"We have to take him back to the Fire Kingdom."

"What?!" gapes Cake. "Can't we just take him to Gumball and let him check him out?"

Flare stomps her paw, "You think the Candy Kingdom can provide Flame Prince the medicine he needs to survive? The Fire Kingdom has it there!"

"But what about his mother?!"

"Think of his sake and not yours!"

"I'm thinking of both fool!"

The two of them went back and forth as Fionna thinks about this while putting a hand on Flame Prince's cold cheek. The verbal battle between Cake and Flare starts fading away softly as she puts her head on his chest. She listens to his faint heartbeat and bites her lip, stops. "I can't carry him to the Flame Kingdom!" yells Flare.

DING. DING.

"I got an idea," Cake stretches an ear to Flare and she whispers her sly plan leaving Fionna in curiosity.

"What?" she puts Flame Prince's head gently on the ground and rushes over to them. "I know it involves me."

"Well, it involves being polite..." starts Flare.

"And wearing a dress," squeals Cake.

"...I'm out," Fi starts heading back to Flame Prince.

...

"I can't believe I'm doing this," groans Fionna while holding Flame Prince's arm over her neck. She blushes a little as his cheek rubs against hers, "Coast clear yet?"

"Not yet," whispers Flare.

Cake and Fionna stood hidden in a closet inside the Fire castle with Flare standing guard. It took an hour trying to pose as sculptures or paintings to go past guards, servants and peasants wandering around the halls. They are just a few feet from their destination, but a group of slackers are blocking their way gossiping.

"So, haven't seen Flame Prince around anymore," says a gruff voice.

"Yeah, maybe he found himself a dame."

Laughter echoes the hallway, "Nah, poor girl would have to go through Flame Queen."

The gruff voice adds, "Plus I don't think he can find anyone out there."

Fionna puffs her cheeks up. Flare's voice is heard nearby, "Hey! Snack time!"

"Snacks!" cheered the bystanders one by one and their footsteps disappeared from the left end of Fionna's ear.

"The coast is-OW!"

"Oops!" Cake picks Flare up, "Sorry."

"All right, let's go," Cake swings the door open for her and Flame Prince is laid against the shut door

The room is filled with different kinds of clothing for both men and women on hangers. Masks litter the floor and boots with missing pairs hide underneath the clothes or stand alone in the corner. Flare and Cake immediately head to the area where extravagant dresses are hung.

Fi can hear Cake and Flare shuffling through hangers and clothing, but she paid attention to Flame Prince's face. Even if he is doused and she had flame shield on a little bit of caution came to mind as she tried stroking her fingers through his hair. "I hope you'll be all right...AH!"

A flaming red ball gown dress is thrown on top of her, "Best in the drama room."

Flare drops a mask in front of Fionna's feet and throws one to Cake. "You must act like her servant," she commands to the cat rubbing her hurt nose. "You must act like-"

"A princess, I know," Fi reluctantly pulls on the dress over her head and struggles on stuffing her arms in the sleeves. The dress had a jewel on the middle of her chest and had a lacy design around the neckline. Tints of yellow sparkled throughout the dress and the bottom fell down like a waterfall upon a waterfall...if it's even possible. However, it is three layers and even though she can't feel the scorching heat of the Fire Kingdom she already feels her temperature rising in her legs. "Oh Glob! It's hot!"

"Just like you, Fi!" Cake places the mask on her gorgeous sister's face. "All right, phase one get in the castle, phase two get dress, phase three...?"

"Look like the heroine...and approach Flame Queen," finishes Flare with nervousness in her voice. "Oh, boy, she'll put the blame on me later, but it is my fault. I didn't look after him..." she takes a deep breath. "Okay, Cake you hold Flame Prince up, Fionna you walk between Cake and I..."

...

Flame Queen sat on her throne, above her is an empty lamp. She sighs sadly with an arm holding her heavy head. She left her son in the hands of a flame lion, what was she thinking? Maybe she has been too caught up excitement of him taking over a village she didn't think of his safety. No, she knows, he is strong enough to handle things by himself, he is born from her anyways. Any enemy he can handle as long as evil strung through his veins and the crave of power controlled his mind he can do anything. If he became good, could that weaken him? Could it taint him? No such thing should happen to him, she will not allow it.

"THE PRINCE HAS RETURNED!" screams one of her guards in the front of her palace. "HE HAS RETURNED!"

Flame Queen stands up from her chair with excitement and happiness pounding in her heart. "My son?" she feels...positive emotions, love?

"HE BRINGETH A DAME!"

"A dame?!" now, she's really excited. "He has found a bride?" Her smile disappears when she sees Flame Prince being held by Cake and Flare running towards her. "Flare..." she growls, "Why is he harmed?!"

"Uh..eh..." Flare forgot her lines in fear and stared right up into Flame Queen's endless black eyes.

Fionna bravely steps in, "Uhm, your Majesty!" She puts her arms in the air gracefully, "I have brought back your son, Flame Prince!" Flame Queen changes her glance right into Fionna's soul. "Uhm...uhm! He is like this for he has been attacked by your nieces Titaia and Fino!"

