"Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."

–Anne Geddes

I do not own 'Adventure Time.'

Chapter 36

Heavy Hangs The Head

"Wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk, wenk wenk,"

Ice King snorted and grunted, shaking his head side to side as he was awakened by the quaking. He lifted his arm up off of his leopard skin bed and slapped his hand down on the penguin on the nightstand, silencing the flightless bird.

Ice King sat up and stretched his arms, opening his toothy maw and letting out a loud yawn before smacking his lips and scratching his back.

"Ahhhhhhhh…good morning, Gunter." IK looked at the penguin sitting on the nightstand. "Wait, you're not Gunter." The king of ice looked around. "Gunter?"

IK got out of bed and slipped out of his nightgown. The penguin on the nightstand covered his eyes with his flippers and looked away as Ice King put on his usual blue kimono. Sitting next to the penguin was Ice King's crown, which he picked up and put on.

"Gunter?" Ice King called out on his way to the bathroom. "Where are you?"

Near the bathroom door was another penguin. "Oh, there you are, Gunter," said IK. "Wait, you're not Gunter either. Dangit, why do all you penguins look the same?"

The penguin crossed his flippers and glared up angrily at Ice King.

"Oh, don't give me that." Ice King opened the door to the bathroom. "I'm old. Sue me."

IK walked into the bathroom and shut the door. The penguin rolled his eyes before waddling away. After about twenty minutes, the toilet flushed and the sink turned on then off, and Ice King came back out of the bathroom, whistling to himself as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Gunter? You in here?" Ice King walked into the kitchen area and looked around. He saw a penguin in front of the open fridge, taking out a can of soda.

"Oh, Gunter, there you are. Third time's the charm." Ice King frowned. "And what do you think you're doing? A soda for breakfast? I don't think so, mister." IK walked up and took the soda from Gunter. "You can have one of the juices I bought you."

"Wenk, wenk! Wenk, wenk!" Gunter quaked angrily.

"Gunter! Where did you learn such potty mouth language?" Ice King demanded. "Bad penguin!"

Gunter crossed his flippers and looked away.

"Just for that, you get to sit in the time-out corner until I get back," Ice King said. "I'll be out today kidnapping all of my friends and reading them my newest chapter of Fiona the Lost Human of Aaa. And you'll just have to miss out on it."

"Wenk, wenk."

"What do you mean my Fiona the Lost Human of Aaa chapters aren't that good?" Ice King asked.

"Wenk, wenk."

"What do you mean they don't contribute to the storyline whatsoever?"

"Wenk, wenk."

"I only write them to fill the chapter quota?" Ice King crossed his arms. "Geez, there's just no pleasing some people. Let's see you write something better, then come talk to me."

"I find it quite entertaining to see you talk down to such a being."

Ice King blinked and looked around. "Who said that?" He looked down at Gunter. "Did you say that?"

Gunter blinked, looking confused, then shook his head.

"Do you have any idea who that being is?" the dark, scary voice in Ice King's head asked. "Do you have any idea what that creature is fully capable of in its true form? It is almost saddening to see him reduced to just a meek form."

"Oh, great, another voice in my head," Ice King grumbled. "Get in line, pal. I got, like, twenty other voices in my head."

"Indeed. The power of Evergreen's crown has driven you far beyond the brink of insanity. The man you once were is long gone, replaced by the weak fool you are, capable enough in the art of ice magic to be considered a minor threat to the Kingdoms of Ooo. The fact that you were appointed as my warden is the greatest insult ever delivered unto me. To think, a pathetic sorcerer like you, baiting me into your home and trapping me beneath its foundations."

"Hey, I'm not all that crazy about villain dialogue. You mind wrapping it up?" IK asked.

"This is not a threat, King of Ice. On the contrary, I wish to give you a gift," the scary voice went on. "I have been concentrating and focusing my remaining magic for quite some time, waiting for when I had an adequate amount of power to perform this feat. I am now able to push through the protection of the crown to communicate with you, but I was never able to take control of your fractured mind. However, I do not need to."

"This isn't exactly 'wrapping it up.' I'm starting to get bored," said Ice King. "Still curious though. Please, continue."

"As you wish."

Ice King suddenly felt an extreme pain inside his cranium. IK shouted in agony as he grabbed the sides of his crowned head, stumbling around and slamming into the open fridge. The contents of the fridge spilled out as Ice King slumped to the floor. Gunter flapped his flippers and quaked in distress, unsure of what was going on or what to do. Ice King, covered in groceries, writhed in pain in front of the open fridge.

"Simon Petrikov," the dark voice mused. "That was once your name, yes? One of the descendants of the slaves of Egypt, if the blood in your veins tells the story in truth. You were going to get married, weren't you? Before humanity destroyed itself and you lost your beloved. During the fallout of the Mushroom War, as Ooo calls it, you adopted the Vampire Queen back when she was nothing more than a weak, half-breed, demon child. Ah, but I am forgetting. You have been robbed of your memories. And in return, you were given the power of ice and frost."

Ice King screamed as his beard and his nose shrank and his hair contorted. In a few minutes, Ice King's beard had shortened to just below the neck, and the hair on his head, while still snow-white, now hung down over his shoulders.

