Sorry it took too long to finishs the second chapter...
I was quite busy by school and work, that I didn´t have time to finish it! :(
But I guees it would take some months to finish the story, so I wouldn´t make other chapters next month as I uses to... ;-b
But please enjoy the reading og AT-fanfic! :-D

(It´s a VERY LONG chapter!)

Chapter 2:
The Rose Garden

It took almost forever to find the curved oak tree in the dark forest. Finn checked on the map again to make sure, they were on the right way, but they´re actually walking in circles.

"Maybe it's just a trick? You know how crazy old people are," Jake said a little boring talking while he was lyring his back on a big rock and you could see his round belly.

But Finn knows that the old lady is not like that. She was very convincing when she told the story and smiles when she thinks of her first sight of the princess. He wanted to see the princess, whom he has not heard and asks Jake to extend up to the top of the trees. Jake sighed, but does as he was asked. He stretches his legs as elastic up to the trees, but he´s moving a branch with one arm and he was now on the top of the dark forest.

"What do you see?" Finn shouts to Jake and Jake replied that he could see the tree house and the Ice Kingdom from faraway and he lowered his rubber legs to normal size.

Finn checked the map and see they had gone nearly 40 meters from the tree house. Then he notices something that sticks out slightly on his leg. He looked down and was shocked when he saw a thorn branch.

"This must be the branchs, the old lady talked about" Finn muttered and attacks the thorn branches.

He swung his sword, but misses every time a branch swinging from his attack. Jake came to rescue and swerves his arms and legs around the branches without getting hurt. But the thorn branches fought on and swings back and forth before Jake gets dizzy and couldn´t stand it.
Finn grabbed Jake with one arm, but he lost the map as a thorn pricked on the map and slips away from Finn and Jake.

"HEY, GIVE US THE MAP BACK!" Finn shouted to the thorn branch and grabs the branch without touching the thorns.

Jake grabbed on Finn's foot and together they were thrown into the woods. Finn tried to dodge a rock or a tree trunk, but got a bug in his mouth. Then he couldn´t hold it more and release it, so they were thrown from the branch and rolled down to a hill and landed on an unknown place.

"Where are we?" Jake asks confused, but Finn was more captivated by finding the damn branches and gets the map back.

But there was no way out and the tree looks like a wall of forest and creepers. "Uhm, Finn... I think you have to look at it…" Jake mumbled to Finn, but Finn was more concerned to chop the creepers with his sword, but every time he does it, it grows back and more than ever. Jake gives him a slap on the cheek from his temper and shows him what he sees now. Finn was speechless, when he saw it. In the unknown place, there was a curved oak tree in the middle of the area and it has a huge gap on the bark.

"I… I can´t believe it…" muttered Finn paralyzed.

Although he didn´t have the map, it must surely be here, the old lady was once. Finn came a bit closer on the tree and laid his palm on the tree. Jake scratched his head confused and asks Finn what he's doing, but Finn didn´t listen and had to study the tree with an open mouth.

"We found it, Jake... the tree, where the Rose Princess lives..." Finn muttered and Jake just nodded.

"But how do we get in?" Jake asks wondering.

Finn scratched his chin and looked a bit around the tree, but there is no door to enter. He looked down at the big mouth of the tree and he could feel the wind blow from the dark bottom, "Hm... I think the only entrance is inside of the tree…" Finn said, pointing to the gap.

"Oh no, I´m not jumping into that hole!" Jake said with shivering on his yellow coat.

Finn believes that it couldn´t be that bad and drags him to the tree, but Jake is holding onto a stone and Finn struggling to pull and Jake´s body got longer. "Come on, Jake! We have to see if the Rose Princess exists! And maybe she needs our help!" Finn begged in please, but Jake will not go into the dark gap.

Finn got an idea and rummaged in his green backpack while he was still holding Jake with one arm. He took a piece of pie and waved the fragrant cake on Jake's snout, "Look Jake... It´s Tree Trunks´ apple pie, your favorite..." Finn lured slyly and when Jake saw the pie, he releases the stone and tried to take the pie from Finn, but he quickly throws it into the timber mouth and Jake jumped down after the pie. Finn´s tying Jake´s small tail like a rope and jumps himself into the big woody gap.

They slid down the tree and Finn´s shouting of the trip. Jake was busy catching the pie and it took a minute before he caught it and landed on something hard. Jake ate the apple pie, but spit some leftovers when Finn landed on him. Finn apologizes to Jake and helping him up. But when Jake was on the leg and saw amazed at something. Finn was looking back, where Jake´s glance stared. To his surprise they stand on a large underground place with a lot of roses all around them and there is a small house that looks like a giant rose.
Finn explored the spot and fragrant with flowers down here than up there. Finn wanted to touch the soft red petals, but is attacked by even more thorn branches. Finn pulls his sword out, but before the branch could tear him with its thorns, they are stopped by a friendly voice which causes them to withdraw. Finn stared in wonder at them and he saw a shadow behind him. He turns around and sees a young woman, standing in front of him;

"Sorry for the inconvenience... my thorns only do it to protect my garden..." the woman said with a fancy accent and was wearing a light pink dress with roses around her.

