In the events prior before the Fire siege, the three travelers known as Marceline, Ice King, and Betty continued their search for the lost temple. Betty the group leader, had changed from her blue cloak attire and was now wearing an olive jacket with a white T-shirt underneath. She also had grey jeans with black knee-high boots, following a red cloth-piece fastened around her chin to keep her lengthy auburn hair in place. Lastly, she switched her crescent-shaped glasses for one with a wider, box frame design.

Marceline changed from her previous outfit as well as she sported a grey plaid, long sleeve with a black undershirt. Her sombrero was replaced with a grey baseball cap and her brown cowboy boots were switched with white-tipped black sneakers. She wore a darker pair of blue jeans and her voluminous raven hair was adjusted to a pony tail.

Ice King on the other hand, kept the same appearance by wearing a long, dark blue robe that covered his whole body with a golden crown perched on top of his head.

Betty had followed Marcy's suggestion to backtrack with their previous flight, but so far they have found nothing but trees and rocks randomly scattered across the overgrown meadows. Fortunately the weather posed no hindrance with their quest as the three were able to travel upon dozens of miles, stopping only for food and restroom breaks. Betty thought she would have found the temple by then, only to realize she lost sense of her direction.

The vampire noticed her friend's distressed expression as they flew together and asked, "You alright?"

Betty took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes before placing them back on, "No, I'm not.. We've been out here for who knows how long, and I can't even tell if we're on the right track anymore." She hung her head and shoulders and sighed, "I thought this would be easier if you guys came along, but it seems all I've done was share my misery!" Her voice faltered as tears poured down her cheeks. Her eyes couldn't see clearly and she slowed down until her magical carpet came to a complete stop.

Marceline hovered in front of her and placed one hand on a shoulder. "Betty," she said in a low comforting voice. "Look at me."

The human sniffled and slowly brought her gaze to meet hers.

"All my life, I have grown up in a world full of pain and loss," Marcy stated. "I used to make the most of it thanks to Simon, but after he changed..." She paused hesitantly, "I just didn't care anymore.. I started making friends with the wrong crowd and I ended up doing a lot of things I'm not proud of."

Betty tilted her head in question, "What choice was there?"

Marcy shrugged, "I could have searched for a cure long beforehand. I could have remained strong and kept it together, but I just gave up thinking it was hopeless for Simon."

"You don't seem like that kind of person to me now," Betty replied.

She chuckled bitterly, "Oh, believe me. If you were here maybe just a few years back, you would have thought otherwise. I only seem different because I eventually grew tired of having that kind of life." Her cheeks blushed, "And it I do owe it to a couple of people as well."

"I'm glad to hear that, Marcy."

"Which brings me to you. After so many years, I feel like I have the chance to be hopeful again for Simon's future. We have a lead, Betty. The answer to fixing that crown is just miles away within our grasp! But if we can't find it today or tomorrow, then we can always take a break."

"You would still stick around?"

Marcy smiled as she shook Betty's shoulder, "Of course! You're family to me, Betty. I am ready to devote my whole life into this search if that's what it takes." Her face then shifted into serious expression, "You could never waste my time with this. Not now, not ever."

"Thank you, Marceline." With that, the two hugged each other until their emotions settled. As they parted, Betty asked, "What about him?" Her gaze shifted towards Ice King in the distance who fiddled with his thumbs the whole time.

The ice wizard noticed the two stared in his direction and asked, "Hey, uh I'm not trying be mean, but can we do something else?"

Marcy thought momentarily until she whispered, "We could tell him the truth."

Betty was shocked, "What?!"

The vampire giggled, "I'm sorry! I meant we could tell him maybe a half-truth. Think you could follow my lead?"

Betty pondered about it until an amused smile came across her face, "Sure, I think I can play along."

Marceline took the lead as she approached IK, "I'm sorry I've dragged you in the middle of nowhere. I know you must be bored out of your mind."

IK threw his hands, "You think?! I could have been feeding Gunter, updating my stories, and paying my taxes!"

Marcy quirked an eyebrow, "You pay taxes?"

"Well.. no actually. But that's beside the point! Why are we here exactly?"

"I thought I could keep it a secret," Marcy rubbed an arm nervously. "But the truth is, we are getting you a gift."

IK was caught off guard, "A gift?"

"Actually, Betty is. She called me to bring you along to make the surprise all the more better."

IK scratched his head, "I'm confused. I don't think my birthday's coming up or anything. Is there a holiday I forgot to check?"

Betty shook her head and replied, "No, it's none of those things."

Marcy gestured to IK repeatedly until he lifted his head in realization, "Ohh, I see! But why?"

"It's because I really like you," Betty confessed with a blush.

