Chapter Seventeen:

This was the final battle of awesomeness. Magic Man and his army of dummies vs. Finn and Jake + the army of skeletons Marceline raised from the dead. Despite the fact that Finn had his buns kicked the past few days, he was determined to win. He wasn't going to lose. He couldn't lose. My army is already dead, it's not like they can die, he thought.

And so, taking the first strike, Finn took a sword and swiped out at Magic Man! "You stole my sword!" cried a skeleton.

"Shut up Phil," Marceline remarked. The vampire gracefully jumped out, punching and kicking numerous animated dummies, who punched and kicked right back. For a dummy they had pretty good reflexes, but were no match against Marceline. The only issue? There were so many of them.

"YAAAAHHHH!" Jake cried, lashing out into the battle as well. He morphed his size, striking and punching dummies left and right. "How'd you like my battle cry Finn? I've been practicing!" the dog asked while shoving a dummy into the dirt.

"That was great!" Finn replied, while dodging a swipe from Magic Man, making the villain lose stepping and get a face full of dirt. "Ha! Not so talented with your moves, are ya Magic Man?" Finn laughed.

"Argh! Don't be so confident human!" Magic Man yelled. He got back up and tried to swipe Finn more with his sword. The twelve year old hero laughed as he literally pranced away, maneuvering through skeletons and dummies. "HOLD STILL!" Magic Man hissed.

"Sorry old man," Finn winked. "I'm young and hip, I don't have to listen to you." His eyes widened. That's it! That's how I can defeat Magic Man! I may not be able to fight him, but I can out dance him! Out dance him… fight him… I've got to be able to do both! Finn's thoughts were cut short when Magic Man's sword collided with his, almost getting cut in the process. They struggled backwards, until Magic Man kicked the hero and sent him back on his knees. Quickly Finn stood up and dodged a sword slash, running through the crowds of the battlefield, his opponent chasing him endlessly. "Marceline!" Finn cried. "I need you to get your axe bass!"

"PFFT! Right, I would but it's back at my house at the cave. There's no way I can ditch this fight and fly to get it, that would take too long!" Marceline exclaimed. The Vampire Queen thought for a moment. "Unless…"

"Unless you believe in the power of friendship and that good can overcome evil if we truly understand?" Jake asked, interrupting.

"NO! Unless I can summon my axe bass to me," Marceline answered. "And what the flip Jake, when did you become poetic?"

The magical dog shrugged. "When Lady Rainicorn and I started attending art class I guess."

"You're such a weenie." Marceline thought hard. There had to be a way she could summon her axe bass to her. It would take serious mental focus, but if she got her bass she could kick some serious butt. "Okay!" she exclaimed to herself, clapping her hands together. Her eyes closed, and Marceline chanted, "By the blood that flows through my dead veins I command my belongs to come through, I command my axe bass to obey me, and to appear in my hand!"

She grunted as she focused on her vampire power, but suddenly her grip slackened, and suddenly between her fingers were-

"Your axe bass!" Finn shouted gleefully.

"Cool, can you summon a sandwich?" Jake asked.

"NO! Now stand back everybody! Things are about to get dangerous!" Marceline laughed deviously, as she flew up in the air and held her axe bass. Rapidly there was a loud boom of hardcore rock and roll music that erupted through the air. The harder she played the louder the music got, and black power rays started to come out of the end of her bass.

"Keep it up!" Finn encouraged. The dummies seemed distracted by her music, and the skeletons easily took them out with their swords. Jake got that overpowering urge to party, and he started dancing around the battleground. Because Jake was enlarged, he stepped on dummies as he danced, the skeletons careful not to get crushed.

"My army!" Magic Man shouted. He growled and lunged at Finn sword in hand. "YOU'RE DEAD HUMAN BOY!"

His sword was able to slash Finn's stomach. Immediately blood began to gush out of the twelve year olds fresh wound, but Finn managed to keep standing, keep moving, anything to dodge Magic Man's raging attacks. The young hero saw an opportunity, and while Magic Man had his arm in the air ready to strike, the twelve year old punched him in the ribs and followed up with a side kick! Magic Man dropped his sword from being kicked, and quickly Finn leaped through the air and caught his sword!

Despite the overwhelming pain in his gut, Finn found the strength to hold the sword out! "No Magic Man! You're dead!"

And with that, Finn drove the sword through Magic Man's chest.

Silence.

Everyone's head turned to Finn and Magic Man. His eyes lost its shimmer, and Magic Man fell to his knees, a face of shock on his face. He was stunned. "Y-you h-hit m-me," he stammered, his voice hoarse.

"Game over Magic Man. I win."

A smile crept on Magic Man's face. "B-beat b-by a h-hu-m-man. H-how pa-pathetic." His eyes were piercing through to Finn's. "You did it human. You completed your final trial."

