Prince Gumball: An 18-year-old gum/human hybrid and Fionna's crush. He is the prince of the Candy Kingdom. Prince Gumball has the same color scheme as his female counterpart. He has pink skin and his hair is somewhat in a quiff. His head is adorned with a small golden crown with a blue jewel. He wears a hot pink shirt with orange-pink puffed sleeves with magenta stripes and under-sleeves (accompanied by dark-pink sleeve cuffs), a large matching collar with a small blue jewel inside a gold crest on it. He has a belt with another gold crest and a small blue jewel design on the buckle, purple striped dark-pink trousers, and dark-purple shoes. Unlike his female counterpart, he also has visible pink eyebrows. Also, when his eyes, enlarge, they are purple. Kind of like how when Fionna's eyes enlarge they look exactly the same, only hers are blue. He also has ears, unlike his female counterpart. His loyal companion is Lord Monochromicorn.
Fionna—is a 13-year-old adventurer and Cake's adoptive sister. While usually appearing as black dots, her eyes are seen as blue when enlarged. She wears a rabbit-themed hat (similar to Finn's bear-themed hat) with exposed locks of blonde hair. Unlike Finn, her neck is shown. Her outfit includes a teal blue shirt with elbow-length sleeves, a dark blue skirt, and knee-high socks with two thin horizontal stripes at the top. Fionna is heavier set than. She has a green backpack (similar to Finn's) and Mary Jane shoes. Her name was officially changed from "Fiona" to "Fionna," presumably to make it more similar to Finn's name. The pronunciation, however, has remained unchanged. Like Finn and his crush on Princess Bubblegum, it is revealed in many portraits posted that Fionna has a crush on Prince Gumball. Fionna has buck teeth like a rabbit. Fionna, like Finn, is Cake's adoptive sister.
Cake—Fionna's best friend/adoptive sister and Mo-Chro's girlfriend. She doesn't look much like Jake aside from their body proportions. She has white eyes in which the black pupils become circular if surprised, excited, shocked, or scared. She has a cat muzzle and a small nose (compared to Jake's), cat ears, white fur with many coffee colored spots, and a large bushy tail. Cake may know Morse code in order to speak to Lord Monochromicorn, similar to how Jake knows Korean in order to speak to Lady Rainicorn. Cake plays a hammered dulcimer, as opposed to a viola. Her tail "frizzes out" if it is agitated or worried. As a Lumpy Space 'cat', she is a light color of maroon with large spots of fuchsia to match her coffee-colored spots. Her tail is now lumpy and more beaver-tail-like.
The Ice Queen—she is a mentally challenged woman with powers over ice. Although she was originally much more evil and aggressive than her male counterpart, she in the series, she is much more lame and dumb. Like the Ice King kidnaps princesses, she kidnaps princes. The Ice Queen has light blue skin, long white hair, and lightning-shaped eyebrows. Her hair, while also long like the Ice King's beard, is wavy with curls instead of shaggy. She wears a small gold tiara with red gems and a neck band (incrusted with a single blue gem in the center), a blue long sleeved ball gown, and light and dark blue shoes. Like how the Ice King's source of power is in his crown, Ice Queen's is based in her tiara. The Ice Queen's eyebrows are the equivalent of the Ice King's beard, allowing flight.
The Lich Queen-a powerful undead witch and Aaa's most evil villain, and Lilly's nemesis. She wears a helm headpiece with deer-like antlers, some of which have broken off, horrific red lights as pupils peering out of empty eye sockets, and pale undead skin pulled tight against her nose-less skull. Her skin is frayed away from his lips revealing a wicked and perpetual grin, along with yellowing teeth. Her cloak is in multiple layers and is large and baggy showing, with some bags and chains poking out. She has a large cape that is severely torn at its end. Her arms are bare bones with various decayed tissues, and his skeletal hands burn with an eerie purple fire when she casts fire spells. The Lich Queen is also remarkably large, as large as Lilly.
LETHAL RETURN
Title Card
The inhabitants of Aaa stand over the newly-dug grave, all with tears spilling down their faces. Fionna holds a pink jacket in her hand as Cake holds a small crown in her paw...
Fionna had always hated hospitals.
For one thing, they were so cramped. All the times Fionna had been in a hospital, you were elbow-to-elbow with patients, doctors, nurses, and weeping guests. For another thing, it had the most horrible sounds. Cries of agonizing pain, shrieks of weeping guests, the cries of children being vaccinated, and the shouts of doctors to their assistants. And it just reeked of pain and death of people who could have been saved. Hospitals always gave Fionna a squirmish feeling in her stomach, a disgusted knot that only vanished when she left.
