DOUGH: Hai, DOUGH's here,sorry for all late chapter that almost not often upload not only this fanfic,but also my others....,I'm sorry become such often sick author heheh đ
DOUGH:anyhow,here the chapter 9 i spend like 2 weeks to find my Will to writte actually...and gtg imma need work with my Ben 10 fanfic....and....the Owl House,i really force my brain to write O'H.... can't let Rafheal alone there, without me tortune him.
DOUGH:btw lemon not here right now,he gotta meet his grandparents or something,so yeah.
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"Huff!!" cried one of the figures in black and brown dirty robes as they lunged forward to attack the two travelers."Hiyaaaah!" shouted another, swinging a rusty knife toward one of them.
"Wooooh!" yelled the yellow dog, his fur hidden under his robe and his face covered by a gas mask, as he stretched his body to dodge their attacks with ease."Hiyaaaaah!" screamed the bigger attacker, trying to strike the other guy standing beside the dogâ but the swing missed as the target dodged just in time.
"That was close," the robed kid said â maybe ten years old â breathing hard as he dodged attacks coming from all directions. Then he struck back with his bare hands."Gah!" cried one of the attackers. "You littleâ!" hissed a female thug.They were under attack by a gang of mutated humanoid outlaws in Cassian City, a hidden spot in the Badlands. The two targets weren't strangers at all â it was Finn and Jake, cloaked and masked.
"Why are you guys attacking us?!" Jake barked through his gas mask."Shut up! Just die and give us your stuff!" snarled a bald, greenish mutant."That's a dumb thing to say, dude," Finn shot back, and kicked one of the outlaws square in the face.
"Finn, not to be a wimp, broâbut these guys are wearin' me out, man! They've been at it for an hour and they're still not tired!" Jake complained, panting as he eyed the group.
"I know! Dang it, I didn't wanna use that yetâŚ" Finn muttered, glancing around. "BMO! Grab that tiny dark ball inside my backpack!"said finn as he sucker Punch others attacker."This one, Finn?" said BMO, the little game console bot, popping out from Finn's backpack and holding up a small black sphere.
"Thanks, buddy! Jakeâget ready!" Finn shouted. Jake gave a quick nod as Finn yanked the ball and hurled it to the ground."Jake, get us outta here!" Finn yelled. Jake stretched his arm like a grappling hook, grabbing onto a tall building. The two of them shot off into the air just as the black orb exploded behind them, releasing a thick dark gas that made the mutants cough and cry out in pain.
As both of them shot through the air, they crashed into the ruins of an old skyscraperâits structure patched together with white steel beams and wooden supports. Glass shattered as they broke through a window, and Jake stretched his body out like a soft cushion to catch their fall."Aaaaahâooof!" they both groaned as they landed."Finn, you okay?!" Jake asked, worried for his little bro.
"I'm good, bro. How 'bout you?" Finn said, brushing dust off his robe."Yeah, I'm fine," Jake replied, shrinking back to his normal size."Good then. BMO, you alright?" Finn called, checking his backpack."I'm okay, Finn! The marshmallow bag inside was soft!" BMO chirped, his screen-face showing a smile."GoodâŚ" Finn exhaled, finally feeling a bit of relief.
As both of them looked around, trying to find a way out of the wrecked place they'd crashed into, they started chatting about what just happened."What was that all about? They just jumped us outta nowhere," Jake said, adjusting his gas mask."I don't know, man," Finn replied, scanning the dusty hallway as they walked. "But it seemed like they were after our stuff. They didn't feel like bounty hunters or mercs⌠more like desperate folks to me."
"Heh, you got a point. This place's crawlin' with nobodies," Jake muttered, stretching his arm ahead.When they finally reached the exit, Jake enlarged his fist and smashed the door open with a loud boom.They stepped out onto a cracked concrete floor, realizing they were somewhere high up in the middle layers of the city. From there, they could see the mess of old-world ruinsâcollapsed houses, steel beams, and wooden bridges connecting broken towers together like a giant maze.
"Yeah, well⌠let's stay focused," Finn said, adjusting his robe. "We need to find a main tavernâsomeplace we can get info on that guy who knows where the fruit is." He started walking ahead.
"Umm⌠Finn, I don't think we have to look that far," Jake said, scratching the side of his gas mask.
"Huh? Why's that, Jake?" Finn asked, confused.
Jake pointed ahead. "Because, bro⌠I think that massive dome-lookin' building is the place."
Finn at the derection jake's pointed onâand sure enough, a huge dome structure loomed over the area. Dozens of bounty hunters, mercs, and shady figures were coming in and out beneath its iron gates as finn look down from the place they standing, the air buzzing with noise and tension.Finn stared in disbelief at the rusty steel sign barely hanging from the dome's entrance. The letters were worn and crooked, but he could still make them out: "Adda Andraster Commission Tavern....main guild of most informan and job center all Cassian city" Those are the words on the place's sign which is made of wood and iron plates joined together.
Jake whistled, breaking the silence. "Whoa⌠it's like Lady Rainicorn's antique bowlâbut upside down, filthy, and lit by, like, twenty-four-hour discount light bulbs."Finn snorted. "Yeah, and weird too. That building's huge, but I didn't even notice it when we came in through the front gate of this City. Guess that giant monster skull roof covering the whole city makes it hard to see anything."
Jake nodded, looking around the dim ruins. "Yeah, probably. These busted-up buildings block most of the light tooâand not to mention the light source of this place were from makeshift fire place,lantern,and cheap light bulb. Gotta admit though, this place is way bigger than I thought, dude."The two of them started walking toward the glowing dome, their footsteps echoing against the cracked floor as the faint hum of the city grew louder.
"So what are we waitin' for? Let's head down there already," said Jake, stretching his arm out and scooping Finn up. He set the boy on his back, right on top of his own backpack hidden under his robe.
"Hold on tight," Jake warned with a grin before his body started to elongate, stretching like warm taffy as they descended slowly from the upper floor toward the ground below. A few mercs and bounty hunters looked up at them mid-descent, but only for a second. No one here cared enough to stareâeveryone in this city had seen weirder things before. Mutant humanoids, living objects, stitched-up beasts⌠it was all just another day in Ooo. Themselve were one of it after all.
"Yeah? So what is it then?" Jake asked, his tone full of curiosity."Oh, it's called a tear gas boom," Finn said, adjusting his mask as they walked through the noisy streets. "It's, uhâused to temporarily knock people out by irritating their eyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Makes 'em tear up, cough, and feel like their face's on fire. That's what the Enchiridion said, at least."Jake blinked. "Wait, really? What the blubbins!? That's... kinda dark for a hero book, don't you think, bro?"
"Yeah, tell me about it. I was just as surprised when I read itâand still confused how it even got in there." Finn laughed a little. "When I read it out loud, BMO gave me even more info about it. Still don't know where they got that from though... I'm serious."From inside the backpack, BMO's screen lit up with a cheerful face. "BMO knows everything!"
"Yeah, yeah, sure you do, little guy," Jake said with a grin. "You both surprise and scare me with that unknown knowledge of yours, BMO."The little robot chuckled from inside Finn's backpack with bunch of their stuff, its small digital face flickering with joy. Finn shook his head with a smile as the two brothers kept walking toward the massive, dome-shaped tavern glowing dimly as they both walked closer to the building.
As they pushed the tavern doors open, a wave of noise and warm air hit them. Inside, the place was packedâmercs, bounty hunters, and all sorts of shady-looking folks filled every corner. The walls were covered in billboards plastered with job requests, commission notices, and quest papers. At the far counters, beautiful mutant and humanoid clerks handed out payments, coins clinking and voices overlapping in chaotic chatter.
"Wooow, this place is full of 'em," Jake muttered, his black eyes glinting behind his gas mask as he took it all in."YeahâŚ" Finn replied quietly, lowering his hood as they walked deeper inside. "Feels like the whole badlands showed up here for work. For a place that's supposed to be off the map, it's crazy how crowded it is."
