I'm back everybody! First off, I watched the Fionna and Cake episodes, and I loved them! Awesome from beginning to ending, seriously, I still have Winter King's and Candy Queen's songs stuck in my head. It feels like forever since I wrote the last chapter of this story, but after finishing two of my stories and even starting a new one, I am back to continue the fanfic that started it all for me!

And to those of you who are fans of The Owl House, my new fanfic is an Owl House AU where Luz is raised by Eda in the Demon Realm. I call it We Wear the Mask, check it out if you're interested.

That being said, enjoy the latest chapter of Something More!

And, of course, I do not own 'Adventure Time.'

Chapter 41

She Skins the Monster at the End

"So he's really gone?" Marceline asked. "He just…got on a boat and sailed away?"

"Yup," Bubblegum replied from behind the privacy screen. "It's what Huntress Wizard was helping him with this whole time. He's sailing back to his home island as we speak."

"But…he'll be back, right?" Sitting on PB's bed, Marcy fiddled with the bed cover. "He's not, like, gone for good, right?"

"I don't know, Marcy, I really don't," Bubblegum replied between the sound of shuffling clothes. "If he gets back to Founder's Island, back to where he comes from…back to his mom, to his real family. The question then would be: are we even good enough for him to actually want to come back?"

Marcy stared down at the floor. "...You know what? I say good for him, either way."

"Good for him?" Bubblegum asked. "Don't you feel, I don't know, a little bit like we just got ditched?"

"Bonnie, you can't ask Finn to choose Ooo over his own mom. That's just not fair." Marcy floated up off the bed. "I would ditch Ooo for however long it would take just for five minutes with my mom. I totally would."

"I get that, Marcy, but Finn chose to be Ooo's hero," PB said. "He took up Billy's sword and he earned all of Ooo's love and respect. He's our hero, Marcy. Not Founder's Island's."

"Finn's not some knight in shining armor. He's not some character of myth and legend, no matter how much Ooo makes him look like one. He's just a guy who loves going on fun adventures, being the hero when he can, and fooling around with chicks capable of mass murder. And he misses his momma," Marcy said. "And it's not just that. Bonnie, for Glob's sake, he deserves a break every once in a while. I don't just mean whenever he gets stabbed in the guts and put into a coma or when a family member of his is either lobotomized or run through by a sword that somehow floats in the air. Let him have this. Ooo will be okay without him."

"Ooo depends on Finn," Bubblegum said. "...I depend on Finn."

"Come on, you were doing fine before Finn came along," Marcy said.

"Was I, though?" PB asked. "My kingdom was going to burn to the ground because of my own selfishness and hubris. I would have lost everything to my own ego and cowardice if Finn hadn't shown up and saved the day."

Marcy took a pause, feeling as though Bubblegum needed a breather. "...Look, Bonnie…" the Vampire Queen said after the momentary silence. "You owe Finn more than you can possibly repay him. Heck, I do too," she said. "If he chooses to stay in his hometown, then, yeah, I'll be pretty bummed out. But that's Finn's call to make. Not mine, and not yours. We both owe him that much at least. And besides, this is Finn we're talking about. Being the hero is kinda his whole thing. I'm willing to bet he'll be back before you can even say 'Ahhh, help! Bad guy!'"

Marcy heard PB sigh. "...Maybe you're right, Marcy," she said, finally stepping out from behind the curtain.

Marcy raised an eyebrow. "Going to a charity event or something?"

The Princess was wearing a pretty magenta business suit jacket with cherry-red buttons over a white, button-up shirt. A matching skirt that hovered just above her knees and a pair of high heels completed the outfit. Her hair was pulled back in a professional-looking ponytail by a red scrunchie, the end of the hair hanging down to the middle of PB's back with her crown nestled neatly atop her head.

"I mean," Marcy shrugged. "Don't get me wrong, I think you look good. Real good."

PB knew she was blushing, and wished she could hide it. "Oh. Well, thanks." The Princess allowed her blush to fade away. "I'm going to ask the Flame Princess to an evening of tea."

"Wait, what?" Marcy frowned. "Doesn't Flame Princess hate you with a fiery passion?"

"Why is always fire puns with her?"

"Because they're so easy with her, you could go all day with the fire shtick." Marceline grinned and snapped her fingers. "Ha! Fire stick! See? You don't even have to try."

Bubblegum rolled her eyes. "To answer your question, Marceline, I am going to attempt to finally establish an official alliance between the Candy Kingdom and the Fire Kingdom. I intend to finally bury the hatchet between Flame Princess and I and show her that I am an ally who can be trusted."

"Aaaand…you plan to do that by inviting her over for tea at your place?" Marceline pointed at PB. "Dressed like that?"

"You the Vampire Queen or the Fashion Queen?" PB demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

Marceline looked down at her own outfit. She was wearing an oversized, midnight-blue shirt that showed off the shoulder straps of her bra and hung to the middle of her thighs as if it were a skirt. Gray slippers were fitted onto red, mid-calf socks and her pitch-black hair was bundled up into a large, messy, bun.

Marcy shrugged. "I don't dress to impress. I just wear what I wanna wear, you know that."

"Well, what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Bubblegum asked. "I want to show Flame Princess that I take an alliance and a friendship between us seriously."

"Bonnie, has it ever occurred to you exactly why Flame Princess doesn't like you?" Marceline asked.

"Easy. I had her locked up in a lantern when she was only a baby and I didn't have her released until I needed her help to fight the Lich," PB answered. "I also used Ice King to trick her into thinking there was something wrong with the Fire Kingdom and that only I could help her, then I destroyed all but one of the Fire Kingdom's most valued and precious guardian sentinels. What else, what else? Oh, yeah, I also had Ice King fight her when she came after me that one time. And more recently, I accused her of hiring an assassin to kill me and I designed a weapon that could kill both the assassin and her."

