*Finn's Age: 23*

Finn's P.O.V

"Flint! You know we don't have to do this!" I tell him as his sword clashes with mine.

"Yes, we do! You aligned yourself with my sister's enemy!" Flint argues, striking at me, "And in war, there is no sympathy towards the opposing side!"

I duck under his next swing and roll to the side when he stabs the ground where I was just at. The two of us are fighting in an abandoned and dilapidated arena carved into a mountain within the Mountain Kingdom. Well, it's more of him fighting me, since I haven't attacked him back and he started swinging at me first. I merely dodge and block his attacks to show him that I didn't come here seeking violence, even though my orders were to come to this spot that he was supposed to be at and kill him. But these are orders I didn't intend to follow from the start, especially since Flint's done nothing wrong to me.

"I was given no choice" I argue, side-stepping another of his attacks once I'm back on my feet, "And I haven't laid a finger on any of your other seven generals either."

"How would you know how many of our commanding officers there are if Bubblegum didn't send you to kill them?" Flint snaps, "Just like she sent you to do with me."

Phoebe's brother sends a blast of fire at me, one I roll out of the way of, but then have to dodge from behind since it causes a rock spire to topple over right next to me. The force of the impact causes Flint to be knocked over, which I doubt he intended to have happen, but he's quickly back on his feet with his sword aimed at me as I get back up too.

"Listen, Flint, if I intended to follow through on those orders, why have I been pulling my punches and not even trying to strike you back at all?" I ask, getting him to stop and think, "It's because despite that you think I'm trying to use mind games to convince you to lower your guard, which I wouldn't just outright admit if I was really intending to, I really don't want to kill you."

"Then why did you go after the other generals of our army?" He demands.

"Same reason. I was ordered to. Bubblegum wanted to have the top leaders in your army removed so that it would weaken the strength of your forces and cause disarray. But since you've now inadvertently revealed that you know that they're not dead, you also know why I didn't kill them either. It's the same reason I just told you regarding you" I tell him.

"And how am I to believe you?" Flint questions, his tone softening a bit.

"Bubblegum relies on strategy and anticipation, which is why her camp is constantly on the move so you guys can't pin her down and finish the war in one fell swoop. But her supply camps and soldier convoys work the same way, yet you guys have been able to destroy them, right?" I say, Flint nodding, but still unsure of where I'm going with this, "That's because I know the routes they take and give them to your sister so that she can intercept them and turn the tide in the Fire Kingdom's favor. If you don't believe me, ask her yourself and she'll tell you that she's talked with me about it numerous times already."

"But why, Finn?" The fire commander asks with a frown, "You're with the opposing side and yet you're looking to help us win instead? Has Princess Bubblegum done something to you to make you want to betray her?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes, but the specifics aren't important" I weave around his question, "Right now, I need your sword. Bubblegum always wants proof when she sends me to assassinate one of your generals, but since I don't want to kill you, I'll merely show her your sword to make her believe I've done what she'd asked when I really just let you walk away instead. Don't worry, I'll give it back when I come to give Phoebe more information, which should actually be within the next few hours or so."

Flint thinks long and hard about what I say, his eyes searching mine for any sort of lying or trickery, but when he finds none, he shrugs and flips his sword around so that the handle is facing me. I gently take it from it and hold it at my side as he gives me some parting words.

"Given what you've said you've done for us, I offer you my thanks" Flint admits as I merely nod, "I guess we really wouldn't have made it this far in the war without you. But be careful of that princess, Finn. I know you don't need me telling you that, but she's a crafty and sly one."

Flint then walks away and leaves the fallen rock arena while I head the opposite direction and being heading down a path that leads down the side of the mountain and back towards Bubblegum's camp. However, before I make it too far down the path, I stop at a small cliff and go to take a rest on the edge, sitting down and letting my feet dangle over the edge as I watch the setting Sun. War. Such a depressing event. We were nearly faced with war before when Bubblegum's relatives were brought back, but that was nothing compared to this. 