"Me?!" IK said incredulously as he patted his chest with one hand. "I mean, you look like you deserve someone much better."

Betty began to recall some of her memories with Simon but stayed in character, "I'd like to believe that someone is you."

The ice wizard yanked his collar nervously and stuttered, "Y-you really t-think so?"

She chuckled at his reaction, "Yes, I want us to be friends, IK. Perhaps even more someday..."

IK blushed furiously, "Umm, thank you! But you don't have to get me anything in that case!"

"I have to," Betty stated. "It's really important to me. I would be very grateful if you would understand. Please?"

IK rubbed the back of neck and averted her gaze, "Sure, alright."

"Thank you so much," Betty exclaimed as she hugged him briefly. After the embrace, IK was speechless with shock and disbelief at which Marcy giggled.

"Kinda takes me back seeing something like that," Marcy admitted as she and Betty resumed their flight.

"Yeah," she replied with a slight melancholic expression. "Simon was like that when we first met. (sigh) I miss him so much."

Marcy looked to her in understanding, "We'll find this place, Betty. I promise. But you know what we'll do if we can't find it today, right?"

She nodded in understanding, "Yes."


Despite having renewed energy, the temple remained undiscovered that day. The hours passed by too quickly to Betty's liking and she reluctantly landed on the ground to set up camp. As she got off to stretch her arms and legs, Marcy floated beside her and said, "Don't worry. We'll find it next time."

"Yeah," Betty said with a tired sigh. "I suppose."

The vampire grinned, "I know this one outlet that has all sorts of food and other things. And I think it even has an electronics place to fix that radio of yours. That way when we go back, we can listen to some music and know whatever's going on."

"Your music's good," Betty defended.

"Yeah, but I get tired of playing the same thing over again. It starts to become more of a chore than for fun, know what I mean?"

"Good point. I guess we could use this as an opportunity to stock up on supplies too."

Marcy smiled, "Now we're getting somewhere! Trust me, Betty. We'll find this temple soon. Now that we've got Simon on board, time isn't an issue."

Betty arched an eyebrow in skepticism.

The vampire amended, "Isn't much of an issue, hehe."

Betty rolled her eyes, softening her features, "I know, I'm just giving you a hard time." She glanced at her bag, "We should probably eat something now before it gets too dark."

"Sounds good to me. What's on the menu?"

She kneeled down, rummaging through her stuff, "Let's see. It's either beef stew or chicken enchiladas."

"Enchiladas," Marcy answered eagerly.

Betty blinked and shook her head to herself, "Figures, it has red sauce. Should have been a no-brainer on my part. Anyway, I'll have it ready in fifteen minutes."

After they ate, Betty threw a few twigs into the campfire before getting ready for bed. IK conjured a snow guardian to keep on the lookout, while Marcy cleaned the dishes. Exhaustion claimed their bodies once more as they settled in their own sleeping bags.

Betty removed her glasses and stretched with a yawn as she rested on her back. She gazed in fascination at all the stars that decorated the night sky. Her mind began to wander as she would vividly recall moments she had with Simon, before the crown changed everything.

"Marcy," she asked in hushed voice.

Her ears twitched in response and she rolled over to face her, "Yeah?"

"Do you ever wonder if this is all some kind of crazy dream?"

Marcy pondered in deep thought and said, "Sometimes. After everything I've been through, it's not hard to imagine. For all I know, I could be asleep in my house with my family and then everyone would laugh if I woke up and told them this." She chuckled lightly before frowning in thought, "If only that were true though."

Betty nodded absentmindedly.

"Let's get some sleep, Betty. Tomorrow will be a new day." The vampire began to shift in her sleeping bag until her back was turned.

"Goodnight, Marcy."


Everyone fell asleep shortly afterward. The campfire cackled softly in the distance and a gentle breeze passed with a whisper reminiscent to a lullaby. However, as the hours passed, Betty began to toss and turn. The dream her mind created started with random memories, but as her mind ventured further, everything became more coherent.

She was back in the past, in an urban city with all its streets seemingly abandoned. The buildings around her were all intact, but there were no signs of life whatsoever. She wandered aimlessly bypassing hundreds of cars that were left behind with all their doors opened. Then it hit her, she was reliving the same day when Simon went beserk with his ice powers. She heard him calling her name repeatedly as he wandered nearby, but he never saw her. As she took cover behind one of the buildings, the weather began to change with snow blanketing the entire city. She knew right away there would be a portal to jump through and to her surprise, one formed after the initial thought. Not wasting anytime, she dove through without pause.

