The team quickly groups back up, with Fionna staring at Cake with annoyance, "So why aren't you lifting us up already? We need to save Marshall!"
"Because I was waiting for everyone to gather back up Fionna." Cake lectures, gaining a harsh tone with the girl, who sulks at her words.
Huntress shakes her head, "No, let's not go yet you two. First, we need a plan, because there is no way we're just charging into a nest of demons without one." Ice Queen sighs, begrudgingly nodding at Fionna,
"She's right. Trust me when I say I want to save Marshall as well, but we can't just recklessly charge in there."
"I could handle the demons…" Fionna mutters, but then takes a glance at Finn. "... But we do need to be safe. Alright Finn, how do we do this?" Finn's eyebrows shot up in surprise while everyone turns to look at him,
"Why me?" She shrugs,
"Because you said you've handled demons in the past. So has anything like this happen in your timeline?"
"Not really… actually! Something similar did happen once!" Ice Queen grins, quickly creating a solid seat made of ice for her and Huntress Wizard,
"Oh boy, story time with Finn!" Huntress smirks as well, sitting down beside the royal as they stare at Finn expectantly, while the sisters give Ice Queen a confused look,
"Where's our seats?" Cake asks with whine, taking the by option. The royal simply beams at them,
"You don't have friend privileges." Cake glares at her, while Ice Queen continues to smile joyfully at her, causing the feline to mutter and turn her own butt into a seat for herself. Finn sighs, watching the whole show with a small grin,
"You lot done?" Huntress nods, causing him to start, "Well, it began when me and Jake woke up in a jail cell in the night-o-sphere, with no idea why or being able to remember a reason to be there. Confused, we shrugged it off and asked the guard of our cell how do we get home, who said that the only way for us to return back to OOO was if Hunson allowed us to."
"What doesn't apply this time for I am here to escort you back to the mortal realm." Butterscotch informs everyone, making Finn nod.
"Yeah, that could come in handy. Especially since that means we can do this sneakily, getting Marshall out without Hana knowing will be a lot easier than fighting her… although we might have a problem with that…" They group looks at him worriedly, "I'll explain later in the story. They then let us and all of the other demons out of our cells, saying there was no point to keep us all locked if we couldn't leave anyways. Eventually, we asked a few demons how to speak to Hunson-"
"A very dangerous idea Finn, any one of them could of led to some sort of trap." The butler moans at Finn, causing the hero to give her a look. "I'll stop interrupting now."
"Good, and just to let you know I was still a kid- well, older than Fionna, but still young! Anyways, I eventually asked a half monster demon, and he explained that I needed to see a man called 'the teller'."
Fionna nods eagerly, "Right, so let's go see him!"
"Not yet Fionna! There are some really important things I still need to tell you." Huntress stands,
"Finn we're wasting time here, demons could be on our trail or Marshall Lee in danger. Tell us the things we got to worry about." Her words causes Finn to flinch, rubbing his neck in embarrassment,
"Right, sorry. Hunson had put a necklace on Marceline, turning her into his monster demon self, what means when we charge into there, there will be two Hana, and one will actually be Marshall Lee." Then he freezes up, his face twisting in thought, "... But at the same time, this happened later for me than it is right now… this could be something else, some other plan. I mean, she might not even have the necklace ready."
Butterscotch shakes her head, "No Finn, I know what necklace you are talking about. You are talking about a relic of the night-o-sphere, it has been here as long as Hunson has ruled, so it is 'ready' to be used on Marshall whenever Hana wants." Fionna growls, grabbing her hat in anger,
"Great! So Marshall is now probably a super deadly demon!" She turns, looking at Finn pleadingly, ignoring her fear of him, "How do I help save him from it?"
"By taking off the amulet. And that's also how we tell the difference between Hana and Marshall Lee if she too becomes her demon form, by the necklace around his neck." Ice Queen nods,
"So we know what is happening, and how to solve it. But not what to do. Anymore future insight Finn?"
"Well… I did a political rap that got everyone to attack Marceline, what then allowed me to steal the amulet." The group stares at him. "Hey it worked!"
Ice Queen sighs, "Well I hope you remember the lyrics, because I can't rap. You know, I'm the Ice Queen? I don't exactly 'spit fire'." Finn laughs nervously,
"Well… no I don't remember." Fionna yanks her ice sword off her back, grinning as she holds her blade,
"Then I guess we're doing this the old fashioned way! With a trusty sword!" Fionna beams, 'This might be the only chance to see Finn fight something seriously!'
"I prefer not to…" Finn says awkwardly, "... I mean, that is a dangerous plan when we could just try doing a sneak and distract tactic, avoid fighting an army of demons." Huntress however shakes her head,
"Probably not Finn, we'll stick out like a sore thumb, the group is simply too big to be sneaky, and leaving the others behind won't work either, they'll just get swarmed by demons." Finn bites his lip as he watches everyone get ready for battle, when magic drops from Ice Queen's hand, grinning at the hero,
"Actually, I could freeze him. I mean, I've slept since then so I'm recharged on magic, I just need to avoid using non-ice spells." Finn beams at her,
"Then that's the plan!"
Fionna groans, 'Though we might need to fight some demons on the way there, so there is still a chance…' She angrily puts her sword back into her backpack, then stares at Cake, "Alright, lift us out! We've wasted enough time down here!" Ice Queen stiffens,
"Indeed! We need to get to Marshall." Cake throws up her arms defensively,
"Alright, alright! Just huddle up!" Everyone quickly does what the feline asks of them, becoming a tight group as long arms stretch around them all. With a grunt of effort she pulls them into the air, "Oof, you guys need to lose some weight!" She ignores their glares as she stretches her legs as well, leaning out of the alcove dangerously above the sea of larva.
She smoothly places everyone on the top, using them as an anchor to stretch her legs up while the group snaps their heads around, hunting for demons. Huntress nods, only finding them in the distance, and turns to Finn, "So you said to look for a 'half monster demon'… what is that exactly?"
"Hold on…" He says as he starts spinning in a circle, trying to find one, then shoot his hand out pointing, "... There!"
The group all snap their heads, and spots one slowly walking in the sea of larva, calmly navigating it like it was nothing. It was unfortunately looking away from them, making Ice Queen shake her head, "Well we can't get that one, but at least we know what to look for."
As the group looked at the demon, Butterscotch slowly walked away from the group, squinting her eyes as something calls to her. She searches around a rock, and finds nothing. Yet hears a whisper, "Butterscotch-"
"Begone demon! I have no reason to converse with you!" She orders, about to walk away back to the group when the voice continues,
"But we have a reason to speak with you. We don't care about harming you, for you work with Hana quite often." It laughs, "Yes, that would put us on her bad side if we hurt you. Your friends on the other hand? Oh she wants them dead!" Butterscotch simply sits and listens. "And if you were to help them live… well, that would put you on her bad side, and you know what happens to you if that were to happen." Butterscotch remains quiet, allowing the demon to continue talking, "However, if you were to help us in killing them… well, she has a special reward for that."
