Author's Note: As I expected, no one voted for Ashley... But that's understandable (that mean old witch)! Ahaha, anyway, I'm really happy to have received so many positive reviews from you guys! It really motivates me, so thank you~

This chapter was a bit rushed... I felt bad about not updating so I sort of pushed myself to write this... A-ahaha, I hope it's good enough.
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Here's the third installment~ Hope you enjoy! Please review!

Chapter 3: A Warm Feeling

In the realm of the gods, the role of a servant was rather limited, despite how important the title seemed to be. The servants, lacking so much in power and wisdom, were only good for a few things, such as fetching items, delivering messages, and serving food and drink. Unless ordered to do otherwise, the servants mainly trailed after their heavenly masters on their strolls, fussing over them and asking, "Do you require anything, divine one?". Gods found this rather annoying, but the more servants they had, the more powerful and important they seemed to the others, so they put up with the crowds of servants, smiling painfully through the ordeal.

However, there were some gods that were rather abusive of their servants. Being servants, what could they do but smile and take the abuse? A word of complaint would be answered with severe consequences—perhaps death. The Divine Empress often had to order new servants to be delivered to her palace, for every one or two weeks, she used them to appease her bloodlust. Being the most powerful and feared being in the realm of the gods, no other immortal being dared to question her ways.

Cake, the friendly cat spirit that made a rather fast friendship with Fionna, was one of the lucky servants. Her master, God of Reason, also known as "Prince" Gumball, was one of the kind gods that truly cared for their servants, and would never dare to raise a hand against them. Gumball was a warm, compassionate being, and he felt for the servants, who had no voice in their treatment whatsoever. He often reached out to the servants, comforting them if their masters had treated them harshly and giving them sweets. Cake considered herself blessed.

As for Marshall Lee, God of Trickery, no one truly knew what sort of master he was. Out of all the gods, he was, perhaps, the most mysterious, for he kept his domain shrouded in secrecy. No servants were seen or heard around him, and it was rumored that he did such trivial tasks himself—something that baffled many of the beings in the realm, both gods and spirits. The fact that the son of the Divine Empress was going on without a servant... The Divine Empress seemed to dismiss the matter entirely.

The higher class spirits—the ones that were not bound to servitude—often gathered in their domains, whispering about Marshall Lee and his refusal to own servants. They spoke quietly, so that the sharp ears of the Divine Empress wouldn't reach them. "Perhaps," a dragon spirit murmured, "He had servants many, many years ago, and he keeps them chained up in his lair to satisfy his sinful pleasures." Another spirit, a woman with long, sharp nails and hair like snakes, replied, "No, no, I heard that he refuses servants to rebel against his mother. He has no interest in pleasure, you fool. His mental state is like that of a child."

No matter how much they would discuss the matter, they could never reach a conclusion.

Fionna scrunched up her nose. "Cake, you sure these are the right clothes? I mean... They sure are fancy and stuff for a servant."

The cat spirit laughed and tugged on the hem of the girl's dress, a look of amusement dancing in her wide eyes. "Honey," she purred, "You're serving a god. You can't go around in dirty old rags, now can you? Up here, Fionna, it's all about image. A servant has to look just as flawless as the master, otherwise there will be talk, you hear?" Cake nodded at her own words, proud of them, and stretched her arm across the room, reaching for a silver brush that rested on the dresser. Fionna, in response to the little lecture she was given, sighed and puffed out her cheeks, irritated.

The dress truly did not fit the role of a servant. If anything, it was the dress of a lady fair, or perhaps, a beautiful princess. It was the sort of dress meant for a ball, and obviously, Fionna was not up in the realm of the gods to dance and be entertained. She was there to serve, but how could she do so in her current attire? A pure white gown with large, puffy princess sleeves; a faint pink ribbon wrapped around her waist and tied into a bow at the back; a wide hemmed skirt that swayed as she walked; golden thread sewn into three large circles across her breast; small black shoes that went clack with each step she took... Fionna looked at herself in the mirror again and frowned. "I look out of place... I mean, it looks, um, very nice? But Cake, this isn't me. I can't wear this and be a servant, or be myself. I'd rather wear something plain, simple, and easy to do work in."