"AgreeâŚ" said Jake as both of them stopped in one spot. Their eyes and ears scanned around, trying to find any section that looked like it sold information.
"Okay⌠where would an info broker hang out in a place like this?" Finn muttered, thinking out loud. "If I were lookin' for info, where would I go? Sit near people chatting? Drinkin'? Or maybe near that band's stage? Damn, this place's hugeâŚ" He kept scanning while BMO quietly activated their small radar of them inside Finn's backpack, trying to pick up suspicious voices.
"FinnâŚ" Jake said, his dog ears twitching under the hood."I got somethin', broâŚ"That got Finn's attention. He looked down at Jake, who nodded toward one side of the tavern."Over there â seventh bar from the left. That spiky-haired dude talkin' to the bartender. I saw her lean in, whisper somethin' to that greynish pink dude and that guy whisper back at her, and then she paid him right after," Jake said quietly, his tone low and serious.
"Huh, you sure, bro? That guy?" Finn whispered, crouching down beside Jake."I'm flippin' serious!" Jake replied, his tone low but certain. "BMO, think you can use that radar or whatever gizmo you got in there? I need confirmation on this â I see more bounty hunters headin' to that guy's bar."Inside Finn's backpack, BMO's screen flickered to to signal logol. The little robot stayed quiet for a few seconds, scanning with a faint beep-beep-beep before whispering back, "Finn! Jake's right! That guy is an information broker!"
Finn smirked under his gas mask. "Heh, nice work, you twoâŚ"
Both of them walked up to the bar and sat down in front of a grey-pink humanoid mutant with a cybernetic left eye. The person leaned on the counter and smiled."Oh~ customers! What can I do for you two?" they said in a soft, feminine voice.
Finn blinked, raising a brow under his mask. "Umm⌠Jake, tell me if I'm hearing things or my eyes are messed upâbut you said this person was a guy, right?" he whispered."Huh? Yeah, that's what I said⌠waitâah, now that you mention it," Jake squinted, tilting his head, "they look kinda different from before. My eyesight ain't the best unlike my nose,and ears."
The two stared for a moment. The figure had a slim, feminine shape, pinkish-grey skin, dark cropped hair, and a soft faceâdefinitely giving "lady" vibes. But the loose shirt clearly showed a pair of soft, perky chests⌠and beneath the baggy green pants, wellâthere was also something else."...Yeah, this is a dude," Finn muttered quietly."Umm, hello? Are you two gonna order something or just stare?" the feminine mutant asked again, slightly tilting their head.
Both of them snapped when they heard that and laughed awkwardly. Finn scratched the back of his head, his gas mask hiding his confused face.
"Uhâyeah, sorry, dude⌠just got a little mixed up for a secâsaw the, uh⌠the menu behind you," he said, trying not to stare too obviously.
The pinkish-grey mutant chuckled, resting an elbow on the counter."Heh, it's fine, sugar. Happens all the timeâwe do have good food and drinks here. So, what brings two masked strangers into my little corner of the tavern~? You lookin' for drinks, jobs⌠or info?" said the feminine bartender with cat-shaped lips, eyeing them both.
Jake glanced around, then leaned closer, lowering his voice."We're here for info, my man. Heard you're the one to talk to if we wanna know things," he said, lying smoothlyâsince both of them had actually been eavesdropping on him earlier with his other customers.The mutant's cybernetic eye flickered faintly blue as he grinned, showing small, sharp teeth."Ohhh, info, huh? That's my favorite kind of currency. Depends what you're after⌠and what you're willin' to pay for it~"
Finn crossed his arms on the bar."Well, we're lookin' for someone. Heard rumors he's here in Cassian City. A guy who knows the location of a special kind of fruit⌠rare stuff. You know anything 'bout that?"The mutant's grin widened as he tapped his metallic temple."Mmm⌠someone, huh? From my judgment, you two ain't from around hereâoutsiders, I see. Well⌠if you're lookin' for information about this person, maybe I do, maybe I don't. But for the right price, sugar⌠my memory gets real sharp."
Small beads of sweat ran down Finn and Jake's facesâthank goodness the gas masks and their robes hid their expressions so the feminine mutant couldn't see them.
"Do you take gold coins?" Finn asked, keeping his tone calm.
The mutant smirked, his cybernetic eye dimly glowing. "Hmm, yes I do. I'd be very glad to share what you're afterâif you've got enough of it. And if you don'tâŚ" he lifted his hips slightly, making an okay sign with his fingers and sticking out his tongue with a dirty grin, "well, there are other ways to pay, sugar~ You look pretty well-built under that robe, maybe we couâ"
Before the mutant could finish, Finn slammed five small bags onto the counterâeach filled with forty gold coins."Here! For the info. That's enough, right?"The loud thump made everyone nearby glance over. Jake blinked in surprise, whispering under his breath, "Dude, what theâhow'd you evenâ"
The bartender flinched a little from the loud thud Finn made when dropping the bags. He blinked, surprised, then leaned over to peek inside each oneâforty gold coins per bag."Well, look at that," he said with a sly smile. "You're pretty loaded, huh? That's more than enough for what you're askin', sugar~" He slid the bags smoothly under the counter and winked. "Though, gotta say⌠it's kinda a shame. We could've had fun if you paid another way~"
Finn crossed his arms and let out a short laugh under his mask. "Nah, I wouldn't. Sorry, palâyou're not my type. Plus, I'm literally ten."Jake nodded, deadpan. "Yup. He's ten, bro. So back off."
The pinkish-grey mutant tilted his head, his grin widening mischievously. "Hmm? Is that so? Well, that ruin the mood, sugar~" he said, licking his lips teasingly. "Still, what a shame⌠you're totally my typeâif only I could see that cute face under your mask."Finn stiffened a little at that, the creep factor hitting him hard. Even though the mutant was shorter than him, that sly grin and half-lidded gaze made his skin crawl.
'What the hell is this femboy even talkin' about? Gave me the creeps,' Finn thought, trying not to let it show under his gas mask. 'I ain't swing that way, man⌠second life or not, this whole convo's makin' me feel weird as hell. My old-ass brain wanna slap this brat for talkin' that dirtyâbut nah, gotta hold it in. Chill, Finn, chillâŚ' he sighed inwardly.
"Uhhh⌠so, the information?" Finn asked, forcing his tone to sound steady, casualâeven though his patience was hanging by a thread.
The femboy mutant leaned closer on the counter, grinning like a cat that caught a mouse. "Ah, the information~?" The femboy smirked, to the boy infornt of him with his cute face studies him."Can't wait to hear it, huh? Hehe~ we could still chat a bit, just the two of us, if your little friend here gives us some space~ But I see you're the type that's always in a rush⌠I like that."
'Calm down, Finn. Calm down. Think mature, you over eighties mentally!' Finn told himself again, his hand slowly slipping toward his scarlet/gold sword hidden under his robe, readyâjust in case.
"Oh wellâ" the femboy mutant said, twirling a finger through his dark hair and leaning in with that same teasing grin, "âI'm gonna tell you where to find the person you two are lookin' for~ Since you're after that rare fruit⌠or should I say, extinct fruit? Yeah, that's what he keeps ramblin' about whenever he's drunk. Heard him a few times myself~ He's kinda famous around here⌠for being a crazy old coot. Unlike you, young man~"His voice dropped low again, dripping with flirt, and Finn's fingers twitched on the hilt of his swordâpure restraint keeping him from reacting.
"He's known by the nickname One-Leg Old Shelly," the femboy finally said."One-Leg Old Shelly?" Jake repeated, curious, his yellow tail wagging slightly under his robe, hidden by his backpack."Yup~ Big guy. Scary-lookin'. Huge body, covered in scars," said the femboy, waving his hands dramatically like casting a spell.