Butterscotch looks up, "Then go to your trap. I'll shall track you with my magic." Laughter fills the air,
"Good! Have a reward in mind~" Silence finally comes for the air, and the butler stands there for a second for any last messages, before walking towards the group. They were currently watching Ice Queen as she holds Fionna's ice blade,
"I only just noticed, but it seems to be melting." Fionna explains, scowling at her blade as its form starts to soften, dripping water droplets that hit the floor and sizzle at the heat. Ice Queen stares at it analytically, flipping it around in her hands as she studies it, before her hands glow with magic, re-solidifying and fixing the blade with more a new layer.
"My ice is usually pretty strong, but this heat is really getting to it… try now." Everyone stands back, and Fionna starts swinging her blade experimentally, slashing in any random direction. She nods, causing Ice Queen to smile at her, and also allowing Butterscotch Butler to take the floor.
"If you are ready, then we should make haste to Hana's abode." The group nod, and the servant spins around, using magic to locate the demons, magically tracking them as they scurry to a single spot. "Let's go this way." She suggests as she points at the trap, and the group follows her as she starts to lead the way. "I must explain why I didn't fight for you lot earlier."
Finn blinks in confusion, then his eyes widen as he remembers, "Oh yeah! We were supposed to talk to you about that down in that alcove as well, weren't we?... I guess Ice Queen's curse announcement shocked me enough to make me forget about it."
"Probably. Anyways, as I warned, it is fairly simple: I was searching for reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?" The hero questions, looking down at the candy citizen as she continues to lead them to the trap.
"Yes, I was going to warn you if a swarm of demons came at us from hearing the battle. I couldn't do that and fight at the same time."
Ice Queen squints, judging the stoic faced candy, "... Yeah that makes sense. Alright, you're off the hook." She says while forming massive claws in her hands and staring at them with a smirk, before spotting the home of Abadeer between the digits. She lowers her hand and keeps an unrelenting gaze locked onto it, all the while Butterscotch spins and looks at the group.
"Also we're heading into a demon trap." Everyone halts, except the royal, who Huntress grabs to prevent a repeat of last time. Finn stares at Butterscotch,
"What do mean? As in, Hana's prepared for us at her home? Or-"
"While that is also likely true, I was referring to an actual trap just ahead. While you lot were distracted by the half monster demon, I detected some demons right next to us and immediately went to investigate." Fionna scowls at her,
"You should of told us!"
"I am perfectly capable of killing the creatures of the night-o-sphere Fionna, I have been dealing with them longer than he has."
She jeers a thumb at Finn, who shakes his head, "Doesn't matter right now, just tell us what they told you."
"Very well. They requested that I lead you to a trap." Cake throws up her hands,
"Then why did you lead us here then!?"
"Simple. They are aware of our existence. If we kill them now, then they can't tell and warn Hana of our approaching arrival." Huntress glares,
"And you didn't decide to tell us before hand?"
"No, as Finn would have rejected the idea." The hero raises his eyebrows in shock, causing Butterscotch to look at him, "You know I'm not lying Finn, you are a pacifist, and that is a good thing. If not overdone. You are sparing and avoiding fights with demons, something that you shouldn't do here Finn."
"I will do this without killing any of them." He says with a scowl,
"That won't do us well… because I think that demon you spared yesterday has informed Hana, as I'm detecting demons swarming in towards us, and are currently flooding both where we fought and our camp site."
Everyone turns to look at the hero, who looks shamefully at the ground and sighs, "I… My bad guys… look, I'll fight if it is necessary! But if I can, I will avoid a fight, and that still isn't up for debate." Fionna grins as she celebrates inside her, 'Yes! I get to see Finn in action!' Butterscotch huffs,
"Fine, but expect to fight often Finn, because we can't go back with the demons swarming the camp, what means the only way forward…" Ice Queen glares as her hands glow with magic,
"Is to walk into that trap." The group all prepare themselves, including Finn who pulls his sword off his back with a grimace. Butterscotch looks at Ice Queen,
"Avoid doing any large spells, as they'll be nothing but beacons to the other demons." She grins,
"I could take them." Everyone stares at her, "... But I guess I shouldn't call for trouble." Finn nods, then looks at the path with a slight grimace,
"Anyone needs more time to prepare themselves? Or can we get going?"
Ice Queen quickly walks past Finn, halting to stare towards Hana's home, "Yes we're ready… let's get going." The group continue on cautiously, keeping their eyes open for any demon trying to jump them. Butterscotch leads them into another large open area,
"The path here will lead us straight towards Hana's home." She suddenly freezes in the middle of the area, making the group halt as well, realising what is about to happen. Sure enough swarms of demons come out of hiding, some in the air, some crawling, some walking, but none were the same shape or size. The group immediately press their backs against each other, as a tall lanky demon covered in blood splatter grins at the butler,
"Good work~ Your work is done, and as I promised you are free to go." Butterscotch brings up her fist and clenches them, making them burst into dark, evil purple flames.
"My loyalty is to Prince Gumball, and Fionna is his suitor. Do you really think I would let her die?"
She backs up, also entering the groups little death circle, with Ice Queen glaring at the demons, "Come and get me." She dares, and everyone lunges towards them. They all counter charge, spells, blades, and enlarged limbs leading the assault as they start obliterating everything.
Ice Queen launches an icicle, sending it flying through one demon's skull, then penetrating through it as it shoots out the other side and kills two more.
Finn stands defensively as he watches four approach him. He simply jumps back as they all swing at him, letting them all miss yet stand right before him. He swings his blade, bisecting them all in half in a single swoop.
Fionna stares in excited awe, 'Finally!' She snaps her head in front of her as two demons pounce on her, using her distraction to their advantage. They tackle her to the floor, the grimacing girl using her blade to hold them away from her, yet she could not remove them. They slowly push down on her, grinning as they gnash their razor sharp teeth at her.
Suddenly Finn kicks the demons off her, sending them rolling off next to her as the girl lays staring. Finn jumps over her, swinging his blade high above his head before slamming it down on both demons, chopping them in half. He quickly spins back around and sticks his hand out at her, "Get up!"
In the rush of battle her fear leaves her, and she grabs his hand, allowing him to yank her up. The two heroes hurriedly let go and push themselves back to back, watching as demons close in on them. They both wear a confident grin, and charges forth.
Huntress meanwhile was dealing with the flying demons, being one of the few that could. She shoots an arrow up, piercing one in the skull, then suddenly jumps as a demon on the ground slashes at her with a massive sickle endlessly. She leans back to dodge, letting the weapon swing above her chest as she shoots her foot up, kicking it in the face.
Then her eyes lock onto new foes from her leaning back position, spotting two demons charging at her from behind. Two arrows launch from her quiver, and rocket into their skulls, making their bodies fall like ragdoll at her foot. She stands back up, letting the one she kicked stumble back before rocketing an arrow in its head as well.
