Phoebe found herself in the throne room as she seemingly woke up. As soon as she surveyed her surroundings however, she noticed right away there was something wrong. The area was calm, quiet, and empty. The flames cackling from the posted torches were the only things making a sound. Even her father in the glass lantern was nowhere to be found, which further unsettled the young monarch.
After a few more seconds of regaining her bearings, Phoebe frowned when the walls and ceiling rumbled slightly. Distant explosions could be heard nearby followed by a volley of bullets. She proceeded to make her way towards the palace balcony to investigate and discovered the hallways were also empty on her way there. If the experience couldn't be any more bizarre for her, the fighting seemed to escalate more in volume as she got ever closer. Phoebe tensed herself when she finally reached her destination, and the only thing that blocked her view of the landscape was the curtain before her. Voices could be heard uttering battle cries in the distance as she reached for the cloth with a trembling hand. Once she was able to gain a solid grasp, she took a deep breath momentarily before deciding to fling it open in one sudden motion.
The land before her was under siege from her sworn enemy. Several pillars of smoke could be seen billowing from buildings and tracers were being thrown back and forth. Phoebe was in disbelief to see the Candy forces gain the upper hand that she didn't notice someone was calling for her name repeatedly.
"Phoebe! Phoebe!" The voice called as the newcomer came closer.
The monarch was still in a trance-like state to process everything before her until the elemental landed a hand on her shoulder. When she turned around, she gasped immediately upon seeing who it was.
"Sister," Flint panted. "We've managed to buy some time for the downtown evac, but the enemy will regroup for a counterattack!"
"Wait.. What?" Phoebe squinted questionably. "I thought you were-"
"Your highness!" Cinnamon Bun called as he ran towards the pair. "Enemy forces have gathered an armored brigade over to the southwest. They're going to push for the counteroffensive!"
"Pardon me for asking," Phoebe said as she placed a hand on the side of her head. "But how did this all happen?!"
"They got the jump on us first," Flint stated with a disappointed frown. "We were trying to stock up with weapons and soldiers before we could publicly declare war, but it seems Bubblegum has already beat us to it. She's sent out a large invasion force under a blitzkrieg strategy that we nearly lost the capital because of it! Our troops took a while to know what was happening, but once they did they pushed the enemy back near the borders. Since then, it has become a tug of war as Bubblegum sends more men who are seeming tougher than the last."
"You know," CB commented. "If I was to assume Bubblegum would do something like this, I would have pushed for a pre-emptive strike immediately after the day of the disaster." He sighed, "So much for that, huh?"
Suddenly, a radio transmission interrupted the trio as a flame trooper announced, "Command, we got enemy contact moving in from the northwest! They're going to try to bottleneck the city!"
"No rest for the weary," Flint shook his head tiredly. He was about to break off into a sprint until his sister asked him, "Wait, where's dad?"
"He's gone," Flint answered in an emotionally-detached voice. "First artillery barrage claimed his life." He turned his back and ran off afterward.
"You will have to mourn him later," CB advised. "Right now, there's no time to lose!"
As the main heroes of the Fire Kingdom made their way out of the palace, the defending forces settled in a series of trenches over at the outskirts. So far the fighting had stopped as they watched the enemy withdraw into a smoke screen. Some of the elementals were tempted to pursue out of personal vendettas, while the others stayed full-heartedly for fear of uncertainty. Everyone took the time to resupply their weapons and ammunition as well as to regain their bearings. Footsteps could be heard shuffling en mass as the troops rushed to their positions until they finally rested their rifles in the direction of the enemy's imminent advance.
Six long minutes later, the defenders tensed themselves for battle as the Candy forces began shooting long-range artillery. Craters littered the already battered landscape between the two opposing forces, and the defenders waited for the first sight of a candy trooper. Nerves were high among the ranks as the overall battle had already progressed for hours. Some of them had their hands shaking, while others were sweating profusely. The obscurity that covered the enemy's retreat had been renewed during the barrage, but no one could notice as the middle ground was struck continuously with thundering explosions.
