-The Six Arcs, Champions of a Fallen Race-
The brilliant comet sailed across the heavens, burning a bright red due to its friction with the atmosphere. Below the incredible cosmic force, two sides were in the process of encountering one another, with one being imbued with solid resolve, and the other in a state of utter shock.
Jake, Flame Princess, Susan, Ice King, Princess Bubblegum, and Marceline all stared relentlessly at their human hero, who now stood at the head of their most dangerous adversaries to date, the Arcs. Finn gazed back with an unaffected expression, blankly observing the group while they were in disbelief. Jake finally reacted, stepping up next to FP.
"Finn...what the nuts are you talking about?!"
He pointed to the other humans.
"You couldn't possibly be one of them!"
The young man turned his head, motioning for Second Arc to come forward. She did so and Finn allowed her to take the floor.
"As I stated before, Arcs resonate with one another. Your friend's power lie dormant, due to his insistive immaturity. However, once we arrived here in Ooo, our link to him grew stronger, resulting in persistent dreams that plagued his mind to no end."
The woman placed a hand on Finn's shoulder.
"When I delved into his mind to find the explanation for these visions, I found his true identity, as the destined final Arc and leader of our team."
The gang was stunned by the explanation, still utterly dumbfounded by the development. PB managed to force in an argument.
"Leader? Finn may be a great hero, but you would be a more qualified candidate for that position."
Second Arc shook her head.
"A leader must be the the most endurant of their entire group. As Arcs, we are ranked based on how difficult it is to overcome our resistance."
She gestured to Finn.
"I could try for days, but would never find a way to successfully stop First Arc."
That sentence made Peebles cringe, remembering how pitiful her attempt to stop the woman had been. Meanwhile, FP continue to take steps closer to Finn, a pained look on her face.
"Finn...you can't be...you wouldn't."
The young man gazed at the fire elemental, then closed his eyes.
"It's as you see it. I have a duty to serve, one that was with me the moment I was born."
He pointed up to the comet.
"When that force strikes the earth, our part will be completed, and the cleansing will begin."
The inhabitants of Ooo gawked at the human.
"Cleansing? What are you talking about?" Marceline asked.
Second Arc took over the explanation.
"Our mission, imprinted as a memory at the point we receive our powers, is to allow that celestial force impact the planet, purifying it of any and all sources of radiation and infection."
She studied the passing moving body.
"As an unfortunate sacrifice, this continent will be wiped clean of its life force."
The gang gasped in horror, along with Third Arc, who stepped up to her ally.
"Duo, you, you never told me that part."
Second Arc nodded sadly.
"I know, Tres. I am sorry, but you would not have accepted such a result."
Third Arc frowned, staring at the ground.
"I...I understand."
She took in a breath.
"Responsibility, the responsibility our race holds in fixing our mistake, requires at some point, a sacrifice."
PB helplessly ran thoughts through her mind, remembered that it was her all along who had introduced that statement, that the safety of the many may demand the loss of the few. It reminded her of what she'd done to Flame Princess, and by extension, to Finn. She could tell the two were fated hearts, just by seeing how they looked at each other and they way their behaviors changed while interacting.
The candy monarch hung her head, believing her mentality was no different than that of the Arcs. Jake narrowed his eyes at his brother.
"How could you? How could you let Ooo get sucked dry of its life?"
Finn didn't shift his expression.
"In the aftermath of the cleansing, we will help rebuild all that was lost. No one will get hurt, so long as they don't interfere with the comet's agenda."
Marcy angrily floated forward.
"Do you six even know what this thing is? What it can do? Are you going to place all your trust into an icy rock that came out of nowhere?"
The Arcs glared back at her. Fifth stepped forward and replied.
"It saved our lives! We were all orphans, abandoned or lost with no where to go and no one else to turn to!"
She hung her head.
"I was separated from my family, all because of the barbarism that evolved from that war a thousand years ago!"
The Arcs all shared her expression, sadly gazed down. The Ooocians momentarily broke their accusative positions and listened. Sixth Arc looked at Susan.
"I lost my sister."
Fourth Arc set his solemn eyes on Marcy.
"I lost a dear friend."
Third Arc wiped away a tear, gazing at FP.
"I lost the young man I loved."
Second Arc held her sight on PB.
"I lost my team, the only family I ever knew."
First Arc stared at Jake, whose eyes were trembling.
"I lost my parents."
He looked upon the people of Ooo as a whole.
"When all was lost, the comet gave us a purpose, another chance, companions even.
The young man took one last step forward, ushering the rest of the Arcs to form up on him again.
"Will you still try to stop us?"
