Here we are, folks! The final chapter of the prologue! It's taken a long time, but I finally did it! I'm sorry I didn't get it done, any sooner. But, as I said, good stories take time to write, and I would rather take forever to write something good than turn in something mediocre. No joke, I went through like 6 or 7 rewrites for this chapter, alone. I also made some minor rewrites to the first four chapters (namely the "Flying Turtle" bit in Chapter 2 about Finn and Jake fighting Giant Spiders so as not to outshine what should be Finn's biggest moment in this story), so I would suggest going back and reading those first before preceding to this chapter. On that note, thank you guys so much for all your patience and support! Side note, but if you see a sentence that is in parentheses but is not bolded or italicized, that is the Writer speaking, now. It was my brother's idea when he helped edit this chapter, and I rather liked it!

ATIB Final Part

(OMG, peeps! We're finally here! The beginning of the end! No. Wait. This is the prologue, so the…beginning of the start? Yeah! That's it! The beginning of the start of the greatest shipping since…well…hmm. What shipping could match the perfection that is Finnceline?)

(At this point, the Narrator checked his Rolodex of awful fanfiction shippings. Being as he can be incorporeal on a whim, I gathered that you wouldn't be able to glean that information. Also, being as I have a strong dislike for him on the same level with which I disdain people who eat raw tomatoes, I wanted the reader to know that he does, in fact, have a Rolodex of awful fanfiction shippings)

(Earth Star and Beauty Stem? Naw. Two amphibians in love is not quite as sensual as a young man falling for a sexy, Vampire lady. And besides, that ship is irrelevant to everyone but George over in Canada. Robin and Starfire? Blegh! She has the same voice actress as that corn-syrup-scented hussy trying to steal Marcy's man! Hellboy and Blood Rayne? What the heck have you been smoking, guy? Crack shippings are for losers who don't know how to write good fanfiction. Kinda like you, now that I think of it)

(Sad, but true, I'm afraid)

(Aha! Batman and Wonder Woman! Now we're talkin'! This is the beginning of the start of the greatest shipping since Bander Wo-Man! So, we find Finn and Jake where they left off, galloping like buffoons on the edge of cliff and into the warm embrace of a lawsuit from Christopher Tolkien.)

"ADVENTURE TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME!" Finn's heart pounded with excitement as he and Jake charged down the mountain.

"You ready for this bro?" Jake called to him.

"Yeah, dude!" Finn answered, earnestly. "Let's do this!"

As they reached the bottom of the hill, Finn and Jake took cover behind a conveniently-placed rock near the enemy encampment. As quiet as a mouse on mind-altering substances, the two began to formulate a battle plan.

"I say we run in there and just go full-on Four-Fisted-Phil on these guys!" Finn whispered. (Ah, yes. The master strategist at work.)

Jake chuckled. "I like your style brother. Flabby, stabby, makin' enemies crabby!" They bumped fists. "You sure you don't wanna fight side-by-side? I know it's been a good long while."

"No," Finn said with stalwart determination. "I'd say it's been too long. I'm gonna take this slow, but I'm gonna do it on my stoney loney. First baby steps, and then toddler steps, and maybe even early childhood steps, when I get to the Trolls." Speaking of which, He thought about what Jake said about the Trolls, earlier. "Hey, Jake. Are you gonna be ok fighting Trolls? You did say you have 'trollergies.'"

Jake giggled. "Naw, dude. I made that stuff up. "I was just testing your resolve, back there, and you aced it!"

"Oh," Finn said, smiling. "Ok! My resolve remains resolvant!"

As he said this, they heard a pronounced cough from above them. They looked up to see that a detachment of Trolls and Orcs had found them and were staring down at them from the other side of the rock, nonplussed. He looked up at the Trolls, whose ugly faces made Finn reconsider his strategy (or lack thereof). "Yeesh, maybe I should take 'middle age' steps when fighting Trolls."

"That hurtful assessment," said one of the Trolls, "But me understand you need to lash out, right now. Teenage hormones, and what not."

"How the heck did you guys even find us?" Jake asked grumpily, hands on his hips. "We're behind cover, here!"

"You kidding?" one of the Orcs scoffed. "We saw you guys running down the hill." He gestured to the hill Finn and Jake had descended, pointing out the very distinctly un-Goblin footprints leading down to their current hiding place. "And also you were screaming like banshee baboons about fighting us the whole way down."

Jake coughed awkwardly. "Well… Guess we have no one to blame but ourselves."

"No, no, don't be so hard on yourselves," the Orc said, smiling through snot-green teeth. "I wish I had that much exuberance on a Monday!"

The entire group laughed together, in spite of themselves. After a pleasant, companionable silence, the Orc's mood shifted entirely.

"But we still gotta kill you guys!"

At this, Jake instinctively punched the Orc off the rock, grabbed Finn, and bounced over the lot of them and into the whole of the army.

"Hey!" shouted a Goblin from the encampment. "Those guys are exhibiting far too much hyper-masculine aggression!" And with that, the army descended upon the duo with wild (and quite frankly uncalled for) fury.

"You sure you're ready for this, bro?" Jake asked, readying himself for battle.

"Heck yeah, I am!" Finn shouted, grinning from ear to ear. "Because I'm a dang hero!"

"Ok, dude!" Jake said. "But remember, baby steps, yeah? And don't forget…" before he could finish his statement, a Troll punched him in the face and flung him into the air.

"Jake!" Finn cried.

"I'm alright! But, don't forget that I'm always here for yoooooooooooooooooou!" Jake shouted as he sailed off into the distance.

In spite of the situation, Finn smiled and called back, "Thanks for the eternally-encouraging words of wisdooooooooooooom!"

As the army closed in around him, Finn was both a little nervous and a little excited. This was gonna be his first fight, alone, in a year, and he was far from his peak. But he had to prove to himself that he was still capable. Alright, Finn! This is it! You got this! So long as your heart remains in Hero-Mode, you can do anything! However, he became a lot less confident when he noticed how much bigger the evil army really was, both in numbers and the individuals, themselves. These Goblins were significantly larger than the wimpy Goblins he (regretfully) lorded over, roughly his own size if they stood upright, while the Orcs looked to be the size of Grizzly Bears. The Trolls were even more imposing, many of them looking like they could dwarf most of the trees in Ooo. Oh glob! I wish my Hero-Heart would activate on fast cook, right now!

As the evil army descended upon them, Finn decided to shake off his cold feet and just wing it. "I can do this! I am awesome!" Finn did as he promised himself, charging the smaller Goblins first. Their hissing like those angry Snakes (and some small Kittens), making him cringe a bit from it, and unlike their more mousy brethren, they were not afraid of him, and attempted to swarm all over him. Finn had to think fast. "Hiya!" Finn shouted as he smacked a goblin in the head with his sword, easily incapacitating the small creature. "Ha!" Finn shouted. "This is gonna be easy!" He punched one goblin in its face with is robot hand, kicked another one so hard he heard bones shatter, and slashed another one, the splinters causing it to role on the ground in pain. As the little buggers came, Finn was able to hold them off with ease, utilizing his speed and agility, banking on their frailty and disorganization to take them out. And for a time, he did just that. "Ha! This is ain't anythang but a Wyvern fang!" Finn shouted, his confidence quickly coming back to him. Heck yeah, he thought to himself. I got these jaspers no problem. However, Finn was becoming too cocky, focusing too much on one creature at a time rather than the entire horde, and as soon the Goblins realized what a real threat he was, they charged him with greater speed and more ferocity. Finn looked in horror at the swarming Goblins. "Oh, no…" One bit his ankle, another bit his living shoulder, and one bit his robot arm, while others wrapped their gangling arms tightly around his limbs and body. "Ugh! Get off me, you dang ol' Goblins!" Finn used all of his might stand up and swing some of them off, but others wouldn't let go. He decided to further test the strength of his new arm. "Alright! Time to take you guys down, down to Goblin Town!" He hit the Goblin biting his leg so hard its head seemed to disappear into the dirt, then pryed the one on his shoulder off, tossing it several feet away. He used his flesh-and-blood hand to punch the Goblin on his robot arm several times until it fell unconscious. Finn roared his mightiest roar (Which is barely above that of a baby Lion in terms of decibels) as he beat his chest.

"Nice work, bro," Jake called to him as he smashed several Orcs in giant form. "Keep it up!"

"Thanks dude!" Finn said. Now the Orcs were charging him, unperturbed by the boy's disproportional levels of physical strength. Finn smiled. "Time to make Orc sausages with a side of Orc rinds!" (Puns! You suck at them!) Finn remained confident, but now he was more tactical. All of the Orcs were about a foot or two taller than him (And perhaps four or five feet wider), and he had to really be on his toes. He ran to one of the Orcs and swiped on the knee. It cried like a little girl.

