Finally, I've been wanting to post this chapter for such a long time. Fun fact: I originally planned to have these events happen 3 chapters ago. I hope it lives up to my and your expectations alike.
(R/R and as always, enjoy.)
Chapter Eight: For Our Brother, Hero and Lover.
"I guess we'll rest here for a couple of hours and see where the tracker takes us next." Said the princess, putting the tracker back in the bag for safe keeping, also getting out water for the herself and the other two.
Handing bottles over to Marceline and Jake, he lazily winced, "Can't you just pour it in my mouth..." he instructed with his jaw wide open and waiting as he laid there. Bubblegum lowered her eyelids giving him a bothered stare handing him the drink.
"Daw-c'mon, I saved us liked an exhausting ten more minuets of walking." He pouted, throwing his arms and legs in the air in protest while still on his back.
"And I thank-you for that Jake, but you can drink for yourself, I'm as tired as you are; I'm not going to start pampering you." She folded a page of notes in her pocket, equipping it as a fan, circulating the air around her face while cracking open the fresh bottle of water.
"Yeah that was pretty awesome, I would have been dragging my face in the sand by the time we got here; would've messed up my hair." Marceline added her appreciation. "Hey Bonnie, how'd you keep these so cool in your bag this whole time." She asked, gesturing the freezing bottle in her hand.
Bubblegum was glad she asked, she loved an opportunity to explain her science; she didn't want to sound too big-headed bringing such topics up out of the blue so she could self-indulge a little in her creations. "I tried out a formula for a freezing agent, put a single drop in each, and well, it keeps things, primarily liquids, cool for a prolonged period of time. I believe I may be onto how Ice King manages to manipulate matter below zero degrees; hmff magie meinen arsch. But that still needs more testing. I was originally aiming to get an actual 'freezing' agent, but it turned out to just coat matters briefly in ice crystals at a molecular level, they easily melt in room temperature, but they do end up cooling the liquid as a result, in this case that's a good thing. Need to mess around with my formula a bit when I get back..." She noted to herself.
"Hmm." Was all Marceline could say, nodding upon Bubblegums finish, she didn't really understand the whole science aspect, she was hoping for a more simple or direct answer; all in all she got an answer that she somewhat understood.
"So now we are here, what did you wanna ask a few hours back?"
Bubblegum took a second to recollect, and then she remembered, with her expression noticable dropped from her face, she didn't want to bring it up again, at least for now while everything is calm and settled. She eluded Marceline's question. "I-hmm, I can't seem to remember, guess it wasn't important." but her expression said otherwise.
Marceline easily picked up on her lie, which brought her more curios to what she wanted. "Bonnie, living for a-thousand years has its perks, its obvious your hiding something; written all over your rosy-red cheeks. So c'mon what is it. Is it girl talk, you don't want Jake to hear or something?"
"Juh-what? No..." She denied, blushing slightly from the thought of the things Marceline could be implying by 'girl talk'.
"Hey I won't judge princess, you can say what you gotta say." Jake said, also now curious to here what she was straying to say.
"Guys it's really nothing, just drop it." She anxiously laughed it off, hoping they'll give up on their curious pursuit.
"Saying that only makes me want to hear it even more. Give up Bonnie, I can bug you about this all day till you do, and all night if I have too."
"...Fine, if you want to know – but don't get angry or anything, okay?..." 'This don't sound good' Marceline thought.
"Its just, well yesterday, you sounded like you were ready to.. well, do drastic actions towards me and.. I just wanted to know if we're..."
"Chsst, really Bonnie, you bring that up? Do you have any idea what you put me through?"
"See this is why I didn't want to bring it up. Lets just drop it."
"Oh-no-no, drop it? I don't think so. You think if you can just keep avoiding these things you won't have to face up to what you did? I don't think you quite understand how it was to survive in there. You seem to just pave over it all, trying to cover it all up. I'm still recovering, getting used to the outside world again, that fucking messed me up, it was traumatising. So yeah, my fucking bad if I'm a little on-edge or hostile around you. It was your orders, your dungeon; you should be thankful it don't crumble you to dust. I set those emotions aside, at least for now, for Finn's sake, and you bring it up again acting scared like your the victim..."
Finn staggered and dragged his feet along the carved stone in the direction of what sounded like shouting, it was the only sense of direction he had in this labyrinth of red sandstone and boulders. "It's probably a bunch of bandits, we should stay clear of them, you know? Keep out of unnecessary trouble." Finn said, trying to sway the Lich, thinking it could be some innocent lost traveller the Lich would no doubt slaughter.