"Eesh, did you sleep with Finn while they were dating too?" Marcy asked.

"No, I did not," PB answered irritably.

"Oh, okay, so you slept with him after they broke up."

"No!"

"Seriously? He saved your life and everything," Marcy said. "I gotta admit, I'm sort of disappointed. I thought it would be a great bonding experience if all of us had slept with one another."

"Marcy!" PB cried. "For crying out loud!"

"Oh, come on, all you goody-two-shoe types need a dirty-minded voice whispering in your ear," Marcy said with a smirk. "I'm pretty sure that's what Finn has going on with Shoko."

"Shoko?" PB asked in confusion.

"Oh, yeah, Finn's conscience takes the form of Shoko, the dead chick he used to be, and keeps trying to get him laid," Marcy explained. "At least, I'm pretty sure that's what's up."

"Weren't you about to tell me why Flame Princess doesn't like me and what's wrong with my outfit?" Bubblegum asked.

"I was, until you so rudely interrupted me."

"I didn't–"

"Listen, Bonnie. As much as Flame Princess hates what you did, she hates why you did it even more," Marcy explained to the Princess. "This whole Scientist-Princess side of you is exactly what she can't stand. She thinks you're a cold and calculating control freak who doesn't trust anybody but herself to do the right thing. And, let's be painfully honest for a second: is she really wrong to think that way?"

PB looked away, not having the guts to answer that question.

"If you want to show Flame Princess that she can trust you, you need to show her the side of you that I see." Marcy smiled. "The kind and caring, intelligent and dependable side of you."

"How do I do that?" Bubblegum asked.

"Well, for starters, don't dress up like a stiff," Marcy said. "Go casual. Show her there's a side of you other than a workaholic monarch."

"But I spent five hours nitpicking every detail of this outfit," Bubblegum complained.

"Yeah, none of that," said Marcy. "Have you already called her up and asked her over?"

"No. I have to give Cinnamon Bun a call to actually get a hold of Flame Princess," said PB. "Why?"

"Because you shouldn't ask her over to your place," said Marcy. "She doesn't trust you. So she's going to get the feeling that she's walking onto your turf, right into your trap."

"Okay, so, schedule the meeting at her kingdom?" PB asked.

"Don't call it a meeting, too business-y. She might take it the wrong way," Marcy said. "And her place won't be good either. The last time she let you into her home, you trashed her stuff."

"So where would you take her then?" Bubblegum asked.

Somewhere that's neutral territory, but where she still holds the upper hand," Marceline said. "I'm thinking a forest or something, where there's plenty to burn. It'll be a show of good faith."

"Soooo…" PB raised an eyebrow. "Ask her out for a walk through the woods as friends so we can hang out and talk things over?"

"Hey, there we go, that's exactly what you should do!" Marcy said. "Proud of ya, Peebles."

Bubblegum groaned. "I'm starting to think I picked a bad time to try to extend Flame Princess an olive branch. Maybe I should wait until Finn gets back. It would be better to do this with the help of someone Flame Princess actually likes. And who better than Finn to help me earn FP's friendship?"

"Well, how about I tag along?" Marcy asked.

"You?" Bubblegum asked. "You'd actually be willing to do that?"

"Sure, sounds like it could be fun," said Marcy. "And Flame Princess has never had a reason not to like me. All I ever did to her was talk her out of icing Simon with fire back when they went head to head."

"Marcy, if you'd rather not do this, then I–"

"Nah, I'd love to help you out with this," Marcy said. "I've been meaning to compare notes with Flame Princess on dating Finn anyway."

"Well…okay, then." Bubblegum went back behind her privacy screen. "After I change into something 'casual,' as you suggested, I'll get in touch with Flame Princess and ask her to hang out with us."

"Oh, I can do it real quick for ya." Marcy floated over and picked up the pink, old-school, candlestick dial-phone on Bubblegum's nightstand. "By the way, is the changing screen really necessary? I mean, honestly, what exactly are you afraid of me seeing that I haven't already seen before?"

"Marceline!"

"What? We both know it's true." Marcy dialed in a number on the phone's rotary dial, chuckling as she did. "Glob, Bonnie, I wanna say 'get a cell phone,' but using this thing is so much fun." She finished dialing the number and grabbed the phone, raising the speaker and mic up to her ear and mouth. "...Yeah, hello, this is Marceline the Vampire Queen. Can you please direct my call to the Flame Princess…? My reason for calling? So I don't come to your house at night and murder you and your family while you're asleep… Thank you so much, that's very kind of you."

"That was just dark, Marcy," PB said from behind the screen.

"It works every time." Marcy waited patiently for her call to be put through. "...Hey! Flame Princess! It's me, Marceline! Remember me? I played at your Fire Festival a few times. The crowd loved me…! I'm doing good, how are you doing…? Cool, cool. Hey, listen, I was real sorry to hear about you and Finn's breakup. But, you know, I totally get it, it doesn't always work out. So, look, I'm calling you up 'cause me and Bubblegum were gonna go hang out in the woods for a little nature walk, and I was wondering if you'd wanna tag along. Normally, we'd bring Finn and Jake to hang out with us, but they can't make it, so I figured you might wanna hang with us… Me and Bubblegum, yeah, it'll be fun… Ah, come on, what else you got going on? It's like I'm always telling Bubblegum, a break from work could do you some good."

Marceline heard PB groan from behind her changing screen. She could practically hear her roll her eyes too.

"So, whaddya say, FP…?" There was a long pause before Marceline smiled, showing off her fangs. "Awesome! How about we meet up in the woods past where Tree Trunks lives? You know her, the pie baker? Married to a literal pig…? Okay, perfect. See you in an hour maybe? That work for you…? Alright, great! See you soon, firebomb."

Marceline hung up and set the phone back down. "Well, she sounded kinda ticked when I called her, not sure what was bugging her, but still, score one for the vampire rockstar everybody loves."