"And, now…I shall reverse that trade."

The crown on the king's head seemed to lose a little bit of its luster. The three rubies embedded into its base, save for the middle one, were now a dull gray color instead of red.

Simon heard the Lich's voice laugh in his head. "And now, you are mortal once again," he mocked. "Was this a mercy or a punishment, I wonder? You have lost your magic, but I cannot allow you to regain your true human form just yet. The crown must remain connected to you. Not that you would object to such an arrangement. You have been addicted to the crown's power for centuries now."

The Lich laughed once more. "I will see you soon, Petrikov. Your magic will no longer keep my prison strong. I shall set the world aflame, and you will lay witness to it. Tell Finn in his despair the continuation of my work was an inevitability."

Simon groaned and rubbed his head, his hand feeling the crown atop his hair. He took the crown off his head and examined it. He began to recall the trip he took to Northern Scandinavia, where he had bought the crown from an old dock worker. He remembered putting the crown on just as a goof for Betty. And after that…

Simon shook his head and looked at the gems that decorated the crown. The left and right gems were no longer red, now being gray. The middle gem was still red though, but it looked to have lost some of its luster.

Simon took steady breaths as he began to think. And as he did, he began to panic. Gunter stared at Simon curiously before waddling up to the one he had known all these years as the Ice King. "Wenk, wenk?"

Simon looked over at the penguin. "...Get me the phone, would you?" he asked. "I…I need to call someone."

"Bonnie, you seriously need a wardrobe upgrade," Marceline commented as she searched through the Princess's closet. The Vampire Queen was wearing a maroon sports jacket with white sleeves and a white 'M' stitched onto the jacket's breast. With the jacket, she wore white pants and black shoes, with a gray shirt under the jacket.

"What do you mean? Do you think I don't have enough outfits?" Bubblegum asked, wearing blue jeans and a hot-pink hoodie.

"No, I just think you need an outfit that isn't pink or some other cheery color," Marcy explained. "Personally, I think the goth look would look great on you, just as long as you don't overdo it."

Sitting on her bed, typing away on her laptop, PB rolled her eyes. "I think you should stick with the goth look. Everybody can agree that pink is forever my color."

"So go rogue, girl. Shake it up a bit," said Marcy. "I know a good tattoo artist if you really wanna get crazy."

"Ahhhhh…" PB grimaced. "I don't think I'm gonna do that."

Marceline chuckled. "It was always difficult to convince you to do anything daring. Not impossible though, but always difficult."

Bubblegum laughed. "Oh my glob, remember when you convinced me to go with you to that giantess bachelorette party?"

Marceline laughed as well. "We almost got crushed so many times." She flew over and sat down next to Bonnie. "In hindsight, it was a bad idea, yeah."

PB shook her head. "'I told you so' became my four famous words."

"Yeah." Marceline's mouth became a thin line as she nodded. "Yeah, they did."

Bubblegum frowned as she looked over at Marceline. "...Listen, Marcy… I know that we have had a…rough history. But, that's all behind us now." The Princess tried for a smile. "Right?"

Marceline stared at PB for a second before returning the smile. "Yeah. It's all behind us."

Bonnie and Marcy stared into each other's eyes for a full minute, remembering all of the times they had spent together as a couple. The fun they had, the laughs they shared, the moments they shared.

There was a knock on the Princess's bedroom door.

Bonnie and Marcy quickly looked away from each other, a blush forming on both their faces.

"Uh, c-come in!" Bubblegum said.

The bedroom door opened and Peppermint Butler stepped into the room. "Princess. Master Jake and Master Campbell are here to see you," the mint candy announced.

"Finn and Jake are here?" Bubblegum asked. "Show them in."

"Yes, your majesty." Peppermint Butler walked back out of the bedroom.

"You really oughta give him a paycheck or something. He does such a good job working for you," Marceline suggested.

"I'll think about it," said PB.

"I think we both know what that really means," Marcy muttered under her breath.

A moment later, Peppermint Butler came back with Finn and Jake in tow.

"What's up, Princess?" Jake greeted. "...Marceline."

Marcy gave Jake a grin, showing off her fangs. "Hello, Jake."

Finn looked back and forth between Bubblegum and Marceline. "Is this a bad time?"

"Oh, no. You're fine." PB shut her laptop and put it aside. "What brings you boys by?"

"What's the matter, Finn, you miss me?" Marceline teased.

Finn blushed. "Uh, actually, I'm here for Bubblegum."

"Ouch. Imagine how that makes me feel," said Marcy.

"Whatcha need?" Bubblegum asked.

"I…I need you to get back on that communication link I asked you to set up back when I first came to you for help," Finn said. "I…I need to contact my mom."

Bubblegum and Marceline both developed looks of commiseration toward Finn. Although, PB's expression portrayed more worry than Marcy's did.

"Finn…" PB began. "...What's happened?"

"Princess, I need to tell my mom that I'm okay," Finn said. "No audio message or anything like that this time. I need her to hear my voice and see my face. I need her to know that I'm fine."