"Wooow, must be one tough bounty hunter or mech guy!" Jake said, impressed."Well, that's the thing, sugar~" the femboy chuckled, resting his chin on one hand. "No one really knows. He's been here since this city was built. Nobody's ever asked where he came fromâor dared to. Folks just assume he's a merc or a hunter⌠'cause he's too damn scary to talk to~"
"i see,Ummm, do you know where this guy lives then?" Finn asked.The femboy mutant gave him that same lingering gaze and smiled. "Yes, I do, sugar baby~ He lives up north, in the old, run-down part of the city. That area's empty 'cause people are too scared to go there. Even nobodies won't crash there for the night~"
"welo,That's good enough. Come on, Jake!" Finn said quickly, getting up from his chair. Jake followed right behind him."How rude~ Not even saying 'thank you' after I gave you that info, sugar~?" the femboy teased, leaning on the counter with a pout.Finn stopped mid-step, exhaled a heavy sigh, then turned slightly. "...Thanks, youâuh..." He paused, not sure what to call him, and honestly not wanting to know.
"Atarah. Atarah Asper~" the greynish pink mutant said with a playful wink that sent chills down Finn's spine."Yeah, whatever. See ya," Finn muttered, waving lazily before heading out."Well, see you later, unknown handsome boy with gas mask and his cute friend~" Atarah cooed, waving gently as the two brothers slipped back into the noisy tavern crowd.
After the two of them disappeared from view, the femboy let out a long sigh. "Well, that was fun~ It's not every day I get someone that easy to tease, huh?" he chuckled. The in moment he glanced sideways at a man sitting quietly at the end of the bar, nursing a mug of beer. "Not to mentionâa new Hero of Ooo showing up here, looking for old Shelly's location⌠am I right, Kaida?" he said with a sly smirk.The man chuckled, shaking his head as he took another sip. "Yeah, that's a rare sight. Didn't expect the so-called new Hero who's been running around this continent to suddenly show up in a dump like Cassian City," he said, his voice deep and calm.
Kaida's golden, sharp eyesâlike a hawk'sânarrowed slightly as he looked at the pinkish-grey mutant bartender. "But you kinda overdid it, didn't you? Those brats looked uncomfortable as hell⌠especially the kidâFinn, right?"
"Fufufu~ I couldn't help it," the mutant hummed with a teasing grin, shrugging his shoulders. "You know me, Kaida~ I just love getting a reaction."
"And their faces were hilarious when they looked at me," said the feminine-looking mutant with a giggle."Yeah, you sure got them good," said the man in the red hat, who looked to be in his 40s. He leaned back on his stool, smirking. "But maybe you should take that thing off now. People might actually start thinkin' you're a guy for real."
"How rude~" the so-called femboy pouted dramatically before slipping a hand into the front of her loose green pants and pulling out two small steel orbsâperfectly shaped to imitate a certain⌠male feature.
(Author:đż)
The man snorted into his drink, shaking his head. "Still as bold as ever, huh? The infamous 'InformantPrincess' of the Underground Intel Kingdom, walking around with fake balls just to mess with people."The pinkish-grey mutantânow clearly a womanâwinked at him with a grin."Hehe~ It's called commitment to the bit, darling~"That made Kaidaâthe red-hatted manâchuckle, his sharp eagle-like eyes focusing on the drink and snack in front of him."So what're you gonna do?" asked Atarah, the secret royal who worked as the bartender, leaning on the counter."Do about what?" Kaida replied with a sly smirk, sliding his empty mug toward her for a refill.
"About them, of course," she said, refilling his drink and sliding it back with a teasing grin. "Those two kids are headin' straight into the north side⌠and I know they're being tailed right now by that creep who was eavesdropping earlier. I'm afraid the young heroes won't be able to handle it~"Kaida took the mug, swirling the frothy drink before taking a sip. "Oh, please. We're talkin' about that brat who almost want to sliced you in half earlier. His grip on his sword was strongâstronger than most grown mercs I've met. He'll manage."He set the mug down, eyes half-lidded and calm. "Besides, that stalkers ain't on my level⌠and those kids are headin' to his place. That's already a bigger problem than whoever's tailin' them."
Atarah smiled softly, twirling a strand of her dark hair between her fingers. "Yeah, you're right⌠that guy's a monster after all~ So I guess those two will find him just fine."
Kaida smirked, resting his elbow on the counter. "You still sound disappointed though. Still feeling awful about being rejected by him?" he teased, his golden hawk-like eyes glinting with amusement.Atarah pouted and leaned on the bar, sighing. "Well, yeah⌠kinda. It's not every day I meet someone my age."That made Kaida raise his eyebrows upwards."fine, almost my age...don't need to remind me of that ,just it it very rare meet someone young same as me in a dump like this, you know~? I keep seeing the same typesâbrutes, uglies, mercs, and bounty freaks. It gets boring!"
She chuckled, her voice playful again. "That's why I wore that thing under my pants in the first place~ Just to mess around, make things interesting. So when I met him while doing my little hobbyâpretending to be a bartender who sells informationâit actually felt... fun." Kaida laughed quietly, shaking his head. "You and your weird hobbies, princess."
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Finn's POV
Welp, that was a weird experienceâ10 outta 10, would not wanna go through that again. That dude, shorter than me, low-key flirting in the creepiest way possible... like, bro, I'm ten. Even if my brain's older than that, I still don't swing that way. And that soft, feminine face of hisâugh. I swear, I felt a chill crawl down my spine. Yeah, let's just forget that whole mess and find this Old Shelly guy. The faster, the better.
Now I'm back on Jake's back againâor more like hanging onto his backpack under his robe, you know what I mean. He's stretchin' those yellow legs of his like long pillars while we move through this massive, dark, maze-like city. I got my telescope out, scanning ahead for the place, and in my free hand I'm holding our "compass"âBMO. Yeah, the little dude's screen is showing directions like an old-school pixel map for derection. They might be small and a little laggy sometimes, but dang, they's useful.
I mean it, man! I really should bring BMO along more often with me and Jake on our adventures. After seeing how useful they actually areâwith all those hidden gadgets I didn't even know they had? Like, seriously, radar, compass, sound-capture system⌠maybe even more stuff packed inside that little Game Boy-looking body! And don't even get me started on the knowledge they've gotâstraight-up like a walking Wikipedia.
Like, when I made that tear gas from the Enchiridion recipe? BMO just popped up and gave me a full-on tutorial! All that infoâprobably from the old world of Adventure Time, back when humans still existed and the internet was still a thing. That's insane! This little fella's a treasure, for real. I didn't even know in the original show that had it. how crazy useful BMO could be if it they show it. I thought all this time they were just for gaming, cooking when Jake wasn't around, or acting cuteâand that was it! What a waste! Big waste! Not this time, though. I ain't letting that slide.
"Hey, Finn," Jake called out, snapping me outta my thoughts. My yellow pitbull bro stretched his neck like some kinda rubber giraffe, the straps of his gas mask creaking a bit as he turned to look at me. The air here was still nasty as hellâlike rotten oil and rust mixed togetherâso yeah, the mask was stayin' on."What's up, Jake? We almost there yet?" I asked, glancing back at him while still holding onto his backpack."No, broâI just wanted to check if you're okay," Jake said, his voice softer than usual, a little big-brotherly. "That dude was hitting on you hard back there. You good?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered. "I felt weird and creeped out, for sure. That short, feminine info-broker was way too flirty. I was this close to beheading him." I made a tiny stabbing motion with my finger to show how close.He snorted. "Yeah, I heard how tight your grip got on your sword."I shrugged. "So what's up, Jake? You wanted to ask me something else?"
"Just makin' sure you're okay, man," Jake said again, all brotherly. "That dude was bonkers. Even if he's shorter than you, who knows how old he is. If he's some creep flirtin' with you like that, that's harassment â I wouldn't just stand there. I was this close to punching him." He made it clear in his tone.