She glares as more approach, and summons all four arrows back to her, then watches some of the flying demons head straight for Finn, 'I can't deal with them and these guys at the same time…' She watches Cake as she punches with enlarged hands, sending demons flying into each other in waves. She quickly hops over to the feline, "Cake! Protect me while I'll deal with some of those flying guys!" She skids beside the feline, who grimaces,
"Fine! But only because I'm too busy to argue with you." Huntress immediately unleashes all five of her arrows, making them fly into five different demons, the one that was heading for Finn slamming into the ground next to him dead.
With Fionna fighting with Finn, and Huntress Wizard with Cake, that left Ice Queen and Butterscotch Butler. The royal looks down at the tiny helper, "Want to run to one of the others?" Butterscotch looks at the group of demons approaching her with a grimace.
"Can't."
"Figures." Ice Queen says annoyed, and watches as a wave demons approach her, the royal staring at them analytically, 'There is no one around them, no chance for friendly fire.' She aims her hands at them and unleashes a massive ice ball, letting it slam into the middle of them and explode into a storm of ice shards like a grenade. The ice shrapnel shreds everything nearby them, and any flying towards Ice Queen is halted with a thick wall of ice.
She turns and glares at some more charging towards her, raising her hand and shoots an ice beam at them, freezing them solid as they fall to the floor dead. She hears a tormented scream, and looks up to spot a demon swooping at her. She simply shoots a simple spell up, letting it strike the creature and freeze it solid, then stands to the side as it smashes into the ground next to her and shatters into shards.
Butterscotch nods at the fragmented demon while casually flicking a small purple flame at a charging demon, and watching as it instantly bursts into flames, igniting into a show of screams. More run over the wiggling and burning body, but Butterscotch slams the ground with her palms, sending out purple cracks that seeks out its victims. The swarm of demons don't care, entirely focused on their prey with sick grins while the cracks reach out underneath them. The magic suddenly pops into a massive purple circle underneath them, startling the demons as they looked down in shock.
Tentacles from some unseen beast shoot out, wrap around their bodies, then yanks them down into the dark magic before they had the time to even yelp. Butterscotch rises, looking for new foes, yet gets distracted by Ice Queen, "Dark magic just isn't worth it, it takes too long to do anything."
"But it hits hard Ice Queen, something you'll know personally if you go for Gumball once more." She threatens, making the royal spin to look at her,
"I don't care about him anymore. And that says a lot about your prince if the only way someone as lonely as me to like him was to be cursed!" The butler glares at Ice Queen, raising a hand that oozed with dark magic,
"You can't say much, no guy would like to go out with someone like you." Ice Queen goes to retort, but a demon's screech distracts, causing her to simply raise her clawed hand to the sky. The demon impales itself on her claws, straight through its own heart,
"... Work our anger off on the demons?" She suggests, turning to face the horde, who crawl towards her laughing madly.
"... Fine." Butterscotch says through gritted teeth, causing both to let spells fly.
Finn and Fionna were dealing with their group quickly and swiftly, no demon standing a chance against the duo's blades. Finn slashes a demon in half as it goes to rip out his throat, then uses his blade to block a set of claws. With a growl he shoves the demon back, forcing it stumble into the others as the whole group catches it, bringing them all to a halt.
He cuts them all down in one swoop, yet immediately dodges left as another demon leaps at him. It misses, and falls to the floor, what allows Fionna to swiftly chop its head off. She looks up and charges into a horde without a tactic, just brainlessly swinging her blade with a scream. It works, blending flesh and bone with ease as she mows the demons down.
Finn meanwhile sidesteps a demon as it swings for them, spinning around behind it and stabbing it through its back. He snaps his head to stare at a demon as it comes from his side, forcing him to pull his sword free by a little. Just as the demon reaches him, he shoots his hand out and grabs its head, then yanks it down onto his blade.
Like a reverse gelatine, the demon's head goes down onto the sword, cleaving it straight off. Still holding the head, Finn spins and smashes it around another demon's skull that tried flanking the hero. He then yanks his night sword up out of the first demon's body, arcing it above his head, spinning around, then slamming it down on another one, slicing it clean in half.
He snaps his head up, and finds that there were probably only fifteen left, and they quickly start to retreat, including the tall lanky one. He does not give chase, 'Hana already knows we're here, and where we want to go. We've got nothing to gain in hunting them down.' He turns around to look at Fionna, and finds her still fighting a demon. She simply sweeps at its legs with her blade, cutting them clean off and making it drop to the floor on its back, before following the attack up by stabbing her blade into its face. She rises, searching for a new foe with a grin, her body covered in demon's blood.
When she realises there were no more but the ones in the distance, she immediately rushes towards them, but a look from Finn puts that to an end. She groans in disappointment, and sheaths her blade, while Finn sighs and does the same. He looks around at the others, finding them cleaning up any stragglers as well, with Huntress and Cake being the first to finish due to Huntress sending all five of her arrows into five demons surrounding them.
Cake, after a stunned second, nods to her, and then they both make their way to the grinning hero, 'She accepted help! She listened to me!' He turns to Ice Queen and Butterscotch, just in time to see the royal send an icicle through a demon's skull, before spinning and focusing on the ones running in the distance. Butterscotch walks forward, glaring at the ones running, "They must be higher demons, as most of them don't run from a fight, too lost in primal rage to care about death."
"Then we should probably take them down now." Ice Queen says with a grin, aiming her hand. Huntress however, looks at Finn, noticing his very slight grimace, 'He prefers not to kill if he can…'
"Hold on Ice Queen." The nymph orders, making Ice Queen halt, but still give her look of questioning. "They're no longer a threat, so we no longer need to kill them."
"Yeah, they're not a danger to us right now, but later? We already know what happened last time we spared a demon."
"Perhaps, but an ice spell in the open, with a horde of demons nearby? We might as well set off a flare." The royal takes a second to think, then sighs, and lowers her arm while Finn smiles a little. Then a demon thought dead lunges onto Fionna. They whole group spin to face her, Finn being the first to spring into action, dashing towards her as the demon brings her to the floor then starting to drag her away.
Fionna immediately retaliates, punching it in the face while she reaches for her blade. Yet a sudden and harsh yank from the demon stuns her for a second, giving it enough time to jump off the edge of a ravine, with Fionna still in hand.
Finn leaps at her, grabbing her outstretched hands just as she falls over the edge, the hero grunting in effort as he holds both her and the demon from falling to their demise. The demon laughs, and begins making them both it and its prey swing over the massive drop, testing the grip the two humans had. Huntress suddenly slides beside Finn, and rockets an arrow into the demon's head with enough force to completely obliterate it. The dead body goes limp, its red bloody hands sliding off Fionna's legs as it falls into the ravine, splattering as it hits the ground.