"Keep going..." He commanded. Finn prayed it was a bunch of good for nothing bandits that are more deserving of such a demise, though no-one really deserved the slow torturing pain the Lich planned on inflicting.
He was close now, could almost tell what was being said, he was sure they were just around the corner, he pressed up against the wall, readying to peek his head around to see who he was to encounter. Before he could, the voice, it clicked, he recognised it. Surely it couldn't have been though? Marceline?
His heart contorted, felt it sink into his stomach just thinking about her, wanting to see her after so long, the real her, not some messed up mirage. He realised though, the Lich, he would kill her, and whoever she was shouting at on sight; Finn tried to discourage any further actions even more so. "Uh-um, We should really leave these guys alone, give me a rest already, I'm sure you'll find my body works much better once I get some sleep."
The Lich chuckled darkly, "Hahaha, stupid boy. How many times must I remind you? I can read your thoughts..." The Lich let that sink in, and it did. Finn internally screamed, beating himself up as he realised he just gave away their identities. "Lets go say hello shall we..." The Lich now grew his confidence back knowing Finn was yet again caged up in his fearful place. It sounded like he was going to relish in the coming events. Finn pleaded, he could do or offer nothing more, "Please don't. Just leave her alone, I won't ever put up a fight again, you can have me, you can have my body..."
"Imbecile! I already own you. Disobedient yes, but a slave will always bend to the whip sooner or later. You can bargain me with nothing that I don't already own. Now stop staling, I'd like to chat with the demon wench again." The Lich surged an ache in Finn's skull forcing him to move forward...
Marceline got up and started slowly approaching the princess, readying herself to pounce, "I should bite your face in half, drain you dry!..."
"Woah-woah! Marceline calm down now..."
Jakes intervention only turned her building rage on himself now, "And you mutt! You stood by a let her do this, you helped throw me in there, suffocated me. I'd like to see you try that in a real fight when I'm not tied up, weak and helpless-"
"M-Marceline? Jake, Bubblegum?..." Finn walked from around the corner trembling from the knees, holding his throbbing head. "Go on boy, have fun, I won't interrupt - yet." His lips shivered and throat swelled up, preventing his words to come out other than stutters and jitters; he knew what was in store for them. He didn't know how to warn them, how to stop it.
Marceline immediately stopped fulminating, hearing a weak timid stutter of words between her shouts. She turned. "Fi.. Finn? Guh, Is-is that really you?" A short overjoyed chuckled broke up her words as she squinted over to make sure her eyes didn't deceive her, unable to uphold her anger in the sight of the one she loved, and eyes tearing up, she was in a turmoil of emotion, unable to move or say in disbelief that he was actually stood in front of her.
Bubblegum's eyes darted out, jaw wide open, dumbfounded, she to was lost for words. Her emotions didn't cloud her vision, she still knew what lurked inside him, but didn't know what her next move would be. He seemed harmless at the moment, afraid as a matter of fact, like a lost child, she almost fell gullible to his facade like Marceline, but composed herself not to.
"Finn?... Buddy? You okay?" Jake was wary, he found himself in the same predicament as the princess. He didn't know if Finn was Finn, or if he was talking the Lich.
They all stood, not knowing what to do, none of them could think of what to say, now they found him it was all so surreal, Bubblegum expected to see him in a more hostile attitude; he just seemed normal, for the most part, frightened but normal. An array of questions circled through her mind, 'Could the Lich hear them? Is this a trick? Is the Lich in control right now? Could Finn have got the Lich out of him?' She didn't know what to think, and therefore didn't know what actions to take.
"I-he.. It's... I can't..." Noises blubbered out to form words. He could not get a sentence together. It was impossible to think. Seeing them again. The Lich swirling throughout his mind, scratching around elatedly like a puppy playing fetch in his head. And the whispering he would echo over Finns words to throw him off. The clash of conflicting emotions. All so much demanded his brains attention, he just felt himself shut down.
Even that he couldn't with the overwhelming feeling he had, he needed to somehow prevent the coming events the Lich oh-so dearly wanted.