"I really hope this works," Bubblegum said, stepping out from behind the screen once more. She now wore a pair of purple jeans and matching sneakers with a pink hoodie thrown on. Her hair hung down her back in no outstanding fashion, save for the crown that adorned her head. A pink purse hung at her hip from a shoulder strap.

"Hey, there we go, much better," Marcy said proudly. "And don't worry, this will totally work. FP can't hold a grudge forever."

"Can't she, though?" said PB. "I mean…how long did it take for us to finally be friends again after we parted ways on such awful terms? Some things just stick."

Marceline frowned and looked away, looking like she wasn't particularly enjoying that old memory. "Bonnie, we both…well, mostly me, to be honest, were being idiots back then. We didn't handle the rough patches too well, and for that, the wagon went off the road and burned. But Flame Princess? She's smarter and more mature now than either of us were back then. All the junk that went down in the past, we can all move past it, I promise."

Bubblegum smiled. "I gotta say: I've missed your unrealistic optimism," she said. "And, hey, if anybody was being the bigger idiot, it was me. I didn't put enough effort into our relationship, I know that."

"You had responsibilities, it was wrong of me to expect you to drop your important work just so we could hang out," Marceline said. "I was impatient and selfish."

"Yeah, well, I was dismissive and inconsiderate," Bubblegum said. "There's a lot I wish I had done differently."

"Yeah." Marcy nodded. "Yeah, me too."

The two of them stared at each other for a little bit, before they both broke eye contact and looked away.

"So, uh…" Marcy shrugged. "We got an hour. Whaddya wanna do to pass the time?"

"I got ping pong in the rec room."

"Math, I'm down."

A little more than an hour later, Bubblegum and Marceline were standing and floating in the woods. They had lost track of time back at the castle after getting into a few competitive rounds of ping pong, and so they had arrived late to meet up with Flame Princess.

"Is this the right place?" PB asked as she looked around the forest.

"Yeah, I think so. I guess we weren't all that descriptive on the location," Marcy said. She had let her hair down and put on her sunhat, even though the forest canopy offered protection from most of the sunlight. "We are kinda late though. Maybe she thought we flaked on her."

"Oh, no, I really hope not," PB said worriedly. "That is not a good way to get someone to finally like you."

Marcy lifted her ear up in the air. "Hold up. You hear that?"

"Hear what?" PB asked.

"So you don't hear that?" Marceline floated through the woods and Bubblegum followed after her. The vampire led the princess through the woods until they found the Flame Princess sitting on a smoldering log. The sound that Marcy had heard was FP passing the time by picking up branches and burning them to ash.

"Hey, Flame Princess!" Marcy greeted. "There you are!"

"Here I am?" Flame Princess asked. "You two are the ones who are late here."

"Yeah, sorry about that. Got lost in ping pong," Marcy apologized.

FP turned her final branch into a pile of ash as if it were a piece of tissue paper, then she stood up off her burnt tree log. The Flame Princess wore a sleeveless hoodie and a pair of leggings that were both different shades of the orange-red color of fire with a pair of dark, volcanic rock shoes. She wore no crown, but her hair burned upward above the red jewel decorating her forehead. She looked irritated, but whether it was from the wait or from being convinced to actually agree to hang out with Bubblegum, it was hard to tell for sure.

"Nice to see you again, Marceline." Flame Princess looked at PB. "Bubblegum."

PB smiled. "Hey, Phoebe. Is it okay if I call you Phoebe? You can call me Bonnibel if you'd like."

"No," FP said. "To both of those."

"Okay, okay. That's fair," PB replied calmly.

"You know, I have to admit, I was surprised by your choice of location," said FP. "What exactly did you have planned for this little hangout, strawberry picking? Word of warning, I hope you like your berries roasted."

"Finn apparently did–Booyah! Three points, the Vampire Queen!"

"Marcy!"

"Hey, that was my best line yet. Right next to 'princess pounding palace.' You remember that gold nugget?"

Bubblegum shook her head and stepped up to Flame Princess. "To answer your question, Pheo–I'm sorry, Flame Princess, I was hoping we could simply enjoy a walk through the forest. A peaceful setting, a calming atmosphere, you'll love it."

"Mmm. Well, I'll give you credit, you picked a decent place to try to win me over." Phoebe crossed her arms, still frowning. "Lead the way then, Bubblegum. I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible."

PB managed a smile before heading through the woods. Marcy floated up next to Phoebe and the two girls followed after Bubblegum.

"So, Phoebe, let me ask you something," Marcy said. "How submissive was Finn with you? My guess is that he was less so with you than he was with me. You know, boa constrictor vs. electric blanket."

Flame Princess blinked at Marceline with a somewhat aghast look on her fiery face. "...You know, Finn shared what he was willing to share, but a lot suddenly makes more sense now. He cried sometimes, you know."

"Oh, yeah, now that makes sense."

From up above in the treetops, Marceline and Phoebe were being watched as they followed after Bubblegum through the woods.

Bubblegum knelt down and sniffed one of the yellow flowers she had found. "Ahhhhh. Erythronium americanum. More commonly known as the yellow trout lily. The corm of the flower has a sweet, cucumber taste to them."

"These roses aren't half-bad either," Marcy said as she picked another rose, ignoring the thorns pricking her fingers, and sucked the red right out of it. She tossed the flower into the pile of white roses she had made. "Hey, check me out, I'm doing the opposite of what Alice did with those card guys in the Queen's garden. Alice in Wonderland? Anybody?"

"How goes the flower picking for you, Flame Princess?" PB asked as she picked a few lilies. "Finding any really pretty ones?"

Flame Princess stared at the burnt and blackened patch of vegetation before her. The azalea bush in front of her looked like a small grill.

"Uh, yeah, I found some," FP said. "They were very pretty."

