I do not own Adventure Time. Pen Ward does. I wonder if they need a janitor there in their studio or something...Whatevs. On with the freak show!
~~o~~
Chapter 8 - Lies and Memories
...awake?
Sawyer's stomach growled in starvation. Light slipped through the crack in his eyelids, coloring the skin inside a dazzling orange. He fluttered his eyes open and tried focusing on his immediate surroundings. A hospital? Where the hell am I?
He tried moving his fingers, and to his relief, he could move alright. Panic struck him, the last thing he remembered was he used the machine in hopes of a better life. Now, he couldn't remember getting here. Numerous hospital beds lined symmetrically along the large hospital ward. Sawyer looked sideways to his right and got a mild shock.
"So you're awake, human. What's your name?"
Maybe he was finally losing it, but he could swear a giant walking ice cream dressed in doctor's clothes just talked to him. He blinked twice, then rubbed both of her eyes. The ice cream doctor was still there, smiling down on him.
"What are YOU? Where am I?" Sawyer bolt upright, knocking the doctor away. "I...uh, I'm sorry."
"It's alright. Please calm down, your body should be still recovering from your millennial slumber." The strange doctor pushed him softly down against the hospital bed.
"My what?" He looked down on his body and was shocked to see that all wound he got have healed already.
"Look, human, this is the Land of Ooo - what you called Earth years ago - and you are in the Candy Kingdom."
His head hurt after trying to digest the information. Ooo? Candy Kingdom? A talking ice cream doctor? A hospital? Everything was so absurd. Unthinkable. He absentmindedly stared at the cream on the doctor's head. So the machine did worked. But what did it do to me exactly?
"What happened to me uh...doctor?" Sawyer tried to remain calm, but he could already feel anxiety kicking in. He willingly forced himself to forego the violent thoughts forming in his head, escape situations and such.
Suddenly, a beautiful pink-skinned lady dressed in fancy gown, crown on her head and a smile on her face stood on the door of the ward. Her equally pink beehive-styled hair complemented her kind face well. Something about the lady seemed familiar to Sawyer. "You've been sleeping for around a millennium, human."
Sawyer froze in fear. That voice.
"Princess Bubblegum, Your Highness, it's always good to see you."
"How's the boy ? Why does he looked pale?"
Sawyer was no longer paying attention. His head felt dizzy as memories clicked into place. This regal lady resembled someone, right down to the voice; someone he knew so much it hurt. His life. His living nightmare. My sweet living nightmare.
"Miss Bonnibel? Where will my papa and mama go now? Why are they leaving me?" He stared at the towering young lady standing next to him, clad in simple looking workwear. The mud was so deep now both of their feet were completely submerged.
"They are not going anywhere, my love." Miss Bonnibel finished shoveling and struck down the digging tool on the wet soil.
"Miss Bonnibel?" Are you al-"
"SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" The fierce look on Miss B. instantly made him cry. Ever since his parents got sick and became bedridden, Miss Bonnibel's attitude changed. Sawyer's young mind can't still comprehend what the change was though. "Oh, I'm sorry Sawyer, please don't cry..."
The lady scooted closer and hugged him so hard, pressing his head on her chest. Sawyer can swore he heard her moan softly. "Everything will be alright, my love. Everything..."
"Are you alright, human? Maybe you need to lie down first?" The princess inquired politely, locking her eyes with his.
"Why is Mrs. Norton's tummy so bloated, Miss Bonnibel?" Sawyer's adoptive mother was busy writing in her little book again. He wished he could read what she was writing, but that would probably result in a sore butt.
"No, my son, Mrs. Norton is pregnant. Her tummy has a baby." His stepmother smiled sweetly at him.
"What? She ate a baby? Miss Bonnibel, we've got to save the baby!"
Miss Bonnibel laughed heartily at his reaction. "No, my silly boy, that baby is her son. In some more months, the baby will come out and grow up like you."
"Oh...Hey Miss Bonnibel? Can I ask a question?" The lady looked at him warily, already getting tired of his questions.
"What is it?"
"How do you make a baby? I want a brother! Well...I do have a big brother, but...How about it, Miss Bonnibel? How do you make a baby?"
The look his stepmom gave him made him remember the cover of one of his story books. It depicted a fox who wanted to eat a baby, and the look on his stepmom's face kinda resembles the fox's face after seeing the baby for the first time.
"Sooner, my love, I'll tell you how." She beckoned him to get closer, the smile on her face both creepy and sweet.
"Hello, human? Are you ok? Hello, Ooo to human!"
"Princess, the boy must be experiencing memory reflux like what you said."