"Ow, my knee!" It cried. "That was my mother's favorite knee!"

"Stick a knee-dle in your eye!" (Would you just quit with the puns, already?! You're embarrassing yourself!) Finn shouted as he kicked the Orc in the face, causing it to fall to the ground. He used his head to smash into an Orc's gut, causing it to fall down in pain, and as another one attempted to cut him down, he raised his arm in defense, the sword just bouncing off with each strike.

"Why…won't…you…die!" The Orc shouted.

Finn smiled at this capabilities of his arm, and pushed the Orc back. "Robo arms, son!" He pulled back his robo-arm, and punched the Orc in the face, who subsequently fell to the ground with an impact mark the size of the basketball. More Orcs charged in, so Finn used a spin attack to strike multiple opponents at once, doing his darnedest to make sure each strike hurt like helps. While some Orcs fell to ground, others weathered the storm and continued fighting. This time, the Orcs were more organized, and attacked him all at once. Finn attempted to block with both his arm and his sword, but though his new arm could easily block the attacks without even so much as a dent, the sad excuse for a weapon was far less durable, and with little effort, an Orc chopped the broom sword in half.

"Dang it!" Finn huffed. "That was my favorite sword, in recent memory, you butt!" But the Orcs didn't cease. One of them put Finn in a head lock, while another started punching him in the gut, chuckling distastefully at the sight of Finn's belly jiggling.

Jake took notice of the scuffle as he kicked aside several goblins with his gigantic feet. "Oh, Grod! Finn! Are you ok?! You need a hand?!"

"No!" Finn said. "This is…MY FIGHT!" He headbutted the Orc holding him and then kicked the Orc punching him with both feet. In anger, Finn stuffed the remains of his Broom Sword into an Orc's mouth, slid it across its tongue, giving it splinters and making it scream in pain, while Finn grabbed another Orc's nose with his caliper hand, twisting it too make it extra painful. Finn used all his strength to throw the Orc over his head slam it on the ground. Finn huffed a bit from the effort, but was quite proud of himself. He decided to strike while the iron was hot, and continued his assault. Though the Orc proved strong, Finn was much stronger, and though his reflexes were lessened over the years, they had not fully disappeared, and he proved to these fools who was the better fighter. As the fight raged on, the remaining Orcs became more afraid of the Human boy, and thus retreated behind the massive frame of a gigantic Troll.

"Oh, dang," Finn stammered. The Troll was four times the height of the Orcs, and possibly three times wider. And worse, Finn was tiring out. His breathing was spotty, and his calves burned like a thousand suns. But, he stood his ground, holding his broken sword in a battle-ready posture. The Troll roared a mighty roar as it raised its club up. Finn had only a split second to jump out of the way, but the force of the Troll's blow was enough to knock him off his feet. With some effort, Finn jumped back up and ran towards the Troll, smacking the creature's knee as with his sword. However, the splinters barely penetrated its thick hide, and the Troll only looked in confusion, while Finn looked back at it in horror. The Troll attempted to backhand him, but he narrowly dodged it. Finn attempted to sidestep and form a counterattack with his sword, but in his present state, he was not quite fast enough, and the Troll kicked him so hard that Finn went flying into a rock, his Broom Sword flying out of his hand. The force was enough to crack the stone, and Finn felt a stinging pain in his back.

Breathless and aching, he struggled to his feet as the Troll charged at him, using both hands to swing the club downward. Finn barely had enough time to dodge the attack and watch the Troll crush the rock like a predator crushes a Sabretooth; that is, like it's nothing. Finn was very nervous. He had fought creatures several times his size before, but even back then, it wasn't easy without his brother. And now he was out of shape, in searing pain, and too tired to fight back. Oh, man, Finn worried. This guy's kicking my buns. One wrong move, and I'm history, math, and science! But Finn shook his head, fighting the fatigue and doubt he was feeling. "No! I'm not gonna give up! I AM A MAN!" Finn ran with all his might while raising his robo fist (or tongs, or pliers, or those awesome and long, grabby things that your teacher sometimes uses! You know which one I'm talking about. Don't deny the fact that you pretended it was an electro-gun!), and drove it into the Troll's belly flab. However, his fist only managed to enter the Troll's belly-button, and it was not the least bit phased by his attack. They stared at Finn's pincers as it hung inside the Troll's flab. It was exceptionally awkward for them both.

"Huh…" Finn huffed. "Well… dang it."

The Troll held its head down, sadly. "Me hoped nobody notice me weight-gain. Me so depressed, now."

Desperate to forget this had ever happened, they both overcame the grip of crippling anxiety, and Finn got his hand out just in time to raise his arm before the troll slammed its fist on his entire body, and dug Finn into the ground. He felt his bones creak and body bruise harder than a mixed martial artist banana sundae, but his arm managed to deflect the worst of it, only having a minor dent in the lower-arm region. Still, he was very much spent, and the Troll was right on top of him. Finn attempted to roll to the side, but he could only manage to barely drag himself on his hip, before the Troll simply scooped him up in its hand. Finn attempted to struggle from its death grip, but with each attempt the Troll squeezed even harder. Finn relented. His pride was only gonna get him killed (Rule 31 of the Hero's Handbook; if you have a Magic Dog that can turn gigantic, make sure that that's always plan A! Duh!)

"Jake!" Finn shouted. "HEEEEEELP!"

Jake finished smashing some enemies with his hammer hands, and turned to hear the continual cries of his brother, who he now saw was being crushed by a Troll. "Oh Gob! Hold on, Finn! I'm coming!" Jake leapt into the air and fell behind the Troll, putting it in a headlock, causing it to lose its grip on Finn. "You wanna go night night, punk! Here…" He shifted his skin into a large sheet around the Troll's face. "Have a blanky! And then…." He strangled it, forcing it go unconscious. "Take a nap!" The Troll's body fell down, and in the nick of time, Jake caught Finn's freefalling body. "You ok, bro?"

Finn wheezed heavily. "Yeah. Thanks, Jake."

"You look like crud, dude," Jake said, concernedly. "Maybe we should just call this thing off. You're in no shape to keep…"

"No!" Finn interjected, leaping up from his resting posture, though stumbling in the attempt. "We're getting that sword, no matter what it takes!"

Though worried, Jake smiled at the boy's resolve. He really was back from the realm of bumpass. "Alright, dude! We'll get that sword! I'll stretch us over to that mountain and we'll be…." However Jake, immediately started swelling up and growing welts all over his body, his limbs seizing up and shrinking. "Ah poopy."

"Jake!" Finn worried. "What's wrong?!"

"Dang ith!" Jake said with his lips and tongue swollen. "I thouda known thith wath gonna happen. I gotta bad cathe of the trollergieths. I knew I thouda broughth that dang ol' needle for my Troll thoths!"

"But…but I thought you made that stuff up!"

"I wath thtlying not to make you worry! I didn'th wanth you give up on your dleamths for my thake!"

"Well, how long are you gonna be like that?"

"Abouth twenthty-four thtinking houths. Thowy, bro. I gueth I thoulda been more prepathed"
"Jake, don't worry," Finn said. "I'll roll you up the Mountain." Finn attempted roll Jake in the direction of the mountain, but Jake was far too heavy to move anywhere, and he just didn't have any more stamina nor strength to spare. Still, he kept pushing. "I'll…get us…there…before you know it."

With some effort, Jake turned his head to see the rest of the evil army charging their way. He gasped. "Oh Gwodth!I don't thtink we'll make it in time! Go on without me, Thfinn. Thave youthelf!"

"No!" Finn said, "I'm not gonna leave you here." Finn kept attempting to move Jake forward, but he made no progress, and he stopped and when heard the footsteps of the army right behind him. Finn had no choice. He had to stay and protect his brother. The sword could wait, while he gave these dinguses a taste of his Hero's Heart. With his remaining strength, he picked up a sword from one of the bodies, and charged the evil army, head on, forsaking his own safety.

(Well, that's enough of that! Onward to Marcy's scene! Don't worry, you action fiends! We'll be right back! Until then, here we are, 30 minutes before Finn bites the dust.)

Marceline was in the middle of nowhere. Everything was covered in inky black darkness. No sky, no ground, not even a beam of light from the moon. As such, she could not find a source of light to use her night-vision. "Where am I? What is this place? Why can't I see anything?" There was very little in this world that could scare the Vampire Queen, anymore, but this was one of those few things. She darted around the area, utilizing her sense of smell and hearing to make sure she didn't bump into anything in this dark world. But there were no scents or sounds, and it was all dead space (Don't you dare leave a Dead Space comment in the review section, you fan boys…wait? Dang it! You set me up!). No buildings, no trees, no nothing. Marcy was nervous.