Marceline chuckled. "Hey, check out Flame Princess's burning bush."

"Will you give it a rest with the dirty jokes?" FP demanded, cheeks flushing.

"Dirty jokes? What do you–oh, burning bush." Marcy let out a laugh. "I wasn't even trying with that one! What did I tell you, Bonnie? The fire puns are just so easy with her."

"Oh, so you like fire jokes? Here's a good one for you." FP's eyes glowed white and she raised up her flaming hand. "You're about to be poached, albino!"

"That was more of a…I guess a hunting joke?" Marcy said. "And I'm not actually albino."

Flame Princess let out an enraged yell and blew a column of fire at a nearby tree like a dragon. The large oak tree was tall and big enough to hold up an awesome treehouse that could have rivaled the one Finn lived in. And FP turned it into a large pile of ashes in just a few seconds. Once she was done, the Flame Princess glowered down at the pile of ash and angrily panted for breath.

Marcy and PB both stared at FP with faces filled with fear. They briefly glanced at each other, wondering if one of them should say something.

"Uhhhh…" Marcy gulped. "You…you okay there, FP?"

"I'm fine," FP snapped. She took a deep, long breath and let her fire simmer back down. "I'm fine," she repeated more gently this time. "I've just been…dealing with some stress."

"Yeah, I've had those kinds of weeks," PB said. "Princess work, right? It's a real relief to get away from it all like this, am I right?"

"Uh, yeah." Flame Princess let a breath out of her nose, a pair of flames blowing out of her nostrils. "...Yeah."

"Hey, if lighting things up is your way of blowing off steam," Marcy grinned. "I say let's burn this whole flippin' forest to the ground!"

"I'm gonna have to ask you not to do that."

The three girls let out a startled noise as they all tilted their heads up to look above them. Standing on a tree branch up above the girls like a hawk staring down at a field mouse was a familiar hooded figure with branch antlers, green-tinted skin, and a black eye mask over her green, cat-like eyes.

"No burning down the forest," Huntress Wizard said. "Not while I'm around to put an arrow through anyone who tries it."

"Hey, what's up, HW?" Marcy asked.

"Marceline. Princess Bubblegum. Flame Princess." Huntress calmly walked down the tree, defying gravity as she walked along the bark until she reached the forest floor. "How's life?"

Marceline squinted her eyes, noticing a red leaf sticking out from the center HW's hood. "Yo, Huntress, did you skip a dye job or something? I think your roots are growing out." Marcy chuckled. "Roots. 'Cause she's a Tree Nymph. Man, I'm on a roll today."

"Oh, this?" Huntress pulled back her hood, revealing the leaves of her hair running down the center of her scalp were turning red. "Changing of the seasons. This happens every year."

"So are you, like, bald by winter?" Marcy asked.

"No." HW moved her hood back over her head. "They just turn green again in the spring. It's quite refreshing."

"That's gotta be a relief, right?" Marcy guessed. "And personally, I think you'd look pretty hot as an auburn."

"Why are you lighting the woods on fire?" HW asked.

"Bonding exercise." Marcy stuck a thumb at FP. "And I guess she's still cranky from her breakup with Finn."

Flame Princess growled angrily at Marceline, her fire burning a little hotter for a moment. "Hey, since you're here, Huntress Wizard, have you heard from Finn recently?" FP asked. "I…wanted to know how he's been doing since the breakup."

"No one told you?" HW asked. "Finn's gone."

"What?" FP demanded, sounding alarmed. "What do you mean he's gone?!"

"He's not dead, if that's what you mean," HW said. "He got on a boat and sailed back to Founder's Island to visit his mom."

"Oh." FP seemed to calm down a little bit. "Well, when will he be back?"

"Not sure," HW answered. "He sailed away with Jake, Ice King, and his two robots only a few days ago."

"Simon went with him?" Marcy asked, looking worried.

"Ice King's not in Ooo anymore?" Bubblegum asked, sounding even more worried. "He's the Lich's warden! What happens if he and his crown get too far away from the Lich's prison?!"

"Relax, Princess, the Lich's prison is directly tied to the Ice King's life force," Huntress explained. "It doesn't matter how far away Ice King is, as long as he lives, the Lich's prison will remain."

"So the prison monitors the Ice King's pulse?" Bubblegum asked. "There's gotta be some limit of distance before he becomes out of range."

Huntress laughed softly and shook her head. "You understand little of the properties of magic, Princess. All you need to know is that the Lich's prison will hold strong no matter how far away the Ice King is. The Lich's prison will live so long as his warden does, even if my reassurance does nothing to satisfy your worry."

Bubblegum bit her lip. True to HW's word, the princess still looked unconvinced.

"Hey, Huntress, you wanna hang out with us?" Marceline asked. "The more the merrier."

"Well, I guess I should make sure you three don't burn the forest down. And, I've been told that I should try to socialize more," Huntress said. "Alright, count me in. What exactly are you guys doing out here anyway?"

"Failing, that's what we're doing out here," FP replied flatly.

"...Uh-huh… You know, if y'all are looking for something a little more intense, I was actually in the middle of a monster hunt when I came across you three."

"A monster hunt?" Marcy asked excitedly. "What kinda monster we talkin'?"

"A Fire Newt who stole some boots from Cobbler Kapoot," HW replied. "...That's been my entire day so far."

"Is the Fire Newt a brute wearing a suit he stole from a coot?" Marcy asked.

"Don't do that, we're not doing that. I've had it up to here with the rhyming," said HW. "You wanna help me kill this thing or not? Fire Newts are notorious jerks. They have a terrible effect on the environment with all their stomping around and stealing and fire breathing. That's actually what led me to you three. I sensed Flame Princess's fire and thought she was the Fire Newt. But if you'd like, I could actually use your guys' help with taking down this Newt."

FP shrugged. "I'm down."