"Go on Finn, tell them I still own you; I'll force your hand to choke them all, watch the life from their faces slowly fade away. I thought you would prefer spending some quality time with them in their last moments, as my gift to you." The Lich had Finn on the edge, his will, his morale, so crushed, defeated inside. In this mind state, he wouldn't have to take the boy's body by force, his mentality posed no applicable opposition. Everything that drove him to hold on was destroyed, he was about to become nothing more but a husk.
Marceline went to run for him, wanting to embrace him at last, once more after so long; Bubblegum dashed out to grab her arm, "Marceline what are you doing, remember what's inside of him." She rushed out her words, keeping her voice down so only Marceline could hear. The girl shoved Bubblegum down to the ground, yelling, "Get off me!" with a raging red flared in her eyes. Marceline was slave to her emotions, unable to see any reasoning.
"Jake!" Bubblgum called out for him to stop Marceline getting near Finn; he reached out ahead of her, tripping her over using his forearm and tied up her legs. She hissed, clawing her outgrown nails deep, breaking the skin, drawing blood from the dog, he yelped, unable to retain a tight hold on the crazed vampire. She wiggled free, and continued her run for Finn, sun hat falling off her head in her haste.
"No-don't.. Argh, cough. Come closer..." The Lich tripped up Finn's words, causing half of his warning to go unheard; not that would have stopped her anyway.
"Yes... Keep going..." He cooed from inside, concocting a devious plan; though that was no kept secret from Finn.
She reached, staling in front of him, the anger in her eyes tamed down back to harmless innocence, taking it all in. Jake and Bubblegum remained back a watched in dread of what could happen.
"...Finn.. Is it?.. It's really you..." She still couldn't believe it was him stood in front of her.
He felt his insides curdling in gut wrenching pain, he could hardly speak, hardly warn her, "Marceline.. please – don't..."
She threw her arms around him before he could finish, bursting into tears, drenching his shoulder, blubbering out words between sobs, "I can't.. believe its you!.. I've missed y-you so ff-f-frigging much!"
"How do you know its the real her? She's just another dream. Dispose of her quickly while she is unsuspecting, and be done with this. Hehe..." The Lich whisked around in his head again, trying to break his grasp on reality, trying to get Finn doing the dirty work as he humbly watches.
Finn knew it was her, he was certain, the real Marceline. This wasn't another treacherous mind game projected to him at the brink of death. He could sense her in every way: Her cold skin, yet warm embrace. Her soft – faint whispering cries of happiness as her chin perched itself on his shoulder. The scent of her hair as it picked up in the air and brushed against his nose. It was certainly her without a doubt, no mind-foolery here, which made the moment, oh, so much more dreadful for Finn.
He was panting, sweating, needing to do something to get her away. But nor did he want to let go of her again. "What's the matter Boy! Don't you have something to tell her? I don't know, like in the next few minuets she'll be charred corpse! Your nervous-hehehe. Demon got your tongue?" Dementedly exited. Distorting and wrenching his vocal cords naturally in pure joy. He twisted his words around his brain stem like a vortex. He couldn't think, he started going cold.
Finn was paralysed to do anything, even hold her back, he wanted to; even more so he needed to tell her, warn her to let go. His body betrayed him, his insides feeling like they digested barbed wire, and throat sealed so tight he could hardly breathe, he was practically a shell, especially after the Lich added his input, "This is too perfect; how can I resist?"
He knew what it meant and felt a numbness growing up from the tips of his fingers and the bottom of his feet, he body and muscles spammed in a flimsy attempt to fight of the oncoming invader, but there was no way. He felt himself being pushed in the back seat as the Lich took the helm; with his last ounce of strength and control he whispered painfully into her ear, "... I'm.. so.. sorry..." and his lifeless weight collapsed onto her.
She groaned with the sudden weight being dropped onto her, she guided him down on his knees and held him steady by the shoulders. "Finn? Finn! Are you – are you okay? Finn talk to me..."
His head was hung down, not bothering to hold itself up, and his hood covered his face. She felt his body suddenly start jolting, thinking he was crying, but no, after it grew louder he was.. laughing? Performing a grisly chuckle on his knees, his voice changed deeper and sharply whispered, "Maarcelieeeeeeene..."
She felt fear broke free inside, she didn't want to believe it but she knew. Finn was gone, and what now knelt in front of her was a monster even she was afraid of. He clung to her clothing, pulling himself up on his feet, "...It's been so long since we last had a little chat..." lifting his face, revealing those soul gazing eyes to her.
