The moment Gumball took a step on the ground the soil cracked. He turned around seeing green flames shooting around his castle. He bit his lip, worrying about his kingdom and candy people. He clutched his Ball Blam Burglerber to his chest (yes, it's a weapon from Adventure Time "Peebles") and with a confident look in his eyes began searching the ground.

"Now, if I calculated correctly..." he shuts his eyes and has his finger pointed out.

He replays the Lich hurling the ball of memories and pauses when he needs to.

Pause.

He studies how far she stretched her arm back.

Pause.

He studies the curve the green flames made.

Pause.

Over the mountains he lost the view.

He turns around and sees the rocky mountains split in half before his eyes. He sees green flame people moving like zombies between the cracked mountain. He jumps behind a huge rock as Lord Monochromicorn hid among the shadows of the trees. Gumball lets out a tiny gasp when he sees something glowing about forty meters away from him. "That must be it..." he whispered to himself. He took his crown off and stared at it, took a deep breath and threw it as hard as he can into the forest.

Clink

He can hear the flame people's feet shuffle in the direction.

Quickly, he charges.

Ice Queen stares at herself in the mirror, delicately setting her crown back on her head. "Ah..." she smiles at herself and poses.

One more.

Once more.

"Wenk."

"Not now Gunther," she closes her eyes and spins around while humming.

"Wenk."

"Gunther not now!" another spin.

She didn't even realize Marshall Lee and Fi have just snatched her crown off her head. After sighing she faces the cute penguin, "What did you want to bother mommy about?"

Gunther stayed quiet and just stared at her. "Aww, aren't you just-" she notices Fi being carried by Marshall off her balcony, "MY CROWN! GUNTHER WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING?!"

"...Wenk."

Tiny Cake held onto the strands of Marshall's flowing hair as Fi held the crown tightly. Marshall held her by the arms. He almost lets her go when a small green ball shoots in the air. "Whoa-ho-ho!" hoots the vampire as he began to fly straight down.

Fionna and Cake screamed their hearts out until they see a pink figure. They see Gumball shooting his Ball Blam Burglerber at the green flame people. They explode in their faces, knocking their fire out. Lord Monochromicorn shoots out at them with his horn. Fi gasps seeing what Gumball has tucked in his left arm, "The memory ball!"

She is placed softly on the ground and jumps swinging the sword, Nothung, she and Flame Prince found together. (I should go back and change the description and instead of a blue jewel on the handle let's change it to red here). Back to back with Gumball she threatens to stab the flame people to keep them away from him.

With a sassy pose Marshall froze all of them.

"All right, what now?" huffs Cake as Gumball places the memory ball in Fi's hands.

"Hmmm..."

...

"I'M A PRETTY PRINCESS!" screams Cake, signaling everyone to start attacking. From the sky Cake rode on Lord Monochromicorn and began to shoot down ice crystals or froze the flame people with a twist.

Over the hill came Marshall Lee's skeleton army. With his usual smirk and his axe bass he stuck his tongue out and showed off his rock hand symbol.

The two of them clashed with the possessed army as the Lich watched them on the castle wall, entertained. Gumball gasps when he saw who surrounded her, his candy people. He charges his Ball Blam Burglerber, "Let's do this."

They snuck around to the back of the castle and stayed as close as they can to the walls, avoiding the Lich's glance. Gumball kneels down to remove blocks from the castle as Fi stands guard. They can hear Cake yell, "CHILL OUT YA'LL WHOO!"

"She sure loves that crown..."

"Yeah...I think Ice Queen's crazy is rubbing off from the crown to her," comments Fi. Both squeeze through the small hole into the Candy Kingdom. They both gasp in terror when they see the Candy people with green eyes.

"Oh crabapples..." he places his gun in Fionna's bag. "Just in case you need it."

"What about-"

"I can't harm my people!" Gumball pushes her. "RUN!"

She pants as she looks back and watches Gumball lead the crowd of possessed Candy people away from her. She bites her lip as she enters the castle.

Up the stairs.

The rotating stairs.

Through the walls she can hear Marshall Lee let out a monstrous cry and demonically laughing while strumming his guitar. She can hear Cake zapping and Flame Prince's army falling back. Once everything is done I've gotta get their heads screwed back on...

Finally...

