"I'm so happy that you two decided to visit us today!"

Peppermint nodded, glancing over at Braco. His crystal-blue eyes were completely focused on the floor, his jaw set in tension. He refused to meet the other's gaze.

Finn grinned. "Someone's angry."

"My partner and I had a little argument a few days ago," the prince mumbled, "Let's focus on the topic at hand, shall we?"

"Of course," the ice wizard said, kicking back in his icy throne and propping his feet up on the table. His frozen dog sat next to him, its eyes a dull chartreuse and his skin a disgusting orange-brown. Its mouth was open, incisors bared, as if about to take a chomp out of something, and radioactive slobber oozed from its jaws.

Peppermint, unnerved by the canine, removed a small slip of paper from his crimson jacket, setting it on the frost-covered table. "I believe I have found a place retrieve a human for you. It's farther on the outskirts of Ooo."

"Ooh, I know that place!" Finn exclaimed, pointing to the gray island of interest on the left of the map.

"Yes, Sanctum Island. It's a famous black market that has nearly everything you could ask for. I've managed to contact some people that may be able to buy a human for you."

The Ice Prince clapped his hands joyfully, his Cheshire-like grin growing nearly impossibly wide. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!" he said happily, "Thank you very much!"

Peppermint just slightly smiled. "However, there's a catch."

"Yes? What?"

"First of all, this is very expensive. More expensive than the entire stash of Darkus midnite in your kingdom. I will require sufficient payment."

"Of course. What else?"

"It's a girl."

Finn paused, his face contorting into one of confusion. "Excuse me?"

"The human is a girl, and it's the only one available."

"There are no boys?"

"Unfortunately not."

Finn growled, rubbing his temple. "That sucks."

Peppermint frowned, shrugging. "Considering the circumstances, at least you got a human." He heard a small sound from his right, and turned to find Braco shivering with chattering teeth. "Are you cold?" he asked.

The brunette shot him a look that was colder than the air in the room, pulling out a jacket and wrapping it around himself, looking back to the floor. The albino's face fell.

"Well, no matter. I will pay you back in any way you wish," Finn said suddenly.

"Excellent."

The wizard chuckled darkly. "I know that look, Prince Peppermint."

"Do you now?"

"Yes, I do. You want something either illegal or forbidden."

"I can get anything illegal or forbidden I want. Actually, all I want is your help with something."

"Something illegal or forbidden?"

"No, something magical."

Finn leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands. "Go on."

"My eye has been hurting me terribly," Peppermint said, touching a finger to his eyepatch, "I know of a spell that could soothe my pain. All I need is a bit of your ice magic."

"Really? Just a bit?"

"Yes. There is a certain healing incantation that requires wizard-created ice. Hopefully, I can retrieve the other ingredients as well and get rid of this stupid headache."

He felt a sharp kick to his shin and stifled a yelp of pain. When he looked over at Braco, the smaller man was giving him a look of disdain and anger. Peppermint chuckled nervously under his breath, remembering that his fiancee could now see through his lies.

"Of course. We know you must be suffering," Finn chuckled, patting the frozen bulldog on the table.

The prince flashed a strained smile, rubbing his throbbing ankle. "I will set out tomorrow to retrieve the human girl."

"Wonderful! Would it be too much to ask for it by this Friday?"

"Of course not."

Finn smiled, standing in unison with the other wizard. The two firmly shook hands. With a final nod, the two candy princes departed from the ice mountain.

The silence walking down the slippery path was almost unbearable for Peppermint. "I'm sorry for lying," he finally mumbled.

"Wow. That took you three whole days," Braco hissed, the tip of his nose a pale blue with cold.

"I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to be worried about me," the albino added, hugging his arms into his chest. It was really cold, and he grew up in the section of the Nightosphere where they tortured people by freezing them to the brink of death. "I can handle a stupid curse. Ogdoad is a weakling."

"You say that, and then I find you on the floor, bleeding from the mouth, covered in the veins that nearly killed me," the brunette responded, his voice wavering. He sounded like he was about to cry.

