"Salutations, Fionna!" Prince Gumball greets Fionna at the front door of his cake-like castle. Gumball, with his perfectly gelled magenta hair and crown, was dressed in an outfit that differed from his usual formal attire. He had on a very rounded, metal, astronaut-looking suit. Fionna could only wonder what the occasion was as he stood in the foyer of the palace in front of her.

"Uh, what's that you got there, PG?" Fionna thought out loud, pacing around Gumball to get a better look at the outrageous armor.

"It's my flame protecting suit!" He beamed gazing at Fionna. "Made it myself," Fionna was a bit surprised. Even though Gumball had an interest in science, he was more of the innovative-baker type. "…with a bit of help from some of the best engineers from the surrounding kingdoms of course." There we go.

"So… that means we're jumping into a… volcano?" Fionna inquired, poking at the metal stomach plate.

"Ha-ha!" The prince laughed heartily. "Not this time, but our destination does involve an extremely hot climate!"

Fionna had received a video call that morning from Gumball that he needed her for another mission today. Usually they were mundane and involved diplomatic issues… and almost always were. But Fionna's job was to protect the prince from any facet of danger, wherever he may be. She was the head knight.

Gumball said a hot climate… that must mean the…

"The Fire Kingdom." The two spoke simultaneously. They glanced at each other and burst out laughing with smiles spread upon their face.

"That truly is incredible, Fionna." The prince cooed and it made Fionna's heart jump. When the prince said things like that, it made her like him. That way of speaking never ceased to amaze her and give her goosebumps. When the prince complimented her, it made Fionna have a crush on him.

"You know there is a…." Gumball went on to explain the statistic of how many people speak simultaneously per day. Fionna's heart sunk and suddenly lost her interest in Gumball again, remembering how he only talks about science and analyzing data in the first place.

"But anyhow, let's get a move on then. We shall take my sky bird, Morrow." Gumball led Fionna outside of the castle doors and used his two front fingers to whistle a sharp note. Fionna watched him do this an attempted to whistle using the same technique, but failed miserably.

The large bird ascended down from the large tree atop the castle and perched in front of the prince and his knight. The prince scrambled up the bird in his bulky outfit and straddled its back. He extended his arm out to Fionna.

"Ready to go?" He spoke softly with a smile.

"There it is. The Fire Kingdom." Prince Gumball announced as the hawk-like fowl landed just on the outskirts where the temperature wasn't completely unbearable. The prince slid off the bird followed by Fionna, who looked warily at the scorching lava pools and the looming volcano-like palace in front of them.

"Uh… how am I going to go in there without going "booom?" Fionna acted out, with her hands, her exploding from the flames. Prince Gumball laughed.

"Oh, don't worry. I arranged for one of the fire elementals here to place a flame shield on you." As Gumball spoke, a pattering of footsteps ascended the slope before them. It was a Flambit. The Flambit.

"It's yous again! Faith, right? No, no- Fitonia. Hmm… Pneumonia? " Flamba rattled on with a hand rubbing her chin.

"Fionna." The blonde adventurer pronounced slightly aggravated while adjusting her backpack on her shoulders.

"And she's with me. May I ask how you know her?" Prince Gumball politely prodded with an inkling of curiosity.

"We met yesterday at that little coffee joint in the Candy Kingdom. Very nice." Flamba profoundly added.

"Yes, only the finest in my kingdom!" The prince beamed, glancing at Fionna, who slightly blushed.

"Yeah, yeah… heh. It was a very tasteful drink this dame made me… Or so I heard. I guess I can do that spell on yous now. You know, to repay you." Flamba spoke fluently and then commenced to recite strange snake-like words that resembled hisses and created luminescent runes around her. When Flamba finished, she collected a bit of saliva in her mouth and spat onto Fionna's forehead, creating a small circular burn mark.

"AH-hot!" Fionna mumbled with a scrunched nose and began to rub the mark on her fair skin. Fionna could feel herself get slightly colder and she, as well as all of her clothes, turned an azure shade of blue.

"Thank you, Flamba." The Prince said nodding his head in appreciation. Flamba thought nothing of it and turned around to lead the prince and his knight into the Fire Kingdom and toward the palace of the King of Flames.

