"Goddammit!" Ice King growled, shoving over a nearby table. The wood broke when it came into contact with the icy floor, sliding away from the enraged man. That cursed rose had finally wilted completely and he was still a monster. He couldn't break the curse. Nothing could save him and his people now.
"Master calm down!" Ice King turned, spotting Marceline standing in the doorway of his room. He sneered at the woman, turning away from her. He had no time for her.
"Leave me." She stayed still in silent resistance. Ice King growled, chucking a vase at the floating woman. "I am your king! You will do as I say!"
Marceline, his servant, disobeyed him again and stepped into the man's room. She reached out to the man, fingers falling onto his covered shoulder. Ice King knocked the hand away. Marceline frowned but persisted, now moving to stand before the man.
"No I won't! You need to stop this Simon!" Ice King reared back at the use of his true name. No one but Tree Trunks had used his name after he became a monster. No one had thought they were the same person. Marceline had no right to use that name.
"Don't call me that!" Marceline huffed, drawing herself against Ice King.
"I'll call you what I please!" She had never spoken to her king like this. Ice King was cold and cruel, he was not the Simon she once knew. She would never have dared to say these things to him before. "This is too much Simon. You've lost sight of who you are."
Ice King laughed outright at that. What did Marceline think she was doing? Did she think kind words would change him? He was a monster, there was no doubt about that.
"I know who I am. I am the Ice King." It would do her well to remember this fact. Marceline huffed and stood before the man defiantly.
"You are Simon Petrikov. You are my brother in all but blood. What you've turned yourself into, this isn't you. You're a good man Simon, you just need to show it." Her hand twitched, wanting to reach out to her brother. She restrained herself from touching the man and instead chose to look him in the eye, daring him to contradict her. Ice King laughed, eyes wide as he clutched at his sides.
"That's the difference between us. While you still cling to your humanity I embrace the monster I am. I am not human. Not anymore. I've accepted that." He looked at her again, letting her see the same insanity he had shown Tree Trunks. Marceline flinched, averting her gaze. This was the Ice King, not the Simon she knew. Still she resolved to reach her brother. She knew he was hidden in there somewhere.
"That's not true Simon. When the curse is broken-" Ice King laughed, loud and hysterical. He stood tall, towering over Marceline as the woman backed away.
"The curse will never be broken! The rose has already died!" Marceline shook her head frantically, not daring to believe the man's words.
"That's not true." Ice King turned away from her, plucking the rose from where it had fallen to the floor. He shoved the flower at her, smirking at the look of horror that crossed her face.
"See for yourself. The curse is permanent." He watched as the woman's face crumpled, sorrow overcoming her. She looked up at him again, eyes now shining with tears.
"No! Surely there must be some way to reverse it. A counter spell, something!" Ice King shook his head softly. Marceline sobbed again, half of her already out of the man's room before she heard his last words.
"There is no cure, Marceline. This is what we are. I suggest you get used to it."
"I love you. I love you so much." Gumball kissed frantically at soft skin as Fionna squirmed beneath him. He'd had these same dreams every night and though they worried him, he enjoyed them more than anything. Fionna was a true girl in these fantasies. Someone he could marry and take home. She smiled and touched him just like he thought she would. This time they were in his bedroom in the royal palace, Fionna below him in nothing but her slip. The white fabric was bunched up around her waist as Gumball nestled between her thighs. She caressed his face, delicate fingers gliding over his cheek.
"Bubba, you're too good to me." Gumball smiled and pressed a kiss into her palm. Fionna smiled back at him and for a moment Gumball felt his heart stop. He drew away slightly, pushing her slip up further to reveal even more pale flesh. He moved down to press a kiss on her stomach, smile still in place.
"I plan to spoil you. You and the heir you will provide me." Fionna sighed and Gumball frowned. What could she be sad about? She looked away from him, biting her lip before speaking.
"I can provide you an heir no matter which body I have." Horror passed over Gumball's face as he felt her shift beneath him. She- He smiled up at Gumball and the prince flinched. Finn was below him, soft smile in place.