"Where am I? I just want to go home."

"You have eternity, but he doesn't." said a deep, masculine voice.

"Who said that?" Her eyes darted around in the darkness. "Show yourself!"

"You have all the time in the world, but he doesn't."

She protracted her claws. "I said show yourself!"

"You'll live forever, but he won't."

Her face became that of a terrifying monster. "COME OUT, RIGHT NOW, OR I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Marcy?" A familiar voice said.

"Finn" Marcy turned around and saw Finn in a bright, white spotlight. But he looked different. Much different. He was in his usual get up (complete with his usual unidentifiable smell) but he looked like a fragile, old man, with wrinkly skin, sagging eye sockets and a long white beard that hung down to his lap. He was confined to a wheel chair, as his legs were now little more than stumps, and his flower arm was shriveled, its flaky petals falling off onto the floor. Marcy was in horror. "Finn…what…what happened to you?"

"I was waiting for you, Marcy…for a hundred years!"

"A hundred years," Marcy mused. "But…but I just saw you, a week ago."

"A week for a vampire is like a hundred years for us mortal dudes. What the heck, man? I called you all that time, and you never answered. And now thanks, to you, my dang ol' legs fell off."

"Finn, I-I didn't mean to. I was just scared that I would feel something for you and…and…"

"And now I feel nothing!" Finn interrupted, beaming with pleasantness through his four-toothed smile. "Well, except my bad back, mah old knees, and I'm pretty sure I got worms making renovations in my ears. Dang freeloaders didn't pay me no mind when they passed that zoning regulation."

"Finn. I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"What?" He pulled out a horn and put in into his ear. "Sorry, Marcy. You'll have to speak up," I think those worms in my ears are signing off on their lease."

She grimaced. "I said I'm sorry."

"What?"

Tears welling up in her eyes, she embraced him in a hug. "I said, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"Ow! My body!" Then Finn fell to the floor.

"Finn!" Marcy exclaimed in horror. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to..."

"Marcy. W-why did you hurt me? You're…you're a real jerk…and I hate you!"

"Oh glob! I did it again!" She covered her eyes as she cried. "I'm a monster!" Then she heard a voice laughing from the shadows. It was a pale being with a wide-brim hat and horse skull for a head, riding a steed with the same exact same head. It was clear who it was; the very visage of Death himself.

"You," Marcy snarled, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to collect my prize, baby-cakes," Death said with devilish glee. "Old Finny here is gonna be playing poker with me for all eternity."

"But, he can't!" she protested. "He's not dead!"

"No?" Death mused before turning to the prostrate old dork on the floor of the cave. "Hey, you there. Ima call you 'Onion Farts.'"

"It only hurts because it's true," Onion Farts wheezed. "And also because Marceline broke all two of my remaining ribs."

Death laughed, sadistically. "Anyways, Onion Farts," Death continued. "You dead yet?"

"Actually, I think I'm still hangin' in there, spitefully," Onion Farts answered. "If you can call livin' in a cave and havin' onion farts 'life.'"

"That's a fair point," Death chuckled with sinister satisfaction. "Lemme give you a hand with that!" In a flash, he pulled out a lasso and flung it around Onion Farts' Finn's body, pulling out his ghostly essence. "Boo-YAH!" he shrieked, pumping his free hand. "I'd call this a marked improvement!"

"Wait!" Marcy shouted. "You can't do this!" She fell to her knees, her eyes flowing with tears. "I…I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"Well, you shoulda thought of that before wallowing for eternity in your own pity party," Death said, mockingly. "Now, you're forever alone. But hey. At least you won't ever have to face Death himself. Hehehe. Get it? Cuz', ya know, I'm Death. Eh, whatever. I'm about spent on jokes, anyways." He held up a peace sign. "Sayonara, sucka! I'm out this piece!" He turned his horse around and dragged off Finn's soul into the darkness.

"Finn! Nooooooo!" Marcy wailed, tears now pouring unstoppably down her cheeks.

(Wait… what? I said flash back to thirty minutes ago, you boob! Not, "Hey, let's go play a game of 'Dystopian Future Kickball' with my emotions!")

(Calm down, Frosted-Tips. It's a dream sequence representing Marceline's repressed self-loathing over her own immortality. Aren't you supposed to be nigh-omnipotent?)

(Well, I AM, but I suppose I expected better of you than "it was all a dream!")

(I am nothing if not totally amateurish)

(Wait, shut up! She's waking up!)

Marcy woke up in a cold sweat. She breathed heavily, looking around her bedroom, relieved that she was back in her room. Not wanting to risk jinxing herself, she pinched her arm to ensure that she wasn't still dreaming. (Why does that work? Are people not able to pinch themselves in their dreams?) She breathed a deep sigh of relief to discover that she was not and fell back on the bed.

"Phew. It was only a dream." Stretching out her shoulders, she had a thought. "What time is it anyway?" She grabbed her octorok creature (Oh come on! You know that's what it is!), crushed it in her hand, and turned it into her serpentine cellphone. It read "11:30" on the screen.

"Man. It's still way too early for me," she yawned. "I just wanna go back to sleep." Then, she took notice of a message on the bottom corner of the screen. It was from Finn. She cringed at that, put her hand on her forehead in exasperation. This Finn business is never gonna end, is it? "Dang it, Finn. What the heck do you want at this hour?" Still crabby from lack of sleep, she begrudgingly pushed the button on the phone to listen to the message.

"Hey, Marcy. It's me. You know… uh… Finn. The, uh… the Finn-meister. Mr. Hundred-and-One. Anyways, uh…me and Jake are going to Skull Mountain to get a rad sword. The…uh… chatrooms say that it's a pretty…rad… um… sword. If you want to catch up with us, we'll be…50-ish degrees longitude and, like, 73 degrees latitude. Ok. Thanks, again. I mean… um…Bye."

She grumbled, still too tired and confused to want to even bother with Finn right now. "An adventure? Now? Why the heck would he ask me that? Dang it! I've told him that this is my bedtime! That little twerp just won't leave me alone!" She angrily crushed the phone back into its octorok form, and threw it. "The kid can just drop off the earth for all I care! I don't have time for this! I just wanna sleep! I just want him to leave me alone!" With tears in her eyes, she felt herself quickly dozing off into sleep, wanting so badly for all this Finn business to blow over.

You know, though, you may live forever, but Finn definitely won't.

With Death's voice still fresh in her memory, Marcy thought back on her dream and the night before. Distressed, she immediately got up before she could return to deep sleep. She gave a frustrated sigh, a little calmer than before, but still every bit as uncomfortable.

"Dang it," she grumbled, "Why did I have to get into this mess? Why did I even bother to let myself fall for you?" What seemed like an easy fix, the night before (and in fact, the last four years of her life), was now becoming a thorn on her side. Finn was a great guy, sure. A really, really great guy. But, was he really worth the stress. This little kid who was gonna die anyway, this little boy who liked to be a goody-two-shoes, this speck of a being who she would forget, in time. But, despite her best efforts, she couldn't deny it. She just couldn't lie to herself, anymore. She had a blast in the cave, that night, and she was definitely falling hard for the kid, and it would only be a matter of years before he would grow up to be a man…or he would die before she even had the chance to tell him how she really felt. She sighed, put her head down, and pulled her legs into her chest with her arms. Quietly, she sang to herself:

Marceline, what do you think you should do?

Should you on act on your instincts, or should your like-like follow through?

Marceline, do you think it's really worth it?

Or do you really think that Finn's just the bottomless pit?

Well, I don't know what my unlife may bring

Seems like this is just another stupid thing

But it feels so right

And despite all my might,

I can't seem to resist this feeling

Glob! My heart, it really seems to sting

She cried, silently. "What should I do?" For a good ten minutes she puzzled over that big question, until eventually, she finally gave herself an answer. She sighed. "You're gonna regret this. I just know you are."

(No you won't, Marcy! Cuz' you'll be with your man! And your love will win the day! And speaking of your man, let's see what Finn's up to!)

Despite his fatigue, Finn's hero heart allowed him to fight on past its normal limits. He slashed, he punched, he kicked, and even performed a deadly combination of all three (Is that all you know? Kicking, punching, and slashing? Man, you really suck at fight choreography). He was on fire, and he thought he could keep on going, forever.

