A while ago, Flame Princess was physically and mentally exhausted. She was still stricken with grief from the events of the evacuation, but continued to power through. It was difficult for her to move on as her thoughts constantly tormented her in her sleep. Everyday, she recalled the last moments she shared with her lost love. Everyday, she thought to herself about the many possibilities she could have done if stayed behind with her true love: Finn.
Now, here he was apparently dressed in a Phoenix Brigade uniform with his wrists handcuffed. It took Flame Princess and her guards a long minute to process this unexpected discovery.
Finally, Finn foisted a coy smile, "Heh... Hi FP, sorry I'm late."
The fire monarch rubbed her eyes momentarily. Then she approached him and felt his face lightly with her fingertips. Next, she stared deeply into his blue eyes. It was undeniable, this young human sitting before her was indeed her one and only.
Finn stared back into her gaze, "You're a sight for sore eyes, FP."
Seconds later, she slapped him across the cheek.
He expressed a look of shock, "Wha-, FP what did I (humph)!"
She smashed her lips against her love and held him tight. Her eyes were squeezed shut as she deepened the kiss with tears of joy. Moments later, Finn closed his eyes as he let his body relax and returned the kiss. The guards around the united couple looked away in embarrassment yanking their own collars.
Flame Princess broke for air but maintained her grip on Finn, "Idiot! Everyone's been worried sick because of you. Where in the Night-O-Sphere have you been?" She crashed her lips with his for the second time.
Finn chuckled, "It's a long story, Flame. But, can you get these cuffs off me please?"
She blushed, "Oh, sorry! Give me a sec." FP vaporized the restraints instantly, not bothering to use the key. After Finn was free, he properly returned the hug with his fiery girlfriend by wrapping his arms around her lower back.
"Can you take me to see Jake and the others," Finn asked.
FP wiped her eyes, "(sniff) Yeah, of course, Finn. They'll be happy to meet you too. Please follow me."
As they left the tent, the two were holding hands, fingers intertwined. As they walked through the base, all of the soldiers nearby stopped their activities with expressions of genuine surprise. Finn the human was clearly alive and he was not a hallucination. Slowly, everyone followed the couple as the two regrouped with Jake and the others.
"Finn! You're alive," Jake exclaimed as he gave him a big hug.
"I'll be, the weenie didn't buy it," Marceline said as she flew towards him.
The entire base was filled with an uplifting atmosphere as Finn was dog piled from all of his best friends. After a while, they gave him some space and began asking questions.
Finn laughed as he motioned everyone to calm down, "Ok, ok! I'll start from the beginning alright? I'll do my best to explain in an orderly, condensed fashion."
His friends complied and eagerly awaited his story.
"So here it goes: It all started back at the bridge during the evacuation. As you remember, it was just Anthony, Benji, Hartsock, and myself. We were about to make it home-free when we reached the halfway point until this guy named Ramirez showed up." He frowned, "Unfortunately, Anthony and Hartsock didn't make it. Anyway, I fought against Ramirez toe to toe. He put up a good fight, but before we got the chance to finish, the bridge was collapsing from his own artillery unit. I saw him teleport to safety into a flash of flames to the other side, while I made a break for it."
He looked down, "I was too late. The bridge split in front of me before I could escape. At the time, I thought it was over for me. My life flashed before my eyes and I thought I would never see all of you again."
His friends all looked down simultaneously.
Finn lifted his head and continued, "But somehow, I survived and learned a couple things." He looked over to Flame Princess, "Do you remember when I told you I was fire resistant after my adventure from the Night-O-Sphere?"
She nodded in realization, "Of course, the lava below you wouldn't melt your body. But... that fall was at least several hundred feet. I didn't think anyone could survive that!"
Finn rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, in a way, I thought my immunity to fire was only strong enough to a certain extent. I never thought it would be able to withstand lava directly. And ...uh I guess you could say I'm stronger than I look." He shrugged then chuckled, "Now I know for sure I can swim in lava like the ocean. I guess the only thing left to test out is to see if I can walk directly into the sun."
Everyone laughed at the absurdity of the prospect.
