Ice King growled as he marched through the raging snow storm. It was a hindrance, making him slower than he wanted to be but it was his fault. He was angry. Magic Man had Fionna. He wouldn't have let her go if he knew that monster would take her. Though she had left of her own choice because he'd hurt her. Hurt her fatally. The man growled, this time at himself. He needed to control his emotions. He'd hurt the girl he'd hoped would love him because he'd gotten angry. He was a beast through and through. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that as he finally spotted the man's cottage.
He slunk closer to the home, taking care not to be seen through the window as he peeked in. Fionna was on the floor, her arms wrapped around a small boy in her lap. Magic Man stood over them shouting at the two.
"I am! You have to tell her! I'm trying to get her back!" Get who back? Who were they talking about? He watched as Fionna pulled away from Magic Man, clutching her stomach. Was she alright? Had he poisoned her? Fionna was speaking now, keeping the boy in her lap close to her.
"I did. She doesn't want my body." The cottage suddenly went silent as Magic Man stared down at the two. Ice King turned towards the door. He knew it was locked, he could see the seals around the frame, keeping intruders out. He would have to break them if he wanted to get in. He turned himself away from the window, focusing on the door. He needed to get in there. He could hear Magic Man talking faintly and strained to hear the man.
"Then I have no use for you." Red light flooded through the window and Ice King struggled to get the seals open as fast as he could. He needed to save Fionna! "I will enjoy getting rid of the two of you."
Finally the door opened for him and he sent a wave of ice at Magic Man, sending the man flying into the far wall. He quickly turned his eyes to Fionna, making sure that she wasn't injured. She looked fine if not tired, even the arm he had damaged was healed. What was Magic Man doing with her?
"Ice King?" The man was shaken from his thoughts by the girl and sent a shaky smile to Fionna. The blonde returned it, rushing into his arms and hugging him fiercely. Ice King stared at the girl in confusion. Why was she hugging him? How was she hugging him? She pulled back and reached towards the small boy, pulling him towards the door.
"We have to go sweetheart. Do you need anything?" The boy shook his head, reaching up to be held. Ice King watched as a look of affection took over Fionna's face and she easily hefted the boy into her arms.
"No, Mama." Mama. Mama. That was her son. Ice King followed the two blindly out of the cottage. Fionna had a son. He looked to be about Beemo's age. Who was the father? Who did Fionna love enough to have a child with?
"Ice King?" The man was once more snapped out of his thoughts and turned towards the two he had rescued. Fionna stood in the snow, Neptr in her arms and for a moment Ice King was hit with how beautiful she looked. Why had he ever let her go? Why had he ever hurt her?
"Huh?" Fionna smiled and Ice King blushed softly.
"Where are we going?" Ice King nodded, looking out towards the sky. They could make good time if he pushed the storm back.
"I can take you back to your village. If you want." Finn frowned, shifting Neptr in his arms. He couldn't return to his brother with a son and pregnant. They struggled enough as it is. And what would the townspeople say? There was no doubt that Ade would be magical and while Neptr could hide his magic Finn didn't want that life for his new son. And what about his own budding magic? Decision made, Finn turned back to the Ice King.
"Am I still welcome in your castle?" Ice King smiled. He had hoped she would come with him.
"Of course." Fionna was smiling at him and even her son looked pretty happy. Ice King turned towards the mountains, setting off for his castle.
Jake stared at the broken down door. They were still on their way to the Ice King's castle and had come across a lone cottage. The door was broken down and snow had drifted into the home. Jake stepped over the threshold, hearing Peppermint and the prince doing the same. Anger flared in him and he shoved it down. They had betrayed him but now was not the time to give away his knowledge.
The storm had trashed the home, spreading snow and ice everywhere. Peppermint looked up at the ceiling. The ice had spread there as well, though only in the center. Someone had used ice magic here.
Groaning echoed from the back of the cottage and the men shared a look before moving towards the sound. There was a man collapsed on the floor, covered in snow and ice. Peppermint and Jake knelt next to him, cleaning the man off and dragging him towards the hearth. Gumball quickly started a fire, hoping to warm the man and themselves up. The man turned bleary eyes towards them, green skin peeking out of his tattered yellow clothes.
"He's magical." Gumball felt his stomach twist in knots. He knew what the law said, what his father would want him to do. The man was magical and would need to be put to death on sight, especially before he regained enough power to attack them. Peppermint looked at the prince in concern. He knew what the prince had to do but hoped the boy would let this man live. It was clear he'd already been through enough.
"And?" Both heads turned towards Jake as he stood. He couldn't hold it in any longer. "So what if he's magical? He hasn't done anything to you."
Gumball bit his lip, staring down at the green man. He knew what he needed to do, what he was supposed to do. He should kill this man, just for being magic. Just for existing and defying his father's law. He could see the potions and runes on the man's walls. He actively practiced magic. Still a large part of him felt uneasy at the idea of killing this man. The same part of him that wanted to spare Finn.