"Braco," Peppermint whispered, setting a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

"You reminded me of myself, okay?" Braco choked out, "How I felt back then. I don't want you going through that."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"Too late," the man with sugar crystals in his hair snapped, turning his head away from the other. Peppermint opened his mouth as if to say something, then wisely closed it.

When they finally reached the base of the jagged, icy landform, a carriage was waiting. The two climbed in, resting on the plush seats as the wooden contraption rattled off, moved by two enormous black stallions.

"I trust that you'll look after the kingdom while I'm gone," the albino muttered, resting his chin in his hand.

"I'm coming with you to Sanctum."

If the prince had been drinking water, he probably would've spit-taked all over his fiancee's face. "Excuse me?!"

"I'm coming with you," Braco muttered, crossing his arms and legs, the look on his face making him appear to be the dark wizard, and Peppermint the innocent, weak one.

"You're not coming with me."

"I've already made up my mind."

"You can't go there."

"Too late, already decided."

"Who will watch the kingdom?"

"I've asked Cinnamon Bun."

Peppermint groaned. "I admit that he may be the best choice for the job, but it's simply too dangerous for you."

"You can't even walk for thirty minutes straight without passing out."

"You don't have magic."

"I have a sword."

Their eyes locked, red and blue clashing ferociously. After a tediously long pause, the red and white-haired wizard sighed loudly and hissed, "Fine."

"Glad we came to an agreement," Braco answered, his gaze moving to the carriage window.

Peppermint growled under his breath, sounding almost animal-like, and set his chin in his hand. It was going to be a long journey.

"Welcome to Sanctum Island," Peppermint muttered, his words tinged with sarcastic cheer.

The scene around the two looked like something out of a dystopia. Murky grey clouds covered the sky, and the street they stood on was paved with mismatched cobblestones, some sticking out of the ground at awkward angles. Lining the crooked pathway were a multitude of black tents, filled with merchants and shoppers. Despite the foreboding atmosphere, the area was stuffed to the gills with people.

Peppermint was wrapped in a black cloak, his hair pulled into a ponytail. Braco, on the other hand, was wearing a violet cape. "Where's the person selling the human?" the brunette asked, grimacing as a horde of tiny children rushed by, smacking him aside.

"At the end," Peppermint replied, scratching the back of his scalp. The tension between him and his fiancee wasn't as thick anymore, but nonetheless, it still was there.

The trek to the island was not the most pleasant. Peppermint had to push himself to not appear exhausted, feeling Braco's ever-watching gaze on him. If he appeared to be burned out at all, or if he showed any pain radiating from his eye, he knew that his fiancee would never let him hear the end of it. He had to show the brunette that he could have traveled here by himself.

They walked through the crowd like salmon swimming upstream, fighting the large clumps and mobs of people blocking their path. A group of girls were sitting on a street corner, all wearing form-fitting clothing and sporting green skin and purple hair. "Hey, hotties!" one called, waving her bottle of soda in their direction,

The princes stopped, glancing over at the two. "Us?" Peppermint questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Nice hair!" the woman giggled.

"Bet you two look reallll good underneath those cloaks!" another shouted.

Braco frowned, a light pink dusting his yellow-tinted cheeks. He moved to depart until Peppermint grabbed his arm. "Follow my lead," the albino whispered quickly, walking over to the gaggle of girls and saying, "Do you happen to know where we could find 'Adam?'"

The women fell silent, then chuckled in unison. "Right this way," a taller woman said, and the group stood up, beckoning the two into the tavern across the street.

"Who's Adam?" Braco asked, but Peppermint had his lips sealed.

When they entered the building, they were surprised to find it nearly empty. Their guides led them into a back room, which was empty, save for them and the two guests.

To Braco's shock, the girls grouped into a tight huddle, and a green ooze suddenly enveloped them, erupting like a geyser. When the goop disappeared, one woman was standing in their place. She was at least nine feet tall, with blue hair and pale white skin. "So nice of you to visit again, Peppermint," she said with a smirk.