"Aww, that's sweet, bro," I said with a grin.
"But we couldn't do that anyway â not here. I wanted to slice him so bad earlier and you wanted to punch him, but this place is full of mercs and bounty hunters. Seem that broker's got protection, maybe from some guild â I saw weird flags everywhere."
"We'd be toast. Targeted by every merc in this dump," I added, glancing at BMO's compass on my hand."Hm, you got a point, Finn," Jake said. "But trust me, little bro â if that ever happens again, you can count on Jakie." He gave a smile under his gas mask."Thanks, Jake. I always knew I could count on you, bro," I said, smiling back under my mask.
âââ
After a long search, we finally found itâan empty, run-down part of the north side of Cassian City. The domes were made it hard to find the place because it so damm dark here even though there are Ligh,but it didn't help much inside this giant monster skulls, As we walked through the streets, there wasn't a single soul around. No people, no homeless, no mercs, no bounty hunters, no shoppers⌠nothing. Just silence."Whoa⌠this place is real Bookoo Spookoo," Jake said, his voice low as he glanced around. "I got goosebumps, manâmy fur's standin' straight up!"
"Yeah, same dude, I got flippin' goosebumps too," I said, looking around at the run-down buildings. "BMO, get back in my backpack, okay little buddy?"
"Okay, Finn," the tiny robot replied in their usual cheerful tone. I gently put them back inside my backpack and patted it up."Let's move, Jake," I said, taking the lead.As we walked through the empty streets, we both took off our robesâit felt safe enough now. No one around, no eyes watching. Just the echo of our footsteps in this ghost part of the city.
We walked down the dirt-and-stone path, still searching for where this guy lived."Man, you sure that creepy informant told the truth? Did we get scammed?" Jake asked, eyes scanning the ruins."Well⌠he seemed like a creep, but I don't think he was lying," I said. "We can probably trust him.""If he's lying, we'll find him and give him rough justiceâmake him pay for scamming us and for hitting on you like that. Especially if he turns out older than he looks," Jake said, punching his palms together and grinning up at me."Haha, yeah, yeah, Jake," I laughed. His jokes made the walk less boring.
After that, we cracked a few jokes so the walk wouldn't feel so damn long. Things went quiet for a bit before I started chuckling to myself, making Jake's dog ears perk up."Hey Finn, what's so funny, bro?" Jake asked, his voice muffled a bit under the gas mask."Hahaha, nothing, man. I was just thinkingâthis would've been way easier if we used your super nose to track that person on. But, you know, with how nasty this air is, you'd probably pass out before we found anything. Too bad we can't use that proud nose of yours, huh?" I said, teasing him."Ah-hah, very funny, FinnâŚ" Jake replied with a dry laugh."Oh, come on, bro. Hehehe, lighten upâI'm just messin' with you," I said, still grinning.
"Oh yeah? Haha, then try messin' with this!" Jake grinned under his gas mask before jumping right at meâbackpack and all. He playfully tackled me, yelling, "Take this, human! WUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" while giving me a bunch of goofy slaps to the face."HahahaâJake! Stop that, man! Hahaha, that tickles, bro!" I shouted between laughs, trying to push him off.We both ended up laughing our asses off in the middle of that empty street, not even realizing where we were anymore. After that intense tickle battle, we finally collapsed to the ground, out of breath."Hahaha⌠huff⌠huff⌠dude, I'm exhausted," I said, still chuckling as I wiped my face.
"Haah⌠haah⌠me too, man. Carryin' this heavy backpack sure didn't help when you started that tickle fight," Jake said, still sitting on top of me, panting hard."Hahaha⌠yeah," I laughed, sitting on my butt instead of lying flatâthank glob, or poor BMO would've been squished in my pack.
Then it hit us both. We froze, realizing where we'd stopped. Out of all the dark, empty buildings around⌠one had a faint light shining through the cracks."Jake⌠did weâ?" I asked, staring at the glowing window."Yeah," he replied, eyes narrowing under the mask. "Seems like our tickle fight brought us right to the place." The place we stopped at looked⌠kinda different. Yeah, it was still made of wood like the other buildings, with patches of steel and iron slapped on to keep it standing, but the walls had this weird clay textureâsoft, almost handmade. And in the middle of all this dark, rotten city, that building gave off a warm, cozy light that didn't fit the vibe at all.
On top of it hung a small, worn sign that read "Habren â Herbal Tea Shop."
"Huh, herbal tea? In this kind of dump?" I said, squinting at it, confused. Jake sniffed through his gas mask and tilted his head. "Hmmm⌠I don't know, man, but I can smell some real good sweet dried tea leaves from in thereâths scent very strong also. Let's check it outâprobably the guy we're lookin' for."
"Well yeah, every time I hang out with Lady, she's always sippin' on some herbal tea," Jake said while wandering around the place, sniffing everything like a curious dogâwell he is. "Told yaâit's actually delicious. Kinda reminds me of Mom's homemade syrup."
"Is that soâŚ" I muttered, still looking around. The shop was way too cozy for this creepy cityâwarm lights, soft colors, the smell of dried herbs mixing in the air. The ornaments hanging from the ceiling had this fancy, patterned vibe that kinda reminded me of Turkish decorâcolorful glass, gold trim, that sort of thing.
Then I spotted it. A massive shell mounted on the wallâlooked like it came from some giant snapping turtle, sharp spikes and all,to be honest this very not match the place very well. "Seem there's no one here," Jake said, strolling back toward meâexcept his body had shifted, forming little pockets full of dried tea leaves."yeah we should waiâ"I narrowed my eyes at jake. "âŚJake. Put it back, buddy."
"What? I just took a little bit for a souveâ" Jake started, trying to play innocent.
"Put it back, Jake."
"Come on, just liâ"
"Put. It. Back. Buddy." I gave him that dead serious look, eyes narrowed like I was about to ground him for a week.
"I didn't even take much, you could check my backpaâ"
"Put it back."
"..." Jake squinted right back at me.
"Put it back, Jake," BMO suddenly chimed in from inside my backpack, popping their tiny head out like a judgmental toaster.
Jake froze, sighing in defeat. "...Fine! Two against one ain't fair, y'know." He grumbled, opening his makeshift pockets and backpack, pulling out handfuls of stolen tea leaves. "Sigh⌠there, happy? I put it back."
"Good boy," I said with a smirk.
"Yeah, yeahâŚ" Jake muttered, pouting as he shoved the last of the tea back into its jar. I just shook my head, my white bear hat swaying with the motion as I looked at Jake's old habits as ex-criminal showing up. "We can't just take stuff, bro. We ain't raiders, and we're here to find someone, remember?" I said, setting BMOâthe tiny gameboy computer robotâdown on the floor from inside my backpack."We can't be rude either, even if this place is lawless."
"Indeed, genç yetiĹkin," said a deep, calm voice with a thick Turkish accent from somewhere in the room. "If there is no such person with manners, they would be horroble,Kaba and AcÄąmasÄązâa beast without morals."
"See? Even this mister agrees with meâ" I stopped mid-sentence, blinking.
Wait.
That wasn't Jake...not BMO either
Both of us froze, eyes darting around the shop. The place was quietâtoo quietâexcept for the faint sound of ornaments above us.Jake's ears twitched as his tail stiffened. "Uh⌠Finn⌠you heard that too, right?"
"YeahâŚ" I muttered, my hand slowly reaching for my sword. "And that definitely wasn't the dried tea talking."The place really dead quietâonly the tiny clinks from hanging ornaments and the soft scent of burning candles filled the air.
My hand stayed on my sword as I swung it low. Jake enlarge his fists to the size of car tires, and BMO hid under our legs, its little face plastered with a scared expression on the screen.