"We're in." Marcy pulled PB next to her. "Let's pursuit this newt!"

"No."

"Too late."

Bubblegum walked up next to Huntress Wizard as she led the way through the forest. The able tracker checked the ground and the tree bark for signs of her quarry. Bubblegum, unsure of what Huntress was even seeing, let her do her thing. Marceline and FP hung back a bit, chatting with each other.

"How are you able to see what you're looking for?" PB asked.

"By looking," Huntress replied. "And by seeing."

PB raised an eyebrow. "I don't follow."

"You can hear something without actually listening," said HW. "You can look at something without actually seeing it."

To PB's dismay, this made her think of back when she and Marcy were dating.

"I can see more than others can with my huntress vision." As the wizard scanned the ground, her antlers twitched as if they were antennae on an ant. "It's a skill that has to be developed."

"No doubt," PB muttered. "Hey, listen, Huntress. About Ice King–"

"The prison will hold even with him gone," HW said. "You have nothing to worry about."

"No, not that." Bubblegum glanced briefly behind her at Marceline. "...Do you think there's any possible way of bringing back Simon Petrikov? The man he once was?"

HW's eyes widened with surprise. "...I don't know," she admitted. "The Ice King's crown is something from another era. A magic so powerful, no modern-day sorcerer can accurately decipher its true mysteries. To separate Petrikov from his bond with the crown would require a power beyond anything I've ever encountered."

"What exactly is the deal with that crown?" PB asked. "What makes it so different from any other magic…thing?"

"You got me," said HW. "With how complex the spellwork is, some have actually theorized that the crown is a paradoxical merger of magic and science. But that's never been confirmed. No scholar of science or magic has ever continued to pursue that theory due to their unfamiliarity with the opposite study."

"Is that so?" PB asked with a thoughtful look on her face.

"I think it's nice that you're trying to do something so kind for Marceline," HW said. "Congratulations, by the way."

"For what?" PB asked.

"For your seemingly successful backslide."

"My wha–Oh." PB's went red. "Um…Marcy and I are not dating again. We're just hanging out."

"Ah," said HW. "My mistake then."

"I mean, since when is dating your ex a good idea?" PB said. "Marceline and I are just friends. We tried dating and it didn't work out. In fact, it ended quite horribly."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry–"

"I mean, yeah, I've considered the possibility of us getting back together," PB said. "But based on data gathered from previous experiences, I've come to the conclusion that Marcy and I are better off as friends."

"Uh, okay–"

"And we actually appear to cooperate better as just friends," PB went on. "As a couple, things began to deteriorate. As friends, things remain stable and calm."

"That–"

"The relationship we have is healthier when there remains nothing romantic between us," PB stated. "And I am perfectly fine with that."

Huntress blinked her eyes owlishly. "...Right."

"So how about you?" Bubblegum asked pleasantly. "Seeing anybody these days? I've heard tell that there's some sparks flying between you and Finn."

Back behind PB and Huntress, Marceline floated leisurely alongside the princess of fire, who marched through the forest with her fiery fists clenched at her sides, taking a bit of care not to light the forest on fire, as requested by Huntress Wizard.

"Look, you can't be upset with Finn for leaving to go see his mom," Marcy was saying to FP.

"And I'm not," Flame Princess replied. "It just would've been nice if he had told us he was leaving."

"It's not Finn's style to bother someone else with his own baggage," Marcy said. "He likes being the helper, but not being helped. That's his style, we both know that."

FP was silent for a moment. "...Do you, and be honest with me…do you think I made a mistake dumping him?"

Marcy blinked, surprised by the question. "It's hardly my place to judge. And, well, if you want honesty, I'm not really the best person to ask for dating advice. But, no. I don't think you made a mistake."

The Vampire Queen leaned over as she floated and looked at Flame Princess. "You and me? We're designed to destroy and kill. You're not a bad person, and I don't think I am either. But, we are what we are. Even if we hate it."

Marcy shrugged. "Finn, though? Glob, that guy was born to be the best of the good guys. He's a hero, right down to his core. It's like being the hero is in his freaking coding or something. He was designed to protect and preserve the lives of the innocent. As much as we both love that about him…you can't mix oil and water. Eventually, you're just gonna get the water hurt."

FP stared down at the forest floor sullenly. "...I hate being made of fire sometimes. I can't even hug my own mom."

Marcy nodded. "I've hated being a vampire for about a thousand years now. As if being half Nightospheric demon wasn't bad enough."

"You mean you were always like," FP gestured to Marceline's floating. "This?"

"Well, the floating is newer, but yeah, I've always looked like this." Marcy raised up her pale arm. "I'm not albino. This is totally natural for someone of my paternal heritage. Also, I can, like, suck out and consume souls. Gee, thanks, Dad. My mom was human though. I was, at least, a little bit human before I got bitten."

"My mom is a Water Nymph. She's the kindest, most calm and collected person I have ever met, and I turned out like this." FP gestured to her flames. "Seems sort of unfair that we have to pay the price for the 'gifts' that our dads leave us with."

Marcy smiled. "Crappy dads."

FP chuckled. "Yeah, no freakin' kidding. We oughta get matching T-shirts." The princess's fire suddenly intensified as if someone had dumped some lighter fluid on her. The look on FP's face looked like she was painfully fighting back an incoming sneeze.

Marcy floated away a little bit from FP as her fire went wild. "Woah. You okay, furnace?"

"I'm fine," FP growled. Her fire calmed back down and the princess took a deep breath. "I'm fine," she repeated more calmly. "That's been happening a lot recently, but it's nothing I can't keep under control. They sometimes get pretty violent though."

"Yeah, I could tell," said Marcy. "No offense."

Flame Princess gave Marcy a sideways glance. "Furnace, huh?"

Marcy shrugged and smiled.

Meanwhile, up ahead with PB and HW.