After a while, a high-pitched whistle screeched around the battlefield. The defending forces readied themselves on instinct as they spotted the enemy troops enter their line of sight, but ultimately refrained from firing. Both armies were out of range for the next two minutes as the artillery barrage slowly subsided. Ironically enough, the fighting was slightly delayed as some of the candy troops were caught in their own artillery blasts. Some of the flame officers shook their heads in disapproval to witness Bubblegum wasting her own men recklessly, but it was quickly cast aside as the majority of the attacking force moved closer in range. Flame gunners made last minute checks with the belt-fed machine guns before they each pulled the charging handle. Crosshairs were carefully aligned in the general direction and the men gripped their weapons until they finally pulled the trigger.
A large volley of tracers illuminated the field as the attackers stepped closer. After a few seconds, the men instantly collapsed in groups as they were caught in the crossfire. Voices that were once heard yelling for the charge were now replaced with the obnoxious rattle from the defending machine guns. Blood splattered everywhere in a gratuitous fashion as though it were seen from an exaggerated war movie, and limbs were dismembered. Even though death was given at such an alarming rate, the attackers continued their advance with some of them being able to return fire upon getting closer.
The defenders couldn't keep the battle in their favor for long as more enemies replaced the fallen. Guns would jam from firing continuously over a long time, while others simply ran out of ammo. Those who didn't man a machine gun began to take initiative by throwing grenades and fireballs, but it did little to stall the overall charge. Before they knew it, they began to get overwhelmed as some of the enemies jumped into trenches with fixed bayonets. Gunfire was significantly replaced with the sound of melee weapons as close quarters combat became the main focus in battle. The elementals held their own considerably as they had more fighting experience, but eventually they were forced to retreat as they became more outnumbered.
"Fall back," a flame sergeant ordered. "Fall back to the next trench line!"
The remaining elementals quickly complied as they ran to their next line of defense. Space was made for the newcomers instantly for a smooth transition and the guards exchanged looks of shock among one another. Some were disenchanted from being covered in dirt and blood, while others breathed heavily from moving too fast. When the first trench line was confirmed to be lost completely, the enemy troops began setting defensive positions as their tanks rolled closer in view.
"Great," a defender whined. "We lost ground already before we could make an impact!"
"We haven't yet," a friendly officer replied casually as he prepped a detonator. "I got the site fixed up with a little surprise to give us some leeway." Seconds later, the captured defense line was lit up into a wall of fire. All of the occupants that settled there were instantly vaporized to ashes, and the territory was open for the taking. "There's our chance!" He exclaimed.
The elementals went over the top by the superior's command and raced towards the objective. As they got closer to reclaiming the trench line however, the men took casualties from an indirect artillery strike followed by sniper fire. They still made it to their destination to repel the rest of the attackers shortly after, but the outcome was slightly different. Enemy troops were suddenly able to withstand several bullets and explosions without reacting. Upon closer observation, the defenders became distraught when they realized they were fighting undead troops. Close quarters combat dragged a little bit longer as a result, but fortunately the defenders prevailed as friendly reinforcements arrived. Although the first two enemy waves were defeated, the elementals had no time rest as a column of tanks entered the field along with an infantry escort consisting of both living and undead men.
The flame troopers took heavy casualties during this point in the fighting. Their numbers dwindled quicker compared to the first fifteen minutes and half of the defense line was lost. Morale plummeted as the elementals felt inclined to abandon the outskirts altogether, but it changed as soon as the heroes finally entered the battlefield. Phoebe and Cinnamon Bun assisted the the men on the southwestern front, while Flint supported the others at the northwest.
Progress was made as the enemy forces stopped at a stalemate. As Phoebe used her powers to single-handedly eliminate the armored vehicles with explosive fireballs, her pastry guardian rallied the troops to fight with renewed vigor. The enemy began to lose their momentum as they withdrew altogether and the fighting ceased once again. Another wave was in the making, however as enemy artillery commenced followed by a whistle to signal another charge. Hundreds of foot soldiers filled up the horizon, and the fiery monarch wondered how Bubblegum was able to have such resources at her disposal.
The Candy Army proved more formidable to defeat as they advanced through a storm of bullets. Instead of falling down instantly by the masses, only a few collapsed as the next wave of troops were equipped with over-shields. Even Phoebe had difficulty taking them down herself as she used her powers and was ultimately forced to retreat all the way back to third line of defense. Perseverance and tenacity were the main contributing factors that kept the fiery army in place. Despite this, they were never able to regain their lost territories ever again and slowly but surely the defenders would be forced to retreat towards the city.