"Fina..."

"Fina! They attempted to extinguish him with ice, but he is still alive, yet weak!" she stands there with her arms still up in the air, shaking.

Flame Queen continues to stare into Fionna's eyes and then trails off to her doused son. "Guards, take him to his chambers and heal him," Fi sees Flame Prince whisked away from Cake's arms into two guards'. "Flare, I'll have a talk with you later..." Flare runs after Flame Prince. "And you!" she jabs a finger at Fionna, "Who are you?"

"P-Princess Fionna, your Majesty, from eh, Faraway!" Cake bows as low as she can and Fi does the same.

"Never heard of you."

"Oh, but she is very famous for her..." Cake's eyes wander to the side and sees food, "Cooking! Her cooking! And..."

"Is she...evil?"

Fionna gulps.

"Oh yeah! Real evil! Nasty!" Cake twirls her arms around. "You should see her in action! Taking over the villages and stuff! Oh, oh, and slaying everything with her mighty sword! Treating servants like dirt!" she starts panting.

Silence passes, making Cake tense and Fionna's heart beat like crazy.

Flame Queen stands so abruptly that Cake jumps back and Fi lets out a little squeak. "You...are a suitable wife!" she lifts her arms in the air and the bystanders around her clap loudly and laugh. "SILENCE!" she then stoops eye to eye with the shaking "princess." "Princess Fionna..." Fi's knees began to shake and Cake clutched on a seam of Fi's dress. "Why don't you...cook us a meal? I'd like to taste your culinary skills..."

"R-Right away!" she dimly takes a step forward and trips on her dress. Cake catches her and she giggles nervously, "I'm sorry, Flame Prince is still...a concern in my mind."

"Oh, don't worry about him," assures the Queen in a very gentle voice. "He'll be fine."

...

A familiar scent came to Flame Prince's nose and he breathes it in and sighs. Suddenly, he remembers and sits up quickly, making the doctors and nurses around him back up against the wall. They fear him, but wish to serve him. Just like his mother. "Where am I?!" he demands and begins getting ready to serve a fireball.

"W-Wait! Wait! Your Majesty! We were just healing you!" the main doctor had dropped his medicine box and slammed against a shelf. Yet, he is too fearful to stoop down and pick the items up. "P-Please, don't harm us!"

They are cowering. He should enjoy this.

He doesn't.

He puts his hands down and hangs his legs over the rocky table's edge. "Flame Prince, don't! You're still a little weak!" a nurse approaches him and touches his arm. The rest of the staff gasp and realizing what she has done she bows down with fear of being executed right here, now. "I'm sorry! Your Majesty, forgive me!"

"Why should I punish you?" Flame Prince knew it is wrong to do what he is doing, but he did it. He gently holds her shoulders and makes her stand, "You were only trying to help me."

A compassionate gaze went through everyone's hearts. However, it flickers back to cold, but they no longer quivered as he commands them, "Who brought me here?"

"A beautiful dame who claims to be your bride, and her spotted servant!" answers the flustered nurse.

"I heard she is now cooking for the Flame Queen," adds the doctor.

"Oh, how exciting! Oh, Flame Prince? You're leaving?"

"Yes..." Flame Prince puts a hand on his head, "I'm going to see my bride."

He marches down the hall, back straight, eyes forward, eyebrows furrowed and a straight face. Two servants chatting nonchalantly to each other immediately shout, "Your Majesty!" and one of them accidentally smashes into the wall.

"Your Majesty!" the same group who were running their mouths on him earlier all bow down shamefully.

He doesn't cast any of them an evil glance, but a tiny smirk. He can feel his confidence rising. He is at home where power is all in his hands. He can do anything to these servants, even execute them without a reason whenever he felt like it. The feeling of people bowing down to him, calling him "Your Majesty," and feeling fear in his presence...he remembers it all. A cackle releases from his mouth, filled with darkness. However, he immediately stops right when he began.

"This place will poison me once more," he takes his hand away and replaces his thoughts with Fionna. A crash is heard across the hallway with a familiar scream, "Fionna?" He rushes and yanks the door open to happily see her on the floor with a pot on her head.

"Stupid dress," he can hear her mutter while approaching her. She gasps when she gets the pot off her head, "Flame Prince!"

He pulls her into a tight hug, eyes shut with a huge smile on his face. She is his antidote. He opens his eyes when he winces at pinching feelings on his thigh. He faces Fionna, seeing her crying silently by biting down on her lip. "S-Sorry, it's hurting you, right?" she wipes her tears with the back of her hand. She hiccups.

Noticing she is safe to touch, he reaches to wipe the tears away with his finger. It didn't sting that bad, so he didn't react. "You're beautiful," he comments and she blushes while holding in sniffles. "I'm fine Fionna," he assures her by placing a kiss on her forehead, and then her cheek, nose and finally...

"AH! I forgot I was making something for your mom!" Fi stands up leaving Flame Prince to pout by himself for a few seconds.