I do not own Adventure Time, but I like where the show is heading to.
~~o~~
Chapter 17 - Vade Mecum
"Finn, stop swishing that sword!"
"I just don't get it! Why does the two of you get to go on an adventure without me?"
"We can't bring FP with us, Finny, and I know you would not want to leave her here."
Finn really wanted to go to the Pit to see the Jake-Lich, but it was true he would never ever leave Flame Princess' side. The said girl just looked at the scene warily, still shooting nervous glances at the vampire hovering a few feet away from her.
"Just...hurry back will yah?"
"Of course, buddy!" Jake stretched his arms to comical proportions and formed a huge thumbs up.
Finn smiled at his brother's gesture and changed the Imatari to an equally huge thumbs-up sword. "It's rhino wrong to leave buddies behind, man, but I understand. I'll keep FP safe here, that's a promise."
Marceline interjected, poking Finn on his cheek. "Good, young brave hero! I promise we won't be gone for too long."
He was really saddened to see the two leave, especially Marceline. Finn only got to physically see her again for a few hours and now she left again. Still, he knew his friends would keep their promises in hurrying back. And it's not like Marceline owe me something or anything.
"Finn, are you and Marce..Marshel...Marshe-"
"Marceline." Finn grinned at the flaming princess beside him. "We're good friends, that's all!"
"Is she evil? Why did she snatched your hat to wake you up?"
"What? No! That's a prank. Marceline loves pranks and games." Well, the vampire managed to tire his back from all the chasing throughout the cave. I had to climb wall of rocks just to reach her, for Glob's sake!
"I like setting fire on Goblins' butts. Is that a prank?"
"No! You shouldn't do that to innocent people! Pranks shouldn't be harmful. They're meant to make both sides happy."
"Fires are harmful...I'm made of fire, so I'm harmful, right?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Not if you can control it."
For a while, the two of them stared into the horizon. In the distance, Marceline and Jake were just two flecks of yellow and black. The break of dawn offered ample light to track the movement of the two, that was until the last hill swallowed them away from sight. Finn took one last look and was about to head back into the cave when Flame Princess spoke.
"Finn, what is a 'mistake'?"
One thing he realized from his limited interactions with the Flame Princess of AltOoo, she had a mind of a child. The hunger for knowledge was apparent in her. Still it was weird for her to ask what 'mistake' meant.
"It's something you did wrong, or something that came out wrong and you might totes regret in the future. Why do you ask?"
"I am a mistake. That was my Prince told me the night before I woke up in that witch's cage. Why am I a mistake?"
"Look, Princess, I know you don't really know me but I know a lot about you and I can say you're not a mistake. Heck, no."
The flaming girl beside him visually glowed, both metaphorically and literally. The two of them shared a smile as they made way back to their cave to hide. As Finn was about to reach for his backpack in search of something to eat for breakfast, he heard a definite rustling of clothes. Curious, he turned and saw Flame Princess taking off her orange top.
Finn immediately averted his gaze and stared at his feet instead. "What the bjork are you doing, FP? Put your clothes back! What the hecklish Nightosphere?"
"Why? Is this wrong? Princess Bubblegum said I should take off my clothes to boys who catch my interest."
"What the actual-"
"Although Ice Prince always told me to put some clothes on at all times. I'm so confused!"
Finn wracked his brain for an explanation, but whenever he was about to look at Flame Princess, any reply was easily blown away by her public indecency. Finally remembering to turn his back, he was able to mutter an explanation. Finn could hear more rustling of clothes while he was staring at the rocky walls of the cave. Thinking the girl finally had some sense back, he stole a glance at the Princess, only to find her stepping out of her skirt.
"I don't know what the deal with the PB of this universe but I can assure you she is crazy banaynays and you should probably forget everything she said to you!" He was actually winded from the speed-talking, much to his chagrin. "What she told you to do is sick, and could get you to trouble. You shouldn't go parading naked around other people, FP!"
"Why? Ice Prince never really explained me why..."
"I'm taking your Prince's side on this one, FP. Just do it, please. Put your clothes back." Finn was also lost on how to explain the importance of not parading naked, opting to convince her on a different way. "Why are you even obeying Princess Bubblegum? I thought you hate her?"
"I dunno, Finn. Something about her is so convincing. She seemed always right and you're always wrong..."
"Look, just put back your clothes!"
"Alright..."
Finn made sure Flame Princess had all her garments in the proper places before he returned his gaze, cheeks still flushed with shame. He hated to think that he wanted to make the Princess Bubblegum of AltOoo pay for her wrongdoings, but she crossed the moral line there. That's not even scientific for that matter.