The gang reconstituted their emotions and came closer, taking offensive stances.
"Of course we will," Marceline replied.
The natives were still heartfelt by what their foes had said, but knew they had to put that aside to stop their plan. First Arc sighed.
"Then we have no choice. We have to disable you all until the ritual can be performed."
Flame Princess was the most affected of all the group, still gazing with hurt and disbelief at Finn, who appeared to have no response for her. The circle in the boy's shirt glowed blue, then released a matching toned ripple from the ground where he stood. The border of the expanding circle headed for FP, who still stood there, in an unknown amount of pain.
Just as the edge was about to touch the fiery girl, Jake jumped in front of her, accepting the contact with First Arc's circle and giving himself a momentary blue hue. Once this dissipated, the yellow dog pointed to the young man.
"I won't let you do this, Finn. You're a hero, and my brother. I'm dragging you back, and I'll do it with my bare hands."
The human didn't react much beyond a shrug.
"Suit yourself."
The two began to vanish, as HAVEN isolated them from the surrounding time and space. The last thing that First Arc did was give a solemn glance to FP, who had several lava tears running down her cheeks. The human frowned, then closed his eyes as well, letting out a single tear of his own.
"I'm sorry."
The fire elemental clutched to those two words, as the Arc and Jake left the current spacial plane, where they would duke it out on their own. The remaining five activated their circles as well, locking onto an opponent and beginning to slip out of the realm.
Just before vanishing, FP clutched the aluminum rose still in her dress.
I won't give up, not on you.
(Jake vs. First Arc)
The two brothers eyed each other down, waiting patiently to see who would take the first move. The magical dog kept his hands freely by his sides, as if he were a gunslinger trying to outpace his opponent. The human before him had finally seemed to have gotten serious, taking a defensive stance.
They calmly began to circle one another, anticipating a strike at any moment. To fill in the time, Jake resumed his desperate plea for his dear sibling's understanding.
"Finn, can you honestly bring yourself to wipe out Ooo? All the trees, grass, fruits and other beautiful parts of the land, gone."
First Arc narrowed his eyes.
"Weren't you listening? It can be brought back, all it takes is time and dedication. And we would help in any way we can, using the powers granted to us."
Jake narrowed his eyes as well.
"Ooo would never take help from those humans. Can't you see that?"
He stretched his fists to the size of wrecking balls.
"You think you can just destroy something, then remake it and everything is ok? You're not that dumb, Finn!"
The dog shot a punch at his bro, who simply bashed it aside with ease. Jake yelped, stunned by how solid Finn's hand felt. He ignored it and sent another punch. This time, the human took it full in the face. However, instead of being thrown back and likely bleeding, Jake ended up the one being bruised.
"Yeouch! What the heck happened to you?"
As the magical canine waved his aching knuckles, First Arc began approaching him.
"Did you think it would be that easy? I have my true power now. And with that..."
He stopped, staring hard at the dog.
"I'm fully indestructible."
Jake's eyes went wide as his jaw dropped. First Arc ran at him, aiming a punch for the dog's gut. He stretched away just in time, then stretched himself fifty feet tall, forming his foot into an anvil and dropping it on the human. The Arc didn't react in the slightest, instead allowing his body to do the work and effortlessly deflect the heavy strike.
Jake yelped again and backed off, shrinking back down and re-orienting himself to his brother. As the human ran at him again, he rethought his strategy.
(PB vs. Second Arc)
Peebles make careful sure to stay far from the woman's reach as they analyzed each other's movements. She knew she couldn't be reckless like last time, and she had to be wary of anything Second Arc may have on her that was hidden. However, the candy monarch had her own surprise in store, if she could just catch her opponent in the right timing.
The human suddenly dashed at her gummy opposition, stunning the royal. PB quickly dodged as Second Arc attempted to strike her in another pressure point.
"I don't understand," she stated.
The woman sent her occasional glances as she continued to take shots at the pink lady.
"HAVEN may grant us a great amount of time to finish this, but I am rather hoping to put this whole ordeal behind us. Then, we can finally achieve peace."
PB scoffed.
"Peace? With what you're planning? I don't think so."
Peebles avoided another hit then decided to go for her own, seeing the opportunity. She swiftly clawed at Second Arc's cheek when the woman's defenses were down. The human briefly grunted as several scratches appeared on her flawless dark skin. she backed away, as Bubblegum hoped that her attack had done its job.
Second Arc wiped away a trickle of blood from the wound, looking with skepticism at the princess.
"That was your move?"
PB grinned.
"Remember what you told me; within your strike, hide a poison."