The prince bowed, grinning. "The lovely Avedelis."

"I haven't seen you since you left the Nightosphere. What was that, a century ago?" she chuckled, stepping over to the corner of the room and tracing a few symbols on the wall. With a flash, the space was suddenly transformed into a study, with books piled high on desks and bookshelves looming yards overhead.

"It feels like longer," the wizard answered, rubbing the back of his head, "Do you have what I asked?"

"Of course," the witch responded, smiling, "But time travel isn't easy. You're okay with what I got?"

"I'll make do," Peppermint replied.

The woman glanced over at his face, pointing at him. "Nice eyepatch. New fashion trend?"

"Nightospheric-Demon chic has always been the thing," the wizard answered, striking a flamboyant pose.

She chuckled, then moved her gaze over to Peppermint's partner. "Why don't you introduce your friend over there?"

Peppermint glanced over to Braco, who was standing awkwardly in the corner of the room and not looking happy. "Oh, of course. My apologies, darling," he said, stepping over to the brunette. Braco rolled his big, cyan eyes. "This is Braco, my fiancee."

"Wow, Peps. Didn't think you were going to lean that way."

"Are you kidding me? I think everyone expected that," the prince said, blushing slightly.

"Oh, right. I remember that...affair...you had with Death."

Braco looked over at the taller man, his face contorted into one of shock and disgust. "You dated Death?!"

"Well, yes, but it was only for a short time…"

"So you made out with Death?!" the brunette gaped.

"Um, no, we didn't quite get that far. And it's hard to do that when your partner is a skull..."

"What else are you not telling me?! Did you do Tier Fifteen with some demon?"

"I don't think so…"

"Oh my Glob, you totally did."

"Well, it's hard to remember when you've been around for centuries."

"You'd think you'd remember something like that! You haven't even done that with me!"

"We haven't?"

"No, we haven't."

The prince paused, his face blank. "I thought we did."

"Unbelievable."

Avedelis snickered. "You two are so perfect for each other."

"Shut up!" the two fired back in unison.

She smiled puckishly, then said, "I'm sure you want to see her?" When she received a nod in reply, she waved her hand towards a door in the back of the room.

When the door swung open, creaking ominously, light bled out into the dark room. They were greeted with the anguished screeches of caged animals, the sounds of metal bars clattering, and the wafting stench of blood. Braco shivered from head to toe, obviously unnerved. Peppermint noticed, wrapping an arm around the smaller man. To his surprise, Braco did not resist, and instead moved into his touch.

Avedelis stepped forward, her dress long and making her appear as if she was gliding across the stone. The princes followed cautiously, the brunette glancing into the cages and finding horrible creatures staring at him with glassy eyes.

They made it to the far corner of the room, where a large cage was looming above them. "Here she is," the witch mumbled, tugging on the cloth covering the box.

A girl was sitting inside, wearing a brown tunic and wrapped in a burgundy blanket. Her hair was long, almost impossibly so, dirty blond and shiny. Despite her sad situation, her eyes were blazing.

"This is her?" Braco murmured, "She doesn't look that different from us."

"Well, humans are very similar to us," Avedelis answered.

Peppermint walked up to the cage, stooping and making eye contact with the girl. She narrowed her blue eyes, staring the prince down as if she wasn't afraid in the slightest. Her gaze just slightly unnerved the wizard, so he stood, facing Avedelis. "Do you have a rune circle I can borrow?" he asked.

"Of course," she answered, "but that's meant for complicated teleportation spells. I didn't know that you knew that magic."

"I've always known that. I've just never used it in front of you."

"On second thought," Braco interrupted quickly, seizing the taller man's arm before he could leave, "We'll just send the money over with our servants." When Peppermint shot him a bewildered look, he retaliated with a firm look, as if silently scolding his fiancee for using complicated magic in his condition.

"Are you sure? That might take a lot more effort."

"We're sure," the brunette responded. Peppermint growled.

"Alright, but I'd like my payment in a week," Avedelis mumbled, fiddling with a keyring and unlocking the cage. The human stepped forward, the frustrated look on her face unwavering.

