The next day, Peebee, Marceline, and Jake all gathered in the safe treehouse to listen to Finn's story. He had trouble talking about the moment he lost control, becoming a fighting machine that revels in crushing his enemies. He also spoke about Oripon and how he has a great destiny, even though he has no clue what awaits him. Finn did, however, omit the nightmarish visions about his father or the women he loves, and also the loss of his mental vault. His past lives are not a subject he wants to discuss right now, as he wants to make up for lost time with his friends.
Bonnibel didn't even try to hide her disdain for the concept of destiny; he doesn't blame her. The pink princess has never liked people who claim that science cannot explain everything. Besides, she asked if it was possible to do tests with her arm, a choice he accepted if only to avoid facing her cute face, which she knows how to use to make him feel guilty.
Marceline is very happy to see him again, she even admitted that without him Ooo lacks a little life, well the vampire mostly amused herself by saying that there are fewer problems in the area since his departure, except that a quiet world is really not interesting.
Jake tries in vain to convince him that he must discover what is happening between him and the universe, but Campbell doesn't have even the slightest clue, so he prefers to leave it aside for the sake of the moment.
"So? Did I miss something important?" Finn asks, serving cups of hot chocolate to his guests, plus an all-red cup for the scarlet-colored devourer.
"Well, the usual routine. We had a goblin invasion, PLS assembled an army of ducks to maintain order, oh, and Ice King tried to create a ray that makes people fall in love with him," Jake summarized, sipping his coffee. "FYI, it doesn't work at all. He tried it on me and I still don't like him."
"Yeah, well, it was funny to see you run away," the brunette snickered. "It was like the good old days, you know, when you'd run away screaming because of me."
"Well, I finally accepted that you're Finn's friend and therefore my friend too," Jake replied with a slight grimace at all the times the Night Queen had scared him.
"I'm proud of you, Jake," said the blond, patting his best friend on the back. "I was a little worried you might try to kill her while I was gone."
"Not for lack of trying..." mutters the yellow dog, squinting at Marceline as she empties her cup of her color.
"And you Peebee? Royalty has no worries?" she demands that he take a seat opposite her.
"Hey! Why don't you ask me?! I'm a Queen, remember!" exclaimed the brunette, looking at the human Apollo with an impassive face.
"Oh? So you didn't fall asleep during the meetings?" he demanded, raising a source.
"...touched," she admits, sticking out her forked tongue.
"Nothing special..." replied Bonnibel laconically.
"All the others sulked," announced the Vampire Queen, ignoring her ex's sullen face. "At the same time, it's understandable, she infiltrated the kingdom of flames to destroy their Fire Guardian, oh I almost forgot, she also confessed to spying on everyone for years."
"You didn't have to say it like that," muttered the candy princess in a small voice, not even daring to raise her eyes, far too ashamed to face Finn's gaze.
"There's no other way to put it," she sighed, swirling the hot liquid in her mug. "You did all those things and the others resent you for it. It might be hard for you, but frankly, you should feel lucky that no one tried to attack with the Duboulons. To be honest, I think I can see the Queen of Flames coming here to set everyone on fire."
"She's not like that," Finn said frequently, drawing all eyes to him. "FP wouldn't take advantage of others' weakness..." The glimmer in his eyes slowly faded. "All she wants is to be a good Queen and change how others see her subjects." He took a deep breath, then looked intently into Peebee's eyes. "That's why I'm not angry with you." This surprised everyone, but especially interested him. "I know you, you can be a bit stubborn when you have an idea in mind, but I also know you have a heart of gold." The blond boy gently patted her hand, giving her a smile full of trust.
To say that Bonnibel feels lost would be an understatement; she expected cries of anger, perhaps tears of betrayal, or even an icy silence. Despite her great intelligence, she cannot understand how Finn can simply forgive her actions that she regrets. It's just crazy to see someone like him act this way; she sincerely believes that she doesn't deserve a friend like him.
Yet she can do nothing against this feeling that washes over her like a wave of emotion, soft and warm like a blanket placed on her heart, taking away her fears.
Once again, his hero saved him.
"...humf...you...*sigh* Finn, I'm glad you understand me, but this time I have to take full responsibility for what I've done," she said, giving the human a more determined look. "As soon as my kingdom is rebuilt, I'm going to the Flame Kingdom to offer a public apology to the Flame Queen... and build a suit resistant to infernal heat," she added sheepishly, which made the hero chuckle slightly.
"Don't worry, Jake and I will accompany you. As knights, it is our duty to prevent you from being reduced to ashes, isn't it, Jake?"