PB bit her lip and looked away in thought. Marceline looked at the princess curiously as the pink, gummy royal pondered.

"...Finn, I-"

The sound of a ringing cell phone suddenly filled the room.

"Oh, sorry, that's me." Marceline took out her cell and answered the call. "Hello. Marceline the Vampire Queen speaking."

Finn, Jake, and Bubblegum all listened as frantic shouting sounded from the phone's mic into Marcy's ear. And they all watched as Marcy's face went slack-jawed, displaying nothing but the purest shock and disbelief.

"Marceline?" Finn asked after the shouting from the phone died down. "What's going on?"

Very slowly, Marceline hung up the phone and brought her hand down away from her ear, still with that look of absolute shock and turmoil.

"...We all need to go to the Ice Kingdom."

Marceline, carrying Bubblegum by her arms, flew into the Ice King's abode. Jake, inflated into a large enough size to carry Finn, followed behind the Vampire Queen and the Bubblegum Princess.

Marceline let Bubblegum fall to the floor and began looking around. "Simon?" she called out. "Simon!"

Finn hopped off Jake's back and the dog shrunk down to normal size. Finn looked over and saw Ice King's crown sitting on the bed. Curious, Finn walked over and picked up the crown, noticing that two of the crown's red gems were now a dull gray.

"What happened?" Finn asked.

"The Lich happened."

Everyone turned to see…someone like the Ice King, approach the four of them. Instead of a blue kimono, he now wore black traveling clothes and a pair of blue specs.

"Simon!" Marceline literally flew into his arms, embracing the hairy man in a big hug.

"Marceline!" Simon cried. "By Jove, when did you get so big? You used to be little enough to carry."

Bubblegum, Finn, and Jake all glanced at each other. "Simon?" PB asked.

Marceline continued to cry onto Simon's shoulder. "It's you. It's really you," she sobbed. "But…how?"

"I would love nothing more than to catch up with you, Marcy," Simon gently took hold of Marcy's shoulders and pushed her off of him to look her in the eyes. "But, I'm afraid the situation is far too dire for such pleasantries."

"Hold up." Finn walked up to Marceline and the guy who looked like the Ice King. "You're…you're Simon?"

"That's right." Simon offered Finn a handshake, smiling with teeth that were still sharp like a shark's. "Simon Petrikov. Nice to meet you with my sanity restored, son."

Finn blinked before he shook Simon's hand. "Uh…sorry, I just…after dealing with Ice King, you're just…a bit of a surprise."

"Oh my word, please don't mention the Ice King." Simon brought his hands up and rubbed his temples. "I have so many memories that…don't feel like mine, but…I know are mine."

"What happened to you?" Finn asked.

"The Lich did this," Simon said. "Look, before I say anymore, we should call someone from Wizard City to get over here. We'll need a skilled magician's help with this."

"I already called someone on the way here," Finn said.

"Oh, splendid," said Simon. "Who'd you call? The Grand Master Wizard?"

"No, he was smart enough to call me instead."

Everyone looked to the entrance of Ice King's home to see Huntress Wizard leaning casually against the side of the door.

"Contacting the Grand Master Wizard would have been a mistake." HW shrugged. "I doubt we have the time to deal with the procedures and his own ego."

"You called Huntress Wizard?" PB asked. "Finn, I'm sorry, but if the Lich is the concern, then we can't rely on magic. We should focus on the facts and the science I know we can rely on. No offense, Huntress Wizard."

"None taken." HW walked up to the group. "A skeptic of sorcery is simply what your nature drives you to be. You can hardly blame a sparrow for choosing the treetops over the riverside."

"You really mustn't be so quick to dismiss magic, Princess," Simon said. "The undeniable truth is that there are some things in this world that defy logical explanation."

"Anything and everything can be logically explained," said PB.

"If you say so," said HW. "Now, let me see the crown."

Finn walked up and handed HW the crown. Huntress took the crown and examined the two now-gray gems, occasionally glancing at Simon as she examined the crown.

"Hmm…" Huntress Wizard gazed at the one still-red gem. Her green, feline eyes quivered and her tree branch antlers vibrated as well.

"What is she doing?" PB asked, sounding and looking confused.

"Just let her do her thing," Finn said.

PB rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Huntress Wizard's eyes and her antlers ceased their quivering and she blinked as she came to a conclusion.

"The Lich is taking a gamble," HW declared. "It took a lot of his remaining strength to do what he did to Ice King, leaving him utterly drained. After this, I doubt the Lich will make any kind of attempt at escape any time soon. He simply won't have it in him to."

"So, why do this to Simon?" Marceline asked.

"With the crown's power dimmed, Ice King no longer has his magic powers. His madness and sadness no longer fuel his abilities," HW continued. "As such, his connection to the Lich's prison has been severely weakened. I give it…maybe twelve hours before the Lich can break out of his prison."

"Well, if that's his plan, then why did the Lich leave him still looking like this?" Jake gestured at Simon. "This guy looks like if Ice King became a hippy."

"I am no hippy, thank you very much," said Simon. "I'll have you know, I have a master's in ancient history and Mediterranean archeology as well as a bachelor's in classical studies."