"Show yourself, palâwe ain't afraid of you!" Jake shouted clearly he's afraid facing invisible enemies like ghosts."Are you friends or foes? If you're friends, come out and we'll talk. If you're foes⌠come out and we'll kick your butts," I said, trying to keep my voice steady even though my heart was racing.
Thenâ"GIYAZAZAZAZA! GIYAZAZAZAZA!"âa huge, booming laugh ripped through the shop. Those booming laughs made Jake jumpâhis yellow fur prickled like a cat's. Even though he's a pit bull, he shrank back, slipping his legs into my white bear-hood like he was hiding, and trembled there with his huge backpack dropped on the floor.
"JakeâŚ" I sighed, the only one still ready to fight.
"Finn, BMO's scared," BMO's tiny voice piped up from under my legs, the little screen face trembling. The laugh kept booming through the shop and I couldn't even get Jake to helpâhe was still curled up inside my hat.
ââââââââââââââââââââââ
But Finn kept scanning the place, trying to find the source of that loud voice. He checked every corner, even the second floor of the herbal tea shop. His eyes stopped on that massive alligator snapping turtle shell hanging on the wall. As he stepped closer, the laughter suddenly stopped.
"Ya got good eyes there, oÄlum⌠spotted me real well," a deep, heavy voice rumbled. The giant shell began to trembleâcracks forming as thick, scaly limbs slowly pushed out from the dark holes. Finn froze, watching as the thing revealed itself right in front of him.
A monster.
The giant monster towered over Finn's small ten-year-old frame as it stepped closer, each movement shaking the floor. Finn couldn't moveâits presence alone was crushing, the air around him thick with an aura of pure intimidation. It felt like all the strength in his body was being drained away, his life force slipping right out of him.
The creature's pale, white eyes stared down at him, unblinking. Finn's fingers twitched, but he couldn't even lift his scarlet sword any higher.
Then the monster stopped.
"OÄlum⌠I'll ask you here," the voice rumbledâdeep, old, and so heavy it made Finn's chest tighten. To him, it wasn't just a voice. It was a warning. "Do yaâ" The monster's massive, jagged jaw creaked open, its alligator-like mouth of turtle moving slowly as it tried to form words.
Finn's body trembled; cold sweat rolled down his face. His hand still gripped the sword tightly, but his arm refused to move. His muscles locked up from pure terror.
Jake was no helpâhe was still hiding inside Finn's white bear hat, too scared to peek out again after catching one glimpse of the creature. BMO stayed low behind Finn's legs, their tiny screen flickering nervously, unable to look up at the towering monster.'I have to move! Come on, move!' Finn screamed inside his own head, trying to break free from the paralysis that fear wrapped him in. 'If I don't, I'm done for!'
Finn heart racing in dear try to command all his body but it didn't work as that the monster still look down at him try to moved his mouth to speak and move his arms try to attack him. Finn close his eyes Embrace his dead of his second life,but thenâ
"You vanna buy some dried 'erbal tea, oÄul?" the monster said, moving his massive, scaly arm toward a bunch of hanging herbal teas. His wide, toothy grin looked almost dumb, completely out of place for a creature that terrifying voice had just shaken the whole shop.
His deep, gravelly tone softened now, sounding more like an old man trying to sell something at the market than a monster ready to kill. The thick tension in the air vanished instantly.
Finn, still drenched in cold sweat, blinked in confusion. "Ehâeh? What?" he stammered.
The huge creature tilted his head slightly. "Hmm? Did me say wrong, oÄul? Come hereâya vanna buy, yeah? Me 'erbal dried tea, best in Cassian! That why ya came here, eh?" The huge creature tilted his head slightly. "Hmm? Did me say wrong, oÄul? Come hereâya vanna buy, yeah? Me 'erbal dried tea, best in Cassian! That why ya came here, eh?" Now, the same monster that just scared the soul out of Finn was offering tea with a cheerful, clueless smile.
Right after everything that had just happened, Finn's body finally gave out. His guard had been up for what felt like an eternity, his nerves stretched to the limit by that terrifying aura. He didn't even know anymore if what he feltâthe fear, the crushing pressureâwas real or just some kind of illusion the creature cast on him.
Then his legs gave in. Finn dropped to the floor, drenched in sweat, his chest heaving from the shock and exhaustion.
"Finn!" Jake shouted, bursting out from Finn's white bear hat, his face full of worry. BMO rolled closer, screen flashing in panic as the little robot tried to check on him. The two hovered over Finn's fainted body in the warm, candle-lit tea shopâwhile the enormous turtle creature just stood there, scratching his head with a puzzled look."Ey... seem he tired, ya?" the monster muttered, his thick accent calm again. "Ahh... me should let me AlÄącÄąlarÄąm rest for bit. Me make something for drink, ya'all wait there."
....
...
âââ
A few minutes later, Finn slowly regained consciousness. The first thing that hit him was the warm, soothing aroma of herbs and spices drifting through the air. A cup of steaming tea sat right in front of him. He blinked a few times, his vision still blurry, before realizing he was lying on a soft mattress.
His long golden hair fell loosely over his face as he tried to sit up. "Ugh... whâwhere am I...?" he muttered groggily, brushing it aside."Ah, oÄlum! Ya already wake up, ey good, good, yeah!" came a deep, gravelly voice beside him. Finn turned his headâonly to see the massive snapping alligator turtle monster sitting cross-legged right next to him, smiling wide."AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" Finn screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking with pure panic. From those screams, two figures behind the turtle heard it and sat up, recognizing Finn's voice. After Finn spotted the old massive turtle nearby, both of them immediately ran toward him.
"Finn!" BMO and Jake shouted in relief, happy to see him awake.
"Oh, dude, I'm so glad you're conscious again! I went ba-nay-nay when you just fell over like that!" said the yellow dog, kneeling down next to Finn, who was still sitting on the ground. Meanwhile, BMO, the little square robot, wrapped its tiny arms around Finn's leg. "Finn! BMO glad you alright! BMO so worry!" it said, voice trembling with emotion."Guys?" said Finn, looking at the two of them. The giant snapping alligator turtle monster let out a rumbling laugh at the sight before him, making Finn tense up. He pulled Jake and BMO close, eyes locked on the massive creature.
"Finn, what's wrong?" asked BMO, voice small.
"Finn?" Jake followed, glancing between him and the turtle.
"Giyazazazaza! Ya oÄul really somethin', ey?" the turtle chuckled, its deep voice echoing through the air. "Don't worry, don't worry. Sakin ol, oÄlum⌠everything's alright. I ain't gonna hurt ya or ya friends. I'm the owner of this 'erbal tea shop, see? I believe I already told ya earlier."
"Yeah, bro, calm downâit's all a misunderstandingâŚ" Jake said, stretching his neck like a snake to get a better look. "This guy's the owner of the place. He was sleepin' earlier, and we didn't even notice him." Finn looked around the placeâyeah, he was still inside the herbal tea shop. Dusty shelves stacked with dried leaves and jars surrounded him, the air thick with the smell of herbs. Right⌠this was the same shop in the middle of that uninhabited dump on the edge of Cassian City. He'd come here searching for that guyâthe one he'd heard about from that flirty femboy informant.
All the memories came rushing backâthe door creaking open he and Jake had couple talks, the strange voice join, then darkness. He remembered now: he'd passed out right here while his guard still up against that monster infornt of him,this one. But something still felt off. The presence of that huge turtle mutant wasn't normal.
That pressureâthe heavy, suffocating air that screamed "move and you're dead"âhadn't been just in his head, had it? Was it a hallucination? Or was it his human instinct warning him that this thing was dangerous?
He didn't know. He really didn't know.
And for the first time in ten years of his, Finn felt something he hadn't felt in a long time of his second lifeâreal fear. Ever since his second lifeâreborn as Finn the Humanâhe'd never once felt fear, not even a little. Not from monsters a hundred times his size, not from magical beasts or feral mutants. He'd lived in Ooo for ten years, spent the last five going on wild adventures, and not once did his heart ever tremble.