Come on, Finn! He shouted in his mind. You can't give up, now! You need to keep on fighting! For Jake! For the sword! FOR FINN! He fought and he fought, but eventually he was so tired that his damage output was only making the Orcs angry, so he switched over to a more defensive posture with his sword. He blocked all the attackers as best he could, but he was eventually disarmed, and his robot arm was literally the only thing between him and death. He was finally backed up in the corner, or rather Jakes ugly, slowin' gut.

"ThFinn," Jake said, hopelessly. "If we don'th get outh of thith alive, I juth wanth you to know…I…I wath the one who ateth your peetha you lefth in the frithge!"

"We're gonna make out of here, Jake!" Finn assured him. "Don't worry! I'm gonna keep on fighting, 'til….hey! You ate my pizza?"

"I'm thorry, dude," Jake said, sadly. "I wath thuper hungry and you lefth ith in the fridgthe, for five monthththhs."

"Ah, dude," Finn whined. "That ain't cool!" However, this moment of distraction caused Finn to be punched in the face by one of the Orcs, and he was knocked against Jake's hard, lumpy body. The Orc hit harder than he had anticipated, and now his right eye was purple and swollen, the back of his head was ringing, and he collapsed on the ground. His fatigue had finally caught up with him, and coupled with his stinging pain, he could no longer fight. He was too exhausted and sore to move, even to crawl and protect Jake. Ah, Jake. I'm sorry I got you into this, man. A tear came from his one, none-blackened eyed. Now we'll never get out of here with the sword or our lives. The Orc that punched him stepped over him, laughing evilly as it readied an axe to give Finn the final death blow.

"THFINN! NOOOOOOOO!" Jake shouted, trying to stretch himself to save his brother. But it was hopeless. Jake's trollergies affected his elasticity, and he too tired himself out from the struggle.

In what seemed like the last few seconds of his very short life, Finn felt as if the bumpass were returning to take him. Flashes of fear, doubt, and depression clouded his mind, digging the proverbial knife into his emotional wounds before a literal figurative knife did him in. You're no hero. You're just loser. A wimp. A chubby sack of old sacks. You're no good to anyone. You failed Jake, and most of all, you failed yourself. Not that it mattered, now. He was gonna die very soon, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

(Don't give up, Finn! Because…wait for it…wait for it…) However, before the Orc could give the final blow, its axe handle was grabbed by Marceline, wearing her sunhat and gloves, who effortlessly lifting both the axe and the Orc with one hand. (BOOYAH! Dramating Saves: The most epic storytelling cliché, right next to the "Good Guy Army Charge!")

"Marcy!" Finn and Jake exclaimed. (Jake really said "Marfthy," but I figured I could spare him from at least some level of indignity).

"Excuse me," she scolded the Orc. "What the heck are you doing with my playthings? Did I say you could have them?"

The Orc just roared in her face. She winced at the stench and rubbed the saliva off her face. "Pee-u. Ugly, rude, and stinky. I don't think like you very much." She tossed the Orc into the rest of the horde, sending them flying to the sides like a bowling ball on a row of pins. She brushed her hands off, and then turned to Finn, "Wow, dude? You look like crap." Finn held his head down embarrassment, blushing. Marcy's face softened at the sight. "But, that new arm of yours looks pretty cool." Finn quickly rose his head up and smiled. She helped pull him back up to his feet. "Guess I came her just in time. You alright?"

"Yeah, Marcy!" Finn forced out, excitedly. "Thanks for the save!"

"Yeah! Thankth for thaving uth, Marfthy!" Jake muffled. "We would have been buttered toatht if you didnth thow up!"

"Woah, dude," Marcy inquired to Jake. "What the heck happened to you?"

"Oh," Finn said. "Jake just has a bad case of the trollergies."

"What?"

"I dunno," Finn shrugged. "I just found out about it, today."

She raised an eyebrow at that. "Um…ok." She coughed. "So, I hear you guys are looking for a rad sword at the top of Skull Mountain. You guys in any shape to come with?"

"No thankth," Jake said. "I won'th be abthle to move, for a while. I'll justht thtay here."

"Heck yeah!" Finn, excitedly, wobbling from his injuries. "I'm totes ready to get that rad sword!

"You sure?" Marcy questioned. "Because you sure don't look it?" She pushed him with a finger, and he immediately fell down. "You can barely stand up, let alone fight. You just stay here, and I'll fly up and get the sword…

"I yes too can fight!" Finn protested. "I fought half an army by myself with nothing but a Broom Sword! I'm not gonna give up, now!" Finn blushed. "Plus…ya know…I still wanna hang out…with you, and stuff. And if…you know…we work together...it would make it easier."Jake was chuckling at Finn's embarrassment, which made Finn blush more. He cleared his throat. "And plus plus, we gotta make sure that all the evil, bad guys are defeated so that Jake can get over his trollergies, safely."

Marcy looked at the kid with a mix of amusement and bemusement (an emotion which the history's most regrettable team of scientists dubbed "bamusement parking"). This kid never gives up, does he? She sighed. "Ok, 'black-and-blue all over'. But, if you break into a million pieces, don't come crying to me!"

Finn put a hand to his heart. "My body is made of titanium, my heart is made of diamonds, and my brain is made of…um…plexiglass? I promise you, milady, I will not crumble!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, ya little weirdo," she playfully dismissed. She heard the army advancing on them. "Looks like your buddies are up for round two. You ready to lay the smack down on them?"

"Heck yeah!" Finn said. "Let's get em!"

(Aaaaah yeah, boy! My two favorite peeps fighting together! It's like a fairy tale, only with more missing teeth and busted lips!)

As was typical of her, Marceline charged the enemy first, utilizing her superhuman levels of speed and strength to batter the enemy horde, while Finn struggled to catch up with her. This time, however, Finn worked twice as hard to fight alongside her, despite his fatigue and pain.

I can't believe it! He thought gleefully. She's here! She's actually here! I can't believe it! Finn jumped in the air, and punched an Orc out that was attempting to cut down Marcy.

She turned around and smiled, easily overpowering Orcs and Goblins that dared face her, barehanded. "Wow. Someone's excited?"

"Heck yeah, I am!" Finn said, breathily, holding back his actual fatigue. He shoulder-tossed an Orc over his head. "I waited…." He kicked an Orc in the groin. "For you…" He dropkicked an Orc. "All day!" He grabbed an Orc by its collar, and mercilessly wailed on its face. "I'm…not…wasting time on…being pooped out, now…"

"Aww," Marcy said, batting her eyes as she lifted a pile of Orc over her head. "All this just for little ol' me. You're such a gentleman."

Finn's face turned obscenely red. "Yeah," Finn said... "I mean…no…I mean…QUIT JACKING WITH MY BRAIN!"

"Oh, calm down, ya weenie! It's just a joke! Grow the…" She tossed the Orc pile to him "Plumb up!"

"I'm not a weenie!" Finn said, excitedly. He dodged some of the incoming Orcs, and those he couldn't sidestep he punched out of his way. "I'm awesome!"

Marcy gave a nod of approval. "Not too shabby kid. I guess you took my lessons to heart, huh?" Unbeknownst to Finn, Marcy was lifting up Orcs and Goblins behind him with telekinesis.

"Yeah," Finn said, breathily. "I guess I have. I mean, I did expect you to throw those guys at me."

"Really?" she said, smugly. "Well, were you expecting…this?!" Finn just noticed her ruse in time to avoid a few of the now-propellant Orcs and Goblins, but was ultimately unable to sidestep them all. The bodies piled up on top of him.

Marcy cackled. "Gotcha, again."

Finn popped out of the pile with vigor and chuckled, in spite of himself. "Yeah, okay. I get it. Don't celebrate before the aft-end bits hit the fan."

"Live and learn," Marcy said, winking at him. She picked him back up, and for a moment, Finn felt all gooey-guts about holding hands with her for a lengthy period of time. "Now get off your lazy behind and show me what you're made of." With a flourish, she bowed and stepped aside. "After you, good sir."

"Thank you, good madam," Finn said, bowing back. Finn charged with all his might into the horde, fighting with seemingly endless, renewed energy alongside Marcy: an energy he didn't realize he had, until now. It was the same type energy he had only ever felt with Bubblegum and Flame Princess. The energy, of course, was the power of "Like-Like." In that moment, Finn felt compelled to protect Marcy, even though she was far less in danger than he was. Anytime a Goblin nipped at her heels, he would give it a swift kick in the business. Anytime an Orc tried to cleave her in two, Finn would drop it with a boot to the melon. Any time a splatter of bodily fluids were slung her way (And I'll leave out the more gory details. This is a T-Rated fanfic, after all!), he would take the hit. Usually, he wouldn't want to get a little sticky stuff on himself (Don't you DARE Touch your keyboards in the review section!), but for her, it felt worth it (I actually find this paragraph highly regrettable, in retrospect). This feels amazing! I can't believe how good this really feels! (Eww) (Eww) I...I think I'm in like-like with Marcy!

