Chapter XVII, Fireplace

The place lived to it's name in full. Fire blazed from every corner, every gap and every possible hole, sprouting like a hot nightmare, ready to devour everything in it's way. The heat was almost unbearable, as it scorched any careless trespasser almost instantly within it's vicious grasps. The citizens of this land dwelt everywhere, in every hole, each barely masked ditch, each tangled cavern as they schemed and plotted against one another. Everyone here was evil. Everyone here was vile. The only question to ask was – how much. And in the very center of this crude kingdom, lived the worst of them all. There, in the core of the heat, Flame King ruled uninterruptedly from his obsidian throne. He wasn't very found of visitors, especially those that still bare flesh on their bones. He simply preferred it to be crispy and scorched. Today however was different, as he not only let his guests in but left them alive till this very moment. The very pink being, who once talked him in locking up his own daughter stood right before him with her pale companion. His subjects looked at them with a dose of curiosity, hissing curses amongst themselves. The princess bowed a little and looked at the king's blazing face. The flames on his head danced constantly.

"Great Flame King..." Bubblegum began her chant. She knew that he was a man that liked big, empty words. A lot of them. "...ruler of the vast and splendorous..."

"Hardly a need for that." He raised his hand. "I know you, slick one. So small, yet so cunning. What do you want."

"I need to acquire the everlasting ember from you, oh great Flame King, who's fire is beyond extinguishing. Who's fire will burn for whole eternity." She bowed down slightly. "And therefore, I propose a trade, for a thing of your choosing."

His eyes narrowed. Despite the fact that he liked compliments, the ones that came from her mouth always made him suspicious. She was something more. Something far more dangerous perhaps, when given an opportunity. And he knew better than anyone not to trust those with agile tongues.

"I think I already gave you enough." He sighted nonchalantly. "First you took my daughter from me. Then one of yours corrupted her by his likings. That's far beyond what you gave me so far."

He began to chuckle and with him, the whole crowd in his throne room burst into laughter as well. Bonnibel remained calm however. She never liked him, nor he ever liked her. Yet there were both royalty, so to a certain point, they could always found some reason in their encounters. At times at least.

"Great Flame King." She took a deep breath. "Great danger be tossed upon the land of Ooo, and it's shadow lingers even above the great kingdom of fire and heat. And I would rather..."

"You would rather what, candy lady?" Flames on his head began to dance in a mesmerizing matter. "You bare nice words, true. Still. You have no power here. You talked me into caging my daughter for my own good, right? What that lead me into?" He shook his head. "I don't care what you have to say... princess."

"But, oh great Flame King, would you..." She started once more despite his words. He always was the stubborn one. "...at least consider..."

"Enough is enough, what part of enough don't you understand little one? Aren't you the smart one in your kingdom?"

He laughed again as his voice echoed through the chambers. This time no one played along however. Marceline looked at the two from afar, just like Bubblegum asked. Maybe that was for the best, as this flame being reminded her a little bit of her father. Especially since he was just as hard to convince. The princess on the other hand began once more, this time dropping the nice act, as her voice got more bitter and calculated.

"Tell me, Flame King..." There was venom in her sweet words. "Tell me just one thing."

"I'm through with your questions..."

"You have a blooming daughter." This time it was she who interrupted him, taking a step forth. "And as we all know... Such treasures don't just blossom from the ground, yes?" She grinned viciously. "They do not appear by themselves, oh great Flame King."

"Don't you dare..."

"So tell me, King." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Where is the queen? She has been absent for a while, hasn't she? What happened to her, I wonder."

His eyes widened, as he finally stood up from his throne. He began to slowly walk towards her, eying her from head to toes as his heavy boots rang over the flooring. Everyone in the room hid, knowing better not to go in his way. And as the flames began to circle around him, as the steam began to flow from the creaks of his armor, the princess knew that her words moved his thoughts. Now it was up to her to redirect it's impact.

###

"So, you feel the calling of your scorched heart, huh brother? Feel that you're king worthy?"