Finn grunts as he gets onto his knees, then starts pulling a shell shocked Fionna up onto the ground, Huntress helping a second later. They drag her away from the edge, before Finn stands them both up, staring her in the eyes, "Fionna!?" He deliberately shouts loudly, making the stunned girl snap back to her senses. She quickly takes a step away from Finn, spinning around to look at the edge, 'I nearly died...' She shifts her gaze back to a worried Finn, who approaches her, "Are you alright?" He inquires, making her sigh and put on a fake smile,
"Yeah! Just fine…" Despite her lie, Finn could tell she was not, making him wince,
"Fionna, I can't help you if-"
"I'm fine! I don't need to be saved!" She snaps, and quickly rushes by them, pushing past a just arriving Ice Queen forcefully as she heads towards her sister and Butterscotch. The royal turns and grins at Finn,
"Not even a thank you for saving her." The hero sighs,
"I need to have a talk with her, something is seriously eating at her… and that was before I needed to save her just then." Huntress nods,
"Yeah, but we can't stay here as more demons are probably coming, they've been slowly spreading out from our camp after all." Finn nods, and quickly runs to the other trio, Ice Queen and Huntress Wizard swiftly following behind him.
His arrival makes Fionna snap straight, still playing off her problems, 'A hero doesn't need saving! They should be the one saving!' Finn quickly heads to the butler, "Butterscotch! Lead the way before more demons come!" She nods and wastes no time, hurriedly leading the group closer to Hana's abode by bringing them down a path surrounded by red walls.
The group was all snapping their heads around as they walk, trying to spot threats in these dangerous lands, all except Fionna, who keeps her eyes dead ahead, 'What if I'm no longer the hero? What if Finn replaces me? Why do I want to save Marshall so badly? What's with Ice Queen? Why does Finn and Huntress like her so much despite all those curses? Why is Finn so terrifying? Why am I so easy to defeat!? I mean Finn killed me! And if it wasn't for him and Huntress, then that demon would of killed me as well!... If he is better than me, then everyone will choose Finn to send on adventures… so what will happen to me?'
Her thoughts fall deeper and darker, being saved once again sending her over the breaking point, shoving her into beating herself up over her errors. Finn takes a few worried glances at her, but unfortunately ignores her for now, focusing on scanning the area for any upcoming foes. Butterscotch turns around, walking backwards as she focuses on the group, "In the wall ahead will be a cave. We'll rest there, if there isn't any demons inhabiting it, but if there is-" Huntress makes all five of her arrows float out of her quiver, keeping a neutral expression,
"Then they'll die, we're a tad worn out after that fight…" She looks at a gloomy Fionna, "... And we need to rest now." The butler nods, and continues to lead the way. A bit later, she halts and silently points up a dark red wall, motioning to a large cave, with sharp stalagmites and stalactites all around its entrance, making it look like a maw of some beast. Huntress Wizard just nods, and launches two arrows into the wall.
Backing up, she sprints at them, jumping onto the arrows and using them as platforms to boost her up to the cave. She grabs the edge, carefully not to pierce her hand on the spikes, and peeks inside between the stalagmites with her Huntress vision. It had bones of creatures laying inside yet nothing living, not that she sees so far however, as it does seem to go deeper. She cautiously lifts herself inside, squeezing between the red spikes as she hovers her arrows at the tunnel ready, and slowly enters the cave.
"... No idea if it is clear, but is probably safer in here than if you remain out there!" She yells over her shoulder, making the group shuffle as the think of a way to join with her inside. Cake creates a morning star with her arm, and launches it at the cave's 'teeth', smashing them before bringing the limb back and shifting it into a paw once more. She wraps her arms around Butterscotch and Fionna, then lifts them up to the entrance, so focused completely on her sister's mental condition that she forgets about Finn and Ice Queen.
But the royal doesn't mind, enjoying the fact that it allows her to stand behind her knight and wrap her arms around him, then pulls him into a firm hug. She grins as she waits a second, enjoying feeling his form pressed against her, before finally flapping her eyebrows and taking into the sky, calmly floating them both up to the cave. She lands with grace, yet continues to hold Finn against her while deliberately pushing her chest into his head.
He fidgets a little in her admittedly comfy grip, and she lets go of him, watching him walk away towards Huntress with a smile. Then she spots the small glare Cake was giving her, and causing the royal to smirk at the feline and give a teasing wave, making her humph and focus back on her sister. Finn meanwhile wanders to Huntress as she stares deeper down the cave, and joins her as she starts to walk down. He gives a big sigh, "... I think Ice Queen is hitting on me again." Huntress turns her gaze to him,
"I… you shouldn't worry about it too much, I think she might be giving you extra attention as to distract herself from the curse. Remember? You nullify it." He sighs,
"Maybe… yeah I'm probably just overthinking it..."
"Don't sweat it Finn, it is actually nice to know you can resist her temptations." She notices the look he gives her, and quickly thinks of a new way of saying it, "Not that I had doubts, I knew you would be loyal. It's just a nice, smug feeling to know I was right in placing my trust in you." He shifts his gaze off her and down the cave, realising they had finally hit a dead end,
"Thanks… I think." Huntress snaps her head behind her, making sure they weren't being followed, before looking back at the hero pressing her lips against his. He stands shocked, then leans into it, making out in a cave, in the middle of the night-o-sphere, while being hunted by an army of demons. Huntress pulls away, some spit connecting her lips to his as she stares at him with a mischievous grin,
"I meant it as a compliment Finn." He nods with a blush, still holding her against him as a silence fills the air. They stay like that for a few moments, pressing their bodies against each other as they enjoy the brief silence they get to spend together.
"Anyways! It seems the cave is empty of any terrifying beasts or demons, so let's go back, we might get Fionna to spill the beans on what's wrong." Huntress nods, making them seperate and as they both quickly start making their way back to the others.
When a female cry of anger echoes down the cave.
The duo snap their heads to each other to exchange looks of shock, then rush back up, preparing for a fight. Dashing around a corner to the entrance, the duo stand in shock as they find Ice Queen struggling in the grip of Cake, while Fionna holds her tiara in hand. Huntress's face remains stoic as she storms towards them, summoning her arrows from her quiver and aiming them directly at the sisters, "What is going on here?" She demands in a stern voice, getting all four of the girls to look at her, while Finn walks up to them,
"Huntress, put the arrows away, we're not fighting." The nymph does what he asks after a shocked second, realising she was about to pointlessly escalate the situation because her emotions got the better of her, all because Ice Queen was in danger. She grimaces, 'I thought I was tough, that I didn't let my feelings control my actions! That I didn't need help in fights! I-' She sighs, 'My emotions are controlling me... I need to talk to Finn about this, get his input… he is the only one I could have this conversation with really.'
The hero meanwhile was approaching the sisters, heading straight for Fionna first, "Mind telling me what's going on here?" He extends a hand to her with his palm up, and after a nervous second, Fionna hands him the tiara, what causes him to promptly spin around and place it the royal's head. "You might want to let go of her Cake."