"Are you mad?"
"I'm not. Just...don't do something like that again, okay?"
"Okay." Flame Princess suddenly leaned and looked at him straight in the face. "You're all reddish in the face. Are you sick?"
"No."
The fire girl nodded innocently and smiled as if nothing happened. "What would happen now?"
"We lay low and wait for them to come back." Finn toyed with his Imatari again, practicing with various imagined weapons. Each transformation more bizarre and useless than the previous. "But maybe we should find something to pass the time, m'lady."
He swung the Imatari, then transformed it into the Grass Sword and flicked the tip to make it rotate. Flame Princess clapped at his display of so-called mastery of precision cutting by slicing a jutting rock cleanly in two. To complete his exhibition, he changed the Imatari into a crude imitation of the flaming sword he saw Sawyer wield yesterday. Before the two pieces of rock hit the cave floor, they were further sliced up by the Imatari and melted into puddles of burning sludge.
"I was wondering, FP, do you know how to properly control your flames? The Flame Princess from my universe can burn one whole kingdom to the ground whenever she wants to." He mentally cringed at the thought of FP she knew and Cinnamon Bun.
"My Prince thought me how to keep it under control so I won't destroy our home, but no I can't burn a whole kingdom."
"That's alright. I'm here to protect you anyways. I'll never leave your side until we sort the junk out of this universe."
They spent the whole morning playing with the Imatari by transforming it into the craziest things he could imagine, pausing only for a quick breakfast. Finn really was desperate to hear the same hearty laugh the Princess makes. Glob, they have the same laugh.
Finn continued experimenting with the Imatari, which now resembled a katana except it was double-edged. He rectified his error, but only managed to take out the edge on the proper side. Now he was left with a katana with a reversed blade.
"I need to jack up my imagination, I guess. Right, FP?"
The fiery princess did not answered. Finn turned and got the shock of his life for the umpteenth time.
Ice Prince was staring at him.
Finn stared back, warily eyeing Flame Princess slung on the ice monarch's left shoulder. Her flames were doused and she was a bit dull in color. It took a few seconds before Finn could react to what was happening.
"Whatever you're planning, man, don't do it. I'm warning you! A-set the princess a-down!"
"Look, bro, I'm not looking for a fight. I just want to be with Flanna, that's all..."
Finn was momentarily stunned by the apparent politeness of the Prince and the changes in his voice, that was until he noticed his physique and clothing. He can't believe it, Finn Mertens was standing in front of him. He looked normal except for the still bluish tinged of skin and the whitish blonde hair, even his nose was a lot shorter than Finn remembered. He was also wearing the very same farmer's clothing he watched on Prismo's TV Wall.
"What the heck happened to you, dude? You're...normal!"
"That's right! I'm Finn Mertens again and you don't need to protect her from me anymore."
Suddenly, Ice Prince grabbed the side of his head and shouted in pain, the shrill voice returning momentarily. "Flanna! I've got this! You're ruining everything again! Look, he's convinced!"
Finn's face hardened in realization. "You can't fool the jab out of me, Ice Prince! Let go of the Princess!"
The Imatari in his hand reverted back to its original form, which Finn quickly amended by transforming it into a weapon he was itching to test out. Within moments, the Imatari now resembled the Axe Bass Marceline used in their together-dream - the Earthshaker. The deep brown axe looked more simple without the feminine touch of Marceline, but more menacing with the modifications Finn made. Instead of a double-ended axe, the other half of the blade was occupied by a sledgehammer.
"This thing's pretty heavy!" Finn hoisted the Axe Bass and strummed the strings randomly.
Then chaos ensued.
~~o~~
Ice Prince was shocked by the force of the strange weapon - it effectively thrown him a few feet high in the air. He narrowly avoided the large rocks that was thrown away too by the forceful tremor. To protect the out cold princess in his arms, Ice Prince enveloped themselves in a thick sphere of ice.
"Son of a Nightosphere! Are you trying to kill us all, dude?"
I think he's trying to cave in this place.
"Maybe, I don't want to take chances!"
With a grunt, Ice Prince willed the icy sphere to shatter and sent the spikes at the human. When all the dust was settled, Ice Prince was relieved to see that the cave was not heavily damaged. His relief was short-lived though.
"Your ice did not even made a scratch on my armor, yo!"
At first he was struggling to what he was supposed to be seeing, but when the dim light returned to the cave, Ice Prince was taken aback. Finn was wearing a suit of armor made of roughly cut rocks, and only his eyes could be seen in his helm. A knight clad in hardened earth.