"I don't like to talk about my personal stuff," Huntress told the princess.

"Oh, come on," PB encouraged. "You gotta tell me if something's going on between you and Finn. I mean, you built him a boat so he could sail back home and see his mom."

"I didn't do it free of charge. I technically own his soul now," HW explained. "I honestly figured you guys would be upset with me for helping Finn leave without letting anybody know."

"Nah, you're cool," PB said. "But don't dodge the question. You like Finn, don't you?"

HW rolled her eyes. "Look, I greatly respect and admire Finn. And…yeah, sure, I like him. But I'm not really looking for a relationship. The occasional 'spark' as you call it and maybe a little bit of flirting is okay. But, I'm what you call a solitary creature."

"Is that any way to live?" PB asked.

"It's my way to live," said HW. "Let me ask you something: how many actual friends did you have before Finn showed up? And Jake doesn't count, and neither does that mint guy who works for you."

PB looked away. "Okay, that's fair. But Finn is a really great guy. And you seem like his type. You should try to see if it works. Let yourself be happy."

"I can't help but feel like you directed the conversation in this direction just to avoid further discussion of you and Marceline's relationship," Huntress commented.

"Wha…I…well–"

Huntress immediately stopped, and so too did the rest of the group. Her feline eyes went wide as she stared at what lay before her. "...Huh."

Marcy and FP walked up next to Bubblegum and Huntress and joined in on the staring in shock and awe. A dead, metal giant lay before them. Or at least, the giant's hand laid before them. Its metal hand alone was big enough to be someone's house. The giant's arm continued through the forest in a path of crushed trees, leading to the rest of the dead machine that couldn't be seen from where they all stood.

"The Island Guardian," PB said.

"I thought I felt like I've been in these parts before," FP said. "Of course, I was like, twenty stories tall when I was in the area, so..."

Huntress stepped closer to the hand of the fallen Colossus. Rabbits and other forest critters were already digging burrows and holes underneath the titan's fingers. There was even a large bird's nest being built atop its little finger.

Huntress couldn't help but smile. "Nature always wins." She made her way around the Guardian's hand. "Come on. The Fire Newt went this way."

Marceline followed after HW. PB was about to go with her, but noticed that Flame Princess was still hanging back, staring at the Guardian's hand. The look on her face looked sad. Almost regretful even.

Thinking this was as good as any time to try to communicate and connect with the princess of fire, Bubblegum took a dare and stepped up next to FP, staring at the giant metal hand alongside her.

"...Kudos to you and Ice King," PB said after a moment of silence. "Taking this guy down was quite the impressive feat. An extraordinary marvel of machinery, this thing is." Bubblegum hung her head a little bit. "It was a hard day for Finn. First he watched as the protector of his people was destroyed, and then…and then Gross."

"This wasn't even the straw that broke the camel's back for him," FP said. "I think…I think what really got to Finn was seeing me with my mom. He helped me find my mother when he was still missing his own mom. I think it's mostly my fault that he left. And if he decides that he wants to stay on Founder's Island, and I am aware that it's a strong possibility, then that would also be my fault."

"We all make our own choices, FP. That includes Finn." PB looked away. "That…includes me as well. I made a lot of bad choices in the past. And I don't just mean what I did to you. That was just one of them."

"I believe you," FP said rather blandly.

"...Flame Princess," Bubblegum said. "I am sorry for what I did to you. It wasn't right, nor was it justifiable, no matter what I told myself. I know you hate me for it, but–"

"You think that's the reason I can't stand the mere sound of your voice?" Flame Princess angrily spun towards her. "I hate my dad less than I hate you. And that's just because my dad is exactly what his nature expects him to be. He's a simple kind of awful."

FP stuck a finger in PB's face, who had to recoil her head back to avoid getting burned. "You, though? You're a special kind of awful. You're a manipulative and controlling sociopath, colder than the Ice Kingdom on its worst day. And the worst part is you put on this 'sweet and innocent candy princess' routine that gets people to think you're somehow the good guy in every situation. It works on your subjects, and it even works on Finn. And I wish he could see past the ruse, but he doesn't."

FP crossed her arms. "It is pathetic that you thought it would work on me. I'm honestly insulted that you thought it would. You are a bad person. No nature walk is going to trick me into seeing otherwise."

Bubblegum sighed and closed her eyes, hanging her head in shame. "You hate me because you see me for my worst qualities. I know that."

PB reopened her eyes, pleadingly meeting FP's gaze. "But I want to be better than that. I'm trying to be better than that. So please, I'm begging you, give me a chance to show that there's a side of me other than the one you see. I'm no saint, but I'm not a bad person. I promise."

Flame Princess narrowed her eyes at Bubblegum. Her fire burned just a little bit brighter.

"...I'll stick around to help Huntress take care of her Newt problem," FP said. "After that, you keep to yours, and I'll keep to mine. You want peace between us? That's how it's going to happen."

FP moved past Bubblegum and followed after Marceline and Huntress. PB looked at the ground in defeat before going with them.

Huntress Wizard led the group through the forest. And by the way she was hurrying her pace and checking the ground and trees at a quicker rate, it seemed to the group like the huntress was nearing her quarry. After a minute of traveling, HW looked behind her and brought her finger up to her lips, signaling for silence. Moving with the silent stealth of a panther, Huntress advanced forward. Up ahead, beyond the tree line she remained hidden behind, was a small clearing with a river that flowed through the forest.

The Fire Newt was drinking from the river. The Fire Newt was huge, not as tall as the forest trees, but just about. It had deep purple skin on its front and dark black on its back half, with several red rings decorating its back from head to tail. It had long gills that looked like wings in the place of ears, and a pair of yellow eyes. On the thieving amphibian's feet were a pair of blue, shiny cowboy boots.

The other three girls came up to look at the Newt. "Dang, those are some nice boots," Marcy whispered. "Wonder if I could get them in my size."