Jake just blinked cluelessly at Simon.

Simon sighed. "A thousand years, and I still get the same response."

"Can I continue now?" Huntress Wizard. "I'm just gonna continue. I hate to say it, but the Lich was being smart about this. He left a little bit of magic in the crown so he could keep Simon connected to it."

"Why keep Simon connected to it?" Marceline asked. "Why not just kill the crown's magic completely?"

"The Lich didn't have the power to do that. The crown is far too powerful of an artifact for him to be able to do that," Huntress explained. "And even if he did, he probably wants to keep Simon connected to the crown so no one else can just slip in and take his place as the Warden. The crown won't be at all picky if it loses its connection with its host, but the Lich left it with enough power to stay latched on to Simon."

"So now the Lich is just sitting back waiting for his cell to run out of juice," Finn said. "He doesn't think we can do anything about it?"

"Honestly, it wasn't an unfair assumption," said HW. "That crown…it even seems to worry the Grand Master Wizard. It's an incredibly old magic relic. Its true origins are unknown, we can't even be sure how the thing was made."

"The crown must be restored of its power," said Simon. "We just need to 'plug it in and let it charge' so to speak. The trick is finding the right outlet and charger."

Huntress rubbed her chin as she thought.

"If you have an idea, then let it out," Simon urged. "We need to recharge the crown of the energy the Lich robbed it."

Huntress grunted. "...Finding a source of magic with the power to recharge the crown isn't the problem, it's finding a source of magic that we can actually use and focus into the crown. That being said, I can only think of one thing that I could use for this."

"And what would that be?" Bubblegum asked.

"The Crystal Gem Apple," said Huntress Wizard. "It's the only thing I can think of that I would actually be able to use for this."

"And this…Crystal Gem Apple, can power the crown back up?" Bubblegum asked.

"If I can properly focus the energy of the Apple, yes," said HW.

"If?" PB asked.

"I've never even seen the Apple before, let alone tried to harness its magic," HW admitted. "From what I know, the Apple possesses a power foreign to this very dimension, hailing from the Crystal Dimension."

"The Crystal Dimension?" Jake asked. "My girlfriend's from there, maybe she can help us find it."

"Nah, I know exactly where the apple is," said HW. "The Crystal Gem Apple grows within the deepest end of the Evil Dark Forest."

"Oh, yeah. That's near where Tree Trunks lives," said Jake. "Man, I really wish she'd move to a safer neighborhood."

"Huntress," PB walked up to the wizard. "If we find this apple, are you sure you'll be able to use it to restore the crown's energy?"

"Believe me, the Apple is our best bet," HW promised. "As soon as we get our hands on it, I can focus the Apple's magic into the crown to the best of my abilities. Here's the thing though. As soon as the crown is back in business,"

HW looked at Simon. "then so is the Ice King."

Simon gritted his teeth and let out a painful sigh. "...So be it."

"Wait, hold on," Marcy said. "There's gotta be a way to keep his sanity. Some kind of spell or something, there's gotta be."

I'm afraid not," said Huntress. "Magic is fueled by the madness and sadness within. I'm sorry, Marceline. Trust me, if I knew how to keep the Ice King from coming back, I'd do it. But, the Ice King needs his insanity to fuel his magic, which keeps the Lich in his cage."

"But…" Marceline shook her head. "No, there's gotta be-"

"Marcy." Simon placed a hand on her arm. "It's okay."

"But, Simon-"

"We need that Apple to keep Ooo alive." Simon took his hand off Marcy's arm and walked up to Huntress Wizard. "Take us to it."

Huntress Wizard sighed. "You know, the most painful part of this whole thing is going to be having to purposefully bring back the Ice King. You are just so much cooler than that donk."

HW headed toward the exit. "Let's go, everyone."

Through the dark forest, the six of them walked in pairs. Huntress Wizard and Simon took the lead with Marceline and Bubblegum behind them. Finn and Jake took the rear, eyes open for any danger.

Simon held the crown tenderly as they traveled. He rubbed his thumb over the remaining red gem in the crown and occasionally glanced down at the relic, as if he were scared to look at it but still couldn't help himself.

Huntress took notice of Simon's distress. "I can carry the crown if you want."

Simon's hold on the crown immediately tightened.

"...The crown is my burden to bear," he said. "It always has been."

Huntress stared at Simon for a minute. "...Some addictions are incredibly hard to beat, it seems."

"I'm not addicted, I'm just…" Simon sighed through his nose. "...Addicted."

HW nodded. "You really shouldn't think less of yourself for becoming what the crown turned you into. The strongest of minds would be no match against the crown's magic."

"...I just keep thinking to myself…why me?" Simon shook his head. "Was this my destiny? Or was the Ice King nothing more than an accident?"

"At least the crown ended up in the care of a decent person," said HW. "Imagine how much worse the Ice King would have been if someone way worse than you had put on the crown."

Simon chuckled. "Not a bad way to look at it."

"You know, it's obvious Marceline loves you like a father," HW went on. "You becoming a part of her life was a blessing for her."

Simon smiled sadly. "Taking care of Marceline…it kept me human, I believe. It kept me sane for just a little longer."