It was a number of months ago when it all started, the tipping point stemming from an altercation at business meeting between Flame Princess and Princess Bubblegum. FP had gone to the Candy Kingdom to meet with her, like she had done a number of times already, but from I had heard from outside sources, since neither gave me the all the details afterwards, Bubblegum had let slip some details that she wasn't meant to know about a private meeting Flame Princess had had with other royals. FP, wondering how she knew that, demanded answers. Without resisting, and proving that she had no shame for her actions, PB took Flame Princess to her observation room where she apparently kept live feeds and recording of everything her thousands of cameras picked up all over Ooo. She then showed Phoebe the meeting on a recording and Flame Princess was furious. And while Princess Bubblegum stopped there, Flame Princess saw that there was more and starting looking through them, which got Bubblegum to act like she had something to hide. FP kept her back from interfering and saw that Peebs had been recording her for years, even when she was first born, and was beyond mad when she got to the tape that show PB and Flame King making a deal to keep Flame Princess locked up in the lamp she spent a lot of her life in. Upon seeing her lies, manipulation, and deceit, Flame Princess declared war on the Candy Kingdom and stormed out of the room, having had enough of Bubblegum. Peeble's mistake, though, was not taking Flame Princess's declaration seriously, thinking that she was just angry and that she wouldn't go through it since she wouldn't dare to try something as bold as that.

But she was wrong. About two weeks after Flame Princess left the Candy Kingdom in a rage, a small assault force of fire soldiers attacked the kingdom. It wasn't all of Phoebe's army, but is was enough to make her point clear, which was that she wasn't hesitating to strike hard and fast, the two weeks being spent to train her soldiers to the max and prepare the rest of the kingdom for war. More than twenty candy citizens died as a result and that was when Bubblegum started treating the situation as dead serious as she could. But as she started preparing her own kingdom for this inevitably growing conflict, she could sense that Phoebe's first move was to bait her out into the open, given how small the attack force she sent was. However, at the same time, Bubblegum could see that the soldiers of the Fire Kingdom were stronger and better trained than any of her soldiers, so she'd have to take safety precautions and increase the size of her own force and take the strategic play so that her forces wouldn't be wiped out within a week. That's when the draft for the Candy Kingdom Army went out and I was forced to join.

Since I was, and still am, the Champion of Ooo, Bubblegum made it so that I had to help her with the war, even though I had no interest in it. Both FP and PB were my friends, FP a bit more so, and I didn't want to help one kill the other. But if that wasn't bad enough, some of my other friends got dragged into it as well. Jake, Lady Rainicorn, and the rest of the family was drafted, but they outright refused, Lady especially since Jake Jr. lost her life carrying out an errand for Bubblegum a while and didn't trust the princess afterwards. In response, Bubblegum sent a squad of Banana Guards to arrest them, showing how serious she was about this, but the house was abandoned by the time they got there. Marceline also faced the draft too, but she quickly turned it down due to her not being friends with Bubblegum anymore to begin with and that she doesn't like it when other people try to tell her what to do. The treatment was the same and, just like my bro and his family, the Banana Guards found Marceline's house in the Mountain Kingdom completely deserted when they went to arrest her. My friends have since seemingly disappeared from Ooo, even though they've actually just gone into hiding. Only I know where they are, since I visit them and I'm working with them to form a plan to get away from this place and head off into another part of Ooo where the war won't affect us and the draft won't apply to us.