"Of course, as soon as she's made me my own jumpsuit!"
"Thanks guys," she says with a sweet smile, turning her head towards Campbell and catching him there, his brow furrowed and his gaze drifting towards the window. "Finn? Why are you making that face?"
"I've been thinking about the invasion you went through," he said slowly. "It's just...strange."
"What's so strange about that? There's always some psychopath trying to overthrow the princesses," said the Vampire Queen nonchalantly.
"Yet he was prepared for you," he retorted, leaving the brunette speechless. "His robot was equipped to keep you out of the battle, and besides, he attacked during the day, which proves he'd been planning his move for a while... yet."
"Yet ?"
"There's just one thing that bothers me about all those machines, how was Click able to control them?"
"Now that Finn mentions it..." muttered the rose. "I collected the debris to use later, but while studying the main robot I didn't find any control transmitters. It's as if Click wasn't the mastermind behind all this."
"So someone else organized all this?" Jake asked, slightly incredulous. "But why?"
"That's the million-dollar question, brother," Finn sighed, massaging the back of his neck with one hand. "Anyway, whoever it is, his plan is doomed to fail, but I'm still going to investigate a bit; we can't let such a troublemaker roam free."
"Finn is right, we must find out who organized all this so that we can stop them from doing harm," adds the rose, nodding firmly.
"Okay...but comment on where he's going to find it?" Jake asks with his curious look.
"Very simple, I'm going to search the internal memory of his machines, with a bit of luck I'll find a lead to follow," she explains wisely.
"Well, if everything's sorted, I'm going home and taking a long bath," yawned the brunette, leaping from her seat and giving the blond a sly smile before leaving. "Bye bye Finn!"
Leaving with her signature laugh, the Vampire Queen leaves the three friends watching Marceline's last position with varied reactions.
Finn seems genuinely confused, having never seen his longtime friend act...uh, he really can't find the words.
Bonnibel, for her part, sent her eyebrows to frown in annoyance at Marcy's flirtatious attitude; yes, she is annoyed that the vampire is distracting Finn when he should be concentrating on more important things, that's all!
Jake is really trying not to smile too much when he sees that his little brother's love life is likely to become very turbulent.
~O~
The reunion with BMO went rather well; the little robot felt legitimately abandoned, but once Finn promised never to leave without him again, all of BMO's misery vanished.
Yet something has finally changed in the attitude of the human who is now standing in front of the tree house; his eyes are fixed on the house he has shared with Jake for years after they left the family home with the idea of going on an adventure, becoming heroes, exploring the world, in short, the routine for two young brothers eager to prove themselves.
Except that things had changed for Finn, whether in his life or in his head nothing was the same anymore. At first he wanted to attribute it to the time away from home but no matter what he did this feeling would not go away, having had enough he started to think about what was bothering him in order to then discover the real reason why he did not feel comfortable at home.
"Hey buddy! Look what I found!" exclaims Jake, brandishing a green scarf which he wraps around his neck. "I thought I'd lost it! Glad to have found it!"
"Jake"
"Yes, what is it?"
"I'm leaving"
A simple breeze blows on the impassive face of the dog who advances until he pinches his brother's nose, who recoils, crying out in pain.
"Ouch! Oh, but why did you do that?!"
"Because you're talking nonsense, leaving?! Again!? I think you're finally staying with us for good, but mister really wants to go far away from me!"
"No! I mean I'm...moving out of here."
"Huh? But why? This is our home, Finn, this has always been our home."
"Maybe, but... today I feel like I don't want to live here anymore. You have to understand, I have such good memories here with you and all our friends," sighed Finn, sitting down on the grass and looking at his feet. "Since I came back, I haven't felt comfortable. I don't know how to explain it, but I think I need a change of scenery, to build something. I chose it with my own hands."
"Why now? You've never had this kind of desire before," Jake asks in a confused voice.
"...I..." the human takes a trembling breath. "I saw my mother."
Suddenly the atmosphere between the two brothers was charged with a strange feeling; it wasn't awkwardness but rather a rather embarrassing realization for Jake. He knew that he and Finn were not related by blood and that one day he might meet other humans, but it was a thought they both kept in the back of their minds without ever really talking about it because it had always been a sensitive subject for the blond.
"Oh..." was all the shapeshifting dog could say before sitting down opposite his little brother... "...what's she like?"
"She was incredible," he said simply, with a slight sniffle in his voice. "She always helped the people around her, even when things weren't going well for her, even when she was really sad, nothing stopped her from helping others..."
