Sorry it's late, guys. I had an early morning flight and just got in, and I was finishing the chapter on the plane, so sorry if it's kinda rushed sounding

Chapter 12

Fiona and Cake sat in Prince Gumball's lab, inside the Candy Kingdom palace. He had invited them over to take a look at the results of his latest experiment. He had been trying to create a new type of indestructible armor. Fiona leaned against the table staring at the pink and purple slab of metal that lay on the surface. She nudged it gently.

"Soooo is this it?" she asked.

"Yes!" Gumball said excitedly, lifting up his protective goggles. "It has taken me weeks to perfect, but I've finally finished."

"You said it's indestructible right?" Cake said.

"It is indeed. Go ahead, try it on."

Fiona lifted the breastplate and pulled it over her head. It was extremely heavy, despite how it looked. But what was weird about it was the intricate floral patterns and bright pink and purple colors.

He was beaming with pride. "Well? What do you think?"

"Well…it's definitely something…."

Cake snickered. "You look like a reeeeaaal girl, Fiona."

"Shut up!" she snapped, face flushing bright red.

Suddenly the ground began to shake. The vials and beakers in the lab rattled and clinked together.

"What was that?" Fiona asked.

Cake glanced around. "An earthquake?"

"Hmm…that's very odd," Gumball muttered. "We've never had an earthquake before so I—"

The wall behind them exploded. Chunks of candy wall and brick littered the floor. Fiona leaped in front of the prince, pushing him to the side. Cake hissed, her fur standing on end. A shrill cackle rang in the air, the owner of the voice hidden in a cloud of dust. A beam of blue magic shot out and struck the prince. He cried out in terror as he was frozen up to his shoulders. The Ice Queen swooped in and snatched him into the air.

"Ice Queen!" Fiona cried angrily.

Prince Gumball writhed in her grasp. "Help!"

Ice Queen laughed shrilly. "This time the Prince will be mine! And there's nothing you can do to stop me, tomboy!" She flew up into the air, headed back to the Ice Kingdom.

"Come on, Cake! We gotta go after them!"

"You got it, baby!"

Cake stretched to twice her normal size. Fiona climbed onto her back and they took off after the Ice Queen and her captive. Fiona could barely see the Ice Queen and hear Gumball's screams as they followed her back to the Ice Kingdom. But as she followed her, something felt a little off. Snow started to fall as they entered the Ice Kingdom. She glimpsed the Ice Queen disappear into her lair at the peak of the highest mountain.

"She's up there!" she said, pointing to the cave at the peak.

Stretching her legs, Cake carried them up to the entrance of the cave. When they reached the opening, Fiona leaped inside, Cake right behind her. But Ice Queen and Prince Gumball were nowhere to be found. The little prison in the corner of the room was empty.

"Ice Queen!" Fiona shouted. "Where are you?!"

She could faintly hear Ice Queen's shrill laughter. But it was coming from below them.

"I think she's below us, honey," Cake said.

"Then there's gotta be a door somewhere."

"Over there!"

Cake and Fiona rushed through the doorway in the opposite wall. Just beyond it was an icy spiral staircase that wound down deep into the mountain. The two of them raced down the slippery steps, all the while the Ice Queen's laughter growing louder. The deeper they went, the colder it became. But finally Fiona could see the door at the bottom of the stairs. She skidded to a stop as they raced through the doorway..Ice Queen stood in front of a large, icy mirror. Prince Gumball stood frozen in place in the corner of the room.

"Gumball!" Fiona cried.

Ice Queen turned around, laughing maniacally.

"Fiona, run! It's a trap!" Prince Gumball shouted.

"Huh?" She glanced at the Ice Queen.

Behind the Ice Queen stood the mirror. And that's when she realized that the queen wasn't reflected on its surface. Instead, and old man with a long white beard and pointy nose was staring out at them.

"The heck?!"