The knot in her stomach was as big as the sun itself as Prince Gumball was rushed into the ER.
She stood on the left, front-corner side of Prince Gumball's gurney, her hand on the cool metal bar. Ice Queen ran opposite of her, tears streaming down her face. Behind them were Dr. Ice Pop and Nurse Cheesecake, and following them were Cake and Lord Monochromicorn. They were tailed by all of the princesses of Aaa, who were contacted immediately. The last to follow the gurney were the citizens of the Candy Kingdom, all fretting over the well-fare of their prince.
Fionna looked down at Prince Gumball. Or, at least what seemed to be left of him. Most of him was covered by a simple white sheet that was tucked into the gurney's mattress. His entire body had melted in the pool of power, and had cooled into big, mushy glob. His pink skin, usually gummy and smooth, had turned a horrible eggplant color and was now bubbly and gooey. All that remained intact was his crown, which was still piping-hot to the touch. Fionna could see three lines in the form, two small and one long. She reckoned these were his eyes and mouth.
"What's his condition, Dr. Ice Pop?" Fionna heard Nurse Cheesecake ask as they blasted through another pair of folding doors.
"He's completely disgusting, over 90% of his body," Dr. Ice Pop responded, "The other 10% is crazy gross."
"Will he make it?"
Dr. Ice Pop's voice was grave. "I don't know, Nurse Cheesecake..."
They finally pounded into the ER. Prince Gumball was pushed to the center of the room, where the light was at its best. The citizens and the princesses backed up to give the doctor and nurses room to work. The only people who stayed next to the gurney (besides Dr. Ice Pop and his nurses) were Fionna and the Ice Queen, something that annoyed Fionna very much.
Prince Gumball was immediately hooked to a heart monitor, the needle jabbed blindly into the bubbling mess. The green lines were short and almost flat.
"Three scoops of sprinkles, hurry." Dr. Ice Pop instructed. The nurses immediately grabbed a bag of colorful sprinkles and measured out three cups, pouring them onto Prince Gumball's body.
The heart monitor flat-lined. "WE'RE LOSING HIM!"
"NO!" Ice Queen shrieked, tears still pouring from her milky white eyes. "DON'T YOU DARE DIE ON ME! WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET MARRIED! DON'T LEAVE ME ALO-!"
Fionna couldn't stop her fist from colliding with the Ice Queen's cheek. Cake pulled her sister back with her stretched paws. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"
"Fionna, wait."
Fionna froze at the sound of Dr. Ice Pop's voice. "What? What is it?"
"His sugar levels are stabilizing."
As Fionna watched, the glob of slime that was once her crush began to mold and gurgle. It moved on its own, small bubbles rising on its surface as it moved. A quiff of gummy hair began to form, and the lines of Prince Gumball's face began to form correctly. Prince Gumball was finally back to his old self, but he still looked ill. His skin was thistle-colored and his rosy hair was pale. But he was alive.
Everyone in the room cheered excitedly, the citizens and princesses clutching each other in excited hugs. Ice Queen cheered too, still holding her stinging cheek.
"Yes...I'm fine..." Prince Gumball's voice told them. His voice was a hoarse whisper, and it seemed very distant and lost, as if he weren't really there. "I...need to rest..."
"My husband!" Ice Queen beamed at the ill royal in front of her, the pink of her cheek pounding against the blue of her skin. "Is there anything wrong with him? I can't see through my blinding pain."
"He's perfectly fine," Dr. Ice Pop replied, writing something down on a clipboard. "Why?"
"Well..." Ice Queen tugged on her scraggly white locks. "It's just that...after the prince fell into the...purple...pool...thingy...I saw something odd happen. Something I don't quite-"
Ice Queen cut off in a shriek as a ruby sword sliced through the air next to her, jabbing into the tiled floor next to her. Ice Queen shambled backwards, holding up an icy hand. "No! Stop! You have to listen to me!"
"NO!" Fionna snarled at the royal witch, as Cake struggled to pull her back. "JUST SHUT YOUR FACE, OLD LADY!"
Ice Queen was silent for a moment, eyes widened in surprise. Then, she let out a sound between a scoff and a laugh. "Old? I'm not old."
Cake, her paws pressed against Fionna's tummy, narrowed her eyes and told her, "Uh, yeah, you are."
To the side, the princes of Aaa all murmured in agreement. In the doorway, the Candy People nodded their heads.