The slim one said, as he swung his huge mace right at his opponent flaming body. He missed, as it hit the ground, shattering the tiles around the impact. Flame King always pondered after their encounter, why his thin sibling used a weapon that he hardly could carry.

"Think you got what it takes, huh? To take things over me?" He raised his club, once again aiming at the one before him. "But still, you needed help."

And he whaled once more, missing just like previously. His slim body almost flew along with his huge chunk of steel. Still, he decided to continue their battle, as his burning brother simply circled around him, dodging his every attempt, aiming patiently with his spear.

"Since you stayed hidden for so long..." The flaming one said dodging yet another hit from his slim relative, as this time the huge mace shattered one of the columns in the throne room. "...figured that someone shall be willing to help me find you."

"You are..." His thin brother responded, catching breath. "...not even in the line for the crown! My sons are!"

"Hm..." The amber's on his burning head lightened even further. "We can do something about that."

That was enough for the flimsy one to comprehend. Once again he swung his bludgeon, but as soon as it landed on the ground, he received a quick stab right into his shoulder. He hissed furiously, as the flames began to pour from the fresh opened wound. Seeing as this tactic won't lead him far, he threw off his cudgel, only to pull out an ornament ax straight from the wall. Now this was more like it. Despite his crippled arm, he swung with much finesse, trying to come as close as possible. He knew his brother well, just like he knew his fighting style. He liked to keep his enemies much like the guests on his private parties – at distance. And much like on those events, whenever someone got close enough, he simply couldn't decide what to do. As the tenuous one came quickly, parrying and dodging each hit of the spear, he chuckled to himself.

"Not so sure of yourself now!"

The slender one said, as he took his chance and aimed right at his brother's chest. What he didn't saw coming however, was the copper shoulder, landing straight in his face, lead by a quick bash on his hands. And just as his hatchet flew off, Flame King came right before him, stating calmly.

"The king is dead." He applied the spear head right to his neck. "Long live the king."

His burning crumpet was cut off clean from his body, as it rolled through the floor, eventually turning into a pile of ashes. And just as the burning one smiled, since now there was no one who would question his rights to the throne, the Lich emerged from within the shadows.

"Bravo, bravo." The undead thing clapped his hands. "Splendid entertainment. Splendid job as well."

The King looked at him suspiciously. His dealings with the corpse should have ended when they struck a deal way back. He shouldn't even be here. He should be long gone with his own things to take care.

"But there's always a price to pay." The corpse said calmly. "You wanted me to lure your brother out. And so I did."

"Your payment was already given. You wanted half of the kingdom, you'll get just that if you so desire."

"Quite so. Quite so. Or not so quite." He smirked. "That's not the thing of trade. Not the thing. Isn't that sad? Isn't that sad..." As he gazed into Flame King's eyes, the later felt only disgust. Why he even asked that thing for help. "You see, you should pay more attention to my words."

And just as that, he waved his hands. As the dark mists filled the room they were in, covering everything in darkness, the flaming one lit everything back, only to see the corpse holding his wife in his slim hands. Before he could even react, the dead one clutched his hands around her head, and with a quick, chilling strike, he extinguished her flames.

###

"The likes of you, Bubblegum, always say a word too much."

His hands burst into flames as he charged right at her. Marceline wanted to rush ahead and defend her beloved, yet the princess quickly stopped her from doing just that. She simply just stood there and started to talk smoothly and calmly. She was always good with words. Especially those that hurt. Especially with those that bare the truth.

"What I need, isn't for my own silly reasons. I need it to slay something that should be in slumber for eons." She closed her eyes, as the king slowed down for a bit. "Don't you crave for vengeance, in whatever is ticking in that copper ornament? Or is it for decoration purposes lately?" She opened her eyes again. "Have you gone soft over the years? Sitting in here, unable to act? You made your mistakes once. Care to correct them, once and for all?"