"Hello, m'lady. My name is Prince Peppermint of the Candy Kingdom, and this is Braco, my partner," the albino said, bowing to the girl, "We'll be escorting you to your new owner, a wonderful young man named Finn." Braco bowed as well, but his movements seemed rigid.

"Hi," the teenager responded.

"You can talk?" the blue-eyed man asked, surprised.

"Yes, I can," she replied, crossing her arms, "and I would like to go home."

The two princes glanced at each other, exchanging silent words. "Well, come with us," Peppermint said, beckoning the woman forward. She sighed under her breath, stepping over to their side. She seemed dejected. "Thanks again, Avedelis," the prince said, smiling.

"No problem, Peps. If you ever need anything, just stop by," she responded, waving them goodbye. With that, the three left the building, stepping back out into the crowded street.

"So, what's your name?" Peppermint asked the girl as they walked down the pathway.

"Bonnie," was the reply.

"Lovely name," Braco chimed in. It was painfully obvious that the two men were very uncomfortable around her.

"So, you two are dating?" she suddenly asked.

"Um, yes," Peppermint said, a bit taken aback by the question.

"And you are a wizard?"

"Yes, I am."

"There's no such thing as magic," she said firmly, crossing your arms, "You're misinterpreting scientific reactions and chemical energy as 'spells.'"

That statement is what really shocked the prince. "Excuse me? Magic does exist."

"No, it doesn't."

The wizard fought the urge to glare, instead choosing to smile, a strained gesture. "Really? Then how come I can do this?" he asked, snapping his fingers. A small ball of blue fire erupted in his palm, crackling and its flames licking the fabric of his red glove.

"You're adjusting the oxygen levels of the air, and it's reacting with chemicals inside your glove," Bonnie answered matter-of-factly.

Peppermint frowned, extinguishing the flame. "What about this?" He flicked his wrist, and a small mouse appeared between his fingers. The rodent squealed, thrashing around in his grasp, and he cocked an eyebrow in victory.

"Party tricks. You could have been hiding the mouse in your sleeve or pocket."

The prince's crimson eye narrowed. Maybe if he summoned an enormous black dragon, she would believe him. However, Braco predicted his actions, closing his hand around the other and intertwining their fingers. "He'll show you some more magic later on," the brunette said dismissively.

As the sun set low on the horizon, they checked into a motel on the outskirts of the island. "You can sleep over here," Peppermint said to the girl, patting the beat-up couch.

Bonnie appeared unamused as she sat on the cushions, laying down and facing away from the prince. "Alright, goodnight," the albino muttered, closing the door leading into the other bedroom behind him. He sighed, ripping at his suit and cloak and tossing the clothes aside.

Braco was laying on the bed, nose deep into a book labeled Mind Games. Peppermint blushed, noticing that the smaller man was only clad in plain, flattering black boxers.

The brunette dropped his book, glancing over at the other. "What."

"You look good," the wizard murmured, his eyes trailing over the other's chest.

"Pshh," Braco mumbled, rolling over on his other side.

Peppermint, after stripping to his undershirt and pants, climbed into the bed. The mattress was smaller than the one in the castle, so the two were pressed against each other like the two bread slices in a sandwich. Braco pushed away from the other in protest, but Peppermint wrapped his arms around the other's waist, pulling him closer. "I miss you," the prince whispered.

"You lied to me, Peppermint. It's gonna take a while for me to forgive you," the brunette answered, "I don't want you to hide things from me anymore. I don't want you suffering because of me."

"From now on, I'm an open book," he replied, touching his forehead to the other's.

"Do you mean it?"

"Yeah."

Braco furrowed his brow in thought. "Okay," he finally replied.

Peppermint smiled, tilting his head forward just slightly and brushing his lips against Braco's. The brunette hummed in content, pressing his own against the other's. Their kiss was soft, passionate, and welcoming, each movement carefully thought out. The albino moved a milky white hand up to the other's hair, running his fingers over the other's sugar crystals.