"Anyway," Finn continued. "Sometime later, I found myself washed up on shore. There were these nomads who just so happened to be traveling nearby. They were good folks as they gave me food, clothing, and shelter. But then the Phoenix Brigade conducted a raid shortly after my rescue. I managed to stop them, but I knew they would get suspicious if they realized one of their patrols never returned. So, as a result, I went undercover as the sole survivor of the team."
His friends kept quiet as they listened intently.
"For 2 weeks, I have been gathering information from the Phoenix Brigade. I spent most of my time learning the layouts of the kingdom's defenses and learning more about their strategies. Once I gathered enough, I planned on meeting with all of you at one of the outposts. I couldn't call you guys ahead of time because they were constantly monitoring their radio frequency. If I tried to take that chance, Flame King would amp up security from the moment he discovers a spy within his ranks, and all the information I have would be useless."
Jake asked, "Wait a second, if you've been alive this whole time. Why didn't you call us or let us know before then?"
Finn answered, "I may be fire-proof, but sadly my phone isn't. All I had at the time was my silver sword and the clothes on my back." Then he looked at his right arm, "And of course, my grass sword. I guess it's fused with my DNA somehow so it never disintegrated from the lava. I'm sorry bro."
"(sigh) That's fine. All that matters now is you're here," Jake finalized.
"Ok," Finn clasped his hands together. "Now that we're all on the same page, how are we doing with our resources?"
Bubblegum looked down, "Not good, Finn. We've lost a great deal of our artillery back from that last fight. Some of our men on the front reported that a cavalier unit was responsible."
Finn narrowed his eyes, "There's only one team I know that is capable of performing such a feat: the Crimson Gauntlet. They are an elite task force led by none other than yours truly, Ramirez. One of their specialties is that they like to use deception by dressing in ordinary uniforms. This is to make the enemy, which is us, to underestimate them. What this also does is that it inspires the men into believing that the average soldier can do extraordinary things. Therefore, each and every Phoenix knight will be tenacious in battle. If we take out Ramirez and his squad, we will be able to deal a crushing blow to their morale and the Phoenix Brigade will crumble from the inside out."
Marceline threw her hands in the air, "Well, that's just great! Flame King has his own 'Delta Force' that could single-handedly win the war without our help. How are we supposed to take them down if can't see them coming?"
"Just as Flame King has his own personal task force, we must also have the same," Finn replied.
"But, aren't we the ones who make up our own version," Betty asked as she gestured to all of their friends.
"No," Finn said. "We need to continue and focus support with the main infantry. If we go through all the trouble just to look for them, they'll already cut down our troops before we even realize it. It is imperative that we assist our troopers or else we'll never have the energy to make it to the city and palace."
"So, what now," Jake asked. "We can't just ignore them."
"I have plan, but first I have some questions. Bubblegum, how long will it take for reinforcements to arrive?"
PB answered, "About 2 weeks."
"Good, and can you also call Rattleballs to visit for about 4 weeks?"
"I can do that, Finn. But, where are you going with this?"
Finn smiled, "He's going to help us train a select group of soldiers who will be forged into the team we need to win this war."
"But, wouldn't Flame King try to attack us before we could get the chance to train anyone?"
"Nope, from what I've learned, Flame King will follow standard procedure and only send in his troops if we try to bombard the city wall again. He plans on waiting us out until we've run dry of supplies and withdraw from the outskirts. And even though you said our reinforcements will arrive in 2 weeks, we need the extra 2 weeks so that our team can be properly conditioned in an efficient matter. The training will be extremely rigorous, but those who pass will be chiseled like diamonds," Finn gave a reassuring smile.
Bubblegum nodded, "Ok, Finn. I'll contact Rattleballs. I just hope your information isn't outdated for everyone's sake."
A few hours later, Rattleballs arrived at the liberation base indiscreetly. He was still wanted from the Candy Kingdom by being branded as a dangerous threat. Despite this, the master swordsman continued to live his life protecting the said kingdom in secrecy.
"Finn, Bubblegum, it's good to see you again. What can I do for you," Rattleballs asked.
"Nice to meet you again, RB," Finn said bowing as a sign of respect. "We need your help to train a group of soldiers to fend off the Crimson Gauntlet."