He stopped right before her. The heat from his body was unbearable, yet she didn't move an inch, looking in his coal-like eyes. She knew all to well, that there was something else that he enjoyed, aside from large, empty words. Boldness.

"So, what it will be?" The princess looked him, still grinning a bit. "Hm?"

"You are made of big words." His hand almost touched her chin. "Something to back up them, as you'll face oblivion?"

"I faced it once." Bubblegum considered smacking him on the fingers, but seeing their flaming nature, that would hardly be a wise thing to do. "Nothing special."

"You haven't faced the everlasting heat yet." His eyes narrowed even further. "And you tempt me to unleash one on you."

"You try to target your anger towards the wrong being." She fixated her crown. "When all you should do, is to look in the mirror."

"And you're still not waging your words." In the back, Marceline gasped as his fingers almost clutched around her lover's pink head. "Will you melt in pain? Could there be a more frighting notion?"

"Betrayal sounds worse, some say." She quickly replied with a snicker. "And with it, comes numerous sleepless nights."

"Astonishing, how much you talk in a moment like that." He leaned even closer and whispered. "It amuses me."

The embers on his head finally thinned, as he took his hands away. He even let out a single chuckle, as he turned his back to her. Deep inside however, he knew all what she said was true. And perhaps that very notion frightened him a bit.

"Very well." He clapped his flaming hands. "I will lead you to the creature that has your precious thing. But don't expect any help from me afterward."

"You never were any help to begin with." The princess shrugged. "So I don't expect any of that now as well."

"Good. Follow me then."

So they began their venture through the lands of flame and sulfur. Just about now, the flaming one noticed the presence of that weird, floating vampire. She looked at him curiously, mostly at his flaming head and his shining armor. That reminded him of his daughter. She was the curious sort as well and loved to ask questions. Many questions, especially those connected to the fact that she was imprisoned by her own father. He hardly enjoyed coming back to those thoughts.

"So pink one..." The King rubbed his fiery forehead. "You maybe know how my daughter is doing?"

"Concerned all of a sudden?" She raised her eyebrow. "Now that's something new."

"Curious, more or less."

"She is doing fine." She shrugged. "At least I think. I can only guess that Finn takes a good care of her." She rolled her eyes. "I'm not stalking them you know."

"Maybe you should." He nodded with his blazing head. "Still, that's good to hear."

"Not really parent of the year, huh?"

He ignored that comment, as his steps fastened. Those words hurt however, beyond her comprehension. Or perhaps, she knew exactly how much they will hurt? He could not tell. He felt relief however, as soon as they reached the shores, with nothing but an ocean of magma before them.

"There you'll find what you seek." He pointed at the rocks emerging from the lava, leading to a nearby mountain, right in the middle of the sea of heat. "It's both simple and complicated, since while it's location is far from hidden, the guard will be your end."

"And who may that be?"

"Fire Count. He was somewhat important here. Once. Now he's a thing made of legends."

"I think I remember someone like that." That name was familiar to her. Still, in this wicked land, everything was somewhat connected to fire, so it was quite hard to tell. "Wasn't he connected to Billy in a way?"

"He belonged to this place once" He lifted up a small rock. "But that could be said about all of us, huh? Doesn't unravel much now, does it?" He crushed the little stone in the palm of his hand. "What's important, is that he's your obstacle. Nothing more, nothing less, pink one."

"I sense there's more behind all of that."

"Sense all you please, lower being." The fire on his head waved back and forth. "I don't have time for caring what you think is true and what is not."

"And he has what we need, correct?"

"Probably, pink one." He yawned, as flames poured from his mouth. "You see, the thing is, the artifact you seek does the same what everything here does. Burns. It's not really something we're craving all that much for. It's not something my people would die for." He shrugged. "For you, soft thing, it may be worth something. I do not know. I do not care." He pointed at the mountain once again. "He's there. You're here. You better do something about it."

"We will. Thanks. I guess."

"Do what you want. That's all I'll do for you. Nothing more, nothing less pink one."

