"So now what?" Finn asks, "What's the plan?"
"We snap Simon out of his insanity," Gunter states plainly.
"it's not that simple and you know it," Marceline informs, "You cant just talk to him and get him to come back"
"Not the way you were doing it," Gunter jokes, "You know anything in regards to the human psyche do you?"
"The human what?" Finn asks.
"The Human Psyche, the human mind." Gunter defines, "From your description it seems as if the man's lost his sense of self, thanks to the crown taking over every aspect of his life."
"Stop talking sciency!" Finn pleads, "English!"
"The crown's taken over his mind…" Gunter says in a British accent, "Meaning that all we have to do is weaken the crown's effect then talk to him."
"I've done that, I've taken the crown before but it didn't help." Marceline informs.
"Yes you tried reminding him of himself," Gunter adds, "You haven't tried talking about something he truly cared for."
"Okay, now you've lost me," Marceline says slapping her forehead.
"The man had a life before the crown you know." He continues, "And that life revolved around one person. His fiancée Betty."
"Yeah I know, I've tried talking about that before," She explains.
"Yes but as far as he was concerned he already had Betty right next to him." Gunter says, "He's been carrying around this picture of her ever since he lost his mind."
He pulls out a small 3X5 picture of a red headed woman wearing a lab coat, and places it on the table.
"This is what he's been looking for so desperately lately." Gunter explains, "the one thing that has kept him under control."
"What makes you think that this photo is so important?" Marceline asks.
"It fits," Gunter states plainly.
"That's it?" Finn asks, "You have no idea what you're doing do you?"
"This is going to work!" Gunter reassures, "and even if it doesn't, what do we have to loose?"
"Hope," Marceline says, "I can't take this anymore Gunter… I've tried so many times and nothing has worked. Now you come in, talking crap about how you can help him, getting my hopes up, making me believe that he will be okay again!"
"But I can, I know it!" Gunter tries to pursue.
"You better," She says, "Now tell me what I'm suppose to do."
"Alright here's the plan," Gunter begins laying out his strategy for breaking the crown's control, and then they set out for the Ice King's palace.
When they arrive the entrance is just as messy as it was before. They carefully walk through the filth and search for the crazy old man.
"Mr. Petrikov!" Gunter yells.
"SIMON!" Marcy shouts.
"YO ICE KING!" Jake calls.
Gunter turns to Jake and says, "Don't call him that."
"Oh right sorry," Jake responds, "YO PETRKOV!"
"He's not here…" Marceline suggests, "Maybe he's flying around looking for the photo…"
"No… I think he's still here." Gunter retorts, "Come on there's one more room we should check."
The follow Gunter through the Ice King's palace to the stair way that leads to the "the past room." They enter and miraculously the old man is there still searching through his bureau, rummaging through stacks of papers.
"It has to be here!" He says not noticing that four people have now entered the room.
"Excuse me…" Gunter says walking toward the Ice King, "Is this what you are looking for?"
Finn, Jake, and Marceline nonchalantly surround him and ready themselves to initiate the plan.
"YES!" The Ice King shouts with joy, but then his demeanor drastically changes, "You stole it from me didn't you! GIVE IT BACK!"
He starts floating in the air but Jake quickly stretches over him and pins him to the ground while Finn picks up his crown.
"Hey guys are you gonna help me get my picture back?" He asks worriedly, "Why did you take my crown?"
"Yeah IK, we're gonna help you get it back." Finn says feeling sorry for the old man pinned to the ground.
"Good, can I have my crown back I kinda need it." He says.
"Yeah sure, go on Finn give it back." Gunter instructs, "But if you put that crown on again, then I'll burn this photo!"
"NO!" The Ice King shouts, "I'LL FREEZE YOU!"
"You have to choose," Gunter holding the photo just out of the Ice Kings reach, "Your crown, or the photo!"
"That's mine!" The Ice King yells, "Give me back my photo!"
"Good choice, but..." Gunter responds, "I don't think it belongs to you though."
"Well it is," The man responds, "So give it back!"
"Nah," Gunter answers, "I still don't believe you're the rightful owner of this photograph."
Gunter begins pacing around holding the picture in front of him and the Ice King can only watch as his picture is in the hands of someone he's never meet before.
"What will it take?" The Ice King begs, "What do you want for my photo?"
"A few questions, that's all," Gunter answers, "First off, who is this in the picture?"