Flint was having similar problems as his own battle was being lost. While he didn't possess the same abilities like his sister to conjure fire at exceptional lengths, he had his skills as a fighter and tactician to keep the enemy at bay. Using the environment to his advantage, Flint was able to defeat several enemy tanks with lava pits and geysers. He even managed to get the men to go as far as capturing a couple of them, and for a long while he controlled the field to his advantage. However, his troops like everyone else's were limited and sooner or later he would have to make the call reluctantly to order a retreat.
Worn out and thoroughly exhausted, the heroes of the Fire Kingdom mustered all their energy to run back towards the city limits. They had made a valiant effort to repeal countless enemy troops and vehicles, but the fighting just continued to be relentless. Phoebe wanted to lose herself in distraught and let hopelessness take over, but she couldn't as the men constantly looked to her as inspiration. She was so tired to take up arms, but in the end she made the best expression to look determined and powered through.
"Your majesty," a scout panted as he rushed to her side with binoculars. "You need to see this."
Flint and CB approached Phoebe from behind minutes later and they also gazed at the distant horizon. What they saw before them were more enemy tanks and soldiers approaching from the north and southwest but there was one significant difference. Two towering silhouettes could be seen marching behind them and as they came closer in view, the elementals mumbled in fear and uncertainty.
"The Candy Kingdom wants to give us one last test of strength," Phoebe breathed as she saw the gumball guardians fully repaired from the siege of Darren. "Let's give them one last test of courage! Are you with me?!" She drew a flame sword and raised it up high in the air.
The men cheered in an uproar at their monarch's defiance and were renewed with energy as they prepped for what they considered to be the last fight. They believed they could win at that moment. It didn't matter if they were badly outnumbered or outdated with technology, they had the willingness to work together as one single voice. They were ready to give out their lives in spite of their dire situation, refusing to surrender for any alternative.
"They're gonna come at us with their armor first before those giants pick up the pieces," Flint advised.
"Please tell me we still have our own," Phoebe said in anticipation.
"We do," Flint answered grimly. "But it will take some time for it to be deployed. If we can at least destroy one gumball guardian ahead of time, we might just be given a fighting chance."
"I'm open to ideas," the monarch said.
Flint hummed in thought briefly until he said, "If we can at least concentrate fire on one of its legs, we should be able to disable it before destroying it for good. The only trade off is that we'll need to be really close by when that happens. Another suggestion is that we could fall back into the city, use the buildings as cover, and jump the closest gumball guardian from all sides to exploit any weaknesses. Obviously that involves being in close proximity as well as having a whole lot of luck, but at least it's something." He shrugged in conclusion.
"I think," Phoebe said as she thought hard. "I might have a similar idea."
"Care to share with the group?" Her brother asked.
"We'll go with the second option," she replied in absolute. "That way, we'll have more avenues to attack as opposed to being out in the open."
"Assuming Bubblegum wouldn't just annihilate everything!" CB commented as he waved his arms for emphasis.
"Her primary goal is to destroy the Fire Kingdom core," Phoebe retorted. "She would be wasting time if she pursues civilian targets between now and later." Phoebe then started to leave.
"Sis, wait." Flint called after her. "You still didn't say what your idea was!"
"If I told you," she yelled over her shoulder. "You'll tell me I'm crazy!"
"Probably," Flint muttered in admittance.
Sometime later, everyone used the buildings as make-shift bunkers. One of the high-rise towers was used for a vantage point, while the shorter ones next to it had machine gun nests. Enemy troops marched in columns as they walked down one of the main roads, and the elementals hid in plain sight. Light armored tanks followed through shortly after, and once they ventured far enough two explosions erupted in quick succession. One blast eliminated the infantry in front while the other took out the back. Large heaps of rubble surrounded the tanks as a result, trapping them in place. Before they got the chance to know what was happening, a group of elemental engineers planted explosives on the sides and back of each vehicle and disabled them altogether.
"Don't celebrate just yet," Flint advised to his men. "They know we're here now and they're going to be coming at us with everything they got!"