"Marceline! Run!" Bubblegum and Jake both shouted from behind. She went to make a break for it, but he still held the fabric of her hoodie firmly, pulling her back in. Her breathing panted and panicked, not knowing what to do, Finn was still inside there somewhere.
His free hand snuck up to her twiggy neck, roughly clasping it, holding her just slightly off the ground, her toes desperately attempting to graze the floor in support for her weight . She couldn't breath as he crushed her throat muscles together, blocking the airway; she franticly slapped, punched and scratched his arms and face, trying to make him stop. "F-Ffinn.. I.. know... you.. c-cann... fight back... Please..." She hardly chocked and spluttered out, starting to go purple in the face.
"Haha-you think he can save you now? You thought he could save you at all? I have news for you demon. He is mine, I own him. This sad sack of meat, boasting to be the last of his kind is nothing more but my puppet. He will obediently watch as I break you, and then your so-called 'friends'."
Marceline was close to slipping away, the Lich's words were becoming nothing than blurred ringing, her eyes were slipping to the back of her head and she foamed and drooled with the saliva having nowhere else to go but out. In her fading moments, Jake launched at them from the background, increasing the the mass size of his readied fist, letting out a roaring battlecry, dealing the Lich a solid uppercut, freeing his hand from Marceline's throat, causing him to flip back and crash to the floor.
Marceline too fell on the floor, rolled up, holding her sore muscles, coughing and straining to return air back in her lungs, while Jake landed behind the Lich, readying himself for the imminent fight. The Lich was on all fours, lifting one hand up to help adjust his jaw from the impact, catching a spoonful of blood trickle down his chin from his busted lip. "Heheha. Go on, hit me! You're only hurting him..." He intimidated, throwing Jake of his game.
Jake loosened his knuckles, but still went in for another hit. The Lich stood there, posing no threat or resistance, with his arms wide open, welcoming the dogs assault. Jake didn't take much notice that the Lich wanted this, tunnel visioned and fuelled with anger to see his brother possessed; he fired another fist into his gut before he even was in natural reach, the Lich hunched other in an expiring cough, expelling droplets of blood out from the hero's lips. Jake took advantage on the Lich's stance and dropped an overgrown fist onto his back, pummelling him face-first into the ground.
Bubblegum ran over to Marceline dragging the coughing girl away from the fight and rested her back against a rock. "Marceline are you okay?" She shook by the shoulders with concern. Marceline nodded as she turned her head sidewards to let out another wave of coughing.
"I'm going to go get the weapons, just stay here till I get back!" Bubblegum instructed before getting up and running over to her bag. Marceline tried to grab her arm before leaving, but she slipped through her fingers, she needed to tell her, and tried shouting, "Bubbl-cough, in my, cough, bag!" But the princess was already gone before she could hear. Bubblegum grabbed her Discombobulator rifle, strapping it to her shoulders, and also got Marceline's modified bass.
Dust kicked up and swirled around him. Again, the Lich slowly lifted himself on all fours, bloodied and bruised over his face and presumable other areas covered by the now devastated poncho. He somehow managed to form a smile among his mangled face full of broken teeth, scar's and cuts and snapped, "My turn..." in a grimace tone. He scrapped his fingernails along the dusty stone below him, igniting searing hot flames emerging from the palms, throwing them at Jake; he stretched past one, the other burnt out on his fur, burning it down to the roots in his skin.
Jake grew his snake like arms to attack from a range and avoid the fire, he tried wrapping the his foe in one and punch with the other, the Lich smacked away the punching arm while the other one trying to subdue him only got grabbed and held still while running his scorching hand down his arm deeply burning his skin causing Jake to retract-back his limbs.
"Pathetic whelp!..." He scorned at the whimpering dog, spiting out the build up of blood next to his foot. He readied his palms with another two fireballs strutting over to Jake as he was pressuring and rubbing the burn.
Bubblegum skidded beside Marceline, now overcoming her coughing fits. She placed the bass guitar on her lap, and instructed to flip the switch and start playing the chords. Marceline thought to inform Bubblegum of what she needed in the bag, but decided to give Bubblegums plan a try first before she used her own. She got up and started sprinting over to the Lich as he approached Jake, whilst Bubblegum started to take aim and charge up the rifle.
"Marceline! Stun Him!" She shouted over to coordinate the attack. Marceline did as instructed and started playing random notes on the bass, emitting a extremely high-pitched sound, causing the Lich to cower and seal shut his ears from the screeching noise that tortuously pounded his eardrums, holding him in place.