"Who is that?" The Ice King asks, "I don't… I don't remember, but she is so familiar"
"Wrong answer!" Gunter shouts. He takes the photo and holds it in both hands. There is a small tearing sound as Gunter begins ripping the photograph right down the center.
"NO STOP!" The Ice King pleads, "I… I'm beginning to remember… I think… her name is… IS… b… b… Beatrice?"
Gunter tears a little further.
"Stop it!" Finn says, "This isn't working."
"NO please stop, stop ripping Betty's picture…" The Ice King sobs.
As he sobs his beard grows shorter, as does his nose.
"Look at that!" Marceline exclaims, "Keep it up Gunter It's working!"
"Good Job!" Gunter says with an encouraging voice, "Now who is she?"
"I… I just told you, her name is Betty," The Ice King says confused.
"Noooo, who is she to you?" Gunter explains, "What is the relationship between you two?"
"What? I… I don't understand?" The Ice King says, "She was… She was my…"
"She was your?" Gunter continues, "She was your what?"
"My… My princess…." The Ice King says looking into the Betty's eyes as his beard and nose begin to shorten a little more.
"Close, the actual answer was fiancée, but your cute little pet name will due just fine." Gunter says doing his best game show host voice.
"Can I have the picture now?" The feeble king asks.
"Nope!" Gunter exclaims, "few more questions."
He puts the picture in his pocket, and walks closer to the King.
"Now, Who are you?" Gunter asks.
"Well I'm the Ice King," He says frankly, "Who are you?"
"I'm gu…. Ohhh you sly dog, you almost got me off the subject," Gunter laughs, "Now, tell me your name, your REAL name."
"My real name?" The Ice King says with memories being jogged, "What was my real name?"
"I don't know, but if you don't answer soon, I'll rip her picture to shreds," Gunter says with a happy grin.
"No, I… I remember…" The Ice King thinks long and hard. It's right on the tip of his tongue, but he just can't remember his old name.
"You crazy old man, you cant even remember your own name?" Marceline says concerned, "Come on think!"
"Marcy… Marcy is that you?" The Old man's beard and nose are now almost as short as they were when Marceline new him. "I remember now, my name is Simon, Simon Petrikov, I was an antiquarian then I found the crown and things spiraled into insanity…"
"SIMON!" Marceline says rushing to hug her old friend.
Jake releases Simon, now that he now has control of his mind.
He hugs her and then looks to Gunter saying, "Thank you for bringing me back, can I… can I have the picture back now?"
"No…" Gunter says with a serious face, "I still have one question… Who am I?"
"I don't know, I've never meet you before in my life," Simon say bewildered by Gunter's question.
"No, you've never meet me you're right, but you know me." Gunter says, "You named me for Pete's sake"
"You're my…. You're my son?" Simon says shocked. His beard is now gone completely, and his nose is now to normal length. "But Betty and I…. She wasn't pregnant was she?"
"She was…" Gunter answers, "Finn, throw me the crown."
Finn throws him the crown and asks, "Why?"
"Simon, You need to put the crown on." Gunter is dead serious; there isn't a hint of doubt in his voice yet he knows exactly what he's asking his father to do.
"WHAT?!" everyone says in a chorus. Simon and Marceline stand up and back away from Gunter.
"I know that this sounds insane, but think." Gunter says standing up slowly, "No human has lived for as long as you have, you are over a thousand years old."
"So, I feel fine," Simon, says. (Stand on your right leg) Simon says (Sit back in your chair and continue reading the story)
"Listen you weren't in a freezing chamber for the last millennium like I was!" Gunter explains, "The only thing that's kept you alive was the magic of that crown, and now it's gone."
"So" Marceline asks.
"SO?" Gunter repeats, "His body will start breaking down with out the crown's magic, "
Simon cough's and a spurt of blood comes out of his mouth. Everyone stares at the blood for a second, hoping, praying that Gunter was wrong. Hoping that Simon is fine, JUST fine, and that everyone will be able go home and be happy now that Simon's healthy again, and that he's sane again. But as Simon coughs up another spurt of blood they know that isn't the case.
"Do I have to go insane again?" Simon asks taking the crown from Gunter
"Only if you cant control it," Gunter answers, "If you can control it then maybe you'll be fine."
"How am I supposed to do that?" Simon says. His face now Thinner and paler
"You've been using it's magic for how many years now?" Gunter asks, "You just have to do it without the crown's help."
"I don't think I can do it!" Simon responds.