Gunfire echoed among the streets of the Fire Kingdom as the two forces clashed. While it seemed no one was dying from either side surprisingly, the elementals gradually stepped back as more enemies entered the combat zone. Some of the Candy troops could be seen shooting calmly out in the open with over shields equipped, while the defenders rushed to another spot from being tremendously suppressed. Slowly but surely, the attackers began taking little to no casualties as more armored vehicles arrived and provided support. It became even worse overtime as the vantage point was destroyed swiftly with a tank round, forcing Flint and Phoebe to give up two-thirds of the city. The palace was dangerously visible in the background at this point and the elementals made their last stand for defense.
"Sis," Flint panted. "If you're still not going to tell me what your plan is, at least put it to action soon!"
"I know," she replied breathing heavily. "Just keep doing your part. It'll be over soon!"
For the next ten minutes, the defenders held their ground considerably as they worked together in sync. Dozens of undead and shielded troops fell down in clusters, and none of them were able to force a breakthrough. Although Candy Army seemed to outnumber the elementals five to one, it still seemed like a fruitless effort to effectively close the gap. Princess Bublegum became more agitated as she sent countless waves into suicidal charges, but even then she was met with the same result. Armored tanks were then called into the scene with upgraded shielding and this time they were able to make some progress. The defenders had finally taken casualties and it seemed like they were reaching their breaking point. This moment lasted for two minutes however, until a few golems ambushed the new units with camouflage and then casted them into a nearby lava pit.
That was the last straw for Bubblegum. As soon as she saw the last tank being submerged into the molten rock, she promptly ordered the gumball guardians to advance simultaneously. It was a guaranteed victory in her mind as she watched the defenders become stricken with grief and fear. As far as PB was concerned, the elementals had nothing to counter them. The defense line was quickly dispersed within the first minute as the giants fired off several explosive bolts of energy and the palace was finally within range. A small company of Candy troops rushed alongside the giants to pick out the stragglers and it seemed like all hope was lost for the Fire Kingdom.
Unfortunately for PB, one of the elementals in the distance ran off one of the tall nearby rooftops before transforming into a giant of equal size. Bubblegum immediately recognized Phoebe at that moment and the former became infuriated at the sudden outcome of the battle that followed. Once Phoebe intervened, she quickly ran behind one of giants and effectively used it as a bullet shield. While one guardian sustained damage from friendly fire, the other sustained several bolts of energy emitted from the gem on Phoebe's forehead. Both mechs were starting to malfunction uncontrollably with sparks flying off wildly until they collapsed in pieces with several miniature explosions. A major dust cloud obscured the elemental troops at ground level, but thankfully no one else was hurt. As they slowly recomposed themselves from coughing excessively, Phoebe entered their line of sight in her normal form with her breath heavy.
"Sis," Flint shouted as he and CB ran up to her. "You did it!"
"Remind me not to do that again," Phoebe said as she stooped slightly with her hands on her knees.
"Don't worry," Flint said victoriously. "I think it's safe to say Bubblegum's all out of tricks!" His demeanor changed briefly when he solemnly said, "We lost a lot of good people today."
"I know," she replied, opting for the short answer.
"But at least we have a tomorrow," her brother nodded thoughtfully. "And you were right, I would-" Suddenly, he raised his weapon as he took on tense expression.
Phoebe turned around in bewilderment as she stared at the smoke subsiding from the wreckage. All of her troops froze in fear as they spotted a six-foot silhouette standing in the distance and an unnerving silence settled between the company. It had felt like forever as the pair of grey eyes studied them thoroughly. Approximately sixty defenders remained at this point, but even the advantage with numbers was not enough to put them back on ease. They watched anxiously as the shadowed figure in the purple feathered trench coat slowly reached something from behind. A moment later, the elementals moved backwards a little as they heard a blade humming ominously from being drawn. The newcomer grasped his weapon tightly with all the anger emanating from his eyes and he was on the verge of being set loose.
"Finn!" Phoebe said out loud in distraught. Just when she realized her mistake, her brother took on an angered expression.
"So the baby man has chosen sides," Flint stated as he switched to his flame sword.
"Brother, wait!" Phoebe cried as she tried to stop him from attacking.