"Shh," Huntress whispered back. She drew a knife, pointing at it, then at the three other girls in the manner of a question. 'Weapons?'

Marcy raised her hands and shape-shifted them into a vicious set of claws. Bubblegum reached into her purse and pulled out three pieces of tech that fitted together and extended into a rifle. Phoebe just let her fire burn a little brighter.

Huntress pointed at FP, then at the Newt. At Marcy and PB, then at the ground. At herself, then made a circle in the air. 'FP, distract it. Marcy and PB, stay here until I sneak up from behind.'

The girls all nodded.

Huntress turned back around and narrowed her eyes at the Newt. She then morphed into a green snake that still had her eyes and eye mask, and slowly slithered along the treeline, moving far enough along the trees to reach the river and slither into the water without the Newt even seeing her. Once she was gone, Flame Princess stepped past the treeline and walked up to the Fire Newt.

"Hey!" She shouted up at the Newt. "Where'd you get those boots, you wad?!"

"Huh?" The Fire Newt stood up off the ground and loomed over the princess. "Who the crud are you?!"

"Hey, I asked you a question!" FP shouted. "Where'd you get the boots, Newts?"

"Ahhhh! Knock it off with the rhyming! I'm so sick of the rhyming!" The Newt yelled angrily.

"Oh, yeah? Well, guess what, punk. I happen to be a freestyle rapper," FP said. "This Newt's got the boots. Stolen from Kapoot's. I say hell no, the geck-o, the salamander brute." she sang.

"Stop it!" the Newt demanded. "I'm a K-pop guy!"

"Yo, you gettin' fresh with me? Startin' up on burglary? You stole some leather, but you ain't looking better, you're nuttin' but a novelty."

"She's good," Marcy whispered to PB. "You think she would agree to make a collaboration album with me? That would be so rad."

"Ahhhh, it's awful!" the Newt cried, bringing his hand up to his ears/gills. "Go back to whatever volcano you crawled out of, ya flamin' tranch!"

"Why you little," Phoebe took on a demonic, fiery appearance and with a roar, fired a geyser of fire at the Newt's face.

When the torrent of fire ended, the Newt remained unscathed, appearing bored by FP's attack.

"I'm a Fire Newt, ya dumb candlestick!" The Newt blew a breath of fire into the air to prove his point. "You can't can't hurt me!"

"No." Flame Princess reverted back to her normal form and smirked. "But she sure as stuff can."

Huntress burst out of the river in the form of a huge crocodile and sank her jaws in the Newt's leg above the boot. The Fire Newt roared with pain as Huntress rolled, taking the Newt down on the ground.

Marcy darted out of the trees and shot at the Newt, slicing its underbelly with her claws. PB fired laser rounds from her rifle, making holes in the monster's belly where Marcy made cuts.

Huntress morphed into a giant hawk and took to the air as Marcy and PB attacked the Newt. She circled around and dove at the Newt's head, transforming back into her humanoid form as she savagely sank a pair of tomahawks into the monster's head. The Fire Newt screamed and stumbled back, falling down into the river with a massive splash of water. That wave of water, unfortunately, headed right at FP, who had just enough time to panic, but not enough to react.

"Flame Princess!" Marceline watched as Bubblegum ran up and dove on top of FP, followed by the crash of the wave of water and the smell of burning gum.

"Bonnie!" Marcy screamed.

For the final ingredient, Huntress Wizard spit into the wooden bowl. Using her stone pestle, HW mixed and ground the various herbs and other substances before applying the burn ointment to the blackened spots on Bubblegum's body.

"You're gonna wanna leave this ointment on your skin for at least a full day." Sitting on a fallen log, PB winced in pain as HW rubbed the ointment on the princess's skin. "It should stick and stay on the burned areas, but try not to wipe or wash it off. You should probably skip showering tonight just to keep the ointment on, your burns are pretty bad."

"What were you thinking?" Marceline demanded as she fed Flame Princess branches of hickory, as instructed by Huntress Wizard. PB had saved FP from the worst of the river splash, but enough water had gotten on her to raise the need for a little added burning to get her temperature and flames back up. Sitting on a rock for a stool, FP's flames were restored as Marcy fed her more fuel for her fire. "You could have gotten your face melted off!"

"Oh, I'm fine–ow," Bubblegum said as Huntress dabbed some burn ointment on her cheek. "I am kinda bummed about ruining these clothes. I loved this hoodie–ow! Easy!"

"Hey, you're the one who dove on top of a chick who is literally made out of fire," said HW. "I mean, really, you're supposed to be the smart one."

Flame Princess nibbled on a thick branch of hickory, which burned and smoked in her hands. "...Why did you do that?" she asked. "That was…yeah, that was incredibly stupid of you."

"Look, you have every reason to think I'm a bad person," Bubblegum said. "But I'm not. I want you to see that."

"So you jump on top of an active fire?" FP asked.

PB smiled. "Saved your butt, didn't I?"

After her branch turned to ash, Marceline handed Flame Princess a full log of hickory. FP hugged the log against her body and let her flames hungrily burn and blacken the hickory. She didn't look over at Bubblegum, instead staring down at the burning log in her arms.

"...Thank you," FP finally said. "Thank you for doing that."

"You're welcome–ow, ow! Huntress, that stings!" PB tried for a smile, despite the pain. "I hope that, despite all that's happened in the past, we can try to create, if not a friendship, then at the very least, a harmony between you and I–ow! I would like for us to be friends, Flame Princess. I would like to repair the damage that I have done–OW!"

FP cringed at that last 'ow,' which sounded particularly painful. She then let out a sigh and looked down at the ground.

"It's Phoebe."

Bubblegum blinked. "Wha–ow!"

"You know my name, Bonnibel. It's Phoebe," FP said. "I…prefer that over 'Flame Princess' anyway."