Simon looked over at HW. "Let me ask you something. You're a Nymph, right? A Forest Nymph, specifically. Also called a Tree Nymph. Your kind are well-known pacifists. So, why become a wizard? Why do that to yourself?"

HW refused to look at Simon. "...I am not like the rest of my kind," she said after a long pause. "I never have been."

Simon tilted her head curiously at the Forest Nymph.

Floating behind him, Marceline watched Simon as he and HW led the group and chatted. A look of concern plastered to the vampire's pale face.

"I have to say, After being kidnapped so many times by a crazy Ice King, Simon is definitely a refreshing replacement," Bubblegum commented. "...How are you holding up, Marcy?"

"He's back. After all these years, the closest thing to an actual dad I ever had is finally back," Marcy said softly. "And now, I have to give him right back to the stupid crown that took him in the first place."

"I'm sorry, Marcy. I really am." PB placed a comforting hand on Marcy's shoulder. "But…you know we have to do this. If the Lich is freed…Ooo is done for."

"We've beaten the Lich before," Marcy said.

"We got insanely lucky when Ice King, of all people, saved our bacon," said PB. "Marcy, I know you love Simon, but…we need to do this. I don't like it any more than you do, but we have to bring Ice King back. For all of Ooo."

Marceline sighed. "For all of Ooo… This whole 'save the world' thing is so not my flow. Finn is the selfless one, he's the hero around these parts. I really don't know how he does it."

"And after what happened with Dr. Gross," PB shook his head. "I'm glad he's doing better now. Hiding in Billy's old cave wasn't good for him. And hooking up with Flame Princess seemed a bit sudden, but then again, I guess…company can be greatly therapeutic."

Marceline gave Bubblegum an odd look. "When Finn asked you to get back on setting up a call to his mom. You're…gonna do that, right?"

Bubblegum blinked at Marcy. "Well, yeah. Why…why wouldn't I?"

"I mean, there's nothing to keep you from doing it this time, but…" Marceline shrugged. "You were never the kind of person to even go near the hornet's nest."

Bubblegum turned her head without actually looking behind her, knowing Finn was trailing behind her and Marcy with Jake. The Princess let out a sigh.

"Look, Marceline…I want to help Finn, I really do," she said softly. "But after facing off Susan, not to mention what Dr. Gross was getting ready to do to all of Ooo… Founder's Island is capable of extraordinary technological feats. If Finn's mother decides that she needs to send an army of Susans to take Finn back to the island, we'd be dealing with a formidable enemy."

"Is this about not wanting to deal with an army of Susans led by another Dr. Gross?" Marcy asked. "Or is this about not wanting to give up Finn?"

"...Both, if I'm being honest," PB admitted.

"Don't wanna give up Ooo's top hero, huh?" Marcy smirked. "Or are you hoping to be able to step in if Finn and Flame Princess call it quits? As his ex-girlfriend, I can honestly say I don't blame you. He's…fun, to say the least."

Bubblegum blushed. "Oh, shut up. But I really do need to talk with Finn about Flame Princess. Her elemental matrix mixed with all the emotions Finn must be making her feel have the potential to-"

"Bonnie," Marcy said. "You owe Finn everything. The least you can do is help him call his mom. I'd give anything to be able to talk to my mom again."

Bonnie took a deep breath, then nodded her head.

"Alright, then," said Marcy.

Finn and Jake kept an eye out for any potential danger as they trailed behind everyone else. The Evil Dark Forest definitely lived up to its name. Dark and scary, with ominous-looking trees looming over them.

"Hey, you know what? I bet Tree Trunks is gonna be really upset if she finds out we're going apple-picking without her," Jake said.

"I would never bring Tree Trunks to this place," Finn said. "It's way too dangerous here for her."

"Eh, don't underestimate Tree Trunks. The old girl is tougher than she looks." Jake looked up at Finn. "Think we should stop by and pay her a visit after we find the Crystal Gem Apple?"

"I really wish we didn't have to do this," Finn said. "I mean, Marceline finally has her dad back. And we're supposed to just, turn him back into a crazy old guy who writes fanfiction and hits on chicks young enough to be his granddaughter?"

"Well, when you say it like that, it sounds particularly bad, but…" Jake shrugged. "Hey, I'm not any happier about it than anybody else here. But we gotta keep the Lich in his cage, man. You weren't there when he broke out the first time, you don't know what that monster is capable of."

"I just…" Finn sighed. "...My dad sucks. And so does Marceline's, I've met him. It would've been nice to have a decent father figure growing up like what Marcy had with Simon. I really don't want to take that away from her."

"I don't either," Jake said. "But…this is Simon and Marcy's call to make. Not ours."

Finn nodded sadly. "Yeah. I just…really wish there was another way."

Jake nodded. "Yeah, me too."

"Yo, head's up, gang," Huntress Wizard called to the rest of the group. "I think we found it."

The six of them grouped back together as they approached a clearing in the forest. In the clearing was a strange yet fascinating sight to behold, like something you'd see in an art gallery. It was some kind of tall, tree-sized mushroom with a head like a maroon, picnic umbrella. At the base of the mushroom's wooden stem, covering the ground around it, was some kind of segmented stained glass.