"Miss Bonnibel, I mean, Mistress Bonnibel! Please, don't kill Bartram! I beg you!" Sawyer clung on his stepmom's back. He's now tall enough to reach her neck without standing on the balls of his feet.
"Be quiet, Sawyer! I do not need your opinion on this! If I don't kill this mule, we'll starve this winter! So shut up or I won't let you sleep in my bed tonight, my love."
She eyed him teasingly. Sawyer wanted to puke at the thought of her stepmother thinking he enjoys their nightly 'tutorials'. The once lovable Miss Bonnibel was too far gone. Slowly degraded by carnal desires and desperate illusions of procreation. They both well know that procreation nowadays will no longer work, with the radiated environment to blame. But on grounds she did not cared to explain, they still do the sinful acts. Sawyer find it hard to admit the once benevolent teacher was now an abusive mother.
"Go to your room! I'll be there in a moment."
He ran away, their small house offering little space between him and the dying mule's cries of pain. At that moment, he almost wished they lived in a tent like the other people of New Junktown. At least his Mistress would have to go outside to butcher the mule. Sawyer never got to sleep that night, the dying wails haunted him whenever he closes his eyes.
"Doctor Ice Cream, you can leave now. I've got this."
"Yes, Princess Bubblegum."
"I love you, Say. You're great, as always."
"I love...I...love...I lo-" A hard punch to his gut forced the air out of his lungs, his bare chest heaving in pain.
"Speak clearly, you ungrateful bastard!"
"I love you too, Mistress Bonnie." He was about to stand away from her bed but her stepmother pulled him again for a kiss.
"That's better, my love. Always remember that I love you and I own you." Sawyer accidentally inhaled the scent of her golden locks of hair. In all the years that passed, she did not aged much for some reason. Mistress Bonnie remained beautiful and as much as he felt so wrong about it, he was starting to reciprocate her love. To his horror, sometimes he found that he liked the bruises and cuts from her rough-housing. Still, everything felt so messed up. Everything seems so wrong.
"Now listen Say, I have something for you to memorize and carved into your mind." She reached for a piece of paper on her bedside table and handed it to him. "That is an oath, and you shall keep it. Forever."
He looked at the paper and read. In the back of his mind, he thought how keeping this oath will seal the coffin of his freedom. In the end of the world, you must do everything to exist.
"Read it loudly, baby."
"Thank you, Mistress Bonnie, I am forever in your debt. My body is yours, my soul is yours, and my will is yours. Yours and yours alone. You were there to raise me when my father cannot. You were there to care for me when my mother cannot. You were there to guide me when my brother cannot. I am a part of you, have always been and will always be."
The lady leaned and kissed him full in the lips. He fought the tears that threaten to escape from his eyes. This is his brother's fault. Everything is his fault.
"Are you out of it now, human? Are you listening now?" Sawyer snapped out of his reverie and looked straight in to the princess' kind eyes.
"I'm sorry Mistress Bo-I mean Princess...?"
"Bubblegum. Princess Bubblegum. What is your name?"
"Uh...I'm Ben Sawyer Mertens. You can call me Sawyer." He thought for a second. If what they said was true, it would be impossible for his Mistress to live for a kind princess certainly can't be his mistress. That is absurd.
"Oh...Sawyer. Alright. Do you feel fine? No more memory reflux?" The princess took out a small notebook and pen, then promptly wrote something.
"Memory reflux?"
"Flashbacks and such."
"I've had some earlier. Now I'm fine. Just starving."
The pink monarch laughed, sending chills down his spine. "Well, you would have been starving. You didn't ate for a whole millennium, I guess."
He laughed shyly. Feeling already pulled by her charms. "Thank you for saving me, Your Highness."
"Oh, saving you from that ruins was a part of my duty as a righteous ruler." She smiled again. Suddenly, much to Sawyer's horror, the most terrifying but beautiful creature that ever haunted one of his nightmares rested its head on the Princess's shoulder. Its rainbow serpentine body coiled and relaxed.
Sawyer's eyes fell upon his axe lying on top of the bedside table. With one fluid motion, he snatched it and tried to cleave the equine creature in two, only to be pushed back by the monarch. "Stop! She's Lady Rainicorn. Her kind no longer eats humans!"
He stopped and dropped the weapon instantly. The very same feeling he felt whenever his Mistress ordered him to do something came back to him; the feeling of total submission. Sawyer shook away the bitter thought.
"I'm sorry, Princess...it's just that I l spent my life years ago avoiding those creatures." The rainbow creature spoke in language he did not understand.
"She said, it's alright. Also, she said you look pretty handy in direct combat."
"And...so?"