Ice Queen looked crushed and confused. She looked down at her hands. Blue and icy, as well as dry and wrinkled at the joints. Old. She was old. Old and...and crazy. "I...I understand." Ice Queen stood, and her heart clenched in despair when she found she struggled to do so. "I-I'll leave now." Ice Queen floated over to the stain-glassed window, holding up a hand. The glass glazed over in frosty patterns before vanishing completely. Ice Queen stood still for a moment, looking out into the hills beyond he windowsill. "I'm going now, Prince. I...apologize if my age disgusted you..." She hugged her arms, and once more, she felt the wrinkles of her skin. "I guess people don't respect elders like they used to-"
"GET OUT OF HERE!" Fionna shrieked, seriously considering taking her sword and finishing the Ice Queen then and there.
For the first time, Ice Queen actually looked hurt at one of Fionna's outbursts. She flinched, ridiculously-large eyebrows curling in sadness. Then, her expression hardened, and she stepped over to the bed of the window. "Goodbye."
The last time the Ice Queen was seen that day, frozen tears were dripping down her cheeks.
Fionna groaned in annoyance and turned to Prince Gumball. "Sorry 'bout that, Gubbles."
"The ice witch...is a weak...fool..."
Fionna nodded in agreement, but Cake felt her tail twitch. Something was definitely off.
"Fionna! Fionna!"
Fionna turned around to see Raggedy Prince running towards her, something dangling from his glass crown. Fionna jumped when she realized that it was her green backpack. Or, rather, a perfect duplication. "The other princes and I made you a new backpack!"
"Whoa!" Fionna took the backpack from the rag-doll royal with ease, as there was nothing inside. Luckily, she hadn't kept anything valuable in her last backpack. "Thanks, Raggedy P."
"Your welcome," Raggedy Prince replied as he dashed off, his fabric tinged pink.
Cake turned to the royal on the gurney. "You look like doggie doo right now. But we're going to honey you up good!"
"We should lead him to his bedroom, right?"
"Yeah, then we can do karaoke."
Prince Gumball's eyes began to flutter.
"Can we do Falcon Village?"
"Only if we can do Rockchild, too."
Prince Gumball's eyes shut close, and the voices of the girls faded...
"Prince...Prince..."
Prince Gumball's eyes squinted open.
"SURPRISE!"
Prince Gumball took in his surroundings. He was clothed now, dressed in his pajamas. He was laying on a soft, comfy bed, rather than the stiff gurney. His bed. In his bedroom. The ceiling was a pink dome, the rose walls were lined in carnation cabinets filled with salmon books, arranged in alphabetical order. The floor was a more periwinkle color, but he could barely see it. The entire room was filled with mountains of stuffed animals, everything from the classical teddy bear to one that looked exactly like Lord Monochromicorn. They stacked so high they reached the top of the cabinets. The dome ceiling was packed with balloons of all colors, with shining streamers hanging from them. But there wasn't a single purple one. Fionna and Cake stood before him, beaming like Cheshire cats.
"We got every stuffed animal from every toy store in Aaa JUST FOR YOU!" proclaimed Fionna.
"Aaaaand we got you three hundred balloons!" Cake added, furry arms wiggling.
Prince Gumball said nothing.
Fionna tapped the tip of her left foot on the back of her right foot, biting her lip. Then, nervously, she said, "Uh...Prince Gumball?"
At first, Prince Gumball made a low sound at the back of his throat. Then, suddenly, he arched forward with a sickening crack, in a perfect right angle.
"HOLY JEEZ!" Cake's fur puffed out madly and she dove behind Fionna. The one thing that Cake hated most in the world (next to Fionna getting harmed) was paranormal activity. "WHAT THE FREAK'S WRONG WITH HIM?"
"Easy, Cupcake," Fionna told her sister in a whisper, "We want him to feel better, not worse."
"I know, Fifi. But my tail's goin' crazy. Something's not right here."
"It's probably all the stuff in the pool inside him. All we have to do is nurse him back to health."
"Alright...But I got my eyes peeled," Cake warned her, her eyes narrowed.
The two girls turned back to the bed, only to find that Prince Gumball was no longer there. The girls gasped as they heard a small clatter come from the open bathroom doors.
The two girls rushed inside. There, on the amaranth tiled floor, in front of the corn-silk sink, next to the hummingbird-designed bathtub, Prince Gumball was going through the contents of his rose-colored cabinets. He picked up bottles, looked at their labels, and tossed it behind him if it wasn't what he was looking for (apparently.) As he reached for a bottle of rat poison, Fionna and Cake rushed over to him. "Prince Gumball, no! You don't need to be out of bed!"
Fionna picked Prince Gumball up, surprised to find that he was the weight of a barbie doll. Prince Gumball didn't try to break free or wiggle out of her grasp. He just went limp.