"Hey, Finn!" Marcy said, irritably. "Quit stealing my kills!"

"S-sorry, Marcy…" Finn said. He grabbed an Orc in front of him. "Here. You can have this guy."

"Thanks!" She sucker-punched it so hard, that both Finn and the Orc went flying. Finn felt his heart flutter at the prospect of holding up a guy for a beautiful woman to punch, to the point that he didn't even care if his body crashed into a wall."Finn?" Marcy She flew over to him and brushed him off. "You ok?"

"Yeah," Finn said, dreamily.

"Sorry, about that," She blushed. "I guess I'm excited, too," She coughed. "Come on! Let's end this!"

"Ok," Finn said still trapped in La La Land. The two laid waste to the rest of the army, punching and kicking happily across the battlefield. The world seem to slow down for Finn, as he marveled at the beauty of Marcy. She wasn't a finely tuned scalpel like Bubblegum. In fact, she was far more like Flame Princess; a beautiful wrecking ball of destruction who fought with fury rather than finesse.

"Keep on your toes, Finn," Marcy said. "We still got some Trolls to deal with."

Finn took a look at the group of Trolls coming their way. "Oh man," He worried. "That's lot of Trolls!" (And not the funny, internet-dwelling kind, either). "Ya think we can take them?"

"Only one way to find out," She turned into her giant bat form and placed Finn on her shoulder. "Let's go and teach 'em a lesson!"

Finn smiled. "Ok! Let's get 'em!"

Marcy charged at the Trolls, claws extended. Finn held on to the back of her neck as Marcy slashed a Trolls face, causing to it recoil in pain, before kicking it to the ground. Another Troll attempted to flank her and club her head the in, but she managed to grab the club in one hand, before punching it in the gut. She took the club, and smashed the Troll's head into the ground. She used the club again to smash the head of another Troll, pushing its limp body into a group of more Trolls.

However, Finn took notice of the Trolls behind them. "Marcy! Look out!"

"Huh?" Marcy turned around to see a club smack her right in the face. She collapsed hard on her hands and knees.

"Marcy!" Finn shouted. However, the Trolls came in full force, smashing down on Marcy with tremendous force. She enlarged her wings to protect herself and Finn from the strikes, but her strength was barely enough to keep her on her knees, let alone stand up.

"Marcy!" Finn shouted from atop her back. "Are you ok?!"

"Does it…look like…I'm ok?" Marcy said, in obvious pain. "I don't know…I long I can keep this up….we…gotta think of something…and fast!"

"Oh Glob," Finn panicked. "What do I do…What do I do…What do I do?" Finn desperately tried to think of what to do, super stressed at seeing his potential love-interest get smashed into bat-pancakes. Then, in a moment of comparative calm, Finn took notice of one the Troll's clubs as it landed a hit on Marcy's wings. Finn got his "aha!" moment, and immediately climbed up Marcy's wing.

"Finn," Marcy said. "What are you doing up there?

"I'm gonna save you, Marcy…" Finn said, finally reaching the top of the wing, anticipating the club to land another "With my hero heart/brain COMBOOOOOO!" the club landed with a massive Thwop! on her back and Finn went silent.

"Aaaargh!" Marcy cried in pain. Then, we she didn't hear Finn, she ignored her pain. "Finn! Are you there?! Finn? FINNNN!"

(Really? You're gonna go for the "OMG! Did he actually die?/Surprise! He actually didn't" move?)

(Look, dude, at this point, I'm just winging it. I'm really tired, I've written seven or eight different drafts of this stupid story, and I've still got some fanart to draw. Cut me some slack, will ya?)

(Uuuugh! Fine! Just keep this junk to a minimum, will ya?)

(Yeah. Whatever. Surprise, Finn's not dead. Woo. Yay. Ok. Let's get this over with)

Finn jumped on one of the Trolls' shoulders, and turned his attention to another Troll. "Hey bog breath!" Finn shouted. "You need a mint, Cuz' yo B-R-E-F stank!"

"Finn?" Marcy questioned.

"What?" A Troll said, angrily. "Me breath not boggy!"

"You say what?" One of the other Trolls asked. Then the troll who was insulted smacked the troll who asked the question in the head with a club, causing the former Troll to fall the ground with a thunderous boom.

"Me brush me teeth twenty-five/eight!" the attacking troll yelled.

Finn giggled, and leaped onto another Troll's shoulder, and called to the angry Troll. "Hey, Bridge Butt! Your butt's so big...um…that your butt would pay the entire toll to cross the bridge!"

"Finn!" Marcy shouted in relief.

The angry Troll smacked the other Troll, Finn jumping off in time to land on the ground below.
"WHY YOU MAKE FUN OF ME! ME HAVE REAL ANXIETY ISSUES!"

The other Trolls ceased their assault on Marcy, and turned to see the screaming Troll. "Hey, Rukt!" One of them asked. "Who you talk to?"

"I talk to you big meanies! You insult me!"

"We not insult you! We busy beating up Bat Thing!"

"While you insult Rukt! You know Rukt is very depressed!"

"Rukt a dirty, fat lier!"

"Hey! Rukt not dirty or fat! Granted, Me did lie a lot, especially during college exams, but me not those other things!"

The other Trolls saw the bodies of their unconscious comrades on the ground. "Rukt traitor!" They held up their clubs. "We beat up Rukt!"

"Bring it on! Rukt can take physical scars! It emotional scars that too painful for him!"

As the Trolls got into the scuffle, Finn ran over to Marcy and climbed into her outstretched hand. She smiled. "Nice one, hero."

Finn shrugged. "I have my moments."

A tear of relief was seeping down on Marcy's cheek. You really are something, kid. I'm glad you're ok.

"Marcy?" Finn asked, concernedly. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah! Of course!" She sucked up the tear "Well…now, it's my moment, to shine, now. The uglies and I have a score to settle." She placed Finn back on her shoulder, and began to crack her knuckles.

Two Trolls remained standing, punching each other, senselessly.

"Apologize!" A Troll said

"No!" The other retorted. "You apologize!"

"No you!"

"No you!"

"No you!"

"Aaaaaah, shut uuuuuup!" Marcy shouted, smashing the Troll's heads together, a satisfying 'clonk' coming from each of their skulls. The two fell to the ground, and she dusted her hands off. "Well, that takes care of that." She shrunk back down to her regular size, holding Finn's hands in preparation for the long flight. "You ready to get that sword, hero?"

Finn blushed and smiled. "Yeah, Marcy! Let's go!"

As the two flew up the mountain, Finn's mind raced, thinking about the awesome new sword that he was gonna get, as well as these new feelings that he was having for Marcy, both in a romantic sense as well as a friendly sense. Up until now, Finn forgot why he had even made friends with Marcy in the first place. She was a very distant person, and even when he did hang out with her, he felt like he never got to know the real her. But, he also began to remember that, when she really wanted to, Marcy could be every bit as fun as either Bubblegum or Flame Princess, maybe even more so, given her status as a radical dame who plays games. She could be wild and wacky, doing crazy things to jack with his mind or do dangerous stunts just for the heck of it. In fact, all this fighting from both today and the night at the cave reminded Finn of the time he and Marcy fought for the first time, in that same cave, unintentionally solidified their friendship, that day, as well as the time Marcy took Finn to go fight and ride wolves to cheer him up. It was then that Finn realized that, along with their love of music, he and Marcy had always had a love for physical combat and life-threatening situations, something he had now wished they had done more of, during those times where he was comparatively more happy. It was almost as if that more awesome person he met, four years ago, had been replaced by a much more moody clone, and only now when the more awesome person returned did he realize how much he missed her. Not unlike himself in the past year, now that he thought about it.

Wow! Finn thought. I wanna see more of "this" Marcy. This Marcy is…awesome… However, it wasn't just her personality that Finn had become attracted to. He started noticing more "external" things about Marcy, namely how beautiful she actually was. She was a very pretty girl, with a slim but healthy figure, a sweet and youthful face, long and flowing raven hair that seemed to shimmer in the sun, and, strangely the most attractive to Finn, was Marcy's cute, pointy ears. Heehee. There so pointy, I just wanna pinch 'em (Because Glob knows that when I ogle a beautiful woman, the first thing I notice is her ears…Ah, who am I kidding. I love pointy ears, too).

"Alright, Finn!" Marcy said.

"Wha?" Finn questioned, finely being shaken out of his trance.

Marcy dropped Finn on top of the skull, haphazardly. "Get your stupid sword and let's go."

