Flanella

–Major Arcana–

Act VIII: The Devil

"The Devil is a symbol of the side of ourselves, which contains all the aspects of our personality that we like the least and would rather not know about. We would prefer to be able to hide our shadow-side, for fear of being shunned by others. It signifies a feeling of stagnation and hopelessness. Self-motivation is needed to make the changes to un-chain yourself from a negative situation."

–Tarot, Major Arcana

Those warriors weren't like anything Finn had seen before. Expressionless, as if their faces had been carved on their heads, they marched through the formation of fiery soldiers, wiping them out without mercy. Like bulldozers tearing down a vast forest, they advanced onward, unstoppable. To stand in front of one of those warriors was comparable to face the railroad with your arms open wide and wait for the Candy Express to hit you and run over your crippled body.

It was pretty much what Finn felt when one of those rock-like beings smashed him away. As he struggled to get back on his feet, spitting out a squirt of blood and wiping his dust covered lips afterwards, the human finally understood what kind of enemy were they fighting against. Sentient humanoids, all of them sculpted with the same symmetrical fashion, shaped to be especially resistant to physical injury and unbelievably strong as well.

Any fire attack was easily bounced off their stone-made bodies. Flame soldiers were forced to rely only on their brute force, which wasn't exactly useful either. Taking down one of those non-living warriors required the effort of at least four Flame soldiers, whom in the end, weren't left with much energy to continue fighting.

Flame Princess' brother wasn't very far from him. He was actually doing his best to push as many stone warriors away from the recovering human, using the strength of his left shoulder and back to charge against them. When he managed to disperse a few, the general rushed to Finn's side, holding his wounded arm tightly.

"How do you expect to defeat an entire army of these guys with so few Flame soldiers?" Finn questioned, shaking off the dizziness of the last blow he received.

"Listen, kid. Flame Princess never wanted to involve the entire force of the Flame Kingdom in this war. Her first priority was to keep as many people out of this conflict as possible. She didn't want to worry her people more than they already were. It was already hard to explain them how Sir Cinnamon Bun perished in battle without lying!"

"I get it, but still! Isn't it too risky? I mean, look around you! There are hundreds of them, and they are easily annihilating each one of your men!"

"Believe me, I tried to convince her, I begged her to let me use all of our units. But if you really know her as good as I do, you'd understand she's hardheaded as heck! My sister refuses to let other's fight our battle; this is between her, Furious, Torcho and me! A family quarrel isn't worth the life of others…"

Finn turned his blue eyes to the ground. Now he understood why no one was able to tell him anything about the civil war when he asked around the Fire Kingdom. Flame Princess violated her "No Secrets Policy" in order to keep her people at a safe distance from the hostilities of her family struggle. It made him wonder what other secrets could she still keep hidden, especially from him.

"FP… I bet she was hoping to be able to stop this before it all got out of her hands…" he sighed.

"Now that you mention it…" the Flame General continued, "When the civil war first began, they didn't have the need to throw larger units against us, nor did we."

Flame Princess' brother raised his head, scanning his surroundings. Wherever he looked at, all he could see were the battered bodies of his soldiers being crushed and torn apart. There were too many enemies to handle, it was clear now, that this wasn't a mere ambush. More waves came from afar, and more stone warriors were about seize him and Finn if they didn't get out of the way.

"If only I hadn't let her leave on her own with Torcho…"

The hero was still processing the last thing the general told him when he felt his strong grip, pulling him onto his back. As the Flame General dashed his way out of the closing platoon, Finn realized something.

"Wait a second! Why would you let your sister alone with that freak?! No wonder we're being attacked, Torcho must have revealed our position! And now FP is…! She could be…!"

"You think I don't know that?!" the general roared, shutting Finn's mouth. "I've been concerned about her all this time, even before she left! Now the enemy has our King in his power. It's only a matter of time before Furnius' troops reach the Palace, then we'll be done for…"

Staring at Flame Princess' brother's gloomy features, Finn took a moment to think about the fiery girl and the decisions she had made. Perhaps she wasn't as naïve as they all thought. He shook his head with a smile, wondering if Flame Princess did plan all of this since the very beginning.

"Well… If Furnius is going for an invasion, I guess it's good most of the Fire Kingdom's army stayed behind where they'll certainly be required, huh?"

The Flame General considered the human's statement thoughtfully. It made sense. Now all there was to ask was, why did he lack so much faith in his little sister? Even a Buff Baby like Finn could see more in her than just an ingenuous girl, still learning what was life all about. Not for anything, she was the King of the Fire Kingdom, someone destined to carry the weight of thousands in her shoulders. Why did he, her own brother, still doubt of Flame Princess' ability to lead them to victory?