The feline quickly unwraps her arms from the royal and backing away, allowing Ice Queen to stand tall, towering over everyone and glares at the feline, magic dripping from her hand. Finn quickly steps in her way before she could do anything, causing the royal's eyes to snap to him and initially glare, but soften upon realising who she was staring at.
She sighs, and her hands stop their light blue glue, making Finn nod, "Thank you. Now can someone tell me what's going on?" Butterscotch silently exits the corner she was hiding in, walking towards Finn,
"The curse had gripped her mind once more, and she was about to storm out and rampage in the night-o-sphere until she found Marshall Lee. Before she could do anything however, Cake tied her up and Fionna stole her tiara, removing her ability to freeze us." Finn sighs, and looks at Ice Queen, who was having a glaring contest with Cake.
"Is this true?" She snaps out of her battle, her gaze now locked onto Finn's eyes,
"Semi. I did get hit by the curse just then, and I was about to attack everything in my way… after they tied me up!"
She returns to scowling at the feline, who hisses at her, making Finn groan, "Right, so who is actually telling the truth!?" He quickly takes his demanding gaze to Fionna, who crumbles in fear at his look, "Fionna, I need to know the truth. I know Cake is your sister and you hate Ice Queen, but tell me what actually happened... or do you want a crime to go unpunished?"
He grimaces at his own words, hating to have to manipulate her hero spirit, but he does need to know what was going down, 'Is this how Bubblegum started?' Fionna freezes up, telling Finn all he needs to know, 'She is torn between loyalty to her sister and justice, what means-' "Cake did tie her up first."
"Thank you Fionna. Now…" He turns from the girl, and stares at her sister who humphs, turning her back on a smug Ice Queen, "... Why did you tie Ice Queen up?" The royal strolls up to him,
"Simple, when you left she started questioning me, asking if I have really changed simply because I slept next to you last night."
Cake snaps her eyes to a passive Huntress, "Yeah! Don't you have anything to say about that!?" Huntress actually glares at her.
"I already told you what I thought, and besides, why should I care? He's not my boyfriend." Cake's face twists into confusion, then widen as she remembers the candy butler next to her, who's eyes were now darting between a stoic Huntress, and Finn, who was looking away to mask his expression.
Ice Queen quickly swoops in to the rescue, "She got angry as I repeated what Huntress said, and she tied me up! I!-"
"Ha! You're nearly a thousand years old and here you are having a tantrum!" Cake cuts her off, but quickly shuts up under Finn's annoyed gaze.
"Hey I may be approaching a thousand, but I still look young!" The hero sighs,
"Back on track! What happened then?"
"I didn't do anything at first, not wanting to create a scene or trouble, and was secretly waiting for you to return to sort this all out… but talking about you reminded me that you weren't here, and the curse returned as the tiara started to whispered into my head."
Finn grimaces, "It's that bad?" She nods somberly, making the hero sigh, "Right… well first off, no tying anyone up Cake! I don't care if they insulted you or you simply don't like them, don't do it!... Unless it is to catch a criminal or hold a bad guy, that's fine."
Ice Queen smiles smugly at the feline, who then crosses her arms and glares at Finn, "You're not the boss of me! I'm older than you!"
"... Seriously Cake?" The cat grumbles, and Fionna smiles at the scene, or did until Finn turned his gaze to her, "Fionna, while it was a good idea to steal Ice Queen's tiara before she could do a spell that could hurt anyone, you should of stepped in the moment Cake started wrapping her up. And the same goes for you Butterscotch." The butler scowls at him, while Fionna looks at the ground in shame.
He sighs, rubbing his head, "I know you're on edge Cake because Fionna is both worried about Marshall, and is in pain about something else…" Both sisters snap to him with wide eyes, "... But that was no way to react. Why can't you give her a chance?" The feline throws up her hands,
"Because we've been fighting her for years! We've quite literally fought her for most of our lives and then you just expect us to flip a switch and be all friendly with her!?" He nods,
"Yes! Because she wants to change! And I can vouch for her personally for that! I didn't like it at first either when I had to be all buddy with the Ice King, but in the end I became good friends with him! All I ask is that you give her a chance." He pleads with the cat, making her sigh as she debates in her head, while Fionna just looks at the royal, 'Finn is a better, smarter version of me… so is he right?'
Huntress walks next to Finn, giving her two cents about the situation, "Cake, life just sucks at times, and things won't go how you like it, but you need to accept that and move forward with it, don't let yourself get stuck in the past with old rivalries."
Cake groans, "Alright, I'll think about it! But don't expect me to be all buddy buddy with her!" She yells, then turns to the entrance and sits there, staring out to the hellscape.
Finn sighs, and turns to Ice Queen, "Give her some space to cool down, she'll be better later." She nods in acceptance, yet he sighs, "But this nearly got out of hand because of the tiara, that new curse it's given you seems to be stronger than the previous one." She grimaces,
"I'm sorry Finn, but I unfortunately can't seem to help myself this time."
"Yeah, but it seems I can… I think I'm going to need to stick around you more, get close and all that biz. It seems to be the only way to keep that curse under control." Huntress nods,
"I agree Finn, the closer you get with her, the more you should be able to disrupt the tiara's effects." Finn gives her a quick look, finding her grinning mischievously, 'You are doing this deliberately, aren't you?' Ice Queen meanwhile blinks, then beams at Finn, crossing the distance between her and Finn in a blink of an eye, resting herself on his shoulder,
"Now that! I don't mind, not one bit~" Finn blinks at that, blushing at the tease, 'She's hitting on me again… Huntress should get her off me in a second.' The nymph leans on his other shoulder, grinning at the slightly embarrassed hero,
"Well, you've got your duty as her knight to help her Finn, so go save her from her madness and loneliness~" Both girls lean even further on him, massive smiles on their faces, making the Finn's blush even more as his gaze snaps to Huntress, 'You're not helping!' They hear a gagging sound, and the trio look at Fionna trying to hide the view from her innocent eyes,
"Please Ice Queen! Stop hitting on male me!" Her desperate pleads make Ice Queen laughs, and continues to tease the young girl by completely slipping behind Finn, resting her head atop his and wrapping her arms around his chest, pulling him into a tight hug,
"What? Like this~?" Fionna screams, making everyone burst into laughter at her suffering.
Finn chuckles, and pulls away from the Huntress and Ice Queen, "Hey Fionna, I know you probably just got some sort of trauma from that, but we need to talk." The heroine stiffens, staring at Finn,
"... I don't want to talk about it!" She suddenly turns to walk away, but Finn hurriedly rushes to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and turning her to face him,
"But you need to, you keep freezing up about something yet I don't know what!" Fionna bites her lip, looking away at Cake for support, who only gives her a small nod, triggering the girl to look back at Finn. She has flashbacks to him murdering her in the arena, the feeling of his night sword piercing her chest in front of a crowd of people, and her breathing quickens. But then the memories become today, of him fighting by her side, him saving her life when those two demons pounced on her, and when another was dragging her off the edge.