She draws out her sword and points it to the green figure. "LICH! YOU TOOK AWAY HIS MEMORY! YOU TAKE OVER HIS BODY! YOU'VE DONE ENOUGH," she growls.

The Lich just widely smiles as she flicks her head at her. With one hand raised she blasted a huge fireball to Fi. Quickly, she drops her sword and reaches for the Ball Blam Burglerber and shoots. The two collide and release an explosion that knocks Fionna back against a wall. The smoke is heavy and hurt her eyes, yet she struggled to crawl forward and blindly look for her sword. A foot squishes on her.

"Darkness will spread," says the Lich. "And you can't stop it..."

Fi squirms her hand out from under the boot, but the Lich grabs her by the neck, lifting her in the air. Losing her breath...blurred her eyesight. She went from a blurred image of the Lich in his body, to his actual face. Yet, reality struck her harder.

"How does it feel?"

Instead of scratching at her hand, Fi lifts her hands over her shoulders to reach for her backpack. The memory ball...must be at the bottom. The Lich laughs and squeezes harder. Fi's hands shook and desperately stretched for the sphere.

...

"LICH! GIVE...ME...BACK...MY BOYFRIEND!" she slam dunked the memory ball down the Lich's throat.

The Lich gagged not only from having trouble swallowing, but by the memories flowing into her and Flame Prince's head. She can feel his power overpowering hers with every kiss, every hug, every touch he made with Fionna. The battles, the risks, the confusion, sadness, everything...

She retreats out of his body screaming. Green flames seep out of him and his army. They were all drained...they all collapsed in their doused state. Flame Prince could feel warm hands hold his head and a cheek rub against his. "Fi..."

He closed his eyes and before knocking out felt softness and warmth on his lips.

"All right, get on here kiddo," Gumball gently placed his hands on the child's small waist and hoisted him up on the table. "Let's check how you're doing..."

"Uncle Marshall..." quivers the boy at the cold touch of the stethoscope. "When can I go to your house?"

The vampire, still looking the same after eleven years glanced at a glaring Cake and smirked, "Any time kid."

Gumball takes off the stethoscope, "My you're five already?" He taps the red jewel on the boy's head and ruffled his blonde hair, "You mostly look like your mother."

"No way! I want to be like dad!" he lifts his arms in excitement and tiny flames shot out of them, nearly shooting the roof down. "Ooh..." he purposely does it again making the roof crash down.

Gumball stares at his burning roof as Marshall floats by, "Ahh...memories."

He smells burning hair.

"Yes..." says the Prince and extinguishes Marshall, "Memories."

"Ya'll stop it, making me feel old," complains Cake. "And my children are nearly my age already!"

"Ah yes, Lord Monochromicorn's kind does age fast. Now..." he faced the boy again. "Blaze...looks like you have developed your fire powers...like your dad."

"YEAH! Except I don't burn stuff when I touch them like daddy...why?"

Gumball opens his mouth to explain but Marshall grabbed Blaze and swung him around and threw and caught him in the air. Cake began to have quick heart attacks whenever her best friend's little boy is in the vampire's hands. "MARSHALL DON'T DO THAT!" screams Cake as she stretches her arms to grab Blaze away. The Prince avoids getting knocked over by her or Marshall and takes a quick look at his watch which ends him getting pushed by the vampire and head first on the ground.

"MARSHALL LEE! You haven't changed a bit!" scolds an angry Fionna who just marched through the door.

"Literally, psh," he scoffed, "'Sup Grandma," he floats around Fionna. He pinches her stomach, "I see you haven't worked off that pregnancy fat."

He received a punch in the face as Cake finally took a hold of Blaze. "That was fun!" he giggles.

"Gumball...what happened to the roof?"

"Oh...you know...it's always your boys."

She gasps, "He can shoot fire!" She holds Blaze up in the air, "That's so awesome Blaze!"

"Where's daddy?"

"Oh, you know, visiting your grandma."

"When can I meet grandma?"

"Today," Flame Prince came through the door and looked at the broken ceiling. "...Uhm..." he sniffs burning hair and turns at Marshall who points at his son. "Oh," Blaze immediately wants to be held by his father so he grabs onto his leg.

Without hesitation Flame Prince lifts him in the air, "If your mother had the same ability as you-"

"You'd touch her all day," Fi punches Marshall.