"If you cant do it for you, then do it for Betty," Gunter continues, "Do it for Marcy, do it for the people you've been annoying for the past millennium"
"Okay," Simon says placing the crown on his head. As soon as the crown is back on his head it immediately tries to take control of him again. Simon's beard grows back along with his nose; He begins floating in the air with an icy aura around his hands.
He starts laughing hysterically and the room's temperature drops significantly. An icy wind kicks sending a chill down everyone's spine.
"Damn it Gunter!" Marceline yells tackling him to the ground, "You bastard! We had him, he was back and you told him to put the crown back on?! Why?"
She begins to calm down.
"You idiot, do you… Do you enjoy seeing me miserable or something?" She asks.
"Of course not," Gunter answers, "We can still save him. The crown isn't in control. Not just yet."
"What do you want us to do?" Finn says walking in bundling up as best as he can.
"Follow my lead." He says standing up. He walks over to the floating mad man and pulls out the picture.
"You crazy old fart?!" He yells up to Simon, "You want your pic back?"
Simon looks down at Gunter and continues laughing, "WHO ARE YOU SPEAKING TO? I AM THE ICE KING!" Simon's voice has changed, it is much deeper, and sounds like it's from an exorcist film, "I COMAND THE ICE AND SNOW AND I WILL FREEZE THE EARTH!"
"Simon, control yourself!" Finn yells, "Think of Marceline."
"SIMON! HAH!" The King laughs, "SIMON IS DEAD, NOTHING OF THAT PATHETIC SCHOLAR IS LEFT NOW, I AM ALL THAT REMAINS, and as for poor, miserable, little Marcy I hope you enjoy subarctic temperatures!"
"Simon is not DEAD!" Marceline says grinding her teeth and transforming into her monster form, "And you do not control him!"
She throws a fist at the puppet being controlled by the crown, and manages to hit him sending him across the room.
"All I have to do is get that crown off of him!" She yells.
"HA good luck sister!" The Ice King responds as a ring of ice freezes the crown to his head.
Marceline tries punching the crown, but it doesn't budge. The Ice King then gives out a laugh and blasts her with a gust of wind. He wills the ice to form a monster like shell around him. The two then begin to wrestle however Marceline is clearly loosing.
But then all of a sudden an arrow pierces the Icy shell around the Ice King, and after the first one hits a second one follows, and then a third. Gunter stands a short ways away, with his bow drawn.
"It's time to wake up Simon," Gunter says, "Betty loved you and I will not let that love go to waste!"
"Ha you fool!" The Ice King yells, "You'll never win."
"We'll see." Gunter says firing another arrow.
The Ice King freezes Gunter's arrows, but Gunter was using them as a distraction. As the Ice King deals with Gunter, Finn sneaks around him and then pounces, kicking the Ice King to the floor shattering the monster shell. Now with the Ice King grounded Gunter draws his sword and charges. The Ice King only manages to stand up before he's run through. Everyone stands motionless, as the old man falls to the ground. Gunter kneels down next to him and picks him up, being very careful not to move the sword.
"Thank you," Simon mutters, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to be there for you."
"What are you talking about you old fool?" Gunter says looking into Simon's eyes, "You're not dying…"
"It's okay son. You've lived long enough with out me," He says, "It…"
"No, I'm serious…" Gunter interrupts, "I made sure that I didn't hit anything serious when I stabbed you."
"What?" The old man says in confusion.
"I just needed to put you in shock, enough pain to snap you out of it." Gunter explains, "You're in control now, able to use the crown's magic with out it over powering you."
"That's good," Simon says, "Now can you get this thing out of me, it kinda hurts."
"No," Gunter answers, "If I take it out and you don't freeze the wound you'll bleed out."
"So I have to freeze it first and then you'll take it out?" Simon asks.
"Kinda…" Gunter says sitting back, "It's harder than you may think. You have to freeze the wound without freezing any thing else. If you freeze too much, then you may be susceptible to frost bite."
"He's the Ice King," Jake says, "I don't think he could get frost bite if he tried."
"That's a good point." Gunter agrees.
"We should get him to the candy kingdom," Finn says, "The doctors could get it out for him."
"Alright that sounds like a plan." Gunter says, "Marceline, could you fly ahead of us and let them know we'll be coming?"
"Yeah," She says walking to the window. She looks back at the old man laying on the ground and says, "You better not die you jerk."
"I'll try," He answers with a laugh.
Gunter then looks to Simon and says "Simon, try freezing the sword."