As Fionna laid Prince Gumball back on the bed, pulling the ruby quilt back over his body. "Prince Gumball...I have to tell you something." Fionna was about to continue, but she stopped when she saw Cake watching her intently. "Erm...Cupcake...?" Fionna nodded her head towards the door.
Cake tried to decipher her gesture. Then, with a surprised fluff of fur, she smiled and said, "Alright, alright. No one can say I don't know when I'm not wanted." Stepping away from the bed, Cake added, "I'll go get some chicken soup."
Cake morphed her body into the shape of a bulldozer, and she pushed her way through the mountains of stuffed animals until she finally reached the door. Her paws pattered down the hall.
Fionna cleared her throat, trying to decide where to start. "Prince Gumball...um..." Fionna reached into her new backpack and pulled out the scarf Prince Gumball had knitted her. She rubbed the fabric in her hands, noting that it was singed with soot and she would have to wash it later. She also noted, for the first time, that there was a small silver heart in one corner. "This scarf you gave me, it uh...it protected me. The Lich Queen nearly jacked up my head, but the scarf protected me. So I wanted to say...Thanks. For knitting this scarf with the power of lo-liking someone a lot. Because I like you. A lot."
Prince Gumball said nothing. He just stared at her.
Fionna blushed tomato red, and she giggled. She GIGGLED, she was so nervous! "Uh...yeah, so you need to rest."
She turned on her heel, but Prince Gumball's hoarse voice spoke up, "Fionna...I need you to get some things for me..."
Tucking the scarf back into her newly-made backpack, Fionna nodded. "Of course."
"Priiiiiince~!"
Peppermint Maid and Cake stepped through the canyon of stuffed animals, approaching the bed. Peppermint Maid held a silver tray, on which there was a steaming aqua bowl of chicken soup. One of Cake's father's recipes, bound to heal Prince Gumball with celery, whole chicken, slices of onion, and carrots. Peppermint Maid beamed at her master. "We made you some soup!"
When Peppermint Maid saw Prince Gumball, she made a sound between a hiccup and a gasp as she dropped the bowl onto the floor with a crash.
Prince Gumball was whispering to Fionna, his voice low and hoarse.
Suddenly, Peppermint Maid got down on all fours, her canines sharpened like Marshall Lee's. She hissed at Prince Gumball before bounding out of the room.
Cake's tail danced in annoyed confusion. Something was wrong, but she wasn't sure what.
"Cupcake!"
Cake jumped at the sound of Fionna's voice right behind her. As she turned, Fionna continued, "I've gotta go get some things for PG. I'll be back in a min."
Before Cake could retort or question, Fionna brushed past her, through the doorway and down the hall.
Cake turned to Prince Gumball as the door slammed close. He was laying on his back, his legs straight as needles and his arms slightly spread from his torso. His skin had taken on a blue-green tint, something that neither Fionna or Cake had noticed before. His breaths came from his mouth, ragged and gasping, as if he were struggling to take in oxygen.
What Cake noticed most was his eyes. Usually a deep purple, with small bubbles of pink, they had gone entirely black, except for a speck of purple in each. She rubbed her eyes, sure she had seen wrong, and when she opened them, the prince's eyes had returned to normal.
Confusion trickled up her spine.
"H-hey, Prince Gumball," said Cake, her voice on edge, just like the rest of her. "Uh...so how are you feelin'?"
Prince Gumball said nothing, but his gummy eyebrows arched in a scowl.
Cake shuddered under his angry gaze. Then, smiling, she said, "I know! I'll read a poem to you! You love it when I read to you!"
Cake stepped over to the periwinkle desk in the left wall. She scanned the many books on the shelf above, taking in all the titles. "Here's a good one! Meet Me By the Riverside and other Poems!"
Cake pulled the large, flowery book from the shelf and molded her backside into the shape of a chair. Clearing her throat, she began.
"Meet me by the riverside,
The man said to his wife.
So we may be side-by-side,
For the rest of our lifes."
Prince Gumball snarled, though it went unnoticed by Cake.
"For he was of red,
and she of blue,
And when they wed,
They knew of the trouble
Their marriage would stew.
The man waited a year,
And another year more,
And ten years after that,
He waited upon the shore.
But the wife never showed.
He ne'er saw of her any more.
And the man,
He waited so long,
He died upon the shore.
And when he left from his life
He flew into the heavens,
Where,
To his glee,
He saw his wife,
Where she had been waiting
For his presence."
Cake sighed. "That's always been one of my fav-HOLY MOTHER OF GORGONZOLA!"
Cake looked around the room. All of the balloons that had once been high up in the ceiling had melted into a sllick wax, creating a blood-like lake of multiple colors on the floor. The animals' fur had all turned pale and scraggly, and their eyes, once emotionless and unmoving, were suddenly filled with absolute fear.