"Yes..." he receives a "watch it" stare from Fionna, "What I meant was...that it'd be easier to..." he meets eyes with his son, "Hug?"

Cake nods in agreement, "Good job," she whispered.

"Oh!" Blaze says innocently, "I see! How come I can hug you but Mommy can't?"

Marshall cuts off Fionna, "Because he's too hot. BADUMPCH!"

Gumball walks over to Fionna dusting off a video tape, "Here, I forgot to give this to you. Maybe you'd like to watch it now?"

"With everyone?" she glances at Flame Prince, Marshall Lee and her son laughing together gleefully. She smiles, "Sure."

"To the movie room!" yells Cake as she grabs the tape and heads out the lab door into another corridor.

"Ooh, movie?" Marshall takes Blaze out of Flame Prince's hands and holds him under his armpits as he flies them down after Cake.

"Glad Marshall is still the same."

Gumball lets out a laugh, "You're glad?!"

Fi watches them walk ahead of her, smiling. Flame Prince looks back at her and extends his hand to encourage her to walk by his side.

She did.

...

The film flickered and the first thing they can make out was Gumball fixing the camera's position and then running back in the front where Fi and Flame Prince were waiting. The Candy people, flame people, princes and a bunch of other friends could be seen on the sides. Marshall Lee couldn't resist the camera and shows his tongue at it as well as other poses.

"MARSHALL GET BACK HERE!" yells Gumball. The vampire went back to his station, "Ahem...do you, Flame Prince..."

Someone has lifted the camera and began to walk closer to the couple.

"I do."

"Fionna...do you..."

The zoom button was being played with now. Then, sobs were heard from the holder. Now, everyone knew who it was.

"Oh, oh, you're so beautiful, my baby," sobbed Cake. She cries over Fionna's "I do."

"I now pronounce you...erm...FLAME AND WIFE!"

The kiss was a quick yet sweet one.

At least Cake was able to capture that moment for she dropped the camera and glomped Fionna to be the first to hug her.

There was more to the tape surprisingly.

"Cake...you were stalking us during and after the reception?!" whispered Fionna.

Her sister smiles, "Ohh, but you guys were so cute! I swear it was only that day!"

They were random clips: Fi and Flame Prince sitting with their friends. Having their first dance. Marshall chugging a drink. Gumball waving at the camera while talking to the couple. Flame Queen wiping a small tear even though she still refused Fionna.

The final scene was someone sweeping up after the reception and Fi and Flame Prince under the night sky. His flames flickered and made Fionna's white dress shimmer. She had her hair up in a bun and he was in a spiffy suit his tailor had made for him back in the Fire Kingdom. He musters some words together that became a chant. The flame shield covers Fionna as she softly gasps.

"Wow! You learned it?!" she held his hands.

"Yeah, it was Flare's gift to me," he puts her arms around her neck and his around her waist.

Blaze sat on his mother's lap. Watching intensely one of the happiest moments of his parents' lives. He notices his mother and father's hands intertwined and he looks up at his father who smiled at him, "I want to see you dance."

Gumball paused the video and all eyes transferred on the couple.

Awkwardly, they stood up and Flame Prince casts flame shield on her.

The video starts playing again and everyone hears Marshall Lee play his bass from it. A slow...one.

Without looking at the screen, Flame Prince guides Fi the same way he did on that day. Arms around his neck, arms around her waist. Step by step. Staring into each others' eyes. He couldn't help but give her a kiss.

Cake in the present and in the video sobbed uncontrollably and Blaze went over to comfort her.

"You enjoy that night?" asked Flame Prince.

"Yeah, I loved it," she answered.

Marshall pops in to ruin the mood, and says with a naughty smile, "I'm sure she enjoyed a ton of nights."

He dodges her punch and floats away.

Blaze pulled on Flame Prince's pants, "Do you have video of how you and mommy met?"

"That," he's picked up by his dad, "Those moments of meeting your mom...were unexpected and memories I should have never forgotten, and will never forget."

Hope you enjoyed "A Tenacious Flame." I'm sorry to say this is the last chapter. I hope your satisfied, then again, most story endings are not satisfying enough.

-Love Mik

p.s. since I sort of worship this pairing I might put some shorts together "Flame PrincexFionna shorts" rated M? not sure if I'll add in some things like that...hm.