Bubblegum smiled. "Well, Phoebe, I–OW! For Glob's sake, Huntress!"

"Alright, fine." HW handed Marceline the bowl of ointment. "You take it from here. I'm gonna skin that Fire Newt and make me a hot, new, fire-proof outfit." The wizard summoned a large knife and made her way to the dead Fire Newt that lay half-submerged in the river. "I might even make myself a new pair of boots."

"So, she just…hunts down and skins monsters? That's, like, her thing? No wonder Finn is into her," Marcy said. "Is she gonna return the Newt's boots do you think? They're really nice boots."

"We should probably return them," PB said as Marcy began applying ointment on her. "It's only right that we return stolen property to–ow! Marcy!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Marcy chided.

"But it huuurts," PB complained.

"Try being a vampire when the sunlight hits you." Marcy pointed up at her large sun hat. "Now that burns."

"You once told me you actually kind of like it," PB said. "You told me it reminds you of when you used to scrape your knee and your mom would patch you up."

"You actually remember that?" Marcy asked in disbelief. "I told you that back when we first started dating. I never even told Finn that. I'm honestly surprised you still remember that."

"I remember a lot of things from back when we were dating," PB said as Marcy rubbed some ointment on her neck. "I remember you used to sleep cuddled up with Hambo."

"Hey, I grew out of that."

"Did you, though?"

"I mean...for the most part, yeah."

Marcy and PB giggled together. Marceline still didn't let her hand down from Bubblegum's neck.

Phoebe looked back and forth between the two of them. "...I'm gonna go see if HW needs help skinning that Newt." She quickly reduced her hickory log to a pile of ash before getting up and hurrying over to HW, who was dragging the dead Fire Newt out of the river.

Marcy and PB watched as Phoebe left. Then they both looked back at each other, blushing as Marceline finally pulled her hand away.

"...Uh..." Bubblegum cleared her throat. "...Listen, Marcy. I…I have considered…you know…but–"

"But last time we did, that ship sailed right into a storm and sank." Marcy nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"...That being said," PB began gently. "We are different people now. We've changed from what we both used to be. So…maybe–"

"Bonnie, take it from someone who's been around for as long as I have, who was around to see the Mushroom War blow everything to hell," Marcy said. "The more things change, the more they stay the same. That phrase could not be any more accurate. History is just a timeline of the same freakin' stuff over and over again. It's like time is set on loop or something. Different players, different settings, but it's the same game. No one lives long enough to notice the pattern. Maybe you have, but it really doesn't matter."

Marcy shook her head. She didn't look sad or angry, she just looked let down. Let down by time and fate itself. "Maybe people do change, but at their core, they're always the same. And history repeats itself. Again, and again…and again. And, what went down between us? All those years ago? Bonnie…I do not want that to happen again. Not now. Not after we finally started spending time together again."

PB stared at Marceline, unsure of how to reply to that. She looked away, sorrow brimming in her eyes.

"So, you and I…it's just not gonna happen?" PB asked.

"We both know it can't work between us. We're just gonna hurt each other like we did last time," Marcy said. "And then what, are we supposed to go through another couple centuries of hating ourselves and each other until we give it yet another go? I'm sorry, Bonnie, I am, honestly. But I'm not willing to risk putting us through that again."

"So…" Bubblegum looked back at Marcy. "Just friends then?"

Marcy tried for a smile. "Just friends."

PB gave a half-hearted smile back.

"Now hold still." Marcy spread some more ointment on Bubblegum.

"OW!" PB cried. "Careful, Marcy, that hurts!"

"If you would hold still, it wouldn't hurt as much," Marcy said.

"It still stings like a pissed-off hornet!"

"Yeah, that's what happens when you jump on top of a fire."

Over by the river, Flame Princess helped Huntress Wizard pull the dead Newt out of the river and onto dry land, where HW could properly skin the beast for clothing.

"I thought you nature-types were against killing animals and wearing their skin?" Phoebe asked.

"Beasts like these ones have it coming," Huntress answered, giving the dead monster a kick. "And besides. Life feeds off life. Welcome to the jungle, baby."

FP glanced over at Bubblegum. "Hey, you seem like someone who's good at spotting danger. Do you think it's…you know, okay of me to start trusting Bubblegum a little more?"

"Me personally? I'm not really the type to ever let her guard down." HW began tracing her finger along the Newt's skin. "But, Bubblegum seems sincere. It's just in her nature to respond a bit…abrasively to threats. You and I have no idea of knowing where that comes from. It might not even be entirely her fault. She's a survivor. And to be a survivor, you gotta be willing to make decisions that others can't. Eventually, that just gets programmed into your brain basket. Believe me, I would know. I'm a huntress."

"...Huh." FP looked down at the ground. "Never actually thought about it that way."

Huntress Wizard drew her knife. "If you want to try to be friends with Bubblegum, then go right on ahead. If Finn trusts her, she can't be all bad. He might be naive sometimes, but he knows a good guy from a bad guy."

FP smiled. "You are, like, super wise. I really hope you and Finn make a go of it, you two would fit together so perfectly."

"Speaking of Finn." Huntress turned around and faced Flame Princess. "As a huntress, I see things that most people might miss or overlook. It's a talent."

FP's smile dropped and she blinked her eyes. "Is that so?"

"And from what I can see with my huntress vision," HW said 'huntress vision' with a mystical wave of her hand just for show, then gave FP a supportive smile. "You should tell Finn when he gets back."

With a blushing face full of embarrassment, FP took a step back. "Uhhhhhhh…gotta go." Then she rocketed up into the sky and flew away.

HW shook her head and turned back around, stabbing her knife into the dead Fire Newt's skin.

"People make relationships way more complicated than they need to be," HW said to herself as she sliced through the Newt's skin.

Next chapter. Next chapter will have Finn and the crew.

Till then! Thanks for reading!