"I- I can't kill him." Jake scoffed, once more turning surprised looks his way.
"So you'll spare him but not my brother?" Gumball's face paled as he looked over at Peppermint. They had been so careful. So sure that Jake hadn't heard them. How long had he known? How long had he silently stewed over their betrayal?
"I can't ignore the law." Jake snorted.
"Like you are now?" Gumball flushed and stood, embarrassment running through him. True, he was letting this man live but not Finn? Why didn't Finn deserve his mercy?
"I'm sorry! I know Finn is your brother but-" He was cut off by the green man on the floor.
"Finn?" All eyes turned towards the green man as he tried to push himself into a seated position. Jake knelt next to him, eyes suddenly focused on the man.
"What did you say?" The green man shook his head.
"Took… He took them." Jake growled, placing a hand on the man's shoulder.
"Who took them? Who did they take?" Magic Man huffed.
"The Ice King. He took Finn and Neptr. I tried to stop him but…" The man trailed off and none of the others bothered to follow up. His injuries were testament enough to his fight. Peppermint went about bandaging the man, making sure that his wounds were clean to keep from infection.
"How did Finn get here?" Magic Man looked up at Peppermint, eyes narrowing internally. He knew a magical when he saw one. What did this man think he was doing? Hiding under the crown prince's nose.
"I found him in the woods." Peppermint paused momentarily in his bandaging, one small word standing out to him.
"You know he's a boy?" Magic Man nodded, clenching his teeth. He hoped they left soon. He would heal much faster with magic on his own.
"He was injured and unconscious. I had to dress his wounds." Before Peppermint could ask another question Jake cut him off, for which Magic Man was grateful. The butler asked too many questions.
"We need to get to the castle! We've been on this journey far too long!" Peppermint sent a soft look at Jake, finishing the green man's bandages.
"Calm down." Jake turned towards the butler, anger on his face as the man rose to stand next to him.
"That monster has my brother! I need to save him!" Jake paused. "From the both of you."
Gumball winced and Peppermint reached out to touch Jake, hoping to get the man's attention.
"You won't survive that blizzard alone. Please, let us help you." Jake scoffed. Why had he ever trusted Peppermint? Cared about him?
"Like you want to help my brother? You'd kill him the first chance you got. And then me for hiding him." Peppermint moved before the other man, hoping to talk sense into the huntsman.
"Jake, please. Think rationally." Jake shoved the man away from him. He knew he was right. They were dangerous. They would hurt Finn.
"I am thinking rationally! You planned to-" Peppermint surged forward, lips crashing onto Jake's as he silenced the man. Gumball gasped, surprise hitting him. When had this happened? However Jake was more surprised as he held on to the man kissing him. Peppermint pulled back, looking into Jake's eyes.
"We never planned to do anything." Gumball sighed, accepting Finn's reversed sentence. He had never really wanted the other to die either. "I care for Finn as much as you do. I won't let anything happen to him."
Jake was still shaken by the kiss and the fact that Peppermint was in his arms.
"Why would you protect him?" Peppermint smiled softly, taking a step back from Jake.
"We have more in common than you think." Fire flickered to life in his open palm and both men gasped.
"Peppermint." The butler turned to the prince, shame on his face. He'd known he'd have to explain himself to the prince. He'd hidden his magic for so long. The prince was bound to be shocked.
"I'm sorry Gumball. I wanted to tell you but… I was afraid. I did not want you to have to make such a decision." Between his kingdom and Peppermint. He had practically raised the boy and he had never wanted Gumball to ever have to make the choice to kill him. He knew the prince would uphold the law but the mercy the prince had shown on this trip made him wonder if the prince would spare him too.
"You lied to me." Horror engulfed Peppermint as he tore himself away from Jake and clasped the prince's hands.
"Never! I swore to protect you and I have upheld that promise. I would never use magic against you." Gumball shook his head. This was all too much. First Fionna and now Peppermint? Was everyone in his life lying to him?
"You still deceived me." Peppermint shook his head, collapsing to his knees before the prince.
"Gumball please. You are like a son to me. Please don't go." A sob tore its way from his throat. Not again. He couldn't lose another child again. "I can't lose you too."
Gumball softened. He remembered Cara. She had been like a sister to him, Peppermint's own daughter. She'd died when they were young, killed by an angry mage. He still had nightmares about her mangled body.
"I…" He drew his hands away from Peppermint, wincing at the agony on the man's face. "I need to think."
With that he ran, heading for the trees. He wouldn't go far, not with a blizzard approaching. Peppermint stumbled forward, ready to go after the prince when a hand on his elbow stopped him.
"Let him go. He'll come back." Peppermint nodded, wiping away the tears in his eyes. Gumball would be back and Jake was staying. He would be fine. He looked back at the hearth, worried about their host. He was still injured and hopefully his bandages held. However the man was gone.
"Where did he go?" The two looked around the cottage. The green man was gone and there were no footprints or any other indication that he'd moved. He'd vanished.