Sighing, I see that the Sun has nearly gone below the horizon, which means I should probably report back to Bubblegum that I 'killed' Flint before she starts getting suspicious. She's already gotten more paranoid after her supply camps were destroyed, like I told Flint, so I don't want to add onto that and make her look to me as the suspect, even though it is me. I stand up and get back on the path, making my way down the mountain until I'm trudging away from the Mountain Kingdom and towards the Grasslands. Flint's sword becomes brighter with the growing darkness, helping to provide a light source once I enter the woods and things go dark. Why the woods? Because this is the newest location for her camp and I soon get to it once I slide down a steep slope and enter into a cave that spreads out into tunnels. Thanks to the raids by the Fire Kingdom, Bubblegum doesn't have suitable perimeter defenses anymore, which means she's had to be content with trusting that those around her would know where her base is and wouldn't be dumb enough to get followed back. Little does she know.

I pass numerous Banana Guards and candy citizens at work in pocketed alcoves as I trudge through the tunnels to where Bubblegum is. Plenty that are in my path spare me a glance or two, also taking note of the flaming sword I'm carrying and whispering about how Flint's gone. Looks like my ruse is already working and I have no doubt that it'll fool Bubblegum too since I've done this same thing multiple times already. I soon enter the command area, which has a few tables with maps and plans laid out, Princess Bubblegum hunched over one of them. I lightly knock on the wall to announce myself and she looks over, her expression slightly brightening upon seeing me.

"Welcome back, Finn" She greets, sounding a bit tired as her eyes glance down at Flint's weapon, "And I trust you were able to successfully complete the mission."

"Of course" I reply, walking over to her, "I haven't failed yet, have I?"

Bubblegum smiles and hugs me, to which I hug her back, but only so that she doesn't suspect anything. Inside, it hurts to think how devastated she'll be when she eventually finds out, since I know she will at some point. But I tell myself that Flame Princess's reasons for starting this whole thing aren't unfair and PB really did bring this on herself.

"Do you want the sword?" I ask, knowing what she'll say next.

"No, no, you keep it, Finn. The Banana Guards will just hurt themselves trying to wield it and you're better off keeping it as a trophy for your heroic deeds" The princess answers, lingering on the hug for a bit longer than usual before pulling away.

"Is something wrong, Princess?" I ask.

"Oh, Finn, everything's wrong" She sighs, going and sitting down on a nearby chair before putting her face in her hands, "Our numbers are the lowest they've ever been, morale is down in the dumps from all the constant moving, our supplies and reinforcements have been destroyed at every turn, and I don't think we're going to win!"

Bubblegum then begins crying and though I'm not completely sympathetic for her, it still is sad to see anyway. The best thing I can do is to give her false hope, that way we both might feel a bit better about what comes next. Because she's right on the fact that she's not going to win. Only three hundred candy citizens, including the Banana Guards, are what's left of her people. And if the Fire Kingdom were to find this place tonight, Bubblegum and her people would be gone before sunrise. I kneel in front of her and take her hands, feeling a bit evil for trying to appear so nice to her.

"Winning is not always about having the most people at your side when the battle starts. It's being able to outlast your opponent until they've exhausted everything they have at their disposal and you can go in for the kill" I say to her, the pink princess looking at me.

"That's very wise, Finn" She admits, "And I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

I nod and stand up, Bubblegum standing up with me while keeping my hands in hers.

"You've done an exceedingly great job at everything I've asked of you. Myself and the Candy Kingdom will never be able to repay you. And when this is all over, I'll make sure you're recognized in the highest fashion possible" The princess muses, "But there's one last thing I want you to do for me. Find this traitor in our midst and kill them."

"We have a traitor?" I ask, frowning convincingly.

"There's no doubt about it in my mind" She states, letting go of my hands and walking over to the other table, smacking her hand over a map of the locations of her supply camps, "How else would Flame Princess have been able to find them and destroy them as easily as she did? Someone here is a sympathizer for their side and I swear to Glob that I want to find whoever it is and ring my hands around their neck myself. But I shouldn't give in to needless vengeance, since that wouldn't reflect well on me."

"Don't worry, Princess, I'll find them and make them pay dearly" I tell her with false confidence.

She turns around and rests her hands against the table's edge, looking proud of me.

