Disclaimer: Don't own AT.

Chapter 6: Aftermath

Finn's body was constantly shaking with barely contained rage. The meeting had brought to the surface years of suppressed anger and sorrow. He was able to relieve some of it during the meeting, but it was not enough. Now that left over anger was barely being contained within him. His own people didn't dare go near him out of feat that they could be victims of his anger. It didn't help him that the meeting had been a complete disaster. His plan to tell them a fabricated story that would get them to most likely never come back had been ruined.

"Why did they have to reenter my life dammit," shouted Finn in pure anger and sorrow. "I was happy that I had started a new life away from them with people who actually appreciated what I do and understand me. Yet now I have been discovered by them. To make things worse I get treated once again by them as some immature person who is totally at fault for everything. Why can't they take reasonability for their part in all this?" he cried. "Why can't they just understand how I feel? Why can't Flame Princess see that this is about more than just a failed romance? This is also about feeling like a tool. Yet it seems they are just too self-righteous to ever admit to doing bad thinks. I admit I was stupid beyond words for what I did to Flame Princess and that will always be my greatest mistake and failure. Yet she thinks that she can afterward come to me for help and expect me to act like all that happened between us was done years ago. That was just like the time Princess Bubblegum became 18 again. I never thought I would have to relive that horrible event again, yet fate is once again enjoying my pain and suffering."

After pounding the ground furiously for some time to try and relieve his anger, Finn just decided to give up and contemplate on where thinks where now heading. "Most likely they will come back and ask me to be their slave again," he laughed sorrowfully. "They only miss me because of the things I did, not because of who I am," he thought. "I just want to be with someone who understands me for who I am and who will be their even when times get tough. Yet a happy relationship is just a fairy tale. Real people can't work through their mistakes or problems and instead just grow to hate each other. When will I finally find that special someone?

He cursed PB for using him, Jake for his bad advice, Marceline for misunderstanding his intentions, FP for thinking his feelings for her would vanish, Cosmic Owl for starting all this, and most all himself for thinking that he could escape his past.

Princess Bubblegum POV

"Finn has changed Peppermint Butler."

"So I've heard Princess. Rumors are already starting to spread around OOO of what had occurred at Finns Kingdom. Some people are even cheering at some of the things he had said. Many people here are even talking about leaving the Candy Kingdom for Finns Kingdom.

"What," she said in disbelief. "Why would they leave their home kingdom?"

"Well as Finn pointed out you have a habit of using many of the candy citizens as lab rats."

"I did these things for the greater good of the Candy Kingdom. Responsibility demands sacrifice after all. If I must sacrifice some of my people for the greater good then I will do it.

"Not all your experiments have helped the candy people much Princess. The 2 candy zombie outbreaks we have had can attest to that.

"Yet I fixed everything soon afterward and gained much data from what happened. No one was permanently hurt so what's the big deal."

"Wasn't it mostly Finn who fixed everything since he was the one who held back the candy horde and distributed the antidote?

"None of that would have mattered had it not been for me. I was the one who created the antidote in the first."

Mumbling under his breath he said. "If it hadn't been for you, then none of this would have happened in the first place."

"What was that," she asked.

"Nothing Princess."

"Hmm," I wondered. "What would you suggest I do to stop this?

"I suggest you start paying more attention to your people rather than locking yourself in a lap for days and only paying any attention to them when you need a new test subject."

"Are you suggesting no more scientific advancement," she asked angrily.

"No what I'm saying is you should put your people first instead of putting your interests in scientific advancement first. You can still do science just in a more well controlled manner. As in no more locking yourself away from us for days at a time. And no more using your own people as test subjects."

"You're saying that I should completely change who I am. That the way I have always lead my people is bad. Why now is this all coming to light?"

"Because there's never been a situation before that required you to confront these problems," he said as fact. "Before now the candy people didn't have any other place to go, they were stuck here. Now though they have the ability to choose on where they want to live. Now you must choose to either change how you treat people or risk losing your people."

Marceline POV

Finn has become a monster. He was willing to enslave the whole Nightosphere if he should ever fell threatened. It's almost impossible to believe that that person was once the kind hearted Finn. The fact that he had so easily used my real name as a display of power was just horrifying. He didn't even back on the cruel things he said towards us. Was he really that upset that I misunderstand what he wanted from me? No I thought it was obviously more than that. He said he was upset that people never took him into consideration when people asked him to do certain things. He felt like no one understood him. I guess I really screwed up by thinking that he was trying to hit on me. It seems I too failed to understand how he felt.