"No." The prince reared back, trying to pull himself away from the boy beneath him. Finn quickly wrapped his arms around the man's shoulders, holding him tightly.
"You said you loved me Bubba. Don't you love the real me?" Tears gathered in Finn's eyes and Gumball stopped struggling.
"I do! I just… I need time." Gumball grimaced, shifting away from the hardness that matched his own. Finn finally let him go, arms instead wrapping around the blonde in an attempt to hug himself.
"It's been so long and you are nowhere near an answer. I am beginning to doubt your love." Finn looked at him briefly, eyes shining with hurt, and Gumball looked away. "I'm not angry. I just want the truth. You do not want me, not like this."
Finn seemed to have already come to a decision, moving himself away from the prince. Gumball let the blonde slip away from him, gaze fixed to the bed.
"I- I-" Finn gently touched his cheek, tears now streaming down his face.
"Be honest." Gumball nodded and gave the blonde one last look. Finn was crying still and the resigned smile on his face made Gumball's heart clench.
"I love you." Finn sobbed, shaking his head and he tried to leave the prince's bed. He'd already known the answer, even if Gumball was too afraid to say it.
"I understand." Gumball grasped desperately at the boy, drawing him into a hug as guilt filled him.
"You are beautiful and I love you Fionna, but this? I never wanted this." Finn sighed, drawing back slightly in the prince's embrace.
"Thank you. I only wanted the truth." Finn kissed him one last time before everything faded away.
Gumball stared blankly ahead, watching as Jake marched before him. Peppermint watched the prince walk in a daze, concern flashing in his eyes. He quietly made his way over to the prince, gently tugging on the man's arm. Gumball looked up at him, eyes focusing on the butler.
"Your Highness? You've been quiet ever since we started this journey." Gumball sighed, sparing a quick glance in Jake's direction before lowering his voice.
"I've been thinking." Peppermint nodded, leaning closer to the man. Jake had not paused in his march and he was sure the man hadn't heard them.
"What have you found?" Gumball paused briefly, eyes flashing with sadness and guilt.
"What if I were to no longer love Fionna? What would happen to her- to him?" Peppermint raised an eyebrow. When had the prince's feelings changed? He had seemed removed, yes, but Peppermint never would have thought he would no longer love the boy.
"That depends on you. Will you arrest him? Will you let him go? His future is in your hands." He hoped that the prince had mercy. Otherwise they were marching to Finn's death. "May I ask what brought this on?"
"I've had odd dreams the last few days. They answered a few questions for me." Gumball finally turned away from the butler, eyes going back to Jake. The man's stride was as steady as ever and Gumball was sure they were not heard. "I will think about what will be done about Finn."
Ahead of them Jake bit his lip, holding down on the anger that threatened to swallow him. He knew he never should have trusted the prince.
Finn gasped, pain spreading through him. Neptr fell from his arms as Finn doubled over, wrapping his arms around himself. They were still in the empty landscape, deep in trance and now Finn was in pain.
"Finn! What's wrong?" Finn groaned, too pained to respond. Neptr watched the man fall forward, body writhing in pain. The boy rushed to his side, petting his hair and trying to soothe the blonde. "It's alright. You'll be okay."
They sat there for what seemed like hours, Finn's convulsions coming to a stop around an hour in. Sometimes Finn would jerk violently and Neptr would be there to lull him back to calmness. The boy had tears in his eyes, steadily growing more and more worried about Finn. Why was the blonde like this? What caused him to collapse earlier? The boy didn't know and it was scaring him. He liked Fionna. Fionna held him and read to him and told him stories and kissed him goodnight. Fionna was nice. And now Fionna was hurting and there was nothing he could do. Neptr wished he knew more about magic so that he could check over Fionna. His father would probably be able to but Neptr was too young to use advanced magic.
Something caught the boy's eye and Neptr leaned closer. The golden band his father had put on Finn was glowing slightly. His magic must be doing something to hurt him! Neptr quickly grabbed the band, whispering the spell to open the bind. A wave of magic hit Neptr and the two were forced to wake up.