"Come here"
"...yeah..." Finn sighed, wiping away a tear with his fingers. "You know, she had a house...I don't remember it at all because I was just a baby, but...Oripon showed me what it was like and...I don't know how to describe it, but I felt like I belonged there..."
Slowly he lay down on the floor, gazing melancholically at the blue sky while remembering all the little things he had seen in that house, the photos hanging on the walls, his toys lying on the floor, the smiles of his parents which were far too brief for his liking.
"Are you going back?" the dog asks, lying down beside him.
"No, without my mother this place has no meaning anymore, I don't want to be stuck in the past either, I want to move forward and take control of my life, that's why I have to leave, Jake," he confesses, closing his eyes. "I want to change."
"..." The bulldog was silent at first, then he broke into a wide smile, looking at his brother with great pride. "Very well, if that's really what you want, then I can't stop you. Besides, you're becoming a man, and I understand you need your own space."
"Thank you Jake," said Finn with an emotional smile.
"Well, I'd understand if you wanted to make it your bachelor pad to bring all the prettiest girls from Ooo back to."
"We were finally having a serious discussion..."
"You know, Princess Breakfast would be a good friend if you give her a chance."
"Jake, I know perfectly well you're just thinking about pancakes."
"I love Lady Finn, but if someone ever sculpted her out of a giant pancake, I don't know what I'd do... I'd marry her, that's for sure."
"Oh yes, I see, the mother of your children on one side, and on the other a fantastic pancake woman just begging to be devoured, quite a dilemma."
"Only you understand me, my brother."
The two settled into a comfortable silence, letting the recent events sink in. It's hard to change sometimes, but growing up it eventually happens whether you want it or not. Finn knows that change scares his brother; time will do its work, but in the meantime, he won't let him think he's abandoning him.
"We'll still eat together," the human suddenly said. "Actually, I'll really need to learn now that you're not here anymore...wow, I just realized how many chores you used to do."
"Don't take it the wrong way, but it's true that you're not great at chores; you know how to do that, but cooking is a different story."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Finn sighed with a smile. "So, great chief, will you accept me under your wing?"
"Only if you promise to come see me and Lady once a week," the magic dog asked with a serious face. "I know you want a fresh start, bro, but that won't stop me from doing my big brother job and making sure you're okay."
"...Jake, you're the best brother in the world," Finn smiled.
Did Jake cry? No, of course not, a big, brave dog like him doesn't cry over so little.
"Boo hoo! *sniff sniff*"
...Or maybe a little.
~O~
Today is the big day.
Looking one last time at his old house, young Campbell felt nostalgic; it was in this cabin that he had lived the most incredible moments of his life: his first encounter with Marceline, the time when he and Ice King were trapped in the spirit realm, and also his first rather strange encounter with Flame Princess.
Even the bad smiles of memory cannot take away from her, tapping her new white backpack with blue lightning bolts, it is a magical object recovered from a dungeon with the ability to hold a ridiculous amount of items while defying the laws of physics by containing all her belongings, Bonnie tried hard to understand how it works before getting angry at the inanimate object.
Magic and science are not yet meant to mix.
Nodding absently, the hero of Ooo felt his hood stir, then the cutest robot in the world came out of there to perch on his shoulder.
"Come on Finn! The road awaits!" exclaims the living game console joyfully, making the young man laugh.
"Let's go BMO, I'm just waiting for Marceline to finalize the last details."
It's normal after all the house in the trees belongs to her...yes well she left her signature on many things, normally such a mark of possession would be worthy of a child writing his name on a toy, and then when we learn that it is Marceline Abadeer the Queen of Vampires no one dares to discuss it anymore for fear that she will drain them of their blood.
Laughing to himself, Finn remembers the time when he too feared his rockstar friend; at the same time, Jake always warned him about vampires, assuring him that they were just beasts in search of victims. Then he met a young woman with a unique sense of humor who plays bass like a pro while having a voice worthy of an angel from hell.
Seeing where his thoughts wander, the human sighs while rubbing his face with his hands under the curious gaze of the little robot.
(I'm hopeless...) the blond man thought to himself (...Marceline doesn't need this...plus I'm no further ahead in what I have to do with my feelings...am I really in love?)
The thought made him frown, then he looked up at the moon and saw the familiar shape of the queen of the undead swirling towards him, dressed in her red boots, blue jeans, a red strappy top that revealed her shoulders, her long black hair flowing freely down her back framing her shape shining in the light of the moon, landing in front of the young man she gave him a playful smile that showed her pronounced canines.
(...I'm so screwed up) thinks Campbell, feeling his heart pound fiercely at the sight of Marceline.