"I know you will, Finn" Bubblegum smiles.

"By the way, isn't it time to move again tomorrow?" I ask, her having a three day staying period before switching locations with tomorrow being the fourth day.

"Yes, yes, it is. Thank you for reminding me" She realizes, apparently having forgot given the many things going through her head, "Come over and let's discuss it."

I walk over and stand next to her as her finger traces over a certain path on the map.

"Flame Princess knows that she can't attack us at night since her soldiers would stand out clear as day against the darkness. So, we'll take advantage of that, but move right before sunrise" She explains, tapping a spot closer to the Fire Kingdom, "We'll also move closer to her home base, since they won't expect a dwindling force to move towards them. From there, we'll implement a skirmish technique that'll weaken them bit by bit like you suggested."

"A solid plan" I nod, standing up straight, "I'm going to go start looking for this traitor. But I'll be ready to move when everyone else is."

"Thanks again, Finn" Princess Bubblegum concludes as I walk toward the command center entrance, "You really are my champion."

I then leave the command room and head back the way I came through the tunnels, the candy citizens waving hello to me as I pass. I wave back, knowing in my heart that it'll be the last time I ever see them or Bubblegum again, and exit the cave back into the forest. I then climb up the slope I slid down and trudge through the forest casually until I know I'm far enough away that none of them will notice before I take off at a run. Quickly leaving the forest behind, I head straight for the Fire Kingdom, knowing that Phoebe will be there. Since their realm is a fortress in just temperature alone, they never left ever since the war started, knowing that any candy soldier wouldn't last a minute down there.

After nearly driving myself to exhaustion, I make it to the Fire Kingdom. Due to the war, there are more guards near the entrances, but they nod and let me through when I approach them, pretty much everyone in the kingdom knowing my role in the war but being kind enough to extend me the courtesy of keeping it a secret. Now that I'm here, I slow my pace and catch my breath as I walk to the palace. The guards let me through there as well and I walk the halls, greeting the passing soldiers, before I come to a stop outside the command room. Flame Princess is inside, standing by a table much like Bubblegum, but talking to the eight generals of her army that stand to her left and right. To not interrupt her or disturb them in any way, I quietly enter but stand off to the side, listening in on what they're talking about.

"We should strike them now while we have the chance" One of the generals argues, "Their numbers are down to almost nothing. We can crush them and finish this!"

"I like your enthusiasm, General Pyre, but we must not get impatient. You're right that this war is drawing to a close, but one slip-up at the very end could spell doom for us all" Flame Princess calmly tells him, "And we haven't come this far to trip in the last few meters, have we?"

The generals shakes their heads in agreement and I just now notice that Flint is among them. He briefly notices me and gives me a polite nod, to which I return and hold up his sword to show that I kept my promise of bringing it back to him.

"Bubblegum's soldiers are soft and stupid. She's never trained them to be prepared for war against us and she knows it. She knows that we're the dominant force here and that we could melt them all down to goo if we even got close enough to touch them" Flame Princess argues, lightly putting her fist against the table as her generals look at her, "The only reason we haven't already done that is because she has the advantage of intelligence while we have strength. But thanks to Finn, who's voluntarily been spying and relaying her plans to us without me asking it of him, we're on the brink of winning."

The generals clap, all of them and Flame Princess looking over at me.

"Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to have a moment alone with him. Dismissed" The fire elemental orders.

The commanding officers nod and slowly file out of the room, each quietly telling me hello as they pass me. I also hand Flint's sword back as he passes, Phoebe's brother thanking me before leaving. Once the room has been cleared, aside from Phoebe and myself, I walk to her as she greets me with a hug and a smile.

"I meant what I said, you know" She reaffirms once the hug ends, "It is thanks to you that we're on the verge of winning."

"I appreciate that, Phoebe" I smile back, leaning against the table, "But it might come sooner than you think."