"Yeah," Finn panted, half-dazed from amazement and exhaustion. "And… ya know… Thanks, Marcy." Finally, after what felt like an eternity of fighting, Finn got to see the rad, new sword with his own eyes. He marveled at its magnificence. Even though it was halfway embedded within the skull, Finn could tell that it was a katana. The blade, handguard and pommel were a gleaming white, and even more beautiful in Finn's eyes was the handle, which was a glorious baby-blue (Ya know, 'cause he's a boy and I guess I'm still a little Old World). "Wow! It's…It's…totally Leviticus!" (See?)

"Hey, Finn!" Marcy shouted to him. "Get your thumb out your butt and get the sword, already!"

"R-Right. Sorry, Marcy." Finn spat in his hands, rubbed them together, and attempted to pull the sword out with all his might. However it wouldn't budge. "Um…Marcy! I need a hand!"

Marcy sighed. "Fine, you little girl." She pushed him aside. "I got this, no problem." She attempted to pull it out, but she too couldn't make it budge. Marceline, apathetic to a fault (Well, she is), gave up after roughly four seconds and shrugged. "Ah, screw it. This thing must be cursed."

"What?" Finn said in disbelief. "No! It can't be cursed!"

"Well, it's not really embedded all that deep in the skull. That can only mean that it's being held down by some kind of magic."

"Well, how do we get it out?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I'm no magicologist. Maybe you gotta prove your heroism…the power of friendship…love…I dunno. Something mushy gushy, like that."

Finn beamed. "I got all that, in spades!"

"Great," Marcy said, with a smile. "Cuz I ain't got any of that. So…" she smacked Finn on the back. "Get back to work, hero!"

"Right!" Finn said. He spat in his hands, again, rubbing them even harder together, and pulled even harder than before. "I'll get…the…sword…even if it kills me!"

As if on cue, the mountain began to rumble, and the skull began to rise from the peak. However, it was soon clear that it wasn't just a skull, but an enormous skeleton (So enormous, in fact, that the square-cube law decided to take a two week vacation in order for this story to happen).

"Hey!" The skeleton shouted in an old man voice. "What's with all that noise? And why does my head hurt so bad?" It reached around the top of its head, trying to feel for whatever was giving it the bad case of the headaches.

"Cripes!" Marcy gasped. She grabbed Finn as fast she could and they got off the skull before the enormous hand could crush them.

"Hey! Who are you young whippersnappers? Don't you know this is my bedtime? If I don't get at least 1500 years of sleep, I get cranky!"

"Sorry, pops!" Marcy retorted, having to shout for the enormous creature to be able to hear her. "But we ain't leaving until we kick your butt!"

"Um…Marcy," Finn said softly. "I'm not sure we should be arguing with a bajillion-foot skele…"

"Kick my butt?" the skeleton laughed. "Girly, I've picked bone lice bigger than you. In fact, I've fought every warrior under the sun and the moon. Ya honestly think you're a match for…"

"Vampire kick!" Marcy shouted, kicking its face.

"Aaargh!" The skeleton recoiled. "My supraorbital margin!" It grumbled in anger. "That's it! You're dead, little missy! Double dead!"

"I don't think so!" Marcy shouted as she turned into an even bigger version of her giant bat form, big enough to match the size of the skeleton. "Hang tight, Finn. I'm gonna give Mister Bones the ride of his life!"

Finn now perched precariously on her shoulder as she began to grapple with the skeleton.

"You're going down, old timer!" Marcy shouted!

"Bring it on, you colossal chiropteran!" the Skeleton retorted.

Marcy had only about ten minutes, at least, to keep this gigantic form, as such a size expended a lot of energy to maintain. If she was gonna beat this skeleton, she was gonna have to do it, quickly. Come on, Marceline, she thought, trying to pump herself. Just knock him off the mountain. That's your best bet! She attempted to push the skeleton off the mountainside, but the Skeleton stood its ground, and eventually proved strong enough to push her near the edge. Glob! This guy's strong!

"You think you can outwrestle me, sweety?!" The Skeleton shouted. "I didn't win the Giant Skeleton Wrestling Tournament 507 years in a row for noth…"

"Don't call me SWEETY!" Marcy shouted, as she kneed the skeleton in its ribcage.

"Ow!" The Skeleton shouted. "My xiphoidal process!" As he was stunned, Marcy attempted to dive for his knees, but barely managed to grab them before the skeleton slammed both his fists on her head. "Uh uh uh uuuuh! You won't be getting' me THAT way! he replied, kicking Marcy in the face.

"Aaaargh!" Marcy yelped, her head ringing from the force.

"Come on, Marcy!" Finn said. "Don't give up! I believe in you! Give that bag-of-bones what for!"

Marcy rose back in anger, claws extended and ready to break the Skeleton to pieces. "Oh, I'll give him what for!" She slashed at the Skeleton across the face, leaving no visible marks, but obviously causing him pain.

"Aaaargh!" The Skeleton yelled in pain. "My mental foramen! My aching glabella!" Marcy kept slashing at the Skeleton, who held its arms up in defense. The Skeleton eventually grabbed her arms, using his immense strength to hold them in place. But, Marcy head-butted the Skeleton, who held its face in pain.

"Yeah! Woo!" Finn cheered. "Go get 'em Marcy."

Marcy gave a devilish smile and kicked the Skeleton, causing him to lose his balance and almost tumble off the mountain.

"Marcy! No!" Finn protested. "Don't let him fall! He might break the sword!"

Marceline sighed. "Alright! Sheesh! Who's doing all the work here?" She grabbed Skeleton's arms and pulled him back up.

"Oh," The Skeleton said, pleasantly. "Thanks for the save, girly."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Marcy said. "Don't get too friendly, pal."

"Alright!" The Skeleton punched her in the face. "I won't!"

"Ow!" Marcy shouted, her nose feeling like it had been smushed straight her skull.

"Marcy!" Finn shouted.

"That's for hitting my nasal region, ya bloodsucking desmodontine!" The Skeleton shouted.

Marcy became super angry and simply charged the Skeleton, head on! "You're dead!" The giants locked hands, making sure the other would either crumble under their own strength, or be dropped to their doom.

As the two giants tussled, Finn worried about Marcy being killed in the fight, his sword being crushed, and even himself dying before his seventeenth birthday. I can't keep doing this, Finn thought. I gotta get that sword, now! For me and Marcy's sake! With his resolve restored, Finn crawled across Marcy's arm, doing his darnedest to hold on for dear life while also avoiding the strikes. The skeleton grabbed her arm, and Finn held onto her sparse hairs. However, Marcy smacked the skeleton's hand away, and Finn was swept to the side. Finn held on even tighter, now being at the mercy of titanic forces well beyond his sphere of influence. As Marcy held up her claws for a swipe, Finn climbed up to the hand, and used it to jump onto the skeleton's collar bone. Marcy's claws grabbed at it, and he had to jump to the Skeleton's shoulder. Finn didn't know what else to do, at this point. That final jump was all he had left.

"Hey Marcy!" Finn shouted, breathily, over the hurricane-force fisticuffs. "I...I can't reach his head!"

Marcy was battered and bruised, and the immense mass of her body seemed to be weighing heavily on both her stamina and spirit. "Finn! I'm getting exhausted! I can't keep this up for much longer!"

"Come on Marcy…I…" Finn had a crazy idea, probably his craziest, yet. "Hey, Marcy! Don't be such a weenie!"

She chuckled. "You got stones, kid," She used the last remnants of her strength to pull the skeleton's head down, so that Finn could get on top. "Now get the sword before bonehead kills you…or I do!" She hissed, in jest.

The skeleton pulled its head up, uppercutting Marcy in the jaw. "Girly! You don't know who you're messin' with! My bones are magically unbreakable! I can take the hits!" The skeleton pushed her off the side of the mountain. "You, on the other hand, on are on your last legs!" Marcy fell to the ground below, the force causing the mountain to shake.

"Marcy!" Finn called to her. Almost on instinct, Finn felt a rush of emotion coursed through his body, tears pouring from his eyes as he attempted to pull the sword out, once more. However, as if for dramatic effect (And because I'm tired of writing this chapter), Finn finally succeeded, and he held his sword in the air. "I did it! My hero heart got the sword out!"

"AAAAAAAAAARGH!" the skeleton exclaimed. Then, as if something made him pause, he smiled with relief. "Hey, my headache's gone."

"What?" Finn questioned.

The giant grabbed Finn in its palm, gently. "Hey, kid, what the heck did you do to make my migraine go away?"

"Um…" Hesitated. He lifted up the sword. "I…pulled a sword from out of your head?"

"What?" The skeleton asked, in surprised. "I had a sword stuck in my head? How the heck did that get there?"

