We all met up with Marshall and Gumball just outside of the Candy Palace. The whole earth was shaking terribly, making it hard to stand at first, but after a while I think we all got used to it. The first thing I noticed as we came through the portal was the massive black hole tearing open in the distance. It looked like it was coming from the field where I first saw the black tree. As dark and terrible as the situation seemed, for a split second I was relieved that the Lich wouldn't be anywhere near civilization.
"How's she doing?" I asked Gumball impatiently, still holding tightly to the small spark of hope that his invention would work.
"So far there's been no signs of her waking up. It's the first time we've ever tried it though, so it may take some time. She's also born of magic, so that might be making things difficult." I hung my head, trying to hide my disappointment from everyone. Gumball hugged me tight and whispered in my ear, "She'll be fine, Fionna. I promise."
I hugged him back tightly before stepping back and getting a good look at everyone. Gumball had a satchel filled with knick knacks slung over his shoulder, ready to lob his bombs and potions at whatever threatened us. Marshall had his axe, too, but there was something else about him. Something… different.
"Marshall, what—"
"I called on Hannah. Sort of. More like she came to me," he answered before I could even get my words out. My heart sank and my jaw fell open as I stared at him disbelievingly. "Don't worry, Fi! It's not like that. She granted me control of the shadows. She said this world was no business of hers, but she didn't want to risk the Lich's evil seeping into the Nightosphere. She had enough to deal with."
"S—so… there's no contracts?"
"Nope. I'm free and clear to bend the shadows at my every whim. Pretty cool huh?" He smirked at me, enjoying my momentary freak out.
"That's awesome, Marshall! Why didn't I think of asking daddy for the shadows?" Marcy exclaimed.
"That is pretty cool, Marshall. But we need a plan of attack. The Lich is supposed to come in about 3 hours. The field where the portal is opening is about an hour and a half walk from here, about 30 minutes if we fly. I know the air is dark and heavy, so walking may be our best bet."
They all nodded at me in agreement, then Finn came up to stand next to me, facing the group. From the outside, it probably looked like two commanders addressing their army.
"Fionna, do we know exactly what time he'll be here? Or any way we can close the portal?" Finn asked, looking serious and ready to fight.
"No, there's no way to close the portal. Not that we know of. And for time, well, The Seeress said 6 hours from when we were there. I'm guessing he'll break through just before sunset. Marshall, Gumball, did you guys manage to get everyone evacuated?"
"Everyone we could, my dear. Whoever couldn't leave is either hiding in the palace basement or in their own basements. The Candy Kingdom is a ghost town," Gumball reported.
"Okay, great. We're off to a good start. Now, for a plan of attack. Here's what I'm thinking: he probably knows we'll be waiting for him, so he's probably got some kind of magic protection. I don't think he's expecting the shadows to attack, so Marshall, you should be his main point of surprise." Marshall nodded, waiting for the rest. "Gumball and Bubblegum, if you guys have anything to blind-sight him or catch his attention, use it. We probably can't hit him with potions or bullets, but if we can get him to stumble, or even lose focus for just a few seconds, then we could get close to him. Cake and Jake, once he's distracted, if you can, try to hold him down, but only if he isn't casting some kind of crazy protection spell. I don't want anyone getting hurt in this." They all nodded and mumbled in agreement, embracing their roles in this. "Finn, you've fought him before. You're the one who trapped him, so when he sees you, he'll probably go straight for you. When that happens, act like you're the one who's supposed to take him down. Be his main focus. And Marcy, I'll need your help. I don't think poking at his ankle with this dagger is going to kill him. I think he needs to be hit somewhere important, somewhere vital. I'll need you to drop me on top of him just as he's at the pique of his distraction. Then, I'll take the dagger and plunge it into his skull." I looked around as everyone looked to me, listening to my plan and getting pumped to fight. Their confidence, their strength, their will to win; all of it made me feel invincible. "We're going to take him down! For Ooo! For Aaa!" I screamed, raising the dagger into the air. Together the thrust their fists and weapons into the air with mine, screaming with me, ready to fight.
I turned and struck the dagger towards the portal, signaling the move forward. "For Billy," I whispered under my breath as we marched. "For Seeress."
Just as I said, it took us an hour and a half to get there on foot. The air was heavy and laden with the blackness that covered the trees and the dirt. Mist swirled around our feet as we walked and the trees whispered horrifying things to us. "Don't listen!" I would tell them, encouraging them to keep their heads and know that it was all a trick.
The field was covered in black, dying wheat. Snow was falling lightly onto the ground, but there was no sign of it when it hit. It was all absorbed by the blackness. The sky was covered in grey clouds, turning everything into a shadow.
There, where the tree once stood, was the portal. It was tall enough to fit a mountain through, and wide enough for a giant snail to crawl in. The edges of the portal bended and warped the scene around it, creating what looked like the earth and air being sucked into a giant mouth. It crackled with electricity, and air whooshed around us as the portal drew it in. All of the wheat bent towards it, as well as our clothes and hair.
"Alright everyone, get into position. He'll be coming out right there, and when he does, we'll be ready for him. Cake and Jake, hide in the wheat on either side of the portal. Gumball and Bubblegum, stay in the trees and lob what you can at him as soon as he comes out. Marshall, do whatever you need to do to summon the shadows. Finn, stay directly in front of the portal. He needs to see you when he comes out. Marcy, you and I are going to go behind the portal. Finn, draw your sword the moment you see something coming. That'll be our cue to attack."