"You see, I can offer you residence in my kingdom. Only, every people here contributes to the general wellness of the kingdom and its economy. Everyone must do something in return for citizenship. A job."
"I can be a servant, Princess. I'm handy with a broom and rags too."
"No, I want you to be the Candy Kingdom's hero. A knight, if you will, an adventurer."
Sawyer thought for a while. That job looks pretty dangerous, even for him. He doesn't even know what new dangers lurk in this new world. On the other hand, he doesn't have anywhere to go. And this royalty seemed like to the type to be bargained with.
"Alright, Your Highness, I accept."
"Perfect. Now you are an upcoming hero of the kingdom, you are required to train under Joshua the Dog in ways of combat, study under my guidance, and answer to my every call anytime and anywhere. Do you understand, Mertens?" She stood so straight she looked taller than she really is.
"I understand, Your Highness."
"Good, you'll start your duties when you're in fit condition. I expect good things from you, Mertens the Human." The princess smiled sweetly again, relaxing a bit.
He nodded and smiled back. "You can call me Sawyer, Princess."
"Um...can I call you Say instead? Sawyer is kinda mouthful."
He froze. No...that's just a coincidence. It should be. You won't defile my next attempt at a better life, Mistress.
"It's alright, Princess Bubblegum."
"You shouldn't be so formal with me, Say the Human. Bonnie is okay. Just don't call me that in public though."
Bonnie?! This is too much for a coincidence! But-
"Yes, Bonnie."
"Alright, I hope you get better soon. I have to go now. I have some business to attend to. See yah around, Say." The princess shot a one last smile at him before going out of the ward. Sawyer just smiled in response.
Keep your emotions in check, Sawyer! Don't mess things up now! She's just a lady that have the same voice, similar face, and same name but nothing else! Snap out of it.
The ice cream doctor came back with a tray of food for him. He ate in silence, contemplating on his princess. Sawyer thanked God the food was not alive like the doctor. It would be so wrong to eat sentient spaghetti and toast. He stared out of the window and instantly felt better.
"Wow! The sky is blue!"
"Well, of course. It is blue. What else should it be colored?"
It was probably the first time he saw a blue sky. It was infinitely more beautiful to look at than the bleak greenish sky he grew up with. Sawyer continued to marvel at the sky until he saw something flying slowly toward the kingdom. It appeared to be a person in blue clothing, a flying person, much to his disbelief.
"Who is that guy, doc?"
~~o~~
You said I'm your biggest mistake. Why? Is it because we are opposites? Should't a prince must save his princess like in the stories we read?
"Where are you, Ice Prince?"
Her fists hurt from banging the glass lamp thingy she was held in. The evil candy princess had locked her up in this thing for 'research purposes'. Whatever she meant by that, Flame Princess doesn't know. All she knows was that the past 5 days where all painful for her, painful and terrifying. She doesn't even know half of what the evil candy girl had done to her. Stripping her of clothing? She remembered how her Prince found that wrong, but her captor have different views on the matter. Her mind was easily confused in just few days.
"My chest hurts..." Her bulging chest was the focus of research last night by the princess, and it felt wonderful at first. That was until the princess became so aggressive. Flame Princess just cried and cried during the whole 'research'. She can't comprehend how someone so beautiful could be so evil. Apparently, her fairy tales were lies.
"Just like how you lied to me, my Prince! Why?"
A pain shot up in her chest again as lava tears ran down her face. Suddenly, a golden stretchy dog peered into the room from the open window. The dog looked at her, seemingly surprised. Who is this cute dog?
"Finn, you've got to see this!"
The stretchy-bendy dog's arm elongated upward the roof. In seconds, the arm came back with a guy dressed in light blue shirt and dark blue shorts with a sword in his hand. The boy concealed much of his face with some kind of mask Flame Princess doesn't know yet. He looked around and saw her in the lamp, raising a question inside her as to why these strangers seemed to know her.
"Flame Princess!"
The boy's shrill voice scared her as he ran toward him. "Please don't hurt me!"
"Why would I hurt you, Princess?" The boy pulled up his mask, which turned out to be a hat, and revealed his face to her. His long golden hair instantly captivated her. "It's me Finn!"
The dog tapped his shoulder. "Dude, she's not the FP from our universe."
The boy called Finn looked at his companion and then back to her. "Oh yeah...My bad, Jake. Sorry Princess!"
"Why do you know my name? Who are you? Did my Prince sent you to get me? I'm so scared here..." She can't help but trust these two cute strangers in an instant, like somehow she knew them before.
"Don't worry, Princess, we'll get you out!" The one called Finn put back his hat and then dashed behind the lamp. "Jake, do you know how to operate this thing?"