Bubblegum looked down her sights, taking in a deep breath and slowly letting it exhale through a gap in her lip, firing the pulsed charge. It cascaded through the air, from her to him in no more than a second, and erupted on impact, causing it to fission, letting loose the electromagnetic pulses around the Lich. Marceline stopped playing and watched the Lich howl in torment, falling to his knees, taking in deep long pants of breath. His poncho, practically torn asunder on his backside smoked and swayed in the wind.
Bubblegum knew this wasn't right, her device was supposed to knock him out on impact, she charged up again taking another shot into his back. He felt the shot shunt him forward, again causing him to yell out in displeasure; this time he threw his arms into the air in a fit of rage, roaring, "EeENoOOUGH!" slamming his fist in the earth sending a wave of gravity-bending energy cracking its way beneath the stone, hurling all three surrounding him back.
After getting back his energy, still with his fist dug in the ground, the Lich returned to his feet, and focused his attention on the one shooting him. "...So glad you could join the fight princess..." She was up against a rock, a bit concussed after hitting her head. "That's a fancy new new toy have there, that is the second time you've showed me one of you're little gadgets. Let me repay you, I haven't had the chance to show you Any of my tricks..." Clicking his knuckles together.
He conjured up another two flame-balls, holding them tightly in his hands, cooking them till they were bursting spits of flame through the crack in his fingers. He brought his hands close together and opened the flames to one-another, fusing the two white hot fires into one unstable massing ball. Lifting it above his head, he pulled back his arms and then launched the one huge fireball at her.
Jake leaped to his feet and slivered his body over as fast as possible tackling Bubblegum out of the way. The explosion sent Jakes spaghetti body off over near the bags next to were Marceline was, Bubblegum just barley on the outside of the blast zone lied unconscious near the crater it left behind.
"HaHa, and then there was one." He looked around to see the injured girl crawling for her bag. Sounding proud of himself, dispatching all of them, and savouring the vampire for last. Her hands trembled, trying to make there way through the buttons and zips before the Lich made his way over to her. Marceline's heart pounded as she finally broke into the compartment she needed, grabbing the objects inside, in that moment she felt her hair being tangled up and fiercely pulled back, dragging her away.
"What were you doing over here by yourself, hmm? You were missing all the fun." He grabbed her arm raising it as she tried to hide, "Milk and chalk? What were you expecting to do with these? Make me laugh to death? Hahaha, well it almost worked. If only your father could see you now; no wonder he disowned you, what an embarrassment on the Abadeer name. There's hardly anything left of your kind, well especially your kind. A demon and a vampire; time for me to put an end to this plague."
She couldn't bring herself to shape-shift to defeat the Lich, trembling from exertion her bat, werewolf, or even giant tentacle monster forms were lost to her. Even if she could muster up enough determination, she would be putting Finn in harms way, she didn't want to risk hurting, or worst killing him, she still loved him and he was still in there.
However she wasn't a damsel yet. An idea sparked just before she accepted defeat, she twisted his arm and lunged her fangs into his throat draining his dead-blood, making his body weaker and weaker; with hope, enough to even her odds.
"Arrgh! Get off you parasite!" He charged up a handful of force energy and punched her in the chest, causing her head and back to collide against the sandstone wall behind her. She fell unconscious along with the other two. The Lich went to perform the fatal blow on Marceline, just before he thought, 'Hmmm, oh-hehaha yes...' and switched places with Finn. The young man gasped from the shock, getting his senses and bearings back. He clung to his torn rags, needing some sort of confirmation that he was back; and then he noticed.
Everyone he held dear, his brother, his best friend, and his lover, all lied unmoving, battered and bruised in the aftermath of a battle-zone - defeated by the Lich. He shivered unsteady wanting to cry out in emotional fury to exact revenge on the one who did this to them, but knew in himself, he too was already beaten. The little hope Finn clutched onto was shattered, there was no longer anything to fight for, he only wished now to die with them.
The Lich obviously didn't bring him back to stand witness. He intended to rub salt into Finn's already gaping and throbbing wounds.
"Look Finn. Look what you did: to the hound, to the princess, and.. Daww-no. Look what you did to Marcy..."