When they parted, the red-eyed man smiled. "I like this new you."

"What do you mean?"

"Assertive. Confident. Not letting anyone tell you who's boss," he responded, kissing the shorter's fingertips, "It's sexy."

Braco smirked, running his hand over the smooth skin of the wizard's back. "How do you know that that hasn't been me the whole time?" The prince chuckled in response.

Then, to his shock, his vision went completely black.

Red flames bled into the midnight, illuminating two coal-black eyes that sported blazing green pupils. "Welcome, Prince Peppermint," a deep, grating voice welcomed.

"And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?" the wizard responded, narrowing his eye.

"I'm sure you have heard of me."

"Very specific answer there."

The creature chuckled. "I am Ogdoad."

Peppermint frowned. "Ah, right. You were the one who cursed Braco."

"Yes, and now I have cursed you. How's that going for you, by the way?"

"All fine and dandy, yes-sir-ee."

"I am not one to appreciate sarcasm."

The prince rolled his eye. "Sheesh."

"I take it that you were not expecting this magnitude of power to come from someone like me."

"Unfortunately, most of the curse's power is not yours to begin with."

The demon seemed taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"Taking over a human like Braco is easy, who possesses almost no demonic power," the wizard continued, crossing his arms, "You only need a small amount of energy to enforce the curse. However, your spell has another element inside of it.

"You are a demon that feeds off the energy of others. You're like a leech. If your curse is somehow transferred, as I have done, it adapts. Unfortunately, that small amount of power you used isn't enough to overpower me. So, the curse is slowly eating away at my demonic energy. Whenever I use magic, my energy drops, and the curse thus has to begin to consume my life energy, which is why the veins appear on my external form." He paused to stare into the teal pupils of the other. "Am I correct?"

"Well done, prince," the demon said, "but how much energy do you think you possess?"

"Enough to last me long enough to kick your butt."

"Very mature."

"I'm only a few centuries old, Ogdoad, you have to expect that I still find humor in butt jokes."

"I will admit that they are rather funny."

Peppermint grinned. "Anyway, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to check in on you, see how well you were holding up. You're taking this surprisingly well. However, I'm sure you will admit that you are weakening."

"I only call myself weak when I can't stand."

Ogdoad's eyes narrowed sinisterly. "That can be arranged," he whispered, "Until we meet again, Prince Peppermint." The blank space erupted into green flame.

He blacked out again, and when he woke, he was back in the bedroom, Braco leaning over him and appearing distressed. "Peppermint!" he gasped.

The prince growled in a frighteningly feral manner, moving to sit up. The brunette pushed him down, his expression concerned and firm. "No, stop trying to move," he commanded, "You just passed out."

Peppermint tilted his head back, groaning. His feet and hands felt like molten lead, and he could feel the veins crawling down his face and neck. This time, however, they continued down, slithering over his shoulders and creeping down his arms. Braco's brow furrowed as he bit his lip. "It looks bad. Are you in pain?"

"No," the prince wheezed, mustering up a smile.

"Stop lying," Braco commanded, "Can you heal yourself?"

"Yes," he replied.

"I told you to stop lying."

Peppermint sighed. "Just help me already," he murmured.

Braco reached down into the knapsack he had brought with him, removing a vial of clear liquid. He poured some on his fingers. Peppermint could not restrain a suggestive eyebrow wiggle. "Stop. That's not happening yet," the brunette sputtered, blushing and rubbing his hands over the veins.

The albino breathed a low, slow sigh of relief as he felt the curse recede. "Ogdoad's getting stronger," he mumbled.

"I know," Braco whispered, leaning over to peck the other on the cheek, "Then you just have to get stronger too."

Author's Note:

Thanks for putting up with my odd story thus far.

The term "Adam" that Peppermint uses is related to "Code Adam", a phrase that department stores use to alert of a missing child without raising panic.

Next chapter, expect Marceline, Peace Master, and the Council once again. It may take a little while to come out, so bear with me whilst I juggle my schoolwork.

Thanks for reading!

Ci