While the two girls began their chats about reaching their destination, he stood still, almost like a sculpture and gazed at them. Should he help them in any way? Their goals were quite similar in the end. Still. He always preferred others to do things for him. And take responsibilities for their acts instead of him. He had too many of those already.

###

"You said..." He looked at him. The flame on his head began to grow with each second, as the fire almost made his copper armor explode. "YOU SAID..."

"I said half of the kingdom." He stated as he let out her lifeless body. "Never stated which half, flame King, never stated which."

"You will BURN!"

He tossed his spear right into his maggot infested body, impaling it to the wall, and quickly found himself right next to it. He punched as hard as he could, as the flames covered the decaying corpse in full. But the Lich was beyond that. Many have tried to destroy him in the simplest of matters and failed miserably. This time was no different, as he let out a single screech that not only extinguished the flames, but tossed away the King. He flicked the ashes from his ragged clothes and smiled viciously.

"If brute force you enjoy..." The green flame in his hand quickly shifted into a sword that looked like it was made of bones. "...brute force you shall get."

The King didn't said a word, just picked up his spear. And the battle waged. He stabbed, he pierced and bashed at times, yet it hardly bare any significance. Even if his hits reached his opponent, the wounds made by the flames mended almost instantly. But this royal flame was beyond giving up. That only angered him even further. He had to admit however, that the Lich was quite agile despite his looks, as he swirled around his spear even better than his own brother. His fiendish sword almost danced, as it bounced off King's copper armor, leaving scratch marks all over it. And as the numerous hits overwhelmed his burning self, the corpse chuckled. Finally, the undead being caught his spear in his bony hand, and pulled him right towards himself. And as their faces met closely, he began to hiss viciously, with maggots falling right onto the King's body, burning almost instantly. His daemon pride left him vulnerable however and that was his opponent's opportunity, as he reached the skull with his flaming hand. The Lich began to scream, as the fires came through his eye sockets, igniting his whole body from the inside, rib by rib, bone by bone, like Wickerman's effigy.

"BURN!" He screamed and pressed even harder. "BURN!"

The flames poured even further and eventually his vessel erupted and exploded, lighting up the room. As the pieces of his rags and bones dropped all around, the King breathed heavily. There was still much anger within him and the destruction of this fiend hardly fulfilled his desires. But things are never this simple. The chambers got darker once again, as the mists began to flew around, eventually shifting themselves into that despicable fiend.

"Impressive. Yet, I hardly have the time for being such as yourself. I have rest of Ooo to devour. I have rest of it to smother."

He shifted into a dark mist and began to fly away. The King's anger was beyond that however, as he began to scorch every slightest shadow near him, every part of darkness he could gaze upon. That made the Lich chuckle.

"Very well. I have a token of my appreciation for you, since you wish for it that much." He appeared once again and bowed down, almost as if he was jesting. "You see, Flame King, there is this brief time, before the soul reaches the clutches of Death..." He leaned towards the Queen's body. "...brief time, which I can use." He scratched her extinguished frame. "Tell me. You killed one of your own before. Will you kill one that is close to you as well?" Due to his touch, her lifeless body began to glow. The flames however bare the green color this time around. "It will be my goodbye game, for you, Flame King. You will either kill her." The Lich paused and grinned. "Or she will take you... and then smother your child."

He began to laugh and disappeared, this time for good, as the Flame Queen risen and looked into her husband's eyes. The King simply prepared his spear. He was hardened by years that passed, and his heart was like a piece of coal. She was just an abomination at this point anyhow. Just a vessel that looked like the one he loved. So he charged, and just as he meant to strike her down, she spoke.

"Why, my love?" That made him hesitate, and just after he lowered his guard, her green flame hit him right in the chest. "Why you did this to me?" He felt like slowly life slipped away from within his flaming body. The Queen blinked a couple of times. "No, don't listen! Protect..." She screamed, as the green flames from within her hands covered him in full. "...our child!" The very mention of his precious daughter made him rise his arm, as her embers disappeared within it's clutches. The Queen smiled despite the fact that the beams still were fixated right upon him. "That's it! That's the man I married!" Overcoming her powers he charged right at her, as their hands met. And they wrestled, looking at each other. Their flames tangled around in this battle of heat. He could see in her eyes that she got weaker and weaker. An opportunity he wouldn't missed.

