literature

Quest for Life Chapter 15

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Light swirled around them as they traversed the portal, tumbling over and over in midair. Ianitor’s voice echoed around them, “Souls gather around life like moths to a flame.” The same sentence echoed over and over again.

“Oof,” gasped Marceline as she landed face first on the ground. She was about to get up when something, or rather someone, landed on top of her, legs draped over her shoulders. She recognised the familiar brown explorer boots.

“Bonnie, not that this isn’t lovely but would you please get off me,” mumbled Marceline.

“Sorry Marcy,” squeaked Princess Bubblegum, getting off the Vampire Queen and helping her up. Finn got up before helping Flame Princess up while Lady and Jake got up, looking around them.

“Wow, just look at this place,” exclaimed Jake, gazing in wonder at everything around him. They were standing on the edge of a vast floating island covered in grass. Ahead of them stood a dense jungle with tall trees and densely foliated canopies. The air was alive with bird song and the cries of many different animals. The sky above was impossibly blue with white cottony clouds scudding across it. They gazed in awe at the world brimming with life where nothing was withered or dead.

“So, where do we go now?” asked Jake.

“Souls gather around life like moths to a flame,” muttered Marceline, “What the heck did he mean like that?”

“It must be some sort of clue,” replied Princess Bubblegum, “Let’s take a look around.” She scanned the landscape around them, analytical mind whirring away. She considered the elements around them. “Look, there,” she said, pointing to an area beyond the jungle, “Do you see? Where the sky looks like it’s on fire. Like moths to a flame.”

“And souls are life,” continued Marceline.

“So that must be where we’ll find the Life Giver,” concluded Princess Bubblegum.

“Sounds right,” said Flame Princess, “We might as well look.”

“At least it isn’t quite so hot here,” added Finn, “I was just about ready to melt in there.”

The grass rustled beneath their feet as they walked towards the edge of the jungle.

“Whoa,” cried Finn as something flapped near his feet. A giant moth, larger than any he’d ever seen, flapped up from the ground at his feet, wings beating with a heavy flap and scattering dust around them as it rose higher.

“That’s huge,” gasped Princess Bubblegum, “You don’t suppose everything here is giant, do you?”

“We’ll have to keep a look out,” said Jake, “I don’t want to end up as a giant spider’s breakfast.” He shuddered at the thought.

“Wait a minute,” said Marceline, suddenly coming to a halt.

“What is it, Marcy?” asked Princess Bubblegum.

“I just realised I’m walking,” replied Marceline.

“Uhh, yeah, you can do that y’know,” said Princess Bubblegum looking puzzled.

“Yeah, but what I can’t do is float,” replied Marceline, “Not even an inch.”

“What?” gasped Princess Bubblegum in surprise.

“나도 날 수 없습니다,” cried Lady Rainicorn, also unable to fly.

“What’s up with this place?” asked Marceline, hissing.

“It must have different rules to back home,” surmised Princess Bubblegum, “The sooner we’re out of here the better.” Marceline nodded. The others looked shocked at these revelations. After a while they continued walking. Marceline began to feel a little nervous. Quite a few of their obstacles had been overcome with either her or Lady’s flight abilities. What if they were needed here? ‘No, Marceline,’ she silently berated herself, ‘Now’s the time to figure things out. Like...like Bonnie does.’

Before long they reached a vast lake where they stopped to refill their depleted water supplies. Princess Bubblegum cupped handfuls of the fresh clear water. Instantly the cuts and bruises she had sustained during their adventures in the caves vanished and she felt revitalized.

“Wow, this water has serious magical properties,” she observed. The others, save for Flame Princess, followed suit.

Finn wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “Dude, I am so ready to face whatever comes are way now,” he said confidently. He made to draw his sword out of habit only to remember it wasn’t there. “I guess I’ll do some hand-to-hand combat for now,” he said sheepishly.
They reached the jungle where the chirps and screeches of wild animals grew louder. The air in the jungle was hot and humid. Before long Princess Bubblegum had taken off her jacket and slung it over her shoulder.

“Globbit,” muttered Marceline as she tripped over a tree root and sprawled to the ground, “I miss flying.” Princess Bubblegum knelt down next to her.

“C’mon Marmalade, it won’t be long before we can go home,” she soothed, stroking Marceline’s midnight hair.

“Well,” muttered Marceline, “I might keep going. But only if you kiss me, sugar.”

“As if I’d refuse,” replied Princess Bubblegum, kissing Marceline affectionately, “You gonna get up now?”

“Maybe for one more,” teased Marceline.

“Don’t push it,” warned Princess Bubblegum, pulling Marceline to her feet. Marceline stuck her tongue out at her.

“Well, I’ll keep going,” she teased, “But only because I want to.” Princess Bubblegum laughed softly. She loved these pretend fights. Some things just never change.

Suddenly something rustled in the trees overhead.

“What was that?” asked Princess Bubblegum.

“I don’t know,” replied Marceline, looking around sharply as another rustle sounded to her right.

“AAAIIEEEE!” screamed Princess Bubblegum as something grabbed her around her waist and she felt herself being hoisted up into a tree. Marceline whirled around to see two large furry creatures holding the struggling Princess. They had large hands and feet and long prehensile tails.

“Monkeys?” said Marceline in surprise, “I haven’t seen one in centuries.” “Hey!” she yelled, “Give me back my bubblegum!”

“Marceline!” cried Princess Bubblegum, “What are they doing?” One of the monkeys was searching through Princess Bubblegum’s hair.

“I think they’re looking for bugs in your hair,” Marceline called up, “Hang on, I’ll get you down.”