But this time⌠it was different.
Even through the fear, he forced his jaw to move, his lips trembling as he tried to speak."Y⌠you, the owner?" Finn asked, still unconvinced, his wary eyes fixed on the massive turtle. Meanwhile, the giant turtle watched the young blond human, noticing how Finn still kept his guard up even after waking holding his dog friend and little computer closer. The old creature let out a deep chuckle before speaking.
"Ah, ey, I'm need to introduce meself, am I? Zazazaza! You still look tense there, young oÄul." He grinned wide, his cracked beak curving into something almost friendly. "Name's Adl Bahadir but some people here called me old shelly ehânice to meet ya, lads! I'm the shop owner of this fine, good-smellin' place, zazazaza⌠Air here's calm, ain't it? Kinda funny, how clean it feels inside when whole Cassian City smell like trash outside, eh?"
Despite his rough, monstrous appearance, the giant alligator snapping turtle carried a strangely joyful energy as he apprance very rough and tough look like war veteran as His skin is a pale yellowish-beige, rough like old stone, with areas near his claws and face darkened to a muted grey,deep slash scars crisscross his arms deep slash scars crisscross his arms, shoulders, and chest, while his shell bears chips, cracks, and spikes, His underbelly and chest are wrapped in a dark,Stomach shell padded like rough thick vestâlots scar on it. His pants are bulky, loose around the waist, dark red-brown in color, and tied with a simple red clothârope belt. And this guy left leg was prostetic as finn observ him, Behind his head trails a short ponytail, streaked with white, grey, and black,Finn could only stare at him weirdly, unsure what to make of the situation. Then Jake patted his back with his paw.
"It's alright, buddy. Mr. Adl's a good guy, even if he looks rough. You can chill now," Jake said, stretching his arms like play-dough to grab the cup of tea that Adl Bahadir had made for Finn.
"Here, drink this. It's good. Me and BMO had some earlierâwell, only me, actually," Jake added with a grin, trying to hand the cup to his little brother. Finn hesitated for a moment, eyeing the tea suspiciously⌠but eventually took a sip. The warm, earthy flavor washed down his throat, and slowly, his tense shoulders began to loosen. For the first time since waking, he could breathe a little easier."How about it, Finn? Do you feel better?" BMO asked in their soft, childlike voice."Yeah, how is it, bro?" Jake followed right after, leaning in.
Finn blinked a few times. He really did feel calmer⌠and weirdly energized. Was that the tea? Whatever it was, it hit different.Before he could answer, Adl let out that booming laugh again."GIYAZAZAZAZA! Seem ya already better, oÄul! Me çay help ya up, ey? There ya go, zazazaza!"
"Umm⌠yeah. Thank you," Finn said, finally lowering his guard. He scratched the side of his neck, realizing he wasn't even wearing his bear hat anymore."See? Zazaza! Me çay always gßçlĂź help, zazaza," the old turtle said proudly. "Indeed, sir giant turtle, your tea's really good. Seems my baby brother here's calmer now," Jake said as he waddled back to the spot where he'd been sitting earlier. Finn's stuffâhis sword and his bear hatâwere neatly set beside Jake, along with Jake's huge backpack. Clearly the dog had been watching over everything.
BMO stayed right next to Finn, the little robot settling comfortably between Finn's legs like a loyal tiny emotion support buddy.
"Zazazaza! 'Course, 'course! I glad ya like me teas, oÄul. And it help ya up, ey?" the giant turtle said again, his strange mix of Turkish and English rolling together like it was natural to him. As all that happened, Finn was already fine enough to chat with the giant turtle, and his first words were an apology."I'm so sorry I drew my sword at you. I'm sorry for what I didâI was caught off guard and wary something might happen to us," Finn said as he lowered his head while still sitting on the mattress. "Zazaza, ey ey, no, don't worry about it oÄul, it's just a misunderstanding, eh? Zazazaza. I probably gave ya too much of a hard time too, ey? Letting ya pass out with my tiny korkutma havaâi mean my tough apprance to pressure you earlier. I'm sorry too, because I thought you all were intruders tryin' to rob my dry-erbal tea shop, zazaza. You know that's very common in this Cassian City.
So ben also guilty in this situation, 'cause I need to protect my place. And I see your brother hereâam I correctâtryin' to steal my goods." Adl said as he side-eyed Jake beside him. Jake, holding the mug of tea, could only give a nervous, guilty smile."Heheh, my bad," said the yellow, pitiful dog as he sipped his herbal tea.
"Yeah⌠I'm also sorry for what my brother Jake did earlier. He tried to steal your goods. Still, we're sorry we came unannounced," Finn said with a smile, now that the misunderstanding was already cleared. But something kept his attention: korkutma havaâwhat? As the old turtle didn't didn't say it full. From Finn's own analysis, that must've been what made him feel that extreme pressure before."Zazazaza, alright, alright, seem we don't need to apologize no more, ey? Zazazaza, all good now, oÄul. Finn, was it? No need to take it deep," said the giant turtle, patting Finn's back while laughing joyfully.
See how the turtle, despite his rough look, had such a fun and joyful personality, Finn couldn't help feeling comfortable around the fella. First, because both of them were kinda old (well, Finn mentally old). Second, there was this weird nostalgia creeping in. Like⌠some of those erased memories of his previous from that God doingâmaybe Finn had spent time with someone just like this turtle back in his old days of his world? At least, that's what he assumed.
After a bit more chit-chat, the turtle started asking Finn and Jake some questions while pouring more tea."Bu arada (by the way), if I may ask moreâthis time it's an adventure, right? Why do çocuklar(children) like you two come to this disgusting, scary place, end up in this quiet empty slum⌠and somehow end up in my shop?" the turtle asked with curious curiosity.
Both Finn and Jake looked at each other, and then Jake spoke first."Actually, we're not just adventureâwe're heroes!" Jake said with a big smile.The turtle did not see that coming."Kahâkahraman mÄą? (Hero?)" the turtle said in disbelief. "What?" Said Jake as the dog confused for whatever the ol turtle saying."zazazaza,nah nothing there oÄul, don't need think bout it,so ya two is Hero i see?"Jake stretched his paw long and pulled Finn into a side hug.
"Me and Finn are the Heroes of Ooo! We've been going around saving people from bad guys while adventuring all over the place. We kick their butts, after allâright, buddy?" Jake said with a big, wide smile."Yeah, we areâwe kick bad guys' butts. And it's also my dream to become a Hero while adventuring around. But my priority is to be the greatest Hero. That's why I stand my ground and don't act like someone who got scared by a booming laugh and tried to shrink himself and hide in my hat⌠like earlier." Finn said with a grin, side-eyeing Jake.
Jake could only scratch the back of his neck, embarrassed by his earlier behavior. Don't get it wrongâhe was brave. He just got scared easily when fighting something he couldn't see."Zazaza, what a wonderful young'ster! Zazazazaâso young, so young, yet brave. I give you that, oÄul," the turtle said as he poured more hot herbal tea into Finn's mug, since the boy had already finished some earlier. "That why yer, oÄul, come to this place, ey? Adventure⌠zazazaza. But let me tell you, this place ain't family-friendly like a tourist attraction. Most kingdoms of Ooo don't even know this spot exists, nor how dangerous it is."
"Well, actually we came here for a reason. And you were part of that reason, actually," Finn said, making the giant turtle tilt his head with curiosity."Hohoâzazazaza, really? Me feel so important right now."See how the 8'5-foot-tall turtle reacted made Finn smile. After sipping more of the freshly poured herbal tea, the old turtle opened his mouth.
"Yeah, because we had someone told us you know something about pomegranates and dates,"Finn said.That made the turtle's smile grow even wider. As that happened, some people outside had been watching the young heroes and the turtle interacting for a couple minutes now since finn woke up.