He took a deep breath and avoided a quick punch coming from the left. With Finn still holding tight onto his back, the Flame General chuckled, honoring his sister's law as he confessed a shameful truth.

"As her old brother I am supposed to offer Flame Princess all of my trust and support. However, I've realized that I have done nothing but to underestimate her wise judgment. You on the other hand, despite of being the guy who betrayed her trust, have more faith in her than many of us."

The general frowned as he turned to face Finn, seriousness spreading all over his fiery features.

"Why is that?"

The hero was taken aback. He knew the answer, he always did, but poor Finn wasn't sure if Flame Princess' brother was the kind of person that would take such an answer as an acceptable explanation. More stone warriors came charging at them, there was no place to run to, and as far as they knew—they were hardly going to make it out alive. Was this the right place or even the right time to confess that he still had feelings for his sister?

"I… I…" Finn mumbled, "It's because I… I love her."

The Flame General widened his blazing eyes in astonishment, "You what?!"

His giant feet sank in the sand, stopping his wild run with an abrupt screech. Surely that was the last thing an old and ventured fire elemental would expect to hear from a feeble rat that could barely defend his own life in the current inferno that was the battlefield. How could the human hold the nerve to admit such thing? Finn knew what he thought about his relationship with his little sister. Indisputably, he would never allow the nightmare to come true ever again.

"Take back what you just said!" the general yelled, "If the only reason for you to be here is to try to win my sister back, then you better consider yourself dead! I won't consent it, not again! Flame Princess deserves much more than just a grown-up baby by her side! She deserves—!"

"I know." Finn interjected, "She deserves someone like Cinnamon Bun…"

The human dropped himself back to the ground, confronting the large Flame General before him. Resignation encroached upon what was left of his determined features. Ignoring the chaos, the screams and groans of pain in the wind, Finn let his head hang down in submission.

"I'm no good for her… I promise this will be the last time you'll have to deal with the likes of me. Now all I want is to keep her safe. Flanella needs her mother, doesn't she? And the Fire Kingdom depends on its King to sustain peace and prosperity throughout the land."

He sighed, "Just for once, let me be useful! Let me be the champion I failed to personify! Please, I need to protect her… It took me years to realize that there's more to love than just dates, and games, and kisses! There's sacrifice and responsibly… Cinnamon Bun knew that too, didn't he? That's why he isn't here anymore… Because he loved her… To give away one self in body and soul, that's what love's all about. And I love Flame Princess likewise…"

The Flame General remained static. Finn perceived his confession hadn't been a satisfying one. Once the general reacts, he would most likely slam him down because of his impertinence, for what right did Finn have to claim his love for a girl that he no longer deserved? It would be worth it, though. At least he had been honest.

There was a crude sound, that of bones splintering in countless shatters, yet the awaited hit of flaring knuckles scraping his skin never came. Finn slowly opened his eyes, gasping in horror. A stone warrior had aimed to smash the human's skull with both fists, only to be stopped by Flame Princess' brother before it was too late. The old general used his left arm to shield Finn from what would have been a fatal blow, his limb broken in half by the weight of an unbearable burden.

The sentient rock being retracted its fists, in a new attempt to crush its enemies, while the Flame General subdued to the pain. His knees hit the ground as he fiercely gritted his teeth. With his both arms gravely injured, the great general was now completely handicapped.

Finn hurriedly knelt by his side, frantically grasping the fire elemental's shoulders.

"You protected me, why?" he demanded, afflicted.

The Flame General offered him a fatigued stare.

"That was a touching speech you said. Sadly, I don't usually take words for granted. I don't want you to tell me that you boundlessly love my sister. Any fool can do that! I want you to show me, prove me that you are worthy of her through your actions!"

He looked down and chuckled, "You can't do that if you're dead, can you?"

Finn trembled in both anguish and nervousness, nodding. The stone warrior was ready to pound them, though its movements were slow, there was no way for Finn to drag Flame Princess' brother out of the incoming attack in time to save him. He narrowed his eyes, standing up to the fallen general's defense. His foe catapulted its massive fists forward. Breathing hard, Finn bent his knees, opening his palms to receive the blow.

His feet sank in the ground, causing it to shatter. The weight was just too much for him. Still, he was willing to push it off him. Groaning, Finn began to draw every ounce of strength in his body into his arms and hands. The steel of his mechanical limb cringed and creaked as if it was going to give up to the struggle and bend back.