"Yes, I've heard of them. They are indeed a force to be reckoned with. I will train your men so that they can unleash their full potential in combat. Have you already chosen your candidates?"
Finn nodded, "Yes, master."
"Have you also told them about how demanding this training would be. This is not something for the faint of the heart."
"They are aware, RB."
"Very well, Finn. I shall start training first thing in the morning. You are also my best student, so perhaps you can participate and assist them with their techniques. You might even refine your skills in doing so."
"I'll show them the ropes, Rattleballs. Thank you."
The robot guardian left. Then, Bubblegum said to Finn, "Do you think this will work?"
"If I can handle it, then I'm sure they can as well. All we need to do is have faith in them."
"I think I will have a better chance at calculating probabilities than depend on such a notion," she said skeptically.
Finn sighed, "Just trust me on this one, ok PB? Everything will work out for the best."
The next day, Rattleballs, Finn, and the selected knights begun their training session. Just as the robot guardian stated, the regime was indeed demanding. The session was divided into 3 exercises: physical training, meditation, and sword technique. Each day, the knights trained from 6 in the morning to 9 in the evening. They woke up with sore muscles every time with aching knuckles. The only free time they had was when they ate, slept, and relieved themselves.
As the final training day was coming to a close, Benji was being evaluated by his fellow knights in practice. Just like the others, he managed to endure the ordeal from physical training and meditation. However, he continued to struggle with the last sword technique: the Shadow Thrust.
He threw his arms down in exasperation, "Arrgh! It's no use! I can do everything else except this lousy move!"
Finn walked up beside him, "I know how you're feeling. When I look at you, I feel like I'm watching a reflection of my past self. The Shadow Thrust requires 2 things: form and control. You have done a great job achieving the proper stance, but you need to balance your heart and mind."
"I'm trying Finn, I really am. I have so anger and torment in me that I just can't concentrate," Benji said as he looked down.
"When I was in your position, I struggled to perform the Shadow Thrust too because I was also conflicted with my emotions. For a long time, I gave up on it and decided to practice on the basics. But eventually, I knew that I couldn't just leave my problems unresolved." He placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, "You must learn to let go. Only then will you be able to achieve balance in your heart, mind, and soul."
He nodded, "Ok... I will try." The young knight readied his sword as he looked at the practice dummy.
"Remember, calm your mind and breathe in slow. Let the pain of your brother's loss fade away."
Benji closed his eyes as he tried to overcome his internal struggle. He squeezed his eyes even tighter as the memories of loss swirled within his thoughts. But after a while, he allowed the pain to slowly leave his body like a passing storm. Then, he took several deep breaths. Once he opened his eyes, he zipped past the target and discovered it split seconds later.
Everyone cheered and applauded the young knight's accomplishment. "You did it," Finn said. "You actually did it!"
Ben's eyes widened in realization, "I can't believe it! Thanks, Finn. Oh, and I almost forgot. I'm sorry about knocking you out earlier." He said sheepishly at the last part.
"Ah, you couldn't have known. Besides, all I've done was offer advice, but it was you who pulled through in the end." The two hugged and patted each other's backs. "Go now. Your training is over. Take as much R&R as you can because tomorrow we've got a war to finish."
He saluted, "Yes, sir!" Then, he ran back to his tent feeling giddy from his accomplishment.
"Do you think they'll be ready," Rattleballs asked Finn as he approached his side.
"I believe so," Finn reassured. "Sure they could use some more work, but they've managed to get the just of it. Thank you for coming, master." Both of them bowed to each other.
"I must go, the Candy Kingdom must be protected. Guide these men well, Finn." He departed swiftly into the night.
As Finn waved goodbye to his teacher, Flame Princess approached him, "Well, it looks like you finally have your team."
"Yup, and tomorrow we'll cripple the heart of the Phoenix Brigade."
She nodded, "So, do you have a name for them?"
He thought for a few moments then smiled, "I've done some social studies based on my people who lived before the Mushroom War that I know exactly what to call them." Finn paused then continued, "They are the first to fight, to restore order to the Fire Kingdom, and to usher in a new era of peace. They are...the Fiery Crusaders."