"You think you can stop me with that messed up pieces of earth junk?" He suspended Flame Princess on the ceiling by blasting her with potent ice and shot down at Finn below, quickly drawing his Demon Blood Sword from its ice scabbard.
"I will never be fooled by your cheap tricks, Princey!"
When the crimson weapon locked with the earthy axe, a violent earthquake ensued that cracked the cave open and showered blinding light on the two combatants. A groaning sound emanated from the axe and the next moment, Ice Prince was hit squarely with a large slab of hardened earth. Before a second rock could flatten him, he blasted it with ice lightning. One thing he noticed about the human was his decreased agility due to the weight of the armor and weapon.
The weapon, Mertens! He could control the earth with it! Let's bust out of here!"
"No!"
With blinding speed, he zoomed towards Finn and struck down hard with his crimson blade and shattered the rocky helm. The force alone sent the human on the ground with a grunt. Then he heard a whizzing sound and turned around in time to block a flat expanse of rock with his free hand, freezing it in place and smashed it instead on Finn.
"Had enough, human?"
With his rocky gauntlet, Finn gripped his leg hard and made him yell in pain. Panicking, Ice Prince repeatedly slashed at the boy until he let go. By his thirteenth blow, the armor was decorated with numerous dents and was like opening canned sardines.
"I won't lie down as you take away my friend!" Finn slowly stood and swung the sledge-axe, which Ice Prince easily avoided.
He flew back a few feet and watched as Finn took off his broken helm, which hurtled directly at him. Ice Prince reflexes weren't fast enough to evade the attack but it was stopped dead in its tracks by an ice shield that suddenly materialized out of nowhere.
I've got this, Mertens. You can do the fighting with your sword, let me control your ice.
"Alright."
In the next few moments, flying pieces of rocks and ice mercilessly smashed with one another as Finn and Ice Prince walked closer to each other. A loose earth nearly smacked his right cheek, missing him by few inches. To preserve the edge of his Demon Blood Sword, although doubting if it even needs protection, Ice Prince covered its blade with sharpened ice. The temperature around the cave dropped down instantly by his actions.
Here.
The edged ice sheet suddenly burst into bright green flames that illuminated the whole place with flickering light. "Thanks!"
You need to hurry... I can feel fire chick's pulse weakening.
Ice Prince panicked and broke into a run. He had planned to put down Finn at that moment permanently, but he knew time was not on his side. His enemy copied his movements and ran as fast as he could while wearing the hulking suit of armor. He watched as the sledge-axe transformed into a deep brown longsword, the earth-controlling capabilities intact.
With a battle-cry, the human clashed swords with him. The scene was perfectly reminiscent of their battle at the town's square. This time, Ice Prince will win. I'm sure of it. This for you, Flanna. All for you.
I know.
Out of nowhere, malleable ice enveloped his body and formed a suit of his own to match his adversary. His fervor renewed, Ice Prince punched the human in the face with his ice gauntlet. In one swift motion, the boy retaliated with a punch to the gut, shattered the ice, and winded him. Both blows sent them sprawling on the ground.
"I can't let everything end like this...!" They both scrambled to get away from one another and assumed their respective stances.
"If my bro gets back here, he'll pummel your icy buns!"
"Dude, please, just stay out of my biz. I promise you I won't bother you again!"
Much to Ice Prince's dismay, the boy just shrugged away his proposal and jumped at him with his blade drawn. "You asked for it? You'll get it!"
At that moment, his body temperature dropped down, his hair grew a bit longer, and his eyes became clearer. He was somewhat halfway into being the notorious and crazy Ice Prince he was before. Fortunately, Flanna halted his transformation.
That should be more than enough.
"Enough to end this."
Ice Prince stole a glance at the knocked out Princess on the ceiling, the ice he used to stick her there was already melting slowly. He needs to make this fast or else she will wake up and make things harder for him.
"Don't let your sight stray away from your enemy!"
~~o~~
Sawyer's first normal sleep in a whole millennium was uneventful. He did not even had a dream. It was just one relaxing phase. Nevertheless, he groggily opened his eyes and slowly sat upright. To his horror, he found out he was sleeping in Princess Bonnie's bed. Empty bottles of wine littered the bedroom floor as well as discarded clothing that mostly belonged to him.
"Good morning, Say."
He quickly spun his head and saw his Mistress lying on the bed with only blanket for covers. Sawyer felt the blood rush to his head as his feet got cold in fright. This shouldn't be happening, she was long dead. Yet, there she was, his Mistress and her golden locks of hair, smiling sweetly at him.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"
...wake up!