"He's broken your heart one too many times," Flint argued shaking his head. "I will not tolerate his suffering further!" He shrugged off her hand and charged Finn with a bellowing roar.
Phoebe watched in horror as her brother delivered the first swing. Finn's blade clanged audibly as he effortlessly defended himself with one hand looking away, until he decided to counter suddenly with a quick diagonal slash across the elemental's chest. Flint's flames dimmed significantly from the sudden blood loss and his blade dissipated as he was lifted with telekinesis shortly after. Instead of being thrown aside as Flint anticipated, he was quickly slammed straight into the ground face first. When he tried grunting through the pain to stand back up, Finn wasted no time and delivered a brutal curb stomp with a sickening thud. Cinnamon Bun rushed towards Finn with his lance after the fact, but the pastry being made only a few steps forward before finding himself flung on his back with both hands reaching covering his throat. CB suffered a horrible death as his flame shield instantly broke from the incision, losing air while being scorched alive from the Flame Kingdom's natural environment. Phoebe was fighting back tears as she readied her own sword to fight, but her defense was poor as her emotions took over. She had managed to protect herself from the first five slashes before it stopped at a power struggle with her blade being held horizontally with two hands. She clenched her teeth as she tried not to falter on one knee, but then she felt cold all of sudden when a different blade pierced right through her stomach. She dropped to the side breathless as Finn retracted his grass sword, and the troops that once accompanied her were suddenly lying down dead in various poses. His eyes remained callous only to change slightly when a set of footsteps approached them.
"Well done, Finn," Bubblegum commended. "You have faced your final test."
"What will you have me do," Finn asked humbly in a ghostlike voice as he kneeled to her.
"Assemble the royals for a meeting," PB ordered. "It's time they know there's a new change in leadership!"
"As you wish," Finn said. Once he stood back up, he spared a quick glance that was unreadable to Phoebe before moving away at a brisk pace.
PB smiled to herself in satisfaction before kneeling down to the dying monarch. "Look around you," she whispered mockingly. "This is the only peace I can ever settle for with your people. With your civilization out of the way, the world can finally progress under my supervision."
"This isn't right," Phoebe argued weakly. "And you know the others will not condone this!"
"Of course," PB nodded sarcastically in realization. "Luckily for me, I have that covered... Well, it seems like I have a schedule to keep so I'm gonna go now. Auf wiedersen!"
Phoebe remained in the same curled up position as the world around her became enveloped in darkness. Part of her mind told her she should be long gone by now, but for some strange reason her body functioned despite the obvious fatal wound. Her ears began to pick up something flapping in the distance and once it got close enough, her eyes experienced temporary blindness. As her gaze recovered, she encountered a yellow luminous bird standing right in front of her.
"W-who are you," Phoebe asked.
"I am the Cosmic Owl," the deity replied. "A herald that foresees possible outcomes of the future. It is my sole duty for ensuring the balance that transpires on the planet Earth. In this case, I have been tasked to preserve the welfare of the Fire Kingdom."
"So," Phoebe asked. "None of this is real."
"It was a psychological test of your worst fears imagined," CO answered. "Bubblegum invading, using all of her past and present inventions, and your friends-"
"I get it," she interrupted with a pained grunt as she still lied in the same spot. "What was the point in that?"
CO leaned forward and eyed her directly, "Although the events are far from accurate in comparison, Ooo still remains in peril. As we speak, Princess Bubblegum has begun a last-ditch effort to destroy your people with the use of a modified gumball guardian. Your friends and family have managed to deliver your body to the last Sleeping Fire God so far, but it is you who must ultimately decide to return and save the balance." He then stepped aside, revealing a white doorway which showed an image of the Fire Giant's hangar. "They are waiting for you," he concluded as slowly vanished.
Phoebe began to crawl with agony as she saw the sight of Furnius and her father in view. Each time she reached forward, pain shot throughout her body urging her to stay and quit. Unfortunately for her, she had no time to give herself a break or else she would be inclined to stop altogether. Even though the doorway was merely ten feet away, the elemental felt like it was miles due to her current condition. When her fingers barely reached for the edge of the opening, she mustered all of her strength and willpower to throw herself outside to reality in one sudden motion.