It didn't. Being four heads smaller than his opponent, Finn had a perfect view of the warrior's chest. He discovered a crack between its pectoral area and its thorax. Perhaps a Flame soldier had made it some time during the battle, perhaps it could be a weak point, or maybe it wasn't. Finn didn't have much time to think it over, and so, no matter how risky, he relied on the strength of his mechanical arm to hold both of the stone warrior's fists.

Such action increased the difficulty of his task, however it gave him the chance to curl his own fist and launch an implacable punch forward. His knuckles crashed against the solid surface, spattering it with the human's blood as the fissure cracked further and deeper.

A rock wouldn't have been that easy to break through with a single fist. It was clear now that these soldiers were made of stone, but only in appearance.

Hardened clay?

The stone warrior was forced to step away, balancing its weight back. It seemed conscious of the damaged taken. Immediately, Finn noticed a blue glow, shinning within the being's chest.

"I-ice? These things' core is made of ice?"

As if willing to reply the human's question, the stone warrior placed a hand on its core. The icy glow was intensified then, blinding Finn as his foe materialized an ice spear and drew it out of its chest. He heard the Flame General gasp in surprise on his back. The origin of the ice weapons used against his troops had been revealed.

"W-what in the world?"

The general whispered, utterly confused. The stone warriors appeared to be an amalgam of ice and clay.

Before Finn could offer a reply, the clay warrior balanced itself forward, smashing its head hard against the human's chest. Air left his lungs as he landed on his back with a grim thud. His eyes went blank, deprived of every emotion.

Flame Princess' brother gritted his teeth in exasperation, feeling hopeless for the first time in his life. Finn's body twitched and twisted in pain, his muscles screaming for air as the clay warrior approached him. It used its ice spear to tear open its victim's shirt with a diagonal slash, opening a new wound in the already bruised area. Finn's skin grew bluish and purple (black under the effect of the flame shield) as his blood seeped out of his ruptured veins, the soreness overwhelming him with every pained breath he took.

Finn could barely keep his eyes open to glance at the night sky and the permanent, fearless stare of his foe, ready to stab his heart with the ice spear. There was no use in watching the scene that would soon follow. It would be best to close his lids and think of a better time with the baby girl he scarcely got to know and her proud mother. It didn't matter if he was actually making up moments that were never allowed to happen.

A fierce howl echoed in the darkness as his senses faded. Was it the cry of a wolf?

A wave of heat awakened his dissipating awareness. Making a final struggle, Finn let his eyes glimpse the world of the living for what he thought would be the last time. A large figure lied before him, snarling with fury at the stone soldier it had just knocked down.

"J-Jake 2…?" he wearily whispered.

It couldn't be other. The giant beast was indeed a black wolf, which expelled sizable flares of fire through the glowing cracks of its body, like a spiky projection of flaming fur. Its heavy paws pushed the sentient clay figure down, unveiling the crevice that Finn had enlarged with his fist. With the ice core exposed, Jake 2 ceased its growling to release an intense stream of flames through its maw and into the warrior's nucleus, killing it in the moment.

Once finished with its prey, the wolf retrieved a strange long-looking object, which it seemed to have been carrying in its mouth before its arrival. Speeding itself up, Jake 2 used its head to lift Finn onto its back, as well as Flame Princess' brother. Moments later, the fire wolf was back in the sky, flying off to a safe place to lay its riders to rest.

By the time Finn regained consciousness, he found himself surrounded by the warm body of Jake 2, which had curled up next to him, hoping to provide some comfort. The groggy human pushed himself to a sit up position, leaning against the wolf's stomach. He discovered that the Flame General was also there, staring at an undefined point on the wall, lost in the infinity of his mind. His injured arms lacked the proper medical treatment they needed, and each limb was left to rest by his sides.

Focusing his eyes better, Finn earned a clearer view of his surroundings. Jake 2 had taken them to a distant rock formation, where they could hide and shelter themselves from the chilling breeze of the night. What to do now? Finn wondered. They couldn't just stay there and wait 'till the morning came.

Silence encompassed them for several minutes as they took their time to speak up.

"So, you survived." The general suddenly said.

His voice didn't hold any kind of emotion, except for tiredness. Finn mustered a nod and then turned to meet the smoking tongue of Jake 2, greeting him back to the real world.

"I believe J2 has something to endow you with."

"Huh?"

The human tilted his head in confusion, following Flame Princess' brother's stare to a nearby corner. A long, pointy object was resting against the rocky surface. Jake 2 trotted towards it, clenching its canines around it. Finn could only watch in curiosity as the wolf tossed said object at his feet, barking in an attempt to get Finn to grab it.

"This…" he uttered in bewilderment, laying his fingers on its cold surface. "This is Cinnamon Bun's lance…!"