In the middle of the stem, the intertwining vines that made up the stem formed a circle around a piece of fruit hanging by the top of the circle's inner diameter. The fruit was shining red and had the texture of a diamond, topped with a pair of shiny, green leaves. It was bigger than an apple was, about the size of a cantaloupe.

"So that's it, huh?" Marcy licked her lips and showed off her fangs. "Looks tasty."

"I would have to advise you not to eat it," HW warned.

"You couldn't feed off of it anyway," Finn said. "The Apple is still green. I guess it's not ripe yet, is that a problem?"

"Green? That thing is red," Jake said.

"No, it's green, look at it." Finn pointed at the Crystal Gem Apple. "As green as an emerald."

"Finn, I think you might be a little color-blind," said Bubblegum. "After this is done, I can run a quick test to see how severe it is, but from what I can tell-"

"Kids, we can play doctor later," Simon walked toward the mushroom tree. "Let's pick this apple and be done with this."

HW reached her hand out. "Wait, Simon, don't-"

Simon stepped onto the stained glass. Before he could take two more steps, the glass beneath Simon's feet came to life and took the form of a glass being, closely resembling Simon like some kind of reflection, beard and all.

"Woah, what the-" As Simon moved, trying to get past the glass creature, it moved with him like it was some kind of sentient mirror, blocking his way toward the Apple. "Hey, get out my way!" Simon demanded. "...Wow, Jake was right. I do look like a hippy. I like the lip hair though, if I ever become fully human again, I just might keep a mustache."

"Oh, we don't have time for this." Huntress Wizard morphed into a hawk and flew toward the Crystal Eye Apple.

The stained glass came to life once more and a stained glass hawk shot into the air and ran straight into Huntress. HW morphed back into her regular form as she fell painfully to the ground, with the glass creature mimicking her every move.

"OW!" Huntress Wizard shot to her feet and glared bloody murder at her glass doppelganger. "I'm gonna leave this place covered in shards!" she shouted as she drew a pair of tomahawks and attacked the glass creature.

Marceline grew into her monstrous bat form and charged at the tree. Just as it happened with Simon and HW, Marcy was met by a glass creature reflecting her appearance and mimicking her every move. Marceline decided to attack the creature, but it was like trying to fight an unbreakable mirror. After meeting the glass creature's fists with her own only about four times, Monster-Marcy rubbed her knuckles and hissed in pain.

Finn drew his sword and charged toward the Apple. A glass creature resembling Finn formed from the ground and blocked his way to the Apple. Every time Finn swung his sword at the creature, Nothung met the glass creature's sword with perfect precision.

Jake hesitated before walking onto the glass ground. When his glass doppelganger formed in front of them, Jake didn't try to attack it. He glanced over at Marcy, HW, and Finn all fighting their mirror doppelgangers.

"...Well, if we're doing this, I might as well have fun with it."

Jake broke into a dance and his glass, mirror doppelganger matched his every move.

"For real, Jake?" PB called out from the safety of the none-glass ground. "Come on! We have a catastrophe to divert!"

"This is me enjoying my final moments, Princess," Jake called back as he and his glass-doppelganger sprinkler danced. "None of us can get past these glass-heads, so we might as well try some alternative methods."

"Jake just might be right. Although, I'm not dancing with these things," said Simon. "Maybe we could try polite conversation." Simon turned to his mimicking glass counterpart, back straight, and hands folded behind his back. "Excuse me, sir, could you please…now look here, sir…I say, it's quite rude to copy someone…stop that, I insist…can you…will you just…we just need the Apple…Just get out my–Marcy, cover your ears!"

"I'm a thousand years old!"

"You're still a teenager…technically."

"Oh, for the love of-" PB ran a hand down her face. "It's up to you, Bonnibel."

The Princess walked up onto the ground of stained glass. She watched curiously as a creature of glass rose out of the ground, mimicking her and reflecting her appearance.

"Hmmmmm." The Princess leaned forward to study the glass creature, which mimicked her every movement. Princess reached up and the two of them tapped their fingers, as if PB was tapping a mirror.

"Interesting," Bubblegum commented. "Guys. I think we need to apply a powerful sonic frequency to destroy these creatures."

"Oh, okay. Like when an opera singer shatters everyone's wineglass and bifocals," said Simon. "Anyone here that good at singing? Marceline? Finn? Jake, maybe? I know Nymphs are well known for having a beautiful set of pipes."

"I would rather let the Lich kill us all before I sing a single note for any of you." Panting and sweating from her pointless battle with her glass creature, HW put her tomahawks away. "But, I do have a spell that could help us out."

"Good, then use it." Marceline shrank down to her regular form and rubbed her sore fists. "Ouch. Man, these things are made of some tough glass."

"Are you sure we can't just dance with these things?" Jake asked as he and his glass creature stopped dancing. "I was kinda really enjoying that."

"I'm sure," PB said. "Huntress Wizard, if you have something up your sleeve, go ahead and use it."

"You got it, Princess." Huntress cleared her throat. "I call this one the Pan Whistle. You all should probably cover your ears."