Abruptly Finn felt a tingling sensation come over him! He felt his hands, his feet, his head, his whole body quiver and shake! "What's happening!" Finn cried. "I won! I won! What's going on?"

Magic Man's body started to evaporate. Finn was evaporating along with him.

And then…

Darkness.

"Finn? Finn? Oh come on Finn please wake up."

"Don't be so gentle. Shake him or something." A pair of cold hands touched the young hero's shoulder. "Yo, weenie! Wake up! Or I'll take a marker and draw on your face."

Eyes opened, and Finn saw Marceline and Princess Bubblegum sitting over him. He groaned. "What happened?"

"We're free Finn. We're home just outside the Candy Kingdom," Princess Bubblegum answered. She gently propped Finn up against a tree, and he saw Jake and Lady Rainicorn sitting on a log a few yards off.

"Is it… over?" the young boy asked.

"Yes, it's all over and done with. You did it," Bubblegum smiled.

"Are you serious? If anything I did all the work. I raised the dead for tuna's sake," Marceline grumbled. "But whatever, you're okay Finn."

"Where is Magic Man?"

"BEHIND YOU!"

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Finn shrieked, literally jumping up twenty feet in the air.

A maniacal laugh came from behind the tree, and out stepped Magic Man. "Hello Finn," he greeted.

"I THOUGHT I KILLED YOU! WHY WON'T YOU DIE?" Finn screamed.

"Is it me, or does he sound like a girl?" Marceline asked.

"He sounds like a girl," Bubblegum answered, "But he's cute."

Finn ignored the two girls. "Just what is going on here?" he demanded.

"Oh yes, I suppose you have ill will towards me after what has happened over the course of the past few days," Magic Man sighed. "You see young hero, I am many things. I am magic, of course, I'm a great chef, I'm excellent at air hockey, I'm a pretty decent singer, I'm…-"

"Boring," Marceline huffed.

"No," Magic Man corrected. "I'm an actor."

"Actor?" Finn asked.

"That's right young hero. Ever since the trials started I have been acting. You see, it was my test to see just how far you'd go to do what's right. I wanted to see how far I could push you, how far I could test you, how long until I could break you, and if you had the courage and the strength to keep on fighting."

"What? Why?" Finn demanded. "Why would you purposely put me through that?"

Magic Man smiled. It was sincere, and had no trickery to it whatsoever. "To make a hero out of you."

Finn's eyes widened. "A… hero?"

"Finn the Human, you are now a hero. You have proven yourself to be one, that you not only have the valor, the wits, the strength- you have the honor of a true hero. That was the true point of the trials Finn. To see if I could make a hero out of you… to make you a true… adventurer."

Turning his head, Finn saw the look of pride in the eyes of Jake, Lady Rainicorn, Princess Bubblegum, and even Marceline, though the vampire tried not to show it, she was proud of him. Everyone was. And suddenly, Finn felt the well deserved sense of pride swell over him. He was a hero. He knew it down deep in his gut. "Thank you," Finn murmured. He understood now. Magic Man wasn't really evil, just incredibly sneaky, but all for good reasons at the root of it.

"Here Finn, take this." Magic Man tossed an object through the air, and Finn caught a golden sword in his hand. It was longer than his other one, sharper, and lighter so it was easier to wield. Imprinted on the front were the handwritten words; Adventure Time.

"Thank you Magic Man… I don't hate you anymore," Finn stammered. He smiled. "You put me through some messed up junk, but I appreciate it. Thanks."

"I must leave now. I may have done you a favor, but I'm still a jerk to other unsuspecting creatures. Fare well Finn." Magic Man walked past Marceline. He reached a hand out and brushed her bare shoulder. "One day we can cause chaos together perhaps," he smiled.

"Let's not forget I'm the Vampire Queen. I don't need a partner in crime," Marceline smirked. She took his hand off her shoulder. "Goodbye." And then, Magic Man winked and was gone.

"So…" said Jake, walking over. "Cool sword Finn."

"Yeah it's tight," he smiled.

"Let's all celebrate and have spaghetti in the Candy Kingdom!" Princess Bubblegum exclaimed.

"Yeah!" everyone cheered. They started walking to the entrance where Peppermint Butler awaited.

"Hey wait… anybody think we forgot something?" Lady Rainicorn asked.

Finn's eyes widened. "LUMPY SPACE PRINCESS IS STILL CAPTURED BY THE ICE KING!"

…

…

…

"I want a salad with my spaghetti," Jake said.

"Ooh and a glass of blood," Marceline smirked.

They still continued to the Candy Kingdom kitchen. LSP can wait after dinner, Finn thought.

Author's Note:

Well my mathematical readers, this was the last chapter of Magic Trials. There will be one more chapter after this one, think of it as an epilogue, that will come out next week. Thank you for all the reviews and the helpful advice/comments along the way. I'm sad to end this, but hopefully this isn't my last AT story! The next chapter will be the last. Please review, and thank you for reading :D