"You have more information for me?" She asks, sounding interested and surprised at the same time.

"Yes, I do" I nod, "Bubblegum's remaining forces are moving again before sunrise. Their route stretches from here to here."

She walks over and pays close attention as I recall from memory the route Bubblegum was planning to take.

"She's planning some skirmish attacks once she reaches this spot closer to the kingdom, but if you can get your men to intercept them while they're out in the open, you may very well end this war tomorrow" I continue, her face brightening at my words.

"That's the best news I've heard in a long time" Phoebe smiles widely, "But are you sure that Bubblegum doesn't know of your involvement with us? As much as I hate her, I do admit that she can be quite slick in her cleverness."

"Well, she has begun suspecting, or has been suspecting, that she has a spy in her midst's. With enough time, she might be able to trace it back to me through process of elimination, but that's why I don't plan on sticking around to have her find out and compromise your plan" I reply, "I only need to keep it up a bit longer and then, with your victory, I shouldn't have to anymore."

"But what do you mean by you don't plan on sticking around?" Flame Princess frowns.

"Well...do you know about the draft that Bubblegum sent out that had her force Ooo citizens outside her kingdom to join her army?" I ask.

"No, actually, I didn't" The fire elemental shakes her head, "Though I'm not surprised by the move either."

"As expected, not everyone was willing to help, most notably Jake, his family, Marceline, and Tree Trunks. They had to vanish from the public eye so that Bubblegum wouldn't keep looking for them. But together, we've been thinking about leaving the mainland and heading south, instead of just leaving Ooo altogether" I explain, not giving out all the specifics yet, "And there's where I was hoping I could ask just a teeny tiny favor of you."

"Sure. Ask away. You've done more than enough for me to grant you that much" Flame Princess agrees.

"Would you please make sure that your army doesn't attack us when we're leaving?" I ask, "I know that most wouldn't probably attack me on sight, but the others are worried that if they show their faces, they might be attacked on the thought that they're working for Bubblegum, especially since Lady used to be her friend alongside Marceline."

"Of course I can. But are you sure there isn't anything I can do to make you and them stay?" Phoebe asks, walking a bit closer to me, "I won't force you to stay, but with Bubblegum out of the picture, whatever she was holding over you won't exist any longer. We can just go back to the way things were."

"With all due respect, Flame Princess, but none of us can go back to the way things were. After so many months of living the way they've had to, none of them have voiced their desire to stay" I sigh, thinking of all the late night conversations my friends and I have had over this topic, "We'll just...find a new beginning somewhere else. One where they don't have to hide away in fear of being arrested for not joining a war they had no part in. And I'll be going with them because I don't wish to be a part of this war anymore. I didn't from the beginning, but now that the end is on the horizon, I think it's time that I move on as well."

"If that's what you want, then I promise that my army will not harm your friends in any way, lest they endure severe penalties" The fire elemental assures me, "But if you're going to try and leave before Bubblegum's remaining forces are on the move, you'll have to cross the Grasslands before we plan to attack, otherwise there's a significant chance you'll end up in the crossfire."

"Duly noted" I nod, turning to leave, "Thank you, Phoebe."

I begin to walk out of the room, but pause near the door when Flame Princess has more to say.

"I hope you can understand why I did this, Finn" She speaks softly, "I couldn't just let her get away with what she did and continue to let her do what she wanted without consequence. Nobody was willing to stand up to her and she crossed many lines with all the destruction and despair she either advertently or inadvertently caused. And...I couldn't just accept that she was anyone but a monster after knowing that it was her that caused the first sixteen years of my life to be a living hell."

".....Yes, I do understand" I nod, recalling all the times Bubblegum would lead me on and then push me away as if I were nothing to her.