Cake paused. "Sugar, what do you think you'll be doing? Sweeping floors and washing clothes? No, no, no. Servants up here? We don't do much. We just walk with our masters and look good, mostly. Other than that, we sometimes deliver messages or serve them food."

Fionna stared at her friend in disbelief. "Then what's the point in having servants? I mean, that's stuff they can do themselves, right?"

"Hush, enough of that. Come on, let me comb your hair."

The human girl frowned, still confused by the subject of her duties, and sat down on the edge of the bed, allowing her friend to brush out the tangles and knots in her golden hair. It cascaded down her back like a waterfall, and ran all the way down to the floor, where it sat in a messy clump, waiting for Cake's brush to do some justice. After several minutes of aggressive combing and styling, Fionna's hair was perfectly presentable. "Thanks," the human mumbled.

"Cheer up, Fionna," Cake chirped, shrinking down to a smaller size and jumping onto the girl's lap, "It won't be that bad! Besides, your master is known for doing things on his own. You're his first servant, so I doubt he'll make you do anything other than walk around with him, sugar."

"But... I want to be useful in someway. Doing nothing but standing around and looking good? Sounds boring and like a total waste of time!"

The cat yawned. "It won't be that bad, trust me. You could always ask him for work to do, I guess, but in your dress, too much work won't be possible. Just relax, hun. Enjoy your stress free life!"

Fionna frowned. "I'll try..."

After Cake finished dressing up Fionna, she went on her way back to her own master's domain, where she was expected. Gumball stood on the pastel pink steps that lead to his residence, a warm smile gracing his divine features. "Well?" the kind god asked, "I hope that the human is making herself comfortable? Poor thing, being forced into such a strange world."

Cake laughed at her master's concern, as she often did, and plopped down onto the soft, gummy ground, a wide grin on her face. "Fionna's a hoot. Even if she's a human, she sure is something. God of Trickery is going to have a hard time bossing her around, that's for sure. Their natures are going to clash. No doubt about it." The cat spirit paused to lick at her paws, which had become slight ruffled in her excitement. "'Scuse me for asking, but why are you so concerned about a human? You're real nice, but why go so far for a human girl? Giving her enchanted clothing that hides her mortal aura, even."

Prince Gumball chuckled at his servant's curiosity. Cake was, for a servant, rather demanding, and also very forgetful of what her place in the realm was. Most masters would lash out at servants for such boldness and familiarity, but luckily for Cake, Gumball rather enjoyed personality. "My, my, so many questions. Well, I suppose I feel a little bad for her. Being Marshall Lee's servant is not going to be very fun, and also, as I stated before, she is new here. In this world, everything she once knew to be true is false. How can I not help but feel empathy? Oh, tell me more about her, will you?" The god made his way over to his servant and conjured up a soft, pink cloud for him to sit on. "Please, tell me more about this human girl. She sounds so very... How should I put it... Interesting? Different? Come on, Cake, let me hear something."

With an eyebrow arched in suspicion, the spirit rolled onto her furry belly and began to unravel the details behind the odd human girl residing in Marshall Lee's residence.

Fionna pressed her lips together in a thin, tight line, an unamused look dancing about in her eyes. Her master, God of Trickery, was, once again, pushing her to the breaking point, from which Fionna knew she would never return. This was their second meeting so far (or rather, third, if you count how he saved her...), and it was not going as Fionna had hoped. Well, what could one expect from a god known for being childish and rude? The servant sighed and clasped her hands together, trying to keep herself from swinging a fist in her master's direction. "Master, you've summoned me, but all you've had me do is stand here. Er, do you want me to do anything? You're just staring."

Marshall Lee, hovering before her, sitting up with his arms hugging his knees to his chest, merely grinned in response. "I'm the master. I do as I please, and right now, I just want to look at how ridiculous you look in that fancy gown. To be honest, I didn't think you were the type to wear fancy clothes. I can see you sporting men's clothing, easy, but this? Crazy." The god laughed and drifted closer, hoping to get a better look at the girl. Fionna reddened, both from shame and anger. "Oh, look how red you are! Delicious, if I do say so myself."