Finn continues to stare at her. She was exactly the same description as the old lady described: blood red long hair reaching down to the ground, the skin red as roses and the eyes green as leaves on a tree. Finn couldn´t get a word out of his mouth and stammered a bit. The woman giggled and says he have to calm down and talk slowly. Finn took a deep breath and introduced himself, "I am Finn, the human hero of Ooo. And over there is Jake".

The woman looked back and waved to the yellow dog. Jake waved back and was completely flabbergasted. The woman introduced herself as the Rose Princess and offers Finn into her home. Finn would to and follows her. Jake follows awkward after them, but was careful to not be touched by the thorns.
The Rose Princess offered them tea and pours them into three teacups; they are shaped like red lilies. Finn tasted to the tea and think they taste like herbal tea, but has a sweet taste and fragrance.

"So... what brings you here in my Rose Garden?" the princess asks with kindness in her voice.

"Rose Garden?!" Jake said awkwardly, but Finn just keeps staring at her. She was much more beautiful than he ever imagined and the old lady was right... she seems very enchanting when he look deep into her eyes.

Jake waved his paw in front of Finn's face until he gives him a slap on the cheek and Finn woke up from his thoughts. "Finn, the lady asks what we're doing here." Jake repeats for the princess. Finn stammered, but don´t know what to say, so Jake had to say for him, they were finding the princess, because they have never heard of her. The princess nodded understandable as she looks at the two guests in a strange way.

"I understand what you mean, dear friend... I don´t get many visitors here in the garden... but you two are my first guests, so I´m appreciate that..." the Rose Princess said with a smile and give them each a rose as she picked from her garden. "Accept it as my gratitude..."

Finn blushed at her hospitality and scratched nervous on the neck. "T-thank you... i-it was n- nothing..." Finn stammered with a shy smile. Jake began to tease him that he likes the princess, because his face was red and Finn claims him to stop. The Rose Princess chuckled and asks them kindly to stop. Finn and Jake stopped fighting for fun and sitting erectly as real gentlemen. Finn sipped his tea and seemed nervous when the princess´s looking at him with her kind eyes.

"I also know you didn´t come here to meet me... You also have other things to add, can I see..." the princess said a little suspicious .

Finn stopped to sip his tea and put it on a small tree trunk. "Actually… the reason we came here, if you need help here in the garden..." Finn said honestly and the Rose Princess smiled and Finns cheeks starts to be red, "That was sweet of you to come unexpectedly here and offer me help...". Finn smiled and looked expectantly at the princess's response, while Jake munches on the cookies and taking biggulps of tea. "... But actually, I don´t need any help here in the garden, I have looked after them well before I´m sleeping again after the end of summer."

Finn's expectant face turns into a frown. He understands that she don´t need help now, since she had just woken from her slumber. "Well... then Jake and I return to our tree house now and... waiting for a new adventure..." Finn muttered disappointed, but thanked the princess for her hospitality. He tells Jake they´re leaving now and Jake stands with arm full of cookies.
Finn and Jake finds their way onto the garden and toward the hole from the tree. The Rose Princess follows them with a sorry glance. Jake was the first who climbed with his tail. Then it was Finn's turn, but he took a quick look at the princess, still standing at the door. He smiled and climbed up at Jake´s tail. Although it didn´t go as he expected, but he was rather pleased to meet the princess he never knew that she existed.
He just managed to climb before he hears the princess call wait to them. He jumped on the ground and pulls Jake down. He landed with a thud on his butt and complained about what it is now. The Rose Princess was already in front of them and look down at Finn and Jake.

"... I may have something that you two heroes could help me with..." the princess said with a kind smile.

Finn looks surprisingly at her and then he makes a big smile with bared teeth and howled with happiness. Finally, there was something they could help the princess and jumping around like a crazy in the garden. Jake makes his nuts-in-the-head-expression and spinning his finger at his head. The Rose Princess chuckled, but felt happy to say it. Finn jumped back to her and asks her what to do. The princess has brought three baskets and gives two each for them. She walks over to the hole and climbs up. Finn and Jake follow her, but has no idea what to do.
They crawled up from the big gap and were on the surface of grass again. It was good to have some fresh air, but Finn and Jake have no idea what she intended.
"Not to be rude, but what are we doing with these baskets?" Jake asks in curiously. The Rose Princess hesitated in the beautiful valley and turns her gaze to those with a usual smile...

"... We need to find some special roses that´ll make the summer very special..."