...Say! C'mon! Wake up!
"Wake up!"
It was a dream of course, adead person from his past forcefully clinging to his present. Sawyer really wished those 'Memory Reflux' would stop already. At least there were some changes - they now mix with the present.
"Wait."
He was not dreaming when he woke up in Bonnie's bed after all.
"What happened? Why am I in your room, Bonnie?"
"Pssh, relax! You just had too much wine last night so I let you sleep here. I...also kinda tested the 'Hangover Eraser Formula' on you. What do you feel right now?"
"I feel fine...but that does not explain why I can't remember what happened last night and why we're both naked! And I'm an underage so I shouldn't really be drinking..."
The pink monarch looked at him thoughtfully, then extended an arm to cup his face. "We just slept, that's all."
"You could have just let me sleep on the floor."
"You know I wouldn't do that to you."
"Honestly, I don't."
Bonnie's left eyebrow twitched. "You don't trust me? After everything I've done for you?"
Sawyer immediately cowered under the tone of her voice. "I trust you Bonnie! I just..."
"Then don't fret." The Princess sat upright and planted a lingering kiss on his right cheek before gently sliding down his neck. The pink lady pushed him lightly down on his pillow and licked his right earlobe, sending shivers down Sawyer's spine.
"Bonnie...stop. We shouldn't be doing this!"
"That wasn't what you said last night." Bonnie winked at him.
This sent him on a blinded rage. Sawyer roughly pushed her away from him, rolled out of the bed, hurriedly put on his pants, picked up the rest of his clothes and was about to bolt out of the room when he stopped short of the door and broke down into a heaping mass of crying human. A human who had enough.
"Just who the hell are you? The truth frightens me but you're driving me mad. I think I'm in love with you and I know I just met you yesterday but it feels like I've known you since forever. You feel like someone I knew so much, my Mistress!"
"Say..."
"I'm seriously contemplating on using my Truthsayer on you, Princess, so shut the fu-" Sawyer stifled a curse word in time. "Sorry."
"I don't even understand what you're trying to say, but I love you too. I was thinking that should be obvious from the start."
His voiced cracked and almost failed to come out. "Stop messing with my mind!"
"I'm not, Say. There were coincidence that were meant to happen."
Suddenly, Sawer felt something soft land on the back of his head. Apparently, Bonnie was now hugging him from behind in all her naked glory. He lose himself on her bubblegummy scent as they rocked back and forth while he cried. Her presence was instantly comforting for him. The sun was already in its full might when sense fled back to Sawyer, making him realize what he was doing.
"I'm sorry, Princess. You shouldn't be seeing me like this. I shouldn't have doubted you."
"Just say it again. Say you love me and I'll forget everything you said."
"...I love you, Bonnie."
"I love you too, Say."
This time, Sawyer spun and smashed his lips with Bonnie. His tears got smudged all over the monarch but neither of them cared. He felt her guiding hands directing him back to the bed.
Bonnie broke the kiss to greedily engulf much needed air. "For a 15 year old boy, you sure know how to kiss properly. Have you been reading the Enchiridion?"
"What?"
"Nevermind." The Princess smiled and reached for the button on his pants. She was about to pull it down when a knock on the door pulled them back to reality.
"Your Highness, the ceremony will begin in about thirty minutes! I suggest you and Master Mertens get ready for it."
"Alright Pepbut! We're coming!"
"He knew I was here?"
Of course, the only human on Ooo would be easily missed. That was a dumb question. The pink monarch just shrugged and pulled away from him, requesting him to get ready too for the day ahead. Sawyer hurriedly put back his clothes, washed his face, and tried to comb his unyielding spiky brown hair.
"Are you ready?" A well-dressed Bonnie stood at the door, a small deep pink handbag on her shoulder.
Sawyer looked at her straight in the eye. "Bonnie? What are we?"
"...We could be anything you want."
"I want to be your Prince, I guess. If that could even apply to me." He walked closer to the tall monarch.
"Nah. You're a King-material." She closed the distance as they shared another sloppy kiss, nervousness and frantic emotions interfering with his senses.
"We need to go."
He nodded and followed her out of the room. Along the way outside of the castle, Sawyer met Cinnamon Bun again who was somehow got himself stuck on the ceiling. Ignoring the half-baked bun's antics, he ran after the Princess who was already sitting inside the pink carriage that would take them to the town plaza, where the Princess would formally introduce him to the Candy Kingdom.
"What are you waiting for? Get in."
"Thank you, m'lady."