Finn was confused. "I thought this was a part of a big challenge, and that getting the sword was the prize."

"Challenge? Prize?" The skeleton asked. "Ain't been nobody up here in centuries. Must have been that stupid half-giant who stuck me out of spite."

"Half-Giant?" Finn asked, excitedly. "You mean Billy was here?!"

"Billy, Jilly, Rodrigues, who cares?!" the skeleton said, angrily "The jerk put a sword in my head!"

"Wow!" Finn said, wide-eyed. "Maybe this was Billy's way of apologizing to me, from the grave? Um…Sorry about the sword thing, Mr. Skeleton" Finn said. "But, now that the it's out, may I please have it?"

"Yeah, sure, kid. Ain't much use to me, what with me being a two mile high skeleton, and what not."

"Wow! Thanks, Mr. Skeleton!"

"Don't mention it, kid," Then, for no reason, he tossed Finn away like a baseball. "Now beat it! I got 1475 years to go!"

Finn flew across the sky, screaming with his eyes shut in fear, before Marcy with her last ounce of strength, grabbed him in the nick of time, before she fell to the ground with a painful thud. Finn finally unclenched his eyes to see himself on top of Marcy, and he blushed. "M-m-marcy?"

She pushed him off of her. "That's the last time I help your stupid behind," She said, agitatedly. "Now help me up, before I kill you!"

Finn chuckled. "Sure, Marcy." He propped her up on his shoulders, and the two of them limped back to Jake.

The two made it to where Jake laid, and he was still quite swollen. "Jake!" Finn said, excitedly. "We did it! We got the sword!"

"Nithe work, Guysth!" Jake said, excitedly." I thaw the fighth on the mountain! That wath amathing!"

"Yeah" Marcy said, rubbing her back and shoulders. "Well, it sure didn't feel too amazing."

"Thorry," Jake said, sympathetically. "But at leastht you guys are both ok. And Finn got his thord!"
"Yep!" Finn said, happily. "Sure did!" He got his to-do list out and wrote on it. "Get a rad new sword. "Check."

"So," Marcy began. How the heck are we gonna get Jake back to your place?"

Finn looked at some rope from the remnants of the enemy camp, as well as some broken handles from the Trolls' clubs, and he had a very strange idea indeed.

After dragging Jake via a makeshift net and sticks, the group made it back to the treefort by nightfall, having to put Jake in the garage, because he was too big to fit through the doorway. Finn put an overly-small blanket over his brother's swollen body, and gave him some apple juice and an ice pack for his head. "All comfy bro?"

"Thnug ath a newborn, baby rattlethnake in a incubathun tank," Jake replied, relaxed. "Thankth a lot, bro." Marcy cleared her throat to get Jake's attention. "Oh! And thtank you too, Marfthy. You did mostht of the leg work."

"No, problem, Jake," Marcy said, smugly.

"Thanks, Marcy," said Finn with all sincerity. "We couldn't have done it without you."

"I know" She said, with an arrogant smirk. "That was just child's play, for me. I knew you weenies couldn't handle it by yourselves."

"Well, I'm glad you came," Finn said. "I had a lot of fun with you, Marcy.

She blushed. "Y-yeah, it was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Finn said, dreamily. "It was."

After a moment of silence, Marcy finally cleared her throat and spoke. "Well, I guess I better get going, now. See you later, guys."

"Yeah," Finn said, disappointedly. "See ya later."

Marcy was about to fly off, but the voice in her head came back, once more.

You know, though, you may live forever, but Finn definitely won't.

"Finn! Wait!"

Finn stopped in his tracks. "Marcy?"

"I-I have to tell you something. Jake, could you excuse us, for a sec?"

Jake smiled smugly. "Of courth I can. I'll leave you two 'love births' alone."

"Jaaaaake!" Finn whined.

Marcy flew Finn and her to the top of the tree fort. Too tired to stand, Finn sat his caboose right down on the soft leaves. "So, what did you need to tell me, Marcy?"

She sighed, and sat down next to him. "Finn. We've been friends for a while now, and I've been thinking about something really big for almost about as long as I've known you."

"What exactly have you been thinking about, Marcy?"

She sighed, trying to force the words out. "Well, I've….I thought how you've been a good friend to me, all these years, and how you've saved my butt all those times…and I was…" She huffed. "Screw it! I like you, ok? I really, really like you!"

Finn's heart sunk in surprise. "You…you like me? You…you like-like me?"

"I didn't think so, at first," She said, with embarrassment. "But... after years of really thinking about it, I…I guess I just couldn't deny it, anymore."

Finn's heart raced even harder. OMG! Marcy likes me! "Like-likes" me! I-I-I don't what to say! What do I say? "MARCYILIKELIKEYOU,TOO!" Finn blurted out. He covered his mouth, surprised at what he had just spit out.

Marcy looked in shock. "Did…did you just say, you like me?"

Finn blushed. "Y-yeah…I...guess I did."

"W-wow….that's…" She blushed even harder. "That's news, for me."

They both turned away. This was awkward for both of them. Neither knew that the other would make such a claim, in a million years, let alone what they'd do if and when it was finally said (and they were pretty sure it wouldn't be).

"So, um… I mean… How long has this been going on?" Marcy asked?

"I-I-…I guess it was at the time we fought together in the caves," He said, tentatively. "You looked so awesome fighting those rats, and then you kissed me…and… and I guess my brain just went poop."

There was an intensely awkward silence.

"Heh, heh…" Finn chuckled, trying to salvage the moment "So, ya know… Good… Great work!"

Marcy's face flushed and she eyed him in utter confusion. "'Great work?'"

Finn's face, in turn, shifted instantly into the reddest red imaginable. "No! Um… What I meant to say is that… I… Uh..!" Exasperated, he crumpled up into ball and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"No, wait," Marcy sighed. "It's fine, dude. I just… well…this is all kinda awkward."

"Yeah," Finn said, "I know. So…what happens now?"

"I…" Marcy murmured. "I dunno. To be honest, I didn't leave the house planning for this, today."

The two remained silent once more. Finn's mind raced with fantasies of him and Marcy together. He saw them holding hands, kissing, rolling on the ground in the pale moonlight. It excited him in ways he never thought it could. And then you'll turn her into another one of your sick fantasies, just like you did with Flame Princess. Finn's face stiffened and teared up at this prospect.

Marcy, simultaneously, tried to think about what life would be like if she and Finn got together, though unlike Finn, her visions were far gloomier. Sure, maybe they work as a couple. Heck, maybe the first few years would be the greatest moments of their lives, but the next few years could also go horribly wrong, and even if they were perfect for one another, Finn would still grow old, someday, and…

"No! I can't!" They both said, simultaneously. They looked back at each other, confused. "What did you say?" They both said at the same time. "No. You first."

"Ok, ok, ok," Finn said. "Marcy, I...I can't date you. I just…I just can't…"

Marcy frowned and sullenly tucked her knees up to her chin. "Yeah, no. I totally dig that. I… I really was such a terrible friend to you, for all those years."

"No! No! It's not that, Marcy!" Finn protested.

"It's ok, Finn. It's really ok," She said. "You don't have to sugarcoat it. I haven't really been there for you and I almost got you killed. More than once, I might add."

"No, it's…" Finn said, trying to get this words right. "It's just that…I went through such a bad breakup, and…I guess I'm afraid that I'll go through it, again. Plus, if that happened, I wouldn't just lose a girlfriend…well…I would lose a good friend, too."

Marcy felt a tinge a disappointment. It wasn't exactly what she had wanted to hear (she wasn't actually sure what she had wanted to hear, but she was sure it wasn't that). Still, she felt a certain level of satisfaction about the whole thing. Perhaps the whole exchange had been awkward and poorly thought-out, but, at the very least, they could both say that they had put themselves out there.

"I… I think you're right, Finn," Marcy began. "We honestly don't know what to expect if we got together, and you know me. I'm really good at hurting people, and not so great at building them back up. I can't imagine what it be like if I hurt you…as my boyfriend." The last of her statement made her so profoundly uncomfortable that she could swear she felt the words balling up at the back of her throat like a wad of fat from some old steak (You know, back when she could eat steak…I like fat on my steak, BTDubs. Don't judge).