As if by reaction, a hissing sound began to expel itself from Second Arc's cuts. She felt the wound again, identifying what the royal had done. It was in fact, a literal poison, hidden in the monarch's fingernails.
"That should be knocking you out momentarily," Peebles explained.
However, instead of becoming woozy, PB was shocked to see the Arc stand up straight and calmly begin walking towards her.
"Wh-what? How?"
Second Arc shook her head.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I am always two steps ahead of you."
She pulled up her sleeve, revealing a line of injection marks, making the princess's eyes widen in disbelief.
"Before coming here, I injected myself with every antipoison needed to counteract any of the toxins you happened to have around your castle."
she let her sleeve down.
"You cannot surprise me, Bonnibel."
The Arc charged again, intent on ending the quarrel as PB slipped into a hopeless mentality.
(Flame Princess vs. Third Arc)
Third Arc was repeatedly dodging the multiple blasts of fire FP was attempting to cook her with, looking sadly at the upset elemental. Mixed in with a look of pain and anger, the young king still had some stray tears falling down her face. It made the human feel even worse, knowing she'd not only been forced to lie to her, but also take away someone she cared for deeply. As another flame burst impacted the ground, Third Arc stopped her movements and simply stood there, head hung.
FP paid it no mind and fired another ball of combustion, which hit the human directly, causing her to cry out as her singed skin and clothes inflicted pain upon her. The Arc fell to the ground, appearing to be suffering quite a bit. Flame princess suddenly lost her rage, gazing at the fallen girl.
The human was beginning to cry, staring up at the sky, where the comet was frozen in HAVEN's time distortion. As the fire elemental walked up to her, Third Arc spoke.
"I know how it feels, trust me. To lose someone like that, not even like you, but completely. He's gone, and I'll never be in his arms again."
Her eyes leaked profusely by this point, making it nearly unbearable for FP to try striking her down as she lay helplessly on the ground. The fiery king had a blast ready in the palm of her hand, but found it impossible to launch the inferno at the human. Third Arc closed her eyes.
"Either I lose, or you do. It's that simple. Do what you must."
Flame Princess cut off the fire, catching the Arc's attention. Next thing the girl knew, the elemental was offering her hand to her. The human was stunned at first, but regardless, accepted the hand and was pulled to her feet. The two ladies stood there, until FP chose to speak.
"You can be compassionate, and still fight."
Third Arc gazed in wonder at the young ruler, amazed by her willingness to spar on equal terms. At long last, she reacted, nodding and wiping away her watery eyes.
"Very well."
(Ice King vs. Fourth Arc)
Unfortunately, Second Arc had provided the psych profiles of the Ooo gang to her fellow teammates, making it very easy for Fourth Arc to manipulate and subjugate the ice wizard he was squaring off against. The hapless old man was giggling as multiple illusions of his favorite princesses gradually beat the tar out of him.
"Ouch! Nice one, Muscle Princess."
"Agh! Good chokehold, Breakfast Princess."
"Oof! Well done on that punch to my guts, Wildberry Princess."
Fourth Arc was gazing pitifully at Ice King as he lay on the ground, completely oblivious to the human's sensory manipulation. Sighing and shaking his head, the man snapped his fingers, dissipating all the fake royals and finally getting the wizard to climb out of his giddy behavior.
"Huh? Hey, where'd they all go? Did you scare them away, you butt?"
he pointed angrily to the Arc, who looked at him with an expression that showed disappointment and annoyance.
"That's just sad."
IK rocked back and forth, still feeling the false effects of the beating.
"Wha...?"
Before the poor guy could continue, Fourth Arc gently poked his forehead, causing the icy wizard to fall backwards flat on the ground. He groaned, totally out of it. The human just rolled his eyes as HAVEN began to deactivate.
(Marceline vs. Fifth Arc)
The young girl carefully looked around her surroundings, trying to stay wary of the invisible vampire floating somewhere nearby. Suddenly, she felt a light breeze. With her lightning speed, she grabbed Marcy's unseen arm and flung her towards the ground. Dust erupted from virtually nowhere, but was soon given an origin as the vampire rematerialised, rubbing her head.
"Jeez. How the heck did you do that?"
Fifth Arc walked up to the radical dame.
"I run with the wind every day. I know how to read the movement of the currents. Your power won't do any good against me."
The bassist groaned at the unfortunate circumstances, but reached back to take her weapon regardless and prepare to defend herself. However, as experienced and strong as she was, Marcy couldn't help but undermine the young girl she was fighting. It wasn't arrogance, just a simple mistake in judgement that anyone could've made. That was Fifth Arc's greatest weapon of all.
