appreciate your patience.
Jessi-chan9867: Yes, as much drama as I can pack into 3-4k words.
necro-wulf: I'm glad that I was able to implement some philosophy into this. It really deepens the feel of it.
Jinouga: I juggled around who would be the one to say it. Thought that Finn would be a bit more sudden and startling.
SCIK1012: =-O...Oh my, I hope you're still there to read this.
Hope you enjoyed and thanks for any comments/(overwhelming) reviews!