I then give Flame Princess a parting nod before leaving the room, then making my way out of the palace and the Fire Kingdom itself. I was sure that Phoebe would let us go without any resistance, but I had to check just for the other's peace of mind. But now I should get back and relay to them all the information I've gathered, especially since we'll need to make an alteration or two to our plans because of it. I head in the opposite direction of the Fire Kingdom, simultaneously heading away from Bubblegum, going towards the woods to the west. Tree Trunk's house will be there, which is where the others are hiding out as well. I run my way there until I reach the outer treeline, then slowing my pace and step carefully around the large, uprooted tree limbs. It's very hard to see with night having set in, but I've memorized the path well enough to know when I've reached it, which I just have. The small house sits tucked away between all these trees, looking pretty isolated because that was the intention. Marceline and Lady helped TT move her house before the Banana Guards came to get her and they placed it in one of the few forests that nobody regularly ventures into. Carefully stepping up to the door, I knock four times and then two more directly after, correctly giving the code as the door slightly peeks open and Marceline pulls me in.

"Thank Glob you made it" The vampire sighs, "I was worried that Bonnie found you out."

"Not yet, no, but I don't intend on being around her much longer so that she finds out before we can book it" I reply, setting my sword down.

Tree Trunks, Jake, Lady, and her kids all sit in the living room, glad to see me but staying quiet as I go to sit down on the couch, Marceline sitting beside me.

"Well, guys, I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that we'll need to leave soon, sooner than we were originally planning. Bubblegum's entourage is moving before sunrise in her last ditch attempt to turn the war in her favor and if we're to make it out without them or her spotting us, we'll need to pack up and be out of here in about five hour's time" I tell them, my friends nodding but not looking too disappointed, "But, that then leads into the good news. Since I've told Flame Princess where Bubblegum's forces will be, she plans to strike and finally end this war. And, before you ask, yes, I did double check to see if she'd let us pass without her army attacking any of you, which she promised she would."

"Thanks, Finn" Tree Trunks says, "I know you probably didn't doubt she would, but sometimes it's just hard to tell given these types of circumstances. She very well could've been working her own angle on this too, but it least we won't have to worry about that anymore."

"So, what's the plan, brother?" Jake asks.

"Simple. We get our stuff ready and leave in a few hours to get a good head start. And by the time we've crossed the Grasslands are heading south, we'll be home free" I explain, my friends having a light-hearted cheer, "So, I'd suggest we all get our affairs in order and get some sleep. Though we'll still have many opportunities for it on the road, this'll probably be the last time it'll be comfortable until we reach the Southern Shores." 

Everyone nods and gets their stuff packed, even though they didn't bring much to begin with, then getting into comfortable positions on the couches and falling asleep. I, however, don't feel like sleeping, and sit outside on Tree Trunk's porch, staring out into the trees. I feel someone sit beside me and, out of the corner of my eye, I see that it's Marceline.

"It's sure gonna be weird not seeing this place again" She admits, bringing her knees to her chest, "But I think it'll be nice."

"Yeah, yeah, it will" I nod, a bit too lost in thought to respond better.

"I'm sorry you had to do all this, Finn" Marcy says, placing her hand on my wrist as I turn and look at her, "I know it might not mean much when I tell you that I know it's not easy for you, but I think I speak for everyone in there when I say that I'm grateful that you chose to help us and not give us up to Bonnie."

"Truth be told, it was always going to be this way if war between them broke out and Bubblegum did what she did" I admit, biting my lip, "I wouldn't ever just let my best friends in the entire world get dragged into a situation they didn't ask for that would ultimately get them killed in the end anyway."

"....Finn, do you ever regret meeting us?" She asks, making me frown at her question, "Because I can't help but think that we've caused you more harm than good. And I don't want you to throw yourself into danger just to protect us when it should be the other way around."

I pull Marceline into a hug, the vampire hesitantly hugging me back.

"No, I don't regret it, Marceline. My life would've turned out a lot worse if you, Jake, and the others weren't part of it. So don't ever think you're a nuisance when you're not" I reply soothingly to her.