"My love." She whispered, as her fires were almost put out. "We'll met in Nightosphere one day." With her last strengths, she once again tried to smother him. "It's a place for the likes of us. But not for our daughter." She almost reached his throat. "So don't let that happen."

"I..." He began to stutter as her flame arms tried to rip his armor apart. "I love you..."

With a quick swipe, his fist pierced her chest, reaching out to her heart. Her flames finally were put out for good, as her lifeless body felt down on the ground.

###

"If you'll succeed." The King finally stated. "Even if I doubt you will..." He paused. "At least... check on my daughter from time to time. You owe me as much, for the time I've lost with her because of you."

"I do not owe you anything." Bubblegum stated calmly, but smiled after that. "Still, I think I can do something about it, yes."

He nodded, as this answer pleased him, and began his journey back. The princess gazed at him one last time, knowing that in his head, numerous thoughts fought with themselves. He made his mistakes in the past, just as she did. His were beyond redemption however.

"For a second there I thought we'll have to fight him as well."

"To tell you the truth." Bonnibel giggled. "So did I."

The little vampire began to inspect the mountain once again. It looked almost like a living being in the middle of the flaming sea, as steam poured from within it's holes constantly. Almost as if it was breathing. It hardly was a place to which she wanted to venture.

"So, we're going inside of a volcano because king candle there told us to?"

"Yep." She smiled and nodded to her. "Correct."

"And we're to deal with whatever is inside?"

"You are so smart Marceline." The princess chuckled. "I'm impressed!"

"Well." The vampire rolled her eyes. "Just checking."

###

"So you come here, to mock me perhaps, pink one?" He sat down with his face hidden in the palms of his hands. "I've heard that the fiend was stopped long time ago. Not you however. Yet, you still go back to those days. You have nerves."

"It's your daughter that worries me this time." The princess stated calmly. "She is a powerful engine, fueled by emotions. Emotions that can devour Ooo..."

"I hardly care about your games, pink one." He stood up. "I hardly care about the rest of the world, it's my daughter for Glob's sake. What do you want from her. Haven't she had enough? Being raised without a mother?"

"From her? Nothing." She pointed at him. "It's your being that concerns me."

She took another deep breath. He on the other hand pondered. He never understood this pink girl. She was weak and fragile, yet her words always possessed some power. Power over him at times. His weakness was that he could never question reason. And she seemed to be full of it.

"As a protector of Ooo..." Bubblegum sighted. "One day I may be gone. Something may happen to me. And there will be no one that will keep things in check." That very notion ashamed her. "And I know that one day someone will be foolish enough to use your daughter. It doesn't matter that whom it'll be. He will destroy the world of Ooo."

"And what does this have to do with anything. With me. With my child."

"Nothing." She shook her head sadly and looked him in the eyes. "Everything. Someone will use her. Either way, it will not only mean the destruction of our world, if that doesn't concern you in the slightest. It would also mean the end for your daughter."

He knew that deep inside. He knew that whenever his offspring will be unleashed upon the world, unless someone truly pure and worthy takes care of her, she will bring doom, both to herself and to everyone around her.

"So what you propose."

"You must contain your child." She took a step forward. "For now at least."

"I don't see how this will make things better." The flames on his head spanned, as they resembled little question marks. "Containing her for what? And what should I do? Lock her up in a cage?"

"Perhaps so." Bubblegum shrugged. "Perhaps I'm a bit selfish." She began to circle around him. "Perhaps I just use those arguments against you. Perhaps I'm afraid that things will get out of hands pretty fast. Or perhaps..." She came a bit closer to him. "Perhaps I know what really happened here. And I'm trying to avoid you loosing someone dear to you once again."