Cake felt every hair on her body rise. She turned to Prince Gumball, and she jumped.
Prince Gumball was jerking madly, his bones snapping and his spine crackling as his body arched this way and that, in angles that were not meant to be. He hissed and snarled like a gnarled beast, and words of foreign language were roared in-between.
"Yeah...that one was kinda sad..." Cake hesitated, then smiled. "Why not we pick out another book?"
Cake stood from her chair-or rather, she molded the chair-part of her body back to the rest of her-but before she could step back over to the bookshelf, Prince Gumball roared. He arched forward, but this time, his bed arched with him. He arched backwards, and the bed mimicked him.
Suddenly, the most nightmarish thing happened. The colorful ocean that covered the floor turned purple, and Cake distinctly remembered her and Fionna buying NO purple balloons, as it would remind Prince Gumball of the pool in the Lich Queen's lair. Then, the purple wax sprang into bright purple flames that chilled her to the bone. On top of that, every stuffed animal went completely bone-chilling. Their plastic eyes turned into purple flames, and their beaks and muzzles shot out in jagged teeth. And they were all snarling.
Cake made a small whimpering sound, backing away from the mountains of stuffed animals. Something icy cold touched her back, and she turned around.
Prince Gumball was staring down at her, both his eyeballs nothing but purple flames. Every single inch of his gummy skin was melting like wax, dripping onto the bed and floor in icy cold pellets. As Cake watched in pure terror, Prince Gumball's slanting mouth gurgled out a single word.
"Caaaaaaake..."
A half-second later, Cake was bursting through the door, running down the hall and jumping behind a corner. "OHGLOBOHGLOBOHGLOB!"
Cake took a deep breath, but her heartbeat never slowed. She thought hard, running the grotesque images through her mind. Maybe Prince Gumball had been poisoned by the stuff in the pool? Or maybe the Lich Queen had bitten him when no one was looking? Or-
Cake stopped thinking as Fionna turned a corner on the other side of the hall, her arms full of very suspicious items. "Fifi, stop!" Cake pulled her sister over and looked down at her arms. "What IS that stuff?"
"Some groceries Prince Gumball needed," shrugged Fionna. "Dragon blood, liquified moonlight, crushed serpent fangs..."
Prince Gumball appeared out of nowhere, looking perfectly fine and normal, bit still pale. Cake was about to push Fionna out of his way, but Prince Gumball simply took the items in her sister's arms, grumbled a thanks, and walked back into his bedroom.
Fionna was about to follow him when Cake pulled her back. "Fifi, wait!"
"What is it?"
"Prince Gumball's room was on FIRE."
"WHAT? IS HE OK?"
Cake pulled her sister closer. "He LIT his room of fire."
Fionna paused. "...With a lighter?"
"No, girl. With his MIND."
Fionna was silent for a moment. Then, she crossed her arms, giving Cake a concerned yet stern look.
"Seriously! Look!" Cake brushed past Fionna to the bedroom door. She held a paw to her lips, signaling her sister to be quiet. With beads of sweat already drenching her fur, Cake pulled open the door.
The floor was stained purple-black, but there was no longer any flames. All of the stuffed animals were gone, reduced to gigantic mounds of charred ash. The walls, floors, and furniture were all singed. The light had popped out, and the room was darkened. Flakes of black ash floated through the air like snow. Prince Gumball was nowhere to be seen.
"He's in the bathroom," said Fionna.
They looked to the scorched bathroom door, under which they could see a shadow moving in the bright light.
The girls stepped over to the door, Mary Janes and paws kicking up plumes of dusty ash. When they reached the door, Fionna knocked on it, dusting her knuckles black. "PG? You in there?"
"Goooo awaaaaay..." A voice snarled back, deep and grotesque.
"See? S'all fine," Fionna turned to her sister, obviously playing to mind to the voice that was obviously not the prince's. "He's just gettin' some private time."
"YEAH, RIGHT!" Cake cried, and she pressed her face to the door, looking through the keyhole.
"Cupcake!" Fionna cried, appalled by her sister's misunderstood perverted actions.
Cake paid her sister no mind. Her jaw was to the floor, her eyes the size of beach balls as she looked through the keyhole. "SWEET FATHER OF GLOB!"
"Cupcake! Stop! That's disgusting!" Fionna's face was dusted pink as she tried to pull her sister away from the door.
"You have NO idea," Cake told her sister, her voice barely above a whisper. "Look!" Fionna grabbed her sister's skull and forced her to look through the keyhole.