She sighs, a deep one at that, then looks him in the eyes, "... Ok fine. But not in front of everyone like she did!" She yells while pointing at Ice Queen. Finn nods,
"Sure… let's go down the cave, it's safer than outside with the demons. Just keep your voice down and it won't echo." She nods, then starts taking slow, cautious steps down the cave in an attempt to delay the inevitable, preparing herself mentally for what she was about to say.
Finn grimaces, and takes a look at everyone else, Ice Queen nodding to him, "You've helped me with mental problems before Finn, and besides, you are her, you know her the best. Go talk to her, you've got this." He hesitantly nods,
"Alright, but don't expect me to spill the beans when I get back, I think she wants this to remain completely private… don't kill each other while I'm gone." Huntress chuckles, floating some arrows,
"Don't worry, they won't do anything."
Cake scoffs, "You're not our mum!" Huntress simply turns all arrows to point at the feline, making her jump, "We won't kill each other!" Finn grins, shaking his head as he slowly descend deeper into the cave.
He steadily strolls down the twisting corridor of red rock, until reaching the end where he finds Fionna, sitting on a boulder with her legs tucked against her chest. Finn easily scales the rock, quickly bringing himself next to the quiet girl, then sitting simply beside, staring at the roof and not on her, "So… talk to me when you feel ready, I guess?" He asks unsurely, making Fionna scowl at him a little,
"What? You aren't a perfect therapist as well!?" She spits, but Finn doesn't react, and instead simply looks at her,
"No, I'm not. But I don't care, I'm willing to try if it means helping someone." Fionna returns to looking straight ahead, going silent once more, prompting Finn to wait quietly for her to start.
Eventually she groans, "... I'm scared Finn, when I should actually be brave. And what I'm afraid of is ridiculous." He looks at her,
"Is it the ocean?"
"No. I… actually think I'm more afraid of this thing than I am of the ocean."
"Well… tell me whatever it is that is donking up your mental space! I'm sure we can help you overcome it, and even if we can't, it doesn't matter, we all have fears that-"
"I'm afraid of you." She says plainly, as if tired, and in a way, she was. She was sick of all her fears gnawing at her, and now that she had gained the bravery to speak about them, she had decided it was time to put them all to rest… or start to at least.
Finn sits shell-shocked, staring at her blankly as his mind struggles to process her words. "Erm...what?" She remains silent for a few seconds, fiddling with her rabbit ear as she works up the courage to quite literally speak with what she hates the most.
"... Ever since you killed me in the arena… I've been acting all messed up, seeing you scrambles my head!" She sighs, and stares directly into his eyes, "What I fear the most... is you."
Finn's body drops, his entire form slouching as his eyes become unfocused. "What do you mean?" He repeats, still struggling with the fact that he was the source of all her problems, something that causes her to explode,
"YOU!-" Finn quickly slaps his hands over her mouth, muffling her words as she stares at him with pin-prick eyes.
"... You wanted to keep this private…" Fionna pulls her mouth off his hand, breathing heavily,
"... In that arena, when you had me pinned on the ground, you shoved your blade through my chest." She whispers with barely held back anger, "All I've been having flashbacks to is that moment, of watching myself die by your hands." She says slowly dripping with venom, then she starts to calm, her breathing becoming shallower by the second, "... And now I fear you, hating every touch you give, I'm scared of every action you do…"
Finn sits gutted atop the rock, jaw slack. He eventually closes his mouth and pulls his act together, "I'm… sorry about that. I shouldn't have gone to that arena to begin with, not with my goal of being non-violent. I guess I was just using it as a way to get a battle rush, one without consequences… but now I can see that they did have. The royals are scared of me, you're scared of me! And I'm so, so sorry Fionna for doing that to you!... What can I do to help?" She sits silently, still facing away from him,
"... I don't know, that's the whole reason why I'm talking to you. Didn't you have some fear to overcome?" Finn nods,
"My fear of the ocean, I barely flinch at being in it now… yet unfortunately the fear isn't completely gone, and I don't think it ever will… what I guess is the same about those gunked up memories you have of me..." She remains silent, barely nodding at his words, 'Even if he were to help, my fear of him won't completely disappear, just fade…'
She finally shifts her gaze back to him, "... And what did you do to do that?"
"I faced my fears. I quite literally spent a lot of time in the ocean. I got used to it… sometimes, fear is simply something you don't know, but once you get to know it, it isn't so terrifying anymore." 'But I do know why I was scared of the ocean, because it split me from mum and dad. But I'm not telling her that.'
"But I do know what you are! You're something I fear!" Finn winces,
"... Is that really all you see me as?" She pauses and looks down at the ground, actually thinking about the words she was about to say,
"... No. I see you as something I should run as fast as I can from, but also an idol too I guess... Something that can show me what I should become, what I should act like, what decisions I should make. But I also see you as someone I need to help, I mean, you're stranded in another timeline! You are without any friends, handling something you don't know, heck, you even straight up asked for help! Oh, and Ice Queen, I want to constantly save you from her constantly hitting on you."
Finn chuckles, "You can save me from Ice Queen's advances whenever you want, that I don't mind… but it doesn't matter about helping me return back to OOO, that's a responsibility for me to worry about. About being your idol… well it doesn't matter, you just pointed it out: you don't know what to think of me. Am I a threat that's going to kill you again? Or am I the hero that you inspire to be? So that might be part of the problem, I am an unknown, and that scares you." He grins at her, "Then allow me to put that uncertainty to rest! I won't ever hurt you deliberately, and I will always help you out to the best of my abilities!"
Fionna smiles a little, though it quickly disappears, "... Maybe, but that's not all my problems. I'm still afraid of you because of what you did to me, and I've got more problems to be honest."
"And I'll listen to them all. But first, that one about still being scared of me… well, as I said exposure helped me with mine, so maybe we need to try that again but on you. We need to hang out more, spend time together."
Fionna shuffles nervously, biting her lip in uncertainty, making Finn grin and put a hand on her shoulder, an act that causes Fionna to flinch in fear, "Well? You want to remain as a scardey cat like Cake?"
Fionna remains in her slightly scared expression, then it slowly softens. "... No." She grabs Finn's hand on her shoulder, pushing it off her with determination, "No, a hero isn't scared of anything!"
Finn laughs nervously, "Actually… you can be scared still, just not let the fear control you."
"Whatever! You got the point!" He grins at her words,
"I do. Now though… you said there were other things as well?" She stiffens, then faces forward as she slouches once more, her bravado dying at the face of more problems,
"Yeah… Glob which one next!?" She jokes, but neither laugh, "... I guess this kinda follows off the previous one… I'm afraid of being useless." Finn nods,
"I… actually understand kind of, back in OOO there weren't anymore adventures really… and I guess I became scared as well, that everyone else would continue without me."
