Chapter 23: A Glorious Return
Finn searched every inch of the room—every shelf, every box, every drawer—but found nothing beyond the usual beauty products and an excessive amount of gum.
He sat on the luxurious bed and sighed. He was beginning to doubt whether Princess Bubblegum had any sexual secrets at all. Yet, he was certain that someone like her wouldn't hide her deepest secrets in ordinary places. There had to be hidden compartments, ones so cleverly concealed that even the smartest beings in Ooo wouldn't be able to uncover them.
"Now, if I were Princess Bubblegum, where would I hide something truly secret?" he mused aloud. Given her intellect, she would stash such things in the most obvious places—the kind no one would ever suspect.
As he pondered, a strange intuition struck him. He turned to look at the bed behind him, studying it closely before running his hand across the soft mattress.
[Is there a problem?]
"Not all of it is cotton," he muttered. Moving quickly, he lifted the blanket, revealing the pristine white mattress beneath. He meticulously examined every inch, searching for any anomalies. And then, as he looked toward the lower corners of the bed, his eyes widened, and a small smirk formed on his lips.
——
The royal dinner had concluded, and the princess returned to her room, unlocking the door. As she stepped inside, she felt a faint breeze pass over her and out the door. She frowned, glancing back down the hallway. Her room had no windows, so where had that draft come from?
Finding no answer, she dismissed the thought and continued inside. Meanwhile, outside the castle, Finn's body dropped from a high window, landing silently as he vanished into the darkness. Now that he had discovered what he needed, there were no more obstacles in the way of his desires—except for one person he needed to see first.
Traversing the vast green fields, Finn soon reached the entrance of a dark cave, its gaping mouth stark even against the night. He stepped inside, making his way to the small house nestled in the cavern's center. Finding the door ajar, he entered, flicked on the lights, and ascended the staircase.
He pushed open the door to Marceline's room, his eyes immediately falling upon the vampire queen. She lay on her stomach, clad in a short-sleeved black shirt, her long legs bare except for a pair of black panties, leaving her thick, round hips exposed.
"For the last time, PB, I don't want to talk. Shut the stupid door," she grumbled into her pillow, irritation lacing her voice.
Finn smirked, stepping forward silently before settling onto the bed beside her. With a slow, deliberate motion, he reached out and ran his hand over her bare ass, his fingers sinking into her soft, pale flesh.
Marceline tensed immediately, grabbing his hand with an angry glare. But when she turned and saw his face, all color drained from hers, as if she had seen a ghost. Finn simply looked at her calmly, his other hand reaching out to turn on the small bedside lamp. The soft glow illuminated his face, making his features clearer, causing her already wide eyes to glass over in disbelief.
"I thought I got rid of these hallucinations," she murmured in a broken voice before burying her face back into her pillow.
Finn chuckled lightly, his grip tightening slightly on her bare skin, making her question whether what she was experiencing was truly an illusion.
"Not exactly the welcome I was expecting," he remarked as he pulled his hand away and made to stand up.
The moment Marceline heard his voice—steady and familiar—paired with the shift in the bed's weight, reality finally sank in.
"Finn!?!" She yanked him back toward her, wrapping her arms around him and pressing his face tightly against her chest. "Oh my glob, oh my glob… Finn, it's really you! I…" Words tumbled out in a frantic rush, her voice trembling as tears spilled freely from her eyes, overwhelmed by an avalanche of emotions—joy, confusion, and endless questions.
Finn, on the other hand, was simply enjoying the warm, pillowy embrace of her ample breasts. "Oh, I just can't believe… are you even listening to me?!" she suddenly shouted, her shimmering eyes filled with frustration.
"Muffled…" Finn muttered, his voice barely escaping from where it was trapped between her chest.
"What? Oh!" Marceline quickly released him, finally freeing his face.
"I said, I was trying to listen," he grumbled, feigning annoyance.
For Marceline, this moment felt like being dragged from hell and thrown into paradise. It was hard to believe that this was the same girl who had spent the past five months in isolation, shutting out everyone around her.
Only after losing Finn did Marceline truly realize just how much she loved him. Despite the relatively short time they had spent together, he had been her perfect guardian angel.
Every action he took, every word he spoke, had left a profound mark on her. If she were to learn that Finn had merely been playing her all along, expertly manipulating her emotions, she wouldn't even be surprised. After all, the way he had treated her had been nothing short of intentional perfection.
"...But wait, Princess Bubblegum said she saw you die in front of her. How are you here?" After reveling in the joy of his return, Marceline finally realized the glaring inconsistency.
"I never died. Whatever she told you, she made it up."