Everyone did as Huntress instructed, with their glass doppelgangers copying them.

Huntress peeled off the glove on her left hand and put it in her pocket. Then, she took a really deep breath, brought her two index fingers to her mouth, and let out a whistle that could make an ogre's head explode.

Everyone let out a cry and pressed their hands tighter against their heads.

"AHHHHHH! This is the downside to having a better sense of hearing than everyone else!" Jake cried. "And don't get me started on having a better sense of smell!"

Everyone's glass doppelganger, while they were mimicking their counterparts, began to vibrate. The vibration in each of the glass creatures increased by each second as Huntress Wizard's powerful and painful whistle continued.

It was hard to tell how long the Pan Whistle lasted before all six of the glass creatures exploded one by one in a blast of shards, but HW's face was beginning to turn red by the time she managed to make the creatures all shatter.

Once the glass creatures were all shattered, HW took her fingers out of her mouth and breathed air back into her lungs, swaying on her feet a little bit. "...Ladies and gentlemen, the Pan Whistle."

"Good grief, my fifth-grade teacher didn't have that intense of a whistle," Simon complained. "And Miss Wilson could kill a flock of pigeons with her whistle."

"Grab the Apple," HW said. "It's time."

Jake stretched his hand up to the Crystal Gem Apple and was met with no resistance as he picked the Apple. His stretched hand moved the Apple down and handed it to Huntress Wizard.

"The Crystal Gem Apple." HW ran her thumb across the fruit jewel. "And since it's a fruit, it's kinda, sorta, still thematically appropriate for my magic repertoire."

"Is that actually important?" PB asked.

"Yes, and no. Just don't ask me to explain that." HW looked over at Simon. "Okay, Simon, let's turn you back into an obnoxious lunatic. Man, I am gonna lose some sleep over this."

"Wait, hold on." Marcy floated up to Simon. "We still have time to think of some other way to do this. Maybe…we can transfer your consciousness into another body, or…maybe we can separate you from the crown and have someone else wear it."

"Marcy."

"We have to try something! We can't just turn you back into the Ice King just so everyone else can live happy lives!"

"Marcy-"

"I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU AGAIN!"

The group went silent as Marceline loomed over Simon angrily. The Vampire Queen floated down to eye level and began to tear up.

"...Don't go," she begged. "Please...not again."

Simon let out a sigh, and pulled Marceline in for a hug. Marceline shut her teary eyes tight and returned the hug.

"I have to leave now for the same reason I had to leave back then," Simon said. "To protect you, Marcy. But this time, it's not just about saving you. It's about saving everyone."

Simon held Marcy in front of him, looking her in the eyes and smiling. "My word, you've grown so much. I'm proud of you, Marcy, and I love you. Don't ever forget that."

Marcy sniffled and nodded.

"Stay out of trouble, alright? Or at least try to. And when that fails, don't do anything I wouldn't do," Simon said. "Drink plenty of red. Don't get in any bad relationships." Simon chuckled and looked over at Bubblegum and Finn. "The both of you really let a gem slip through your fingers with this one, huh?"

Bubblegum and Finn both blushed and looked away.

"Simon," Marcy whined with an embarrassed smile. "Come on."

"Alright, alright." Simon let go of Marcy and smiled at her. "Take care, Marcy."

Marceline kissed Simon's forehead. "...You too, dad."

Simon's smile widened before he turned and walked up to Huntress Wizard. Marceline watched him with a forlorn expression.

"Okay, Huntress Wizard," Simon said. "Let's do this."

Huntress Wizard looked back and forth between Simon and Marceline, an unsure look on her face. "I…could try to look into some other way we can do this. We still have time to at least skim through some possib-"

"Huntress," Simon interrupted. "...We need to do this now."

Huntress Wizard sighed. "...Put the crown on and hold still."

Simon nodded and placed the crown on his head. Huntress backed up and snapped her fingers. A sprout shot out of the ground and grew to a height level with Simon's forehead. HW placed the Apple upon the leaves of the sprout so the Apple was in line with the crown.

Huntress took a deep breath and placed her hands over the Apple. Her eyes and her antlers quivered as she whispered magic words to the Apple. The Apple began to glow with a red light, and when HW turned her palms up, the light began to rise and gather in her hands. The light that gathered in her palms formed into an arrow made of red light.

Huntress took the arrow of red light and drew her bow out of thin air. She nocked the arrow and drew back the bow, lining the arrow up with the Crystal Gem Apple and the crown. She let the arrow fly, sending it through the Apple. As the arrow of red light passed through the Apple, it didn't pierce the crystal fruit, but the Apple lit up with blinding light that absorbed into the arrow, which solidified the arrow once it passed through the Apple. And when the arrow struck the crown, there was another, even brighter blinding flash of light, causing everyone to look away.

When they all returned their gazes to Simon, they saw that all three of the gems in the crown were now a bright, vibrant red. The five of them watched as Simon's beard and nose grew and his hair melded into his facial hair. The look in his eyes changed, developing a mad gleam.

Ice King looked down at his clothes. "What the nuts am I wearing?!" he asked. "This outfit is just flipping ridiculous…where's my oversized, blue kimono?"