The vampire mumbles a thanks against my shoulder, but instead of letting me go so that we can both head back inside, she pulls me closer to her and wraps herself around me so that I can't leave, resting her head on top of mine as I slowly begin to hear her breathing in a relaxed manner. She must've fallen asleep and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the feeling of having someone hold me, or me holding someone I intend to protect with everything I have, as I rest, so I just snuggle into her shoulder and do my best to get some rest as well. Because Glob knows we'll need it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My body wakes up a certain amount of time later and as I begin to get my senses, I see that Marceline's still holding me close to her, her hair fluttering with her breath. But as I hear the crows cawing, and knowing well enough the time they start doing that, it tells me that it's time to get everyone up.

"Marceline?" I say, gently nudging her, "Marcy, wake up."

"Ugh, I was comfortable" She groans, blinking a few times before shaking her drowsiness off.

"We gotta get going" I tell her, the vampire nodding and letting me go.

The two of us stand and head inside, Tree Trunks, Jake, Lady, and the kids still being out cold. But after I tap on the wall with my sword, they're all up and getting ready without me having to say anything. It only takes a minute or two before everyone's all packed up, travel bags and backpacks loaded onto their backs.

"Ready?" I ask, my friends nodding their heads confidently, "Then let's go."

We then walk out the door, giving the house one final glance before setting off into the woods. Due to it still being ahead of schedule of when Bubblegum's forces will be on the move, we move quickly, running while still being careful not to fall and injure ourselves. And it's because of this faster pace that we reach the edge of the western woods quicker than I anticipated. But as we're about to venture into the Grasslands, Marceline spots something and tells us to hide, each of us getting behind a tree. We then look out from behind cover and see what she's referring to.

"I thought you said that they weren't supposed to come this way for another hour or so" Marceline whispers, all of us watching the steadily marching candy soldiers trudge across the Grasslands.

"They weren't when I last talked to Bubblegum" I whisper back, "Maybe her paranoia got her to switch plans again and have them leave even earlier."

"Well, what do we do, Finn?" Tree Trunks asks.

"Hold on just one second" I say, getting my phone out and calling Phoebe, "Phoebe, it's Finn. Bubblegum's forces are moving earlier than we thought. They're already trekking across the Grasslands as we speak."

"What? How did that happen?" Flame Princess asks before correcting herself, "You know what, that doesn't matter. I'll be there soon, just don't get spotted."

The call ends there and I quickly think of something.

"Alright, guys, we're gonna have to wait until they're far enough ahead of us and then slink past them from behind. Phoebe will be here soon, so they should be plenty distracted not to notice us. If they do, though, get behind myself, Jake, or Marceline. Got it?" I explain, everyone nodding again, "Let's get moving again."

Our group then hugs the treeline and stays out of sight as best we can while all three hundred of Princess Bubblegum's forces march past us. I don't see her with them as I slink from tree to tree, but it's not like she's foolish enough to be going with them. She'll be following a bit behind them, that way if something goes wrong, she doesn't get caught up in the firefight. Speaking of a firefight, it's only a little bit later when a thundering roar comes from the opposite direction and Flame Princess's army surges towards the remaining bits of Bubblegum's army. I hold my hand to tell the others to stop and we watch as the Fire Kingdom completely demolishes the Candy Kingdom. And it just goes to show how Bubblegum had no chance to begin with. Candy arrows melt when fired at the fire soldiers and flame swords slice through the candy soldiers like butter. In a matter of minutes, all three hundred are reduced to burned chunks on the grassy ground. I then wave at my friends that we can come out, seeing Phoebe come to the front of the line. She smiles when sees me and my friends approach, all of us stopping before her.

"Thanks for the heads-up" Flame Princess says, adorned in her royalty armor.

"You bet. Wasn't very well going to leave you hanging, was I" I smile, then looking to my friend's relieved expressions.

"Finn? How could you...?" A soft, broken voice speaks.