"Yoohoo?! So Finn didn't even say hi to Marcy, your best friend?" asks the vampire queen, twirling around him with her hands behind her back.
Sometimes she looks like a mischievous imp, the blond boy simply thought, shaking his head at her antics.
"Hi Marceline," he said, putting his hands on his hips. "Sorry to bother you so...early? I'm never sure when you're asleep or not."
"I usually end up collapsing after partying, you know, being a demonic creature, I need less sleep than the rest of you," she explains with a nonchalant shrug.
"Well, that's good to know," the human agreed before looking up at the floating brunette. "I needed to tell you something quite important."
"Oh? You're going to confess your eternal love to me and swear to always obey my orders?" she sneered, making the hero blush slightly.
"That's a very generous offer, but no," he sighed, looking at her more seriously. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm giving you back the tree house."
The news surprised the mistress of the night, who gracefully fell back to the ground.
"Huh? But where are you and Jake going to live? Considering all the trouble you went to to keep her the first time, I thought nothing would make you leave."
"Well, yes, but I've decided it's time to fly on my own and have my own house. Jake is going to live with Lady...although now that I think about it, it doesn't change much for them."
"Well, well! Little Finn wants to grow up!" she said, gently thumping her chest while laughing.
"What? I just want-"
"I'm just kidding! I'm totally with you, everyone needs their own space to go to and forget about the world's problems for a while, otherwise you'll get eaten alive by them," she said with a broad smile. "Besides, it's good to be independent, no one to tell you what to do and no one to interfere in your business, believe me, it'll do you a world of good..."
Marceline's speech just fell into background noise for Finn, who watched that face displaying a wide smile. Before, he thought he knew everything about his friends, that he could understand them, but it was only today that he realized that the brunette must feel an immense sense of loneliness, an immortal girl being abandoned by the most important people in her life. She would never admit it, being a strong woman and proud of having become what she is today, but Finn cannot just accept that, not after promising to fix things for those he loves.
"...red-toothed woman! Can you believe that?! What's the point of shopping together if you're just going to end up in court over who used their things to unclog the sink!"
...he will also buy himself a new toothbrush and hide it in a place unknown to the world.
"Thanks for your advice," said the human with a chuckle. "I'll call you as soon as I'm settled in."
"You'd better! And don't ever try sneaking out again and then coming back like nothing happened! It really wasn't nice to leave without warning!" she said with deep annoyance mixed with a hint of anger, then she crossed her arms and legs imitating the same position as if she were sitting in an armchair while she floated in the air.
"I'm sorry Marcy, I'll make it up to you, you can ask me anything you want," he promised, and with regret when his immortal friend's red eyes began to shine like demonic lanterns.
"What do I want? Oh, so if I ask you to cover the Candy Kingdom in tar and feathers, you'll do it?" she sneered, seeing Finn's face tremble at the mental image of the poor Candy People transformed into chickens. "Or if I ask you to go and tie leprechauns to the wizards' feet?"
"Why do you want to do something like that?"
"Because it's fun"
"We must not have the same sense of humor."
"Humor is first and foremost an art, Finn; if you don't understand my art, then you're just an amateur!"
Giggled softly together, the two looked into each other's eyes for a little while before the brunette let herself fall down beside him to observe the moon.
"Well, let's say I'll save your favor for a rainy day; if I get bored, I'll use it to dress you up as a clown and sing you a lullaby," she jokes, clasping her hands behind her back.
"Jake warned me about the cruelty of vampires, but you are even worse, Your Majesty," mocks the human who is being pushed by the brunette.
"Idiot!" she laughs as she flies away. "Well, it's not that I'm bored, but I have things to do. See you for your housewarming party!"
Laughing as always, the queen of the night leaves the human and the little robot behind her, while Finn continues to stare at the moon, vowing never to forget the promises he wants to fulfill for his friends.
"...you'll find Simon Marceline...I promise you," Campbell said softly, then, holding the straps of his backpack, he breathed deeply. "Here we go! Hang on, BMO!"
"Yes! Thrills!"
Laughing in turn, the blond leaps across the sky of Ooo, the future seems much brighter to him, with his newfound strength and determination reforged to become a better man and hero. Finn thinks his life is finally going in the right direction.
~O~
Far away in the cosmos, Oripon looks at his student with a solemn gaze; he has prepared him so that he can survive his own destiny, but will his heart be strong enough for what is to come?
"I know that you have gone to the final celestial Earth O mighty Gods, but if you still hear my sorrows I beg you... help him, help him.