The ride towards the plaza was quite tensed. Bonnie cannot keep her hands to herself, persistently trying to reach inside his jacket. Sawyer closed the blinds and ravaged the Princess right there. He prayed dearly that Bonnie's moans won't reach the chauffeur's ears.
"Maybe we should..."
"Alright, Say, but be ready for an oral report later!"
He blushed madly. "What?"
Princess Bubblegum just giggled. "C'mon, we're here."
Remembering a long lost act of courtesy, Sawyer got out of the carriage first and guided the Princess down. Trumpets blared instantly as the large gathering of crowd erupted into frenzied cheers and claps. At that moment, he did not know what to do.
Bonnie leaned closer and whispered. "We need to get to the stage. I want you to hold my hand while we're walking, okay?"
"Alright, Princess."
To be honest, Sawyer felt like a pet being paraded in front of people. Some candy people even tried breaking through the crowd to reach him but was stopped by the sinister looking security force. They wore full battle gear similar to the SWAT force he saw on a movie he once watched with his Mistress. For the most part, they appeared humanoid. He wasn't very sure because their faces were completely concealed in deep black helmets. The glass faceshield was effective in bouncing off the light.
"Who are they? Are they some kind of special Banana Guard units?" He warily eyed the weapons they carried - those were submachine guns if he was right.
"No! They're the Elite Licorice Force, the one I told you about yesterday. They only operate when I need high security protocols like today."
He nodded in understanding. They looked cool.
When they finally reached the stage, Sawyer felt his legs become jelly because of nervousness. He wondered if he was supposed to give a speech or something more socially hard for him. Princess Bubblegum beckoned him to sit at one of the chairs on the stage, next to a yellow dog with a hat. He first thought that it was Jake, but the dog quickly introduced himself.
"Hello, my boy! I'm Joshua the Dog. I'm the current hero of this kingdom. I'm sorry I wasn't able to properly introduce myself to you yesterday, but you were kinda knocked out anyway."
"That's alright, Sir. I'm sorry if I caused you trouble."
"No, not all. I wouldn't let the last human and my soon-to-be partner bleed to death!"
"Thank you, Sir."
"Joshua is fine, lad."
Suddenly, Princess Bubblegum spoke through the microphone on the stand. With all authority at her might, she addressed the crowd directly that silenced them. "Good morning my sweet citizens! We are gathered here, as you already know, to formally welcome the last human in Ooo. Let's hear it for Sawyer the Human!"
He stood up as Bonnie signaled and walked slowly towards the stand. The crowd's cheers intensified instantly upon seeing him. "Sawyer, on his first day upon waking up, already proved his bravery and valor by driving away the criminals yesterday!"
Suddenly, numerous plasma screens around the plaza lit up and showed some of the events that transpired. Each of the screens easily matched up to the size of a small house. The candy people were pacified by his display of so-called bravery and valor.
"For that matter, I would like to delegate Sawyer as another Hero of Candy Kingdom, a Hero of Ooo just like Joshua the Dog. Together, I know they will make differences in our steadily becoming dangerous environment." Bonnie handed him a piece of paper with some scribblings. "And now Sawyer would take the Vow of Subservience and Heroship!"
He was feeling light headed by that time. Slowly reaching for the microphone, Sawyer struggled to properly read the words scribbled on the paper. He inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm himself. With that, he began to read.
"I, Sawyer the Human, solemnly swear that I'm in no way influenced while reciting the vow."
He paused.
"To Candy Kingdom and to its habitants, I am forever in your debt." He froze.
Thank you, Mistress Bonnie, I am forever in your debt.
"I will serve you all with my body, my soul, and my will, and my allegiance will always be with the kingdom."
My body is yours, my soul is yours, and my will is yours. Yours and yours alone.
"I will be there to protect you even when your fathers cannot."
You were there to raise me when my father cannot.
"I will be there to ensure your welfare even when your mothers cannot."
You were there to care for me when my mother cannot.
"I will be there as a guiding hand even when your brothers cannot."
You were there to guide me when my brother cannot.
"I will always be a part of this kingdom, a part of Princess Bubblegum, have always been and will always be."
I am a part of you, have always been and will always be.
Sawyer's voice nearly faltered on the last part of his speech, which again probably sealed his fate. These matters couldn't have just been a coincidence, and with the limited knowledge he gathered from this world - nothing is impossible. Princess Bubblegum is his Mistress Bonnie.
"Let's have a round of applause for Sawyer the Human!" Raucous cheers and yells roared across the kingdom, akin to thunder rolling. "I hereby present you, Candy Kingdom's The Third Pillar of Strength!"