Inside, she could make out the aberrant form of a horrible monster. The monster had ash-gray skin, its limbs distorted and misshapen. It wore the tattered remains of polka-dotted pajamas, and a quiff of matted pink hair was slapped on top of its head. It was pouring bottle after bottle, vial after vial, box after box of strange items into the prince's bathtub. Purple fog was spilling over the brim.
The monster was Prince Gumball.
As Fionna watched, the beastly royal bent down and took a large gulp of the ominous mixture.
"Hold on, Gubbles!" Fionna cried, bracing herself for a kick. "I"LL SAVE YOU!"
Fionna smashed down the weak door with a single kick. Prince Gumball, meanwhile, was guzzling down the purple mixture like there was no tomorrow. As he drank, he became larger, darker, and more misshapen. His eyes turned entirely black, except for small purple flames in the centers. Before Fionna could do anything, the prince ripped the whole bathtub from the floor and poured its contents like a waterfall down his throat.
"GUBBLES, PUT THE BATHTUB DOWN!"
The prince chucked the bathtub to the floor with a booming crash. It whipped its arms at Fionna and Cake, and the two girls cried out as their bodies went sailing through the air, right into the wall. To make it worse, they burst through the wall, their bones and skin smashing against drywall and wood.
Prince Gumball roared as he burst through the ceiling like a daisy out of winter snow. Pink drywall rained down like heavy rain. The citizens of the Candy Kingdom gasped and screamed, all wondering in pure terror what had happened to their prince. Prince Gumball hunched over like an animal as he bounded out of the building. He then began to pounce towards one of the Guardians that sat on either side of the castle.
The Guardian immediately buzzed to life, its gigantic eyes narrowing into angry slits. "Evil presence detected!" It grabbed the approaching Prince with its large hands just as the beastly royal pounced. "Must defend the Candy Castle!"
"Fionna?"
Fionna felt something sharp and icy cold poke her cheek. She didn't bother to move. She was too sore, too tired, too heavy. But the object poked her again, harder this time, right into her cheekbone. Fionna groaned and lazily swatted it away. Opening lazy, tired eyes, she could make out something tall standing in front of her. Blue...Snow-white...A small dot of gold...
Fionna narrowed her eyes, partly in confusion, partly in annoyance. "Ice Queen? What're you doing here?"
Ice Queen held her palms up in defense. "Hey, I was just looking after the prince. You know, him being possessed and all."
Fionna propped herself up on her elbow, a small wave of dizziness rushing through her brain. In an irritated tone, she retorted, "You don't know that."
"No, really! He's possessed by the Lich Queen!" Ice Queen pointed her bony blue fingers to herself. "I saw it with my Witch Vision. After Prince Gumball fell into that purple gunk, I saw something weird crawl into him. I'm not sure if it was real, though..." Ice Queen looked around her, taking in the bright colors of the ghosts, demons, and spirits that flew through the air. She always saw them. Every time, everywhere. "When you have old, jacked-up eyes like mine, you tend to question your sanity." With a deep, depressed sigh, she added. "All the time."
As Fionna lifted a dizzied Cake from the floor, Ice Queen went on. "Please, I want to help. I don't want Prince Gumball to ne physically unattractive at our wedding."
"Listen, Grandma!" Fionna snarled, all annoyance from earlier coming back in a rush. "I won't let you kill him TWICE. Stop getting in our way! C'mon, Cupcake."
As Cake pulled her sister onto her back, the Ice Queen let out a despaired groan.
The two girls bounded out of the demolished corner of the building, into the crisp air of the outdoors. The sun was a bright amber coin on the horizon, resting for the night. The sky was beginning to violet-blue, the clouds a deep indigo color. Prince Gumball was still pushing against the force of the Guardian, his snarls filling the air.
"WE'RE COMING, PRINCE GUMBALL!" yelled Fionna as the wind whipped her bunny-ears around her head.
"Fifi," Cake panted as she pounced over the Recreation Center, "I think we SHOULD let the Ice Queen help us! She can use her freezy powers to-"
"NO!" Fionna shook her head vigorously as she took out the prince's fluffy pink scarf from her backpack. "I'LL SAVE HIM WITH THE LIKEY SWEATER!"
"GO!" Cake stopped in a jack, hurtling Fionna from her back.
As she flew through the air like a comet, Fionna zeroed in on Prince Gumball. All she had to do was...what, rub it against him? Or something? "PRINCE GUMBALL!" Fionna called as she stuck the scarf in front of her. "I L-"
Fionna cut off in a cry of pain as Prince Gumball's gigantic, clawed hand backhanded her.