"That…" A storm of emotions hit her at once. Of course, she still harbored feelings for PB, as Finn assumed, but his importance had grown far beyond hers over these past months. And the torment—the agony PB had caused her during those five long months—who knew how much her value had plummeted in this very moment?
Finn grabbed Marceline's arm and gently pushed her back onto the bed, hovering over her. "I'm the one who needs to act, not you," he murmured after a moment of silence. "I just came here so you won't be shocked twice when I return."
"Return?" She despised the word.
"Yes. And I'll be bringing something here that will stay with you."
"What is it?" she asked.
"You'll know in time," he replied before attempting to stand. But Marceline tackled him back down, pressing herself against him on the bed.
"Do you really think you can just disappear for so long, then show up only to leave for something mysterious again? Just like that?" she teased with a small grin.
Finn looked at her for a moment before flipping her beneath him. "Fine, but this way is better," he whispered before capturing her lips in a deep kiss, his hand kneading her soft breast.
After a short but eventful time together, Finn left, promising Marceline a longer reunion once his business was finished.
——
As he traversed the endless green fields, a sudden voice rang in his mind.
"Wait, wait! I want out," Rony demanded.
"What's wrong with her?" Finn asked Sika.
[I don't know, but she got really agitated when you were with Marceline.]
Allowing Rony to exit the domain, Finn watched as she appeared, sitting on the grass with her arms crossed and cheeks puffed in frustration.
"I'm in a hurry. No time for this," he said, raising his hand to send her back.
"Oh, but you had time when you were with her, didn't you?" she shot back, her voice carrying both irritation and the innocent undertones of her nature.
"What are you trying to say?" he lowered his hand.
"I was doing... that with you all this time, and now you're doing it with another girl?" she huffed, her face turning red before spinning away from him.
"I swear, I'll eat the grass right now if you remind me of a time other than the first one—when I was the one who asked you to do it," he retorted, folding his arms.
Rony flinched at his quick response. "Alright, now that we're done talking..." Finn moved to return her to the domain.
"Are you really planning to attack that kingdom alone?" she asked, suddenly serious, addressing the real reason she had emerged.
"Yes." Over the past five months, they had spent plenty of time together, so she already knew a lot about his goals and identity—though not about Sika or the fact that he was from another world.
"If that's the case…" she hesitated. "You realize they aren't just a pack of foxes, right? They're definitely stronger creatures."
"I know. But I have to punish her for what she did," he replied bluntly, showing no intention of backing down.
"Can't you just forgive her? I know you won't like hearing this, but it's better than getting hurt," she pleaded, turning to him with desperate eyes, hoping to change his mind.
Finn gazed at her for a long moment. Her eyes weren't defiant but fearful—more worried than opposed. "Do you doubt I'll win?" he asked calmly.
"No, no! But that doesn't mean you won't get hu—" Before she could finish, Finn lowered himself to the ground and embraced her gently.
Rony was taken aback by his sudden action but slowly returned the hug, her movements hesitant, as if silently acknowledging her helplessness against his decision. Pulling back slightly, he locked eyes with her and spoke softly.
"Rony…" A rare smile tugged at his lips. "Doubting my victory is a mistake you don't want to make… even you." His smile faded, his eyes sharpening with quiet intensity.
After a moment, Rony sighed and averted her gaze. "I figured as much," she muttered with a small smirk.
A distant look took over her eyes as she seemed to be lost in thought for a while. "Is there something else?" Finn asked impatiently.
"Oh! No, sorry. I just felt a little lonely, that's all. Goodbye." She spoke quickly before disappearing back into the domain before Finn could say another word. He had known giving her the ability to exit at will would be problematic—like a child, she often acted without thinking things through. In hindsight, even just allowing her entry on her own might have been too much freedom.
Inside the domain, Rony sat quietly, hugging her knees. She reached for the small pendant hanging from her neck—a thick, orange cross. She lifted it, staring at it with sorrowful eyes as a few stray tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Father..." she whispered, holding the pendant high as she gazed at it.
——
At this hour, most of the kingdom was already asleep. Only the street lamps illuminated the near-empty roads, with a few scattered candy citizens and Banana Guards patrolling the area.
For Princess Bubblegum, security was of the utmost importance. With the advancements in science, she had dedicated much of her remaining time to developing the kingdom's defense systems.
A lone Banana Guard strolled beneath the towering castle walls when something in the sky caught his eye—a shadow floating against the bright full moon.
The figure wore blue pants and a yellow jacket with no zipper, the hood pulled up to cover most of his head. A black cloth obscured the lower half of his face. But the guard barely registered these details—all he saw was a silhouette standing defiantly in front of the moon's glow.
[Flight for One Day—Purchased]