Bonnie motioned him to kneel in front of her, which he obliged. Suddenly, the pink monarch reached into his sleeves and pulled out the Truthsayer. As the crowd watched in silent anticipation, Princess Bubblegum tapped both of his shoulders with the flat side of the blade.
"I now pronounce you as a Hero of my eternal kingdom!"
The booming roars nearly deafened him as his Lady gave him back his sword, which he slid back inside his sleeves. Sawyer feinted smiles for the people, and was a bit amazed as the monitors displayed his face for everyone to see clearly. He contemplated on running away, but where would he go? It isn't as if he was 100% sure if Mistress Bonnie and Princess Bubblegum was one and the same. By that time, he was no longer actively listening to the Princess' speech.
"That is all, my citizens! Have a pleasant and fruitful day!"
While going down the stairs, Joshua the Dog patted him on the back before excusing himself for his scheduled check-up, saying starting tomorrow Sawyer will undergo his first day of training. He nodded attentively but deep inside, he was hurting. The lies were like blades dangling on his head. Immovable but present still.
"See yah around, kid."
"See yah too, Joshua."
Out of lack of something to do, he watched as Bonnie picked up a small cotton candy child and made faces to pacify his or her crying. The child immediately smiled and reached the Princess' face with small stubby fingers. It was a heartwarming sight, really. Something his past Mistress would never do without ulterior motive.
"Who are you, really?" I guess it never mattered. I'm in love with her the same way I love my Mistress. A bitter and unwanted love, but love still. I hate that I love you, Bonnie.
He drew the hood over his face to conceal the tears continually pouring out of his eyes, not wanting to let the people he was going to serve see his time of weakness. Of all the hardships he endured, this was the first time tears openly flowed from his tired eyes. Every pent up emotions were always bottled up inside. Well, there you have it, your breaking point.
"The oath can never be broken, I guess."
A strong tremor almost knocked him out of his feet and in the distance beyond the trees, birds frantically flew away from something. Another trouble was brewing.
~~o~~
"Training under Joshua the Dog, huh? I wonder if I could...?" Vera hurriedly weaved through the crowd and followed closely the quickly disappearing yellow bulldog. Within moments, she was directly behind her target.
"What do you want? I'm not talking to someone with a cloak on."
So the stories were true - this was no ordinary swordsman. Very few would have noticed her approaching, let alone while behind them. She took off her hood and with the most innocent voice she could, Vera introduced herself. "I just wonder if I could...undergo training with you too, Sir Joshua."
"I don't know Missy. I barely know you. I only train kiddies with potential, and that kid over there has lots of it." She nodded in understanding but quickly drew the small scimitar she hid beneath her cloak. "Very well."
As it turned out, Joshua wasn't in his full health so Vera quickly overpowered him with a swift smash in the face with her elbow. She mentally smirked at the pitiful state of the swordsman. She knew she could single-handedly kill this hero if she wanted to.
"Alright. Meet us tomorrow at the Castle Gates. 6 AM sharp! I don't want late comers!"
"Thank you!"
A loud bang echoed through the whole place and was followed by strong tremors, which Vera pointed out to be coming from the north. She immediately ran off to where Sawyer was moments ago and found the boy looking at a holographic map of Ooo projected from the tiny amulet on his neck. Princess Bubblegum was unsurprisingly by his side. Vera crept closer to eavesdrop, carefully placing herself among the agitated crowd.
"This is it, Say. If the map I gave you is correct, the Princess of Flames should be there in the north. Remember, bring every criminal alive." The devious Princess motioned to two of the motionless guards. "These two ELFs will accompany you and serve you at all costs. Use them as you will."
"Yes, Your Highness. Uh...do they have names? So I can properly address them."
For a split-second, Vera noticed a crease on Princess Bubblegum's forehead. "Just call them Don and Jon."
Vera knew what was going on Sawyer's head - Don and Jon was physically the same and could be easily mistaken for one another. "Oh well, that's pointless."
A small midnight blue van pulled up near the stage drove by another elite. "Get in the back of the van with these two, Say! Keep safe!"
"I will, Princess!"
Vera cringed as the Princess engaged in a liplock with the human, their saliva momentarily connecting as they pulled away from each other. The gesture was missed by all except Vera, who was intently spying on them. You're one nasty witch, Bonnibel.
She discreetly followed Sawyer as a small ragged doll-like girl handed him his green knapsack. After which, he climbed inside the van and closed the metallic double-doors. Vera looked around and saw an unattended horse tethered on a nearby lamp post.
"Princess of Flames, huh?"