"Ey bouss, shall we attack now?" said the slender one wrapped in bandages."No⌠not now. Let the old fart open his beak, and when he does, we go in and kill themâas that i want those two Blubbins head touch my Blade. " said the leader in the dirty dark brown robe. Outside, the tiny herbal tea shop sitting in the middle of the empty slum on the outskirts of Cassian City was already surrounded by thirty people dressed in dirty robe. Seem four of them would have some Annoying uninvited guests.
âââââââââââââââââââââ
âââââââââââââââââââââ
OMAKE TITLE:
rainbow (i mean not that rainbow, the real one!)
Do you ever wonder how excited PB is when she starts teaching Finn everything she knows, now that he's a young blond human boy with an oversized white bear hat covering his whole head except his face? She's really excited to teach the boy something new. It's such a good day, I can tell youâwarm and bright, just like any other day, as PB and young Finn spend their time together as teacher and student in princess bubblegum royal candy garden inside the candy castle."Now, Finn, this is how you express the variable! My young apprentice!" PB said with a wide grin as she taught the young human boy algebra that seemed really hard level even for young childâbut the boy caught on fast, making her even more excited. It was rare for her to show that kind of smile.
Even Peppermint Butler, standing nearby and ready in case the princess needed something, was a bit shocked seeing his elegant, lady-like ruler smiling like that while teaching a mere kid⌠and so fondly, too. It was pretty clear, even if she didn't say it, just how much the candy ruler adored the little blond boy with those bright blue eyes. Even though the kid was a human child, he knew that. He knew humans were a very extinct species. He just couldn't understand how Princess Bubblegumâhis monarchâcould show such a genuine smile to the kid. This was coming from someone who had spent hundreds of years by her side as her loyal butler.
But even then, the butler felt warm seeing the situation. He was glad his Highness hadn't been overworking herself in the lab lately. The peppermint humanoid butler in his dark blue suit could only smile warmly at the scene he'd been watching. He, too, had grown a bit fond of the boy, learning more about him every time they interacted. Heck, he even got a nicknameâPep-Butsâfrom the kid.
You'd think he wouldn't like it, that he wouldn't let the boy call him that because it sounded disrespectful. He was a royal butler, after all; he shouldn't let some random child give him a nickname. But noâPeppermint Butler actually let the boy call him that. Although the white-and-red candy man felt a lot of affection toward the kid, he had almost tried to teach him dark magic, thinking it might help the young human in his future adventures. But he couldn't, sadly. His Highness wouldn't like that at all. She was strict about science, and doing something like that would basically be a middle fingerâstraight-up treasonâtoward Princess Bubblegum, he wouldn't want that literally he don't want that kind situation even when the candy kingdom get attack by bandits before peppermint butler think Twice to used his dark magic infront candy citizen for afraid they blew up seeing how scary his magic is. So he didn't do it.
But no, this story isn't about Peppermint Butlerâit's about someone meeting the kid for the first time.
As PB was mid-lecture, writing down more algebra formulas, the sound of chalk matched the rhythm of Finn's pencil scratching across his study paper.
"Remember this well, Finn, this'll be good knowledge for you later on," the candy monarch said with a wide smile.
As the young boy focused on his studies, he noticed a shadow sliding across the sky above him. Finn's curiosity took over, and he looked up to see a long, rainbow creature flying freely over the candy garden.
"Finn? Finn? What are you looking at, my young apprenticeâohh, I see what you're looking at," Princess Bubblegum said. She had been wondering why the sound of his pencil suddenly stopped, but when she saw what had grabbed his attention, her expression softened into a warm smile.
The thing flying above them was none other than someone very close to Princess Bubblegumâher royal steed, sure, but more than that. She was PB's trusted friend, a companion she held dear.
Lady Rainicorn.
A long-bodied, rainbow-colored hybrid creature, a female unicorn who could fly by literally dancing on lightâjust like she was doing now as she glided down, polite as always, coming for her usual visit.
"Oh my, is it that time already? Lady Rainicorn, thanks for coming," Princess Bubblegum said, lighting up and waving.
"ěë íě¸ě ë˛ë¸ę˛ 곾죟ë, ě ë íěě ę°ě ěę°ě ěěľëë¤."
(Hello Princess Bubblegum, I'm here at the usual time.)
the long rainbow unicorn greeted in her Korean dialectâonce a human language, but now long adopted by the Rainicorns.
"Goodness, you did, as always, my friend. It's the perfect time for our tea and chatting. But⌠you wouldn't mind having another person join us, right?" Princess Bubblegum said as she glanced toward young Finn at his study desk.
"ě, ě ěě´ę° ěźë§ ě ě ëšě ěęľě 꾏íë¤ęł ë ë§ěíě ¨ë ꡸ ěě´ ë§ëě?"(Oh my, is that the kid you always told me aboutâthe one who saved your kingdom a while ago?)
Lady Rainicorn said in surprise. She had never seen the boy PB kept talking about. A humanâan actual human. She only knew about humans from the old textbooks in her crystal homeland. Her race had once fed on humans long ago.
This kid looked so young⌠really young.
But don't worryâLady Rainicorn had zero intention of eating him. She would never. Besides⌠the kid didn't look delicious anyway.
"Yes indeed," Princess Bubblegum said, waving her hand at her young apprentice.
"Finn, could you come here for a sec?" she called out with a soft, affectionate tone. That tone alone was one of the reasons Lady Rainicorn would never harm the boyâPB clearly adored this child.
Finn climbed down from his study chair and walked toward the two women."His name's Finn. He's a human, just like I told you," Princess Bubblegum said as she introduced him to her friend.
"ě¤, ë§ëě ë°ę°ěě, í. (Oh, nice to meet you, Finn.)" the rainbow unicorn greeted the young boy.
"Ummmm..,hello!" Finn greeted back, adorable as everâeven though he had zero understanding of the Korean language.
It made the long rainbow unicorn pause for a moment, surprised by how cute he looked with that smooth, round face. The boy's oversized blue shirt and shorts, paired with the big white bear hat covering his whole head except his face, made him look even more adorable.
"ě, ë돴 ęˇě˝ěŁ !? (Awww, you're so cute, aren't you?!)" Lady Rainicorn said, and Princess Bubblegum chuckled warmly at her friend's reaction.
"Indeed he is. Oh, Peppermint Butler⌠let's end Finn's studies for today. Could you bring his study chair and desk inside? And prepare the tea-time setup?" the candy monarch said to her loyal subject.
"As you wish, Princess," Peppermint Butler replied with a smile. He bowed and called the maids to take all the study stuff inside. Then he prepared the tea-time equipmentâthe chairs, table, umbrella, sweetsâand began getting the tea ready.
"Your Majesty, the tea setup has been prepared," said the 4'8" humanoid Peppermint Butler as he bowed to Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn.
"Thank you, Peppermint Butler. Then, Lady, shall we have our tea time? And Finn, my adorable apprentice, you'll join us too. You'll get a good learning experience and know more about Rainicorns from Lady Rainicorn, since this is your first time meeting my friend," Princess Bubblegum said as she led the young boyâno older than eightâto the tea table. Finn nodded and followed her as the princess gently held his hand. Lady Rainicorn walked beside PB, following her friend, as the three of them headed to enjoy their tea time. as soon as that happened, the three of them â PB, Lady Rainicorn, and young Finn â after his study time with PB , had a lovely afternoon tea and chatted in the Candy Castle garden, while the humanoid Peppermint Butler stayed beside PB and the eight-year-old Finn, ready to do whatever was needed by them.
As that happened, Lady Rainicorn could see more of her sweet friend's behavior and noticed the princess had changed toward the boy. PB was acting very different from how she behaved with her candy subjects or other royals in Ooo; she was very affectionate toward the young human boy, and it felt natural.