Suddenly a hand shot out from the mirror. The old man was coming through the mirror! He pulled himself out toward them. Fiona snatched her sword from her backpack. Ice Queen shot a bolt of magic at her, freezing Fiona's hands in a block of ice. The old man laughed excitedly as he freed himself from the mirror. Cake leaped at them, but the old man knocked her aside

"Who the heck are you?" Fiona shouted.

"Oh, Fiona, I knew you existed. I just knew it!" the old man said. "I am the all-powerful Ice King!"

"You're married?" Fiona said, looking at the Ice Queen.

"Of course not!" she cried. "That's why I'm collecting princes, you dolt! He is from another world, so he's like a much less attractive me."

"That's right, Fiona," The Ice King said. "And now that I've finally found you, we shall go back to my world!"

"What?!" Fiona desperately tried to get the ice shackles off. "Heck no! Cake!"

Cake groaned. Ice King had hit her pretty hard and she was still dizzy. The Ice King snatched Fiona up and dragged her toward the mirror. All the while she fought against him.

"Come now, Fiona. It's not so bad! We'll be together forever and ever," he said, grinning.

"Noooooo!"

"Fiona!" Gumball shouted.

Ice King stepped into the mirror, dragging Fiona along with him. Cake sat up slowly, rubbing her head. She groaned. She glanced up just in time to see Fiona screaming for help as she struggled against the old man. But she was pulled beneath the surface of the mirror.

"Fiona!" Cake cried. She leaped up and rushed toward the mirror. But the surface was hard. She couldn't go through.

"Ice Queen, what have you done?!" she shouted, tears welling up in her eyes. "Where's Fiona?!"

"Gone! Forever!" She cackled. "Now no one can stand in my way!"

Cake pounded her paws against the glass. "Fiona! Fiona!" But the glass wouldn't budge.

"Cake!" Prince Gumball shouted. "Don't worry about me and go find help!"

"Prince Gumball," she said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Mochro will come help. Just find someone to help rescue Fiona!"

Cake nodded. "Okay…. Just sit tight, baby. Help'll be coming soon!"

The cat stumbled as she raced up the icy staircase, Ice Queen's shrill laughter ringing in her ears. Her mind was going a million miles a minute. What happened to Fiona? Where had the ugly blue man dragged her off to? Cake managed to find her way out of Ice Queen's lair in her flustered state. But who would she elicit for help? Prince Gumball was indisposed and Mochro would help, but his help wouldn't be enough. All of the other princes were useless in fights—after all, they were always the ones who needed saving. That's when the thought occurred to her.

"Marshall!"

V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V* V*

Marshall was floating in the living room of his house, strumming his base. It was almost sunset. He had woken up early that evening, which was unusual for him. But he had the sudden inspiration for a song and he had to get it down before it slipped away. Just as he was writing down the chorus, the front door slammed open.

"Marshall! Marshall, help! We got trouble!" the cat screamed frantically.

He jumped. Marshall rounded on her, glaring at her with his glowing red eyes.

"What the heck! Don't just barge into my house like that, you stupid cat!"

Cake rushed toward him, undeterred by his fearsome glare. She clutched his shirt desperately. "Marshall, you've got to help me!"

He arched and eyebrow. "What's goin' on? Never seen you so freaked out before."

"It's Fiona!"

"Fiona?" The panic was finally starting to register. There's no way Cake would be this frantic about anything except if Fiona was in danger. "Where is Fiona?"

"That's what I've been trying to tell you!" she shouted. "We went to save Prince Gumball from the Ice Queen, and then this weird old guy came out of her mirror and snatched Fiona, and the old man and Ice Queen were plotting it and he's got her! He's got Fiona and taken her away somewhere!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Slow down there, kitty," he said. "So what happened to Fiona?"

"I told you!" she shrieked in frustration. "This old guy kidnapped her and took her through the mirror! She's been kidnapped!"

He could tell by her tone and panic that this was no joke. He slung his axe-bass across his back. "Let's go," he said. "Let's go get Fiona back."

Chapter 13 will be up on Monday!