She flew the opposite direction, her skin covered in already-blue bruises. Her bones nearly shattered as she collided with the wall of Prince Gumball's hallway once more, her brain sending explosions of pain throughout her body.
Liking the prince hadn't worked, Fionna realized through the top-like spinning of her head. He was too far gone. Too lost. Too...
...Too possessed by the Lich Queen.
Fionna watched as Prince Gumball repeatedly slapped Cake in the muzzle over and over, his other distorted limbs binding the feline's paws together. Cake could only repeat "ouch" over and over.
Fionna groaned in despair. She'd rather drown in the sea before she'd do this. She'd rather have Donna tie her to a chair and torture her for hours. She'd rather wax every hair off her body, cover herself in boiling blood, and toss herself into a colony of dragons.
Anything but THIS.
"Ice Queen..."
The Ice Queen had been staring at her aged feet inside her azure heels, her milky eyes filled with a never-ending void of sadness. She didn't even seem to notice that Fionna had crashed into the wall right next to her from hundreds of feet away. But Fionna knew she was paying attention to her, but she wasn't looking at her. She was likely expecting another harsh comment on her old age.
"...I need you to help me save Prince Gumball."
The Ice Queen had never looked so shocked in her life. Her eyes, white as snow, turned the size of golf-balls and her jaw nearly hit the floor. Her lightning-bolt-like eyebrows shot towards the ceiling. Every part of her aged body froze like ice itself. Fionna the Heroine, asking the Ice Queen to help her?
Then, the Ice Queen frowned suspiciously, but Fionna could see the joy in her eyes. "Are you sure?"
Fionna groaned again, and lied, "Yes, I'm sure."
Ice Queen's face burst into the most joyous smile that Fionna was taken aback. She looked so young when she smiled. Not as young as Fionna, but a youthful woman. A woman who was not crazy, nor evil, nor dangerous. She looked like the kind of woman who was happy, smart...even kind.
"Let's go!" The Ice Queen slapped an icy palm on Fionna's wrist. A moment later, Fionna found herself flying through the air once more.
As the females-one old witch and the other a young human-flew at the beast that was once the Candy Prince, Fionna yelled over the wind, "You freeze his body while I distract him!"
The Ice Queen nodded, eyebrows lowered in determination, and slapped her other hand on Fionna's wrist. With a strained grunt, she flung Fionna forward.
"I'M A BIRD!" Fionna screamed loud enough so the prince would hear. "I'M AN ANGRY BIRD!"
As the flying girl approached, she yelled, "CUPCAKE! DUCK!"
Cake, who was currently being stretched like gum in the Prince's claws, pulled herself from his grasp and hit the dirt of the Earth. Fionna latched her hands into the Prince's gummy hair, now gigantic and limp. As she latched on, the weight of her body pulled the weak hair down, covering the beastly royal's purple-flamed eyes. "ICE QUEEN! NOW!"
Ice Queen nodded and raised her arms high above her head. They glowed a fierce aqua color, and when the Ice Queen brought them down, icy bolts of energy exploded from them. Fionna jumped from the prince quickly.
The prince's entire body, from his tiny crown to the heels of his bulbous feet, was nothing more than a gargantuan glacier.
As Fionna fell onto Cake's trampoline-like belly, the Candy citizens surrounded them. They were all cheering, all applauding, some crying, some laughing. They patted Fionna on the back and they rubbed Cake between the ears. And, though cautious and hesitant, they even thanked the Ice Queen.
As a patient silence fell over the crowd, Fionna turned to the Ice Queen and smiled. Actually SMILED. She was actually grateful, grateful that the Ice Queen, one of her greatest enemies, had helped save the prince. "You did good, Ice Queen."
Ice Queen looked at her with wide eyes. "I did?"
Fionna nodded. "Yeah."
Ice Queen smiled again. Another youthful, joy-exploding smile.
Fionna learned a very important lesson that day: Just because someone may be very old, crazy, or even evil, they can still be helpful.
A loud whine of movement ceased all sound. Confused frowns covered everyone's faces.
The glacier of the prince was teetering. Only slightly, at first. Then it rocked back and forth, back and forth...and it finally tipped over.
The glacier exploded in millions of icy shards as it impacted with the ground.
And with it, the prince exploded as well.
Fionna turned to the people, her eyes looking like they were about to burst from her skull.
Cake's jaw literally hit the ground.
The Ice Queen, with horrified bags under her eyes, said, "...Just for the record...I didn't kill him this time. Everyone saw that, right?"
"Girl..." The Guardian's broken shard of mouth said with a sigh.
"QUICK!" Fionna cried. "WE GOTTA GET HIM TO THE HOSPITAL!"
"Beginning revival."