Marcy looked away and sighed, refusing to look at the Ice King.

"Hey, gang, I'm not sure how I got here, but seeing as how I'm out in the middle of these scary woods, I can only assume that it's not a pleasant story," said Ice King. "So, I think I'm just gonna split. See you all when I finish editing my latest Fiona chapter. Peace."

Ice King flapped his beard and took to the air. Marcy closed her eyes and hung her head. Bubblegum came up and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, pulling her in for a light hug.

"Marceline," Finn said softly. "I'm…sorry."

"I'm fine." Marcy walked out of PB's hug. "I'm just gonna go home and…I'll figure that part out when I get there."

Marceline floated into the air, taking to the sky and heading back to her abode.

Finn hung his head, feeling like he just did something wrong. He raised his head back up as Huntress Wizard approached him.

"I wish we could have done this differently as well," HW said. "Family is…a strong thing."

"Yeah…yeah, it is," Finn said. "Thanks for doing this, Huntress."

"Hey, my life was on the line just as much as everyone else's was," HW replied. "Call it me just trying to survive."

"Yeah, I figured that was why you didn't ask for a favor from me this time," Finn said.

"Speaking of which; keep in mind, Finnegan, I only need to tally up one more favor from you." Huntress Wizard grinned like a crocodile. "After that happens…you belong to me."

Finn's pupils shrank and he gulped. "...And…what happens after that?"

"Whatever I say happens." Huntress Wizard morphed into a hawk and flew off, leaving Finn feeling small and scared.

Jake walked up next to Finn and watched as HW flew off. "...You need a hug or something, bro?"

"No, I'm good." Finn walked up to Bubblegum, who was staring at her phone like she was waiting for something.

"Hey, Princess?" Finn asked.

"Huh?" PB looked at Finn. "Sorry, I was…trying to text Marcy. I'm just a little…" PB put her phone away. "Nevermind. What do you need?"

"I…wanted to ask about that communication link," Finn said.

Bubblegum blinked. "Oh, that. Well…it should be easy to pick up where I left off. From there though, it may get tricky, given the difference between your island's tech and mine, and the distance from here to Founder's Island."

"Do whatever you need to do, Princess," Finn said.

"...I will."

Jake tilted his head at the way PB said that.

"I'll see you later, Finn. Bye, Jake." Bubblegum turned around and walked away. "See you later, boys."

Jake watched Bubblegum walk away, then looked at Finn. "Uh…you wanna go see Tree Trunks now? Eat some apple pie and see how she and Mr. Pig are doing?"

"You go ahead, man, I'll catch up," Finn said.

"Oh, uh…yeah, sure." Jake hesitated before walking into the woods. "Don't take too long, huh? Tree Trunks will get worried about ya."

Once Jake was gone, Finn looked up into the sky. "...You're getting desperate, huh, Lich?"

"You were raised on an island that essentially served as a prison," the Lich answered in Finn's head. "Surely, you can understand my desperation to be free."

"You're gonna stay in that prison until time stops," Finn said.

"Time will stop once I am free," said the Lich. "And make no mistake, I will be free of my prison."

"Yeah, good luck with that," Finn said.

The Lich hesitated before he spoke again. "...Have you ever wondered how it is that I am able to speak to you like this? Have you ever wondered what our connection is?"

"There…there is no connection between us," Finn said.

"Oh, yes there is. And you know it, if the hesitation in your voice is any indication," The Lich said. "Do you know, boy, how I came into existence?"

"You were a Catalyst Comet," Finn said.

"And so were you."

The Lich allowed Finn time to digest that information. Finn didn't move a muscle as he processed what the Lich just told him.

"...You're lying," Finn said.

"Am I?" the Lich asked. "Or are you desperate enough to believe that?"

Finn covered his face with his hands. "You're…you're telling me that you and I come from the same source?"

"Indeed we do," said the Lich. "...Little brother."

With an amused, sinister chuckle, the Lich had no more to say to Finn, who shrank down to his knees.

Finn took deep breaths as he thought over what the Lich had told him. Shoko appeared by Finn's side and knelt down beside him, wrapping her good arm around him for comfort, looking just as shocked as Finn.

"...What are we doing here, Shoko?" Finn asked. "Why are we here?"

Shoko shrugged. "It's just like Prismo and the Cosmic Owl said: Ooo is our destiny."

"They could have told us-"

"Don't let the Lich get in your head," Shoko said. "We are not the Lich, Finn. You, you're the exact opposite of the Lich."

Finn inhaled and exhaled deeply. "...Yeah…yeah, maybe you're right."

"...I know what it's like to feel like, deep down, you're part monster," Shoko said. "After I stole Bubblegum's amulet, after I was mutated…I died with so many regrets, Finn. But, you… Every day of your life leaves me with fewer and fewer regrets. That's the kind of person you are."

Finn stared at Shoko and a small smile formed on his lips. "...Thanks, Shoko."

"Hey, what are past incarnations for?" Shoko grinned. "Now, let's go eat some apple pie."

Finn nodded and stood back up, walking out of the woods with Shoko by his side.

Until next time.