Fionna shakes her head, "I'm not afraid of nothing to do, I'm afraid of being replaced…" She glares lightly into his eyes, "... By you." Finn stares astonished,
"What? No! I can't replace you even if I try!" She looks forward again,
"Back in the arena you showed everyone that you were more skilled than me, and you showed everyone at the ball how much better you were at clearing up problems! Not only did you solve Gumball's mistake that nearly lead us to waging war against you, but you also solved the Ice Queen threat! She's been harassing everyone for years! And you just come along and fix it, something Cake and I have been trying to do for years now!" Finn winces,
"That… does make you look bad, but I can't exactly solve those. Nor would I change things."
Fionna sighs, "I know… I just wish I was more useful. I mean, you've had to save me twice already today! And deal with the one demon that I couldn't yesterday! One! I'm useless!"
"No! No one thinks that Fionna! Just because I beat you in something doesn't mean you're useless!" Finn explodes, startling the girl, "Don't think of me as some threat to you! Think of me as a friend! An ally!... Someone who you need to become better than." He shuffles around in front of her, then stares unwaveringly in her eyes, "That's how you beat this fear! Don't see me as someone who'll replace you, think of me as someone who will challenge you, someone who you should strive to beat. To be a better hero than me, do everything I do, just better!" Fionna nods,
"Right! A rival!... But before we can do that, we need to finish talking about my problems." She says with a smile, 'This is helping! Let's do this!'
"Alright, what's the next problem we've got to squish!?" Finn says, pumped as well,
"Let's see… let's talk about Marshall… and Gumball… and you… and Huntress." She flops onto her back, looking straight up at the cave ceiling, "Because my love life is just a wreck."
"Ohh boy." Finn says, 'This isn't going to go well.' "Right… so why bring up Marshall if you're dating Gumball?"
"Because… I think I might like him. You actually started me questioning myself when you asked yesterday if I was a hero, or a girl chasing boys. I stopped to think about it, and now it's been bothering me why I want to save Marshall so badly. Is it because I like him!? Because I also love Gumball!" She yells in frustration, making Finn act quickly,
"Shh!" She breathes heavily, but does not speak, "I know you're angry at yourself Fionna, but I know you also don't want the others to know. But… I'm not sure how to help. I mean I kinda had trouble with relationships as well, and I never had your problem." She sighs,
"Then what do I do?... What did you do?"
"I already told you I didn't have this problem! But in romance in general? I didn't focus on it really, mainly doing hero work after my break up with Flame Princess, to the point where I swore that I wouldn't date a princess again."
Fionna looks up at him. "... So you're saying I shouldn't date either of them?" Finn shakes his head,
"No, that is for you to decide. This is your life, you choose how everything goes! And going off me might not be the best idea, after all Bubblegum and Marceline didn't have feelings for me." Fionna groans,
"Great, one of my biggest worries, and you couldn't help with it… I don't know! Marshall is so cool and slick, but is a butt. Yet Gumball is caring and sweet, yet manipulative and… well not exactly a spitting image of a man to be honest… yet I don't care about that!"
"... Well… which one feels like best with? Like, if you were alone with them, would it be amazing simply because they are there? Even if it is something boring or terrible?"
"... Yes."
"Which one is it?"
"Both!" She yells in anger, "Why is my heart all donked up!? Why can't it just pick one!?"
"... Because hearts don't have a brain to make a decision?" Fionna does a small laugh at his joke, yet doesn't gain the energy to get up or continue, making Finn sigh in preparation, "I can't help with this one, this is one that you have to face and decide on your own… but I can give you some advice…" He places a hand on her chest, right above her heart, "... Make a decision with this, go with what feels is right. Everything will eventually click into place if you give enough time, follow your heart, care about your boyfriend's feelings, and stay truthful… and I mean truthful! Trust me, things won't end well if you try to lie, or keep secrets." Fionna nods,
"Thank you. I'll… try." 'Don't lie or keep secrets?... I'll remember that."
"Good. Sorry I couldn't help more, but to be honest… I suck at romance, heck me and Huntress are admittedly just fumbling through this." Fionna stares at him silently,
"... Good to know I'm not the only one without any clue what's going on, Cake seems so smart about these things, yet keeps secrets from me! Like, what is 'tier fifteen'?"
Finn chuckles, "I don't know either, they still haven't told me." Fionna groans, gaining another small smile,
"Great, so that means I'll have years to ponder the question." Finn laughs, and a few moments later Fionna joins him. Their fit of laughter goes on for a few seconds, a sign of Fionna's improving condition, before they eventually start to calm down "Heh, thanks for talking to me Finn. It's been a great help, but we need to continue." Finn groans,
"You've got more? You need to unbottle to me in the future." She shakes her head with a grin, "Maybe I will, but don't count on it… actually maybe... Anyways, don't worry, I've only got one- maybe two, problems left." Finn stands from his sitting position and smiles down at her, extending a hand to the girl,
"Well let's hear them." She smiles and grabs the limb, causing him to yank her up, bringing her to stand on the boulder before she starts to pace around,
"Well… let's start with me being useless. And I don't mean being replaced, we've already discussed that."
"That's not true and you know it Fionna."
"Maybe… but what I mean is how I don't have any skills, just blindingly charging in sword swinging, without a plan. I thought that was alright, seeing how I've won every battle so far… but when you defeated me several times, I quickly realised I need some mathematical fighting moves encase I fight something deadly!" She explains as she walks circle around Finn, who watches the smaller girl with a tiny smile,
"Well the offer for me to teach you still stands Fionna, I'm sure that would fix that problem." She stiffens for a second,
"... I thought you wouldn't want to continue after I attacked you, Huntress Wizard, and Ice Queen… to be honest I was just going to spy on you during fights, see how you do it… but those two demons pounced on me while I was watching you… and you then had to save me."
"Ha, one thing to know about me Fionna is that I don't really hold grudges, I mean, Flame Princess set fire to my house, then I dated her! Ice Queen kidnapped me, then I became her knight and friend! To be honest Fionna, I need to grow some sort of spine."
She starts her pacing once more, having too much positive emotion to simply stand in one spot, "I mean, maybe you do? You don't want to fight anything now! Not even demons, like they should be at the top of your list to have an awesome fight scene with!"
"If I did have more fights, wouldn't you just continue creeping on me then get attacked like those demons you just mentioned? Seriously, what part of you thought that was a good idea!? I hope you learned your lesson on that?" Fionna sighs,
"I have… but yes Finn, I want to continue our lessons. I mean, how am I meant to be better than you if I don't even know how to be you?" Finn chuckles,
"Yeah don't be me, be you that just happens to be a better me." She nods,
"Ok, final thing, and it isn't a personal one:... I need a new sword." Finn nods,
"Yeah, I'm guessing you don't really feel comfortable using anything else?"
"Dude! You're me! You should know!"
"I'll take that as a no then." He chuckles, then brings a hand to his chin, "Well I've been meaning to get Huntress one as well… but the problem is where? Where are some good, high quality blades?"