"You...!"

"Ah-ah," Marshall Lee purred, "Watch your temper~"

Fionna scowled. "I'm in your debt, right? Right. The way I see it, I should only be up here until I repay you. Once I do that, I'm gone! Nothing is worth this stupid kind of...!"

The god raised an eyebrow, amused with the human's anger. "Oh, and how do you suppose you'll repay me? I'm a divine being, and I am never in any danger, now am I? A weak human protecting a god? Ha. I'd love to see that, wench. Now, if you want to do some servant work, I'll let you do it. Might as well let the weak do the work of the weak, am I right? So! Here's my job for you." Marshall Lee drifted back down, planted his feet on the ground, and grinned at Fionna, showing off his large fangs. The girl tried not to show signs of disgust. "I'm meeting someone important. She'll be here in, um, soon. I want you gone, because if she finds you here, she'll have my head for it. Crazy girl. Crazier than you. You can go wander around the spirit meadows, or maybe go help Cake with something. I don't care. I want you gone."

The human girl felt a small pain in her chest at his words, but she quickly dismissed it. "Sure. I'll be happy to leave."

The god frowned slightly. "You don't know your way around yet... I should probably show you where the meadow is, at least."

"Forget it, I can manage. I was the number one explorer back at my village. Always trumping through briars, finding new places to hide... So forget it."

Marshall Lee sighed. "Come on, wench, there are gods and spirits everywhere, and they will definitely d-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, another, more cheery voice cut him off, sending both the master and his servant into a startled state. "Hello there, Marshall Lee, and greetings, Miss Fionna! I decided to drop by and see how things were going, if that sits alright with you, my old friend and bother." Fionna and Marshall Lee spun around, looking on towards the black clouds that surrounded the trickster god's domain, only to see a rather cheery fellow, almost entirely pink, slice right through them, riding a magnificent black creature, with hair as silver as night. Fionna's eyes widened. Never in her life had she seen something so... so...

Marshall Lee scowled. Acting like a child unwilling to share his new toy with others, the god, in a state of irritation, stepped in front of his servant, attempting to shield her from the other being. "Gumball, what the heck are you doing here? Thought you couldn't stand my gloomy place."

Fionna, on the other hand, was trying to get another look at the beautiful being that had appeared before her. He was like an angel, she concluded, an angel to save her from the gloom of this god's home. Gumball, after landing his steed, hopped down and made his way towards the two, a warm smile on his face. Warm... Fionna longed to feel warm, especially after staying in a place so cold and void of happiness. She glanced up at her master, whose back was turned to her, and cautiously began to inch away from him.

"You must be Fionna. My, you look lovely. I must say, I envy you a bit, my friend, for you have such a rare, interesting girl at your side."

Marshall Lee merely replied with an uninterested, "Feh."

"Fionna, I heard my gloomy friend mention he had business to attend to. I was hoping you would let me give you a tour, as you could say, of the realm? You deserve one, I believe. Care to?"

To top off his gentlemanly introduction, the god held out a hand, not in a beckoning, luring way, but in a friendly manner, one which Fionna much appreciated. The servant smiled widely and, without a second thought, hurried forward, sputtering out an agreement, not even looking back at her master. She didn't care for her master. She would never care. Even if he did save her from death, this eternal sentence of servitude was worse. If this other being, this Gumball, could save her from her misery, even if just for a short period of time, Fionna would never ask for anything else ever again. She longed to escape this sphere of black clouds and depression. She wanted to see color. She wanted to get away from her master.

"I'll return her after you and Ashley finish up," Gumball laughed, smiling at Fionna's eagerness to leave. The god ushered her towards Lord Monochromicorn, and as soon as he had arrived, he had left, taking Fionna with him.

Marshall Lee stood alone, staring out into the dark clouds, which had reformed after the interruption.

"...Ungrateful bitch."