The sentries standing sturdy and unmoving at the front doors of the Fire Palace stepped aside for Flamba, Prince Gumball, and Fionna. They stepped into the threshold of the volcano-like castle. Before them was the throne room and perched in a grand throne made of hardened lava, sat the omnipotent Flame King. His cold eyes stood out against his firey head that was on top of a body of metallic armor.

Fionna felt slightly intimated while being watched by fifty or so fire elementals seated around the king on staircases that led into the castle.

Fionna looked at the firey beings staring down at her. If something were to happen to Prince Gumball, how would she be able to defeat people made of flames? Her iron sword wouldn't stand a chance against fire beings and would simply pass through them as if they were ghosts.

The circular room's light source was emitted from the walls, that were similar to glowing embers, and the people who were a natural light source. There were scattered windows on the walls, which showed the barren, lava-filled landscape outside.

As the three of them approached the king, whom Fionna thought looked rather impatient, Flamba bowed swiftly and then scurried away. Fionna saw Prince Gumball bow in respect for the ruler and she followed suit by lowering herself as well, before realizing that she probably should've curtsied instead.

As Fionna lifted herself up from the bow, she noticed a strange lantern hanging idly a several feet above the king's head. She wondered what the purpose of it was.

"Prince Gumball of the Candy Kingdom. You have finally arrived. I assume your journey was a most safe one?" The king inquired while adjusting the sacrosanct crown atop his head.

"Oh, the safest." The prince grinned. "This is one of my most trusted companions." He added while motioning to Fionna, whom smiled proudly. "Fionna the Human is the chief knight of the Candy Kingdom."

"Hi." Fionna peeped with a slight wave of the hand, not sure what was appropriate to say in front of the powerful royal.

"So, let us begin with the negotiation of whether we should enact the Candy/Fire Dual Protecting Power Act…" Gumball proceeded to discuss whether the Fire and the Candy Kingdom should come together to protect the Goblin Kingdom. Fionna drifted off, not being able to listen to such boring talk of politics. Fionna started to contemplate what she thought Cake was going to make for dinner….

A sudden light appeared in the corner of Fionna's peripheral vision. She turned her attention over to a triangular-shaped doorway at the top of one of the staircases leading deeper into the palace.

It was a peculiar fire elemental peeking through the doorway, obviously attempting to be inconspicuous. Fionna could just make out with her vision that it was a boy, dressed in a black cloak with the hood up.

Fionna tilted her head up and squinted at the luminescent figure trying to capture the attention of the mysterious figure. It was successful and the figure stepped back in surprise. That wasn't Fionna's intention; she had wanted the figure to step forward so she'd be able to see him. The figure returned into the shadows, hidden.

Fionna, in defeat, turned her attention back to Gumball who was still debating furiously back and forth with the Flame King. She was starting to get seriously bored and was expecting some sort of adventure or enemy fighting.

Fionna emitted a sigh that was just loud enough for Prince Gumball to hear. Gumball glanced over to her and smiled in understanding. He cleared his throat.

"I apologize, Flame King. It seems as though this negotiation may have to be postponed; I expected it to run a bit shorter. There are actually matters I have to attend to in the Candy Kingdom… very shortly. But, my Biennial Gumball Ball has come around again and is only in a matter of days. You are very welcome to attend on Friday if you wish." Prince Gumball explained courteously while bowing once again.

Fionna bowed. "That's right. Friday!" She added while giving a small chuckle. Wow, did I really have to say that I sounded so stupid. Fionna thought while she smiled at the Flame King, who nodded.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have to decline." The king replied. "Enjoy your gathering."

"Thank you for your time." Prince Gumball bowed.

Fionna trailed Gumball as he exited the palace.

"Thanks." Fionna said to Gumball who looked back at her and smiled.

"Yeah, I didn't want to bore my best knight to death, now would I?" He replied. Fionna appreciatively smiled back at him.

She turned her head and looked back into the palace once again before the sentries closed the doors behind them. Fionna noticed that same strange fire elemental back in the triangular doorway, peeking through and staring longingly at the two of them leave to return to the Candy Kingdom once again.