Dr. Ice Pop wiped the beads of sweat forming on his fruit-flavored forehead. Nurse Cheesecake looked like a nervous wreck opposite of him. Beside the nurse, Dr. Prince, who was called in straight from his own hospital, was looking down at the gurney in concern. The gurney was sheet-less, and on it lay Prince Gumball. Well, what remained of him, anyway. Chunks of gum was scattered on the gurney, some small, some large, but all still cold. It was hard to tell which chunks of gum were skin and which were internal organs.
"Nurse, we need to connect these two pieces." Dr. Ice Pop picked up one of the bigger chunks as Nurse Cheesecake picked up another one. "No, not that one." Nurse Cheesecake picked up a smaller chunk. "Yes, that one." The men set the chunks of gum against one another. They molded together perfectly, like magnets.
No one can say how long the doctors and nurse were in there. Some say they were in there a fairly short time, but most say they were in there for very long. And those who say they were in there very long range their versions from them being in their a few hours, or many hours.
But the medical professionals were nearly done, as it was. Dr. Ice Pop inspected the royal on the gurney. When they were done with the lower half of his body, they had pulled up a sheet to cover him. Now, the prince's facial features-from his eyelids to his lips to his collarbone-were becoming clearer and clearer. Almost perfect...almost there..."Dr. Prince, give me more gum."
Dr. Prince's eyes were filled with aghast concern. "There's no more left."
Dr. Ice Pop felt every organ in his body clench. "T-That can't be!" his voice came in a hoarse exclamation.
Nurse Cheesecake looked up at his superior, looking as scared as a child. "What are we going to do, Doctor?"
Dr. Ice Pop's gaze on the prince was grave. He was silent for a long moment. As he moved his hands over the royal's body, he said, "Doctor, Nurse. Help me define his features."
Fionna felt like she were having the worst case of daja vu in existence. The same murmurs of the worried citizens, the calls coming from behind the ER doors, the ultimate feelings of doom and death...it was like reliving a nightmare.
"He's gonna be fine," Cake assured her sister as she rubbed a paw over her shoulders. But even Cake didn't know what was to come of their friend.
After an eternity, the ER doors open, and Fionna sprang to her feet so fast she almost pulled a hamstring. Next to her, the Ice Queen held out a calming palm.
Nurse Cheesecake's face was etched in a frown as he called, "Attention, everyone."
"IS THE PRINCE OK?!" Fionna screeched, making everyone jumped.
When Nurse Cheesecake hesitated, Fionna felt her stomach, lungs, and heart shrivel. "Yes, the prince is fine...But there were...complications..."
Fionna felt her insides turn to stone. A scream ripped through her body, and she lifted her head. Her screech of anguish filled the entire hospital. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Yes..." Nurse Cheesecake sighed heavily. "There's wasn't enough gum to work with. I'm afraid Prince Gumball is now..."
Fionna felt her heart hammer like a stampede of WHALES. What was wrong? Was he missing a limb? Or an organ? Or was it something else? Was he blind, or deaf? Could he even MOVE anymore?
"...Younger."
A thundering gasp rippled through the crowd as the prince appeared in the doorway.
He was shorter now, about half a head. His hair, though the same color as before, was curly, and a bit longer. His eyes were still a fusion of fuchsia and violet-blue, but they were bigger now, wide with young innocence and curiosity. His old clothes were also replaced with something more fitting. He now wore hot pink shorts that matched his puff-sleeved shirt. Indigo sleeves slid from underneath the shirt, reaching to his shoulders. A large indigo bow bloomed from under his chin. Indigo socks dove into hot pink shoes. The little crown he wore on his head was the only thing that remained of his older self.
"He's fourteen years old now," Nurse Cheesecake added, his voice filled with heavy pity.
Ice Queen threw up her arms, letting out a frustrated cry. "Doggone-it!" With a huff, Ice Queen pushed through the crowd, to the open window. "I'm out."
And then the Ice Queen flew out of the window, into the crisp evening air.
Fionna jumped as she replayed the Nurse's words. "Fourteen years old?" She repeated, eyebrows creased. "That's how old I am."
Fionna looked at the prince.
We was giving her a warm, joyful, glowing smile that lit up his whole face.
Fionna felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
Cake made a musical sound in her throat.
Prince Gumball stepped across the room and wrapped his arms around Fionna in a hug. Fionna hesitated before softly smiling and wrapping her arms around his shoulders as the Candy People exploded into cheers.
The purple-eyed slug went unnoticed in the windowsill...
TRIVIA
This is the first time an episode is continued into the next.
EPISODE CONNECTIONS
This episode is a continuation of "Mortal Folly."