Instead of arriving instantly at her destination, Betty was floating through what appeared to be a wormhole. She continued to fly straight endlessly as she passed by an array of colors including red, white, and purple. Then, highlights of her past life appeared before her like a make-shift montage. She saw glimpses of her childhood, her adolescence, and finally her adulthood. Betty grew nostalgic as she watched each segment pass, but became more emotional when the rest focused on her relationship with Simon. Many of them included how they met, how they dated, and how they shared their first kiss.

Before Betty could observe any further, she was suddenly reaching the end of the tunnel. Instead of arriving inside IK's mountain as she recalled, she landed straight into a meadow landscape. Fortunately, there was no pain from the impact. It was as though she jumped onto a bed comforter from three feet rather than a hundred.

Suddenly, her vision switched to third person and before she knew it she saw her own body lying down flat on her stomach. A few seconds passed and her sights transitioned rapidly towards a faraway land until it reached a private estate with a backyard swimming pool. Inside the pool, she saw Simon dressed in his trademark suit with a blue complexion, long white hair, and an overgrown beard. His hands however were crab claws for whatever reason and he began to mouth three words repeatedly, "Use. The. Crown."

Once Betty understood the message, her vision dashed over hundreds of miles back towards the fields she arrived in. But instead of returning to her body, she continued to venture further beyond until she spotted a hill with a passageway that dipped towards the plateau than away. Her vision then zoomed in at ground level, and the last thing she saw was a concrete door with ancient symbols.


"Guys," Betty exclaimed as she sprung up from bed early in the morning. "I know where to find that temple!"

"Wait, really?" Marcy perked up at the news.

The human ran over to IK and grabbed both his shoulders, "You're the key! The whole time you were the key!"

IK casted a dubious expression, "I am?"

Betty released him and faced Marcy, "The crown could guide us. We could actually tell if we're close or not!"

"Are you sure it just doesn't sense any danger," Marcy asked with skepticism.

Betty shook her head and smiled, "No, think about it! Remember what we've talked about earlier?"

The vampire's expression gradually shifted upon realization, "I guess.." She looked away and timidly held her own arm in place.

Betty was confused about her reaction and asked, "What's wrong? I thought this would be great news! Oh, is this because of that agreement we made yesterday? I know I'm probably asking too much, but please give me one more day! I swear I won't ask for anymore."

"No, it's not that. It's just-," Marcy sighed and faced IK, "Do you think you'll be okay with her?"

Before IK could answer, Betty frowned, "Wait a minute, what's going on?"

"I have to go and take care of something really important," Marcy answered without giving too many details.

"You can't be serious," Betty argued. "Don't you remember what you've said to me last time? You said we would be much safer if all three of us stuck together! And now all of a sudden you're willing to leave both of us to chance?!"

"Look, I know what I said. But I'll be right back, I promise." Marcy was beginning to back away.

"I need to know what is so important, Marceline," Betty said authoritatively. "I thought we wouldn't keep things from each other."

The vampire froze in her tracks before sighing in resignation. Her head was down with her eyes squeezed shut. She frowned in defiance to keep herself composed, but moments later she began to break down emotionally.

Betty dropped her demeanor and immediately rushed towards her with compassion, "Hey, hey. What's wrong? You know you could tell me anything, right?"

"I-it's Finn," Marcy choked with tears. "He's in trouble! I've got to save him!"

"Finn," Betty repeated. "How do you know? What's going on?"

"I got a message from his brother, Jake," she sniffed. "All he said was to meet him at his place as soon as possible."

"And there was nothing else?"

Marcy shook her head as she wiped her tears, "No, but I have a bad feeling where Finn might be. I just hope it isn't true."

"Why wouldn't you want us to go," Betty asked as she motioned to IK and herself.

"IK isn't exactly the best guy in Ooo right now," Marcy stated. "And I don't want anything to happen you as well."

"I appreciate what you're trying to do," Betty countered. "But if you really want to make sure we're fine, then you'd take us too. It goes both ways, Marceline. We're all in this together."

"It's a long way back," she warned. "Are you sure you want to go?"

"I may not know him well personally as much as you do, but I do know his life needs saving. I owe him, Marcy. He went out of his way to bring me here no matter how simple it was. Besides, how can I look at Simon in the eye if bringing him back meant demonstrating an act of selfishness?"

The vampire hung her head and shoulders, "I-I'm sorry. I was just trying to help."

Betty softened her features and placed a hand on Marcy's shoulder, "You were just tryin' to please everybody, I understand. But my decision still stands: we're coming with you whether you like it or not."

"You may not get another chance at finding this place," she advised as a last attempt.

"I'll search through every square mile of this place if I have to," Betty finalized. "Right now, there's a friend in need."

Marcy sighed in acceptance, "Alright. Think you guys could keep up?"

Betty tightened her cloth headpiece with a determined expression, "Lead the way."