It was this very error that cost Marceline the fight, as she was relentlessly slugged in every possible direction by a human moving at a speed equal to the tunes that came off her ax bass.
(Susan vs. Sixth Arc)
Brother and sister stood riddled with bruises, scrapes, and shaking limbs. Both stared hard into the other's eyes, panting and keeping their fists at face level. The Arc rushed ahead, planning to weaken his sibling some more, but Susan was ready for him. As strong as the man was, his younger kin had the advantage of agility, allowing her to swiftly jump over him and land behind, proceeding to grab him in a headlock.
Sixth Arc struggled to remove the woman's hold, but she was resistant, knowing full well the results if she didn't push through with the fight. Eventually, he managed to elbow Susan harshly in the ribs, forcing her to let go and allow him to get away from her. As the Arc backed off then faced his sister again, she had already recovered. They were back to staring each other down, even more exhausted than before.
"Susan...do we really have to fight? Can't you understand, if we do this, then we can finally be a family."
Sixth Arc's plea was sincere, his gentle tone was proof enough of that. However, the woman had learned much since being holed up underground, mostly from Finn. And even though the noble hero was currently with the enigmatic Arcs, she knew from him how a true hero acted.
"No. I learned how our people should be. We help everyone, we find way to save all. We don't take away homes just to give back later. That not a hero's heart, that a black heart!"
Her brother looked hurt by the declaration, hanging his head. Susan took the opportunity to rush forward and swing her fist towards the man's jaw. At the last moment, he shocked her, performed the same move. Susie stared in disbelief as both hits drew closer to their targets. In the split seconds before they hit, Sixth Arc displayed a single tear from his eyes, which bore into her stunned green ones.
"The comet saved you too, and I won't allow myself to not repay the favor."
Both siblings felt consciousness leave them as a great amount of pain struck their faces. They fell on their backs, and HAVEN began to shut down.
PB was unable to avoid all of Second Arc's movements. The woman snuck around and planted some sort of sticky device on her back, then swiftly jumped away. The princess desperately tried to get rid of it, but was too late as the object exploded, releasing a massive amount of tan substance that coated her whole body, greatly weakening her prowess and causing her to fall to the ground, basically cocooned.
"They say you can use peanut butter to get rid of gum, I figure it works the same for people made of the material."
Second Arc looked upon the groaning PB with a fair amount of regret, believing that the techniques she used to fight were dirty and cheap. Although, the human's specialty was intellect. There was no other option for her. As Peebles gave up against the sticky wrapping, HAVEN began to dissipate.
Flame Princess fought to stay awake as floral sleeping gas vented into her nostrils. The potent chemical Third Arc released came from flowery bracelets she wore on her wrists. It was her own special way of fighting nonviolently. The Arc watched sadly as her fire elemental adversary stumbled along the ground, trying desperately to stay on her feet. She happened to stumble across the spacially displaced Finn, frozen in time along with everyone else that wasn't involved with the battle.
Her eyes studied his hardened expression, reviving the hurt she'd felt earlier. New tears welled up in her amber orbs, dripping the resulting lava to the ground.
"Finn...I..."
She closed her eyes, then leaned forward, bringing her lips to his. However, as their faces met, FP's slid right through his, unaware that the human was no longer standing there across dimensional boundaries. it was the final motion, as she was unable to stop her fall from the act, collapsing from the gas at last.
Third Arc's own heart stung, watching the distressed girl as HAVEN subsided.
Jake crawled towards a nearby rock, using it to support him as he tried to stand up. His right leg was twisted, and not because of his stretchy powers. The dog panted heavily, trying to see through his swollen eyes and licking away the blood on his lips. Footsteps were heard from behind, signifying First Arc was approaching him.
The magical canine swung around his body, which caused him to fall on his buns, back propped up against the stone. His brother gazed with a sad expression upon the dog, wishing it didn't have to be like this. Not a word was said, only the silent communication that was shared between siblings. Jake looked up at the human, an unreadable shade in his eyes that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking of his turned brother.
Giving his greatest effort to not show conflict, First Arc gently reached over with his leg and nudged him gently, tipped the dog over and causing him to land on his side to the ground. While HAVEN returned them to their previous planar setting, the Arc turned away, not wanting to see anymore pain.
A/N: That one was tough to write.
invisible redhead: Thanks so much for being with it all this time. I think your name is literal, because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get the file to ever show it until I removed the period in the middle. Crazy technology...
OMAC001: Real soon now, as in next.
DJ Rodriguez: I hoped I'd get you guys. I was also wondering if anyone guessed Finn's involvement earlier.
I am The7: You'll find out next.
TheMentalAdventurer: Haha, funny.