Fionna stops as well, "... I actually have no idea… I mean I- well we actually, we just find them in some dungeon or in the middle of a quest. Also what do you mean by 'get Huntress one as well'?" Finn grins,
"Well, she taught me how to hold a bow and how to be sneaky, so I thought it would be fair for me to teach her how to swing a sword…" Finn twists his face in thought, "... Maybe that's what I could be back in OOO, someone that teaches sword fighting to everyone… could teach Sweet P to become the next hero of OOO… but I did make that promise to PB…" Fionna gives him a confused look, an action which snaps him back to his senses, "Don't worry, I'm just talking to myself!"
Fionna nods hesitantly, "Right… anyways, it would be interesting to train with Huntress. Wait! If we usually get our swords in our adventures, does that mean I'm going to get one here!?" Finn smiles,
"Probably."
"Sweet! A demon sword!" Fionna celebrates, letting her inner child out, an act that only makes Finn's smile wider.
"Totes. Well, until the universe gives us another sword, you're using the one Ice Queen gave you."
The girl stops, and pulls the light blue blade off her back to stare at the blade, 'She did give this to me. Her enemy…' "... Right. And Finn, I think that's everything." The hero beams at her,
"Great! Want to head back to the others? Get this show on the road and actually save Marshall Lee?"
"Actually… one final question: why did you listen?" He continues to grin at her,
"Because I'm a hero!" Then it falters a little, and becomes an honest, feeling fuelled smile as he lifts his hands to put them on her shoulders, "... And because I'll be honest with you: I wanted to help you. Because I didn't get much. I told Huntress this as well, I was usually left to figure things out on my own, what constantly led to a disastrous mess. I don't want the same to happen to you, yet I saw it unfolding before me. So I stepped in." His smile deepens, "Fionna, I want to help you because others didn't help me, so if you ever have any questions like these again, any fears, come to me, and I'll help you… because sometimes even a hero needs saving." Fionna remains silent for a few seconds.
Then envelopes Finn in a tight hug, dropping her ice blade to the floor. He stares shocked at the girl, but then quickly joins, wrapping his arms around her as well. They remain like that for a second, before Fionna pulls away with a huge smile, already starting to get over her fear of him, "Thank you Finn, I will! Now, let's face an army and save Marshall!" Finn smiles, and quickly gets up, leading the way as Fionna grabs her blade and hops off the boulder.
She looks at her pale sword, then at Finn, 'I have given Finn a chance, and he has helped me! I feel amazing, the talking worked!…' She stares deeply into her blade, '... Then maybe it's time I give Ice Queen a chance as well! Trusting Finn so far has so far been good, so why doubt his words now!? If he says she's good, then I should trust her!' She happily walks behind Finn with a massive grin, eager to both face a challenge, and her future.
Sorry if the title wasn't very good, to be honest I struggled to think of one.
Anyways, as seen at the start of the chapter and with the talk with Fionna, Finn is finally bringing into his 'from the future' knowledge as I promised at the start of the story. What do you think?
Another thing, as you may have noted, Finn is talking to everyone about their problems, everyone is following his orders/asking him for advice, and is taking notes of the team. That's because I'm starting the process of him being a leader. BOOM! Next challenge for him to overcome! After all, if he is going to start dating Ice Queen, then he'll be a king. You learn to walk before you run, you learn to lead a group before a kingdom.
Review response
cloudpanda961, on FF, chapter 26:
So do I! And every single follower, every single review, every chapter, I grow. May it be in confidence, skill, or determination.
Thank you, I will do my best to keep growing!
FinalKingdomHearts, on FF, chapter 26:
Nice to see you all catched up. And don't worry, I'm writing it now.
(Asks if I can try to describe Ice Queen as young, to try and help reduce cringe)
Alright, I'll try to do that, might help some of the others.
Claz7960, on FF, chapter 26:
Glad you enjoyed the welcome to the night-o-sphere! The curse is troublesome, but I guess that just means Finn needs to stick around her more then XD.
Yep, here starts the process of Finn becoming a leader, for reasons I explained above in the writer's notes. Ice Queen is indeed feeling guilty for loading problem after problem on them, but her royal status means she can't look awkward! She needs to look strong and confident! So, she is simply trying to make up for her downfalls. Thanks, it is good to know that this three way relationship isn't starting off shakily but smoothly~ I'm glad to know you are also enjoying Ice Queen's mental struggles :) Jokes aside, she will always be on edge about the tiara, after all, it has already taken everything she had (her life as Sarah), so why not again? Finn will always help to the best of his ability, and he's the greatest hero ever saw for a good reason. And it makes semi sense that this is the start of the three way relationship, after all, helping Huntress Wizard with her problem was how their relationship started.
Whoa! Points! Finn is aware Huntress is scared of making their relationship public, hence why he is starting small by doing absolutely tiny gestures in front of people who are already aware of it. Yep, the sisters are (well, at least one now) is still wary of Ice Queen, and this was all the 'proof' they needed. Glad you like that Ice Queen didn't simply jump into the relationship. Thank you for the complement :)
I'm happy you enjoyed the fight scene,the reason for it not being that long was due to it not being the main focus, the discord in the group being the thing I was trying to show. The curse is very powerful, and Ice Queen is wasting no time in getting to Marshall, and punishes all who delay her severely, what would definitely scare/shock a lot of people. Cake definitely thinks she is still mad, as seen in this chapter and her accusations when she slept with Finn, so she'll be keeping a very analytic eye on her.
Cake and Huntress are shooting themselves in the foot with how much they are holding themselves back out of their own stubbornness. They can grow to be so much stronger if they work on their problems, and thus, in a goal for development, have set them on the path. Fionna wasn't really invincible, I mean she couldn't kill her one demon! Finn was indeed the only one kicking ass (except Ice Queen when she was annoyed/angry)
Hana. Hana, Hana, Hana…. She is indeed a villain! Her appearance is similar to Hunson's, just female, something that I need to add when I next write her. She is indeed competent, just like Hunson, so do expect her to actually do some stuff! And yes, she is the reason why the group haven't encountered any friendly demons.
Hopefully I made up for the lack of comedy with this one! Ah, ok you did notice the slight manipulation, that's good. I'm glad you enjoyed the 'grey area' of manipulation but for good that PB pulled on Finn.
Yep, that summary… well, summarises everything XD I too think the Ice Queen and Huntress talking was the best bit of the chapter, and I'm glad it wasn't predictable/it stunned you for a sec.
So what's the score now that I cleared up your confusion?
See you later Claz.
The Book of Eli, on FF chapter 26:
Oh yeah I remember now, slipped my mind at the time. That's cool, you do you, I'm sure Claz can go cry in a corner (He was the one asking). The fruits of the vote start to grow, I just hope they're sweet… Fionna is maturing even more in this chapter, something that should of started happening a while ago, but I didn't want to. Yep, will he choose love or responsibility? Who knows? I'm glad you love the problem he is suffering from XD. Cake having a date? Well that wasn't on the plan but it is now!