"I'm sorry Finn. I wish I could make it up to you," she said out loud. But then I got an idea. What if I could make it up to him. What if I went back and told him that Flame Princess still secretly has feelings for him. What if I helped them to work out their problems and with that I got them back together. This would totally make him feel better and this could even work. "I can totally do this," I screamed. If all else fails, I would make sure that he knew that there were still people in OOO like his brother Jake and me who care about him.

Flame Princess POV

I was left completely dazed from the meeting. Seeing Finn for the first time in years did not go how I had dreamed it would. I always thought that when I saw him again he would come running to me telling me how much he missed me and that he never wanted to be separated from me again. Instead he tells me how hurt he was from me and that I was being selfish for thinking that everything was all his fault. I was brought out of my thoughts by my Fathers annoying laughter.

"I've been hearing my daughter that you found where our missing people had vanished to. From what I've heard they were displeased with your leadership and left to find themselves a new home. I always said you weren't fit to lead this kingdom. Now how about you finally release me from this accursed lamp and give our people the leader they really need. One who doesn't rule as an excuse to distract herself from a broken heart."

That... Hurt. It really hurt to hear even from my father that I was only ruling to distract myself from my pain of losing Finn. Hadn't I a good ruler to the people of the Fire Kingdom? Isn't total honesty and no secrets a good thing? Don't they only cause pain and suffering? So aren't lies and secrets a bad thing? Finally I found the resolve to respond to my father's words.

"Maybe I have made some bad decisions father, but I know that I still care for our people unlike you. I want what is best for them unlike you who just wanted then to fulfill your every need and desire."

He laughed at her response to what he said. "How can you say that when you still force our people to be open books with one another. I have seen many people in our kingdom come to hate each other because they had to tell each other certain things, things that they would normally never have to tell one another. Yet they have to because of your law of total honesty and no secrets, you know what happens if they don't, they go to the dungeon for a while," he laughed. "The greatest thing I have seen from all this is that you're too concerned about your own emotional problems to even notice what goes on around you. That sounds pretty evil to me my daughter. Only paying attention to yourself and not to those who you say you rule over benevolently."

"That's not true," she said in disbelief. "You're lying again; you're just trying to make me think I am a bad leader. You're just trying to get back the throne by making me give it up out of shame."

"You thing I am lying child. Fine then, why not ask someone more trust worthy then me about what I just said, someone like your lover Cinnamon Bun."

"He is not my lover," cried out Flame Princess. "He is the loving father that I never had. I'm sure he'll tell me that what you just said was a clever lie and nothing more. Cinnamon Bun," she yelled out.

Hurrying to the throne room panting he wondered what it was she had wanted. He even noticed that she seemed to have a hint of distress in her voice. Whatever it was he doubted it was a good thing. "What is it that you need Flame Princess?"

Speaking in a desperate manner that wanted to be told that what her father said was not true she answered. "My father says that the total honesty and no secrets law has had some negative effects on the people of the Fire Kingdom, is this true Cinnamon Bun."

He responded with scratching the back of his head that in a manner that suggested he was hesitant to answer.

Seeing this Flame Princess started to feel very nervous. "Please tell me Cinnamon Bun."

Answering in a hesitant voice he spoke. "Some of the fire people have been complaining that their lives and relationships have been ruined because of this law. They feel that now that they can't keep a secret, that nothing is sacred anymore. Some people have lost their jobs or broken up because they had to tell their boss or partner things they didn't like about them. When they are asked what they don't like about them they can't lie about it and thus keep it a secret. Many people say they should be able to keep something like that a secret. Yet since they can't it has caused many problems for people. This has caused some people to even dowse themselves out of...

"That's enough Cinnamon Bun," she said horrified at what she just learned.

Looking down at his daughter from the lamp with a triumphed grin he spoke. "The truth hurts doesn't it child. Hearing that you failed to be the better ruler that you thought you were. While I had been an evil King, at least I paid attention to my people. I made sure to keep them just happy enough so that they wouldn't leave. After all, what use is there in being a King if you don't have anyone to rule over?," he laughed. "So if you really want to be the better King, then start by getting rid of that law."

Staring down at the floor in disbelief, I kept repeating the same thing to myself over and over again. "What have I done?"

Howdy guys it's me again. Now to explain why Marceline here has the by far the shortest POV. Out of all the characters Finn has interacted with, they have never had horrible things happen between them. That and she doesn't have anything that she needs to work on like PB and FP. That in no way means I'm shipping these two. I have and will always be a Finn x Flame Princess Shipper. Well hopefully you didn't think I was being too biased here or mean to certain characters. As always please let me know what you think and don't stop giving me ideas or advice.