~~o~~
Finn felt the draining effect of prolonged use of the Imatari. It was slowly losing shape and phased in and out of its original form. He wanted to vomit but willed himself not to out of fear for surprise attacks. The Prince was insanely faster than him and could summon ice faster than he could control the earth. He puffed as he struck down the Imatari to the ground for support. Eyeing the enemy, he was alarmed to see that he was just a few feet away from him.
"Give me a break!"
"I'll break every bone you have, alright."
Finn pulled out his weapon, raised a large boulder and smashed it with his sledge-axe. Shards of jagged rocks hurtled to the advancing Prince, striking him directly in the chest but the ice armor he wore prevented real damage. Out of desperation, Finn broke out of his rocky suit and reverted the Imatari back to its original form. Instantly, his head felt better and clearer.
He rolled to the side and evaded Ice Prince, using the momentum to deliver his own strike. The loud cracking of ice signaled his triumph as he continued hacking at his stunned enemy. In his haste, he failed to notice the whirring sound of the Demon Blood Sword that nicked his abdomen and added to the various holes in his shirt. The actual cut was shallow enough, fortunately.
"Any minute now, Jake will come and save Flame Princess!"
"The one who needs saving is you, human!"
The Prince grabbed him by the neck and gripped him firmly, strangling Finn as he was raised in the air. The scorching cold of his enemy's frozen golden hand was enough to make Finn grunt in pain. Even his natural tolerance for bodily pain failed to kick in.
"You must tell me, mortal. How come you knew so much about me? Who are you really? Where did you come from?"
"Back off my biz, shwiz!"
"It doesn't matter. I just want idle chat before I snuff the heat from your body." Ice Prince smiled evilly at Finn. "Have you ever experienced being so cold your blood literally became frozen? It was a nasty experience, I tell thee."
Finn could not believe it. The Prince was back to being the goblin-like boy he knew very well. Finn Mertens was lost again. He licked his swollen lip and spat out some blood, hitting the Prince in the face. His hands were already shaking uncontrollably from the exertion.
"Uncouth loser!" Out of rage, Ice Prince barraged his stomach with continuous blows until he bend over in agony. His grip on Finn's neck was tightening with every second that passed.
"I won't give up!" With one last burst of strength, Finn raised his Imatari and tried hacking down the bionic arm's joint. The blow glanced off harmlessly but he was instantly freed. The moment he touched the ground, Finn transformed the Imatari into the Grass Sword and coiled it around the Prince's left leg.
"What the...?"
He pulled with all his might and sent the Prince to the ground. Finn took the chance to stomp on his face but a thick sheet of ice prevented his offense. The ice continued enveloping his feet but he managed to pull away in time. Finn retracted the Grass Sword and quickly flicked the blade.
"You're puny saber won't work on ice, dimphole!"
"This junk ain't for you!" Finn raised the spinning Grass Sword and flew up like a helicopter. Moving on air proved difficult but he managed to reach Flame Princess, freed her from the ice, and was about to escape out of the cave when the Prince recovered and started going after them.
"I'll get you! Ice lightning!"
Finn touched down outside the mouth of Marceline's Cave, transformed the Imatari into Earthshaker and struck discordant notes. The earthquake that ensued was so incredible that it completely obliterated the cave and trapped the furious prince inside. It took a full minute before the last tremors subside but Finn did not wasted any time into flying off again.
"I...kinda don't know if I can hold you if you became conscious again." The sleeping princess, of course, did not replied. "We need to get away from here...and fast!"
~~o~~
Mertens!
"What?"
They're getting away!
"I know."
Then why are you still not getting up?
"I'm tired, alright? I can't even lift this stone boulder on my back." He mentally slapped himself. "Oh wait."
He let out a huge blast of wintry wind that made an explosion enough to send all the debris of the cave away from him. It was like witnessing a volcano erupting with ice.
"C'mon. Where did they go?"
They're going south. I'm afraid I can't sustain your Ice Prince form for long, we'll just risk turning you permanently.
"And I can't fly for too long while being Finn Mertens...Wait, I've got an idea."
Focusing all his strength in his legs, he jumped as high as he could and hovered in the air. He then concentrated all his ice mastery in one single motion, creating a mile length ramp of ice towards south and summoned a snowboard for him to use.
"I don't know if the momentum will hold for too long though."
You can use ice blasts to propel you farther.
"Oh yeah. That's right, Flanna!"
Smiling to himself, Ice Prince dropped down on the ramp and slid his way south with surprising speed. He could feel some thrill course through his body with mixture of excitement and anger because of Finn's meddling. The hot sun was beating down his exposed neck as he stoop low to reduce wind resistance. Luckily, his icy suit of armor offered some protection on other parts of his body.