Jake and Cake took off immediately, hiding in the wheat, sticking out with their creamy golden fur coloring. If the wheat hadn't been swallowed by blackness, they would have blended perfectly. Finn, Marcy and Bubblegum gathered together one last time before we would start this battle, saying their I-love-you's and good-luck's. I watched for a moment and knew, right then and there, that I would not fail them. I would do everything in my power to make sure they went home together.
"Fionna," Gumball said, interrupting my thoughts. I turned to him and Marshall standing behind me, holding hands. Each of them reached their hands out to mine, and together we completed a circle. "You have done so well today. You've brought us together and gave us a purpose. You've proven, beyond a doubt, that you are meant to be our fearless queen," he said, both of them smiling at me in deep and honored appreciation. They let go of each other and took my hands in both of theirs, falling to their knees, and gently kissing my knuckles, one after the other.
"I will follow you anywhere, your highness," Marshall whispered against my hand.
"As will I, my queen," Gumball breathed, looking up at me.
I fell to my knees and pulled them both into me, holding them so tight that I'm sure I almost broke Gumball's neck. "I love you," I whispered through the tears. We stood on our knees in the cold, dark snow for a few moments, soaking up whatever affection we could before the battle. No one wanted to admit it, but this might be the last time we ever get to see each other.
"Fionna? Fionna! I—I think something's wrong!" I heard Finn call out. Immediately we all stood up and looked in Finn's direction.
Through the portal, a small, claw-like hand appeared. It dragged itself out, carrying its whole body with it. The creature looked like a pitch-black gremlin, with long, pointed ears, two small horns, and piercing red eyes. It cocked its head and snickered at us.
"What is that?" Gumball asked, confused and afraid.
Just then, it lunged straight for Finn, claws out and teeth barred. In one fluid motion, Finn pulled out the sword with the brown and black leather hilt and slashed the gremlin in the air. The thing didn't fall, or scream, or anything. It hissed and burst into black mist.
"What the glob is going on here?" Bubblegum yelled, getting her huge gun thing ready and pointing it at the portal. Everyone followed suit, Marshall and Marcy holding out their axes, Jake turning his fists into two spiked iron balls, Cake turning her arms and claws into spiked whips, Gumball pulling out 4 small bombs between his fingers, and me unsheathing my unbreakable crystal sword. We all stood ready for a fight.
We didn't have to wait long. The gremlins began to pour out of the black hole, swarming the fields. Jake and Cake crushed them by the dozen, while Finn and I hacked and slashed away at the steady flow of little monsters. Marshall and Marcy swung their axes, sometimes crushing them with their strength or biting off their heads. Bubblegum blasted droves of them at a time, and Gumball threw out bombs into the densest areas. Every single one of them burst into shadows and mist the moment they were slain, and every single one of them was replaced by two, sometimes three, more.
As if the gremlins weren't enough, shadow birds began to dart out of the portal, dive bombing us whenever we weren't looking. Bubblegum did a good job at blasting them from the sky, while Marshall and Marceline smashed their fists into them in the air. The rest of us focused on the gremlins as best we could. Finn and I ended up back to back, using the same moves and techniques, together creating a whirlwind of blades that couldn't be penetrated. Cake would turn herself into a slingshot and Jake into a cannonball, and together they would crush at least 60 of them. Gumball pulled out a small dagger I'd given him years ago and used that to slash at the creatures if they managed to get close to him after he threw his bombs. He was actually pretty good at wielding it, or, at least, better than I expected.
The fight raged on like that for at least an hour. Those of us who weren't used to fighting grew tired, and those of us who were used to it pushed through the exhaustion. The creatures that came out of the portal began to grow in size and strength, but lessened greatly in number, so it was no longer birds and gremlins, but wraiths and shadow beasts. Marshall, Marceline and Bubblegum tore and shot at the wraiths in the sky, dodging attacks from their sharp claws and razor teeth. Jake and Cake began to take out the beasts one at a time, working together to wrap themselves around the beasts and crush them with their bodies. Finn and I also worked together to take them down. Finn would pick me up and throw me onto one of them, and I'd plunge my sword into its back, or I'd crouch on my knees and Finn would run straight at me, and I would launch him off of me and onto the nearest beast around.
In a slight break, I took a look around me. Everyone, everyone was beat up and exhausted. Marshalls torso was bare and covered in claw marks, and Marcy had blood dripping down her arm and staining her jeans. Bubblegum had a gash on her face, and blood was staining her white sweater on her side. Gumball had claw marks going down from his shoulder to his elbow, and Cake's eye was beginning to swell, blood splattered all over her white fur. Jake had a swollen lip and a gash on his back, and Finn was pretty bruised up, his armor dented and stained with bite marks and blood. I was hit in the face with a claw, and I could feel the blood trickling from my cheek down to my neck, and the bite mark on my thigh stung and burned.
But still, despite all our wounds and exhaustion, not one of us stopped fighting. I smiled to myself in my moment of recognition, feeling energized and determined to keep doing, and raised my sword to bring it crashing down into a beasts head.
Then, out of nowhere, everything came to a stop. The earth groaned beneath us, the birds and gremlins and beasts and wraiths all stood still, the trees shook, and the portal expanded. Something was coming.
It was time.