“I do not have bugs in my hair,” Princess Bubblegum shouted in indignation. The monkeys took no notice and continued searching. Marceline tried to fly, forgetting she could not. She cursed under her breath, searching for something to help her. She spotted a giant bunch of bananas hanging from a tree and climbed up, biting off the bunch with her fangs. She showed the bananas to the monkeys who immediately took an interest.

“Yeah, you want these?” yelled Marceline, “Return my Bonnie and I’ll give them to you.” She held them out of reach when one of the monkeys made a grab for them.

“Give me Bonnie first,” she yelled, pointing at Princess Bubblegum, hoping she could get them to understand. The monkey holding the Princess looked from the bananas to the Princess and back to the bananas again. Slowly it reached down, depositing Princess Bubblegum on the forest floor. Princess Bubblegum scrambled to her feet and hurried behind Marceline. Marceline then handed over the bananas which the monkeys snatched before climbing further up into the tree.

“Right,” said Princess Bubblegum, dusting herself down, “Now I can add being traded for a bunch of bananas to my list of adventures.” She turned to face Marceline. “Thanks,” she smiled, “I owe you one.”

“Well, you can owe me it later,” grinned Marceline, laughing at the dense pink patches that appeared on Princess Bubblegum’s cheeks. Marceline stopped laughing, looking around, “Hey, where’s everyone else?” Princess Bubblegum followed her gaze.

“They mustn’t have realised we weren’t with them,” she replied, “They must’ve gone on without us.” She grabbed Marceline’s wrist and began running through the forest, trying to catch sight or sound of the rest of the group. More than once they stumbled and nearly fell before continuing on.

“Got any ideas?” asked Marceline as they ran. PB shook her head.

“Nothing,” she replied. She glanced up, “Wait, yes, that might work.”

“What might work?” asked Marceline.

“We need to get a good vantage point to check our location and find the others,” explained Princess Bubblegum, “What could be better than one of these trees?”

“That’s awfully high up Bonnie, and I can’t fly anymore, remember?” Marceline reminded her.

“We’ll be fine,” replied Princess Bubblegum, “Come on.” She leapt up at a low hanging branch and pulled herself up. Marceline followed her, pulling herself up onto the branch next to the Princess. They climbed up hand over hand until they found themselves pushing through the dense canopy. A flock of birds erupted from the top of the tree as they burst through the canopy. From this height they saw just how vast the forest truly was. It stretched for miles. Princess Bubblegum cupped her hands to her mouth.

“FINN! JAKE! LADY! FLAME PRINCESS!” she shouted, her voice echoing out over the distance. Marceline joined in the shouting. A very distant echo came back to them.

“PB, Marcy, where are you?” asked Finn.

“WE DON’T KNOW!” yelled Marceline, “STAY WHERE YOU ARE! WE’LL FOLLOW YOUR VOICES!”

“Ok,” came Finn’s reply. After that several distant echoes kept emanating from the same area as the rest of the group tried to make sure the two monarchs would find them. They climbed back down the tree where Marceline began swivelling her ears to pick up on the direction of the sound. “That way,” she said, pointing to a gap in the trees. They hurried off in the direction of the calls.

                                                                *             *             *

“How did they even get lost?” asked Finn between shouts, “I thought they were behind us the whole time.”

“So did I, dude,” replied Jake, “Hehe, they probably just stopped for a smooch somewhere.”

“We heard that,” came a voice from the undergrowth. Princess Bubblegum stepped out from the dense leaves closely followed by the Vampire Queen.

“PB, Marcy, what happened to you?” asked Flame Princess.

“Oh, Bonnie got kidnapped by monkeys,” explained Marceline.

“What are monkeys?” asked Flame Princess.

“Large furry creatures with absolutely no manners,” pouted Princess Bubblegum. Marceline chuckled.

“We’re just glad you’re back,” said Jake, “Honestly, we thought you were behind us the whole time.”

“Well, when we were trying to find you we got a better look at the forest,” said Marceline, “It’s huge. We’ll never get through it in a day. But we need to keep heading North.” She took out her  compass, “Which is...that way.” She pointed off into the undergrowth.

“Right,” said Finn, “One Northbound trip coming up.”

“And watch out for monkeys,” laughed Marceline.

“You’re not going to let me forget that, are you?” asked Princess Bubblegum, smiling wickedly.

“Not a chance,” grinned Marceline, forgetting she can’t float and landing on her back, looking up at the Princess.

“And I’m not going to let you forget that,” chuckled Princess Bubblegum. Marceline pouted before getting up. They followed the others into the undergrowth, taking care not to be left behind.

As night fell they gathered together some twigs and leaves to serve as beds. Finn and Jake gathered some kindling and built a fire pit which Flame Princess lit with a well aimed fireball. Once they had eaten they curled up, ready for sleep.

“I’ll take the first watch,” volunteered Finn, “Jake, I’ll wake you up at 2am.”

“Alright, dude,” replied Jake. One by one the group fell into a contented sleep, glad to be out of the claustrophobic tunnels they had had to make do with up until now.
Once in the Hidden World of the Life Giver they soon discover they still have far to go.

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WARNING: This fanfiction contains scenes of a bubbline nature. Viewer discretion is advised.

Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Adventure Time © Pendleton Ward
© 2013 - 2024 Novum-Semita
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Bubbline-fan's avatar
AHAHAHAHA You make me laugh so much XDDDDD Monkeys xDDDD 

 “Now I can add being traded for a bunch of bananas to my list of adventures.” I'll never forget this quotation. So Magic. xDDDDD

I don't want the story to end... :( 

Perfect as always *^*