"Yeah, I can try," he answers. Gunter sit's him up again and Simon looks at the sword protruding from his stomach. He holds his hand over the sword and tries freezing it. At first nothing happens, but after a few seconds frost begins to from on the sword, and then a definite layer of ice formed.
"Good job, now lay back down so we can move you." Gunter instructs.
Jake stretches his body so that he could accommodate for the three people still remaining. Finn and Gunter then pick up Simon and gently put him on top of the long yellow dog. Once everyone was seated Jake walks to the window and then they're off.
It doesn't take long before they make it to the Candy Kingdom, and place Simon in the Hospital.
The Doctors quickly jump into action carefully placing Simon onto the gurney and rushing him to the ER. The rest of the gang goes and stakes out the waiting room.
Hours go by but then the surgery light turns off. Doctor Princess comes out of the ER and everyone quickly jumps up to hear of Simon's current condition.
"He's out of surgery and he is now resting," She informs them, "you can go see him if you want."
"Great, come on guys," Marceline says floating down the hall. Finn and Jake follow her, but Gunter remains behind talking to doctor princess.
"Gunter are you coming?" Finn asks.
"I'll catch up, you go ahead of me," He answers.
"Sure…" Finn says waving. He walks down the hall thinking about how the Ice King has been a thorn in his side for as long as he can remember, and yet he is happy to go visit him.
He arrives at the room, and he can hear the conversation going on behind the door. He walks in and everyone turns to great him.
"Sorry, its still a little foggy," Simon says, "You're Finn right?"
"Yeah, that's me, Finn the Human" He answers, "I guess I cant call myself that anymore can I?"
"I guess not," Simon laughs, "Marceline was just telling me about how much of a jerk I've been…"
"You weren't that bad," Finn says trying to be nice.
"Oh yes I was!" Simon says with a smile, "I just wanted to apologize for everything that I've done."
"It's fine Ice King… I mean Simon…" Finn says awkwardly.
"So Marcy, you're a musician now?" Simon says turning to Marceline, "I would love to hear you play."
"I didn't bring my base," She says shyly, "But we can jam another time."
"Sounds good," He responds. Simon lies in bed just smiling as if nothing has just happened, carrying on conversations and being happy. Finn is still hung up on the ordeal they went though just hours ago at the Ice King's palace. He looks up and notices that Simon is wearing the crown. The same crown that has been twisting his mind for the past thousand years, but he doesn't seem to be affected by it. He doesn't have a beard, and the hair on his head has grown back. He looked just like he did in the video, except his hair was still white, and he was still wearing the blue cloak he always wore.
Just then the door opens and Gunter enters carrying a box.
"Good afternoon Mr. Petrikov" He says walking over to the bed.
"What is that?" Marceline asks.
"I have a few of Simon's possessions I think he might want back," He answers opening the box. He rummages around a little bit and pulls out a small case and hands it to Simon.
Simon opens it, and he starts smiling. He takes out a pair of broken glasses and puts them on his face.
"aaahhh much better," He says looking around, "How do I look?"
"Hey, Simon. You look crazy siiiiick!" Finn answers laughing.
"And then there's this," Gunter says pulling up an old suit. It was faded, battered, and torn, but it was still wearable.
"That's Simon's old suit!" Marceline shots, "Where did you find it?"
"I found it stored in an old chest a long time ago." He answered.
"These are great!" Simon exclaims, "Thank you son, I real…."
"Don't… call me that…" Gunter says turning around facing the door, "I only gave you those because I didn't want to carry them any more."
"Where are you going?" Simon asks, "You can't be leaving already."
"Sorry, but I have no business here," Gunter says.
"Where will you go?" Marceline asks.
"I don't know…" Gunter answers.
"You don't know?" Finn asks, "Don't you have a place to stay?"
"You're funny, I haven't had a place to stay ever!" Gunter says with a snicker.
"Why don't you stay with me?" Simons offers, "I know we've only just meet, but you're still my son, even if you don't see it that way."
"I couldn't…" Gunter responds.
"Why not?" Marceline asks, "What's your problem anyway? Your father is offering you a place to stay and all you can say is, "I can't"?"
"You don't seriously think this is a good idea do you?" He asks.
"Well, what's it going to be?" Marceline demands.
"I don't know…" Gunter hesitates.
"Yes or no, We don't have time to doddle around," She rushes
"Fine!" He yells, "You stupid vampire I'll stay with him!"
"Good" she says crossing his arms, "Now sit down and enjoy yourself."