I pause hearing her voice, but then turn and see Princess Bubblegum standing there, dressed in her traveling cloak, with her dead army between us. Marcy, Jake, Tree Trunks, Flame Princess, and her army turn to see her as well. The princess has tears streaking down her cheeks, but I don't know the reason why, even though there are many possible ones.

"When I went to your tent last night, I was willing to give you your reward for helping me. I was going to give myself to you and have us conceive a child together. That way we'd have something more to fight for, something to push us to win. But, I couldn't find you. And now I find you standing with her after everything we've accomplished?" She sniffles.

"You wanted to find the traitor in your ranks, Bubblegum?" I say, pointing my sword at her, "Well, you've found him. It was me."

"N-No......." The princess trembles, refusing to believe it, "That's not true...you wouldn't do that...you wouldn't give up on my citizens." 

"What? Are you going to tell him that they're innocent in this, Bubblegum?" Flame Princess snaps, stepping forward and standing beside me, "They chose to stand by and do nothing to correct your corruption. And when you called for them to throw away their lives by helping you in a war you knew was doomed from the start, they did it with no questions asked since they supported you. Their guilt is written on the wall."

"Shut up!" Bubblegum yells at her, a fire arrow nicking the side of her face and embedding itself into the ground behind her.

"Honestly, Bubblegum, can't you see the reality of the situation? You've lost. Your kingdom is deserted and your people are dead. But per the rules of Ooo warfare, victory can only be declared once the opposing ruler lies beside his/her citizens. So, give up, and we'll make it quick" Flame Princess replies coldly, her eyes narrowed.

"Finn! Help me! Please!!" The candy princess begs desperately.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but she's right" I shake my head, gesturing to Phoebe, "It is over."

Princess Bubblegum then turns around and runs for her life, heading towards her fallen kingdom. Flame Princess orders her men after her, the soldiers charging after the fleeing tyrant. I turn my back to the scene and look at my friends, seeing in their eyes that they know I want to leave. But before I can voice my thoughts, Phoebe puts her hand on my arm.

"You know, I don't want this to be goodbye for us, Finn" The ruler of the Fire Kingdom says solemnly, "You're still one of my best friends and I'd hate to lose you."

"We can still call and send letters" I suggest, "I know that where we're going can make that happen."

"Ok, then" She nods, trying to be content with that, "I'll see you around, Finn."

Flame Princess then goes after her men while I turn back to my friends and we set off in the other direction, looking to put as many bad memories of the last five months behind us.

Our journey to the Southern Shores takes two days, many hours spent traveling with about just as many resting, but when we finally reach it, it being as magnificent as we hoped it'd be. Sprawling beaches with white sand, vast oceans with plentiful sunlight, a village of nice people with cozy wooden houses, and many farms that grow a large variety of food. Jake, Lady, TT, Marceline are all happy when they see it and the villagers welcome us with open arms. We're each given a house to call our own, but Jake and his family remain in one while Marceline stays with me. We had grown quite closer while she was in hiding from the draft, though I wouldn't really say we're boyfriend/girlfriend, though that might not be too far down the road. All of us quickly grow accustomed to the easy-going and enjoyable paradise-like life at the Shores, often hanging out together at the bonfires done each night and swimming in the ocean during the day. I keep my promise to Flame Princess and give her calls about two to three times a week, the first call being when she told me what happened after we left. Bubblegum ran all the way back to her kingdom, but without anybody left there, it was child's play for the fire soldiers getting inside. Phoebe found her locked in her room in the tower, crying her eyes out. But Phoebe ultimately ended the war and pushed her out the open window. There's been no more conflict since, but I don't think I want to go back anytime soon. Because as Marceline sits on our house's porch in her bathing suit, her legs dangling freely over the edge as I stand next to her leaning on the railing and looking out at the ocean in front of us, I see a future for us that will only bring peace, not war.