I wonder if the third boy would show up today.
"I'll smite him the next time we meet. Just don't interfere like the last time!"
Within few seconds, his speed was greatly diminished but he propelled himself with icy windblasts which sped him up again. On the horizon, he could already see Finn flying with Flame Princess on tow. Shooting a mighty blizzard out of his palm behind, the force sent him high in the air and directly in collision course with the escaping boy.
"Hey!"
At the last moment, Finn evaded and he was sent on a collision course to the ground instead. He softened his landing by enveloping himself with snowball, which he turned into ice spikes. Ice Prince knew he could not risk throwing them yet because of Flame Princess.
"Get down here and fight me like a man, dude!"
"I'm a man enough for you!" Ice Prince mentally snickered at his choice of words. Nevertheless, the stupid boy dropped down and settled the still sleeping Flame Princess on the grassy ground.
"No more games, Finn." He pulled out his Demon Blood Sword and pointed it directly at his enemy.
"I'm playing no games with you!" Finn readied the peculiar sword in his hands. It transformed into an approximate copy of his own crimson weapon. The only difference was the white tip of the handle was replaced by something quite different. "Get ready for some beatboxing so real it will make your eardrums break! Say hello to my Demon Blood Soundsword!"
When Finn pointed the thing at him and started making sounds with his mouth, he was instantly hit by soundwaves so powerful he almost lost grip on his own weapon. He wondered if an ice shield could stop the soundwaves but thought he had no alternative. Ice Prince created a large round shield and the second batch of soundwaves was somewhat nullified.
"Rise, my wintry guardians!" The icicle spears shifted form and turned into snow footsoldiers resembling the knights he once read in books. He knew these grunts would never stop Finn but will provide some needed distraction.
Suddenly, a sound of some engine purring dominated the scene. He spun around and saw a blue van coming to a halt in front of him. "Who in the blue blazes -"
An arc of fire stopped him in mid-speech, halted only by his ice shield which instantly melted. He looked up at the roof of the van and sure enough, there he is - the hooded boy with two swords.
"By the order of Princess Bubblegum, I command you to stand down and nobody will get hurt!"
~~o~~
A/N
I can't believe it took me 18 chapters to proclaim Sawyer as The Third Pillar! Oh well, better late than never. Oh yeah, I solemnly swear that I have no prior knowledge of Lemonhope's final moments through the futuristic Candy Kingdom. Although I can see the similarities with the Candy Kingdom I was portraying here in AltOoo.
Rumors said Adventure Time will revert back to its happy funtime mood of Season 1 on the next season. I don't know if I like that idea though because I really want to have mire epic episodes like Lemonhope. It was such a masterpiece! Somehow I can see the message that 'all good things must come to an end'...
Okay, if anyone was wondering, Sawyer's characterization was based on Kira Yamato of Gundam Seed. He was a reluctant hero provoked to do war by the women surrounding him (the captain, Flay, and Lacus to a certain extent). Also, the chapter title roughly translates to 'Go With Me'. And what could you comment on the temporary cover photo for this fiction? I made it myself!
Nephilim: Yo dude. Sorry to break your bubble but no, I don't fancy love triangles. I hope you wait for what I had in mind instead!
Ooobserver: Howdy, pardner! Yeah, Samuel's a Precursor! Hope you don't mind. And I decided to hold back the filler chapter. I feared it would have disrupt the pacing too much... Anyway, I'm glad you're down with co-writing a part of a chapter! Precisely, it would be in the last chapter.
SCIK1012: Hello Miss! I'm stoked to know you found Bonnie annoying enough! Heh, evil? Well...there are always two sides in a coin. Anyway, I decided to ask you too to co-write a part of the last chapter, if that would be okay with you? It's okay if you can't.
kojh0124: To be honest, I was never a fan of George Orwell but I do have a copy of 1984 although I never really got down to reading it. I was actually surprised that there were parallels between this and that book! If that was the premise of 1984, I'm sure I should read it soon. Thanks for pointing out dude!
That's all! Thanks for the reviews!
Oh, I'm sorry for the late update! I became busy with my thesis, its defense, and my upcoming college graduation! (But I admit, the Android game Card Wars could also be blamed for my tardiness in writing.)
Have a nice day!
Okay, I'm sorry but, one last thing. If there would only be one protagonist that can survive this story, who would it be? Finn, Sawyer, or Prince? I can't guarantee that the result would affect the ending but still...