As for Lady Rainicorn herself, she already knew very well what her friend was like â not a good person or a bad person either â but this was really something⌠like PB adored the boy the most. It was something Lady Rainicorn kept in the back of her mind, but she couldn't show it. That would be a rude reaction. Also, she kind of liked her friend's natural behavior toward the kid. Between the talk, PB got an idea for Finn to learn something new. She asked Lady Rainicorn to teach Finn some Rainicorn culture and language (Korean), thinking it would be great extra knowledge for him.
"Ah, I had something in mind, Lady. Could you teach Finn your Rainicorn culture and language? I could teach him, sureâI know a couple of your languagesâbut I couldn't teach the finest knowledge about Rainicorn society and culture. So I want my closest friend to have the honor of teaching my adorable apprentice your culture and language," PB said with a smile, holding her teacup, while Finn sipped his drink and listened to his mentor talking to her friend.
"ě¤, ë˛ë¸ę˛ 곾죟ë, ě ë§ě´ěě? ęˇěŹě´ ě ěěę˛ ë ě¸ě˝ě ëí´ ę°ëĽ´ěł ë댴ęšě?"("Oh, Princess Bubblegum, really? You want me to teach your cute apprentice about Rainicorns?") said the long rainbow horse between her tea. "Indeed, Lady. As you can see, Finn is a very good learner. He's fast and sharp, and he looks so adorable when he gets something right. It's so cute how he can understand all the knowledge I teach him," PB said as her right hand patted Finn's head. Her pink hand gently petted the little boy, his oversized white bear hat shifting as he rubbed his soft blond hair against her touch.
"So I'd be glad to show him more thingsâteach him lots of stuff that will be useful for his great adventure as a hero, so youâ" PB turned her face toward her Rainicorn friend, who suddenly stopped midâsip, tea still in her mouth.
"ěě ???" (Hero???) Lady Rainicorn said in surprise, spitting the tea off to the side. The spray hit Peppermint Butler's face. The butler wiped it off, pissed, but he couldn't care less right now. Princess Bubblegum blinked a couple of times at her Rainicorn friend's surprise. She was confused why Lady Rainicorn reacted like thatâuntil she suddenly remembered.
"Ah, right, I didn't mention it, did I? From our previous tea times⌠oh, I'm so sorry, Lady. It must've been such a surprise to you, huh?" said the candy monarch with a sincere tone before explaining more.
"You see, Finn here has a big dream to be a hero while adventuring around Ooo. Such a wonderful dream he has, fufufuâŚ" said the princess as she rubbed Finn's cheeks. Meanwhile, the young human was stuffing his mouth with sweets and got annoyed by the sudden disturbance, but he just looked at PB with judging eyes. "ë¤, ęšě§ ëëě´ě, ë˛ë¸ę˛ 곾죟ëâŚ ě´ ěě´ę° ꡸ë ę˛ í° ężě ęž¸ęł ěě ě¤ě 몰ëě´.
(Y-yeah, that was really surprising, Princess Bubblegum⌠I didn't know this kid had such big dreams.)," said the long rainbow horse.
As far as she knew, anything about a Hero who maintained order in Oooâand PB in the same sentenceâwas something that absolutely didn't match. Lady Rainicorn knew her pink friend's personality too well: the manipulation, the scheming, the way PB handled things. PB and "Hero of Ooo" were never a good mix.
So she started wondering why PB was nurturing this boy at such a young age. Maybe she planned to use him. And that would never end well for the kid later on in future. But while she was thinking all that, Lady Rainicorn glanced at the young human who was staring at PB in annoyance, and then at PB's affectionate behavior toward himâŚ
It was weird. Not the manipulative type of weird, PB genuinely adored him? Huh. Lady Rainicorn found that thought bouncing around in her head againâthis whole view was just really strange to her. As her thoughts bounced back and forth, she flinched again while sipping her now-almost-cold teaâLady Rainicorn choked a bit on it.
"So, what do you think, Lady? Would you also be my adorable apprentice's teacher for Rainicorn culture?" PB said with a warm smile.
"ěĄíě´! ěĄíě´! ëëźęł ? ě, ë§ě... ë§ě. ë ęłľěŁźę° ëęł ěśě´. ě ě ě¸ę° ě ěëě´ ëě´ ęˇ¸ěę˛ ě°ëŚŹ 돸í뼟 ę°ëĽ´ěł ěŁźęł ěśě´. ě ë§ ěę´ěź ęą°ěź.(Caught! Caught! What? Oh, right⌠right. I would love to, Princess. I'll be the young human's teacher and teach him about our culture. It would be an honor.),"
the rainbow horse said, wiping her mouth with a weak smile.
"Oh, wonderful! Then shall we start with some little basics now?" PB said, clapping her hands, which made the boy raise his head toward his candy mentor."What?" Finn muttered, halfway through his fourth plate of sweets on the table.
Lady Rainicorn still felt a bit uneasy about her friend's hidden motives. She didn't fully buy that smile after learning the boy wanted to be a HeroâPB already had her own "hero candidate list," and Lady knew about that thing as she believe the boy already on her list there. So she figured she should maintain things carefully: meaning she'd keep a close eye on her friend and the child. But also⌠she wanted to know more about this young kidâand because, honestly, she was still really curious about humans.
Next couple minutes, young Finn was being bombarded with a bunch of Korean words. The tea table was now covered with papers as he was being taught how to write in Korean."Ummm, this word ꡸ (geu) means 'he', and this one ꡸ě (geu-ui) means 'his', right? Or am I wrong?" said the young human, happily writing it down with surprisingly good handwriting.
"ë§ěě, ě ë§ ëš ëĽ´ěë¤ě. ęą°ě§ë§ě´ ěëë¤ě.
(That's right. You're really fast. Seems PB wasn't lying.),"
Lady Rainicorn said, watching the child write the letters neatly and understand them. She could now confirm PB wasn't exaggerating at all about how fast the kid learnedâ"Heeeey, Princess! I'm here to pick up Finnâ" said a yellow-furred dog walking toward the candy garden. Jake had arrived to pick up his little brother, holding a box labeled Card Wars â looks like he'd been playing it again.
"Jake!" said the young eight-year-old boy as he got down from his chair and ran to his dog brother.
"Hahaha, hi buddy! You learn lots today?" Jake said with a smile, ruffling Finn's hair.
"Haha yeah," Finn replied with a grin.
"Hahaha, I see. Glad to hear it, bud," Jake said in a caring tone â then he noticed Princess Bubblegum standing up from her chair and walking toward the two brothers."Hi, Jake. You're picking up Finn earlier than I thought," the princess greeted."Meh, the guys didn't wanna play anymore, so I figured I'd pick up Finn early so we can go adventuring later on," said the dog. "Oh, I⌠see," the princess said with a smile, though her smile twitched a little for some reason â like she was slightly unhappy about something. Lady Rainicorn noticed this and started walking toward the group to greet the newcomer, the one she heard was Finn's brother. Yeah⌠seemed so.
"ěë íě¸ě ěŹëŹëś, ë§ě¸ëę° ěëĄě´ ěŹëě ěę°í´ě¤Źëě?
(Hi guys, did Mind introduce you to the newcomer?)" Lady said to Princess Bubblegum, snapping the candy monarch out of whatever she was thinking.
"Oh, LadyâahahaâŚah right , I forgot to introduce you. This is Jake⌠Jake the Dog, Finn's older brother," PB said, introducing Jake to the Rainicorn."And Jake, let me introduce you to my close friend, Lady Rainicorn. She came here to teach Finn some Rainicorn culture and etcâŚ" the princess added.
Little did they know Jake and Lady suddenly locked eyesâSomething⌠just happened. They stared into each other's eyes deeply, and it felt like a whole burst of sparks, like 10,000 fireworks blowing up in their chests this is beginning of something.
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