The dog called Jake went closer to Finn and looked at the contraptions that was needed for the lamp to operate. "I remember Flame King pulling a lever in this type of thing...Aha! Here it is."
The glass container opened, surprising Flame Princess. The voices of the two kind strangers no longer sound garbled. "Thank you...Finn and Jake?"
"Yeah. I'm Finn and this is my brother, Jake."
"Dude! Aren't we supposed to be Davey and Zeke?"
"Nah. Flame Princess here already knows our name, so why bother?"
"Why are you hiding your true names? Are you bad people?" She slowly backed away inside her lamp."
"NO! We're not! We're just on important secret mission, that's all. Me and Jake won't hurt you, and it's a promise."
Flame Princess hesitated and looked straight at the boy's face. Somehow, he reminds him of her Prince. Something about the way they both act and treat her kinda makes them blur together in her mind. She stepped out of the lamp and walked closer to them. Jake was now jumping up and down on the evil Princess Bubblegum's soft bed.
"Man, you've got to try PB's bed! It's so soft and squishy, I want to eat her blanket. Hehe. It smells sweet and...some smell I can't seem to put my finger on...?"
"Jake, get out of that bed! We've got to go back on the roof." The boy was visibly blushing, completely reminding her of the similarities between him and her Ice Prince.
"Alright, alright. Let's get out of here."
But before they could get out, the door of the room opened wide. Princess Bubblegum came barging in, anger painted across her face and some kind of a weapon in her hand. She only had moments to duck down behind her new friends before a blast of white light flared from the weapon. When she opened her eyes, Flame Princess thought that the two were already dead.
"Princess Bubblegum! What are you doing?" Finn brandished his sword, very much alive.
"Who the nuts are you? Why do you know my name? And what are you doing with Flame Princess? Answer me now!"
"Dude, we can't risk the mission here. Let's go! Hop on my back you both!" Jake enlarged thrice his normal size, picked up both of them and stretched toward the roof. He immediately screamed in pain because of her fire.
Flame Princess felt scared of the evil princess so much, she almost failed to relish in the open air of her freedom. The dog set them back down on the roof, yelling in pain all the way. They are not really safe in here, that much she knows.
"I'm scared Finn, you don't know how evil is that Princess."
"What, no! Peebles is not evil. Well, maybe her experiments often become terrible monsters and such...but she isn't evil. Right, Jake?"
The dog did not respond to his question. Flame Princess looked back at the dog and saw him pointing at the distance. She followed where the dog was pointing and saw the single person she always wanted to see. Her heart started to beat madly, her flames intensified and hope started to come back to her.
"Ice Prince!"
"Flame Princess! Get back! That guy's dangerous! Jake pull her closer!"
Stretchy appendages wrapped around her and pulled him away from the edge of the roof. She instantly tried getting away, but the golden limbs only tightened. It instantly made her cry in pain.
"I'm sorry Princess!"
"DON'T YOU DARE HURT MY PRINCESS! Get away from her you mangy curs!" Her Ice Prince yelled in fury and she stopped. She never saw him this angry before. What's wrong?
"Finn, draw your sword!"
"Right on, Jake! Let's take down that guy and get back home!" The sword in Finn's hand changed to a short and golden blade. The gleaming edge marred with numerous cracks and chip.
"Hey, you two bastards! Stand down or I will strike you both to the ground! Princess Bubblegum ordered me to apprehend you both!"
Flame Princess followed the voice and saw a boy clad in some peculiar clothes. A grey hood, some kind of blue pants, a bag on his back, and an axe on his hand, the brown-haired boy'eyes shone with resolve. He's a stark copy of her Prince, except the hair! Who is this boy?
"Who the gleaming rhymes are you now, mortal? Are you all in cohorts with that Bubblegum to take away my Princess?! I'll freeze you all! Feel the wrath of whispering ice and snow!"
Flame Princess watched as the clear skies darkened, a cold blast of air surround them all. Whatever was happening, she was not sure if she would like the result. I just want to be home with you, Prince. But you're scaring me.
"Finn, let's hustle!"
~~o~~
Now, I'm a standstill. The first big fight is coming but I'm stumped on who's perspective it should be. Sawyer, Finn, or Ice Prince? I can't decide, and I don't want to be in FP's perspective again. It's kinda hard to write with her personality. I don't know if I even justified her having a mind of a child.
Ooobserver: Thanks for all the support dude! Marceline's story arc is giving me troubles too. In my mind, it should be her that will clarify the alternate universe mythos with Prismo so I should definitely find a way for her to get the Time Room.
Get ready for a fight between the foul-mouthed Sawyer, goody-two shoes Finn, and crazy Ice Prince!
Read and Review dudes!