Jake 2 barked affirmatively.

Finn picked it up cautiously, finding the weapon to be quite heavy and resistant. There was a note tied with a string onto its tip. He turned to the wolf, pointing his chest doubtfully. Jake 2 nodded, causing the hero to unfold the mysterious piece of paper. His eyes widened as he read its content aloud.

"Dear Finn,

If you are reading this is because my loyal hound, Jake 2, has found you worthy of wielding the title of Knight of the Fire Kingdom. Which means that you have finally grown to be the fine man I always knew you'd turn out to be.

You must understand though, that by the time I wrote this letter I was about to accompany Flame Princess to war. Whether I'll manage to defend Her Majesty or even rise victorious from the fight it's still unknown to me. Nevertheless, if something were to happen to me, it's my responsibly to find someone reliable enough to occupy my place as champion.

I believe you were destined to be that person since the beginning, for that I humbly ask you for forgiveness. Everything I did was always in favor of Flame Princess' well-being and joy. And though it may sound absurd, keeping you away from her was the only way I had to ensure her happiness as well as yours. I ignore if you've already met Flanella or not, and I hope you won't grow resentful for what I am about to tell you, or even get to hate my little girl because of it. You know better than that, right Finn? Now pay close attention to this, Flanella is…"

"I don't," Finn said, lowering the paper. "I don't know if I want to continue reading this…"

"What are you scared of, huh?" the general inquired, arching an eyebrow.

Finn blushed. He had no idea of how he would explain him that he was afraid of the truth, afraid of not being Flame Princess' first and only love. He was afraid of himself as well. How will Finn know if he would be able to cope with a truth he thought he had already accepted?

It would be better to hear it straight from Flame Princess' lips. She could soften the harshness of the revelation if she truly felt compassion toward him, unlike a piece of paper, which would state things the way they were, cold and tactless.

What if he wasn't the humble hero he thought he was after all? Finn had done terrible things in the past out of selfishness, which meant that he was capable of acting out of alignment.

Ice King hasn't been picking fights with you, it's...it's been me all along.

What if he felt his pride had been stomped over?

Jeez! Did I just get shown up by Cinnamon Bun?

What if he did care about Flame Princess' intimate life?

Your wavelengths are my weakness,

Your emissions are what I've been missing…

What if he developed a grudge on Flanella because of this?

How could I get mad at you, when you're the cutest little thing that has ever happened to me!

His hands trembled, crumpling up the paper between his fingers. It was too much pressure. The answer to all of his questions was there. Why did it matter if he liked the truth or not? What was there to lose? Nothing could change his feelings towards Flame Princess, could it?

"I-I can't read this." he admitted.

"Then why don't you just shove that paper up your butt and head back to battle? Hopefully you'll get killed and this nightmare will be finally over!"

The Flame General glared at him, waiting in silence for the human's reply.

"W-what?!" Finn blurted out, springing up in defiance.

"Yeah, I thought you'd be different after that little show you displayed back there! I even got my other arm bunked up for you, only to find out that you are a big coward baby! You don't love my sister, you just love yourself!"

"That' not true!" he screamed, angry and deeply offended.

"Of course it is!" the general snapped, "It's not her who you are trying to defend! It is yourself and your pathetic pride! So what if the baby is not yours? What if Flame Princess got in bed with another man? It's not like she belonged to you anyway, did she?! You were the one who dumped her in the first place!"

Finn flinched, speechless.

"If you're not going to prove me wrong and read that letter like a man, why don't you just get out of my sight?!" he spat on the ground, averting his blazing eyes from the astonished human. "Cowards like you make me sick!"

Finn tightened his grip on the piece of paper and ran outside, carrying Cinnamon Bun's lance with him. Jake 2 barked and sprang up after him. The hero ignored where was he heading to, all he wanted was to run, run in a straight line until the pain of his wounds forced him to collapse in the middle of nowhere.

It wasn't the truth he was afraid of. It was himself, his dark vicious self. Blaming Cinnamon Bun for being the cause his disgrace was easy. He spent all of his teenage-hood jealous of him, why wouldn't he be jealous now?

There was a rock lying about his chosen path. Finn tripped with it and fell, rolling on his aching back to face the clouded skies above him. Exhausted, weak, and injured, the young man finally crumbled, letting a few desperate tears wet his cheeks. Flame Princess he thought, remembering the last time he saw her, the last kiss she gave him.

I can't afford to keep losing the few people I truly care about in battle once again, especially not the only man I've ever loved…

"I love you too." He whispered to the emptiness before him.

Finn reached out for his pocket and pulled the letter out.

Then, he wiped out his tears and read it.

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