"Mareceline... No, I-I – I didn't.. I don't remember... I swear I didn't..." He fell beside Marceline, and shuffled himself over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders he held her so tightly against his chest. He cried into her hair kissing her forehead, uttering, "I'm sorry – I'm so sorry. Marceline. Please, please wake-up." not wanting to leave her side. Trying to shut out what the Lich was saying.
"Arrghaha, Marcy – Marcy! - MARCY! Heghhehehe." He mocked and snickered Finns cries. "Hehehee. You've been a bad boy Finn... Very bad indeeeeed..." His voice sank deeper down to the bottom of his throat.
"I-I.. NO! You did this!" Finn cried in defence of his innocence.
"Did I? It was you body. Your hands. You could have stopped this. Stopped me.. but you were weak and pitiful!" He claimed, trying to absolutely break the righteous hero.
He couldn't make up the words to say; the more his words rippled through every passing thought, the more Finn believed he could have prevented this, somehow take his body back. But the answers eluded him. He tried strength, willpower, even tried outsmarting the Lich but was beaten on all fronts.
A brief silence passed as Finn couldn't shake the thoughts as they burrowed into and under his skin, and sank deeper into his guts. Then one last insulting inquiry from the Lich. "Are you ready to submit?" He said it as if this was all a lesson to demand his obedience. What other option was there to choose. He rest his cheek on top of her head, staring straight off.
'There's no other way-' He couldn't help but think.
"Yes..." The Lich sounded eagerly.
'No other way...' Finn kept repeating.
"Yes, yes. Go on.. give into me."
'No other... way?'
"Hmmgh?"
Finn kissed Marceline's forehead again, keeping his eyes fixated on something ahead. He withdrew his arm around her and let her gently rest along the floor, and got up to his feet.
"Where are you going?" The asked pitifully, knowing it was over – all that was left was for Finn to hand himself over completely.
He kept walking; the Lich was unable to tell what he was doing, he mind was washed, clouds of voiding thought blocked out the Lich's ability to see into his intentions. "What are you doing boy? Everything is you love is gone. Sit down, accept your losses, and give yourself to me." He grew tired of waiting for his prize. He could just retake control again, but to truly claim Finn, he needed the hero to give him the keys.
Finn suddenly stopped at the fallen milk and chalk. "Hah, what is this? Have you snapped?" Finn knelt down and took the chalk into hand drawing a happy face. "Wait-" He opened and poured the bug milk over his marking, sucking into the lines. "-I've seen this somewhere. What is this – what are you playing at boy, enough games..."
Finn took a breath of preparation, knowing there was no real turning back to his plan. "Sigh. I couldn't save you, but I can try and save the rest of the world.. maybe... Sigh. Maloso-"
"Maloso? Where have I?..."
"-vobiscum-"
"Wait..."
"-et cum-" The drawing began to glow.
"FINN! I command you to stop!" The Lich screeched, suddenly realising what this was.
"-spiritum...!" The ground cracked and contracted into the drawing, spewing out a whirling, blue and black wormhole sucking in the loose sand and small chipped rocks around its entity.
Finn was blasted on his back from the shockwave.
"Finn.. I can give you anything in Ooo! Anything you desire! But if you step in there, I can't do anything. We will both be doomed!" The Lich pleaded and bargained since he tried the usual pain into submission method, but Finn seemed to ignore.
"That's the plan." He said bluntly, with nothing left to loose, picking himself up to walk through.
"Noooo!" He shunted Finn down to his knees, use all his feasible power to preventing going further. "That's Hunson's domain! I will not be lorded over by that smug, demonic, cretin...!"
Finn still managed to lurch himself forward with all the wait being strained through his muscles. With his fingertips at the brim of the portal the Lich tried one last ploy to stop him from going. "Argh! Look their not dead. None of them. They're all breathing, alive and well, they're just unconscious you fool! I will spare them if you do not enter the wretched Night-O-sphere."
A little faith in Finn's heart was restored. Knowing it could just be a lie, Finn wanted to believe it was true, and saw it as even more reason to leave the land of Ooo for its, and his friends safety. He stuck his hand inside, feeling the gravity pull in the rest of his body. "No! Nooo! NOOOOO!" The Lich shouted out a scream only heard by Finn, as they warped through to the other side; after their matter safely passed through, the portal collapsed shut, sealing their exit.
The End...
...
Nah just kidding... or am I?
Ooo is safe for the foreseeable future, at the cost of one hero. Were do you see it going from here on?