"Marcy, you're not a bad friend…you're just…you're just...you're just," Then Finn sighed to himself.
He honestly did try to fish out a word, but he just didn't know what to say. It was true about what Marcy said. She had been kind of a selfish friend, and she did almost get him killed on more than one occasion. But Finn felt that there had to be more to it than that. Why else would he risk his life to save a person he barely knew and who seemed to want to distance herself from him as much as humanly (or rather "vampirely") possible. Because she's your friend, dude, Finn's Hero Heart said to him (Not literally, of course, 'cuz that would be creepy). Homies help homies, no matter what. Finn marveled at his own heart, silently praising it for being smarter than himself, most of the time. You help her because helping peeps is who you are. Because being a hero means going through helps for those you care about, no matter who they are or what they've done. Marcy may not be perfect, yo, but neither are you, so cut her some slack, will ya? Finn began to smile at that prospect. Plus, ya remember when she saved you and Jake from falling to your death when she tricked you into thinking you were vampires? I mean, yeah, she coulda done a better job of helping you out of that biz, but…at least she apologized for it, right? Finn nodded with a smile. Yup. And remember when she got you guys out of the Nightosphere before things went totes southwest, even when she went coocoo for Krobopuffs from wearing her dad's amulet? She coulda let you guys croak, then, but she didn't. Finn nodded with an even bigger smile. And don't forget about your guy's time in the cave? Marcy may never admit it to your face, but she cares about you, bro.

Marcy lifted an eyebrow to Finn's silence. "Finn? Are you alright? You went all quiet, all of a sudden. And why are you smiling like an idiot?"

Finn just gave her a satisfied nod, before turning to speak with her, again. "Maybe you just needed the right time," Finn said, hopefully, "before you were ready to show how much you really cared. Like… what happened at your cave, for instance? You know, with the rats?"

She smiled and sighed. "I guess the bumpass was the right time to do that, huh? I planned that whole thing out, ya know?"

"What?"

"Yeah," Marcy blushed and smirked. "Ever since you stopped coming over to my place, I paid those Rats under the table to hang around and look menacing, just kinda figuring you'd end up back there, eventually, and then we could have a big romp at someone else's expense. I… I guess I figured it would happen sooner, because I took our friendship for granted. But… I didn't know you'd be so…well…full of bumpass. But I guess it worked. And all that mushy stuff just made it more personal…."

Finn teared up and interrupted her with a hug. "Marcy! That's the nicest thing you could've ever done for me. You coulda left me to waste away in my own sweat and shame, but you didn't. You helped me get through my bumpass. You see? You're not such a bad friend. You just needed time to, ya know… figure out how to show how your brain works!"

Marcy cringed at that level of intimacy. While, deep down, she rather liked the warmth of Finn's embrace, her body just couldn't get used to the idea of hugging someone (not even Finn) who she didn't see as family, and almost on instinct, she pushed him off her. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get all sentimental, you wuss." Then she softened. "But, you know…"she sighed and smiled. "Thanks, Finn."

Finn smiled back. "No problem, Marcy." After a moment of silence, Finn decided to speak again. "So, we just wanna be friends?"

Marcy smiled. "Yeah, Finn. I think that would be best. Dating is so overrated, anyway."

"But, we could still hang out more," Finn said. "Make up for lost time, ya know? Get to know each other a little better, go on adventures, and prank people, and stuff."

She nodded. "Ya know what? I think I'd like that a lot, Finn."

"Great!" Finn said. "So, How 'bout we go picking on the Periwinkle People at Seaside Village, next week?"

"Sounds like a plan," She agreed, chuckling to herself. "Periwinkles scare easier than lemmings!"

"Ok," Finn said, happily. "See ya then, Marcy."

"Yep," She quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Just don't fall in love with me, ok?"

Finn shook off his discomfort. "Don't worry. I won't!"

"And work on your cardio, chubs! You looked really pathetic, out there." She gave him a wink, and she was off.

Finn smiled. "Ok, Marcy, see ya later!" As she left, Finn took out his to-do list. "Hangout with Marcy? Check. Become better friends with Marcy? Not a check, but definitely worth some bonus points! Get cardio training from the greatest warrior in the Candy Kingdom; Ratteballs?" He put a star by that last one. "To be continued, in the near future." Finn climbed down the Tree Fort to return to the garage to meet his brother.

"Tho," Jake inquired. "What did you guyth talk about?

"Well," Finn said, somewhat embarrassedly. "Turns out me and Marcy just so happen to like-like each other, but we didn't want to ruin the friendship we started to build up."

"Are you thure, bro?" Jake said, uncertainly. "You might come to regreth ith, later."

"I might," Finn said with more confidence. "But it's like you said. I gotta wait a while before I'm sure of anything."

"If thaths what you thfink, bro," Jake said with a warm smiled. "Then I'll thupport you all the way."

"Thanks, Jake," Finn stretched his arms and yawned. "Man. I'm tired. Ya mind if I use your guts for a pillow?

"Go ahead, bro" Jake yawned back. "My tummy could uthe a methage, tonight."

Finn smiled and nodded. "Sound like a plan, bro." He layed down and rested his head on Jake's belly, and closed his eyes. "Night Jake."

"Night, Finn." Jake said sleepily.

(The End! There! Satisfied peeps? I know I am! Now, if you feel you got your fill of backstory, prepare yourself for the main story; "Adventure Time with Finn, Marcy and Jake: Return of the Undead Jerkwad!" #Finnceline4Life!)

Cast (if I actually had the budget for that kinda thing. If these were not the things you heard in your head, well…nuts to you! This is my story, son!)

-Finn: Jason Mardsen (the voice I had in my head while reading fanfiction of when Finn is older. For this story, my mind keeps going back and forth between the Jason Marsden and Jeremy Shada voice, but for the sake of continuity, I will credit Jason Marsden, as that's the voice I imagined Finn to have in the next story. This is not to disrespect Jeremy Shada, of course, as he is and always WILL be the voice of Finn in the main canon! But, I really wanna go for a voice that still sounds young, but sounds more mature and one which could talk to Marceline on an even footing.)

-Marceline: Olivia Olson

-Jake, Orcs, Warhead Warren, Banana Guard, Death: John Dimaggio

-Bubblegum: Hynden Walch

-Peppermint Butler: Steve Little

-Mr. Cupcake, Bug Family, Goblins, Rats: Dee Bradley Baker

-Rats, Orcs, Goblins: Frank Welker

-Starchy, Banana Guard: Tom Kenny

-Sheldon, Orcs: Wes Johnson (imagine Hermaeus Mora from Skyrim, but without the slurred speech, and you'll get the picture),

-Trolls: Fred Tatasciore

-Star, Moon, Orcs: Kevin Michael Richardson

-Narrator: Craig Sechler (imagine the Adoring Fan from Oblivion minus the British accent)

-Giant Skeleton: Dwight Schultz

-Writer: Nate Bush (Me)

-Special Thanks to:

-My older brother Logan for being my editor and creative consultant. He's not really for Finnceline, but his expert writing skills and brotherly love helped make this story as good as it is.

-Margret "Madge" Register, my brother's wife, a fellow Finnceline shipper and my creative consultant. Her words of encouragement were instrumental in my continuing with the story.

-Safwan Jayden (Saffy for short) another fellow Finnceline Shipper whose continuous positivity helped me continue with Finnceline, even when I began to lose hope in it. Our image of an ideal Adventure Time fanfiction are completely opposite, but our respect for one another is quite apparent. Not to mention his willingness to draw the covers for my upcoming stories. Thanks again, bro!

-Thanks to Neverthrive, Bladeguy9, RandomFanFictionReader772, Ruby Sword, and Mew Luna for their inspirational stories as well as The Stinky Foot for her amazing artwork that helped remind me that Finnceline can be fun as well as emotional.

-My buddy, Josh, my younger brother, Gage, and internet friend, Alpha Omega, for talking some deep-seeded issues I have with the show over with me.

-Thanks to my Mom and Dad for being so supportive of this activity.

-He23t and sonicthehedgehog2 for their frequent reviewing and encouraging words.

-Jasper Joestar for being my best bro on the internet and for his moral support.

-And finally to Pendelton Ward for creating this awesome world in the first place!

Thanks again, guys! Thanks to your positive attitudes, encouraging words, and endless supply of patience, I have managed to do the unthinkable; complete an honest to Glob story! Sure, it was super short, but for me, it's an important step to my goal of being a writer! For years, I've struggled with depression and lack of motivation, and because of those reasons, it took me two years just to write a first draft for Jerkwad. I also wrote this story when I was at my most down, and so, no surprise, Finn's and Marcy's depression are of sort of an extension of my own depression. Not to mention, I haven't been very subtle in my disappointment in the show starting in Season 5, which made me even more depressed (I will explain myself a little better, at some point). But, rather than turn this into a completely dark and angst ridden story about how much life sucks, I decided to tackle these issues with humor, compassion, and a truckful of memes that I hope stick. Again, thank you all for your love and your support! Merry Christmas and a happy new year!